Australian newspapers react after ‘brave’ Matildas were dumped out of the World Cup by the Lionesses… but nation’s media insists ‘love affair has just begun’
Australian newspapers react after ‘brave’ Matildas were dumped from the World Cup by the lionesses…
- The Australian media has paid tribute to the Matildas
- The team was dumped from the World Cup by England
- The press says ‘love affair has just begun’
Australian newspapers paid tribute to the Matildas after their heartbreaking World Cup jaunt on Wednesday.
A stunning goal from Sam Kerr was not enough to secure Australia’s place in Sunday’s final, with Tony Gustavsson’s side falling to a 3-1 defeat to England’s Lionesses in Sydney.
However, the Matildas captured the hearts and minds of the nation, with 11 million people tuning in for the team’s first-ever semifinal at the tournament.
And despite falling short this time, Australian newspapers insist that the “love affair has just begun” with their “brave” team.
The Australian’s front page read: ‘Dream Kerr tail but national love affair just begun’.
The Australian media has thrown its support behind the Matildas
The newspapers paid tribute to the ‘brave’ team after their World Cup foray
The Daily Telegraph, which temporarily changed its name to ‘The Daily Tillygraph’ ahead of the match, ran the headline: ‘Heart Breakerr’ next to a photo of a dejected Sam Kerr.
The Herald Sun had the same headline as the Telegraph, subheading, “You’ve Made Us Proud.”
“Australia salutes inspiring Matildas after groundbreaking World Cup ride ended in loss to England.”
Brisbane’s Courier Mail chose a photo of the Matildas team in a heart-shaped team group, captioned: ‘Heart of a nation’.
“Brisbane returns for the defeated brave Matildas.”
Elsewhere, TV figures for the World Cup semi-final defeat to the Lionesses have been revealed, drawing 11.15 million viewers on Wednesday night, with an average audience of 7.13 million on Seven and 7Plus.
The numbers mean it’s the most-watched TV show in Australian homes for over 20 years and the country’s biggest-ever streaming event, with 957,000 online viewers in the tally.
The game peaked at 6.9 million viewers during its broadcast, with a commercial audience share of 89.8 percent over the total number of people.
7plus dominated viewing with your own device with a share of 76.2 percent. When live streaming, it had an 84.4 percent share.
Sam Kerr was on the front page of most newspapers after Wednesday’s defeat
‘You made us proud’: the media paid tribute to the Matildas despite their defeat
‘Love affair has just begun’: The Matildas hope to leave a lasting legacy in the nation
Seven’s coverage of the Cup has reached 14.04 million viewers to date, plus a further 3.4 million on 7plus.
Hordes of fans flocked to live sites across the country to watch the game, which the Matildas lost 3-1.
Thousands gathered in Melbourne’s Federation Square to cheer on the women in green and gold, but the exuberance was tempered by unruly young men in the crowd.