Fans turn on ‘cold’ Mary Fowler after horror Olympics loss – but others slam Matildas tragics for ‘un-Australian’ comments abusing the team
Fans have heavily criticised Mary Fowler following her disappointing performance in the Matildas’ 3-0 defeat to Germany in their opening match at the Paris Olympics.
Captain Steph Catley admitted the team were given a ‘noisy alarm clock’ during their opening match in Marseille, which greatly reduced their chances of winning gold.
The Matildas, semi-finalists at the World Cup, struggled to find their rhythm against the former champions, leaving them on the wrong foot in a group that also included the powerful American team, with coach Tony Gustavsson making a groveling apology for his performance.
Fans were quick to criticize Fowler’s performance, calling her “slow” and “frustrating.”
One fan said: ‘Mary Fowler is such a frustrating player. Like many creatively brilliant players before her, she’s just so hot and cold.’
Another added on Facebook: ‘Fowler is slower than an old boat going up the river, half the speed of all the other athletes on the field.’
Many fans felt the Manchester City star was almost invisible during the match.
“Can Mary Fowler touch the ball or something? I honestly didn’t even know she was on the field,” one fan fumed.
Fowler found herself in trouble after captain Sam Kerr suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury, which ruled her out of the World Cup, and she struggled to make an impact against Germany.
Another noted: ‘Poor first half. As usual, the overrated Mary Fowler is nowhere to be seen.’
Even when Fowler got a rare chance in front of the net, she was robbed of the ball before she could shoot.
The criticism extended beyond Fowler to the entire team, with some fans calling the Matildas “over-hyped”.
One fan said: ‘All the hype they got all over the world just brought them down.’
Another fan added: ‘They really exceeded all expectations during the World Cup. I understand the hype and the excitement, but they were never going to be a serious contender.’
After a great run at the World Cup on home soil, the Matildas were confronted with the facts by Germany at the Olympic Games in Paris
Diehard Matildas fans travelled to France, while others got up at 3am AEST to watch
There was also scepticism about beating Germany, with one viewer noting:
“There should have been no expectation that this team would beat Germany. None. And that’s not a criticism of them. Germany is better than us.”
Some reactions were a little more sharply, with fans criticising the Matildas’ arrogance.
āMaybe then their conceit will diminish,ā said one.
Others laughed at the Queensland government’s decision to erect a statue to the Matildas after their historic fourth-place finish at the World Cup.
āRumor has it there will be a statue erected to commemorate this,ā one viewer posted sarcastically.
Another wrote: ‘The statue would have been better defended.’
But not all feedback was negative. Several Australian sports fans defended the team and criticized commentators for turning on them so quickly.
“I understand some people’s sentiments on here about politics but laughing at an Australian sports team losing says a lot about people’s priorities. Quite a crappy attitude to be honest,” one supporter posted.
Another added: ‘Nice to see them all supported, no. You guys aren’t all so pathetic that you only support winning teams, good old Australian sportsmanship.’
āAll the jokers here should get together and tell each other that statue joke,ā posted another.
The Matildas will get the chance to get revenge when they play Zambia on Monday morning (03:00 AEST).
On Thursday they will play their final group match against the United States.