Soccer tournament bosses are accused of sexism for forcing Young Matildas to play in ankle-deep snow: ‘It wouldn’t happen in male football’
Angry fans have questioned why Australia’s under-20 women’s football team was forced to play an Asian Cup match on a pitch covered in deep snow, a move branded ‘unsafe’ and ’embarrassing’ by supporters.
The Young Matildas came from behind to beat South Korea 2-1 in the opening match of the AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup in Uzbekistan on Sunday.
Teenage star Naomi Chinnama turned the match on its head with her first international goal in the second half, but it was the circumstances that dominated the conversations online.
Both teams had to play on a surface covered in snow from a recent storm, with only the center circle and edges of the pitch having to be cleared before kick-off was allowed to go ahead.
The Australian women celebrate in the snow after their victory over the South Korean Republic in Uzbekistan
Players were forced to endure ankle-deep snow, with the ball frequently getting stuck after it was kicked due to the jarring conditions
Match organizers cleared areas around the edge of the field and in the center circle, but left most of the snow on the field when the match started
It provided challenging conditions for the Young Matildas, with the ball routinely getting stuck in blizzards before the Aussies were finally able to break the game open in the second half.
“Australian national teams have received FROSTY receptions before, but never so literally,” a fan on the ground posted, along with a video of the pitch completely covered in snow just before kick-off.
Numerous fans posted online saying conditions were unsafe for the players and more should have been done to protect them.
‘An absolute mess that you can expect when you play on such a disgusting pitch. A serious breach of safety standards for an AFC-sanctioned tournament, for sure,” one person said.
“Those were terrible field conditions, Australia should file a complaint,” another angry fan posted.
Other fans said the match highlighted the divide between men’s and women’s football.
“Don’t ever tell me women’s sports are equal to men’s sports, this is a joke,” one person wrote.
‘This is really wild. Just because they are U20 women hasn’t stopped anyone from doing so. This is unsafe and completely unacceptable,” another added.
‘What a joke! If you say you’re going to host, you need to have a plan for clearing the snow! Ridiculous circumstances! That wouldn’t happen in men’s football,” another fan claimed.
Although the conditions were terrible, it is not the first time that a professional or international football match has been played on a snow-covered pitch.
In 2014, the men’s teams of the United States and Costa Rica had to play a World Cup qualifier in Commerce City, Colorado, right next to the Rocky Mountains, on a snow-covered field.
Some football fans are used to snowy conditions, like these spectators at the Young Matildas match in Uzbekistan
Snow rained from the top of the goal net in spectacular scenes when this goal was scored in the German Bundesliga in 2018
A snowstorm didn’t stop Atlanta from using the blowtorch on Minnesota during a Major League Soccer match in the United States
In 2018, German striker Nils Petersen thundered in a goal for SC Freiburg in the Bundesliga, which dramatically resulted in snow raining from the roof of the goal net.
And in the United States, a Major League Soccer men’s match between Atlanta and Minnesota not only featured a snow-covered field, but players, officials and fans were forced to deal with a full-force snowstorm that battered the stadium.
It is also common in Russia, Scotland and other snow-prone parts of the world.
While many fans criticized the conditions, others praised the Young Matildas for overcoming the obstacle to secure a crucial win.
‘Shocking circumstances, but what is the faith and courage of this team? To play in that and come back to win, the future looks bright, what a great achievement,” said one excited fan.
“Conditions were terrible, but the girls are so deserving of the win,” added another.
The win is a huge result in the context of the group. If Australia finish first or second, they will get the chance to play in a semi-final and qualify for the 2024 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup.