Australia will try to avoid the host team curse by avoiding elimination in the quarterfinals of the Women’s World Cup.
The Matildas have co-hosted this tournament with Aotearoa New Zealand, but the Football Ferns failed to advance out of group play. Australia are still playing and faces France on Saturday in Brisbane, for a spot in the semifinals.
But tournament hosts have always struggled to make it past the quarterfinals, starting with China in the inaugural 1991 tournament, then Sweden in 1995, Germany in 2011, Canada in 2015 and finally France in 2019.
France were eliminated by the United States in front of 45,000 spectators in Paris, and the sting carried with Les Blues for quite a while. Aside from the United States, who won the 1999 tournament in America, all other World Cup hosts have failed to advance past the quarterfinals.
France can now kick Australia out of their own tournament, and French coach Herve Renard said his players are familiar with the pressure that faces the Matildas.
“We know exactly what we’re in for,” Renard said. “The host country, we know that that can be a good or bad thing. This is what the French team went through in 2019. It can be hugely disappointing as it was for France when they were knocked out.
“We’re hoping to put Australia through exactly what France went through when they were the host country in 2019.”
Australia may have superstar Sam Kerr at full strength after she missed all of group play with a calf injury and only played the final 10 minutes of Australia’s quarterfinal win over Denmark.
The Matildas have also been playing in front of massive crowds, including more than 75,000 in Sydney for the victory over Denmark.
“I think that Sydney properly ramped things up,” said defender Alanna Kennedy. “We really felt the energy from the crowd.”
Added 20-year-old defender Mary Fowler: “It’s amazing, especially once the games have finished, when you can really see the size of the crowds that have turned up to watch you.”
Australia has never advanced out of the World Cup quarterfinals in three previous attempts, so a debut in the semifinals is on the line. Australia beat France just last month in a 1-0 warmup ahead of the tournament — the only loss Les Blues has suffered while winning 16 of 18 matches this year.
France are trying to avoid being eliminated in the quarterfinals for the third consecutive World Cup. France were eliminated by Germany in 2015 and the United States four years ago. A win over Australia would put France into the semifinals for the second time ever, but the first time since 2011.
France were a bit underwhelming in their World Cup opener, a scoreless draw against Jamaica. But the fifth-ranked team in the world cruised into the quarterfinals by helping to eliminate Brazil while outscoring their opponents 12-4 in the last three games.
