Matildas eye big stadiums
THEY have sold out suburban grounds and now the Matildas are looking to ride their wave of success by packing out Australia’s major stadiums with blockbuster games against the likes of the USA and England.
Fresh from back-to-back wins against Brazil in Penrith and Newcastle, the Australian women’s football team has locked in friendly matches against China at Melbourne’s 30,000 seat AAMI Park and Geelong’s 34,000-capacity Simonds Stadium in November.
If the reaction is anything like what happened in NSW last week, the Matildas will break the 18,600 attendance record the Opals set at the Sydney Olympics for a standalone women’s team sport. But Football Federation Australia officials are dreaming a lot bigger.
FFA is continually holding talks with women’s football heavyweights the USA to tour Down Under.
And, if that happens, FFA has Australia’s big stadiums like AAMI Park in sight.