David Lipson: The Matildas aren’t the only national women’s team preparing to represent Australia this weekend. Deaf Football Australia’s national women’s team is gearing up for an historic opening match in the United States, where they’ve been invited to open for one of the world’s top teams. But the Aussies say they’re yet to see Matilda’s mania trickle down, with the 18-person side having to put their hands in their own pockets to fund the trip. Elizabeth Cramsie has more.
Elizabeth Cramsie: At Lily’s Football Centre in Sydney, the members of the Deaf Football Australia women’s team are putting their skills to good use. But with players spread across the country, getting the team together is a rare occurrence.
Adelaide Wazinski: You’ve got people flying from Perth, you’ve got people flying from everywhere. And just having the time to figure out, well, when can all these girls come in at the same time, so then we can play as a proper team.
Elizabeth Cramsie: That’s Adelaide Wazinski. She plays right wing. She’s one of an 18-person side invited to play against reigning gold medalists, the USA, in Denver, Colorado, this weekend.
Adelaide Wazinski: It’s very exciting, that’s for sure, to have that opportunity to represent at a national level and go up against another national team with players that are just like me.
Elizabeth Cramsie: The player has seen Matilda’s mania grip the nation since the Women’s World Cup. She’s hoping her team will feel some of that sparkle.
Adelaide Wazinski: Sport awareness to women’s football, it’s said like, look, just because you’re a girl, you can still play a sport that would be dominant for men. And they should think nothing different, because if they can do it, girls can do it. And now that we have, I suppose, the Hearing Impairment Team, the community has shown everyone that we can do it too.
Elizabeth Cramsie: But while the Matildas will play to a sold-out crowd this evening, it’s a little different for this team. Last year, the team had to withdraw from the World Deaf Football Championships in Malaysia due to a lack of funding. This trip is only partly funded, meaning each of the players has had to kick in an extra couple of thousand dollars to represent their country. James Lambert is the team’s technical director.
James Lambert: America and Deaf Football Australia have come together and paid for probably 60% of the trip, and then the girls had to find $2,000.
Elizabeth Cramsie: But it’s a huge opportunity all the same.
James Lambert: It’s a double-edger. It’s a historic, first game ever to be played with the mainstream US women’s team. Very unusual because typically the big teams don’t want anyone playing on the field before them.
Elizabeth Cramsie: Taking on Team USA is no easy feat. How confident are you?
James Lambert: Deafness can make you very introverted, and these girls are prepared to walk out in front of a building 18,000 crowd, knowing that they’re on mainstream TV in America. So for me, I’m just amazed at how brave they are to actually be prepared to walk out there and have a go against a team that’s never lost in the last 20 years.
Elizabeth Cramsie: And if they win? Adelaide Wazinski says it’s just the start of the journey.
Adelaide Wazinski: If we win on the 1st of June, it’s definitely the first of many.
David Lipson: That’s Australian soccer rep Adelaide Wazinski ending that report from Elizabeth Crampsey.