We’re just under three hours from kick-off and as people start to clock off from work, the Rocks in Sydney is proving the place to be.
At the Glenmore Hotel, fans are trickling in, with many grabbing an early dinner before heading to the game.
Matildas fans enjoy the pre-game at the Rocks in Sydney. From the back: Lewis Williams, Ewan McDonald, Libby Porter. Front: Catriona McDonald, Laura Hughes and Emily Roach.Credit: Dion Georgopoulos
Laura Hughes, 22, and Emily Roach, 20, are here with family from Canberra, who have made the trip up the Hume to go to the game.
Hughes and Roach play together in the W-League for Canberra with aspirations to become future Matildas.
At 17, Hughes even played against Sam Kerr while she was playing for Perth Glory.
“It was pretty daunting because I was pretty young. She’s unreal on the field. We had two people marking her the whole time,” Hughes said.
“I’ve played against most of [the Matildas].”
Another group getting ready for the game at the Glenmore with family was Meleri Mullan, 23, Ellie Sparrow, 20, and Zoe Tolland, 20.
Players face the crowd at the A-League Womens launch in November 2022. Laura Hughes from Canberra United is pictured next to Katrina Gorry (far right) from Brisbane Roar.Credit: Getty Images
The trio also play soccer and bought tickets back in November last year to ensure they wouldn’t miss the game.
“I hope [the World Cup] will bring out lots more fans to the women’s A-League season coming up because they don’t get huge crowds and the league is improving each year,” Tolland said.
Mullan said on the flight from Adelaide to Sydney, multiple people were wearing Matildas jerseys which was “awesome” to see.
“And not just females but males, children everyone getting around it,” she said.
