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Hello and welcome to Germany v Australia on day one of the women’s football Olympic event.
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This is the first major international tournament the two teams have participated in since last year’s World Cup. The 2023 event was a resounding success for Australia with the Matildas becoming household names as well as reaching the semi-finals. For Germany, however, it was a failure after not getting out of the group for the first time ever.
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But this is a new tournament and anything could happen. The stars of Germany will be looking to prove a point, while Australia will want to continue their good form.
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Both teams have been hit with injuries. The Matildas are without talismanic captain Sam Kerr after she ruptured her ACL back in January and Tameka Yallop has withdrawn from game one with injury. Germany, meanwhile, are without star defender Lena Oberdorf because of a knee injury.
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So who are in the matchday line-ups? The team news will drop shortly so stay tuned ahead of kick-off in an hour.
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Important Events
6 minsAfter looking a little shaky early on, Germany picked up speed quickly and landed the first punches. Brand got into good position, but her shots hit Arnold.
Joe Pearson got in touch and said:
I’ll run some errands (grocery shopping, etc.) then head home for a quick lunch and get ready for the afternoon game. Of course, being a Midwesterner, I’m much more interested in the US Women’s National Team opening game later, but I’m with you – it should be a good game!
Hi Joe, thanks for joining us. I’m sure the US match will be a good one, but this one might be closer.
4 minutes: Australia are pressing high and looking for this opportunity, but Germany are strong enough to keep possession for now. A great pass from Berger sees Germany attacking, but Bühl is ruled offside.
2 minutes: A foul was committed just after Hood won the ball in midfield, giving Australia a quick free kick, but Kennedy’s long ball went straight out of bounds.
Kickoff! Germany 0-0 Australia
Let’s get started! Can Australia continue their major tournament form? Or will Germany get back on track? It all remains to be seen.
Kieran Pender
With just minutes to go until kick-off, the Marseille Stadium is surprisingly empty for such a big Olympic match. The 67,000-seat stadium is the second-largest in France, which shows just how vast it is. Only the lower level of the ground is filled, and even that level has white seats. It’s a disappointing turnout for a match between two top teams, and will be a big change for the Matildas, who have played their previous 14 home games in front of sell-out crowds.
The players went out onto the pitch The national anthem will be played and kickoff will be soon. It’s hard to even name a favorite in this match so it’s sure to be a great one.
Both teams at the end The first time the two countries met in women’s football at the Olympics was in 2016, when the game ended in a 2-2 draw.
Olympic Games Opening Ceremony is tomorrow and there are always some big names to show up. Read on to find out who is rumored to be appearing.
Please let us know what you think Tell me where you’re watching from – were you taking a nap and woke up to watch? Or are you reading the blog on your way home from work? Email me at sarah.rendell.casual@theguardian.co.uk or message me at X (@rendellx).
Germany returns to the Olympics For the first time since 2016, women’s soccer failed to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
There have been some controversies at the Olympics. In particular, Canada apologized for flying a drone into New Zealand’s training session during the New Zealand vs. Canada match. The two teams are currently playing one-on-one. For more information on this, see below.
There were some questions There had been concerns about the fitness of Australian captain Steph Catley but she confirmed at a press conference yesterday that she was OK and will start the match.
And she added about the possibility of winning an Olympic medal: “That would be incredible. This team has been through a lot and has been together for years. We’ve come pretty close to a great result. It’s definitely something we want to achieve.”
“But so is every team that goes into this tournament. Every team that goes into this tournament is amazing. The Olympics are really, really tough. Not to be cliché, but for us it’s really one game at a time. We always dream big. Every tournament we go into, we go into it to win, to do the best we can. But it’s dangerous to start thinking like that. We need to just focus on Germany and how to beat them.”
Team news has arrivedGermany announced an illustrious starting line-up that included captain Alexandra Popp, who has scored in every game she has played at Euro 2022.
Germany: Berger, Linder, Hendrich, Hegering, Minge, Schuller, Nasken, Popp, Gwinn, Brand, Bühl.
1️⃣1️⃣ for the opening of the Olympics 👊🔥#DFB #German Football #GermanyWNT #Team D #RoadToParis #Geraus
📸DFB/DOSB/Sophieke van Bilsen pic.twitter.com/7ixScHpYQf
— German Football (@DFB_Team_EN) July 25, 2024
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Australia, meanwhile, also have a star-studded starting eleven, including Caitlin Ford, who was an injury doubt until the final training session.
Australia: Arnold, Vine, Gorrie, Catley, Cooney-Cross, Ford, Fowler, Carpenter, Kennedy, Hunt, Ratho
Starting XI 🗒
The lineup for the opening game looks like this: #Paris2024 👊
⏰: 3AM AEST
📺💻📱: Channel 9, 9Now, Stan Sports#Matildas #TilitsDone #AllezAUS #Olympic pic.twitter.com/NnPAFG2jnR
— Matildas (@TheMatildas) July 25, 2024
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preamble
Hello and welcome to Germany vs Australia First day of the women’s Olympic soccer competition.
This is the first major international tournament for both teams since last year’s World Cup. The 2023 tournament was a huge success for Australia, with the Matildas making a name for themselves and reaching the semi-finals, but a failure for Germany, who failed to get out of the group stage for the first time.
But this is a new competition and anything can happen, Germany’s stars will be looking to prove a point and Australia will be hoping to continue their good form.
Both teams are struggling with injuries – the Matildas are without captain Sam Kerr after rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament in January and Tameka Yallop also missed the first leg through injury, while Germany are without star defender Lena Oberdorff with a knee injury.
So who will be in the lineup on game day? Team news will be announced shortly, so stay tuned for kickoff in an hour.
