Vinson recalls how huge this was in the context of women’s football. When Matilda cap #53 Janine Riddington superbly chipped the keeper to secure a 1-0 victory, the Aussies became not just the first to touch a ball at the tournament, but could now claim the first goal, as well as the first win. Matilda cap #55 Carol Vinson would be the first player to touch the ball at the 1988 tournament in Australia’s Group B match against Brazil in Jiangmen, which kicked off a few hours before the official opening match in Guangzhou, where hosts China would play Canada. “Back then, if someone had asked me where I would like to see the game in 20-30 years, I was just hoping that women wouldn’t have to pay to play anymore, it was hard to imagine what women’s football would look like, so it’s truly incredible to see what it’s become.”
So when the ‘pilot’ World Cup was announced, we realised that we were on this journey and it could really become a big thing”.Īn ankle injury would cruelly rule Iserief out of the 1988 event but 35 years later, she certainly doesn’t want to miss a moment of the celebrations, the chance to recognise a legacy that she and so many others before and after, played a part in creating. “There was no talk back then of World Cups or really being on the world stage, even though we were travelling to tournaments internationally. Matilda cap #26 Renaye Iserief recalls that before that time, a World Cup tournament for women was something of a fantasy.
The 1988 FIFA Women’s Invitational Tournament was earmarked as a ‘pilot’ Women’s World Cup with FIFA to then decide if the women’s game warranted the same showcase event as their male counterparts. If this Unity Celebration in June 2023, is a celebration of how far the sport has come along Australia’s World Cup history time-line, the June of 1988 is surely where it all began, in FIFA’s test event. In a significant coincidence, this month also marks exactly 35 years since Australian women had their first taste of a World Cup experience. The celebration of football, culture and community invites everyone to walk, jog or dance across the bridge to the Unity Beat, just 25 days before kick off in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™. The legacy of Australia’s pioneering female footballers will be writ large on Sunday as thousands of football fans descend on Sydney Harbour Bridge marking a watershed moment for the women’s game in Australia.
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