WHAT A RUN

This past Wednesday, we went to the England-Australia Women's World Cup semifinal match. The entire nation was behind the Tillies, or Matildas, as the Australian team is called, but alas England were too strong. In the end, the Lionesses prevailed 3-1, a scoreline that flattered the Tillies, who were outplayed for most of the game.

There were moments for Australia, including a breathtaking solo run from midfield by Sam Kerr that was capped off with a gorgeous strike - a shot many are calling one of the greatest goals in men's or women's World Cup history. Watching it again on replay, I truly appreciated exactly how much Kerr had to do on her own to score that goal, level the match at 1-1, and bring Australia back into the game.

Alas, Australia's defense wavered, too. They gave up two preventable goals, giving England an unsurmountable 3-1 advantage.

Despite this result, this nation was and remains captivated by its Tillies. There is still the third place match to play tomorrow in Brisbane, and I know the country will be behind the girls. I know I will. One can only hope that an entire generation of young girls will be inspired by this historic run to participate in soccer and to reach for their dreams, whatever they might be. One also hopes that the men in Australian society will get behind this team and women's sport. Half your population is an awful lot to waste!