Rafqa Touma 

How Australian and UK newspapers reacted to the Matildas’ defeat in the Women’s World Cup semi-final

An outpouring of heartbreak and love came from the home team’s papers, while English newspapers revelled in the Lionesses’ victory
  
  

How newspapers in Australia and the UK reacted to England’s win over the Matildas in in the 2023 Women’s World Cup semi-final in Sydney on Wednesday night.
How newspapers in Australia and the UK reacted to England’s win over the Matildas in the 2023 Women’s World Cup semi-final in Sydney on Wednesday night. Composite: Daily Express/Mirror/The Daily Telegraph/West Australian/Sydney Morning Herald/The Age/The Courier Mail

Australia has been left heartbroken after the Matildas were defeated by England’s Lionesses in their Fifa Women’s World Cup semi-final.

As the tears dry, we take a look at what the newspapers in Australia and Britain made of the match.

Sydney’s Daily Telegraph went strong on wordplay, with its front-page headline screaming “Heart breakerr”.

The puns continued over at the Australian, where dreams of glory were “Kerr-tailed”. But fear not, it wrote, for the “national love affair’s just begun”.

The West Australian took a somber tone, with “It hurts … ” in bold typography hovering over a crouched and defeated Sam Kerr.

On the back page, Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson is seen hugging his team’s captain.

The Sydney Morning Herald pointed to Kerr’s “brilliance” amid the loss. The words “Queens of hearts” were laid over an aerial shot of the Matildas huddled in the shape of a heart.

In Victoria, the Age paired an image of England’s Georgia Stanway aside a disappointed Kerr, with the headline: “Pride and pain.”

Queensland’s Courier Mail opted for wholesomeness on their cover, with a photograph of the Matildas’ heart huddle and the words “Heart of a nation”.

Meanwhile, British papers revelled in their team’s victory, with some looking ahead to what might be when Sunday comes.

Some made room on their front page for a “wilting Matildas” reference.

 

Leave a Comment

Required fields are marked *

*

*