Cortnee Vine of Australia celebrates victory with her team after she scores the winning penalty. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images
ELON Musk, you better not let me down on Wednesday night.
I’ll be in remote Cape York, camping somewhere near Chilli Beach on the east coast and I am relying on my Starlink service to watch the Matildas semi-final.
I might have to make a dash to Lockhart River and take over mayor Wayne Butcher’s lounge room if you let me down, Elon.
Having said that, I’m sure that most TVs in Cape York will be tuned into the FIFA Women’s World Cup semi-final between Australia and England.
It will be a moment that rivals Cathy Freeman’s gold medal at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
But if we win? Not sure that anything will beat it.
I was lucky enough to be at Saturday night’s quarter-final in Brisbane. And lucky is probably the best way to put it.
My soon-to-be mother-in-law gifted my partner Emily and me tickets for Christmas this year.
It was the only final played in Queensland and it just worked out that the Matildas made it.
I remember grabbing my phone on Christmas morning to look up the FIFA website and do the maths.
“If we finish on top of our group AND if we make it to the quarter finals then we’ll be able to get to see Australia play,” I remember saying at the time.
Needless to say, I was stressed when we lost to Nigeria in our second group game.
Not only were our hopes in the tournament fast eroding, but it severely dented the chances of finishing on top of the group.
Thankfully, Hayley Raso did her thing against Canada.
The Women’s World Cup has some fond memories for me (and hopefully Emily) as it was happening at the same time we met in Cairns four years ago.
Our first date was on June 13 and – if memory serves me well – just a few days later we were sitting side by side watching the Matildas play Jamaica at 5 o’clock in the morning.
Sam Kerr scored four goals in that game as Australia won 4-1.
Saturday night’s match was far more stressful.
In fact, I don’t think I enjoyed it at all until the very end.
The whole crowd was on the edge of their seats for the duration of the contest.
Emily Powley, the fiancee of Cape York Weekly editor Matt Nicholls, with rugby league royalty Wally Lewis at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday.
The French, to their credit, were worthy adversaries.
Neither side deserved to lose that quarter-final.
I had perfect seats to see our best in-play chance of taking the lead as Far North product Mary Fowler found herself with an open net in front of her.
Her strike was solid and on target, but was thwarted at the last moment by a plucky French de-fender who put her body on the line to stop it.
I can’t print what was said by me and thousands of others as we watched it get saved.
The penalty shootout, needless to say, was almost unbearable and hard to watch. Every attempt had the crowd holding its breath and then roaring or groaning, depending on the outcome.
It was pure euphoria when Cortnee Vine nailed the winner – the 21st penalty attempt of the night (one was re-taken after Mackenzie Arnold came off her line too early).
As I won’t be there for the semi or the final, I don’t think the euphoria of the quarter-final will be matched for some time.
However, the tension might be surpassed if Starlink drops out on me on Wednesday night.
Mayor Butcher, make sure you’re ready, just in case!
