Can ya feel that? It’s the warm ember of green and gold fever coursing through your veins because the Matildas are back, baby! Sam Kerr, Hayley Raso, Caitlin Foord, Steph Catley, Mackenzie Arnold and Mary Fowler have got us pumping with pride once again and my little heart is burstin’.
Last week the Tillies kicked off their Olympic campaign by going head-to-head with IR Iran to secure a spot in contention for a medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. On Sunday they continued their way through the round robin tournament with a truly glorious 8-0 win against Phillipines – ya beauty. Now sitting firmly at the top of the group, their next match will be against Chinese Taipei Wednesday with all signs pointing to a win.
So does that mean they’ll make it through to the Olympics? While the phrase ‘Olympic Qualifiers’ may sound pretty self-explanatory there’s quite a bit of nuance to how selection is made so we’ve decided to do a quick breakdown of what it all means.
How were the Asian Olympic qualifying groups selected?
This year there were 12 teams selected from the Australasian region based on their seeding. From that group they were split into three qualifying groups comprised of four teams tasked with facing off against each other to go through to the next round.
Which teams are in the Asian Olympic qualifying group?
The Asian Olympic qualifying groups have been broken down into three groups:
Group A: Australia, Chinese Taipei, Phillipines, IR Iran.
Group B: China HR, Korea Republic, Thailand, DPR Korea.
Group C: Japan, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, India.
What do the Matildas need to do to win this round of Olympic Qualifiers?
The Tillies are already sitting pretty at the top of Group A but a win this Wednesday against Chinese Taipei will secure their progression through to the next round of Asian Olympic Qualifiers.
What is the next stage of Olympic Qualifiers?
The next stage of the Asian Olympic Qualifiers will see the top three winners of each group go through to the next stage. There will also be runners-up that go through based on best ranking so expect to see teams trying to run up the goal scoring tally. With the Matildas looking likely to top Group A they’ll then face off in home and away games against the other successful teams. With teams like Japan and Korea Republic looking strong, the Tillies will have their work cut out for them.
When will the next round of Asian Olympic qualifying be held?
If you, like me, prefer to plan your life around when the Matildas play their games then you’re also a diehard and I salute you unequivocally. As of now I don’t have any firm match times but expect to see this happen anytime between November and January. Until we have concrete details I’d just clear your schedule and don’t plan anything social for the foreseeable future. Stay tuned here for up-to-date match details.
What do the Matildas need to do to get through to Paris 2024?
The winners of the next round of Asian Olympic Qualifiers will successfully secure their berth at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Has anyone looked up the cost of flights to Paris? I’m happy to cosplay as a bed bug to get cheap accommodation.
Which teams have already secured a spot at Paris 2024?
So far France, USA, Brazil and Columbia have nabbed their spot to contend for a medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Should we officially change Australia’s name to Sam Kerr-Land?
Yes.
