Australia faced current World Champions, France on day four, in their toughest match so far.
Back player Madeleine McAfee took to Instagram before the match to thank Australia’s team of supporters, “Step by step, we continue to set new goals for each match. We continue to build our game from the opportunities presented to us.”
France were leaving nothing to chance and to avoid a hypothetical goal-difference showdown with Brazil, for a spot in the next round, they were determined to build their ‘goals for’ count. They pushed Australia with everything they had for 60 minutes.
The Australian players too pursued and fought until the final whistle.
France started with two quick goals, and Australia replied through a Sally Potocki penalty shot at just under four minutes. France then built to eight before Australia scored their second at just over eleven minutes. It was all France for the next 13 until Rosa Boyd scored another for Australia just before half time.
Frustratingly for the Aussies, the second half progressed like the first with Sally Potocki putting four on the board for Australia to Frances’s 24, to end the game at 46:6.
Despite the final score, the team and the supporters acknowledged the value of the experience playing regular games at this level of international competition, especially for our new members as this opportunity is hard to come by living so far away.
The team will regroup and play Korea next.
Scorers for Australia were Sally Potocki 4, Jess Fallah, 2 and Rosa Boyd, 1.
Playing schedule https://www.ihf.info/competitions/women/307/24th-ihf-womens-world-championship-2019/7819/matches/2019-12-03
Results and reports https://www.ihf.info/competitions/women/307/24th-ihf-womens-world-championship-2019/7819/stage-matches/7825
Photos courtesy Bob Wood
