Today, 1 June 2018, marks a special day in Australian football history as 30 years ago to this date Australia's women's football team played their first FIFA tournament.
It was the 1988 FIFA Women's Invitation Tournament held in China where Australia beat Brazil 1-0 with an extraordinary team effort.
The team would go on to win 3-0 against Thailand before a 3-0 loss to Norway and make it to the quarterfinals.
"We are incredibly proud to have been part of the Matildas’ journey in FIFA," Moya Dodd said on Facebook.
"We are also very proud of the pioneers who played before us so that we could take the field for our country in that first-ever tournament," she added.
In celebration of today, they have been sharing their stories on social media through #MatildasFIFA30.
Carol Vinson (cap 55) was my roomie in 1988. Played a brilliant game in her debut for our 1-0 win over Brazil ❤️⚽️. Does the 30 yr rule on disclosure of confidential info apply to #football? Yikes!! 🤣 #MatildasFIFA30 pic.twitter.com/eegdg9l70g
— moya dodd (@moyadodd) June 1, 2018
#MatildasFIFA30 On this day 30 years ago in China, the Aussie women’s national team (Matildas) took on Brazil and beat them 1-0. The intense rivalry continues it seems with the current @TheMatildas victorious against Brazil recently on home soil. #neversaydie pic.twitter.com/PAozVaUYnO
— julie dolan (@dolanj4) June 1, 2018
30 years ago today, debut for the Matilda’s v Brazil in the first FIFA sanctioned tournament for Women’s Football , beat Brazil 1-0 to send shockwaves through South America
— Deborah Nichols (@BoroDeborah) June 1, 2018
Great experience wonderful country and people, the police escort was literally for 2 hours #MatildasFIFA30 pic.twitter.com/rDyKaBmn8M
Players invested their energy and money to raise standards in the name of building the game.
Paying every time they played from buying boots and strapping tape to helping run clubs and while the growth women's football has come in great strides but there is still much to do.
"We continue to be disappointed by the limited roles that women have in leadership and decision-making in football – and especially in women’s football – despite the emphasis on women in FIFA’s statutes and strategies," Dodd wrote.
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