The 2022 Women’s Football Carnival of Nations came to a thrilling end at the Darebin International Sports Centre on Sunday 23 October, concluding a month-long festival of football.
The tournament was a resounding success and a true celebration of women's football. The carnival brought the community together with a record 29 teams taking part, consisting of 621 players who were registered through the Football Victoria GO Football Platform.
The tournament took place over four consecutive Sundays in October and records continued to be shattered throughout. An incredible 258 goals were scored in 51 matches, resulting in an average of 4.9 a game. While this was less than the 5.8 per game last year, there was more evenness in the competition and less one-sided results, making for a highly entertaining spectacle
Part of the charm of the Carnival is that it is inclusive to people of all skills and abilities. In the social division (Wattle), masters teams from Ballarat, Brunswick, Keilor, Hampton and Chelsea/Aspendale all took part. Several players had never played on a full pitch before and enjoyed their first full-sized footballing match experience.
Despite being social, the Wattle Division was hotly contested. Sweden secured their first ever win at the Carnival with a 3-2 win over Greece, sparking mass celebrations and in the Grand Final, the championship came down to a dramatic penalty shootout. The Bahamas and San Marino went head-to-head in the shootout after a tight game and after some tense moments, San Marino prevailed 4-3.
There were 24 entries in the competitive division (Eucalyptus). Mauritius finished in third place after knocking out Malta and Germany to progress to the business end of the tournament, but after an admirable effort ultimately fell short.
The Grand Final saw Australia and Iceland clash in a rematch of the Round 1 encounter on the opening matchday of the Carnival, back on October 2. On that occasion Iceland won 4-2 but the young Australians grew in confidence as the competition progressed.
In the quarterfinals they beat a star-studded Finland 5-2 and they carried this form into their match against Iceland. Australia dominated the play early on, displaying slick ball movement to open up their opponents on several occasions and seizing a 3-1 lead. Iceland fought back and grew in strength as the game went on, creating several chances towards the end of the game. Despite their improvement, Iceland couldn't capitalise and Australia held on to claim the crown.
The month-long Carnival of football was a tremendous celebration of our game and a fantastic celebration of women's football.
The Carnival is not for profit and run entirely by volunteers. Football Victoria congratulates the six women and four men of the Organising Committee for delivering another outsanding tournament and thanks them for their contribution to our football in our state.
*All photos are credited to the Organising Committee and Rob Cruse Photography.