The Matildas’ final two matches on home soil before the Paris Olympics saw the team face off against China in Adelaide and Sydney. The Tillies beat China 2-0 last night, with more than 2.6 million tuning into Channel 10 to watch.
The victory was perhaps slightly bittersweet as the Matildas celebrated legendary goalkeeper Lydia Williams’ final home game in front of 76,798 fans at Accor Stadium. A fitting farewell for the veteran goalkeeper saw her earn a standing ovation when she came off just before half time.
The victory raked in an impressive Total TV National Reach of 2,620,000 and Total TV National Average Audience of 1,095,000, on Network 10.
A significantly improved performance from the first match, the Matildas kept the ball camped out in the opposition’s half for most of the encounter but they had to bide their time for the breakthrough which eventually arrived from Clare Wheeler.
The second-half substitute scored after just three minutes on the pitch when she headed home Steph Catley’s sublime free-kick into the box to register her second goal for the national team.
With momentum on their side, Hayley Raso doubled their lead only moments when she rounded the keeper and tapped the ball into the empty net after being played through by Cortnee Vine’s inch-perfect pass that split the Steel Roses’ defence. Tension was in the air!
Over on Nine Network, The Summit’s Monday episode raked in a Total TV National Reach of 1,676,000, as viewers watched the five remaining trekkers come across a terrifying zipline obstacle that required them to swing 100 metres across two mountains. The team are just 19 gruelling kilometres away from the top of the mountain. Channel Seven’s The Chase Australia and Dream Home also made it in the top 10, with Total TV National Average Audiences of 758,000 and 582,000, respectively.
