New Matildas doco sheds light on game-changing 2010 win
Kyah Simon and Melissa Barbieri will never forget the moment they made Australian football history.
Now, they can't wait for everyone new to the Matildas to learn about it too.
Football Australia is releasing a documentary on Friday to commemorate 15 years to the day since the breakthrough 2010 Women's Asian Cup triumph in China.
The Matildas beat powerhouse Japan 1-0 in the semi-final, qualifying for the women's World Cup, before facing North Korea in the decider.
Just 19 minutes in, a 16-year-old Sam Kerr scored the opener in Chengdu.
North Korea responded through Jo Yun-mi in the 73rd minute and the game dragged through additional time, then into penalties.
Barbieri, watched Yun Song-mi put North Korea's second penalty wide of her left goal post, and her teammates keep sinking spot-kicks.
Simon, who scored the decisive fifth penalty, remembers the monsoon-like conditions and a pitch that resembled a cow paddock.
"Walking out, my boots each felt a kilo or two heavier just by the amount of water that was soaked up in my socks," Simon told AAP.
"I remember standing on halfway with the other girls and keeping my focus on my penalty.
"I just stuck to my guns and kept my focus as I walked up to the spot. It felt like the longest walk in history.
"But when I finally got there, went through my processes, and was really pleased that I could hit it as sweet as I did.
"Just that pure elation and joy, when seeing the ball ripple in the back of the net, and all the water spray off it, and just turning around and seeing all the girls run towards me was just an amazing feeling.
"I don't think I realised probably the enormity of us winning it, which probably worked in my favour."
Barbieri remembers two cameras flashing at the team's arrival back in Australia, then having to ring news organisations herself to get more coverage.
"I thought it was a lot of media, being 18," Simon says with a laugh.
"Whereas, if you asked me about now, if we won the Asian Cup, and there was that response, I'd be thinking: 'that's appalling'."
Kerr, Tameka Yallop, Simon, Barbieri and Aivi Luik are the only active players left from that squad ahead of next March's Asian Cup on home soil.
"Re-living the 15-year anniversary this year, in the preparation for the tournament next year, it builds a lot of hype," Simon said.
"It also touches on the history of the tournament, what we have done previously.
"Hopefully we can do that again next year here on home soil, with obviously a much bigger reception than we had in that final in front of 1200 people in the crowd in China 15 years ago."
But first, Barbieri and Simon and their teammates of 2010 will take a moment to reflect.
"Us as players have never seen ourselves on a screen, And that is really, really important for us to relive and and to remember," Barbieri said.
"Because everything about a footballer is about 'what's next, what do I need to do? What's my goal?'.
"And very rarely do we get a chance to look back and say, 'Hey, we did some pretty special stuff.'"
Kyah Simon and Melissa Barbieri will never forget the moment they made Australian football history.
Now, they can't wait for everyone new to the Matildas to learn about it too.
Football Australia is releasing a documentary on Friday to commemorate 15 years to the day since the breakthrough 2010 Women's Asian Cup triumph in China.
The Matildas beat powerhouse Japan 1-0 in the semi-final, qualifying for the women's World Cup, before facing North Korea in the decider.
Just 19 minutes in, a 16-year-old Sam Kerr scored the opener in Chengdu.
North Korea responded through Jo Yun-mi in the 73rd minute and the game dragged through additional time, then into penalties.
Barbieri, watched Yun Song-mi put North Korea's second penalty wide of her left goal post, and her teammates keep sinking spot-kicks.
Simon, who scored the decisive fifth penalty, remembers the monsoon-like conditions and a pitch that resembled a cow paddock.
"Walking out, my boots each felt a kilo or two heavier just by the amount of water that was soaked up in my socks," Simon told AAP.
"I remember standing on halfway with the other girls and keeping my focus on my penalty.
"I just stuck to my guns and kept my focus as I walked up to the spot. It felt like the longest walk in history.
"But when I finally got there, went through my processes, and was really pleased that I could hit it as sweet as I did.
"Just that pure elation and joy, when seeing the ball ripple in the back of the net, and all the water spray off it, and just turning around and seeing all the girls run towards me was just an amazing feeling.
"I don't think I realised probably the enormity of us winning it, which probably worked in my favour."
Barbieri remembers two cameras flashing at the team's arrival back in Australia, then having to ring news organisations herself to get more coverage.
"I thought it was a lot of media, being 18," Simon says with a laugh.
"Whereas, if you asked me about now, if we won the Asian Cup, and there was that response, I'd be thinking: 'that's appalling'."
Kerr, Tameka Yallop, Simon, Barbieri and Aivi Luik are the only active players left from that squad ahead of next March's Asian Cup on home soil.
"Re-living the 15-year anniversary this year, in the preparation for the tournament next year, it builds a lot of hype," Simon said.
"It also touches on the history of the tournament, what we have done previously.
"Hopefully we can do that again next year here on home soil, with obviously a much bigger reception than we had in that final in front of 1200 people in the crowd in China 15 years ago."
But first, Barbieri and Simon and their teammates of 2010 will take a moment to reflect.
"Us as players have never seen ourselves on a screen, And that is really, really important for us to relive and and to remember," Barbieri said.
"Because everything about a footballer is about 'what's next, what do I need to do? What's my goal?'.
"And very rarely do we get a chance to look back and say, 'Hey, we did some pretty special stuff.'"
Kyah Simon and Melissa Barbieri will never forget the moment they made Australian football history.
Now, they can't wait for everyone new to the Matildas to learn about it too.
Football Australia is releasing a documentary on Friday to commemorate 15 years to the day since the breakthrough 2010 Women's Asian Cup triumph in China.
The Matildas beat powerhouse Japan 1-0 in the semi-final, qualifying for the women's World Cup, before facing North Korea in the decider.
Just 19 minutes in, a 16-year-old Sam Kerr scored the opener in Chengdu.
North Korea responded through Jo Yun-mi in the 73rd minute and the game dragged through additional time, then into penalties.
Barbieri, watched Yun Song-mi put North Korea's second penalty wide of her left goal post, and her teammates keep sinking spot-kicks.
Simon, who scored the decisive fifth penalty, remembers the monsoon-like conditions and a pitch that resembled a cow paddock.
"Walking out, my boots each felt a kilo or two heavier just by the amount of water that was soaked up in my socks," Simon told AAP.
"I remember standing on halfway with the other girls and keeping my focus on my penalty.
"I just stuck to my guns and kept my focus as I walked up to the spot. It felt like the longest walk in history.
"But when I finally got there, went through my processes, and was really pleased that I could hit it as sweet as I did.
"Just that pure elation and joy, when seeing the ball ripple in the back of the net, and all the water spray off it, and just turning around and seeing all the girls run towards me was just an amazing feeling.
"I don't think I realised probably the enormity of us winning it, which probably worked in my favour."
Barbieri remembers two cameras flashing at the team's arrival back in Australia, then having to ring news organisations herself to get more coverage.
"I thought it was a lot of media, being 18," Simon says with a laugh.
"Whereas, if you asked me about now, if we won the Asian Cup, and there was that response, I'd be thinking: 'that's appalling'."
Kerr, Tameka Yallop, Simon, Barbieri and Aivi Luik are the only active players left from that squad ahead of next March's Asian Cup on home soil.
"Re-living the 15-year anniversary this year, in the preparation for the tournament next year, it builds a lot of hype," Simon said.
"It also touches on the history of the tournament, what we have done previously.
"Hopefully we can do that again next year here on home soil, with obviously a much bigger reception than we had in that final in front of 1200 people in the crowd in China 15 years ago."
But first, Barbieri and Simon and their teammates of 2010 will take a moment to reflect.
"Us as players have never seen ourselves on a screen, And that is really, really important for us to relive and and to remember," Barbieri said.
"Because everything about a footballer is about 'what's next, what do I need to do? What's my goal?'.
"And very rarely do we get a chance to look back and say, 'Hey, we did some pretty special stuff.'"
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