The Australian women’s soccer team are safely through to the quarter finals of the AFC Women’s Asia Cup, and while we all cheer them on, there’s another way we can feel part of the team. Lydia Williams, the recently retired Matildas goalkeeper (and one of the most successful Australian footballers of all time) told WHO there’s one pre-match ritual the team have.
And, honestly, we can all get on board with it.
“I think everyone literally eats spaghetti bolognese,” Williams told WHO, laughing at the memory of her and her teammates rushing to get more before a game.
“There needs to be at least three trips to the kitchen from the chef to make sure that the batches of bolognese are ready to go,” she said. “I think everyone eats spaghetti bolognese before the game.”
Williams, who has represented the national team more than 100 times, has recently become a mum and held her new bub on the sideline as Australia battled it out against the Republic of Korea on March 8 (with the game ending in a 3-3 draw).
As an ambassador for Midea, Williams explained the global appliance company is a great partner of the AFC Women’s Asia Cup and women’s soccer broadly, since some of the kitchen gadgets could come in handy if fans want to join in on the team’s pre-match ritual.
Midea has a range of kitchen appliances, from microwaves and ovens, to a range of gas hobs and easy-flow extraction fans; plus they’re all available at Bing Lee.
“They [Midea] have a real drive to be the best in their field and I think that’s what the Matildas want to do. That’s what all women’s sporting professions want to do, and I think that aligns nicely together,” Williams said.
Lydia Williams’ ‘proudest’ moment from soccer career may surprise you
Despite a career spanning more than two decades, Williams said her “proudest” achievement was the way she decided to wrap it all up.
“To be honest, [my proudest moment is] my retirement, because there were so many times during my career where I was injured and I wasn’t going to make it back, [or] where I lost my starting position and had to work hard to get back to playing.
“To go out in my own way and be celebrated and to be there with my teammates who are my friends – that was kind of probably my favourite moment. Just, you know, wrapping up my whole career in one really nice way,” she said.
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