Ribbons for Raso
A story on Hayley Raso, ribbon-wearing goal-scorer
Happy Sunday, friend!
I feel like I both watched this week fly by and trudged through the days slowly. What about you? As always, I hope this past week had little pockets of joy to keep you going.
Speaking of pockets of joy, this World Cup? That last game between Australia and France? 10 penalties a team for the longest penalty shootout in World Cup (men’s or women’s) history?! Cool as.1
So into the semifinals we go, and by “we” I mean Spain, Sweden, Australia, and England. Whichever way the cookie crumbles, a first-time World Cup winner will be crowned at the end of the tournament, and…do you think it could it be the Aussies? This is the first time Australia has ever reached a World Cup semifinal (men’s or women’s), and the first time a host country has reached the semifinals in a Women’s World Cup since 1999. Given that history, I can’t begin to imagine what the scenes would look like if they reach a home-turf final (by beating England, no less!).
I’m all aboard the Matildas bandwagon, so today’s mini story is on their standout winger, Hayley Raso. Just this year, Raso became the first Australian footballer to sign for a senior Real Madrid team after spending two years with Manchester City. Her story is one of exceptional tenacity: back in 2018, she suffered three broken vertebrae after a terrible on-pitch collision while playing for the NWSL’s Portland Thorns. A broken back! I can’t imagine what that must’ve felt like for anyone, much less a professional athlete, and Raso wondered whether she’d ever play again. Her career and health hung in the balance, but after months of grit-fueled rehabilitation, she was back on the pitch for the 2019 Cup of Nations. She notched her first World Cup minutes just a few months later, and she returned to the World Cup stage this year as a starter for a fantastic Australia side.
Although I describe them as “fantastic” now, this isn’t to say that Australia has had an easy tournament. A major question looming over the team was the absence of their captain, Sam Kerr. The name “Sam Kerr” and “talismanic striker” should practically be a compound word at this point, with the Chelsea forward being not only the face of the team but also its offensive anchor. However, Kerr was sidelined for almost three weeks with a calf injury, only playing a handful of minutes over Australia’s first four games. But if there was any anxiety over how well Australia could play without her, players like Raso, Caitlin Foord, Emily van Egmond, and Mary Fowler have put those worries to rest. Raso in particular scored two goals in Australia’s dominant 4–0 group win over Canada and one goal in their 2–0 Round of 16 win over Denmark.
Even aside from her exceptional play, however, the winger is easy to spot on the pitch thanks to her trademark ribbons. Whether the Matildas are in their trademark yellow and green or their light teal kits, Raso is always sporting a coordinating ribbon in her hair to match. According to Raso, the ribbons are courtesy of her grandmother who’s been sending her the kit-matching accessories for her entire career. As Raso’s starpower has risen, her grandma now sends her bunches of ribbons, “because a lot of the fans ask me for my ribbon and want me to sign it and give it away.” “It’s special for her that she’s able to get me something that I’m wearing every game,” Raso told The Athletic, “and she’s back home in Australia watching me and sees that.”
Back in 2021, Raso even wrote a children’s book titled Hayley’s Ribbon, describing how her grandma’s ribboned encouragement helped her overcome childhood shyness to shine on the soccer pitch. Now that Raso is headed to Real Madrid, I’ll be looking forward to seeing fresh white ribbons flying down the midfield in Spain. Wherever Raso is, her grandmother will make sure we’re all able to spot her.
It’s been thrilling to see the love for the women’s game sweeping all of Australia off its feet — or maybe, onto its feet. There are videos of passengers glued to the quarterfinal match in-flight, crowds of supporters packing the grounds across the country, and of course, the almost 50,000 fans inside the stadium screaming at the top of their lungs as the Matildas make history. They’re the front page of seemingly every Australian newspaper! Australia defender Ellie Carpenter herself commented on the remarkable growth of the Matildas and the women’s game as a whole in just the years she’s been playing — from the couple hundred supporters in the stands at the first game she watched as a 12 year old, to sold-out stadiums this World Cup. Something big is happening in women’s soccer right now, and however far the Matildas go, I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a new crop of soccer dreamers sporting ribbons on the pitch.2
So here’s to supportive grandmas and color-coordinated accessories of empowerment. (And an extra shoutout to the Matilda’s media team, headed by Ann Odong, who have been knocking it out of the park this tournament!)
Wishing you a ribbon of encouragement this week,
Courtney
Did I do this right? I think this phrase is an Aussie thing??? (Send help!)
Now, you can even purchase a “Hayley Raso Hair Ribbon” on Football Australia’s official site. Okay, merch!