Record crowds, empty seats and the Matildas in a dream final: has the Women's Asian Cup been a success?

"Some people don't like change, Walsh says, announcing ticket sales for Saturday's final between Australia and Japan had passed 60,000. They're a lightning rod for change, and so if the Matildas are still doing well, it suggests that things are changing."

"I hear those comments and I really don't want to give them any airtime today, but I just think it's really important [to say] in every single measure, this [the Women's Asian Cup] has been a success, Walsh says. Targets for tourism were smashed by early November, she adds."

"The crowd of 17,367 which watched Japan's impressive 4-1 semi-final win over South Korea on Wednesday set a record for the highest attendance at a Women's Asian Cup game between two non-host nation teams. The mark had already been broken twice in the tournament, by two 10,000-plus crowds at Stadium Australia for the quarter-finals."

Sarah Walsh, COO of the Women's Asian Cup, defends the tournament's success against criticism about unsold tickets and half-empty stadiums. While the Matildas semi-final against China drew only 35,170 to Perth Stadium's 60,000 capacity, Walsh emphasizes the tournament exceeded targets in tourism and attendance records. Non-host nation matches set new Women's Asian Cup attendance records, with Japan versus South Korea drawing 17,367 spectators. The Matildas are projected to attract approximately 250,000 attendees over three weeks. Walsh characterizes the team as a lightning rod for change, suggesting opposition stems from resistance to evolving social attitudes rather than sporting performance.

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