It was on 8 June 1995 and China was leading the game 1-0 at Arosvallen stadium in Västerås (Sweden) when a miraculous goal brought Australia back into the game during Australia's first women's FIFA World Cup. The goal was the first-ever for Australia in a FIFA World Cup.
Australia lost the match 4-2 to China and despite its significance, the record of an athlete in green and gold scoring Australia's first World Cup goal didn't get much attention.
"Those were different times, I suppose," says Angela Iannotta, the player who found the back of the net for Australia that day and she remembers the moment very clearly.
“China in the 90s was one of the strongest teams. We were losing 1-0, when a mistake from their defender gave me this great ball, I was in the penalty area, so I kicked and score the tie," she told SBS Italian.
"The memory of that moment never ceases to make me feel thrilled."
It was the second edition of women's FIFA World Cup and Australia was participating for the first time.
Angela Iannotta wearing the golden-green colours of Australia playing twice with the Matildas Source: Courtesy of Angela Iannotta
But back then, no one realised it was not just an ordinary goal.
“Someone wrote something years later, but it never made a sensational news until 25 years later.
“It was very different back then. Now female soccer is growing exponentially, everyone loves the Matildas in Australia”, she says. “In the 80s and 90s, it was pretty hard for us until 2000 when female soccer made it to the Olympics and the Australian government invested resources.”
“Finally, female soccer players in Australia could concentrate on their careers. But for my teammates and me, life was about studying, working and then playing soccer. It was very tough, I could make it because I was very ambitious.”
Her parents arrived in Australia from Italy during the 1960s. Like hundreds of thousands of migrants, they were sent to Bonegilla - the longest-lasting migrant reception centre in post-war Australia. Ms Iannotta was born in a Victorian country town, Myrtleford, in 1971.
“I grew up in Albury Wodonga where I started playing soccer because I saw my older brothers playing. I would join them and play with their friends and I loved it,” she says. “I had it in my blood."
"I remember the 1982 World Cup when Italy won. I watched the games with my father and brothers. I was 11 and already quite into soccer. Could my passion be related to the love of Italians for soccer? Quite likely. Definitely it has something to do with my upbringing in an Italian family,” she says laughing.
Despite her passion, growing up in a small country town threw up several obstacles along the path to a career in sports.
“My dad didn't want me to play football. But my passion was so strong that my high school teacher one day came home to talk to him. ‘Your daughter is really strong,’ he said to my dad, ‘she has to play because she has the talent’ and his words convinced him," she recalls. So at the age of 13, Ms Iannotta was finally able to buy her first pair of soccer boots.
“I loved playing and I was good, I had the technique, I was fast. I have never had a coach who taught me soccer when I was growing up. Playing came naturally to me, I worked hard training by myself. Some years later I became what I am, a pro."
At 18, she was called up for the first time by Matildas coach Steve Darby.
The first goal at a men’s or women’s World Cup in the history of Australian soccer was scored 25 years ago in Sweden, but the record went unnoticed for years. T Source: Courtesy of Angela Iannotta
“A very great person who believed in me," she says.
And then again in 1995 for the World Cup in Sweden with coach Tom Sermani. She represented Australia in 33 games from 1991 to 1999 and scored 11 goals.
She was “a cultured striker with a great presence on the ball, balance, and close ball skills. Has a fantastic turn of speed, works hard off the ball, and is not afraid to take on defenders," as described on the Australian Women's Soccer Association website.
Ms Iannotta also played soccer in Japan and Italy and recalls how it began.
“I still laugh when I remember how I ended up playing in my parent’s country. It was 1992 and my brother Paolo had organised a trip to Italy so I went along.
"Thanks to some connections my Italian family had in Tuscany, I did a trial with a team called Aglianese. It went well and they offered me a contract and my brother had to return to Australia on his own,” she recalls.
It was so unexpected that Ms Iannotta had only one luggage with summer dresses, swimming suits and not much else. But that holiday continues even 30 years later with Ms Iannotta still living in Italy where she played beside some of the greatest Italian players.
“Alongside Carolina Morace, a legend of Italian soccer, we were the two front strikers of ACF Agliana in the 1994-1995 season and we won the Italian A league national female championship," she says.
“I also played with Milena Bertolini, who is today the coach of Azzurre the female national team."
Ms Iannotta says the women soccer isn't as popular in Italy as it's in Australia. She says despite participating in the last year's World Cup, the women soccer players are still considered "amateurs and not professionals".
“Unfortunately, in Italy, there is still a bit of a chauvinist culture where all the attention is towards men’s soccer forgetting the fact there are lots of great sportswomen.”
After a career running up and down the field, Ms Iannotta is currently working as a soccer coach in Italy and says she's very keen to contribute to Australian women's sports.
“One day I would like to move back to Australia. I always maintained a strong connection. The way I live, my thinking is still very Australian. Italy is a beautiful country, it gave me a lot and who knows, maybe one day I could give back to Australia all that I have learned throughout my career. It is my dream.”
