Canberra's Matildas fans show support at Garema Place live site

That solicited a bit of a groan and some laughter from the Canberra crowd.

It was about 10 degrees in Canberra and with no sun in sight there was no mistaking the season.

But Canberrans came prepared. It was a sea of puffer jackets interspersed with green and gold beanies and scarves.

There were also some oodies, blankets and matching tracksuits.

Diehard fans combined with soccer newbies to cheer on the mighty Tillies.

For Jon Kroiter it was simply nice to be able to watch soccer in a crowd and not in his pyjamas.

"I love my football and have been riding the wave and loving not waking up at 2am in the morning and being out here not in my PJs," he said.

It was very much a family event, not your typical Saturday night in Garema Place.

Many of them were children who wanted to follow in the footsteps of their idols.

"I want to be a Matildas girl when I grow up," Addison Irvine, 7, said.

The crowd was mostly quiet in the first half, but they were loud in the crucial moments.

That changed in the second half and there was one reason: Sam Kerr.

Garema Place erupted when the Australian captain took her place on the field shortly after the 50th minute.

Her entrance inspired a new wave of energy among the crowd who suddenly found their voice.

Kerr was a crowd favourite. When The Canberra Times asked a group of kids to all say their favourite player everybody said Sam Kerr.

Mary Fowler was another crowd favourite, attracting a whole lot of cheers when she touched the ball. She was unlucky not to score on several occasions.

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As the match neared the 90-minute mark there was a nervous energy among the crowd.

It was clear this match was going into extra time.

The nerves were palpable when France was given three free kicks in the first minutes of extra time.

When it came down to the penalty shootout the crowd's nerves were amplified.

"This is so tense," a young boy says. "I can't look."

The emotions changed so quickly from joy to devastation.

Thankfully it ended in joy for Australia.

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