The FIFA Women’s World Cup is just around the corner, but before Sam Kerr can shift her focus to the Matildas, she is tasked with (hopefully) winning a Women’s FA Cup final for Chelsea.
Chelsea secured their place in the final after a 59th minute header against Aston Villa earlier this week, sending the women’s team to their third FA Cup final in a row.
The game was no easy feat, with only one goal (Kerr’s) scored from 34 shots.
Women’s FA Cup final details
Chelsea v Manchester United, Sunday May 14, 10:30pm AEST
Sam Kerr’s Chelsea will face off against Manchester United, aiming for a third straight Women’s FA Cup final win.
Manchester United qualified last week in a gruelling 3-2 match against Brighton & Hove Albion; settled in the 89th minute.
When and where is the Women’s FA Cup final?
Wembley Stadium
Chelsea and Manchester United will do battle at London’s iconic Wembley Stadium. It’s a Sunday afternoon affair local time, but a later night commitment for those down under.
How many tickets have been sold?
The Women’s FA Cup final will likely break the record for attendance to a domestic women’s club match, excluding Champions League, with Wembley looking like it will be close to selling out for a women’s fixture for the first time.
50,000 tickets had been issued for neutral fans as of March 25, and that was before either team had qualified for the final. Now, with two of the biggest clubs in the league facing off in the final, ticket sales are expected to break the record.
The current record for a domestic club match in women’s football is held by the March 17, 2009 match between Atlético de Madrid and FC Barcelona, which saw 60,739 tickets sold. To be clear, that record doesn’t include the 2022 Champions League game between Barcelona and Wolfsburg (91,648), nor the 2021 UWCL game between Barcelona and Real Madrid. Nonetheless, Wembley will be absolutely pumping.
Both clubs will be allocated 8,000 tickets to sell — but this could be increased to around 15,000 each if capacity is exhausted. The match will break the current record if both teams can exhaust their 8,000 ticket allocation.
How can I watch the Women’s FA Cup final?
Australian fans will be able to watch Sam Kerr in the FA Cup final exclusively on Optus Sport as part of a five-game rights package the provider obtained when it became clear that Aussies would be dominating the finals.
You can watch the Women’s FA Cup final exclusively on Optus Sport here.
How significant would another FA Cup win be for Chelsea?
If Chelsea win the final against Manchester United, it would be the team’s fifth FA Cup victory since 2015, and third in a row. Kerr has scored two goals in each of the last two finals and a repeat of that would clearly be incredible.
Only Arsenal (2006-’09) and Southampton (1971-’73) have previously claimed a hat-trick of Women’s FA Cup crowns (three straight).
