Women’s World Cup: Kerr’s moment of magic not enough for Matildas

SAM Kerr finally got her World Cup moment but sadly for Australia the euphoria only lasted eight minutes.

Kerr was handed her first start of the tournament in yesterday’s (Wednesday, August 16) semi-final with England and delivered when her country needed her, a 30-yard screamer dragging Australia back into the game after a lacklustre opening hour.

The wonder goal had the potential to be a “where were you” moment for the boys and girls that idolise Australia’s skipper.

But instead it will be an after thought on a night when Australia’s inspirational campaign came to a crushing end.

“I guess it really doesn’t matter now,” Kerr told reporters. “All I can think about right now is disappointment.”

The Matildas fell apart eight minutes after Kerr’s goal, Lauren Hemp putting England back ahead before Alessia Russo finished things off to make it 3-1 at Stadium Australia.

“She’s a winner and I’m glad she got the goal,” said Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson.

“We need to support her, she did everything she could to dig deep and the fact that she was able to play 90 minutes (was massive)

“Who knows what it would have been like if she had been healthy?”

It was a brave call by Gustavsson to pick Kerr, given how his side had managed to rise to the occasion without her.

The Chelsea forward missed the group stage with a calf injury before being eased back in with 10 minutes against Denmark and then an hour or so against France in the quarter-final victory.

But Gustavsson rolled the dice and the stage was set for Australia’s greatest goalscorer to stand tall.

Kerr did her part and her inclusion naturally attracted extra attention from England.

Alex Greenwood was booked after crashing into the Australian captain in the 10th minute and Jess Carter narrowly avoided booting Kerr in the head as they battled for possession.

Bar a chance provided by Katrina Gorry in the opening five minutes, for which Kerr was flagged for offside, Australia couldn’t get her in the areas to challenge England.

When it was time to move quickly they recycled play in-field or when they needed to wait for support in central areas they crossed and hoped.

The Matildas thrive off zippy transitions but they were far too pedestrian both before and after England’s Ella Toone had scored the opener in the 36th minute off the back of some sloppy Australian defending.

Down a goal with an hour of play gone, Australia started to threaten and Gorry opened the Lionesses up.

She played Kerr in and rather than slip through the easy ball to Caitlin Foord, the Australia skipper took her clubmate Millie Bright on before unleashing her shot past Mary Earps.

For eight minutes the stadium began to believe a meeting with Spain in Sunday’s final was possible.

Kerr clutched at a handful of chances but England were clinical with Hemp and Russo burying their opportunities along with the Matildas’ campaign.

SNAPSHOT OF AUSTRALIA’S WOMEN’S WORLD CUP SEMI-FINAL:

• Result: England 3-1 Australia in front of 75,784 at Stadium Australia, Sydney
• Key moment: With Australia drawing level through Sam Kerr after the hour mark, there was a sense they could kick on and snatch a victory. But England’s Lauren Hemp had other ideas as she knocked the Matildas back down to the canvas eight minutes after Kerr’s equaliser. Australia never recovered
• Player of the match: England’s Lauren Hemp was the key to unlocking Australia’s defence and seeing them off in the final 20 minutes. Hemp scored the second to cancel out Kerr’s goal before assisting Alessia Russo for England’s third
• Stat that matters: England boss Sarina Wiegman will coach in a second-straight World Cup final after taking the Netherlands to the 2019 decider, where her side lost to the USA
• Quote: “In the last 15 minutes we ran out of legs” – Socceroos great John Aloisi told the Seven Network, adding Australia’s penalty shootout win over France in the quarter-final was bound to catch up with them
• What’s next: Australia will play in the third-place play-off against Sweden on Saturday. England go through to the final where they will meet Spain.

 – WITH AAP