Australian coach Tony Gustavsson has kept the nation in suspense over whether captain Sam Kerr will start for the Matildas…
Kerr available but not a certain starter for Australia semifinal: Gustavsson (photo: IANS)
Australian coach Tony Gustavsson has kept the nation in suspense over whether captain Sam Kerr will start for the Matildas in their first World Cup semifinal.
The Matildas will play reigning European champion England on Wednesday night in front of an expected crowd of more than 75,000 people at Stadium Australia. The winner will face Spain in Sunday’s final, reports Xinhua.
This marks the first time Australia has ever competed in a World Cup semifinal. Meanwhile, England has become the second team to make the last four at three consecutive Women’s World Cups.
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Speaking on the eve of the match, Gustavsson remained coy about whether Kerr, Australia’s all-time leading scorer, would be in his starting XI.
The leading striker missed the group stage due to a calf injury but has come off the bench in both knockout matches, including for 65 minutes in the penalty shoot-out win over France.
“One of the reasons we kept her on the bench was that we were uncertain how many minutes she had coming back from the calf injury and the limited training she had,” he said on Tuesday.
“The way she pushed through was fantastic and impressive, both from a mental and physical aspect. She recovered well and she trained today, so she’s available.”
Kerr has a formidable record against English goalkeeper Mary Earps, having scored nine goals and assisted three more for club and country against the Manchester United shot-stopper.
If the 29-year-old does make her first start of the tournament, it would likely be at the expense of either midfielder Emily van Egmond, who she was substituted on for against France, or winger Hayley Raso.
The match is shaping up to be the biggest in the history of Australian football, with more than five million people expected to watch on television and at live sites across the country.
The 2023 World Cup, jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand, runs from July 20 to August 20. Notably, only the top two teams from the eight groups advanced to the round of 16, making it the first Women’s World Cup to feature 32 teams.
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