SYDNEY – Sam Kerr began the summer dreaming of her “Cathy Freeman moment”. The Matildas might just have surpassed it.
There is talk of a national holiday whatever happens against England in Wednesday’s semi-final. Tournament football dictates that joy can only ever be fleeting but with the sheer theatre of the penalty shootout win over France, Australia have already ensured they leave a permanent legacy behind.
This is a nation gripped with World Cup fever, even if it is belated. When England visited Brisbane for the first group match against Haiti, there seemed to be more branding for the city hosting the Olympics – in nine years’ time – than the tournament going on right now.
That will never be the case again. It is the first time England have headed into a tie at this World Cup as semi-underdog; it is not just the cacophonous reception which threatens to derail the Lionesses’ dream but a brilliantly concocted XI which has eased the pressure on Kerr’s return.
Here are i’s key battles.
Gorry vs Walsh
Katrina Gorry is Australia’s answer to Keira Walsh. England will not thank Haiti for delivering a masterclass in how to contain their own midfield master, particularly given that she struggled in possession when Australia beat England 2-0 in a friendly in April, frequently forced into unhelpful short passes and largely being marked out of the game.
Gorry also has the potential to cause problems elsewhere; one of her most impressive attributes is how evenly her touches are spread over the entirety of pitch, with 77 touches in the defensive third so far at this tournament, 226 in the middle third, and 67 in the attacking third.
Arnold vs Russo
Without Mackenzie Arnold, Australia would not be here. The stopper made vital saves against France before keeping out three penalties in the shootout – including one from Dali Kenza which she saved again after it was retaken.
Arnold is an unlikely hero; she has been to two World Cups before, where she made no appearances and had always considered herself third-choice until her real international breakthrough came earlier this year.
Her task now is to keep out Alessia Russo, England’s clutch player against Colombia who has two goals at the tournament so far. She has previous against the West Ham goalkeeper, too – Russo scored twice for Manchester United in their first WSL meeting in 2020.
Kerr vs Bright
The plan was always for Kerr to get fit for the semi-final after the calf injury that saw her left out of the squad for the first two group matches. Used sparingly since, she really did not need extra time and may not be 100 per cent. That said, she remains Australia’s record goalscorer (62) and arguably their greatest of all time.
Chelsea teammate Millie Bright will sympathise with her struggles. From knee surgery in March to a remarkable recovery to lead England at the World Cup, there were initially signs against Haiti and Denmark that she was lacking match sharpness. Since then she has been immovable alongside Jess Carter and Alex Greenwood and Kerr will testify from Chelsea training how bruising encounters with Bright can be. Back in April the defender’s absence meant Kerr faced a centre-back pairing of Esme Morgan and Leah Williamson. She had a field day.
Foord vs Bronze
Rachel Daly will have a battle on her hands on the other side to contain Hayley Raso but containing Caitlin Foord will be a serious test for Lucy Bronze. Foord has attempted more take-ons than any other Matilda at this tournament (24) with the joint-highest success rate (13) alongside Mary Fowler.
The Arsenal forward scored the opener in the 2-0 victory over Denmark in the last-16 and her presence could dictate how much freedom England can afford to give Bronze, and whether she is kept as a wing-back or reverts to a more conventional full-back role. Against Colombia, she rose to the challenge physically and was a huge threat in the opposition box but with everything to lose and so much to gain, her wings could be clipped.
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