‘Didn’t need me‘: Kerr drops post-game bombshell after massive Matildas win
Sam Kerr has revealed a staggering detail about her mysterious injuries after she had a golden moment that saw Australia go berserk.
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Sam Kerr has dropped a bombshell about the injury mystery that has gripped Australia since the start of the Women’s World Cup.
Kerr made it a perfect night for Australia, coming onto the field with ten minutes to play as the Matildas moved through to the quarter-finals with a 2-0 win over Denmark.
Kerr had declared she was match fit, but was a devastating figure standing all alone on the sidelines while her teammates completed their pre-match warm-ups without her.
The Aussie team’s week had been dominated by rumours that have continued to swirl around Kerr with the superstar striker missing on-field training sessions this week as she continues to manage a calf injury.
However, she looked back to her brilliant best in the brief cameo she had in front of a crowd of more than 75,000 at Accor Stadium in Sydney on Monday night.
Now she has just five days to prepare for a quarter-final in Brisbane on August 12 — the fourth time Australia has made it through to the last eight of the Women’s World Cup.
While Kerr only had a few minutes to work her magic, Mary Fowler had 90 minutes to dazzle the crowd and ran rings around Denmark defenders.
Fowler had a hand in both goals Australia scored and left commentators blown away.
It was Caitlin Foord who scored the first goal on the half hour mark after she was put into some space by a freakish pass from Fowler. Foord finished it off with a classy nutmeg through the keeper’s legs.
It was 2-0 in the 70th minute when Hayley Raso scored on the back of a movement that began with Fowler dancing her way into the box.
Kerr was loving every minute of it as she sat on the pine — and she eventually got her special moment after 80 minutes when substituted onto the field.
The stadium went ballistic as she jogged onto the pitch and was ready to explode when she fired in a shot from the edge of the box that went wide of the side netting.
Kerr broke her silence about her injury drama when speaking with Channel 7’s Adam Peacock after the game.
“It was amazing,” she said.
The crowd explodes as Sam Kerr comes on for her first minutes of this FIFA Women's World Cup! #FIFAWWCpic.twitter.com/E5OdYeDLXh
— 7Sport (@7Sport) August 7, 2023
“Obviously it’s a big game for us. It was a bit nerve-racking. I’m not the best bench player in the world. Nervous. The girls smashed it. They’ve done unbelievable this week. To put in that performance after a big game is amazing.”
She dropped a bombshell in her following responses by revealing she was fit and able to play against Canada last week — but was rested.
“I was going to play last game. The girls smashed it,” she said when asked about her recovery.
“They didn’t need me. We thought we would give it a rest. Today there was the opportunity that I wouldn’t play if the girls smashed it. We thought it was best for me and the team. The girls absolutely killed it. I’m so proud of them. Me coming on personally it was just a big relief after a big three weeks.”
Here’s how all the drama unfolded
10.20pm - Full time
The Matildas have won against Denmark 2-0 meaning they will go forward into the quarter finals of the Women’s World Cup for the fourth time.
10.10pm - Crowd goes berserk as Sam Kerr enters game
The biggest cheer of the entire night came when Sam Kerr stepped onto the field with ten minutes to play.
Stadium Australia erupted.
Kerr was beaming as she ran onto the field and seemed genuinely overawed by the moment.
“The roar says it all for Sam Kerr,” David Basheer said on Channel 7.
“The 29-year-old Chelsea superstar is an even bigger star in Australia.”
Aussie football star Grace Gill also said: “The roar of the stadium says it all as does the little smile that Sam Kerr gave as she jogged on to the field. Really quite an emotional moment for her to make her first minutes at this home World Cup”.
10pm - Australia has one foot in quarter-finals
The Matildas have made it 2-0 after Hayley Raso showed a cool head in a frenetic passage of play to put the ball in the back of the net.
Mary Fowler produced her second goal assist of the night before Raso was given the ball on a slight angle deep inside the box — and made no mistake.
Fowler had got the ball into Emily van Egmond who had her back to goal and put it at Raso’s feet. The stadium went berserk as the Matildas ran to the corner to celebrate.
9pm - Matildas score a stunner
Caitlin Foord has put Australia ahead 1-0 ahead in the 29th minute after a classy finish when one-on-one with the keeper.
Foord was put into space after a silky forward pass from Mary Fowler.
Foord produced a clinical nutmeg finish that raced between the Denmark goalkeeper’s legs.
“Stadium Australia erupts,” Channel 7’s David Basheer said.
Grace Gill said on Seven: “That is how lethal the Australian attack can be”.
CAITLIN FOORD PUTS AUSTRALIA AHEAD!!!
— Optus Sport (@OptusSport) August 7, 2023
Mary Fowler plays a simply phenomenal ball and then Foord does the rest.
Boom 💥
Watch LIVE | https://t.co/6ZgG81Rssi#FIFAWWC#OptusSportpic.twitter.com/XZ0UXYLkdO
8.55pm - Australia uses controversial tactic after early struggles
The Matildas have been able to compose themselves on the back of a controversial moment involving Steph Catley.
Catley took some contact and stayed down on the ground to have her ankle assessed by medical staff.
The Matildas used the break in play to huddle around coach Tony Gustavsson.
Catley was taken from the field briefly but returned to the pitch just moments after the re-start of play.
Channel 7’s Grace Gill said in commentary: “It’s a good question as to whether this moment was just a quick tactical discussion, because... there was a quick gathering of the players around Tony Gustavsson.
“Just to take, perhaps, a little bit of momentum out of Denmark, who have started this opening stanza really brightly.”
SEN producer Sam Watson posted on Twitter: “Imagine the outrage amongst footy fans if what Steph Catley just did happened in an AFL game.
“Talk about exploiting the rules to stem the opponent’s momentum.”
8pm - Kerr misses warm up in telling sign
Sam Kerr was all alone on the sideline as the Matildas completed their warm-up.
Kerr was stoic as she watched on more than 30m away from teammates.
It is the clearest sign yet she will not take the field against Denmark.
Aussie star Chloe Logarzo, speaking on Optus Sport, said it made sense to leave Kerr out of the final preparations.
“I’m not surprised,” she said.
“Why would you change something that’s been working so well”.
7.30pm - Sam Kerr’s mum spills beans on injury
Sam Kerr’s mum Roxanne says her daughter will be fit to play for the Matildas if called up from the bench on Monday night.
Roxanne Kerr has told 92.9 Triple M Rush Hour in Perth she hopes the Matildas will be well on their way to victory and won’t need Kerr to make a cameo.
“I think the girls are playing so well,” she said.
“Every week that Sam gets it’s better as long as we win. So I think if they’re down, which I hope they wont be, they might bring her on just to see what happens. You got to change it up once you’re down.
She went on to say: “I’m predicting 3-0 at half time. Of course I want Sam to get on cause I feel so devo for her, but we’ll have to wait and see what happens”.
Originally published as ‘Didn’t need me‘: Kerr drops post-game bombshell after massive Matildas win
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