Women’s World Cup: Matildas’ captain Sam Kerr says ‘good luck’ to those trying to stop her
Sam Kerr and the Matildas will go into the World Cup with a target on their backs as the host nation, but the Aussie skipper has a message for those trying to stop her.
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Matildas captain Sam Kerr expects to thrive on the pressure of leading her team into a home World Cup as she issued a warning to rivals preparing to isolate her during the tournament: “Good luck”.
Ahead of what shapes as a marquee moment for women’s football in Australia, coach Tony Gustavsson finally unveiled his 23-player squad for the tournament on home soil on Monday.
Kerr headlines the final Matildas squad, which includes established stars Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord, Clare Polkinghorne and Katrina Gorry alongside seven World Cup debutants.
In the biggest selection surprise, Kyah Simon was named for her third World Cup, despite having played just two hours of football since injuring her anterior cruciate ligament in October last year.
While the focus on the Matildas will be intense - especially on superstar Kerr - for their campaign on home soil, the brilliant striker said she relished the pressure.
“There is always going to be pressure in sport,” Kerr said.
“Whenever there is a big game or big moment, if the pressure is not there then it probably means it’s not that big of a game to be honest.
“I think pressure is a privilege and I love pressure. I love being in a moment when one or two moments can change the path of your career, really, and I think this World Cup is one of those moments.
“I think it’s exciting and I think everyone deals with pressure differently and we have a lot of experience in the team, so it’s just about living in the moment.
“It’s not going to be all roses and butterflies during this World Cup, there are going to be tough times and it’s how we stick together, stick to our principles and stick to what we believe in and I think we will come out on the other side.”
Describing the opportunity to play in a World Cup on home soil as a “once in a lifetime opportunity”, Kerr said she was ready for the tournament to start after the emotion of squad selection was now over.
The Matildas will open their FIFA World Cup campaign against Ireland on July 20 at Stadium Australia in Sydney.
Unsurprisingly, Kerr is set to attract plenty of attention from opponents during the World Cup, but she said rival teams would do so at their own peril, saying the Matildas boasted “electric speed” everywhere else.
“That’s the great thing about being a striker, they can isolate me for 90 minutes but really only need one opportunity,” Kerr said.
“Over the past year playing with Chelsea, I have really focused on that. I think I have been really isolated, but worked on being able to work on being alive for that one moment and I feel like at Chelsea I have really succeeded.
“If two people are marking me, that means someone else is free, so it might be someone else’s opportunity to shine and that’s all part of being in the team.
“So whatever it takes to win, honestly, and I take away two players, good luck to them, we have got electric speed everywhere else.”
Kerr, who made her World Cup debut for the Matildas in 2011, said the opportunity to lead her team at home would be a career highlight.
“As far as where does this rank in my career, I think it is right up there to be honest,” Kerr said.
“It’s so much bigger than just this World Cup, I have been playing for the Matildas for more than half my life now, so it’s so much bigger than just the last four years.
“It’s going to be an amazing moment and rank right up there.
“To do it on your home soil is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
Kerr said the key for the Matildas going deep into the tournament would be to “stay in the moment”.
“There have been multiple times in games at previous World Cups where I have looked back on myself or the team and I’ve thought ‘I got a bit carried away there, or I did too much, or didn’t do enough’,” Kerr said.
“That’s what the last few weeks have been about is just staying in the moment and training and getting everything we need without outside noise.
“And while we’re in the tournament, just enjoying it and embracing it. This is the biggest stage for us and it’s on home soil.”
Kerr described Simon’s selection was a confidence-booster for the squad, saying she brought an X-factor.
“Kyah is an exceptional player and she has scored some big goals for us at World Cups, too,” Kerr said.
“When you see someone like that in the team it just gives you confidence and I think from training with her, she looks really, really good.
“The only thing really is just getting fitness, that’s the easy part of the game. She has that knack for the goal and that knack for doing something special.
“She is kind of an X-factor, she has been her whole career, so to have someone in the team like that, it’s amazing, it gives us all confidence.”
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Originally published as Women’s World Cup: Matildas’ captain Sam Kerr says ‘good luck’ to those trying to stop her
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