Attacking partnership between Matildas stars Caitlin Foord and Sam Kerr rekindled just in time for Women’s World Cup in France

The sight of Matildas pair Caitlin Foord and Sam Kerr up front against the United States this month had all the hallmarks of a potent force to be feared at the Women’s World Cup. EMMA KEMP explores their roads to France.

Caitlin Foord and Sam Kerr have rarely shared the field in the four years since the last Women’s World Cup.

Fifty days before the next, the rekindling of Australia’s high-profile attacking partnership still makes for a welcome novelty.

Call them the Terrible Two, because the sight of the Matildas pair tearing it up against the United States this month had all the hallmarks of a potent force to be feared in France.

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Form aside, the very fact coach Ante Milicic will be able to utilise both at the same time is a luxury in itself.

Foord and Kerr are far more well-acquainted with foot injuries than they’d like, having both ruptured their Lisfranc ligament and undergone the ordeal of surgery and painstaking rehabilitation.

Caitlin Foord and Sam Kerr are ready to celebrate even more goals together. Picture: AAP Images

Kerr did the damage playing for Perth Glory in late 2015, Foord early last year in the W-League semi-final for Sydney FC, forcing her to miss the grand final and then the Asian Cup.

Add in separate injury and fatigue issues, and the childhood friends and teammates had been itching to more regularly reunite on the pitch.

“Our injuries have sort of come at opposite times,” Foord told The Saturday Telegraph. “We haven’t played that many games up front together.

“There were a few battles that came with the injury including mentally. That was the hardest thing, that it created a spiral effect.

“To come back out of it the other side in a positive way was my most challenging hurdle I’ve been hit with so far.

“Now we’re both injury free — knock on wood — and enjoying every game we do get to play together.

“Because over so many years being teammates we do connect really well.”

The moment they were officially back came during last November’s 5-0 thrashing of Chile in Newcastle, where Foord shook out the cobwebs with a hat-trick after setting Kerr up for the opener.

All eyes will be on Sam Kerr at the World Cup. Picture: Getty Images

The rampant outing previewed a 2018-19 W-League season in which the pair shone.

Kerr, whose global reputation and list of awards precedes her, swept all attacking statistics in her path including a league-high 17 goals from 13 appearances. Foord, the 2016 Asian women’s footballer of the year, netted the second-most goals (10) and assists (five) league-wide in an ode to the 24-year-old’s rediscovered confidence up front following her intermittent re-deployment to fullback.

“Confidence in front of goal got lost over the years, especially when I was in the backline and not in front of goal as frequently as I used to be,” Foord said.

“It was just working on that area and getting confidence back.”

That was on show in the Matildas’ 5-3 loss to the US when Foord pulled off a freakish solo goal.

Kerr, of course, was on the scoresheet too, as was Lisa De Vanna, while Emily Gielnik and Hayley Raso relished another opportunity.

“But I feel like you’re only as good as your last game,” Foord said. “So what I’ve done in the past is good and I’m proud of it, but there’s still a lot more I want to achieve.”

Caitlin Foord is looking forward to playing with Sam Kerr. Picture: Getty Images

That mentality will suit Milicic’s all-attack approach down to a tee and, despite defensive issues that need sorting, the new coach declared he won’t be sacrificing the “Australian way”.

“The way this team will play while I’m in charge will always be to attack and go for a win,” Milicic told AAP. “It doesn’t matter who the opponent is, home or away. That’s the football I want to play: to dominate, to get as many touches and involve as many players as possible, to go and attack teams.”