Matildas football 2022-23: Sam Kerr the only Australian featured in new Nike campaign
Ronaldinho, multiple versions of Brazil’s and Portugal’s Ronaldos and Australia’s greatest, Sam Kerr. Nike’s new World Cup ad has it all. WATCH NOW.
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If there is ever a sign Australia’s most recognisable footballer isn’t a Socceroo, the latest Nike World Cup commercial is proof.
Sam Kerr is the lone Australian to appear amid a cavalcade of the shoe giant’s global icons of football in a 3 minute 30 extravaganza described as the GOAT experiment.
The new Nike World Cup ad pic.twitter.com/If5SUEwQ1a
— FIFA World Cup 2022 (@2022_QatarWC) November 16, 2022
French superstar Kylian Mbappe, who the Socceroos will try to control next Wednesday morning (AEDT) is a central figure, as is Christiano Ronaldo who is at his final World Cup with Portugal.
Kerr appears about halfway through, and in a clear indication Nike will pour an avalanche of resources into promoting its stars for next year’s Women’s World Cup, as is one of three females in the GOAT experiment, with US legend Alex Morgan and England captain Leah Williamson involved.
Leo Messi is not included, given his long association with adidas, a relationship which only happened because the Messi family walked away from an early association with Nike when Messi was breaking into the Barcelona first team. The Messi’s believed they weren’t getting enough love from Nike, and switched their long-standing rivals in adidas.
Still, Nike is doing ok for themselves.
Along with Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo, the ad highlights three versions of Brazilian legend Ronaldo. The 1998 one who led Brazil to a World Cup final, the 2002 one where his Golden Boot exploits and the present one, who is more than happy in retirement.
It’s now a tradition Nike releases a commercial before a World Cup, and while previous versions have hit the heights, many are saying this is their greatest work.
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Matildas midfielder Chloe Logarzo says using the A-League as a launching pad for her World Cup campaign was a “no-brainer”, with the investment being put in ahead of next year’s showpiece event ensuring a quality competition in which she could hone her preparations.
Logarzo made an emotional return for the Matildas against South Africa in London last month just over a year after rupturing her ACL playing for the national team.
But she has still played limited minutes since returning and needs miles in her legs ahead of the Matildas World Cup campaign in next year’s historic home tournament.
On loan from US National Women’s Soccer League side Kansas City, Logarzo has joined Melbourne-based expansion club Western United and is excited at what this season holds for the A-League.
“I’ve been to a few of these launches and it’s nothing like this and the amount of investment that’s gone into this and the investment going into women’s sport,” Logarzo said of the league just months out from what she has no doubt will be a game-changing World Cup.
“It was almost a no-brainer for me to come back.
“Obviously I’ve just come back from an ACL and I’ve only played limited minutes and for me to have the A-League here to come back to has come in absolutely clutch.
“I’ve needed to play minutes in lead-up to the World Cup and my league in the US is over and if this wasn’t here, I don’t know what my position for the World Cup would be.
“It’s just absolutely perfect timing and it’s a league I can come back to and I can play and I know it’s going to get me prepared and ready to go back to the US and getting ready for the World Cup.”
Logarzo is one of thee Matildas — the others were Alex Chidiac (Melbourne Victory), and Katrina Gorry (Brisbane Roar) — who were in coach Tony Gustavsson’s match-day squad for Tuesday night’s clash against Thailand, set to return to the A-League, while the competition also features capped Australian team players and New Zealand internationals Hannah Wilkinson (Melbourne City) and Lily Alfield (Wellington Phoenix).
Logarzo said their presence spoke to the quality of the league.
“The hype around the A-League and us coming back is something that’s amazing,” she said.
“We want to be able to show people who are growing up that the Matildas are coming back and that this was a stepping stone for us to get into the next level and these are the avenues that you need to go into to be where we are.
“It’s exciting times to be able to come back. The league’s obviously expanded a little bit more, we have more games and it’s more tangible for us to come back and play a few more games.”
Logarzo said the vision presented for Western United led her to spurn home city Sydney and time with family to join the new club.
“The vision that they had for the club and the culture that they wanted to build, it really resonated with who I am and how I want to be,” she said.
“Being part of an inaugural season you get to shape the foundation of what the club is going to be like for the years to come.
“I can help out and it can me – because for me it was about coming back and getting as many minutes as I possibly can, so the club is doing me a favour by bringing me in knowing that I haven’t played many minutes.
“For that, I’m going to give them my absolute all and all of the knowledge that I’ve gained over the years.”
With several players in their maiden A-League campaign, Western United has “no expectation” this season, with the new outfit bringing an injection of enthusiasm and life into the competition.
“It’s really exciting to have a team and a bunch of girls who just want to fight until after the last whistle and to have that desire,” she said.
“I’m really enthusiastic about the team and the culture that we’re building with Western.”
She also believes there is no clear-cut favourite for the title in an exciting era for the competition.
“Historically there’s been the top four teams in Sydney FC and Brisbane Roar and Victory and City but this year is really going to put a spanner in the works and I think it’s really exciting to head into the World Cup year with no one really knowing what’s going to happen.”
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