FIFA Women’s World Cup: Australia v Denmark, Hayley Raso’s back injury and elite speed
Five years ago, Hayley Raso was warned she might never walk again. Now, she’s carrying the weight of a nation on her shoulders as Australia’s newest sporting hero.
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Unmatched speed and a tenacity to ensure her raw talent wasn’t overlooked due to her small stature.
Before Hayley Raso became a World Cup hero for Australia the Palm Beach Soccer Club junior dazzled on the football pitches across the Gold Coast.
Former Emmanuel College director of sport David Weir still marvels at what he saw in the now 28-year-old at high school.
“She is the most talented female footballer we have ever had come through the school, without a doubt,” Weir said.
“I rated her as the person with the fastest acceleration of any student I’d ever taught in 45 years.
“Her 20m speed was astonishing. She was humble, tenacious on the field, incredibly skilled and was fast.
“She was also an extremely good touch football player and I believe she was in the Queensland underage touch and football teams at the same time but she ultimately chose football.”
Fraser Cuba coached Raso along with fellow Matildas Tameka Yallop and Mackenzie Arnold between under-13s and 15s at representative level for club.
“That was a very good team. We only lost in the grand final of the state titles to Brisbane South,” Cuba said.
“Hayley always stood out. She was small but she was smart enough and had the speed. She could also finish.
“You could see she was going to keep improving and go further. She could have easily been overlooked because of her size but we spoke as coaches and when you have raw talent you go with it because the size and body mass is something you can build on.
“We played her on the right wing a lot and she would often get it in defence and beat most of the opposition team because she was so good one-on-one.”
BROKEN SPINE TO MATILDAS STAR: HERO’S INCREDIBLE STORY
By Erin Smith
Five years ago Lachlan Raso wasn’t sure he would ever see his sister walk again — so to watch Hayley walk out in front of a sold out crowd, in her Matildas’ jersey for a home World Cup was all he needed.
But then she became a national hero.
Scoring the Matildas’ first goal against Olympic champions Canada. And then a second — all but locking the Tillies into the Round of 16 — a feat many had thought impossible after a 3-1 loss to Nigeria just days earlier.
It was as it was written in the stars.
Raso and her mum Renaye Sweeting have a close bond – the whole family does – Raso wear’s her signature hair ribbon to honour her grandma.
Raso and her mum have matching full moon tattoos.
When Raso spotted the full moon from the team bus on the way to the game she texted her mum – who replied “it’s a sign”.
Lachlan said they got the tattoos about a year ago because Raso always sends her mum a photo of the full moon no matter where she is in the world.
Lachlan never once doubted the Matildas or his sister’s ability – regardless of what phase the moon was in.
“There was a lot of nerves going into the game with such big implications and whether they made it through or were going out,” Lachlan said.
“I was confident. I knew that they would give 100 per cent and leave everything out there.
“But with football the result can always go anyway, you can have the perfect game and just not be able to put the ball in the back of the net. I was nervous in that respect but I wasn’t nervous in terms of the girls showing up.”
It took Raso just nine minutes to slot a ball past the keeper into the net.
The stadium erupted – but Lachlan said none were louder than Raso’s biggest fans – her family and friends.
“You probably heard us on the broadcast,” Lachlan said.
“We were up and down screaming and then obviously they pulled it back for a VAR check so we had to sit back down and be quiet — it was a nervous couple of minutes while they reviewed it.
“And then I think I was the only person in the stadium that misheard her when she announced that it was a goal. I thought she said it was no goal. And everyone else jumped to their feet. And I was thinking what’s going on with those other 27,500 people that misheard her and then I realised I was the one who was wrong and yeah, it’s a massive feeling of relief.
“It was just a crazy feeling.”
This World Cup is Raso’s second. While it is her most memorable after her career best game against Canada – her first in 2019 was impressive for other reasons.
HAYLEY RASO: COMEBACK HERO 🇦🇺💚💛 Australia's 1st-half brace hero overcame long odds to even play in World Cup, having fractured 3 vertebrae during on-field collision in 2018 with Portland. Injury left 28yo unsure if she would walk again, but rehabbed way back to Matildas glory. pic.twitter.com/KdOni46dOK
— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) July 31, 2023
It was less than a year after Raso, then 24, broke three vertebrae in her back in a horror collision while playing for Portland Thorns in 2018.
She was warned she might never walk again, let alone play football.
The 24-year-old rising star was living and playing in America – her mum Renaye back home on the Gold Coast – made a mad dash to the US to be by her daughters’ side.
Raso was put through a gruelling rehabilitation program – saying previously her motivation was to get fit to play in a World Cup and Olympics.
Goals she has well and truly ticked off her list.
Lachlan said his sister tackled the whole ordeal the way she had dealt with everything in her life – 100 per cent effort.
“When she steps on the field she just gives everything to the team, she throws her body in there where she probably shouldn’t sometimes, but she just yeah, she won’t leave anyone questioning whether or not she’s putting everything into a game,” Lachlan said.
“She has gone through a lot, she hasn’t had the traditional pathway where she’s gone through all the junior teams with the national team.
“She has had to battle her way to where she is now, she has always gone on the hard road.
“With her back injury it was really difficult. We weren’t sure if she’d ever play soccer again or if she’d even be able to walk again. So to come back from that was pretty special.”
Raso said it was just “such a special night”.
“We came out and performed so well. We had so much energy and we knew we needed to put in a really (strong) performance tonight. I think we were rewarded. Coming off and seeing the other result had fallen our way as well and topping the group. Much deserved for us I think.”
“We always fight. We’ll fight for each other. We work hard. And we had our backs against the wall and we showed what we can do when we do. Like I said, just so happy and super proud.”
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Originally published as FIFA Women’s World Cup: Australia v Denmark, Hayley Raso’s back injury and elite speed
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