By Emma Kemp
Cortnee Vine has played 193 World Cup minutes. It is 193 minutes more than the Sydney FC winger anticipated, especially given her moderate case of imposter syndrome.
But while it is one thing to have never been handed a start on the world’s biggest stage, it is another entirely to have been given two and then dropped to the substitutes’ bench.
Australia’s Cortnee Vine takes on Ireland’s Heather Payne in their opening Group B game.Credit: AP
Vine has felt that kind of mental discomfort this tournament, having been sacrificed as part of a rejigged formation to cater for the loss of Sam Kerr.
The 25-year-old had been a regular fixture in Tony Gustavsson’s settled starting side for the past nine months, deployed on the left side of attack, servicing strike duo Kerr and Caitlin Foord.
She did so in Australia’s opening World Cup games – the win over Ireland and loss to Nigeria – as Gustavsson shuffled his front line but kept the left flank intact.
But, in the breakthrough wins against Canada and Denmark, she watched from the sideline as Foord filled Vine’s usual place and combined with left-back Steph Catley to devastating effect.
The change was not a reflection on Vine’s form, but it has still been a change to get used to; a foreign feeling of a forced slowdown even though you are one of the fastest flyers out there.
“I feel like I’m on a leash,” Vine half-joked about the possibility she could, once again, play off the bench in Saturday’s quarter-final against France.
“Sport can be brutal. You can be starting and then get cut. But I think he [Gustavsson] does a really good job in saying that to me and communicating it across the other coaches also.
“I think I handle it very well. I said that I’m just happy to do anything I can for the team. It’s up to Tony who he chooses. It’s a bit of an uncontrollable for me.
“I don’t take it personally. He has chats with us. It all is good. It’s just about taking a different role going on the bench. You just need to be a bit more positive and really bring the encouragement from the bench and make sure they can hear you from on the sideline.”
Should this eventuate, Vine could be called what Gustavsson describes as a “game changer”. His broad definition – based on the frequency with which he uses the term – appears to cover almost all of his substitutions.
However, “game changer” and “Cortnee Vine” could well be considered synonyms given her electric pace and ability to drag defenders in and then leave them for dead.
A stretched and fatigued France side late in a match – even extra time – is ripe for her picking.
“It does depend on what the scoreline is at that point,” she said. “The last game [against Denmark] it was 2-0 [so] you just want to secure the win, keep the clean sheet and continue doing the job that the player I’m coming on for has done.
“Obviously, I can show my individual capabilities every now and then ... hopefully I can come on in and do something if I get the opportunity.”
Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.