Sam Kerr slams Brazil’s bad sports

Star striker Sam Kerr claims the petulant Brazilians didn’t pay the Matildas enough respect.

Sam Kerr performs her signature backflip after scoring against Brazil on Tuesday night in Newcastle.

The Matildas know there is still work to be done before they can crack the top echelon of women’s football but they are rapidly closing the gap — and Brazil’s act of petulance proved it on Tuesday night.

Having suffered a third straight loss to Australia in the space of six weeks, the South Americans were clearly in no mood to accept they had again been second-best, with some players walking straight off the field at fulltime while others refused to shake hands.

Clearly the Matildas have got under the skin of the Brazilians, if not into their psyche.

Australia’s footballing Wonder Woman, Sam Kerr, believes that’s the case as she hit out at the poor sportsmanship of the visitors.

“Did you see the game? I think so,” said Kerr, whose brace of goals and an assist for the other goal paved the way for the win, when asked if the Matildas had got under the skin of their rivals.

“Not shaking hands ... it’s not an Australian thing but I’m not really going to comment on it because it’s not something I think is very ... I don’t really like it, but whatever. It was heated. I don’t know how it started, I just saw Caitlin (Foord) fall to the ground, but I guess that’s what happens when you get under people’s skin, not only in the game but the last three matches.

“It was disappointing to see. We think of them as a very highly respectable team and I don’t think we got the respect we deserved after the last three performances.”

Foord, who came on as a substitute on Tuesday night and scored with her very first touch just 90 seconds into the second half, believes the Australians have, for the time being, won the mind games — no mean feat against probably the most recognised football nation in the world.

“You’d think so. If we were on the other end of that (three successive losses) it would play on the mind a little bit,” Foord said.

“But we are not really focusing too much on them. If we do (have psychological advantage) it would help us.

“We are at a point where we just focus on ourselves and if we are playing well we know we are going to win games.”

As for the spiteful aspects of the game, with fierce tackles flying in thick and fast, especially in the final 10 minutes, Foord admitted it had served only to spur on the Matildas.

“It did get a bit fiery. We love playing the game and that just comes with it. If anything it got us more pumped up and we didn’t want to lose,” she said.

“Even waiting to come on (at halftime) I was ready. I was hating sitting there and seeing the girls get smashed.

“There was some pretty hard tackles out there. I just wanted to get on and stuck in.”

Meanwhile, soccer fans will get another dose of the Matildas after it was confirmed they will play a two-game series against China in Melbourne at AAMI Park on November 22 and Simonds Park in Geelong four days later.