Sam Kerr’s superhero moment not enough as Matildas’ magical World Cup run ends with England semi loss
Sam Kerr gave us all a moment that we’ll take to the afterlife, yet Australia’s World Cup dream is over. ADAM PEACOCK dissects the big moments of the Matildas v England semi-final.
“Superheroes are Real,” said the words in glitter on a sign that a little girl spent all day making, proudly displayed in the northwest corner of Stadium Australia.
As she sat with her parents among the lucky masses that crammed in for the biggest game in Aussie football history, superheroes were everywhere.
The Matildas’ wonder woman in No. 20, Sam Kerr, gave us all a moment that we’ll take to the afterlife.
It wasn’t enough. A home World Cup title won’t be Australia’s.
England will meet Spain in Sunday’s final. Barring Saturday’s third-place playoff, the Matildas’ magical ride is over.
But only after 90 minutes that embodied everything this team, and this World Cup, is about.
*****
The niceties around this whole month of the tournament, a stretch of hope, of joy, of winning players hugging defeated ones seconds after full-time, was a complete contrast to the opening 45 minutes.
England v Australia. Blood and thunder. These two didn’t treat others as opponents, rather despised enemies.
Tony Gustavsson went into the game demanding thunder from his side. High octane, high-pressure. He warned of targeting two of England’s players. Here, have a bit of this.
Yet England had the same plan. And then some.
Kerr, starting for the first time, was clattered twice inside 10 minutes. Keira Walsh, then Alex Greenwood. Bring your shin pads, Sam?
The ball flew around the zippy pitch, the quickest of the tournament, and England maintained its rage, flying into contests. Katrina Gorry and Kyra Cooney-Cross were asked to control this mayhem for the Matildas.
For the type of player Gorry is, it capped the dream set of scenarios. Her reason for being, daughter Harper, turned two on Wednesday. The semi-final was her 100th game for Australia. And then the game, spent flying around a pitch into tackles.
The energy, naturally, died off around 25 minutes. It couldn’t stay that way, the adrenal glands wouldn’t cope. But England continued to play around Australia, stretching the Matildas with an overloaded midfield.
It was a sloppy piece of concentration from a throw-in which gave England a deserved lead. Ella Toone’s bullet found the top right corner, 1-0 Lionesses, whose fire from the outset had finally paid off.
It meant the Matildas had spot fires to put out. Controlling Walsh. Controlling the width given by Rachel Daly on the left. The movement of Lauren Hemp, moving about with a free role across the Matildas’ backline.
Their way of dousing flames was to start striking matches themselves.
The compact and conservative defensive shape got left in the dressing room. Kerr, Caitlin Foord and Hayley Raso pushed onto England’s centre backs.
The material effect was chaos.
And, the greatest moment you’d ever want to see on a football pitch if you call Australia home.
On 63 minutes, Kerr, running across halfway, three blues shirts for company. Zig. Zag. One way, then the other. Kerr’s target, Millie Bright, on an out of control carousel. Kerr in command. She’d not been in elite touch all night, yet here she was back in her comfort zone and the right-foot strike on the edge of the box only had one destination.
Over England goalkeeper Mary Earps and in. Extraordinary.
Right there, in five seconds, Kerr showed why she is on billboards and little girls’ signs in the crowd.
Australia were supercharged. The after-effects of Kerr’s wondergoal reverberated around the stadium and inside England heads. They were rattled. But to their immense credit, they steadied.
Australia’s euphoria lasted just eight minutes.
Ellie Carpenter, who had barrelled down the right side all night, lost her bearings from a hopeful England long ball. Hemp pounced. 2-1 England.
Australia threw everything back. The fire still burned. Cortnee Vine came on and caused her own kind of havoc. Superspeed havoc, forcing Earps into a world-class save.
Kerr had two huge chances. They just sailed over.
England then buried the Matildas. Finally. Hemp linked with Alessia Russo, who slid a beautiful shot past Mackenzie Arnold.
*****
The night ended in tears and disappointment. The chance of winning a World Cup on home soil, gone.
The little girl with the sign was still at the fence after the finish.
She was sad, but within her teary eyes, there was still hope.
That’s what this history-making Matildas team has given a nation, even in defeat.
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