World cup: Cynical ‘Bodyline in boots’ brings England a victory most foul over Matildas

Sam Kerr is fouled by England’s Alex Greenwood in Wednesday’s semi-final. Picture: Getty Images

Bodyline in boots. Outskilled, the Lionesses resorted to skulduggery. A victory most foul.

No England player could match Matildas captain Sam Kerr for razzle-dazzle in the World Cup semi-final. A crude, grim and unimaginative team lowered themselves and lost respect by adopting a desperate football version of the distasteful tactic employed by Douglas Jardine’s Ashes side during the infamous Australian summer of 1932-33. The other term for Bodyline is even more appropriate to the Matildas’ 3-1 defeat in Sydney. Leg theory.

Were the English not intent on taking out Kerr like Harold Larwood attacking Don Bradman and Australia’s more skilful cricketers in Bodyline?

Leg theory, ankle theory, shinbone theory, stomp-on-Kerr’s-foot-theory, nearly-kick-her-in-the-face theory … take your pick.

Example? Alex Greenwood slid into a supposed tackle on the Matildas skipper without even looking at the ball. You’d never see a more blatant and pathetic demonstration of one player trying to injure another. How do you hurt a footballer? Attack the legs. Studs first. Hit ’em hard. That might do the trick. Ensure they fall awkwardly. That might finish ’em off. Sprain an ankle. Twist a knee. Was that the desired result?

Greenwood was staring only at Kerr’s boots. It was cringe-­worthy. Cynical. Shameful. Cowardly. Undignified. Greenwood knew exactly who she was tackling. More to the point, she knew how she wanted to do it.

If the England defender was a schoolgirl, you’d tell her to get off the field and come back next week. What did she want? Kerr to be removed on a stretcher? Was that the intent? That was the impression. The Lionesses deserved every boo, jeer and hiss they received. Luckily for them, Stadium Australia didn’t have a Long Room. Members might have treated England’s footballers as disgracefully as Australia’s male cricketers were by the buffoons at Lord’s during the Ashes. Or perhaps we’re better than that.

Kerr certainly was. She kept dusting herself off. Going again. Scoring a goal of goals. Complaining about nothing. She played with class and courage. She played hard but fair. She played brilliantly. She was denied victory in the 3-1 defeat, but she’d never looked more glorious.

It was a devastating loss for the Matildas. The frustration of it: a team can win by fair means and foul and still get to bask in the win. Credit to the Lionesses in areas it’s due. They did what they set out to do. Play rough. Win. World Cup semi-finals are a results-based business and they pounced on scoring opportunities, two of which came from tardy Australian defence. England was cynical but in finishing they were clinical.

The Cup has been a big-picture win for the Matildas. Ranked 10th in the world, they were seeded to bow out in the last 16. They made the last four. They exceeded all expectations. The Paris Olympics is a year away and they’ll be up to their necks in contention for the gold medal. Good times ahead. Major opportunities. Still, they’re hurting. In the sorrowful aftermath on Wednesday night, they gathered on the pitch in the shape of a love-heart. Given a couple of folks were slightly out of position, the heart looked suitably broken.

The final? For the Bodyline in boots, for trying to cripple Kerr, for the flagrant leg theory, go Spain. We appreciate football is full of niggle and thinly veiled attempts at harm and yet it was just extremely off-putting to see a side so blatantly trying to injure a player who everyone knew was returning from injury. A leg injury.

The Lionesses went for Kerr’s head: Jess Carter with a high, wild and dangerous flinging of her boot. So, go Spain. For Greenwood’s distasteful tackle, go Spain. For Keira Walsh stomping on Kerr’s foot, go Spain.

The foul count finished 11-4 to England. Ludicrous. Go Spain. And so say all of us.