Australia Women’s national team captain Sam Kerr will be banking on her Women’s Super League experience as they participate in the upcoming World Cup. The sharp-shooting striker is the biggest inspiration of the Matildas ahead of the tournament that will be partly hosted in their country. Having had a pretty successful season with Chelsea FC, Kerr is aiming for a successful tournament ahead. She will play a crucial role in the team’s success if they are to have a real chance of winning the tournament.
Kerr’s illustrious World Cup journey
This is Sam Kerr’s 4th World Cup tournament since her international debut in 2009. Since then, she has been instrumental in the team and a key part of the Matildas. The first two tournaments were only successful for the 29-year-old in the 2019 edition in France. This was when she scored her debut world cup goal in a 2-1 loss to Italy. Despite being knocked out by Norway in the playoffs, she ended the tournament with an impressive five goals. Four goals were scored against Jamaica, making her the first Australian to realize such an achievement.
This is enough inspiration for the attacker ahead of this tournament. The Captain will aim to continue the great form at the World Cup and add to her tally of the tournament’s goals. It will be a more interesting tournament for her since she will be playing in front of an expected mammoth crowd of home fans.
A successful season at Chelsea FC
Sam Kerr had the most successful season at her club of all her teammates. She was the leading striker at Chelsea FC women and played a crucial role in their successful season. While challenging for the Women’s Super League title, Kerr netted 12 goals and assisted another 5 in the 21 games she played. 17 goal involvements in 21 games meant that she was the pivot in Chelsea’s tremendous success. They won the Women’s Super League title on deadline day, shaking off competition from an unrelenting Arsenal, who were the other contenders.
In the Women’s FA Cup, the forward was just as influential. She netted six goals in the three matches that she played in. Best of all, she scored the lone goal, which was the winner, in the cup final as they defeated Manchester United women. Sam was instrumental as Chelsea women took the domestic double at the expense of their resilient rivals.
The Champions League was another successful affair for the Blues, although they failed to make it to the finals. With five goals in ten matches, Kerr powered the Chelsea women’s team to the semi-finals, where they fell to eventual winners Barcelona women.
A 1-0 aggregate loss was quite a close run for the team and the player. Otherwise, she would have managed a hard to come by treble. Missing out on the Champions League cannot dent a formidable season for the Australian. She was an important puzzle piece in that Blues side, and rightfully so. She has been credited with the successful season Chelsea women had and has received worthy plaudits for a well-done season.
Matilda’s form ahead of the tournament
The team has been in impressive form recently, with seven wins, zero draws, and three losses in ten games. The international friendlies have been key in preparing the team for the much-looked-forward-to matches. The seventy percent win percentage is impressive and shows how much improvement the team has made recently.
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Twice they have lost to Canadian women, who have always played high octane football, and once to Scotland women. They have incredibly squashed heavyweights Denmark, Sweden, and Women Euro Winners England. During the same period, they have seen women in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and South Africa. They will be facing some of these clubs at the tournament, standing a chance of dispatching them off. Kerr has scored three goals and assisted another two in the last six friendlies. She has proven important and, unless otherwise, will start all of her country’s matches.
The Aussie’s one-love armband sentiments
She would have loved to wear the one-love armband. However, she thinks it is not worth the risk. The Captain says the Australian national team would have liked to brandish the LGBTQ colors if not for the yellow card threat imposed by FIFA. She will, therefore, not wear the one love armband that could possibly undermine her tournament.
An indispensable character for the Australian women
The goals and assists she has recorded for the national team reveal how important a piece of the puzzle Samantha Kerr is. She has carved out her niche in the team as an instrumental player. The team always looks more organized with Sam around and her presence is proving a necessity. She ensures her team achieves great balance, striking important goals while leading the team respectfully as the Captain. If Australia ends up lifting trophy, Kerr’s input would be of no mild importance.