SYDNEY — Some of the most important names in soccer have but to point out up on the Women’s World Cup.
That’s actually been the case of Australian star Sam Kerr, who missed the primary two video games with a calf harm.
Kerr has recovered in time to play for Australia in a vital remaining Group B sport towards Canada on Monday. The Matildas have to beat the Canadians to make sure they advance to the knockout spherical, and the Chelsea striker’s return to the lineup brings wanted power to the crew.
“Mentally, it’s massive. It brings so much to our team and obviously also a lot to the opposition knowing that we have Sam available for this game,” Australia defender Ellie Carpenter stated.
Kerr’s harm on the eve of Australia’s opening sport towards Ireland set the tone for a match that hasn’t been type to a few of its greatest stars. She was the face of co-host Australia’s preparations for the match, which can be being staged in New Zealand.
She dominated the covers of magazines throughout newsstands, whereas the autobiography she launched late final 12 months chronicled her rise to turn into arguably one of the best participant within the girls’s sport proper now. Kerr’s reputation transcends girls’s soccer and he or she is taken into account a nationwide icon.
So the frustration was palpable when information broke about an hour earlier than the opening match that Kerr was going to be sidelined no less than two video games on this match.
Kerr’s absence was felt within the 3-2 loss to Nigeria in Australia’s second sport, a loss that put the Matildas in peril of elimination. It will not be identified what her function might be towards Canada, however Australia wants Kerr to ship within the remaining sport of group play.
“I’m definitely going to be available, but how we decide to use that is not to be given to the opposition,” stated Kerr.
The World Cup is meant to be a showcase for the best expertise and largest names, however accidents have at all times robbed the match of some its star gamers.
Norway ahead Ada Hegerberg has had her enjoying time curtailed. Often known as “the Lionel Messi of women’s soccer,” Hederberg was a part of a Norway’s 1-0 upset loss to New Zealand within the opening sport of the World Cup.
It bought worse for the 2018 Ballon d’Or winner when she suffered a groin harm within the warm-up forward of Norway’s sport towards Switzerland, and he or she’s been dominated out of the ultimate Group A sport towards the Philippines.
Keira Walsh of England suffered a knee harm towards Denmark that may sidenline her for the Lionesses’ remaining Group D sport towards China. Described as irreplaceable, it isn’t identified how a lot she’s going to be capable of play.
Even for some stars who’ve seen loads of enjoying time, it has been tough to make an impression.
American icon Alex Morgan has underwhelmed to date at her fourth World Cup, the place she is hoping to assist the United States to an unprecedented third consecutive title.
Morgan, the co-leading scorer on the final World Cup, has but to attain at this 12 months’s occasion and missed a penalty within the 3-0 win towards Vietnam. U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski stated Morgan was adapting to enjoying in a ahead line with Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman.
“I think it’s not hard to realize that Alex’s role is slightly different than the Alex that we’re used to maybe in the past,” Andonovski stated. “She does set up the other two forwards a lot more. It’s not that she’s not capable of scoring goals or getting behind crosses, but we can also see her playing balls to Trinity and Soph, but also getting crosses for them as well.”
Morgan, at 34, is now one of many older gamers on the match.
Christine Sinclair of Canada can be looking for first purpose of the match. Sinclair is highest scorer in worldwide soccer – males or girls – with 190 objectives.
Like Morgan, she additionally missed a penalty, in a 0-0 draw with Nigeria that would nonetheless show pricey. She was benched for Canada’s second sport towards Ireland earlier than coming in instead at halftime because the gold medalist from the Tokyo Olympics logged a come-from-behind 2-1 win.
At 40 years previous, Sinclair is having to just accept a extra restricted function for Canada.
Brazil nice Marta, at 37, has additionally been used sparingly in her sixth World Cup.
Her teammate, Debinha, who can be an iconic determine to Brazil followers, has been one of many standout gamers for her nation to date. But she wasn’t in a position to cease a 2-1 loss to France on Saturday regardless of scoring in that match.
The hole seems to be closing within the girls’s sport, with underdogs proving extra of a take a look at for the extra established nations. That’s one motive a few of the massive title stars have but to impress in match.
One of the few standouts who has not dissatisfied to date has been Alexandra Popp, who scored twice in Germany’s 6-0 rout of Morocco.
Major tournaments are historically a mixture of rising abilities coming to the floor, whereas established stars have the possibility to verify their standing among the many greats.
Linda Caicedo of Colombia, Lauren James of England and Melchie Dumornay of Haiti have confirmed their price as a few of the brightest prospects within the sport. But because the second spherical of video games nears its completion, it feels just like the match continues to be ready for a lot of of its massive hitters to make an impression.
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