We take a closer look at Australia’s must-win World Cup clash with Canada,and try to unpick fact from fiction when it comes to the fitness status of the Matildas’ superstar captain.
The contrast before Monday’s do-or-die World Cup clash could barely have been starker as Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson and Canada counterpart Bev Priestman spoke in Melbourne.
As soon as Matildas skipper Sam Kerr declared her availability for Monday night’s must-win game,the dark clouds that had gathered over the team after their 3-2 upset loss to Nigeria began to clear.
The Matildas are in danger of an embarrassing World Cup group exit after a 3-2 loss to Nigeria,putting immense pressure on them for Monday’s game against Canada.
Illustrating the versatility of Tony Gustavsson’s World Cup team,10 different players have found the back of the net since last September.
An accidental comment sent shock waves through the press pack covering Australia’s World Cup team from their camp in Brisbane.
As Kerr’s left calf continues to dominate the headlines,the rest of Australia’s camp insist it’s business as usual three days out from their second World Cup match against Nigeria.
Canadian star defender Kadeisha Buchanan,Sam Kerr’s teammate at Chelsea,said she hopes the Australian super striker is back in action for their final group stage clash in just over a week.
Niki White had never represented an athlete until she was approached by Sam Kerr. Then she was thrown in the deep end of endorsement deals and fan mail and many,many emails.
It is apparent that senior public servants are so grossly overpaid that they aren’t going to rock the boat with “frank and honest” advice to their ministerial masters who earn far less.
The devastating truth is that the Matildas captain herself probably does not know when she will return given the precarious nature of calf injuries and their propensity for aggravation.