The Chelsea star missed the entire group stages, with the Matildas nearly crashing out before the knockouts, but they've bounced back to make history
When Australia stars Tameka Yallop and Lydia Williams sat down to talk to the media before the Matildas’ Women’s World Cup semi-final against England, the words ‘Til it’s done’ were boldly emblazoned on the front of the table at which they sat. It’s been the team’s motto throughout the entirety of their home tournament, one that has seen them go beyond what any Australia team has done before by reaching the last four. While these adopted mantras can sometimes become a punchline if a team underwhelms or falls at an unexpectedly early hurdle, this one has only grown in its relevance and significance with each match.
On so many occasions this past month, Australia have faced huge challenges. When Sam Kerr suffered an injury on the eve of the opening game, one that kept her on the sidelines for the entire group stage, many on the outside counted them out. But when staring failure in the face, knowing defeat to Olympic champions Canada would bring their tournament to an end before the knockout rounds, they stood up tall and pulled out a remarkable 4-0 win.
In the quarter-finals, after seeing chance after chance go begging during the game, Australia went to a penalty shootout against France – one which would become the longest in Women’s World cup history. On three occasions, they had to score to stay in the tournament. Katrina Gorry, Yallop and Ellie Carpenter all held their nerve. And when Cortnee Vine stepped up as the 10th penalty taker, knowing that her kick could secure passage to the semi-finals, she did, too.
The biggest moment yet will come on Wednesday, though. At a packed Stadium Australia, where almost everyone in attendance will be rooting for them, the Matildas will take on the European champions, England, for a place in the 2023 Women’s World Cup final. They’ll need every ounce of that never-say-die attitude as they try to ensure it is indeed not done.
But the way they’ve come through tough moments so far, all while Kerr – their talismanic captain, their star player and one of the best footballers on the planet – has been restricted to just two substitute appearances has been incredibly impressive. Just how have they done it?
GettyStepping up
Australia might have been without Kerr for most of this tournament so far but they don’t lack other stars.
Steph Catley, the Arsenal full-back, has taken the armband in her absence and been absolutely superb. It was her penalty that got the Matildas off the mark in a narrow win over Ireland on the opening night; Hayley Raso, who has just signed for Real Madrid, netted twice and generally ran riot in the thrashing of Canada that kept Australia’s dream alive; Caitlin Foord, Catley’s club-mate, has been one of the players of the tournament in attack, most notably breaking the deadlock in the last-16 win over Denmark; Mackenzie Arnold, the West Ham goalkeeper, saved three penalties in the shootout against France to secure this team’s place in an historic semi-final.
“It shows everyone can step up at different points when they need to,” Williams said this week. “They have at different parts at this tournament. Steph stepping up for the captaincy, Mackenzie for the penalty shootout. Every single person has stepped up and represented the team when they needed them most.
“That shows the resilience and belief in each other and as a team. It’s something unmatched and exciting seeing that as we grow throughout the tournament. It’s quite extraordinary to see that every person is important for the group.”
AdvertisementGetty ImagesNever say die
That says a lot about the character of this Australia team, too. ‘Til it’s done’ might be the mantra for this tournament, but it has long been ‘never say die’ as well, and that’s what they’ve done time and time again this past month.
“It’s part of our jersey,” Yallop said of that resilience. “When you put it on, you are trying to emulate that ‘never say die’ attitude and that’s something that’s instilled in us from a young age. Continuing on in competitive football, you have to have that edge even before you put the Matildas shirt on. That’s definitely something all Aussies get behind and that attitude is something we take great pride in.”
It runs through the whole squad. There are some players in this 23 that have much bigger experiences than others. Take 23-year-old Carpenter and her two Champions League titles, for example, compared to 25-year-old Vine, who has played her entire career to date in Australia’s domestic league and is yet to lift a major trophy. Yet, when Vine stepped up to take that potentially match-winning penalty against France, there was no evidence of fear, nerves or inexperience. The never say die attitude is ingrained in all of them.
“I remember coming into the changing rooms after the [pre-tournament friendly against] France and Sam came in and said, ‘I think this is the time now when we can really believe we can go all the way’,” Arnold recalled on Tuesday. “We had just come off the back of wins against England, Spain and France – all top teams – that maybe we hadn’t done in the past. Everyone’s confidence was radiating off each other. I think that’s come a long way in our confidence.”
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There’s also been an element of doing this for Kerr. The Chelsea star is an incredibly popular member of this team with so many close friendships in it. That Catley described the news of Kerr’s injury, on the eve of the tournament, as "one of the most heart-breaking moments of [her] career" says it all.
“Sam's one of the best players in the world. She's our spiritual leader. She means so much to this team,” she said after the win over Ireland. “So to have her go down a day before a moment like this was pretty awful, but as a team, it added something to us. It added a little bit of extra fire.
“Everyone looked at it and said, ‘Well, I've got to step up now because we don't have Sam’. We spoke about that and we did that really well.”
They’ve done it time and time again to keep their own dream alive and their captain’s, too, with her now coming back to full fitness at what appears to be the perfect time, playing 10 minutes in the last-16 win over Denmark and then 65 against France ahead of this semi-final.
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GettyGustavsson's tweaks
Head coach Tony Gustavsson also deserves credit for the way he has adapted his team to cope without its biggest star and one of its most important pieces. He started with Foord occupying Kerr’s No.9 role, while young starlet Mary Fowler played just behind her – that being the position Foord would usually take up.
But after Foord had been unable to have too much influence while leading the line in the first two games, Gustavsson switched it up. Fowler played as the striker, Emily van Egmond came into the No.10 role and Foord went to the left. There, she has formed a dynamic duo with full-back Catley, one that has devastated so many defences already in this tournament.
England have switched to a back three in recent games and Australia will certainly fancy their chances of exploiting the space behind right wing-back Lucy Bronze, then, as well as down the other side with the in-form Raso likely to be running at Rachel Daly, the Lionesses’ striker-turned-left-wing-back.