Matildas cop brutal truth bomb about Sam Kerr as Olympic Games medal hopes shot down
The US football legend has claimed the Matildas are facing a tough task without their superstar.
US women's football legend Julie Foudy doubts the Matildas will go all the way at the Paris Olympics without superstar Sam Kerr and a number of injury worries in the squad. Foudy is a football great and knows what it takes to win a competition having won two Olympic gold medals and two World Cups with the US team.
And Foudy has questioned how far the Matildas can go at the Paris Olympics without Kerr and a number of players coming back from injury. Kerr will miss the Olympics campaign after tearing her ACL in January.
Without Kerr the Matildas look like a different side. During the World Cup the Matildas looked a little short of ideas and inspiration in attack until Kerr returned in the final group stage game and helped the Aussies go on a historic run to the semi-finals.
Two weeks ago, forward Caitlin Foord was the latest Matildas player to come under an injury cloud with her quad as Australia lost to Canada 2-1 in their final warm-up game. And Katrina Gorry has only just returned from a serious ACL injury.
Coach Tony Gustavsson is also looking to navigate a tough group involving Germany, USA and Zambia. And while the Matildas are facing a daunting task at the Olympics in 2024, Foudy has claimed the Matildas have a good chance of advancing past the group stage.
Although the American great does not see a stretched squad going much further than this. “I think they can get out of their group but I think it might be a bridge too far this time without Sam Kerr, with Caitlin Foord coming off an injury, with Katrina Gorry in the midfield coming off an injury,” Foudy told The Daily Telegraph.
“I worry they don’t have the health to sustain them. We know you’re going to need all 16 players (this tournament), it’s a grind.” While Foudy doubts the Matildas' mettle in Paris, 21-year-old superstar Mary Fowler is not settling for second best this time around.
Mary Fowler sends warning to rivals at Olympics
Fowler and the Matildas narrowly missed out on winning the nation's first Olympic Games medal in football after losing 4-3 to the mighty United States Women's National Team (USWNT) in the bronze medal game at the Tokyo Games. Australia also missed out on third place at their home World Cup having lost to Sweden in the bronze medal playoff.
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And after plenty of experience in the squad, at just 21 years old, midfield superstar Fowler is ready to lead the Matildas team to a medal. "I want to go there and I want to win, and I want to help the team as much as I can," Fowler said ahead of the Paris Olympics.
"I feel like I'm able to help out more compared to the last time when I was more of a bench player." Gustavsson has made it clear that Fowler is his lynchpin in attack and wants his Matildas side to get the ball to the Manchester City star as much ball as possible - whether she's operating on the wing, as an attacking midfielder or as a striker.
with AAP
