For the second consecutive year, a major international competition in the womens game has been robbed of its star attraction, with Barcelona Femení and Spain playmaker Alexia Putellas suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury on the eve of Euro 2022 and Chelsea Women and Australia striker Sam Kerr so far unable to compete at the World Cup due to a calf injury sustained ahead of their opener.
With Kerr being such a crucial part of her nations setup, it was always going to be difficult to replace her, and patience has been required as Matildas head coach Tony Gustavsson has tried to tweak their tactics to cover for her absence. However, whilst their opening two performances were nothing to write home about, their final group game against Canada demonstrated how dangerous they can be even when Kerr is not available.
With that in mind, this tactical analysis will highlight their changes and will show how they have developed their game plan to ensure that they can maintain their attacking threat. The scout report will show some of the rough patches that they went through against the Republic of Ireland (RoI) and Nigeria. It will then indicate what went so well for them against the Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medallists.
What Sam Kerr offers
However, before getting into how they have changed things around, it is essential first to gain a picture of precisely what they have needed to replace. When watching Kerr in action, it is immediately apparent that there is a lot more to her game than some might have thought.
It might seem obvious to mention how she leads Australias forward line and constantly gives them options to pass forwards and build momentum, but it needs pointing out because it has a massive impact on the rest of the team and how those around her play.
In this case, for example, her run up the field has allowed both Arsenal Womens Caitlin Foord and Real Madrid Femeninos Hayley Raso (who will move to the Spanish capital after the tournament) to push up and occupy the space behind her. By doing so, they have now given themselves time to control the ball when it comes in from the left and then pick the right pass to create an opportunity for Australia, with a greater chance of them finding their intended target.
It also impacts the opposi
