- Updates from the Matildas’ opening match in Sydney
- Sam Kerr out of opening matches with calf injury
- Kick-off time at Stadium Australia is 8pm/11am BST
- Any thoughts? Email or tweet @JPHowcroft
“Greeting from pitch dark California,” emails Mary Waltz. It’s 2am Mary, I hope you have a good barista. “Gutted for Kerr, and the Aussies. I decided to set my alarm so I could see the best striker in the women’s game and the first thing I read is she is injured. This is the drama of the World Cup. It will be fascinating to see how the home side responds to this blow.”
It sure will. The solitary goal against France last week came without her on the pitch, so the alternatives are there. But it’s the intangibles – the leadership, the confidence she exudes, the fear she generates in her opponents – that Australia will miss the most.
