Sam Kerr: "I get goosebumps whenever I think about that first game"

CommBank Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson fronted the media alongside captain Sam Kerr on Thursday, in the lead-up to playing Scotland on Friday afternoon local time (10:15 PM AEST).

“Well, first of all, it feels a little bit like me and Sam sitting here now, the day before the opening day of a world cup, rehearsing and practicing the press conference the day before the opening game,” Gustavsson quipped.

Now only three months out from the World Cup on home soil, much of the focus of the press conference was about how this camp was preparing the squad for the tournament.

“At the moment the focus is Matildas and it’s kind of hard not to have your eyes on the World Cup when you’re in camp,” Kerr said.

“Every game we play for the national team we’re focusing on what we’re going to do at the World Cup, how we’re going to prepare, all of those types of things. At the moment my focus is on the World Cup.

“When I go back to Chelsea I try not to focus on it, because I don’t want to play the game before I’ve already even been at the World Cup.

“It’s finding the right balance, but it is hard not to dream a little bit sometimes when you’re home alone.”

Due to injuries to the likes of Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord and Alanna Kennedy, Gustavsson said that the emphasis of the camp has shifted – from cohesiveness and consistency to getting final answers to World Cup selections.

Furthermore, both Gustavsson and Kerr explained that these friendlies were about finding combinations for the World Cup. The most important thing for the group is performance in three months’ time.

“Everything we do in these games is to get answers, and prepare for the World Cup,” Gustavsson said.

“Yes, every time we step onto the field we try to perform to our maximum, and I don’t want to say it’s not important to perform well, but we need to do that with the mindset of preparing for that World Cup.

“In that sense, when we look at player availability there’s been some load management in this camp that we need to make sure we handle with respect, because we need to look at the bigger picture which is the World Cup.”

Sam Kerr highlighted one of the most important things learned by the squad from the last World Cup was taking it one game at a time.

“Ireland are a bloody good team, they’ve conceded no goals in the last 9 games,” she said.

“For us, it’s about taking care of one game at a time. I think that’s where you can lose games in the last second, or lose games in moments like a penalty shootout when you look too far ahead.

“I think that was the one, one of the biggest learning curves from the last World Cup, maybe looking a bit too far ahead. So this World Cup we’ll be focusing on Ireland, focusing on what we can control.”

Both coach and captain touched on what they have learned over the past two years since Tony Gustavsson began his tenure as CommBank Matildas coach.

For Gustavsson, it was about trusting the process rather than being results driven. Kerr, meanwhile, reflected on the resilience of the team through COVID lockdowns, and also learning to take her game at different speeds depending on the situation.

With what the squad has learned in mind, Sam Kerr spoke at length with respect to the legacy with which this group of CommBank Matildas wants to leave after the World Cup.

“Not many players get to play a home World Cup, so it’s going to be the biggest honour in the world,” she said.

“We always talk about Cathy Freeman 2000 Olympics and we hope no matter what happens - no matter who goes, who the [squad of] 23 is - that this team is remembered forever, and we represent Australia in the best way possible and show that Australia can be a real footballing country, a real host of women’s football.

“I’m excited, I think it’s going to be the best World Cup ever. I get goosebumps whenever I think about that first game.”

She emphasised the importance of fan support and knew that fans would come out in numbers to support the CommBank Matildas.

When asked about legacy, Kerr again cited the 2000 Olympics and hoped that the success of the squad would translate into more funding for the sport.

“After the 2000 Olympics, the legacy that was left there after one special moment was ever-lasting for all of us,” she explained.

“If you ask half the girls in the team, most of their heroes or idols growing up with Cathy Freeman. So for us, that’s the legacy we want to leave. We inspire the nation, we move the nation to believe in women’s football, believe in the Matildas.

“We already have the highest participation in the country. It’s about getting the people higher up to believe in the sport. You see the funding that AFL, rugby, and all of those sports get before women’s football. It’s about getting the money into football to allow girls to play, to allow girls to have the opportunities to get to where they want to be.

“I think with the Socceroos' success at the World Cup we saw the amount of funding being highlighted. We have the participation, we have the love for the game, but the lasting legacy will hopefully be that we get the funding that the sport deserves.”

How to watch Australia v Scotland

COMMBANK MATILDAS MATCH SCHEDULE | APRIL 2023

CommBank Matildas v Scotland
Date: Fri, 7 April 2023
Venue: Cherry Red Records Stadium, London
Kick-Off: 1.15 pm (local) / 10.15 pm (AEST)
Broadcast:  Network 10 and Paramount+
Tickets are available from here

England v CommBank Matildas
Date: Tues, 11 April 2023 (local) / Wed, 12 April (AEST)
Venue: Brentford Community Stadium, London
Kick-Off: 7:45 pm (local) / 4:45 am (AEST)
Broadcast: Network 10 and Paramount+