women soccer
Australia for the first time at the World Cup with Sam Kerr in the starting XI
Australia’s superstar Sam Kerr starts against England. photo
© John Walton/PA Wire/dpa
Australia’s superstar Sam Kerr is in the semi-finals of the World Cup against England for the first time in the co-hosts’ starting XI.
The 29-year-old Chelsea striker missed the group stage with a calf injury and was only used as a substitute after that. Kerr replaces Emely van Egmond in coach Tony Gustavsson’s team for the game in Sydney against the European champions.
Central defender Alanna Kennedy, who will be replaced by record international Clare Polkinghorne, is absent due to illness. It’s a very special day for Katrina Gorry: the midfielder gave birth to her first child exactly two years ago. As expected, the only Bundesliga player in the semi-finals, Georgia Stanway from FC Bayern Munich, is part of the English starting line-up.
The winner will play the final against Spain on Sunday (12:00 p.m. CEST/ZDF), also in Sydney. The loser has to play against Sweden in the game for third place in Brisbane on Saturday (10:00 a.m. CEST/ARD).
Australian newspaper films training of the English women from the air
Before the World Cup semi-final against Australia, the secret training of the English national soccer team was apparently filmed from the air. According to the Australian newspaper “Daily Telegraph”, the newspaper itself is responsible for the published images. “When England’s lionesses thought they were going to just fly under the radar into the semi-finals of the World Cup, they got a real shock. We sent the helicopter up to see how the old enemy was preparing,” it said in pithy words: ” Welcome to the jungle lionesses, let’s have fun and play.”