Sam Kerr celebrates her goal against Sweden. (Jack Gruber-USA TODAY Network)
Here are some interesting notes and information about the Australian women’s national team prior to their final group stage game Tuesday morning.
U.S. Soccer supplied the information.
The USA has played Australia 30 times overall, with three previous meetings at world championship events. The sides drew, 1-1, in a group stage match at the 2004 Olympics in Athens in their only previous matchup at the Olympics and also squared off in the group stage at two World Cups — a 4-1 victory for the USWNT in 1995 and a 3-1 win in the USA’s first match of the 2015 Women’s World Cup. Megan Rapinoe scored twice and Christen Press got the third goal in Winnipeg.
The USA leads the all-time series between the teams, 26-1-3 and while the two countries first met in 1987, Australia only beat the USA for the first time on June 27, 2018, a 1-0 victory in Seattle, Washington. The teams tied 1-1 on June 29, 2018, in East Hartford, Connecticut, but the USA picked up a rousing win in the most recent meeting, a 5-3 triumph on April 4, 2019, in Commerce City, Colorado. Alex Morgan scored her 100th international goal, Mallory Pugh tallied a brace in front of her hometown crowd, and Megan Rapinoe and Tobin Heath added goals of their own in a thrilling matchup that also saw the USA erase a 2-1 deficit.
Over its last three games with Australia, the USA has a record of 1-1-1 and all three matches have been decided by two goals or fewer.
Australia opened the Tokyo 2020 Olympics with a 2-1 victory over arch-rivals New Zealand on July 21 at Tokyo Stadium. Australia started the match on the front foot and opened the scoring in the 20th minute with a goal by Tameka Yallop and doubled its advantage in the 33rd when Kerr headed in a corner kick from Steph Catley. New Zealand pulled one back in the 91st minute, but the Matildas held on to take all three points and outshot New Zealand, 16-5, on the night with a 10-1 advantage on corner kicks.
Australia is looking to rebound following a 4-2 defeat to Sweden on Saturday evening in Saitama. The Swedes opened the scoring in the 20th minute with a goal by Fridolina Rolfo, but the Matlidas responded and tied the match before halftime off a Sam Kerr header in the 36th minute. Australia would take the lead just minutes into the second half as Kerr tallied her second goal of the game and third of the tournament with another stellar header, but Sweden would score three unanswered goals to win the match, 4-2 and clinch its spot in the knockout round with six points through two matches. In the 69th minute with Australia trailing 3-2, Kerr had an opportunity to tie the match from the penalty spot, but her attempt was saved by Swedish goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl.
With 45 international goals in 95 caps, Kerr is the leading scorer on the Matildas Olympic roster and needs just three goals to pass Lisa De Vanna to become the all-time leading scorer in Australia Women’s National Team history. With a goal and three assists, Kerr has been directly involved in every goal Australia has scored so far at Tokyo 2020 and her three goals are tied for the fourth-most by any player in the tournament through the first two match days.
Almost all of Australia’s top players have at one time or another played in the NWSL, but only one is playing this season, Chloe Logarzo for Kansas City. Fourteen members of the Matildas have been rostered with NWSL clubs.
Australia, despite having the majority of its roster in their 20s or younger, is one of the most experienced teams in the world. Three players have 40 or more caps, led by defender Clare Polkinghorne, who has played 131 times and scored 11 goals for the Matildas. Midfielder Elise Kellond-Knight (113/2), who turned out for the Seattle Reign and Washington Spirit in the NWSL and midfielder Emily van Egmond (104/23), who played for the Reign, Red Stars and Orlando Pride in NWSL is the other members of the Century Club on the roster, but seven players have cap totals in the 80s and 90s.
Australia has 15 players on its roster who have scored at the full international level. The USA has 17.
