![]() ![]() “Our rehab processes are based on clinical markers, not time frames, so we’ve deliberately not given daily updates to minimize stress on the players and remove excess noise. “By way of protocol, we never talk about the level of injury unless the athlete requests it,” Steinfort said. Yet despite the public panic, the behind-the-scenes work to get Kerr ready was methodical and steady, said Paddy Steinfort, performance director for Football Australia who previously worked for more than a half-dozen NBA, MLB and NFL teams. “The work is ongoing, but the impact will reverberate through the generations.”Īustralia made it through the group stage without its captain, who returned to training last week and is expected to be available for Monday’s round of 16 game with Denmark in Sydney. “The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 isn’t just a tournament, it’s a legacy we’re creating for the future,” said Sarah Walsh, a former national team captain and now head of women’s football, World Cup legacy and inclusion. But without Kerr, who led Australia to the quarterfinals of two World Cups, the team had little hope of going further this summer, when they’re playing at home with the whole country watching. With Kerr leading the Matildas, they ranked 10th in the world and have become one of the strongest sports brands in the country during the past three years. The all-time NWSL scoring leader, she has been named player of the year on three continents. At 29, the Chelsea forward is in the prime of what has already been an outstanding career. Australia has been pointing toward this World Cup since it first bid to host the event in 2017 and Kerr, the team’s most talented and popular player, was seen as key to its success. The focus on the fate of the golden calf is understandable. ![]() Is she getting better? Is she getting worse? For the Guardian, the first 2½ weeks of the World Cup were known as “ Sam Kerr Calf Watch.” The Sydney Morning Herald called the mystery surrounding Kerr’s estimated injury recovery time “a national obsession.” When she limped through an airport with her teammates after Australia’s opening game, cameras followed her and pundits breathlessly opined on her condition. When Kerr hurt her left calf on the eve of a World Cup that Australia is co-hosting, the story transfixed the country. The most important muscle in Australia belongs to Sam Kerr, the captain and leading scorer for the country’s women’s soccer team.
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