Love all in America friendly
THEY might not be able to catch up off the pitch but star football couple Sam Kerr and Kristie Mewis will be reunited on the field when the Matildas take on the US in a friendly this weekend.
This is the first time since they won silver at the 2000 Sydney Olympics that the two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup winners have been in Australia.
The US women’s team will play two friendlies against the Matildas, the first on Saturday.
Kerr, who plays for Chelsea in the Women’s Super League in England, and Mewis, a Houston Dash star, announced their relationship in August after the Olympics.
The Matildas look set to field an experienced line-up as they chase only their second victory against the US in 31 years, including captain Kerr, Emily van Egmond, Ellie Carpenter, Tameka Yallop and Steph Catley.
Hayley Russo and Emily Gielnik have been recalled after recent injuries.
The US’s 22-player roster has 10 from its Olympic bronze medal-winning team as well as 12 players with fewer than 10 caps to their names, including five debutants.
Fan favourites Alex Morgan, Tobin Heath, Crystal Dunn, Megan Rapinoe and Kelly O’Hara missed out on boarding passes.
Kerr’s girlfriend and US midfielder
Mewis has been named in the squad, along with
36-year-old veteran defender
Becky Sauerbrunn, Abby Dahlkemper and Emily Sonnett. Sauerbrunn is the most experienced player to make the trip with 197 caps.
Coach Vlatko Andonovski said leaving some of “the bigger” names behind had nothing to do with Covid-19 restrictions and everything to do with the FIFA World Cup.
“We still have a few players out with injuries, so this roster is a mixture of players with a lot of experience in world cups and Olympics, some who have been a part of the program for a while but who are looking to make their mark in international soccer and a few who are getting a first chance with the national team in an event like this,” Andonovski said.
The two matches will be Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson’s last before he must select a squad for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
The first match is on Saturday at Stadium Australia, kicking off at 3pm.