Australia's foreign legion begin to prove their worth in WSL

Last week, when asked about Sam Kerr’s performance during Chelsea’s Community Shield win over Manchester City, head coach Emma Hayes responded in a way that was at odds with the melodramatic “Wembley nightmare” headlines written in the game’s wake.

“She caused problems and created chances,” Hayes said. “If you’ve got a striker who’s not creating chances, that’s a concern. Sam has been outstanding in pre-season and I expect that she’ll be on the training pitch tomorrow, working on her finishing.”

A week later, it was Kerr’s goal that secured Chelsea’s first point in their opening Women’s Super League clash against Manchester United. Even though – like in the Community Shield – the Matildas skipper could have scored a couple more, Kerr’s contributions both on and off the ball were pivotal in the Blues’ first step towards their league title defence.

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This was always the risk. When she signed for the club last year, Kerr was rumoured to be the WSL’s most expensive player. The media hype that accompanied her arrival spoke to the reputation Kerr had built over several seasons between Australia’s W-League and the United States’ NWSL; the two leagues where she earned her stripes.

But she has, according to many, not made the splash in England that such a reputation (and price-tag) prefigures. And while there is the coronavirus caveat that should be applied to all professional sport in recent months, assessing Kerr’s early games in England requires a greater understanding of the smaller changes she has had to make in the transition – the same changes that all the Matildas who followed Kerr to Europe in recent months have had to make.

Specifically, Kerr emerged within a footballing environment that maximised her natural abilities. The NWSL, in particular, emphasises speed, athleticism, and transitional-style play; the same style that Kerr’s best chances for Chelsea so far have come from, the style that she has become known for. The W-League has mirrored this American style for the most part, but Kerr was able to stand out even more than usual by virtue of its semi-professional structure and less competitive player pool.

England, however, requires something different. Australia’s best players have not only had to adjust to new teammates, new opposition, new conditions and new schedules, but also a new way of thinking and playing. While speed is still privileged, individual technique and team tactics are prioritised. Possession and pro-active build-up play are encouraged. Thinking two steps ahead of your opponent becomes a prerequisite.

Some appear to be adjusting to this transition better than others. This past weekend, all but one of the England-based Matildas made their WSL debuts. While fortunes were mixed, what was most encouraging was that the Australians, for the most part, did not look out of place in what is rapidly becoming the best women’s league in the world.

Some Matildas shone: Steph Catley’s first start for Arsenal saw her play a crucial long-ball in the build-up to their second goal, while teammate Caitlin Foord recorded two assists in three minutes after coming off the bench in the closing stages. Others underwhelmed: Chloe Logarzo was ineffective in Bristol’s loss to Everton, while Emily van Egmond’s late entrance for West Ham saw her shuffled into defensive midfield, where she has struggled in the past.

Overall, Australia’s “Golden Generation” looked comfortable. Hayley Raso was an energetic nuisance for Everton down the right wing. Mackenzie Arnold was rarely called upon in a London derby against Tottenham, but stood firm between West Ham’s posts when she was needed. Alanna Kennedy’s 20 minutes in Spurs’ midfield saw her deliver some incisive diagonal passes and break up opposition play. Ella Mastrantonio warmed into her No 6 role with Bristol, connecting passing lanes and pivoting out of danger, as she is wont to do.

For all the talk of Australian football no longer producing world-class athletes – the failure of curriculums, the lack of individual technical nous, the growing gulf between leagues and nations – Australia’s women show that such criticisms are not universally applicable.

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Indeed, it was yet another reminder that Australian football’s untapped well-spring of talent remains firmly within the women’s game. While fewer Australian men receive game-time in the world’s top leagues, the past fortnight alone has seen two Matildas – Kerr and Lyon-based Ellie Carpenter – win domestic and continental trophies. The remaining European season will likely see several others contesting silverware.

So while Kerr may not have made the impact on the field that we expected from her first European foray, she has already contributed in ways that are not as quantifiable. She missed multiple chances in the Community Shield, but she also made the run that created space for Millie Bright’s strike. She missed a sitter in the 47th minute against United, but she helped defend from the front to hold onto the point. She continues to generate interest in a league that will soon become the world’s best. And she inspired a wave of Australians to follow her abroad, forcing them to improve by virtue of their new environments, setting the Matildas up for perhaps their best ever shot at a World Cup. That, in time, may be her greatest contribution to the sport, whether she scores more goals or not.