Jamaica v Australia

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Jamaica v Australia

Kerr To The Four As Matildas Beat Jamaica

by Jeremy Ruane

Australian goalscoring goddess Sam Kerr gave her Golden Boot claims an almighty boost at the Stade des Alpes in Grenoble on June 18, scoring all four of the "Matildas"' goals as they overcame Jamaica 4-1 in front of 17,402 fans to advance to a knockout encounter with Norway at the FIFA Women's World Cup Finals.

Needing to win to be sure of progressing, Australia went on the attack from the outset, with Kerr firing tamely at Jamaican goalkeeper Nicole McClure in the fifth minute of play, before the goalkeeper saved at the striker's feet sixty seconds later as an Emily Gielnik cross arrowed in from the right.

Lisa De Vanna, on the occasion of her 150th cap for the "Matildas", sent a cross sizzling across the bows of the incoming Gielnik soon after, to which Jamaica responded with a raid of their own, Toriana Patterson picking out Mireya Grey with a cross-field pass which allowed the striker to get the better of Karly Roestbakken, but not Lydia Williams, who grabbed the cross greedily.

Kerr opened the scoring in the eleventh minute. De Vanna and Gielnik combined on the left, with the latter delivering a measured cross which allowed the striker to send a looping header over the poorly positioned McClure and under the crossbar.

Jamaica responded four minutes later, with Grey releasing speed merchant Khadija Shaw down the right at breakneck speed. Roestbakken couldn't live with her, but her cross was headed to safety by Alanna Kennedy, who had a sound game at the heart of the "Matildas"' rearguard.

After Emily Van Egmond had hit the crossbar with a teasing cross-shot, another Gielnik cross brought about a salmon-like leap from Kerr, who guided her header just past the upright.

Only Allyson Swaby's timely intervention prevented Kerr from capitalising on an Ellie Carpenter cross in the twentieth minute, while the focal point of Australia's attack was blunted bluntly three minutes later by a rugged Patterson block as Kerr looked to capitalise on another delivery from Gielnik.

No penalty was forthcoming from that challenge, while Kerr saw another looping header tipped over the bar by McClure soon after as the "Matildas" continued to dominate proceedings.

After Shaw had gone close to equalising with a headed effort following a corner, Kerr doubled Australia's lead three minutes before half-time, heading home Katrina Gorry's curling cross having been given the freedom of the goalmouth by Jamaica's defence, which was very much missing, presumed having a good time on this occasion.

Whatever was in Jamaica's half-time tea should be bottled and preserved, because they were sensational for the first twenty minutes of the second half. Half-time substitute Havana Solaun certainly had something to do with it, because four minutes after the resumption of play, she scored Jamaica's first goal of the tournament, a strike which brought the house down.

The root of it was Shaw's driving run from inside her own half, the deep-lying striker then sliding a pass into the stride of the newcomer. Solaun rounded the approaching figure of Williams, then

rolled her shot past the retreating figure of Roestbakken and into the empty net to the enthusiastic roars of the crowd.

Having pulled one back, Jamaica fancied their chances of adding to their tally, and came close to doing so on numerous occasions. Shaw saw her drive turned away by Williams just two minutes after the goal, then left the usually imperious Steph Catley gasping in her wake on a run from half-way before battering a shot past the near post.

Australia rallied briefly through Kerr, of course, the striker catching Konya Plummer in possession before feeding Gielnik and dashing forward for a return pass which never came - McClure grabbed the ball.

Gielnik was then foiled by Plummer as she looked to work a one-tow with Chloe Logarzo, after which Jamaica went very close to equalising. Den-Den Blackwood's free-kick was headed on by Shaw, just too far in front of the incoming figure of Patterson to exploit as the goal loomed before her.

Shaw's murderous pace was leaving "Matildas" galore struggling to hang onto her coat-tails. Twice just after the hour mark she showed her opponents a clean pair of heels, only to be let down by her finishing.

Had she taken those chances, it would have made life very interesting indeed, but in the 69th minute came that hissing sound you dread whenever the air is being taken out of a tyre or a balloon.

In this case, it was Jamaica's challenge which was being deflated, thanks to you-know-who. While it came completely against the run of play, freshly introduced substitute Hayley Raso gave three Jamaican defenders the runaround before firing in a cross which ricocheted off Sashana Campbell straight to Kerr, some six yards out from goal. You can guess the rest - 3-1.

That goal killed the "Reggae Girlz" and after being denied a penalty when going down in the area as she went after a loose ball with McClure, Kerr scored her fourth goal of the game seven minute from time, capitalising on a dreadful error by the goalkeeper after she mis-controlled a back-pass from Plummer - one wonders how Kerr would have faired had Sydney Schneider been in goal for Jamaica.

Shaw tried to reduce the deficit from distance - Williams wasn't having a bar of it - while Kennedy hit the top of the crossbar with a header from a Carpenter cross in stoppage time, but Kerr had done the damage, her four-goal haul clinching Australia's place in the next round, and drawing her level with Team USA's Alex Morgan in the race for the Golden Boot - both have five goals in the Finals to date.

Australia: Williams; Carpenter, Kennedy, Catley, Roestbakken; Logarzo, Van Egmond (booked, 76), Gorry (Luik, 87); Gielnik (Foord, 59), Kerr, De Vanna (Raso, 63)

Jamaica: McClure; Campbell, Plummer (booked, 71), A. Swaby, Blackwood; C. Swaby, Shaw, Patterson; Grey (Brown, 72), Matthews (Carter, 59), Cameron (Solaun, 46)

Referee: Katalin Kulcsar (Hungary)

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