Sam Kerr Ends 851-Day Goal Drought in Matildas' Asian Cup Opener
Matildas captain Sam Kerr has declared the monkey is finally off her back after scoring her first international goal in 851 days, with the superstar hinting her trademark backflip celebration could make a comeback soon. Kerr was the hero on Sunday night, netting a 14th-minute header to secure a 1-0 victory for Australia over the Philippines in their Asian Cup opener at Optus Stadium in Perth.
Kerr's Emotional Return to Scoring Form
The goal marked Kerr's first for the Matildas since November 2023, when she scored against Taiwan, just two months before suffering a devastating anterior cruciate ligament injury that sidelined her for 20 months. Speaking after the win in front of 44,379 fans, Kerr expressed relief at breaking her scoring drought. "I just wanted to get that first goal out of the way," she said. "It kind of felt like getting the monkey off my back, netting my first goal for the national team again, because I hadn't scored for a while and the two camps before, I would have liked to have scored to kind of get that feeling back."
Backflip Celebration on the Horizon
Known for her prolific goalscoring and acrobatic backflips, Kerr had previously suggested her backflipping days might be over after suffering two calf tears during the 2023 World Cup. However, after scoring her 70th international goal in her hometown, the 32-year-old is now contemplating reviving her iconic celebration. "Yeah, maybe later on in the tournament," Kerr said. "I feel like getting back into the goal scoring mood with the national team, but backflips are still on the cards. Everyone keeps asking me that."
Matildas Dominate but Struggle to Convert Chances
Australia dominated the match against the Philippines, unleashing 15 shots to one and enjoying 85 percent possession, but only managed to convert through Kerr's header. The skipper hopes this goal will ignite a hot streak for the remainder of the tournament. "I feel really lucky that I could be back in this squad for this tournament and play the opening match," Kerr added. "And I just feel like getting my confidence back in the national team - a big part of it is scoring goals. So to get that goal is really good for me. Hopefully, it starts me off on a good goal-scoring run for the rest of the tournament. The most important thing is that we got the win. But I'm really happy on a personal level, to be able to score, and hopefully that means I've got a few more in the bag coming up."
Focus on Football Amid Political Tensions
Looking ahead, Australia's next game is against Iran on the Gold Coast on Thursday night. The match comes amid instability in Iran following Israeli-US strikes that killed Iran leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Matildas coach Joe Montemurro avoided specifics on the political situation, emphasizing a focus on football. "I think football is a family. Football's an amazing family," Montemurro said. "And I think with the Asian Cup, we can showcase some amazing athletes and some amazing people. We're supporting the team and supporting whatever comes. But we want to make sure that the focus is on football and giving moments and special situations to people. So we hope that we have a good game against Iran, and we showcase how beautiful this game is."
