Sam Kerr, the Australian soccer star, is gearing up for the Asian Cup once again, a remarkable 16 years after her nation last claimed the title as a teenager. In 2010, Kerr was just 16 when Australia won the Women's Asian Cup, and she scored her first international goal in that tournament. Since then, the Matildas have reached the tournament's final twice, lost both times to Japan, and participated in three Olympics and four Women's World Cups. Despite their impressive achievements, they've yet to secure another major title, which Kerr finds both surprising and inspiring.
"Sixteen years ago seems crazy. It feels like yesterday," Kerr shared with ABC Perth. "I thought I would win many more. It shows how hard it is to win the Asian Cup and the importance of the tournament." Kerr's own career has been a rollercoaster, from signing with Chelsea in 2020 and winning five consecutive FA Women's Super League titles to enduring a challenging 20 months due to a knee injury and ACL tear during a training camp in late 2023 and early 2024. After a 637-day hiatus, Kerr made a triumphant return for Chelsea last September, scoring just 13 minutes after coming off the bench. Since then, she's been steadily improving.
"I'm playing more minutes now. I feel like I'm hitting my stride," the 32-year-old said. "I knew it would be a long process, and I've been back for about four or five months now, and every week, honestly, I feel better." Australia will host the Asian Cup in March, with the Matildas set to face the Philippines in Perth to kick off the tournament. In 2023, they thrashed the Philippines 8-0 at Perth Stadium, and Kerr believes they can build on that momentum. "We played really well last time at Perth. It was in front of a sold-out stadium, so there was a real buzz around it," she said. "Sixteen years ago at the last Asian Cup, I don't think there was many people around the country watching. But to be a part of the change in women's football in the last four to five years has been incredible. I think this moment in time will be looked back on forever as the time that women's football changed in Australia and around the world."
Kerr's return to the Matildas coincided with the appointment of Joe Montemurro as coach, a move that has paid off with Australia winning five of the eight games he's taken charge of. "(Montemurro) wants to play a certain style of football, which has been really clear," Kerr noted. "I think when you have a clear message and a clear identity as a team, it's been really easy to just focus on ourselves, train on ourselves, and make sure we're at our best physically and mentally." The Matildas are poised to make history at the Asian Cup, and Kerr's return is a testament to her resilience and the team's determination to bring home the title once more.
