Matildas prepare for life without Sam Kerr as Olympic qualification goes on the line against Uzbekistan
- Australia plays home and away matches
- The winner will qualify for the Paris Games
- New faces desperate to impress Matildas
The Matildas know Sam Kerr cannot be replaced.
However, six and a half weeks after Kerr tore her ACL, they claim they are ready to earn a coveted Olympic berth without their sensational skipper in charge.
Australia will take on Uzbekistan twice in five days, first in Tashkent on Saturday and in Melbourne on Wednesday, with the winner of the two-legged play-off securing their place in Paris.
The Matildas players have consistently and rightly stated how well they did at the World Cup while Kerr was sidelined with a calf injury.
But unlike that campaign, Kerr — and her infectious personality and leadership — won’t be part of the team’s camp at all.
The Matildas will go into their Olympic Games qualifiers against Uzbekistan without star striker and captain Sam Kerr
Amy Sayer, center, believes the Matildas have enough weapons to reach the Olympics without Kerr
Steph Catley will once again take on the captaincy as coach Tony Gustavsson looks to replace an irreplaceable star up front.
Young forward/midfielder Amy Sayer backed Australia to sort things out.
“It’s really sad that we lost Sam,” Sayer said.
“She’s one of the best players on the team and she’s our captain, so that’s a big gaping hole left by her absence.
“But I think the team tactics and the principles that have been established from the very beginning of Tony’s tenure have really helped us close that gap a little bit, and then it just comes down to who can really fill Sam’s shoes. ‘
Sayer hopes to be the one to fill those big scoring boots.
Steph Catley will captain the Matildas in the absence of injured skipper Sam Kerr
Australia have called on veteran Michelle Heyman for the first time in five years, while Caitlin Foord, Mary Fowler and Emily van Egmond have also spent time at center.
But Sayer, 22, has impressed when given opportunities.
“Without Sam in the team I know I’m playing in a similar position, and in the past I’ve been her replacement, in that No. 9 or 10 role in attacking midfield,” she said.
“I’m not exactly trying to fill her shoes because she’s that special player, but I think I have similar qualities – and some others too – that can benefit the team.”
The match starts at 8pm (AEDT) in Tashkent.
Australia takes a fly-in, fly-out approach to a difficult journey.
They leave their training camp in Dubai for Tashkent on Friday evening and leave for Melbourne on Saturday evening, just hours after the match.
The second match is Wednesday evening at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne.