Sam Kerr has been on the rise since joining Chelsea four years ago. Photo: Getty Images/Bradley Kanaris
As Australia prepares to take on England in Sydney on Wednesday, and a place in the Women's World Cup final is at stake, the impact of English football on the Matilda team cannot be overlooked.
Two-thirds of the home team have played in the Women's Super League at some point in their careers, and the fully professional and highly competitive environment of the English top flight has undoubtedly played a role in the Australian team's progress in recent years.
At that time , with Australia's top flight maintaining semi-professional status, albeit being «built» at a professional level, playing in the English league will help the team prepare for the home tournament.
Ten of Matilda's team of 23 players currently play their club football in the WSL, while five other players have done so before, including two as recently as last season. And the main attraction is clear: to play against the best players from all over the world.
Players from Australia who are currently participating in WSL
West Ham United goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold is one of the 10 currently on the English team list and was one of the heroes of Saturday's penalty win against France. Speaking about the impact of the WSL on Matilda, Arnold said: “All of us who play in this league can say that the W-League [Australia's top flight] is a different world. The level of professionalism and talent they have, the time they spend with their clubs and players really shows their progress both individually and in the game as a whole.
“After we saw the Euro and their victory and saw how much they really took off and how much money was put into it, it really shows the progress they have made.”
Autumn 2019. saw the arrival of the most famous Australian when Sam Kerr signed for Chelsea. The Matilda skipper and striker has since scored 54 goals in the WSL and is one of only nine players to break the 50-goal mark in the WSL since its inception in 2011.
Kerr was already a global superstar prior to joining Chelsea, setting records for most American NWSL goals. But the Australian may have risen to great heights since the careers of many others have blossomed since they moved to England, such as Kerr's compatriot Arsenal striker Caitlin Ford. Familiarity with Champions League football was crucial in this regard, but equally important was the frequency of intense games in front of large crowds at stadiums such as the Emirates and Stamford Bridge.
Caitlin Furd is one of several Australian internationals who trade in the WSL. Photo: Getty Images/David Price
Responding to a question about the strength of the WSL, Australia head coach Toni Gustavsson said: «[I know] scouting there, training and watching games, whether it's Champions League games, league games or FA Cup games. . The other thing is investments – they may be a bit ahead of us in terms of investments in terms of money and resources.”
Gustavsson also took the opportunity to point out how much better funded he thinks England are compared to his own team, adding: “The same goes for the national team. Someone told me that the women's program in the women's FA has the same budget as all the national teams in our FA. It says a lot about the resources and money they have, and it also contributes to player development. That means more full-time employees, better training conditions, more resources, more full-time players.
“We are at the beginning of this journey and I hope to sit here from 10 to 20 in a few years and say this is there was a tipping point when it comes to investing in women's football and we can have the same resources and the same money.»
He also believes that financial support, among other things, gives this England team advantage in Wednesday's decider, adding: «If you look at the rankings they are favorites, if you look at where their players are playing you will see that they have starting players in top clubs, in top leagues around the world . Not only in the starting lineup, but also up to 15, 16. Then, compared to us, we have spare players in these teams. We have players playing in the mid-table teams in Sweden.
“So if you look at all of this and look at the financial resources, obviously they are huge favorites in this game. But the only thing we have that they don't have is the support and faith of the fans. This in itself will be massive.”
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