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Tag: Emily Van-Egmond

  • ‘Shouldn’t stand down’: Matildas star backs Kerr in presser grilling as legend slams ‘weak’ FA call

    ‘Shouldn’t stand down’: Matildas star backs Kerr in presser grilling as legend slams ‘weak’ FA call

    Matildas veteran Emily van Egmond faced a grilling over Sam Kerr on Tuesday, declaring the 31-year-old superstar should remain Australian captain despite calls for her to stand down.

    Van Egmond fronted media the same day that Socceroos legend Robbie Slater slammed Football Australia’s “weak” punishment of Kerr ahead of her Matildas return.

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    On Monday, FA finally ended weeks of speculation over possible disciplinary action that followed her highly-publicised UK court case, announcing that Kerr was clear to return to full duties with the Matildas.

    The team has upcoming matches against the Korea Republic in Sydney and Newcastle, beginning on Friday.

    Matildas vice-captain Van Egmond said that Kerr “definitely shouldn’t be stepping down”.

    “As teammates and a team we are in full support of her and we are looking forward to the game on Friday,” Van Egmond said.

    Van Egmond had to face a repeated line of questioning about Kerr before a FA press officer appeared to step in and ask for questions to be focused on the game.

    Van Egmond said: “The FA put out their statement and it speaks for itself.”

    However, the million-dollar question surrounding whether Kerr would continue don the captain armband was not explicitly addressed in FA’s statement and remains up in the air.

    The saga comes after Kerr was found not guilty on one charge of racially aggravated harassment in February after she called a police officer “f***ing stupid and white”.

    Slater called for Kerr to stand down as the Matildas captain in the lead up to the friendly international matches.

    “Football Australia has failed in its role as guardians of the game in this country,” he wrote for CODE Sports.

    “The best thing that Kerr can do when she returns to action is to decline any offer to again captain the Matildas.”

    Slater hoped Kerr would now “do the right thing and she simply cannot captain the national team again”, saying the decision not to rescind her captaincy means FA have failed to hold players accountable to the national code of conduct.

    ‘No further action’ Kerr joins Matildas | 03:38

    In response to the frenzy surrounding her court case, Kerr spoke of her “regret” over the incident.

    “I want to express my sincere regret for how events unfolded,” she said in Football Australia’s statement.

    “I recognise that leadership means being mindful of our actions both on and off the pitch.

    “I’m proud of the Matildas, the role I have played as a member of that team, and everything we stand for, and I’m committed to learning from this experience.”

    Emily van Egmond at her press conference, and Sam Kerr outside court.Source: Getty Images

    FA chairman Anter Isaac said that the incident shouldn’t overshadow Kerr’s contribution to the game.

    Kerr also has full support from her teammates, Van Egmond said.

    Kerr has rejoined her teammates in a non-playing capacity. She has not played since tearing her ACL during a Chelsea training camp in January last year.

    Steph Catley has captained the Matildas in Kerr’s absence and will continue for the Korea Republic friendlies.

    The Matildas named a 23-player squad to face South Korea, with midfielder Katrina Gorry withdrawing due to an ankle injury suffered in West Ham’s 2-2 draw with Chelsea in the Women’s Super League on the weekend.

    “Now it’s time to get on the field and let the football do the talking,” Van Egmond said.

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  • ‘At least I own my s**t!’: Matildas great slams Football Australia over Sam Kerr ‘double standards

    ‘At least I own my s**t!’: Matildas great slams Football Australia over Sam Kerr ‘double standards

    Former star striker Lisa De Vanna has launched a tirade at Football Australia over its handling of Sam Kerr’s court case.

    De Vanna made 150 appearances and scored 50 goals for the Matildas over a decorated 15-year career in national colours.

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    The 40-year-old also found herself embroiled in controversy back in 2021 when she made allegations of bullying, grooming and sexual harassment within the sport.

    While De Vanna received support from some sections of the football community, a number also doubted her claims while a number of Matildas refuted the allegations, with Kerr referring to the team environment at the time as a “safe haven”.

    With Kerr, 31, found not guilty on Wednesday (AEDT) on one charge of racially aggravated harassment after she called a London polic officer “f**king stupid and white”, Football Australia released a statement stating it was “committed to supporting Sam”.

    Sam Kerr was found not guilty at Kingston Crown Court in south London. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)Source: AFP

    The statement failed to address Kerr’s captaincy of the popular Australian side and De Vanna, who was largely ostracised after her comments four years ago, took to social media to blast the governing body.

    “Supporting somebody who has behaved poorly vs not supporting someone who calls out poor behaviour, that’s the true culture of the inner circle,” De Vanna wrote in a post on X.

    “Double standards. At least I own my s**t!”

    Lisa De Vanna is one of the best strikers in Australian history. (Photo by Maddie Meyer – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

    After the not guilty verdict, the judge cautioned Kerr that “her own behaviour” in the police station had contributed to the case being brought in the first place.

    After deliberating for a touch over four hours, the jury handed down the verdict at Kingston Crown Court, London, just after 2pm on Tuesday (1am, Wednesday, AEDT).

    Kerr looked down as she learned the verdict and then hugged wellwishers including her family.

    News Corp Australia’s Sophie Ellsworth, who was in court, said many of Kerr’s supporters in the public gallery broke down in tears as the verdict was read out – including her fiancee Kristie Mewis.

    Kerr showed no emotion during the reading of the verdict but gave a thumbs up to her lawyer after the judge had left. An expressionless Kerr left the court shortly afterwards before posting a statement to social media.

    “Following today’s not guilty verdict, I can finally put this challenging period behind me,” Kerr wrote.

    “While I apologise for expressing myself poorly on what was a traumatic evening, I have always maintained that I did not intend to insult or harm anyone and I am thankful that the jury agreed.

    “I would like to thank my partner Kristie, my family, friends and all the fans for their love and support, especially those who attended court each day.

    “I am fully focused on getting back on to the pitch and looking forward to an exciting year ahead for me and my family.”

    Matildas vice-captain Emily van Egmond has been among those throwing their support behind Kerr.

    Van Egmond, speaking with Code Sports, addressed the million dollar question about whether Kerr should remain captain of the squad.

    Kerr (front row, second from right) and De Vanna (front row, far right) ahead of a 2019 Women’s World Cup match in France. (Photo by Jean-Pierre Clatot / AFP)Source: AFP

    “We are all with Sam,” she said.

    “She’s an amazing person, one of my really good friends and I check in with her regularly just to see that she’s okay and that’s the most important thing to me.

    “In terms of captaincy, that’s obviously up to other people to decide but for me she’s a great leader. She’s always been a tremendous leader and I wouldn’t have anyone else lead the team.”

    Football Australia’s statement read: “Football Australia acknowledges today’s Not Guilty verdict regarding Sam Kerr and welcomes Sam’s statement.

    “Sam has been a key figure in Australian football for many years, and we recognise the significant pressures that this matter has brought to Sam, Kristie, her family, and everyone involved, including the impact it’s had on the game.

    Star Chelsea striker Kerr is still recovering from a knee injury. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

    “Throughout this period, Football Australia has remained committed to supporting Sam and will continue to do so as she focuses on her footballing career, rehabilitation from injury and return to play.

    “Football Australia invests heavily in building the behavioural standards and expectations of all involved with our game, especially for all our national team players, where leadership comes with added responsibilities on and off the field.

    “Football Australia will reflect with Sam on learnings from this matter and we will continue to provide appropriate support for her moving forward.

    “We look forward to Sam’s return to the pitch and her continued contributions to both her club and the Matildas on the world stage.”

    Kerr remains sidelined as she recovers from the ruptured anterior cruciate ligament she suffered in January last year.

    She won’t play for the Matildas in this month’s She Believes Cup tournament in the US.

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  • ‘I have terrible groins’: Kerr slip leaves coach ‘nervous’ as Matildas joke about star’s return

    ‘I have terrible groins’: Kerr slip leaves coach ‘nervous’ as Matildas joke about star’s return

    Australian captain Sam Kerr has finally taken to the field for the first time this World Cup, coming off the bench in the 80th minute of Australia’s 2-0 win over Denmark on Monday night that booked a place in the quarterfinals.

    It ends weeks of speculation over her fitness that has seen Kerr’s left calf become the most talked-about muscle in the country.

    There were promising signs in her brief stint on the field, though there was a moment of high drama when she slipped on the greasy turf and tumbled to the ground with an apparent groin concern.

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    WALTZING ON: Matildas fire into WC QFs with Raso-dazzle as Kerr returns

    PLAYER RATINGS: Star forward’s perfect game; midfielder continues to shine as Matildas march on

    Foord lands opening goal for Tillies! | 00:35

    EVERY RESULT AND FIXTURE: All the latest from the Women’s World Cup

    PATH TO GLORY: Matildas’ next rivals locked in

    Kerr said afterwards: “I just slipped. I have terrible groins and just fell over like a normal thing. I think it’s just on a microscope because I’ve been injured the last three weeks. But it’s nothing.”

    It had a tense coach Tony Gustavsson gesturing wildly in her direction – though he said post-game that Kerr told him she was fine to play on.

    In his post-match press conference, the Swede was asked to explain his feelings when Kerr went down – and to do so without swearing.

    After a burst of laughter, he said: “I know I can tend to swear too much at times when I get passionate, but today I’ll try to stay away from that.

    “I got very nervous. I didn’t see the slip until she was on the floor. But when I saw that obviously you go: ‘Oh!’

    “And then straight away communicate with her: ‘How are you doing, you need to come off? You good?’

    “She wanted to stay on so hopefully that means she’s okay.”

    Kerr has been on a strict training plan since suffering the injury two days before the tournament began. And she revealed after the game that the physios were so intent on ensuring her recovery was pitch-perfect that she was banned from any warm-down runs after the match!

    “I don’t even know when it is,” she said when asked about Australia’s next game. “I have a plan, the physios have a plan – I asked them if I could run after and they said no!

    “So I’m sure I’ll be following their plan like I have the past few weeks.”

    Kerr hit the ground in one scary moment.Source: Getty Images

    Meanwhile, Australia was visibly buoyed by the return of the talismanic captain to the pitch.

    Veteran teammate Emily van Egmond laughed as she said: “She didn’t miss a beat, did she?”

    “I’m honestly so happy and proud to have her back as a teammate and a friend of mine. I couldn’t be happier for her.

    “We need her. She’s our leader. She’s a weapon. She’s an absolute game changer. And like I said before to add that to the arsenal we already have, I think we’re scary moving forward.”

    Mary Fowler said: “It was great to see her. Even just hearing the crowd hyping her up when she was warming up, it’s amazing to see and you just can’t help but smile.

    “It’s really big for us. Sam’s an amazing player. She’s loved by everyone in the team and by this country. It’s massive for us that she’s finally back out there.”

    But Kerr’s teammates are also happy that the media frenzy surrounding her injury saga finally appears to be over.

    Goalscorer Caitlin Foord said: “It won’t be much of a headache anymore! I’m pretty tired of it to be honest. You can ask her now how she enjoyed that.”

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  • ‘Can’t shy away’: Matildas’ dream on the line in ‘crossroads moment’

    ‘Can’t shy away’: Matildas’ dream on the line in ‘crossroads moment’

    On Monday night, the Matildas’ World Cup dream comes down to 90 do-or-die minutes against Olympic champions Canada.

    Win and the co-hosts are through to the Round of 16. A draw would leave things up to fate and the result of the group’s other match between Nigeria and Ireland, played concurrently this evening. Lose? The Matildas would join New Zealand as the only nations to ever be knocked out in the group stages while hosting the cup.

    On Sunday, coach Tony Gustavsson declared: “We can’t shy away from how big the game is. It’s massive. This is a crucial moment”.

    RESULTS AND STANDINGS: What Matildas need to reach knockouts in final group game

    ‘A LOT ON THE TABLE’: Matildas play waiting game with Kerr

    Matildas head coach Tony Gustavsson said this is a big moment. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
    The Matildas missed a big opportunity against Nigeria. (Photo by Elsa – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

    It’s worth reflecting for a moment on just how much this means.

    It is a crucial moment not just for this Matildas team, but for Australian football as a whole.

    There has never been a better chance to win a World Cup – men’s or women’s.

    The Matildas have a number of world-class stars in the peak of their playing careers, headlined by Sam Kerr: the talisman and face of the team and of women’s sport in this nation.

    Australia has never witnessed a player quite like the Chelsea striker and may never see her like again.

    The 29-year-old is our nation’s all-time top scorer, but she is just one player – one of 23 in the side, many of whom play for the world’s best teams in the top leagues. There’s two at Arsenal and two at Manchester City, Hayley Raso at Real Madrid and Ellie Carpenter at French giants Olympique Lyon, just to name a few others.

    There’s experience in spades, with nine of the 23 having played racked up more than a century of caps at the international level. And there’s a next generation which has well and truly made its mark on the team, like 23-year-old Carpenter, 21-year-old Kyra Cooney-Cross, or 20-year-old Mary Fowler.

    New Zealand bail out of WWC | 00:46

    In short, this is a battle-hardened and well-rounded squad. The old line that Australian national teams just ‘don’t have the cattle’ is far from the truth.

    The team also enjoyed a string of solid results in the lead-up to the World Cup, proving themselves against a series of the world’s best teams like France, England, Jamaica, and Spain this year, or Sweden, Denmark and South Africa late last year.

    All of those teams are at this World Cup – and all are still in with a chance of reaching the knockouts. France, England, Spain and Sweden are all rated as contenders for the title and currently sit atop their respective groups. The Matildas beat the lot – but in friendlies, not tournament football.

    And there’s another key factor in why this tournament represents Australia’s best chance at World Cup glory: they are playing on home soil. 75,784 watched them beat Ireland in the opener at Stadium Australia. 49,156 watched them stumble to Nigeria in Brisbane.

    Who knows when a Women’s World Cup will return to these shores?

    Speaking of the fans who have cheered this team on, it is clear the Matildas have a very special relationship with the supporters.

    Matildas Fans Tate and Darcy Hyde at Brisbane Stadium for the FIFA Women’s World Cup group stage match between Australia and Nigeria. Picture Lachie MillardSource: News Corp Australia
    Matildas Fans at Brisbane Stadium for the Women’s World Cup group stage match between Australia and Nigeria. Picture Lachie MillardSource: News Corp Australia

    It helps explain why more Matildas jerseys were sold in the lead-up to this tournament than Socceroos jerseys in the lead-up to, during, and since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

    Most of the jerseys sold have been children’s sizes. A beloved national team dedicated to inspiring a generation and leaving a legacy on the game – just one facet of this amazing group of people.

    But tonight, that legacy takes a back seat.

    Back to Gustavsson, who says: “Our mindset is just about playing the game in front of us. The only thing we focus on right now is what we can control, and that’s Canada tomorrow… It’s to live in that one moment together with the fans and embrace every single moment of it because it’s a privilege to go out there tomorrow. We need to embrace that.

    “This game is massive, yes. Hopefully in 10 or 20 years from now that we can look at other parts of a legacy. But right now, we can’t shy away from that. This is a crossroads moment for sure.”

    France & Sweden claim BIG wins | 01:06

    He adds: “That’s how this business works. It’s a massive game in that sense, and we can’t shy away from that. We’ve spoken a couple of times before about legacy and the why about this team. And you know, long-term legacy, it’s a different type of question.

    “But if you talk about sports and results, this game is massive.

    “We can’t shy away from that, this is a critical moment.”

    90 minutes from victory, a place in the knockout stages, and one step closer to the ultimate dream.

    What would defeat men?

    “I definitely think it’s fair to say it’s a failure if we don’t go out of the group,” said Gustavsson. “Everyone here understands that.”

    No pressure then.

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