Just Women’s Sports is here with your daily World Cup Digest, breaking down all of the biggest storylines from each day of action in Australia and New Zealand.
Australian star striker Sam Kerr is fit to play in the team’s next World Cup game, and said on Saturday that she is “feeling good.” Kerr had been ruled out of the co-host’s first two group matches with a calf injury.
“I’m definitely going to be available,” Kerr said. “But how we decide to use that is not to be given to the opposition is the main thing.”
Coach Tony Gustavsson painted a bit of a more well-rounded picture, noting that the Chelsea forward would do “anything she can” to play, but admittedly the time frame is “tight.” Still, Kerr says she feels “as good as I can be,” and practiced on Saturday.
“I would love to tell you guys everything, but you know yourself being in sport a long time, that’s a massive thing that the opposition wants to know, and like Tony (Gustavsson) said yesterday, it’s going to go down to the wire.”
Monday’s match against Canada is a do-or-die situation for Australia after they lost to Nigeria on Thursday. Australia must beat Canada in order to advance to the knockout stages.
You're going to want the sound up on this one 🔊🆙Listen in to the French call of Wendie Renard's game-winning goal for France ⬇️(via: France TV) pic.twitter.com/R24CosVL8p— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 29, 2023
You're going to want the sound up on this one 🔊🆙Listen in to the French call of Wendie Renard's game-winning goal for France ⬇️(via: France TV) pic.twitter.com/R24CosVL8p
Wendie Renard’s status for France’s game against Brazil was in doubt after she suffered a calf injury in training. On Friday, France coach Herve Renard stressed that the team needed Renard, but that they weren’t sure about her status on the eve of the match.
“Our hope is that everything goes well because we need her,” France coach Herve Renard said Friday night. “We are not sure tonight 100%. Our trainings are quite intense and we will have to see how things happen once we face the match.”
But Renard was ready to go on Saturday, starting and playing in the full 90 minutes. She proved instrumental for France as a result, scoring a late header in the 83rd minute to bring Les Bleues to victory.
France’s manager, Herve Renard, had the best reaction to Wendie Renard's winning goal 😅 pic.twitter.com/wyvdqwXbdU— GOAL (@goal) July 29, 2023
France’s manager, Herve Renard, had the best reaction to Wendie Renard's winning goal 😅 pic.twitter.com/wyvdqwXbdU