Sam Kerr finally scores, but Australia still misses out on Women's World Cup final

SYDNEY (AP) — It took fives games and 62 minutes for Sam Kerr to finally make her mark on the Women's World Cup.

The superstar striker's only goal in open play of this tournament was an equalizer against England in Wednesday's semifinal — a shot that brought the sold-out crowd of 75,784 roaring to their feet in support of the Matildas.

The Australian captain pounded her chest and then raised her closed fist to the crowd, urging their supporters to help push the Matildas into their first World Cup championship game.

England needed only roughly eight minutes to strike again, a Lauren Hemp goal that put the Lionesses back on top. Kerr bent over, hands on her knees, unable to grasp how quickly the game had just shifted away from Australia.

And when Alessia Russo made it 3-1 for England in the closing minutes, Kerr crumpled to the field in defeat. Australia's magical run as co-host of the World Cup had ended one game shy of the championship game — the deepest into the tournament the Matildas have ever gone, and they did it with play that captivated the nation.

It didn't matter to Kerr.

“All I can feel is disappointment right now,” Kerr said. “After we scored, it felt like it would have been a great match to watch, actually.”

When Kerr scored in Stadium Australia in Sydney, cameras in Melbourne caught an outdoor crowd erupting in celebration. Reminded in that moment of her spectacular goal, Kerr said it “doesn't really matter right now.”

Kerr picked up the ball just inside the Australia half and sprinted across the field. She split two England defenders, including Millie Bright — Kerr's club teammate at Chelsea — and fired off a long-range strike over goalkeeper Mary Earps.

But she couldn't help but feel like she'd let her country down, despite the adulation the team received as it made its way to the semifinal. Australia advanced through group play without Kerr in the lineup — she was sidelined with a left calf injury — and Kerr was used sparingly in the knockout rounds.

“I think I did everything that I could to be back in this tournament," she said, noting that her missed late shot on goal, “I would normally sink that, but I’ve trained maybe three or four times this whole World Cup."

She couldn't let go of the miss, which flew over the net as Kerr raised her hands to her head and grimaced.

“That obviously for me is normally my bread and butter, but unfortunately this World Cup hasn’t gone as planned for me," she said. “I can’t blame it all on myself but it’s hard not to feel bad right now. I have to think of all the things the team have done, and I have done to be where we are now.”

Kerr said she was fit enough to start the quarterfinal match against France, but she didn't enter the game until the 55th minute. Kerr played through extra time and made a penalty kick in Australia's shootout win, and her playing time nearly equaled a full game.

Her first start of the tournament didn't come until the semifinal, and her first goal not until Australia had already lost control of the game to England.

“It's been tough. I can't remember the last time I missed three games in a row,” Kerr said. “I just had to stick with the girls and they've done amazing. I've just had to focus on what I can focus on and be ready for the minutes I got the last two games.”

Kerr is considered one of the top soccer players in the world and she's a star in Australia. But her popularity reached new heights over this month-long tournament in which the Matildas overperformed. They were playing in their first semifinal and the excitement has fueled interest in the team across the continent.

It's a far cry from Kerr's early playing days, which she recounted in an autobiography released before the start of the tournament. Kerr wrote about passing herself off as a boy at the junior level to compete in competitive matches because her talent had outgrown the opportunities for female players in Australia.

On Wednesday, little girls dotted the stadium wearing Kerr's jersey.

“That's kind of the only thing keeping me smiling right now, the fact that we inspired a nation, everyone's gotten behind us, the tournament has been amazing,” Kerr said. “I think for us, hopefully this has been life-changing for women's football in Australia.

“I don't think this was once in a lifetime. If you bring the product to the show, we've proven people will come out and support it. Hopefully we'll get a few new fans that will stick around. Now it is time for funding and all of that stuff to be invested in the game because we've shown we can play the game.”