Australia's 'Unstoppable' Sam Kerr Scores a Slam Dunk on Korea in Asia Cup!

Then, approaching the hour mark, up stepped Sam Kerr in her home city. The Chelsea striker not only relieved the

Optus Stadium was quiet and Australia were on the back foot. They had been for some time. Pegged back to 1-1 in their Asian Cup semi-final against defending champions China in Perth and struggling to escape their own half, Australia’s women’s national team seemed one lapse of concentration away from a second deflating semi-final exit as expectant tournament hosts in just three years.

Then, approaching the hour mark, up stepped Sam Kerr in her home city. The Chelsea striker not only relieved the pressure by taking the ball just inside Australia’s half, but she also played a one-two with Arsenal’s Caitlin Foord, rounded goalkeeper Chen Qiaozhu and finished from a tight angle, giving her side the win. Coming after her crucial second goal in the 2-1 win against North Korea in last week’s quarter-final, Kerr, who labelled herself “85 per cent fit” before the tournament, is edging much closer to the height of her powers.

“Sam is an amazing athlete, an amazing player, and you can see her get better and better with more minutes under her belt, and how sharp she’s been in finishing,” defender Ellie Carpenter, also Kerr’s team-mate at Chelsea, told The Athletic following Australia’s win. “Two match-winners in the last two games were so important for us and she leads this team very well. ” It had been more than two years without an international goal before the Asian Cup due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament and the long journey back to consistent performances.