How Kerr's Jamaica haul lifts us: Raso
Sam Kerr’s awesome four against Jamaica on Wednesday morning (AEST) is a huge boost for Australia’s confidence, says Hayley Raso.
Kerr dispatched two in each half past the Reggae Girlz in Grenoble in Group C’s finale, becoming the first Australian player female or male to register a treble at a FIFA World Cup.
Her haul also moves the 25-year-old level on five goals with USA striker Alex Morgan in the race the tournament Golden Boot.
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The forward’s ability to galvanise her teammates – be it for country or club sides Perth Glory and Chicago Red Stars - is nothing new.
But Raso – who replaced 150-cap Lisa De Vanna on the hour mark and played a crucial role in Kerr’s third – believes her latest act of inspiration could have a lethal effect on the Matildas front line ahead of Sunday morning’s Round of 16 clash with Norway.
“She’s an incredible player, there’s no doubt about it,” Raso told www.matildas.com.au.
“It’s amazing to play with her, alongside her, next to her.
“And her bagging a few goals lifts our spirits and gets us going too.
“We’ve played Norway a couple of times before – they’re strong, they’re fit. As always, we’ll stick to our game plan and I think we’re really just excited to be through to the next round.”
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World Cup France 2019™ – Round of 16 - Next Australia match
Norway v Australia
Date: Sunday, 23 June 2019 (AEST)
Venue: Stade de Nice, Nice
Kick-off: 5.00am AEST (9.00pm local time, Saturday 22 June)
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