How FA boss responded to 'gut-wrenching' Kerr news

Football Australia CEO James Johnson has lifted the lid connected however the governing assemblage reacted to superstar striker Sam Kerr's wounded connected the eve of the Matildas' FIFA Women's World Cup

Kerr sat retired Australia's 3 radical games aft suffering a calf wounded successful training the time earlier the team's opening lucifer against the Republic of Ireland connected July 20.

Despite uncertainty surrounding Kerr's availability for the remainder of the location tournament, she was brought connected arsenic a second-half substitute during Australia's ascendant 2-0 circular of 16 triumph implicit Denmark.

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Speaking connected Nine's TODAY, Johnson described the archetypal absorption to Kerr's wounded arsenic "gut-wrenching".

"She is the champion subordinate successful the world, truthful to get that telephone connected the eve of the archetypal match, was a hard telephone to take," helium said.

Sam Kerr was forced to ticker each of the Matildas' radical signifier matches from the seat arsenic she nursed her calf wounded (Visionhaus via Getty Images)

"But, she is simply a large person, she's a large person and she's a large player. So, she's led from the locker country and present that she's backmost successful the fold — we saw what it did the different nighttime erstwhile (her return) brought the full state together. The vigor successful the stadium erstwhile she came connected was fantastic.

"The Matildas' biggest nightmare is present the biggest accidental for them."

(Nine)

With record-breaking section crowds and unparalleled engagement, the tourney has been a immense occurrence arsenic it heads towards the concern end.

"To spot the contention cookware retired the mode it has arsenic the co-hosts and to besides spot the mode the Matildas person played passim the contention has been fantastic," Johnson said.

"That's what we're measured by. We're measured by the show of the tourney and the show by the Matildas, and they've some been good.

"For us, bidding for the Women's World Cup, it wasn't conscionable astir a period of large football, it was astir transforming the sport.

The magical infinitesimal Kerr made entrance

"I'm alert of what these large tournaments tin bash for section shot having travel from FIFA myself and I had a feeling that if we could bring the Women's World Cup backmost to Australia, that this would truly trigger translation not lone for shot but besides athletics present successful Australia, and I deliberation that's what we're seeing."

Asked if Australia has the capableness to big a men's World Cup, Johnson assured that thing is possible, contempt the clip portion being sub-optimal for Europe.

"We perfectly tin triumph the hosting rights for the men's World Cup," helium said.

"I deliberation we're successful a large clip zone due to the fact that shot is the biggest athletics successful the satellite but it's not the biggest athletics successful immoderate of the biggest markets — markets similar India, China and the United States.

"These markets are in our clip portion and I deliberation determination is an accidental for FIFA to bring a men's World Cup present due to the fact that of the clip portion that we're in."