LIVE: Kerr's defiant call to arms as play begins

Sam Kerr has shared wherefore she believes the Australian nationalist has reacted truthful powerfully to the Matildas astatine this Women's World Cup.

"I've grown up with these girls, truthful I've ever been successful awe of them, and I deliberation Australia has conscionable truly caught onto the down-to-earth quality that the squad shows," she told media connected Friday.

"No one's excessively large for their boots, we each conscionable enactment hard. We enactment for each other. We correspond what I deliberation Australians [identify] wrong Australian Sport - hard-working, a never-give-up [attitude]. That's what each the girls show, each crippled nary substance what, and I deliberation radical tin truly get connected committee with that.

"Whenever I deliberation of the large Australian athletes, that's what I deliberation of. I deliberation of those nights erstwhile I utilized to enactment up and ticker Lleyton Hewitt astatine Wimbledon - ne'er giving up and playing each constituent - and that's what Australians love. That's what this squad is each about.

"We conscionable person that Aussie tone that you can't truly archer radical astir unless you spot it.

"You cognize what it is - Lleyton Hewitt, Cathy Freeman, each those athletes you conscionable privation to get down due to the fact that of what they bash and what they springiness to the country."