Matildas legend Heather Garriock has declared Sam Kerr “would be amazing to come off the bench” in tonight’s do-or-die clash with France.
Speaking on Channel 7’s sunrise, Garriock was asked for her thoughts on Kerr’s fitness heading into the quarter finals, and her response seemed to indicate she would prefer to back in the starting XI that defeated Denmark and Canada.
“Look, it comes down to the boss, Tony Gustavsson, and whether he feels starting her from the start. He said if she can play a full 90 minutes, she is going to start, so that comes down to the medical staff,” Garriock said.
“I think she would be amazing to come off the bench … I just think the Matildas have played so well together and there are so many great players, X factor players.
“You have Caitlin Foord scoring goals, and Hayley Raso has scored three goals in the tournament and has been everywhere. Mary Fowler is unbelievable. I don’t know who you would lose, but having Sam Kerr off the bench or starting is going to challenge the French, for sure.”
9AM: TV RATINGS BONANZA: MATILDAS SET TO SMASH MORE RECORDS
The Matildas are set to eclipse their historic record for the most-watched female sports event in Australia with their Women’s World Cup quarter-finals match against France.
Their crucial win over Denmark on Monday obliterated ratings records, with the match peaking at 2.28 million viewers.
With a gobsmacking total reach of 4.88 million people who watched even just one minute on TV or 15 seconds online, the Matildas’ victory was the most viewed program in Australia this year.
Fans are divided in their viewing of matches in the streaming era between official free-to-air networks and online platforms.
As some subscription services such as Optus Sports don’t share their viewership data, it can be difficult to compare ratings over the decades but in the modern era, the Matildas could just muscle their way into the most watched sports matches in Australia.
Here’s how the records stand since the OzTAM ratings system was introduced in 2001:
■ 2005 Australian Open final
Seven – 4.04 million
Lleyton Hewitt was the first Australian player to play in the men’s singles finals in 17 years when he came up against Russian Marat Safin. While he had the entire country behind him, Hewitt went down in four sets.
■ 2003 Rugby World Cup final
Seven – 4.02 million
Tournament hosts Australia came up against England at Stadium Australia for the final having gone through their pool matches undefeated and beating New Zealand in the semi-final. Unfortunately the Wallabies went down in extra time.
■ 2014 NRL Grand Final
Nine – 3.99 million
South Sydney completed a fairytale season and ended their 43-year premiership drought with a 30-6 win over Canterbury’s Bulldogs. The match was notable for Sam Burgess playing on despite suffering a broken cheekbone in the opening tackle.
■ 2021 AFL Grand Final
Seven – 3.91 million
Melbourne won the grand final against the Western Bulldogs which was played in Perth because of the pandemic lockdowns on the east coast. When Fox Footy replay ratings were added to the free-to-air broadcast, the final was watched by an estimated average audience of 4.11 million.
■ 2015 Cricket World Cup final
Nine/Fox Sports – 3.9 million
The final at the MCG featured the World Cup co-hosts Australia and New Zealand battling for the title. Michael Clarke’s team were the one-day victors by seven wickets, with Steve Smith scoring 105 runs.
Originally published as Matildas v France kick off time, TV, odds: FIFA World Cup 2023, will Sam Kerr start?
