Sam Kerr on target but Matildas outclassed by youthful Germany in European friendly

For a moment, it felt like the Matildas were back. Ellie Carpenter took off down the right wing, eating up the metres with the ball at her feet, bouncing a pass off Hayley Raso before chipping a cross to the front post for Sam Kerr to angle into the far corner.

Just ignore the fact it took 45 minutes to get there, that Australia were already 2-0 down, and that it was a rare attacking moment for a team who were outplayed, outmuscled, outrun and outshot for most of the rest of the game.

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With the 2027 Women’s World Cup now peeking over the horizon, Australia’s 4-2 loss to a young, regenerating Germany side in Karlsruhe is the latest indication of how much work the Matildas have to do if they hope to compete at next year’s tournament in Brazil.

While missing a number of starting players including Mary Fowler, Kyra Cooney-Cross, and Alanna Kennedy, Australia’s starting side boasted over 1,000 caps, including the ageing trio of Kerr, Caitlin Foord and Raso up front. Germany, by contrast, shared just 325.

Not that you could tell. The hosts had a firm control of the game within minutes, forcing Australia back into their own half as they found passages through midfield and down both wings through the impressive Cora Zicai and Klara Buhl, who combined for the first serious shot in just the second minute.

Within 20 minutes, Germany had tallied seven shots to Australia’s two: an unconvincing back-heel by Kerr off a Carpenter cross, and a rare glimpse of goal in the sixth minute by Amy Sayer, who disappeared largely after that.

It wasn’t long before Germany’s relentless attack paid off. A deep cross from Manchester City full-back Carlotta Wamser was met at the back post by Franziska Kett, who beat Carpenter in the air to head over Mackenzie Arnold for Melissa Kossler to tap home.

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It was the six-cap Denver Summit attacker’s debut goal, and just before the half-hour, she made it two. As the Matildas committed numbers forward, a smart Germany press saw midfielder Elisa Sens win the ball in the centre-circle and feed Kossler, who tore away from a surprised Winonah Heatley and cut inside Steph Catley before firing a low shot past Arnold.

Germany’s shot count grew alongside the Matildas’ frustrations. A half-hearted pass from Foord, aiming for Kerr, was easily intercepted, with the captain slapping both arms against her side and looking at the sky, having barely touched the ball all half.

Thank goodness for Carpenter, then. The full-back is Australia’s most in-form and creative player, finding spaces and channels in behind Germany’s backline to deliver sharp balls into the area. Her crosses were a rare bright spark in an otherwise lacklustre attack, with Foord and Raso in particular struggling against Germany’s two talented full-backs.

The Matildas’ attacking depth was almost tested prematurely when Kerr, receiving a stomp from former Chelsea teammate Sjoeke Nusken, fell to the grass with her face in her arms, stripping off her armband as she limped off the field. The bench burst into panicked activity as they figured out who could come on to replace her.

The Gotham forward ultimately returned, with her stoppage-time header at the end of the first half reminding Matildas fans that the gap between this golden generation and whoever comes next grows wider with every World Cup cycle.

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Australia’s lack of depth, especially in attack, was highlighted by head coach Joe Montemurro’s substitutions in the second half. With Kerr, Catley, Sayer, and Emily van Egmond replaced by Holly McNamara, Courtney Nevin, Alana Murphy and Leticia McKenna, the gulf in international experience became clear, with the Matildas struggling to break into Germany’s final third, control the ball or create any clear chances.

By contrast, Germany’s changes simply reinforced their dominance, with both substitutes Nicole Anyomi and Linda Dallman finding themselves one-on-one with Arnold after some sloppy Australian defending; the keeper’s studs and fingertips managed to turn their shots on to a post or wide.

The final 10 minutes opened up for both sides, with centre-back Camilla Kuver’s towering header making it 3-1 for Germany before McNamara struck back two minutes into stoppage time, angling the ball in off a neat Foord pass.

The flattering 3-2 score-line didn’t last, though, with Nusken rifling a half volley into the net off a corner in the final minute, handing the Matildas the first loss of the window and the latest reminder of the nations starting to gallop away without them.