What more does Sam Kerr have to do to be recognised at the highest level? That is the question many are asking after the record-breaking Matildas striker was overlooked for a select world XI team, voted for by fellow players based on performances in 2017.
Kerr, who scored eight times in nine internationals last year as the Matildas rose to fourth in Fifa’s rankings, came in a surprising ninth place in the strikers category for the Fifpro women’s world XI. With just the top three in that position making the elite team, Kerr was some way off selection.
It is the second major recent disappointment for Kerr, who was also overlooked for the final list of three in last year’s world player of the year award, having initially made it onto the shortlist of 10.
The latest snub comes despite a record-breaking 2017 for the player, who in addition to her exploits for the Matildas – who won the Tournament of Nations and in doing so registered a first win over world No1 USA – became the all-time leading goalscorer in America’s National Women’s Soccer League and won the Julie Dolan medal as the W-League’s best player for the 2016-17 season.
The Perth Glory and Sky Blue FC player ended 2017 with a total of 36 goals in 43 games for clubs and country and was recognised by scooping the AFC women’s player of the year and the ABC Sports Personality of the Year awards. She was also named by the The International Federation of Football History in a world XI at the end of 2017.
The voting for the Fifpro XI was based on a poll of more than 4,100 female first-division footballers in 45 countries. Matildas team-mate Lisa De Vanna labelled Kerr’s omission a “joke” while the list was branded elsewhere as “laughable” and “useless”.
🚨BREAKING NEWS IS🚨 ....... How many records does @samkerr1 have to break for club and country to get the recognition she deserve!!?? #joke https://t.co/dQyydF2oHK
— Lisa De Vanna (@lisadevanna11) March 8, 2018
The final XI was largely made up of Europe-based players. European champions Lyon provided five, including on-loan American Alex Morgan, while five players currently ply their trade in the French league. Just Morgan and her Brazilian Orlando Pride team-mate, Marta, hail from outside Europe.
Goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl (Sweden, Chelsea)
Defenders Lucy Bronze (England, Lyon); Nilla Fischer (Sweden, Wolfsburg); Wendie Renard (France, Lyon); Irene Parades (Spain, PSG)
Midfielders Camille Abily (France, Lyon); Dzsenifer Marozsán (Germany, Lyon); Marta (Brazil, Orlando Pride)
Forwards Pernille Harder (Denmark, Wolfsburg); Lieke Martens (Netherlands, Barcelona); Alex Morgan (United States, Orlando Pride)
Kerr has never played for a European club and, given the European Championships were held last year, she may have fallen victim to the world’s focus lying elsewhere in 2017.
Since the start of the new year, and after saying she can still get better, Kerr has shown no signs of slowing down. Earlier this month, Kerr’s red-hot scoring streak continued when she netted in a seventh straight international game as the Matildas recorded their eight consecutive win with victory over Norway in the Algarve Cup.
She added another to her tally five days later against China at the same invitational tournament in Portugal.
