Mary Fowler makes mockery of Sam Kerr claim as penny finally drops for Matildas
The Matildas have finally worked out the best way to utilise Mary Fowler, unlocking the young star's full potential in their win over South Korea on Monday night. And in doing so it ended an ugly trend in which the Matildas have struggled to score goals without Sam Kerr.
Kerr hasn't played since January of 2024 due to an ACL injury, and the Matildas have suffered without their superstar striker. They struggled to get many meaningful shots on target - let alone score goals - in their failed campaign at the SheBelieves Cup last month.
But Monday night's 2-0 win over South Korea was their most polished attacking display against top opposition in months. Fowler outmuscled four defenders to score the opening goal in the 44th minute, and then turned provider in the second half as Kaitlyn Torpey made it 2-0.
It was Fowler's best performance in the green and gold for months, after the 22-year-old seemed to struggle converting her club form with Manchester City into dominant displays for the Matildas. The key difference on Monday night was interim coach Tom Sermanni finally worked out to use her on the left wing - where she does her best work for City.
Fowler's goal snapped a 13-game streak for the Matildas in which she failed to score - which was more than twice as long as any other goalless run in her career. "I really like playing there. I think I see a lot of the field from there and just a lot of different angles," she said after the game. "I felt more comfortable. I felt like I could give more to the team there.
"I want to try to be a bit more consistent with my performance in the national team so I think being out in that position made it a bit easier for me. Hopefully that is a step for me, on an individual level, to keep going in that right direction."
Kaitlyn Torpey doubles our lead in Newcastle following a CHAOTIC goal-mouth scramble 😳🎥 @ParamountPlusAU pic.twitter.com/zID6zRfpfa
— CommBank Matildas (@TheMatildas) April 7, 2025
Former Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson always copped plenty of flak for the way he utilised Fowler, often using her as a striker whenever Kerr was missing. But Monday night's tactical switch proved a masterstroke, and showed the Matildas will be a force to be reckoned with when Kerr returns to the line-up alongside Fowler.
Sermanni, whose future as Matildas caretaker boss remains unclear, was full of praise for the young star. "I thought tonight was the most involved I've seen her in the game since I've been the coach," Sermanni said. "You see how valuable a player she is when she actually gets on the ball."
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Meanwhile, Teagan Micah kept a second-straight clean sheet as she looks to prove she's the nation's No.1 goalkeeper. Micah has been working her way back to top form after missing the World Cup in 2023 due to injury, which opened the door for Mackenzie Arnold. But Arnold missed the games against South Korea due to an arm injury, and she appears to have slipped down the pecking order.
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