"It sucks." That's Sam Kerr's two-word verdict on Australia's 1-0 loss to Japan in the AFC Women's Asian Cup final, and three weeks later, she still hasn't fully processed it.
"I feel like [it was] a big opportunity missed," she said. The Matildas produced their best football of the tournament in that final and still came up short. That's the part that lingers — losing when you were actually good enough.
What makes it thornier is that qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil was secured by reaching the final four, so the trip wasn't wasted. Australia gets their World Cup. They just don't get the trophy they deserved a real shot at. Japan, for their part, have already moved on in a different way — parting with coach Nils Nielsen and his Australian assistant Leah Blayney shortly after the win.
Kerr is absolutely not done at club level
While the Matildas were digesting the defeat, Kerr went back to Chelsea and played three complete 90-minute matches. She scored and assisted in a 4-3 WSL win over Aston Villa. She set up the winner in a 1-0 Champions League victory against Arsenal — though Chelsea went out 3-2 on aggregate. Then on Monday, she bagged the opener and was named player of the match in a 2-1 FA Cup quarter-final win over Tottenham.
Anyone still questioning whether she can perform at the top level isn't watching the matches.
At 32 and out of contract at the end of the season, her Chelsea future is uncertain. Reports linking her to NWSL side Denver Summit emerged, though Kerr appeared to dismiss them via Snapchat. She wasn't asked about it directly in Football Australia's media release — which tells you roughly how much clarity there is on that front.
Kenya is the start of something bigger
The Matildas are now in Kenya for FIFA Series friendlies — their first official World Cup prep window. They face world No.153-ranked Malawi on Saturday before a second match against either India or Kenya next week. It's a low-stakes environment to experiment, and coach Joe Montemurro has brought a strong 21-player squad, though vice-captain Steph Catley pulled out with a calf injury sustained at Arsenal and won't be replaced. Mary Fowler, Ellie Carpenter, Kyra Cooney-Cross and Katrina Gorry are also absent.
Kerr, to her credit, is framing the Africa trip genuinely rather than just diplomatically — pointing out that the expanded Women's World Cup will throw unfamiliar opponents at them, and that adapting to different styles now is the point.
"You're going to face different teams in the World Cup," she said. "What a better way to start here in Kenya."
The Asian Cup final still stings. It probably will for a while. But Brazil is the target now, and the Matildas are already on the road.
