Sam Kerr’s Favorite Goalkeeper To Score on Is Her Next World Cup Opponent

Sam Kerr has scored on a lot of goalkeepers.

At age 29, she has racked up 63 international goals and over 120 appearances with the Australian Women’s National Team (or the Matildas, as they’re affectionately called, based on an Australian folk song). Away from the national team, Kerr has helped Chelsea win four straight FA Women's Super League (WSL) titles since joining the English club in 2019, scoring 54 goals along the way. 

Although Kerr has sat out much of the 2023 Women’s World Cup with a calf injury, she played for 66 minutes in Australia’s penalty shootout win over France, scoring a penalty to help Australia advance to the semifinals.

Australia will face England on Wednesday for the semifinal. Although Kerr may not play the entire match given her recent limited minutes, she will face a familiar opponent in net.

You see, of all the goalkeepers Kerr has scored on in her time with Chelsea, one has risen above the rest: England’s Mary Earps, who plays for WSL opponent Manchester United.

In her four years with Chelsea, Kerr has scored against Earps seven times in WSL competition. (Interestingly, tied for second is Kerr’s Australian teammate, West Ham goalie and Australian quarterfinal hero Mackenzie Arnold.)

Earps, it should be noted, is very good. She has been starting keeper for England since 2021, and helped lead England win the European championship in 2022. In her four seasons with Manchester United, she has racked up 172 saves.

But, for whatever reason, Sam Kerr appears to be her kryptonite. Outside of WSL competition, Kerr has scored on Earps twice in just the past few months: in a pre-World Cup friendly against England on April 11 and in the FA Women’s Cup Final on May 14.

Kerr and Earps are hardly the only WSL opponents to match up at this year’s Women’s World Cup. The WSL was already the best-represented league entering the 2023 Women’s World Cup, boasting 14% of players across all 32 teams. But the semifinal round is a further testament to talent in the league: 42% of remaining players play their club soccer in England.

As a result, it’s not surprising that two rivals within their club teams are finding themselves on the opposing side of the international pitch as well. Still, it makes for some fun competition — and many Australian fans hoping that Kerr will score on Earps on the biggest stage yet.