SAM KERR SENDS OLYMPIC GAMES MESSAGE TO MATILDAS AHEAD OF OPENING MATCH AGAINST GERMANY... BUT IT ALL GOES TERRIBLY WRONG FOR THE AUSSIES IN MARSEILLE
- Sam Kerr wished the Matildas good luck in France
- The Aussies got their campaign off to a terrible start
- Kerr, 30, is sidelined with a knee injury
Sam Kerr threw her support behind the Matildas, with the Australia superstar watching from afar as Tony Gustavsson's side got their Olympic Games journey under way on Thursday.
But it was not to be for the Aussies who went down 3-0 in a miserable opening game in France.
Kerr, 30, was ruled out of competing for her country in Paris owing to a long-standing knee injury that has kept her sidelined since early January.
But that did not stop her from cheering on her teammates as they took to the field for their tough opening match against world No 4-ranked Germany in Marseille.
Kerr posted an image of her TV screen with the caption: 'Cmon girlies' as the Matildas belted out the national anthem before kick off.
But it was a bad start to the Games for Tony Gustavsson's side as they fell behind in the first half, with Marina Hegering powering a bullet header past Mackenzie Arnold and into the back of the net.
The Australians were undone again from a Gwinn corner in the 64th minute, when Schueller was left unmarked to head home from six metres out.
Jule Brand was then rewarded for her brilliance by tapping home four minutes later after a fine team move, starting from goalie Berger, shredded the green-and-gold defence.
The Germans had a fourth scrambled goal disallowed soon after for offside and threatened to inflict even more damage with the Tillies, who pushed in vain for a consolation after bringing on Michelle Heyman, surviving an even worse fate.