As a junior participant with massive desires, Australia’s Clare Hunt as soon as idolised Wendie Renard, however now the defender will attempt to shut down France’s captain in a dream Women’s World Cup quarterfinal on Saturday.
“Wendie Renard was a role model for me,” Hunt instructed reporters in Brisbane on Thursday. “I saw her composure at a young age and wanted to emulate that in some way. I feel like I know the way that Wendie plays because I used to watch her as a kid.”
The 6-ft 2-in (1.87m) Renard has been a defensive colossus for France for greater than a decade and is a big risk in attacking set-pieces.
She has been a significant factor in France’s progress to the quarterfinals, scoring with a header late in opposition to Brazil to earn Les Bleus a significant 2-1 win at Brisbane’s Lang Park within the group stage.
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Renard might be again at Lang Park for the quarterfinal, making certain Hunt and fellow centre-back Alanna Kennedy have a job to do to quell her affect.
“She’s an exceptional athlete,” Hunt mentioned. “Her height is such an advantage on set-pieces, but we will just continue to do what we’ve been doing on our set-pieces.”
At the opposite finish, France could also be worrying about methods to cease striker-captain Sam Kerr, who returned from a calf harm off the bench in Australia’s 2-0 win over Denmark within the spherical of 16.
Australia coach Tony Gustavsson has used midfielder Emily van Egmond as a ahead whereas resting Kerr, however he could look to revive the talismanic skipper to his beginning 11 in opposition to the French.
That would most probably relegate Van Egmond to the bench, however the San Diego Wave participant was unfazed.
“Look, I think for any player in any situation, whenever called upon or whatever role they have to play, everyone’s ready,” she instructed reporters. “Sam’s the best striker in the world. For us, it’s a huge boost. There’s no other way to look at it other than it’s a massive positive going into this big game.”
Source: sportstar.thehindu.com