She’s one tough Aussie

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This article was published 13/06/2015 (4057 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Lisa DE VANNA, hunched over on crutches as she departed Investors Group Field Friday night, practically laughed about the pain.

Wonky ankle? A minor inconvenience.

The fact she spent most of the three days before Friday’s 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup on those crutches, then played 90 wonderful minutes in a 2-0 decision over Nigeria? No big thing.

“It’s just an old injury,” said De Vanna, the plucky Australian captain. “Just a precaution, to keep off it for a couple of days.

“The doctor, he’s got magic powers I think. A little bit of an injection. And just rest, rest, rest. To play 90 minutes, I was a bit surprised for the last 60 minutes. But to go out and play 90 minutes and to push through is more of an example to the young ones that it’s all in the head and you’ve got to push through no matter what.”

The result gives Australia a 1-1 mark heading into its final pool game Tuesday in Edmonton against Sweden. Nigeria is 0-1-1, now to face the U.S. in Vancouver Tuesday.

On Friday, De Vanna set the table for the important first goal at 28 minutes by Kyah Simon.

“That first goal, that’s just world-class,” Australia’s coach, Allen Stajcic, said.

“She ran through the heart of their defence and slipped a beautiful ball in for Kyah.

“For her to come out and play 90 minutes just shows what character and leadership she’s got. She caused Nigeria all sorts of problems.”

De Vanna said the Australians made hay Friday by being better defenders than in Monday’s 3-1 defeat to the U.S.

“We were solid,” she said. “There was a period of about 20 minutes where the Nigerians kept on attacking us. That’s a good sign, that when you’re under pressure, you have to keep strong, keep in the game.

“A bit of luck went our way, and when we got that second goal, it killed their momentum.”

Stajcic said it was just an improved performance all around, especially defensively.

“You have to be mentally switched on, and I think our defenders were,” he said.

“Today we were the more clinical. I think (those) couple of key moments won us the match.

“We had quite good control of the game. We didn’t let Nigeria get in behind. Their threats from the other day (a 3-3 draw with Sweden), I think we nullified them pretty well.”

Simon provided the second Aussie goal as well in her first start of the tournament.

The 23-year-old forward has already battled three significant injuries in her career and is finally up to speed. She played just 21 minutes on Monday as a sub.

“It definitely gave me a whole heap of confidence, obviously,” she said about starting Friday.

“I had a different role (as a sub) in Game 1 and I had to try to do that as best I could. I knew I had my chance today on the starting team and I had to stay with my authority and set my mark on the game.”

“We’ve really taken it easy with her over the last three or four months, just built her up slowly because we knew we wanted her to be at her peak for the World Cup,” Stajcic added. “The best part is I think she’s still got more in the tank.”

The game had one ugly mark near the 75-minute juncture. Nigeria’s Ugo Njoku put a wicked back elbow into the jaw of Australia’s Sam Kerr away from the play and had to be helped off.

“It was not deliberate,” said Nigeria’s coach, Edwin Okon. “It’s a game of contact.”

Kerr was fine and smiling after the game, saying the doctors had cleared her. “Just straight under (the jaw),” she pointed.

Okon credited the Australians for their victory but groused after the game about officiating. He was irritated, in particular, that French referee Stephanie Frappart appeared to just cancel most of the four extra minutes that were added to the second half.

“Two, three minutes can produce two goals,” Okon said.

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“Cutting off four good minutes for each side…

“The referee is in charge of the game. It is at her discretion.”

Okon said he’s not worried about having to play the powerful U.S.

“I don’t think history plays football,” he said.

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca