by Genevieve Henry (7/6/23)
Above: Kyra Cooney-Cross (23) dances her way through the South Africa midfield in October last year. Photo: Justine Burch for Impetus.
When facing Australia, defences know who to watch out for – Sam Kerr. Teams will do everything within their power to mark the Matildas superstar out of the game. This tactic eliminates a clear threat and source of goals for the Aussies, but it also opens up another avenue to the back of the net – Kyra Cooney-Cross.
Cooney-Cross is one of the best young players in the world. Australians know that. But, since she plays for Swedish club Hammarby, she has not attracted a huge amount of attention and will therefore be somewhat of a secret weapon.
If Kerr is marked out of a game, it allows Cooney-Cross to stop creating chances for Kerr and start taking them for herself. The Matildas could thrive in a system like this, using Kerr as a decoy to let Cooney-Cross make her renowned driving runs. She can bang in goals from a distance as well as simple finishes and set pieces. Her am bipedal delivery skills make her the heir apparent to Elise Kellond-Knight (fun fact: both are known for scoring Olimpicos!).
All of Kyra Cooney-Cross’ skills are suited to the Matildas’ style of play: counter-attacking and highly progressive movements. Her control, speed, and one-v-one ability make her the perfect player for transitions from defence to attack, as the Matildas frequently rely on to create golden chances.
Not only can she carry the ball up the field and gain territory, but she also has frighteningly good distribution, using both feet to spray the ball in all different directions. Her through-balls have often led to clear paths to goals for others. She can see what others cannot, and this vision makes her one of the toughest opponents to face. Her positioning can catch defenders off-guard, allowing her time to curl in a shot.
Cooney-Cross is versatile, excelling in both attacking and defensive midfield, as well as playing on the wing. She could be described as a bulldog: feisty, determined, and brave. She is a player who never gives up, does the hard yards, and puts in a good tackle. She is good on both ends of a one-v-one, allowing herself space to create chances for her teammates or herself.
Her relatively small size and low centre of gravity could be seen as a detriment to her game, but she uses it to her advantage, rarely allowing herself to get bullied off the ball. She is skilled at retaining possession and navigating her way through tough, tight situations. The use of her body is one of her best attributes, often shielding the ball and allowing herself the time and space to move forward. She often goes unnoticed for Australia because she doesn’t play pretty football. She plays gritty football.
Cooney-Cross makes incredible runs, driving the ball up the field with pace and power. Not only is her endurance impressive, but her acceleration speed is enviable. She has good control when dribbling. She rarely allows someone to nick the ball off of her, but even then, she always puts in the effort to get it back.
These runs and dribbles have come close to goal so many times now for Australia. Although she has not yet scored for her country, she is capable of doing so, as one can see from her club and youth national team history. Not only can she score, but she can do it in the most important games. Most notably, in the 2021 W-League Grand Final, she scored directly from the corner in the 120th minute to win the title for Melbourne Victory. She thrives under pressure.
She had a brilliant campaign for Victory in 2021, even if one disregards that spectacular, championship-winning goal. The then 19-year-old played a leadership role in the squad, inspiring them with her hard work and winning mentality. She had six goals and four assists, She made the W-League team of the season and was named captain after receiving the most votes, as well as being named the best young player in the league.
Previous to her season for Victory, Cooney-Cross spent a season at Western Sydney Wanderers, where she scored a 92nd-minute winner on her debut. Her stint with the Wanderers was successful, scoring four goals across her 12 appearances for the club. She helped them to their best ever finish at fourth in the table and to reach the semi-final stage of the championship for the first time.
Cooney-Cross also had a remarkable youth career, playing for Melbourne Victory and Ballarat City. During this time, she impressed at the youth national level, scoring goals aplenty in tournaments as well as being the creative engine of her teams.
After catching eyes from all over the world after ruling the W-League, Cooney-Cross and Victory, Wanderers, and Matildas teammate, Courtney Nevin earned themselves moves to a top Swedish club, Hammarby. At the Stockholm-based club, Cooney-Cross has gained valuable experience, facing other youth talents as well as quality older opposition. She has become a regular starter for the side, frequently assisting and creating chances for her teammates. She has developed immensely since moving to Sweden.
Cooney-Cross has been one of the most improved players for the Matildas within the past year. She has become a starter by ironing out some of her weaknesses. She has gotten stronger physically, which was problematic previously, as she was little enough to push off the ball. She has calmed her impulsivity down, reducing the amount of pointless turnovers and yellow cards due to her high-risk, high-reward style of play. With this improvement paired with her natural talent and ability to fly under the radar, she is sure to star for the Matildas at the 2023 World Cup.
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