Sam Kerr may be stealing the plaudits for grabbing her ninth goal of the Westfield W-League 2018/19 Season, but Eliza Campbell has done her fair share of work at the other end of the pitch to put Perth Glory at the summit of the ladder.
Campbell pulled off a terrific save against Canberra United to help Perth win 1-0 at Dorrien Gardens, and more importantly put them on 16 points alongside ladder-leaders Melbourne Victory.
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The 23-year-old reacted quickly to Nikki Flannery’s shot which appeared all but destined for the top corner, keeping Perth in the game at nil-all.
That proved to be a crucial save as Kerr would eventually break the deadlock and steal all three points for the hosts.
Head coach Bobby Despotovski heaped praise on his goalkeeper, pushing her claim to be on the plane to France for this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup™.
“I think she’s the number three in the country now at this point in time and she’s pushing very hard to be number three and go to the World Cup in France,” said Despotovski.
“I’m very happy with how she’s progressing and she’s going from strength to strength.”
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It’s no surprise that after Thursday night’s performance, Campbell leads the Westfield W-League with the most saves having made 33 in nine games.
This average of just under four saves per game is an incredible effort considering the amount of work needed to stay alert and fit throughout the fixtures, and is important in allowing her front three to do what they do best.
Alen Stajcic does not announce his FIFA Women’s World Cup™ squad for another few months, but with performances such as Thursday night’s, Campbell can’t have made a bigger claim.