She may be diminutive in stature but playmaker Katrina Gorry is fast becoming the next big thing for the Westfield Matildas after her sizzling performances at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Vietnam.
She may be diminutive in stature but playmaker Katrina Gorry is fast becoming the next big thing for the Westfield Matildas after her sizzling performances at the AFC Women-s Asian Cup in Vietnam.
The 21-year-old, who debuted for the Westfield Matildas in 2012 and only has a handful of caps, has taken centre stage with three sensational goals in the tournament to help seal the Australians- place in Sunday-s AFC Women-s Asian Cup final against world champions Japan.
Gorry now looms as the biggest threat for the Japanese in the showpiece final which can be seen live on Fox Sports.
And like the Argentine superstar, Gorry is threat in front of goal with a penchant for spectacular strikes and an ability to run at defences with pace.
Her height (just 143cm) makes her an even harder player to mark as she makes clever runs from deep.
Gorry-s thunderous strike from the edge of the area against Vietnam in the group stages secured Australia-s passage to next year-s Women-s World Cup in Canada.
And the Brisbane Roar star was on hand to help defeat Jordan also in the group stages with a surging run through the box and a low shot past the keeper.
To top off a stunning tournament so far, a howitzer from Gorry helped Alen Stajcic-s team triumph 2-1 in their semi-final over Korea Republic on Thursday night to qualify for the final.
www.socceroos.com.au managing editor Aidan Ormond has been a fan of Gorry-s since the last Westfield W-League season, tipping her for stardom.
Gorry won Brisbane Roar-s player of the year in 2012/13 and is primed for a big season in the USA after signing with FC Kansas City, where she is sure to be centre of attention after her exploits so far in Vietnam.
WATCH THE FINAL LIVE ON FOX SPORTS 1, 11.15pm AEST ON SUNDAY.