When Australia’s Sam Kerr leads the Matildas out for their World Cup opener against Ireland on Thursday, she will enter a cauldron of noise with more than 80,000 fans expected in Sydney.

The Matildas finally have a fulltime coach after Joe Montemurro’s appointment to guide the Australian women’s national team.

In a statement Wednesday, Football Federation Australia said: “Such remarks not only diminish the extraordinary achievements and contributions of our women’s national football team but also ...