CLAIRE Emslie will captain Scotland against World Cup co-hosts Australia at AFC Wimbledon’s Cherry Red Records Stadium this afternoon. The Angel City winger stands in for Rachel Corsie, who is undergoing minor knee surgery.
“It’s a huge honour and I’ll be very proud to lead the team out in Corsie’s absence,” the 29-year-old said. “I was made a vice-captain when Jen Beattie retired, so with Corsie being out it was maybe a natural next step.
“Pedro (Martinez Losa) just pulled me aside after training today and said I would be the one wearing the armband against Australia.”
It has been an auspicious few weeks for Emslie, who reached a landmark 50thcap in the third Pinatar Cup game against Wales in February. On Sunday she scored a 96th-minute winner against one of her former clubs, Orlano Pride, in America’s top flight.
Emslie’s vice-captain in London today will be her best friend in football, Caroline Weir.
The pair started their senior careers together at Hibernian, and made their Scotland debuts off the bench in a 3-2 friendly win against Iceland in Reykjavik.
Real Madrid’s Weir now has almost double – 96 – Emslie’s number of caps, but the explanation is that the latter was not picked for four years because she was studying in the United States. Her Scotland career only really started after Euro 2017 when she scored a goal against Hungary in Shelley Kerr’s first game in charge.
The squad to play Australia, followed by Costa Rica at Hampden on Tuesday, is one of the least experienced in recent years. There are a number of uncapped players, and Martinez Losa will have to get his centre back combination right in the absence of Corsie as well as the retired Beattie.
Leicester City defender Sophie Howard is the only one of the four contenders with any meaningful international central defensive experience to face a side captained by prolific Chelsea striker Sam Kerr. Reading’s Emma Mukandi has the most caps, but almost all of them have been at left back.
Glasgow City’s Jenna Clark and Rangers captain Kathryn Hill, who is uncapped, are the other contenders against a side which has won its last seven matches, including the penultimate one against Spain.
Scotland’s last game against Australia was a friendly at Falkirk Stadium in 2015. It finished 1-1 with Jane Ross getting the equaliser after Kim Little had missed a penalty which would have put Scotland ahead.
