After standing arm-in-arm on the pitch along with her Matildas teammates for the nationwide anthem for the primary time in additional than three years, Chloe Logarzo wiped tears from her eyes.
The 29-year-old had not began a sport for the Matildas since tearing her ACL in 2021, however was lastly again within the Australian XI for the primary pleasant with Chinese language Taipei at AAMI Park.
Logarzo’s cross led to the opening purpose for Tash Prior within the eleventh minute, however quarter-hour later the tears returned after a head conflict with Chan Pi-han.
The heavy contest for the ball despatched each gamers sprawling to the turf, with Logarzo clutching on the left facet of her head.
After a couple of minutes within the fingers of the trainers, Logarzo’s face sank and tightened as she spoke to the group physician.
Logarzo tore her ACL in opposition to Eire in September 2021. (Getty Photos: Tim Clayton/Corbis)
“No. Please, please, please,” she mentioned, begging to remain on the pitch.
However in the end she needed to be subbed off and keep off beneath the concussion protocols, watching the remainder of the 3-1 victory from the sidelines.
As she trudged to the sideline, Logarzo dried her eyes along with her jersey.
Her first Matildas cap since October 2022 was over after lower than half an hour.
Chloe Logarzo and Chan Pi-Han got here collectively closely 25 minutes into the sport. (Getty Photos: Daniel Pockett)
“It is heartbreak for her,” Logarzo’s former nationwide teammate, Elise Kellond-Knight, mentioned in commentary for Paramount+.
“Zero physique preservation there. It is a heartbreaking second.”
The Matildas regarded distracted instantly after her departure and it value them when Chan Jin-wen pounced on a mix-up between Clare Hunt and Charli Grant to attain Chinese language Taipei’s first purpose in opposition to Australia since February 2007.
Logarzo was nonetheless feeling the emotional and bodily ache after half-time as she hugged retiring veteran Clare Polkinghorne and held an ice pack to her head on the bench.
She was seen smiling as she congratulated her teammates and signed autographs for followers after the victory.
Coach Tom Sermanni mentioned after the sport she had not been identified with a concussion but and he or she was “feeling good” regardless of being “devastated with having to go off”.
“Hopefully she could be in discussions for Saturday’s sport,” he mentioned, alluding to the Matildas’ subsequent conflict with Chinese language Taipei in Geelong.
