5 reasons why the Matildas can win the World Cup

The Matildas are winning, without Sam Kerr. What an ace up your sleeve for finals football.

Teammates described it as "pretty scary" for their opposition to know Australia's all-time leading scorer and global superstar was back after Kerr finally took the field this World Cup with a 15-minute cameo at the end of their 2-0 round of 16 win over Denmark at Stadium Australia on Monday night.

Scary indeed. Probably petrifying.

The Matildas have had six different scorers already this World Cup, which doesn't include Kerr, in a show of their attacking firepower and versatility.

Against teams like France - their quarter-final opponents in Brisbane this Saturday afternoon - the Matildas will have to take their chances when they come.

But, they have shown they can be ruthless when needed, and that bodes extremely well for their World Cup dreams.

Lethal wingers Hayley Raso and Caitlin Foord have both scored, as have central forward pairing of Mary Fowler and Emily van Egmond.

Add Kerr to the mix, and that's one hell of a headache for a back line.

The deployment of long-serving Matildas midfielder Emily van Egmond as a false nine alongside the silken-skilled Mary Fowler has proven simultaneously key to Australia's attack while also throwing opposition teams a curve ball.

The Newcastle 30-year-old, playing at her fourth World Cup, is technically sound, reliable and a cool customer.

She never looks flustered on the field, has a brilliant touch and passing game, can score or put the ball on a platter for her teammates as we saw for the second goal against Denmark on Monday night.

While she started her career as a No.10, van Egmond has been used predominantly as a No.6 in recent time and would not have been what other teams were expecting in the Matildas' front third this World Cup.

The San Diego Wave midfielder is also among a handful of Matildas players who have been through the past disappointment, are at the peak of their powers and know this could be the best chance they have to win a World Cup.

Don't underestimate desire, hunger and determination.

"You can talk about tactics all you want, you can go over it time and time again, but at the end of the day, there were two teams on the park tonight and one team came out on top who wanted it more," a matter-of-fact van Egmond said after the Matildas' 4-0 demolition of Olympic champions Canada to keep alive their World Cup dreams.

Three clean sheets in four outings this World Cup says plenty.

OK, so the 3-2 loss to Nigeria in the group stage was a little concerning, but it seems the lessons have been well and truly learned from that outing.

The shift of Caitlin Foord to the left since has added starch to Australia's defence as well as attack.

The Arsenal winger sprinted back to make a clutch tackle deep in Matildas' territory late in the game against Denmark. That kind of effort and steel is what wins games.

World Cup debutante Clare Hunt at centre-back has been a revelation since Tony Gustavsson plucked her from Western Sydney Wanderers.

The 24-year-old seems unflappable, a key quality for a defender.

But it is also the Matildas' dogged defence across the park that gives fans a lot to be hopeful about.

Midfielders Katrina Gorry and Kyra Cooney-Cross are working overtime to win ball in the middle of the park and nullify or slow down opposition counter-attacks.

Overall, every player on the pitch is working for each other with a common goal. And, that's powerful.

Most teams still in the hunt for Cup glory have shown they can score, so the most resolute defence is likely to prove a decisive factor.

The Matildas have gone from a nervy start to playing with a smile on their collective faces.

When asked what the secret to her success was after scoring her first World Cup goal this campaign on Monday night, Caitlin Foord simply said: "I'm enjoying it."

"I'm having so much fun out there and just want to play another game and keep building on this and keep our dream alive.

"I'm going to leave everything out there on the pitch ... this opportunity isn't going to come around again, so I don't want to waste it."

What's important to note is the Matildas aren't perfect yet.

They are still building. But they are playing with maturity, grit, game management, composure and class, and there's still room for improvement.

Those in football circles all knew this World Cup was going to be big, but I'm not sure anyone really knew exactly how big.

Record crowds are turning up and tuning in to show their support of the Matildas, and the team are lapping it up.

Coach Tony Gustavsson said coming into the tournament that the crowd would be Australia's 24^th player.

With each game, it feels like this could be the biggest advantage of them all as the Matildas eye World Cup glory.