This 25-year-old Australian striker is one of the best players in the world right now. Sam Kerr Can’t Stop Scoring

She isn’t on the United States national team and she’s never been named the FIFA player of the year. You might not know who she is — but this World Cup, you should.

Sam Kerr, a 25-year-old Australian striker, has scored the most goals in both the United States’ and Australia’s soccer leagues two years in a row. And she leads the National Women’s Soccer League in scoring again this season.

What makes Kerr so good at putting the ball in the back of the net? We wanted to give you something to look for — some formula, some playbook, some archetypal-Kerr goal. The only problem: there isn’t just one.

She can score with her head …

… with just one touch …

… or by beating defenders all on her own.

Kerr is great at scoring because she knows where to be.

“I don’t think there’s any other player in the world right now who’s as sophisticated as she is with her movement off the ball,” said Rory Dames, her club coach at the Chicago Red Stars. “To find pockets of space to free herself, the timing of her runs to go behind lines, knowing when to pull off the back shoulder of a defender or come across the front.”

Kerr has scored an average of nearly one goal per game since the start of 2018. (That’s third-best in the world for all players — men or women.)

She scores goals by finding gaps in the defense, biding her time, and striking in the split-second when she gets free. Blink, and you might miss her.

“For me it’s about getting in positions where the defender can’t see you or doesn’t think you’ll be going,” Kerr said of her movements without the ball. “That’s where my instincts kick in.”

Scroll through this sequence to understand how Kerr’s movements set her up to score.

Kerr positions herself between two defenders so that neither is really marking her, creating a pocket of space that will give her time to receive the ball. “She’s like a praying mantis to me, she’s always around,” said Paul Riley, head coach of the N.W.S.L.’s North Carolina Courage. “She’s always hovering around the penalty box.” Kerr’s first touch on the ball is a big one … … which gives her time to accelerate upfield and split the two defenders. Dribbling would be slower. When it looks like the defenders might reach her and make a tackle, Kerr cuts right, beating both of them with one more touch. “She can beat any defender in the world one on one and goal to goal,” said Riley. “She’s fleet of foot, clever, good skill.” She’s just inside the box now, with both defenders closing on her, but all she needs is a moment of separation to score.

When you look at Kerr’s movement on the field, it's clear she is a striker. She walks for long stretches to conserve energy, but her reaction time is so quick that she’s still one step ahead of everyone else when she needs to be.

Keep an eye out for Kerr during the World Cup. She’ll be the one floating near the penalty box, disappearing in plain sight between defenders.

“It’s who I am as a player,” said Kerr. “I drift in and out of the game. Defenders switch off for a second and there I am.”

Lose track of her for even a moment — well, you know how that will end.