Above: Marissa Sheva (right, hugging #21) and Denise O’Sullivan (#10) will be sorely missed from the Republic of Ireland’s starting midfield tomorrow against Kazakhstan, but who may be the ones to replace them? Photo: Brian Lawless/PA.
This window sees the beginning of an important what will hopefully be quartet of matches for the Republic of Ireland to round out 2026 and the team’s quest to qualify for a second consecutive World Cup.
That quest begins tomorrow in the Kazakh capital Astana as the Girls in Green set to do battle with world number 100 Kazakhstan in a two leg tie in round one of UEFA’s World Cup playoffs.
These kind of potentially lopsided ties – the Irish are 21st in the world rankings and are unlikely to be troubled by the Kazakhs – do not normally lend themselves to many intriguing questions in the build up as the result is much easier to predict than other matches.
However, the Irish do have one area of intrigue for fans heading into particularly tomorrow’s match – how will manager Carla Ward fill the gaps in her starting line up left by missing key stars, particularly in the midfield.
What is the problem facing Carla Ward?
Of the big names missing from the Republic of Ireland squad for this first match of the tie, the highest number of them are midfielders.
Above: Carla Ward does certainly have an annoying headache on her hands ahead of match one of the Republic of Ireland’s playoff tie with Kazakhstan. Credit: Ireland Football.
Marissa Sheva and Denise O’Sullivan are both core members of the starting line up for the Girls in Green these days under Ward. However, Sheva will be missing this first leg due to suspension and O’Sullivan did not travel to Astana for reasons of player welfare.
This means that there is two spots to fill in what is normally a three person midfield in the starting line up, with those incoming likely to team up in front of Megan Connolly who is expected to play her usual defensive midfield role.
What would have likely been will not be
Recent history would have suggested that Jess Ziu would have been one of the ones to fill one of those available spots in the starting line up as she has been the one that Ward has regularly gone to as an impact substitution off the bench.
However, just in the last 24 hours or so the Leicester City star has been ruled out of at least leg one with injury, and may also be ruled out of the return leg in Cork next week, so this means that it will not be her that starts tomorrow afternoon.
Is a Burnley star the key to replacing O’Sullivan?
O’Sullivan is the kind of player that is nye on impossible to fully replace. Her leadership and experience combined with the way she plays the game and the impact she has on those around her means that when she is not in the side it is quite noticeable.
However, there is one player in the Irish squad for this window that may be able to play a similar role to the legendary Leesider.
Tyler Toland has had a rocky few years in terms of establishing a settled place in Irish squads and getting minutes on the field at international level, but likes to play football in much the same way as O’Sullivan.
Both players are tough, no nonsense players who are not afraid to break open the midfield in their team’s favour, and with the way that proceedings become much easier with that type of player on the pitch, that could work in Toland’s favour.
Would Ward really include an uncapped player in the starting line up?
Among the midfielders in the Irish squad for this window are a pair of uncapped players – Watford’s Aoibheann Clancy and Shanade Hopcroft from Crystal Palace.
Both players are worthy of their places in the squad, but putting an uncapped player into your starting line up is unheard of these days, so it is unlikely that the spots will be filled by either of them.
However if game one goes to plan or is going swimmingly by perhaps halfway through the second half, there is no reason to rule out either of them getting some minutes off the bench.
What about Jamie Finn and Lucy Quinn?
All of this leaves two more potential options – Jamie Finn and Lucy Quinn.
Finn has been getting some solid minutes for her club side Burnley in the first part of the Women’s Super League 2 (WSL2) season – playing just about every minute possible thus far – but she has not got any minutes at international level this year despite being in the game day squad for every game.
However this is the first window since the beginning of the current WSL2 season so that previous history at international level may prove to not be a precedent after all.
Quinn meanwhile has also been getting good minutes for Sheffield United – officially only one more than Finn – but when it comes to international level she does not play a midfield role despite being officially listed as a midfield on squad announcements from the FAI. She normally plays as an outside wing alongside players like Kyra Carusa and Emily Murphy, but with those two and the likes of Abbie Larkin having a firm grip on the starting positions in the front line, perhaps a position change to a central attacking midfielder behind Carusa could a role for Quinn to fill.
Above: Shanade Hopcroft (front) may be in her first international camp with the Republic of Ireland, but is her first cap less than 24 hours away? Credit: Ireland Football.
In conclusion…
There are plenty of potential answers, and not a lot of time left to find out which way Ward will go. Ward has kept her cards very close to her chest, so only time will tell what decision she will end up making.
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Above:Hana Lowry talks to the media ahead of the forthcoming international window with the Matildas. Image: Football Australia.
Hana Lowry and Charli Grant outlined today how their moves to Scandinavian football were vital in their call-up to the Matildas camp for the forthcoming games against Germany and Haiti matches.
Lowry is attending her first Matildas camp after an ACL tear forced her to miss her first call-up in November 2024. Grant returns to camp after a knee injury and a lack of minutes that has had her out of the international squad since the end of 2025.
Western Australian Lowry emphasised how her move to Vålerenga in April, has been a positive all round.
“It’s been great so far, the team’s been so welcoming for me, all the staff and everyone and really enjoy living in Oslo,” she said.
The 23-year-old also shared how her experiences at the Toppserien club have prepared her for coming into The Matildas national team set up for the first time.
“I think it’s prepared me really well, the professionalism at the club is really top and the level of the football being played and in training and everything, it’s super competitive.”
“It’s set me up really well, I feel really well supported at the club. So coming in here, they were all very happy for me.”
As one of the new additions to the national team, the midfielder revealed what the first training session was like: “It was nice, obviously the nerves were there but it was good to get the first one done. It was a good session, just getting some touches on the ball again. Just seeing the level of the training was really cool.”
This is not the first time Lowry has been called up to join the Australian national team, however back in November 2024 when the Perth native received her first call-up, she tore her ACL just one day before she was supposed to enter the international camp.
The former Perth Glory and Sydney FC star reflected on what that experience was like.
“Obviously it was tough, no footballer wants to do their ACL so that was really tough news to take and then the timing of it being the day before going into camp, that was difficult. Mentally you go from such a big high to such a big low really quickly.”
Lowry describes this current moment of being re-called into the national team as the moment that has motivated her: “I think it was probably the biggest motivation for me through my rehab was hoping to get another chance here.”
Above: Charli Grant is in strong form with Malmö and back in the Matildas squad after a year. Image: Football Australia.
Also back in the saddle with the Matildas is Charli Grant. Fresh from a series of impressive performances with Malmö FF, the defender Grant discussed the significance of this move after she struggled with a lack of minutes at her previous club Tottenham Hotspur.
“It’s been definitely a great preparation for coming back in the Matildas environment, just getting the minutes I’ve needed for a very long time has been great preparation for me coming back in here, just to be confident, to know that I’m back playing ready to give my all to the team.”
The two games over the next week is part of the Matildas’ preparations for next year’s World Cup, and the 25-year-old believes that Germany and Haiti’s differing challenges are an important test.
“Of course every camp leading up to the World Cup is important, we don’t get a huge amount of time together. We just try and make the most of every opportunity we can.”
In terms of what she needs to do in order to ensure she re-establishes herself as a Matildas regular, Grant revealed that, for her it’s all about “Focusing on what I can improve on in each game that I play in my clubland and when I get here into this national team environment, it’s using the staff around me to see what I do need to develop, how I can contribute to the team more and just a lot of reevaluation after each week.”
A knee injury and a lack of minutes at her previous club Tottenham Hotspur has contributed to her lack of appearances in the national team and at the Asian Cup back in March.
“It was very unfortunate timing of my knee injury, but at the same time I felt fortunate to have not been a worse injury, at the time I thought it was.
“I thought that I might be able to come back in time for the Asian Cup but with no minutes, I wouldn’t have been able to give what I wanted to the team. That was really disappointing cause it would have been amazing to be at another home tournament, but I was definitely the biggest supporter.”
“It was a very difficult time, I didn’t actually get a return to play at Tottenham, so my first game was just when I moved to Malmö. I’m just really happy to be playing again and to be back with the girls now.”
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Above: Perth Glory central defender Mischa Anderson looks ahead to the forthcoming A-League Women season. Image: Perth Glory.
Positivity is high in the Perth Glory camp as they prepare for their final pre-season outing ahead of the A-League Women’s big kick-off in 10 days time.
The Western Australian side go into the new campaign with four new signings – Ella Buchanan, Maggie Jenkins, and locally produced Junior Matilda Sakura Leong joined by Baxter Thew who returns home from Central Coast Mariners.
Additionally, another trio of teen starlets Theodora Mouithys, Daisy McGreadie-Cole and Hayley Muir have come in under YDA contracts.
Head coach Stephen Peters and defender Mischa Anderson emphasised the benefit of having 14 of last season’s squad return – with the experience of Izzy Dalton, Susan Phonsongkham, and Megan Wynne vital, alongside another season in goal for the hugely impressive Theresa Morrisey.
“I’m very happy. It’s great to come in with so many familiar faces, so we’ve picked up where we left off in many ways, and the new additions have been really good, adding some quality for us,” Peters said.
Anderson added: “Keeping our returning players has been a positive, and slotting in the new arrivals and giving them our identity and an idea of the way we want to play is what we’ve been (focusing on).
“Our pre-season has been super smooth as we’ve retained lots of girls, and they know how to play well together, and that’s a positive we have got.”
However, on the negative side of the ledger, the Glory have lost a number of key players from last season, with the likes of Naomi Chinnama, Sarah O’Donoghue, Nat Tatham, Tijan McKenna, and Grace Johnston all moving to pastures new. Those are big holes to fill, but Peters believes he has the players at his disposal to do so.
“The new additions have added quality. We’re in a better position than we have been in terms of people being able to step into those roles (when players are injured) which we saw at the back end of last season with a couple of key personnel out.”
In terms of preparation, Peters has faced the eternal conundrum of how to integrate players with differing loads into pre-season training with some coming off the back of a full NPLW season, and others not having played since the end of the previous A-League Women season.
“The ones who have played NPL and have not brought an injury in have brought a good chronic loading, so you can pick up where they have left off in that sense, which is great. The other ones (who have not played NPL), you have to build them up more slowly, and be more careful with them, but we have fantastic medical staff that do that for us.”
Above: Perth Glory head coach Stephen Peters reflects on how pre-season has gone so far. Image: Perth Glory.
Looking ahead more widely to the battles to come, Anderson, who has played her NPLW football in Victoria with Heidelberg United during the off season, believes it will be from that state where the biggest challenge will come from in 2026/27 as she was asked to name her would-be champions.
“Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory. They both have great set ups and facilities. They have brought in some great recruits so I am expecting them to be up the top…and Perth Glory! There’s been a lot of movement around the league, so I think it will be a tight race around the top.”
In order for the Glory to make Finals for the first time in eight seasons, the keys will be a laser like focus on a game plan that takes into account opponents specific strengths, and improving on their ability to score goals.
Last season, the club managed just 20, with only the bottom two clubs Western Sydney Wanderers and Sydney FC scoring fewer goals as the Western Australian side fell four points short of the top six.
Peters believes that the situation will improve this time round.
“The signs are good, so far in training and in the practice matches that we’ve had. I think we’ve found a good combination there. It’s important that players don’t think about that (scoring record) too much and just back themselves and express themselves as they do in training and the goals will come, definitely.”
The Glory go into the final pre-season game this weekend against a Western Australian State XI who won the fixture between the two sides last season.
Anderson recognises that the game is a unique challenge against a group of talented players with everything to prove and nothing to lose.
“We can’t take the state team lightly, they have got lots of ex (Perth Glory) players, and lots of players who want to prove themselves against us.”
The Glory head coach knows what to expect, but also emphasised the fact that the game is a last chance to formulate his starting line-up for the season opener against Newcastle Jets on 17th October.
“I’ve watched a lot of NPL, and by all accounts they have got quite a good side, an experienced side, but we’re pretty keen to put that result from last season to rights.”
“You want to give the players who you think have an opportunity to be earmarked for Round One an opportunity to be out there together, but equally you want to give everyone to have an opportunity to be selected for Round One, so it’s a bit of a balancing act.”
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Above: Ellie Carpenter defends against Mexico in June. Image: Genevieve Henry for Impetus Football.
Chelsea defender Ellie Carpenter has started her second Barclays Women’s Super League season with a bang.
Technically, she is still playing her preferred position at right back. However, Carpenter has increasingly resembled a winger for the Blues.
At Chelsea, that attacking freedom is paying off. The question for the Matildas is whether Carpenter’s comfort in the final third could translate to the international stage.
Formation
Australia almost exclusively plays with four defenders. Whether the back four features Carpenter, Clare Hunt, Wini Heatley, Steph Catley or another combination of the Matildas’ newly deep defensive pool, only one is guaranteed: Carpenter at right back.
If Carpenter is fit, she starts.
Chelsea have given her more freedom to push forward, particularly when playing with three center backs or a back four that allows her to advance alongside veteran right back Lucy Bronze. With Bronze providing defensive cover, Carpenter can spend large portions of matches higher up the pitch.
Australia does not have another player with quite the same combination of Bronze’s experience and defensive reliability to provide that same safety net.
That does not mean Carpenter cannot be given more attacking freedom with the Matildas. If she were to move permanently higher up the pitch, Charli Grant and Charlie Rule could provide options at right back. Tori Tumeth, who just received her first Matildas call-up, could also factor into the equation.
Australia could use a back five when giving Carpenter greater attacking license. That would allow her to push forward while maintaining defensive cover and could give the left back similar freedom on the opposite side.
It’s not as if Carpenter has been playing as a stationary right back for her career with Australia. She is already high up the field frequently for the Matildas.
One of the Matildas’ most effective and common ways of progressing the ball has been Carpenter exchanging one-twos with the right winger. For years, Hayley Raso was her partner on the right.
Mary Fowler has occupied that right-wing role recently. The partnership has worked just as well. Despite the change in personnel, Carpenter has continued to find ways to combine with the winger and advance the ball.
Defensive Cost
Carpenter is one of the best defensive wingbacks in the game.
Her positioning is elite, and her decision-making is excellent. She knows when to challenge and when to delay. Her pace makes her exceptionally difficult to beat. These qualities have made her a fixture in the national team for more than a decade.
Giving Carpenter a more advanced role would come with a cost. If she were to focus more on attack, the absence of her defensive responsibilities would leave the Matildas more vulnerable. Situational flexibility in Carpenter’s role is extremely valuable at both the domestic and international level.
Against stronger attacking opponents, it would be difficult to justify moving Carpenter away from right back. Against teams sitting in a low block, there is less reason to keep her in defense. This could mean moving to the midfield or simply letting her loose.
Attacking Benefits
Carpenter has never been known for her goal contributions. Even at Chelsea, where her attacking impact has increased, there is still room for growth in her finishing and crossing.
But her greatest attacking weapons are not her crossing or finishing; they are her speed and tenacity.
Carpenter’s work rate exhausts opponents. Whether she spends 90 minutes or only a portion of the game in advanced areas, her ability to run relentlessly at opponents tires defenders and creates space for the attackers around her.
Her positioning and delivery have also improved during her time at Chelsea. Carpenter is getting into better positions, finding herself around the box more frequently and creating chaos even when she is not the player who ultimately finishes the move.
Despite playing under Sonia Bompastor at both Chelsea and Olympique Lyonnais, Carpenter’s attacking production has increased significantly at Chelsea. She scored three goals across five seasons with Lyon. She has already matched that total in her first two seasons with Chelsea, scoring three times for the Blues.
For Australia, she has five goals in 101 appearances.
The numbers are not those of a traditional attacking player, but it’s positive for a defender of Carpenter’s experience to still have room to grow. Carpenter is adding another dimension to her game and her attacking skillset is consistently growing.
Looking Ahead
The Matildas have no shortage of attacking talent, both experienced and emerging.
But Australia is entering a transitional period. The front line that led the team for years, Caitlin Foord, Sam Kerr and Raso, is aging. If they start at the 2027 Women’s World Cup, it would surely be their last. Many fans are hoping the tournament will give younger players the opportunity to carry the team.
Players like Fowler, Amy Sayer and Holly McNamara are some of the next generation of Australia’s attack. Despite lots of burgeoning attacking talent, the Matildas have yet to find a combination with the same cohesion that made Foord, Kerr and Raso so prolific.
Carpenter will help bridge the transition. The 26-year old already has over 100 caps and often wears the captain’s armband. Wherever she is on the pitch, her leadership will be vital in shifting to the next era of the Matildas.
Moving her into the attack would sacrifice too much of what makes her valuable. But pushing her higher in specific matches could provide Australia with another way to break down opponents, especially against the typical low block of Asian teams. At the World Cup, they’ll face less opponents like this.
The Matildas do not need Carpenter to become an all-out winger, but they should take even more advantage of the fact that she plays like one.
Carpenter’s attacking development gives Australia another outlet when goals are hard to find. Her versatility makes her such a valuable player.
As Australia looks forward to an era of change, Carpenter will continue to lead the charge and her unpredictability will be one of the Matildas’ biggest weapons.
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Above: The Matildas will be looking to put out a strong performance against some tough opposition this international window. Photo: Cat Bryant for Impetus
Hayley Raso and Holly McNamara spoke to media today ahead of the Matildas’ two friendly matches against Germany and Haiti this international window. During that media call, both Raso and McNamara spoke on the significance of these matches in the lead up to the World Cup in Brazil 2027.
Above: Hayley Raso speaking to the media ahead of an interesting October window for the Matildas. Credit: via Matildas
Raso told media that “we actually looked into it last night and there’s not that many camps or matches before the World Cup so every one is so important.”
She further discussed the importance of facing a strong team like Germany in World Cup preparations: “Having a game against a top side like Germany is really important.”
McNamara further explained “You always want to play against the best and try and win against the best, Germany are one of the best. It’s a good test for us.”
“Moving into a World Cup year, this is going to happen at the World Cup if we want to win so I think it’s good for us.”
The team is expecting a tough match against Germany. Raso, being familiar with the team through previous national team matches as well as at her German club Eintracht Frankfurt, discussed expectations of the German side.
“We know how tough and physical they’re going to be, we’ve played against them a few times before” Raso said.
“The Germans are strong, they’re fit, they can run, they play good football here in Europe.”
Raso also shared that the team’s mentality going into the international camp is “every game we go into we have confidence. We trust ourselves and we trust our abilities. We do what we know how to do. We also respect the opponent, we know they’re going to be a tough game.”
“We’re looking at it as preparation. It’s a building block for us and one we’re looking to go in and win.”
McNamara talked about the changing nature of the national team setup, the additions to the team as well as the missing names in the squad.
“We’ve had people coming in and out for the last little while. You kind of get used to it, especially in a national team setup where you don’t have much time” McNamara said.
“You have to adapt pretty quickly to new players, whether you start, whether you’re on the bench because you actually don’t have time to sit around and wait like you do at clubland.”
Above: Holly McNamara speaking to the media ahead of an interesting October window for the Matildas. Credit: via Matildas
McNamara said that regardless of the squad, head coach Joe Montemurro’s plans for the team remain the same, noting that “I think no matter who’s in the squad, Joe’s got his ideas.”
Addressing internal competition within the squad in the lead up to a tournament like the World Cup, McNamara noted “it’s a competitive sport even within your team. You’ve got to find the right balance that we’re all actually working towards the same goal here. We’re all competing to win the World Cup at the end of the day.”
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Above:Charli Grant is looking ahead to a hugely important few months as she is back in the Matildas squad amidst Malmö’s push for Champions League qualification and a Europa Cup campaign. Photo supplied to Impetus by: Malmö FF.
It’s been a challenging year or so for Charli Grant. The 25-year-old has had to contend with injury and a lack of minutes at Tottenham Hotspur which cost her a spot in the Matildas squad. But now, at last, the return to a familiar part of Sweden has resulted in things looking up again.
A European summer move to Malmö FF has reunited the South Australian with the city that she was based in during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, during a spell with Rosengård.
Extolling the virtues of Sweden’s third biggest metropolis, Grant said: “Moving can always be hard, but it’s really nice being familiar with the city, as every other place I’ve moved to has been new. I love Malmö – it’s such a cute city, you can ride your bike everywhere – to get to training. It has beautiful scenery, friendly people, and it’s nice to have so many Aussies around.”
There certainly are lots of Aussies in the city. The defender is joined at her club by fellow Matildas Courtney Nevin and Amy Sayer. Across the way at Rosengård can be found the trio of Izzy Gomez, Bryleeh Henry, and Remy Siemsen.
Whilst having so many familiar faces nearby is a big draw in terms of support network, with her career approaching a crossroads, Grant had to focus in on the club that would give her the best opportunity to not only get regular minutes again, but the chance to perform in high level environments that would support her in regaining her spot in the national side.
Discussing the process in choosing her new destination after leaving Tottenham, the South Australian said: “There were some different options, and I had a talk with the people that I have around me in my support system.
“The thinking was a club like Malmö would be the best fit. After my time at Tottenham, I really needed a place where I was believed in, I needed minutes. I really want to break back into the National Team, and that’s a requirement – to be playing.
“Malmö showed a lot of belief in me, which was what I was really looking for and it’s such a great professional set-up at the club which has really helped with the transition from Tottenham to here. It’s a great set-up, and I’m also believed in which I’m really grateful for.”
Above: Charli Grant is concentrating on propelling Malmö towards Champions League qualification. Photo supplied to Impetus by: Malmö FF.
The notion of being believed in is central to what eventually brought Grant back to the Matildas set-up for the current international window, and the games against Germany and Haiti.
That huge smile which is her trademark comes when she’s supported, happy, and confident in her football – both during and away from match-day. The one thing that resonated with me during our chat was how valued the defender feels in Malmö.
On the flipside, her time in North London was a roller coaster.
“I have lots of mixed emotions looking back at my time in England. The Wembley FA Cup Final against Manchester United was definitely a highlight, and I feel like I made a second family in England, so I definitely am missing them.
“It was really difficult, not playing much, getting an injury. I think I learned a lot and really developed as a player and I hope now that I’m playing more minutes, I can work on those things I did develop (in England) and I can build confidence and find myself as a player again.
“It’s definitely made me more resilient. You have to be when you are facing those challenges. When you are not playing, you are given time to work on what you want to work on and develop, and you feel you have more freedom to work on that during training or after training, so that was a positive.”
Grant had three seasons in the Swedish Damallsvenskan between 2021 and 2023 with Rosengård and Vittsjö, so returned with a firm understanding of what to expect – but she feels she has a lot more to bring to the table this time.
“It feels different now to come in with more experience. When I came in before (between the ages of 20-22) I was a younger player learning lots. In terms of the style of play, it’s very tactical. Teams like to put a block in around us. Teams like Häcken and Hammarby are still very strong teams. It’s great to be back in this league.”
With things getting back on track in her club football, her target of returning to the Matildas squad after an absence of around a year has also just been achieved. Grant’s experiences at Tottenham meant missing out on a home Asian Cup and the beginning of the build-up to next year’s World Cup in Brazil.
However, boss Joe Montemurro made it clear all along that the South Australian was still very much in his thoughts.
Above: Charli Grant in action for the Matildas against Korea Republic – she is going all out to get a recall to the squad. Photo: Kris Goman for Impetus.
“Joe has brought in a lot of positive energy. I’ve been fortunate that he has been in touch with me and been giving me a lot of positive reinforcements and belief while I was going through those tough times. The things about him that stand out are that positive energy and his belief in the installment of the game plan that he wants to bring in.”
The Damallsvenskan is about to enter its final six rounds of matches, and there is so much at stake for Grant and Malmö.
The team are presently located in the final of Sweden’s three allotted Champions League places, but are under pressure from four other sides to clinch that spot. Whilst Malmö are in good form – with three wins and a draw in their last five – it’s very tight. There is a lot to play for.
“In the last few games, we’ve been playing some really good football, and we’ve been creating a lot of opportunities, so we have to hold onto that confidence that we are a good side and we can compete with these teams and keep scoring goals.”
As well as pushing for Champions League qualifying for next year, Malmö have European silverware to aim for this season in the second tier UEFA Women’s Europa Cup. They have just overcome Austrian side St. Pölten in the final qualifying round 5-0 on aggregate, and will now face Dutch side Ajax Amsterdam over two legs in the last sixteen from the end of October.
It’s a competition that Swedish sides excel in – last year’s final was between BK Häcken and Hammarby, and the latter could await in the Quarter-Finals in March. Grant is hungry for her side to make waves this time round.
“That’s something that drew me to the club – how ambitious it is. They want to win trophies, they want to compete with the best. We want to be finishing in that top three to make Champions League qualifying.”
In terms of the final few months of 2026, the 25-year-old has big targets to aim for.
“Finishing in the top three with Malmö definitely, but also getting back in the Matildas squad regularly. I think I’ve been set on that for a long time, but it’s been difficult to do when I’m not getting minutes (with Spurs) or coming back from injury, so that’s definitely the goals for the end of the year – as well as progressing in the UEFA Women’s Europa Cup.”
You would not bet against Malmö’s smiling assassin achieving all of those things.
(c) Impetus 2026.
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Above: Smiles all around as Arsenal make their way to Paris. Photo: Arsenal FC.
Arsenal head coach Renee Slegers and midfielder Georgia Stanway sat down with the Media ahead of a huge Champions League game against Paris FC
Firstly, Slegers provided an injury update on some key players: “Chloe Kelly is not available. you saw Elisa, you’ll made it in the background. She’s coming back, which is really positive, not ready for tomorrow yet. and Steph Catley won’t travel.
Catley has a back issue which saw her pull of the warm ups during open training for the Media, and the Dutch coach provided a more detailed description of Kelly’s injury: “she’s had some issues with her hamstring, no injury, nothing we could see from an injury perspective, but been managing something. And at the moment not available to play.”
Despite only being an Arsenal player for a few weeks, Stanway has admitted that she’s really happy to be here despite all the extra noise: “I am very happy with my decision to be here, even though it’s been a tough couple of weeks, I wouldn’t change any part of been a part of Renee, the team, there’s 50 people in and out of this building every single day and everybody’s taking responsibility for themselves and I think, yeah, that will only put us in good stead going forward and I am a big believer of the fact that when it clicks, I think it will really click. We spent a lot of time together both on and off the pitch. also, a massive believer in, yeah, the relationships that you build off the pitch can match on the pitch and we’ll continue to do that. And of course, bringing players in doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a magic fix and if it’s about giving it time to be able to adapt.
Stanway also shared that this is a dream come true for her: “Champions League is my Dream and something that I’ve never got close to and something that I would love to make happen and I would love to do that in an Arsenal shirt”
This weekend saw Anneke Borbe in goal, replacing Misa Rodriguez who has started every other game, and Slegers explained her decision: “we have 2 top goalkeepers or actually 3 with Isabella, a very big talent as well, doing really well in training with Daph still out, but uh, Misa and Neki are very different profiles. Like I said, top goalkeepers, different profiles. So that we are in a position now, like we can do with outfielders, what qualities do we need in this game and who’s the best fit? So that’s what we’ve been doing so far. And I think they both performed really, really well for us in the games they’ve played.
Stanway also spoke about the pressure with playing 3 games in seven days and how she doesn’t have time to sit and dwell on previous results: “I think the beauty of the league that we’re in at the moment is the fact that games have come in thick and fast. You don’t really have time to dwell on what’s just been. It’s about focussing on what we can do that’s right in front of us. Yeah, we spent the last few days putting ourselves in the best possible position to, yeah, be ready to fight tomorrow, be ready to, yeah, tactically and technically be better than them. And that is exactly what we’re going to try and execute. So yeah, it’s just about putting ourselves in the best possible position for the result that we want.
Paris FC are a familiar foe for the gunners having already faced them in preseason, and Slegers addressed the challenges of playing them again five weeks on: “that was a preseason game. Both teams are trying out different things. There’s a lot of changes in the game, I think the game will be different tomorrow. It will be highly competitive. So, I don’t think it will look similar and of course we’ve watched their game against Barcelona as well where they scored the 1st goal and they threatened with that directness. which they were really strong at. So that’s something I’ll have to manage really well tomorrow.
Stanway shared some dressing room secrets that the fans won’t have seen during the training sessions and what fans can expect: “I probably say the fight within us and I’d say the care. Yeah, we’re constantly battling to find solutions to find different ways in which we can, yeah, challenge the opposition, create chances in the final third. Even in terms of confidence, we’re finding different ways to try and, find those solutions. And then I’d say care, um, we care a lot about what we’re doing. We care when we’re coming into training, we care about. What’s been said in the meetings, the information that we’re taking on board, the information that we’re giving back in terms of, yeah, communication both ways. We care when we’re on the grass every single pass. But making sure that it’s executed with, yeah, with care to allow the next person to be able to do their job. and also care in terms of we don’t want the fans to suffer with us and we want to, at some point, be able to celebrate something and be able to put smiles on their faces.
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Above: Ryan Williams (right) in action earlier this year against KC Current. Photo: via NC Courage.
Despite how much she is a core member of the North Carolina Courage defence these days, things have not always been easy in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) for Courage co captain Ryan Williams.
Williams was initially drafted to the Courage in the 2018 NWSL College Draft with the very last pick of the entire draft, and going into the draft had no expectations for how draft night would go for her.
“I really was not expecting to be drafted at all. I actually wasn’t even watching the draft at the time” Williams recalled.
“But my parents, they’ve always been so supportive of soccer. My dad played soccer, so they’ve just been obviously my biggest fans, and drove me around, and my dad was my coach as a kid, and so they were watching the whole draft.
“I had a text from my college coach, and they were kind of getting near the end, and he texted me and asked me if I was watching – and I was actually at the grocery store – and he told me that he thought I was going to go and get drafted. So I got in my car and I raced home, and I turned the draft on my phone – it was on YouTube at the time – so I had just gotten it on. I walked in my living room in my college house, and they happened to call my name, last pick of the draft. I had literally just pulled it up on my phone.
“So it was really honestly so exciting and so fun, and I think that… there’s pros and cons about not having or having a draft. But when I think of the draft it always brings back really good memories.
“[It was] definitely something I was not expecting, but I was always hopeful, and I think I’ve always had really good self-belief in myself, and I’ve always wanted to back myself, so I was hopeful but I also knew that if I didn’t get drafted there were other ways that I could continue playing soccer.”
In Williams’ first few years at the Courage she had some big name team mates – including the likes of Sam Mewis, Debinha and Crystal Dunn – so game time was hard to come by for her in the early years. Not only was she competing with some big names for game time, but the team was also having a lot of success when it came to winning trophies, which always comes with a reluctance to tinker with the side too much.
“I mean, I definitely was not prepared in some ways. But I think it was good because I got here and they were all so humble and welcoming and kind people, and they’re still people that I have relationships with today” Williams explained.
“It was fun. It was a big transition, and it was a hard transition from college to pro, and really something I was not prepared for. But I think that I look back on that time and I’m really grateful for it because I think it had to happen the way it did for me and I had to pay my dues with this team, and I learned so much even though I wasn’t physically putting in the minutes in game time.
“I think it made me work really hard in a way and it taught me a lot of patience, and I wasn’t patient every day. It was definitely frustrating at times. It’s not fun watching the game from the stands when everybody comes into a pro team and they’ve gotten significant minutes on every team that they’ve been on.
“So it was, it was hard, but I think that it really did teach me a lot of things and I think I got better. I think it made me work harder. And I mean there’s I feel so many lessons that I learned throughout that. And I honestly don’t think I was ready to play in game minutes when I got here.”
Williams has grown since those tough early days to become one of the most consistent, most reliable and first choice players in the Courage team, but those hard early days have given her more perspective on the position she finds herself in now.
“I feel really grateful for the position that I’m in, because I think that I can really relate to the players who aren’t playing because I’ve been there” Williams said.
“I’ve been in the stands. I’ve been not rostering. I’ve been not traveling, and I know that it’s hard, and they’re putting in just as much work, if not more, than the starters and people who are playing in game minutes in practice, and they’re, they’re doing a really thankless job. I also think I’ve learned to really value the players that are not getting game minutes, because I think that I’ve seen how much they truly impact the players that are playing significant minutes.
…
“I think that a lot of starters in the NWSL maybe have always been starters, which is also great, and that’s also a unique position. But I think for me, I like to really make sure that these players that aren’t playing a lot or not traveling or are sitting up in the stands, they know how valued they are and how important they are to this team and we’re not successful as a team without them.”
Williams was made one of the Courage captains ahead of the 2026 season – alongside new inclusions Kailen Sheridan and Talia Staude – which she described as “really such an honour.”
“Obviously, I’ve been at this club for a long time, and I think just looking back on my journey and my career, when I first got here, I wasn’t even on a full contract in my first season” Williams said.
“I was kind of in and out of a contract with the national team replacement. So I think for me, from the moment I got here, I wanted to be on this team, I wanted to play for this club. I just felt so welcomed, and it just felt so special here from the staff to the players, to the culture to the city, and I think I wanted nothing more than to have a contract here, and now to be named captain, I feel like it’s very full circle.
“It’s been really fun and such an honour, and I think it’s made me better. I’m not just worried about myself. I have a responsibility to the team, and I take that really seriously, and I want to bring people with me and keep the standard really high and keep the culture really good here.”
Williams is well known as a right back, but has been given the freedom by first year Courage coach Mak Lind to play a more wing back like role and push more into the attacking play than Courage fans are used to seeing.
“It’s been really fun” Williams said, speaking about the change in role she has had this season.
“I think that Mak really trusts us as players to take the game on and he talks about super strengths and all these different things, and it’s part of our tactics, and I think it’s been really fun to have that trust and the freedom to find the ball and get higher up, but also obviously get back and defend.
“I think our tactics are really good, and I think everybody’s really bought in.
“I think that’s something that our team knows I’m going to get high [on the pitch] but it’s just really important and helpful that the girls behind me are so organized and we have our principles and we have our tactics, and I think it’s been really helpful for me to be able to go forward and know that everything’s being taken care of behind me because we really trust each other.”
Despite her obvious talents, opportunities at international level is something that has eluded Williams to date. However, this is not something weighing the star defender down.
“I think for me, what I want to focus on is my club” Williams said.
“I mean, the Courage has truly given me everything and I think for me, I really want to focus on what I do have and instead of what I don’t have. I think that it can be stressful and it can be frustrating, but I think that if you focus on the things you don’t have, it’s really tough to be happy and it’s really tough to be present.
“I think for me, I’m so grateful to this club and I’m so happy here, and I have such amazing friends, and I love the staff, and I love where I live.
I think for me, my focus is to get better every single day and be a really good leader, and I want to bring people with me. I want to help younger players and I want to help the players on our team get better and be happy here and learn about themselves.
…
“I don’t want to go down that rabbit hole of thinking about things that I don’t have or thinking about things that I haven’t achieved because I feel really proud of what I’ve done here and I know that we’re not done yet here at the Courage, and I see us going really far this year.”
Williams has been called up to the national team set up once, for a training camp in January last year that had no matches involved.
“That was really fun” Williams recalled.
“It was my first camp ever” she went on to explain.
“I was not in the youth program, so it was a really cool experience and definitely very exciting. I think I definitely took some stuff with me and learned a lot about kind of the way the national team works and I also learned a lot about myself.”
That team first mindset of Williams is also a huge factor in what she says is her ultimate goal for the rest of her career moving forward.
“This club has obviously had a great history of being really successful, and I think for me, I think it’s time that we win something again here at the Courage, and I think it would just be really special to be a part of that in a different way, which would be like being one of the captains on this team and getting game minutes in big games, quarterfinals, semifinals, championship” Williams explained.
“I have a lot of belief in this team right now, and for us we are taking it day by day, but obviously the bigger goal is to ultimately do the little things right day to day, and hopefully that results in us winning shields and championships here at the Courage.”
Hindsight is something that has shaped the player that Williams has become, and that hindsight is a funny thing when you look back at the type of player Williams could have been if not for a particular coach in college.
“As a kid you kind of play anywhere, but then in high school and middle school once you kind of started having positions, I actually did play forward” Williams explained.
“So I was one of the many players that started out as a forward/ like outside mid, and then once I got to college they actually transitioned me into a right back. It was the first day of our pre-season in college, and they were like ‘We really need a right back’, and they put me there, and it just kind of stuck from there.”
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Above:Kim Little leads the discussion in the Arsenal huddle at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Photo: Arsenal FC.
Arsenal’s problems are starting to look bigger than finishing
Alyssa Thompson’s 39th-minute goal gave Chelsea a 1-0 victory over Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, leaving Renée Slegers’ side with five points from their opening four Women’s Super League matches.
On the surface, it was another game in which Arsenal created enough attacking situations to take something but failed to score. They finished with 18 attempts, only two on target, and have now scored just twice in their opening four league games.
The concern is that this is becoming increasingly difficult to explain simply as poor finishing.
For the opening half an hour at Stamford Bridge, Arsenal were good. At times, very good.
They controlled possession, competed well physically and repeatedly found promising positions against a Chelsea side which, unlike several of Arsenal’s recent opponents, was prepared to engage them higher up the pitch.
Lisa Baum was particularly dangerous on the right, Kyra Cooney-Cross continued to move possession forward positively and both Kim Little and Mariona Caldentey struck the woodwork.
Slegers acknowledged afterwards that Arsenal had dominated until Chelsea scored, but also recognised the importance of taking advantage of those periods against another strong side because the momentum will eventually change.
That is precisely what happened.
Chelsea gradually established themselves in the game before Arsenal lost possession attempting to play out from the back in the 39th minute. Keira Walsh’s resulting shot was parried by Anneke Borbe and Thompson reacted quickest to score the only goal.
The mistake was costly, but what happened before Chelsea’s goal was arguably more important to Arsenal’s continuing problems.
The extra touch keeps appearing
Above: Chloe Kelly looks to beat her marker on Sunday. Photo: Arsenal
Arsenal have spent several weeks discussing the quality of their attacking decisions.
Against Crystal Palace, they registered 30 attempts without scoring. Against HB Køge, 21 attempts produced only two on target. At Stamford Bridge there were another 18 attempts, two efforts against the woodwork and no goal.
Once again, there were moments when the opportunity to shoot appeared but Arsenal took an additional touch, tried to improve the angle or searched for a better option.
That extra second repeatedly allowed Chelsea to recover.
The pattern continued after half-time. Kelly found herself with an opportunity around the edge of the area but required another touch before Katie McCabe blocked the eventual shot. Foord later received a cut-back from Ona Batlle in another promising position but again took an additional touch rather than shooting first time.
Neither opportunity was guaranteed to become a goal, but that is not really the point.
Arsenal are repeatedly reaching situations where an instinctive decision is required and hesitating.
The same issue was apparent against Køge, when promising attacks were frequently slowed by another pass, another touch or a delayed decision. Selina Cerci eventually changed the game by doing almost the opposite, attacking the penalty area directly and forcing the challenge which produced Arsenal’s stoppage-time penalty.
Against Chelsea, the opportunities were there again.
Arsenal simply did not exploit enough of them before Chelsea recovered their defensive shape.
Slegers’ substitutions raise questions
Above: Arsenal’s substitutions with Foord, Blackstenius and Kelly coming on – it didn’t really work out. Photo: Arsenal FC.
The second half introduced another concern.
With Arsenal trailing 1-0, Slegers made three substitutions shortly after the hour. Caitlin Foord replaced Caldentey, Stina Blackstenius replaced Georgia Stanway and Chloe Kelly came on for Baum.
Slegers explained afterwards that she wanted a new attacking three to create different threats against Chelsea’s back line, adding greater directness and different overloads.
The reasoning is understandable.
The outcome was less convincing.
Arsenal had produced some of their best football during the opening half an hour, when their movement and combinations repeatedly caused Chelsea problems. After the changes, they increasingly looked disjointed and never established the same control.
There was also visible discussion between the players and bench about Arsenal’s shape.
BBC Sport’s Emma Sanders reported from Stamford Bridge that Little was heard asking the bench, “Am I the six now?”
One shouted question should not be exaggerated into evidence of some wider problem within the dressing room, particularly when Slegers offered a plausible explanation afterwards.
Emily Fox had temporarily left the pitch at the same time as the substitutions, meaning Arsenal needed one shape while playing with ten and another when Fox returned. Slegers said the players were therefore receiving two different messages and insisted there was clarity around Arsenal’s overall principles.
That explains the immediate communication.
It does not completely remove the wider question about what Arsenal became after the substitutions.
The changes were designed to make the team more dangerous, but Arsenal arguably became less coherent.
There is also a legitimate question about the hierarchy of Slegers’ attacking options.
Foord and Blackstenius have contributed enormously during their Arsenal careers and both remain important members of the squad. The issue is not whether either deserves to play.
It is whether they represented the most appropriate solution to the particular problem Arsenal were facing.
Cerci had changed the Køge game five days earlier through her willingness to attack defenders and space directly. Smilla Holmberg has repeatedly demonstrated her ability to change the tempo of a game from the right and scored Arsenal’s late equaliser against Manchester United.
Géraldine Reuteler was signed after an outstanding period for club and country but had still not played a competitive minute for Arsenal before Sunday.
Yet Slegers’ first attacking response at Stamford Bridge was to turn to the more established options. Cerci and Reuteler were introduced with nine minutes of normal time remaining. Holmberg did not play.
The question is therefore not whether all three should have been thrown onto the pitch together, but what Arsenal’s attacking hierarchy currently looks like when Slegers needs to change a game.
If directness is required, Cerci has demonstrated it. If Arsenal need intelligent movement into space, Reuteler was recruited with exactly those qualities. If the right side needs additional energy and attacking intent, Holmberg has already demonstrated what she can provide.
Slegers has considerable options. The challenge is using the right one for the problem in front of her rather than automatically returning to the most familiar solution.
Are Arsenal losing clarity?
Above: Arsenal ponder their next move on Sunday. Photo: Arsenal FC
This is where the questions surrounding Arsenal are beginning to move beyond finishing.
There is no evidence that Slegers has “lost the dressing room”, despite some supporters beginning to make comparisons with the final months of Jonas Eidevall’s time in charge.
Those comparisons should be treated carefully.
A difficult run of results and one moment of confusion during a substitution are nowhere near enough to support such a conclusion.
There is, however, a reasonable question to ask about whether some of the clarity which defined Arsenal during Slegers’ early months has started to disappear.
When she initially took over from Eidevall, one of the most noticeable changes was the freedom within Arsenal’s football. Players appeared to understand their roles, combinations developed naturally and the team eventually carried that momentum all the way to winning the Champions League.
At present, some of that instinct appears to have been replaced by hesitation.
Players are getting into promising positions and taking another touch. Shooting opportunities are being delayed. Potentially dangerous transitions are sometimes slowed sufficiently for the opposition to recover.
That raises an uncomfortable tactical question. Can a team become so concerned with finding the correct position, pass or opportunity that some of its natural attacking instinct begins to disappear?
The individual players involved make that question difficult to dismiss.
Alessia Russo has consistently demonstrated that she can score goals. Olivia Smith is naturally direct. Kelly is hardly a cautious attacking player. Cerci’s instinct is to attack space and Caldentey is one of the most intelligent players in Arsenal’s squad.
When a collection of attacking players with those qualities repeatedly begins to look indecisive around the penalty area, responsibility cannot sit entirely with the individual taking the final shot.
Eventually it becomes a coaching problem too. Slegers continues to back her players and has spoken about maintaining simplicity, protecting them from unnecessary pressure and helping them find the clarity required in front of goal.
Those are sensible principles, but Arsenal are now four league matches into the season with five points from a possible 12 and only two goals.
The same attacking problem has followed them through games against very different opponents.
At some stage, saying Arsenal need to improve in those moments stops being an explanation and becomes the problem the coaching staff must solve.
Arsenal are not a bad team
Above: Stina Blackstenius goes one-on-one with Hannah Hampton on Sunday. Photo: Arsenal FC.
Perhaps the most frustrating part of Sunday’s defeat is that Arsenal do not look like a poor side.
Had Chelsea comprehensively outplayed them for 90 minutes, the conclusions might be considerably simpler, but they did not.
For a significant part of the first half, Arsenal were the better side at Stamford Bridge. They controlled the game, found promising positions, hit the woodwork twice and caused Chelsea significant problems.
The ingredients remain. What Arsenal are failing to do is turn those dominant periods into something meaningful.
When the opportunity to shoot appears, they need to take it. When the decisive pass becomes available, it has to arrive before the opposition recovers. When momentum begins to change, Slegers has to recognise what the game requires and use the considerable depth available to change it again.
That depth is one reason this situation remains fixable. Cooney-Cross has made an excellent case for continued involvement. Cerci offers directness. Reuteler brings intelligence and movement between spaces. Holmberg has already changed games from the bench. Baum has become one of Arsenal’s most dangerous attacking outlets, while Smith, Russo, Kelly, Foord, Blackstenius and Caldentey provide further options.
There is too much quality available for Arsenal to become predictable. They are not miles away from playing well, which perhaps explains much of the frustration surrounding their start. This is a very good team repeatedly reaching the point where matches can be decided and failing to decide them.
Chelsea did on Sunday – Arsenal did not.
The questions are getting bigger
Above: Renee Slegers directs her team at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. The questions keep coming her way about her team’s start to the season. Photo: Arsenal FC.
Arsenal have now dropped seven points from their opening four WSL fixtures.
They have conceded only twice, which makes their total of five points particularly striking. The defence is not collapsing and opponents are not creating chance after chance against them.
Arsenal simply are not scoring enough.
That makes it increasingly difficult to continue answering every disappointing result with the same explanation that the team needs to become more clinical.
Why are so many players hesitating in similar situations?
Why does the extra touch keep appearing?
Why is there so little instinct around the penalty area?
Why, when the attack is not working, are substitutions not consistently changing the nature of it?
Those are now coaching questions as much as player questions.
None of this means Slegers should suddenly be under pressure for her job four league matches into the season, nor does it demonstrate that she has lost her players.
It does mean that, for perhaps the first time since she became Arsenal head coach, legitimate questions are beginning to be asked about more than the players failing to take their chances.
Arsenal travel to Paris FC next in the Champions League before another difficult WSL away fixture against Manchester City.
They do not need to tear everything apart before then, but they need to rediscover the clarity and instinct which made this collection of players so dangerous in the first place.
Because after Palace, Manchester United, Køge and now Chelsea, Arsenal’s attacking problem is becoming increasingly difficult to describe as simply poor finishing.
It is beginning to look bigger than that.
Roberto Revilla is the founder and host of Arsenal Women: Trailblazers, an independent podcast and website providing in-depth analysis and coverage of Arsenal Women. You can find the podcast and Roberto’s latest Arsenal Women writing atArsenal Women: Trailblazers.
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Above: Isabel Gomez (third from left) and Bryleeh Henry (second from right) have both settled in well to their new life at FC Rosengård. Photo: Urszula Striner.
Isabel Gomez and Bryleeh Henry were among a wave of players who left the A-League Women’s competition after the most recent season, with the pair both moving to FC Rosengård in Sweden’s Damallsvenskan competition.
This the first time either of them have played their football outside of Australia, and the move has certainly come with its fair share of curveballs.
“I think the first couple weeks were a bit hectic getting used to everything, but I think I’ve been pretty lucky with, the club and stuff, the girls, the coaches, everyone’s been really nice, so we’re really enjoying it. It’s very peaceful here” Henry said.
“Personally for me, I think one of the hardest things has been just sort of to settle in” Gomez explained.
“Moving from home to Sweden has been challenging in that sense. You’re trying to buy things for your apartment, trying to get all that all sorted and then training, and it kind of gets hectic the first few weeks. But other than that, it’s been quite smooth.”
Henry also explained a uniquely Swedish custom that the girls have had to get used to that very much affects their day to day lives.
“This is a bit not soccer related, but the apartments when you move in here don’t have any lights” Henry explained.
“So you have to get lights yourself. Like in Australia you don’t have like a fridge or something, but here they have no lights, so it’s pitch black until you put lights in the roof or get lamps.”
A challenge of almost any move overseas is learning a new language, but thanks to the helpfulness of new team mates that process has been made easier for Gomez and Henry.
“Learning a new language has been really difficult, but it’s great everyone knows English here, so we haven’t really had to force ourselves” Gomez said.
“But we have actually been taking Swedish classes. One of the girls has been our teacher and we take our own classes, which has been pretty cool. Once a week we’ve been doing that, … so we’re trying to focus on a couple words each day, and then go off from that.”
The pair’s move also serves as a reuniting of old team mates, with Gomez and Henry having both played together at the Football NSW Institute when they were teenagers.
“That feels like a whole lifetime ago now” Henry said with a laugh.
Above: Bryleeh Henry in action for new club FC Rosengård. Credit: Urszula Striner
“But everyone actually asked us when we came here ‘had we played together before?’ and we’ tell them ‘Yeah, when we were like…’ I don’t know how old we were then, maybe 14.
“It kind of feels like a full circle moment. It’s kind of crazy that we played together there, which was such a big part of our lives too and a big start in our career, and then now to be here and our first both kind of moves overseas. It’s nice, and I think it’s nice to have someone in the same position.”
Henry and Gomez are not the only Aussies at Rosengard, with Remy Siemsen now well established at the club. Henry and Gomez spoke glowingly of their countrywoman and how helpful she has been to them while they have been settling into the team.
“It’s nice to see familiar faces when you’re at a new club, and she’s kind of given us all the insights of what to do with our bank account and phone number. That can be a hassle, but she’s been helpful” Gomez said.
“She’s done it all before, so we’re just following through her footsteps.”
Their moves overseas were a long time in the making for both Gomez and Henry, with both of them citing similar reasons as to why they chose to make the move overseas and away from the A League Women’s.
“Personally, I’d played in the A League for quite a few years, and I think growing up my kind of dream and a goal of mine was to always experience playing overseas” Henry explained.
“It’s always said that the leagues are a bit stronger, and there’s been big players who’ve played in the Swedish League or English League. So that’s kind of been a dream of mine, and I think I was quite comfortable in the A League. I mean, I love it there, but it’s been a new challenge and just to sort of try something new and get out of my comfort zone and see if I can play in a different league and a harder league with new people and a new team.”
Gomez agreed that her reasoning was similar, saying that “I’ve been in the A League for years now, and I’ve kind of achieved everything I kind of wanted to in the A League, and I just wanted something new, another challenge, and yeah, that next step was overseas.
“But how it looked was Sweden wasn’t the only option. I had a couple options overseas, but Rosengard was one that really stood out to me. Somewhere I thought that I could, start and get some minutes and really show myself overseas.”
Above: Isabel Gomez (facing) in action for new club FC Rosengård. Credit: Urszula Striner
“I think mine was the same. I had a couple options as well, and then obviously returning back to City was always there as well” Henry added.
“But Rosengard has such a rich history of big players playing here and winning as well, which is something we both obviously want to do, and Remy being here and playing minutes, and there’s been Aussies in the Swedish League. It’s obviously not just about going overseas, but playing minutes, which is important at this stage in our career now.”
Both players have noticed similar differences between the style of play in the Damallsvenskan compared to back home in the A-League Women’s.
“Personally I’ve found it more physically demanding here” Gomez said.
“Everyone’s a lot stronger. The play is a lot quicker so you got to be switched on the whole 90 minutes, whereas you can kind of get caught out in A-League at moments, but here it’s you got to be switched on 90 minutes of the game.”
“I think our first game was not so much a shock, or maybe that is the right word, but it’s people are coming in, you don’t have the same time you had in A-League” Henry explained.
“The game is faster, if you lose the ball the team’s going straight at you, so it’s quicker. You have got to think quicker on your feet and I think it was a shock the first game to kind of be ‘okay, this is the level.’”
Neither Henry nor Gomez have had consistent runs in the national team set up, but both agree that they are hoping that this move overseas will change that for them.
“I think that’s the goal” Henry said.
“We both obviously want to be in the Matildas. Our dream is to play for the Matildas and play consistently.
“I think maybe our focus right now is just to get consistent minutes with the club. It’s obviously a better league, there’s really good players here. It’s a good club. We want to do well as a team, better than we’re doing now, and hopefully if we can show that we can play here in a league that’s maybe a bit tougher than what we were playing in, hopefully Matildas call-ups can come from that. But then it’s about us both personally being consistent to earn those call-ups consistently.”
If the ultimate goal that both players have set out for the rest of 2026 comes true, there’s hope that Aussie fans will see them both more regularly pulling on the green and gold for their country.
“Personally I want to get consistent minutes here at Rosengard [and] help the team as much as I can” Gomez said.
“Then international, get called up as much as I can, showcase myself there and just be available whenever I can.”
“I think mine’s pretty similar to Iz” Henry agreed.
“We’re at a new club, we’ve come midway through the season, so earning our spot and minutes here in a team that is full of really good players is the main focus right now.
“Then hopefully if anything comes of that national team-wise – which is obviously the next goal – it’s what we both want.”
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