What Taylor Ray brings to Victory

By Isabelle Campbell 1/9/25

Above: Taylor Ray for Australia. Photo: Football Australia

Taylor Ray, one of the A-League Women’s most accomplished and resilient players, has officially signed with Melbourne Victory following three back-to-back championships across two different clubs.

Though only 24, Ray brings with her an impressive record of success. In her eight seasons in the league, every club she has been part of has reached the Grand Final, highlighting her experience within consistently high-performing teams. It’s a remarkable streak and one that underlines exactly why Victory have moved to bring her in.

Arriving at Melbourne Victory as a gritty, hard-working midfielder who does the tough stuff exceptionally well. Known for her tenacity, discipline, and ability to win back possession, she brings the kind of edge Victory will need in a reshaped midfield.

A Career Marked by Strength and Determination

Ray made her A-League Women debut with Sydney FC in 2017 at just 16 years old. Over her time with the club, she worked her way into a key player role, becoming an integral part of Sydney’s dominant era. She was with the team as they reached six consecutive Grand Finals and secured three Championships.

Despite the extensive list of accolades, her journey has not been without challenges. Over six years, Ray suffered three ACL tears. She fought her way back from two of these to finally make her senior international debut for the Matildas against Spain in June 2022, a huge milestone after years of hard work.

However, the very next day in training, she suffered a third ACL rupture due to a contact injury. Once again, she rebuilt herself physically and mentally to return to professional football.

Her determination and mental toughness are now among her defining qualities, traits that Melbourne Victory will no doubt value alongside her on-field skills.

The Central Coast Chapter

Ray joined Central Coast Mariners ahead of their second season back in the league, 2024/25, quickly becoming beloved by fans and influential within the team. Though originally a midfielder, she found herself playing most of the season out of position as a centre-back, filling in due to squad injuries, and thriving. She went on to play every single minute of the regular season, anchoring the defence, organising play, and displaying the same intelligence and composure she’s become known for in midfield.

In the finals, she battled through an ankle injury sustained in the Elimination Final win over Canberra. After missing the first leg of the Semi-Final against Melbourne City, she returned for the second leg and then played the full 120 minutes of the Grand Final against Melbourne Victory, putting surgery on hold to see her team through to silverware.

The Mariners won on penalties, securing Ray’s fourth A-League Women Championship and her first with a new club after an already impressive three titles with Sydney FC.

At the 2024/25 Mariners Medal Dinner, Ray made a clean sweep of the individual honours, clinching Mariners Women’s Player of the Year, Fans’ Women’s Player of the Year as well as the Mariners Medal (Club MVP)

It was a season that confirmed what fans already knew, Taylor Ray is fast becoming one of the most valuable players in Australian football.

What She Brings to Victory

Melbourne Victory have recently seen the departures of three midfielders, fan favourite Alex Chidiac, young gun Alana Murphy, and USA-born Sara D’Appolonia, leaving important gaps in the squad. Ray’s signing is seen as a crucial addition to Melbourne Victory’s midfield, providing defensive solidity, sharp decision-making, and an undeniable winners mentality.

Her ability to play across midfield and also easily adapt to defensive roles means she can provide valuable flexibility, helping Victory to maintain balance and control in the middle of the park.

Naturally, one of the most newsworthy factors in this move is the fact that Ray helped the Mariners clinch the championship by defeating Melbourne Victory in the Grand Final. Now, she’s joining the club she once overcame, bringing invaluable experience and a champion’s mindset to Victory’s quest for silverware.

The Ultimate Competitor

Taylor Ray’s career to date is defined by success and perseverance. Though injuries have at times sidelined her, she has been part of teams that consistently reach the highest level. She’s overcome significant setbacks, adapted to new roles, and performed under pressure, proving herself a true champion and player to watch.

With the right environment at Victory and a strong, uninterrupted season, Ray could be in a position to begin to put herself back in the frame for national team consideration. The Matildas midfield is currently one of the more competitive areas to break into, but if she can stay fit and consistently perform at a high level, a return to the international stage isn’t out of the question.

Now that they’ve brought in the player who so recently helped defeat them, do Victory have all the right ingredients? What’s undeniable is Taylor Ray will be determined to continue her streak of Grand Final appearances in her ninth season.

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SWPL refereeing under fire as Rangers escape with win

Rangers 2-1 Motherwell

By Gethin Thurlow (31/8/25)

Above: Kirsty Howat scores to put Rangers 2-0 against Motherwell Photo: @RangersWFC on X

Referee Lauren Whitehead was the centre of attention as several poor decisions impacted the game, overshadowing Rangers’ victory over Motherwell, which kept them in touch with Celtic at the top of the SWPL.

While Rangers were allowed unfettered access to the Motherwell half in the first half, the away side held strong at the back. Leanne Crichton’s team certainly mixed up their forms of attack, trying long balls, crosses, and more controlled passing moves into the box. Where they looked most threatening was from set pieces, although Rebecca Cameron stepped into action whenever it was required.

The only time Rangers were able to break this Motherwell defensive deadlock was the controversial first goal. As Katie Wilkinson and Chelsie Watson challenged for the ball, Watson went down clearly clutching her head, causing the Motherwell players to stop, waiting for the referee’s whistle. That sound never came, and instead Lizzie Arnot slipped Brogan Hay in, with the Motherwell defence totally switched off. Even an initial save from Cameron wasn’t enough to keep the score level. 

Motherwell were able to win the ball from the Rangers’ defence in some high areas, but their front four did not have the quality or communication to link up and turn that possession into goals. As the second half began with Paul Bronwlie’s side trailing, they started to push up more and that opened the Motherwell defence slightly. 

Katie Wilkinson, usually known for her clinical finishes; played an inch perfect through-ball to Kirsty Howat who found the bottom corner to put Rangers in full control of the tie. As the game seemed to be petering out, Rangers keeper Jenna Fife was far too casual, getting caught on the ball by Kodie Hay, who squared it to Carla Boyce and suddenly that game was back to life.

Rangers were not fully able to shut down Motherwell in that subsequent time, and they got lucky again when Nicola Docherty appeared to pull Teoni Steele back with the Motherwell substitute through on goal. Had that foul been given, it would have constituted a red card for denial of a clear goalscoring opportunity.

Above: Rangers captain Nicola Docherty was lucky to avoid a red card in the dying moments of the game Photo: RangersWFC on X

Shortly before the hosts doubled their lead, the referee seemed to miss an obvious handball by Motherwell in their own area, which gave the impression that Whitehead’s poor decisions were more down to incompetence rather than any agenda. This will not take away the sour feeling from Motherwell though, who will feel that the game was taken away from them through those refereeing decisions.

It does not take away from the performance, though. Only in one moment were Rangers able to fully slice through this Motherwell side, and they can take so much pride and confidence from that going forward into other games. The other professional sides will take note of how Motherwell managed to foil Rangers so well, both to try and overcome that when they face Paul Brownlie’s team and as inspiration for ways to shut down this Rangers team.

For Rangers, the first goal perhaps underlined a club-wide attitude that winning matters more than anything else. Some fans will no doubt feel that their willingness to take advantage of such a situation goes against so much of the positive spirit with which the women’s game has traditionally been played.

On the footballing side, it is once again a very underwhelming performance as things have yet to properly settle under Leanne Crichton. Whether the intention was there or not, it felt like they were comfortable with that two-goal lead and were happy to play the game out in this manner, rather than trying to push for as many as possible. It is another effort full of learnings to be taken and improvements to be made, as they look ahead to an Old Firm derby that already looks like a must-win game for Rangers given the start to the season from their old rivals.

For the SWPL, there is much to be taken from this. Player welfare is the top priority of any sport, and this is why football has pushed so hard on the head-injury rule in recent years. If a player goes down and the injury does not look serious, then play can continue. However, if the injury is to the head, the game should be stopped instantly. Watson very clearly suffered a blow to the head, and the referee should have stopped play. The league needs to consider whether they are emphasising this enough or how they can adapt the way referees are trained and monitored, to ensure that player safety has priority over keeping the flow of the game.

Teams

Rangers (4-4-2): Fife, McLeary, Austin, Docherty (c), Conelly-Jackson, Hay, Griffiths, McLoughlin, Arnot, Howat, Wilkinson

Substitutes: Hill (for Austin 63’), Shin-Ji (for Griffiths 63’), McAulay (for Hay 63’), Cruft (McLoughlin 74’), Berry (for Howat 80’)

Scorers: Hay 28’, Howat 53’

Motherwell (4-1-4-1): Cameron, Inglis (c), Browning, Watson, Burn, Ronald, Bulloch, Collins, Blyth-Clark, Rice, Boyce.

Substitutes: Cairns (for Inglis 65’), Denholm (for Rice 79’), Hay (for Bulloch 79’), Steele (for Blyth-Clark 86’)

Scorer: Boyce 80’

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Fremantle City seal State Cup success

Fremantle City 3-0 Balcatta Etna

by Ella McShane at the Sam Kerr Football Centre for Impetus (30/8/25)

Above: Fremantle City lift the Western Australian State Cup earlier today. Photo: Ella McShane for Impetus.

Fremantle City claimed their first Western Australian State Cup today with victory over Balcatta Etna at the Sam Kerr Football Centre.

Goals from Annabelle Leek (penalty), Sophie Meaden, and Leyna Wood ensured that the Port City side ended their season on a high, despite missing out on Top Four Cup action.

Freo came into this game having won nine of their last 12 games in league and cup, but still Balcatta had denied them a top four finish in the NPLW WA. Sam Geddes’ team were fully motivated to ensure that their superb run of form in the second half of the season got some reward.

This was a thrilling showdown where determination and grit were much in evidence. It was Balcatta who had the best of the early exchanges, and just five minutes in, Alyssa van Heurck struck a clear warning sign with a shot that forced a superb diving save from Fremantle City goalkeeper Megan Phillips.

Balcatta’s efforts to build carried a sustainable optimism ,with Fremantle’s strong but fleeting attacks on the counter a reminder that they too offered a threat.

Balcatta’s dominance continued to grow as they continued to control the midfield, prompting superb saves from Phillips.

The tide turned in the latter stages of the half for the port side when Mia Yeo’s excellent read of the play enabled her to break through the hitherto organised Balcatta defence. Called to action, Etna’s keeper Rebecca Bennett smothered the ball just enough to ward of danger.

Building on the momentum, Yeo made yet another spectacular charge up the centre a mere minute later. In a direct parallel to her previous chance, Yeo hit a shot from inside the left hand side of the box only for it to agonisingly be denied by the crossbar.

With Freo’s threat building, in the heat of the moment, Balcatta defender Zoee Spadano committed a handball in the box, resulting in a penalty being awarded. Captain Annabelle Leek stepped up to the penalty spot and secured Fremantle the lead with composure.

After the break, Fremantle continued to build on their attacking momentum and their efforts were rewarded just six minutes into the second half.

Abbey Green sent a screaming cross towards Fremantle’s favourable goal that was defended brilliantly by Balcatta with three shots cleared off the line, but Sophie Meaden was on hand to deservedly double the port city side’s lead, effortlessly tapping the goal into the bottom of the net.

As the half progressed, Balcatta steadied the ship and began to balance out the control of midfield once more.

However, Etna’s defence was kept on high alert throughout the half, notably when Leyna Wood made a surging run down the pitch, threatening Bennett’s goal. However, Bennett’s calm read of the threat neutralised danger with composure.

Wood continued to press, and in the 84th minute, her persistence paid off. Striding into the right-hand side of the box, the American’s initial shot was met by Bennett’s block. But Wood was quick to react, pouncing on the rebound and volleying the ball into the net to seal the historic 3-0 victory for Fremantle City with her 20th goal of the season.

Check out our Instagram page @ImpetusFootball for video from the game courtesy of Ella McShane and Max Parris.

Teams: FREMANTLE CITY: Phillips, Spencer, Poad, Osborne, Leek, Kiama, Meaden, Reynolds, Wood, Green, Yeo. Substitutes: Ireland, Trueman, Siah, Lush, Mayoe, Healy.

Scorers: Leek (pen) 40’, Meaden 51’, Wood 84’.

BALCATTA ETNA: Bennett, Foletta, Spadano, Davis, Murray, Jarvis, Marwick, Van Heurck, Cook, Gale, Meakins. Substitutes: Duncanson, Hargreaves, Britton, Gama, St Pierre, Comito.

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Dominant Bayern brush aside rivals Wolfsburg to win Supercup

Bayern Munich 4 – 2 VfL Wolfsburg

By Catherine MacKenzie (30/08/2025)

Above: Bayern Munich Frauen celebrate their win. Photo: @DFB_Frauen1 on X.

The competition

The Google Pixel Supercup revives the discontinued German Women’s Supercup, which ran between 1992 and 1997, with the premise being that two of the nation’s top teams would compete for a pre-season trophy. The new iteration was launched in 2024, with Bayern handed the trophy after a tight 1-0 win over rivals Wolfsburg. The teams involved normally include the league winner and DFB Pokal winner – however as both were won by Bayern in 2024-25, league runners up Wolfsburg were once again the opposition in 2025.

The teams

Many new faces could be seen around the stadium as new Munich head coach Jose Barcola took charge of his first competitive match, and Stephan Lerch was back on the bench for VfL Wolfsburg. On the pitch, both starting lineups included summer signings: Johannes (from Frankfurt) and Levels (from Leverkusen) for the Wolves, and for Bayern, Danish player Ballisager (from Fiorentina).

The action

Any game between FC Bayern Munich and VfL Wolfsburg is going to be frought with rivalry, but few would have predicted the pure number of times the ref would blow her whistle in the first half. It was difficult for either team to get into the flow of the game, however Munich dominated from the earliest stages. Wolfsburg keeper Johannes was forced into action within the first ten minutes as Georgia Stanway fed Jovana Damnjanovic in the box and she had her first attempt of the match.

Whilst that attempt did not result in a goal, Munich did not have long to wait. 18 minutes in, central defender Magdalena Eriksson stayed forward after a set piece. Unmarked on the edge of the penalty area, she seized the chance and fired a powerful left-footed shot into the net.

Above: Magdalena Eriksson celebrates her goal. Photo: DFB_Frauen1 on X.

Bayern continued to dominate as Wolfsburg struggled to break out of their press, with no Wolfsburg players keeping the strong Bavarian midfield in check. Stanway was allowed to make runs into the box, where her interplay with Damnjanovic caused problems, and Linda Dallman was given ample space to roam on the right.

The second goal came five minutes after the first; Damnjanovic outpaced Joelle Wedemeyer and struck a powerful shot high at the near post. Close to the end of the half, Wolfsburg had their best chance as Dutch striker Lineth Beerensteyn hit the crossbar.

The second half was more open – with more chances on both sides. Wolfsburg pulled one back as Bayern failed to clear the ball in from a corner and Vivien Endemann shot home. There was celebration in the stands as Lena Oberdorf made her long-awaited return from injury for the Munich team on the hour mark, and the game ebbed as both sides fought for the momentum.

Above: Lena Oberdorf makes her return. Photo: DFB_Frauen1 on X.

The goal of the match came from Bayern as they restored their two goal lead in the 72nd minute. Lea Schüller’s last act in the match was to produce a sublime volley as she received the ball on her left, chested the ball, turned and shot with her right.

The fourth goal came as Justine Kielland was adjudged to have brought down Damnjanovic in the box, leading to a red card and a penalty to Bayern. Stanway shot home with confidence to put the game out of reach for Wolfsburg.

In the final minutes of the match, Wolfsburg were awarded a penalty of their own as Lena Oberdorf fouled Beerensteyn on the edge of the box. Janina Minge converted past Mahmutovic.

Bayern Munich kick off the Frauen Bundesliga season against Bayer Leverkusen at the Allianz Arena on the 6th of September. Wolfsburg are away to Hamburger SV.

TEAMS: BAYERN MUNICH (4-2-3-1): Mahmutovic, Kett, Ballisager, Eriksson, Simon, Zadrazil, Stanway, Dallmann, Tanikawa, Damnjanovic, Schüller. Substitutes: Grohs (Tor), Gilles (for Eriksson 82′), T. Hansen, Alara (for Damnjanovic 82′), Caruso, Oberdorf (for Tanikawa 62′), Bühl (for Dallman 62′), Harder (for Schüller 73′) , Padilla-Bidas.

VfL WOLFSBURG (4-2-1-3): Johannes, Wedemeyer, Dijkstra, Minge, Levels, Lattwein, Peddemors, Endemann, Popp, Huth, Beerensteyn. Substitutes: Tufekovic (Tor), Bjelde (for Wedemeyer 73′), Küver, Pujols, Kielland (for Lattwein 64′), Vallotto (for Peddemors 84′), Bussy (for Huth, 84′), S. Freier, Zicai (for Endemann 64′).

Attendance: 16,733

Referee: TBC

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UWCL Qualifiers: Roma through, heartbreak for Ireland’s Athlone Town

By Alyce Collett (29/08/2025)

Above: AS Roma celebrate their win. Photo: ASRomaFemminile on X.

In our final roundup of the second round UWCL qualifiers, Alyce Collett documents Roma’s triumph over Aktobe and Athlone Town’s defeat to Iceland’s Breidablik.

AS Roma 2 – 0 FK Aktobe

Winonah Heatley and AS Roma’s Champions League campaign is off to the perfect start after downing Kazakh side Aktobe 2-0 in the semi final of their Round 2 League Path group. The Aussie played the full match at the heart of defence as Roma dominated Aktobe, despite what the scoreline might suggest.

Above: AS Roma starting eleven. Photo: ASRomaFemminile on X.

It was clear from the onset that it was going to be a hard afternoon for Aktobe, with AS Roma on the attacking front foot from almost the first whistle. The Kazakh side did have their chances with the ball in their attacking half, but did spend the majority of the match crowding their defensive box, trying to keep the ball out of their net and staving off Roma attack after Roma attack. Roma were so dominant in the possession game that the Italians finished with 31 total shots on goal and 13 corners for the match.

Eventually Roma was able to break down the defence and score. Firstly in the 40th minute it was Marta Pandini who guided a well placed Rinsola Babajide cross into the back of the net, before Pandini turned assister for Giulia Galli a mere minute later.

Roma now moves on to face Czech side Sparta Praha, who defeated Danish side Nordsjælland 4-3 on penalties after it finished four goals all at full time.

Not all hope of continental football is lost for Aktobe though. Despite losing their semi final, if they win their third placed match this weekend against Nordsjælland, they will qualify for the first round of the brand new Europa Cup.

Breidablik 3 – 1 Athlone Town

Athlone Town’s historic first foray into the Women’s Champions League is over, after an at times frustrating 3-1 loss to Iceland’s Breidablik.

Above: Athlone Town huddle. Photo: Athlone Town website.

The first half of the match was a pretty even affair, with plenty of free flowing, end to end action. Despite this, Athlone did look the more dangerous of the two sides initially, not only racking up more shots than their Icelandic opponents but also Athlone’s shots were closer to scoring than Briedablik’s.

The sides went into half time without any goals to show for their efforts, but there was a feeling that it was a matter of when, not if Athlone would score, which just was not there for Breidablik.

However, the Icelanders had other ideas, and took not even three minutes of the second half to score, when Sammy Smith pounced on Athlone keeper Megan Plaschko losing possession to score the first goal of the match against the run of play.

However, not all was said and done as Athlone equalised just over 10 minutes later. Although it was officially credited to captain Izzy Groves, it could be argued that it was in fact a third Olympico of the qualifying campaign Maddie Gibson.

The equalisation efforts were ultimately in vain though, as Smith popped up again to score her second and restore the lead for Breidablik before Berglind Björg Þorvaldsdóttir put a full stop on the result with a strong strike from distance.  

Not all hope of continental football is lost for The Town though. If they win their third placed match on Sunday against Crvena Zvezda, they will qualify for the first round of the brand new Europa Cup.

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NPL Women’s NSW – Round 25 Recap

By Georgina Lewis 29/8/25

Photo: By Georgina Lewis.

Round 25 delivered drama, late twists, and individual brilliance across every fixture, with fans treated to one of the most entertaining weekends of football this season. Here’s how the action unfolded.

Match of the Round – Mt Druitt Town Rangers 2–3 Sydney Olympic | Popondetta Park

Sydney Olympic secured their place in the league for another year with a nerve-shredding win over Mt Druitt Town Rangers.

The night began disastrously for the visitors when Erin Tavares struck inside two minutes to give the Rangers the lead. Olympic, though, refused to panic. Tiana Fuller drew them level, Baxter Thew edged them ahead, and Alyssa Whinham added a third just before halftime.

Rosie Galea halved the deficit after the interval to give Mt Druitt hope, but Olympic dug deep to protect their advantage until the final whistle — three priceless points that guarantee survival.

NWS Spirit 3–0 Macarthur Rams | Christie Park

NWS Spirit’s faint finals ambitions remain alive thanks to a stunning hat-trick from Skye Halmarick in their win over the Rams.

Bethany Gordon split the defence with a superb lofted pass, and Halmarick controlled beautifully before rifling home the opener. Minutes later she produced the goal of the afternoon, launching an audacious strike from halfway that sailed over the goalkeeper.

The striker then completed her treble in the dying minutes, curling an unstoppable free-kick into the top corner — a performance that will live long in Spirit folklore.

Bulls FC Academy 4–1 Gladesville Ravens | Northbridge Oval

The Bulls roared back into form with a dominant victory over Gladesville Ravens.

Isabella Coco-Di Sipio rose highest at a corner to head the opener, then set up Jynaya Dos Santos for the second soon after. Petria Phillips added a spectacular third from distance to all but put the game to bed within 30 minutes.

The Ravens did respond through Allyssa Ng Saad, who volleyed home after a clever assist from Morgan Roberts, but Coco-Di Sipio struck again almost immediately with another long-range effort. From there, the Bulls calmly saw the game out.

UNSW 3–2 Manly United | The Village Green

UNSW edged a thrilling contest against Manly United in a clash that could define the race for fourth spot.

Aya Yamahata’s powerful header gave UNSW the breakthrough, and Demi Koulizakis made it 2-0 shortly before the break. Manly fought back strongly after halftime — Ruby Jackson scrambled one in from a corner, before Alexia Forner’s free-kick took a wicked deflection to level the scores.

But deep into stoppage time, UNSW found a winner. Chloe Smith pounced on a loose ball in the box in the 97th minute, sealing an unforgettable victory for the home side.

Illawarra Stingrays 2–2 APIA Leichhardt | Macedonia Park

The Stingrays were denied a crucial win right at the death as league leaders APIA salvaged a late draw.

Sienna Saveska’s vicious free-kick had the hosts in front early, but Ashlie Crofts’ clever run and tidy finish brought APIA back on terms. After the break, Caitlin Cooper unleashed a rocket from distance to restore Illawarra’s advantage.

The Stingrays looked set to celebrate three points — until Gisella Pipino’s injury-time header silenced the home crowd and ensured APIA left with a share of the spoils.

Western Sydney Wanderers 0–1 Northern Tigers | Wanderers Football Park

The Tigers prevailed in a scrappy contest thanks to an early goalmouth scramble.

A corner caused chaos for the Wanderers, whose goalkeeper spilled the initial header. In the ensuing mess, the ball ricocheted off a defender before falling kindly for Mischa Anderson to knock in from close range.

That eighth-minute strike proved decisive, as the Tigers successfully absorbed pressure for the remainder of the game to secure the win.

Sydney University 2–1 Newcastle Jets | Sydney Uni Football Ground

Sydney Uni halted their losing streak with a narrow win over bottom-placed Newcastle Jets.

A swift break allowed Tiana Petkovski to slot in the opener, though the Jets equalised after Marni Duggan reacted fastest to a goalkeeper’s spill.

The decisive moment came before halftime, when Charlotte Hogan connected with a clearance on the edge of the box and lashed home a fierce half-volley. The Jets battled gamely but couldn’t find a response, and Uni claimed a valuable three points.

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UWCL Qualifiers: Mixed fortunes for the Dutch as PSV beaten but Twente rampant

By Catherine MacKenzie (28/08/2025)

Above: Manchester United celebrate beating PSV. Photo: ManUtdWomen on X.

Dutch champions FC Twente and second-place PSV were both in action on Wednesday evening, in the second round of UWCL qualifiers. PSV had the tougher duel, with England’s Manchester United their opponent, whilst Twente faced Serbian opponents ZFK Crvena zvezda.

Manchester United 4 – 0 PSV

PSV will not be a familiar opponent for many English viewers, however they have become a strong team domestically. Last season in the Eredivisie, they pushed dominant Twente to the last day of the title race, only losing on goal difference. They have experienced internationals in their team, such as the Netherlands’ Renate Jansen, Switzerland’s Riola Xhemaili and Belgian keeper Nicky Evrard.

United have been experimenting with formation in pre-season friendlies, with Leah Galton and Celin Bizet switching sides at points, with the wingbacks pushing very high up the pitch. This trend continued; Swedish Anna Sandberg came in for Gabby George, and Dominique Janssen and Jade Riviere switched places at times as United switched between a back three and a back two.

Lisa Naalsund slotted into midfield alongside Ella Toone and Hinata Miyazawa, and the trio offered a balance that United were missing at times last season. New signing Julia Zigiotti Olme formed the right side of a front three alongside Celin Bizet and Elisabeth Terland.

For PSV, the biggest team news was that veteran keeper Nicky Evrard was on the bench. The 30-year-old has been a strong presence in the PSV backline that only conceded 13 goals in 22 games last season – and with the number of defensive changes in personnel, her exclusion came as a surprise.

United were dominant from the first minute, with Terland opening the scoring in the seventh minute. Bizet made it two before half-time, Terland added a third just after and then a fourth around the hour mark to complete the hattrick.

Above: Elisabeth Terland for Manchester United. Photo: ManUtdWomen on X.

Terland has often put the work in and unselfishly created space in the attacking third for her teammates, so her hattrick was nice to see. Ella Toone also had a hattrick of assists, continuing her stellar form in 2025 and giving head coach Marc Skinner a headache over team selection.

For PSV, their one major chance only served to produce an impressive save from Phallon Tullis-Joyce, as Chimera Ripa used some excellent technical footwork to create a chance for herself. They will have the chance to compete in the Europa league this season, facing Ukranian opposition in WFC Zhytlobud-1 Kharkiv.

For United, a meeting with Hammarby awaits. They are guaranteed European football this season, be it in the UWCL or the new Europa league.

FC Twente 6 – 0 ZFK Crvena zvezda

Whilst many questioned Jill Roord’s move from Manchester City to FC Twente earlier this summer, the Dutch team did offer something City could not: the potential of European football. The reigning Dutch champions were in good form coming into UWCL qualifying, having pipped PSV to the Supercup last weekend, and are under a new manager in Corina Dekker following the successful reign of Joran Pot.

Twente lined up largely as expected, with Roord in the number 10 role behind Jaimy Ravensbergen – last Eredivisie season’s top scorer. Whilst Twente had not been in electrifying goal scoring form during pre-season, there is a relationship developing between the two, which was on display against zvezda.

Above: Jaimy Ravensbergen celebrates. Photo: FCTwenteVrouwen on X.

The first half was relatively slow, with few chances for either side. Twente looked rather disjointed – perhaps to be expected. At times it seemed like the team implsively wanted to get the ball to Roord, regardless of her position or preparedness for the ball. This waned after half-time, and Ravensbergen opened the scoring on the hour mark.

This was followed by a strike from Roord in the 78th minute, and the floodgates opened, with four more goals coming in quick succession from Alieke Tuin, Roord again, Sophie Proost, and Eva Oude Elberink.

Above: Jill Roord celebrates. Photo: Vincent Jannink / Turbantia.

Twente move on to the next round where they will face Iceland’s Breioablik Kopavogur, whilst zvezda face the Irish Athlone Town FC for a spot in the Europa league.

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Nike release Sam Kerr player edition boot

By Kieran Yap 28/8/25

Above: The Player Edition Nike boot designed with Sam Kerr.

Sam Kerr has joined some of the world’s greatest athletes in having her own Nike shoe. The football boot, a player edition of the Mercurial Superfly 10.

The boot design is a tribute to Sam’s journey as a professional footballer, showcasing the unique attitude she brings to the pitch, and her enduring love for Perth and her roots.

“Through the creation process it was always important that the boot should tell my story,” Kerr said through Nike.

“How this kid from East Fremantle got this far following her dreams.

 “The colours of the boot are what I think of when I think of home – Perth’s ocean and sunsets. It’s a reminder of where I’m from,” she continued.

The boot is adorned with messaging personal to Australia’s record goal scorer. “Consistent” for her mantra, “Perth Swagger” for a nod to her hometown’s unique identity and “Forever Forward” for her on-pitch position.

It also includes numbers like “2009” for her debut year with the Matildas, “Golden in 2017” for her first golden boot, and “2020 for the Blues” as a celebration of Chelsea’s landmark campaign.

Each boot will also feature Kerr’s signature on the heel and the design is a nod to one of her sporting idols. They feature a stripe down the toe to evoke Cathy Freeman’s famous body suit of the Sydney Olympics and the number “2000” at the top of the stripe.

The timing of the boots release could not have come better, with Kerr preparing to return from a long-term knee injury and begin the quest for another WSL title with Chelsea.

With her return to the Australian national team hopefully imminent, Matildas fans could be seeing Kerr scoring in her personalised Mercurial 10’s in the forthcoming games against  Wales.

It also marks another big moment in women’s football, with a personalised boot almost unheard of when Kerr made her debut for the national team. With specialised women’s boots becoming more common, and participation in Australia continuing to grow, it feels fitting that our most successful individual player has her own personalised Nike boot.

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UWCL Qualifiers: Scotland’s Glasgow City and Hibernian bow out

By Gethin Thurlow (28/08/2025)

Above: Hibernian captain Rachael Boyle scores for Hibernian. Photo: HibernianWomen on X.

Glasgow City 0-2 Austria Wien

Two moments of quality saw Austria Wien move past Glasgow in a tight game.

Both teams imposed themselves on the game in the first half, with possession and
chances shared pretty evenly between the two teams. Neither of them could find the back of the net, and it was clear that it would take a moment of great quality to open the scoring. For the group hosts, that moment came early in the second half, with Katharina Schiechtl whipping a free kick past Lee Gibson in the Glasgow goal.

Glasgow did push for the equaliser, although they were never quite on top of their opponents as much as they needed to be. Sofia Maatta and Emily Whelan were both inches away from the scoring, but the other goal of the game was to be scored Maria Olsen of Austria Wien in injury time to secure the result.

Above: Glasgow City thank their fans post-match. Photo: GlasgowCityFC on X.

For Austria Wien, they go on to a tie against FC Minsk to put them through into the third round of qualifying for the Champions League. For Glasgow City, they go straight into the first round of qualifying for the Europa Cup, which is a new second tier European competition. This is because they were only drawn into a group of three and thus there is no ‘loser’ from the first game to play to determine that third place.


Fortuna Hjorring 2-1 Hibernian

Goalkeeping errors proved costly as Fortuna snuck past Scottish Champions Hibs in a game were neither team showcased the performances that won them the subsequent league titles.

Above: Hibernian’s starting 11. Photo: HibernianWomen on X.

The first five minutes gave an indication of how the game was going to go. After a huge miscommunication at the back, Andreea Paraluta in the Fortuna Hjorring goal was caught on the ball by Rosie Livingstone, leaving the keeper no choice but to take her out and a penalty was given. The ever-reliable Kathleen McGovern stepped up and looked to have put Hibs in front with a nice powerful shot towards the top left corner. However, Paraluta redeemed herself with a fantastic save to push it over the
bar.

From the ensuing corner – as unbelievable as it sounds – Omewa Ogochukwu was played in behind the defence, and Noa Schumacher in goal for Hibs misjudged the situation, allowing Ugochuckwu to dribble past her. As the only option left, Schumacher rugby tackled the Nigerian striker to the ground and it was now a Fortuna penalty.

It is worth saying that this was much worse of an offence, denying a clear goalscoring opportunity and there was clearly no effort to play the ball – she was lucky to escape a red card. Ugochuckwo only went and blasted the ball over the bar after all of that drama to somehow leave the game 0-0.

Although it was played at night, the temperatures were 27 degrees Celsuis in Cyrpus and this massively affected the game. Neither team looked at their best, with no flow of possession ever being created. The whistle was blown a lot and no one put their mark of the game.

Hibs came out rejuvenated in the second half, partly because of the introduction of Caley Gibb, who defended brilliantly and provided most of Hibs’ attacking threat from the right back position. Indeed it was her work on the wing and cross which eventually found its was to Rachael Boyle, who put it home for her first goal in 934 days. This really settled Hibs and they started the take control of the game and were looking secure in their lead.

However, this game was never simple or predictable so when Ashley Reifner put a ball in to the edge of the box, Ugochuckwu beat the defence to get their first, but she was so far out that surely the keeper would easily save it. Noa Schumacher unfortunately has misread the cross and came sprinting out of her line, attempting to punch the ball away and thus when she didn’t reach it the ball was free to slowly roll in. If she had just stayed back it would have been an easy claim.

As both teams toiled even further, the game felt like it was going to penalties. Neither team seemed to have enough in them to string any passes or an attack together even in 30 minutes of extra time.

As time ran out, Schumacher did well to save a great long shot from Fortuna and the Danish side had a late corner. It was a great ball in from Nikoline Nielsen, but what defined the goal was another error rather than that skill. Clearly wanting to assert herself back into the game, Schumacher jumped and got a hand on the ball. As unlucky as it was for her, instead of punching the ball over, she ended up punching it straight into the goal, ultimately sealing the fate of her team.

Fortuna Hjorring go on to face Swiss side Young Boys, who beat Apollen 1-0 in an unconvincing win earlier on Sunday. Should they get past them, they will enter round three Champions League qualifying, but they can solace in the fact that if they lose Europe is still on the horizon as they will go into round two qualifying for the Europa cup.

Hibernian will face Apollen on Saturday, aiming to come third in the group and at least gain entry to round one of Europa Cup qualification.

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