Above: AFC Wimbledon (red) battle away at Actonians yesterday. Photo: Emily Topping.
AFC Wimbledon got back to winning ways on Sunday as they earned a well-earned three points at Actonians in the FA Women’s National League Division One South-East.
Coming into the game off the back of a defeat to Championship side Charlton Athletic, The Dons were keen to bounce back well.
Wimbledon had the better of the opening exchanges as Ashlee Hincks and Emma Plewa both had shots that were narrowly off-target inside the opening five minutes.
Actonians had their first chance after 20 minutes as they forced Faye Baker into a fine save. Hincks then threatened again as she took on a left-footed effort from range that was well-matched by the home keeper.
Shortly after this, the visitors got the opening goal as Ellie Dorey finished off a fine move. However the Dons’ lead would last for just two minutes as Actonians capitalised on some lapse defending to equalise.
The second half started the same way the first did with Wimbledon dominating. The pick of the chances came via a lob from Hincks that was hacked clear off the line.
With 25 minutes left, Dons took the lead from the penalty spot after an Actonians defender was adjudged to have handled in the area. Hincks duly stepped up and dispatched for her 23rd goal of the season, which in turn wrapped up the three points.
Speaking afterwards, AFC Wimbledon’s Amy Taylor said: “Credit to Actonians, they were really good, they stuck to their gameplan and made it difficult for us. I think we showed good desire and character to see the win through.”
The Dons are back at Carshalton Athletic on Sunday as they welcome Hounslow for what will be their first home league fixture since October.
Above: A spectacular image of Rossvale scoring against Renfrew yesterday. Photo supplied to Impetus by:Kelly Nielson.
SWF Championship
Rossvale have leapfrogged Renfrew Ladies into the playoff spot in the Scottish Women’s Championship with a 4-3 victory against their rivals in Glasgow.
Rossvale claim second in the table on goal difference, but it was Renfrew who had the lead at half-time through MacLeod and Wilkie. But Rossvale came back with a double from McJacobs and a goal from Whiteford to add to the opener from Amy Allan. A late free kick from Renfrew set up a thrilling injury time but the visitors could not grab the equaliser.
Meanwhile, league leaders Livingston were held 3-3 at Inverness Caledonian Thistle after ICT manager Karen Mason had fired a warning shot for her players ahead of the tie.
Speaking to the Press and Journal, Mason had expressed frustration with players after a series of defeats on the road.
“It may well be that we need a clear out of players who don’t have the commitment or capabilities for this level.”
They responded with taking the first points from Livingston in the Championship in several months, goals from Tina Kelly, Lorna Macrae, and Iona Macarthur cancelling out strikes from Ashley Elizabeth, Beth McKay, and Brogan Anderson for the visitors.
Ayr United continued recent good form with an assured 6-0 victory in Edinburgh against a Hutchison Vale side that has lost some key players in recent weeks. Taysum and Duthie added to doubles from Sloan and Docherty to keep things comfortable for the visitors.
Dryburgh Athletic opened up some distance between themselves and bottom side Morton with a convincing 4-1 victory in Port Glasgow.
SWF League One
Above: Spectacular overhead kick action in the League One match between St.Mirren (black and white) and Edinburgh Caledonia. Photo: Ger Harley/ Sportpix
Leaders FC Edinburgh beat Giffnock SC 6-0 at home while the joust for second place saw Westdyke put 12 past Dundee West, including five goals from the in-form Kayleigh Traynor. Falkirk and Grampian Ladies played out a 1-1 draw in the northeast.
Edinburgh Caledonia showed up in style to Mossedge, defeating top six side St. Mirren 7-4 despite a spirited fightback in the last minutes by the Buddies, while Airdrie Ladies beat BSC Glasgow 4-0 away.
Biffa SWFL
In the Biffa SWFL, the battle for the top of the SWFL West saw Harmony Row beat Alloa Athletic 6-1 to go to the top of the table, while a draw between Bonnyrigg Thistle and Livingston Reserves allowed Central Girls to go to the top of the BiffaSWFL East after narrowly winning over McDermid Ladies. In the Edinburgh derby Edinburgh South took the points with a 1-0 victory over Edinburgh University Thistle.
In the Biffa SWFL South, Kilwinning won 12-0 to keep pace with table-toppers Queen of the South, who won 10-0. And Forfar Farmington remain top of the Biffa SWFL North with a convincing defeat of Buchan.
This weekend, Impetus covered two WSL matches. Ben Phillips was pitchside at Victoria Road as West Ham United hosted Arsenal to provide us with a photo gallery, and Nathan Edwards was in the press box for Aston Villa’s home game with Brighton and Hove Albion (6/2/23).
Above: A battle for possession between West Ham United and Arsenal last night. Photo: Ben Phillips for Impetus.
Aston Villa 1-1 Brighton and Hove Albion
by Nathan Edwards
Jens Scheuer picked up his first point in the Women’s Super League as they held Aston Villa to a draw, with Villa boss, Carla Ward, slamming the referee’s performance.
The first half at the Bescot Stadium was starved of any quality in the final third, until 12 minutes from the break when Sarah Mayling’s cross was missed by Megan Walsh.
As the ball evaded Walsh’s attempted punch, the ball rebounded off Kayleigh Green’s thigh and into her own net.
It was the only real chance created in the first half, with Walsh’s save from Kenza Dali’s shot looping high in the air and rebounding off the crossbar.
But as the two sides came out in the second half, Brighton played with new intentions, pushing higher up the pitch and pressurising Aston Villa’s deeper passing.
It did leave some spaces in behind, that Villa struggled to exploit on most occasions but when they did, Rachel Daly was unable to get the clinical touch on Kirsty Hanson’s cutback header and fired her volley over the bar.
The WSL’s top goalscorer was marshalled well throughout the game, and with Brighton hunting down the Villans’ players more effectively they got their reward.
Laura Blindkilde’s heavy touch was pounced on by Veatriki Sarri. Hannah Hampton was quick off her line to thwart her effort but Julia Olme struck in the rebound.
Above: Celebrations for Aston Villa, but the Midlands side had to settle for only a point. Photo: Sports Mole.
Scheuer said, “In my opinion, in the second half we were the better team. In the first half, we had real problems but, at half time, we changed the formation to a 4-2-3-1, which I think was a good decision.
“So we are really happy to come here and get a point, we didn’t steal the point, in the end, we earnt it, and we are really happy to do it against a great Aston Villa team.”
After being drawn level in the game, Villa had a penalty appeal waved away, and with multiple tight offside decisions that went out of their favour, Carla Ward called for better standards of officiating.
The Villa boss said, “We are talking about professional football and a professional league, but what we had today was amateur officiating and it’s not okay.
“It’s not just, me, it’s every single manager and every single player and every fan wanting the standards to go up.
“But as you’re seeing there’s a lot of talk and not a lot of action, so at what point do we realise that as professional football managers, their futures are sometimes in the hands of those who aren’t professional and that’s not okay.”
With the rapid growth of the WSL in almost every aspect, the league have aimed to increase the standards of refereeing, through more reviews of the officials’ performances and accountability in place.
Ward said, “The fourth official [Robert Massey-Ellis] just mentioned to me then that he’d love to have a conversation about that because he probably felt he had to make quite a lot of decisions from where he was stood and that shouldn’t happen so, we’ll have a conversation with Bibiana Steinhaus-Webb [PGMOL’s women’s select group director]. Monday morning we’ll be on the phone.”
Each week during the home and away season, Impetus’ writing and photography team covering the A-League Women will nominate a player, coach, and event of the week. We’ll keep a tally of the player and coach votes as the weeks go by, and just before the Finals, will announce our winners for 2022/23 (6/2/23).
Player of the Week:
Above: Alex Chidiac (centre) – winner of two votes this week. Photo: Kris Goman for Impetus.
BEN GILBY:
Alex Chidiac. Another superb performance in the Melbourne Victory midfield. With her loan spell edging towards its conclusion, Victory fans will be keeping everything crossed that Jeff Hopkins can persuade her NWSL club to allow his Matildas star to hang around until the end of the A-League Women season.
KIERAN YAP:
Sarah Hunter. At just 19, she easily dominated A-League Women’s midfield. Her goal was spectacular, but her all-round play was excellent. Hunter is one of the best players in the competition in this form.
JONATHAN TAY:
Alex Chidiac. It’s clear that Melbourne Victory will live and die by the performances of Chidiac. With a number of key injuries this season and a midfield that has flattered to deceive, the Matilda has raised her game to be a difference-maker for her side. The 24-year-old produced a beautiful slide-rule pass into Beattie Goad for the opening goal, before converting a late penalty in Melbourne’s 3-1 win over Western Sydney. She now leads her team with five goals and five assists, and if Victory are to have any hope of making noise this campaign, they’ll need Chidiac to continue to be their X-factor.
RYAN MILLER-WOODS:
Grace Jale. Her performance for Canberra United against Newcastle Jets was crucial towards the end result for United with her presence on the pitch. For her team’s first goal, made a great one-two pass before setting up Laura Hughes.
BEN CAREY:
Cortnee Vine. A goal and an assist against Melbourne City. Another stellar performance from Vine, once again proving why she is not only essential to Sydney FC, but also a crucial part of the modern Matildas squad.
Coach of the Week:
Above: Perth Glory head coach Alex Epakis received three votes this week. Photo: Perth Glory.
BEN GILBY:
Alex Epakis. His Perth Glory team were without a game for three weeks, and then faced an away trip to the league leaders who had only lost once all season. The Western Australians could have been excused for appearing rusty. Instead, they were exceptionally well organised and produced their best defensive and offensive performance of the season.
KIERAN YAP:
Ante Juric. Another three-goal win against a top-four opponent can’t be ignored. This was a brutally efficient performance from Sydney FC.
JONATHAN TAY:
Certainly the most pleasing result of the campaign thus far for Perth Glory and head coach Alex Epakis, who upset current ladder leaders Western United 3-1. They were able to successfully apply pressure high up the field in the first half, before defending solidly in the second, restricting the quality of chances that United were able to muster. Perth have a much friendlier schedule for the remainder of the season, and they will have drawn confidence from Saturday’s game. Results will be vital down the stretch if they’re to stand any chance for finals contention.
RYAN MILLER-WOODS:
Ante Juric. Sydney FC were especially strong against Melbourne City and, despite having less possession in the match, they were able to not only see off any threats that were made by City but seized their opportunities of scoring when it mattered the most.
BEN CAREY:
Alex Epakis. Leading his team, who were near the bottom of the table, to a convincing win over the league leaders, Western United was a huge achievement. I was impressed with his leadership and belief.
Event of the Week:
Above: Clare Hunt (centre) heading clear for Western Sydney Wanderers. The defender’s selection for the Matildas this week was one of our panel’s highlights of the week. Photo: Kris Goman for Impetus.
BEN GILBY:
Alana Jancevski’s free-kick goal for Perth Glory at Western United. From 25 yards, the curl and power that the young gun put on the ball was sensatational. A class goal from a class player.
KIERAN YAP:
Melbourne Victory’s third goal. Catherine Zimmerman should have run the ball to the corner, instead, she took a gamble and set up the hard-running Tiffany Eliadis for an easy finish. It was a wonderful way to celebrate her return from injury.
JONATHAN TAY:
Clare Hunt earned her first call-up to the Matildas national team squad ahead of the Cup of Nations tournament taking place later this month. It’s reward for Hunt’s impressive displays at the back during Western Sydney’s recent good run of form, with the 23-year-old holding her own against a number of international strikers this season. More than just Hunt’s call-up in isolation though, it is pleasing to see Australian head coach Tony Gustavsson and his staff continue to keep their eyes on candidates plying their trade in the A-League. Arguably, the level of competition cannot compare to what is found in the better leagues in Europe. However, there are certainly players domestically who are capable of filling in the depth of the Matildas squad, alongside the more high-profile likes of Katrina Gorry, Cortnee Vine, and Alex Chidiac.
RYAN MILLER-WOODS:
Sarah Hunter’s goal for Sydney FC against Melbourne City. After a great lay off from Madison Haley, Hunter hit a first-time shot from outside the box going past City’s goalkeeper Sally James. Huinet made it look so effortless.
BEN CAREY:
Brisbane Roar defender Jessie Rasschaert scoring her first-ever goal in the A-League with a brilliant header against Adelaide United. It’s been five years in the making!
Artwork: Charlotte Stacey, founder of On Her Side.
Above: Shea Connors battles win to win possession earlier today. Photo:Adelaide United
Brisbane Roar boosted their finals chances on Sunday afternoon with a win over Adelaide United away from home.
Brisbane came in with an unchanged line-up from their exciting clash against Wellington Phoenix last weekend, hoping to conjure some of the same attacking magic they found in the first half of that match. Adelaide United came into the game winless in six straight matches, with something to prove in front of a home crowd.
The match started out a bit cagey, each team testing the other out. They had faced off just three weeks previously before in Brisbane, which resulted in a frustrating 1-1 draw for both teams.
Adelaide grew into the match slowly, dominating possession and creating the majority of opportunities. Their pace and accuracy of their passing was excellent, as was the dynamic movement of many of the Reds players, but they struggled to create anything from their possession.
In the 21st minute, Chelsie Dawber took the first shot on target for Adelaide, but it was saved easily by Hensley Hancuff. 15 minutes later though, Dawber found herself in a dangerous position, after an excellent pass from Japanese international, Nanako Sasaki. Dawber took a shot on goal, drawing an excellent save from Hancuff. There was an immediate counterattack by Brisbane, but when Katrina Gorry crossed it into the box, no forwards were there to capitalise.
Shea Connors found herself involved in a few half chances near the end of the first half. The first coming from a Gorry cross that bounced high off an Adelaide defender. Connors got her head on it, but couldn’t find enough pace to trouble Annalee Grove, the Adelaide keeper. A few minutes later she made her way into the box again, producing some great footwork to create space for a shot, but once she got it off it was blocked by a defender.
Just before halftime, there was a dramatic free kick from Sasaki off a set piece from well outside the box. She found the head of Dutch international, Marushka Waldus, who is almost six foot tall, and known for scoring headers. She made good contact with the ball, but it hit the underside of the crossbar and fell into the hands of the Brisbane keeper.
It was a scrappy start to the second half, with neither team maintaining possession for long. There were a few half chances up both ends. The first real opportunity of the second half came from a wonderful corner kick from Sasaki that found the head of Jenna McCormick, but her header was just wide of the goals.
Just before the 70-minute mark, there was a very strange series of events. Connors, who was in possession of the ball, was shoved over and her trailing boot clipped Dawber in the face, resulting in a bloody nose for the South Australian. Connors was unjustly given a yellow card, however, the Roar were still given a free kick. After a lot of delays and build-up, the free kick itself was relatively anticlimactic.
A few minutes later, during a corner kick, Dylan Holmes and Gorry had a collision in the box. Gorry had her back to Holmes, who went down. Holmes was unhappy with the contact and was subsequently shown a yellow card for dissent. Soon after, Holmes fouled Gorry in open play, resulting in a free kick for Brisbane. Hollie Palmer hit a superb ball into the box, which found Brisbane’s tallest player, defender Jessie Rasschaert, who used her head to dink it over Grove and score her first-ever A-League goal.
𝐑𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐄𝐑𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐔𝐄! 🦸♀️
What a time to get your first @LibFinancial A-League goal! 🤯
Jess Rasschaert seals a HUGE win for @brisbaneroar 👊
After Brisbane scored they looked like a different team. They started maintaining more possession and they had more of an offensive mindset when they were moving forward. But Adelaide was ramping up their aggression too, eager to strike back. In the 82nd minute, Jenna McCormick took a great shot from range, which needed a top-drawer diving save from Hancuff to tip it off the post and out of danger.
The last 10 or 15 minutes were frantic. Adelaide desperately trying to find a goal and come away with a point and Brisbane absorbing pressure and trying to hold on to the win. The Roar seemed to have taken some good lessons from last season, the whole team apply great late-game management to close out the match with a win. It was the first time since March 2021 that Brisbane had beaten Adelaide.
While Adelaide dominated the first half in terms of possession and shots on goals, they were unable to convert on any of their chances. Brisbane was able to hold on, absorb the pressure, and then strike back in the second half.
Rasschaert played an exceptional match. In the last few matches, Garrath McPherson has been employing her as a wing-back, rather than the full-back role she usually plays. This has allowed Rasschaert to use her pace to get up the side of the pitch, and set up the midfielders or forwards, somewhat reminiscent of Ellie Carpenter. She hit a couple of great passes into the final third during the match. It will be interesting to see how she develops in that role.
Palmer and Hancuff also performed very well, Palmer coming up clutch on set pieces, and Hancuff pulling out a number of amazing saves to keep Brisbane in the match. What an incredible signing she has been for the Roar this season.
Sasaki was exceptional for Adelaide, creating a handful of dangerous opportunities from set pieces. Waldus and McCormick also put in a great shift, the centre back duo not only shutting down numerous Brisbane Roar attacks, but also both coming within inches of scoring for Adelaide.
Brisbane Roar will play Melbourne Victory at home next Saturday and Adelaide United will have three weeks to lick their wounds and figure out how to break their seven-game winless streak when they also take on Melbourne Victory on February 26th.
Teams:ADELAIDE UNITED (4-3-3): Grove, I. Hodgson, McCormick, Waldus, E. Hodgson, Westland, Sasaki, Holmes, Dawber, Murray, Hayward. Substitutes: Wilson, Barbieri, Bowler, Coorey, Tolland.
Above: Canberra United celebrate their second-half scoring spree. Photo: Canberra United.
After two consecutive 5-0 defeats, Canberra United are back on the winners list with a 3-0 win against Newcastle Jets at No.2 Sportsground.
Canberra’s win was thanks to three goals in seven second-half minutes by Laura Hughes, Michelle Heyman, and Grace Maher. It was a tough end to a difficult week for Newcastle Jets, whose head coach Ash Wilson stepped aside in midweek.
After some early skirmishes at both ends, Newcastle almost took the lead in the 15th minute. Kennedy Faulknor was dispossessed of the ball by Lauren Allan who made a great run into the box. Her shot on an angle was parried by Canberra goalkeeper Chloe Lincoln for Allan to then slot the ball to Ashlee Brodigan whose shot was cleared off the line by Canberra.
Canberra came equally as close 20 minutes later. Michelle Heyman from around halfway directed a beautiful pass to Grace Jale on the right-hand side. Jale ran into the box and found Vesna Milivojevic whose shot from the edge of the box was spectacularly put over the bar by Worth.
Above: Grace Jale (right) had an influential afternoon for Canberra United. Photo: Canberra United.
There was one further opportunity in the 45th minute, as Grace Maher directed a pass to Heyman who ran onto it and got into the box with her shot on an angle going over the bar.
The visitors came out firing at the start of the second half as Maher fed Milivojevic whose first-time shot at goal was yet again superbly saved by Worth. Just under 20 minutes into the second period, the visitors finally hit the front.
Jale made a great run into the box found Hughes who took a touch, then had a shot at goal which went past Worth and into the back of the net for the opening goal of the match. It had been coming.
Just two minutes later, Milivojevic hit the ball forward, it went into the path of Newcastle’s Cannon Clough who appeared to be making a backpass to Worth but it didn’t have enough power on it allowing Heyman to gather possession and hit a first-time shot at goal which went past Worth and into the bottom right corner for Canberra’s second goal of the match.
Above: Grace Maher reacts after scoring from the penalty spot. Photo: Canberra United.
The goalscoring flurry continued in the 69th minute from the spot after Cassidy Davis brought down Hughes in the box. Grace Maher was the one who stepped up with calmness and slotted her shot into the bottom left corner.
Newcastle had two opportunities to close the gap before the end with Lara Gooch involved both times. First, she fed Brodigan who advanced into the box but her eventual shot at goal on an angle was denied by the woodwork. Then in stoppage time at the end, Gooch hit an effort from outside the area which was denied by Lincoln.
This was a crucial result for Canberra after two heavy defeats. They now need to show this level against the teams above them, starting next weekend when they host Sydney FC.
As for Newcastle, they face a trip to leaders Western United in midweek. Life won’t be getting any easier.
Jean-Pierre Thiesset was pitchside in Rodez for Impetus on Saturday as Olympique Lyonnais’ Australian international Ellie Carpenter made her eagerly awaited return from ACL injury after almost nine months out (5/2/23).
Above: Ellie Carpenter back in a familiar pose – charging along the right flank for Olympique Lyonnais at Rodez yesterday. Photo: Jean-Pierre Thiesset for Impetus.
Jean-Pierre Thiesset was one of only three photographers pitchside at Rodez for Ellie Carpenter’s return from injury yesterday. The Matildas star entered the pitch after 63 minutes and produced a good performance, fully committed and without any injury related restraint.
Above: Chelsea have a lot to work out over the coming months. Photo: 90min
In the summer of 2022, Chelsea Women brought in six new signings ahead of the defence of their third consecutive league title. Their unspoken main goal, however, has always been to win the Champions League.
In the final group game last season, away to Wolfsburg, Chelsea needed to avoid defeat by more than two goals to seal their progression into the next round. Before the tie, they lost goalkeeper Ann Katrin Berger and midfielder Drew Spence to positive Covid-19 tests, and in the 51st minute, lost captain Magdalena Eriksson to an injury that would keep her out for the next three months.
The game finished 4-0 to Wolfsburg. It was a humiliation for Chelsea who had contested and lost the previous season’s final against Barcelona by the same scoreline.
So, despite league and cup success, the summer transfer activity that followed, reflected that bitter disappointment as multiple Champions League winner Kadeisha Buchanan joined along with Jelena Cankovic, Eve Perisset, Katerina Svitkova, Johanna Rytting-Kaneryd, and youngster Lucy Watson, who soon moved on to Charlton Athletic on a season-long loan.
Above: Kadeisha Buchanan on her WSL debut for Chelsea at Liverpool. Photo: The Guardian
It appeared that Chelsea’s transfer business had done the trick, the team ended the year top of the WSL and through to the Quarter Finals of the Champions League after topping Group A with nineteen goals scored and just one conceded against PSG, Real Madrid, and Vllanzia.
Speaking at a press conference in December, Chelsea manager Emma Hayes was full of praise for her new signings:
“What I will say about the players that came in over the summer is that every single one of them is a super-professional. You can have a large squad and it doesn’t mean you have good quality, but we’ve got both, we’ve got a large squad and top quality.”
But the January transfer window has now closed and the question has to be asked: Have Chelsea undone all the good work they did in the summer?
Transfers in
Despite being linked with a big money bid for Arsenal defender Katie McCabe, Chelsea’s only winter signing was highly rated teenager Maika Hamano from INAC Kobe Leonessa.
The 18-year-old, who caught most people’s attention during the FIFA U19 World Cup, immediately joined Swedish side Hammarby IF on loan, where she has already scored three goals.
Transfers Out
Above: Former Chelsea star Beth England pictured on her Tottenham Hotspur debut. Photo: Suvadeep Biswas for Impetus.
Chelsea’s first sale of the January window had felt a long time coming as Bethany England moved across London to Tottenham Hotspur for a reported £400,000 fee. England had found herself become Chelsea’s second-choice striker following the arrival of Sam Kerr in 2020, and after not featuring at all during the Euros. She obviously needs regular minutes if she’s going to convince Sarina Wiegman that she can replace the now-retired Ellen White as England’s number-nine at the World Cup this summer.
The second departure was a loan deal for young Dutch defender Aniek Nouwen, who moved to Serie A side AC Milan. Nouwen, like England, had been struggling for minutes following the arrival of Buchanan and with that World Cup on the horizon, would have also been worried for her place in the Dutch squad for the tournament.
Chelsea also had recalled Charlotte Wardlaw from her loan at Liverpool and sent her to Championship side Lewes instead.
Consequences
Chelsea lost three players at the end of the 2021/22 season – Drew Spence, Ji So-Yun, and Jonna Andersson – but brought in five first-team players to take their squad to 25 players, the departures of Bethany England and Aniek Nouwen have reduced this.
However, they are currently without Pernille Harder to a long-term injury with no return date yet in sight, meaning in theory, Chelsea’s squad is really down to just 22 players, less than the number that saw them struggle with injuries during December 2021, a period in which they lost to Reading in the WSL and fail to win their final two Champions League group games against Juventus and Wolfsburg.
Chelsea now find themselves with only one recognised striker: Sam Kerr. She may be the club’s second-highest goal scorer but there is a real risk of burnout if Emma Hayes needs to rely on her too much.
Kerr is currently tied with Fran Kirby on six goals in the WSL as top scorer this season. Alarmingly, Harder is still third on that list with three goals, despite playing just 254 minutes this season.
Above: Sam Kerr is presently facing a lot of work for both club and country. Photo: Hannah Parnell for Impetus.
The loan deal for Aniek Nouwen has also had a knock-on effect for Chelsea’s defensive setup, with captain Magdalena Eriksson finding herself on the bench as Hayes continues with the centre-back partnership of Millie Bright and new signing Buchanan.
Eriksson had been deployed as the left back, with Nouwen and Jess Carter on the bench as backup, but the departure of the Dutch international has seen Carter become Chelsea’s first-choice left-back, with Eriksson as the back-up central defender, coming on as a sub, as she did last Sunday at half time when Buchanan picked up a knock.
The left-back position is another concern for Chelsea, who, having let Jonna Andersson go, found themselves without a natural option. Eriksson, who is left-footed was a more natural fit than Carter who finds herself either coming in field or going backwards.
It is noteworthy that the three games that Carter and Guro Reiten have been together on Chelsea’s left-hand side, the Norwegian hasn’t produced a goal or assist.
Carter’s backup will likely be either Eriksson moving back across, or Niamh Charles switching sides, however, the switch has also impacted Alsu Abdullina’s place in the squad.
Time will tell if Chelsea will live to regret not signing a left-back or a proper backup striker for Kerr, but as the schedule gets even busier, with rearranged fixtures still to fit in, it won’t be long until we find out.
Above: Cortnee Vine jumps for joy with Madison Hayley after scoring for Sydney FC. Photo: Keep Up.
The Sydney FC juggernaut continued to roll on, with a 3-0 win over Melbourne City at Allianz Stadium. Sarah Hunter’s beautiful long-range strike opened the scoring, before Cortnee Vine and Madison Haley added to Sydney’s tally with second-half goals.
Here’s three thoughts on another dominant display from the Sky Blues on Saturday.
Separating the contenders and pretenders
In the lead-up to Saturday’s game, both Sydney FC and Melbourne City spoke about their determination to back themselves and stick to their own game. More than most, each side can claim to have a distinct style of play: City particularly ball-dominant and possession-based in principle, whilst Sydney have shown themselves to be the premier counter-attacking team in the competition.
City head coach Dario Vidosic made particular note of Sydney’s threat in his pre-match press conference, remarking, “In transition, they’re (Sydney FC) one of the best teams; the firepower they have up front and the speed. They’ve got people that can score goals, create, and they’re dangerous.”
Madison Haley, speaking before the match, asserted, “We’re confident in what we do, and when we wear this badge, we know a lot of expectation is there, but we’re ready to take on that pressure. I think City play a 3-5-2 (formation). We haven’t encountered a team who play like that this season, (but) we won’t change who we are.”
The Melbournians, presented with a unique 3-4-3 / 4-2-3-1 hybrid formation, with Katie Bowen floating between defence and midfield, depending on the game situation. The reasoning seemed to be to attempt to throw their opponents off-guard and to provide greater control in the centre of the park.
It was all for nought though, as they struggled to deal with the intensity of the Sky Blues’ press, and were far too laborious in their build-up. City were constantly on the backfoot; unable to play through the aggression of Sydney’s forwards, and too panicked to find the right options when they did have the ball.
Vine time 🔥⏰
Cortnee Vine celebrates her @TheMatildas call-up with a fine finish to double @SydneyFC's lead 🤩
Conversely, Mackenzie Hawkesby and Sarah Hunter were excellent for Sydney FC, and frequently found time and space against a ragged and overrun City midfield. Cortnee Vine looks to be back in form, and had plenty of joy down the right of Melbourne’s exposed defence, from where she notched a goal and an assist. The last two games have shown the Sydneysiders at their high-flying best, and they are once again looking to be the team to beat for the title this season.
Haley worth the hype
After an imperious display in Sydney’s dismantling of Melbourne Victory last match-round (earning ALW player of the week nominations), Madison Haley backed it up with another commanding performance against fellow Victorians, City, this weekend. The American created three chances and had five shots against Melbourne City, to go along with her goal and assist.
It’s been clear Haley is in a different weight class to the majority of defences she has come up against in the A-League, and she has shown she has the makings of a complete forward in her. Currently second in the golden boot race with seven goals, scoring is just one of many tools in the 23-year-old’s arsenal.
Comfortable receiving with her back to goal, as well as dropping deeper to offer as an option, Haley has the power to run at defenders, and the playmaking to find runners in between the lines. Her strength, composure, and gravity opens up space for teammates, and she has the footballing sense to understand when to hold and when to release for others.
On Saturday, she imposed her will throughout the game, forcing a turnover before laying off for Hunter to put Sydney into the lead. For her own tally, she started and ended the sequence, initially finding a streaking Hawkesby in midfield, before racing into the box, and beating the City defence to get on the end of Vine’s centering ball.
Before the turn of the year, Sydney head coach Ante Juric said, “The two things that caught my eye with Madi is that she holds the ball up and puts people into play, but she’s an exceptional finisher too. She works well in our team and she actually fits perfectly with what we do. She’ll only get better and better too.”
On the basis of her season thus far, she will be one to watch when she returns home to the US’ NWSL competition, with bags of potential to take her career even further.
City searching for offence
At the other end of the game, City look to have slowed significantly in the scoring department. After coming out of the gates racking up goals for fun to begin the campaign, they have had to work much harder for much less attacking production in recent times.
It’s difficult not to point to the losses of Maria Rojas and Emina Ekic as a noticeable inflection point in their season to date. After averaging an expected goals (xG) of 2.68 per game in their first five matches, they have since only mustered an average of 1.07 xG over their next seven games.
We have now seen Hannah Wilkinson play two more games than the 35-year-old Rojas, and the contrast in their fortunes has been stark; the New Zealander having recorded just two goals in her seven matches. Outside of a sharp-angled effort saved in the third minute against Sydney, Wilkinson was not a noticeable part of this game, and has been unable to offer the creativity and 1-on-1 ability that Rojas displayed earlier in-season.
Wilkinson, of course, is not alone in being singled out for blame, with Rhianna Pollicina also slowing down recently, and Daniela Galic naturally regressing from the hot creative start she had, as could be expected for a 16-year-old playing in her first professional go-round. Melbourne City will be relieved the Costa Rican Rojas is due to return from national team duties to their squad soon, hoping she can resuscitate their flagging offence.
Additionally, Melbourne will be excitedly welcoming back young starlet Holly McNamara into the fold again, after her breakthrough 21/22 season was cut short by an ACL injury. The 20-year-old forward will have opportunities during the upcoming international break to feature in a few planned friendlies.
Vidosic added, “[Holly’s] working hard and she’s itching to get back. She wants to put her name up for World Cup selection, and the way she’s looking I think she’s going to really make people take notice.
“It’s not just exciting for us, but for the whole league, because she is one of those that brings people into the stadium and gets you off your seat. It’s not just me asking the question, I think the ladies in the team are asking, “when can we unleash Holly?”.
Teams: SYDNEY FC (4-3-3): Franco; Rule, McLean, Tobin, Fenton; Hollman, Hunter, Hawkesby; Ibini, Haley, Vine. Substitutes: Offer (GK), Stanic-Floody, Lowe, de la Harpe, Badawiya.
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