Above: Southampton unveil their kit with new sponsors Starling Bank on the front – left to right: Lucia Kendall, Lexi Lloyd-Smith, Ashleigh Ward, Paige Peake, and Rosie Parnell. Photo supplied by: Southampton FC Women.
Barclays Championship side Southampton have announced that Starling Bank will be the club’s official principle partner for this season. From this Sunday’s game against Sunderland, Starling’s logo will feature on the front of players’ shirts.
This sponsorship is a continuation of Starling’s celebration of women’s football, following the bank’s national sponsorship of the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022, which saw it launch the first fantasy football game for women’s football in the UK and award £23,000 in grants to women’s grassroots teams.
Above: St. Mary’s Stadium, Southanpton Women’s home ground. Photo: Andy Rain/PA.
The bank has strong links with Southampton, employing 400 people in the city and the partnership comes at an exciting time for the club, now playing in the FA Women’s Championship following back-to-back promotions.
Southampton FC as a whole club is on a mission to encourage more fans to support the women’s game and has seen a 120% increase in season ticket sales compared to last season. As part of this drive to grow the women’s game, all Southampton games will be played at the men’s Premier League home, St Mary’s Stadium with a capacity of 32,689. The team also trains at Staplewood Campus, the same facilities as the men’s side, and are now full-time professionals.
Southampton are managed by Marieanne Spacey-Cale MBE, a legendary former Lioness with 91 caps. Speaking about the sponsorship, Spacey-Cale said:“We’re all delighted to welcome Starling onboard as our Official Principal Partner. This is an exciting time for the team as our first season in the championship. To have the backing and support of Starling, an organisation that’s fully committed to growing the women’s game, is really motivating.”
Above: Marianne Spacey-Cale, former Lionesses legend and Southampton head coach. Photo: Isabelle Field/Southampton FC.
As part of the partnership, together Starling and Southampton will also launch an initiative to develop grassroots coaches at local clubs throughout Hampshire to grow the pipeline of female footballing talent.
Sarah Batters, Director of Marketing and Partnerships at Southampton FC emphasised the importance of the relationship with Starling Bank going further than just shirt sponsorship: “It was important for us to find a partner that was prepared to invest in the women’s game – going further than just putting a logo on a shirt.
“From the moment we started conversations with Starling Bank, their commitment to making an impact to the success of the women’s game with their sponsorship was clear – and we can’t wait to get started. We hope to see a record attendance for this Sunday’s big game against Sunderland where we will showcase Starling Bank on the front of our women’s shirt for the very first time.”
Southampton play Sunderland at St. Mary’s Stadium in the Barclays Championship at midday on Sunday 30th October.
Above: Jessie Rasschaert wins a header for Brisbane Roar at Melbourne Victory last season. Photo: Imago.
Brisbane Roar have re-signed experienced defender Jessie Rasschaert for the 2022/23 Liberty A-League season.
Rasschaert returns for her second season with the Roar having played in all 14 matches during the 2021/22 campaign.
The centre-back is looking forward to donning the orange and black once again for the upcoming campaign.
“We’ve got terrific staff and I’m looking forward to working with them again,” Rasschaert said. “There are a few new faces, a few old faces but I’m excited to be part of the group again.”
The 35-year-old relocated to Queensland in 2021 after spending two seasons with her hometown team Canberra United.
The defender had another strong season in the National Premier League Women (NPLW) Queensland with Gold Coast United, as her side reached the Grand Final, playing in 17 games.
Above: Jessie Rasschaert (third left) celebrates Katrina Gorry’s goal at Melbourne Victory last season. Photo: A-League Women.
Rasschaert was also part of the Gold Coast side who also reached the Kappa Women’s Super Cup quarter-final, where the defender scored one of her two goals this season.
Roar head coach Garrath McPherson said Rasschaert provides experience and maturity in their team environment. He went on: “Jesse quickly became a fan favourite last year after being signed from Gold Coast United, and she has not lost a single yard of speed,” he said.
“She played over 1,000 minutes of A-League football across the season and provided experience and maturity to our environment. She has picked up from where she left off and it has been great to see her back with her teammates enjoying the hard work of pre-season,” McPherson added.
As she prepares for this to be her last A-League season, Rasschaert is looking to be there for her teammates, both on and off the pitch.
“I think I just want to be there for the team, in all aspects on the field, off the field. I think I just want to create a positive environment and be the best person, I can be for everyone,” she said.
“Women’s football at the moment is huge so to be part of this world is special to me. I’m probably going to make it my last season so I’m definitely going to try to finish on a high and go for the trophy at the end,” she added.
The Roar A-League squad will continue preparations for their upcoming season as they build towards their Round 1 clash with Canberra United on 19 November.
Above: Injured Tottenham players Kerys Harrop, Esther Morgan, and Rosella Ayane look on as Spurs warm-up on Saturday against Manchester City at Brisbane Road. Photo: Rachel Lara Cohen.
On Saturday in the second minute of Tottenham Hotspur’s game against Manchester City on Saturday, Ellie Brazil left the pitch. She was on a stretcher. Her knee was bandaged. Her game was over.
With just five games of the season gone, Brazil is the third Spurs player to sustain a serious injury. Add these to the multiple injuries overhanging from last season and there’s a rapidly developing injury crisis in the Spurs team.
A similar issue occurred last season, albeit a little later: in January. At that time, we lost so many players that Spurs were starting games with just three outfield players on the bench, something that prefigured a dip in form. But even later in the season, and especially evident in the two games against Chelsea, Spurs lacked the squad depth to refresh or to tactically adjust and match the top teams during the second halves of games.
This summer, Tottenham signed seven new players, creating considerable optimism that things were improving, that the team would have more options and a deeper bench. Indeed, for the first game of the season, away at Leicester, things looked good. Spurs had a bench made up of eight players. Since then, however, the size of the bench has plummeted.
It decreased to six (vs Arsenal); five (vs Reading); five (vs Liverpool) and six (vs Manchester City). Compare that to the North London side’s opponents for those games who in the case of Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester City all had nine players on the bench. Only Reading (who are struggling this season) were close with six players on their bench, one more than Spurs fielded in that game.
Given that the bench always includes a goalkeeper (whichever of Tinni Korpela or Becky Spencer is not starting), that leaves four or five outfield players available as substitutes. In every game this season one of those outfield players has been Gracie Pearse, a promising young defender. But she is yet to play for the first team and is in a position (centre-back) in which stability is at a premium and mid-game substitutions are typically made only out of necessity. That leaves Spurs head coach Rehanne Skinner with just three or four outfield players that she can deploy to make tactical changes.
Skinner’s options have been further constrained because some of these players are on the bench precisely because they lack fitness. In the most recent game, against Liverpool, it appeared that this was the case for Nikola Karczewska and we know that Chioma Ubogagu, who returned from a long-term ban in this game, was still getting up to speed. In the event, both Karczewska and Ubogagu were used, in the final five minutes, most probably because their minutes were restricted.
Above: Just five substitutes (shown at the left of the row) lined up before Spurs’ game against Liverpool. Photo: Rachel Lara Cohen.
Where are the biggest gaps?
What do these injuries and Spurs’ very limited bench mean for different areas of the team?
After signing four attack-minded players this summer it seems ridiculous that Spurs still lack options going forward but they do. This was most evident on Saturday in the deployment of Jessica Naz in the number nine role (she was substituted for Ellie Brazil, who was herself in a position that Nikola Karczewska perhaps more naturally fills).
Naz has a lot of strong points, and is great as a wide attacker – running onto balls or taking people on – but she’s not the sort of player who gets into the box, gets hold of loose balls, and shoots, and nor does she do the hold-up work or pressing that Rehanne Skinner demands of a player leading the attack.
Spurs fans have got to hope that Karczewska recovers from whatever limited her minutes on the weekend. Once she’s back a front three where she is flanked by any two of Ashleigh Neville, Celin Bizet, and Naz is a decent first option. If Bizet gets up to speed and Rosella Ayane returns from injury there are alternatives. But just one more injury or a slower-than-anticipated return from injury leaves the attacking line perilously thin.
Options in the centre of midfield are equally strained. The defensive midfield pairing of Eveliina Summanen and Angharad James is working. And when she operates in front of Summanen and James’ protective cover, Drew Spence can be, and has at times been a creative force. Unfortunately, she has also been a little inconsistent, with off days. And by the end of a game, the former Chelsea star can appear to have run out of steam. Conversely, Cho So-Hyun has the energy but lacks Spencer’s precision and vision. Until Ramona Petzelberger is again available there are, however, only limited ways to adjust.
Spurs’ defence is where the team currently has the best options or at least a relatively settled back four (Asmita Ale, Shelina Zadorsky, Molly Bartrip, and Amy Turner). Turner is not a natural right-back, but has become more comfortable in the role over the last few games and most recently did a decent job keeping Lauren Hemp (relatively) quiet. Ironically, however, this has happened because Spurs’ back-line does not include the player who is arguably our standout defender, Ashleigh Neville.
That’s because Neville has been needed (and has been doing an important job) further up the pitch as a winger. It is a reminder of how the lack of options at the front impacts the backline. On the upside, the (apparently) imminent return of Kerys Harrop will provide further options and maybe we will see Gracie Pearse getting some game time in Conti Cup games and breaking into the team.
Asking questions of the club
Several of the Spurs players with long-term injuries have had ACLs (anterior cruciate ligament injuries). This is an injury that is especially common in the women’s game, regularly taking out top players (Spain and France’s stars, Alexia Putellas and Marie-Antoinette Katoto, were both ruled out of the Euros this summer with ACL injuries). Because of that, it is a topic on which a lot has been written, but also, to which there has been a lot of attention paid, including analysis of ways to reduce the likelihood that ACLs occur.
Taken individually, each Spurs player’s injury might be considered a horrendous accident. But sometimes a run of bad luck indicates an underlying issue. And when there have been as many serious injuries as there have been (almost one per game this season) the club will inevitably be asking questions.
That might include identifying patterns and risks. It might mean placing an even greater priority on ensuring that everything is done during and beyond training to strengthen in ways that prevent injury, and within games to reduce the kinds of movements that make injury more likely. It might mean adjusting the playing style.
The worry is that at this point, as the bench gets thinner, Spurs’ injury woes may be exacerbated by players playing more minutes than they might have had the team had a deeper bench or being asked to play through a strain or come on when nursing a minor niggle.
Long-term injury list
Spurs provide a lot of support for injured players the club has excellent rehab facilities, with expert staff. The club does not, however, provide regular updates about player injuries, recovery, or other absences. For instance, the source of Esther Morgan’s injury was only revealed six months after it had occurred and only because she wrote a blog for mental health day that discussed how her injury had impacted her mental health and provided some detail.
The following is therefore a collation of the information currently available about player injuries, absences, and returns.
In order of possible return (a total guesstimate)
1. Kerys Harrop Unspecified injury. Rumoured to perhaps be a back problem. Kerys last played in the final game of the 2021-2 season (at home vs Leicester) and then missed the pre-season. On 13th October BBC journalist Emma Sanders reported she was ‘expected to return within the next few weeks’. And Rehanne Skinner has said she ‘is close’.
2. Rosella Ayane Fractured her foot in the first game of the season, away at Leicester on September 18th 2022. The initial prognosis was that she’d be out for about four weeks. Ayane is apparently back in training and has been spotted climbing stairs at Brisbane Road but no return date yet.
3. Ramona Petzelberger Last played as a substitute away at Arsenal on 24th September 2022. She has been out of the squad since then. No information about the reason for her absence. It is presumably injury, but it may be something else. She has not been spotted among the group of injured players at either of our most recent home games.
4. Esther Morgan Tore her rectus femoris muscle at a level grade of 3C when she was on international duty for Wales during a loan period at Leicester in early Spring 2022. Currently recovering at Spurs, but scheduled to go back out on loan at Coventry United when she is recovered. She is back ‘on grass’, but there are few other details.
5. Ellie Brazil Injured on 22nd October 2022 at home vs Manchester City. Went off on a stretcher. Seen afterwards with knee strapping and crutches. Nothing confirmed. But it did not look like a quick fix.
6. Kit Graham ACL injury in November 2021. Graham has been training on grass, but there are no confirmed return dates and rumours are that it’s likely to not be until January.
Above: Kit Graham in rehab. Photo: Kit Graham Instagram account. Shared by @spurswomen.
7. Ria Percival ACL injury in April 2022. Ria looks to be a long way from a return date. She’s not yet back in training. We’re hoping she’ll be back for the end of the season – and a home World Cup for her in New Zealand in the summer, but it’s not clear.
8. Kyah Simon. ACL injury on 2nd October 2022 at Reading. It will be surprising if she returns this season and a stretch for her to make the World Cup.
Minor knocks and other issues
1. Nikola Karczewska did not start against Manchester City and game on as an 86th-minute substitute. Since she would seem to be a better fit than Jess Naz for the number 9 spot that Ellie’s injury left vacant (a position she had occupied in the previous game) we can only assume she is one of the players Rehanne Skinner said had picked up ‘a few little minor injuries’.
2. Chioma Ubogagu has been out on a drug-related ban. She played her first minutes against Manchester City, coming on as a late 87th-minute substitute. Although not injured, having had more than six months out will mean that she is not fully match-ready.
3. Jessica Naz was initially on the bench on Saturday for the Manchester City game. She has not played a full 90 minutes this season and had some kind of injury over the summer. It’s unclear if she’s back to full-match fitness. She did get through almost a full match at the weekend, but notably tired in the second half.
Note: Due to a lack of information from Spurs, some of the above list is speculative. If people have better information with which I can update the list, I will be more than happy to do this.
Above: Vicky Lopez celebrates her winning goal against Japan in the quarter-finals. Photo: FIFA.
The Women’s Under-17 World Cup might not be one of the most spotlighted female tournaments, but this was the competition that gave future superstars Alexandra Popp, Jordan Nobbs, Mana Iwabuchi, and the current Ballon d’Or holder, Alexia Putellas.
This year’s edition is being hosted by India who were also debutants alongside Tanzanians and Morocco and it has been an exhilarating tournament so far.
GROUP STAGES:
Group A:
The tournament opened with the U.S.A showing why they are one of the best football nations in the world, hammering the host eight goals to nothing, while Brazil slightly edged the African debutants Morocco by an early strike scored in the fifth minute by the Brazilian striker, I.A Borges de Morais ensuring the South American champions kicked off the tournament with a win.
The second round of matches saw the CONCACAF champions lock horns with the Brazilians. The match ended in a 1-1 draw and both goals were produced in the space of eight minutes. Nicollete Kiorpesslotted home her first goal of the tournament after a dazzling run from the Nigeria-eligible American starlet, Onyeka Paloma Gamero however this lead was short-lived as Ana Carolina Firminhofired home an audacious strike after pouncing on a loose ball at the edge of the American box. African debutants Morocco, picked up their first victory in the tournament, and the three-nil defeat almost sealed the hosts’ exit from the competition.
India ended winless as they lost heavily to Brazil and America clipped the claws of Morocco with another goal-scoring spree to ensure they topped the group on a better goal difference.
Above: USA celebrate a goal during the tournament. Photo: FIFA.
Group B:
The group opened with Chile picking their first three points against New Zealand with a 3-1 victory, but the more interesting match was the matchup between the European giants, Germany, and the Super Falconets of Nigeria.
Both teams displayed quality as both keepers recorded brilliant saves within the first fifteen minutes of the match. After a keenly contested half an hour, the Nigerian defender Miracle Usani, fired home a ferocious strike with a free-kick. The Germans however equalized from a beautifully worked corner slotted home by Svea Stoldin the 49th minute. They would score the winning goal twelve minutes later as a defensive error enabled Mara Alber pick a beautiful spot to curl her powerful finish.
The second round of matches saw a torrent of goals as the Germans swept the Chileans away with six, while the Nigerians compounded the woes of the New Zealand with a 4-0 victory.
The final round of group games saw Germany already guaranteed as the group winner while the runner-up slot was going to be snatched by the winner of Chile against Nigeria. The Falconets scored an early goal in the fourth minute through Ngozi Emmanuel’s strike, however, they found it really difficult to add to their tally as the Chilean goalkeeper Melladoo Alvarado pulled off magnificent saves, as strikers Ajakaye and Bello hit the bar. The much-needed second goal came through Bisola Mosaku and was quite timely as Chile would later get a rather debatable penalty in the 91st minute as the game ended 2-1 in favor of the Africans.
Group C:
The matches in this group opened with narrow victories for China who pipped Mexico 2-1 and Spain who edged the Colombians by a goal to nothing.
The group however took an interesting turn on game day two, when the Colombians beat China 2-0 through an early brace from the versatile striker Linda Caicedo,while the Mexicans got a late 2-1 victory over the brilliant Spanish. These results meant that any of the four teams could pick up the quarter-final ticket in the last group stage matches.
Despite having 73% possession against China, the Spanish could only muster a single goal and this was enough to see them through the group stages. Colombia pipped the Mexico to pick up the second slot with Linda scoring for both sides.
Group D:
Above: Veronica celebrates her equalising goal for Tanzania against Canada. Photo: FIFA.
Japan opened the group with a 4-0 win over Tanzania, taking advantage of the red card the Tanzanians received, sending a wave of warning to the rest of the group while Canada had to settle for a 1-1 draw against France with both goals scored in the space of six minutes.
The second match gave the first surprise of the group as Tanzania got three points from France with a 2-1 victory in a physically combative match that had two penalties and a last-minute red card. Japan continued their dominance with a 4-0 win over Canada, this meant that Tanzania had a shot at a quarter-finals ticket with a draw in their last match, a result they got against Canada. Japan beat France 2-0 to continue their dominance, becoming the second country after Germany to pick up the maximum points available in the group stage.
QUARTER-FINALS:
With eight countries departing from the competition, the battle became more intense as eight countries from five different continents locked horns for the semi-finals ticket. It was the second time that Africa had two representatives at this stage of this tournament with Ghana making it to the semi-finals and clinching a third-place finish in 2012. Both Nigeria and Tanzania came into the quarter-finals hoping to at least match this record, an almost insurmountable task for both teams given the quality of their opponents.
USA v Nigeria:
Above: Nigeria celebrate a goal. Photo: FIFA.
For most pundits, this was predicted to be the most dynamic match-up. The compact shield of the Falconets’ defence getting tested by the ferocious attack of the young Americans.
It was the Africans who scored first when Josephine Edafe converted a penalty awarded by VAR, it however took the USA just fifteen minutes to get an equalizer. After a lot of huffing and puffing by the Americans, the match headed to penalties where the Falconets edged the Americans by four goals to three, a record-breaking result for the star-lights who reached the semi-finals for the first time in the competition.
Germany v Brazil:
This was a match that could swing either way depending on who gathered the momentum first. The Germans grabbed the opening goal in the 23rd minute with a brilliant finish from Marie Steiner.The Brazilian might have felt they deserved an equalizer after Goherte headed a looping corner but VAR ruled out the goal for an offside. Both sides created a lot of chances, however, it was the Germans who had the final say with a last-kick goal scored by Melina Kruga.
Chile v Tanzania:
This was the only quarterfinal that looked like it could be one-way traffic. Conceding two quick goals in the first twenty minutes and a 23rd-minute red card by the Tanzanians ensured Chile had the smoothest ride to the semi-finals where they would be playing another African team. A 36th-minute penalty sealed the victory for Chile.
Japan v Spain
Above: Japan’s Momoko Tanikawa celebrates her sensational goal against Spain. Photo: FIFA.
For any neutral football fan, this was the most exciting quarter-final tie. A match-up meant we had the chance to witness the Japanese sizzling style of play with flair and maestro movements go against the Spanish’ traditional tiki-taka played at a faster pace.
Both teams turned on the heat from the first minute as both goal-keepers were called to action multiple times and made crucial saves within the first 20 minutes, however, it was the Spanish who had the chance to go ahead when Toko Koga fouled the Spanish striker, Carla Camacho in the box and was awarded a penalty. The striker surprisingly skied the penalty over the bar, leaving her teammates crestfallen.
After a keenly contested 60 minutes, it was the Japanese striker Momoko Tanikawa who put her team ahead through a goal of the tournament contender to take the early lead however the defending champions kept on knocking hard on the Japanese defense until they caved in the 87th minute when Vicky Lopez equalized with a shot after pouncing on a loose ball in the penalty box to make it all square.
The match was heading towards penalties until the Barcelona wonderkid Lopez glided her way through the tired Japanese defense and slotted a calm finish home to set up an all-European semi-final.
SEMI-FINALS:
The two semi-finals will see Nigeria aim to be the first African country to reach the finals of the competition while Spain are gunning for a second consecutive final against Germany, being the second country to achieve that after Japan.
The semi-finals promise to be exciting and we can’t wait to see which superstars will evolve and break out from this competition.
Above: Players from the clubs in the last four – Glasgow City, Hibernian, Spartans, and Rangers gather at Tynecastle for the Semi-Final draw of the Sky Sports Cup. Photo: Malcolm McKenzie via Glasgow City Twitter.
The 2022/23 Sky Sports Cup Final, the competition previously known as the SWPL Cup Final, will be played at Tynecastle Park in Edinburgh on Sunday 11th December. The match will also be exclusively live on Sky Sports, the first SWPL game to be broadcast on the channel.
The venue, home of Heart of Midlothian, has hosted the two most recent Scottish Women’s Cup Finals, providing an outstanding backdrop for the clubs, players, and fans as well as producing some historic moments.
Fiona McIntyre, SWPL Managing Director, said: “We’re thrilled to have secured Tynecastle Park for the 2022/23 final. The clubs and players have all spoken very highly of their experiences here, commenting on the incredible atmosphere that is created at Tynecastle which is well-known amongst fans of Scottish football.
Above: Tynecastle, venue of the SWPL Cup Final. Photo: Heart of Midlothian.
“I’m also delighted that this will be the first match broadcast on Sky Sports since the announcement of our record partnership. Alongside Sky Sports and the two finalists, we look forward to a historic moment for the girls’ and women’s game.”
The Semi-Final draw, conducted at Tynecastle by Fiona McIntyre and Scottish singer-songwriter, ili, is as follows:
Glasgow City
v
Hibernian
Spartans
v
Rangers
The draw means a repeat of the 2019 Cup Final which saw Hibernian prevail 4-2 on penalties over Glasgow City. Spartans host Rangers, after defeating both Heart of Midlothian and Celtic on penalties earlier in the competition.
The Semi-Finals will take place on Sunday 6th November, hosted by the home clubs. Ticket information for the Final will follow these matches.
Holly Wright was in Manchester United head coach Marc Skinner‘s media conference ahead of tomorrow’s Conti Cup game at Durham for us. She heard the Red Devils chief reveal his huge respect for the Championship side and how he recognises the pressure that comes with being in charge of the Red Devils(25/10/22).
Above: Manchester United head coach Marc Skinner, who spoke to the media ahead of tomorrow’s Conti Cup tie at Durham. Photo: Manchester United Women.
This is the second season in a row that Manchester United have drawn Durham in the Continental Cup group phase, so they are no strangers to the style of football their opponents play and the threat they pose from set pieces that caused ‘The Red Devils’ trouble last time around after the game ended a 2-2 draw with United getting the extra point for the penalty shoot out win.
Head coach Marc Skinner spoke about how they plan to defend against the Championship side’s aerial danger, “They are always going to be a threat from set pieces regardless. What we could probably do better is give less of them away in those areas and defend more effectively. The best way to probably defend against them is to defend with the ball. If they are not attacking, you can get a nice rhythm, and you are probably going to maintain good control in the game as much as possible.”
Above: Hannah Blundell in possession for Manchester United in last season’s Conti Cup trip to Durham. Photo: Manchester United Women.
Skinner is keen to show the sell-out Durham crowd how much his team have developed since the two sides last met. “I think we’ve evolved. It is a different style of the game. We have done our homework and they play some really nice football as well and that’s not been trying to be facetious, its really good style with a good mix and a good blend and there is a lot of respect for them.
“For us, we have to try and limit their strengths, but also show how much we have grown. I thought in the game against Leicester on Sunday there were moments where I saw growth within our team so I’m expecting the same against a very difficult Durham team.”
Mental preparation also plays a key part in making sure the players are in the best psychological state managing the transfer from top grass pitches to enclosed 4G arenas and especially with the hectic schedule of the WSL alongside the international breaks and the Continental Cup. “It is very much a mental switch. Me as a coach, I’ve grown up coaching on fields like that for a long time. We do get spoiled as you get more professional, but the players are professional, and they know it’s going to be a tough job. They know what they’ve got to do in order to take the points from this game.
“I think it’s around this time last year that we actually played them anyway at their ground. The fans were raucous. It was a really good atmosphere. It’s very close to the pitch as well so it’s a really good psychological test for us. We’ve just got to do what we can. We have got to control the game as much as possible. We have to deal with it on the day and have to defend against the good players that Durham put out.”
Marc Skinner, Manchester United Head Coach.
In terms of the expected raucous atmosphere at the ground, Skinner doesn’t see it impacting on his team, rather looking at how it can inspire his players.
“You have to turn the psyche the other way and go right everything is trying to go against us, so you dig in; show what qualities we have as players and absorb the crowd’s energy. Try and use it against them as much as possible. If you were at the game last year you would know many fans we had there too. They travelled in their numbers so it will be a real good game, I’m sure.”
Above: Manchester United head coach Marc Skinner reports no fresh injury concerns ahead of tomorrow’s game at Durham. Photo: Martin Rickett/PA.
The Manchester United boss confirmed there are no fresh injury concerns for the trip to Durham but is optimistic that Alessia Russo and Grace Clinton could possibly feature at the weekend. “Ona (Batlle) will probably miss this game. Obviously, there are still absentees with Grace (Clinton), Alessia (Russo), and Aoife (Mannion) so everyone else should be available for the game, but I think Alessia and Grace may even be ready potentially for the Everton game this weekend.”
United are currently unbeaten in the WSL this season and second in the table only on goal difference. Their opening Conti Cup ended in defeat on penalties at Aston Villa after Rachel Daly cancelled out Nikita Parris’ first-half goal for Skinner’s side. The Red Devils chief believes pressure comes with the territory of being at the club and is no more than he expected when he was first appointed manager.
“I said when I first came here, pressure is just part of this job and for us I want the fans to be expecting us to do well of course but our fans are also very aware of how we have grown and what we’re trying to achieve here. The performances, the types of wins, we have been getting, the clean sheets, and for league games, they are aware of the points that we are progressing with but like them, we want to win as well so the pressure is part of what we do, and it is something we enjoy. It’s part of everything that’s in our DNA at Manchester United so we welcome it.”
Although the WSL will be United’s priority this season, the club are three-time semi-finalists in this competition and so this year will be hoping to go at least one better with the 39-year-old insisting it’s important to take the competition seriously. “It can be a real springboard. We know how important a cup like this can be, so I want to stress we are not taking it lightly. Even if we make adaptations within the team like we did against Villa and obviously the team against Leicester, that is not taking the opponent lightly but the players we are bringing in are now of the calibre that should be starting players.”
“For us it’s about keeping balance. It’s about keeping the rhythm within the team but also giving very good players the opportunity to play. Against Villa, we should have won the game. I don’t think we performed particularly well but we should have won the game. We had a chance in the last couple of minutes to really cement that and then we lose on a penalty shoot-out so for us it’s important that we take this game as serious as we would any other game but also, I’m really excited to see what some of the other players can produce.”
Championship side Durham welcome Manchester United to Maiden Castle Sports Ground on Wednesday October 26th with a scheduled 7pm kick-off.
Impetus’ Darrell Allen provides his weekly round-up of all the women’s football action in Norfolk (25/10/22).
Above: University of East Anglia’s player of the match and scorer of their fourth goal, Maddison Goodenough. Photo: Lillie Nott.
Main Match of the Week
FC Viking Valkyries 0-7 University of East Anglia
University of East Anglia overcame a tricky trip to lower division opponents FC Viking Valkyries in the Norfolk Women & Girls League Cup First Round. They produced professional and clinical performance as braces from Cassandra Piejko and Katie Appleton plus further goals from Hannah Thompson, Charlotte Stelmaszyk, and Maddison Goodenough saw them progress to the next round.
This first-round tie played at Sprowston Recreation Ground saw UEA from the step seven Norfolk Women and Girls League Division One travel to step Eight FC Viking Valkyries in a game played in horrendous conditions for the majority following heavy rain across Norfolk throughout Sunday morning which continued as the game kicked off.
Above: Hannah Thompson opening the scoring for UEA against FC Viking Valkyries. Photo: Lillie Nott.
The conditions didn’t stop UEA from taking control of the game and they didn’t waste time, goals from Hannah Thompson followed by a brace from Cassandra Piejko all inside the first 20 minutes meant the visitors had a comfortable 3-0 lead.
The University side were determined not to allow Viking Valkyries a route back into the game and put the contest beyond their hosts with two further goals before the interval. Charlotte Stelmaszyk added the fourth before Katie Appleton decided she would like a piece of the action and added the fifth with a calmly placed penalty just before half time.
FC Viking Valkyries to their credit performed brilliantly following the interval under the guidance of manager Ben Binder and a large number of vocal supporters. A squad of 16 players for this game and a good league season to date is evidence of the positive vibe around the club and they created some second-half opportunities to remind their illustrious visitors there were two teams involved in this game.
UEA however defended very well and especially Maddison Goodenough who ended up winning the club’s Player of the Match award following the game. Goodenough added the fourth following a corner as she tapped in from close range.
There was time for Katie Appleton to finish off a wonderful team move for her second and UEA’s seventh of the afternoon to seal a comfortable and safe passage into the Second Round of the Norfolk Women and Girls League Cup.
Above: Katie Thompson, scorer of two goals for UEA on Sunday. Photo: Lillie Nott.
Above: Katie Knights (right) battles for possession during Norwich City’s win over Cambridge United. Photo: Norwich City Women FC.
Norwich City overcame a tricky start to defeat fellow tier four opponents Cambridge United at The Nest. Ruth Fox gave Cambridge United an early lead but goals from Rebecca Russell, Natasha Snelling, Megan Todd, and Ellie Smith saw the Canaries run out 4-1 winners.
Wroxham were beaten 3-0 at home by Enfield Town. Karesa Iton scored the first two before Olivia Syson finished the scoring with Enfield’s third from 25 yards out to seal a comfortable win.
Above: Conditions were dreadful at Trafford Park as Wroxham (stripes) faced Enfield Town. Photo: Hardy Scott Photos.
Fakenham Town were arguably involved in the tie of the day losing narrowly 4-3 at home to Hackney. A brace from Sophie Lubbock and the other from Vicky Lubbock wasn’t enough to see the Norfolk side progress.
Royston Town ran out comfortable 12-1 winners against tier seven Sprowston. Hat tricks from Natalie Richardson and Riana Badal plus a brace from Gemma Croucher and further goals from Amy Cooper, Poppy Smith, and Daniella Coello saw the hosts from two league’s above through. Sprowston did get their magic moment when Mollie O’Callaghan scored from distance.
Above: Sprowston on the attack in their FA Cup tie at Royston Town. Photo: Ellie Desborough.
Norfolk Women and Girls League Cup First Round
Beccles Town and Aylsham played out a thrilling 2-2 draw. A brace from Mia Rose for Beccles plus goals for Aylsham from Brooke Osborne and Jade Telfer saw the game go to penalties after the sides were unable to be separated after 120 minutes of football. Aylsham ended up winning 4-1 on penalties.
Blofield saw off Shrublands with a 5-0 win to progress to the next round thanks to a brace from Bailey Duffield and further goals from Lauren Monument, Darcy Peters, and an own goal. Norfolk Women and Girls League Division One
Just one League game this week saw Caister return to winning ways beating Stalham Town 6-2 at The Allendale. A hat trick from Leah Brown, a brace from Sam Hunn, and the other from Melissa Anderson was enough to see off Stalham Town with Stalham’s goals coming from Emma Gillespie and Abigail Gower.
Impetus’ Welsh Women’s Football Correspondent Martin Townleybrings us the latest of his weekly round-ups from the top flight of women’s football in Wales with Round Five of the season taking place (25/10/22).
Above: Zoe Atkins celebrates with her teammates after getting Cardiff City’s first goal against The New Saints. Photo: Cardiff City.
Cardiff City kept up their perfect start to the season with a win over TNS to remain top. Aberystwyth Town pulled off a shock draw away to Swansea City with Libby Isaac scoring twice. Pontypridd United took three points away from Barry Town United, and Abergavenny are still looking for their first points after a home defeat to Cardiff Met thanks to Emily Allen’s hat trick.
Swansea City 2-2 Aberystwyth Town
Aberystwyth were denied a famous win away at Swansea as Sarah Adams netted an 85th Minute equaliser. The Green and Blacks had led 2-1 thanks to Libby Isaac’s brace.
Chloe Tilley gave the Swans the lead just two minutes in with a close-range effort after a pass from Ellie Lake.
Aberystwyth however went on to lead before half time as Swansea failed to capitalise on the early goal. Libby Isaac scoring both first from the spot and then a 25-yard effort to give her side the lead.
The Swans would dominate the second half but had to wait till the 85th minute for Sarah Adams to rescue a point.
Above: Chloe Tiley is congratulated after scoring Swansea City’s first goal against Aberystwyth Town. Photo: Swansea City
SWANSEA CITY: Claire Skinner, Alicia Powe, Ellie Lake, Emma Beynon, Kelly Adams, Nia Jenkins, Katy Hosford, Chloe Tiley (Rachel Cullen 71), Gwen Morgan (Ria Hughes 71), Emily Freeman (Sarah Adams 63), Jessica Williams.
THE NEW SAINTS: Sarah Parkes, Beth Lewis, Lexie Harrison, Danielle Staley, Chantelle Teare, Lucie Platt, Tia Lockley, Caitlin Chapman, Helen Evans, Isobel Redding, Lia Lewis.
Scorers: Teare 28′, Lewis (pen) 66′.
Barry Town United 0-3 Pontypridd United
Pontypridd established their top four credentials with a 3-0 win over Barry Town United at Jenner Park.
Alison Witts got the first goal as she headed in at the back post from Jasmine Turner’s ball in.
Olivia Francis made it two with a solo effort, making a run down the flank she then cut inside and saw her initial effort blocked. As the ball was loose, she volleyed past Erin Brennan to make it two-nil.
Renee Day added a third coolly putting the ball past Brennan after being played in by Alison Witts.
BARRY TOWN UNITED: Erin Brennan, Lauren Harris, Holly Jenkins, Delia Ebbin (Maisy Fahey-Pennell 76), Hana Bennett (Phoenix Phillips 76), Taite Trivett (Nia Davies 85), Anna Houghton, Mackenzie Olden, Manon Pearce, Emily Nicholson (Grace McDonald 60), Faith Mulenga (Rhian Thomas 85).
Above: Portland Thorns players celebrate Crystal Dunn’s last-minute winner against the San Diego Wave. Photo: @ThornsFC.
Crystal Dunn’s 92nd-minute rocket sealed a win for the Portland Thorns at Providence Park as they came from behind to beat the San Diego Wave and in the process, secure their Championship final spot.
San Diego broke the deadlock in the 9th minute through Taylor Kornieck. The tall midfielder was in the right position to nod in Alex Morgan’s well-angled cross from the right flank.
The Thorns had their work cut out for them and piled the pressure on Wave’s defense. They got their reward 21 minutes in when Raquel Rodriguez fired in a shot from the edge of the area to restore parity. Portland’s pressure yielded a corner and San Diego were unable to clear their lines and the ball fell kindly for the Costa Rican to rifle the volley onto the roof of the net.
Both teams ended the half with good chances to grab the lead. Sophia Smith on a counter-attack couldn’t sort out her feet fast enough off a pass from Morgan Weaver which led to Kailen Sheridan easily smothering the chance. Bella Bixby was forced into a reaction save to deny Kornieck’s half-volley close range in stoppage time of the first half meaning they had to go into the changing rooms at the break level.
The second half was dominated by Portland having the lion’s share of possession but Wave’s defence, marshalled by Naomi Girma was up to the task. The Thorns had a couple of pops at Sheridan but none of them came close to beating the Canadian.
Casey Stoney’s side conceded ground which allowed Portland numerous chances to grab the winner in a tense match. The final 20 minutes of the match saw chances falling for both Weaver and Smith, but neither could ripple the net.
Second half substitute Crystal Dunn was the hero however with a minute of injury time remaining. Rhian Wilkinson’s charges earned a corner from their pressure and Wave couldn’t get rid of danger convincingly and for the second time in the game, the ball landed on a Portland player. Dunn made no mistake in finding the net in spectacular fashion sending over 20,000 home fans into pandemonium and handing her side the first play-off win since 2018.
Above: Kansas City Current players after the final whistle in their win against OL Reign. Photo: @thekccurrent.
Meanwhile, in Seattle, Kansas City Current ran out comfortable 2-0 winners against regular season shield-winners OL Reign at Lumen Field to book a ticket into the final.
OL Reign went down in the opening five minutes when Alexis Loera poked home for Kansas City. Lo’eau LaBonta and Cece Kizer combined well inside the box and Kizer’s initial shot was blocked but Reign couldn’t sort themselves out and Loera popped up in the box to put her chance away below Phallon Tullis-Joyce in goal.
Jordyn Huitema had a good chance to draw OL Reign level in the 31st minute with her header but Adrianna Franch made herself big enough to deny the Canadian. Jess Fishlock also came close twice within a minute when she rattled the crossbar with a fierce shot and when a second chance came from a corner, she wrapped her foot around the ball with a smart volley but it was straight down Franch’s throat for a comfortable save.
The Current doubled their lead just after the hour mark when a long ball from the back was not dealt with sufficiently by Sam Hiatt and Kristen Hamilton pounced on the loose ball. Running into space vacated by two defenders, Hamilton pulled her shot wide enough away from Tullis-Joyce to make it 2-0.
Reign had to find a way back and thought they had pulled one back when Huitema saw another header not go in as Loera cleared off the line emphatically in the 73rd minute.
Laura Harvey’s side attacks eventually fizzled out as Matt Potter and his team put on a defensive clinic to see out the remainder of the game condemning Reign to another play-off loss and securing their first final as Kansas City Current.
Portland Thorns and Kansas City Current will face off at the Audi Field in Washington DC on Saturday October 29th.
Impetus’ Ben Gilby was in Chelsea’s media conference this afternoon as captain Magda Eriksson and General Manager Paul Green looked ahead to tomorrow’s Champions League tie against Albanian side Vllaznia at Kingsmeadow(25/10/22).
Above: Chelsea star Fran Kirby looks set to play some part in tomorrow night’s Champions League tie with Vllaznia at Kingsmeadow. Photo: Harriet Lander.
Chelsea General Manager Paul Green has confirmed that Lionesses star Fran Kirby is a strong contender to play a part in the Blues’ Champions League game with Vllaznia at Kingsmeadow tomorrow night.
Speaking to the media this afternoon, Green said: “Things are looking good. Fran Kirby has come back into the squad. She’s been in training the last couple of days and will be an addition to the squad. Fran is a quality player and to have her back for tomorrow night is a big boost.”
Whilst Kirby’s return will be met with joy from the fans, the news was less positive on Serbian midfielder Jelena Čanković, as the club General Manager admitted that “her injury hasn’t settled down as we would have hoped.”
Turning attention to the task at hand tomorrow, whilst Vllaznia may be an unknown quality to many, Green is more than aware that they showed more than enough quality against Real Madrid in last week’s group game to prove they will be stubborn opponents at Kingsmeadow.
“They will be very well organised, very structured defensively. They did very well against Real Madrid last week. It was only two late goals that got Madrid the win, they were very difficult to break down. We are expecting them to come to Kingsmeadow with a similar tactical approach to the game.”
Paul Green, Chelsea General Manager on what he expects from Vllaznia.
“They have a mixture of Albanian internationals and American players as well. They did well in their league last year and are doing so again this year, but we know that if we perform, we are good enough to get the result that we all want.”
“They are in the competition for the first time in their club’s history, so it’s a massive achievement for them to play against some of the best teams in Europe. They will be playing with a lot of freedom, there is not much expectation for them to get out of the group. We need to build on last week’s win at PSG, it’s important for us to go to six points from six in the group.
“We have to look for a fast start, but it’s all about patience and follow the same process with good ball speed to open them up.
“We have to be at our best to break down their low block. We have the players to do it but have to perform at our best level to break down the block and get the goals. If we all perform at our highest level we can get the win we need to build on last week, otherwise going to PSG, getting the win, and not following it up with the bread-and-butter home game against the lowest-ranked team in the group would put us back to the drawing board.”
Above: Albanian champions Vllaznia proved to be stubborn opposition for Real Madrid last week, and Paul Green is not expecting it to be any different tomorrow night at Kingsmeadow. Photo: UEFA.
Whilst some teams may become frustrated by the sort of defensive approach that the Albanian side are likely to set up tomorrow night, Green doesn’t see it being an issue for Chelsea, saying: “Unless we are playing the top teams in the WSL, we are coming against 5-4-1 or 4-4-1-1 all the time. We have to be patient.”
Green provided an update on Ann-Katrin Berger’s health situation after the news recently that her thyroid cancer had returned by saying: “Ann is fit and healthy. She has kept a couple of clean sheets. The way she has handled herself over this period in such difficult circumstances is a real credit to her.
“She is immensely tough and is a real inspiration to all her teammates as someone to look up to. We’re delighted to her coming back on the pitch and she has showed that with her performances.”
Finally, the Blues General manager detailed the latest situation surrounding Emma Hayes’ recovery from major surgery by saying: “Emma is making good progress. We’re in full dialogue on a daily basis. I’m sure she is itching to get back and is probably suffering cabin fever after being homebound for so long.
“She’ll be back before long, but it has to be right for her. The timing will be crucial as her health is the most important thing. There is still no timeline, but I’m sure she’ll be asking her doctors for the green light to come back as soon as she can.
Above: Magda Eriksson – Chelsea’s captain spoke of the contrasting fortunes that her side have experienced in the Champions League over the past two seasons and how they can build on it to have a successful 2022/23 campaign. Photo: @MagdaEricsson Twitter.
Chelsea captain Magda Eriksson began her section of the media conference by reflecting on last week’s superb win away to Paris St. Germain to open their Champions League campaign.
“It was a very tough first game. All we really wanted to get was the three points to prove ourselves, considering last year when we had a tough group and a tough start. We nullified their attacking threats and were clinical going forward. Tomorrow we just want to keep the momentum going. That’s all we are focussed on.”
The Blues’ recent Champions League campaigns have had major ups and downs as the team went from being runners-up in 2021 to failing to navigate the group stage last season. Eriksson highlighted the lessons that have been learned from those contrasting experiences.
“Reaching the Final we learned that we have it within us to go all the way. We know we have the quality to get there. Last year, we discovered the difficulties that come with the group stage where it is six games, a very hectic schedule, and focusing on getting everything right. I’m just glad we got off to a good start with three points in a tough game last week (away to Paris St. Germain).
“Getting those three points was massive, it was a really big win (in the context of the group outcome) and we are really pleased for that. Being Chelsea and having the quality we have, we always put pressure on ourselves to win every single game we play in every single tournament.”
The Swedish international star pointed out that whilst the benefits of Chelsea’s strength in depth are well recognised, what is perhaps not so often highlighted is the benefits that come from having players from so many different players in the squad.
“We have so many different nationalities, players who have played in many different leagues, so we share that knowledge among each other. When we played PSG last week, there were so many of us who had played them before, or played in France. You know you can go and ask these players for information and details.
Magda Eriksson, Chelsea captain, on the benefits of having so many top overseas players in the squad.
Chelsea’s superb win in Paris last week was one of a pair of eye-catching successes for WSL sides in France after Arsenal’s stunning demolition of European Champions Olympique Lyonnais. For Eriksson, it is proof that the standards ot the English domestic game and the importance of having big squads is finally making itself felt in the continent’s top club competition.
“It is good for the league that the English teams are doing well in Europe. It means we have a very competitive league. Every game we play is tough. Those things show their result in Europe eventually. We have big squads because we have to (with all the competitions we have to play in here). Things are moving in the right direction and we look strong.”
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