Jean-Pierre Thiesset casts his eye over tournament debutants La Roja Femenina (pictured above at the 2019 World Cup by Getty Images).
Squad News:
The Chile women’s national football team has been known or nicknamed as “La Roja Femenina (The Feminine Red)”.
For Chile, 2019 will remain in the history of the country as the year of the Women’s Football Revolution. After its participated in the FIFA Women World Cup, “La Roja” achieved its best FIFA Women’s World Ranking being of 37th.
Christiane Endler, national team goalkeeper and arguably their most famous player revealed the consequences of that World Cup appearance: “We have seen a lot of changes lately. Women football is more supported and valorized. We enjoy greater visibility, and now people know the players. Several clubs came back from their bias and decided to create training centres for girls”.
In recent international matches, the team has already started to prepare for its next challenge, the Olympic Football Tournament in Tokyo. Head coach José Letelier, is optimistic. “I’m happy with the work and the focus of my players. We know that some adjustments are related to learning and progress, but I think we’re on the right track.”
Coach:
Above: José Antonio Letelier Henríquez. Photo: World Football.Net
José Antonio Letelier Henríquez has been head coach of the Chile women’s national football team since 2015.
He played mostly for Chilean teams and in 1988 Colo-Colo sent Letelier and three other young players on loan to Alianza Lima, whose team had perished in the 1987 Alianza Lima plane crash.
Olympics History:
Chile qualified for the first time this year for Olympic Games.
Qualifying:
Chile qualified by beating Cameroon in the Women’s Olympic Qualifying – CAF-CONMEBOL Play-Off in April 2021.
Strengths:
A few experimented players who played in France (Christiane Endler and Francisca Lara), or in Spain (Camilla Saez, Javiera Toro, and Yanada Aedo). A fighting spirit and a desire to progress.
Development Areas:
The Chile team lack of experience at high level with only one participation in World Cup before qualifying for Olympic Games.
Key Players:
Above: Christiane Endler .Photo: Between the Sticks.
Christiane Endler Mutinelli, the national team’s goalkeeper for the played for Paris St. Germain from 2017 until June 2021. On 21 June 2021, PSG rival’s and perennial French women’s’ champions Olympique Lyonnais announced the signing of Endler for the upcoming season. She is widely regarded as one of the top goalkeepers in the world. In both 2019 and 2020, she finished as runner-up in the Women’s Goalkeeper Awards at the FIFA Best Football Awards. She has 81 caps for the Chile Women’s national team.
Francisca Lara, known as Pancha Lara, plays as a midfielder for D1 Arkema (French Women top flight) side Le Havre AC. She has 72 caps for the Chile Women’s national team and has scored 21 goals.
One to watch:
Yastin Jiménez, 20 years-old is an emerging star who plays as a midfielder for Colo-Colo, Chile.
Prediction:
Chile (37th in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings) are in Group E with Japan (11th), Canada (8th) and Great Britain (5th). It will be a huge surprise if they are able to qualify for the quarter-finals from this group with experienced teams even as one of the two best third teams of all teams in the first round.
To any fan of the W-League, the name Rebekah Stott (pictured above on her return to the sport by Rachel Bach) is well known. The twenty-eight year old has played in Australia’s top league for the better part of a decade, winning the league five times while representing the Brisbane Roar, the Melbourne Victory and since 2015, Melbourne City.
Playing abroad is also not new to Stott. The Kiwi-born Australian-raised footballer had played in Germany, the US and Norway. She was supposed to be starting a new chapter in her footballing career with Brighton & Hove Albion in the English FA Women’s Super League this past season.
However, prior to departing something was not right. It was last June that Stott had found a little lump above her collarbone. After an inconclusive biopsy in Melbourne, where she lived at the time, she departed for her new club. The lump did not go away though, it kept growing.
By October, now in the UK and playing for Brighton, she returned to the doctor who booked her another needle biopsy. Due to COVID-19’s effect on the British medical system, Stott would not find out until January that the lump was most likely Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
Within 26 hours she was on a plane headed back to Australia. It was while she was in quarantine in Sydney that the final results came in and the diagnosis was confirmed from the UK. It was in fact Hodgkin’s Lymphoma which is a form of blood cancer.
Three weeks ago I was diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. I know the journey ahead will be difficult, but I want to face each obstacle with a positive mindset and help inspire others who have blood cancer too. Thank you to everyone who has supported me so far. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/JsAORHhLG7
After in-vitro treatment to preserve her fertility, Stott started her treatments last March at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne. The treatment included an aggressive six cycles of chemotherapy.
She made the brave decision to share and document her journey along the way, setting up and keeping an online blog of her Lymphoma battle at https://www.beatitbystotty.com.
Stott also raised more than AU$22,000 for the Australian Leukaemia Foundation as part of the Greatest Shave campaign when she said good bye to her hair last April.
She has since completed her treatment cycles, and is awaiting a PET scan to determine if she is in complete remission. These results should come on the same day as the Football Ferns play the Matildas in the opening match of the Tokyo Olympic Games.
As Stott represented both Australia at the youth level and New Zealand at the senior level, she has described the match as a special game, filled with friends on both sides of the opposition. Stott herself has already represented the Football Ferns at the London and Rio Olympics, and has 81 senior caps for New Zealand.
She will arguably be very missed by the Ferns, both for her skills on the field, and her leadership on and off it. Football is not over though for Stott.
Following the go ahead from her doctors she contacted her best friend who also happens to be the head coach of the Melbourne-based Bulleen Lions.
It was in Tuesday night’s match that Stott took her first steps back into football by being subbed in for the Lions’.
When describing the moment on Twitter she stated:
“Words can’t describe the feelings and emotions. It’s been without doubt the most challenging period of my life, but it was so special to return to the pitch and you certainly can’t wipe that smile!”
Been commentating @stotty_13's games for 11 years…long may that continue. Welcome back to the field, congratulations on another milestone ticked off. https://t.co/lay73AX2rt
Ben Gilby profiles The Matildas (picture above via Football Australia) who take their place in by far the toughest group at the Games.
Squad News:
Australia’s squad for the Olympic Games is one filled with players plying their trade in some of the biggest clubs in women’s football including FA Women’s Super League title and Golden Boot winner Sam Kerr, Olympique Lyonnais’ star defender Ellie Carpenter, UEFA Women’s Champions League bound Arsenal trio, Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord and Lydia Williams, as well as W-League Grand Final match winner Kyra Cooney-Cross.
The squad selected is a mix of youth and experience, with three players recording over 100 international appearances for Australia. Teenagers Cooney-Cross and Mary Fowler join Teagan Micah, Emily Gielnik, Hayley Raso, Charli Grant, Courtney Nevin, Laura Brock and veteran Aivi Luik as the nine Olympic debutants.
The squad, which looks very strong on paper does not come without a few potentially risky selections. Tony Gustavsson has called up both Elise Kellond-Knight and Chloe Logarzo, both of whom have been side-lined for injuries for a lengthy period, and who have not played for the Matildas since the pandemic. First choice goalkeeper Lydia Williams has been out for much of last season with Arsenal. Teagan Micah has also come in as goalkeeper after impressive against Sweden in the June friendly. Long time second choice goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold of West Ham United has also been selected.
Another player called up is South Australian star Charli Grant, who has yet to make her international debut despite being called up for the Denmark and Sweden friendlies.
Whilst the return of Logarzo and Kellond-Knight is a risk, it is not a surprise. Speaking at his press conference prior to the friendlies with Denmark and Sweden, head coach Tony Gustavsson told me that, although Logarzo was not ready for those two games he was in “constant contact with her” in order for there to be an opportunity to take the former Bristol City player to Tokyo, such is her massive importance to the Matildas. Equally, Gustavsson admitted to me that he selected Kellond-Knight for the Scandinavian friendlies despite knowing she wasn’t yet fit to play as he wanted to have a good look at her in training.
Coach:
Above: Australia Head Coach Tony Gustavsson. Photo Supplied To Us By: Football Australia
Tony Gustavsson has a hugely impressive CV which saw him picked from a strong list of candidates to lead the Matildas into what is arguably the biggest three years in their history with the Olympics followed by next year’s Asia Cup and 2023’s World Cup which Australia are joint hosts of.
Forty-seven year-old Gustavsson was born in Sundsvall, where he started his playing career in 1989 a sixteen year playing career ended with him taking charge of Degerfors IF men’s side in the second tier of the Swedish game. He then took over at top tier side Hammarby IF and led the Stockholm side into the UEFA Cup. The Matildas coach took his first coaching position in women’s football with Tyreso FF and immediately led them to the top flight championship. Two years later, under Gustavsson, Tyreso FF made the UEFA Women’s Champions League Final where they went down 4-3 to mighty Wolfsburg. His success with Tyreso attracted the attention of the USNWT which saw him help to shape a team that won the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games plus the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2015 and 2019.
Olympics History:
This is Australia’s fourth appearance in the Olympics, with their first entry into the competition coming as the host nation in 2000. In Sydney, the Matildas finished the group stages with a draw and two losses. Their other two previous trips to the Games both saw Australia make the Quarter-Finals. Athens 2004 saw a win over Greece, a draw with the USA and a loss to Brazil before going down 2-1 to Sweden in the last eight. After missing out in 2008 and 2012, the Matildas beat Zimbabwe, drew with Germany and lost to Canada before facing host nation Brazil in the quarter-finals in Rio. Despite a heroic effort in front of over 52,500 screaming Brazilians in Belo Horizonte, the Matildas went down 7-6 on penalties after a goalless 120 minutes.
Qualifying: The Matildas qualified for the Olympics in March 2020, with Emily van Egmond and Sam Kerr leading the Australian charge during the AFC Women’s Olympic Qualifiers Group stage which was belatedly held in Australia. They eventually clinched their place at Tokyo with victory in Vietnam just prior to the outbreak of coronavirus.
Strengths:
Attack, creativity and never say die spirit. A team who can boast Sam Kerr, Caitlin Foord, Hayley Raso and the young talent of Kyra Cooney-Cross have to be taken very seriously as an attacking threat. Add the marauding runs of Ellie Carpenter from right back into the equation and you have a very dangerous team.
Development Areas:
There are several risky selections in the squad with the likes of Lydia Williams, Steph Catley, Chloe Logarzo and Elise Kellond-Knight playing very little football in recent months. Additionally, Gustavsson’s switch to three at the back is a work in progress, but one which will stand the team in good stead over the coming months. The Matildas have only played five matches since February 2020 and this, plus a group of players still getting used to working with a new head coach makes matters more challenging than they otherwise would have been.
Key Players:
Sam Kerr
Photo Supplied To Us By: Football Australia
No Matildas article is complete without reference to the Queen of East Fremantle.
Kerr represented Australia an U17 and U20 level before making her senior debut for the Matildas at the age of 15 in February 2009 against Italy. A year later, she scored a goal in the AFC Asian Women’s Cup Final against North Korea when Australia lifted the trophy. Aged 17, Sam was selected in Australia’s 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup squad. Four years later, she was an integral part of the Matildas squad who made the Quarter-Finals of the tournament in Canada. For the 2019 World Cup in France, Kerr was named captain and scored five goals in Australia’s four matches. She presently has a total of 42 goals to go with her 92 caps.
Kerr’s first club, at the age of 12 was Western Knights, based in Mosman Park just three miles from her home town. Within three years, Sam had attended trials for Western Australia’s state team and then moved across to Perth Glory, the state’s sole W-League side. Making her debut at the age of 15, she was named as the league’s Player’s Player of the Year in 2009 – an incredible statistic. Her stay at the Glory lasted until 2012 when she joined Sydney FC. Kerr played for Western New York Flash for the first NWSL season in 2013 and made it all the way to the Grand Final where they lost to Portland Thorns.
She returned to home club Perth Glory who she represented in the W-League side from 2014-19 in between spells in America. Back in the purple and orange of her local senior side, Kerr led the Glory to two W-League Grand Finals and was in incredible form for the Western Australians, scoring a total of 52 goals in 49 games. In this period the East Fremantle born star spent two seasons with Sky Blue FC in the NWSL and in 2017, at the age of just 23 became the all-time top scorer in NWSL history. The same season saw her winning the NWSL Golden Boot and Most Valuable Player Award.
Kerr spent the 2018 and 2019 NWSL seasons with Chicago Red Stars, for whom she played in the Championship game. Her American adventure ended with the honour of being the first player to be named as the NWSL’s Most Valuable Player twice, and top scorer three times.
In November 2019, to great media fanfare, Kerr announced that she would join Chelsea in the FA Women’s Super League, and she made her debut in January 2020. In her time at the club, she has won two FAWSL titles, two Continental Cups, a Community Shield and played in a UEFA Champions League Final.
Ellie Carpenter
Photo Supplied To Us By: Football Australia
Carpenter has been the jewel in the crown of the next generation of Australian women footballers for a long time now. In fact it’s a shock that she still is just 21 years-old as she seems to have been around forever.
Ellie moved in W-League soccer with Western Sydney Wanderers, aged fifteen with her international debut coming only seven months later on 2nd March 2016 against Vietnam in an Olympic Games Qualifier played in Osaka.
Two years later she transferred to Canberra United where she played twenty-one games and scored five goals – not bad at all for a defender.
In 2018 there was another huge milestone in Carpenter’s career when she moved to the National Women’s Soccer League with Portland Thorns, becoming both the youngest ever player in the competition and the youngest goal scorer. Two years with the Thorns included a loan spell with Melbourne City in the 2019/20 W-League which saw her lift the championship trophy following their 1-0 win over Sydney FC in the Grand Final. A move to Olympique Lyonnais last summer pushed Carpenter into the big time and, in a difficult season which saw the club surrender both the French D1 and Champions League titles that they have held for so long, she performed outstandingly well.
One to watch:
Kyra Cooney-Cross
Photo Supplied To Us By: Football Australia
This 19 year-old who made her senior Matildas international debut on 10th June in Denmark potentially has the world at her feet. Cooney-Cross trialled with the Mini Matildas at the age of 14 and made her W-League debut for Melbourne Victory a year later. Two months after that debut, she scored her first W-League goal – a header against Newcastle Jets and went on to play in every game for the Victory that season.
A move to Western Sydney Wanderers in 2019 saw Cooney-Cross score four times in twelve games as she was part of the team making their first ever Finals appearance.
The W-League season just gone saw the teenager return to Melbourne Victory and go up a level and then some. Some powerful runs from midfield, vicious shots on goal, plus absolute wizardry from set-pieces marked her out as one of the best players, if not the best player in the competition. All this before she single-handedly decided the 2021 W-League Grand Final. With the clock moving over the 120 minute mark at the end of extra time, up stepped Kyra to take a corner on the left hand side. The 19 year-old curled a stunning effort straight into the net to win the Grand Final for Melbourne Victory. It was no fluke. She meant it. She has an incredible record for Australia at U17 level where she scored fourteen goals in as many games and U20 level where Cooney-Cross netted seven times in eight matches.
Prediction:
The Matildas are in the group of death to end all group of deaths. If they can qualify, particularly placed first or second, then anything is possible. For starters, a quarter-final place would be a great achievement given everything the squad have had to deal with. Once in the last eight, potentially, anything could happen.
Group Fixtures inc KO times (local/UK)
21st July v New Zealand (Ajinomoto Stadium, Tokyo, 12:30pm UK)
24th July v Sweden (Saitama Stadium, Saitama, 9:30am UK) 27th July v USA (Kashima Stadium, Ibaraki, 9:00am UK)
Ben Gilby writes for Beyond90, Australia’s leading independent women’s football platform. Visit https://beyond90.com.au/
Ben Gilby caught up with Sutton United’s Olivia Watson (pictured above by Paul Loughlin), who we are proud to co-sponsor with Since ’71 to find out about how her final games of the campaign went and her aims for the new season.
Olivia began by outlining what she’s been up to on and off the pitch since we last caught up a two months or so ago. “I have been enjoying being back in training and we have been fortunate to have been playing regular Sunday matches up until our season ended. We are currently having a short break from football until preseason starts in early July. Off the pitch, I have been enjoying the restrictions being lifted slightly and being able to go out and spend time with friends and family.”
Sutton United had plenty of games since restrictions were lifted, both in the London and South-East Round Robin competition and the Capital Intermediate Cup. “The Spring round robin cup was a good experience as we were able to play teams that we haven’t played this season and wouldn’t have in our league. We played really well in all our games and won them all, even beating teams in the league above us, which was amazing and a great confidence boost for us all. We also then played in the Capital Intermediate cup and won our quarter-final, 3-1 but unfortunately were knocked out in the semis, which was disappointing.”
“I think my form has been quite good, not the level I want to or strive to be at but considering the long breaks due to Covid this season, I am happy with how I have played since coming back in March. I was a bit rusty at first and have only managed to score three times, which is something I want to improve on next season. However, I feel that my speed on the ball has been good and my confidence with the ball at my feet has improved.”
“In terms of how the team have progressed, I feel that we have really grown and come together. We have been working hard in training and performing well in our matches – we have been playing some of the best football we have played this season. We have worked on some aspects of our game, which we have shown on the pitch, and scored lots of goals, which helped us to win our group in the Spring Round Robin Cup. Now, I am really looking forward to pre-season and continuing this.”
Above: Olivia advancing into the box in a post lock down Spring Series game for Sutton United. Photo: Paul Loughlin,
Looking ahead to next season, Olivia’s plans are already settled. “I will definitely still be at Sutton, I have recently signed a new contract for the 2021/22 season and can’t wait to be with the team pushing for promotion. Despite the men’s team having to take up their 4G pitch having won promotion to the EFL, we will still be playing our home games at Gander Green Lane on the stadium pitch, which is very exciting and amazing opportunity for us all.”
With only a short gap between the end of the spring matches and pre-season starting, Olivia outlined her plans for the next few weeks.
“We have had a couple of weeks or so off and I have been spending as much time as I can with my friends and family, going for food and drinks, watching the Euros and enjoying a bit of freedom. I also went away, in the UK, with my family for a weekend, which was great. I have also been going to the gym and running, so hopefully, I can maintain my fitness ready for pre-season.”
With the FA having recently announced the re-allocation of clubs to various divisions as a result of applications, Sutton United will remain in the London & South-East Regional League Division One (tier six).
“I’m not 100% sure what the league will look like for next season,” Olivia commented, “but I know that Walton Casuals and Dorking Wanderers have moved up into the league and New London Lionesses have gone up to the Premier Division. So, I think it will be, us, Hackney, Clapham, Victorie, Watford, Phoenix, Walton Casuals and Dorking Wandererss, so it should be a good competitive season, in which hopefully we will be pushing for the top.”
Darrell Allen profiles Team GB who make their first appearance in the women’s football event at the Olympic Games since 2012 (as pictured above via Sky Sports).
Squad News:
After the excitement that the England team brought to the men’s Euros, it is now the turn of Team GB in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, delayed of course by one year due to the pandemic but the sense of anticipation is greater than ever with it being only the second time Team GB have entered a team into the women’s football section of this prestigious event.
Being based in Norfolk, I am very proud to see the inclusion of Lauren Hemp in the squad, notably as Team GB’s youngest player. The squad sees ten other debutants from England – Millie Bright, Lucy Bronze, Rachel Daly, Fran Kirby, Nikita Parris, Ellie Roebuck, Georgia Stanway, Demi Stokes, Keira Walsh and Leah Williamson along with Wales’ Sophie Ingle and Scotland’s Caroline Weir.
There are also five players from the London 2012 games with Steph Houghton, Jill Scott and Ellen White and Kim Little returning to the GB fold. Sandy MacIver, Carly Telford, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Niamh Charles and Ella Toone complete the squad.
Above: Hege Riise, Head Coach of the Great Britain Olympic team. Photo: Lynne Cameron/Getty Images.
Coach:
Hege Riise will take charge of the squad in Tokyo, and with experience at the Games herself having won gold with Norway at Sydney in 2000. Riise is a coach of the highest calibre and is one of only three women in the world to have won the holy grail of the Olympics, World Cup and European Championships. She celebrates her birthday tomorrow (18th July) and will be hoping celebrations continue across the coming weeks.
Olympics History:
Team GB’s previous appearance at the Olympics was in 2012, when they took part as host nation. Hope Powell’s side topped a group containing Brazil, Cameroon and New Zealand before succumbing 2-0 to Canada in the quarter-finals.
Qualifying:
Great Britain qualified for the Olympics automatically as a result of England’s fourth place finish at the 2019 World Cup in France. All of Europe’s qualification places were decided by performances at that tournament.
Strengths:
I have much confidence the team will perform well. There is a wealth of talented through the squad, particularly in offensive positions with many recognisable faces from the FAWSL and especially from Chelsea’s title winning season which also saw Emma Hayes’ team make the Champions League Final.
Development Areas:
Defence however has always been a concern for me and this will potentially be a major issue, particularly when coming up against the stronger nations.
Above: Team GB’s Fran Kirby – in the form of her life. Photo: Eurosport.
Key Players:
Whilst I hope the whole squad embrace the opportunity and give the nation something to be proud about, watch out for Chelsea’s Sophie Ingle, who will be making her first appearance on the big international stage after so many years of giving outstanding service to Wales. Additionally, her South-West London team-mate Fran Kirby is in the form of her life.
One to watch:
I of course will be hoping Lauren Hemp features as after emerging from North Walsham High School, she is doing Norfolk and most importantly herself and her family so very proud. She is getting better and better each season with Manchester City and has offered a real threat for England in her most recent appearances.
Prediction: Semi-Finals
Group Fixtures inc KO times (local/UK)
Great Britain v Chile, 21st July, Sapporo Dome. 8.30am BST.
Japan v Great Britain, 24th July, Sapporo Dome. 11.30am BST.
Canada v Great Britain, 27th July, Kashima Stadium. 12.00 midday BST.
Impetus are delighted to be able to announce a partnership with Pride Park FC. Based in Derbyshire, the club who play in the tier seven Derbyshire Ladies League Division One, are a true community grass roots club providing football from girls and youth up to their first team.
Speaking about the partnership launch, Pride Park secretary David Kwiatek said: “We are delighted to have agreed this partnership with Impetus, which will involve the site publishing features about Pride Park FC from the first team down to youth level to their worldwide readership.
“The site has additionally already published number of our first team match reports. We hope it will help raise the club’s profile, and that our content will prove of interest to the site’s readership.
Impetus founder Ben Gilby said: “Impetus takes great pride in its support of grassroots women’s football as these clubs, players and volunteers are the true heartbeat on the game. Pride Park are a fantastic and really friendly club and it’s going to be fantastic to work with them over the next year or so.”
@DandalBs updates us on the goings on in Sweden with the final round of matches in the Damallsvenskan and Elitettan before the Olympic break. There’s also lots of transfer news, with Eskilstuna United featuring prominently.
DAMALLSVENSKAN:
Linköping went down to a 3-0 loss at home to second placed BK Häcken with all the goals coming in the last 23 minutes. Milica Mijatovic put Häcken ahead with Dilja Yr Zomers doubling their advantage four minutes later. Evelyn Ijeh completed the scoring two minutes into stoppage time.
EskilstunaUnited continued their journey towards the upper reaches of the table as they sent injury-ravaged AIK to yet another loss. Felicia Rogic (pictured above via Aftonbladet) scored the only goal in the last half hour which sent the crowd of 1,112 home very happy.
Vittsjö played out a 0-0 draw with Kristianstad.
Djurgården continued to pull away from the relegation zone after a 3-0 win over strugglers Piteå. The Stockholm based side went ahead just before the break thanks to an own goal. Nellie Lilja added a second just before the hour mark with Sara Olai completing the scoring in the final minute.
As expected, Rosengård comfortably won the top against bottom clash against Växjö with a 5-0 win. Olivia Schough got the scoreboard moving after two minutes with Anna Anvegård adding a second seven minutes later. Six minutes before half-time, Nathalie Björn made it 3-0. Caroline Seger and Stefanie Sanders completed the rout.
Above: Nathalie Björn (right), scorer of Rosengård’s third goal against Växjö. Photo: Bildbyrån
Hammarby’s marvellous return to the Damallsvenskan after promotion from the Elitettan at the end of last season continues after a 3-2 win at KIF Örebro which ensures they go into the Olympic break in third place. 2-3 Hammarby. Madelen Janogy put the visitors ahead on seven minutes before Örebro levelled just two minutes later after an own goal. In the early exchanges of the second half, the hosts went ahead thanks to a strike from Karin Lundin. Two goals in five minutes turned the match on its head and ensured that Hammarby went back to Stockholm with all three points. Elsa Karlsson and Emilia Larsson’s brilliant free kick clinched the win in front of an enthralled crowd of 763.
Table from: svenskfotboll.se
The Damallsvenskan now breaks for the Olympic Games and returns on 20th August with the set of fixtures below:
Round Thirteen Fixtures:
Växjö v Vittsjö
Hammarby v Eskilstuna United
AIK v Djurgården
Piteå v Linköping
Rosengård v KIF Örebro
Kristianstads v BK Häcken
ELITETTAN
Above: Alexandra Hellekant – scorer of Jitex Mölndal opening goal in their superb 2-1 win over IK Uppsala. Photo: @JitexBK
It was a weekend of shocks in the Elitettan as the top two both suffered defeats to further tighten the promotion race. Leaders Umeå IK suffered a 3-0 loss away to fourth placed Lidköpings FK. Frida Lahteenmaki, Ida Pettersson and an own goal completed the win to the delight of 191 fans. Jitex Mölndal, in the bottom four pre-game,pulled off a sensational 2-1 win over second placed IK Uppsala. Two goals in nine first half minutes from Stinalisa Johansson and Alexandra Hellekant put Jitex ahead before an own goal just after the hour mark gave Uppsala a chance of a point, but they could not find the net again. Due to results elsewhere, Uppsala dropped to fourth as a consequence. IFK Kalmar took advantage to go second following a 1-0 win over Sundavalls DFF. Tabby Tindell’s goal with six minutes left was the difference. Morön BK went third after a 5-0 thrashing of Borgeby FK. A Hildah Tholakele Magala hat-trick plus further strikes form Arianna Veland and Lina Pettersson completed the win. Älvsjö AIK FF took advantage of the top two’s defeats to bring new life into their promotion push with a 2-0 win over Bollstanäs SK. Marie Segerholm and Alice Ahlberg were on target.
Latest Results: Alingsås FC United 0-2 IF Brommapojkarna, IFK Norrköping 2-1 Mallbackens IF Sunne, Lidköpings FK 3-0 Umeå IK, Morön BK 5-0 Borgeby FK, Jitex Mölndal 2-1 IK Uppsala, Älvsjö AIK FF 2-1 Bollstanäs SK, IFK Kalmar 1-0 Sundsvalls DFF.
The Elitettan now takes a break until the next round of matches which will be played on 7-8th August. The games scheduled for those dates are shown below:
Next matches: IF Brommapojkarna, IFK Norrköping, Bollstanäs SK v Jitex Mölndal, IFK Kalmar v Alingsås FC United, IK Uppsala v Älvsjö AIK FF, Mallbackens IF Sunne v Lidköpings FK, Sundsvalls DFF v Morön BK, Umeå IK v Borgeby FK.
Table from: svenskfotboll.se
NEWS ROUND-UP:
FAWSL side Everton have announced the signing of Swedish international Anna Anvegård on a two-year deal and fellow countrywoman Nathalie Björn on a three-year deal from Rosengård for an undisclosed fee.
Above: Anna Anvegård, wearing Everton’s new away kit, unveiled after signing for the FAWSL side this week. Photo: Everton FC
There are rumours suggesting that Emilia Larsson, who has been an important part of Hammarby‘s so far successful season, is supposed to have received offers from both BK Häcken and Rosengård. Larsson has earlier stated that she has no plans to leave Hammarby. BK Häcken coach Mats Gren added fuel to the fire by saying when asked about Larsson: “She is very interesting. She has an interesting position where she scores and assists a lot. The way we play, she would fit in very well.”
Rosengård confirms the signing of Eskilstuna United’s star Loreta Kullashi. The 22 year-old spent the last four seasons with her previous club, and has signed a three and a half year long contract.
Also departing Eskilstuna United is Fanny Andersson, who has signed a 2 year deal with Piteå. The 26 year-old midfielder played every match for her previous club since she joined 2019.
A disruptive few days concluded for Eskilstuna United with the news that their head coach Magnus Karlsson has left the club for an assignment as club director at IFK Norrköping. IFK is a classic Swedish club with a long and sometimes successful history. Eskilstuna has just begun looking for Karlsson’s replacement.
Växjö‘s Signe Holt Andersen, who announced that she would be leaving a short time ago, has been signed for Lazio, newly promoted to Serie A.
Young star Hanna Bennison has added to speculation about her departure from Rosengård by saying “Anything can happen”. Boss Therese Sjögran says a roster like Rosengård’s is bound to attract interest. More players leaving depends on “if they can be replaced, if the money is right and so on”.
Above: Rosengård’s Hanna Bennison (left) could be on the move soon, something her Sporting Director Therese Sjögran (right) did not deny. Photo: Expressen
There are rumours that European Champions Barcelona have showed some initial interest in BK Häcken and Sweden midfielder Filippa Angeldahl. Angeldahl is in her final year of her contract with BK Häcken.
Paris St. Germain have confirmed the signing of Amanda Ilestedt on a two year deal.
Australia lost for the fifth straight time in a row against Japan earlier this week in their final warm up game before the Olympics (pictured above via Getty Images), but Tony Gustavsson has remained consistent in his messaging that the results do not matter.
He has maintained from the first game of his tenure against Germany that the side is undergoing a process and a common goal.
“Everything we’ve done including the game today has been towards that New Zealand game,” said the manager after losing to Japan.
“We haven’t talked about getting out of the group we’ve only talked about that New Zealand game,” echoed captain Sam Kerr when the squad was announced.
The plan appears to be not to peak during friendlies and warm up matches but during the Olympics. Gustavsson has been here before with the U.S.A, he knows what it takes to be successful in international football.
Despite the losing streak, the Matildas have remained competitive against strong opposition.
When they faced Denmark, Australia had 14 shots on goal and 10 on target, only through a series of unfortunate events did the Danes score three times with only one shot on target for the match.
In the next match they were very much on the back foot. Sweden had 12 shots on goal to Australia’s seven. Importantly, the defence looked solid and stubborn, they kept a clean sheet against a European Cup and Olympic contender.
Both of these games were big improvements over the preceding thrashings against Germany and The Netherlands. Gustavsson and the players repeatedly refer to “the process” the team is undergoing and they generally look to be headed in the right direction.
Gustavsson has continued to tinker. Australia alternated between a three player defense and a more familiar back four.
Australia has had basically two tactical systems over the last decade, 4-3-3 and when that fails, 4-3-3 but with more effort.
While this has done the job in beating up on Brazil and can historically match the U.S.A, Australia has struggled against European opposition.
Above: Mid game discussion for The Matildas against Japan involving, from left to right: Hayley Raso, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Clare Polkinghorne, Emily van Egmond and Ellie Carpenter. Photo: ESPN
The flexibility to switch to a different system depending on the opposition and the in game scenario is needed.
If Australia are a goal or two ahead with 20 minutes to play but are under siege, switching to the formation that shut out Sweden would be a way to close out the game.
The ability to switch between this and the system that releases Catley and Carpenter as attacking weapons is the sort of tactical flexibility that Gustavsson is looking to develop.
In the 2019 World Cup, an injury to Clare Polkinghorne resulted in a domino effect of players moving positions. Being able to shift between a back three and four could be an in game alternative should misfortune strike again.
In the Japan game, Australia tried a mix of different systems and players over the 90 minutes. It was a game played in the spirit of caution by both sides, nobody wanted to get injured days out from a major event and Gustavsson evidently valued further experimentation over grinding out a meaningless result.
This is not a method Australian fans are accustomed to. The Matildas have previously attacked friendly fixtures with enthusiasm. They have always been looking to score and entertain.
This has drawn, crowds, acclaim and popularity, what it has not brought is major international success.
Gustavsson’s methods may not bring about victory in Tokyo but we do know that what has been tried in the last few years has not worked either.
The opening game against New Zealand will be Australia’s first competetive match under Tony Gustavsson. It will also be the first game of consequence for the players since February 2020.
The team and the manager have been insistent that only this upcoming contest matters, everything else has only been prelude to it.
In 2021 we have seen the Matildas play to get back together, we have seen them play to score, we have seen them play to defend and play to get some final match fitness.
On Wednesday 21st, for the first time, we will see them playing to win.
Impetus editorBen Gilby was born in South-West London but is known to be a long-time supporter of The Matildas, Australia’s national women’s team. He explains his journey from discovering this very special team to interviewing their players and reporting on their games(16/7/21).
Craven Cottage, Fulham FC on 9th October 2018. England v Australia. As a women’s football fan and someone born in nearby Roehampton, it was natural that I should be at the game (pictured above via Football Australia).
For many of my fellow countrymen and women, what was not natural was that I was there in the Matildas green and gold. It was the culmination of a number of years following Australian women’s football which started after becoming aware of Sam Kerr ten years earlier.
The Australian footballing legend grew up twenty minutes up the road from where the Western Australian branch of my own family live so my introduction to the women’s game out there was personal (for more details on this, see forthcoming player profile on Sam).
Above: A very young Sam Kerr, pictured with Emily Van Egmond around a year before Ben first discovered the Australian superstar in 2008. Photo: Sam Kerr
From East Fremantle, Kerr would go on to Perth Glory in the W-League where I saw her play in those formative years. The first Matildas experience for me came in the 2010 AFC Women’s Asian Cup (the Asia confederation’s version of the Euros) when 16 year-old Sam was part of the team that went all the way to the final in monsoon like conditions to take on North Korea. Kerr scored Australia’s goal in the 1-1 draw. Just imagine the scenes in my living room in the early hours of the morning when her goal went in. The team in green and gold went on to lift the title on penalties.
The Matildas therefore started off as the national side with a player I had a connection to. That rapidly developed on a wider scale. As social media developed more recently, the Australian women’s team have led the way in reaching out to and communicating with fans.
The Matildas are a team who, before many other national sides, recognised the importance of building links with their supporters.
Commenting on the player’s Twitter feeds about their performances or achievements will often lead to the players themselves replying to you or DM-ing you. This connection is something which has seen the Matildas become Australia’s most loved national sporting team – an award they won ahead of the men’s cricket, rugby league and rugby union teams – no mean feat.
Above: Ben’s collection of Australian national soccer shirts from 1996 onwards. Photo: Ben Gilby
Regular events for supporters online have been organised including some particularly aimed at Matildas fans overseas which involve players and the coaching staff. This is a group of people who just “get it”.
The longer this connection between player and supporter goes on, the better you come to know each other. Therefore you celebrate those wins even louder, you cry even more tears when painful defeats come round. You experience it together – hence the team’s logo #WeAreMatildas.
Putting fandom aside, since I have been fortunate to be able to write about women’s football, these very same players have been so helpful to supporting my work for both Impetus and Beyond90. It’s like being on a journey together and the next three years with Olympics, the AFC Asian Women’s Cup and a home World Cup mean that journey is going to be more exciting than ever.
Being known as “that English bloke who is obsessed about Australian women’s football” means that I am able to talk up the game Down Under publicly – and believe me, it is well worth talking up.
Above: Ben’s Matildas Active Support Flag has been seen at FAWSL games where Australian women internationals have been playing. Photo: Ben Gilby
The next generation of Matildas are already coming through and some will be on display in Tokyo. Kyra Cooney-Cross has all the makings of a superstar of the future. Having first seen her as a 16 year-old, I can’t wait to see her explode on the world stage. Charli Grant is developing at pace and deserves all the success that comes her way in the future due to her dedication, ability and the fact that she is an example of the fact that genuinely nice people can succeed.
For me the Matildas are not just Australia’s national women’s football team – they are a group who know the struggles they have had to overcome to represent their country and are more than aware that they are inspiring the next generation of Australian girls to wear the shirt after them.
This is why they are my team. This is why that whenever they play England, I’ll be in the green and gold. It’s personal.
Above: Photos of Sam Kerr, Caitlin Foord and Emily van Egmond at major tournaments from 2011 onwards – the period that Ben has been following the Matildas. Photo: @SamanthaKerr20
This match, played at Sanga Stadium in Kyoto saw a limited crowd of 3,000 spectators allowed in due to the Coronavirus pandemic (photo above via YouTube).
The Matildas played 3-4-3 formation with Ellie Carpenter, Clare Polkinghorne and Steph Catley playing the back three, Tameka Yallop, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Emily Van Egmond and Kyah Simon in midfield and Caitlin Foord, Sam Kerr and Hayley Raso up the front.
Australia wore their Olympic jerseys which are making their debut. It’s mostly green with a gold triangle at the top right at the front with green shorts and from a distance, it looks a bit like a rugby jersey.
Kerr was notably wearing jersey #2. It was explained that as the team was originally 18 members, as per usual Olympic requirements, Sam chose the number two as 20 wasn’t going to be available. Then the Olympic committee changed the rules for the football teams to be 22 players and it was too late to change back, thus Charlotte Grant got the #20 jersey.
Cooney-Cross kicked off and Australia started with possession. Japan stole the ball but the cross to the box goes out and they began to press early.
There’s a long pass from midfield into the box by Carpenter but it went wide of goal with no one taking it. Foord got a run down the left but is stopped. Carpenter sends another long shot to goal which is gathered by the keeper.
Down the other end, Japan cross into the box but it also goes out. There’s a lot of long balls by both teams but no one is there to take advantage. It’s taken down the left by Japan then comes back out and is over to the right. The cross is cleared but comes right back into the box. Australia is calling for offside but the calls are ignored. Matildas need to play to the whistle. It’s cleared and a long ball goes down to Kerr but she is called offside.
Japan have more possession now but a foray into the box is cleared. Japan cross into the box from the left and Yallop clears it straight back to Japan. A shot is gathered by Micah.
The first quarter of an hour of the game has been played in Japanese territory. Van Egmond crosses to Foord in the box but she can’t get a shot away and it’s cleared. Carpenter gets it back and sends it over to Simon who takes a rather ambitious shot that is blocked at the top of the box.
Foord takes a good shot at around 19 minutes in, but it goes straight to the keeper.
Back down the other end and the back three for Australia are passing it between themselves for a while to reset. A pass to Van Egmond goes astray but Carpenter retrieves it.
A long ball to Raso is intercepted by the Japanese keeper who’s come right out. Shortly after, a cross by Raso is too far behind Kerr and goes out. Another attack ends with a foul and Japan get a free kick. Tanaka takes the shot which is blocked and held by Micah. Sugasawa is in the clear and shoots and forces a diving save by Micah. Japan is attacking a lot more now and Sugasawa is forward and makes a run in the clear and brings Micah right out to save but she’s called offside.
Another long ball comes up to Kerr who crosses into the box. There’s a couple of runners in the box but Foord’s header goes wide to the right of goal for a goal kick. It was a good chance. It’s a long goal kick straight to Polkinghorne who heads it back to Simon. She takes a long shot from the right straight to the keeper.
Above: Caitlin Foord (left) battles it out in Australia’s friendly with Japan yesterday. Photo: The Guardian
Van Egmond gets a free kick from an Iwabuchi foul. It eventually gets out to Yallop who does a 1-2 with Kerr before taking a shot which is caught in the top bins by the keeper, Yamashita. Nearly a sensational goal. Soon after, it’s half time and we’re still at 0-0.
Matildas head coach Tony Gustavsson has made a lot of changes at half time. It’s easier to just say who is on now than go through the replacements as it’s almost a new team. He’s obviously having a good look at everyone but also sparing some legs. So now we have Williams, Carpenter, Polkinghorne, Luik, Kennedy, Cooney-Cross, Van Egmond, Logarzo, Gielnik, Fowler, Raso.
Carpenter gets things going with a big run down the right flank but her cross is cleared. Carpenter gets another run into the box but is stopped in front of goal.
Not long after, Japan takes a run down the left and the cross hits Kennedy’s arm. She’s in the box and a penalty kick is awarded to Japan. Mana Iwabuchi steps up to take it. She goes hard, fast and low to the left corner and Williams has no chance. It’s 1-0 Japan.
After the kick off, Fowler gets the ball from a long cross and takes a shot. It floats over the top post harmlessly. Australia are on the attack now and Cooney-Cross takes it right up the midfield and passes to Carpenter on the right who in turn passes to Raso. She picks it up but skies it well over the goal.
Japan get a nice run into goal but the shot is neatly cleared by Polkinghorne.
Japan have a more traditional substitution and Iwabuchi is replaced by Endo. Japan attack again but the shot goes wide to the right of goal. Endo makes an immediate impact with a great strike from just outside the box. It’s high and on target and Williams has to jump up to get a hand to it to tip over the crossbar for the save of the match.
The resulting corner is cleared but Japan get another free kick. The home side get down the left and put in a cross which catches the heel of Kennedy and rebounds back. The resulting shot goes wide.
Back in Australia’s half, Gielnik gets in a tangle and despite slamming the Japanese defender to the ground, she gets a free kick. Cooney-Cross takes it and lobs it to Van Egmond. She takes a shot on goal but it goes to the left.
Gielnik then conjures up an opportunity from a long ball and she’s one on one with the keeper but is offside.
Another long ball is sent into the box by Japan and it floats into Williams hands safely. Raso sends a yet another long ball towards goal and Gielnik is there but can’t connect and it goes out.
We’re back and forth and Japan are soon attacking again. A shot sent across goal is sheparded out by Carpenter. The corner is headed away by Kennedy and cleared by Raso. Shortly after a long ball comes through for Japan and brings Williams right out of the box to tackle. Looks like she gets a hand to it so Japan get a free kick at the top of the box. Australia set up a four person wall. Momiki takes it and it hits a Japanese player in the wall and bounces over goal.
The ball is back with Australia and Raso’s cross ends up with Fowler who takes a shot which goes back across the goal and out on the right.
A good cross by Carpenter, who’s run up and down the field all night, is cleared. There’s good pressure at the end but the Japanese defence holds firm and nothing comes of it. The whistle blows and Japan win 1-0.
Defence was solid in both teams but it was a game of a lot of long passes to breach the back lines. The short passing game wasn’t really on target and finishing wasn’t happening either. Still, it’s pleasing not to concede any goals from the field. Three at the back seemed to work OK although it was caught short a couple of times with the long balls. Not sure if it would be as effective against a USA attack but we’ll see soon enough.
Japan have had a couple of big wins lately but this is their first outing against top ten opponent. Japan are in group E with Great Britain, Canada and Chile so won’t have an easy run through the tournament either.
Speaking after the game Australia head coach Tony Gustavsson said: “Japan is one of the most technical teams in the tournament,
“We wanted to press as aggressively as possible, and we did that very well and didn’t let Japan have the ball as much [as normal].
“I do think it was an even game, and when you look at the statistics that shows that evenness. I said to the players after the game that this is a good reminder of what the [Olympic] tournament is going to be about.
“It’s going to be very, very tight games – very even games. It is going to take that one moment to win or lose the games. We have to be there for those moments.”
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