Bompastor continues the unbeaten streak

Chelsea 4-2 Brighton and Hove Albion

by Aimee-Lou Caldecourt at Kingsmeadow for Impetus 9/12/24.

Above: Millie Bright (left) and Aggie Beever-Jones (right) celebrate Sjoke Nusken’s (middle) goal. Photo: ChelseaFCW on X.

Chelsea ran out winners in a fascinating tactical battle at Kingsmeadow against Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday afternoon.

It was the visitors who were technically the better team in the opening 10 minutes. The Seagulls came out to prove a point. They pressed with high intensity and drove up the pitch to win early corners.

Johanna Rytting Kaneryd showed she had the pace on the right side to beat Jorelyn Caribali to the ball and cross in a beautiful pass, which was shot safely into the hands of Sophie Baggaley.

Chelsea’s attempt at a short corner fell to the feet of Lucy Bronze just outside the penalty area, and her powerful shot was deflected by the Brighton defence and sent clear over the crossbar.

The Blues grew into the game and became more composed. They controlled the possession in Brighton’s half, pushing the Seagulls to defend in their own box.

Brighton were able to drive through the Chelsea midfield a fair amount thanks to Kiko Seike but were unable to challenge Hannah Hampton in the opening 25 minutes.

Rachel McLaughan’s technical ability shone in the first half. The way she kept calm to win battles against the Chelsea defenders was crucial to the Seagulls staying competitive in this game.

A lapse in concentration for Brighton allowed Chelsea to capitalise on the breakdown of the backline. A heavy touch from the former Chelsea player Jelena Čanković led to an attempted goal-line clearance from Guro Bergsvand, but the ball had already crossed the line, and Sjoeke Nüsken got Chelsea going in the game.

The Chelsea press in the first half was difficult to break down. Baggaley attempted to play out from the back, but it was intercepted by Aggie Beever-Jones, who doubled the home side’s lead five minutes before halftime.

Čanković found a pocket of space in the Chelsea defence after she received the ball from Nikita Parris and halved the deficit in added time.

Brighton changed their shape with the introduction of Michelle Agyemang, but ultimately it would have no impact on the outcome of the game.

Chelsea hunted to regain a two-goal advantage, and got their reward when an in-swinging ball from substitute Macario met Bronze in the box who was denied by Baggaley, only for the loose ball to meet the feet of Rytting Kaneryd who tapped it home.

Above: Chelsea’s squad rallies around Johanna Rytting-Kaneryd to celebrate her goal. Photo: ChelseaFCW on X.

Rytting Kaneryd is a force in the WSL this season but is still arguably underrated. Her positioning out on the wing is always perfect, and she has the pace to match making her an all-round outstanding player. The Swede’s ability in the box is just as good as outside the box and she has already equalled her goal tally for last season.

It was a poor clearance from Hampton in goal which allowed three Brighton players to be left unmarked in the box. The Lionesses goalkeeper’s pass ricocheted off Agyemang, into the feet of Seike who poked it in to give the Sussex side an extra push forward in the closing 15 minutes. A rare mistake from Chelsea.

In added time, Nüsken headed home from a corner. She was left unmarked as she drifted towards the near post.

It is understandable why Sonia Bompastor has broken records with this team. She is now nine games unbeaten in the WSL and her charges have only conceded five times in the league. This Chelsea team under her is incredibly difficult to break down. Bompastor, joking around, said, “Someone told me you are really dominating the league, and it was not good for the league. Today I feel we showed we have a competitive league… Brighton is a good team.”

This does not mean that Dario Vidosic’s side were not on the same level it was a hard-fought battle against the champions. There will be a sense of pride in these Brighton players. Vidosic said he was: “Really, really proud after a short period [of training].”

Nüsken’s brace and incredible contributions from Rytting Kaneryd and Beever-Jones highlighted the real attacking threat of Chelsea as a whole. Brighton showed high levels of resilience throughout and never gave up.

Teams: CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Hampton, Bright, Nüsken, Cuthbert, Reiten, Lawrence, Bjorn, Kaptein, Rytting Kaneryd, Bronze, Beever-Jones. Substitutes: Musovic (GK), Ramirez, Macario, Perisset, Charles, Hamano, Mpome, Jean-Francois, Bernabe.

Scorers: Nüsken 35′, Beever-Jones 40′, Rytting Kaneryd 51′, Bright 90+1′.

BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION (4-3-1-2): Baggaley, Pattinson, Bergsvand, Losada, Bremer, Parris, Čanković, Seike, Carabali, Olislagers, McLauchlan. Substitutes: Loeck (GK), Rayner, Vilamala, Milner, Heron, Agyemang, Pegram, Balmer, Johnson.

Scorers: Čanković 43′, Seike 71′.

Referee: Stacey Pearson.

Attendance: 3,765.

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Longo’s goals win it for Wellington

Wellington Phoenix 2-1 Brisbane Roar

By Kieran Yap 8/12/24

Above: Wellington Phoenix celebrate Annalie Longo’s first half goal. Photo: Official Media

A brace from Annalie Longo against Brisbane Roar delivered Wellington Phoenix their second win of the season.

Although this fixture was missing some star power, there was more than enough talent on the park at Jerry Collins Stadium.

Brisbane Roar travelled to New Zealand in strong form but without Tameka Yallop and Sharn Freier. The attacking pair both scored for Australia on Saturday night and would prove hard to replace, although Emily Pringle did a very good job of trying.

Wellington welcomed the visitors looking to build on last round’s win against Adelaide. Their first of the season snapped a run of consecutive losses and if that game gave the fans hope, this one should give them confidence.

Things looked bright for Brisbane early on. Evdokiya Popadinova looked certain to score but missed the target and Emily Pringle was thwarted by Carolina Vilao after bursting clear. The Portuguese goalkeeper struggled to adapt in her first three A-League games, but after two match-winning performances in a row looks to be one of the better imports in the competition.

It was Wellington who opened the scoring. It was not exactly against the run of play, but felt like a surprise nonetheless.

A short corner can be frustrating for fans, but a short goal kick can be heart-stopping. Wellington intercepted the ball at the second pass out from the back and Longo tucked away the eventual chance despite a hint of offside.

Pringle levelled things up for Roar with a terrific solo goal. She burst through the centre and cut wide. After holding off challenges from two phoenix defenders including the rapid Zoe McMeeken she finished low at the near post for one of the best goals of the round.

Alyssa Whinham tried to respond for Wellington. But after wriggling between a pair of Roar players she curled her shot agonisingly wide.

The task became harder for the visitors when striker Popadonva was withdrawn early in the second half. It appeared to be a hamstring injury and she joins other star signing Danelle Tan on the sidelines.

Wellington retook the lead in the 69th minute. Longo’s effort from distance squirmed under Olivia Sekany to make it 2-1 to the hosts.

She almost had a third late in the game but her clipped effort skimmed over the bar.

Wellington travel next round to face an in-form Melbourne Victory. On paper, Victory look to be the favourites, but Wellington will be confident having just ended a three match winning streak by Brisbane.

The Roar will face the Central Coast in what is shaping up to be one of the games of the round. The Mariners are one of only two undefeated sides left after five rounds and will be a strong challenge to face when trying to rebound from a loss.

Teams: WELLINGTON PHOENIX (4-4-2): Vilao, McMeeken, Barry, Jaber, Wall, Tanaka, McCutcheon, Longo, Whinham, Ferguson, Brazendale. Substitutes: Main, Jale, Elliot, Kelly, Neary.

Scorers: Longo 34’, 69’.

BRISBANE ROAR (4-4-1-1): Sekany, Blissett, McQueen, Varley, De La Harpe, Hayashi, Woods, Pringle, Hecher, Levin, Popadoniva. Substitutes: Kuilamu, Kruger, L. Freier, Richards, Hoyos.

Scorer: Pringle 45’,

Referee: Rachael Mitchenson.

Attendance: 503.

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Adelaide United move to fourth on the ladder

Adelaide United 2-0 Newcastle Jets 

by Jonathon Hagger (8/12/2024).

Above: Adelaide United celebrate with The Red Army Photo: Adelaide United

Pre-season encouragement for supporters of Adelaide United to ‘Dare to Dream’ were proven to be correct as their team took down the Newcastle Jets 2-0 in a well contested match.

Adelaide’s first home win for the season sees them now sitting third on the A-League Women’s points table and running wild while the Newcastle Jets’ hot and cold form sees them in ninth. Despite dominating possession, shots on goal, and corners, the Jets were unable to do what counts – score goals. 

Both teams started the match playing cautious football as each team took time to assess each others strengths and weaknesses. A corner by the Jets and taken by Copus-Brown in the eighth minute was the first real action of the match, however the play was not executed well with Adelaide quickly closing down play.

In true A-League style, immediately following the Jets offensive push, Adelaide made a convincing effort towards the visitors goal, built off precision passing spanning the entire width of the pitch. Leon’s well-weighted pass into the path of Healy in the centre of the field was dealt with defensively through excellent use of the body by Jets defender Claudia Cicco. 

A needless foul by Jets forward Gallagher in the 11th minute turned into a brilliant opportunity for her side to score following their winning a corner. A lovely corner kick from Copus-Brown found the feet of Baumann but Adelaide’s defense stood firm and the ball was cleared off the line by an outstretched leg. A second corner kick was skied over the top of the Adelaide goal.

Momentum in the match really swung towards the Jets for long periods of time. Repeated corners, free kicks and offensive pushes kept Adelaide on the back foot however Newcastle were unable to beat the keeper and score. A fantastic punching right in front of goal by Adelaide’s Jenkins in the 23rd minute kept the Jets scoreless.

In the 28th minute, Gallagher crossed into the Adelaide goal area finding Allan, however the keeper was once again able to diffuse the danger. 

Suddenly, in the 30th minute, a massive momentum shift occurred. Adelaide create holes in the Jets defensive structure, with the wing Healy, winning a one v one battle to find herself open enough to take a shot. Unfortunately for Adelaide the angle was too acute and the shot went wide. Would this be a signed things to come? 

The remainder of the first half played out in the same pattern and rhythm as described up until this point. Each team made strong forays into the other’s goal area but neither could execute on their chances. Until…. the 42nd minute.

The awarding of a yellow card against Jets keeper Krzyzaniak who handled the ball standing outside her goal area gave Adelaide the free-kick. McNamara got the ball over the line and Adelaide were in front. 

The closing minutes of the first half went in the home side’s favour as they applied pressure on the Jets forcing Krzyzniak to make repeated saves, although none of the attempts to score looked overly dangerous. 

The Jets team came into the second half showing desperation and a desire to score. Striker Gallagher, immediately turned up the energy. Adelaide on the other hand looked composed and not content to just sit back and defend. 

The middle of the pitch opened up for Adelaide in the 49th minute as Leon sliced the Jets open to find Worts on the charge to thread a wonderful pass into the path of Healy, only three feet out from goal. A bobble of the ball made for a nervous moment for Krzyzniak, but she was able to collect the ball on a second effort. 

Fast forward to the 63rd minute and a decisive pass into the middle of the area from Leon, found the boot of Worts who cleanly slotted the ball into the net putting Adelaide up 2-0. 

The hosts could have gone 3-0 up with just under 15 minutes remaining when Dewey’s free-kick required a strong punch away from the Krzyzniak to save the day. 

With 10 minutes remaining, there were two opportunities for the Jets. First, Copus-Brown’s header was safely deflected away by Jenkins. Then Vicari was denied an excellent opportunity. 

The return of Adelaide star player Chelsie Dawber in the 85th minute was a highlight of the match. Dawber makes her way back into top-level football after having time off for surgery and rehabilitation. 

Teams: ADELAIDE UNITED (4-2-3-1): Jenkins, Tolland, Tonkin, McNamara, Hodgson, Morgan, Dewey, Healy, Condon, Leon, Worts. Substitutes: Grove, Grigg, Dawber, Mullan, Bowler. 

Scorers: McNamara 44’, Worts 63’.

NEWCASTLE JETS (3-4-2-1): Krzyzniak, Baumann, Davis, Cicco, Allan, Copus-Brown, Jackson, Wilson, Hoban, Allan, Gallagher. Substitutes: Dundas, Breier, Vicari, Robertson, Rolley. 

Referee: Beth Rattray. 

Attendance: 1,019. 

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Murphy rocket seals the Victory

Perth Glory 0-1 Melbourne Victory

Report by Ben Gilby with EXCLUSIVE photography from Rob Lizzi at the Sam Kerr Football Centre (8/12/24).

Above: Melbourne Victory celebrate Alana Murphy’s late winner at Perth Glory today. Photo: Rob Lizzi for Impetus.

A stunning long-range strike from Alana Murphy three minutes into stoppage time at the end of 90 minutes sealed all three points for Melbourne Victory in Perth today.

In a match that saw both defences largely on top for the duration, a moment of individual brilliance from Murphy sealed the deal for Jeff Hopkins’ side as the ball was laid off to her almost 25 yards outside the box to fire home.

Earlier the visitors saw a penalty saved comfortably by Perth’s Casey Dumont. Victory had the bulk of the possession, but struggled to make it pay without the experience and guile of Em Gielnik and Alex Chidiac, who were on Matildas duty the previous day in Geelong. They brought back former Perth favourites Courtney Newbon, Alana Jancevski, and Sofia Sakalis to Western Australia to face their former club. Conversely, Glory’s Dumont and Nat Tathem renewed acquaintances with their former side.

Glory head coach Stephen Peters gave Dumont her 150th W-/A-League Women appearance – becoming the first goalkeeper to achieve this milestone in the process. He was also able to bring Izzy Foletta into his squad for the first time this season, with another locally produced youngster Charli Wainwright, a technically gifted midfielder, also on the bench aiming to get her first-ever start in the A-League Women. Tijan McKenna was back from spending the international window with Croatia.

Whilst the visitors had the best of the opening exchanges, particularly focusing their attacks along the right flank, with the battle between Nikki Flannery and Grace Johnston particularly crucial. Whilst the former Canberra attacker had plenty of possession, the Glory defence was largely able to hold Jeff Hopkins’ side at arm’s length. Victory consistently couldn’t quite find the telling final ball.

Perth’s best early opportunities came through the burgeoning partnership between Georgia Cassidy and Kelli Brown. Cassidy was able to use her accurate expansive ball-playing skills to release Brown along the left flank where she had the better of Ellie Wilson in the process.

Largely though, the home side were not able to connect the dots between Impetus A-League Women Young Player of the Month Sarah O’Donoghue and her fellow attackers. Consequently, clear-cut chances were few and far between at either end.

Above: Sarah O’Donoghue on the ball for Perth Glory today. Photo: Rob Lizzi for Impetus.

The best chance of the half came with 26 minutes gone as Cymru international Megan Wynne’s growing influence on matters saw her get free along the right to pull a low cross for captain Izzy Dalton coming in at the near post to lift a shot over the top.

Moments later, Jancevski used twinkle-toed footwork to drive past Zogg on the right and hit an effort with the outside of her foot which Dumont held. The visitors held the upper hand for the remainder of the half but failed to trouble Dumont further. It remained goalless at the break.

Victory continued to ramp up the pressure at the start of the second half, maximising possession along the right-hand side, with Jancevski and McKenna’s tussle a key part of the play. Brown was dropping deep to give the Glory a potential outlet – but the visitors were able to nullify anything the home side could create.

Perth just couldn’t get their key creative players on the ball and this in turn impacted their sharpness up front.

With 52 minutes gone, there was a real shot across Glory bows as Flannery escaped from Tathem along the right to fire a powerful shot into the side netting.

Then, with 68 minutes on the clock, Jancevski’s corner curled in from the right. Referee Mackie ruled that it had hit Zogg on the arm and pointed to the spot. But cometh the hour, cometh Dumont. Rachel Lowe took one step and hit a high shot that was comfortably saved.

That was effectively that. Until Alana Murphy stepped up to seal the win with a stunning long ranger in the depths of stoppage time. The ball was laid off outside the box for her to drive a brilliantly angled shot into the net from outside the box. Perth’s wait for a home win against Jeff Hopkins’ side now stretches to a seventh year.

Defensively, the Glory are well organised and strong. It’s at the other end of the field that needs to be developed. They have other options in their attacking armory to be trialled – it may well be that now is the time to give them a go.

For Rob Lizzi’s two photo galleries from the game, check out our Instagram page @ImpetusFootball.

Teams: PERTH GLORY (4-2-3-1): Dumont, Tathem, Zogg, Chinnama, Johnston, Cassidy, McKenna, Wynne, Dalton, Brown, O’Donoghue. Substitutes: Abdul-Massih, Foletta, Hollar, Templeman (GK), Wainwright.

MELBOURNE VICTORY (4-1-4-1): Newbon, Wilson, Bunge, Morrison, Goad, Murphy, Flannery, Lowe, D’Appolonia, Jancevski, O’Grady. Substitutes: Briedis, Candy, Curtis, Pickett, Sakalis.

Scorers: Murphy 90+3.

Referee: Bec Mackie.

Attendance: 971.

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Late de Domizo strike stuns Sydney

Western United 2-1 Sydney FC

by Joe Rosedon (8/12/24)

Above: Kiara de Domizio (facing camera) celebrates her late winner with Western United teammates Alana Cortellino (19) and Emily Roach (2). Photo: Beck Hartley for Impetus.

Kiara de Domizio’s late winner gave Western United a dramatic second victory of the season against reigning champions Sydney FC.

A competitive first half saw both teams spurn opportunities to take the lead.

The away side had the first real chance of opening the scoring. Mackenzie Hawkesby’s corner was met by a rising Nat Tobin who headed the ball down to Tori Tunmeth. Tunmeth composed herself in the box and fired towards goal but was denied instinctively by newly capped Matilda Chole Lincoln who remarkably slotted back into the starting eleven less than twenty-four hours after making her international debut.

Western United responded well. Amy Medwin was given ample space to drive down the right-hand side with devastating effect and pick out Keiwa Hieda. Hieda’s first-time strike seemed destined for the net until Tahlia Franco intervened with a stunning save. Hieda could not believe she had not put Western into the lead.

Sydney’s front-footed pressure nearly resulted in the opener. Maddie Caspers secured the ball in a dangerous position, capitalising on a heavy touch from Alana Cerne. Caspers then played a delicate through ball to Shea Connors. Connors had Lincoln beaten but could not locate the top right corner.

The second half started brightly for Western. Kahli Johnson received the ball on the edge of the box and evaded her marker with ease. Her eventual scuffed attempt at goal was saved by Franco who did enough to keep the scores level.

Johnson was soon to have her goal against her former team, and it came in brilliant fashion. Receiving the ball with her back to goal, Johnson shrugged off Shay Hollman in the vein of an archetypal centre forward. Her next touch evaded the tackle of Tobin, creating space on the edge of the box and unleashing an unsavable shot into the bottom right corner. Based on the balance of play at the start of the second half, the goal was well deserved.

Yet Sydney were back in the game only three minutes later and only Western had themselves to blame. A poor pass back to Cerne put the defender under unnecessary pressure. Second-half substitute Amber Luchtmeijer was quick to pounce. The NPLW NSW golden boot winner muscled Cerne off the ball and squeezed the ball under Lincoln to equalise, scoring her first goal for Sydney.

It seemed as if both teams would have to be content with a point. After Sydney’s leveller, neither team could control the game or fashion a clear-cut chance.

This changed drastically in the 88th minute. With her first touch after coming on, de Domizio headed home tremendously at the near post from Melissa Taranto to win the game in sensational style.

Check out Impetus’ Beck Hartley’s photo gallery from the match on our Instagram page @ImpetusFootball now!

Teams: WESTERN UNITED (4-4-2): Lincoln, Grove, Maher, Cerne, Sardo, Medwin, Eggesvik, Prakash, Taranto, Johnson, Hieda. Substitutes: Dall’Oste, Dehakiz, Roach, de Domizio, Cortellino.

Scorers: Johnson 55’, de Domizio 88’.

SYDNEY FC: (4-3-3): Franco, Tunmeth, Tobin, Lemon, Thompson, Hollman, Hawkesby, Caspers, Connors, Ibini, Dos Santos. Substitutes: Edwards, Bryson, Chauvet, Luchtmeijer, Tallon-Henniker.

Scorers: Luchtmeijer 58’.

Referee: Molly Godsell

Attendance: 515.

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The Republic of Ireland: Where to now ?

Above: Katie McCabe and Denise O’Sullivan after Ireland’s qualifier loss to Cymru. Photo: Ireland Football

by Alyce Collett (7/12/24)

This week saw absolute heartbreak for the Republic of Ireland women’s national team, who failed to navigate past Cymru and qualify for the 2025 Euros, much to the heartbreak of the players.

It is a real setback for a side that has made significant progress in the past few years, and after having qualified for last year’s World Cup, was hoping to make it two major tournaments in a row.

However, it was not to be and now the question of where to go from here lingers over all involved with the team.

Despite some tough results over the last 12 months for the Girls in Green, the scorelines do not always represent what goes on in their matches and how competitive they truly are. It is often just momentary lapses of concentration that bring them unstuck.

Despite this, they find themselves in a loop of being too powerful for League B in UEFA’s Nations League, but also unable to bank the results to stay up in League A.

No matter what happens moving forward, the Irish must break out of this loop and find a way to maintain their spot in League A. This is the only way that the momentum they have built over the past few years can be maintained and built on.

Narrowing in on the specifics, there are a few key areas that the Irish Federation and those that run the national team can focus on to get the team back on track, and back onto the path of growth.

Do not change the manager of the national team

This point is pretty self explanatory – make sure manager Eileen Gleeson’s contract gets renewed and that a long term deal is reached for her.

Yes her tenure so far has not quite delivered the results anyone would have wanted, but the picture is much bigger than that.

Towards the end of former manager Vera Pauw’s tenure, it was clear that the playing group was almost lifeless. Yes she got the team to its first ever major tournament, but her alleged tactics and coaching method meant that the joy and flare was not there. Fast forward to now, and Gleeson has not only maintained the solidness in defence that Pauw set up, but the team is now playing happier, more free flowing football and has attacking flare that Pauw never managed to get.

Not only has Gleeson got them playing better tactically, but changing managers again so soon after removing the last one just disrupts team flow and momentum. And with there being higher ranked national teams still needing to find a coach, there’s no guarantee the kind of high quality calibre needed would apply for a job like the Irish one, when they can apply to coach a team like Australia.

Do not be afraid to change the line-up and adapt to in-game situations

As much as Gleeson has really improved things on-field, there is one area that can still be improved.

Even before Gleeson took charge, there has been a bit of a reluctance to deviate from a set starting line up, and instead play others that may in fact be a better fit to how this team operates. Now that is less of an issue in defence and midfield, but is a bit of an issue in attack.

Ireland looks at its most dangerous with a pair of fast strikers, and although bringing in Julie-Ann Russell has been a massive boost, the persistence of playing Kyra Carusa as the other starting striker needs to be looked at. She does not have the speed and has not produced enough goals on a regular enough basis to warrant having that starting striker role.

It would be interesting to see what kind of impact partnering someone like a Leanne Kiernan or an Abbie Larkin with Russell would have.

Get more national team members playing in better competitions domestically

One thing that most if not all of the top teams in the world have in common is that all their players play in the best domestic competitions in the world, playing against the world’s best week in and week out. Not necessarily the domestic league of their home countries, but if you look at the likes of the United States, England, and even Australia, just about all of their regular first-choice players are playing in a league like England’s WSL or the USA’s NWSL.

Now contrast that with Ireland, where a large percentage of the squad plays in the Women’s Championship; the second division of the English system. Some play in the WSL and in the NWSL, but a large chunk of those regular starters are at a handful of Championship clubs. There used to be more in the WSL, and the promotion of Crystal Palace this season has helped, but a number moved clubs a few years ago, with several dropping down to the Championship.

Secure big friendlies against highly ranked teams

One of the most important things for this team to do moving forward is to secure big friendlies against higher-ranked teams.

Ireland’s relegation back to League B is not an insignificant setback, as it deprives the Girls in Green of the opportunities to play high-quality opponents that is necessary for the improvement of the team. The past precedence of the 2023 Nations League season combined with the current rankings of Ireland’s upcoming opponents, sets a scene of expected easy victories for the Irish and will not provide much of a guide as to where the team is truly at.

The last time Ireland was in League B, the Irish had no trouble accounting for Hungary, Northern Ireland and Albania, not dropping a point on their way to topping their group with a goal difference of positive 18. That goal difference was the best of any team across all four groups in League B.

This time the world number 24; Ireland are in a group with 40th ranked Slovenia, 58th placed Türkiye and world number 61 Greece.

With the way the UEFA Nations League works these days, there really are not a lot of windows of opportunity to make these friendlies happen, but there are opportunities there, like the back end of 2025. This assumes things go as expected and the Irish top their group in League B again.

Getting games against the likes of the USA and Australia may be difficult, but there are always teams like Canada, Brazil, and Japan.

Development of pathways within Ireland

The long term future of football in Ireland is just as important as the short term goals of making major tournaments.

The pathway system in Ireland is underfunded and underdeveloped, and needs to be redeveloped in order to keep up with those at the top of the world pecking order.

Now it is unclear what the FAI spends on its high performance programs as the annual reports do not specify, but the organisation’s financial issues have been well reported.

On a more practical sense, the pathway program is incomplete in Ireland. There are national teams up to under 19s, but Ireland does not have an under 23s national team, which the top countries do.

This has been a much talked about issue for some time. Most recently after this week’s game when Ruesha Littlejohn called it out in a post match chat with Irish broadcast network RTÉ, and it is not something the Federation can afford to ignore for much longer.

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Matildas win in dominant style to close out 2024

Australia 6-0 Chinese Taipei

By Emma Burke at GMHBA Stadium for Impetus (7/12/24).

Above: Sharn Freier after scoring Australia’s sixth goal. Photo: Football Australia.

The Matildas have cruised to a 6-0 win against Chinese Taipei for their final international fixture of 2024, in front of a crowd of 30,097 in Geelong.

In a much more cohesive performance than we’ve seen in this window, the Matildas made easy work of their opponents, utilising a three-back defence with fast-paced wing-backs to break down and open up Chinese Taipei.

Less than 15 minutes into the game the Matildas found themselves with a 2-0 lead over the visitors, with a debut goal for Leah Davidson scored with her head and assisted by Emily van Egmond, followed by an exceptional solo effort from Tameka Yallop who picked off a poor pass from the goalkeeper and fired back on her.

A third goal for the first half came late to Emily Gielnik, assisted on a silver platter by Yallop, who finally found the back of the net after multiple opportunities sent either skyward or into the side netting.

The Matildas came out wanting more in the second half, and got exactly what they came for when substitute Remy Siemsen took it on herself to drag the ball through the box past multiple defenders and set up Michelle Heyman for an easy finish in front of goal.

Already up by four goals, Australia found a fifth after a free kick delivered by van Egmond met the head of Tash Prior who came careening through a crowd of defenders to score her second goal in as many international games.

The final goal was scored by Sharn Freier who had spent the game looking very threatening on goal. A long ball was played perfectly for Freier to run on to by Wini Heatley, who only had to beat her defender to the ball, and finish clinically at the near post.

In between being a goal-fest, this game also saw the final exit of legendary Matildas defender Clare Polkinghorne, who left the pitch to a standing ovation. Polkinghorne ends her international career with a win and 169 appearances to her name.

The final whistle tonight closed the 2024 campaign for the Matildas, with players now returning to club football. The next challenge for the team now comes in the form of finding a permanent head coach before competing in the SheBelieves Cup in the United States in February early next year.

To view Impetus’ Adrian Geremia’s EXCLUSIVE pitchside photography from the game go to our Instagram page @ImpetusFootball.

Teams: AUSTRALIA (5-3-2): Arnold, Heatley, Polkinghorne, Van Egmond, Yallop, Gielnik, Freier, Heyman, Henry, Davidson, Prior. Substitutes used: Siemsen, Chidiac, Nash, Lincoln, Røstbakken, Hughes.

Scorers: Davidson 6’, Yallop 11’, Gielnik 40’, Heyman 56’, Prior 73’, Freier 78’.

CHINESE TAIPEI (4-5-1): Wang Yu-Ting, Chang Chi-Lan, Teng Pei-Lin, Li Yi-Wen, Pu Hsin-Hui, Wu Kai-Ching, Ting Chia-Ying, Chen Ying-Hui, Lin Ya-Hsuan, Tseng Yun-Ya, Huang Ke-Sin. Substitutes used: Hsu Yi-Yun, Su Yu-Hsuan, Chan Pi-Han, Chen Jin-Wen, Lin Hsin-Hui, Su Sin-Yun

Referee: Azusa Sugino.
Attendance: 30,097.

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Dumont: “I think it’s quite unique”

by Ben Gilby (5/12/24)

Above: Casey Dumont talking to the media this week. Image: Perth Glory.

Perth Glory’s Casey Dumont is preparing to make history this weekend, when she becomes the first goalkeeper to play 150 games in the history of the W/A-League Women.

The 32-year-old has been part of the league since its inaugural season in 2008, and has played for Brisbane Roar, Sydney FC, Western Sydney Wanderers, Melbourne Victory and Central Coast Mariners prior to moving to Western Australia for this season.

It’s fitting that her milestone appearance will come against a Melbourne Victory side that she played over a third of those games for, winning two Premierships in the process.

Reflecting on her achievement, Dumont said: “I think I will be the first goalkeeper to hit that milestone, and that makes me very proud…to have that moment will be awesome. I think I will have that breather and actually accept it once the game has finished because we have a job and that job is to match (Melbourne) Victory and come away with the points.

“It’s really nice to know that the young 15-year-old Casey who started out many years ago is finally hitting one of the biggest milestones that will ever happen in women’s football in Australia.”

Dumont has been one of a select handful of players who played in the first season of the competition and is still going strong. In terms of the differences from the very first campaign 16 years ago to now, the Matildas capped keeper said: “It’s chalk and cheese.

Above: Casey Dumont (blue shirt) in action during the league’s early days with Brisbane Roar. Photo: Brisbane Roar.

“It’s a massive difference. I think back then we were still classed as amateurs. We had contracts, but they weren’t really classed as contracts as you were playing because you loved it. There was no salary, if you couldn’t make training because you had work, it was understandable.

“Also, the very first season was only 10 games, then you had two Finals. That was it. Twelve games in total compared to now, we’re up to 23 which is huge…there’s still a lot more growing to happen and it needs to happen very quickly because other codes have started to overtake massively.

“From the beginning to now, I’m very thankful that I’ve been able to watch the people come through and retire, but also these young ones having that experience and have that dream of ‘I can be a professional soccer player and I can be in my home rather than going international.’

“Now we have clubs saying ‘we’re doing this’ and other clubs are, like, ‘ooh, we need to step up now’.”

Dumont’s 150th match will coincide with just her second game for Perth Glory. Having signed in pre-season, the goalkeeper was unable to join up with the Western Australian side until the recent Unite Round due to her AFLW (women’s Australian Rules Football) commitments with Hawthorn, who went two weeks into Finals football. This led to a rather ‘in the deep end’ baptism to life at the Glory, as she revealed with a smile

“So I flew in on the Thursday, trained the Friday and Saturday, and then flew with the team (to Sydney) on Saturday and played on Sunday.”

Above: Casey Dumont claims a save on her Perth Glory debut against Canberra United the week before last. Photo: Kris Goman for Impetus.

“I think it’s quite unique, there’s not many people who have to deal with this scenario, of Hawthorn and Perth, and then (I had) the experience with Central Coast (last season), so I knew what I had to do to make sure I wasn’t rusty, as well as Hawthorn are awesome…and that my body was maintained well and I was able to do both codes. I’m very lucky in being a goalkeeper, it helps with AFL with the hand and eye coordination.”

It meant that the Sydney-born shot-stopper was still coming up to speed with the identity of her new teammates – and it came with some comic moments. “I do the homework beforehand – making sure I matched the faces to the names, but things like the nicknames were hard – when people are saying the nicknames, or the last names, I’m, like, ‘who…is…that…?!'”

Perth go into Sunday’s game, their first at their new home of the Sam Kerr Football Centre on the back of a positive performance against Canberra United. They have, though, only recorded one win this season, and will have to be at their best against a Victory side who have taken seven points from a possible 12 so far.

Looking ahead to the game, Dumont said: “We just need to focus on our game plan. If we do that, then we’ll be very pleased with our performance…we’ve had glimpses (so far this season) when it’s been amazing and had moments where we’ve just switched off a little, or go passive. If we stick to what we’ve been told to do, then we’ll come away with what we need to come away with.

“We need to make sure we’re switched on and ready for them because they are a bit of a surprise package. They come up with combinations that you didn’t think they were planning for…rest defence is going to be important, but I think our attacks can be lethal when we have all our attackers working in trios…it can be anyone’s game.”

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Debut goals make the difference for Matildas

Australia 3-1 Chinese Taipei

By Emma Burke at AAMI Park for Impetus 5/12/24

Above: Bryleeh Henry celebrates her first goal for Australia. Photo: Football Australia

A trio of debutant goals lead the Matildas to a 3-1 victory over Chinese Taipei at AAMI Park in Melbourne last night. 

Defender Tash Prior and forward Sharn Freier scored their first international goals for the Matildas just two minutes apart from each other.

Prior’s goal came delivered to her on a silver platter of a cross from Chloe Logarzo, while Freier found the back of the net with her head after Emily Gielnik’s first time strike came to her off the crossbar.

The joy was short lived for the Matildas as they were forced into an early change with Chloe Logarzo leaving the pitch in tears after a nasty head collision with Chan Pi-Han. Logarzo’s start today was her first in three years after battling through injuries and falling out of preference.

Minutes after the change, Chinese Taipei scored their first goal against Australia since 2007. Chen Jin-Wen made an incredible effort to beat both Charli Grant and Clare Hunt, before slotting the ball into the back of the net past Mackenzie Arnold who was far off her line.

Chinese Taipei’s head coach, Chan Hiu Ming said “I told her before, you owe me a goal, I told her when she scores she has to come celebrate with me.”

The second half of the game saw the Matildas create opportunity after opportunity, with none of them coming to fruition.  

It wasn’t until a string of substitutions were made that the Matildas were able to find their third and final goal of the evening.

Bryleeh Henry, in her third appearance for the Matildas, scored a header at the far post, despite nearly losing her footing after having raced down the right side of the pitch to give Tameka Yallop an option in the box.

Following the game, Sermanni spoke to the media saying “[we] made life difficult when we gave away the goal.”

He also noted that the squad had “had one training session with a significantly different group of players,” before the game.

The Matildas will now head to Geelong for a rematch against Chinese Taipei on Saturday at 7:30pm at GMHBA stadium, where they will have one more training session under their belts before their final game of the year.

Australia (3-5-2): Arnold, Logarzo, Van Egmond, Yallop, Gielnik, Grant, Freier, Hunt, Galic, Heyman, Prior Substitutes: Chidiac, Siemsen, Henry, Heatly, Davidson, Nash

Scorers: Prior 11’, Freier 12’, Henry 78’

Chinese Taipei (4-5-1): Wang Yu-Ting, Su Sin-Yun, Hsu Yi-Yun, Pu Hsin-Hui, Chan Pi-Han, Wu Kai-Ching, Chen Jin-Wen, Su Yu-Hsuan, Chen Ying-Hui, Lin Hsin-Hui, Huang Ke-Sin Substitutes: Tseng Yun-Ya, He Jia-Shiuan, Li Yi-Wen, Teng Pei-Lin, Yu Wen-Chieh, Lin Ya-Hsuan, Ting Chia-Ying

Scorers: Chen Jin-Wen 34’

Referee: Haruna Kanematsu


Attendance: 26,795

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England youngsters showcase skills in 1-0 win over Switzerland

Above: England’s changed starting XI to face Switzerland. Photo: Natalie Ovenden for Impetus.

By Ava-Marianne Elliott at Bramall Lane for Impetus.

England 1-0 Switzerland 

England achieved a 1-0 victory over Switzerland to conclude 2024 with a win in an engaging friendly, holding onto an early lead from Manchester United’s midfield maestro, Grace Clinton. 

After a goalless draw with Emma Hayes’ USA side last Friday, Sarina Wiegman opted for a fresh approach heading into the clash with Switzerland. 10 changes were made to the starting lineup, with new call-ups Laura Blindkilde-Brown and Ruby Mace debuting for the senior squad. 

With a busy year ahead for the Lionesses, this friendly match was a crucial way to trial many of the inexperienced members of the squad. Wiegman had her sights set on identifying areas of development ahead of the Euro’s selection for next summer and aimed to conclude which elements of play needed tweaking before the major tournament. 

The youngsters set the tone for the half in the early minutes of the game. Inevitably, it was Grace Clinton in the eighth minute who opened the scoring, adding another goal to her tally and showcasing her brilliant form. After Millie Turner’s chance went begging, Clinton pounced on the rebound and scored a tap-in from Jessica Park’s free kick. 

A second chance followed after a clever pass cutting through the Swiss defence from Park put a sharp Aggie Beever-Jones through on goal. Keeper Elvira Hergoz was just ahead, claiming the ball seconds before the Chelsea forward was able to take a shot. 

By the 30-minute mark, England looked comfortable both in and out of possession. For a side consisting of some players relatively inexperienced in the senior setup, the connections on the pitch seemed to be working well. 

Switzerland had their first concrete chance of the game in the 39th minute when pressure on the England defence allowed Sydney Schertenlieb to shoot from distance. Hannah Hampton was forced down to make a simple save, successfully keeping England’s advantage ahead of the second half.

Above: England celebrate Grace Clinton’s match-winning goal. Photo: Natalie Ovenden for Impetus.

Half time saw Wiegman make just one change for the hosts, with Park, who played a superb first half, making way for Alessia Russo. The Arsenal forward had an immediate impact. Just four minutes later, she jumped on Gabby George’s cross, and her header narrowly skipped past the near goalpost. 

The level that Wiegman’s squad had displayed in a concrete first-half performance dropped off considerably in the second. Levels of creativity in front of goal and creating chances had decreased, and the team struggled to get as much of a lead over their opponents. 

After her senior international debut, Ruby Mace left the field for Keira Walsh, and Gabby George was replaced by Beth Mead. 

The second half entailed more defensive work from the England bbacklineas Switzerland amped up the intensity, searching for an equaliser. In the 79th minute, Meriame Terchoun came centimetres away, her shot being tipped over the crossbar by fingertips, testing Hampton to the limit.

The 84th minute saw a triple change to the England lineup. Georgia Stanway replaced Blindkilde-Brown after a well-deserved debut, played with composure, and gave the country a glimpse at the brilliance she has to offer. Beever-Jones also exited the field for Jessica Naz, and Turner made way for Jess Carter.

The half concluded with Stanway coming dangerously close to doubling the scoreline in the last few seconds of the game, but the chance went begging as the whistle signalled for full time. 

With the Euro’s in Switzerland next summer fast approaching, the question now turns to who we are going to see making regular appearances within the senior setup. Although Park and Clinton both work almost seamlessly within the setup, there is debate around whether there is space for both of them in a matchday lineup in an international tournament. 

With the number of strong centre-backs available for selection, the competition amongst defenders for a spot in the starting lineup is greater than in any other position. In her post-match press conference, Wiegman outlined that Arsenal defender, Lotte Wubben-Moy, is “further away from her plans” despite her incredible skillset. 

Teams: ENGLAND (3-1-4-2): Hampton, Morgan, George, Mace, Turner, Bright, Park, Le Tissier, Beever-Jones, Clinton, Blindkilde-Brown. Substitutes: Earps (GK), Moorhouse (GK), Stanway (84’), Mead (63’), Walsh (63’), Naz, Carter (84’), Russo (46’), Williamson, Greenwood, Wubben-Moy.

Scorer: Clinton 8′.

SWITZERLAND (5-4-1): Herzog, Stierli, Marti, Maritz, Schertenleib, Crnogorcevic, Sow, Valletta, Calligaris, Terchoun, Beney. SUBSTITUTES: Böhl (GK), Peng (GK), Baumann, Xhemaili (87’), Riesen (46’), Arfaoui, Waeber, Ivelj (46’), Mauron, Piubel, Andrade (46’), Csillag (87’), Lehmann, Bienz.

Referee: Catarina Campos 

Attendance: 23,870.

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