Above: Sydney FC’s Indiana Dos Santos, Mackenzie Hawkesby, and Shay Hollman celebrate during their win over Brisbane Roar today. Photo: A-Leagues.
Sydney FC have secured just their third win of the season after defeating Brisbane Roar in a 3-2 thriller at Leichhardt Oval.
The home side opened the scoring early through Mackenzie Hawkesbury, whose long range effort beat out a diving Olivia Sekany in goal.
Brisbane were then struck by an unfortunate injury to their starting keeper when Sekany came out minutes late to collect a cross and landed awkwardly, clutching her knee. It led her to be stretchered off the pitch and replaced by Keely Richards.
The equaliser was found for Brisbane through Laini Freier on her return from international duty with the Matildas.
Freier found herself on the end of a loose pass out from the back and took her chance after seeing Sydney keeper Bethany Mason-Jones off her line, launching the ball from outside the box, chipping the Sky Blues’ custodian.
The Roar then extended their lead through Brazilian star Mariel Hecher, her first for the season.
A cheeky backheel shot on goal from 17 year old, Grace Kuilamu, bounced off the keeper, but Hecher was perfectly placed to collect the rebound and send the ball into the back of the net.
Despite having a 2-1 lead, Brisbane let the game slip away from them, when a dangerous free kick was directly converted by Sydney captain Nat Tobin from 35 yards out, leveling the scores only five minutes later.
The game winner came to Sydney FC through Shea Connors, also her first goal for this season, when she set up a clever play between herself and Maddie Caspers.
Connors played Caspers in wide inside the box, luring Richards out from her position in goal, so Caspers’ cutback to Connors left her with a near empty net to fire into.
Despite all of this, however, Sydney FC still remain last on the ladder, with three points from the win not being enough to take them out of 12th position, while Brisbane Roar remain in fifth, just within a finals berth.
Teams: SYDNEY FC (4-3-3): Mason-Jones, Tumeth, Thompson, Tobin, Lemon, Caspers, Hollman, Dos Santos, Ibini, Hawkesby, Tallon-Henniker. Substitutes: Connors, Farrow, Black, Bryson, Johnson.
Above: Lucia Leon celebrates a goal. PhotoAdelaide United
Adelaide United extended their unbeaten run with a 3-1 victory over Wellington Phoenix at Porirua Park. Lucia León’s brace and Ella Tonkin’s early header were enough to seal the win despite a strong fight from the Phoenix.
Adelaide United made the trip to Porirua Park to face Wellington Phoenix in a Ninja A-League showdown, determined to build on their strong form following a short international break. Adelaide came into the match following a 1-1 draw with Canberra United at Coopers Stadium, extending their unbeaten streak to nine games. In contrast, Wellington Phoenix were searching for a response after a 2-1 defeat to Perth Glory at Sam Kerr Football Centre, which left them without a win in their last four outings.
Adelaide United posed a significant attacking threat, with their front three having a combined 21 goals this season so far. However, Wellington Phoenix started strong, immediately pressing forward in search of an early breakthrough. Despite this start, the hosts fell behind in only the fourth minute when Dylan Holmes delivered a pinpoint corner that found captain Ella Tonkin, who guided a header into the net. It marked Tonkin’s first goal since 2023 and only her second-ever A-League goal.
Adelaide continued to push forward, with Chelsie Dawber testing Wellington’s defense, but Mackenzie Barry made a crucial block to deny her. Barry was then penalized for a foul on Fiona Worts, handing Adelaide a free kick in a dangerous position. However, Carolina Vilão was alert to make a smart save and keep her side in the game. Dawber tried her luck again but failed to find the target.
Wellington earned a corner, and while Annalie Longo delivered a promising ball into the box, they were unable to capitalize. At the other end, Alivia Kelly committed a foul on Worts, earning her fourth yellow card of the season and giving away a free kick. Vilão remained sharp in goal, once again denying Adelaide from extending their lead.
Dawber nearly doubled Adelaide’s advantage with a bold effort that chipped the keeper, only to see it rattle the crossbar. Wellington quickly seized the opportunity to counterattack but struggled to break through Adelaide’s defense. The visitors then won a series of corners but failed to convert their chances.
In the final minutes of the first half, Wellington found their breakthrough. Olivia Fergusson made a darting run through Adelaide’s backline and, with Claudia Jenkins well off her line, calmly slotted the ball into an open net to level the score. As the halftime whistle blew, both sides headed into the dressing rooms with everything still to play for.
The second half got off to a lively start, with Lucia León earning a yellow card just a few minutes in for a foul. Wellington Phoenix came out looking the more aggressive side, continuing to press forward in search of the lead. However, in the 56th minute, it was Adelaide who regained the advantage. León made amends for her earlier booking with a stunning long-range strike that found the bottom left corner, putting the Reds ahead 2-1.
Wellington didn’t back down, though, as they pushed for another equaliser. Worts unleashed a powerful strike toward goal, but once again, Carolina Vilão was up to the task, punching it away comfortably. As the match wore on, tensions began to rise on both sides, with both teams growing increasingly frustrated as the final whistle drew nearer.
Longo came close to leveling the score for Wellington, but her shot lacked power, allowing Jenkins to make an easy collection. Nanako Sasaki, having been subbed on earlier in the half, made her presence known with a powerful long-range attempt, but Vilão was quick to react and saved it.
Wellington continued to press, and McNamara’s shot from inside the box struck Vilão’s glove and hit the crossbar, only for the rebound to be cleared from danger.
In a frightening moment, Dawber was struck in the face by a high boot in the box and had to be substituted off. Tiana Jaber was shown a yellow card for the foul, and Adelaide were awarded a penalty. Worts stepped up to take it, but once again, Vilão proved her worth, standing firm and denying Worts with a crucial save.
The Reds kept up the pressure, and a corner delivery from Sasaki fell perfectly to León, who got her toe to the ball and extended Adelaide’s lead to 3-1. Despite seven minutes of added time, Wellington Phoenix were unable to find a comeback, and the match ended in favour of the visitors.
Adelaide United took home all three points, continuing their strong unbeaten run, while Wellington were left to reflect on a hard-fought match that ended in disappointment.
Next week in the Ninja A-League will see Adelaide United return to Coopers Stadium to take on the Central Coast Mariners whilst Wellington Phoenix will look to earn some needed points against the Western Sydney Wanderers.
Above: Kayla Morrison scores the winner for Melbourne Victory. Photo: Ninja A-League.
Kayla Morrison starred at both ends of the pitch for Melbourne Victory as they fought out a 2-1 win against Western United.
Victory travelled to Tarneit to face the fourth placed Western United, with Kat Smith’s side in strong form and farewelling striker Kahli Johnson. The Golden Boot contender finalised a move to Calgary Wild in the newly formed Canadian league mid-week, and the home crowd were eager to send her off on a high.
Western have only lost once in their last seven games and posed a threat to Victory’s chase of league leaders Melbourne City. The home side were without Matildas goalkeeper Chloe Lincoln, but welcomed back Avaani Prakash after her strong displays for the Australian U20 side in the Four Nations Tournament.
Victory were without their newly capped Matildas midfielder. Alana Murphy was rested after her return from The She Believes Cup, with Jeff Hopkins using Rachel Lowe in a deeper role to compensate for Murphy’s absence and started Holly Furphy in attack.
That proved to be a fateful selection. Furphy opened the scoring in the 10th minute with a terrific finish following Alana Jancevski’s out swinging corner kick. The power behind the strike was outdone by its precision. Furphy’s effort flew into goal at the far post after a good touch to control and a second to rifle it home.
Western tried to wrestle back momentum, with Chloe Logarzo and Johnson both testing the Victory defence and Courtney Newbon in goal.
The home side looked more dangerous on the balance of play, but clear cut chances were rare and it took a fortunate but determined effort on goal to level the scores.
Another Western attack earned a corner late in the first half and Adriana Taranto’s set pice caused panic in the Victory defence. The ball bobbled off multiple Victory players before Emily Gielnik’s final touch helped it bobble over the line.
Victory re-took the lead almost immediately after the break. Another out swinger from Jancevski was thundered home by the head of Kayla Morrison. The Victory skipper rose highest and met the ball with perfect timing and technique to score what would be the decisive goal.
The game became a bit of an arm wrestle as it wore on, with neither team able to wrestle full control of proceedings. Victory were visibly missing Alana Murphy in the deep midfield role, and despite bringing on the likes of Prakash and Kiara de Domizio, Western United were unable to find a second goal.
The win keeps Victory in touch with Melbourne City and the premiership race while also keeping them ahead of the incredible consistent Adelaide United.
Western United’s defence will likely be disappointed to concede two goals from set pieces, but their back four otherwise kept Victory’s big name attack in check. Claudia Mihocic and Grace Maher won their battles with Gielnik, often forcing the centre forward wide which doubled to take up space that Nikki Flannery would have otherwise galloped through.
Morrison was imperious throughout this game. Victory may have conceded a scrappy goal, but the defence ensured that most of Western’s efforts on goal came from outside of the box.
Melbourne Victory will host Canberra United next week, while Western United will travel to play Perth Glory, and will now do so without the league and perhaps Australia’s most in-form centre forward.
Teams: WESTERN UNITED (4-3-3): Dall Oste, Sardo, Mihocic, Maher, Grove, Eggesvik, Logarzo, Dehakiz, Medwin, Johnson, A Taranto. Substitutes: De Domizio, Prakash, Hieda, Cerne, Picak.
Above:Canberra United’s Bethany Gordon (white shirt) looks to make the pass under the watchful eye of Melbourne City’s Rebekah Stott today. Photo: Canberra United.
A fascinating match in the nation’s capital has seen Canberra United and Melbourne City play out a one-all draw.
A Taylor Otto first half header saw City initially take the lead before it was cancelled out by a well-timed Aideen Keane strike in the second half.
The result sees Melbourne City equal a competition record for the longest undefeated run, but crucially for Canberra it also means it is now level with sixth placed Central Coast Mariners on the ladder, which may become important in the race to the finals.
Melbourne City’s intent on the ball was evident from the get go, and as such had the Canberra defence under immense pressure early despite Canberra being the ones to kick off the match.
However, it only took a couple of minutes for things to settle and a fluid back and forth nature settled over the game.
For City it was the likes of Lourdes Bosch causing havoc in attack, but thanks to some stellar keeping from Sally James, City could not find the back of the net.
Meanwhile, for the home side, it was obvious that the plan was to really utilise Keane’s speed on the wing and drive a lot of attack through her, but the former Perth Glory player was unable to navigate past the brick wall that was Karly Røstbakken at left back.
Although Canberra had its opportunities in attack, City were the more dominant side, continuing to pepper the home goal at a higher rate than the home side was peppering theirs. The visitors went within inches of finding the opener, but thanks to a resolute Canberra defence they continued to be denied.
The likes of Mariana Speckmaier and Jynaya dos Santos continued to threaten for their respective sides, but in the end neither side were able to get a goal on the board in the first half.
The halftime stats told an interesting story, one that showed a less even game than it felt like while watching it.
City had 16% more possession and four more shots on goal than United, but crucially the visitors had the only three shots that were on target in the first half.
Although both sides had chances early in the second half, it did not take too long for City to finally get some reward for effort and get a goal on the board after Otto was able to navigate the end of a corner past a box full of defenders and into the back of the net.
Even though Canberra United did concede the home goal, it did not seem to take the wind out of their sails, instead perhaps doing the opposite and giving them a boost of energy and intent. They were the ones doing all of the attacking, with the likes of Maja Markovski proving to be particularly hard working.
It took a while, but eventually Canberra got some reward for effort with about 10 minutes to go when Keane capitalised on a poor back pass from the City defenders, chipped City keeper Malena Mieres, worked her way past Otto and slotted the ball in the back of the net.
Both sides continued to pepper their respective goals as the minutes ticked down, with both sides going within inches of adding to their goal tallies.
However, thanks to some resolute defending from both teams, the match remained at a one all scoreline at the full-time whistle.
Above:Newcastle Jets’ Sophie Hoban shows her joy after scoring against Perth Glory today. Photo: A-Leagues.
Two goals in the opening three minutes from Sophie Hoban powered Newcastle Jets to their first win in 10 A-League Women matches today.
Hoban’s strikes earned the Jets only their third win of the season, and first since a 2-1 win at Sydney FC on 14th December to close the gap between her team and the Glory to just a single point in the battle between the four sides at the bottom of the ladder.
Whilst Perth had the personal landmark of hometown hero Ella Lincoln’s first ever professional goal in only her third A-League Women appearance, this was an exceptionally frustrating outcome for the Glory. Stephen Peters’ side dominated the possession and the passing accuracy stats. They also forced the hosts into having to make almost twice as many defensive clearances.
Once more, the Western Australian side need to find a way to improve their ratio of chances to goals scored as well as ending their away day blues rapidly to avoid being dragged into wooden spoon contention. But, on the positive side of the ledger, their response to going 2-0 down so early was encouraging.
Glory were impacted by injuries again, with keeper Casey Dumont still out on top of the regular long term absentees. It meant Miranda Templeman taking her place in goal, a defensive berth for Tijan McKenna and a debut for midweek injury replacement signing Hollie Palmer.
The Jets were out of the blocks rapidly. Just over 90 seconds into the game, Libby Copus-Brown played a corner on the right back to Hoban who was positioned on the right angle of the penalty area on that flank. The midfielder took a touch and fired in what looked to be a cross originally that curled high into the top left-hand corner.
Just a minute later, Hoban took up possession centrally inside her own half and had acres of space to drive into. The Glory defenders backed off as she arrived outside the area and Hogan laid a pass off for Lauren Allan outside her on the right wing.
Allan’s low cross into the box was met by Templeman who couldn’t hold on which allowed Hoban two bites of the cherry – the first was blocked by Onyi Zogg on the line, only for the rebound to fall perfectly for Hogan to fire home from close range.
Above: Eyes down in the battle for possession today between Perth Glory and Newcastle Jets. Photo: Perth Glory.
It could have got even better for both the Jets and Hoban 20 minutes in. The midfielder ran at pace once more centrally towards the area before playing a one-two with Josie Allan on the left – a move which ended with Hoban curling a shot just over the top.
The half-time chat and changes saw Perth respond well to adversity. Industrious young striker Ella Lincoln was introduced for Kelli Brown. Lincoln, who was the NPLW WA’s top goalscorer in 2024, is an attacker who has the enviable dual ability of pace and physicality to beat defenders and deadly penalty box predatory skill. These are exactly the sort of qualities that will thrive against the challenge posed by Newcastle – and so it proved with 56 on the clock.
Izzy Foletta received the ball out on the right, and played a low ball into the mix, just outside of the six-yard box. A typical Lincoln finish that she demonstrated time and time again in the NPLW swept the ball home to give the Glory hope.
With just over 15 minutes remaining, Sarah O’Donoghue released Megan Wynne on the right. The Welsh international used excellent strength to hold off and win the tussle with Copus-Brown and cut in towards the edge of the area, right of centre. However, the Jets midfielder bit back and brought Wynne down with a tug of the shirt.
Referee Rebecca Durcau showed Copus-Brown a red card, and awarded the Glory a free-kick in a dangerous position. O’Donoghue stepped up and lifted her shot just millimetres over the top.
Perth continued to press forward in search of the equaliser. With 10 minutes remaining, McKenna used her footwork to win a battle on the left to square a pass for Palmer to curl a shot from outside the area that only just went the wrong side of the post.
In the dying stages, there were chances at both ends. First, for the visitors, O’Donoghue was denied in a one-on-one battle with Jets keeper Danielle Krzyzaniak. Then, Cass Davis was denied from close range with a diving save from Templeman.
The Jets now go on to face a battle of the bottom two with Sydney FC next weekend at home. Perth need to continue their recent strong home form that sees them unbeaten in their last three at the Sam Kerr Football Centre when Western United come calling.
Above: Perth Glory’s Megan Wynne speaking to the media ahead of Saturday’s game with Newcastle Jets. Image: Perth Glory.
Perth Glory’s Welsh international Megan Wynne has highlighted the team’s determination to try everything possible to ensure they finally earn their first away win of the season at Newcastle Jets tomorrow.
Whilst the Glory have picked up four wins at home, and are unbeaten in their last three games on Western Australian soil, Perth have only taken two points on the road in 2024/25, and this weekend’s showdown in New South Wales has real significance among the lower reaches of the ladder.
With Western Sydney Wanderers starting to pick up wins, the winner of Saturday’s encounter will keep in touch with mid-table and faint hopes of making the Finals. For the losers, it will be all about finishing top of a three-way battle to avoid the wooden spoon.
Wynne outlined how the team has used their additional week due to the international window to work on how to give themselves the best chance of finally delivering that first away win.
“It’s been tough, especially the longer ones where you’ve got to get one flight, then a different flight.
“We’re getting used to it…we’ve changed the schedule a little bit this week to see if that helps how we travel…instead of training we will be catching an earlier flight and get there and have time to settle. We obviously haven’t had great results on the road, so it’s about adapting things and finding better ways of doing things.
“There’s no hiding from the fact that we haven’t travelled well this season. If you look at those results and if we’d managed to score (more) away from home, the season could be looking a lot different, but mathematically it’s (making top six) possible, so we keep going.”
Perth have produced some good performances and results at the Sam Kerr Football Centre, and the confidence earned, particularly from the victory over Wellington Phoenix prior to the international window, has got the confidence flowing ahead of the game in Newcastle.
“Our last result showed how we have adapted,” explained the midfielder. “We’ve got players back from injury now and the squad is very positive. At home we are a very different team so it’s now about focusing on those points away from home.”
Whilst Perth have suffered a seemingly endless injury list this season, particularly among their midfield and strike force, Wynne has thankfully remained able to play regularly. But it has been far from plain sailing for the Welsh star, after being jokingly accused of “costing the club thousands of dollars in having to have the knee taped up each week.”
Explaining the need for that tape, Wynne said: “Its been a tough season for me personally. I’m probably in a better place now than I was at the start of the season. I’ve basically got loose bodies of cartilage floating around in my knee, and it’s been about managing it. I’m back in full training. I’m probably looking at having an operation in the off season to get those loose bodies, but there’s nothing that I can’t manage at the moment.”
Focusing specifically on tomorrow’s game at the No. 2 Sportsground, Wynne knows it will be a physical battle, but one she is confident can end in victory.
“We know what they are like. We’ve seen all season the intensity that they play at. We know it’s going to be a tough game, but we can take a lot of confidence from the last game we played against them (a 3-2 win at HBF Park in Round Two), but now it’s about doing it away from home.”
Central Coast Mariners 1-2 Western Sydney Wanderers
By Alice de Koster-Kitto 28/2/25
Above: The Wanderers celebrate the winning goal. Photo: Western Sydney Wanderers
Western Sydney Wanderers have asserted their dominance against Central Coast Mariners at Industree Group Stadium this afternoon. The Wanderers quickly responded to what initially looked to be a 1-0 win for the Mariners for a majority of the match, as they left the impeccable Central Coast defense shaken.
The match was set to be a combative one, with a tough battle in the midfield, kicking off what would be a long drawn-out, and often hostile meeting.
A pass from Cushla Rue, gave Talia Younis the first chance of the match, and despite not being able to get the footing quite right for a shot on target, the chance put Western Sydney in early dominance.
Central Coast were quick to respond when a right-footed shot from Annelise Rassmussen was saved in the top corner by Wanderers keeper Sham Khamis. The strike would be the first of many for Rassmussen, as the momentum shifted in favor of the Mariners, as they took the dominance from a perhaps overly confident Wanderers side.
The contention continued through the first half although it became evident that if a goal were to come before the break, that it would be from the hosts, despite the adversity within the squad in recent weeks. The Mariners have had to reshuffle their squad due to injury, with key players out of regular position, including central midfielder Taylor Ray, taking over as center back. The squad’s resilience, and ability to remain one of the more threatening sides in the league this season, is a testament to the strength both on and off the pitch and has proven to be an invaluable asset over what has been a fantastic campaign thus far.
Danika Matos took a shot from a dangerous angle, adding an element of risk to the Wanderers’ tactics that hadn’t yet been seen in this match, but could very well be crucial as the first half came to a close. One of what would be many wonderful saves from Sarah Willacy kept the ball out of the net, and the match scoreless.
The match became increasingly unpredictable, yet somewhat stagnant, with shots back and forth and the continued tension in the midfield, the constant switching of dominance, and quick responses made it impossible to tell who the opening goal would come from if one was to come at all.
An excellent shot from Izzy Gomez, put the Central Coast Mariners dangerously close to opening the scoring. Though the strike was slightly wide, it restored some of the lost energy in the Mariners side and would have undoubtedly instilled confidence in Gomez, who is returning to form following an injury at the end of 2024.
Despite a wealth of attacking intent and five added minutes, the match was left at a stalemate at the break.
The top of the second half saw Central Coast’s Brooke Nunn, within shooting distance as she attempted to pass the ball to Izzy Gomez, whom she could not quite reach. The futile attempt marked what would be the start of an uncharacteristically shaky second half for the Mariners, as they could have quite easily found the match’s opening goal, had Nunn not shied away from the shot.
Central Coast Mariners opened the scoring in the 68th minute, when a smart pass from Tess Quilligan, allowed Izzy Gomez to get in front of the Wanderers defense, and strike the ball to the back of the net, marking her third goal of the campaign, and first since returning from a knee injury.
Tiana Fuller came close to extending the Mariners lead just minutes later, however, the strike, assisted by Jade Pennock, was saved in the top left corner.
Although taking the lead, the Mariners continued to appear quite unsure of themselves as stoppage time approached, giving away the ball in dangerous areas, displaying an unusual weakness in what is usually an almost foolproof defense.
Western Sydney took full advantage of their opponents’ disarray, as Liv Price netted the equaliser, extending her wonderful history in this meeting, having now scored both home and away against the Mariners.
The visitors almost immediately searched to extend their lead, not wanting to share the points, and although Central Coast did make a few good attempts in response, they faced even further adversity, temporarily playing with just 10 on the pitch, as goal scorer Izzy Gomez was treated for injury.
During six minutes of added time, the tension was built back up to a similar momentum that was seen at the top of the match, with the Mariners trying to reassert their dominance and take back their lead.
Despite their efforts, it was Western Sydney Wanderers who found the winning goal, when an unexpected miss of the ball from Jessika Nah, allowed a strike from Holly Caspers to roll over the line, unable to be stopped by the Mariners’ defense. Casper’s goal led the Wanderers to a 2-1 victory, marking their 3rd consecutive win, and extending what has been an excellent past few rounds.
Round 18 of the Ninja A-League will see Central Coast Mariners head on the road to Coopers Stadium as they face Adelaide United, who currently sit 3rd on the ladder, as they try to maintain their position in the top 6.
Meanwhile, Western Sydney Wanderers will take on Wellington Phoenix at Porirua Park, where the match will be anyone’s game, as the two sides currently sit just one place apart on the ladder.
Above: Spain’s Olga Carmona watches on at Wembley.Photo: Mia Betts for Impetus
By Catherine MacKenzie(27/2/25)
An energetic defensive performance and first half goal from Jess Park saw England beat Spain in the UEFA Women’s Nations League.
England and Spain have a recent history that is difficult to ignore. In the 2022 Euros, the teams faced each other in the quarterfinals, where England came from behind to win 2-1 thanks to a Georgia Stanway belter. A year later and they faced each other in another major tournament; this time the World Cup final. England’s Lionesses were narrowly defeated and Spain emerged as World Champions, an achievement that would be marred by events off the pitch.
The repercussions of those off-pitch events are still felt today, as the legal case between Jenni Hermoso and Luis Rubiales is ongoing. It is not difficult to imagine that the furore surrounding Spain off-pitch has impacted the team, and recent performances have been mixed. Their characteristic attacking flair has been tinged with an edge of defensive frailty as exposed by Belgium and France; although Spain went on to win both games, they conceded early and looked disorganised defensively.
For their part, England have been under immense pressure in recent months, with performances and results criticised by the media and fans alike. There has been a struggle to score goals, alongside the occasional lapse in concentration that has resulted in the team dropping points in crucial matches – such as conceding to Portugal in the latter stages of the game.
Facing Spain will always be a different animal to facing the rest of Europe; even with defensive fragility and missing players they remain one of the best teams in the world. Housing players like Aitana Bonmati, Mariona Caldentey and ex-Manchester United player Ona Battle, they have a deep squad that is capable of moments of greatness that can appear to come from almost nothing.
This match was an important one, as the UEFA Nations League group standings determine how teams will be placed in qualifying for the 2027 World Cup. For England, there was also the mounting discontent to contend with, as they have simultaneously been seen as favourites for the Euros title and favourites for a group-stage exit.
“They give me headaches”
Wiegman opted for a lineup with only one change from the draw with Portugal. In a sign that the battle for England’s no.1 spot is still far from over, Wiegman opted for Chelsea’s Hannah Hampton over Mary Earps.
Hampton took her chance against Spain, with a few significant saves. Her distribution was also utilised at points to get the ball through Spain’s midfield. Speaking post-match, Wiegman echoed this sentiment, saying “she (Hampton) had a very good performance”.
England’s last loss came back in October, against Germany at Wembley where they conceded four. Since then, they have kept three clean sheets, against the USA, Switzerland, and now Spain. Hampton has been in goal for two of these (Switzerland and Spain), and Earps put in a similarly significant performance against the USA. Two goalkeepers putting in world class performances is a good battle for a manager to contend with, even if it does “give me headaches”.
“The fight and the togetherness, that is the most important thing”
Since her arrival in 2021, togetherness has been integral to Wiegman squads. She named an unchanged starting eleven for all six games of the Euros win in 2022 for this reason, claiming the connections between players are integral for a positive performance.
It has been argued that this togetherness has been less easy to see of late, with the occasional lapse in communication plaguing the back line in particular. In defence, the partnership against Spain was the same partnership that proved so successful in 2022: Millie Bright and captain Leah Williamson. They collaborated superbly and worked in a symbiotic way that left little to no space for Spain to exploit; and when they did break through, Bright in particular made some crucial blocks.
Asked about Bright’s performance, Wiegman summarised that “moments in the game that we had to defend, we had to fight – and that’s what Millie did really well”.
“We showed again that we can compete with the best”
In the early stages of the game, Spain were dominant, having the lion’s share of the possession and giving England no space in midfield. England struggled at first to win the ball back and find spaces to play through the lines. However, around the twenty-minute mark, the momentum shifted as England found their shape and began to keep the ball more consistently.
Spain failed to clear a ball into the box and Alessia Russo turned superbly to fire a shot off. Although this initial shot was saved, Jess Park was perfectly positioned to tap in the rebound, giving England a deserved 1-0.
England then showed an important indicator of growth: after scoring, they did not sit back – they kept pushing, with a flurry of strong chances coming in the first half. For the second successive game, England were denied a penalty that arguably would have been given had VAR been in operation, and the half finished 1-0 to the hosts.
Where fans and Wiegman will be particularly impressed is that in the second half, England did not allow themselves to falter in the same way as they had the previous week against Portugal. The battle was fought for the entire 95 minutes, by every player on the pitch.
The last time Spain failed to score a goal was in August 2024, in the Olympic bronze medal match against Germany. Since then, they have scored 14 goals in five games, showing more ruthlessness in front of goal.
Whilst Spain lacked this ruthlessness at Wembley, they did have their chances – 20 shots to England’s nine – however most of their chances either flew over the bar or were blocked by an impressive England defence. England were more clinical, with six of their shots being on target, and they forced Catalan goalkeeper Cata Coll into action more than once.
The bigger picture
England are obviously not the finished article yet, and there are still major players to return from injury and to the starting line-up. However, beating the world champions in front of a crowd of over 45,000 at Wembley should certainly be seen as a sign that there is progress to be seen; that the Lionesses team know what they are doing, and that as fans we should trust them.
ENGLAND: Hampton, Bronze, Williamson, Bright, Charles, Clinton, Walsh, Toone, Park, Russo, James. Substitutes: Earps, Moorhouse, Morgan, Turner, Carter, Le Tissier, Mace, Blindkilde-Brown, Parris (for Russo 64’), Beever-Jones, Kelly (for Park 64’), Naz (for Toone 84’).
From the opening minute, the Matildas looked noticeably better than they had in their previous matches in the SheBelieves Cup. Although they managed to avoid conceding right from the get go, Australia once again could not find the back of the net before their opponent and lost 2-1. The Matildas looked to be the stronger side, but Colombia were the ones that made their chances count.
Emily Van Egmond was the player of the first half, working hard in defense and attack. She made multiple vital blocks and steals when Colombia were in promising positions to score, as well as finding and placing the ball in the box for her teammates who could not convert. Van Egmond’s passing was on point and a highlight of the match.
The first ten minutes had a lot of back and forth, with Yallop and Van Egmond both nearly finding the goal and Micah palming away a good shot from Leicy Santos. Colombia kept some possession in the Matildas half, but found their joy largely in transitional play. Although Australia looked promising, they failed to make anything count in their spells of possession.
Colombia took the lead through Wendy Bonilla in her first goal for her country. After a poor pass from Katrina Gorry, Mayra Ramirez played a perfect ball across the field to the winger who found herself free. Bonilla’s shot was perfectly placed to beat Micah who ultimately had no chance.
Australia had two perfect opportunities to put themselves back in it, but took too long in the pivotal moment. Heyman had a golden chance to level the score when Van Egmond nicked the ball at the top of the box and sent it right to her feet in the 21st minute, but Heyman got stuck in indecision.
Just a few minutes later, Gorry stole the ball in prime position as Colombia were once again sloppy in the back, but sent it to Kyra Cooney-Cross whose positioning was uncharacteristically high throughout the match. The midfielder took a second too long to get her shot away and was thwarted by an excellent sliding tackle.
Australia continued to look the stronger of the teams, but couldn’t make anything of it. They connected passes much better, although it was a low bar. There were certainly glimpses of good things, especially in the midfield and defense.
The Matildas continued to have chances to score up until the half when Steph Catley delivered an excellent corner that ended up on the head of Clare Hunt, who had her effort tipped just wide by Giraldo.
Ellie Carpenter, who was finding a lot of joy down the right flank, was unfortunately forced off right before half with injury, allowing Kaitlyn Torpey to make her first appearance of the tournament.
Tom Sermanni made two changes at the half, bringing on Caitlin Foord and Tash Prior in the places of Heyman and Catley. Both proved to be excellent substitutions, providing energy and stability in the second half.
Australia had another big chance missed through Cooney-Cross in the 51st minute, when the midfielder found herself once again in an unfamiliar position and unable to make the hard work of Raso’s run and perfect cross pay off. A few minutes later, Foord had her first opportunity of the match that saw an impressive shot fly just wide.
A theme of this match was the Australian players who needed to prove themselves stepping up and playing well. Hunt looked like the player the country fell in love with during the world cup again, Van Egmond was reminiscent of her younger self, and Charli Grant had her best game in a good while.
Australia finally found the goal they had been chasing through Raso, when she controlled Grant’s cross beautifully and pushed it through a few Colombian defenders. While the goal took a big deflection, it was all the Matildas needed for a brief sigh of relief.
Colombia took the lead again with a lucky goal as Catalina Usme’s shot took a big deflection, leaving Micah powerless. Usme was completely unmarked at the top of the box, with the brief lapse in concentration by the midfield and defense making Australia pay.
The Matildas continued to work away, having several efforts look promising as the clock ticked away. Fowler created a few good chances, finding her feet more in this match than in the previous two.
Ultimately, Colombia were the team that made their chances count. Their game management was impressive as they held on and proved they believed more.
It was not the result Australia wanted to cap off a thoroughly disappointing tournament, but it was a much better game on all accounts. The defense looked much stronger, with Hunt and Micah both having great performances that should cement their roles as starters. The midfield and attack still has work to do when it comes to shots on goal and capitalizing on errors, but the build-up play was far better.
Above: Hayley Raso celebrates her goal. Photo: Football Australia
Australia has ended the 2025 SheBelieves Cup winless, after going down to Colombia two goals to one in their final match of the tournament.
Although it was a better performance from the Matildas and they looked more like the Matildas side of old, it was not enough as goals to Wendy Bonilla and Catolina Usmeultimately saw the Colombians get over the line. Hayley Raso did score a stellar equaliser halfway through the second half, but it was cancelled out minutes later in heat breaking fashion.
It was an energetic start to the match for both sides, with plenty of chances in front of goal.
From an Australian perspective, Kyra Cooney-Cross was playing a higher role than she normally does which was proving a successful decision, while Emily van Egmond and Tameka Yallop both had shots that went agonisingly wide.
Meanwhile Myra Ramirez and Linda Caicedo were unsurprisingly both proving very dangerous options for Colombia, with Caicedo in particular sneaking past the Australian defence on a number of occasions.
However Colombia’s chances were looking more dangerous than Australia’s, and were rewarded in the 15th minute when Ramirez executed the perfect switch and found Bonilla open on the other side of the field, who then rocketed a shot past Tegan Micah and straight into the back of the net.
The Australians were spending a lot more time in their attacking final third then they have in other matches this tournament but like those other matches, getting shots away and especially on target continued to be a problem the Australians could not fix.
Although Bonilla’s goal was ultimately the only one in the first half and the Matildas had been less blown off the park than they did in the first too matches, there was still some serious concerns for the Matildas to fix before the second half.
The evenness of the half time stats accurately reflected what had been happening out on the field.
Colombia only had about 8% more of the possession and only one more shot on goal than the Matildas, but Colombia finished the half with the two shots on target, while Australia did not record any.
Proceedings were free flowing early in the second half, with both sides having an even amount of time in attack. Up one end it was Raso looking the most dangerous while up the other end Bonilla was continuing to cause plenty of headaches for the Matildas’ defenders.
Raso was eventually able to work herself into a more central position and was rewarded after she danced around a number of defenders and slotted through the equaliser in the 69th minute. It may have taken a deflection on the way through, but it was still just reward for the hardworking Raso.
Heartbreakingly, not even five minutes later Colombia took the lead back after a long bomb from Usme deflected off the back of a Matildas defender and over the head of Micah.
Despite what the scoreline was showing, it was a more competitive effort from the Matildas. The defence was looking more solid and confident than it had all tournament, and the side’s attacking play was looking more threatening.
The Matildas kept peppering the Colombian goal but no matter how hard they tried that second equalising goal remained elusive, and as such the Matildas ended the tournament with a third straight loss.
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