Rytting Kaneryd Shines as Blues Overwhelm Spurs

Chelsea 5-2 Tottenham Hotspur

By Ruby Vince 20/10/24

Above: Tottenham Hotspur’s squad group together proir to Chelsea defeat. Photo: SpursWomen on X

Chelsea secured a dominant 5-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur at Kingsmeadow on October 20th, 2024, with a standout performance from Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, who scored twice.

Why were Chelsea so Successful?
Chelsea’s tactical approach and relentless energy set the tone for the game from the start. Sonia Bompastor’s side pressed Tottenham high up the pitch, forcing their defenders into mistakes and making it difficult for them to build play. Chelsea targeted Tottenham’s full-backs, with Maika Hamano and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd stretching the defence by making incisive runs down the wings. The early goal from Hamano in the ninth minute put Chelsea in the driver’s seat. Shortly after, Guro Reiten’s attempt was saved, but it showed how easily Chelsea could penetrate the Spurs backline.

Although Tottenham equalized through Amanda Nilden’s effort, Chelsea didn’t panic, continuing to push forward, and their pressure soon led to an own goal that restored their lead. Chelsea’s ability to maintain a fast tempo while exploiting the spaces Tottenham left in midfield gave them the upper hand. Players like Millie Bright and Erin Cuthbert played key roles in dictating the pace, while Sandy Baltimore and Reiten constantly caused problems with their direct play. Chelsea’s defensive solidity, anchored by Bright, also ensured that Spurs struggled to get in behind.

Joanna Rytting Kaneryd’s Influence
Kaneryd was Chelsea’s most influential player, showcasing her ability to break down defences with skill, pace, and precision. From the opening whistle, she looked a constant threat, running at Tottenham’s backline and creating scoring opportunities. Tottenham’s left-back, Molly Bartrip, found it particularly hard to contain her, often getting beaten for pace and failing to close her down effectively.

Kaneryd’s first goal, in the 69th minute, came from clever positioning. As Tottenham’s defence left her unmarked in a dangerous area, she latched onto a pass before finishing with composure. She then completed her brace in stoppage time, with a solo run that saw her dribble past multiple defenders and fire high into the roof of the net. Kaneryd’s intelligence and quick feet made her unstoppable, and her presence gave Chelsea the cutting edge needed to turn dominance into goals.

Above: Sandy Baltimore celebrates her goal against Spurs. Photo: ChelseaFCW on X

What could Tottenham have done?
A more compact shape in defence could have helped Spurs deal with the relentless wide attacks from Kaneryd and Hamano. Their decision to play a higher line left them vulnerable to the pace of Chelsea’s wingers, which allowed Chelsea to exploit the space behind Tottenham’s full-backs. Tottenham could have provided more support for Bartrip, who struggled in one-on-one duels against Kaneryd- deploying an additional defensive midfielder to help cover the wide areas might have helped nullify Chelsea’s threats down the flanks. Additionally, Spurs needed to close down Chelsea’s midfielders quicker to disrupt their passing rhythm and reduce the service to the dangerous wide players.

Offensively, Tottenham showed glimpses of quality, but they were often forced to play on the counterattack due to Chelsea’s control of the midfield. The introduction of Martha Thomas and Lena Gunning-Williams brought some fresh legs in the second half, but Tottenham failed to sustain their attacking momentum. If Spurs had been more aggressive in closing down Chelsea’s midfield and applied more pressure higher up the pitch, they might have limited Chelsea’s ability to control possession and dictate the game.

Chelsea’s victory over Tottenham was a statement of their tactical prowess and depth in quality. With Kaneryd leading the charge, Chelsea exploited Tottenham’s defensive frailties and produced a clinical display of finishing. Despite Tottenham’s best efforts, they were ultimately outclassed by a Chelsea side determined to assert their dominance in the league. Spurs will need to address their defensive issues and find a way to disrupt teams like Chelsea if they are to challenge for higher positions this season.

Teams: CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Hampton, Baltimore, Bright (c), Buchanan, Bronze, Cuthbert, Nüsken, Reiten, Hamano, Kaneryd, Ramírez. Substitutes used: Beever-Jones, Alejandra Bernabé, Jean-François, Kaptein, Lawrence, Mpome

Scorers: Hamano 10’, OG 44’, Kaneryd 70’, 90+1’, Baltimore 74’

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (4-2-3-1): Spencer, Nildén, Hunt, Bartrip, Neville, Summanen, Ahtinen, Vinberg, Spence, Naz, England (c). Substitutes used: Gunning-Williams, Morris, Thomas

Scorers: Nilden 21’, Summanen 84’

Referee: Emily Heaslip

Jagarinec reflects on Canberra United’s warmup against the All-Stars

By Ryan Miller-Woods 17/10/24

Above: Canberra United’s Antoni Jagarinec

Off the back of a  6-0 win against the NPLW All-Stars, Canberra United Head Coach Antoni Jagarinec  will have some idea of what his best team will look like.

With Round One only weeks away Jagarinec was asked what he took away from the warm up  match.

“It was a really good game against a really good opposition. We (as a team) learnt a lot about ourselves both with the ball and without the ball last week.

“So it was a really good building block for where we are in pre-season.”

Despite the result, a few All Stars caught his eye.

“Absolutely! There were a few (from the match) that are coming into training because of it.

“It was a good opportunity to see the local talent that we know is there against contracted A-League (Women’s) players and give them (an) opportunity to test themselves.”

Ahead of his first season in charge of United, there has been a fair bit of player turnover from last season’s squad and he has recruited a lot of new players for the 2024/25 season.

Jagarinec has  now had some time to see what his team looks like on the pitch in a match and will most importantly start to form an idea of what his Match Day squad will look like for Canberra’s opening round against Brisbane Roar.

When asked whether he’s happy with where the team is at currently, Jagarinec was delighted.

“Absolutely! It was nerve-wracking bringing in a new roster,  I think 50% of the squad is entirely brand new to Canberra (United). After a week we (as a group) were comfortable and two weeks in, we’re extremely confident. So (I’m) happy with our foundations, we’re growing every week but definitely not starting from zero which we’re really happy with (our) off-season recruiting.”

One of Canberra’s players to have returned from last season is midfielder Mary Stanic-Floody who will be looking to build on her  16 appearances and two goals.

Stanic-Floody has a lot of players around her with  A-League Women’s experience that will help her game to the next level and further her development as a footballer.

When asked about how much she learnt last season, Stanic Floody said,

“Ant is incredible, I always learn from him.

“I learnt so much off Michelle Heyman, she is such a role model and to play against someone you idolise is such an honour. So I’ll always continue to learn, you never stop learning.”

“It’s so exciting to see where we (as a team) can be. Of course, it was good (against the NPLW All-Stars) but it’s not great, we’ve still got so far to go (ahead of Round One) but it’s exciting.”

Markovski and McKenzie reflect as Canberra ramp up preparations

Above: New signing Maja Markovski goes over her dream start with Canberra. Image: Canberra United.

By Ryan Miller-Woods (10/16/24).

With the season just over two weeks away, Canberra United had a chance to test out their tactics and squad against the NPLW Capital Football All-Stars. 

For her first proper hit out with Canberra United, you really couldn’t have asked for much better from new recruit Markovski, who played a pivotal role alongside club legend Michelle Heyman in attack, scoring a brace and playing the entire match. 

It’s hard to believe that Markovski didn’t play in the A-League Women last season, but she’s back in the league after a great NPLW Victoria season with Bulleen Lions where she won the 2024 NPLW Gold Medal and the NPLW Victoria Golden Boot with 20 goals.

Markovski sees the move to the capital city as a great chance to learn even more about the craft of the attacker from one of the masters – Michelle Heyman.

“I think learning off players like Michelle will be amazing, especially because I’m a striker as well. Just (to) gain as much experience as possible from those players and hopefully, we can have a good season together.” 

Reflecting on what she’s picked up from Heyman already, Markovski said: “When you’ve got someone of her quality in the box, you don’t have to do much, you’ve just got to put it in the right places and she’ll do the rest.” 

In terms of what her new coach Jagarinec wants to see from her this season, the newly arrived attacker hinted at a positional change.

“It’s been kind of a bit different for me this year, I’ve predominantly played in the middle as a striker but obviously Michelle’s around. So, he wants to see me be a wide player or just in behind as a 10 for her.” 

Above: Alex McKenzie speaking to the press. Image: Canberra United.


Alex McKenzie is going into her second season with Canberra United and was realistic about what is ahead.

“…There’s a lot to be done, we’ve got a lot of work to do. I think it would be naïve to think we don’t, but super exciting and seeing the turnout, it’s really promising.” 

There will be a major focus on Canberra’s defence for this season, and McKenzie emphasised what the club’s new head coach wants to see in terms of improvements this time round: said, “I think he’s invested a lot of time and resources in our staffing team to work out where we can improve in terms of specifics and then just working collectively to ensure that we’re ‘safe as houses.’” 

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Stephen Peters on Perth being on the front foot and giving local players a pathway

by Ben Gilby (15/10/24)

Above: New Perth Glory head coach Stephen Peters speaking at today’s season launch event in Kings Park. Image: Perth Glory.

New Perth Glory head coach Stephen Peters recognises that his much-changed squad may take a while to settle, but their playing style and plans to help develop local players will stand the club in good stead going forward.

Reflecting on a squad that has brought names such as Casey Dumont and Naomi Chinnami to Western Australia as well as a plethora of locally produced young guns, Peters said: “It might take a bit of time, there’s a lot faces from different walks of life. It might take a bit of time to gel. That’s the fun part and the creative part that we’re all looking forward to.”

“The local girls are probably going to take a bit of time to come up to speed with what their international (team-mates’) players styles are and vice versa, so it’s about finding the key pillars in the squad and building our team off the back of that.”

Peters directly addressed the number of local players in the Perth squad this season and emphasised that it is something he is extremely keen not only to nurture now but ensure it can be added to as the years go by, hinting that he is determined to build a strong relationship between the Glory and NPLW WA clubs – something which has not always been the case.

“We want to close the gap on that and make sure the local Perth players believe there is a pathway for them. There is still a bit of work to be done post-season on what that looks like – do they stay in the local NPL? So there is a bit of work to be done with that to make sure those players are coming into the A-League season with a good, solid foundation behind them, so we’re going to work with Football West and work out what the best avenue is for that.”

Above: Tijan McKenna (azure shirt) – one of a number of locally produced players who make up the Perth Glory squad this season. Photo supplied to Impetus by: Rob Lizzi.

Glory’s opening round fixture has seen them paired with last year’s table toppers Melbourne City. Whilst week one fixtures traditionally make scouting hard, this time round the Western Australians have been able to see City in action winning all of their three games in the group stage of the Asian Champions League.

“It’s awesome. We’ve had an opportunity to watch (Melbourne) City which is a bit unique as we’ve just had the Asian Champions League…what a fantastic way to start the season against last season’s Premiers.”

The new Perth head coach has taken the unusual step of choosing two captains this season – both having to take on the mantle from club icon Tash Rigby who retired at the end of the last campaign.

Explaining his choice of Isobel Dalton and Onyinychi Zogg as joint skippers, Peters said: “They both bring different attributes on and off the field…so far in training and off the field, they have been too pretty good leaders for us.

“Tash was obviously at the club for a long time. They are massive shoes to fill. She was also a very energetic person…leadership is defined in different ways. Some people can lead through their actions, not through words. That’s why we went for two (captains) to give us a bit more versatility in that area.”

Peters was guarded in his aims for the season ahead, and you get the sense that this is going to be a much longer-term project than has been the case with the women’s team for a while. Mending fences with the local women’s game, bringing in excellent interstate players and promising overseas ones to mould with Western Australians. That doesn’t necessarily lead to Finals football now – but points more towards a stronger and more popular Glory in the medium to long term.

“We just want to put ourselves in a position to make Finals football…we want to be playing a brand of football that wins football matches and puts us in that area. We want to play a possession-based style of football, be on the front foot, score goals, be fairly robust and energetic in defence,” Perth’s new boss asserted.

Dalton & Zogg: Game by game, picking up points is the aim

Above: Perth Glory’s joint captains for 2024/25 (from left to right) Onyinychi Zogg and Isobel Dalton. Image: Perth Glory.

Isobel Dalton believes that the experience of being led by Tash Rigby over the past few seasons stands her in good stead for taking over the retired defender’s leadership role jointly with new arrival Onyinychi Zogg.

Reflecting on the honour of being co-captain of the club for the new season, Dalton said: “Anyone that knows Tash knows that the energy she brings to the group…honestly she is irreplaceable, I don’t think anyone can take what she’s done for Glory away from her.

“But I think having played with her the past few years, she’s taught me a lot as a person, a player, and a leader, so taking the attributes I gained from her and taking it into my own leadership.

“I always like to lead by example whether that’s the training pitch or the game day and I do talk a lot…I just bring that to the game.”

Nigerian international Zogg, who has arrived from Swiss club Servette, outlined her slightly different approach to captaincy saying: “In the game, I just like to be there to support the girls, even if something is not going well, I’m going to stand up for them, that’s one of my strengths.”

As yet, it’s unclear who will wear the armband in matches and how that responsibility will be divided between the two – that will be one of the decisions for new head coach Stephen Peters each game day.

One of many new arrivals at the club this season, Zogg outlined how excited she was at the vision sold on the club’s long-term plans for the women’s team by club Director of Football Stan Lazaridis.

She was also realistic about the fact that it could take a few weeks of the new A-League Women for the team to show their potential: “I think it will take a bit (of time), that’s normal. We already get along pretty well. Every training gets better…we’re already on a path.”

Dalton also took the long-term view in terms of what she thinks the team should be aiming for this season.

“I think we’re taking it game by game, to be honest, obviously, ideally making the finals is going to be the goal, but I think we have to look at it on a smaller scale taking it game by game and picking up points.

“I think it’s going to be an exciting style we’re going to play. We want to be a team that are hard to beat, so I guess being on the front foot, being creative, and scoring goals.”

As well as having a new head coach and a new squad, the Glory have a new home stadium this year – the multi-million dollar Sam Kerr Football Centre. It’s somewhere that Dalton finds hugely inspiring.

“It’s a beautiful facility, it’s a high-performance facility and that’s what you want as a professional athlete and as a team. I’m looking forward to being there and I think it will be a good base for us.”

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Foord shines despite Arsenal’s defeat to Chelsea

Arsenal 1-2 Chelsea

by Freya Ward at The Emirates for Impetus (12/10/24).

Above: Caitlin Foord celebrates her goal with a badge tap at the Emirates Stadium. Photo: ArsenalWFC on X

Mayra Ramirez set Chelsea up for success in the team’s first clash with Arsenal this season.

Within the first three minutes of the game, the Columbian placed a beautiful overhead kick into the back of the net, perfectly setting the tempo for their 2-1 win, at the Emirates.

By using Ramirez’s strength and composure to their advantage to beat Arsenal’s defence in 1v1 situations, Chelsea created numerous goalscoring oppourtunities for the home side’s defence to deal with; stretching out the backline and putting pressure on the gunners seemed to be their plan from the first kick of the ball.

Arsenal responded with a positive spell of play, winning themselves a corner after putting pressure on Chelsea inside the 18-yard box with some brilliant skill coming from Caitlin Foord to ensure the ball came off Lucy Bronze- unfortunately for the Gunners the corner was well dealt with by Millie Bright who guided the ball to safety.

The visitors opened up Arsenal’s defence yet again 16 minutes into the game with a beautiful run of play, starting with Hannah Hampton, who used her incredible distribution to guide the ball to Johanna Rytting-Kaneryd far down the right wing.

Kaneryd passed the ball to Ramirez, who utilised her great one-on-one ability to keep Lotte Wubben-Moy and Leah Williamson off the ball, before passing back to Kaneryd who had found space in the box to slot the ball to Lauren James. James drove forward into the right-hand side of the box before pinging the ball over Arsenal’s entire backline for Sandy Baltimore to head past Van Domselaar.

It looked like the Blues would cruise into halftime without conceding after their dominant start to the game but Arsenal’s number 19 and Matilda’s superstar Foord had other plans.

After a great turnover of possession in midfield for Arsenal- Emily Fox played a great ball towards Foord who carried it into the box- dancing past Bronze and Kadeisha Buchanan before curling a powerful shot into the far right corner of the net to put the home side back into contention going into the second half.

Foord was deservedly awarded player of the match by the Arsenal Women’s Supporters Club after a standout performance in what was a disappointing performance by the Gunners.

The second half of the game saw Ramirez instantly made her mark. The Colombian created openings in Arsenal’s defence by charging at goal, leaving Rytting-Kaneryd unmarked but it wasn’t long until Katie McCabe came to the rescue for the home side putting pressure on the Swede leaving the ball to roll into the arms of Van Domselaar.

Above: Mayra Ramirez and Sjoeke Nusken celebrating Ramirez’s goal. Photo: ChelseaFCW on X


The Gunners followed suit with another stunning piece of football down the left channel from Foord a couple of minutes later but ultimately it was dealt with by Chelsea’s defence. Both teams continued to create chances – notably Foord who was involved in some capacity in almost all of the home teams’ attempts on goal, putting pressure on the Blues backline and drawing them in to uncomfortable decisions.

As Arsenal continued to push for a late equaliser Sonia Bompastor, made a defensive tactical substitution bringing on Nathalie Björn and Ashley Lawrence in place of Rytting-Kaneryd and Guro Reiten in an attempt to see out the game. This change in tactics ultimately proved successful as Chelsea were able to claim the points.

Teams: ARSENAL: Van Domselaar, Fox, Wubben-Moy, Williamson, Caldenty, Mead, Little, Mccabe, Walti, Foord, Russo. Substitutes used: L. Maanum, Cooney-Cross, Blackstenius

Scorer: Foord 43′.

CHELSEA: Hampton, Bronze, Bright, Buchanan, Baltimore, Kaptein, Nusken, Reiten, James, Ramirez. Substitutes used: Macario, Beever-Jones, Cuthbert, Lawrence, Bjorn

Scorers: Ramirez 4′, Baltimore 16′.

Referee: Cheryl Foster.

Attendance: 45,860.

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Sermanni: “I want us to get back to what makes the Matildas the Matildas”

by Ben Gilby (12/10/24)

Above: Tom Sermanni discusses his first squad and immediate aims for the Matildas squad. Image: Football Australia.

Tom Sermanni admits that anyone who suggested he would be returning to international coaching was “mad” – but for the interim period that he is back in charge of the Matildas, he wants to “bring back” the team’s core DNA and strengths.

“I wasn’t expecting to be here,” the three-time Australia national coach laughed. “If someone had told me that I would probably have thought they were mad, but anyway, I’m here! I’m really excited by it. It’s great to be back in the environment…catching up with players, being in that environment where there’s a game coming up, everyone’s together, enthusiasm around working with the team again.”

The 70-year-old has two initial desires for his squad to achieve in the forthcoming friendlies in Germany and Switzerland over the coming weeks.

“The first thing I’m looking for is a really positive performance from the team. Obviously winning the game is the priority and that’s what we want to do. But I want us to get back to what makes the Matildas the Matildas. That is, particularly with this team, is their ability to play dynamic, attacking football. It’s the attitude of going out to beat any team that we are playing up against and also to bring with it that the grit and determination and that Matildas spirit that has made the Matildas who they are.”

Sermanni’s first Australia selection for 12 years was one which saw a mixture of familiar names and the arrival on the senior international scene of two of the brightest young stars in Daniela Galic and Chloe Lincoln.

Above: Daniela Galic (centre) in action for the Young Matildas – she has now earned her first senior call-up. Photo: Tiff Williams. Supplied to Impetus by: Football Australia.

Explaining the criteria behind his selection, Sermanni said: “In some ways, it was quite straightforward with the circumstances that face us in this window. Domestic players haven’t really played for quite a long time, so the vast majority of the squad is coming from players who are playing in Europe or the US.

“There were a few things involved. One is you want to pick the best squad that’s available to you. Secondly, it’s picking a squad where players are up to speed in match fitness…and also it’s a squad that gives me a chance to look at players who have been in the squad for a long time also look at some players that I don’t know and haven’t seen before.”

Reflecting in more detail about the first senior call-ups for Lincoln and Galic, Sermanni said: “Chloe is a goalkeeper that we think has enormous potential.

“She’s had experience of playing at Youth World Cups, she’s had experience of playing in the A-League Womens…but it’s important for young players, particularly if you get a chance, in a critical area like goalkeeping to bring in a young player. It’s very important to give them an idea of what the environment is like and see how they adapt to that environment, so I’m really looking forward to seeing how she goes in amongst goalkeepers at that level she is coming in against.

“Daniela has always been on the radar for some time as a national team player. She has always been the most talented young player coming through the system in Australia. She’s taken her career overseas, and really started that process…and I’m hoping she comes into this camp and really excels.”

Above: Chloe Lincoln, who has received her first senior Matildas call-up after a string of impressive performances for the Young Matildas. Image: Football Australia.

Sermanni as interim head coach in addition to whoever follows as Tony Gustavsson’s permanent replacement has the benefit of an extended period to try out new faces with no international tournament until 2026. Yet the experienced Scot also believes everything tried between now and then needs to be done with a laser like precision to ensure a powerful set of performances as Asian Cup hosts when it comes round.

“In some ways, the Asian Cup preparation starts now. People think ‘It’s a year and a bit away,’ but it comes in the blink of an eye. We’ve got an opportunity over these two camps in October and November/December because of the nature of them, and because of the location of them, to look at a bigger group of players, and certainly, the November camp (with four games in Australia) gives us that opportunity.”

This appointment marks Sermanni’s first head coach role for three years, he had been working with Western Sydney Wanderers’ women’s department over the past few seasons, and the Glasgow-born boss doesn’t really see his time away from the ultimate leadership role as a problem.

“As a coach, you just get on the horse again and pretty much just do the preparation you would do under normal circumstances. Obviously, they are two very competitive games, you are playing in their backyard as well. There’s a bit of a further challenge when you come into the job straight away. I have some knowledge of quite a few of the players, but it’s coming into a situation where in some ways where you are starting fresh again.”

As well as selecting his first squad, Sermanni has made additions to the Matildas coaching team, with Young Matildas head coach Leah Blayney coming into the fold along with Western Sydney Wanderers men’s assistant coach Jean-Paul de Marigny.

Above: Young Matildas head coach Leah Blayney, who has been added to the senior coaching staff by Tom Sermanni. Image: Football Australia.

“Leah is part of the system, she has been a Young Matildas coach,” Sermanni underlined. “One of the important things in the Matildas system is to promote from within and look at the coaches that are already in the system. Leah knows the players, she is still very young but has actually been around and in coaching for a long time.

“The second thing, with J-P, is I had some feedback from players and what I felt this team needs right now is what I call a senior coach. A senior coach that has had a little bit of experience in the women’s game some time ago, and he is coming into this camp without any preconceived ideas.

“Doesn’t really know the players, doesn’t really know the system, doesn’t really know how it works, and really comes in and excels on the field and is an outstanding coach and someone I feel I can really trust his footballing judgment.”

The desire to focus on what makes The Matildas the Matildas, clever additions to the assistant coaching roles, and deep experience in the Australian women’s game make Sermanni’s interim appointment one that fans of the Matildas should welcome. Whilst getting wins in Germany and Switzerland will be a major challenge, you can’t help but feel confident that this group will be going all out to achieve them.

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Sally James hoping to bring back experience to Canberra United

Above: Sally James speaks to the press on her return to Canberra. Image: Canberra United.

By Ryan Miller-Woods (10/11/24).

When Sally James was announced as Antoni Jagarinec’s first signing as Canberra United Head Coach for the upcoming A-League Women’s season back in August, returning where it all began for her in the league, it was a signing that both parties knew was going to happen the moment that Jagarinec was appointed. 

James, who has made 21 appearances in the A-League Women, made her Canberra debut back in 2020, as well as having had stints with Melbourne City and Perth Glory. She’ll most importantly be looking for regular game time this season, something that she wasn’t able to get with Glory last season where she was up against Morgan Aquino, and only made two appearances for Perth as a result. 

Being back in Canberra should allow James to showcase exactly what’s she made of and have the opportunity to really shine between the sticks. 

When asked what is it about getting to play under Jagarinec that excites James, she said, “to be honest, when I first had Ant as my coach, I was pretty close to quitting football. I was going to trade it for the ‘Sherrin’, I was going to play AFL and I moved to Belco (Belconnen United) and he revitalised my love for the game and I feel like you have to repay someone who helps you do that. So, it was a no-brainer.” 

With the return to Canberra for James three years on from the last time she was with United, she’ll be utilising what she learnt at both City and Glory to her advantage this season.  

Reflecting on her progress since last being at the club, the goalkeeper said: “I think when I left, I was 17 or 18, I was quite young, I was quite shy. I’d like to think I’ve come out of my shell a little bit more than now.

“I think I’ve learnt a lot of lessons from the different places I’ve been, that’s something I’m super excited to bring into the season this year. 

“I just want to play football with my friends, boiling it down to just the simple things. I think when you overcomplicate it, sometimes you try and set too many goals. You can get yourself into a bit of trouble because it can feel like you’re falling short if you don’t reach them. Just keeping it simple, have fun, play football, help the team win.” 

Despite Canberra going into the new campaign on the back of a challenging off-season, their transfers and re-signings during have to be highly commended. There has been the retention of club legend and all-time leading A-League Women’s goalscorer Michelle Heyman, new signings such as Liz Anton, Maja Markovski, Emma Robers, and Jynaya dos Santos, as well as players that had previously been with the club returning like Bethany Gordon and James. 

Above: Jagarinec speaks to the press. Image: Canberra United.


Jagarinec was clear that bringing James back to the club was a priority. “Working with her before, I understand and appreciate her work rate, her level of commitment, her professionalism and from a personal point of view want to help her grow even further.

“She’s got ambitions herself like all the players do and I want to be a part of that process with her.” 

Something that has been apparent with Canberra over the last couple of seasons is that when they attack, they make it count. For instance, last season they had the fourth most goals scored in the regular season with 39.

Conversely, their defence has been their undoing after conceding the second most goals with 47 last term (only Adelaide United conceded more goals with 56). 

Reflecting on the need to balance potent attack with strong defence, Jagarinec said, “We had a good base obviously with Michelle (Heyman). We had players (that) were always going to be able to attack, but there was a heavy focus on what we can do when we don’t have the ball and to stop conceding goals.

“Ultimately, we don’t concede a goal this season but if that’s not the reality, we need to make sure we concede a lot less than we did.” 

England need to be scoring more – but how?

By Fran Lever (13/10/24)

Above: Bethany England in action for Tottenham Hotspur. Photo: Harvey Todd for Impetus.

On Sunday 31st July 2022, England had achieved what had been seen as impossible at times – they had won the European Championships for the first time in 56 years for any senior side.

Women’s football was the buzz and there was talk about the seemingly never-ending talent that existed in the squad.

Shortly after the final though, the Lionesses leading all-time top scorer, Ellen White announced her retirement after scoring 58 goals for the national side. She is a huge part of the Lionesses’ history and success. Whoever was going to step up, it was big boots to fill.

It was pretty clear who Sarina Wiegman wanted to be the next number nine – Alessia Russo and over time it showed she had no one else in mind.

Two years later, the Lionesses have failed to qualify for the Olympics, lost the World Cup final, and narrowly avoided entering the playoffs to defend their European title. Following this, Wiegman made comments that England needed to be scoring more.

Other areas of the pitch and performance can be questioned but the goal droughts England have gone through since that summer two years ago can not be denied either.

After defending their Arnold Clark Cup title in February 2023, the team only scored one goal in four months. Their send-off game before going to Australia was a less-than-inspiring 0-0 draw. 

As Wiegman prepares to announce her squad for the upcoming international against Germany, it is clear that it is time for the manager to think outside the box to get the ball in the box and in the back of the net but what needs to happen to achieve that?

Alessa Russo – is she actually a striker?

There is no disputing that Russo is one of the most exciting talents in the world right now. She left us all in awe at Euro 2022 with that infamous backheel goal that won her goal of the tournament and was nominated for the FIFA Puskás Award.

In the months that followed the Euros and the absence of White, Russo would often go long periods without scoring. She would often seem overwhelmed and limited in the number nine position.

It was not until Wiegman was forced to change the formation at the World Cup and she was put in a front two with Lauren Hemp that she truly began to shine. In doing that, she was not limited and could be putting in the runs more. Ultimately though, that formation will not always work depending on the team. 

In her first season for Arsenal, Russo was given more freedom and some of her best play has come from being deeper in the midfield with Stina Blackstenius in the number nine position.

Above: Alessia Russo during an England training camp. Photo: Harvey Todd for Impetus.

Russo is a creative player and has an incredible work rate but once she’s put in that number nine position, she can not have the freedom she clearly craves. She is often putting the runs in, getting the ball in the midfield, and running down the wing but there’s no one in the box to get the ball.

Ultimately, Russo can not be in two places at once. She can not be accepted to put the runs in, create build-up play and score all at the same time. She does often find the back of the net but nowhere near as much as she should as the starting striker.  

As the world saw in Australia last year, there’s no power force like Russo and Hemp so maybe it is time to give them a wing each and put someone else in the middle of them.

Rachel Daly – The one that got away

Rachel Daly is one of the most versatile players to ever grace the Lionesses. She made her name as a solid left-back for years but her biggest desire was to be a striker. Daly had switched between roles in the NWSL and when she moved to Aston Villa, it was her time to shine. Ultimately, she won the Golden Boot with 22 goals in 22 WSL matches – a feat only achieved by Vivianne Miedema.

She was explored as an option for the number nine position in the Arnold Clark Cup in February 2023 where she scored two goals in her start against Italy.

Surely the Golden Boot winner would be given more of a chance at England especially for a good percentage of the last two years, there was a shortage of goals?

Above: Rachel Daly in action against Manchester City at Villa Park. Photo: Harvey Todd for Impetus.

No, because Wiegman stuck to her Russo guns and kept Daly as a sub until her change of formation at the World Cup where Daly was used as a wingback.

Daly was the joint top Lionesses goal scorer for 2023 along with Russo – with nowhere near the same amount of game time.

Ultimately, she announced her international retirement in early 2024 and if her lack of game time was a factor, many could argue they do not blame her.

Bethany England – The biggest what if

The case of Bethany England is an interesting one to say the least.

She was often struggling for game time at her former club, Chelsea. This was escalated by the arrival of Sam Kerr in 2019, and in 2023, she made the move across London to Tottenham Hotspur.

She instantly hit the ground running and ended the 22/23 season with 14 goals in 14 WSL games, ahead of both Kerr who ended on 12, and more importantly in this case Russo – who was on 10.

When Wiegman announced her April 2023 squad, England’s name was not on the list. By the end of the season,  her move to Tottenham helped them to stay in the WSL so when the World Cup squad was dropped, Wiegman had no choice but to call her up.

Due to the change of formation, she was able to get some minutes down under and was part of the winning penalty shootout against Nigeria.

Wiegman’s stubbornness of lack of subs came back in the final against Spain when at half time both Russo and Daly were taken off and left the Lionesses for 42 minutes without a striker until finally England was brought on. The move seemed almost pointless though because Millie Bright had also been moved forward.

Above: Tottenham Hotspur’s Bethany England in action against Manchester United. Photo: Harvey Todd for Impetus.

It could be argued that the lack of minutes was management because in the weeks that followed the World Cup, England was sidelined for the first half of the season due to a serious hip injury that led to her having to learn how to walk again and overall how to play football again – but the extent of the injury was not known until after the competition.

The second half of the 23/24 season it took her a while to get back into the game but England found herself back on the scoresheet again in a short amount of time – including a last-minute equaliser against Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-final that led Tottenham to winning in a penalty shootout and ultimately making it to the final.

For two seasons in a row, England’s stats from only playing ultimately half of it (first being from having no game time and second from injury) are actually better than some of the players Wiegman has called up.

The Lionesses manager often has spoken about consistent, quality game time but then ultimately has not given much thought to one of the best-performing strikers in the league. Also, the top leading English goal scorer of all time in the WSL and only the second female player to achieve 70 league goals or more. Both of these records were set in the last 16 months.

Is there a reason why Wiegman is not looking at the Tottenham forward when there is the team’s goal drought?

Aggie Beever-Jones and Jess Naz: The young power rockets:

There is so much talent coming through the ranks and both Aggie Beever-Jones and Jess Naz had an incredible campaign for their clubs last season.

Beever-Jones scored 11 WSL goals for Chelsea – a good percentage coming from being a sub and only one goal less than Russo. It is also the same amount of goals Lauren Hemp scored.

It can be argued it is too much to throw her into the deep end and start her regularly for England – but she has proved she can be the ultimate super sub. Super subs are one of the reasons that the Lionesses won the European Championship so it seems strange that Wiegman is being stubborn with her subs now. Beever-Jones came on against the Republic of Ireland and had an instant impact. She could make a huge decision for the team – especially with the ability to switch between striker and winger.

Above: Jessica Naz in action against Manchester United. Photo: Harvey Todd for Impetus.

Naz scored seven goals last season across all competitions and again can switch between striker and winger. Her senior debut also was made against the Republic of Ireland and she almost scored within moments of being on the pitch.

Maybe it is too soon to be starting Beever-Jones and Naz but it could be argued that they will be the ultimate super subs if given the chance.

Wingers that play as strikers:

Chloe Kelly and Lauren Hemp play as wingers but have the ability to play as a striker too. Beth Mead originally started as one too. The option of Hemp as striker has been explored, as seen in the USA friendly in October 2022 but ultimately her talent and speed are needed on the wing.

Nikita Parris – Talent going to waste?

Some may see her as a wildcard but she needs to be mentioned – Nikita Parris is a veteran in the game at this point. She has won the Champions League, the FA Cup, and the WSL. The scorer 62 WSL goals and 17 international goals but she is another player that has seemed to fall off Wiegman radar.

Above: Nikita Parris in action for Manchester United. Photo: Lucy Atherton for Impetus.

She has sometimes struggled for minutes at her different clubs but she has proven herself to a real impact player at times. She is mainly a winger, so perhaps others are being put above her. It is the Lionesses’ strongest position but she can also play as a striker. Maybe the net needs to cast wider to find the solution to England’s attacking issue.

In conclusion, it seems that Russo is being wasted in the number nine position and her strengths need to be used elsewhere on the pitch. The Lionesses need a clinical finisher to capitalise on the service that is clearly being provided.

To lose a striker like White and not to explore every option available almost seems foolish on Wiegman’s part. The Lionesses are struggling to score and hopefully, it will be time for change for the team to even be in consideration to defend their title next season.

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PFA report: incremental change will see A-League Women fall behind.

By Kieran Yap 11/10/24

Above: Former Canberra United defender Emma Ilijoski contributed to the PFA report.

The sky isn’t falling, but the league will be stuck on the ground while women’s football soars elsewhere in the world.

It’s 2021 and the women’s football community is calling for more investment

It’s 2022 and the women’s football community is calling for more investment

It’s 2023 and the women’s football community is calling for more investment

It’s 2024 and the women’s football community is calling for more investment.

The most recent PFA players survey of A-League Women players has been released, and the main change from other years is that the requests are only growing more urgent. The women’s game is growing, things are improving, but for the athletes themselves, the sport it at a crossroads, and even after a record setting season, the future is concerning.

Only 39% of A-League Women players responded that they would play as long as they could. The other 69% cited a range of specific reasons why their careers would be cut short. Of that group, 59% stated that salary was the biggest factor.

The league also increasingly skews younger than ever before. Only 10% of match time was played by players over the age of 28 last season. While its is a positive thing to give opportunities for young footballers, it also suggests that the ALW is not supporting career longevity.

Former APL CEO Danny Townsend spruiked ambitions for the domestic league to be one of the top leagues in the world, but the rise of the NWSL and USL Super League in the United States and this latest data suggest that this is now a development league, a strong and entertaining one. But those statements were not backed up by support where it was needed, both on an off the field.

The increasing exodus of Australia’s top talent is exciting on one hand, and it proves the strength of the league to some extent, but with a few exceptions, clubs are not cashing in on the ALW being a global shop front of football talent. Multi year contracts are increasing but still rare, and players are only paid for half the calendar year. 96% want a move to full professionalism by 2026/27.

Their counterparts in the A-League Men are paid a salary that supports their training and cost of living for 12 months a year. Despite the name change of the competition in 2021 to denote equality, the women’s league is paid only for the length of the season and according to a $600,00 per team salary cap.

As reported on Channel 10’s The Project, the league plans to have full professionalism in place by 2030 but has not released a roadmap to that as yet that any fan or player is aware of.

That does not mean that some are not working towards this but spending money in the men’s game is seen as an investment. Essentially the feeling since the 2005 launch has been that you need to spend it to make it. Conversely, sending on the women’s game has a whiff of charity about it, despite figures from around the world demonstrating it is an opportunity.

The growing figures in the A-League Women, and the proof in Matildas attendances, the women’s game is still made prove that it earned every cent thrown their way.

While there are no formal plans, those with invested interests are trying to find ways to give the players what they need faster within a system that is reluctant to help.

A 12-month program and payment is essential. While currently many players take a short break after the season then report for NPL duty, this could be formalized similarly to Western United’s relationship with Calder United.

Players could be kept on the books and employed by the club throuthout the off-season, to train and work with the NPL clubs. This still falls far short of what the men’s players enjoy but ensures that the players remain in the club system.

The drawback to this is relationships between NPL and A-League clubs are sometimes less than cooperative. With relegation a real possibility would coaches be happy to have playing time of ALW stars dictated to them by a parent club?

Another possibility is an off-season cup competition. This would give players a slower schedule, and allow them to stay training and competing. Unless of course they get knocked out in the first round.

The most obvious solution is to pay them for the 12 months like the men, start pre-season’s earlier, engage in more promotional activity and grow the league. A longer pre-season is favoreed by many coaches. It helps to improve chemistry and therefore the on-field quality, but also to reduce injury risk for the upcoming season.

Players are expected to arrive at pre-season in top condition, in essence they are working all year round, and that contracts end in June, then new ones begin in October feels like a loophole to avoid payment while still demanding professional standards in the off-season.  

Even if arrangements were made to share responsibility and/or pay with an NPL team it is hard to picture the same being asked of say Douglas Costa or any men’s player.

Think of the furore around Melbourne Victory’s Daniel Arzani playing a lower league match in the off season. This is something that same league’s women players are expected and sometimes required to do during the off season with many playing at least half an NPLW season or other league even while under a multi year deal.

What it boils down to is investment, and it is a concept that A-League clubs clearly understand given their recruitment for men’s sides. The women’s game is growing at rate that should encourage more than is being directed their way (crowds were up 72% last season).

No matter what ideas are flying around, it should not beyond professional football in a league without the risk of relegation to find around $500,000 per club by 2026/27.  Theoretically, transfer fees like the ones that Melbourne City attracted for Kaitlyn Torpey would mean that investing in the players would see returns.

Waiting will be more expensive, as the PFA report states, “incremental change could lead the league backwards.”

The investment needed goes beyond player pay though. 38% of players in the league said that the broadcast needed to be improved (more than those that wanted better training facilities.)

The A-League Women rarely has half time panels or pre-match introductions. The match day commentary team cannot be faulted, but it is hard to imagine flying all of them to record from a bunker in Sydney is the best and most cost-efficient method instead of staying in Melbourne to cover a game from the ground

That process may naturally change with a new production company, but more needs to be done to showcase the competition.

The return of Dubzone would be welcomed, but in its first iteration it was on during matches, actively encouraging new fans to avoid watching the actual games in favour of the panel show.

It was a curious decision that was made all the more odd when 10/Paramount removed the league from TV following low viewing numbers that the league’s own choices contributed to.

Upon its return, it needs to have a clear mission to promote the league, unashamedly and with joy. If it purports to be a “tell it like it is” style program but ignores the major off-field issues in the game as it did the notorious Grand Final decision, the conversion will be around its legitimacy and not its quality or achievements.

There are people within Channel 10 and the APL fighting within the system for better coverage and network TV broadcasting, and they need as much support as possible.

Whether on TV/streaming or in the stadium the matchday experience is paramount. The PFA report makes mention that the alternating between huge cavernous stadiums and “glorified training facilities” gives fans “whiplash.” It is a hot topic in Australian football, that appropriate sized stadiums are ideal, and while the APL has moved in this direction, it should continue to do so deliberately and regularly.

Majella Card of the Roar Corp contributed to the PFA report highlighting ley areas that the league should focus on for the best fan experience.

-use the same location so that fans have consistency.

-locations with pre/post game dining options

-accessible by public transport

-appropriate to crowd size to maximise atmosphere

-sufficient catering options and other facilities

-shade/cover or to schedule games in the late afternoon, especially in an Australian summer. It is safer for players, provides a more entertaining standard of football and is more comfortable for fans.

The weather is another hot topic, and although the pun was intended, this is a serious matter.

Departing Canberra United star Emma Ilijoski points at multiple drinks breaks, heat stroke, last minute schedule changes, needing medical attention after games and needing to recover from higher physical demands as just some of the issues with the heat.

Ilijoski called for more facilities such as, “ventilation, air condition and ice baths in changerooms, as well as shelter over team benches and stadiums suitable for the fans.”

It is a problem that players need to navigate with minimal help and then go to school or a part time job the following day. It is a brutal, unnecessary and avoidable challenge for Australia’s best footballers.

While the conditions, and pay for players have improved since the league’s inception. Things are not moving fast enough for player safety, longevity and the quality of the league. We have just hosted a World Cup and have another golden opportunity with an Asian Cup approaching in just over a year.

It’s 2024 and the women’s football community is once again calling for more investment.

By 2027 it might be too late, by 2030 it almost certainly will be.

Please read the full PFA report here.

Robers and Anton outline reasons for optimism at Canberra

Above: Robers in her new colors. Image: Canberra United

By Ryan Miller-Woods (9/10/24).

The new A-League Women campaign is approaching for Canberra United. After a turbulent and challenging off-season, Liz Anton and Emma Robers, two key members of the club’s new look squad reflected on preparations.

Robers begun her chat with the media by highlighting the importance of new head coach Antoni Jagarinec in persuading her to come to the national capital from Western United.

“Ant got me on the phone and pretty much swayed me to come. I’ve played against Canberra many times as well and it’s hard to come here. The club, the culture, the family feel, it’s hard to look past that. At the end of the day, it was an easy decision to come down.”


Going into the season, Canberra will once again have a young squad with an average age of 21.74 with the 19 players they’ve signed so far. Robers is currently the second oldest player in the team at 26.

Asked whether she feels a bit of pressure with the experience that she can add to the young playing group at Canberra, Robers said, “I wouldn’t say pressure, I’d say it’s a privilege. Having played in the league for a few years now, it’s nice to come in with a lot of young ones who are so willing to learn and eager to get out there. I hope I can make my stamp and help guide them through this season.” 

Robers was also asked about what Jagarinec wants to see from her this season, saying, “I think bringing a little bit of leadership and experience is definitely a big part of that. I’m quite a defensive-minded player as well, so I think being strong defensively is what we are looking to do, first and foremost and then we’re obviously going to go attack on the counter and see what we can do up front. I hope to just be a steady character in the middle and bring that to the squad.” 

After being a mainstay of the Perth Glory defence for several seasons, New Zealand international Anton also underlined the importance of Canberra’s new boss in making the move.

“The main thing for me was I had a really good conversation with Ant about what he wanted to do for the season and having that first initial conversation with him. I felt like he was very genuine and wanted the best for the team, that’s what’s always attractive with a coach and I got sold on that.” 

Above: Anton speaks to the press. Image: Canberra United.


When asked about the experience that she can bring to some of the younger players in United’s squad, Anton said, “It’s a really good opportunity for me to take some strides in leadership. I’m mostly a defensive player and given last season that’s where we need to develop. So hopefully, I can bring a lot of experience and leadership.”