Welcome back to Matildas Abroad, where I analyse the performances of all our Aussies playing overseas!
Sorry for another really late upload, I've been watching the Super Bowl and working a lot yesterday.
America (USL Super League) — Aquino keeps a clean sheet
Morgan Aquino (in yellow) kept a clean sheet in what was an important win for DC Power as they push for the playoffs. Image source: Instagram (@dcpowerfc).
It was a tale of two sides this weekend for the Aussies in the USL Super League. Morgan Aquino kept a clean sheet in goals for DC Power in their important 1–0 away win over second place Sporting Jacksonville, with the Power now in sixth place and two points off a playoff spot. Meanwhile, Sophie Harding came on as a sub while Maddy McComasky sat on the bench for Fort Lauderdale United's 4–0 home loss to Dallas Trinity. Fort Lauderdale remain eighth, in second last place on the ladder.
England (WSL & WSL2) — Murphy debuts for Forest, Arsenal beat City
Mary Fowler (pictured) is officially back, but didn't feature in Man City's loss away to Arsenal, just their second loss of the season (the other also being in London, their 2–0 loss to Chelsea in the opening round). Regardless of the result, City stay eight points clear at the top. Image source: Instagram (@mancitywomen).
In the WSL we had some big games but so much big news for the Aussies. Leicester kicked things off, suffering a 2–0 loss at home to Man United, with Emily van Egmond starting, which has rang alarm bells for the Foxes who were tipped to go down, as Man U's rivals Liverpool's 4–1 home win over Aston Villa has pushed Leicester into last place. Now straight to the biggest match: Arsenal beat league leaders Man City 1–0 at Emirates Stadium, with Caitlin Foord and Steph Catley starting (with Steph coming off as a sub) for the Gunners, while Mary Fowler was not in the squad for City despite her return last week (more so a cameo appearance in their 5–1 home win over Chelsea). However, while Arsenal did get the job done with two of their Aussies, Kyra Cooney-Cross (despite featuring on the bench for their two Champions Cup clashes) was not in the squad. It is unclear whether she is back in Australia or not, but it is likely for family reasons.
Alanna Kennedy (pictured) being interviewed after London City's 1–0 loss at home to Everton. Image source: Instagram (@londoncitylionesses).
Clare Wheeler played the full match for Everton who picked up an important win over London City Lionesses (who had Alanna Kennedy playing the full 90 minutes as a centre back), while West Ham also picked up an important 3–2 comeback home win over Brighton, with Katrina Gorry coming on as a sub for the Hammers a few minutes after the Seagulls subbed off Charlize Rule (who was starting). An odd match indeed, with Dario Vidošić's Brighton lineup in a defensive 4-4-1-1 formation going 1–0 up at half time and 2–0 up in the second half until the 82nd minute, and from there West Ham got three goals back and won it in stoppage time, but despite all of this, Brighton's best positions on Sofascore in this match were striker, right midfielder, left and right centre back, and right back (Charlize), with subs and a poor midfield costing them the three points.
Alana Murphy (pictured) made her debut for Nottingham Forest at the City Ground in their 2–0 loss to Charlton. Forest are one of just three Premier League teams in the WSL2 (the others being Crystal Palace and Newcastle United), with the rest being in either the WSL or lower. Image source: Instagram (@nffcwomen).
As for my team, it didn't go too well. Tottenham suffered a 2–0 derby defeat at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to Chelsea, adding to the fact we are yet to take points off Chelsea in the women's game at all in our history (a feat only matched by newly-promoted London City). For Spurs, Clare Hunt played the full match while Charli Grant is still injured (though is reportedly close to returning), while for the Blues, Ellie Carpenter played the full match while Sam Kerr came on as a sub. For a quick look at the WSL2: Alana Murphy made her debut for Nottingham Forest, playing the full 90 minutes of a 2–0 loss to league leaders Charlton Athletic (the same team Torps made her WSL2 debut against and lost to), with the loss putting Forest sixth and seven points off the playoff spot. To wrap things up in England, Kaitlyn Torpey played the full 90 minutes as Tanya Oxtoby's Newcastle United picked up three points in the promotion race with a 2–1 away win over Southampton.
For a quick look at the WSL table: the two Manchester teams top the ladder with Man City first and eight points higher than second placed Man United. Chelsea occupy third but are only a point behind Arsenal in fourth who have a game in hand, while Spurs round out the top five sitting three points below the Gunners. Seven points lower in sixth is London City, then Brighton in seventh, Aston Villa in eighth, Everton in ninth, West Ham in 10th, Liverpool in 11th and Leicester in 12th, heating up the battle to stay away from the wooden spoon (which this season is a relegation playoff rather than direct relegation as the WSL is expanding).
Germany (Frauen-Bundesliga & 2. Frauen-Bundesliga) — Varley debuts in loss to Rankin's Hoffenheim
Hayley Raso's future at a club level remains in doubt, as she has only started one league match for Eintracht Frankfurt this season. It's important that she gets some starting minutes in ahead of the Asian Cup. Image source: Instagram (@eintrachtfrankfurtfrauen).
This week in the Bundesliga we kicked things off with Eintracht Frankfurt's 1–0 win over Bayer Leverkusen at home, though while the win puts Frankfurt sixth and only two points off a European place, Hayley Raso did not feature at all, remaining an unused substitute. It's a worrying sign for Ras, since despite holding the traditionally starting number 7 and being one of the greatest Matildas of all time has only started one game for Die Adler this season (a 3–2 home win over Wolfsburg, in which she played well up front).
Leia Varley (pictured) made her debut for Nuremberg in their 3–0 home loss to Hoffenheim. One of the top centre backs in the A-League when she was at Brisbane Roar, she could be an important part of Nuremberg's backline. Image source: Instagram (@clubfrauen).
Meanwhile we had an Aussie derby with Nuremberg hosting Hoffenheim, with the visitors running away with a 3–0 win. Jamilla Rankin came on as a sub for Hoffenheim while Nuremberg's new signing Leia Varley also came off the bench to make her debut since signing from Brisbane Roar. Hoffenheim are having an impressive season and sit third on the ladder and in a European place, while Nuremberg are 11th but luckily six points clear of relegation. Speaking of former A-League players, ex-Adelaide United midfielder Lara Kirkby played the full 90 minutes of Bochum's 1–1 away draw with Sand in the 2. Bundesliga, a match that would have been an Aussie derby if former Melbourne Victory midfielder Alana Murphy hadn't left for Nottingham Forest. Bochum sit seventh on the ladder.
Italy (Serie A Femminile) — Sassuolo get an important win, Roma beat Milan to stay five points clear of Inter
Jess Nash (pictured) surprisingly hardly featured in the match, but Sassuolo picked up an important win at home over Parma, defeating them 1–0. Image source: Instagram (@sassuolocalcio).
This week in the Serie A Women things kicked off for the Aussies with Sassuolo's clash against Parma, where surprisingly both Jacynta Gala and one of two starting centre backs Jess Nash were benched, with only Jess coming on as a sub (albeit in the 90th minute). Nevertheless, E Neroverdi got the win, indeed an important win in the relegation battle (though Sassuolo seem somewhat safe being five points clear of relegation; in Italian women's football only the Serie A wooden spooners are relegated and are subsequently replaced with the winners of the Serie B who are promoted). Sassuolo have now moved up to ninth place on the ladder.
Alex Chidiac (pictured) was rated the best player on the pitch for Como in their 2–0 home loss to Juventus. Image source: Instagram (@comowomen).
On the other hand, Como fell 2–0 at home to Juventus, though on the bright side Alex Chidiac was the best player on the pitch for Como, played the full match and had a good game. Juventus' new signing Annalise Rasmussen is yet to feature as she wasn't registered. Juventus sit third on the table, while Como are in eighth place. Meanwhile in Rome, Wini Heatley played the full 90 minutes for Roma as they defeated AC Milan at home 1–0 to stay top of the table and five points clear of Milan's rivals Inter Milan.
Sweden (club friendlies) — Sayer goal and Siemsen hat-trick, Malmö's Cádiz camp ends
Amy Sayer (pictured) scored her first goal for Malmö in their 3–2 friendly win over Nordsjælland to wrap up their preseason training camp in Cádiz. Image source: Instagram (@amysayer_).
The Damallsvenskan season still doesn't start until 27 March but we did have some friendlies over the weekend. Aivi Luik's Häcken beat Danish side AGF Aarhus 6–0 at home, Polly Doran's Linköping defeated KIF Örebro 1–0 away from home (with Polly recently being named the club's new vice captain) and Daniela Galić's Vittsjö beat Trelleborg 4–0 away. The biggest news of course is in Malmö's Spanish camp, where Di Blåe defeated Danish side Nordsjælland (formerly Wini Healtey's side) 3–2, with Amy Sayer scoring her first goal for the club and Courtney Nevin also featuring in the match. Himmelsblått will now return to Malmö as their training camp in Cádiz has concluded. And just this morning, Remy Siemsen netted a hat-trick for Rosengård in their 4–0 friendly win over Danish side Copenhagen. Well done Amy and Remy!
Other leagues — Gielnik returns as Monterrey set sites on Clausura title
Emily Gielnik (pictured) returned to action for Monterrey for the first time since announcing her partner's pregnancy. Image source: Instagram (@rayadas).
In Mexico's Liga MX Femenil, Emily Gielnik was named in the squad for the first time this year and the first time in the Clausura half of the Liga MX season, coming on as a sub in Monterrey's 2–0 home win over Tijuana. Rayadas sit first on the ladder on goal difference.
Not much to say about France's Première Ligue this weekend, with both Teagan Micah and Kyah Simon not in the squad for Lyon and Dijon respectively. Lyon won 4–0 at home to continue their dominance over Le Derby rivals Saint-Étienne, while Dijon got a 1–1 draw at home with Nantes. Lyon remain top of the table while Dijon are seventh.
In Scotland's SWPL, Milly Boughton came on as a sub for Hibernian in their 2–0 win over Motherwell. Meanwhile, Emma Ilijoski was not in the matchday squad for Aberdeen in their 6–0 away loss to Hearts. Just one match remains before the league splits in two, with Hibs in the top half and the Dons in the bottom half.
Transfer Talk — three deadline day signings conclude the January window
Annalise Rasmussen (pictured), Holly McNamara's closest challenger in the Golden Boot race, has left Central Coast Mariners on a club record fee to join Juventus. She'll be surrounded by experience, including legendary Italian striker Cristiana Girelli, who has 125 caps for Le Azzurre. Image source: Instagram (@annalise.rasmussen1).
It's official: the January football transfer window is officially closed. With the exception of the Baltic and Scandinavian leagues (except Denmark's), and of course the signings of free agents, European clubs may no longer acquire any new players. But Deadline Day was packed with drama, and three Aussies moved clubs on Deadline Day including two new exports from the A-League Women.
Central Coast Mariners' young gun Annalise Rasmussen made the move first, joining reigning Italian champions Juventus (who won the domestic double (league and cup) last season as well as the Serie A Women's Cup and the Supercoppa Italiana this season; they are third in the Serie A Women and in the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia). The young striker scored 11 goals this season in the A-League and was challenging Holly McNamara for the Golden Boot, before securing a move to the Old Lady for a record fee.
The second to make the move was also an A-League player, Brisbane Roar centre back Leia Varley. She now plays for Nuremberg in the Frauen-Bundesliga, the team with the second worst defence in the Bundesliga and thus will greatly appreciate a rising young centre back like Leia. And finally, ex-Melbourne Victory midfielder Alana Murphy has (speaking of Germany) left 2. Frauen-Bundesliga leaders Sand for WSL2 side Nottingham Forest, where she will directly compete with Tanya Oxtoby's Newcastle United and Kaitlyn Torpey (who joined the Toon earlier in the window) for promotion to the WSL.
As Europe's January transfer window is now over, Holly McNamara (left) will be staying at Melbourne City for now, most likely until June. Image source: Instagram (@melbournecity).
Overall a positive Deadline Day, and great to see that other leagues are actively scouting the numerous underrated ballers we have Down Under and across the Ditch. And of course it looks like other big A-League names like Holly McNamara will stay in Australia until at least June (with Holly likely to leave at the end of the season).
Player of the Week — Morgan Aquino
Morgan Aquino is this week's Player of the Week for her clean sheet against Sporting Jacksonville! Well done Morgan!
Conclusion
That’s all for this week, but stay tuned for next week! As always, feel free to jump into the comments with any questions or to discuss the weekend’s matches. Thanks for reading, hopefully you found this helpful.
Sorry for another really late upload, I've been watching the Super Bowl and working a lot yesterday.
America (USL Super League) — Aquino keeps a clean sheet
Morgan Aquino (in yellow) kept a clean sheet in what was an important win for DC Power as they push for the playoffs. Image source: Instagram (@dcpowerfc).
It was a tale of two sides this weekend for the Aussies in the USL Super League. Morgan Aquino kept a clean sheet in goals for DC Power in their important 1–0 away win over second place Sporting Jacksonville, with the Power now in sixth place and two points off a playoff spot. Meanwhile, Sophie Harding came on as a sub while Maddy McComasky sat on the bench for Fort Lauderdale United's 4–0 home loss to Dallas Trinity. Fort Lauderdale remain eighth, in second last place on the ladder.
England (WSL & WSL2) — Murphy debuts for Forest, Arsenal beat City
Mary Fowler (pictured) is officially back, but didn't feature in Man City's loss away to Arsenal, just their second loss of the season (the other also being in London, their 2–0 loss to Chelsea in the opening round). Regardless of the result, City stay eight points clear at the top. Image source: Instagram (@mancitywomen).
In the WSL we had some big games but so much big news for the Aussies. Leicester kicked things off, suffering a 2–0 loss at home to Man United, with Emily van Egmond starting, which has rang alarm bells for the Foxes who were tipped to go down, as Man U's rivals Liverpool's 4–1 home win over Aston Villa has pushed Leicester into last place. Now straight to the biggest match: Arsenal beat league leaders Man City 1–0 at Emirates Stadium, with Caitlin Foord and Steph Catley starting (with Steph coming off as a sub) for the Gunners, while Mary Fowler was not in the squad for City despite her return last week (more so a cameo appearance in their 5–1 home win over Chelsea). However, while Arsenal did get the job done with two of their Aussies, Kyra Cooney-Cross (despite featuring on the bench for their two Champions Cup clashes) was not in the squad. It is unclear whether she is back in Australia or not, but it is likely for family reasons.
Alanna Kennedy (pictured) being interviewed after London City's 1–0 loss at home to Everton. Image source: Instagram (@londoncitylionesses).
Clare Wheeler played the full match for Everton who picked up an important win over London City Lionesses (who had Alanna Kennedy playing the full 90 minutes as a centre back), while West Ham also picked up an important 3–2 comeback home win over Brighton, with Katrina Gorry coming on as a sub for the Hammers a few minutes after the Seagulls subbed off Charlize Rule (who was starting). An odd match indeed, with Dario Vidošić's Brighton lineup in a defensive 4-4-1-1 formation going 1–0 up at half time and 2–0 up in the second half until the 82nd minute, and from there West Ham got three goals back and won it in stoppage time, but despite all of this, Brighton's best positions on Sofascore in this match were striker, right midfielder, left and right centre back, and right back (Charlize), with subs and a poor midfield costing them the three points.
Alana Murphy (pictured) made her debut for Nottingham Forest at the City Ground in their 2–0 loss to Charlton. Forest are one of just three Premier League teams in the WSL2 (the others being Crystal Palace and Newcastle United), with the rest being in either the WSL or lower. Image source: Instagram (@nffcwomen).
As for my team, it didn't go too well. Tottenham suffered a 2–0 derby defeat at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to Chelsea, adding to the fact we are yet to take points off Chelsea in the women's game at all in our history (a feat only matched by newly-promoted London City). For Spurs, Clare Hunt played the full match while Charli Grant is still injured (though is reportedly close to returning), while for the Blues, Ellie Carpenter played the full match while Sam Kerr came on as a sub. For a quick look at the WSL2: Alana Murphy made her debut for Nottingham Forest, playing the full 90 minutes of a 2–0 loss to league leaders Charlton Athletic (the same team Torps made her WSL2 debut against and lost to), with the loss putting Forest sixth and seven points off the playoff spot. To wrap things up in England, Kaitlyn Torpey played the full 90 minutes as Tanya Oxtoby's Newcastle United picked up three points in the promotion race with a 2–1 away win over Southampton.
For a quick look at the WSL table: the two Manchester teams top the ladder with Man City first and eight points higher than second placed Man United. Chelsea occupy third but are only a point behind Arsenal in fourth who have a game in hand, while Spurs round out the top five sitting three points below the Gunners. Seven points lower in sixth is London City, then Brighton in seventh, Aston Villa in eighth, Everton in ninth, West Ham in 10th, Liverpool in 11th and Leicester in 12th, heating up the battle to stay away from the wooden spoon (which this season is a relegation playoff rather than direct relegation as the WSL is expanding).
Germany (Frauen-Bundesliga & 2. Frauen-Bundesliga) — Varley debuts in loss to Rankin's Hoffenheim
Hayley Raso's future at a club level remains in doubt, as she has only started one league match for Eintracht Frankfurt this season. It's important that she gets some starting minutes in ahead of the Asian Cup. Image source: Instagram (@eintrachtfrankfurtfrauen).
This week in the Bundesliga we kicked things off with Eintracht Frankfurt's 1–0 win over Bayer Leverkusen at home, though while the win puts Frankfurt sixth and only two points off a European place, Hayley Raso did not feature at all, remaining an unused substitute. It's a worrying sign for Ras, since despite holding the traditionally starting number 7 and being one of the greatest Matildas of all time has only started one game for Die Adler this season (a 3–2 home win over Wolfsburg, in which she played well up front).
Leia Varley (pictured) made her debut for Nuremberg in their 3–0 home loss to Hoffenheim. One of the top centre backs in the A-League when she was at Brisbane Roar, she could be an important part of Nuremberg's backline. Image source: Instagram (@clubfrauen).
Meanwhile we had an Aussie derby with Nuremberg hosting Hoffenheim, with the visitors running away with a 3–0 win. Jamilla Rankin came on as a sub for Hoffenheim while Nuremberg's new signing Leia Varley also came off the bench to make her debut since signing from Brisbane Roar. Hoffenheim are having an impressive season and sit third on the ladder and in a European place, while Nuremberg are 11th but luckily six points clear of relegation. Speaking of former A-League players, ex-Adelaide United midfielder Lara Kirkby played the full 90 minutes of Bochum's 1–1 away draw with Sand in the 2. Bundesliga, a match that would have been an Aussie derby if former Melbourne Victory midfielder Alana Murphy hadn't left for Nottingham Forest. Bochum sit seventh on the ladder.
Italy (Serie A Femminile) — Sassuolo get an important win, Roma beat Milan to stay five points clear of Inter
Jess Nash (pictured) surprisingly hardly featured in the match, but Sassuolo picked up an important win at home over Parma, defeating them 1–0. Image source: Instagram (@sassuolocalcio).
This week in the Serie A Women things kicked off for the Aussies with Sassuolo's clash against Parma, where surprisingly both Jacynta Gala and one of two starting centre backs Jess Nash were benched, with only Jess coming on as a sub (albeit in the 90th minute). Nevertheless, E Neroverdi got the win, indeed an important win in the relegation battle (though Sassuolo seem somewhat safe being five points clear of relegation; in Italian women's football only the Serie A wooden spooners are relegated and are subsequently replaced with the winners of the Serie B who are promoted). Sassuolo have now moved up to ninth place on the ladder.
Alex Chidiac (pictured) was rated the best player on the pitch for Como in their 2–0 home loss to Juventus. Image source: Instagram (@comowomen).
On the other hand, Como fell 2–0 at home to Juventus, though on the bright side Alex Chidiac was the best player on the pitch for Como, played the full match and had a good game. Juventus' new signing Annalise Rasmussen is yet to feature as she wasn't registered. Juventus sit third on the table, while Como are in eighth place. Meanwhile in Rome, Wini Heatley played the full 90 minutes for Roma as they defeated AC Milan at home 1–0 to stay top of the table and five points clear of Milan's rivals Inter Milan.
Sweden (club friendlies) — Sayer goal and Siemsen hat-trick, Malmö's Cádiz camp ends
Amy Sayer (pictured) scored her first goal for Malmö in their 3–2 friendly win over Nordsjælland to wrap up their preseason training camp in Cádiz. Image source: Instagram (@amysayer_).
The Damallsvenskan season still doesn't start until 27 March but we did have some friendlies over the weekend. Aivi Luik's Häcken beat Danish side AGF Aarhus 6–0 at home, Polly Doran's Linköping defeated KIF Örebro 1–0 away from home (with Polly recently being named the club's new vice captain) and Daniela Galić's Vittsjö beat Trelleborg 4–0 away. The biggest news of course is in Malmö's Spanish camp, where Di Blåe defeated Danish side Nordsjælland (formerly Wini Healtey's side) 3–2, with Amy Sayer scoring her first goal for the club and Courtney Nevin also featuring in the match. Himmelsblått will now return to Malmö as their training camp in Cádiz has concluded. And just this morning, Remy Siemsen netted a hat-trick for Rosengård in their 4–0 friendly win over Danish side Copenhagen. Well done Amy and Remy!
Other leagues — Gielnik returns as Monterrey set sites on Clausura title
Emily Gielnik (pictured) returned to action for Monterrey for the first time since announcing her partner's pregnancy. Image source: Instagram (@rayadas).
In Mexico's Liga MX Femenil, Emily Gielnik was named in the squad for the first time this year and the first time in the Clausura half of the Liga MX season, coming on as a sub in Monterrey's 2–0 home win over Tijuana. Rayadas sit first on the ladder on goal difference.
Not much to say about France's Première Ligue this weekend, with both Teagan Micah and Kyah Simon not in the squad for Lyon and Dijon respectively. Lyon won 4–0 at home to continue their dominance over Le Derby rivals Saint-Étienne, while Dijon got a 1–1 draw at home with Nantes. Lyon remain top of the table while Dijon are seventh.
In Scotland's SWPL, Milly Boughton came on as a sub for Hibernian in their 2–0 win over Motherwell. Meanwhile, Emma Ilijoski was not in the matchday squad for Aberdeen in their 6–0 away loss to Hearts. Just one match remains before the league splits in two, with Hibs in the top half and the Dons in the bottom half.
Transfer Talk — three deadline day signings conclude the January window
Annalise Rasmussen (pictured), Holly McNamara's closest challenger in the Golden Boot race, has left Central Coast Mariners on a club record fee to join Juventus. She'll be surrounded by experience, including legendary Italian striker Cristiana Girelli, who has 125 caps for Le Azzurre. Image source: Instagram (@annalise.rasmussen1).
It's official: the January football transfer window is officially closed. With the exception of the Baltic and Scandinavian leagues (except Denmark's), and of course the signings of free agents, European clubs may no longer acquire any new players. But Deadline Day was packed with drama, and three Aussies moved clubs on Deadline Day including two new exports from the A-League Women.
Central Coast Mariners' young gun Annalise Rasmussen made the move first, joining reigning Italian champions Juventus (who won the domestic double (league and cup) last season as well as the Serie A Women's Cup and the Supercoppa Italiana this season; they are third in the Serie A Women and in the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia). The young striker scored 11 goals this season in the A-League and was challenging Holly McNamara for the Golden Boot, before securing a move to the Old Lady for a record fee.
The second to make the move was also an A-League player, Brisbane Roar centre back Leia Varley. She now plays for Nuremberg in the Frauen-Bundesliga, the team with the second worst defence in the Bundesliga and thus will greatly appreciate a rising young centre back like Leia. And finally, ex-Melbourne Victory midfielder Alana Murphy has (speaking of Germany) left 2. Frauen-Bundesliga leaders Sand for WSL2 side Nottingham Forest, where she will directly compete with Tanya Oxtoby's Newcastle United and Kaitlyn Torpey (who joined the Toon earlier in the window) for promotion to the WSL.
As Europe's January transfer window is now over, Holly McNamara (left) will be staying at Melbourne City for now, most likely until June. Image source: Instagram (@melbournecity).
Overall a positive Deadline Day, and great to see that other leagues are actively scouting the numerous underrated ballers we have Down Under and across the Ditch. And of course it looks like other big A-League names like Holly McNamara will stay in Australia until at least June (with Holly likely to leave at the end of the season).
Player of the Week — Morgan Aquino
Morgan Aquino is this week's Player of the Week for her clean sheet against Sporting Jacksonville! Well done Morgan!
Conclusion
That’s all for this week, but stay tuned for next week! As always, feel free to jump into the comments with any questions or to discuss the weekend’s matches. Thanks for reading, hopefully you found this helpful.
