Welcome back to Matildas Abroad, where I analyse the performances of all our Aussies playing overseas!
This week we had plenty of action as we head closer to the international break and of course the Asian Cup!
America (USL Super League) — Harding assists in six-goal draw
Sophie Harding (pictured) bagged an assist for Fort Lauderdale United in their epic 3–3 draw at home with Brooklyn FC. Image source: Instagram (@ftlutd).
To kick things off in the USL Super League, Sophie Harding started and assisted before coming off for Fort Lauderdale United in their 3–3 home draw with Brooklyn FC. Meanwhile, Maddy McComasky was an unused substitute. Fort Lauderdale are seventh on the ladder but only three points off the playoffs. It was a similar story for Morgan Aquino, who started and played the full match in DC Power's 1–1 draw away with Tampa Bay Sun. The Power are eighth on the ladder and on level points with United, and thus are also just three points off playoffs. Other than the top two teams (Sporting Jacksonville and Lexington SC), it's a very tight table!
England (WSL & WSL2) — Spurs smash Villa in a 10-goal thriller
Emily van Egmond (pictured) and Leicester will suffer another week and the entire international break in the "wooden spoon" position. Image source: Instagram (@lcfcwomen).
Mind the rhyming title, this week in the WSL was full of goals, with Man City kicking things off with a huge win over Leicester at home, thrashing the Foxes 6–0, despite Leicester going for an ultra-defensive 5-4-1 haramball formation. Mary Fowler did not feature in City's squad at all despite having returned to fitness and the club confirming she would‘be been available for that match. Emily van Egmond was unfortunately in poor form for a poor team however, with her Foxes side staring down the barrel of relegation should results not change, with the Foxes having lost five matches in a row in all competitions.
Clare Wheeler (pictured) is a key player for Everton, who have now won three matches in a row going into the international break. Image source: Instagram (@clarewheelerr).
Meanwhile, Clare Wheeler played the full 90 minutes of Everton's 1–0 home win over West Ham, with the Toffees holding on to make extend their winning streak to three straight games. The Hammers' captain Katrina Gorry was not in the matchday squad altogether. Down in London, Chelsea beat Liverpool 2–0 at home, with Ellie Carpenter playing the full match and Sam Kerr coming on as a sub. Alanna Kennedy played the full 90 minutes for London City in their 2–1 loss to Man United away from home.
Clare Hunt (pictured) will be a top choice for a starting centre back positions at the Asian Cup, having put in some solid performances for Tottenham. Image source: Instagram (@_clarehunt).
Now for my team: what a win! Tottenham scored SEVEN goals for just the second time in our history in our 7–3 win over Aston Villa, which was the WSL's equal second-highest scoring match of all time! Clare Hunt played the full 90 minutes, picking up a yellow card and being the highest rated of the starting back four and the second-highest rated defender on the pitch. Charli Grant was unfortunately still sidelined with her knee injury, and would've been an improvement at left back, though it’s expected that Charli will return in time for the Asian Cup in March. In the WSL2, Kaitlyn Torpey played the full match for Tanya Oxtoby's Newcastle United in their 2–0 home win over Portsmouth to move up to fourth place on level points with Bristol City with a game in hand (and thus back in the race for the promotion playoff spot), while the match between Sunderland and Alana Murphy's Nottingham Forest has been postponed to a later date, and thus Forest remain seventh. Likewise, back in the WSL, Dario Vidošić's Brighton's clash against Arsenal was postponed on matchday due to a waterlogged pitch, so no game time for Arsenal trio Steph Catley, Kyra Cooney-Cross or Caitlin Foord, nor for Brighton full back Charlize Rule.
Now for a quick look at the table: Man City remain first by eight points over Man United in second, while Chelsea round out the Champions League spots in third place. However, fourth placed Arsenal have now got two games in hand, so while they are on level points with fifth placed Tottenham, if they win both games in hand they will swap places with Chelsea. From fifth to sixth there's now a 10 point gap, with London City taking sixth place, but from there down it's closer with Brighton seventh, Everton eighth and Aston Villa ninth. Down in the relegation battle, West Ham are 10th, Liverpool are 11th and Leicester are 12th for the second matchweek in a row.
Germany (Frauen-Bundesliga & 2. Frauen-Bundesliga) — Kirkby scores for Bochum, Hoffenheim lose in huge upset
Leia Varley (centre) appears to be making her way into Nuremberg's starting 11, having come on in the 46th minute as a substitute this weekend. Image source: Instagram (@leia.varley).
In the Frauen-Bundesliga, Nuremberg kicked things off for the Aussies with Leia Varley coming on as a sub in the early second half of FCN's 3–1 away loss to Leipzig, indicating she is slowly making her way into Der Club's starting 11. Regardless, Nuremberg are fairly safe from relegation despite being 11th, sitting five points clear of the drop zone. Meanwhile, Eintracht Frankfurt won 4–1 away over Carl Zeiss Jena, though Hayley Raso was again an unused sub, a minor concern coming into the Asian Cup. The win puts Frankfurt fourth on the ladder and now just one point off Europe with a game in hand.
Lara Kirkby (centre) scored her second goal of the season for Bochum in their 3–1 away win over Wolfsburg II. Image source: Instagram (@larakirkby).
Jamilla Rankin came on as a sub for Hoffenheim in their heavy 4–0 defeat at home to 12th-placed relegation battlers Hamburg, a major blow to a promising season from Hoffenheim who are contenders for the third European spot. Die Kraichgauerinnen still occupy fifth place, obviously a drop from last week, and sit two points off Europe. In the 2. Frauen-Bundesliga, Lara Kirkby started (though was subbed off) and scored in Bochum's 3–1 victory over Wolfsburg II, the reserve team of Wolfsburg. Bochum sit fifth and while they're still eight points off promotion, they're slowly edging closer, having gone on what is now a four-match unbeaten streak including three wins and a draw.
Italy (Serie A Femminile) — POTM Chidiac scores, Roma draws
Alex Chidiac (pictured) scored and was named Player of the Match for Como in their 2–0 home win over Sassuolo. Chids now has two goals in white and black this season since signing from Melbourne Victory. Image source: Instagram (@comowomen).
Another rhyming title? Hell yeah! Como kicked off the week with an Aussie derby against Sassuolo, with Como winning 2–0 at home over Le Neroverdi, with our very own Alex Chidiac scoring the opener and getting Player of the Match, having also started the match (though was subbed off). On the unfortunate side, both Jacynta Gala and Jess Nash were benched for the second match in a row, with this time Jacynta coming on as a sub while Jess surprisingly did not play at all. It comes a week after Jacynta was benched while Jess came on as a late sub to play just a few minutes, despite previously being a starter in what has been albeit a poor Sassuolo side (though she personally had been okay). As for the table, Como sit seventh while Sassuolo sit ninth, despite being separated by eight points.
Wini Heatley (pictured) played the full 90 minutes for Roma. While Roma remain top of the table, their title hopes have had two slight setbacks in the form of draws to Parma and now Napoli. Image source: Instagram (@asromawomen).
Annalise Rasmussen is still yet to be registered for Juventus in the Serie A, possibly indicating that she could be loaned out elsewhere. Juve drew 0–0 at home with Lazio, which means E Bianconere stay in third place. It's a favourable result for Roma, but Roma's own result was not, with Le Giallorosse drawing 2–2 with Napoli at home, with Wini Heatley (who has polarised the opinions of Romanisti at times) playing the full match and receiving a yellow card. While they are still first regardless of the result, Roma are now only three points clear of Inter Milan in second. Le Giallorosse face Le Nerazzurre in Milan next week, with Inter coming into the fixture in excellent form, having won 11 consecutive matches (including eight Serie A matches in a row), a win streak extending back to November. However, they did lose 3–0 to Roma earlier in the year in the reverse fixture in Rome, so therefore even if Inter win, Roma will likely still be first due to their head-to-head record.
Sweden (Svenska Cupen Damer) — Malmö shocked by cupset at home, Vittsjö and Rosengård all square
Daniela Galić (pictured) is a 19-year-old Aussie wonderkid. Born in Sydney, she played for Melbourne City and Twente before signing for Vittsjö mid last year. The attacking midfielder will play a key role once again at the club. Image source: Instagram (@vittsjogikofcl).
The Svenska Cupen group stage kicked off this week, with each team that qualified being put in one of four groups of four, with the winner of each group advancing to the semi-finals. In Group 1, AIK Stockholm kicked things off with a 2–1 win over Division 1 side Gefle, though Jada Whyman was not in the squad due to her still being injured. In Group 2, we had an Aussie derby as Vittsjö drew 1–1 at home with Rosengård, with Remy Siemsen playing the full match for Rosengård and Daniela Galić playing almost the entire match. I'm tipping 2026 to be a huge season for Dani and it could be one that secures her a move bigger than Vittsjö, and surely securing her a permanent spot in the Matildas squad.
Amy Sayer (pictured) played her first competitive match for Malmö, so suffered a cupset loss to Piteå. Image source: Instagram (@malmo_ff).
In Group 3, perhaps the biggest result of them all was Malmö's 3–2 home loss to Piteå. The loss came as a surprise as not only is Malmö's squad worth multiple times what Piteå's is worth, but Malmö also took the lead before conceding thrice and then pulling one back at the end with an own goal. Amy Sayer made her competitive debut for Malmö after signing earlier in the year from Kristianstad and playing in recent friendlies, starting before coming off as a sub, while Courtney Nevin was not in the squad altogether. Nevertheless, regardless of the result, Malmö will still be the equal favourites (alongside Häcken) for the Damallsvenskan title, and it's quite rare in Sweden for a team to win the double. No Aussies are playing in Group 4.
Before all the Svenska Cupen action, however, Polly Doran's Linköping lost 4–3 at home in a friendly to Växjö. Linköping along with Aivi Luik's Häcken are among the sides yet to play a Svenska Cupen group stage match this season.
Other leagues — Lyon advance to the Coupe LFFP final
Emily Gielnik (pictured) came on as a sub for Monterrey in a huge clash against Club América. Neither Rayadas nor Las Águilas have lost a Clausura match this season so far. Image source: Instagram (@rayadas).
In France's Coupe de la Ligue (the Coupe LFFP), we had an Aussie derby in the semi-finals between Dijon and Lyon. As expected, Lyon were victorious, winning 3–0 away from home, though neither Dijon's Kyah Simon nor Lyon's Teagan Micah were in the squad altogether. In a major moment for African women's football, Lyon will head to Ivory Coast to face PSG in the final in Abidjan, though Teags will miss the final due to the Asian Cup.
In Mexico's Liga MX Femenil, Emily Gielnik game on as a sub for Monterrey in their 1–1 away draw with Club América, a massive clash between two giants in first (Monterrey) and second (América). Both clubs remain in their respective positions, and neither have been beaten yet in the Clausura stage of the Liga MX season.
Player of the Week — Alex Chidiac
This week's Player of the Week is Alex Chidiac, who scored and was named Sofascore Player of the Match for Como! Well done Chids!
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!
This week we had plenty of action as we head closer to the international break and of course the Asian Cup!
America (USL Super League) — Harding assists in six-goal draw
Sophie Harding (pictured) bagged an assist for Fort Lauderdale United in their epic 3–3 draw at home with Brooklyn FC. Image source: Instagram (@ftlutd).
To kick things off in the USL Super League, Sophie Harding started and assisted before coming off for Fort Lauderdale United in their 3–3 home draw with Brooklyn FC. Meanwhile, Maddy McComasky was an unused substitute. Fort Lauderdale are seventh on the ladder but only three points off the playoffs. It was a similar story for Morgan Aquino, who started and played the full match in DC Power's 1–1 draw away with Tampa Bay Sun. The Power are eighth on the ladder and on level points with United, and thus are also just three points off playoffs. Other than the top two teams (Sporting Jacksonville and Lexington SC), it's a very tight table!
England (WSL & WSL2) — Spurs smash Villa in a 10-goal thriller
Emily van Egmond (pictured) and Leicester will suffer another week and the entire international break in the "wooden spoon" position. Image source: Instagram (@lcfcwomen).
Mind the rhyming title, this week in the WSL was full of goals, with Man City kicking things off with a huge win over Leicester at home, thrashing the Foxes 6–0, despite Leicester going for an ultra-defensive 5-4-1 haramball formation. Mary Fowler did not feature in City's squad at all despite having returned to fitness and the club confirming she would‘be been available for that match. Emily van Egmond was unfortunately in poor form for a poor team however, with her Foxes side staring down the barrel of relegation should results not change, with the Foxes having lost five matches in a row in all competitions.
Clare Wheeler (pictured) is a key player for Everton, who have now won three matches in a row going into the international break. Image source: Instagram (@clarewheelerr).
Meanwhile, Clare Wheeler played the full 90 minutes of Everton's 1–0 home win over West Ham, with the Toffees holding on to make extend their winning streak to three straight games. The Hammers' captain Katrina Gorry was not in the matchday squad altogether. Down in London, Chelsea beat Liverpool 2–0 at home, with Ellie Carpenter playing the full match and Sam Kerr coming on as a sub. Alanna Kennedy played the full 90 minutes for London City in their 2–1 loss to Man United away from home.
Clare Hunt (pictured) will be a top choice for a starting centre back positions at the Asian Cup, having put in some solid performances for Tottenham. Image source: Instagram (@_clarehunt).
Now for my team: what a win! Tottenham scored SEVEN goals for just the second time in our history in our 7–3 win over Aston Villa, which was the WSL's equal second-highest scoring match of all time! Clare Hunt played the full 90 minutes, picking up a yellow card and being the highest rated of the starting back four and the second-highest rated defender on the pitch. Charli Grant was unfortunately still sidelined with her knee injury, and would've been an improvement at left back, though it’s expected that Charli will return in time for the Asian Cup in March. In the WSL2, Kaitlyn Torpey played the full match for Tanya Oxtoby's Newcastle United in their 2–0 home win over Portsmouth to move up to fourth place on level points with Bristol City with a game in hand (and thus back in the race for the promotion playoff spot), while the match between Sunderland and Alana Murphy's Nottingham Forest has been postponed to a later date, and thus Forest remain seventh. Likewise, back in the WSL, Dario Vidošić's Brighton's clash against Arsenal was postponed on matchday due to a waterlogged pitch, so no game time for Arsenal trio Steph Catley, Kyra Cooney-Cross or Caitlin Foord, nor for Brighton full back Charlize Rule.
Now for a quick look at the table: Man City remain first by eight points over Man United in second, while Chelsea round out the Champions League spots in third place. However, fourth placed Arsenal have now got two games in hand, so while they are on level points with fifth placed Tottenham, if they win both games in hand they will swap places with Chelsea. From fifth to sixth there's now a 10 point gap, with London City taking sixth place, but from there down it's closer with Brighton seventh, Everton eighth and Aston Villa ninth. Down in the relegation battle, West Ham are 10th, Liverpool are 11th and Leicester are 12th for the second matchweek in a row.
Germany (Frauen-Bundesliga & 2. Frauen-Bundesliga) — Kirkby scores for Bochum, Hoffenheim lose in huge upset
Leia Varley (centre) appears to be making her way into Nuremberg's starting 11, having come on in the 46th minute as a substitute this weekend. Image source: Instagram (@leia.varley).
In the Frauen-Bundesliga, Nuremberg kicked things off for the Aussies with Leia Varley coming on as a sub in the early second half of FCN's 3–1 away loss to Leipzig, indicating she is slowly making her way into Der Club's starting 11. Regardless, Nuremberg are fairly safe from relegation despite being 11th, sitting five points clear of the drop zone. Meanwhile, Eintracht Frankfurt won 4–1 away over Carl Zeiss Jena, though Hayley Raso was again an unused sub, a minor concern coming into the Asian Cup. The win puts Frankfurt fourth on the ladder and now just one point off Europe with a game in hand.
Lara Kirkby (centre) scored her second goal of the season for Bochum in their 3–1 away win over Wolfsburg II. Image source: Instagram (@larakirkby).
Jamilla Rankin came on as a sub for Hoffenheim in their heavy 4–0 defeat at home to 12th-placed relegation battlers Hamburg, a major blow to a promising season from Hoffenheim who are contenders for the third European spot. Die Kraichgauerinnen still occupy fifth place, obviously a drop from last week, and sit two points off Europe. In the 2. Frauen-Bundesliga, Lara Kirkby started (though was subbed off) and scored in Bochum's 3–1 victory over Wolfsburg II, the reserve team of Wolfsburg. Bochum sit fifth and while they're still eight points off promotion, they're slowly edging closer, having gone on what is now a four-match unbeaten streak including three wins and a draw.
Italy (Serie A Femminile) — POTM Chidiac scores, Roma draws
Alex Chidiac (pictured) scored and was named Player of the Match for Como in their 2–0 home win over Sassuolo. Chids now has two goals in white and black this season since signing from Melbourne Victory. Image source: Instagram (@comowomen).
Another rhyming title? Hell yeah! Como kicked off the week with an Aussie derby against Sassuolo, with Como winning 2–0 at home over Le Neroverdi, with our very own Alex Chidiac scoring the opener and getting Player of the Match, having also started the match (though was subbed off). On the unfortunate side, both Jacynta Gala and Jess Nash were benched for the second match in a row, with this time Jacynta coming on as a sub while Jess surprisingly did not play at all. It comes a week after Jacynta was benched while Jess came on as a late sub to play just a few minutes, despite previously being a starter in what has been albeit a poor Sassuolo side (though she personally had been okay). As for the table, Como sit seventh while Sassuolo sit ninth, despite being separated by eight points.
Wini Heatley (pictured) played the full 90 minutes for Roma. While Roma remain top of the table, their title hopes have had two slight setbacks in the form of draws to Parma and now Napoli. Image source: Instagram (@asromawomen).
Annalise Rasmussen is still yet to be registered for Juventus in the Serie A, possibly indicating that she could be loaned out elsewhere. Juve drew 0–0 at home with Lazio, which means E Bianconere stay in third place. It's a favourable result for Roma, but Roma's own result was not, with Le Giallorosse drawing 2–2 with Napoli at home, with Wini Heatley (who has polarised the opinions of Romanisti at times) playing the full match and receiving a yellow card. While they are still first regardless of the result, Roma are now only three points clear of Inter Milan in second. Le Giallorosse face Le Nerazzurre in Milan next week, with Inter coming into the fixture in excellent form, having won 11 consecutive matches (including eight Serie A matches in a row), a win streak extending back to November. However, they did lose 3–0 to Roma earlier in the year in the reverse fixture in Rome, so therefore even if Inter win, Roma will likely still be first due to their head-to-head record.
Sweden (Svenska Cupen Damer) — Malmö shocked by cupset at home, Vittsjö and Rosengård all square
Daniela Galić (pictured) is a 19-year-old Aussie wonderkid. Born in Sydney, she played for Melbourne City and Twente before signing for Vittsjö mid last year. The attacking midfielder will play a key role once again at the club. Image source: Instagram (@vittsjogikofcl).
The Svenska Cupen group stage kicked off this week, with each team that qualified being put in one of four groups of four, with the winner of each group advancing to the semi-finals. In Group 1, AIK Stockholm kicked things off with a 2–1 win over Division 1 side Gefle, though Jada Whyman was not in the squad due to her still being injured. In Group 2, we had an Aussie derby as Vittsjö drew 1–1 at home with Rosengård, with Remy Siemsen playing the full match for Rosengård and Daniela Galić playing almost the entire match. I'm tipping 2026 to be a huge season for Dani and it could be one that secures her a move bigger than Vittsjö, and surely securing her a permanent spot in the Matildas squad.
Amy Sayer (pictured) played her first competitive match for Malmö, so suffered a cupset loss to Piteå. Image source: Instagram (@malmo_ff).
In Group 3, perhaps the biggest result of them all was Malmö's 3–2 home loss to Piteå. The loss came as a surprise as not only is Malmö's squad worth multiple times what Piteå's is worth, but Malmö also took the lead before conceding thrice and then pulling one back at the end with an own goal. Amy Sayer made her competitive debut for Malmö after signing earlier in the year from Kristianstad and playing in recent friendlies, starting before coming off as a sub, while Courtney Nevin was not in the squad altogether. Nevertheless, regardless of the result, Malmö will still be the equal favourites (alongside Häcken) for the Damallsvenskan title, and it's quite rare in Sweden for a team to win the double. No Aussies are playing in Group 4.
Before all the Svenska Cupen action, however, Polly Doran's Linköping lost 4–3 at home in a friendly to Växjö. Linköping along with Aivi Luik's Häcken are among the sides yet to play a Svenska Cupen group stage match this season.
Other leagues — Lyon advance to the Coupe LFFP final
Emily Gielnik (pictured) came on as a sub for Monterrey in a huge clash against Club América. Neither Rayadas nor Las Águilas have lost a Clausura match this season so far. Image source: Instagram (@rayadas).
In France's Coupe de la Ligue (the Coupe LFFP), we had an Aussie derby in the semi-finals between Dijon and Lyon. As expected, Lyon were victorious, winning 3–0 away from home, though neither Dijon's Kyah Simon nor Lyon's Teagan Micah were in the squad altogether. In a major moment for African women's football, Lyon will head to Ivory Coast to face PSG in the final in Abidjan, though Teags will miss the final due to the Asian Cup.
In Mexico's Liga MX Femenil, Emily Gielnik game on as a sub for Monterrey in their 1–1 away draw with Club América, a massive clash between two giants in first (Monterrey) and second (América). Both clubs remain in their respective positions, and neither have been beaten yet in the Clausura stage of the Liga MX season.
Player of the Week — Alex Chidiac
This week's Player of the Week is Alex Chidiac, who scored and was named Sofascore Player of the Match for Como! Well done Chids!
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!
