Welcome back to Matildas Abroad, where I analyse the performances of all our Aussies playing overseas!
Europe (Champions League) — Tonkin scores, Raso assists
Ella Tonkin (centre) scored her first goal for Torreense, finding the back of the net in a 5–2 victory over Apolonia Fier. Image source: Instagram (@ella.tonkin).
Kicking off the week in the Champions League second qualifying round, Vålerenga beat Omonia Nicosia 2–0 in Frankfurt to come third in their mini-tournament and keep their European hopes alive, moving into the Europa Cup qualifiers. Hana Lowry started before coming off while Tijan McKenna wasn't in the squad. Meanwhile, Torreense also came third to keep their European dream alive, beating Apolonia Fier 5–2 in Biella. Ella Tonkin played the entire match and scored the second goal, her first in Torreense colours.
The total five Matildas at Eintracht Frankfurt and Malmö FF posed for a photo after their match in the UEFA Women's Champions League (UWCL) second qualifying round. From left to right: Jamilla Rankin, Amy Sayer, Courtney Nevin, Charli Grant and Hayley Raso. Image source: Instagram (@matildas).
In the final of an Aussie derby clash between Frankfurt and Malmö, it was the Adler who came out on top at home, beating the Himmelsblått 2–0 to secure a spot in the third qualifying round and to push their opposition into the Europa Cup qualifiers. On the losing side, Courtney Nevin and Amy Sayer both started before coming off, while Charli Grant was on the bench, recovering from her injury. For the winning team, Hayley Raso started and assisted the winner from German midfielder Laura Freigang, whose brace propelled SGE into the next round, while Jamilla Rankin was an unused sub.
It feels like it's been forever since we've seen Sharn Freier (pictured) in VfL Wolfsburg colours following her season-long loan back to Brisbane Roar where she ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Her parent club will take on Inter Milan in the UWCL third qualifying round. Image source: Instagram (@_sharnfreier_).
The ties for the two-legged third qualifying round have been confirmed, with Ellie Carpenter's Chelsea being drawn against Real Sociedad, Sharn Freier's Wolfsburg being drawn with Inter and Hayley Raso's Frankfurt being drawn against PSG. The first legs will be held on 26 August, while the second legs will be held on 2 September. The winners will advance to the Champions League league phase, while the losers will play in the Europa Cup.
America (NWSL) — Arnold wins Assist and Save of the Week
Mackenzie Arnold (front) won both Assist of the Week and Save of the Week, with the Matildas goalkeeper providing an assist and making an incredible save in Portland Thorns' 4–3 away victory over Boston Legacy. Image source: Instagram (@thornsfc).
Gotham FC kicked off the week with a 1–0 win at home over San Diego Wave, with Sam Kerr playing the entirety of the match up front for the Bats. Gotham still sit top of the table, being four points clear of second place Washington Spirit, their arch-rivals in the Mid-Atlantic region of the US. Meanwhile, Mackenzie Arnold got a keeper assist for Portland Thorns in their 4–3 away win over expansion franchise Boston Legacy. Playing the entire match, she picked up a yellow card and was great in goals, saving three shots despite poor defending (which is partly why she hasn't kept clean sheets and is falling behind in the Golden Glove race). She received her deserved awards for the performance, winning both Assist of the Week and Save of the Week for Round 19 of the NWSL. The Thorns sit fifth on the ladder, seven points clear of the final playoff spot (eighth place) but nine points off the top spot.
Canada (NSL) — Tumeth sent off in Johnson's Calgary Wild's first win of the season
Tori Tumeth (centre) was sent off with a straight red card in Vancouver Rise's bottom of the table clash against Calgary Wild. Being down to 10 players was enough for the Wild to seize their first victory of the 2026 Northern Super League (NSL). Image source: Instagram (@shotby_gael, @urban.pitch and @golazocanada).
Coach Leah Blayney and her assistant Kory Babington have finally led Calgary Wild to their first NSL win of the 2026 season, after the Wild had failed to win in 13 previous attempts. The Wild defeated Vancouver Rise 3–2 away from home, with the Wild aided by the Rise being down to 10 players after our very own Tori Tumeth, who captained the Rise, was sent off with a straight red card. Kahli Johnson came on as an injury replacement for the Wild, replacing Mya Jones on the left wing in the 41st minute. The Wild now have five points, but remain far behind in last place, whereas the Rise have failed to take back a playoff spot and remain second last in fifth, now five points and a significant goal difference behind Halifax Tides in fourth place.
Mexico (Liga MX Femenil) — Gielnik scores the winner in Pumas' first win of the season
On her début for the club, Emily Gielnik scored the winning goal for Pumas UNAM in their 2–1 away victory over Necaxa. Image source: Instagram (@sportsfocus_).
Emily Gielnik came on as a substitute to make her club début and scored the winning goal in the 90th minute of Pumas' 2–1 away win over Necaxa, their first win of the Liga MX season. Despite a horror start with a 5–2 home loss to León, the Pumas have jumped up to third place on the ladder for the apertura stage.
Sweden (Damallsvenskan & Elitettan) — Luik scores as Häcken return to the top of the table
Bryleeh Henry (front) and Remy Siemsen (back) led an all-Aussie front three alongside Izzy Gómez in FC Rosengård's away match against Växjö DFF. The match didn't go as planned for them though, with the relegation-threatened visitors falling to a 2–0 loss to the home side. Image source: Instagram (@fcrosengard).
Rosengård started off the week with a loss that will have frustrated them, losing 2–0 away to Växjö. Rosengård lined up with all three Australians up front: Izzy Gómez on the left, Remy Siemsen in the middle and Bryleeh Henry on the right. The former started before coming off, while the latter two played the entire match and the latter picking up a yellow card. The loss is bad for Rosengård, who've dropped down to 13th place and sit in the relegation zone, throwing them into the mix for a historic relegation.
Aivi Luik (pictured), at 41 years of age, scored for BK Häcken in a 4–1 victory over Piteå IF away. She also was named the Player of the Match by Sofascore ratings. Could the Matildas veteran wrap up her career with another piece of silverware? Image source: Instagram (@matchday.jpeg).
On the other hand, it was all smiles for the reigning continental double winners, with Häcken beating Piteå 4–1 away from home. Aivi Luik was sensational defensively throughout the entire game, winning the Sofascore Player of the Match award and fired in Getingarna's third goal. Häcken are now first once again, once again battling it out with Hammarby for the title, which would be just their third in history. Speaking of title races though, in the Elitettan, Linköping went straight back to winning ways with a 2–1 victory over Enskede away, going back up to second place and sitting just one point behind Elfsborg in the title race and in a direct promotion spot as they aim to return to the Damallsvenskan after being relegated for the first time in their history in 2025 (last season).
Friendlies — Carpenter's Chelsea dominate in Australasian preseason tour
This week we've got a lot of preseason friendlies to cover, with 14 having involved Aussies abroad.
It was all smiles post-match between the three Matildas who played in the friendly match between Everton and Newcastle United. From left to right: Holly McNamara, Kaitlyn Torpey and Clare Wheeler. Image source: Instagram (@matildas, @evertonwomen and @newcastleunitedwomen).
In England, Kaitlyn Torpey's Newcastle (coached by Tanya Oxtoby) hosted Holly McNamara and Clare Wheeler's Everton, with the Toffees coming out on top 1–0 on the road. The Aussie trio were captured in a picture together after the match. On the opposite side of England, Charlie Rule was subbed on for Brighton (coached by Dario Vidošić) in their 1–1 draw at home with PSG.
In France, Lyon drew 1–1 with Real Sociedad in what was a surprise result given Lyon's tendency to win nearly every game they play, though Teagan Micah was absent from the matchday squad. On the other hand, Clara Hoarau's Fleury lost 2–0 away to Le Mans in another surprise result, with Le Mans being in the Seconde Ligue, a division below Fleury being in the Première Ligue.
In Germany, Cologne beat Cece Los' Twente 5–1, a damning result ahead of the upcoming Vrouwen Eredivisie season. Wolfsburg won 3–1 away over Bremen, though Sharn Freier wasn't part of the squad.
Wini Heatley (centre) and Roma will be aiming to clinch back-to-back Serie A Femminile titles in the upcoming season, as well as back-to-back Coppa Italia Femminile titles, a Supercoppa Femminile title and their first ever Serie A Women's Cup title. Image source: Instagram (@winiheatleyy).
In Italy, Jacynta Gala and Jess Nash's Sassuolo suffered a 4–2 loss away to Serie B Women side Cesena, seriously threatening them ahead of the upcoming season, in which Sassuolo are among the favourites for relegation. Meanwhile, Man City travelled to Fiorentina but were disappointed to come away with just a 1–1 draw, with Mary Fowler starting before coming off as a sub. On the other hand, reigning double winners Roma, Wini Heatley's side, beat Ternana 3–1 at home.
In Spain, Emily van Egmond's Charlton travelled to Spain and played out a 1–0 loss to Atlético Madrid. Meanwhile, Tottenham also hosted a preseason camp, in our case at Pinatar Arena in Murcia. Spurs defeated Granada 1–0 before falling to a 2–1 defeat to Real Madrid, though Clare Hunt wasn't part of the travelling squad.
Ellie Carpenter (right) swapped jerseys with Tameka Yallop (left) after the blockbuster match between Chelsea and the A-League Women All Stars. Image source: Instagram (@dubzone, @aleagues, @matildas and @tamekayallop).
But of course the main spectacle we must talk about is Chelsea's preseason tour of Australia and New Zealand. The Blues kicked off the tour with a huge win, absolutely cruising to a 7–0 victory over a ceremonial Auckland FC side, which included many A-League Women stars, in Auckland. The Blues then headed to Sydney for their spectacle against the A-League Women All Stars as part of the Sydney Super Cup friendly series, with the Blues coming out on top 3–0 in the second All Stars match. Both matches were commercially successful, with tens of thousands of fans attending the matches, meeting players from all three sides and jersey swaps between Chelsea players and both experienced and rising A-League stars, many of whom may be heading to Europe in the coming seasons. Ellie Carpenter started before coming off in both matches, with the world-class Matildas star delivering excellent performances across both matches that the entire crowd was proud of, with All Stars fans making the one exception to cheer for her. It’s hoped that despite the losses, the matches bring domestic and international attention to our great league and its talent, with Chelsea coach Sonia Bompastor and many of the Chelsea players applauding the league and its talented players. Leticia McKenna echoed this statement, hoping that the boys and girls who turned up for the match would also turn up to support the local competitions.
Transfer Talk — McComasky signs for Durham, Gorry takes a break
Maddy McComasky (pictured) has signed for Durham in the Women's Super League 2 (WSL 2) following her departure from Fort Lauderdale United in the USL Super League. Image source: Instagram (@durhamwfc).
After departing Fort Lauderdale United, Maddy McComasky has landed another overseas gig at Durham in the WSL 2. Being assigned the number four jersey, she joins Rachel Lowe at the club, who are based at the prestigious Durham University. She'll also be one of five Aussies playing in the English second tier next season, with a combined total of 17 players across England's top two divisions, showing the immense talent that comes out of our A-League Women and our NPLW competitions.
Katrina Gorry (left) has decided to take a career pause to focus on her family. She's currently on holidays in Fiji with her family, but has yet to sign a contract with any club just yet. Her return to football is scheduled for 2027. Image source: Instagram (@katrinagorry10).
In other news, Matildas veteran and former West Ham captain Katrina Gorry, who was let go by the Hammers at the end of the 2026–27 season, has decided to take a break from soccer until 2027, choosing to focus on her family (including her wife and two kids) for the remainder of the year. Currently on holidays in Fiji, she's yet to sign for any club after her departure from the WSL, though there's a chance she'll be returning back to her girlhood club Brisbane Roar, a club she spoke highly of in her last interview on the topic.
After leaving North Carolina Courage, Cortnee Vine (pictured) has made a controversial move to Melbourne City (who rivalled her for titles when she was at Sydney FC) in an effort to boost her chances of selection for the Matildas squad for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil. Image source: Instagram (@melbournecity).
While the transfer window remains open, we do have news on players who won't be playing overseas next season. Aideen Keane and Karly Røstbakken have extended their contracts with Melbourne City, who faced a mass exodus of their star players in June and July following their double-winning season (but failure to win the Champions League). Meanwhile, City have also made two bold new signings. The first signing is a more controversial one, with Shepparton-born Matildas forward and World Cup penalty shootout hero against France, Cortnee Vine, who came out of Brisbane Roar and Newcastle Jets, before spending years at my very own Sydney FC rivalling City for titles to then join North Carolina Courage in the NWSL, has now joined her old enemies. Their second signing is former Jets striker Melina Ayres, who played in the All Stars game against Chelsea on Wednesday evening. Another former Sky Blues player who helped us win trophies from City, Mackenzie Hawkesby, is also reportedly linked with a move to City.
Player of the Week — Aivi Luik
This week's Player of the Week award goes to Aivi Luik for her goal and incredible defending against Piteå! Well done Aivi!
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!
Europe (Champions League) — Tonkin scores, Raso assists
Ella Tonkin (centre) scored her first goal for Torreense, finding the back of the net in a 5–2 victory over Apolonia Fier. Image source: Instagram (@ella.tonkin).
Kicking off the week in the Champions League second qualifying round, Vålerenga beat Omonia Nicosia 2–0 in Frankfurt to come third in their mini-tournament and keep their European hopes alive, moving into the Europa Cup qualifiers. Hana Lowry started before coming off while Tijan McKenna wasn't in the squad. Meanwhile, Torreense also came third to keep their European dream alive, beating Apolonia Fier 5–2 in Biella. Ella Tonkin played the entire match and scored the second goal, her first in Torreense colours.
The total five Matildas at Eintracht Frankfurt and Malmö FF posed for a photo after their match in the UEFA Women's Champions League (UWCL) second qualifying round. From left to right: Jamilla Rankin, Amy Sayer, Courtney Nevin, Charli Grant and Hayley Raso. Image source: Instagram (@matildas).
In the final of an Aussie derby clash between Frankfurt and Malmö, it was the Adler who came out on top at home, beating the Himmelsblått 2–0 to secure a spot in the third qualifying round and to push their opposition into the Europa Cup qualifiers. On the losing side, Courtney Nevin and Amy Sayer both started before coming off, while Charli Grant was on the bench, recovering from her injury. For the winning team, Hayley Raso started and assisted the winner from German midfielder Laura Freigang, whose brace propelled SGE into the next round, while Jamilla Rankin was an unused sub.
It feels like it's been forever since we've seen Sharn Freier (pictured) in VfL Wolfsburg colours following her season-long loan back to Brisbane Roar where she ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Her parent club will take on Inter Milan in the UWCL third qualifying round. Image source: Instagram (@_sharnfreier_).
The ties for the two-legged third qualifying round have been confirmed, with Ellie Carpenter's Chelsea being drawn against Real Sociedad, Sharn Freier's Wolfsburg being drawn with Inter and Hayley Raso's Frankfurt being drawn against PSG. The first legs will be held on 26 August, while the second legs will be held on 2 September. The winners will advance to the Champions League league phase, while the losers will play in the Europa Cup.
America (NWSL) — Arnold wins Assist and Save of the Week
Mackenzie Arnold (front) won both Assist of the Week and Save of the Week, with the Matildas goalkeeper providing an assist and making an incredible save in Portland Thorns' 4–3 away victory over Boston Legacy. Image source: Instagram (@thornsfc).
Gotham FC kicked off the week with a 1–0 win at home over San Diego Wave, with Sam Kerr playing the entirety of the match up front for the Bats. Gotham still sit top of the table, being four points clear of second place Washington Spirit, their arch-rivals in the Mid-Atlantic region of the US. Meanwhile, Mackenzie Arnold got a keeper assist for Portland Thorns in their 4–3 away win over expansion franchise Boston Legacy. Playing the entire match, she picked up a yellow card and was great in goals, saving three shots despite poor defending (which is partly why she hasn't kept clean sheets and is falling behind in the Golden Glove race). She received her deserved awards for the performance, winning both Assist of the Week and Save of the Week for Round 19 of the NWSL. The Thorns sit fifth on the ladder, seven points clear of the final playoff spot (eighth place) but nine points off the top spot.
Canada (NSL) — Tumeth sent off in Johnson's Calgary Wild's first win of the season
Tori Tumeth (centre) was sent off with a straight red card in Vancouver Rise's bottom of the table clash against Calgary Wild. Being down to 10 players was enough for the Wild to seize their first victory of the 2026 Northern Super League (NSL). Image source: Instagram (@shotby_gael, @urban.pitch and @golazocanada).
Coach Leah Blayney and her assistant Kory Babington have finally led Calgary Wild to their first NSL win of the 2026 season, after the Wild had failed to win in 13 previous attempts. The Wild defeated Vancouver Rise 3–2 away from home, with the Wild aided by the Rise being down to 10 players after our very own Tori Tumeth, who captained the Rise, was sent off with a straight red card. Kahli Johnson came on as an injury replacement for the Wild, replacing Mya Jones on the left wing in the 41st minute. The Wild now have five points, but remain far behind in last place, whereas the Rise have failed to take back a playoff spot and remain second last in fifth, now five points and a significant goal difference behind Halifax Tides in fourth place.
Mexico (Liga MX Femenil) — Gielnik scores the winner in Pumas' first win of the season
On her début for the club, Emily Gielnik scored the winning goal for Pumas UNAM in their 2–1 away victory over Necaxa. Image source: Instagram (@sportsfocus_).
Emily Gielnik came on as a substitute to make her club début and scored the winning goal in the 90th minute of Pumas' 2–1 away win over Necaxa, their first win of the Liga MX season. Despite a horror start with a 5–2 home loss to León, the Pumas have jumped up to third place on the ladder for the apertura stage.
Sweden (Damallsvenskan & Elitettan) — Luik scores as Häcken return to the top of the table
Bryleeh Henry (front) and Remy Siemsen (back) led an all-Aussie front three alongside Izzy Gómez in FC Rosengård's away match against Växjö DFF. The match didn't go as planned for them though, with the relegation-threatened visitors falling to a 2–0 loss to the home side. Image source: Instagram (@fcrosengard).
Rosengård started off the week with a loss that will have frustrated them, losing 2–0 away to Växjö. Rosengård lined up with all three Australians up front: Izzy Gómez on the left, Remy Siemsen in the middle and Bryleeh Henry on the right. The former started before coming off, while the latter two played the entire match and the latter picking up a yellow card. The loss is bad for Rosengård, who've dropped down to 13th place and sit in the relegation zone, throwing them into the mix for a historic relegation.
Aivi Luik (pictured), at 41 years of age, scored for BK Häcken in a 4–1 victory over Piteå IF away. She also was named the Player of the Match by Sofascore ratings. Could the Matildas veteran wrap up her career with another piece of silverware? Image source: Instagram (@matchday.jpeg).
On the other hand, it was all smiles for the reigning continental double winners, with Häcken beating Piteå 4–1 away from home. Aivi Luik was sensational defensively throughout the entire game, winning the Sofascore Player of the Match award and fired in Getingarna's third goal. Häcken are now first once again, once again battling it out with Hammarby for the title, which would be just their third in history. Speaking of title races though, in the Elitettan, Linköping went straight back to winning ways with a 2–1 victory over Enskede away, going back up to second place and sitting just one point behind Elfsborg in the title race and in a direct promotion spot as they aim to return to the Damallsvenskan after being relegated for the first time in their history in 2025 (last season).
Friendlies — Carpenter's Chelsea dominate in Australasian preseason tour
This week we've got a lot of preseason friendlies to cover, with 14 having involved Aussies abroad.
It was all smiles post-match between the three Matildas who played in the friendly match between Everton and Newcastle United. From left to right: Holly McNamara, Kaitlyn Torpey and Clare Wheeler. Image source: Instagram (@matildas, @evertonwomen and @newcastleunitedwomen).
In England, Kaitlyn Torpey's Newcastle (coached by Tanya Oxtoby) hosted Holly McNamara and Clare Wheeler's Everton, with the Toffees coming out on top 1–0 on the road. The Aussie trio were captured in a picture together after the match. On the opposite side of England, Charlie Rule was subbed on for Brighton (coached by Dario Vidošić) in their 1–1 draw at home with PSG.
In France, Lyon drew 1–1 with Real Sociedad in what was a surprise result given Lyon's tendency to win nearly every game they play, though Teagan Micah was absent from the matchday squad. On the other hand, Clara Hoarau's Fleury lost 2–0 away to Le Mans in another surprise result, with Le Mans being in the Seconde Ligue, a division below Fleury being in the Première Ligue.
In Germany, Cologne beat Cece Los' Twente 5–1, a damning result ahead of the upcoming Vrouwen Eredivisie season. Wolfsburg won 3–1 away over Bremen, though Sharn Freier wasn't part of the squad.
Wini Heatley (centre) and Roma will be aiming to clinch back-to-back Serie A Femminile titles in the upcoming season, as well as back-to-back Coppa Italia Femminile titles, a Supercoppa Femminile title and their first ever Serie A Women's Cup title. Image source: Instagram (@winiheatleyy).
In Italy, Jacynta Gala and Jess Nash's Sassuolo suffered a 4–2 loss away to Serie B Women side Cesena, seriously threatening them ahead of the upcoming season, in which Sassuolo are among the favourites for relegation. Meanwhile, Man City travelled to Fiorentina but were disappointed to come away with just a 1–1 draw, with Mary Fowler starting before coming off as a sub. On the other hand, reigning double winners Roma, Wini Heatley's side, beat Ternana 3–1 at home.
In Spain, Emily van Egmond's Charlton travelled to Spain and played out a 1–0 loss to Atlético Madrid. Meanwhile, Tottenham also hosted a preseason camp, in our case at Pinatar Arena in Murcia. Spurs defeated Granada 1–0 before falling to a 2–1 defeat to Real Madrid, though Clare Hunt wasn't part of the travelling squad.
Ellie Carpenter (right) swapped jerseys with Tameka Yallop (left) after the blockbuster match between Chelsea and the A-League Women All Stars. Image source: Instagram (@dubzone, @aleagues, @matildas and @tamekayallop).
But of course the main spectacle we must talk about is Chelsea's preseason tour of Australia and New Zealand. The Blues kicked off the tour with a huge win, absolutely cruising to a 7–0 victory over a ceremonial Auckland FC side, which included many A-League Women stars, in Auckland. The Blues then headed to Sydney for their spectacle against the A-League Women All Stars as part of the Sydney Super Cup friendly series, with the Blues coming out on top 3–0 in the second All Stars match. Both matches were commercially successful, with tens of thousands of fans attending the matches, meeting players from all three sides and jersey swaps between Chelsea players and both experienced and rising A-League stars, many of whom may be heading to Europe in the coming seasons. Ellie Carpenter started before coming off in both matches, with the world-class Matildas star delivering excellent performances across both matches that the entire crowd was proud of, with All Stars fans making the one exception to cheer for her. It’s hoped that despite the losses, the matches bring domestic and international attention to our great league and its talent, with Chelsea coach Sonia Bompastor and many of the Chelsea players applauding the league and its talented players. Leticia McKenna echoed this statement, hoping that the boys and girls who turned up for the match would also turn up to support the local competitions.
Transfer Talk — McComasky signs for Durham, Gorry takes a break
Maddy McComasky (pictured) has signed for Durham in the Women's Super League 2 (WSL 2) following her departure from Fort Lauderdale United in the USL Super League. Image source: Instagram (@durhamwfc).
After departing Fort Lauderdale United, Maddy McComasky has landed another overseas gig at Durham in the WSL 2. Being assigned the number four jersey, she joins Rachel Lowe at the club, who are based at the prestigious Durham University. She'll also be one of five Aussies playing in the English second tier next season, with a combined total of 17 players across England's top two divisions, showing the immense talent that comes out of our A-League Women and our NPLW competitions.
Katrina Gorry (left) has decided to take a career pause to focus on her family. She's currently on holidays in Fiji with her family, but has yet to sign a contract with any club just yet. Her return to football is scheduled for 2027. Image source: Instagram (@katrinagorry10).
In other news, Matildas veteran and former West Ham captain Katrina Gorry, who was let go by the Hammers at the end of the 2026–27 season, has decided to take a break from soccer until 2027, choosing to focus on her family (including her wife and two kids) for the remainder of the year. Currently on holidays in Fiji, she's yet to sign for any club after her departure from the WSL, though there's a chance she'll be returning back to her girlhood club Brisbane Roar, a club she spoke highly of in her last interview on the topic.
After leaving North Carolina Courage, Cortnee Vine (pictured) has made a controversial move to Melbourne City (who rivalled her for titles when she was at Sydney FC) in an effort to boost her chances of selection for the Matildas squad for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil. Image source: Instagram (@melbournecity).
While the transfer window remains open, we do have news on players who won't be playing overseas next season. Aideen Keane and Karly Røstbakken have extended their contracts with Melbourne City, who faced a mass exodus of their star players in June and July following their double-winning season (but failure to win the Champions League). Meanwhile, City have also made two bold new signings. The first signing is a more controversial one, with Shepparton-born Matildas forward and World Cup penalty shootout hero against France, Cortnee Vine, who came out of Brisbane Roar and Newcastle Jets, before spending years at my very own Sydney FC rivalling City for titles to then join North Carolina Courage in the NWSL, has now joined her old enemies. Their second signing is former Jets striker Melina Ayres, who played in the All Stars game against Chelsea on Wednesday evening. Another former Sky Blues player who helped us win trophies from City, Mackenzie Hawkesby, is also reportedly linked with a move to City.
Player of the Week — Aivi Luik
This week's Player of the Week award goes to Aivi Luik for her goal and incredible defending against Piteå! Well done Aivi!
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!
