⚽ Olympic Round-up. Dronegate drama continues. Christen Press is back.

WOMEN’S FOOTBALL WEEKLY
THIS WEEK:

  • Picks from the pitch: Olympic Round-up

  • Latest headlines from around the world: Lionesses friendly fixtures, Dronegate drama continues, Christen Press is back!

  • Fave finds: Mary Earps in first PSG training session, Sprinkler melt-down

  • Kit drop: Chelsea away, New Puma women’s fit boots

  • Transfer news: Carter follows financé to Gotham

  • Jobs: New opportunities in football

We’ve introduced a Jargon Buster to the newsletter. If you spot [JB] next to a word, head to the bottom of the email for a simple explanation.

⚽ PICKS FROM THE PITCH

Olympic Round-up

Last week we were deep into the group games, with quarter-final places still up for grabs, but fast forward a week and a lot has gone down.

  • Marta was sent off in Brazil’s final group game, and what might have been her last-ever Olympic appearance if Brazil didn’t win their quarter-final against France.

  • Canada, against all odds, came second in their group to qualify for the quarter-finals, despite losing an appeal against their 6-point ‘dronegate’ deduction amid more evidence of spying.

The quarter-finals happened on Saturday and somehow we got through the longest back-to-back football marathon ever endured. Four games. Three went to extra time. Two went to penalties. Football fatigue is real. We all deserve goal medals. Anyway, key takeaways:

  • USA vs Japan 1-0: Japan’s low block[JB] made the USA work hard for this result, which came from Trinity Rodman in extra time. Rodman cut in on her left and curled the ball into the top corner giving Yamashita no chance.

  • Spain vs Colombia 2-2 (4-2 pens): Colombia were 2-0 for a large portion of the game before Hermoso clawed back Spain’s first goal in the 79th minute, and Paredes equalised on 90+7.

  • Germany vs Canada 0-0 (4-2 pens): Goalkeeper, Ann-Katrin Berger saved two pens and scored Germany’s fifth from the spot to send them through to the semi-finals. Canada was everything except clinical in front of goal. They had 22 shots, and only five were on target. 

  • Brazil vs France 1-0: Well, Marta will get another chance at a more fitting end to her International career following Brazil’s win over hosts France. Their goal was against the run of play but France paid the price for not capitalising on their first-half chances.

🚨ICYMI

Top Headlines

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England will take on four big opponents in the run-up to the Euros. The friendlies form part of preparations in the defence of their Euro title. 

  • Germany, Friday 25 October, KO 19.30, Wembley [ITV 1]

  • South Africa, Tuesday 29 October, KO 19.45, Coventry Building Society Arena [ITV 4]

  • United States, Saturday 30 November, KO 17.20, Wembley [ITV 1]

  • Switzerland, Tuesday 3 December, KO 19.45, Bramall Lane, Sheffield [ITV 4]

❌ If you’re wondering whether there’s any chance of the Olympic women’s football having a few more teams, there isn’t. The Olympic committee has said increasing the women’s football tournament from 12 to 16 teams to match the men’s competition would add too much cost and complexity for it to be viable. 

🕵️ Dronegate drama rumbles on in the background of the Olympics. This week Canada’s appeal against their 6-point deduction was rejected, but in the process, FIFA documents released further details of the evidence they have regarding suspended head coach Bev Priestman’s knowledge of and involvement in the spying. Emails between Priestman and HR which specifically use the term ‘spying’ make Priestman’s participation clear.

🏢 Michelle Kang has launched Kynisca Sports International, a pioneering multi-team women's football organisation. With clubs across continents and a dedicated innovation hub, Kynisca aims to transform the sport through unprecedented investment, cutting-edge research, and tailored training methods for female athletes. The goal: unlock women's true athletic potential and inspire a new generation of players.

👎 Tobin Heath opened up about her time at Manchester United and the lack of ambition from the board. In a clip from her podcast The Recap Show, Heath retells the story of the 2020/21 season when Manchester United was top of the table, challenging for the WSL title. Then coach, Casey Stoney, went to the board and asked for their backing and help to win it, but they responded that they had a five-year plan and winning that year was not in it. Heath ends with a crunchy conclusion, ‘Why would we ever want to be part of a club that the plan wasn’t when you can win the league, you win the league?’

🏁 Hold on to your hats people, after 781 days and four ACL surgeries, Christen Press made her come back for Angel City in their Summer Cup match against San Diego Wave. She came on in the 88th minute to a standing ovation and, after the game went to penalties, scored Angel’s second pen.

🏟️ Manchester City will host three games at the Etihad this season. Tottenham Hotspur on 8/9/10 November, Manchester United on 17/18/19 January and Chelsea on 21/22/23 March.

👶 AC Milan will guarantee a one-year deal extension for players who become pregnant during the final year of their contract. They’ll also support players with childcare and expenses.

🏆 UEFA has confirmed the Women’s Champions League will have a new format from 2025. 18 teams will compete in the league stage. A second club competition will be added for the first time. Watch an explainer here.

👀 FAVE FINDS

Mary Earps got stuck into her first training session with PSG this week. "The pitch is superb, and the weather was perfect. It's fantastic! It went well and I was happy to be back on the pitch. Now I can't wait to get back in goal, because that's what I love!"

Sprinklers turning on randomly in the middle of an Angel City and San Diego Wave game anyone? 

✍️ INSIDE TRACK

Transfer Round-up

Jess Carter (left) and Missy Bo Kearns (right)

Jess Carter has joined her financé Ann-Katrin Berger in the NWSL at Gotham. In an unexpected move, the England defender announced she’d be leaving Chelsea after six years in an interview.

  • Carter explained why she’d chosen to leave saying, ‘Gotham also shares my same values. How you treat people and how the team is treated are my biggest values. I think that I can really become a better football player when I’m surrounded by people who treat other people well, and really care for one another as people before footballers. That’s the most important thing.’

  • Some have interpreted that as a nod back to Emma Hayes’ controversial comments about the inappropriateness of players on the same team being in a relationship.

Aston Villa and Arsenal keeper swap: After weeks of rumours, Daphne van Domselaar has officially joined Arsenal from Aston Villa. The highly-rated young goalkeeper will compete with Manuela Zinsberger for the starting spot. Meanwhile, Sabrina D'Angelo headed in the other direction. After a year at Arsenal the 31-year-old Canadian International, signed with Villa on a free transfer after her contract expired. 

CONFIRMED TRANSFERS
MANAGER MOVES

→ The Matildas are on the hunt for a new coach. Tony Gustavsson’s planned departure came as his 4-year contract ended. In the last few days, it’s been reported that players are relieved his tenure is over, some calling it ‘four years of hell’.

ELSEWHERE… THE RUMOURS ARE FLYING

→ Rosa Kafaji (Hacken) might be heading to Arsenal, there’s also interest from Chelsea, Barca and Lyon in the 21-year-old attacking midfielder.

👟 KIT DROP

Chelsea’s new away kit is a ready-made classic. It’s simple but uses subtle orange highlights from the home kit theme to tie together the range’s ‘blue flame’ theme.

Puma’s women’s football boot ‘Brilliance Pack’ has been released for the 2024/25 season. It features the Future 7, Ultra 5 and King Ultimate styles in a women’s only fit and colour-way.

🛋️ DITCH THE SOFA

Upcoming Events

Olympic Women’s Football Screenings

📍Hiver Taproom - 56 Stanworth Street, London, SE1 3NY
🥉 Friday, 9 August: BRONZE Medal Match, start 2pm
🏆 Saturday, 10 August: GOLD Medal Match, start 4pm

MATCH DAYS

→ Arsenal, Champions League: Tickets for Arsenal’s Round 1 qualifiers of the UEFA Women's Champions League on September 7 are now on sale. The game will take place at Meadow Park.

→ If you happen to be in the US this summer, tickets are also on sale for Arsenal's USA tour, they’ll be in Washington D.C. from August 15-26

→ Tickets for England friendlies:

Is there a women’s football event happening near you? Give us a heads-up

📺 WATCHLIST

What We’re Watching

Olympic Semi-Finals - Tuesday 6 August

17:00 - USA Women v Germany Women [Eurosport 5, discovery+]
20:00 - Brazil Women v Spain Women [Eurosport 5, discovery+]

Olympic Third Place Play-Off - Friday 9 August

14:00 - TBC [Eurosport 5, discovery+]

Olympic Final - Saturday 10 August

16:00 - TBC [Eurosport 5, discovery+]

Pre-season friendly - Saturday 10 August  

13:00 - Newcastle United Women v AC Milan Women [NUFC.tv]

📂 JOBS, JOBS, JOBS

More Women Working in Football

📚 JARGON BUSTER

Low Block - A defensive strategy teams use when out of possession. They focus on protecting the third of the pitch nearest their goal. Their backline of defenders is close to goal and their midfield positions itself just ahead. This creates two compact lines of defence, making it hard for the attacking team to find any space to exploit.

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