⚽ Sonia Bompastor Rumours, ACL Watch, Daly Retires

April 15, 2024

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THIS WEEK:

• Top Headlines

• Round-Up: Goals and saves of the week

• Fave Finds: Walsh skills, Styling out football shirts

• ACL Watch

• Kit Drop: Nike Tiempo's 30th birthday

• Watchlist: This week's must-watch games

• Jobs: More women working in football

 🚨 NEWS | HOME & AWAY

TOP HEADLINES

🤠 Rachel Daly has retired from international football. She announced the decision to her England teammates following their 2-0 win over Ireland last Tuesday. She’s been part of the England set-up since under-15, earning 84 senior caps and 16 goals since her 2016 senior debut. Her biggest moment was winning Euro 2022 with England. Our biggest Daly moment was her wearing a cowboy hat to celebrate. Iconic.

  • Video:The farewell interview - Daly explains her decision to retire from international football. Cameos from Sarina Wiegman (England Manager) and Kay Cossington (Women's Technical Director, FA).

  • Instagram:Follow Rachel Daly

📚 Emma Hayes made the news again this week after a bizarre press conference during which she was asked about her behaviour following Chelsea's defeat by Arsenal in the Conti-Cup Final. Hayes had pushed Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall and accused him of 'male aggression' after the match. Facing questions about the incident, Hayes surprised everyone by reciting a poem.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Sophie Ingle has stepped down as Wales captain after nine years in the role. She will continue playing for Wales throughout their Euro campaign but felt it was the right time to pass the captaincy on.

🇺🇸 The Korbin Albert saga continues as the USWNT Player Association reiterated its commitment to advocating for and welcoming the LGBTQ+ community. 

🏅 Paris 2024: The final two Olympic qualifiers have been confirmed. Nigeria will face Spain, Japan and Brazil in Group C. Zambia will join USA, Germany and Australia in Group B. 

🐓 Tottenham Hotspur manager Robert Vilahamn would like to make Grace Clinton a permanent addition to his squad, according to The Athletic. Clinton is on a season-long loan from Manchester United and has made an impressive impact for Spurs this season. Side note - After helping Spurs reach the FA Cup Final, Clinton won't be eligible to play because they face her parent club, Manchester United.

🧤Barcelona will go ahead with their plan to sign Ellie Roebuck, the Manchester City and Lionesses goalkeeper, despite her recent stroke. Barcelona believes the stroke won't impact her playing, and she'll be their backup goalkeeper.

👑 Newcastle United beat Huddersfield Town 10-0 to secure the National League Northern Premier Division title and promotion to the FA Women’s Championship. Howay the lasses!

⚽ MATCH ROUND-UP

OUR MOMENTS OF THE WEEK

This week was a busy one with Euro Qualifiers, FA Cup, WSL and the She Believes Cup in the mix...

  • Wales continued a strong start to their Euro 2025 qualification campaign with a 6-0 win over Kosovo.

  • Jutta Rantala’sopener for Leicester in the FA Cup Semi-Final was an absolute banger.

  • A Martha Thomas header sent Tottenham to the Women’s FA Cup Final for the first time in their history.

  • Manchester United's Rachel Williams headed home a Toone Cross to beat Chelsea 2-1 in the other FA Cup Semi-Final.

  • Russo on fire in Arsenal’s 5-0 win at Bristol City in the WSL.

  • The SheBelieve's Cup ended with a USWNT win against Canada 2-2 (5-4 penalties). It had everything - a big keeper error, big goals for both Adriana Leon and Sophia Smith, and some big penalty saves. Highlights here.

 👀 FAVE FINDS

SKILLS, STYLE AND STATS

  1. Kiera Walsh takes on... everyone

  1. For the first time in a decade, the Women's FA Cup will have a new winner after Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur reached the final.

🖋️ MANAGEMENT MOVES

SONIA BOMPASTOR TO REPLACE HAYES

According to The Telegraph, Sonia Bompastor will be Chelsea's next manager when Emma Hayes leaves to coach the USWNT at the end of the season. Hayes has built an impressive legacy, including six WSL titles, five FA Cups and two League Cups, so Chelsea faced quite a challenge when looking for a successor.

Enter Sonia BompastorA former French international midfielder and decorated manager, Bompastor will bring a wealth of experience and winning pedigree to Stamford Bridge. While at Lyon, she replicated her playing success on the managerial side, lifting a staggering five Division 1 Féminine titles and a coveted Champions League trophy.

ReactionsBompastor's reported arrival has been met with a mix of excitement and cautious optimism. Her achievements are undeniable, but some question if she can replicate the same success at Chelsea.

Fun fact...Depending on how the next Champions League matches go, it's possible that Chelsea and Lyon could meet in the final 👀. Chelsea would have to beat Barcelona, and Lyon would have to beat PSG in the Semi-Finals, which start this week.

 🦵ACL WATCH

TWO STEPS FORWARD, ONE STEP BACK

🟢 Leah Williamson was back in the England starting lineup for the first time since her ACL injury in April 2023. She did a solid job as they took on Ireland in their second Euro 2025 qualifier group game, winning 2-0.

🟢 Janine Beckie tore her ACL just before Leah Williamson. Her surgery was in March 2023, and she just enjoyed her first games back for Canada in the 2024 SheBelieves Cup.

🔴 Goalkeeper Sandy MacIver has had successful surgery after rupturing her ACL during Scotland's Euro Qualifier against Serbia. This has left Manchester City with a bit of a goalkeeper crisis. Ellie Roebuck is recovering from a stroke in her left occipital lobe, and Khiara Keating is suffering a knee injury. In the last 24 hours, City secured an emergency loan. Katie Startup joins from Brighton until the end of the season.

 🤤 KIT DROP

TIEMPO TURNS 30... AND PEARLESCENT

Okay, folks, the Nike Tiempo turns 30 this year, and to celebrate, they’ve brought out a special edition Emerald colourway. Leah Williamson and Pernille Harder will be among the first to debut them on the pitch. Honestly, we're not sure about these (not least because of the £235 price). But if you're a fan, they're available from Nike now.

📺 WATCHLIST

THIS WEEK'S MATCHES

Wed 17 April | WSL19:00 - Chelsea vs Aston Villa

Friday 19 April | WSL19:00 - Brighton vs Everton

Saturday 20 April | WSL12:30 - Bristol City vs Liverpool

Saturday 20 April | Champion’s League Semi-Final (1st Leg)12:30 - Barcelona vs Chelsea18:00 - Lyon vs Paris Saint-Germain

Sunday 21 April | WSL12:00 - Manchester Utd vs Tottenham Hotspur14:00 - Arsenal vs Leicester City14:15 - Manchester City vs West Ham Utd

 📂 JOBS

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