WSL Fan Guide + PSG in Fashion + The GOAT retires

September 30, 2024

WOMEN’S FOOTBALL WEEKLY
IN THIS WEEK’S ROUND-UP...

  • Picks from the pitch: Our top five WSL moments

  • Latest headlines: The GOAT retires

  • Fan Guide: Top tips for following the WSL this season

  • Fave finds: Steph Houghton x Ian Wright in new podcast

  • Kit drop: PSG launches new fashion collab

  • 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

Our top five moments from this week’s WSL action

  1. Caspari put in a lovely cross for Bunny Shaw to tap home

  2. Lucy Bronze’s first goal back in the WSL was only ever going to be a classic rocket from distance

  3. Macario was back with the skills, creating chances and finally got a goal of her own on the rebound 

  4. Exciting new signing Olivia Smith scored her first goal for Liverpool and it didn’t disappoint 

  5. Then there was a big goal line clearance from Everton’s Vanhaevermaet and an even bigger save from van Domselaar for Arsenal

WSL RESULTS: MATCH DAY 2
AS IT STANDS

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🚨ICYMI

Top Headlines

📈 The FA has revealed that in the last four years, the number of women and girls playing football has increased by 56%. The number of female coaches rose by 88% and female referees by a staggering 113%. The report summarises the impact of the FA’s four year strategy ‘Inspiring Positive Change (2020-2024), although the success of the Lionesses’, first winning Euro 2022 then getting to the World Cup final a year later cannot be separated from the huge growth seen across the women’s game.

💸 Barclay’s will remain title sponsors of both the WSL and Championship after a new £45 million deal was reached. It’s worth £15 million a year over three years and continues Barclay’ partnership with the leagues, which started back in 2019.

🐐Christine ‘the GOAT[JB]’ Sinclaire has announced her retirement at 41 years old. Having already retired from international football at the end of 2023 with a record 190 goals under her belt, the Canadian and Portland Thorns legend says that this season (her 11th at Portland) will be her last. Sinclaire’s impact on women’s football cannot be understated, and her post-retirement plan, as we might have expected, is to continue growing the game albeit in a new role. Her final game will be on 1 November against Angel City in Portland.

🇩🇪 German international legend Alex Popp has also got in on the retirement announcements. With 144 caps and 67 goals for her country Popp has stepped down from the international stage. She made her senior debut in 2010 against North Korea.

🌟 Alyssa Naeher has extended her contract with Chicago Red Stars until 2025, making it her tenth season with the club.

👼 In the last year the average value of NWSL teams has risen by 57% to $104 million. Angel City leads the pack, valued at $250 million setting record merchandise and sponsorship sales. Collectively the league is valued at over $1.46 billion.

🤑 Former Italy international and Juventus men’s team player Giorgio Chiellini has invested a six-figure sum in investment group Mercury/13. It’s thought to be the first time a prominent men’s player has invested in the women’s game.

📚 WHAT WE’RE READING

Top Links

🏆 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Three English clubs make the group stages

After a worrying first leg loss against BK Häcken, Arsenal got the job done with a 4-0 win in the second leg of their qualifier (4-1 agg.). It means they join Manchester City (who haven’t been in the competition since 2020/21) and Chelsea in the Champions League group stages. It’s the first time three English teams have qualified for the group stages.

Elsewhere, Celtic qualified for their first Champions League campaign and were drawn in Group B with Chelsea.

The first group games start next week between 8-9 October. Manchester United’s game against Chelsea on 6 October has been postponed due to player welfare concerns as Chelsea would have to have played two games in 48 hrs.

GROUP DRAWS

  • Group A: Lyon, Wolfsburg, Roma, Galatasaray

  • Group B: Chelsea, Real Madrid, FC Twente, Celtic

  • Group C: Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Juventus, Valerenga

  • Group D: Barcelona, Manchester City, St. Pölten, Hammarby

👀 FAVE FINDS

Women’s Football: The Financial Frontier

A new short film from the BBC speaks exclusively to Mercury/13, a new global investment group "ripping up the rule book" on football ownership as they try to successfully commercialise the women's game.
Watch on BBC iPlayer

There’s a new Women’s Football Podcast on the block

Recently retired Steph Houghton has joined forces with Ian Wright to host Crossways, a new weekly podcast that covers everything from the WSL to grassroots football. Listen here 

🧠 KNOWLEDGE

Fan Guide: How to follow the WSL

The WSL is well under way but what are our top tips for fans following the action this season?

Where to watch:
When games aren’t broadcast by Sky or BBC iPlayer, head over to the Barclays WSL YouTube channel, new for this season. You can watch games live and catch up with highlights and behind the scenes action. (Bonus content… the Barclays Championship has a Channel too)

For a round-up of each week’s action look no further than The Women's Football Show (think Match of the Day) every weekend on BBC.

Fantasy WSL:
Fine, you might have missed a couple of weeks’ worth of points but it’s not too late to get involved in Fantasy Football for this season. It’s a great way to get to know players from across the league, and gives you another excuse to binge on stats, analysis and replays.
→ Download the app here

Our pick of the podcasts:

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👟 KIT DROP

PSG Féminine reveal their first fashion partner with new collection

Paris Saint-Germain have dropped their third kit, ‘La Vie En Rose’, which very roughly translates as rusty pink. We joke.

The one we maybe should have led with is PSG Féminine’s new two-year collaboration with Parisian luxury brand and fashion partner Barbara Bui. The capsule features a black suit with leather detailing, and a more casual white leather jacket.

Tottenham Hotspur released its retro lifestyle collection inspired by kits worn between the 1930s and 1970s.

New Balance Tekela 4+ is now available in a dark blue and black colourway.

If you’re into all things orange then Umbro’s latest Velocita Matrix is the one for you, complete with their signature ProWeave upper.

🩼 ACL WATCH

Latest injury updates

Everton’s Aurora Galli has become the third WSL player in two weeks to suffer an ACL injury. Sophie Ingle (Chelsea) and Jorja Fox (loan at Crystal Palace) were previously confirmed to have suffered ACL ruptures. 

Meanwhile Jill Roord (Man City) and Gabby George (Man Utd) are finally back in action after their ACL rehab. Roord got a standing ovation on her return.

📺 WEEKLY WATCHLIST

What We’re Watching

WSL

Saturday 5 October
12:30 - Brighton vs Aston Villa Women [WSL Youtube]

Sunday 6 October
13:00 - Manchester City vs West Ham United [City+, WSL Youtube]
14:00 - Arsenal vs Everton [WSL Youtube]
14:15 - Tottenham Hotspur vs Liverpool [BBC 2, BBC iPlayer]
15:00 - Leicester City vs Crystal Palace [WSL Youtube]
Manchester Utd vs Chelsea postponed due to Chelsea’s Champions League fixture

The Women’s Football Show
Sunday 6 October, 11.45pm [BBC 1, iPlayer]

Champions League Group Stages - Match 1

Tuesday 8 October
20:00 - Chelsea vs Real Madrid [DAZN]

Wednesday 9 October
17:45 - Bayern vs Arsenal [DAZN]
20:00 - Manchester City vs Barcelona [DAZN]

📂 JOBS, JOBS, JOBS

More Women Working in Football

📚 JARGON BUSTER

GOAT - Greatest of all time
Agg. - Aggregate. If a tie is played over two legs (typically home and away matches) the score is aggregated to give an overall score reflecting both match outcomes, e.g. if the first game ended 1-0 and the second game ended 0-4, the final aggregated score would be 1-4.

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