Rise Higher

We start off this week’s roundup with some exciting transfer news, as Gabrielle Carle signs a two year contract with the Washington Spirit, moving on from Kristianstads in the Damallsvensken. Carle is now the fourteenth CANXNT player currently playing in the NWSL, as the league remains a popular place for Canadians to ply their trade.

Back in Europe, midweek Champions League fixtures were a mixed bag for Canadians. Cloé Lacasse had a Player of the Match performance for Benfica in a 3-1 win against Rosengard, scoring a brace and keeping her team in contention for the next round. Benfica will have a tough time making it through to the quarter finals over the likes of Bayern and Barcelona, who each sit on nine points to Benfica’s six, but the Portuguese underdogs remain in a reasonable position with just two fixtures left to go.

In a much less competitive affair, Vanessa Gilles and Lyon breezed past Zurich in a 4-0 win. Despite the gap between the two sides, Gilles was still called into action frequently, putting in a tidy performance at the back, with seven recoveries, seven clearances and 4/5 duels won. Gilles also continued her heavy influence on Lyon’s attacking play, with seven completed long balls and ten passes into the final third. 

A 1-1 draw against Real Madrid leaves Chelsea sitting nicely at the top of their group, despite a lacklustre performance against their Spanish opposition – who, in fairness, were equally uninspired, with Real Madrid scoring off a goalkeeping error and Chelsea through an own goal. Kadeisha Buchanan and Jessie Fleming both started for Chelsea, with Buchanan winning the most duels in the match (nine). Fleming, however, uncharacteristically struggled to have much of an impact on the match, and was taken off at half-time.

Whilst Juventus narrowly lost 1-0 to Arsenal in their fixture, Julia Grosso should nonetheless be proud of her performance. Her passing continues to be excellent, with 60/66 passes completed, as well as seven ball recoveries. Her good form continued into Juventus’s league match against top of the table Roma at the weekend, and the 22 year old came up big for her team, with a goal and two assists to secure a crucial 4-2 win. Grosso has settled perfectly into her first professional club, and now leads the league in assists with five. She is now an essential part of the Italian juggernaut’s midfield, quickly becoming a fan favourite with her decisive passing and industrious work ethic – not to mention an eye for goal.

In England, Adriana Leon remained out with the flu for both Manchester United’s 4-2 Continental Cup win over Everton and their 1-1 league draw to Manchester City at the weekend. Despite the win, Manchester United were knocked out of the cup, having failed to accumulate enough points to beat Aston Villa to top of the group. Chelsea rotated their side for their match against Reading, resting both Buchanan and Fleming in the surprisingly tight 3-2 win. Meanwhile, captain Shelina Zadorsky and Tottenham Hotspur suffered a disappointing 2-0 defeat at home to West Ham United, which is a valuable three points lost in their quest to escape mid-table. 

After omission from Paris Saint-Germain’s squad midweek away at Vllazina, a well-rested Ashley Lawrence returned to the XI for the team’s top of the table clash against Vanessa Gilles and Lyon. The match was a close-fought affair, with PSG finding the breakthrough in the 87th minute to win the match 1-0, marking Lyon’s first league loss at home in 95 games. Despite the loss, Gilles had another stellar performance, winning seven of her eight duels. Elsewhere in France, Marie Levasseur put in a much improved performance in Fleury’s 2-0 win against Bordeaux, after a few shaky matches of late. Levasseur won three of three tackles, with three interceptions, three fouls drawn and 34/38 completed passes. Lastly, Le Havre lost 1-0 to Montpellier, with Sura Yekka an unused substitute.

In Portugal, Cloé Lacasse was rested for Benfica’s league match against Valadares Gaia, coming on for the last twenty minutes of a 5-0 win. Lysianne Proulx kept a clean sheet for Torreense, as they beat Amora 1-0, whilst Marie-Yasmine Alidou played the second half of Famalicão’s 3-0 win over Ouriense.

Players of the week: Julia Grosso, Cloé Lacasse