Rise Higher

The Champions League semi-finalists were decided this week, with Chelsea, Arsenal, Barcelona and Wolfsburg making it through – the first time ever that two English sides have made the semi-finals of the competition. Though they had come into the home fixture with a 1-0 advantage, Chelsea faced a difficult second leg against Lyon, and the reigning champions dominated much of the match. Canada’s own Vanessa Gilles scored to level the match on aggregate, taking the game to extra time. A second Lyon goal in the 110th minute looked to have sealed the deal for the French team, before an 128th-minute penalty for Chelsea took them to a penalty shootout, from which Chelsea emerged victorious.

Gilles put in a Player of the Match performance throughout and was influential on both ends of the pitch. As well as her goal, she created one big chance and had 12 passes into the final third, alongside 10 clearances, 5 recoveries and 3 tackles. On the winning side, Kadeisha Buchanan played every minute in a solid shift, whilst Jessie Fleming subbed in during extra time and successfully converted her penalty in the shootout.

Lyon’s rivals Paris Saint-Germain also crashed out of the tournament, losing 2-1 on aggregate to Wolfsburg. Ashley Lawrence once again contributed heavily to her team’s chances of victory and was a constant force in the attack. Still, the team just could not convert, particularly after star forward Kadidiatou Diani went off with an injury at half-time. Wolfsburg will next face Sabrina D’Angelo’s Arsenal, after the English side won their home tie against Bayern Munich 2-0 (2-1 on aggregate); D’Angelo served as the backup keeper.

Cloé Lacasse and Benfica may have ducked out of the Champions League in the group stages, but they did bag their first piece of silverware for the year, winning the Taça de Liga Feminina in a 3-1 victory over Braga. This marks Lacasse’s seventh trophy with the Portuguese powerhouse.

Matchday 2 of the NWSL brought lots of Canadian action, including multiple admirable performances. The ever-dominant Portland Thorns beat fellow Championship finalists Kansas City Current 4-1, with Christine Sinclair on top form once again. Though she didn’t get a goal herself, she was a key part of the Thorns midfield, winning 4/4 duels, with 8 recoveries and 3 passes into the final third. On the other side of the tie, Desiree Scott remains out with a knee injury, whilst Sinclair’s fellow Thorns forward Janine Beckie underwent successful ACL reconstruction surgery this week.

Sophie Schmidt and Allysha Chapman both started for Houston Dash and put in standout performances, helping their team to a 2-1 victory over Chicago Red Stars. Chapman, in particular, was stellar, with a match-winning goal-line clearance to keep her team ahead. She also had 11 recoveries, 3 interceptions and drew 3 fouls, whilst her 9 passes into the final third illustrate her additional influence on the attack. Schmidt was similarly dominant, with 13 recoveries, 3 tackles, and 7 duels won. For Chicago, Bianca St-Georges made her return from concussion protocol, subbing in at the half. 

Gabrielle Carle started her second match in a row for her new team Washington Spirit, who fought out a 2-2 draw against Racing Louisville. Elsewhere, OL Reign beat Gotham FC 2-0, with Jordyn Huitema playing 88 minutes for the former and Victoria Pickett 32 minutes for the latter. Quinn remains out injured.

A controversial penalty – which had social media debating the rules of feinting – prevented Kailen Sheridan from keeping the clean sheet this weekend, as San Diego Wave beat North Carolina Courage 3-1. Dual-National rookie Sydney Collins made her debut for the losing side in the 81st minute, playing a decent chunk of time due to 11 minutes of stoppage. The defender looked bright, winning three tackles despite only being on the pitch for 20 minutes. 

After being knocked out of the Champions League, both Lyon and PSG won their league matches against mid-table sides this weekend, albeit with varying scorelines. Vanessa Gilles was fully rested for Lyon’s 7-0 rollicking of Le Havre, whilst Ashley Lawrence saw the final 38 minutes of PSG’s slim 1-0 win against Bordeaux. The title race in France continues to be fiercely competitive, with just one point keeping Lyon atop their Parisian rivals. 

In Sweden, Kristianstads suffered a 1-0 loss to Piteå, with Evelyne Viens playing the full 90 minutes. It was a more enjoyable afternoon for Clarissa Larisey and Häcken, who beat Växjö 4-0; Larisey saw the final half hour. Finally, Sarah Stratigakis started in Vittsjö’s 2-0 win over Brommapojkarna, whilst Sura Yekka came off the bench for the last seven minutes.

Traditionally a cup goalkeeper for new club Arsenal, Sabrina D’Angelo was given a chance to start in their vital league match against Manchester City, helping the Gunners to a 2-1 win in a performance that certainly will have proved her worth to manager Jonas Eidevall. D’Angelo made four saves, keeping her team in the tie on multiple occasions against some of the league’s best forwards, including golden boot front-runner Bunny Shaw. The win was an essential one for the team, who leapfrog Manchester City with a game in hand, up to third place in an incredibly competitive title and Champions League race.

Chelsea, meanwhile, kept their own title hopes high with a 3-0 win against the increasingly tricky Aston Villa. After a couple of weeks out of the starting XI, Jessie Fleming did herself justice in the 90 minutes she played here, maintaining a 90% passing accuracy, with 3/3 accurate long balls, 4 recoveries and 2 chances created. Kadeisha Buchanan put in a similarly solid performance at the back, picking up her second yellow card of the season for her efforts.

Adriana Leon continues to be out of favour at Manchester United and didn’t even make the squad for their 4-0 win over Brighton. Leon’s situation at the club continues to puzzle Canadian fans, who are familiar with players being benched at competitive European clubs, but never to the extent that they do not make the squad at all. Jayde Riviere, recently back from injury, did make the squad but is yet to make her debut for the Red Devils.

Player of the week: Vanessa Gilles

Goals: 1 (Gilles)