Rise Higher

And so, just like that, our Canadians are back to their clubs after – to put it mildly – a disappointing World Cup. It’s time now for these players to focus on their club game ahead of important Olympic qualifiers in September, though a combination of European teams being out of season, suspensions (Kailen Sheridan, I’m looking at you) and early substitutions meant it was a quieter week for domestic play. 

Jordyn Huitema, Quinn and the OL Reign kicked off the week with a 1-0 loss to the Kansas City Current. Huitema had the chance to equalize from the spot, with a penalty she drew herself, but she saw her weak attempt saved by Adrianna Franch. Quinn, meanwhile, had a quiet game, though they did manage to get booked.

Elsewhere, Nichelle Prince made her first appearance for the Houston Dash this season, coming on for the last half an hour in a 1-1 draw against the Washington Spirit. Despite being out for almost a year, Prince looked bright, creating two chances in the short time she had on the pitch. Sophie Schmidt started the match and put in another great performance, reminding Canadians just what they’ll be missing now she is internationally retired. Schmidt had nine ball recoveries, four clearances and seven duels won. She also completed ten passes into the final third. Allysha Chapman, meanwhile, was not part of the squad, the reason for which remains unconfirmed – hopefully, an extended break rather than an injury. On the Spirit side, Gabrielle Carle played 56 minutes and looked solid on her return to the team, winning five of seven duels.

It was a weekend to forget for Bianca St-Georges, who played the first half of a 5-0 loss to Orlando Pride. The Red Stars were completely overwhelmed and the usually reliable St-Georges could not cope with their blistering attack – though neither could the rest of the Chicago defense. Amanda Allen did not even make the squad for the winning side, raising doubts on her decision to sign for the team for three years, with only nine minutes on the pitch since joining in April. 

Portland Thorns resumed their spot at the top of the table, beating North Carolina Courage 2-1 despite having a player sent off in the 22nd minute. Christine Sinclair had started the match, but unfortunately was sacrificed for a defender once the team went down to ten players. On the losing side, Sydney Collins made the bench but did not see the pitch, whilst Victoria Pickett had a solid performance, winning the free kick that led to the Courage’s only goal – and Portland’s red card. 

On Thursday, the new NCAA season kicked off for most colleges, with wonderkid Ella Ottey joining the Wisconsin Badgers, and Simi Awujo and Zoe Burns returning to USC Trojans. Ottey, who has just turned 18, had a strong first week for her new team, starting and playing the majority of their 0-0 draw against the Kansas Jayhawks, before scoring the match-winner in a 1-0 win against the UIC Flames. 

Awujo and Burns also had a successful week, beating the Michigan Wolverines 1-0. Awujo played a more advanced role than usual, with two shots on goal. Burns, however, stole the show from right-back, delivering great balls into the box whilst remaining tidy defensively. Without the benefit of the youth teams – Burns is now 21 – she will need to keep impressing at college level if she wishes to remain in the mix for the senior national team, and her performance against the Wolverines certainly puts her on the right track.

Player of the week: Ella Ottey

Stats

Goals: 1 (Ottey)
Assists: 0
Yellow Cards: 1 (Quinn)
Red Cards: 0