The Champions League first qualifying round brought some heavy blows for Canadian players, as Italian heavyweights Juventus and last year’s semi-finalists Arsenal were both knocked out. Juventus and Julia Grosso beat Okzhetpes 6-0 in the first match of the mini-tournament, but fell to Eintracht Frankfurt on penalties. Grosso started both matches, but was subbed off at the 72nd minute mark for both. Arsenal’s own mini tournament was a similar story; the Gunners dispatched of Swedish outfit Linköpings with ease in a 3-0 win, before losing to Paris FC on penalties after a 3-3 draw. Cloé Lacasse started both matches, whilst Sabrina D’Angelo served as the backup goalkeeper.
Not all was lost, however, as Marie-Yasmine Alidou and Benfica breezed through both their matches. An 8-1 win against Northern Irish champions Cliftonville Ladies saw Alidou bag herself yet another goal for her new club. She was then rested at the weekend for their 4-0 win against Rīga. Alidou now joins Jayde Riviere, Clarissa Larisey and Evelyne Viens in round 2 of qualifying, which will take place in October.
Elsewhere in Europe, Vanessa Gilles and Lyon won their first silverware of the new campaign, as they beat rivals Paris-Saint Germain 2-0 to claim the Trophée des Championnes, an annual super cup contested by the winners of the Division 1 Féminine and the Coupe de France Féminine. Gilles started the match and put in a great performance, with several key tackles to ensure the French champions kept their clean sheet. Lyon begin the defense of their league title next week, as the new football season in France kicks off fully.
The final rounds of the NWSL Challenge Cup saw North Carolina Courage be crowned champions for the second year in a row, after beating Racing Louisville 2-0 in the final. Neither Sydney Collins nor Victoria Pickett were in the squad for the match; the latter is on excused absence, whilst the reason for the former is unknown. OL Reign did make it through to the semi-finals of the tournament, but fell 1-0 to finalists Louisville. Quinn was left out of the squad with a knock, whilst Jordyn Huitema was brought in off the bench—the striker had a chance to tie the game late on, but her header was just high.
Finally, there was plenty of NCAA action this week as teams began to wrap up non-conference play. Despite dominating the game with shots and shots on target, the USC Trojans fell 3-2 to the Utah Valley Wolverines after they were unable to turn around a 3-0 deficit. Simi Awujo, Zoe Burns and former youth player Brooklyn Courtnall all started the match, but it was Florianne Jourde who kicked off the Trojans scoring, with a goal in the 62nd minute assisted by Burns. This marks Jourde’s first goal for her new team, and Burns’s second assist in back-to-back games.
The Harvard Crimson added another two wins to their impressive tally, with a 5-2 victory over Syracuse Orange, followed by a 2-0 win against NC State Bulldogs. Jade Rose started both matches, alongside former youth player Anna Karpenko, and displayed a first-rate performance against NC State, as the Crimson defense kept their opponent to zero shots on target. Lastly, Ella Ottey returned to the Wisconsin Badgers squad after her absence last week, starting both their 3-2 win over the Loyola Ramblers, and their 1-0 win over the Marquette Golden Eagles.
Stat Summary
Goals: 1 (Alidou)
Assists: 1 (Burns
Player of the Week: Vanessa Gilles
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