On Wednesday, Marie-Yasmine Alidou won her first trophy of her Benfica career as the Portuguese champions beat Olivia Smith’s Sporting CP in penalties after a 1-1 draw. Neither Canadian took a penalty, with Alidou subbed off in the 82nd minute. Despite the loss, it was a big day for Smith, as she made her professional debut, coming on in the 52nd minute. At the weekend, she had her first start for the team, notching one goal and one assist in a big 8-0 win over Vilaverdense. Alidou, meanwhile, continued to rake in the goals, scoring her third in five games for Benfica during their 3-1 win over Torreense.
In NCAA play, the Wisconsin Badgers began Big Ten Conference play with a 1-1 draw against Nebraska Cornhuskers; Ella Ottey had the start and played 56 minutes. Meanwhile, Harvard Crimson and USC Trojans wrapped up their non-conference play for the season. Harvard Crimson ended the Samford Bulldogs’ shutout streak in style, with a dominant 5-0 win midweek. Come the weekend, however, they suffered a narrow 4-3 loss to St. John’s Red Storm, with Jade Rose unfortunately conceding a penalty via a hand-ball. Meanwhile, both Simi Awujo and Zoe Burns started in the USC Trojans’ 3-0 win over the New Mexico State Aggies, which saw Awujo pick up a secondary assist on the final goal.
Vanessa Gilles continued demonstrating her value on both ends of the pitch, as she scored a wicked header for Lyon’s third goal in a 4-0 rout over Le Havre. In addition, the centre-back played a vital role in the set-up for the second goal, pressuring a Le Havre defender into knocking the ball towards scorer Wendie Renard. This marks Gilles’ fifth goal in all competitions for the reigning champions. Elsewhere in France, Marie Levasseur debuted for new club Montpellier in their 2-0 win over Dijon, playing the full 90 at left-back.
After an early exit from the UWCL, Juventus looked shaky in their first match of league play, a narrow 3-2 win over Pomigliano. Julia Grosso was once again a bright spark for the Bianconeri, receiving Player of the Match honours for her performance. The young midfielder scored the team’s second goal and was also a creative force throughout, with three key passes – the most of anyone in the match. Evelyne Viens and Roma had a difficult match-up in AC Milan, but were fairly comfortable in a 4-2 victory; Viens saw her first start for the club, and played 66 minutes.
With only a handful of regular season games remaining, the top of the NWSL table remains crowded as several teams vie both for the Shield and for playoff spots. A key battle between fierce rivals Portland Thorns and OL Reign ended in a 2-0 win for the Thorns, propelling them to the top of the table. Christine Sinclair started up front for the winning side and played 68 minutes, whilst Jordyn Huitema played 76 for the Reign. It was a match to forget for the young striker, who has been in good form for her club lately, but proved ineffective against a strong Thorns defense. To make matters worse, her poor clearance led to the second goal Reign conceded. Huitema will hopefully be motivated by this and turn her form around again in the Olympic qualifiers next week.
San Diego Wave did themselves no favors in their 2-1 loss against the Kansas City Current, as defensive fragilities allowed their opponents to go two goals up in just 22 minutes. Despite getting one back in the second half, the Wave couldn’t find an equalizer, and found themselves knocked off the top of the table due to the Thorns win. Kailen Sheridan, coming off a poor World Cup, still looked lacking in confidence and registered zero saves through the match – though she did create a chance for the team with an exceptional long ball forward which sadly was not converted.
Sophie Schmidt continued to show the Canadian NT what they’re going to be missing in Houston’s 1-0 win over Louisville. Schmidt was one of the best on the pitch in an overall fantastic performance for the Dash, with six recoveries, three ground duels won and nine passes into the final third. Nichelle Prince continued her return from injury, completing 66 minutes for the team, whilst Allysha Chapman remains out of the squad on excused absence. Elsewhere, Gabrielle Carle and the Washington Spirit had a difficult time containing Gotham’s new signing Esther Gonzalez, with the Spaniard’s brace sealing the Spirit’s 2-0 loss.
Lastly, in Sweden, Sarah Stratigakis continued to play a vital role for Vittsjö. The attacking midfielder was at the center of the team’s creativity, and it was her impressive run that led to the team’s winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Uppsala. Sura Yekka was also in the squad, but did not see the pitch.
Stat Summary:
Goals: 4 (Alidou, Gilles, Grosso, Smith)
Assists: 1 (Smith)
Player of the Week: Olivia Smith
Rise Higher 
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