Confederation Play
The first leg of the UWCL quarter-finals took place this week. Vanessa Gilles played the full match for Lyon as they won 2-0 over Bayern München. Chelsea suffered their first defeat of the season, losing 2-0 to Manchester City. Ashley Lawrence was an unused substitute, whilst Kadeisha Buchanan remained sidelined with her ACL injury.
England
Clarissa Larisey once again earned the start for Crystal Palace, playing 86 minutes in their 3-0 loss to Everton. Olivia Smith was also on the wrong side of a lopsided defeat as she played 73 minutes for Liverpool in a 4-0 loss to Arsenal. Shelina Zadorsky played the full match for West Ham as they won their derby against Tottenham by a score of 2-0.
Looking to help her team rebound, Lawrence played the full match for Chelsea as they won 2-1 over Manchester City; she earned the assist on the game-winning goal. Deanne Rose made a cameo off the bench for Leicester City, entering in the 63rd minute as they won 3-2 over Brighton. Aston Villa’s woes continued as they lost 4-0 to a strong Manchester United side. Sabrina D’Angelo was in net for the Villans; for the Red Devils, Jayde Riviere played 88 minutes and earned an assist, and Simi Awujo was an unused substitute.
France
Gilles scored one goal in 58 minutes for Lyon in their 5-0 league win against Saint-Étienne.
Italy
Evelyne Viens scored early for Roma in their match against Milan; however, they went on to suffer a 3-1 defeat. Viens played the full match.
Portugal
Sporting CP and Benfica met in the quarter-finals of the Taça de Portugal de Futebol. Marie Alidou started for Benfica and scored their first goal, drawing them level with their rivals. Alidou exited in the 80th minute, and her team went on to complete the comeback by a score of 3-2, advancing to the next round. For Sporting CP, Jeneva Hernandez Gray came on in the 87th minute.
Sweden
The Damallsvenskan kicked off this weekend. Carly Wickenheiser earned the start, playing 53 minutes for BK Häcken in their 3-2 loss to Malmö FF.
USA
The Portland Thorns picked up their first point of the season with a 1-1 draw against Angel City. Neither team featured their Canadian: Portland’s Jessie Fleming was ruled out due to a concussion she suffered in the previous match, and Megan Reid remained on the bench for Angel City. Similarly, neither Sydney Collins nor Jordyn Huitema featured as the Seattle Reign won 2-1 over the North Carolina Courage. Collins remained on NCC’s season-ending injury list, and Huitema was on the bench after being listed as questionable in the days leading up to the match. Gabby Carle played the full match for Washington Spirit as they suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Kansas City in their home opener. For Kansas City, Nichelle Prince entered in the 69th minute. Against Bay FC, Janine Sonis and Racing Louisville also lost by a 2-0 scoreline.
In a high-scoring match, Kailen Sheridan and Adriana Leon started for the San Diego Wave whilst Bianca St-Georges started for the Utah Royals. Cloé Lacasse remained on the season-ending injury list. Leon scored the Wave’s second goal of the night in 66 minutes on the pitch, helping them to a 3-2 win. Sheridan played the full match in net whilst St-Georges played 82 minutes for the Royals. Finally, Julia Grosso played 70 minutes for Chicago as they lost their second game in a row—albeit by a closer scoreline of 2-1 at the hands of the Houston Dash. For the Dash, Allysha Chapman remained on the bench.
Player of the Week: Ashley Lawrence
Goals: 4 (Alidou x 1, Gilles x 1, Leon x 1, Viens x 1)
Assists: 2 (Lawrence x 1, Riviere x 1)
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