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This week, we provide the first component of our annual normal season preview for the 2020/21 Westfield W-League campaign, the 13th in the league. As in the past, will be divided into two parts; this week we’re delivering our round – one of last season’s four most sensible finalists: Melbourne City, Sydney FC, Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers, followed by the other five groups next week. This week we also hear of adjustments to the CONCACAF national team’s calendar of occasions, adding a new League of Nations tournament to reflect the men’s tournament, which is expected to lead more women’s national team matches in the Confederacy.
Advance of the 2020/21 Australian Westfield W-League season – Part 1
The Westfield W-League now has a schedule beyond December to April, deviating from its classic plan beyond October / early November to February as it now dovetails with the men’s A-League, which will run through JulyArray . and expects the league to increase the number of games each team plays, it will return with a normal season schedule of 12 games. The league’s new schedule will block loans from the NWSL, as well as some imports from European leagues, which in the future have been able to overwinter in a competitive league. The NWSL plans to begin educational camps on February 1, 2021 prior to its Challenge Cup tournament time, then the normal season with playoffs to follow, although schedules are still tentative around the world as the COVID pandemic continues. -19. keep going. Although the NWSL loans will not continue this season, there will still be imports into the league, as well as Americans who are not connected to NWSL clubs. There was also significant player movement within the 2020/21 campaign W-League forward, with some groups attacking Australians still in the country, adding young internationals, namely Melbourne Victory, after the start. Great Matildas seniors for Array clubs Some Australians have gone home after seasons adding the return of Angie Beard from KR Iceland to Melbourne Victory, Nikola Orgill from Kolbotn from Norway to Western Sydney Wanderers and Allira Toby from Famalicao from Portugal to Sydney FCArray
We discussed last month the option of Wellington Phoenix, the New Zealand A-League club, to move up a women’s league team for this 2020/21 season and, due to COVID-19, to be hosted in Wollongong, New Wales del Sur (see: https://www. tribalfootball. com/articles/the-week-in-women-s-football-euros-qualifying-update-we-league-line-up-noun-w-league-sets -2020-21- annex-4346295). At the end of last month that effort collapsed, basically because the New Zealand Football Association wanted New Zealanders to be considered Australians for league purposes, as is done lately in the A-League in the masculine aspect, which as imports (4 because lately are allowed in the W-League). That same challenge prevented the Vancouver Whitecaps from entering the NWSL as a team made up primarily of Canadians. Tom Sermanni, who has coached Australia’s Matildas twice, played a decisive role in launching the W-League and is now the head coach of Football Fern, would lead the Phoenix team in the league and was overtaken by the resolution and the concept that an aspect of Phoenix in the W-La Liga would be negative for Australian football and the progression of its young players. Sermanni told ESPN in Australia: “Instead of condemning a team that is willing to invest particularly to get a team into the league, the advantages of getting it deserve to be looked at. It would even increase the number of groups in the league [a ten], which in turn would make it less logistically difficult to increase the number of rounds. On the load, Wellington Phoenix would bring a strong competitive team to the league, which would help, not obstruct the progression of young Australian players and, like the Phoenix men’s team, which lately has 3 Olyroos [Australian men’s Olympic team members], Wellington Phoenix women’s team would also offer opportunities for Australian players. If you look at the professional leagues in the world, the Australian league would be the youngest In So far, young Australian players in the W-League would probably have more chances than young players. Eurs from any other national league l in the world. When we bring smart foreign players into the league, it is ”is noted as a gesture that is helping to expand the young players, so actually through this logic a strong New Zealand team, containing a number of foreign players experienced, it would get no league advantage and give young Australian players the festival they seek. “
The W-League, with the loss of North American loans and so many senior Matildas this season, actually wanted that ‘new blood’ from their WWC 2023 co-hosts and the positive touch of a new one. franchise for The Loop, and the last expansion club was Melbourne City six years ago. The W-League will be very young (as always), with some groups even signing 16-year-olds this season. This is one component of what makes the league unique and gives it a special vitality – the strength of youth. It is also disappointing that two new A-League franchises over the past year in suburban Melbourne (Western United) and south-west Sydney (Macarthur FC) were unable to sign in groups in the W-League, or else said they it was his intention. . We know that COVID-19 has replaced sports finance in many devastating ways, but those groups want to seriously plan for its arrival in 2021/22 to help the league expand ahead of the 2023 Women’s World Cup. As we get closer to it FIFA final, we expect to see more high-profile imports into the league, as well as, in all likelihood, more Matildas from abroad to play the season in the home tournament. games and assistance with promotional events.
Westfield W-League 2020/21 regular season preview (in order of normal season 2019/20)
Melbourne City (11-1-0 W-D-L – 34 issues – Premier)
Head coach Rado Vidosic will try to protect his team’s Premier League and Grand Final titles last season without an experienced core of foreigners who joined the WSL FA off-season: protector Matilda Steph Catley (Arsenal), goalkeeper Lydia Williams (Arsenal) and New Zealand foreign midfielder Rebekah Stott (Brighton)
To upgrade Williams, City recruited goalkeeper Teagan Micah for the 2020–21 season, who started 12 games with Arna-Bjornar this season in Norway (who finished eighth out of 10 teams) before returning home in October. She traveled to France as the Third Goalkeeper of the 2019 Women’s World Cup after playing with UCLA in the United States and being international at youth levels. In the past he played in the W-League with Brisbane Roar and Western Sydney Wanderers before signing with Melbourne Victory last winter. Casey Dumont, who was stellar for the victory, and has not appeared in any MV match.
The City’s lag was also strengthened by the signing of Matilda Jenna McCormick of Real Betis in Spain. Betis, one of the five most sensitive groups in Spain in recent years, has struggled this season and lately is ranked 14th in the 18-team league with 7 problems in 10 games. and only one point above the relegation zone, as 4 groups will be demoted to Division 2 at the end of this season, as none were sent back last season. McCormick with Melbourne Victory and made his deyet last winter with the full team after postponing his dual football career with AFL Adelaide Crows (Australian football code) to concentrate on football.
U. S. defender Samantha Johnson left retirement to play for City this season. Johnson, 29, played six seasons at NWSL, most commonly for the Chicago Red Stars and Utah Royals in 2018 and 2019, with a total of 91 games in the league. His resolve founded more than just a lack of football. “The resolution to return to football came from my agent who helped me perceive how to align my purpose out of the box with that of the box. I need to help disadvantaged children. . . . since the investment I made in the game didn’t do me much good because I didn’t align those two things, now that I know how to do this, I’m more mentally comfortable and more excited to play. “Johnson is a relative W-League veteran, having played thirteen games for Sydney FC (2014/15) and 23 games for Melbourne Victory (2016/17 and 2018/19).
Melbourne City has also recruited the league, signing Brisbane U-20 foreign defenders Roar Hollie Palmer (3 years in the league) and Leah Davidson (2 seasons with the Roar), any of whom are impressive youngsters who evolved through Roar’s education system.
Striker Rhali Dobson returns for his fourth season at City, scoring two in 34 appearances after seven seasons spent with the Jets.
City substitute defender Tyla-Jay Vlajnic (30), who played for wpSL’s Seattle Sounders Women in 2017, has a full foreigner for Serbia in this year’s women’s EURO qualifiers. of the club’s lifestyles and has won four Grand Final winners’ medals.
Melbourne victory (7-2-3—23 issues – Second)
Melbourne Victory has been the top asset on the signing front this season, having lost former England forward and former foreigner Natasha Dowie to AC Milan in Italy, Matilda Jenna McCormick’s recent defence against rivals Melbourne City Betis in Spain and Matilda defender Laura Brock (Alleway), who is now with Guingamp in France.
MV made a very important signing with Western Sydney Wanderers midfielder Kyra Cooney-Cross, who was a revelation last season for the Wanderers and talked about a lot by European agents and coaches. The 18-year-old scored four goals and provided 3 assists in thirteen games for the Wanderers last season, adding very good long-range purpose in his first 2-1 game against Adelaide United late in the game. the club to start the game. his way to a historic first playoff season with four more wins and a draw in the first half of the season. Cooney-Cross made his Westfield W-League debut with Victory at the age of 15 in 2017 and won a Premiership (regular season title) in 2018/19. He was limited to the level of the young. She said of her move: “I am pleased to be back at Victory. The club is a very special position for me and it is wonderful to see so many familiar faces again. Coach], my teammates and the staff. I know, since my last season at Victory, how wonderful the environment is and the professional judgment that the organization demands of each one. He has been very transparent about the role he needs me to play. Play and I can’t wait to get back to the park in front of our members and fans “.
Another vital addition is the 4-time Women’s World Cup final ahead of Lisa De Vanna, who leads the Matildas with 47 goals in 1five0 games. De Vanna played last season in Italy with Fiorentina, scoring five times in 14 games the short season of COVID-19 She is in her third term with Victory and has played for seven W-League groups since making her debut in the inaugural 2008/09 season. She won a championship name with Victory in 2013/14 and won 4 W-League crowns in total. .
Angie Beard (23), who spent the summer betting for KR Reykjavik at Iceland’s top level, the ‘Rvalsdeild Kvenna’, is one of the leading candidates for victory. At KR, Beard made 10 appearances and scored once for the club that Barba came to victory before the 2017/18 Westfield W-League season and played 37 games for the club in three league seasons and 66 in six league seasons, adding his first three with Brisbane. He was very impressive last season as a fullback and his return is central to chief coach Jeff Hopkin’s plans for the campaign.
Another addition this season is 18-year-old front Maja Markovski, who scored nine goals for the 2019 Box Hill United npL Victoria women’s season and was named the league’s emerging star.
While we don’t expect to see NWSL loans this season, that doesn’t mean we may not see Americans in the league, while Kayla Morrison has signed for 2020/21 with Victory, swedish club Moron Bollklubb, who finished third last season at Momento Place Elitettan, scoring five times in 24 games. A California local, Morrison played 83 consecutive games for the University of Kansas Jayhawks at the university and was named Big 12 Conference Co-Defense of the Year in 2017.
Catherine Zimmerman is another American who joined Victory’s state leagues in Australia. Zimmerman had two smart seasons at WNPL with the powerful Calder United SC in Melbourne. Zimmerman has scored 78 goals in his 56 outings with Calder, winning the WNPL Gold Boots in 2018. Before arriving in Australia in 2018, the 26-year-old played at home for NWSL Sky Blue FC in New Jersey State, appearing in five games in 2016 after completing at Providence College. The head coach of the victory, Jeff Hopkins, said of his new signage: “It’s glorious to see Catherine’s signal for next season. Catherine has been the outstanding NPLW front in the last two seasons; it has a lot of rhythm, it’s dynamic and it’s a proven goalzer, like its recording programs. “
A veteran NPLW midfielder has also joined Melbourne Victory, while 33-year-old Natalie Martineau leaves South Melbourne FC, where she has played more than 150 games and won four championships with the NPLW team.
Another new addition to the season is 21-year-old New Zealand foreigner Claudia Bunge, who crosses the Tasmanian Sea for the first time to play abroad, Northern Lights’ central defender and captain in the New Zealand Women’s National League. also recently named Young Player of the Year 2020 by Football New Zealand.
The signings of strikers De Vanna, Zimmerman and Bunge assist Victory both in the middle of the field and in an attack that now lacks former English foreigner Natasha Dowie, who scored 34 goals in 59 games with Italian club before retiring from the offseat.
New Zealand foreign midfielder Annalie Longo (29), who scored two goals in thirteen games for victory last season and played 123 times for the Football Ferns, is among the vital signings; Longo will welcome Bunge as the Kiwi moment in appearance this season. Head coach Jeff Hopkins was excited to see Longo’s return. “Annalie added a lot of momentum, determination and creativity to our midfield last season. She also brings a lot of experience, having played at 4 FIFA Women’s World Cups, and her leadership is huge. An asset for our team. Annalie extra strengthens our midfield organization as we seek the foundations we have laid over the past two seasons. another wonderful season. “
20-year-old midfielder Melinda Barbieri, who missed all last season due to an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament and the appearance of the Premiership winner in 2018/19, is back and is an under-20 foreigner for Australia. Amy Jackson (33), who won the league name of the season last year, also signed a new signing for her consecutive season with victory after four years in a first season with the club. Former Florida International University player won three championship names in Melbourne City from 2015/16 to 2017/18. Midfielder Lia Privitelli (26) has played 37 games in the last four seasons, but missed part of last season because of a hip injury. Melina Ayres (24), Australian U-17 and U-20 foreigners, has played 51 W-League appearances in five W-League seasons, the last three with Victory after winning two league names in City.
With news that Casey Dumont, the star of the 2019/20 season, will miss the season due to injury, the club recruited Argentine foreign goalkeeper Gaby Garton, who grew up in Florida and played at the University of South Florida and Rice University in Texas. He has played professionally in Argentina for River Plate, Sol de Mayo and UAI Urquiza. She also represented Argentina abroad and a member of her 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup team. Melisa Maizels (27) adds more intensity to the backing position: she didn’t play last season. He has 22 league appearances in five seasons, adding time with Perth and Canberra.
Sydney FC (7-1-4—22 numbers – tied in third place)
Sydney FC captain Teresa Polias is back for the 2020/21 season and leads a contingent of 10 returnees from last season’s Grand Final finalists, while the club has added 3 players from rivals Western Sydney Wanderers. Polias leads the league with 144 appearances of all time. He played each and every W-League season, 10 for Sydney FC after starting with the now defunct Central Coast Mariners for two seasons.
Forward Remy Siemsen (21), a young Under-20 Australian who shared the Golden Boot with three other players last season and was the young footballer of 2016/17 in the W-League when she scored six goals, also returns. targets Sydney in its first season. He scored nine goals in eight games with the WPSL California Storm in 2018 and returns for his fifth W-League season. It has been discussed through clubs in Europe about a movement imaginable abroad this year or next.
Canberra United’s long-time advocate, Ellie BrushArray32) is back for her season in Sydney at the moment; He played 30 games in 2015 and 2016 for the Houston Dash. He recently retired last August from the AFL Aussie Rules, where he made his league debut for his inaugural season in 2017 with Greater Western Sydney. Young and complete foreign forward Princess Ibini (20) ), who has scored goals in five seasons, is also back, as is midfielder Natalie Tobin in her seventh season and defender Elizabeth Ralston in her eighth, whether former Australian under-17 or under-20 international.
Of the Wanderers, Sydney FC has signed Young Matildas’ archer, Jada Whyman (21), who spent five years with the Wanderers, Forward Cortnee Vine (22), who joined his fourth W-League team in six years later with Brisbane and Newcastle, and Junior and Senior Player Rachel Lowe (20), who played for the Wanderers for 3 seasons with 2 goals in 27 games and spent time in the United States at UCLA. Former Australian under-20 and midfielder Clare Wheeler is from the Newcastle Jets, where she played for seven seasons.
Head coach Ante Juric is a very experienced coach and hopes to lead the team to the grand final for the third year in a row, having won in 2018-19 and then lost to City last season in front of his circle of family and friends. as COVID-19 restrictions had just entered Last season’s Grand Final appearance is impressive given that, towards the end of the season, two Matildas went to England to Caitlin Foord (2 goals and four assists) and Chloe Logarzo (1 goal) joining Arsenal and Bristol City, respectively.
Audrey Bledsoe (Washington Spirit) and Sofia Huerta (redeemed from Houston to OL Reign earlier this year) have been instrumental in the team’s good fortunes over the past two years, but will return given the early start of the 2021 NWSL season. Veronica Latsko (Houston Dash), who joined last season after scoring nine goals in 12 games for Adelaide United in 2018/19, is also a loss; He scored two goals last season while recovering from a previous cruciate ligament injury he suffered with Dash in 2019.
Allira Tothrough (26), of Famalicao in Portugal, having played for Brisbane Roar in the last 4 seasons, has also led the team twice by scoring and scoring 14 goals in 52 league appearances (including a year with Adelaide). He had first tried to move to Spain after the 2019/20 season, but that deal failed due to coronavirus, then Famalicao signed him in the Portuguese Premier League. The club then tried to terminate his contract after a few weeks, but because he had a one-year contract, they had to pay him. However, the club did not allow him to train, although he stayed in his accommodation. The inability of club staff to speak English was a major obstacle, but those conditions are not yet unusual in women’s football. In Portugal, she suspects she has contracted the coronavirus and has been very ill for two weeks. He still needs to return to Europe, in fact not with Famalicao, but he should not locate any of those organizational disorders with the elegant Sydney FC and will be an advantage as a tough and experienced forward.
Western Sydney Wanderers (7-1-4—22 numbers – tied for third place)
Western Sydney Wanderers has had a record season at the club in 2019/20 in many ways: wins (7), problems (22), purposes for (24), undefeated (6 games), consecutive victories (3) and ranking position (fourth) – as they played their first semi-final. A return to the playoffs will be the purpose of head coach Dean Heffernan, whose lineup will be very different in 2020/21 last season.
The Western Sydney Wanderers will be greatly affected by the loss of their NWSL loans last season, and will join NWSL trio North Carolina Courage: foreign Kristen Hamilton (W-League Golden Boot co-winner) Lynn Williams and Irish foreign midfielder Denise O’Sullivan, who have been loaned to Brighton and Hove Albion in the W-League this fall Sam Stabb (Washington Spirit) and goalkeeper Abthrough Smith (Utah Royals) also played a key role in their The Wanderers also lost Amy Harrison to PSV in the Netherlands – after a season with the Washington Spirit – and Ella Mastrantonio to Bristol City in the WSL. Kyra Cooney-Cross has returned to her first Melbourne Victory club after such an impressive season in the suburbs of Harbour City. The Wanderers tried to update the losses by recruiting the W-League.
Defender Nikola Orgill joined the Newcastle Jets and spent this autumn with Norwegian toppserien Kolbotn’s team, betting 12 games for ninth place, which has moved away from relegation in 1st women’s division (second tier) by 2021 by beating Medkila (second place in 1. DivisionWomen) 6-2 overall in the third week of November. Nikola played with WSW in 2016/17. Orgill said of his return to the Wanderers: “In fact, I was inspired by the taste of football played by the Wanderers last season and it was also a tough year in Europe with COVID-19, so I was excited to have the chance to be back in Sydney with my circle of family and friends. Playing in Norway took a step forward in my tactical understanding and my ability to analyze the game. The focus was on video research and the option to convert tactics and team training, depending on our opposition. I think that’s made me a more flexible player and will help with the transition. to a new club in Australia. “
Libby Copus-Brown, 23, who spent six seasons with the team, is a player who jumps out of what appears to be the sinking shipment that is newcastle Jets (see more next week). Leena Khamis joins after betting 12 games last season with Canberra United and scoring 2 purposes. He has played with WSW in 2018/19. Since 2008, Khamis has played a vital role in westfield W-League history, scoring the first purpose of the competition and winning two championships and an eight-season grand tournament. ultimate with Sydney FC. Midfielder Olivia Price (24), a former under-17 and under-20 international, has also left Canberra. He played 55 W-League games and spent the 2017/18 season with WSW after three seasons with Sydney FC. .
In the goal, Sarah Willacy (25), from Adelaide United, where she has played 38 games in six seasons, reached Matildas’ team for a foreign friendly against Chile last season, but did not play. His replacement is expected to be Tasney Newbon, a Tasmania native, who played five times last season for the Wanderers.
Front and young foreigner Susan Phonsongkham, who was injured for much of last season, is a strong Returner. This will be his fourth season with the Wanderers. Courtney Nevin (18) will be in his third season with the team. He trained with Matildas. Caitlin Cooper, who played the first season of the W-League in the 2008/09 season with former W-League Central Coast Mariners club, returns and joined WSW for the first time in 2013.
Against Covic he is back with the Wanderers this season as goalkeeper coach of the women’s national team after spending two years with Marconi Stallions as goalkeeper coach, one of the founding players of the A-League and won a first department name of the A-League and the AFC Champions League, as well as the goalkeeper of the year and the Champions League of Champions League. Covic made a 97-match record with the Reds
Note: Next week we’ll have the preview component of the Westfield W-League 2020/21, with Adelaide United, Brisbane Roar, Canberra United, Newcastle Jets and Perth Glory, as well as other W-League developments.
CONCACAF reviews the women’s calendar and launches the League of Women’s Nations for the 2021-2024 cycle
On 10 December 2020, CONCACAF announced its goal of increasing the number of national group matches for member federations, “with the aim of transforming women’s football of national groups into the confederation”. From 2021 to 2024, they plan to double the number of senior women’s internationals for women’s World Cup qualifiers in November 2021 and April 2022, the Confederation’s plan is as follows:
For the centralized World Cup playoff finals scheduled for July 2022, CONCACAF has designed the following:
CONCACAF will also host a new festival in 2023-2400, the CONCACAF League of Women’s Nations, which reflects the men’s festival that was founded in 2018. In the past, the separate Olympic Qualifying Competition was not as popular among the region’s smaller nations as the Women’s World Cup. Cup Qualifying Competition: Will join the League of Nations for the 2024 Summer Olympics.
The format of the League of Nations organizational level, to be held in the FIFA windows of September, October and November 2023 (and April 2024 for a play-in), is as follows:
For the centralized finals of June 2024, he is:
CONCACAF President and FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani said: “This is a watershed moment for CONCACAF’s W [women’s] strategy, and I’m incredibly excited about the prospect of launching those new CONCACAF national women’s team competitions. I firmly believe that they will provide a path of progression for all our member federations, while creating strong and competitive opportunities to showcase the most productive national women’s groups in our region. These new competitions will help us further exploit the expansion of women’s football that we have noticed in this region after the last two FIFA Women’s World Cups. I’m sure they will have a very positive effect on women’s football in all CONCACAF grades. “
CONCACAF women’s football manager Karina LeBlanc, a former foreign Canadian goalkeeper, an esteemed host of women’s football at Fox and a circle of relatives linked to Dominica and Jamaica in the Caribbean, said: “As a former foreign player who is now advancing on the administrative side CONCACAF W strategy, I am excited about this progression of women’s football in the region. These new competitions will reshape the confederation by offering a consistent fit design for all member federations. They will drive the expansion of women’s football, for them next year. “
These contests will be marked and provided with a source of benefits for the Confederation in addition to television rights.
Tim Grainey is a contributor to Tribal Football. Su the most recent e-book, Beyond Bend it Like Beckham, on women’s world football.
Follow Tim on Twitter: @TimGrainey
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