Back after a long absence January 13, 2009
Posted by lem in News.Tags: Chicago Red Stars, Cristiane, England, Kelly Smith, Los Angeles Sol, Marta, Women's Professional Soccer
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It’s confirmed: Marta is leaving Umeå IK for Los Angeles Sol in the Women’s Professional Soccer league. Her Umeå teammate, Johanna Frisk, is also said to be “close to signing a contract” with the same club; whilst Marta’s Brazil strike partner, Cristiane, is joining the Chicago Red Stars. Good luck!
In less exciting news, I can’t believe that one of the best women footballers in the world has to beg for more time on the pitch. Will a Great Britain Olympics football team happen? Not bloody likely. I appreciate the political history that led to the current situation, but it’s a crying shame that the players (probably) won’t get the time on the pitch that they need. And then you get these people moaning and whinging about how their pub team would totally beat a women’s team so why bother with the women’s game, but won’t bloody support any policy that’ll allow for an environment where women players have just as many opportunities as men players to sharpen their skills.
More news ahead when I get settled in again.
Woohoo! October 6, 2008
Posted by lem in News.Tags: Australia, England, W-League, Women's Premier League
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The W-League fixtures have been announced. For those of you too impatient to download the pdf file, Football in the Capital has put up the draw in this post. Canberra United, incidentally, is the only W-League team not affiliated with an A-League team.
I see that the first Melbourne-Sydney derby of this W-League season will take place in Round 2. I have great hopes for it, though I’m rather worried about the little-advertised recruitment for Melbourne’s women’s team. (Speaking of Melbourne Victory, look out for a Melissa Barbieri post very soon.)
Meanwhile, in England: murmurs of unease over details of the summer women’s league.
A tale of two countries October 5, 2008
Posted by lem in News.Tags: England, Germany, United States, Women's Premier League, Women's Professional Soccer
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“Arsenal is my club and I love it more than anything else, it’s in my blood, but I want to be the best coach in the world and that’s why I came here. This country loves women’s football. Loves it.” — Emma Hayes on her decision to leave for the Chicago Red Stars
Anne Kessel (who is fighting the good fight for coverage of women’s football) has a thoughtful article in today’s Guardian on the WPS draft and its effect on women footballers in England, and the frustrating shortcomings of the FA’s approach to the development of the women’s game. Over in the US, people involved in the new league are talking up their awareness of what’s at stake. I hate that after so many accolades for the US team in international tournaments, there’s still so much hard work ahead to establish a league whose sustainability may yet be fragile, but as the example of Germany shows, World Cup trophies are no guarantor for a thriving women’s club football.
That said, I am so fucking excited for the WPS and the Australian W-League (Melbourne! Melbourne!). I won’t be able to watch the matches live on TV where I am, so it’s a heigh-ho, it’s off to streams and torrents I go.
Kelly Smith fires England into Europe October 3, 2008
Posted by lem in News, Strikers, Tournaments.Tags: England, Euro 2009, Kelly Smith
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Sonia Bermúdez (left) and Kelly Smith (right). © UEFA.
England survived a scare to make it to Euro 2009, thanks to Kelly Smith’s equaliser 13 minutes from time. The draw also consigns Spain to a two-legged play-off against the Netherlands.
Kelly Smith has been playing for the Arsenal Ladies (otherwise known as The Club That Won Pretty Much Everything in Women’s Club Football, Ever) as a striker since 2004, and received her first cap for the England national team at the age of 16.
Below the jump is Kelly Smith’s brief appearance in Jonothan Ross’ show in 2007. In hindsight, it could’ve been much worse.
