What do you think, @Lechus7, will these good performances in Swedish League be enough for Hayashi to lock-up a place into the slim roster (just 18 players!) for the Olympic tournament? Wow, quite anti-climatic: Villa basically needed little more than a win in the last 4 clashes vs direct rivals for the relegation, and they only managed to get 4 draws instead! Of course better than 4 losses, but should Bristol upset Brighton and relegate them, they would only have themselves to blame (of course except Iwabuchi, who did more than all of the other players to try to avoid that). We're going to see what happens.
I don't think so. Perhaps reserve list... but no not even that. Not enough games she played with NT. Her move to Sweden to very physical league has a long term aim - WWC 2023 squad I guess. Playing in Europe against literally tougher opponents will give her edge over Miura or even Sugita. Imo she's now working for a place in first XI in Trans-Tasmanian WWC.
1.FC Köln with Yuka Hirano is promoted to the 1.Bundesliga with 5 games still to play. The only teams that theoretical could have caught them (13 points behind) have not applied for a license for the 1.Bundesliga. Hirano has played in ten of their eleven games.
Follow up on Iwabuchi. I guess she was feeling much aggravated in this match.. 1388886593839063043 is not a valid tweet id ..really as that's quite rare picture from Nadeshiko player 1388885961505869831 is not a valid tweet id ...which didn't stop her brilliance... 1388885249392742407 is not a valid tweet id ...dunno what she was yellow carded for (will need to check it later when replay of full game will be up)
Thanks for the update. I have to admit I had actually lost track of Frauen-Bundesliga 2.Division. Now I hope Yuka Hirano will remain in Köln to taste Division 1 as she deserved.
Looks clear to me that the opponents were set up to target Iwabuchi: when a team so completly depend on just one key-player as Aston Villa does, you try to shut that player down with all means. Well, at the beginning of this experience, Mana said in an interview that she wanted to challenge herself in a league that was as physical as FA WSL. Maybe a little too much physical for her taste.
Credit goes to @sbahnhof as it's he who accordingly pointed out first Tasman Sea parting both host nations
Meanwhile, an exciting NWSL Challenge Cup is underway... Two 0-0 draws between yesterday and today (NC Courage-Orlando Pride and Gotham FC-Racing Louisville) made sure that Nahomi Kawasumi's Gotham City FC will end topping East Division, thus having to clash vs Portland Thorns in the final match scheduled for the 8th of May. Naho started today for Gotham FC and played the whole game, while Yuki Nagasato, who also started for Racing Louisville FC, was subbed out at 74'. Yuka Momiki will play for OL Reign tomorrow (actually on the early morning of Tuesday the 4th for European fans; ever later for Japanese ones) vs Kansas City, but with nothing to actually fight for. So we'll have just one Japanese player in the final of the tournament: Portland Thorns look stronger on paper, but I hope Naho will score for her team and win.
I do not want to offend anybody, but as an Australian I would like to point out that Australians and New Zealanders say "Trans-Tasman". The Trans-Tasman WWC sounds good though. In cricket we already have the Trans-Tasman Trophy. Yoko played just okay last night against Real Madrid. She missed an absolute sitter in the first half when Huelva really should have scored 2 or 3 times. I think she had too long to think about the shot. She is an instinctive player. However, she did start the movement for Huelva's equaliser with a quick thinking header. It ended in a 1-1 draw. The match last night between Huelva and Real was a lot of fun and probably the best match I have seen this season in Spain. Real's Olga Carmona, who scored, is a very good player in my opinion. I will say it again, but the Spanish League is really even this season, if you take out Barcelona.
Djugardens vs. AIK highlights Follow up on Iwabuchi YC. Iwabuchi was carded for stomping on opponent foot. No force, no malice, just late in an attempt to poke the ball (she did apologize immediately) Considering that she herself was a target of few reckless fouls in this match plus an unsporting behavior which draw only a finger waving from the ref - it's all a joke.
For records, the last game of NWSL Challenge Cup 2021 (except the final) was played during the night and the score was Kansas City 1 OL Reign 2. Yuka Momiki, anyway, was just a late-sub at 86', when the score had just been settled.
HT: Chifure 0-1 Inac (Mizuno) Inac's rookie Takeshige (RWB) is quite impressive. Ito plays as LWB and Mizuno FW.
Overall rather lackluster performance by INAC though it has to be said that Kei Hoshikawa was clearly testing variuos schemes and tactics during this match. INAC dominated the game but without the end results. Chifure on the other hand played quite well, better than I thought they will. Aside from individual error (backpass to goalie) on which INAC had scored, their defense was organized enough to thwart most of opponent attacks. It's still too early to tell but Etsuko Handa team may not give up too many goals this season.
.@Chloe_Kelly98 is set for an extended spell on the sidelines after suffering an ACL injury to her right knee in Sunday’s win against Birmingham.Everyone at City wishes Chloe all the best in her recovery and will give her all the support she requires 💙🔷 #ManCity pic.twitter.com/P1AOW38Or3— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 4, 2021 Hope she recovers soon. I consider Kelly (and Hemp) brightest young stars in English football. It's a big blow for GB Olympic team and another headache for Riise.
Tomorrow's games: WE League pre-senson match Nagano vs Nojima 13:00 Omiya vs San Fre 14:00 Beleza vs Jef 14:00 Nadeshiko League Orca vs Nippatsu 13:00 Nittaidai vs Yamato 13:00
Baby alarm! ジェフ千葉レディースに所属する大滝麻未選手が妊娠したことをお知らせいたします。現在は別メニューで調整をしておりますが、まずは元気に出産できるサポートをクラブで行って参ります👶https://t.co/HEB4MaZyJd#jefunited #ジェフ千葉レディース#大滝麻未 #WEリーグ pic.twitter.com/Ta5ukyRI3Z— ジェフユナイテッド市原・千葉【公式X】 (@jef_united) May 7, 2021
Nadeshiko Japan training members (11~17 May): GK: Yamashita, Ikeda, Hirao DF: Sameshima, Miyake, Shimizu, Doko, Miyagawa, Minami, Wakisaka MF: Nakajima, Mizutani, Sugita, Miura, Shiokoshi, Miyazawa, Kitamura, Endo, Kinoshita FW: Sugasawa, Hamada, Ueno, Kobayashi