Tag: FA WSL

Euro Roundup: Snow Joke, Silverware and Spectators

Posted on by RJ Allen

Snow Joke

Recently, the UK has been going through some testing times with the weather. At the start of March, a snow storm wreaked havoc everywhere—something we’re not used to. This extreme weather meant many fixtures were postponed. This weekend wasn’t quite as bad, but there was more snow. League games across the country were hit, as well as the FA Cup quarterfinals which were due to take place on Sunday 18th March. Only one game survived, with Sunderland vs Manchester City, Durham vs Everton, and Arsenal vs Charlton all called off. These games look to be rearranged for Sunday, March 25, but this is going to cause scheduling headaches with WSL games to be moved. Liverpool managed to keep their Cup game on against Chelsea, but they might have wished it had been postponed, as Chelsea ensured their place in the semifinals with a 3-0 win.

These postponements—both this season and in previous seasons—do raise some questions. It’s not just snow that’s caused havoc, but heavy rain too. Some teams invest in their playing staff, training and various other things but is it time to start really investing in playing conditions and pitches?

There are some complexities here. Some teams share grounds and might not have much much power to change things. Chelsea, for instance, own the leasehold at Kingsmeadow, but AFC Wimbledon—the previous owners—still share the stadium with them, for the time being. Manchester City own their own stadium, which is the ideal solution. The women play at the Academy Stadium, which is just down the road from the Etihad, where the men’s side plays. Owning it means they can do what they want there and improve the playing surface if needed.

What do you think? Should investments into playing facilities be high on the priority list for women’s clubs?

Silverware

Most leagues operate a winter season beginning in August and September, then ending in May or June. Leagues are now entering championship rounds, relegation rounds, and the business end of the regular season, and this comes along with chances for silverware. Some cups are close to wrapping up.

Arsenal claimed the first silverware of the season when they beat Manchester City 1-0 to win the Continetal Tyres Cup. They have now won the Conti Cup five times—a record—with City having won the other two.

The FA Cup, which pits WSL sides against all comers from county and regional leagues on up, is heading into its final rounds. Charlton are the lowest ranked team left in the competition, as they currently ply their trade in the WPL South. They are up against Arsenal, who have won it the most times (14). Durham are the sole WSL2 representative left, with WSL1 teams making up the rest of the teams. The semifinals will be televised on the BBC for the first time on April 15. The first one will be on at 12:30pm GMT on the Red Button and the second one will be on at 3:30pm on BBC2. The final will be taking place at Wembley on May 5, and it will kick off at 5:30pm GMT. This will also be televised by the BBC on BBC1. This is available to watch for UK viewers with access to this but there are no details yet as to how people outside the UK can watch.

In Sweden, the teams for the Svenska Cupen final have been confirmed. Linköpings narrowly beat Eskilstuna United 2-1 to book their place, with Rosengård beating Djurgårdens to confirm their place as well. This is a repeat of the past few finals, with Linköpings winning in 2015, but Rosengård winning twice in 2016 and 2017.

The main silverware in Europe, however, is the UEFA Champions League, which decides who really is Europe’s best team. The quarterfinals take place on the March 21 28. Manchester City, who were knocked out by Lyon last year in the semifinals, take on Linköpings. Montpellier take on Chelsea, Wolfsburg take on Slavia Praha and Lyon face Barcelona. That final match will be the one to watch—Barcelona made it to the semifinals last year before being knocked out by PSG.

Spectators

Attendance is quite a talked about point in women’s football, with an ever-present debate about how to attract more spectators, and whether women’s sides should be playing at the same grounds as their male counterparts. That’s what Atletico Madrid did this weekend when they took on Madrid CFF in the Madrid derby.

For some background, Real Madrid do not have a women’s team yet. Madrid CFF, or Madrid Club de Fútbol Femenino were founded by current president Alfredo Ulloa in 2010. Alfredo is a Madridista, and didn’t want to see his daughter Paola, a goalkeeper, go and play for archrival Atletico, so he started Madrid CFF. Those two teams faced each other at the Wanda Metropolitano and drew 2-2 before a crowd of 22,202. Luckily for Atletico, Barcelona also drew so they stay ahead in the title race.

Thank you for reading yet another Euro Roundup. Are there any leagues you would like to know more about? Let me know on Twitter @englionesses or in the comments below!

Euro Roundup: Restructing the WSL, International Action and New League Leaders

Posted on by RJ Allen

There’s been a fair few changes in the top of women’s football in England. Since the WSL started, it’s gone from one league to two and also more recently changed from a summer to a winter season. The later was to move it in line with other European leagues and the league system in England itself. There is to be more change which will occur next season.

The FA announced in September 2017 that there was to be a restructuring of the women’s football pyramid at the elite level and new licensing criteria. These changes will see WSL1 expanded to 14 teams, become the top tier and the league would have full time professional players across the board. WSL2 would be Tier 2, have 12 teams and it would be semi professional and part time. WPL (Women’s Premier League) would maintain it’s regional structure. Several WSL teams applied and were successful in their bid but there were spaces left. Some teams chose not to apply at the time and could apply in this open process now with WPL sides also showing interest.

This will end on Friday, March 9th. We now know the names of these tiers. WSL1 will revert back to its previous name of WSL, WSL2 will become the FA Women’s Championship and WPL will become the FA Women’s National League. The branding and further details about this will be revealed at the end of the season.

International Cups

It seems like it wasn’t long since international teams were kicking off their year at La Manga and now we have moved on tournaments where teams can claim silverware for the first time this year and test themselves against others they may or may not play against in this World Cup qualifying year.

The Algarve Cup and the Cyprus Cup both ran at the same time. The Algarve Cup saw 7 European teams participate including Euro 2017 champions Netherlands. After the group stages were over the final placing matches were put together and the final was Netherlands vs Sweden. When these two met in the Euros, Netherlands won 2-0 in the quarter finals. However, the inclement weather conditions lead to the final being called off and both teams sharing the trophy.

The Cyprus Cup had 10 out of 12 teams participating from Europe such as Spain, Italy, Switzerland and Wales. All the top teams in each group had the same points after winning 2 of their matches and drawing as well so it came down to goal difference. That meant that Italy faced Spain in the final and 3 other placing matches ending up as all European ties. Belgium and Switzerland faced other opposition in South Africa and North Korea respectively. Spain went on to win the Cyprus Cup beating Italy 2-0. They had won the Algarve Cup the year before. As for the rest of the European sides, Switzerland finished 4th after losing 2-1 to North Korea. Belgium finished 5th after a win against South Africa. Austria finished 7th, Wales 8th, Czech Republic 9th, Slovakia 10th, Finland 11th and Hungary last.

Finally, the top 3 European teams, according to FIFA rankings, headed over to the States for the third edition of the SheBelieves Cup. The US and France took the previous titles and the US managed to win the cup again but not by much. The cup kicked off in style when England took everyone by suprise and thrashed a sorry France side. The first goal was scored in the 6th minute by Toni Duggan and soon enough it was 3-0 at half time. It took less than a minute for Fran Kirby to rub more salt into French wounds and put England 4-0 up.  France later got a goal but it took a deflection from Millie Bright to go in.

Meanwhile, Germany was defeated 1-0 by the US. Germany have not had the best year so they looked to try and get something in the next game which they did. They drew 2-2 with England in a bizarre game. Both Germany goals were gifted to them with the Lionesses not clearing quick enough and an own goal. England showed character to get back into it twice which previously they may not have done. France improved from their previous match and drew 1-1 with the US. That left England with the upper hand as their goal difference was larger than that of the US. It looked to be a great showdown between the two with both sides having some good chances. It was an own goal by Karen Bardsley however that meant that the US would win with the Lionesses finishing second. There was a lack of communication between her and Millie Bright which lead to it.

France beat Germany 3-0 earlier in the day to finish third.

League action

In the WSL, recent fixtures saw the current two go head to head in a crucial match that could decide the title further down the line. Before this fixture however, Manchester City suffered their first defeat of the season to Birmingham City who they knocked out of the FA Cup a few days before. This left the door open for Chelsea to take advantage and go into top spot which they did. They faced a tough Yeovil Town side but took the win 2-0 and went to the top by 1 point. The resulting match between the top two ended in a 2-2 draw with Chelsea failing to maintain their 2-0 lead in this game and the equalising goal from Georgia Stanway was unstoppable. Elsewhere, Arsenal kept themselves within reach after a 1-0 win at Everton. They are 6 point behind Manchester City but with a game in hand so it could be a close run in for the title.

In Belgium’s Super League, it was top vs bottom and the gap showed as Anderlecht thrashed Heist 11-0. Heist are set to go into the relegation round but OH Leuven could get themselves out of the relegation zone if they beat Standard Liege just above them and with other results too.

In Germany’s Frauen Bundesliga, Wolfsburg maintain their lead after beating SC Sand. Meanwhile second and third placed teams Freiburg and Bayern Munich slipped up a bit with Freiburg losing to bottom placed Duisburg and then beating Bayern 6 days later.

Finally in Spain, Atletico Madrid have taken top spot in the Primera Division. Barcelona lost to Athletic Club who are third in the league. Atletico Madrid beat Sporting de Huelva 4-2 and Barcelona kept the gap to only a point with a 4-1 win against Valencia.

Euro Roundup: An Introduction

Posted on by RJ Allen

Hello and welcome to a new weekly segment on Backline Soccer. Most of our coverage focuses on the USWNT and the NWSL, but I’m here to give you an insight into soccer, or football as we call it, in Europe.

What is the Euro Roundup?

It’s a weekly segment that informs you about results and news from around Europe’s leagues. Not only that but there will be results and news from international teams–did you know that World Cup Qualifying is already in full swing on this side of the Atlantic? 

European action

There is no single schedule for European leagues, with some operating on the traditional fall-to-spring schedule, but others mixing it up a bit and running on the calendar year. Those already in action include many of the bit names–including the English WSL (after a schedule reset this year), Frauen Bundesliga, Division 1 and Primera Division. One league that operates on the calendar year is Scotland, who just announced the fixtures for the new season, with matches scheduled to begin next month, and then running all the way up until 28th October.  Glasgow City, who have won 11 league titles in a row, start off the defence of their SWPL1 title against Stirling University FC at home on 11th February. As with many European countries, Scotland has a tiered structure, with leagues running down through SWPL2 to SWFL2. 

All that means there is plenty of ground for this column to cover!

Transfers

The transfer window is currently open in Europe. For those unfamiliar with that system, it means that teams can buy players even when they are contracted to a club. The price is negotiated to buy out the old contract.  For example, Fran Kirby was signed by Chelsea from Reading after the World Cup in 2015. Her fee was a British record £40,000-£60,000 (about $53,000-$82,000). It’s possible that has since been broken (unlike the men’s side, transfer fees in women’s football tend to be kept quiet). When a player is out of contract, they’re effectively a free agent.  Another way of getting a player to the club is a loan. In this case, the player remains owned by the parent club but is lent to another club for half or a full season. Some clubs enter in a clause whereby they can’t play against their parent club. Some clubs that have these loaned players may look to buy them later on.

These transfers are limited to two windows during the season: one over the summer and the other in January. This is the same as on the men’s side of things, although the timing of the windows is a little different. For example, the WSL opened it’s transfer window on the 29th December and it will close on 25th January.

One league that I’ve been keeping an eye on is the WSL. The most recent big news–likely familiar to NWSL fans–was Nadia Nadim’s transfer from Portland Thorns to Manchester City. She’s already made an impact scoring a header in a 5-2 win over Reading.

There’s also a lot of news associated with the league’s transition to a winter season. Because of the switch, many existing contracts didn’t quite line up well with the new season. That’s produced a lot of renewed contracts, with Birmingham renewing the contracts of Marisa Ewers, Andrine Hegerberg and Aoife Mannion and Reading re-signing Molly Bartrip, Grace Moloney and Rachel Rowe.

But there have also been some moves. Birmingham recently lost Bella Linden to Koln in Germany and Chloe Peplow to Brighton. Reading lost Mandy Van Den Berg who was part of the winning Netherlands squad at the Euros. She and the Royals terminated her contract mutually and she has now joined Valencia in Spain.

There’s still a few weeks til the window closes so expect quite a few more signings and renewed contracts to occur.

World Cup Qualifiers

As previously mentioned, World Cup qualifying is already going on in Europe. Teams recently reached the halfpoint point in the process, meaning that we’re getting close to the in/out line for some teams.

You can look forward to a future article in this series that goes into more detail about the UEFA process. For now, here are a few quick highlights:

As hosts France, France will qualify automatically. In order to keep ticking over and stay prepared, they have a schedule heavy with big friendlies in the various venues for the World Cup in 2019 (as well as the now-annual SheBelieves Cup in the States).

All other countries have to go through the rigours of earning their right to play at the World Cup. There are seven groups, with the winners of each automatically going through.If qualifying concluded now, the following would be through: Wales, Switzerland, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Italy and Spain. However, since not all teams have played the same number of matches, there’s some fluidity there.

The past round of qualifying did produce some interesting results with Iceland beating Germany 3-2 in October. This ended Germany’s run of 19 years without losing a World Cup or Euro qualifier. Another interesting result was when the current European champions Netherlands drew 0-0 with the Republic of Ireland. Interestingly, the Republic of Ireland is in the same group as Northern Ireland.

The next round of fixtures starts on 22nd January, with Israel taking on Finland. After that, one interesting set to watch out for is England playing Wales both home and away–with just a point separating them and the Lionesses with a game in hand. You also might want to keep an eye out for the next match between Iceland and Germany, and for the Irish teams playing each other.

That’s a lot to cover, but hopefully this overview whets your appetite for more coverage. You can look out for this segment to go up every Tuesday, bringing you your weekly European fix. Thanks for coming along for the ride.

Who May Tom Sermanni be Looking to Lure to Orlando?

Posted on by RJ Allen

The National Women’s Soccer League off-season is in full swing, and it’s been lit. While teams around the league have hired a new manager, rebranded, or re-signed players for the next season, things on the Orlando Pride side have been fairly quiet. The team has several players using the off-season as an opportunity to play overseas. Monica is playing in Spain while Aubrey Bledsoe, Steph Catley, Rachel Hill, Alanna Kennedy, and Toni Pressley are down in Australia.

However, it’s not just six members of the roster crossing the globe–or as I like to say “Where in the World is Tom Sermanni?”–because the gaffer for the Pride has been racking up some frequent flyer miles scouting for players to bring to the City Beautiful. Here is the list of matches Sermanni took in while he was in the United Kingdom according to his Twitter account:

October 29: Man City vs Birmingham City

November 4: Chelsea vs Bristol City

November 8: Chelsea vs FC Rosengard

November 11: Liverpool Ladies vs Birmingham City

November 12: Chelsea vs Reading Women FC

A quick observation shows the Orlando Pride manager went to three Chelsea matches and two matches for Birmingham City which more likely means some of the players on those rosters were his intended scouting targets. Nonetheless, there’s always a chance a player on an opposite side played well enough to catch Coach Sermanni’s eye and make his shortlist.

Let me save you time, fair readers, by saying Crystal Dunn is not on this list. Also, let’s quickly recap the Pride’s international roster spots which currently for 2018 will be five spots. As of this writing, those positions will be filled by Marta, Monica, Camila, Catley, and Kennedy. The decision the club will have to decide is if Camila will be placed on the season-ending injury list as she recovers from her knee injury she suffered the last match of the season against the North Carolina Courage. By placing her on that list, the league would allow roster relief where Orlando could bring in an international replacement player since Camila is an international player. Additionally, with Steph Catley and Alanna Kennedy out of contract, it’s not a guarantee both players will decide to return to Orlando. Sermanni places great value on international spots, and it’s also not beyond the realm of possibility if Orlando ends up trading for another international spot.

On predictions sure to be wrong, I once again don on my soothsayer’s hat and present a list of potential players Coach Sermanni could have been scouting.

Meaghan Sargeant: Birmingham City  –  Defender

The 23-year-old defender has been playing for Birmingham City since 2014. Known for her versatility, she can play across the backline as well as in the defensive midfield. The Sheffield native has represented England most recently at the U-23 level. During her match against Manchester City, she was wide on the right side of the pitch, but after going down one player, Sargeant moved to a center back position. On the second match Sermanni witnessed against Liverpool, her role was predominantly as a center back. She played the full 90 both times and has been a regular on the starting XI. Her last contract with the club was signed February 2016.

Drew Spence: Chelsea Ladies – Midfielder

Veteran midfielder Drew Spence displayed her skills while Sermanni was observing for two matches. Known for her passing ability in the midfield, she could become the facilitator in the Orlando offense, yet working on her improved defensive capability would allow Spence to distribute the ball from the backline. Her physicality could be exactly what the Pride could use to counter other teams efforts to slow the Orlando attack. Turning 25 this year, Spence signed a one-year contract this past September allowing her to stay with Chelsea, a team she’s been with since 2008. On the international stage, Spence has limited appearances with England’s senior team.

Bethany England: Liverpool Ladies – Midfielder

Beth England arrived this season to Liverpool via a season-long loan from Chelsea. Prior to being shipped to Liverpool, the 23-year-old from Barnsley, England had signed a contract extension which runs to 2019. England is an attacking midfielder who could potentially fit into the role vacated by Camila as she heals from her knee injury. She has represented her national team at the U-19 and U-23 sides.   

Ella Masar McLeod: FC Rosengård – Defender

Ella Masar McLeod is no stranger to the NWSL. She last played for the Houston Dash in 2015, and as a proven veteran who knows the league could certainly be appealing to Coach Sermanni. An added twist for Masar is her desire to play for the Canadian national team alongside her spouse Canadian goalkeeper Erin McLeod. Unlike most players, the opportunity to return to the league for both players ideally in the same city is going to factor into any decision Masar will make. As for interest from the Pride, Ella Masar McLeod would add an experienced fullback who can also join the potent Orlando attack. Additionally, she played with Marta and could integrate into the squad.

Hayley Ladd: Birmingham City – Midfielder

Another option from the Birmingham City side for the Pride is 24-year-old defensive midfielder from Wales. Ladd joined Birmingham City from Bristol City this past September where she signed a two-year deal. Even though she’s a defensive-minded player, Ladd also is not afraid to join the attack at times, having scored once this WSL 1 season. Recently for her national team, she scored the match-winning goal against Kazakhstan from a free kick during the latest round of Women’s World Cup 2019 qualifying in November. If Tom Sermanni could work out a way to get Ladd in Orlando, she could be the physical presence the Pride are looking to add for the next season.  

Rachel Furness: Reading FC – Midfielder

Current North Ireland Player of the Year, Rachel Furness, could step into the Orlando Pride midfield to reinforce the spine of the squad. Furness, 29, has the talent to replace Camila while she is in recovery. Furness is a key part of the offense creating opportunities for herself as well as for her attacking teammates. Her contract with Reading runs through June 2018, but perhaps if Sermanni can work his magic she could find herself wearing purple in NWSL.

Prior to the end of the regular season, Tom Sermanni stated he would be focusing on finding international talent to bring over to strengthen the Orlando Pride for the upcoming season. He may not succeed in recruiting from the trip to the U.K., but the club and the coach were very much serious in being ambitious even with the limited amount of international roster spots.   

Around the World of WoSo: HAO to Arsenal; Pride Trade Hat-Trick

Posted on by RJ Allen

HAO Commits to Being a Gunner:

Long-time United States Women’s National Team midfielder Heather O’Reilly has announced she will be playing in the Women’s Super League (FA WSL 1), England’s top league for women’s soccer. Simply known as HAO, she recently retired from international play, but at just 32 she still has plenty left to give to the sport. O’Reilly played college ball at UNC, won three Olympic gold medals, was crowned World Cup champion in 2015, and accumulated 231 appearances over 15 years for the National Team.

The one thing left to try would be a move overseas, to experience something new and to have a different kind of challenge. The club she chose is Arsenal Ladies, a club that has a stellar reputation and a few connections to the NWSL here in the states. For one, they are the most decorated club in the WSL, earning 43 titles since the debut in 1987. Secondly, they’ve had legendary coaches and players throughout their history; including Kelly Smith, Katie Chapman, Faye White and current Seattle Reign coach Laura Harvey.

With the addition of HAO, Arsenal once again has an impressive roster to compete for the championship. They have plenty of star power to chose from; Fara Williams, Jodie Taylor, Danielle van De Donk, Asisat Oshoala, and Kim Little. HAO brings an explosive element on the wing, relentless energy, and unmatched passion. I’m sure fans cannot wait to get the season started.

Sky Blue Lands Corboz:

Daphne Corboz has played in the WSL for Manchester City since graduating Georgetown in 2014. She earned 15 starts and tallied two goals for the club. The young midfielder recently won the league with City in 2016, the first major trophy for the club since joining the WSL in 2014.

Corboz is the latest addition to a talented Sky Blue squad that boasts Kelley O’Hara, Christine Rampone, Natasha Kai, Leah Galton, Raquel Rodriguez and Sam Kerr. In the College Draft, Sky Blue got some more serious young talent, including USC duo Kayla Mills and Miranda Freeman. They later chose Kailen Sheridan out of Clemson, and Madison Tiernan from Rutgers.

Corboz adds another technical component to the midfield along with a creative fire that is always burning. I think Sky Blue could finally return to the top of the table in 2017 after a three-year absence.

W-League Doesn’t Disappoint:

In last week’s fixtures, plenty was at stake as it nears the end of the regular season; premiership still undecided, home advantage, a spot in the top four, and momentum going forward.

The top four are as follows; Sydney FC, Canberra United, Perth Glory and Melbourne City FC. The weekend saw Sydney lose to Newcastle, Canberra dropped by the Western Sydney Wanderers, Glory lose to Adelaide, and City win a crucial game against Brisbane.

As far as points go, the top three are secured, but Melbourne City needs to draw or win to officially grab the fourth spot. Sitting in fifth are Newcastle with 15 points, so they need a win to give themselves a chance.

One player who has stood out this season is Sofia Huerta, who plays for the Chicago Red Stars in the NWSL March-November. Last week she scored a hat trick to lead Adelaide United to a wild 10-2 win over Sydney Wanderers. In just 11 games in the W-League Huerta has tallied seven goals and four assists, leading Adelaide United to second in the league in total goals scored with 26. Chicago fans will look forward to her return stateside in the next few months.

Americans Head Overseas:

Two recent graduates and collegiate stars here in the states have announced they will play overseas. If you follow NCAA DI soccer you should be familiar with Savannah Jordan and Lindsey Harris. Both were crucial to their respective team’s success, especially this year.

First up is Jordan, who attended Florida all four years, playing in 94 games, recording 81 goals (23 game-winning) and grabbing 27 assists as well. The exciting forward has blazing speed and is a joy to watch on the ball — combine that with excellent finishing ability and she is a quality player. Jordan has signed with Glasgow City FC, the top club team in Scotland. City is the defending champions, a 10-year reign that is impressive and has earned them plenty of UEFA Champions League experience.

Another top player to find a home overseas is UNC grad Harris. She was UNC’s first choice goalkeeper her senior year after rotating the previous three years. Harris is known for making big saves, similar to another former UNC and now NWSL star with Orlando, Ashlyn Harris. Apart from a few keepers, UNC is primarily known for producing excellent talent in field players, but Lindsey Harris made a name for herself in those three years. Harris has signed with Iceland side FH for the upcoming season. FH have won the league once in 2011 and were runners-up the last two years.

DMath to Seattle (This is Not a Typo):

For much of this NWSL offseason, Washington Spirit has been the front-runner for headlines due to all the high-profile departures since November. Six key players for the Spirit will be elsewhere come April; Ali Krieger, Crystal Dunn, Christine Nairn, Megan Oyster, Estefania Banini, and now Diana Matheson. The Spirit have sent Matheson to the Seattle Reign. In return, they have acquired the rights to Arielle Shipp, who was Seattle’s third-round draft pick out of UC Berkeley.  

Commonly referred to as DMath, she spent four years in Washington, helping them to the playoffs the last three years; most recently to a Championship title match. Matheson is the Spirit’s all-time leading goal scorer with 23 goals and 12 assists in 67 appearances. The tiny and reliable Canadian midfielder will be re-united with another former Washington player in Christine Nairn.

This move will certainly help Seattle’s midfield, which saw Kim Little and Keelin Winters depart in the offseason. This addition along with Nairn, Jess Fishlock, Beverly Yanez, and Megan Rapinoe, makes me wonder, can the Reign return to the top four?

Orlando Wheeling and Dealing:

Tom Sermanni has made not one, not two, but three trades within the last week. In his latest attempt to avoid the 2018 draft, the Orlando Pride coach has sent a first and fourth-round pick to Portland in exchange for recent UConn grad and talented forward Rachel Hill. Sermanni’s second move was picking up Houston forward Chioma Ubogagu for a third round pick. His last and biggest trade was sending second-year player Sam Witteman to NC Courage for Australian defender Alanna Kennedy.

The Pride’s main agenda in their second year seems to be centered on the forwards and defenders. To be honest, it’s a bit confusing considering the midfield is the weakest position in my opinion. Nonetheless, they’ve certainly got my early vote for one of the best defenses in the league after adding Krieger and Kennedy this off-season to complement Steph Catley and Laura Alleway. Certainly, only time will tell how well these trades will work out, but Sermanni seems to know what he’s doing.