WSL 2024/25 | the delayed WSL match + WFA Cup Round 2



For anyone interested in joining the WSL FF league - first transfer deadline is on Friday at 5pm
 
The matches advertised as on YouTube are on this channel:
https://youtube.com/@barclayswsl?

United v West Ham is also on MUTV

We still don't know how the YouTube channel is going to work for international viewers. Previously the FA player was free to view outside the UK except in countries where broadcast rights had been sold - but we don't know if that geolock (that mostly affects Scandinavian fans) still exists.

The WSL matches remain free to view in the UK on YouTube except for the Sky match.
 
We came top of at least one WSL league table last season.


In other news:

So I'm assuming that the Chelsea/Villa match won't be available in the US, South America, Caribbean on the free YouTube channel. Whether the non-broadcast matches (like United v West Ham on Saturday) will be geoblocked there as well I don't know.
 
I'll probably watch some here and there, almost certainly watch the arsenal - city game this weekend before the premer league matches.
 
Chelsea start the season with a 1-0 home win. They dominated play for long periods, particularly in the first half, but they never really dominated the chances. Villa pushed them right to the end and could have scored a couple of times. Needed a couple of good saves from Hampton to stop them.
 
Saturday's matches:
United 3-0 West Ham
Brighton 4-0 Everton

Arsenal v City are underway at the Emirates.
Maanum has just opened the scoring for Arsenal making it 1-0 with ten minutes gone.
 
Final matches end with:
Arsenal 2-2 City
Spurs 4-0 Crystal Palace
Liverpool 1-1 Leicester

Arsenal were lucky with their second goal - a Katie McCabe foul that went unpunished (that's a running theme with McCabe) let Arsenal through on goal. Overall though the draw was probably fair.

Spurs were just a long way ahead of Palace. Palace player getting sent off during added time was good for a laugh though. Classic simultaneous double yellow - Aspin (on loan from Chelsea making her debut as a sub) got booked for the professional foul and got booked for kicking the ball away.
 
Arsenal were lucky with their second goal - a Katie McCabe foul that went unpunished (that's a running theme with McCabe) let Arsenal through on goal. Overall though the draw was probably fair.

A little more on the foul.

The Katie McCabe cloak of invisibility in action!
 
Matchday 2
27-29 September

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Lucy Bronze with a banger the pick of the lot. Baltimore looks like a gem of a player.

 
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Lucy Bronze with a banger the pick of lot. Baltimore looks like a gem of a player.


Brutally efficient performance by Chelsea. Rumours of their demise may have been premature :lol:

Palace lost 4-0 to Spurs last week. Life's tough when you've just been promoted.
 
Brutally efficient performance by Chelsea. Rumours of their demise may have been premature :lol:

Palace lost 4-0 to Spurs last week. Life's tough when you've just been promoted.

Were there rumours of our demise? I must have missed that ;)
 
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Brutally efficient performance by Chelsea. Rumours of their demise may have been premature :lol:

Palace lost 4-0 to Spurs last week. Life's tough when you've just been promoted.

Vast gap between the WSL and Championship
 
In tonight's episode of, "women's football is run by amateurs" I bring you news of Chelsea's next match which just so I happens to be in the WSL against United.

On Friday the WCL draw was made. Today UEFA announced the schedule. Chelsea's schedule now says they play Real Madrid on Tuesday 8th. They play us in WSL on Sunday 6th. Not surprisingly Chelsea have asked us if we'll move the game.

Except of course, United play a WSL match this Sunday and then play Liverpool in the WSL Cup on Wednesday 2nd. United are a bit of a rarity in the women's game - a club that always has travelling fans. United are being pushed to make the schedule change for the greater good. The United fans with tickets are not amused.

 
frustration should be with WSL for putting our match on Sunday before potential CL matches

I note Real Madrid play on Friday
 
frustration should be with WSL for putting our match on Sunday before potential CL matches

I note Real Madrid play on Friday
If the WSL Cup schedule had put our match with Liverpool to run at the same time as their WCL match a Saturday fixture wouldn't be as irritating in football terms. Though Sky would still have had to agree - they scheduled Chelsea v us as a Sunday match back in August. You're right to say UEFA had also pre-announced their reserved dates (covering the Tuesday to Thursday slot)

For the fans though it's the short notice that really grates. Mind you, they wouldn't be chuffed about having a Friday night away match either :lol:

There's just something comic about a women's club football schedule that has fewer matches (League and European) than it really should and yet still walks into these kinds of scheduling conflicts.
 
UEFA pinning the problem firmly on New Co or whatever they now call themselves.



The teams playing in Europe don't join the WSL Cup until the QF stage after Christmas so they've dropped the ball in more ways than one on this.
 


From a matchgoing fan perspective the scheduling this season was the first test for the NewCo setup. Too many clashes between the men's team and the women's team for the same club's matches and stupid errors like this. Doubtless it will lead to a suitably non-descript "lessons will be learned" sort of follow-up statement from them.

Meanwhile, I hope the United fans with travel or accommodation arranged can cancel without major expense, but I know some of them won't be able to.
 
MD3 - 5/6 Oct (but not for United and Chelsea) New
This weekend's matches.


No Sky match this week due to Chelsea v United being cancelled.
 
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Those are Palace's first ever points in the top division, in fact those are their first ever goals.

In a division where every point matters, Arsenal will not be pleased to have dropped points to Everton.

After three matches City are top on 7 points. Brighton, Chelsea and United follow with 6 - but Chelsea and United have a game in hand.
 
Smooth start to life in England for Bompastor.

 
Matchday 3
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Arsenal v Chelsea is the obvious stand out match. Both teams played midweek in the CL. Chelsea played at home on Tuesday and beat Real Madrid 3-2. Arsenal had an away on Wednesday and lost 5-2 to Bayern Munich.

Fair to say the odds are stacked against them. However there was a bug doing the rounds at Chelsea last week so who knows.

The other team who played midweek are City who beat Barcelona 2-0. They're obvious favourites against Liverpool but it shouldn't be a walkover.

United will be favourites against Spurs (of course!)
 
Arsenal XI: Van Domselaar, Fox, Williamson, Wubben-Moy, McCabe, Little, Walti, Caldentey, Russo, Mead, Foord.

Subs: Zinsberger, Codina, Catley, Maanum, Kafaji, Kuhl, Blackstenius, Cooney-Cross, Reid.

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Chelsea XI: Hampton, Bronze, Bright, Buchanan, Baltimore, Kaptein, Nusken, Kaneryd, Reiten, James, Ramirez.

Subs: Musovic, Cuthbert, Lawrence, Beever-Jones, Perisset, Hamano, Jean-Francois, Macario, Bjorn.

Potential to be a very good match, but a lot will depend on whether Arsenal are really mentally and physically ready to play.
 
Arsenal vs Chelsea. Who’s winning?? I fancy Arsenal.
 
That was a freaky but beautiful goal - 99 times out of a hundred it goes nowhere but that one time!
 
I wonder what Bompastor will do when Kerr is fit and available again. Ramírez is undroppable for me.
 
I wonder what Bompastor will do when Kerr is fit and available again. Ramírez is undroppable for me.

You’ll have plenty of games to rotate. But I’d definitely start to use Kerr as the experienced super-sub. I agree Ramírez should start most of the games.
 
Chelsea are ruthless. Not sure if it can actually get more toxic around Arsenal but this result won’t help.
 
I wonder what Bompastor will do when Kerr is fit and available again. Ramírez is undroppable for me.
Ramirez is a real target player of a centre forward. I wouldn't be surprised to see them both in some matches, maybe with Kerr going wider.

That said, after an ACL injury at 31, Chelsea won't want to rush Sam Kerr back. I'd be surprised if she starts many matches this season.

Painful defending by Arsenal there. This could get rough.