<\/div>\nENGLAND<\/b><\/p>\n
Chelsea may no longer have Sam Kerr at their disposal, but Ellie Carpenter <\/b>is set for another big season for the Blues. <\/p>\n
The 26-year-old right-back has already made an impact for the league campaign has begun – she assisted two goals last week as Chelsea defeated Spanish side Real Sociedad 5-2 in the first leg of their UEFA Women\u2019s Champions League qualifier.<\/p>\n
Carpenter was recently in named PFA Women\u2019s Super League Team of the Year for last season after a standout maiden campaign in England.<\/p>\n
\u201cChelsea are going through a bit of a transition phase at the moment. A lot of legends have gone and they left such a great legacy,\u201d Carpenter told Sky Sports last month. <\/p>\n
\u201cNow it\u2019s our turn to do that, follow in their footsteps and to build on what Chelsea is as a club.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a footballer, you love those opportunities and moments in your career and it\u2019s a perfect time to be stepping into that role for this club.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur aim this season is to fight for those trophies back and show what Chelsea is about. We want to do it as a team, winning in that way and enjoying it and hopefully getting the results on the way as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a great team this season and pre-season has felt good so I\u2019m excited.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/amp-img>SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 12: Ellie Carpenter of Chelsea controls the ball during the match between Chelsea FC Women’s and A-League Women’s All-Stars at Allianz Stadium on August 12, 2026 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt King\/Getty Images)<\/span>Source: Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe Australian presence will be strong in London with Arsenal trio Steph Catley<\/b>, Caitlin Foord <\/b>and Kyra Cooney-Cross <\/b>once again suiting up for the Gunners. <\/p>\n
Cooney-Cross, who spent time at home in Australia before her mother\u2019s passing earlier in the year, set herself up well for the new season with a player of the match performance, including a long-range goal, in a 5-1 win in a friendly against newly promoted Charlton last week.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, it was a special moment,\u201d Arsenal coach Ren\u00e9e Slegers said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was magic. It was an unbelievable strike, and she\u2019s such a good technical football player. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut yes, of course it was also a very special moment for her, so I\u2019m really happy for Kyra.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/amp-img>Caitlin Foord social media post along with Steph Catley and Kyra Cooney-Cross after winning the UEFA Women’s Champions League against Barcelona in Lisbon. Picture: Instagram<\/span>Source: Supplied<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nMatildas legend Emily van Egmond <\/b>is with Charlton, having moved from Leicester City, as are fellow Australians Leah Davidson <\/b>and uncapped 21-year-old Grace Johnston.<\/b><\/p>\n
Alanna Kennedy<\/b> is with the London City Lionesses and she now shares a locker room with two-time Ballon d\u2019Or Winner Alexia Putellas, England shot stopper Mary Earps and Spanish star Mapi Leon following a busy transfer window.<\/p>\n
London City are the only top flight club not connected with a men\u2019s team, and club owner Michele Kang dreams of being the first stand-alone club to \u201cgo all the way\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhatever is there for the club to achieve I\u2019m here to support. I want to see them win a WSL title, I want them to qualify for European competition,\u201d the American-Korean businesswoman told Sky Sports News.<\/p>\n
Also in London, Clare Hunt <\/b>remains with Tottenham, but continues to rehabilitate the knee injury she sustained during the Asian Cup.<\/p>\n
Heading north at Mary Fowler <\/b>is looking forward to a full season with champions Manchester City after returning from an ACL injury during their title-winning campaign.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m in this phase now where I\u2019ve come out of my rehab and I feel more and more myself as time goes on,\u201d she told ABC Sport before the Matildas\u2019 friendlies against Mexico in June.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just want to enjoy that. I don\u2019t want to put too much pressure on myself to be getting stats and getting goals and stuff. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think I always play my best football when I\u2019m really enjoying it. And so I don\u2019t want to let that expectation ruin the fun that I\u2019m having.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/amp-img>Mary Fowler of Manchester City warms up prior to the Barclays Women’s Super League match between Manchester City and Liverpool at Joie Stadium on May 03, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Matt McNulty\/Getty Images)<\/span>Source: Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nHolly McNamara <\/b>has joined Everton, while down south, Charlize Rule<\/b> is still with Brighton.<\/p>\n
In the second division, Kaitlyn Torpey <\/b>will work with Australian manager Tanya Oxtoby at Newcastle United after joining the Magpies earlier this year.<\/p>\n
NORTH AMERICA<\/b><\/p>\n
The NWSL season is well and truly under way with Sam Kerr <\/b>starring since returning to Gotham FC, who were known as Sky Blues FC when the star striker last called New York home a decade ago. <\/p>\n
The 32-year-old has bagged three goals and an assist in seven appearances this season.<\/p>\n
In the process, Kerr became the club\u2019s all-time leading goal scorer and the first player to score 80 goals in the NWSL.<\/p>\n
She also made a splash by having the honour of throwing out the first pitch at a New York Yankees baseball game.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt kind of feels like a full-circle moment to me,\u201d Kerr said in an interview shortly after rejoining the club. <\/p>\n
\u201cLast time I left Gotham, we were Sky Blue at the time. We were playing down in front of a couple thousand people, and this is the type of stuff we were fighting for \u2026 to play in front of sold-out stadiums with the best players with wages that we deserved.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s so many people that have done so many amazing things over the last six years while I\u2019ve been gone that have allowed me to come back and live out my American dream.\u201d<\/p>\n
In Kerr\u2019s most recent outing, top of the table Gotham drew 1-1 against Matlidas goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold\u2019s <\/b>Portland Thorns.<\/p>\n<\/amp-img>Sam Kerr #20 of NJ\/NY Gotham FC looks on during the first half against the Kansas City Current at Sports Illustrated Stadium on August 14, 2026 in Harrison, New Jersey. (Photo by Jordan Bank\/Getty Images)<\/span>Source: Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nUp north in Canada, Kahli Johnson\u2019s<\/b> Calgary Wild are unbeaten in their last four matches across all competitions after not having previously won a Northern Super League match this year.<\/p>\n
EUROPE<\/b><\/p>\n
Like Ellie Carpenter at Chelsea, Hayley Raso <\/b>and Jamilia Rankin <\/b>have been pushing for UEFA Women\u2019s Champions League qualification with German club Eintracht Frankfurt – last week they drew the first leg of their qualifier against PSG 1-1.<\/p>\n
\u201cI enjoy Frankfurt, I enjoy the life there, the team, the football. It\u2019s tough because I\u2019m working really hard and maybe not getting the reward in that playing time which is always tough as a footballer,\u201d the 31-year-old told the Sydney Morning Herald in June. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got another season there, so I\u2019m looking forward to that and I\u2019m definitely hoping to get more minutes and get that reward for the hard work I\u2019m putting in.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/amp-img>Hayley Raso of the Matildas watches on during the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026 match between Australia Matildas and Japan at Stadium Australia on March 21, 2026 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer\/Getty Images)<\/span>Source: Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThere is a strong Australian contingent in Sweden this season with Amy Sayer<\/b>, Courtney Nevin<\/b> and Charli Grant<\/b> at Malm\u00f6, whole Remy Siemsen<\/b>, Isabel Gomez<\/b> and Bryleeh Henry<\/b> are with Roseng\u00e5rd.<\/p>\n
Malm\u00f6 are third in the Damallsvenskan after 16 games, while Roseng\u00e5rd are languishing in the relegation places in 13th.<\/p>\n
In Italy, Alex Chidiac<\/b> is with Como and Wini Heatley<\/b> is with Roma.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With the Women\u2019s Super League kicking off this weekend, crunch time has arrived for the Matildas ahead of next year\u2019s FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The global showpiece tournament begins next June and Australia\u2019s stars will need to be in top form for their respective clubs to shake off the disappointment of March\u2019s Asian Cup […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":260720,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6807],"tags":[156],"class_list":{"0":"post-260719","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-leagues-cups","8":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/260719","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=260719"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/260719\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/260720"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=260719"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=260719"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=260719"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}