FA WSL 1 title race update

Birmingham 1 Arsenal 2

Semi shocking result today with Birmingham not making ground on Chelsea and Liverpool. Controversial refereeing as well apparently. Shame I missed the game.

This is a second defeat in a row for Birmingham. It seems that the unwanted 2nd mid season break due to the U20 world cup has broken their momentum. As well as injuries to key players.

Still they have a game in hand vs Everton that has now become a must win game.

They trail Chelsea by 3 points and 1 goal on the GD. They trail Liverpool by 2 points and 1 goal on the GD.

Next is the midweek round of games for match day 11 with

Arsenal v Chelsea
Bristol v Birmingham
Everton v Liverpool
Notts v City

The crucial game in hand that might decide the title and relegation place will take place on 9th of September and by then the top 3 teams will be level on the number of games played. So the table will speak the truth.

The race for the Champions League places after Matchday 10

Matchday 10 results

Chelsea 3 Birmingham 1

Liverpool 1 Notts 0

Man City 0 Arsenal 4

 

Maximum points for the teams

Chelsea 32 pts

Liverpool 30 pts

Birmingham 35 pts

Man City 27 pts

 

Remaining games for Chelsea 20 pts in 10 games

4 games to play 1 home and 3 away

ARSENAL A

NOTTS COUNTY A

EVERTON H

MANCHESTER CITY A

 

Remaining games for Liverpool 18 pts in 10 games

4 games 1 home and 3 away

EVERTON A

BIRMINGHAM A

ARSENAL A

BRISTOL H

 

Remaining games for Birmingham 17 pts in 8 games

6 games to play  3 homes and 3 away

ARSENAL H

BRISTOL A

EVERTON H

LIVERPOOL H

MANCHESTER CITY A

NOTTS COUNTY H

 

Remaining games for Man City 12 pts in 9 games

5 games 2 home and 3 away games

NOTTS COUNTY A

EVERTON A

BRISTOL A

BIRMINGHAM H

CHELSEA H

 

Manchester City will need to be at their best to finish in the top 2 this season.

Birmingham are likely to finish in the top 2 with their 2 games in hand and the fact that they have 3 home games while Chelsea and Liverpool have 1 home and 3 away games remaining.

 

FA WSL 2 promotion race after Matchday 11

Sunderland v Aston Villa 3-1

Reading v Doncaster Belles 4-0

 

The table looks like this :

1. Sunderland 29 pts GD +19

————————————

2. Doncaster 24 pts GD +18

3. Reading *20 pts GD +17

*Reading with a game in hand

 

Sunderland are the big winners this week-end as they extended their lead on the Belles to  5 points and 9 points to Reading. They now need to loose twice and the Belles and or Reading to win everything at the same time to losse the leadership and it is quite unlikely to see them loose twice considering the current form.

Belles lost to Reading and this is due to their attacking and fair style. Last week Sunderland got a draw by playing and extremely physical game and therefore prevented reading from playing football while both side tried and manged to play football yesterday.

Reading really blew it last week and will need a kind of miracle to be promoted.

 

Upcoming games in Matchday 12 midweek

Doncaster v Villa

Sunderland v Durham

Yeovil v Reading

Can France U20 girls make it to the World Cup 2015 squad ?

Following a good U20 campaign, fans and press are wondering if the U20 players will be back next year in Canada with the senior squad for the 2015 World Cup.

Players like Lavogez who had a great tournament could be there. Toletti, M’Bock Bathy and Dafeur have been called up already with the senior squad. Phillipe Bergeroo was in Montreal and was interviewed by footdelles about the U20 players and their potential to make the Senior team.

http://www.footdelles.com/article/CM-U20_Philippe-Bergeroo-Monter-sur-un-podium-cest-exceptionnel-_98361.html

He was very clear “ I don’t want to “destroy” the squad that I have been trying to build for a while now. I have no wish to modify the current group of players too much but there might be 2 or 3 girls who may come into the team. There will be definitely Griedge of course, we will see for the others with regards to their performances and from during the Division 1 feminine season.

As we know there are 23 places for the 2015 World Cup per squad with 3 goalkeepers and  20 outfield players. There are 17 players that are regularly called up and will go to Canada if they are not injured.

GK 2 Bouhaddi, ( OL) Deville ( Juvisy)

DF 6 Houara (PSG), Boulleau (PSG), Renard (OL), M’Bock Bathy ( Guingamp), Georges (PSG),Delannoy ( PSG)

MF 5 Henry, Abily, Bussaglia, Thomis, Necib (all OL)

FW 4 Delie( PSG), Le Sommer (OL), Thiney ( Juvisy), Tonazzi ( Montpellier)

Considering Phillipe Bergeroo favours the 4-4-2 system with 2 central midfield and 2 “wingers” the remaining 6 positions “available” are 1 goalkpeeper and 5 outfield players. The logic would see 2 defenders and 3 midfielders if the coach wants to double up all the positions but it is not always the case. The first 11 at the World Cup could look like this : Bouhaddi, Houara Renard M’Bock Bathy Boulleau, Thomis Abily Henry Necib, Le Sommer Thiney

 

To add to those 17 players that should go to the world cup we have all the girls who are called up more or less regularly :

GK Phillipe ( Montpellier) seems to be the 3^rd choice at the moment although Benameur (PSG) or Gerard (OL) might challenge her this season for the final spot. Durand ( Montpellier) and Bruneau ( Juvisy) the 2 main goalies at the U20 World Cup are unlikely to be in the running especially if they don’t play many games as they are in the same club as Deville and Phillipe.

DF Soyer (Juvisy) a right back and Butel (Juvisy) a center back are now called up regularly and could be the extra defenders missing on the list. From the U20 squad , full backs Perisset (OL), Gorce ( Guingamp), Gagnet ( kanzas University) and Dafeur ( Guingamp), Center back Tounkara ( Juvisy) and Saint-Sans Levacher ( Arras) seem to be far behind those 2 defenders. Dafeur as mentioned was called up before and has a cap with even an assist and is left footed so might have an outside chance, if she has a good season with Guingamp. She was out of club football for the 2^nd part of 2014 after being removed from her previous team.

MF Hamraoui ( PSG) seems to be in a good position to be in the World Cup squad, she is a defensive midfield player and has a very different profile from the other 3 center midfield players. She is a lot physical and stronger than them and complements them ( Henry, Abily, Bussaglia). She just need to get a consistent run of game with PSG as competition is strong in midfield at her club.

Toletti ( Montpellier ) was called up a couple of times last season and need to do well for her club to be in contention as she would compete with Henry, Abily & Bussaglia for a place. Same thing for Lavogez ( Montpellier) although she could play on the wing in Bergeroo’s system like Necib does. Her current level is obviously not as good as the French playmaker.

Diallo and Bueno from Guingamp are defensive midfielders but are not at the level produced by the regular trio or Hamraoui

Wingers : Makanza and Asseyi from Montpellier are now regularly called up and come as subs from time to time, Catala from Juvisy need to perform well at club level. Majri (OL) is a left winger that can deputise at left back as well with her technical left foot. Hoarau (Rodez), Robert( Guingamp) , Diani ( Juvisy), Thomas ( Montpellier) from the U20 team would need to have a fantastic season to get into the squad.

FW Crammer from Anderlecht is the latest forward to be called up in the squad. She might be the 5^th forward at the World Cup depending on the squad balance.

Le Bihan ( Guingamp), Sarr (SPG) and Tarrieu (OL) are not yet at the level required to compete with the 4 regulars.

The FA WSL 1 relegation battle after Matchday 10

Matchday 10 results were favorable to Bristol and Arsenal with wins against Everton and Man City.

Everton and Notts County lost against Bristol and Liverpool and are really the main relegation contenders. Everton are huge favourite to go down as they are still looking for their first win and trail Notts by 5  points.

Everton are now 11 and 9 points behind Bristol and Arsenal and are unlikely to catch them up unless they go on a winning run.

Here are the remaining games for the 2 teams :

Everton 2 pts GD -10

3 home and 3 away

Liverpool  H

Birmingham H

Man City H

Notts County A

Chelsea A

Arsenal A

Notts County 7 pts GD -1 

3 home and 2 away

Man City H

Chelsea H

Everton H

Bristol A

Birmingham A

Notts County appeal for the home game v Bristol has been rejected

FA WSL 2 Matchday 11 preview

Saturday 30 Aug

Sunderland v Villa

Reading v Doncaster

Top 3 teams will play on Saturday with Sunderland with the early game. By the end of the game they could be 5 and 12 points ahead of Doncaster and Reading and with those teams playing each other later, they might consolidate their place.

Doncaster and Reading will look for a win to close the gap on Sunderland. Reading missed a huge opportunity last Saturday v Sunderland and have to win to keep their chances of promotion alive unless they are counting on a spectacular collapse from Sunderland and Belles together.

Belles need the win to reduce the gap with Sunderland and be in position to overtake them come the decisive game on the 4th of October. 

 

Sunday 31 Aug

London Bees v Millwall

Watford v Durham

Yeovil v Oxford

 

4th placed Yeovil will try to consolidate their position with their game against 2nd from bottom Oxford.

Watford will be home to Durham, the away team registered their second win in the League while Watford have lost their last 2 games without scoring ( or scored in the last game but referee did not see it, GLT anyone ? )

London Bees will be looking for their 2nd win at home to a Millwall side  with a current 4 game loosing streak. Bees current loosing streak stretches to 11 games.

Notable points from Matchday 10 FAWSL 1&2

First defeat for Birmingham in the league, no more unbeaten team in the FA WSL 1

Everton still winless after 8 games

2 teams out of 8 have played 10 games out of 10 ( the top 2 teams Chelsea and Liverpool)

Nikki Watts join Yuki Ogimi as top scorer with 4 goals.

Birmingham out of the top 2 places for the first time in 3 months

 

Sunderland and Doncaster Belles still unbeaten in WSL 2

Reading stays in third place and Yeovil now in 4th position 1 point behind them

2nd win for Durham opening a 3 points gap with the bottom 2 teams Oxford and London Bees

Fran Kirby sole leader in the goalscoring table with 12 goals

 

Goalscoring leaders ( all data from fawsl.com )

WSL 1 : Ogimi ( Chelsea)  and Watts (Bristol ) 4

WSL 2 : Kirby ( Reading) 12

Continental Cup : Clarke ( Notts County) 8

FA Women’s Cup : Smith ( Arsenal ) 6

 

Overall in all domestic competitions :

1. Kirby 17  2. Clarke 12 3 . K Smith 11

 

 

FA WSL Matchday 10 stats

Bristol v Everton

Goals : Watts x2, Yorston, Sanchon x2, K Jones, Chaplen,

Assists : Dykes, James, Sanchon,McCatty, D Turner, Magill

Chelsea v Birmingham

Goals : So Yun, Flaherty, Aluko, Mannion

Assists : Borges, So Yun x2, Linnett

Booking : Weston

Man City v Arsenal

Goals : Nobbs, Carter, Yankey, Stoney

Assists : Mitchell, Knaak,

Bookings, Carter, Houghton

Liverpool v Notts

Goal : Zelem

Assist : Davison

Booking : Turner, Pedersen

Red card : Walton

FA WSL 2 promotion race after Matchday 10

Reading v Sunderland 1-1

Oxford v Doncaster Belles 1-5

 

The table looks like this :

1. Sunderland 26 pts GD +17

————————————

2. Doncaster 24 pts GD +22

3. Reading *17 pts GD +13

*Reading with a game in hand

 

Reading missed a big opportunity to close the gap on Sunderland with that 1-1 home draw. They are still 9 points behind the leaders with a game in hand. Should they win that game away to Millwall, they would be 6 points behind the currently unbeaten leaders. They would have to rely on Sunderland loosing twice and getting maxium points at the same time to be level. It is possible of course but unlikely unless Sunderland’s form start to collapse.

Doncaster made the most of that draw with their 5-1 away win at Oxford, they are now trainling Sunderland by 2 points and as they mentionned should they win their 8 remaining games they will be champions and will apply for promotion ( subject to money and marketing criteria as per usual)

 

Next week in Matchday 11 another blockbuster with

Sunderland v Aston Villa 30th of August 3 pm

Reading v Doncaster 30th of August 6 pm

 

 

FA WSL Matchday 10 preview

Bristol v Everton

Everton are still on the look-out for their first win. They will be boosted by the return of their U20 players back from a disappointing World Cup campaign. As they are currently 5 points behind the other relegation contenders Bristol, Notts and 6 points behind Arsenal, this is a must win game for the. Bristol had many players on international duty on Thursday and it will be a big ask to play a huge relegation battle game 2 days later. I certainly think it is a bad scheduling for the players who risk a bad performance or even an inury due to tiredness

Chelsea v Birmingham

Top of the table clash between the teams that are level on points while Birmingham have 2 games in hand. Chelsea need to win to put pressure on Birmingham and also to keep or extend the current 2 points gap with 3rd placed Liverpool in the Champions League race. Birmingham will try to keep their unbeaten record intact and a win would see them take a small option towards winning the FA WSL title for the first time.

Liverpool v Notts County

Liverpool need to win to keep the pressure on the top 2 teams and keep the chase for the Champions League places. Notts County are 5 points clear of relegation threatened Everton. They need to avoid defeat in order not to be dragged into the relegation battle.

Man City v Arsenal

City have a slight hope of Champions League place and need to win to keep the pressure on the top 3 while Arsenal also need to get away from the relegation battle. The Gunners made a change in their structure this week with Clare Weathely promoted to the GM role. They have not announced a new manager nearly 3 months after Shelley Kerr’s resignation.