Liverpool Ladies midfielder Amanda da Costa discusses Raheem Sterling's first team withdrawal, taking part in an ESPN promo shoot and kicking off the season against Everton on live TV.
Liverpool were fantastic against Tottenham on Sunday. A great win and a great performance.
But as much as the team's form has been a hot topic here on Merseyside, for many Reds, Brendan Rodgers' decision to withdraw Raheem Sterling from the frontline has also created plenty of buzz.
I think the manager's decision was misunderstood among some fans, but it was based on his best judgment - and a good one at that. Competing at such a high level creates an intense demand on your body, and I couldn't even imagine what it would be like playing at this level as a teenager.
It isn't so much of having the energy to continue, it's more of how your body will react once you finally decide to slow down. As you mature in the game, your body matures along with it: you begin to understand what works for you and what doesn't work for you, and this goes for everything from what you eat to what type of work outs are best for your body in the gym.
We've seen it happen many times, where a young player blows up on the football scene, and after only a few years they aren't nearly as effective as they were when they started. Younger players have so much eagerness, willingness to please, and high energy, that as a manager it's easy to fall into the trap of harnessing all that the player is willing to offer at once leading to an eventual burn out.
I think that Raheem Sterling has a very long and prosperous career ahead of him if he is smart with his decisions, and he should feel blessed to have a manager who is looking out for his future.
Preseason with Liverpool Ladies is now in its home stretch. The FA Cup draw has been made and we've been paired with Aston Villa.
Coming out of the gates with an FA Cup match versus Aston Villa is exciting for us, and I think playing under the pressure of a knockout tie so early will be beneficial to our character. Up until this point, we have only played in friendlies and have been performing quite well. Throwing an elimination game into the mix will be a good test for us at this stage in our development as a team, and we have already begun focusing our preparations towards Aston Villa.
Last week, several of us were lucky enough to visit Wembley to be part of ESPN's promo shoot.
Fara Williams, Natasha Dowie and myself spent the day at Wembley stadium. It was my first experience doing a promo shoot of that caliber, and it was a very entertaining day to say the least!
Aside from Natasha drilling the cameraman with a full volley, Fara knocking out one of the lights on set halting productions, and nearly missing our return train to make it to training on time, I'd say everything went smoothly! It was an amazing experience and a wonderful opportunity for the women's game to gain some exposure.
The US has been going through a trial and error period for the past few years and it has been a bit of a struggle. But with the new league returning in the 'States again with a new business model and focus, I am curious to see how they'll market the league.
With that said, having ESPN on board with the FA WSL is a huge step forward for not only the UK, but for women's football everywhere. Being in a country where football is the number one sport definitely gives the women's game here an advantage: people are already such die hard fans of the game, and the clubs they support. It's only a matter of time before they get used to the idea of women footballers as they start to see the talent and level of play we possess first hand.
Speaking of ESPN, we also learned last week we'll be kicking off the season as the first live TV game - and against ... Everton!
I think it is always exciting going into a match with such high expectations like the Merseyside derby - and our team is definitely looking forward to it. Not only is it our first game of the season, but it is also on our home pitch and we will be debuting all of the changes the team has undergone in the past year: the only thing that would make things perfect is getting the win.
It's an exciting time to be an LFC fan, both for the men and the women, and after such a long preseason it's safe to say we're looking forward to the start of the season.
With the derby being aired on ESPN, it is a huge step forward for women's football. It is amazing that more and more people are becoming open to the idea of women footballers and covering the Merseyside derby is a great way for the fans to see how talented all of the women in this league are.
As for playing in front of the TV cameras to a national audience, it won't change anything for me. When I play, I tend to drown things out and can't hear anything other than my teammates or my coach.
I imagine it'll be the same with the cameras, I'll just pretend they aren't on!
Follow Amanda: @ADacosta13.
