This week, we present part 1 of our NWSL 2022 Season Preview—focused on the regular season but cognizant that the pre-season 2022 Challenge Cup tournament is in progress. We also review the two-leg quarterfinals from the UEFA Women's Champions League in Europe.
NWSL 2022 Season Preview (in team order per the 2021 Final Regular Season Standings.)
Note: This week we look at the top six teams who made the playoffs last season (in order of their 2021 regular season record, with the last four teams and some expansion team news presented over the next few weeks. We are focused on the regular season, starting at the end of April, but the Challenge Cup—which started in mid-March—will give some indication of how the teams might perform, though it is now a pre-season tournament, after the 2020 tournament was the first major sports event to successfully restart in 2020 during strict COVID protocols, and became the only major trophy contested that season by the league.
Portland Thorns (13-5-6, 44 points, First)
The Thorns have had some uncertainty to deal with in the off-season after Mark Parsons left to take on the Netherland's Women's National Team head coaching job, replaced by former Canadian international defender Rhian Wilkinson. She will be under pressure to make the playoffs this season—at least—and the Challenge Cup Final (which the Thorns won at home last year) as well, with high expectations from the players, management and their world class fans. Fellow Maple Leaf goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc who came over from CONCACAF, is the new General Manager. Another Canadian, inspirational attacker Christine Sinclair (38), is still the heart and soul of the team and scored the Thorns' only goal in their opening match against OL Reign in the Challenge Cup on March 18 in Seattle, which finished in a 1-1 draw.
U.S. international midfielder Lindsey Horan is gone to Lyon on loan but Costa Rican Raquel Rodriguez is capable enough to step up and add to her somewhat muted goalscoring (two goals in 23 matches last season in Portland and a career high four goals from one season with Sky Blue FC in 2017). Japanese international midfielder Hina Sugita (25) is a new addition who the team has pursued for a year and was acquired from INAC Kobe Leonessa. Sugita played at the 2019 WWC Finals but was a late omission from the team that won the title at the 2022 Women's Asian Cup earlier this year in India. Both midfielders will be crucial as long-timer Angela Salem retired after last season was completed. She played the last four seasons in Portland and will be an assistant coach for the Washington Spirit this season, who she played for in 2015. Wing defender Crystal Dunn, a former NWSL MVP and Golden Boot Winner (15 goals) in Washington in 2015, will miss considerable time this season on maternity leave.
In attack, the Thorns will utilize Sophia Smith (a 2020 College Draft #1 pick from Stanford), who could have a breakout year and has been a revelation for the national team in the offseason. In that same draft, Morgan Weaver (ex-Washington State University) who was picked number 2 overall, scored the winning goal last August against Olympique Lyon in the Women's ICC final. In a preseason tournament in early March, Smith scored a hat-trick against the U.S. U-23 national team in front of 5,223 fans at Providence Park. Sinclair provided two assists in that match.
Taylor Porter (24) signed as a National Team Replacement player with the club in July of 2021 and then signed a one-year deal in March, with an option for 2023. Porter made two appearances (1 start) in the 2022 Thorns FC Preseason Tournament this year. Head coach Rhian Wilkinson said, "Porter has been a stalwart of this team since last summer, and we're really happy to have her back and signed as a Portland Thorn. Her energy and understanding of the game on the field has been great to watch, and how easily and well she integrates off of the field is highly appreciated and valued." Prior to her time in Portland, Porter played for UDG Tenerife in the Spanish first division, and ZFK Spartak Subotica in Serbia, including UEFA Women's Champions League games. A North Carolina State alum, Porter appeared in and started 85 matches, tallying six goals and five assists during her collegiate career. She was a part of the Wolfpack's three consecutive NCAA Tournament berths from 2016-18, which included a pair of Sweet 16 appearances.
Just as we were going to press, the Thorns made a huge signing in Canadian international forward Janine Beckie in a three-year deal in her return to the NWSL (ex-Sky Blue FC and Houston Dash) after spending four seasons with WSL power Manchester City. At City, she had 21 goals in 84 matches in all competitions and won two FA Cups and two League Cups. Beckie (27) was born in Colorado to Canadian parents and actually played for both countries at the U-20 level before deciding to stay with Canada. For the full national team, she has 86 appearances (72 starts) with 34 goals and 12 assists. Beckie scored a brace against Chile in last summer's Olympic Games Finals in Tokyo as Canada won the Gold Medal. She scored three times in the 2016 Olympic Games Finals in Brazil when Canada won their second consecutive Bronze Medal. Portland acquired her rights from Racing Louisville for $75,000 in allocation money, plus an additional $25,000 for hitting performance targets in 2022 (typically number of games or starts or minutes played, but could involve other metrics). Racing had held her rights through a discovery process for players not in the league that the NWSL utilizes. Her signing boosts and already strong attack and adds another Canadian to the growing group on the field and in the front office and technical staff.
Expect the Thorns to be in the Final of the Challenge Cup and League Championship Final this season, as most of the key pieces of the team remain, and they have some exciting youngsters (like Smith and Weaver, along with goalkeeper Bella (Geist) Bixby), who have demonstrated that they are ready to take on larger roles with the team.
OL Reign (13-3-8, 42 points, Second)
The Reign overachieved last season and nearly made the Championship Final, once they dispatched with horrid French head coach Farid Benstiti (who made inappropriate comments and was just a bad fit in general with the team), and brought back their former head coach (and ex-Arsenal manager) Laura Harvey from her role with the U.S. U-20 women's national team. Harvey is a proven winner and well-liked by her players. Moving out of Tacoma back to downtown Seattle and iconic Lumen Field is transcendental for this franchise and will probably take away the continuing concerns that owners OL Reign would move the team—South Florida mentioned most often.
Midfielder Jess Fishlock of Wales, who has been with the side since the inaugural season of 2013 and even coached Melbourne City for a short time to an Australian league title, was the NWSL MVP in 2021. The team also has U.S. internationals Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle (signing a two-year deal after moving from Manchester City last May) as well as defensive leader Lauren Barnes (another Reign original from 2013) back. Sofia Huerta, who has been capped at the full level by Mexico and the U.S., was stellar last season in an attacking midfield role, earning a recall to the nats at the SheBelieves Cup earlier this year for the first time since 2018. Forward Bethany Balcer—from an unheralded small college in Michigan—should add to her 17 goals over three seasons, scoring nine in 2021.
The trio of Olympique Lyon loanees from last season: German international Dzsenifer Marozsan, and French internationals Eugenie Le Sommer and keeper Sarah Bouhaddi, have all returned to France.
Brazilian midfielder Angelina (22) needs to be more productive, with no goals in 16 games, last season or could be a prospect to be move on. Expect more imports to come in this season by a coach that knows the international game as well as any in the game.
The goalkeepers vying for the starting job include youngers Phallon Tullis-Joyce (University of Miami, who was a starter for two seasons at Reims in France), Claudia Dickey (ex-University of North Carolina) or Laurel Ivory (ex-University of Virginia), but Tullis-Joyce should emerge with the majority of playing time; if this position becomes problematic, Harvey will quickly look for supporting resources in the States and abroad.
With Harvey back in charge, the playoffs should be a minimal expectation for the 2022 regular season and they could make the Challenge Cup Final as well.
Washington Spirit (11-6-7, 36 points, Third)
Head coach Kris Ward stepped in for Richie Burke (dispatched mid-season for abusive behavior towards players) and the Spirit didn't lose again in 12 games—not counting two forfeits for COVID protocol violations that tubed the Spirit's chance to finish as regular season champs and galvanized the team against all doubters and outsiders to win the league title. Rookie Trinity Rodman became a true star during the second half of the season and was crucial in their three playoff wins, only one of which was at home. Rodman has been rewarded with the highest player contract in league history (worth $1.1 Million), which keeps her from wandering to a top club in Europe through 2024, with an option for 2025.
The team remains quite similar to last fall, particularly upfront with last season's Golden Boot Winner Ashley Hatch (11 goals) and attacking midfielder Ashley Sanchez, who had five goals last season. In defense, veteran U.S. national team defenders Kelley O'Hara and Emily Sonnett—who were both crucial in guiding the side through the organizational and coaching chaos of last season—return along with Sam Staab (24). Andi Sullivan is also an experienced national teamer and chipped in three goals last season from the middle of the park. Goalkeeper Aubrey (Bledsoe) Kingsbury is an outstanding backstop and should have more opportunities with the national team over the next few years.
Look to Swedish international defender Julia Roddar (30)—who won an Olympic Silver Medal last summer in a penalty kick loss to Canada—to be more impactful, though this summer she should have European Championship Finals commitments in England. She certainly has a winning pedigree and has won three league titles (with Goteborg/Hacken in 2020 and the second division with Kvarnsveden at home and now one in the NWSL).
On the ownership side, things have settled down since Michelle Kang has taken over from Steve Baldwin. Ward still comes across as a bit too "back-seatish" for some but the Spirit is an experienced, championship side that does not need a lot of direction. The hope for this franchise is that all the news this season is from the field (game results, player updates) and no more off-the field drama. This team could repeat as NWSL champions in 2022 if they can stay clear of injuries. If they don't make the playoffs, look for Ward (a native of D.C.) to be looking for another position.
Chicago Red Stars (11-5-8, 38 points, Fourth)
The Red Stars, so long seen as a quintessentially stable franchise and a regular qualifier for the playoffs (six straight seasons—not counting 2020, when a true regular season was not held) and made the championship final in 2019 and 2021 as well as the 2020 Challenge Cup Final, will probably be out of the playoff running for a while. Rory Daimes resigned as head coach the day after the 2022 Championship Final loss to D.C. over player abuse allegations extending back years (also involving junior players from his club team), which could end up in possible jail time for Daimes if the cases go to court and he is convicted. The team lost a number of players during the off-season and, during a new head-coach player search, went through multiple stages—at one point saying that they did not have anyone meeting their requirements in the final stage (including at least one very well-respected coach from Northern Europe) before finally settling on American college coach Chris Petrucelli (59), hired more than two weeks into preseason training. He coached the previous nine seasons at Southern Methodist University. Petrucelli is a two-time National Coach of The Year and an NCAA Championship title winner at Notre Dame in 1995. In 31 years, Petrucelli compiled a 427-182-54 (W-L-T) record, ranking seventh overall in victories among Division I women's soccer coaches. Petrucelli said about his new position, "I am thrilled to be appointed the Head Coach of the Chicago Red Stars. I'm so fortunate to be taking over a team that is extremely talented and hungry for a Championship. Being graced with the opportunity to work with some of the best players in the world is a position any coach would jump at. I know there's work to do. I'm excited to get started helping the team accomplish their goals while fostering an environment of joy and positivity." At the international level, Petrucelli coached the under-21 and under-19 United States Women's National Teams. As a player Petrucelli helped lead the University of North Carolina-Greensboro to two Division III titles in 1982 and 1982.
The club explained its head coach selection process in a media release after Petrucelli's hiring: "The Red Stars' search for a new head coach was led by a committee that included stakeholders from all levels of the organization. The search committee prioritized candidates that could help the club foster a safe environment for all, and also build on the team's success over the years.
The search committee included:
- Red Stars players
- Assistant coaches
- Associate General Manager
- Sports psychologist
- Chief Business Officer
- Members of the club's ownership
Over two dozen highly qualified and diverse candidates proactively reached out to the club, highlighting the strong appeal of coaching the Red Stars' championship caliber roster and the legacy of winning. The search committee also created a list of candidates that the club contacted to include in the process. The overall candidate list featured coaches with a wide diversity of backgrounds and experience from various countries, with national teams, from collegiate teams and men's and women's professional club coaching."
Petrucelli needs to do some substantial rebuilding. Cassie Miller (ex-Florida State University and PSV Eindhoven) was tremendous in goal after Alyssa Naeher went to the Olympic Games and didn't play in the league again in 2021. She has gone to the Kansas City Current but fortunately Naeher is back in goal. Also gone is defender Sarah Gorden (Angel City FC). Most crucially, American international midfielder Julie Ertz also left, though she is expected to not join Angel City FC until 2023; although she just played a few minutes last season, she has been a force for the team for years, since being selected third overall in the 2014 College draft. Casey Kruger and Sarah Woldmoe will miss all/some of this season on pregnancy leave. This past week, the club announced that 2019 WWC Winner Tierna Davidson will miss the NWSL season from a torn ACL. At 20, she was the youngest player on the American squad at the 2019 Finals in France and she has one goal and seven assists in 48 games for the national team. She will unfortunately also miss the CONCACAF Women's World Cup Qualification Finals in Mexico this summer as well.
The midfield of Vanessa Di Bernardo, U.S. 2019 WWC winner Morgan (Brian) Guatrat and Danielle Colaprico are still top notch. They could use some more scoring potential up-front, though U.S. international forward Mallory Pugh scored two goals in a 2022 3-1 Challenge Cup opening win on March 20 away to Houston. Forward Kealia Watt is out with an injured knee.
The Red Stars may surprise in the Challenge Cup but the long regular season could be another matter and the playoffs are looking quite remote as Petrucelli needs to reconstruct a team with players who implement his style of play; this will likely take more than just one season for this experienced coach, albeit one who is new to the professional game.
NJ/NY Gotham FC (8-11-5, 35 points, Fifth)
NJ/NY Gotham FC can be pleased with its first season under its rejuvenated branding (formerly Sky Blue FC). They are firmly set now at MLS's Red Bull Arena outside New York City as their home base and made the Challenge Cup Final to begin the 2021 season and the playoffs for the first time since 2013. Scott Parkinson moved up from the assistant ranks when Freya Coombe took the Angel City job mid-season—bizarrely expecting to see out the season on the east coast after signing with a competitor for 2022.
Last year the team scored 29 goals—tied for fourth best in the league with the Spirit—and that productivity should continue as recently capped by the U.S. Midge Purce (9 goals) and American-born Nigerian international Ifeoma Onumonu (8 goals) accounted for sixty percent of the team's scoring in 2021.
New arrivals for 2022 include two U.S. Women's World Cup winners (2015 and 2019) in defender Ali Krieger and goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris, both from the Orlando Pride, and current American international midfielder Kristie Mewis from the Houston Dash. Michelle Betos (34) was the starter at Louisville last season and will be an experienced and capable backup to Harris; Betos has been in the league since the inaugural year of 2013 and has also played in Australia and Norway. She also is the only NWSL goalkeeper to score a goal, which she did for Portland in 2015 to tie a game against Kansas City FC. Other than the expansion teams, Gotham's FC new additions were phenomenal with so many having key national team backgrounds.
Their defense was strong last season with only 21 goals allowed—second best in the league to Portland's 17—led by Caprice Dydasco who was stellar last season (I thought she was League MVP caliber and a key reason for their strong season) along with Cameroonian international Estelle Johnson, long-time German league defender Gina Lewandowski and ex-Duke University back Imani Dorsey, who scores on occasion. Their two international caliber goalkeepers: Canadian Kailyn Sheridan and Bosnia and Herzegovina's DiDi Haracic, are now with the two California expansion sides (see Part 3 later this month) but Harris and Betos are certainly top-class replacements. The iconic American international midfielder Carli Lloyd retired this offseason and will be missed for her leadership and passion.
Expect NJ/NY Gotham FC to make the playoffs again and they could be a Finalist at the end of the regular season.
North Carolina Courage (9-6-9, 33 points, Sixth)
The revelations about former head coach Paul Riley by Meg Linehan in the Athletic late last season shook the team and the league to its core; if it had been year three rather than year nine, the league likely would have been the third pro league in the U.S. to go defunct, not being able to survive the negative publicity and turmoil. Head Coach Sean Nahas doesn't imbrue a lot of confidence and could be the first to lose his job of the new group of coaches (only Houston has the same coach from the start of 2021) though Nahas has been with the club on the youth side for years and seems to have a bit of a protected species status tag from the ownership group.
Last year, the Courage was tumbling down the table—in early September they were in second place—while losing five of their last six games. Their playoff hopes came down to their last regular season match away against Portland when they survived a goalless draw. They had the luck of the Leprechauns the next day when the Dash—who just needed a point—lost in the last few minutes in Washington (see next week) and the Courage squeaked into the playoffs by one point.
U.S. internationals Jessica McDonald, Sam Mewis and Lynn Williams have all moved onto other league teams during the offseason, while Abby Dahlkemper was moved to Houston during the 2021 campaign and is now with the San Diego Wave. Experience will come from the back in veteran New Zealand international Abby Erceg and American international goalkeeper Casey Murphy, who was stellar last season. Carson Pickett was a Best XI selection after some superb performances while former U.S. international Jaelene (Hinkle) Daniels returns after a year off on maternity leave/retirement.
Brazil's Debinha is a world class talent and has been the club since the 2017 season with over 100 appearances. She will be joined by young compatriot Kerolin Nicoli Israel Ferraz (22), who was most recently with Spain's Madrid CFF, and inked a three-year deal. She played three games for Brazil last month in France in the Tournoi de France against the host nation, the Netherlands and Finland, and had scored five goals in seven previous appearances with Brazil in 2021—she was first called up to the seniors in 2018. A doping suspension kept her out of the 2019 Women's World Cup in France. (See more in last week's column: The Week in Women's Football: All you need to know about Europe's winter transfer window - Tribal Football)
Republic of Ireland international Denise O'Sullivan (28) is still with the side but after a loan spell with Brighton in England in 2020/21, she could be a prospect for a top side in England or Scotland (she played for Glasgow City a decade ago) to be closer for national team duties, particularly if her side qualifies for the 2023 Women's World Cup. She was called in to the squad for their crucial match against Sweden on April 12.
Jamaican international Havana Solaun (29), who scored the Reggae Girlz' only goal in France in 2019 in a 5-1 loss to Australia, could be a major force in attack—she scored five goals for the D.C. Spirit in 2017 and ten goals two years later for Klepp in Norway. The attack is where the team needs to replace McDonald, Williams and Kristen Hamilton (who moved to Kansas City during last season). Rylee Baisden (ex-Brisbane Roar and Loyola Marymount in LA) could be a consistent scorer up front. Jorian Baucom came over in December from Racing Louisville after being waived by the Kentucky side and scored three goals in seven games for Duisburg in Germany in 2020/21. If the team struggles to score, they could add a top attacking talent from abroad.
Rookie Diana Ordonez from the University of Virginia was called into the full Mexican national team for their two W Championship final two group matches in CONCACAF this month, playing against Anguilla (British Overseas Territory) and Puerto Rico (American Territory) in Toluca, a traditional high-altitude venue for national team matches outside of Mexico City. Ordonez was the sixth overall draft pick in the 2022 College Draft. At Virginia, she scored 45 goals (15 game winners).
On March 31, in a huge signing for the club and the NWSL, the Courage signed France women's national team striker Valerie Gauvin from Everton of the WSL. Gauvin said about her move, "I am really proud to join the North Carolina Courage! Since the first conversation I had with Sean, I had a great feeling about the organization. When I was younger, I had the opportunity to join the NCAA, but elected to sign pro in France. It was a difficult choice back then but I always knew playing in America would be something I wanted to experience. This is a new challenge in my career that really motivates me. I couldn't be more excited to do it with a team that has reached the NWSL championship so many times and that will allow me to be a part of a competitive team in the NWSL from the jump. I'm looking forward to starting and giving it all for the fans and my teammates from the first day. Although things went really fast, I thank both clubs and my agent. I'm really happy to start this new adventure, see you soon NC!"
Gauvin has scored 17 goals for France in 37 matches and played in the 2019 WWC Finals at home, scoring against Brazil. She joined Everton from Montpellier two years ago but has missed a number of games through injury. Gauvin (25) was born in Reunion, a French island possession off of Southern Africa.
The Courage should be in the playoff race towards the end of the season (possibly after a slow start) but I view this team as I did the 2019 Washington Spirit, as having a good nucleus of young players but needing some seasoning to build upon. Missing the playoffs will put pressure on Nahas but again, it will depend on the urgency of the ownership group. The signing of Gauvin is a huge positive statement by the club and, if she can remain healthy, could be a huge star in the league.
Note: Over the next few weeks, we will review the 2022 seasons for teams finishing 7th-10th—Houston Dash, Orlando Pride, Racing Louisville and Kansas City in 2021 and then the two new California expansion clubs: Angel City FC (Los Angeles) and San Diego Wave as well as comments from the new NWSL commissioner.
UEFA WCL Quarterfinals
On March 22, Paris St. Germain of France defeated Bayern Munich 2-1 on the road in Germany and took a slim lead back home to Paris for the second leg. French international Marie Katoto scored a brace, with one goal in the 19th minute and the other in the 71st before full German international Klara Buhl (21), in her second season with Bayern after years at Freiburg, scored in the 83rd minute to reduce the deficit. Buhl won a U17-title back in 2016 for Germany in Belarus. In the second leg on March 30, PSG took the lead in the game with a Sandy Baltimore goal in the 17th minute. Japanese international Saki Kumagi tied up the match for Bayern two minutes later and the German club took the lead in the game and tied the aggregate scores on a Lea Schuller goal, who has 13 league goals this season in the Frauen Bundesliga. The teams were tied on aggregate 3-3 but this season away goals are not applied to break ties or Bayern would have advanced to the semifinals. PSG substitute and Switzerland international Ramona Bachmann gave PSG the lead in the 112th minute, during the 30-minute overtime period, on an assist by Canadian international Ashley Lawrence to send PSG through to the semifinals, 2-2 for the match and 4-3 on aggregate. Bachman joined PSG for the 2020/21 season after four seasons in England with Chelsea. She previously played at Wolfsburg in Germany, Rosengard and Umea in Sweden and with the WPS Atlanta Beat in 2010. Bayern, despite a depleted bench, led the French side in ball possession (58% vs. 42%) and shots (20 vs. 12), and were even on shots on goal (6 each), while PSG led in fouls (20 vs. 9) and yellow cards (3 vs. 1). In Paris at the Parc Des Princes Stadium, a club record for the women's team crowd of 27,263 fans created a brilliant atmosphere throughout the game.
In the long-awaited Spanish matchup on March 22, reigning champions Barcelona defeated host Real Madrid 3-1, with Spanish international Alexia Putellas (28) scoring twice, once from the penalty spot. Real had an early lead from Olga Carmona's (21) 8th minute goal, which held up until the 53rd minute. Carmona won a U-19 title with Spain in 2018 in Switzerland and has been with the senior side since 2021; she played in WWC qualifiers late last year for Spain. On March 30 in the second leg, Carmona again scored an early goal for Real Madrid (from the penalty spot) but Barcelona exploded for four second half goals, with Putellas again scoring, to finish the tie at home 5-2 and 8-3 on aggregate.
The game was also notable for the world record attendance of 91,553 for a women's football match that came to the Camp Nou. It surpassed the 90,185 who saw the 1999 Women's World Cup Final in Pasadena/Los Angeles between the U.S. and Canada. Mexican fans will still refer to the 110,000 crowd who came to Mexico City's Azteca Stadium to see Denmark defeat Mexico in a 1971 World Championship, long before FIFA had sanctioned the women's game. It also surpassed the 60,739 club record in a Spanish league match in 2019 between Atletico Madrid and Barca at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium. Barca women typically play their home games at a 6,000 stadium on their training ground. Barca is still alive for the Treble this season, clinching a third consecutive league title last month and they won the Spanish Super Cop as well.
On March 23, in the first leg in Italy, American international Catarina Macario opened the scoring in the 8th minute for Olympique Lyon but, after Australian international Ellie Carpenter was red carded just after the hour mark, Juventus stormed back with a 71st minute goal by Italian international forward Cristiana Girelli and the winner 12 minutes later from Agnese Bonfantini (22) to win the match 2-1. Bonfantini, a full international, scored a brace in Juve's 6-1 Copa Italia win over Milan on March 12. For Juventus, Julia Grosso of Canada and Lisa Hurtig of Sweden started as did Sweden's Linda Sembrant and French goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin, along with the Danish pair Matilde Lundorf (a youth international) and Sofia Junge Pederson (a long-term senior international who won the Silver Medal at the 2017 European Championships in the Netherlands). In the second leg on March 31, WCL Final hosts Juventus ran into a buzzsaw in Lyon, as the French club won 3-1 on the day and 4-3 on aggregate. Lyon scored two goals in two minutes in the first half through Norwegian international Ada Hegerberg and French international Melvine Malard (21), the latter from an assist by American international Lindsey Horan. Fellow American international Catarina Macario scored her sixth WCL goal of the season when she took Delphine Cascarino's cross and brilliantly switched direction with the ball in one movement in the penalty box and scored to clinch the tie. Macario also has scored 11 French League goals this season, her second with OL after playing collegiately at Stanford in America. Czech international Andrea Staskova (21) scored a late goal for Juventus, her sixth of the WCL campaign to go with four in Serie A. The match in Lyon drew 20,017 fans in another strong crowd for the quarterfinals.
In the other match on March 23, Tabea Wassmuth gave the visiting Wolfsburg side the early lead in the 19th minute but Carlotte Wubben-Moy tied it in the 89th minute for Arsenal, with an assist by American Tobin Heath, who came on for Republic of Ireland starting forward Katie McCabe in the 76th minute. Other international starters for Arsenal included: Stina Blackstenius of Sweden, Viv Miedema of Netherlands, Lia Walti of Switzerland, Kim Little of Scotland, Swiss international (American-born) defender Noelle Maritz, Australian defender Steph Catley and goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger of Austria. Midfielder Frida Maanum of Norway came on for Blackstenius as a substitute. In the second leg on March 31, Wolfsburg won 2-0 to take the tie 3-1, with Icelandic international Svendis Jane Jonsdottir (20) providing the assist for former Arsenal player and Dutch international Jill Roord's goal in the 9th minute; Jonsdottir (who also qualifies to play for Ghana through parentage) made a strong run towards the byline in the 72nd minute on the right side of goal and fired a cross towards the goal, which Leah Williamson (25)—an English international and long-time Arsenal defender—put into her own goal. Wolfsburg had a sizeable advantage at halftime of 11 shots to only 1 for Arsenal and had the edge on possession (54% vs. 46%) and the Gunners never looked like they could overturn the deficit. The game in Wolfsburg, a small Volkswagen factory town, drew 11,293 fans.
For Arsenal, Dutch international striker Vivianne Miedema, with the club since 2017 after moving from Bayern Munich, has not yet decided who she will sign with as her contract ends this season. She is thought to prioritize winning the Women's Champions League in her career and has been linked to Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, or could stay in London with the Gunners. Miedema explained, "In the coming weeks I have to get a certain feeling for the right club. [But] the door to Arsenal is definitely not closed yet….Life is good here. And I know myself: I have to be happy off the pitch to perform on the pitch….I want to win the Champions League. I want to get the most out of [my career]. That means I may have to take the next step. I'm 25 and that's still quite young, but I've been around for a while." The striker has scored 83 goals in 74 league appearances for Heerenveen in the Dutch League, 52 goals in 78 games for Bayern Munich and 70 goals in 84 games for Arsenal. In the 2021-22 season alone, she has scored ten goals in 17 WSL games, second to Chelsea's Australian striker Sam Kerr who has 14 from 15 games. It will be interesting to see, after Arsenal's defeat at the WCL quarterfinals, if Miedema stays with Arsenal. If she does leave, the Gunners will have to do a global search for a replacement, which will not be easy as the Dutch star is a once in a generation goal scorer.
Tim Grainey is a contributor to Tribal Football. His latest book Beyond Bend it Like Beckham on the global game of women's football. Get yours copy today.
Follow Tim on Twitter: @TimGrainey