Tag: Women’s Sport

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FA Cup

Manchester City seal their place in the FA Cup Quarter-finals after a 4-0 win against Sheffield United 

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Photo from @mancitywomen on instagram 

A brace from Lauren Hemp, as well as goals from Aoba Fujino and Laura Coombs helped Manchester City secure a place in the Quarter-finals of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup, and a 4-0 win over WSL2 side Sheffield United. 

Sheffield United kicked us underway but it was Manchester City that started the goal tally off. After an effort from Mary Fowler, Lauren Hemp got the first goal of the afternoon just seven minutes in after Iman Beney found the winger by the far post and her effort was slotted into the back of the net. Just four minutes after the first, the home side found their second from Lauren Hemp as the side repeated the first goal. Iman Beney found Lauren Hemp by the back post and with no one marking her, she fired it into the back of the net. 

The home side continued to pile on the pressure to the WSL2 side with efforts from Leila Ouahabi, but the away side put some shots away from Joy Ralph and Ella Kinzett and failed to find the back of the net. In the 21st minute, Manchester City secured a three goal cushion with a goal from Aoba Fujino. She received the ball from Laura Blindkilde Brown and her shot crossed inside the box and into the bottom corner of the net. 

Both sides continued to provide chances including from Manchester City’s Mary Fowler, Leila Ouahabi, Sam Coffey, Lauren Hemp and Aoba Fujino but all failed to find the four goal lead. Meanwhile for the visitors, chances from Amy Andrew, Lia O’Leary and Mollie Rouse unsuccessfully found the back of the net and couldn’t give Sheffield United a chance. 

First Half: Manchester City 3-0 Sheffield United 

Manchester City started the second half as they meant to go on with multiple chances from Lauren Hemp, Grace Clinton, Mary Fowler and Sam Coffey but they all failed to find something special. After Andree Jeglertz made a quadruple change, the chances continued to arrive for the dominant side. Lauren Hemp was the star of the show after having more chances in the second half but failed to produce another goal and ultimately her hat-trick ball. 

Sheffield United had a number of chances from Amy Andrew but Khiara Keating in net did well to keep the chances away with Laura Coombs in the Manchester City shirt finding the final goal of the day in the 90+3’ minute. Her shot came initially from Rebecca Knaak after a corner saw her head the ball by the far post and a scramble by the goal saw Coombs find the end of it and into the back of the net. 

Second Half: Manchester City 4-0 Sheffield United  

What’s next for both sides: 

After the win in the fifth round, Manchester City now head into the hat for the quarter-final stages with the draw taking place on Monday (23rd February) and fixtures taking place in the first week of April. 

After the international break, Manchester City head to Aston Villa on Sunday 15th March at 11:55 with Sheffield United hosting Newcastle at 6pm on Saturday 14th March. 

Teams: 

Manchester City: Keating, Prior, Greenwood © (Knaak 63’), Ouahabi, Beney, Blindkilde Brown (Lohmann 63’), Coffey, Hemp (Murphy 81’), Fujino (Coombs 63’), Clinton, Fowler (Shaw 63’). 

Unused Substitutes: Cumings, Rose, Miedema, Hasegawa.


Goals: Hemp (7’,11’), Fujino (21’), Coombs (90+3’) 

Sheffield United: Rogers, Cowan, Kinzett © (Phillips 90’), Andrews (King 91’), Ralph (Hill 78’), Devlin (Guyatt 46’), O’Leary (Scofield 63’), O’Rourke, Sherwood, Rouse, Butler. 

Unused Substitutes: Parker-Smith, Thompson. 

Yellow Cards: Guyatt (90’) 

Categories
FA Cup

Women’s FA Cup Match Preview: Manchester City vs Sheffield United 

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Adobe Women’s FA Cup action returns this weekend and the fifth round kicks off as Sheffield United from the WSL2 head to the Joie Stadium and face Manchester City on Sunday (22nd February) at 2pm. 

Last Game: 

They last faced each other in January 2023 with the home side winning 7-0 after goals from Deyna Castellanos, Chloe Kelly, a Julie Blakstad brace and a Bunny Shaw hat-trick. Prior to that, they faced each other only in the League Cup with wins for City in both (6-0 and 4-0). 

Starting 11’s from that day: 

Manchester City: Roebuck, Aleixandri (Casparij 68’), Kennedy, Greenwood, Ouahabi, Hasegawa (Houghton 68’), Angeldahl (Fowler 68’), Castellanos, Kelly, Blakstad, Shaw. 

Sheffield United: N.Wilson, Newsham, Barker ©, Hartley, Riglar, Cusack, Rayner (Muir 62’), Paul, Enderby (Walters 69’), Wilcock (Haywood 46’), E.Wilson. 

Manchester City:

Last Game in the FA Cup: Manchester City last faced Bournemouth in the fourth round, winning 6-0 away from home. Goals from Bunny Shaw, Lauren Hemp and braces from Laura Coombs and Vivianne Miedema secured the win for the blues and they headed to the next round of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup. 

Starting 11: Keating, Rose (Prior 56’), Knaak (Greenwood 46’), Ouahabi, Beney (Casparij 71’), Blindkilde Brown, Hasegawa, Hemp (Murphy 46’), Coombs ©, Clinton, Shaw (Miedema 56’). 

Unused Substitutes: Cumings, Thomas, Adedini. 

Form in all competitions: Manchester City have been in great form in the last five matches – 3 wins and 2 losses in all competitions. Their most recent win came at home against Leicester as they ran out 6-0 winners after their 1-0 loss against Arsenal the week prior. After losing 1-0 to Chelsea in the League Cup semi-finals, they won 5-1 in the league fixture less than 2 weeks later with a 2-1 win away against London City Lionesses between the two. 

Words from Andree Jeglertz’ press conference: 

Speaking to the media, he said that Mary Fowler could be in line for some minutes after suffering some setbacks since returning to full fitness. He also spoke about approaching the game like any other game, with no suggestion of taking the Blades challenge lightly: “We feel there are still things we can do a little better and things we want to improve. Even though we’re in a great place and feel places to grow in.”

Sheffield United:

Last Game in the FA Cup: They last faced Ipswich away from home in the fourth round of the cup, winning 2-1. A brace from Charlie Devlin helped the blades secure their place against Manchester City. 

Starting 11: Rogers, Cowan, Lafayette, Kinzett (Butler 82’), Andrews, Devlin (O’Rourke 85’), Aherene, Bristow, Thomas (Phillips 90’), Rouse, Reavill. 

Unused Substitutes: Parker-Smith, Thompson, King. 

Form in all competitions: United have won one, drawn one, and lost three in the last five games in all competitions. The three losses and a draw makes them sit 10th in the league with 13 points and 3 points ahead of bottom of the league, Portsmouth. 

Categories
Ice Hockey

A rivalry on the ice that has lasted for decades  

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from @hockeycanada on instagram 

USA vs Canada Women’s Ice Hockey; A rivalry that has lasted since their first meeting in April 1987. They have already faced each other in the 2026 Winter Olympic games and will face each other again in the Gold Medal match on Thursday (19th February). Playing 194 times, they have faced each other in seven of the eight Olympics, as well as 23 of 24 IIHF Women’s World Championships and 21 of 23 4 Nations Cups since the beginning of their international play. 

Canada currently lead the rivalry 106 wins to America’s 87 but in their latest meeting, USA won 5-0 in the first meeting of the 2026 Winter Olympics. In 1998, America won gold over Canada, but since then the Canadians have dominated in the Olympics where they have won the next four gold medals against the USA (except for 2006 – where Canada won Gold and USA won Bronze). Until 2018, this happened and USA ended the gold winning drought after winning in a shoot out but Canada regained that Gold the following Olympic games in 2022. 

In the World Championships, it is a different story for the USA as from 2005 to 2019 they dominated winning 9 out of 11 and defeating the Canadians on eight occasions. Since 2020, the World Championships have been won by Canada in 3 out of the last 4. At the 4 Nations Cup (a round robin competition with Finland and Sweden added), the two faced each other in every gold medal match (apart from 2001 and 2013) but has not been played since 2018. Between 1996 and 2010, Canada won 12 out of 15 matches with 2011-2018, USA won 6 of the 8. 

In the preliminary round of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, the USA won 5-0 with goals from Caroline Harvey, Laila Edwards, Kirsten Simms and two from Hannah Bilka . This was not the first time they faced each other twice in the Olympics as it happened in 2022 in China. Back then, Canada won both with the preliminary round being won 4-2 and the Gold Medal match being won by 3-2. 

How both teams got to the final

USA: 

5/02 – USA 5-1 Czechia – Preliminary Round 

7/02 – USA 5-0 Finland – Preliminary Round 

9/02 – Switzerland 0-5 USA – Preliminary Round 

10/02 – Canada 0-5 USA – Preliminary Round 

13/02 – USA 6-0 Italy – Play-offs Quarterfinals 

16/02 – USA 5-0 Sweden – Play offs Semifinals 

Canada: 

7/02 – Switzerland 0-4 Canada – Preliminary Round 

9/02 – Canada 5-1 Czechia – Preliminary Round 

10/02 – Canada 0-5 USA – Preliminary Round 

12/02 – FInland 0-5 Canada – Preliminary Round 

14/02 – Canada 5-1 Germany – Play-offs Quarterfinals

16/02 – Canada 2-1 Switzerland – Play-offs Semifinals 

from @hockeycanada on instagram 

Players to Watch

Canada’s Daryl Watts: 

Playing in all six games, Watts has had eight contributions including two goals and six assists making her a forward to watch. The 26 year old (making her Olympic debut in these games) plays her hockey for Toronto Sceptres in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) and in 2021, was named the University of Wisconsin Female Athlete of the Year. The forward finished her NCAA career as the second highest scorer of all time and remains the highest scoring active player to have completed in NCAA Hockey. 

Following the dissolution of the PHF (Premier Hockey Federation), She entered the PWHL draft and was selected by Ottawa in the inaugural draft. After the 2023/24 season, she became a free agent and signed with her current team, Toronto Sceptres. While with the Sceptres, she reached 50 career points (the second player in PWHL history to do so) and quickly emerged to become one of the league’s top offensive players. 

USA’s Caroline Harvey: 

Same as Watts, Harvey has played in six games and received nine goal contributions including two goals and seven assists. As a defense, this shows that she is a player to keep your eyes on in the final. Aged 23, she is currently a senior at the University of Wisconsin and regarded as one of the best defenseman in the world. This is due to her becoming only the second defenseman in history to lead the USA at an Olympics or World Championships in points. As well as being named as the best Defenseman at the 2023 and 2025 World Championships. 

She made her Olympic debut aged 19 in 2022 and was the youngest player on the roster, winning a silver medal – her medal tally isn’t too bad either. She has won gold at the 2023 and 2025 World Championships as well as silver in the 2021, 2022 and 2024 Worlds. For U18 level, she has won gold in 2020 and in 2019, won silver. 

Canada’s Marie-Philip Poulin: 

We couldn’t not include Captain and lead Olympic scorer, Marie-Philip Poulin. She was named the IIHF Female Player of the Year in 2025 and recently scored her 20th Olympic goal, a new record for the Canadian. She is a three-time Olympic gold medallist as well as being a four-time World Champion for her national team. She scored the winning goal in the gold medal matches for three out of the four games she has competed in (2010,2014 and 2022). 

The 34 year old currently plays for the Montreal Victoire, becoming captain for the squad in 2023, and was protected from the 2025 Expansion Draft from Seattle and Vancouver. She was named a knight of the National Order of Quebec in 2024 and has been the Captain of the Canadian National team since 2015. She is now widely being regarded as one of the greatest Canadian players of all time for her clutch performances on the ice.  

from @hockeycanada on instagram 

Categories
Lionesses

Squad Announced as England begin FIFA World Cup Campaign

Photo by Aimee Reynolds

England are back in action next month as they begin their bid to secure a spot in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027.

In 2023, the team placed second in the competition in Australia & New Zealand, losing 1-0 to Spain in the final in Sydney and the team are out for vengeance this year.

Earlier today, a new 25-player squad was announced in lieu of the qualifying matches against both Ukraine and Iceland, with the squad as follows:

Goal Keepers:

Hannah Hampton, Anna Moorhouse, Ellie Roebuck

Defenders:

Lucy Bronze, Jess Carter, Grace Fisk, Alex Greenwood, Taylor Hinds, Maya Le Tissier, Esme Morgan, Poppy Pattinson, Leah Williamson, Lotte Wubben-Moy

Midfielders:

Laura Blindkilde Brown, Grace Clinton, Lucia Kendall, Georgia Stanway, Keira Walsh

Forwards:

Aggie Beever-Jones, Freya Godfrey, Lauren Hemp, Lauren James, Chloe Kelly, Jess Park, Alessia Russo

One big noticeable change sees Ellie Roebuck called up in place of Khiara Keating, the goal keeper being called up in the primary squad for the first time since October 2023, having missed out on play opportunities both due to a stroke and a lack of playing time prior to illness.

In terms of defence, Poppy Pattinson earned herself her maiden call up to the senior team, with Jess Carter, Alex Greenwood and captain Leah Williamson all returning to the side after missing out on the November/December fixtures due to injury and recovery protocol. Niamh Charles misses out through injury once more.

With just five players named in the Lionesses midfield, we see Ella Toone and Missy Bo Kearns miss out through injury. This, combined with the recent retirement of Fran Kirby leaves England with a unique midfield mix and veterans Georgia Stanway and Keira Walsh likely to play alongside more inexperienced players in Laura Blindkilde Brown, Grace Clinton and Lucia Kendall – the 21-year-old earning her debut just five months ago.

England’s attack looks much the same to previous squads, with Lauren James returning to the squad for the first time since England’s triumphant summer and Beth Mead missing out through injury. Meanwhile, Freya Godfrey maintains her spot in the squad after an impressive performance against Manchester City as Sarina Wiegman looked on.

England face Ukraine in Antalya, Turkeyon Tuesday 3rd March at 17:00 GMT with the sides facing each other for the first time since 2014.

Four days later, the Lionesses return to home soil as they face Iceland for the first time since 2009 on Saturday 7th March at 12:30 GMT with the match taking place at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground.

Categories
WSL

Sixth Sense for Manchester City against bottom of the league, Leicester City 

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photo taken from @mancitywomen on instagram

Goals from Khadija Shaw, Yui Hasegawa, Aoba Fujino, Kerolin and a Vivianne Miedema double secured all three points. After 14 league wins (including this one), it puts them 11 points clear of rivals, Manchester United with six league games remaining. 

Manchester City started positively out of the blocks with multiple chances from Bunny Shaw being saved from Leicester City Goalkeeper Olivia Clark. Chances continued to come until the first goal 22 minutes in, with efforts from Lauren Hemp, Sam Coffey, Bunny Shaw, Kerstin Casparij and Vivianne Miedema all finding wide of the goal. 

22 minutes in, a diving header from Bunny Shaw caused the start of a goal-scoring rampage from the hosts, after the cross from Lauren Hemp on the left side found Bunny in the box and breezed it past Clark in net. 

After chances from Kerolin and Alex Greenwood in the blue of Manchester City, Vivianne Miedema found the two goal cushion six minutes after the first goal. Just outside the 18 yard box, she cut it across, and fired it into the bottom left side of the net. 

Although it was predominantly Manchester City, the visitors did have a couple of chances from Alisha Lehmann but Ayaka Yamashita did well to keep them out of it. Chances continued to come for Bunny Shaw after her and Lauren Hemp were comfortable with the ball but nothing came from then until another Vivianne Miedema goal 36 minutes in. 

She saw the cross from Lauren Hemp on the left side with her head finding the ball, and firing it past Clark in the Leicester net. Just two minutes later, Yui Hasegawa made it 4-0 after a cross from Kerolin on the right side found Hasegawa in the box and her first time attempt looped over Olivia Clark. 

Half-time: Manchester City 4-0 Leicester City 

Right off the blocks in the second half saw a fifth for Manchester City just three minutes after the restart from Kerolin. Her first-time effort from outside the box found the top left corner after the initial shot from Vivianne Miedema was blocked. 

Chances for the home side kept coming in following the first goal of the half with Aoba Fujino rounding off the scoring in the 66th minute. After pressure on Leicester, the effort went past the keeper and slotted into the back of the net and just minutes later, even had another shot on target. 

Both Home and Away sides saw chances in the final 20 minutes including Leicester looking to reduce the demolition with chances from Noemie Mouchon, hitting the top netting twice. They ultimately saw their 10th loss of the season, with Manchester calling home a fortress after scoring 22 and conceding two in the last five games.  

Full-time: Manchester City 6-0 Leicester 

What’s next for the sides: 

City remain at home as they welcome WSL2 side Sheffield United in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup, on 22nd February. For Leicester, they now have a full month off with their next game being away from home against Liverpool on 15th March in the league. 

How the teams looked: 

Manchester City: Yamashita, Rose, Greenwood © (Ouahabi 58’), Shaw, Miedema (Clinton 58’), Hemp, Kerolin (Fujino 58’), Coffey (Blindkilde Brown 77’), Casparij (Beney 77’), Hasegawa, Knaak. 

Unused Substitutes: Keating, Coombs, Lohmann, Prior. 

Goals: Shaw (22’), Miedema (28’, 36’), Hasegawa (38’), Kerolin (48’), Fujino (66’).  

Leicester City: Clark, Kees (Ale 69’), Van Egmond, Mouchon, Lehmann (Williams 59’), Thibaud, Mayling, McLoughlin, O’Brien (Payne 59’), Neville ©, Swaby.

Substitutes: Keane, Goodwin, Cain, Ayane, Walne. 

Yellow Cards: Neville (62’)