While the end of the NWSL season is always a bit sad; there is a bright side to it. The number of NWSL players who look to go overseas in the off-season seems to grow each year and it has become easier than ever before to catch up with many of your favorite players. The most prominent of these off season moves occur in Australia’s W-League. Though fans may have to wait a little longer for an official partnership between the W-League and the NWSL, there are several ways for them to follow their favorite players abroad. While fans can utilize apps and the W-League website for info, stats and recaps, they now can catch the games live and on replay via Oz.com. While streaming started off on a rocky note for the website, fans have reported high quality streams and videos and seem happy to pay the $4.99 per month subscription to actually get to watch all of the games in a higher quality.
We’ll be providing a weekly roundup of your favorite NWSL players in action; starting with this slightly delayed recap of weeks 1 and 2 (excuse the long post).
Week 1
Sydney FC 1 – 3 Brisbane Roar
Emily Sonnett came off the bench for Sydney FC while Hayley Raso, Carson Pickett, and Celeste Boureille all started for Brisbane. Brisbane took an early lead in the 1st minute thanks for former NWSL player Katrina Gorry. Boureille almost doubled the lead in the 36th minute with a nice header from the right side of the box, but the shot just missed its mark. Brisbane would score again shortly after though and went into the half with a 2-0 lead. Emily Sonnett entered the match at the start of the second half and played a big role in Sydney FC’s attempts to get back into the match, converting a penalty in the 80th minute. Sydney’s efforts fell short though, as Brisbane scored shortly after, winning 3-1. Strong performances throughout the match by Raso, Pickett, Boureille, and Sonnett.
Perth Glory 4 – 1 Melbourne City
Nikki Stanton, Amanda Frisbie, Rachel Hill, Raquel Rodriguez, and Sam Kerr all started for Perth, while Lauren Barnes, Alanna Kennedy, Steph Catley, Jess Fishlock, Larissa Crummer and Ashley Hatch all started for City. Sam Kerr didn’t waste much time demonstrating why she was the 2017 NWSL MVP and Golden Boot winner as she put Perth up 1-0 in the 3rd minute with a nice right footed shot into the bottom left corner of the net. Ashley Hatch, Nikki Stanton and Raquel Rodriguez almost added to the tally with strong offensive performances throughout the first half. Rachel Hill racked up two goals and an assist in a very strong W-League debut, with Rodriguez providing the assist on the final goal in stoppage time. Amanda Frisbie (Perth), Jess Fishlock (City) and Larissa Crummer (City), all had very strong performances in their first match of the W-League season as well.
Melbourne Victory 2 – 1 Canberra United
Natasha Dowie started for Victory while Haley Kopmeyer, Toni Pressley and Ashleigh Sykes all started for Canberra. Natasha Dowie scored the game winner for Victory in the 63rd minute with a great goal from a difficult angle. Ashleigh Sykes and Toni Pressley put in strong performances as well, while Haley Kopmeyer had 4 saves for Canberra despite the loss.
Newcastle Jets 2 – 1 Western Sydney Wanderers
Britt Eckerstrom, Tori Huster, Arin Gilliland and Katie Stengel started for Newcastle while Lo’eau Labonta started for Western Sydney. Katie Stengel got things started for Newcastle when she put the team up 1-0 in the 14th minute. Tori Huster assisted on the game winner by Jenna Kingsley in the 78th minute. Eckerstrom made two saves, helping the team to a win.
Week 2
Melbourne City 1 – 0 Melbourne Victory
Lydia Williams, Alanna Kennedy, Lauren Barnes, Steph Catley, Ashley Hatch, Jess Fishlock and Larissa Crummer all started for City, while Natasha Dowie started for Victory. City took the Melbourne derby with a 1-0 victory. The score could have been higher as Ashley Hatch hit the crossbar for the second week in a row and Jess Fishlock, Alanna Kennedy and Larissa Crummer all put in strong efforts. Natasha Dowie had a couple of good chances for Victory, but could not convert and level the score. Lydia Williams made seven saves in the shutout win.
Western Sydney Wanderers 2 – 1 Adelaide United
Lo’eau Labonta started for Western Sydney while Alyssa Mautz, Danielle Colaprico and Makenzy Doniak started for Adelaide United. Lo’eau Labonta scored her first goal of the W-League season as she put Western Sydney up 1-0 in the 13th minute. Makenzy Doniak brought Adelaide level less than 10 minutes later, but the draw was broken in stoppage time, giving Western Sydney the win.
Newcastle Jets 2 – 0 Sydney FC
Britt Eckerstrom, Tori Huster, Arin Gilleland and Katie Stengel all started for Newcastle, while Emily Sonnett, started for Sydney. In a fairly uneventful match, Arin Gilliland scored the second of Newcastle’s two goals while Britt Eckerstrom earned the shutout in Newcastle’s 2-0 victory
Brisbane Roar 1 – 4 Perth Glory
Carson Pickett and Celeste Boureille started for Brisbane, while Amanda Frisbie, Nikki Stanton, Sam Kerr, Rachel Hill and Raquel Rodriguez all started for Perth. Unfortunately Nikki Stanton wouldn’t stay in this one for long as she suffered a nasty injury in the 20th minute and came out of the match with a broken arm. On the opposite side of the pitch, it was the Rachel Hill and Sam Kerr show for Perth. Hill netted a hat trick while Kerr converted a penalty for a goal of her own and had picked up an assist on Hill’s first of the night. Early in the season yet, but Hill and Kerr are already making quite the statement in the W- League.
Check back next week for a recap of W-League week 3!
