Page 28 - Irish Examiner USA

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2019 Manchester City USA Wins The Women’s World Cup

10th,

July And Chelsea Move

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EXAMINER WSL Openers To

IRISH Men’s Stadiums

The United States won the Women’s World Cup for a fourth
time, beating Holland 2-0 in Lyon.
After being thwarted by a series of excellent Sari Van
Veenendaal saves in the first half, the US took the lead in the 61st
minute when Megan Rapinoe coolly converted a penalty award-
ed via VAR.
Rose Lavelle doubled the lead eight minutes later as the hold-
ers made sure of a successful defense of the title.
They become the second team to win the competition twice
in a row, matching the feat of 2003 and 2007 champions
Germany.
Both US successes have been achieved under the manage-
ment of Jill Ellis.
Rapinoe’s spot-kick saw her finish alongside team-mate Alex
Morgan and England’s Ellen White as the tournament’s joint
anchester City and want fans to view the WSL as the ones you want to be in as top-scorer with six goals. C
Chelsea will play a product worth paying for. a player and every one of us
Mtheir opening The club, however, did Manchester City players is Sweden Defeat England To Finish Third
matches of the Women’s benchmark their adult price looking forward to getting on At Women’s World Cup
Super League season at against the cheapest ticket that pitch and giving you all a England
the Etihad Stadium and available at the Women’s performance to be proud of.” missed out
Stamford Bridge respec- World Cup in France. Last season, City finished on a third-
tively, the two clubs have It will be only the second second in the WSL and won placed fin-
announced. time City’s women’s team both the Women’s FA Cup ish at the
City’s meeting with have played at the Etihad, and League Cup. Women’s
Manchester United on with the first coming during Spurs came up with World Cup
September 7 and Chelsea’s their successful Women’s United as Championship run- as they
clash with Tottenham the League Cup run in 2014. ners-up but they also face a were beat-
following day will both be Their usual home is the tough WSL opener against en 2-1 by
staged at the Premier League 7,000-capacity Academy Emma Hayes’ experienced Sweden in
grounds, with the men’s top- Stadium, a five-minute walk Chelsea side, which reached their play-
flight on an international away from the men’s ground. the last four of the off in Nice.
break. The match, which kicks Champions League last sea- Sweden
The decision to move the off at 10am EDT, will also be son and feature England stars raced into a
most high-profile WSL sea- the first women’s Fran Kirby, Millie Bright and 2-0 lead at
son-openers to large stadi- Manchester derby since Carly Telford. the Allianz Riviera, with Kosovare Asllani firing in in the 11th
ums is part of a wider initia- United launched their team The game will kick off at minute after an Alex Greenwood error and Sofia Jakobsson
tive by the Football at the start of last season. 7.30am EDT on September 8, adding a fine strike in the 22nd.
Phil Neville’s Lionesses replied through Fran Kirby’s left-foot-
Association, which runs the Former England captain and Chelsea have told fans to ed effort just after the half-hour mark and two minutes later the
league, and the 12 member Casey Stoney’s side won the only order tickets if they are ball was in the Swedes’ net again courtesy of an Ellen White fin-
clubs to build on the interest Championship last season sure they can attend, as they ish.
generated by England’s but City will represent a for- are expecting a full house. But, just had been the case in the 2-1 semi-final loss to the
Women’s World Cup cam- midable first game at this The full fixture list for the United States four days earlier, White had what she had thought
paign. level as their squad is packed new WSL season, its second was an equalizer disallowed following a VAR review.
Fans can claim up to four with players from England’s as a fully-professional league This time the forward – the tournament’s joint top-scorer
free tickets for the London France 2019 line-up, includ- and first with Barclays as a with six goals – was judged to have been guilty of a handball.
derby, while City are offering ing captain Steph Houghton, title sponsor, will be revealed White’s frustration at the decision was clear, and it ended up
up to three free tickets for midfielder Jill Scott and lead- on Wednesday, but the four a disappointing outing overall for the team after they had the bet-
under-16s per paying adult, ing scorer Ellen White. other opening games have ter of the second half but were unable to save themselves from
with adult tickets at £7. Any “We are all very excited to already been announced and defeat, with Lucy Bronze seeing a late strike cleared off the line
additional child’s ticket will play our first home game of will see champions Arsenal by Nilla Fischer.
cost £2. the season at the Etihad host FA Cup runners-up Victory would have made the campaign in France England’s
It is understood City con- Stadium and, better yet, in a West Ham, Everton visit joint-best performance at a Women’s World Cup, four years on
sidered making the game free Manchester derby,” said Birmingham, Bristol City from them securing bronze for the first time in Canada.
of charge but decided adults Houghton in a statement. host Brighton and Reading Instead they must settle for fourth, while Sweden, the 2003
should pay something as they “Big games like this are go to Liverpool. C runners-up, take home bronze for a third time.C