Jacqueline Ovalle, NJ/NY Gotham and why Alayah Pilgrim looks like a Roma star in the making - your women's football roundup
It is always busy when there is both international and domestic action taking place, and yet it is enjoyable at the same time, with there constantly being something to talk about and no shortage of discussion points regardless of where fans or the media turn their attentions to.
The last seven days have been particularly interesting, with major tournaments and play-off matches occurring around the world and a packed programme of league fixtures that will carry huge significance as seasons and competitions reach their endpoints.
As always, this newsletter will bring you the best of the action and will ensure that you are up to date with everything that has been going on, with analysis from on the field and a selection of reading and listening suggestions to dive into, providing insight into what others have been discussing away from the pitch.
3 key talking points….
Jacqueline Ovalle has to be a Gold Cup Player of the Tournament contender
Whilst there have been some issues away from the football pitch, many would agree that, on the field, the inaugural Gold Cup has been a successful event, with plenty of strong performances for fans to enjoy and players continuing to demonstrate why they deserve to play at this level.
The team that have arguably been the strongest so far is Mexico, with them playing with unity and collectiveness and showing why, despite missing out on the World Cup last year, they are not a team to take lightly.
This is not to say that they haven’t had some standout names though, and one player who has really shone has been Jacqueline Ovalle (also known as Lizbeth), who is capable of playing as an attacking midfielder or in the forward line and who has demonstrated throughout Mexico’s campaign her ability to both create and to score goals, as well as her threat when it comes to pressing opponents and her quality in transitions.
https://twitter.com/theMiniNino/status/1678722641258217472
Mexico will face a tough task to reach the final, with opponents Brazil demonstrating why they too are not a team to underestimate, but they will be confident of progression because of Ovalle’s form. The fact that she has been so important for them has surely put her in the running for the Player of the Tournament accolade, and it would take a brave person to bet against her lifting it should Mexico manage to at least make the final two.
NJ/NY Gotham will make it tough to prise the NWSL title from their grasp
Last season saw NJ/NY Gotham go from strugglers to champions of the table in a turnaround that not many saw coming, and it doesn’t look as they will be letting up now that they have tasted glory, with their recent performances in the pre-season Women’s Cup tournament demonstrating that they are hungry for more.
They did start slowly and had to scrap for the win against Colombian side Deportivo Cali in their semi-final match, and there were clear signs that they were still finding their rhythm again after the break.
However, in the final against Racing Louisville, it was clear to see that they have a good idea of how they want to play and that it will not be easy to beat them, with their tactics revolving around carrying the ball out from the back where possible, negating the risk of opponents pressing or making interceptions in dangerous areas, and then using quick passes to feed the ball into their key attacking threats at the other end of the field.
When the ball did arrive inside the final third, that clarity was just as prominent, with the wider attackers (in this game Delanie Sheehan and Katie Stengel) pushing forward whilst Esther González, as the central striker, tended to hold back and to occupy pockets of space just behind them.
https://twitter.com/GothamFC/status/1763759413939106180
The coherence with which they played will help them as they keep preparing for the 2024 NWSL season and look to defend their title, and what was particularly scary is that they were not at full strength in these matches, with some of their key players away on international duty at this moment in time. Therefore, there is another level that Gotham can still get to, and removing the league trophy from their hands will be no mean feat.
Alayah Pilgrim looks like a Roma star in the making
When looking at the reasons for Roma’s rise up the rankings in Italy and Europe, with them now establishing a reputation as title contenders at home and on the continent, it would be easy to only consider their style of play and the way that they rarely stray from their game plan regardless of who they are coming up against.
However, another reason is their recruitment, with them never sitting back and being satisfied with that they have and always trying to develop and to reach another level, and that has led to them making some very strong additions when it comes to either adding new layers to their squad or replacing those who have moved on.
This has been demonstrated particularly well of late by the way that they saw Sophie Román Haug leave for Liverpool last summer and Annamaria Serturini join Inter Milan in January and brought in Alayah Pilgrim from Zürich, with it clear that they had been watching her for some time and had done their research on her to see if she was the right fit for their tactics or not.
“Roma is a club with a really big history. I think this is the best opportunity for me, the best next step in my career to develop and get better.”
Alayah Pilgrim, speaking in January 2024 after signing for Roma.
The early signs have been very positive from Pilgrim, with her making a number of appearances off the bench and slowly growing into her new surroundings but showing during the weekend’s Coppa Italia semi-final first leg match against AC Milan just why Roma wanted her so much, with her making plenty of runs up the pitch and offering a constant outlet and allowing striker Valentina Giacinti to drop back in the manner that she likes to do and creating space for midfielders Giada Greggi and Manuela Giugliano to work their magic in.
She may still be a new player in the Roma team and have yet to make her first start, but there is no doubting that she has the qualities needed to become a key player in the Roma team, and it will be interesting to see how she keeps developing as her time at the club goes on.
Read all about it….
The 1971 World Cup story - this week sees a new documentary released in UK cinemas detailing the story of the unofficial 1971 World Cup, with female players travelling from the UK to Mexico to compete and then returning home to find that nothing had changed with regards to women playing football. It has been a fascinating story and the documentary has received rave reviews in other countries, and this article on the BBC News website by Ian Youngs includes thoughts by those who made it on the extraordinary tales contained in the film.
The state of Manchester United - in a feature-length article for The Athletic, Charlotte Harpur has gone into detail on Manchester United’s current issues and some of the plans and hopes for the women’s team’s future both on and off the pitch now that Sir Jim Ratcliffe has taken charge of sporting matters of the club.
A new system for Chelsea - in a more tactics-focused piece, Abdullah Abdullah has looked at why Emma Hayes might need to alter Chelsea’s midfield shape in order to accomodate the losses to injury ofboth Sam Kerr and Mia Fishel. An interesting read with some insightful thoughts on how they can ensure that their absences don’t hurt their chances of lifting silverware at the end of the campaign.
Lend me your ears….
What can WSL teams learn from Arsenal’s massive crowds? - the latest episode of The Athletic’s women’s football-dedicated podcast, Full Time Europe, looks at how Arsenal are setting the trend for hosting their women’s team’s games at their main stadium and also includes some interesting discussions around their recent survey on the engagement in the women’s game by make fans.
That’s all for now - back next week!!