The UEFA Women's Champions League got off to a competitive start on Tuesday as Manchester City and Arsenal picked up points the hard way, hopefully teasing another entertaining round of action on Wednesday as other heavy-hitters get their campaigns underway. I'm Pardeep Cattry with a look at what's ahead.
📺 Footy fix
All times U.S./Eastern
Wednesday. Sept. 23 🇪🇺 UWCL: OH Leuven vs. Roma, 12:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+ 🇪🇺 UWCL: Servette vs. OL Lyonnes, 12:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+, CBS Sports Network 🇪🇺 UWCL: Barcelona vs. Paris FC, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network 🇪🇺 UWCL: Chelsea vs. Austria Wien, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+, CBS Sports Network 🇺🇸 MLS: Seattle Sounders vs. Real Salt Lake, 9:30 p.m. ➡️ Apple TV
Thursday, Sept. 24 🇪🇺 UNL: Norway vs. Denmark, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ FS1 🌍 AFCON qualification: Cameroon vs. Ghana, 3 p.m. ➡️ beIN Sports 🌎 CNL: Costa Rica vs. Curacao, 10 p.m. ➡️ FS2
⚽ The Forward Line
🇺🇸 USWNT's young stars take center stage
OL Lyonnes and Chelsea resume their usual roles in the Women's Champions League as frequent title chasers, the former eager to dethrone Barcelona and lift the trophy for the first time in five years while the latter hope to actually win Europe's top prize for the first time ever. There is a strong undercurrent running through this season, and in particular, the teams' American players – impress in Europe over the course of the campaign and the reward could be a crucial role on a team with aspirations of winning the Women's World Cup next summer.
Two years after making her international debut and committing to the U.S. women's national team, Lyon's 19-year-old midfielder Lily Yohannes is likely to make the trip to Brazil should the team qualify. The question now is whether or not she will earn a starting spot in Emma Hayes' side in the build-up, something Yohannes has slowly been working towards. She made the move from Ajax to Lyon last year, with head coach Jonatan Giraldez integrating her slowly into the team in a way that is reminiscent of Hayes' approach with the USWNT. Early this season, though, Yohannes seems to have earned the chance to show her skill – she averaged 59 minutes per game in the Premiere Ligue last season but now has two starts in two, slotting into the No. 10 role that international teammate Lindsey Heaps held before leaving for the NWSL's Denver Summit in the summer. Yohannes still has time on the clock, but the chance in front of her is intriguing in its own right: Wednesday's game at Servette, the first of several opportunities to prove she's not just the future of the USWNT but its present, a sizable role at a title-chasing Lyon as good preparation as it gets.
Chelsea, meanwhile, also have two likely World Cup participants in defender Naomi Girma and winger Alyssa Thompson, the pair at different stages of their national team journeys. The 26-year-old Girma is arguably the first name on the team sheet, though her availability for the Blues' clash against Austria Wien is unclear after dealing with a small injury this season. The 21-year-old Thompson, a fellow participant at the 2023 Women's World Cup, is expected to be available during a crucial campaign. She has yet to score this season, but strong outings with Chelsea could pave the way for her to slot into the USWNT's lineup at left winger, a fairly competitive position. Mallory Swanson played there during the gold medal run at the Olympics in 2024 and is still awaiting her first national team minutes since returning from maternity leave, while Emma Sears has played there and Hayes has also given Avery Patterson the responsibilities of a wingback from time to time.
Hayes has so far succeeded in building a deep roster, one that should arrive in Brazil with a realistic chance of winning the World Cup. The task ahead of her – and the many World Cup hopefuls in the player pool – will be to find the exact formula for success, the USWNT and their opponents officially on the clock with less than a year to go.
🏆 See How Matchday 1 Concludes
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☀️ Morning Footy (Weekdays 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.): Join Golazo Network as it helps fans get their day started on the right foot on the network's flagship morning show with highlights, interviews and the biggest soccer storylines. Morning Footy is also available in podcast form, so you'll never have to miss an episode. 3️⃣ Attacking Third: The leading women's soccer podcast and social brand is now a live studio show. The NWSL season is back, and our coverage of the women's game is stronger than ever. Our analysts will be breaking down the USWNT, NWSL and European domestic season all year long. ⚽ Call it What You Want: Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies, and Tony Meola cover all things USMNT and the state of the game in the United States. Catch new episodes live on the Golazo America YouTube channel.
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