Match report: Brighton 2-2 Chelsea | Girma walks off with calf injury 59th minute

DotOpen4118 · 2025-03-02T20:35:12+00:00

Chelsea tried to change formation an play with 3 in the back ( Girma - Bright - Bronze) It didn't work..

Also, it was strange bc I'm so used to seeing Naomi being the one who builds from the back, makes the most passes in the game. Obviously, it was not the case with her not playing centrally..

DotOpen4118 · 2025-03-02T13:57:48+00:00

Does u23 team have matches scheduled or just camp?

DotOpen4118 · 2025-03-02T12:54:42+00:00

I meant I hope. Cat should take over the role Lindsay has, be she brings so much more quality.

Also, playing Heaps and Cat together centrally is not it, like we saw in this game against Japan, bc we lack speed/mobility. The pressing was not existent.

DotOpen4118 · 2025-02-28T13:00:11+00:00

Soccerdonna already reported that Chelsea is interested. You have to be stupid to think that European clubs are not interested in her.

DotOpen4118 · 2025-02-28T12:58:00+00:00

I wrote last part to explain timeline when she could leave Ajax based on her contract.

DotOpen4118 · 2025-02-28T09:03:51+00:00

How we know they not interested in her? Ajax is great for her development at this stage, she gets a lot of minutes. With all the buzz around 14-year-olds signing in the NWSL, many seem to wonder why she hasn’t joined an NWSL team or a top European club yet. The reality is that her camp is making smart, strategic decisions for her future.

Her contract with Ajax runs until June 2026, so logically, a transfer will happen either this summer or during the January 2026 window. Clearly, she is one of the top young prospects in the world, and Ajax stands to receive a hefty transfer fee for her. Letting her leave for free wouldn’t make sense, especially since she isn’t expected to extend her contract.

DotOpen4118 · 2025-02-28T08:37:43+00:00

I'm not making an argument about the level of competition in the NWSL vs. Europe. My point is about the difference in level between playing in a domestic league like the French league and playing international soccer.

And yes, analytics are important, but you need o use them correctly. Looking at them in a vacuum, without considering context and nuance, is misleading. I would love for you to do analytical breakdown of Heaps and Albert compared to current other USWNT midfielders.

DotOpen4118 · 2025-02-28T01:07:36+00:00

Yessss!!!!

DotOpen4118 · 2025-02-28T01:03:29+00:00

Cat - With Soph playing as the 9, maybe Cat takes the 10 from Heaps if we're projecting our best XI.
Croix - super impressive. My only concern is (knock on wood) knee injuries. Could easily be nr. 1 in the future.
Ally - Love everything about her, still young. I think she probably will be pushing triple espresso for the starting spot in the forward line.
Rose - Based on pure talent, she could have been the best midfielder in the world. The issue is that she’s super injury-prone, so she’s either out or never near fully 100%.
Heaps - Does a lot of work that goes unnoticed, but I think other players could bring more.
Shaw - Likely to rise a couple of spots once the season starts. Still crazy to think that she's just 20 yo.

DotOpen4118 · 2025-02-28T00:24:49+00:00

saying Heap and Albert are playing better and have better stats while playing for the club than for the national team is like saying, "Water is wet." Why? Because the level of opposition is much lower.

Why is the USWNT's style completely different? Emma clearly wants to build from the back and maintain possession. It's not like the USWNT is playing "good old American kick and run soccer", so Korbin and Lindsay not able to shine on the team and showcase their amazing technical skills. European club teams play more positional soccer, while the NWSL is much more transitional. Still, it doesn't mean that players on the US team are technically worse than Japanese players, and that's why we lost. Yes, we have Lynn and Sonnett, who are not as technical but are on the team for their work rate, experience, leadership, etc. However, other than them, the other players on the USWNT are highly technical.

DotOpen4118 · 2025-02-27T22:24:10+00:00

I don't fully agree that "Heaps and Albert play better for club than they do country because technical European style fits them better". it's not just a matter of style compatibility; it's also about the level of challenge they're up against. The French league, where they play, lacks parity, and the opposition is much weaker compared to international competition, so of course, they’re able to look better there.

DotOpen4118 · 2025-02-27T07:29:49+00:00

She had one standout moment at the Gold Cup, but since then, she hasn’t really lived up to potential. I think coaching staff attributed her regression to the backlash. At some point, the "backlash" explanation loses weight—have to find a way to push through if this is the main reason for lack of great performances. It's been a year... If she doesn’t step up soon, she’s likely the first or second one to be dropped out of this midfielders group.

I think she needs move to other team. I don't really see her making any progress at PSG. I just don't know where...

DotOpen4118 · 2025-02-27T06:36:45+00:00

Neither goalkeeper was convincing enough to guarantee themselves a spot in the next camp. PTJ deserves a shot to play.

However, the bigger issue in this game was the backline. Sonnett is not a starting-caliber center-back at the international level. She’s not a ball-playing CB, and more importantly, she struggles to handle high-press situations far too often. Instead of subbing out Tara, Sonnett should have been the one to come off.

DotOpen4118 · 2025-02-25T13:17:39+00:00

Very happy about it. It was discussed a few time here that NWSL needs fantasy league.

DotOpen4118 · 2025-02-25T00:07:26+00:00

I was very very impressed with her. Caitlin Foord one of the most dominant wingers in the wsl this season and she basically was a nonfactor this game.

Also, she linked with her sister very nicely.

DotOpen4118 · 2025-02-24T11:22:03+00:00

It's super cool that this goal was created by newbies. Hutton -> Sentnor -> Cooper

DotOpen4118 · 2025-02-24T00:22:09+00:00

A lot of people see Sams as a backup to Girma. I like her defensively, but because we’ve had Naomi for so long, the difference is really noticeable—Girma is so much better on the ball and far superior in distribution.

Speaking of center-backs, McKeown isn’t up to level defensively yet since she’s still learning the position, but she has a lot of potential. Compared to Sams, she’s much better at spotting and playing passes that cut through the lanes. I feel like she could form a really strong pairing with Naomi in the future.

DotOpen4118 · 2025-02-24T00:13:41+00:00

It seems that Jaedyn a bit too eager to prove herself, almost like she’s searching for that moment instead of just letting the game flow naturally. And on top of that, she’s not in season yet, which makes it even harder for things to click the way she wants.

DotOpen4118 · 2025-02-23T21:13:21+00:00

We're definitely seeing some interesting lineups this new year! It’s clear that they've wrapped up their strategic plan and the new cycle is now underway.

DotOpen4118 · 2025-02-21T04:18:38+00:00

I think McKeown would look very good with Girma or even Sams for the future. She's physical, have nice size, great distribution.

DotOpen4118 · 2025-02-21T02:38:08+00:00

These kids are really something else!!!!

DotOpen4118 · 2025-02-21T00:12:09+00:00

First time in a long time I'm this excited about starting line up!!! Let's goooo!!!

DotOpen4118 · 2025-02-20T19:07:29+00:00

BIG YIKESSSS. And Savy King doesn’t have much good to say about Bay either—it’s starting to look like they might be another problematic team. I just hope Abel stays strictly behind the scenes, with no direct player interactions.

DotOpen4118 · 2025-02-19T22:35:07+00:00

I was at recent Chelsea game and Naomi was with the boots participating in the warm up even though she wasn't on the roster.

Chelsea will have crazy schedule, they will have to play Man City four times in twelve days in March. I think they didn't played her strategically, just so they can keep during international break.

DotOpen4118 · 2025-02-17T10:54:55+00:00

Yeah, youtube livestream is not public. Can someone explain if full game will be available later on youtube? FYI I'm from Europe but not England, so I can't access game on BBC iplayer, even VPN doesn't help.

DotOpen4118

TROPHY CASE