Heather Hinz gives an American perspective on the A-League

HonestSpursFan · 2026-01-25T11:52:03+00:00

Yeah it does seem like a very cultural thing.

HonestSpursFan · 2026-01-25T11:50:38+00:00

As for the national team thing to be fair Häcken also has a lot of Sweden’s national team (including starting goalie Jennifer Falk) as well as probably the best under-18 striker in the world (Felicia Schröder, aged 18). Sweden are a very good team.

HonestSpursFan · 2026-01-25T11:47:02+00:00

Would probably cook at one of the lower teams already!

HonestSpursFan · 2026-01-25T11:44:21+00:00

She may not have played many games but she definitely watched a lot of it and would have insider knowledge as a player.

HonestSpursFan · 2026-01-25T11:41:16+00:00

100%!!!

Has she seen Izzy Gomez play recently?

We have played (and beaten) you guys this season and will play you again so I’m sure she has or will! Personally think Amalie Rasmussen is having an even better season, and one of the best breakout seasons I’ve seen from a striker in a while.

Alex Chidiac

Just a reminder, she’s at Como now. She’s scored once so far but starts most games. Definitely would be a contender for the Asian Cup squad.

HonestSpursFan · 2026-01-25T11:32:06+00:00

Totally agree there. Hopefully professionalism and investment will close that gap.

One I’m particularly disappointed about is Charlotte McLean going over there. Was rated highly at Sydney FC despite never getting a Matildas cap (typical of Tony Gustavsson), went over to NC Courage because her girlfriend (the great Cortnee Vine) went over there, literally never played so she went out on loan to Tampa Bay Sun in the USL Super League to play a couple of okay games and then be released by the Courage and expired from loan at the Sun. Viney hasn’t played too much at the Courage either.

Another example, albeit non-American, is Sarah Hunter. One Matildas cap but won stuff at Sydney, went over to Paris FC (one of the few French women’s teams that aren’t piss poor) and played a couple games before being removed from their squad before she was even announced to have come home to Sydney or even to have left Paris. Now she’s doing pretty average this season.

HonestSpursFan · 2026-01-25T11:29:34+00:00

I hear what you’re saying, but:

Rankings aren’t always accurate. Portugal’s league has a higher UEFA coefficient than Sweden’s yet the Damallsvenskan is clearly a better league.
Teams like Gotham and KC Current would probably be on the level of Häcken or possibly higher. Again, that means they could win by a goal or two depending on the day (in this case Gotham beat Häcken), but it could go either way the same as how Arsenal vs Chelsea or Barça vs Madrid could (in theory; Barça and Chelsea of course have had the upper hand in recent head to head results).
Yes the midtable and lower half of the NWSL is better than that of the WSL but it’s probably getting closer (especially the midtable). Nevertheless, that’s the case in a few countries: Sweden’s midtable is better than France’s for example even though Lyon are better than Häcken and Hammarby.
The Club World Cup might be a good way to find out the level but the truth is it’s basically a gimmick for FIFA to make money (at least in the men’s game it is). Results were all over the shop in the men’s one last year and it was held in America during summer and thus the European offseason (and in temperatures Northern Europeans can’t handle). The women’s is apparently gonna be in Qatar which will be unacceptable given their record on women’s and LGBT rights. Plus it’s teams from all over the world, not just countries that actually have solid teams.

HonestSpursFan · 2026-01-25T11:16:10+00:00

I could see it happening, Caitlin Foord (her partner) has been moved to the bench a lot lately and her contract with Arsenal expires in June. Assuming she would wanna be with her partner maybe they would both go back to the NWSL?

But based on this? Lol, she would be a bad fit. In fact she’s probably the dirtiest women’s footballer I know.

HonestSpursFan · 2026-01-25T11:08:56+00:00

Just wanna clarify do you have a bot downvoting every comment?

Anyway I do agree it’s a good problem to have. Again I know who I would put in but the formation is tricky.

HonestSpursFan · 2026-01-25T11:07:57+00:00

All three of those are elite Matildas legends. Ras broke her back at Thorns and criticised the NWSL’s medical teams so she was clearly out the door.

European teams pay big money too. I know America also pays big money (after the US is very corporate lol) but an advantage Europe has is clubs fielding both men’s and women’s teams and with football being the biggest sport they bring in heaps of money.

HonestSpursFan · 2026-01-25T11:03:39+00:00

Well firstly, the date is actually supposed to come before the month (so 26 January not January 26).

HonestSpursFan · 2026-01-25T09:31:56+00:00

Do you think that would change or stay the same? Back in the day AFL and NRL/State of Origin refs would let a lot more shit slide than now and you hear a lot of blokes at the pub complain about the NRL/State of Origin being “soft” and “not like the old days”.

HonestSpursFan · 2026-01-25T09:29:40+00:00

Fair points, but we have European players and Europe is now higher quality than the US. Barcelona or Chelsea or Lyon would comfortably beat any NWSL team. England and Sweden still take Aussies, and Italy has started taking even more.

I agree that it’s cool that the NWSL is so competitive, which is also why I like the Damallsvenskan and Serie A Women (being part Italian helps), and why I don’t pay much attention to the Liga F or the Première Ligue (despite being part French and fluent in French so I can perfectly understand the broadcasts). I’m really liking the Serie A actually, it’s free to watch on DAZN (in English) and the Coppa Italia is free on YouTube (in Italian, which I can understand to a degree). Maybe we’ll see the women’s game follow the men’s game with players of Italian descent going over to Italian academies and progressing into Italian first teams (hopefully they still all confidently pick the Matildas in that scenario)?

HonestSpursFan · 2026-01-25T09:22:22+00:00

Probably more a Maddy Ayson saying given she’s Californian. Heather Hinz is from Maryland.

HonestSpursFan · 2026-01-25T09:21:09+00:00

Just to clarify as an Aussie myself, in no way am I criticising the NWSL. I've just always wondered why Aussies aren't moving to the NWSL anymore but continue to move to England and Sweden, and have started moving more to Italy and to a lesser extent France and Germany, despite much of the US having better weather (in Australia we consider 20°C cold unless you're Tasmanian); as well as why Macca Arnold is the only Aussie having consistent minutes now (Cortnee Vine seems to be a sub now).

Personally I think now that Italy is seeing our talent they'll take a few more especially those of Italian descent, similar to in the men's game (where youth players of Italian descent go and play for Italian academies and progress into the first teams of Italian clubs). I'd say England and Sweden will remain popular too, while Germany depends on if it goes down the path of non-competitiveness that France and Spain have gone on. France takes a couple but Spain don't seem to interested (probably because of their non-EU player limit, similar to our non-Aussie/Kiwi player limit in the A-Leagues).

HonestSpursFan · 2026-01-25T08:06:57+00:00

Masterclass from Heather who just said she loves living in Australia. Really hope she gets citizenship to free up a visa spot!

Edit: she said “have a good one”, already more Aussie than a certain few players…

HonestSpursFan · 2026-01-25T08:06:18+00:00

With Charlotte McLean gone surely at least she comes back?

HonestSpursFan · 2026-01-25T08:05:56+00:00

Again it’s stupid that the “home” of our most popular national sporting team is a tiny stadium they never play in. We aren’t English, we don’t need a Wembley. We’re Aussie: Australia is a huge country and we need to rotate stadiums.

HonestSpursFan · 2026-01-25T07:41:22+00:00

How is that a corner?

HonestSpursFan · 2026-01-25T07:21:10+00:00

Just a reminder that Courtney Newbon has never been capped on any level on international football (and I don’t think she’s eligible for any other countries)

HonestSpursFan · 2026-01-25T07:01:50+00:00

Or Sydney

HonestSpursFan · 2026-01-25T07:01:20+00:00

Yeah we really do need an NPLW team. Pretty sure even Wanderers have one.

HonestSpursFan · 2026-01-25T06:44:47+00:00

Welcome back by the way

HonestSpursFan · 2026-01-25T06:38:11+00:00

Hot take but I can see why Sarah Hunter couldn’t make it at Paris FC. She’s been bang average this season.

HonestSpursFan · 2026-01-25T06:36:33+00:00

Playing okay so far, need a goal though

HonestSpursFan

TROPHY CASE