Women’s soccer weekly news: Naomi Girma leads NWSL 2022 Draft, all-Spanish quarter-final headlines UEFA Women’s Champions League draw
The 2022 Draft and its repercussions have caused a stir in the NWSL, while Lindsey Horan, Trinity Rodman, and Jessica Fleming were all honoured in end-of-season awards for their respective football heroics.
Football
It was a bumper week of action in the world of women’s football.
The 2022 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Draft and Expansion Draft caused a flurry of action in the United States. The name up it lights is Naomi Girma who emerged as the number one overall pick and will be heading to new franchise San Diego Wave FC.
More on that later.
The US and Canada also dished out top, end-of-season honours as their players of the year were announced.
Elsewhere the UEFA’s Women’s Champions League quarter-final draw took place, England announced a new four-nation tournament, details for second edition of the Tournoi de France dropped, and to top it all the Swedish FA have agreed equal pay for male and female footballers.
NWSL Draft 2022: Results
The NWSL held its 2022 Draft on Saturday (December 18) heralding the arrival of lots of new and upcoming talent keen to make their name in North America’s top women’s soccer league.
Ahead of the Draft, FIFA Women's World Cup winner Jessica McDonald made headlines after she was traded by the North Carolina Courage to Racing Louisville FC for the sixth overall pick. Also in the news before the big day was Dani Weatherholt, who will begin her 2022 at new expansion side Angel City FC. The side, part-owned by Serena Williams, selected the midfielder with their first pick in the Expansion Draft (December 16).
Leading the 2022 NWSL Draft is San Diego Wave FC’s number 1 overall pick - Naomi Girma from Stanford. The 21-year-old is the fourth Number 1 overall pick out of the Californian school in the past five editions of the draft.
A total of 50 players from 40 different universities and five countries were selected in total. For the full list of those drafted see here.
Lindsey Horan named US Soccer Female Player of the Year
Award season is in full swing, with U.S. Soccer handing out its top prize.
Lindsey Horan was awarded Female Player of the Year for 2021.
The Tokyo 2020 bronze medal winner pipped renowned USWNT stars including Megan Rapinoe to clinch the prize.
The nod follows a solid year for the 27-year-old who finished 2021 tied for second in assists and fourth in goals for the USWNT and helped her side, the Portland Thorns, win the NWSL Shield as the best team during the regular season.
Horan earned 36 percent of the overall vote, ahead by retiring international veteran Carli Lloyd who amassed 29 percent and Rose Lavelle with 19 percent.
Washington Spirit rising star Trinity Rodman – daughter of famed Chicago Bulls basketball star Dennis Rodman – received the U.S Soccer Young Female Player of the Year.
The award tops what has been a sensational debut season for Rodman, who became the youngest player to be drafted into the NWSL at age 18, going No 2 overall. The NWSL rookie of the year helped lift the Spirit to the Championship title.
Olympic champions Canada honour Jessie Fleming
Jessie Fleming was named Canada Soccer's Player of the Year in the light of her ability to step up to the plate when needed most.
In 17 international matches this year, Chelsea's Fleming made 16 starts and was their joint top scorer, helping Canada set a national record with a 12-match unbeaten streak from April through to October.
During the Games, Fleming scored a crucial penalty in Canada's 1-0 victory over the USA and the equaliser in the gold medal match which would later be won by her country in a penalty shoot-out.
UEFA UWCL quarter-finals: FC Barcelona face familiar foes Real Madrid
After a stunning final week of group stage action that saw last year’s runners-up Chelsea fail to make it through to the knockout stage, we now know how the quarter-finals and semi-finals fixtures will shape up.
UEFA Women's Champion League quarter-final draw
- Bayern Munich v Paris Saint-Germain
- Real Madrid v Barcelona
- Juventus v Lyon
- Arsenal v Wolfsburg
UEFA Women's Champion League semi-final draw
- Real Madrid / Barcelona v Arsenal / Wolfsburg
- Juventus / Lyon v Bayern Munich / Paris Saint-Germain
The quarter-finals place take place over two legs beginning 22-23 March 2022 and ending 30-31 March 2022.
The final will take place at the Juventus Stadium in Turin, Italy, once the semi-final winners are known.
READ MORE: UEFA Women's Champions League draw: Holders FC Barcelona to play Real Madrid
England to host Canada, Germany, and Spain in new Arnold Clark Cup next February
England, Germany, Spain, and Canada will take part in a new international competition - the Arnold Clark Cup - next February.
Each team will play a round-robin matches in venues spread across England for a chance to claim a piece of silverware and bragging rights ahead of next year’s Euros.
Elsewhere, times and dates have been finalised for another women’s football competition taking place nearby.
France will host Brazil, Finland, and Netherlands in the second edition of the Tournoi de France. Taking on the same format as the SheBelieves Cup, each team will play one another in a round-robin format and it will take place from February 16 - February 19.
They're seen as important fixtures ahead of the next FIFA Women's World Cup in 2023.
Also in February, Morocco will face Ivory Coast for a place in the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations tournament, which is a direct qualifying event for the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.