Women's soccer weekly news: USWNT top FIFA world rankings, Ada Hegerberg makes UEFA Women’s Champions League history
Australia’s Matildas head into AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2022 as favourites, while Arsenal extend their win-streak in the England Women’s Super League to 18 matches.
Football
Headlining this week's women's football news is an intriguing FIFA world rankings update.
Tokyo 2020 bronze medallists United States (USWNT) keep the target firmly on their back, but things have become interesting below them. More on that later.
Elsewhere, Norway's Ada Hegerberg notched a UEFA Women's Champions League and English side Arsenal got a 4-0 schooling from Spain's Barcelona. The Gunners, however, bounced quickly back to safeguard their own domestic league record and go four points clear at the top of the FA Women's Super League (WSL) table.
Read on for your one-stop weekly update in the world of women's soccer.
FIFA World Rankings: USWNT retain top spot fourth year running
It’s been four months since the last FIFA world rankings were revealed and while over 300 international fixtures have taken place, little has changed at the top.
The USA are still in first-place - a spot they have occupied since 2017 - with Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medallists Sweden and Germany holding onto second and third respectively.
But here's where it gets more competitive.
In a surprise shift France have moved ahead of the Netherlands into fourth. The Dutch team's recent results against the Czech Republic and Japan see them fall to fifth. Spain are also happy after leapfrogging DPR Korea to take ninth.
Further down the rankings Montenegro were the highest movers, scaling 13 places to climb from 98th to 85th. Meanwhile, Lebanon scooped up the greatest number of points, after their wins against United Arab Emirates and Guam - allowing them to rise by five places.
The AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2022 begins next month and Australia will begin the event in buoyant mood as the highest-ranked country in the competition, sitting 11th in the rankings.
Japan are behind in 13th, Korea Republic in 18th and the People’s Republic of China sit in 19th.
PODCAST: Kelley O'Hara - celebrating the excellence and intensity of USWNT
UEFA Women’s Champions League: Ada Hegerberg makes goal-scoring history
Norway’s Ada Hegerberg copped a piece of Women’s Champions League history when she scored two of Olympique Lyonnais Feminin’s five goals against Benfica, during the group stage competition.
The striker, who has been blighted in recently by injury, became the first player to score 50 UWCL goals for a single club when she sunk her first in the Group D contest. The second, which came just before the break, gave the seven-time winners a comprehensive 4-0 lead going into half-time. Signe Bruun tapped in the second, sealing Lyon’s place in the quarter-finals.
Jenni Hermoso led Barcelona to a thumping 4-0 victory over English side Arsenal. The current title holders exposed the Gunners from the outset, scoring an opportunist goal on 23 minutes. Hermoso and Fridolina Rolfö added their own before half-time after which, the Spaniard returned to thump a fourth one home.
Results from UEFA UWCL group stage matches (December 8 and 9):
- Servette FCCF 0-3 Wolfsburg
- Kharkiv 0-6 Paris Saint Germain
- Chelsea 0-0 Juventus
- Breidablik 0-3 Real Madrid
- HB Køge 1-2 Hoffenheim
- Häcken 1-5 Bayern Munich
- Arsenal 0-4 Barcelona
- Benefica 0-5 Lyon
Vivianne Miedema pushes FA WSL leaders Arsenal four points clear
After a busy mid-week featuring Champions League matches, the weekend’s the WSL did not fail to deliver.
Emma Hayes’ Chelsea suffered a shock blow to their title defence after they lost 1-0 to Reading. Tokyo 2020 gold medallist Deanne Rose’s strike just four minutes into the clash handed the Royals the early lead.
Although the Blues dominated possession, shots on goal and corners, they were unable to land the killer blow. Their wastefulness gifted their opponents a first win over Reading.
Current table toppers Arsenal made light work capitalising on Chelsea stumble. The Gunners laid to rest their woeful loss to Barcelona with their own 4-0 victory against Leicester.
Goals from Jordan Nobbs and leading goal-scorer from Tokyo 2020 Vivianne Miedema handed Arsenal a 2-0 going into halftime. Two more goals by Frida Maanum deep into the final ten minutes of goal emphatically signed off Arsenal’s 18th win on the bounce.
Results from FA WSL matches (December 11 and 12):
- Reading 1-0 Chelsea
- Brighton & Hove Albion 0-2 Manchester United
- Everton 1-1 West Ham United
- Birmingham City 2-3 Manchester City
- Aston Villa 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur
- Arsenal 4-0 Leicester City
To find the FA WSL table as it stands click here.