#geyse give me a chance please

[sccpmccabe]

Oh hiii Geyse! Sorry to bother you, but could you choke me? Please?

[cookies-sports]

Matches from the week of September 16th (2/2)

Continued from this post, some thoughts below the cut on:

Manchester United vs West Ham

Montpellier vs PSG

Manchester United 3 - 0 West Ham United

There is a part of me that always wants West Ham to do better than they do. I think a lot of it is because of how much bullshit the players over the years have put up with from a club that does not care about its women's team.

There have been so many things over the years (being kicked out of their training ground, having to raise money for their own kit, the chairman of the women's team lodged a complaint about the club in 2016 due to the team's mistreatment) and there's a line of thinking (including voiced by players from other teams) that West Ham only have a women's team because they think the bad PR from not having one would be worse. Yet so many of the players really do give it their all, despite that, and I guess I like to see the players get something good for all the stuff they have put up with.

Alas, this was not the match for them to put out a surprise win.

However, they were against Manchester United, another team of players who have put up with a lot from their club, including being closed down in 2005, then reopening again in 2018, and not exactly having a stellar ride since then. So, there's a similar sentiment there of wanting the players to do well.

You can see sparks of quality and intention from West Ham, but they just are so chaotic and unable to implement what they want that Manchester United over-ran them. Szemik had a really nervy game, though I was pleased she got two good saves at the end to end the game on something good. West Ham got better during the second half, though, and I think if they'd played like that all game, it might have been a more even match. I still think Manchester United would have pipped them to the win, but maybe it would have been a 2-1 loss they had instead. Not quite as disheartening in some ways.

With United, despite the scoreline being much in their favour, they were also suffering with the sort of uneasy 'new season' playing that most teams have had. I think it's just how these opening games go. They kept up good pressure and broke away past the defense a lot, especially during the first half. Geyse, Toone, Clinton, Terland, Galton...they all gave the West Ham defenders trouble; Millie Turner was so involved in the attacking play at one point she was called offside and not for a set piece. Le Tissier had positive forward play and long balls, and had a solid first game as Captain. Tullis-Joyce looked comfortable, for the most part, in goal and made some decent saves to deny the West Ham attackers in the second half but she wasn't hugely tested in her new role as United's first string goalkeeper. I suspect that test might come in Week 3, when they face Chelsea.

Good start for Manchester United, not so much for West Ham. Let's see what next week holds for them both.

Montpellier 1 - 3 PSG

After a rough outing for the Champion's League qualifiers, PSG had a better time in the league.

This was very different to the game versus Juventus, where PSG got overrun and outpaced on the wings, then punished in the box for slow closing down and attempting to dribble/pass out of their own 18-yard box rather than just whacking the ball down the pitch for some breathing space (I understand the need for controlled play out the back sometimes, but at other times...you just need to boot it outta there).

It looks like they played a 4-3-3 both times, but with a narrower formation set-up vs Juventus and, notably, with a lot of different players. PSG controlled the majority of the game, with a lot of time spent building up into the Montpellier half. They had a lot of chances and Justine Lerond was another goalkeeper this week who kept her team's scoreline much more respectable than it could have been. PSG were much better at clearing their own half, though there were moments where the same things that cost them in the Juventus game nearly caught them out again. I was pleased to see Naolia Traoré, who played so well for the France U-19s team during the Euros recently getting good game time with the senior team. She struggled with the more physical play and, I think, just the pace of the senior players, but that's something younger players just have to get used to, so it's good experience.

What was most interesting about this game was that you could hear the goalkeepers very clearly. There was no commentary for technical reasons (which were never resolved) and wherever the microphones were positioned, you could hear the goalkeepers and the coaches throughout. This gave me even more insight into just how much the goalkeepers do off the ball that doesn't necessarily get seen often on TV. I knew goalkeepers did a lot of off-ball action that often got missed in discussions, but hearing it in this game fascinated me.

From setting up defence during throw-ins, corner kicks, and free kicks; to telling them that they were ahead of the attacker they were racing to reach the ball first; telling defenders to clear down field or clear for a throw-in, there was so much going on. I suspect Earps will have an easier time communicating with her back-line when she speaks more French, though. I did laugh when you could even hear her yelling well done to Romée Leuchter for her attempts on goal.

With the coaches, there was a lot of shouting of 'allez' from the touchline, which...I mean I question the value of yelling "go, go, go"' or "'come on, come on, come on" over and over but I'm not a coach, so maybe it works?

I think PSG supporters might still be very, very nervous for the reverse leg against Juventus, though. There's...some edginess and uncertainty to the team that is still there, even with their win in this game.

A few other things...

Michelle Agyemang got her first minutes for Brighton and Hove Albion, with the additional time she was on the pitch for 8 minutes. Hopefully she'll get a bit more time later in the season as well.

Unfortunately, in the same match, Everton's Auroro Galli went down with what looked like a knee injury similar to many ligament injuries we've seen before. The coach afterwards confirmed that it seemed to be a severe injury and Galli was on crutches at the end of the match. Massive blow for Everton, following a rough opening game, if it is indeed her ACL or another ligament she's torn.