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Photograph Copyright John Jones for USA TODAY Sports activities
From the Olympics in France to the inaugural Gold Cup in the US, it’s setting as much as be a banner yr for worldwide ladies’s soccer. Plus, domestically, we’ll have an even bigger and higher Nationwide Girls’s Soccer League and an more and more aggressive Champions League.
Right here at The Equalizer, we checked out 10 gamers – some acquainted names and a few rising stars – who might outline the yr forward.
Superstars
Khadija Shaw
Manchester Metropolis have underwhelmed in current seasons, lacking out on Champions League soccer and falling to fourth within the Girls’s Tremendous League desk. This yr, nevertheless, they’re scorching on the tails of reigning champions Chelsea, and Shaw shall be important to their title hopes. Jamaican sharp-shooter Khadija Shaw scored 20 final time period and already has 9 this marketing campaign, along with her unselfishness, technical excellence and hold-up play pivotal to her group’s assault. She is on the right track to top-score within the WSL, and her all-round play might assist fireplace Metropolis again to the highest of the league. More and more, Shaw seems like one of the best striker on this planet.
Glodis Perla Viggosdottir
At 28 years outdated, Glodis Perla Viggosdottir is on the peak of her powers. She was named captain of Bayern Munich firstly of this season, a simply reward for her consistency over the previous couple of years. Combining velocity, toughness, aerial power and ball-playing high quality, Viggosdottir continues to marshal the Bayern protection brilliantly. Proper now, there’s a robust argument to be made that she is the best center-back round. And in 2024, she has a significant function for membership and nation—with Bayern as they appear to retain their German title, and with Iceland as they goal to succeed in EURO 2025.
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Key gamers
Emily Sonnett
In a post-Julie Ertz world, the defensive midfield place has been a query mark for the US nationwide group. The excellent news now could be that it appears there are a number of legitimate solutions, one being Emily Sonnett. Famend as the final word squad participant, the versatile Sonnett began in defensive midfield for final yr’s World Cup second-round match in opposition to Sweden. Whereas that led to a heartbreaking defeat, she put in a powerful particular person efficiency. Since then, she has began each single pleasant, that includes alongside plenty of completely different companions. Now established as a No. 6 for membership and nation, Sonnett could possibly be the USWNT’s steadying midfield affect come this summer time’s Olympics.
Mackenzie Arnold
Mackenzie Arnold got here into her personal with Australia in 2023, establishing herself as her nation’s first-choice goalkeeper and having fun with a strong World Cup. Her saves within the penalty shoot-out victory over France made historical past, securing Australia’s first-ever journey to the semi-finals. Her membership kind has by no means been unsure, and he or she was named captain of West Ham United firstly of this season, although her future is unsure. Her contract is up in the summertime, and there shall be a number of golf equipment eager on the 29-year-old. In the meantime, on the worldwide scene, her nationwide group shall be hoping for extra goalkeeping heroics at this yr’s Olympics, assuming Australia do certainly beat Uzbekistan within the ultimate qualifier.
New beginnings
Kadidiatou Diani
In 2023, Kadidiatou Diani was compelled right into a center-forward function with Paris Saint-Germain, masking for the injured Marie-Antoinette Katoto. She carried out admirably, hitting 17 objectives in as many league video games, earlier than signing for French champions Lyon. Now she is again in her greatest function, on the fitting flank, operating at defenders. She will be able to’t cease organising teammates, both, recording eight assists earlier than the winter break. Diani could possibly be a game-changer in Lyon’s quest to dethrone Barcelona within the Champions League, whereas the prospect of her and Katoto partnering up as soon as once more for France on the Olympics is sufficient to flip neutrals into Les Bleues supporters.
Maria Sanchez
The Houston Sprint by no means actually bought stepping into 2023, ending the Nationwide Girls’s Soccer League season in tenth place. Scoring objectives was the issue—they discovered the web simply 16 instances in 22 video games, by far the bottom whole within the league. Maria Sanchez was instantly concerned in half of that whole, scoring 4 and helping 4, and her mixture of trickery and creativity shall be much more vital in 2024. Houston has a brand new head coach in Fran Alonso, who has promised “courageous, thrilling, dynamic and dominant” soccer. Sanchez, who reportedly grew to become the highest-paid participant in NWSL historical past final yr, needs to be on the coronary heart of that model.
Recoveries
Catarina Macario
Chelsea’s goals of a first-ever Champions League success have been dampened by the current information that Sam Kerr had suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) harm throughout a mid-season coaching camp. Kerr’s objectives and attacking presence shall be missed, significantly within the massive video games. Nonetheless, on a extra constructive be aware, Catarina Macario is again in coaching and set to return to the sector after an extended layoff of her personal. The 24-year-old will want time to get again to full velocity, however at her greatest, her creativity and ending skill can change video games. Chelsea might do with that as they plot their approach by the remainder of the season with out their star striker.
Alexia Putellas
The place subsequent for Alexia Putellas? Sidelined for many of final season with an ACL harm, she watched on as a brand new midfield dynamic shaped at Barcelona. Keira Walsh grew to become the group’s playmaker; Patri Guijarro pushed additional ahead to attain two objectives in a surprising win over Wolfsburg within the Champions League ultimate; Aitana Bonmati went on to win the Ballon d’Or. There are actually legitimate questions over how Alexia suits in, resulting in her being trialed in a false 9 function. With unresolved harm points and her contract up in the summertime, this could possibly be a yr of change for Alexia. Whether or not it’s a special place or a special membership, it looks like a major juncture in a glittering profession.
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Stars on the rise
Racheal Kundananji
Racheal Kundananji simply retains on scoring. Final season, with Madrid CFF, she bagged 25 objectives within the Spanish league, together with one in opposition to Actual Madrid and two in a shock victory over Barcelona. Up to now this time period she has eight objectives to her identify. On the worldwide degree, she scored for Zambia in friendlies in opposition to each Germany and Switzerland and sealed her nationwide group’s first World Cup victory with the third in a 3-1 win over Costa Rica. A exact finisher off both foot, with a blistering change of tempo and the flexibility to play up entrance or off the wing, it may possibly’t be lengthy earlier than the prolific 23-year-old will get an enormous transfer.
Priscila
At 19 years outdated, Priscila was the highest scorer in final yr’s Copa Libertadores, hitting eight objectives as Internacional reached the semi-finals. Alongside the way in which, she showcased a collection of opportunistic strikes, the penalty field instincts of a born finisher, to not point out the cool swagger of a much more skilled participant. Her membership kind led to worldwide recognition, too, as she made her senior debut for Brazil in opposition to Japan in November. Proper on cue, she scored the successful purpose, looping the ball over the Japanese goalkeeper from exterior the field. Brazil shall be aiming to succeed in the latter phases of the inaugural Gold Cup, to not point out this yr’s Olympics. Priscila is one to observe for the long-term future, however she might nicely play a component in her nationwide group’s rejuvenation in 2024.
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