World Soccer - UK (2019-12)

lure of European clubs.

Allocation money was part of a raft

of changes that raised minimum pay by

around 20 per cent to $20,000 and the

maximum level by $3,800 to $50,000.

A club could now spend $1million a year

on salaries, plus free housing.

Revealing the impact, Washington Spirit

keeper Audrey Bledsoe said when she

was a rookie and the minimum level was

$6,000, friends would ask when she

would “quit and get a real job”, adding:

“Now I can pay for dinner for everyone

and say, ‘how’s your 9-5 treating you?’”

NWSL owners’ collective confidence

in their product extends to growing the

league. Joining in 2021 are Proof

Louisville FC, their name a nod to the

Kentucky city’s bourbon whiskey heritage.

Another franchise may yet join for 2020,

possibly Sacramento, though time is

running out to be ready for next season.

If it happens, great, if not NWSL

can wait. The league will be around

the following season – which is not

something it could say with confidence

in the early years.

SPANISH DUEL IN EUROPE

The draw for the last eight of the UEFA

Women’s Champions League threw up

an all-Spanish tie with Atletico Madrid,

conquerors of Manchester City for the

second successive season, paired with

Barcelona, last year’s losing finalists. In

the semi-finals the winners will play

Wolfsburg or Glasgow City.

In the other half of the draw, holders

Lyon will meet Bayern Munich while

Arsenal face Paris Saint-Germain.

Ada Hegerberg set a new scoring

record during Lyon’s 11-0 aggregate win

over Fortuna Hjorring, equalling Anja

Mittag’s mark of 51 goals in the first leg

and adding two more in the second.

KERR JOINS CHELSEA

In a coup for the WSL, Australia’s Sam

Kerr signed a two-and-a-half year

deal with Chelsea. The all-time leading

scorer in both Australian and American

leagues, Kerr had been playing for both

Perth Glory and Chicago Red Stars.

She will be available when the transfer

window opens in January.

JAMAICAN INTERNATIONAL

KILLED IN ALTERCATION

Tarania Clarke, who had scored on her

international debut in September, has

died after an

altercation in

Kingston, the

Jamaican capital.

Police said the

20-year-old

was stabbed

in a dispute over

a mobile phone.

CORINTHIANS WIN SOUTH

AMERICAN TITLE

The expanded 16-club Copa

Libertadores Femenina was won by

Corinthians, the Brazilian giant, who

defeated compatriots Ferroviaria 2-0

in the Final in Quito, Ecuador.

REVENUE DEAL FOR MATILDAS

The Australian team agreed a landmark

deal that will bring basic earnings for

leading internationals in line with male

counterparts ($83,000), a 40 per cent

share of prize money earned and an

equal hourly rate for domestic players.

The Matildas and Socceroos will also

share commercial revenues and receive

matching treatment when it comes to

travel and other support. Disparities do

remain, however, with a huge variation

in FIFA prize money while domestic

male players are contracted for four

times as many hours.

SHABAB WIN INAUGURAL TITLE

The impact of hosting events was

underlined when Jordan launched their

first competitions for women in the

wake of hosting the Women’s Under-17

World Cup and Women’s Asian Cup.

Shabab Al Ordon won the double,

defeating Amman SC 1-0 in both the

league play-off and the cup Final.

SPANISH STRIKE ACTION

La Liga clubs agreed to reopen talks

after a players’ strike wiped out an

entire weekend programme. Players

want a minimum annual wage of

€20,000 (€12,000 for part-timers),

plus improved ancillary support.

Courage star...Abby
Dahlkemper

Champions...Corinthians

New Blue...

Sam Kerr

Tragic...

Tarania Clarke

Last eight...

Barcelona

will face

Atletico

Madrid

(in red)