World Soccer - UK (2020-04)

QUARTER-FINALS

Atletico Madrid v Barcelona

Lyon v Bayern Munich

Glasgow City v Wolfsburg

Arsenal v Paris Saint-Germain

Ties to be played March 25 & April 1

SEMI-FINALS

Glasgow City/Wolfsburg v Atletico

Madrid/Barcelona

Arsenal/Paris Saint-Germain v Lyon/

Bayern Munich

Ties to be played April 25/26 & May 2/3

FINAL

(in Vienna)

May 24

THE DRAW

significant and critical step for the
development of women’s football,” says
Nadine Kessler, the former German
international who is now UEFA’s head
of women’s football. “The competition is
the most prestigious club competition in
female football globally. We want to build
on this reputation.” Expect that growing
reputation to draw more American
players to Europe next season.
Step by step the women’s Champions
League is coming to resemble the men’s

• for example, already this year’s last
  eight features only Glasgow from outside
  the “big five” leagues.
  The big question now is how long can
  Lyon keep the likes of Barca at bay?

TOKYO TAKING SHAPE

Zambia will compete in the

women’s Olympic tournament

for the first time this summer

after beating Cameroon on

away goals following a 4-4

draw on aggregate in the

African qualifying Final.

Cameroon now meet South

American runners-up Chile

in a two-leg play-off.

Australia also booked a

slot with victory against Vietnam but the

final Asian qualifier remains unknown as

the China v South Korea tie was put

back to June due to the Coronavirus.

CORONAVIRUS DISRUPTION

On their return from a Euro 2021

qualifier against Kosovo in Germany

• the game was played on neutral
  territory as Russia does not
  recognise the Balkan state


• the Russian team was
  told to self-isolate to
  guard against the
  spread of coronavirus.
  Elsewhere, Morocco
  was one of the first
  countries to play
  games behind closed
  doors, while there were
  postponements in Italy.

SAUDIS START NEW LEAGUE

A ground-breaking league is being

launched in Saudi Arabia, which until

2018 did not allow women to attend

games and still does not have a female

national team, although occasional

games have been played between

women’s sides in the kingdom since

2008. Amnesty International decried
      the development as a distraction from
      an “abysmal human rights situation” but
      some analysts suggested it was a sign of
      liberalisation. It is not yet clear who will
      be permitted to watch the matches.

CITY TRIUMPH AGAIN

Successive 4-0 wins away at Melbourne

Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers

enabled Melbourne City to wrap up

their second regular season W-League

title with a game to spare. Nevertheless,

Victory and Wanderers joined City in

the play-off series along with Sydney

FC, with the Melbourne clubs having

home advantage in the semis.

BANYANA

BANYANA’S

KGATLANA

JOINS BENFICA

Thembi Kgatlana, who

is regarded as South

Africa’s leading player,

joined Portuguese title

contenders Benfica from

Beijing BG Phoenix. Kgatlana

was one of the three finalists to be

2019 African Women’s Player of the

Year, along with Cameroon’s Ajara

Nchout (Valerenga) and Asisat Oshoala,

of Nigeria. Barcelona’s Oshoala won the

crown for the fourth time.

SPANISH PLAYERS AGREE DEAL

After more than a year of negotiations

and a brief strike, players in La Liga

finally agreed a pay deal with their

clubs. The agreement cites a minimum

salary of €16,000 plus paid holiday,

injury cover, maternity benefits and

pregnancy cover.

Through

...Australia’s

Hayley Raso (left)

Success...

Melbourne City

Moving...Thembi

Kgatlana