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Like City, PSG go into the second round draw of the Champions League draw and provided another beneficial clash with tough European opponents certain to come.

More than 15,000 fans were at HBF Park to see the European giants face off and it was an entertaining encounter even though our Australian City fans were denied the goals they will have wanted.

City started strongly and pushed the Coupe de France feminine winners back from the opening moments testing Kiedrzynek, who started ahead of summer signing and England number one Mary Earps.

The PSG captain had to be alert first to palm away a deflected strike from Park before stretching to keep out Hemp’s deep cross with Shaw ready to pounce.

City’s place in the Perth International Football Cup final was secured via a penalty shootout victory over Leicester and Shaw wanted another chance from the spot when she appeared to be caught by Eva Gaetino but appeals were waved away.

Summer signing Ayaka Yamashita was the hero in that win over the Foxes and started against PSG, showing her skills on the ball to keep City’s momentum on the attack.

Her opposite number Kiedrzynek was impressing for other reasons, making a string of fine saves, quickly diving at the feet of Shaw and Park before making a superb save to keep out a fierce hit from the Jamaica international.

The pick of her saves came just after the half hour as she made herself big to deny Blindkilde Brown as she raced clear.

But the sides went in level at half-time although Paulina Dudek went close for the French side, just before the break when she poked an effort just wide from a corner.

Both teams made a flurry of changes at the break but the tale of the match remained the same with Kiedrzynek almost single-handedly keeping her side in the game.

A good early stop from Hemp was rudimentary by the Pole’s high standards but that was followed by a breathtaking stop to deny Shaw as she tried to turn in the England winger’s pullback.

Taylor used plenty of substitutes to keep his side fresh and also to protect some of his players from the surprisingly robust challenges for a preseason game.

Substitute Chloe Kelly drew another save from Kiedrzynek after a good run to set her side up for a late twist.

Kerstin Casparij caught Elimibi-Gilbert on the foot and this time the Australian referee had no doubts about pointing to the spot.

Nigeria international Echegini, made no mistake as she stroked her penalty home sending Khiara Keating the wrong way.

Following the suspension of the Cantarrana Trophy due to the torrential rain in Viveiro, which badly affected the pitch at the stadium that was to host the match today, Real Madrid and Deportivo de La Coruña played a warm-up game at the Abegondo Sports Complex in Abegondo. The Whites won 0-2, with goals from Eva Navarro and Oihane, in the last pre-season test before the league opener at home to Espanyol (Friday, 6 September, 8 pm CEST).

The first half was controlled by Madrid, with Olga finding space on the left flank but no clear-cut chances were made. The Galician side tried to attack on the counter and Misa saved well from Millene's shot in the 22nd minute. Athenea had the biggest chance with an effort that was well stopped by the opposition goal on the stroke of half-time.

Madrid rewarded for pressure
Toril reshuffled the pack in the second half. And in the 58th minute, Alba Redondo had a great chance from Olga's cross that was turned behind for a corner. In the ensuing corner-kick, Eva Navarro struck to make it 0-1. The Madridistas continued to press forward and in the 85th minute, it was 0-2. A wonderful cross from the left by Leupolz was headed home by Oihane. 

After decades lost to draconian bans implemented by morally bankrupt institutions that are still allowed to exist, women's football is unmistakably on an upward trajectory. This hard-fought rise is borne out in the increasing figures of registered players, watching fans and transfer fees.

Milene Domingues' move from Fiamma Monza to Rayo Vallecano in 2002 for a sum of €235,000 (at the time worth just under £150,000) stood as the world's most expensive transfer until 2020. Unlike Domingues, Pernille Harder did not boast the highest number of keepy-uppies ever recorded but still persuaded Chelsea to part ways with £250,000.

Over the following years, that high watermark has been shattered so frequently that Harder no longer ranks among the most expensive transfers of all time. Here's a closer look at the deals that have helped the women's game continue to grow.

1. Racheal Kundananji, Madrid CFF to Bay FC, 2024 - £685,000

2. Barbra Banda, Shanghai Shengli to Orlando Pride, 2024 - £581,000

3= Ewa Pajor, Wolfsburg to Barcelona, 2024 - £425,000

3= Mayra Ramirez, Levante to Chelsea, 2024 - £425,000

5. Keira Walsh, Manchester City to Barcelona, 2022 - £400,000

6. Tarciane, Corinthians to  Houston Dash, 2024 - £384,000

7. Lena Oberdorf, Wolfsburg to Bayern Munich, 2024 - £339,000

8. Jill Roord, Wolfsburg to Manchester City, 2023 - £300,000

9. Kyra Cooney-Cross, Hammarby - Arsenal, 2023 - £297,000

10= Lindsey Horan, Portland Thorns to Lyon, 2023 - £254,000

10= Geyse, Barcelona to Manchester United, 2023 - £254,000

Women’s football in England is undoubtedly still on the rise. From sell-out crowds last season, to guarantees of all home fixtures hosted at main stadiums. The Women’s Super League continues to enjoy a meteoric rise as the top tier of the FA’s Women’s Football Pyramid.

It is worth also casting an eye over the emerging successes in other leagues. Let’s have a look at Bristol Rovers in the National League Division One South.

One such example of a club being newly promoted is Bristol Rovers. For many fans of the women’s game, Bristol may be a city exclusively associated with former top flight club Bristol City. However, there is also movement on the other side of the city, over in BS7.

Bristol Rovers gear up for their first season playing in Division One South West of the FA’s Women’s National League. This will happen after being promoted from the South West Regional Women’s Football League’s Premier division.

To further the anticipation surrounding the 2024/25 season for the club, it has also been announced that the team will play their home games at Memorial Stadium. This is Bristol Rovers’ home ground this coming season.

Looking ahead to the club’s team for the upcoming season, they have retained many of their players. They were part of last season’s squad that helped them secure promotion, while also welcoming some exciting new signings.

One such signing is Daisy Ackerman. The forward brings experience from her time at Cheltenham Town and the Arsenal Academy to Bristol Rovers ahead of their first game of the 2024/25 season. They will face AFC Bournemouth, a strong side who finished second in the league in the 2023/24 season. Being interviewed on the Bristol Rovers’ official website, Ackerman said: “The team vision for further progression was impressive.”

This sentiment — that Bristol Rovers is a club with ambitious plans for the future and further progression — can undoubtedly be seen in their signings and their commitment to move the women’s side in line with the men’s, by playing home fixtures at Memorial Stadium. 

While the opening match of the season, set to take place on the 18th August, will undoubtedly offer the newly promoted team a challenge, it is one to watch closely to see how the club’s ambitions will begin to take shape during their first season in the fourth tier of the English Football Pyramid.

The Seattle Reign retired former star Megan Rapinoe’s No. 15 jersey and then capped the celebration with a 1-0 stoppage-time victory over the North Carolina Courage in the National Women’s Soccer League on Sunday night.

Teenager Emeri Adames finally broke through for the Reign seven minutes into stoppage time with a header that bounced off the post and into the goal as Courage goalkeeper Casey Murphy tried in vain to stop it.

Afterward, 18-year-old Adames celebrated by striking Rapinoe’s iconic victory pose from the 2019 Women’s World Cup as Rapinoe cheered her on from the stands.

Jaelin Howell came close to scoring for Seattle shortly after entering the game in the 75th minute, but her left-footed shot from out front went just wide. Howell was acquired by the Reign earlier in the week in a trade with Racing Louisville.

The victory was Reign coach Laura Harvey’s 100th in the NWSL.

The weekend’s games were the first for the NWSL after a six-week break in the regular season for the Olympics.

Rapinoe spent her entire NWSL career with the Reign before retiring from soccer last year. Her jersey was the first retired by the club.

Rapinoe joined the Reign in the league’s first season in 2013 and played in 115 regular-season games with 51 goals.

Fans displayed a banner of Rapinoe’s image that read: “You Changed the Game.” Seattle’s Space Needle was lit up in lavender — a nod to Rapinoe’s hair color at the 2019 World Cup — for the occasion.

“Just overwhelmed,” Rapinoe said. “Honestly, the whole weekend, the club’s done such a great job in putting this all together and just to see everyone in lavender, all the No. 15s, all the support, it’s the world to me. Very overwhelming.”

Maya Le Tissier says did not hesitate to accept the captain's armband for Manchester United Women, despite only being 22 years old.

She replaces her England teammate Katie Zelem as captain after the midfielder left United at the end of her contract.

Le Tissier joined the Red Devils from Brighton and Hove Albion in 2022 and quickly became a fans' favourite, scoring twice on her debut against Reading as she went on to become a key part of the team's backline.

Talking to ITV Channel in her first media interview since the announcement, the defender from Guernsey explains: "I was buzzing. I sat down with Marc [Skinner - Manchester United Women's manager] speaking about the previous season and the challenges when he asked me. He said to go away and think about it because obviously it's a big responsibility but straight away I said yes.

"It's kind of crazy to be honest that it's happened so soon. Our previous captain did a fantastic job, I've seen what she had to deal with and she really led by example so I'm just hoping to do the same and I'm really proud to have the opportunity.

"This is a massive club, probably the biggest in the world and it can bring a lot of things, good and bad, so I need to be ready for that." 

Le Tissier has also received praise from her peers, winning the joint Players' Player of the Year Award last season.

That trust will be crucial as she takes on her new leadership role and aims to push United on to an improved performance in the league this campaign.

The defender explains: "This is my third season now so I think it's time to take the next step, I've had that experience of playing in the big games and I've been around the girls for quite a while now.

"The girls know what I'm about, I play with my heart on my sleeve and I'm very committed to the club and training. I'll be there if the girls need me to connect the players to staff.

"This captaincy won't change me at all, otherwise it would show I wasn't ready and I wouldn't have taken it.

"There's a still a long way for me to go with this club and internationally so it's just really exciting to see what the future brings and this is another step that I'm really grateful for.

"We definitely want to improve on last season, especially in the league, and continue with the cup runs."

For Manchester City, Sunday was a case of remembering that pre-season is not all about results, as their tour of Australia ended in a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. The Cityzens were the better side throughout and really took the game to one of Europe's elite teams, but regularly found outstanding goalkeeper Katarzyna Kiedrzynek in their way before Jennifer Echegini scored a late penalty to win the game.

Jess Park, Khadija Shaw and Laura Blindkilde Brown were among those in blue to be left frustrated by the excellence of Kiedrzynek in the first half of the final match of the Perth International Football Cup, the Poland international producing some fantastic saves to show that England star Mary Earps will have to be on top form to earn the No.1 shirt at the French club. Shaw had some frustration to direct the way of the referee, too, after seeing strong penalty appeals waved away following a clumsy challenge from Eva Gaetino.

PSG did start to get into the game towards the end of the first half, with Marie-Antoinette Katoto having a shot blocked, Sakina Karchaoui going close and Paulina Dudek prodding just wide after a corner turned into a goalmouth scramble. However, City remained the dominant side after the break, Kiedrzynek producing some more top saves to thwart Lauren Hemp and Shaw.

Echegini, though, gave the City defence plenty to think about after coming on at half-time. A good run down the right troubled the English side, even if her shot from an angle could only hit the side-netting, and young Naomi Layzell needed to position herself well to block a shot from the Nigeria international just before the hour, too. While her game-winning goal wouldn't come from any of this lively play, instead from a penalty conceded when Kerstin Casparij fouled Tara Elimbi Gilbert in the 86th minute, Echegini's cool conversion from 12 yards only added to her impressive performance.

There was a good chance late on for City to level the scores and take it to penalties, but Chloe Kelly's effort fizzed agonisingly wide just seconds before the whistle went for full-time.

arly on Thursday, the National Women’s Soccer League announced a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with its players’ association. Ratified almost two years ahead of schedule, it’s a landmark deal underscoring the league’s commitment to innovation and player empowerment. Key elements of the agreement include increased salary minimums and a growing salary cap, expanded healthcare options and a groundbreaking shift to a fully free agency model, making the NWSL the first US professional league to abolish the draft.

The timing of this agreement is strategic. With the CBA now extending to 2030 (the former CBA was set to expire in 2026), NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said that the goal of this preemptive return to the negotiating table was to lay a solid foundation for long term labor stability. While only in the second year of their immediate media rights deal – already historic for its 40-fold increase – she said sights are already set on the next set of contracts due in 2027. “As we begin to think about preparing for our next media deal, we now have a long horizon for owners, sponsors, and media partners to invest in women’s soccer without fear of disruption, knowing that the players are our product,” Berman told the Guardian.

Far from dehumanizing the players, the logic is simple: by investing in your product, you tacitly invest in the business.

It’s a smart move. According to Deloitte, in 2024, global revenues for elite women’s sport will surpass $1bn for the first time, reaching as high as $1.28bn – at least 300% higher than just three years earlier.

The new CBA will roll out gradually, with all restriction on player agency notably being lifted immediately.

While drafts have historically been a cornerstone of the American sporting landscape, European leagues have long embraced a system in which players have significant control over their careers, marked by free agency models and robust transfer regulations. This framework allows players to negotiate contracts, choose their teams based on preference of location and salary, and move between clubs with relative freedom, provided they adhere to established contractual requirements.