Latest news with #Kundananji
Morocco World
a day ago
- Sport
- Morocco World
Morocco and Zambia 2-2 Draw in WAFCON 2025 Opening Match
Rabat – The 2025 CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) kicked off tonight at the Rabat Olympic Stadium with a match between Morocco and Zambia that ended in a 2-2 draw. Zambia's Barbara Banda scored the first goal for her team in the first minute. Morocco soon responded in the 12th minute through a penalty, but Kundananji scored a second goal for Zambia in the 27th minute. Both sides celebrate flashes of strength and discipline. However, many criticized the slow defense of the Moroccan women's team, noting that the worst scenario a coach can face is conceding a goal in the opening seconds of the game. Ghizlan Chebbak created balance in the game after her stunning performance and equalizer in the last minutes before the end of the match. Morocco, the host country, is entering the tournament with ambitions after finishing as runners-up in the 2022 tournament. In that final, they lost narrowly to South Africa 2-1, but their impressive performance secured them a spot in the 2023 Women's World Cup. It also earned them respect on the continent and nationally. Zambia is committed to do its best throughout the competition, having finished third in 2022 after a hard-fought win over Nigeria in the bronze medal match. This year marks their fourth appearance in WAFCON. Tags: WAFCONWAFCON futsal
San Francisco Chronicle
27-04-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Bay FC's Kundananji breaks goal drought in draw with Seattle: ‘Exactly what she needed'
When Racheal Kundananji arrived at PayPal Park on Saturday afternoon, she told her teammates she was going to score her first goal of the season. Without a tally since the playoff-clinching goal in Houston in last year's regular-season finale, Kundananji was struggling with her confidence. But something felt different on Saturday, and in Bay FC's 1-1 draw with the Seattle Reign, the Zambian forward did indeed finally find the scoreboard. 'Going five games without scoring as a striker, if I was a coach, I'd also be like, 'She's not scoring. What's going on? Let me try to find someone to replace her,'' she said. 'As a striker, we have that pressure. … Today, I came in with a high spirit and was like, I know I'm scoring.' Kundananji's tally in the 32nd minute gave Bay FC (2-2-2) a 1-0 lead, but Seattle (2-2-2) scored on a corner in the 50th minute and the teams remained deadlocked even as Bay FC's offense continued to push and came close on several chances in the last 10 minutes. With just six goals all season, finishing at the net has been one of Bay FC's biggest flaws despite continuously getting opportunities in the final third of the field. Getting Kundananji on the scoreboard — and their top forward playing with confidence — was one of the best things that could have happened. 'This was exactly what she needed,' said head coach Albertin Montoya. 'She's been pushing for it, and we had some good conversations this week. She relaxed, and all of a sudden she got that opportunity and made it count, right? Now I think more will come.' A minute before Kundananji scored, goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz stoned Jordyn Huitema in front of the net. She sent the ball sailing past the midfield into Bay FC's attack, then forward Caroline Conti found Kundananji on a fast break, and she wove around the back-peddling Seattle defenders before firing off her left foot. The ball ricocheted off the far post and into the center of the net. Kundananji's five goals last season were second on the team behind seven from Asisat Oshoala. Oshoala came off the bench for the second consecutive game and, like Kundananji, has struggled to produce in her second NWSL season. The highest-priced player on the Bay FC roster, Kundananji leads Bay FC with six shots on target and 41 progressive passes received (passes of more than 10 feet toward the net), but the Zambian striker has been mostly frustrated by defenses keying in on her. Getting a goal on a fast break where she could use her speed — and a slight mentality shift — made a big difference. 'There are so many times when I have lost the ball, when I'm trying to take that space and try to go closer to the goal, and then I just lose the ball,' she said. 'So today, I was just in my mind, today I was going to do one thing, just to shoot and make sure it goes into the net. And that's what I did.' After Kundananji's goal, she kept creating chances. In the 65th minute she tapped the ball to her right for midfielder Taylor Huff, who forced Seattle goalkeeper Claudia Dickey to extend far to her left to make the save. Defensively, she stripped a Seattle midfielder of the ball late in the second half and worked to create chances for the offense even when she didn't have the ball. That is one reason Montoya said he has kept Kundananji in the lineup while Oshoala has been relegated to the bench. 'You have to do the work you want to get results, whether you're a forward or not,' he said. 'You can't just sit up top and try to score goals. In a perfect world, forwards, that's just what they want to do, but you have to defend. You'll see (the best forwards) play for 90 minutes and attack and defend, and that's what (Kundananji) is doing, and makes us better. So it's a must in this league.' Sometimes it just takes one goal to find a rhythm, and Bay FC are hoping that's true of Kundananji. They need production from their attack, and in an ideal world it's being led by their highest-priced player. 'The last two weeks, 80% of our preparation has been in the attacking final third,' Montoya said. 'We got into some really good spots here today, but it's just that final pass, the weight of the pass, the angle of the run, and that's going to take a little bit of time. And I keep saying this, when we get it right, we're going to get some goals.'
New York Times
11-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
NWSL players to watch: Key performers for every team in 2025
For a few more days, all 14 NWSL teams will refine their preseason preparations. Every team can credibly dream of reaching the title game a year after the Orlando Pride went from regularly missing the playoffs to winning it all. The rising level of talent in the NWSL means every team has more than one player they can hitch their hopes to heading into the 2025 season. Advertisement This is not necessarily intended to be a guide to each team's most important or impactful player — we're not looking at Barbra Banda, Temwa Chawinga or Trinity Rodman here — nor is this a speculative guess of which unknown squad members will catch us all by surprise. Instead, the following analysis is a hodgepodge of high-end performers, players looking to bounce back from tough 2024 seasons and invaluable options who often fly under the radar. All are welcome; let's dive in. All data was pulled from TruMedia via StatsPerform (Opta). When a player earns a World Cup roster spot at 18, their careers get judged differently than most of their peers. Thompson struggled at the start of 2024, failing to score before the Olympic break. She broke her scoring slump in the first game back, netting a brace against San Diego Wave to kick off a burst that yielded five goals from five NWSL appearances. Thompson also chipped in with seven assists despite her team missing the postseason. Thompson has been tricky with the ball at her feet since her debut in 2023 but her confidence grew further last year, seeing her take on more responsibility. She attempted nearly twice as many take-ons (86 in 2024 vs 46 as a rookie), had three game-winning assists and one match-winning goal. She returned to the U.S. women's national team after the Olympics and will likely remain in head coach Emma Hayes' plans this year. Interim coach Sam Laity will lead Angel City until at least June, so the squad's holdovers will be invaluable amid change and uncertainty to start the season. Although Thompson only turned 20 years old in November, she's been a regular starter for two seasons and projects to be even more valuable in 2025. With Christen Press and Sydney Leroux continuing to offer help in the attack and veterans' insight off the pitch, Thompson could hit even greater heights in her third season. Advertisement There have been 10 games when a player has notched double-digit shot attempts since 2021. Nine of the 10 were active members of the USWNT. The only exception, and the sole 10-shot firer of 2024, was Kundananji, as Bay FC closed its regular season by cementing a playoff place against the Houston Dash. Signed to a then-world-record transfer fee, the Zambia international had an up-and-down debut NWSL season. Kundananji scored in her debut (also against the Dash), then netted just once more before the Olympics. She finished the year in fine form, however, scoring twice and adding two assists in Bay's final three regular season games to lead the team to the playoffs in their expansion season. Getting a full preseason with the team, Kundananji has forged better relationships with her returning teammates. She can also play free from certain pressures that come with a record transfer, as Naomi Girma now bears that mantle. This has been another trying offseason for Chicago fans. The team made a few major moves in the middle of 2024, but it doesn't entirely explain away a mostly dormant offseason. Question marks also surround the availability of the team's marquee player, Mallory Swanson. While summer signings Ludmila and Julia Grosso will begin their first full seasons at Chicago, the club put Schlegel front and center for its jersey release. This wasn't a choice devoid of merit, either. Schlegel quietly tied Swanson with six non-penalty goals to lead Chicago, while her 13 chances created from open play only trailed Swanson on the squad. It's difficult to see how the Stars could contend if Swanson isn't starting. She led the team with 49 shots (no one else took more than 28) and was again top with 31 chances created (more than double her teammates). All of that was symptomatic of a one-note attack in head coach Lorne Donaldson's first season, but Schlegel, Ludmila and Jenna Bike will be eager to make their impacts in the final third. With her trademark pink headband, Schlegel won't be hard to spot — especially if she keeps bagging goals. Advertisement Lavelle is the USWNT's chief facilitator. Her eye for a clever pass is unparalleled, and the team's chance creation suffers whenever she's missing. At the NWSL level, however, a different side to Lavelle's game emerges: a volume shooter who dribbles to get herself into range. She may need to tap into her international job description in the 2025 season. Gotham said goodbye to its two top run-of-play chance creators this offseason, as Yazmeen Ryan and Delanie Sheehan are off to revive the Dash. Left back Jenna Nighswonger also left for Arsenal in England, leaving the squad with one less capable crosser. Gotham has had another free-wheeling offseason, with other key departures including Lynn Biyendolo and Crystal Dunn. The club replaced Biyendolo with center forward Gabi Portilho, which could leave Lavelle playing closer to midfield than the front of the attack. That would put her in a prime position to pull the strings, and it could help catalyze Gotham's efforts to return to the NWSL Championship final. She just needs to get healthy first after offseason ankle surgery. After the 2022 season, Ordóñez was among the most lauded young players in the league. She excelled as a 20-year-old rookie, scoring 11 goals for the North Carolina Courage and bagging a brace in her international debut with Mexico against Anguilla. Houston pushed hard to bring her into the fold, landing her in a pre-draft trade. While she had a more obvious leading role with her new club, the drop in squad caliber hampered her scoring output. The graphic above compares her goalscoring output to expected goals (xG) across a rolling 900-minute sample. The blue line is the one that changes scorelines, and the annual swan dives in form are an obvious concern. However, she was hardly equipped to get those kinds of shooting looks, as the Dash's chance creation across her two seasons has never met the service she enjoyed with the Courage. With Ryan and Sheehan joining her in Houston, Ordóñez projects to benefit greatly. After scoring just three goals in 2023 and five in 2024, the creative reinforcements could vault her back to double-digit output. Advertisement From the first match at CPKC Stadium, the Current was arguably the league's most watchable team for neutral viewers. The attack whirred from the opening whistle, led by Chawinga. Vanessa DiBernardo put in the best year of her career in midfield. In the season's first quarter, however, Chawinga shared top billing with her strike partner, Bia. The Brazilian forward was a handful in the season's early weeks, tied with Chawinga with four goals in the Current's first five matches. Her form returned to Earth as May and June progressed, and a stress fracture in her foot ruled her out of Brazil's Olympics squad in early July. In the playoffs, with Bia still recovering and Debinha looking less impactful than in past seasons, opponents were happy to pester Chawinga and persistently challenge the Malawian with foul-worthy contact. Having Bia back to her best would give defenders more to worry about in transition and on set plays, and would open up space for Chawinga to wreak more havoc. Six years removed from winning a second straight NWSL title, the Courage's path to title contention is going through the field's central channel. After trading for Ashley Sanchez last winter, the Courage returned to the trade market to bring in USWNT playmaker Jaedyn Shaw from San Diego, offering her a role in a system that caters to the 20-year-old's game. Even with 2023 MVP Kerolin among the departures, North Carolina should again compete in the upper third of the table. Sanchez and Shaw want to get on the ball, willing to roam from side to side and drop into midfield to facilitate. The United States internationals are also happy to shoot from outside the box. This often requires a teammate to do more thankless work running off the ball and dribbling down the flank as the central playmakers find their pockets of space. That job description matches Lussi's style of play. Her expert reading of a game and dribbling help her teams advance upfield. The 30-year-old has the kind of downhill compass that is vital to ease the pressure on Sanchez and Shaw, as it's easier to make a defense backpedal in the less congested wide thirds of the field. Lussi has the potential to set a new career high mark with assists, but her movement should allow her to bag a handful of goals as well. Advertisement Orlando's emergent 2024 had many headliners. Banda was unstoppable and a worthy MVP finalist. Marta cannon-balled into the fountain of youth to help the Pride win its first NWSL title. Seb Hines was a worthy coach of the year, while defender Emily Sams went from an unsung starter to an Olympic Gold medalist. And yet, the midfield was often overlooked when discussing this team's greatest strengths. That's no fault of Angelina's, who was industrious and consistent in the heart of the park. The Jersey City-born midfielder made a defensive impact across the pitch, was a consistent chance-creator and vital line-breaking passer in the team's build-up. The 25-year-old Brazil international has already built a winning track record and will expect a similar high standard for herself and her team alike. Banda and Marta will undoubtedly still fill the highlight reels, but much of what they can do depends on players like Angelina. Among the league's most consistent franchises since debuting, Portland will follow a tumultuous 2024 with even more uncertainty this spring. Christine Sinclair and Becky Sauerbrunn have retired, while the team placed three starters — Morgan Weaver, Marie Müller and Nicole Payne — on the season-ending injury list late in February. As if that wasn't enough change for one offseason, star striker Sophia Wilson announced her pregnancy in early March. That's an overwhelming amount of attacking quality now missing from last year's side. Of the players shown above who helped Portland crash the box, only Canada international Jessie Fleming, United States international Olivia Moultrie and second-year forward Payton Linnehan return. Sam Coffey gives the Thorns arguably the league's best defensive midfielder. Japan international Hina Sugita may also be relied upon heavily, and Deyna Castellanos has arrived after a frustrating year with Bay FC. Still, this figures to be another season with plenty of questions to answer for the Thorns. This season will be Louisville's fifth in the NWSL. For four years running, Louisville has finished ninth in the standings — a feat that's increasingly impressive as the league continues to expand, but a place that has never been enough for a playoff berth. Advertisement The squad has undeniable quality. The midfield looks especially robust, with Savannah DeMelo and Ary Borges pulling the strings. Taylor Flint is among the league's best defensive midfielders. Emma Sears has broken through with the USWNT and is among the league's best players in transition sequences with her considerable speed and dribbling ability. All of those skill sets are great for build-up and chance generation, but thus far, Louisville has often gone begging for a consistent goal scorer. While Kanu featured in a few roles last year, most often as a left-sided attacking midfielder, her shifts at striker may give head coach Bev Yanez her answer at striker. The Nigeria international converted five of the seven shots she placed on goal, while her goalscoring record with Tigres UANL (20 goals in 30 games) shows what she can do. If she can get closer to that return, Louisville may finally finish in a playoff position. Not much went to plan for San Diego in its fourth season. As Alex Morgan played the final season of her illustrious career, the 2023 NWSL Shield winner plummeted to the wrong end of the table. The Wave played under three coaches as Morgan's career and Naomi Girma closed their tenures at the club. The Wave looks to rebound under former Arsenal coach Jonas Eidevall. Adriana Leon is the new projected star striker, but Sheridan represents an invaluable presence in the locker room. Not only is she an international teammate of Leon's, which should help with the forward's adjustment as she returns to the league, but she also has the high-level track record and leadership chops to give Eidevall someone to lean on. She's also still among the world's best goalkeepers. Even as San Diego's once-stout defense wobbled in 2024, Sheridan protected her net admirably and performed well above expectations in the position. The 29-year-old is now the undisputed most important player at the Wave, and she's certainly a worthy bestower of that honor. Huitema broke through early, debuting internationally as a 15-year-old and making its 2019 World Cup squad despite having only just turned 18. The hype machine did its thing and projected her as Canada's answer up top, but to date, she hasn't put up the goal scoring numbers that typified her predecessor, Sinclair. Huitema has scored 23 goals in her 88 caps for Canada, but she's scored just 10 times for Seattle across her first three seasons. Huitema has expert movement in the final third and consistently gets into good scoring areas, with her average shot distance since joining the Reign ranging from 11.2 yards to 12.8 yards. Her shot placement is the concern. Most great strikers spray the ball to any area of the goalmouth, high and low, to keep a goalkeeper guessing. Last year, Huitema did the opposite, placing 79% of her shots on target in the exact spot — a place typically occupied by a rest goalkeeper. With Biyendolo joining Seattle this winter, it could afford Huitema more space to set up her shots. If so, it could lead to the kind of goal return that many expected from the Canada international when she first broke out. Advertisement Tanaka could hardly have started 2025 in finer form. The Royal scored four goals in Japan's first two games of the SheBelieves Cup to tie Swanson's 2023 record for the three-game tournament. She started in Japan's 2-1 victory to capture the team's first SheBelieves trophy. The forward made her NWSL debut midway through the 2024 season, joining Utah in July. Although she managed to score just once, it was the second time she had played outside of Japan. With an offseason to acclimate, she should also have a clearer role under head coach Jimmy Coenraets. Both Tanaka and fellow SheBelieves star Ally Sentnor love a shot from deep, but Tanaka projects to be more willing to play in a more advanced role as a striker. Her deftness on the ball and quick decision-making will make her an exceptional focal point for the Royals in 2025. While Croix Bethune was a no-brainer to win rookie of the year, she was far from the only first-year player to carry the Spirit to the NWSL championship final. Many were surprised to see Hershfelt among Hayes' alternates for the 2024 Olympics, but the selection only clued more of us in on how impactful the midfielder already was for her club. Drafted out of Clemson, Hershfelt was selected using the pick that Washington obtained when they traded Sanchez. In her first professional season, Hershfelt played with tenacity and confidence, getting stuck in across the pitch while playing with positional awareness that rarely left Washington without cover. Hershfelt was also an aerial threat on set pieces, most memorably saving the Spirit's season with a late equalizer in the semifinal against Gotham. The mix of high-octane defending and threat to head home goals begs comparisons to Julie Ertz, and the 23-year-old would be a worthy regular alternative to Coffey for the USWNT.
