Latest news with #Women'sSuperLeague
Courier-Mail
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Courier-Mail
Sam Kerr, Mary Fowler on track to return in time for 2026 Asian Cup
Don't miss out on the headlines from Football. Followed categories will be added to My News. The Matildas are banking on Mary Fowler and Sam Kerr. The 2026 AFC Asian Cup kicks off in Australia on March 1 next year and the two biggest names for the Matildas, and their biggest scoring threats, are in a race against time to be fit for the tournament. It's been 18 months since Kerr suffered her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and she is yet to make her return to professional football. The 31-year-old's partner Kristie Mewis welcomed their first child earlier this year, and Kerr has been spending time in Perth while continuing her recovery as the Matildas played friendlies this year. Hopefully Kerr takes to the pitch comes in the upcoming Women's Super League season for Chelsea, where she will team up with new recruit Ellie Carpenter. Meanwhile, Fowler will be racing the clock to recover from an (ACL) injury during Manchester City's FA Cup match on April 13. Fowler was having a career best season for Man City before the injury, and she is taking it one step at a time, cheering on her boyfriend Nathan Cleary at a Panthers game on the weekend. Sam Kerr is yet to return from her knee injury. (Photo by Crystal Pix/) ACL injuries typically take 12 months to recover from, but there is a significant chance Fowler will be sidelined for next year's Asian Cup, which runs from March 1-21 across Perth, Gold Coast and Sydney, with the final to be held at Sydney's Olympic Stadium. Veteran striker Michelle Heyman has been superb since returning to the national side, scoring more often than not in her appearances in the past few years. But having the firepower of Kerr and Fowler up front would be a massive coup to the Matildas. Matildas star Mary Fowler watches Nathan Cleary play for the Panthers. Photo: Tom Parrish And it appears that will be possible, with Matildas coach Joe Montemurro revealing Fowler is on track to return to play in November in what would be an incredibly quick recovery, just seven months after her injury. 'I spoke to her the other day, and she's on track,' Montemurro told the SMH. 'She's in Sydney at the moment doing some running. So she'll join City, I think, in early October ... she's looking good and she should be hopefully back playing before November. 'She's a special player - not just for Australia, but worldwide. 'She's (got) that X factor. And you need those X-factors in these tournaments. You need that player to unlock something at times. To have Mary involved will be really good.' Mary Fowler will be racing the clock to recover from her ACL injury. (Photo by) Former Matilda Sarah Walsh, who is the Chief Operating Officer of the Asian Cup, told it would be a huge boost for the tournament if both Kerr and Fowler were available to play. 'I'd be lying if I didn't say having Sam Kerr and Mary Fowler back is going to be important to creating a buzz,' Walsh said. 'You want the teams to turn up on the day with their best players on the pitch and healthy.' The Matildas captured Australia's attention like never before in the 2023 FIFA World Cup on home soil, and Walsh is hoping there will be a similar buzz for the Asian Cup. 'We saw how everybody got behind the Matildas in 2023,' Walsh said. 'Eighty per cent of Australia watched the semi-final vs England — when has 80 per cent of Australia done anything or had consensus on anything. They're a team that brings Australia together. 'You will not find an organiser that doesn't admit that the highest nation running deep is actually good for the tournament, whether it's media, momentum, local, domestic momentum.' 'But and I think one of the exciting things for this tournament is that, for the first time, the player squad sizes have gone up to 26, which allows, you know a little bit more flexibility to bring in players that might not be match fit. Sam Kerr has been gearing up to return to play. Photo: Instagram. Sam Kerr and her partner Kristie Mewis have announced the birth of their son Jagger Mewis-Kerr. Photo: Instagram. 'We're looking to deliver records for the Women's Asian Cup. We want attendance records, we want broadcast records, we have no doubt that the stadiums will be rich and vibrant with modern Australia.' Australia's women's football team won the Asian Cup in 2011 and the current team will be desperate to win the trophy after fourth place finishes at the 2023 World Cup and the Tokyo Olympics. 'It's likely they will be one of the strong nations,' Walsh said of the Matildas. 'We're not building a strategy around that, but it's very important that they run deep. They're one of the highest ranked nations in Asia, so. 'There are other stronger nations, Japan, North Korea, China, very strong teams. We saw many upsets in the qualifiers for the other teams to get here. Philippines on their day can produce a result. 'They have a new coach in Joe Montemurro who wants to invent his style into the team. 'We got to see a bit of that through the Panama matches and, they learned a lot from that window. New Matildas coach Joe Montemurro doesn't have long to prepare for the Asian Cup. (Photo by) The Matildas team before the 2023 World Cup semifinal against England. (Photo by Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images) 'They don't have very many windows left, and he's very new with the team. One of the advantages that he has is that he's worked with a lot of the players, whether it be at Melbourne City or Arsenal. 'So he has that familiarity with some of the senior players, which is really important. They'll calibrate quickly, and that could filter down to the younger players.' Football Australia is hoping for capacity crowds at not only the Matildas' games but matches featuring Asian nations including India, Japan, China, Iran and the Philippines. 'We're building a multicultural festival of football that lives beyond Australia,' Walsh said. 'There are 3.4 million Australians that identify with the ancestry of those 11 nations that qualified, 3.1 million alone from India. 'So there's massive communities here who rarely get to celebrate their culture. Food, music, and it'll all be centred around football, but we want to create an experience for these communities.' The Asian Cup will feature work from First Nations artists Shauna Hill and Grace Amidy. Continuing the multicultural theme, the Asian Cup will feature work from First Nations artists Shauna Hill and Grace Amidy across the tournament. 'We've worked with two First Nations artists to really embed that throughout the brand and integrate it into the matches, how city names have been translated. 'We want to make sure that the volunteers' uniforms, every moment that symbolises the brand of the tournament will have First Nations embedded in that. 'We really do want to have the culture, lags in the stadium.' Tickets are now on sale for the 2026 Asian Cup. GROUPS FOR THE 2026 WOMEN'S ASIAN CUP Group A: Australia, South Korea, Iran, Philippines Group B: DPR Korea, China, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan Group C: Japan, Vietnam, India, Chinese Taipei EVERY MATILDAS GAME Game 1: v Philippines on March 1 at Optus Stadium, Perth. Game 2: v Iran on March 5 at Cbus Stadium, Gold Coast. Game 3: v South Korea on March 8 at Accor Stadium, Sydney. Originally published as Sam Kerr, Mary Fowler on track to return in time for 2026 Asian Cup
News.com.au
3 hours ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Sam Kerr, Mary Fowler on track to return in time for 2026 Asian Cup
The Matildas are banking on Mary Fowler and Sam Kerr. The 2026 AFC Asian Cup kicks off in Australia on March 1 next year and the two biggest names for the Matildas, and their biggest scoring threats, are in a race against time to be fit for the tournament. It's been 18 months since Kerr suffered her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and she is yet to make her return to professional football. The 31-year-old's partner Kristie Mewis welcomed their first child earlier this year, and Kerr has been spending time in Perth while continuing her recovery as the Matildas played friendlies this year. Hopefully Kerr takes to the pitch comes in the upcoming Women's Super League season for Chelsea, where she will team up with new recruit Ellie Carpenter. Meanwhile, Fowler will be racing the clock to recover from an (ACL) injury during Manchester City's FA Cup match on April 13. Fowler was having a career best season for Man City before the injury, and she is taking it one step at a time, cheering on her boyfriend Nathan Cleary at a Panthers game on the weekend. ACL injuries typically take 12 months to recover from, but there is a significant chance Fowler will be sidelined for next year's Asian Cup, which runs from March 1-21 across Perth, Gold Coast and Sydney, with the final to be held at Sydney's Olympic Stadium. Veteran striker Michelle Heyman has been superb since returning to the national side, scoring more often than not in her appearances in the past few years. But having the firepower of Kerr and Fowler up front would be a massive coup to the Matildas. And it appears that will be possible, with Matildas coach Joe Montemurro revealing Fowler is on track to return to play in November in what would be an incredibly quick recovery, just seven months after her injury. 'I spoke to her the other day, and she's on track,' Montemurro told the SMH. 'She's in Sydney at the moment doing some running. So she'll join City, I think, in early October ... she's looking good and she should be hopefully back playing before November. 'She's a special player - not just for Australia, but worldwide. 'She's (got) that X factor. And you need those X-factors in these tournaments. You need that player to unlock something at times. To have Mary involved will be really good.' Former Matilda Sarah Walsh, who is the Chief Operating Officer of the Asian Cup, told it would be a huge boost for the tournament if both Kerr and Fowler were available to play. 'I'd be lying if I didn't say having Sam Kerr and Mary Fowler back is going to be important to creating a buzz,' Walsh said. 'You want the teams to turn up on the day with their best players on the pitch and healthy.' The Matildas captured Australia's attention like never before in the 2023 FIFA World Cup on home soil, and Walsh is hoping there will be a similar buzz for the Asian Cup. 'We saw how everybody got behind the Matildas in 2023,' Walsh said. 'Eighty per cent of Australia watched the semi-final vs England — when has 80 per cent of Australia done anything or had consensus on anything. They're a team that brings Australia together. 'You will not find an organiser that doesn't admit that the highest nation running deep is actually good for the tournament, whether it's media, momentum, local, domestic momentum.' 'But and I think one of the exciting things for this tournament is that, for the first time, the player squad sizes have gone up to 26, which allows, you know a little bit more flexibility to bring in players that might not be match fit. 'We're looking to deliver records for the Women's Asian Cup. We want attendance records, we want broadcast records, we have no doubt that the stadiums will be rich and vibrant with modern Australia.' Australia's women's football team won the Asian Cup in 2011 and the current team will be desperate to win the trophy after fourth place finishes at the 2023 World Cup and the Tokyo Olympics. 'It's likely they will be one of the strong nations,' Walsh said of the Matildas. 'We're not building a strategy around that, but it's very important that they run deep. They're one of the highest ranked nations in Asia, so. 'There are other stronger nations, Japan, North Korea, China, very strong teams. We saw many upsets in the qualifiers for the other teams to get here. Philippines on their day can produce a result. 'They have a new coach in Joe Montemurro who wants to invent his style into the team. 'We got to see a bit of that through the Panama matches and, they learned a lot from that window. 'They don't have very many windows left, and he's very new with the team. One of the advantages that he has is that he's worked with a lot of the players, whether it be at Melbourne City or Arsenal. 'So he has that familiarity with some of the senior players, which is really important. They'll calibrate quickly, and that could filter down to the younger players.' Football Australia is hoping for capacity crowds at not only the Matildas' games but matches featuring Asian nations including India, Japan, China, Iran and the Philippines. 'We're building a multicultural festival of football that lives beyond Australia,' Walsh said. 'There are 3.4 million Australians that identify with the ancestry of those 11 nations that qualified, 3.1 million alone from India. 'So there's massive communities here who rarely get to celebrate their culture. Food, music, and it'll all be centred around football, but we want to create an experience for these communities.' Continuing the multicultural theme, the Asian Cup will feature work from First Nations artists Shauna Hill and Grace Amidy across the tournament. 'We've worked with two First Nations artists to really embed that throughout the brand and integrate it into the matches, how city names have been translated. 'We want to make sure that the volunteers' uniforms, every moment that symbolises the brand of the tournament will have First Nations embedded in that. 'We really do want to have the culture, lags in the stadium.' Group A: Australia, South Korea, Iran, Philippines Group B: DPR Korea, China, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan Game 1: v Philippines on March 1 at Optus Stadium, Perth. Game 2: v Iran on March 5 at Cbus Stadium, Gold Coast.
Cision Canada
10 hours ago
- Business
- Cision Canada
STANLEY 1913 BRAND AND ARSENAL KICK OFF MULTI-YEAR PARTNERSHIP
, /CNW/ -- Global lifestyle brand, Stanley 1913, known for its innovative food and drinkware, has today announced a multi-year global partnership with Arsenal, one of the world's most historic football clubs. The partnership kicks off with the launch of the Stanley 1913 x Arsenal collection - a line of premium, high-performance drinkware and barware crafted to celebrate supporters around the world who live and breathe north London, with each piece taking inspiration from the club's signature kit colour and designed for performance and style. The collection celebrates supporters who bring the same passion and spirit to their everyday lives as they do to supporting one of the world's most celebrated football clubs. Juliet Slot, Chief Commercial Officer at Arsenal, shared,"We're proud to partner with Stanley 1913, a globally-recognised brand known for its quality, performance and style. We share values of community and belonging, and it's exciting to be able to bring our supporters together with exclusive products like the Stanley 1913 x Arsenal collection." Ben James, General Manager, EMEA, PMI WW Brands, LLC, said, "We're excited to partner with one of Europe's most successful and culturally relevant global football clubs in Arsenal. From early in our conversations it became increasingly clear how many parallels there are between our two brands - be it our heritage or shared passion for innovation. Across Europe, football is more than a game - it's a lifestyle - and we're excited to release a collection that brings people together to celebrate shared sporting experiences." As part of the agreement, Stanley 1913 branding will appear at Premier League and Women's Super League fixtures at Emirates Stadium starting from the 2025/2026 season. Stanley 1913 will also connect with the global Arsenal family through exclusive content featuring men's and women's first team players. The Stanley 1913 x Arsenal collection also marks Stanley 1913's first step into stadium retail, with a long-term vision to expand further into football culture across Europe and support sustainable practices and less plastic waste on game day. This follows Arsenal becoming the first club in world football to have a net-zero target approved by the globally respected Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Stanley 1913 x Arsenal Collection Includes: Stanley 1913 x Arsenal Quencher® ProTour Flip Straw Tumbler (1.2L / 40oz) Designed for supporters on the move, this leakproof Quencher ® features a flip straw lid for spill-free hydration. Finished in bold Arsenal Red, it's the ultimate companion for match days or for everyday on-the-go hydration. Stanley 1913 x Arsenal Quencher® ProTour Flip Straw Tumbler (0.6L / 20oz) For compact, grab-and-go hydration - whether you're watching from home or heading to five-a-side. Featuring the same bold design and leakproof performance in a smaller silhouette. Stanley 1913 x Arsenal IceFlow™ Bottle with Fast Flow Lid (0.7L / 24oz) Fuel your passion on the go. Lightweight and with a fast-flow opening and carry handle, it's built for training sessions or match-day travel. Stanley 1913 x Arsenal Stacking Tumbler (0.47L / 16oz) Game day pairs perfectly with the Adventure Stacking Tumbler. Compact, versatile, and stackable - ready for everything from match-day coffee runs to post-game celebrations. The Stanley 1913 x Arsenal collection will be available to purchase beginning today at and and globally via the locations below. Follow Stanley 1913 on Instagram (@stanley_brand) for more information. About PMI WW Brands, LLC. PMI WW Brands, LLC manufactures, markets, and sells innovative food and beverage containers under the iconic Stanley 1913 brand. Stanley: Built for Life® since 1913. We have fueled the human experience since the iconic Stanley vacuum bottle revolutionized the way people enjoyed food and beverage. Today, our colorful and innovative Hydration products, including the beloved Quencher®, as well as our Cafe, Bar, Kitchen, and Hard and Soft Cooler offerings, go beyond function, elevating everyday moments with style and empowering active lifestyles. We're a community of creators, builders and inventors who believe in creating sustainable products for a better life and world that minimize our impact on the planet. Learn more at
BBC News
10 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Everton sell women's team to parent company
Everton have sold their women's team to the parent company which owns the club - a move that will improve their compliance with the Premier League's profitability and sustainability rules (PSR).The team has been purchased by Roundhouse Capital Holdings, which is owned and controlled by American businessman Dan Friedkin Group completed its takeover of Everton in December move allows the women's team to act as a standalone entity and attract minority investment. The men's team, meanwhile, benefits from the sale being recorded as revenue in the club's accounts, which positively impacts their PSR position. Under PSR, clubs cannot exceed £105m losses over a three-year period. Everton were deducted points in 2021-22 and again in 2022-23 for breaching the rules. No figures have been released regarding the value of the sale. Everton are the third Premier League club to sell their women's team to navigate the Premier League's financial sold their women's team to parent company BlueCo for nearly £200m in June 2024. Subsequently, the team attracted the attention of Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian, who purchased an 8-10% minority stake in Villa sold its women's team to holding company V Sports in 2024-25, Everton finished eighth in the Women's Super League, reached the fifth round of the Women's FA Cup, and exited in the group stage of the Women's League Cup. 'An opportunity for more money to come into the women's team' Everton have transferred ownership of the women's team to a separate part of the Friedkin Group empire, which is still under the broad control of Everton. It's a sideways an investment opportunity. We've seen the fantastic success of the Lionesses. We're seeing, especially in the United States, a huge interest in the women's game. Therefore, you can now sell part of the women's team and keep control of the men's. It's setting up the business to perhaps be more profitable going within the rules. We saw similar take place with Chelsea and Aston Villa. The women's team at Everton has control of Goodison Park, so that would make it an attractive all-in is positive news because it means there is the opportunity for more money to come into the women's team from a minority investor. There wasn't enough attention given to the women's team under the old ownership you get the surroundings right, if you get the pricing right, you can attract a new type of fanbase and a different demographic. You can go to sponsors and partners and say, "we are the women's team, we are different from the men's team, and you can benefit from that."There are huge opportunities here and there's a feel-good factor following the Euros final on Sunday and I think it's the right time to capitalise on that.
Rhyl Journal
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
We did it – Hannah Hampton thanks late grandfather for inspiring Euro success
Hampton's two saves in England's penalty shootout with Spain to decide Sunday's final capped off a brilliant Euros for the Chelsea stopper, who set the stage for Chloe Kelly to fire in the winning spot-kick and ensure the Lionesses defended the crown they won at Wembley. The 24-year-old was named player of the match after the final, and on Monday shared she was heartbroken that her grandad did not live to see her fulfil their shared dream of seeing her play for England at a major tournament. A post shared by H (@_hannahhampton) Posting to her Instagram alongside a picture of her green England shirt with 'grandpa' printed in the neckline, Hampton wrote: 'Dear Grandpa. 'Two days before the biggest tournament of my life, you left. It still doesn't feel real. I kept thinking when I'd call nannie I'd hear your voice again – one of your jokes, or one of those little comments you'd make that somehow said everything without saying much at all. 'You were one of my biggest supporters. You believed in me before I even knew what this journey would look like. 'You were always there: watching, encouraging, teaching. You taught me so much, not just about football, but about life. About staying grounded, working hard, being resilient and doing things the right way. 'I miss our chats. I miss you saying, 'only us athletes understand' — always with a little smirk like you were in on something special. And you were. You got it. You understood what this meant to me. You understood what it took.' Hampton – who had usurped Euro 2022 winner Mary Earps to become Sarina Wiegman's first-choice keeper – was under enormous pressure to deliver in Switzerland, particularly after Earps announced her shock international retirement in May, leaving Hampton with two uncapped backups in Khiara Keating and Anna Moorhouse. She was a revelation at the tournament, from her wonder pass to set up Lauren James' goal against the Netherlands in the group stage to playing through a bloody nose in their quarter-final shootout with Sweden. Hampton kept England alive for 120 minutes in the final before denying Women's Super League player of the season Mariona Caldentey, then back-to-back Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmati, in the shootout. back to back. — Hannah Hampton (@hannahhampton_) July 27, 2025 Hampton has made a point of proving people wrong her whole life. Had she listened to the doctors who diagnosed her with an eye condition that affects her depth perception, she might not be playing football, let alone goalkeeping, at all. On Sunday, she proved her detractors wrong once and for all. 'It breaks my heart that you didn't get to see me walk out for our country at my first major tournament,' she continued. 'Something you dreamed of for me, something we talked about so many times. I wanted to see your face or hear your voice after the game calling back home. I wanted to share that with you. 'But I know, deep down, you were still there. I felt you with me. In the tunnel. On the pitch. In the tough moments. I heard you in my head when I needed strength. I hope I made you proud, Grandpa. 'I carried you through every minute, and I always will. I did it. We did it.' Hampton was one of four England players named in UEFA's team of the tournament on Monday afternoon, along with defender Lucy Bronze and forwards Kelly and Alessia Russo. Four players from runners-up Spain also made the XI – Irene Paredes and midfield trio Patri Guijarro, Bonmati and Alexia Putellas – along with Italy's Elena Linari and Germany duo Franziska Kett and Jule Brand.
