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Watch this
One more sleep until the lionesses host the oranjeleeuwinnen, but tomorrow is when I will do a “preview.” Until then, I’ll leave you with this press conference with Beth, in case you haven’t seen the whole thing.
d ❤
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Friday can’t come soon enough
I really am excited about the lionesses vs the oranjeleeuwinnen match on Friday for more reasons than I can count and to be completely honest I am so very impatient at the moment. I have many thoughts and predictions and ideas and it’s both great for Arsenal and conflicting at the same time.
My heart is and will always be with the dutch so I’m hoping and expecting them to come out on top but these teams are so evenly matched it’s hard to give an actual prediction, whatever that means.
If Pelova starts at right back she’ll have her hands full with Hemp and/or Kelly and I’m excited to see what she can do against those two players. Also, if Lauren James plays it would be really good to see Victoria in action against her too because she’ll know what to expect when we play Chelsea, if either player plays of course.
Now, if its Beth vs Pelova I’m afraid its RIP Vicky P, not because she can’t hang with Beth, but because I would imagine she would know Vicky inside and out, and same goes for Viv and LWM
BUT
It goes both ways doesn’t it?
One thing both LWM and Pelova have in common is they are both relentless and put in every single ounce of their heart into the matches, any match, so that factor is so important and it’s capable of very special things.
There is however, one player who has the most elevated football IQ in world football (obviously this is my opinion and its based on vibes and personal taste) and that player plays for the Netherlands. Expect DVD to start, to dictate the match, to shine and to score.
Speaking of footballing brains let’s not forget about a certain Keira Walsh, like how the hell can we forget? Whatever I said about DVD applies to her too so holy shit are we in for a treat.
Curious to see how many minutes, if any at all, Viv gets and this would be a massive occasion for her to do what she does best, and shine.
I really don’t know what else Lotte has to do to get an England start, specially with Millie Bright out injured so we’ll see what Sarina chooses to do.
Another duel I’m excited about is Russo vs Janssen. Dom is coming back from a few weeks out and only played about 34 minutes for Wolfsburg but regardless if she is back to her normal speed or not, her positioning is as reliable as it gets so again, I’m curious to know what this duel will bring.
Today is one of those days where I say a lot of things and also say absolutely nothing.
Enjoy your day!
d ❤
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My point exactly…
Yesterday I wrote about how I wasn’t sure how much longer I would be active on this blog. I had also mentioned the fact that I change my mind often and that I also felt a need to prioritize some things over this blog.
A few moments ago I checked to see where some of you are from and I was blown away by the countries I saw on that list. To know that there are people from all over the world is pretty incredible and it’s something that I value and I’m so thankful for. So, before I start this blog post I have to say thank you. Wherever you are from, know that you are welcomed here and that I respect and value your time.
In music there’s a saying that, to paraphrase, says that you never know who is in the audience. You never, ever know who is watching and you have to give your best at every moment. I have a Keanu Reeves story about that but I won’t write it here because I think I have done so and I need to check before I waste your time.
Anyways, let’s chat about Arsenal Women, exactly the reason why you are here.
The more I think about the match against Chelsea is absolutely massive and in a season where you have to be virtually perfect, this is the kind of match we need to win, without a doubt. We need to go into in knowing that 50k people are going to witness a match that will be a launchpad for the rest of the season and to signal to the world that not only are we the best team in England, but that we should definitely be in the CL and it’s a damn shame we aren’t.
Shebahn mentioned on her latest VLOG that one of the reasons we’re doing well this season is due, precisely, to the lack of CL football and I agree with her. This is the precise reason why we don’t have an excuse to not be on top form, and we absolutely need to take advantage of our lighter schedule, or in other words exploit Chelsea’s busy one.
When we got knocked out of the CL I wrote how it might actually be beneficial for us but things are only beneficial if we actually do something about it right? Like, Chelsea can have the worst schedule, awful injury problems etc etc etc and if we don’t beat them then it’s all for naught.
They currently don’t have Millie Bright or Guro Reiten as far as I know, and they might have other injuries, but with Lauren James and Sam Kerr being so good this season, we need to realize that they’ll be fine without them if they can keep scoring as many goals as they please, since it’s what seems to be the norm for them.
If not at the Emirates, to go level on points, when??
d ❤
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Slowing down
One thing you know about me by now is that I change my mind all the time. There are days when I wake up and feel I want to have the longest living Arsenal Women blog and then there are days when I feel I am spending way too much time on this and on my podcast when there are a lot of things that I need to get done regarding my music, practicing and some projects I have going on.
To a degree, the international break will aid with that slowing down of sorts because I won’t feel pressured to write something relevant or interesting, and by the way I’m not implying that anything I write is either relevant or interesting but because there might be a game to talk about, it is in theory relevant to the club, players and fanbase.
What is NOT slowing down is the actual season post international break. All the opposite. Aside facing Chelsea on dec 10th, we then have 2 north London derbies back to back and those are the fixtures in December. But, what I’m failing to mention, in case you didn’t know, is that these matches are on the 10th, the 13th and the 16th.
Umm.. that’s pretty intense.
Any 3 matches in such a short period of time are always going to be a challenge. Even though I’m not going to put up the NLD up there in terms of how it compares to the men’s NLD, I will say that I’m expecting us to win both of those matches too. Trust me, I’m not taking anything away from the importance of the NLD, I’m just not prepared to say that: “you never know, it’s a NLD!!!” like no, I’m not there, I’m sorry. Maybe I’m being harsh.
Onto the Lionesses vs Oranjeleeuwinnen… can’t bloody wait for this. I have some thoughts that I will share in due time!
d ❤
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That was special
I won’t even try to put into words what a special moment it was for Beth and her family. I’m just beyond proud of her and happy to have seen the goals on TV because if I had been there in person I would’ve bawled like a child.
The match was a really, really good one. Clean sheet, McCabe did great on the right, Kyra was solid and reliable, etc. And omg am I excited to see how well this team plays when our best players are back. I cannot wait to see Leah and Amanda at the back with Kim, Lia and Kyra PLUS Viv on the pitch too. I just can’t bloody wait.
We are just 3 points off Chelsea and we don’t seem like we’re off 3rd gear to be honest with you and I’m hoping that we peak at the right time and if we do, it won’t matter what Chelsea does or doesn’t do, and that’s the pocket where I want to be in.
Today I feel like we will be champions. Sounds insane with so many months to go and I also didn’t feel this way at all vs Southampton… nowhere near. So as usual, take everything I say with a grain of salt.
One more thing I’ll mention, going back to KCC is that I’m very happy to have her at our club and to know that we can have someone step in for Lia when we need her and still know that we are not going to suffer a lot. As I’ve always said, Lia is the barometer of this team. How she plays, we play. What her form is, our form is. I will take this to my grave.
What a great day. Chuffed for Bethany.
d ❤
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INcredible Attendance
It’s 10:25am here in sunny Los Angeles and I just went outside to take the trash out. I wore shorts and a T-shirt and it was “cold.” As I made my way back to my house I was thinking about how insane it is that it’s still this warm in California, about global warming, and more. That “more” is YOU. The traveling fans.
The attendance numbers we’re seeing from AWFC fans both home and away is absolutely staggering. This is a very big deal and I’m so grateful to all of you that travel and support the girls. I know there’s not a “trophy” for this and that rival fans always have a comment about this, but this is a massive deal.
It goes without saying that fans don’t just magically appear at stadiums all around the country. The vast investment of time and money goes well beyond the price of the ticket. There’s train fares, gas, parking, uber rides, food at the stadium, hotels, programs, etc etc etc. Beyond this there is the logistical puzzles that need to be solved. All of this is hard enough to do once a year for me, so when I hear about the AWSC organizing meetups, or when I see fans on twitter at every damn match it’s truly incredible.
I definitely don’t have it in me to do that. I say this because as a musician you usually work on the weekends and you are always on call in case a gig pops up, so making plans in advance is not something synonymous with that lifestyle.
I have no doubt that the club’s vision is to have ALL AWFC matches be played at The Emirates. When that happens it’ll be such incredible news and joining teams like Leicester who play in the main stadium, will be something great for the squad and fans as a whole. But I don’t know how that would work in terms of the ticket prices.
I know absolutely nothing about numbers, economy, or anything like that. What I assume, from a point of ignorance, is that given the global economy, the rising costs everywhere, that the girls’s tickets at the emirates will be considerably higher than what they are at Meadow park. That could be a problem for people who attend the men’s game often too.
Maybe it’s one of those “we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it” situations and I’m sure glad I’m not involved in solving this. However, as special of a ground that Meadow park is, having them move to the Emirates full time is the best for the fans. More fans.
But what about the players? Do they as a whole want to play there? Will the commute down to north London be something they like? I have no idea but would love to know what they think.
Playing at bigger venues isn’t always the best for musicians. You sometimes rather have the packed house at a smaller place.
d ❤
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Weird match, right?
I don’t know about you but yesterday’s match had me feeling like I had no idea what was going on. I was confused as to why we were having a hard time against a team from a lower tier, while we had a very strong lineup up. However, the reality is that just because I don’t quite understand something it doesn’t mean that it’s weird or not good. So, as usual, I’m going to focus on the positives.
I won’t go in chronological order as the first thing that comes to mind has to be the fact that Viv got so many minutes. If there’s ONE thing to rescue about this match, beyond the actual win we got which is very important, is that. And I don’t know how else to explain it other than having viv on the pitch just feels right.
Lacasse continues to be a threat, reliable on the ball and her work rate is fantastic. I can’t mention work rate and not mention Alessia. She’s so committed and runs all over the pitch, but a hefty heat map doesn’t mean you’re effective or good, but the touches she gets, the pressing and how smart she is are such assets.
Overall, as much as it wasn’t the prettiest match ever, I still hold onto the fact not just that we won or how we didn’t perform, but the overall symbolism of yet another win and what that can do for their continuously growing confidence. And regarding confidence, Amanda getting an incredible goal can only help with that!
Also, one quick reminder that we have only lost ONE match this season, preceded by getting knocked out of the CL via PKs and followed by a tie vs man utd. Since then the girls have won 7 matches in a row. That isn’t a small thing and I totally get the anxiety from fans as we haven’t played our best and all of that.
I share some of that as I don’t think that we have found our best 11, or actually, I’m afraid that Jonas picks his best 11 and it doesn’t match up with the players who I’d like to see start.
Also, what does Naomi Williams have to do to get minutes? I would love to see what she has to offer.
d ❤
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Guest Hosted The Highbury Squad!
Yesterday I had the absolute pleasure of hosting my very first solo show on The Highbury Squad and I had an absolute blast. I was joined by someone that is not only just about the nicest guy I know, but also a truly knowledgeable person when it comes to all things Arsenal Women, England Lionesses and women’s football in general… the one and only Albert from AlbertJTV… and you can follow him on social media: @aumoh57
I’d like to give a massive shoutout to Sophie Nicoloau for trusting me with the show and for being such an inspiration in more ways that I can count.
Here’s the link to the full 60 min show!
If you’d be so kind, please subscribe, like and comment as it would help the channel continue to grow and grow.
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What NOT to do
In my career as a musician I have learn an infinity of lessons. Some of these have come through teachers and instructors, others have come from my peers, and I could go on and on. As you can imagine, it’s easy to think about things that we have all learned directly from people as it relates to what to do, how, why and when. But I know you agree with me, that sometimes the best and most important lessons come from what NOT to do. How NOT to behave, what NOT to say, when NOT to do it, etc.
Every time I think the men’s game is somewhat stable or scandal free, I am quickly and often reminded of how wrong I am. To be fair, it’s not that I ever think its stable… it’s that some time has passed between insane situations and today/yesterday had so many examples of these.
If you think that I am going to judge people and the men’s game please know that you are absolutely correct. So I’m gonna go over some of these ridiculous things that make me feel so damn proud of being a supporter of the women’s game and why I cherish it so much, because even with the game growing exponentially, violence and xenophobia have not come into play.
Brazil vs Argentina was an absolute mess. The violence between fans was atrocious. Just as bad was the violence between the Brazilian police and the Argentinean fans. Oh and De Paul completely play acted being “hit” on the face by an opponent (I wanna say it was Joelinton) and got him sent off. Horrible…
In another match, USMNT player Sergiño Dest made an absolute embarrassment of himself by getting sent off by being a petulant child in many ways. He kicked a ball to row Z and then blew kisses to the ref once he gave him a yellow card for said kick. After the kiss blowing absurdity, the ref sent him off and he then basically lost the plot…
Peru hosted my home nation of Venezuela and that was also a mess. Not only did the Peruvian authorities announce that they would check the immigration status of all Venezuelans at the stadium, but at the end of the match, the Venezuelan players were assaulted by police when they tried to gift their match worn shirts to the traveling fans. Oh, and also, on a TV show, the Peruvian hosts all but said that Venezuela shouldn’t win otherwise Venezuelan women would “cost too much.”
Not gonna dignify that rubbish with a comment.
So, as you can see there is plenty of this to go around, all over the place and you know what I’m gonna say… THIS DOESN’T HAPPEN IN THE WOMEN’S GAME. They just don’t. And not only are we “lucky” but we need to make sure that we, in a good way, become gate keepers and don’t allow any of this garbage seep into our beautiful game.
And let’s be clear… the violence and xenophobia are never the answer. I don’t care how much a player dives or pretends to be injured or whatever. No violence, racism or xenophobia are ever ok. They don’t deserve it in the way that women players don’t deserve it but there’s no way to separate toxic masculinity from toxic masculinity.
I’m proud to be a women’s football fan and my life has gotten better exponentially. And honestly I think I would be deeply hurt if I hear of any Arsenal player, or any female player, receiving horrible racist abuse or being assaulted by a police while representing their countries.
I refuse to think that it’s “only a matter of time.”
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England Calling
Right when we’re in a groove… right in the middle of all things going our way… right when we are used to lots of matches every weekend… the international break is around the corner. And I’m being completely selfish here but as much as I love the nation’s league, I really don’t need it interrupting our campaign.
Thinking about seeing players like Katie, Lia and Amanda play 90 mins for their countries while we need all of them to be as healthy and safe as possible is something that gives me a bit on anxiety to be honest, less about potential injuries and more related to just exhaustion, although I can appreciate both of these things being related.
But let’s look at the positives and nothing is more of a positive than seeing our very own Beth Mead get called up to the England squad. This is absolutely massive news every way you look at it so to say that I’m excited for her beyond words would be an understatement.
It’s not just getting called up after being on the sidelines for a couple of months. We’re talking about being out of the England squad for over 12 months. That is absolute insanity. 12 months in which I assume that playing for England again is something that crossed her mind every minute or every hour when she’s not sleeping basically. OK maybe not that often but a lot??? Imagine you being away from your life’s calling for over a year.
I’m also very excited to see what Sarina does with the Lionesses and how Beth fits back in. I’m clearly biased but I would take her over Kelly, Hemp and James on the flanks. Will she change the system? the lineup? I guess we’ll never know!!! or we will know in a week or so haha.
I’ll remind you tomorrow early but I will be doing an AWFC show tomorrow on the Highbury squad YouTube channel. Stay tuned for that which will be at 8pm uk time.
xo
d ❤
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A very subjective look into AWFC 