The sounds of the season are ringing around the world, and teams around the world are either entering the pressure cooker phase of the season or still trying to figure things out.
Last week's biggest headlines came from Europe, where the UEFA Women's Champions League semi-finals began.
One Goal Separates All UWCL Teams
The first semi-final on Saturday morning saw Barcelona host Chelsea, a repeat of last year's semi-final. In the other semi-final, bitter rivals Olympique Lyonnais hosted Paris Saint-Germain, and both games proved to be worth watching.
In the first semi-final, Chelsea had a tactical game plan that almost completely nullified Barcelona's strengths. Almost every player at Chelsea was playing at their best and doing what manager Emma Hayes told them to do. From Ashley Lawrence to Jess Carter, Erin Cuthbert and Mayra Ramirez, Chelsea produced strong defensive performances and scored difference-making goals through Cuthbert when needed.
In the other semi-final, Lyon played well below their standards for almost 80 minutes before changing their style and coming from a 2-0 deficit to beat PSG 3-2. Through the team's sheer determination and the introduction of Amel Maziri, Lyon turned the tide and took control of the draw.
Chelsea will host the second leg of the match on April 27th, while PSG will host the second leg of the same match on April 28th.
Manchester City narrowly stay in title contention in FA WSL
With current leaders Chelsea not playing last weekend, Manchester City knew that a win against West Ham would take them to the top of the FA WSL, at least until Chelsea play their next game.
City tried to put the pressure back on the title holders by the next game, especially since the difference between the two teams would be minimal if Chelsea won the game. Khadijah Shaw also scored twice, putting them five goals ahead of West Ham.
With so few games remaining in the season, the title fight will likely continue until the final game of the season. Neither City nor Chelsea, nor third-placed Arsenal, show any signs of slowing down anytime soon, which will be a great run-in for fans and neutrals alike.
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Photo courtesy: MI News/NurPhoto, Getty Images
Maria Sanchez traded from Houston to San Diego
In one of the biggest transfer stories to unfold in the past few days, Maria Sanchez has been officially traded to the San Diego Wave FC. The story broke on Friday night when Sanchez reportedly requested a trade from Houston, and by Saturday he had signed with San Diego and the trade was finalized.
It was a shock to many that she wanted to be traded from the Dash, considering Maria Sanchez signed a huge contract with Houston during the offseason and has not started the season well. It seemed to destabilize Dash's team. No one knows why Sanchez sought a move from Houston, but she's done her job and the next time she sees the Mexico international, she'll be wearing a Wave jersey. right.
NWSL sounds
With trades like the ones mentioned above taking place, such as Amandine Henry going from Angel City to Utah and Paige Nielsen going from Angel City to Houston, it's important to know what's on the pitch for top trade news. One would think that some movement would be necessary.
That wasn't the case at all, as many games ended in high scoring. Kansas City and Louisville had the highest ratings, with Current defeating Bay FC 5-2 and Racing Louisville defeating Utah Royals 5-1. The Portland Thorns also scored four points off the Dash.
KC Current remains in first place after five games, and their attacking prowess has been the key to their success so far this season. Seattle Reign FC and Utah remain at the bottom of the standings with just 1 win and 4 losses in 5 games.
