Page 5 - Women's Soccer Scene Issue No.35 2021-22

Back came City and after Shaw did well down the right to beat Carter, her cross
ricocheted into the path of Stanway who fired over.
Weir shot straight at Berger after a good run but just as it looked as though Chelsea
were going to see the game out, City struck a late blow. A long ball forward from
Greenwood picked out Raso who controlled under pressure from Eriksson and held off
the defender before burying her shot past Berger to level the scores once again.
There was no time for a winner and extra time was needed, also raising prospects
of a first penalty shootout in the Final since Birmingham City's victory over Chelsea at
Ashton Gate back in 2012.
Play continued to flow from end to end as extra time began, and this time it was
Chelsea who nearly paid for a bad goal kick. Weir's ball across goal was half cut out by
Carter and Berger saved bravely at the feet of Ellen White.
Minutes later, a long ball out of defence was missed by Julie Blakstad, and with
Kennedy down suffering from cramp, Kerr was away with only Greenwood to beat. The
striker carried the ball towards the edge of the area where her shot took a wicked
deflection off the outstretched boot of Greenwood and past a wrong footed Roebuck to
restore Chelsea's lead.
Back came City with a Hemp cross which White could not direct goalwards and
Raso volleyed wide at the far post.
Both teams were looking very tired as the game went into the second period of
extra time. Laura Coombs half volleyed over following a run and cross by Bronze but
they could not fashion any further clear cut chances. There were a few anxious moments
for Chelsea in the dying minutes but City could not land a blow and the last opportunity
went when Berger superbly claimed a Vicky Losada corner under pressure in the last
minute.
The final whistle was greeted with understandable joy for Chelsea as they could
celebrate lifting another trophy and they could rarely have been made to work harder
for one.
Chelsea: Ann-Katrin Berger, Aniek Nouwen (sub Niamh Charles 68mins), Millie
Bright, Sophie Ingle, Jess Carter, Beth England (sub Ji So-Yun 68mins (sub Maren
Mjelde 118mins)), Guro Reiten, Magdalena Eriksson, Sam Kerr, Erin Cuthbert,
Pernille Harder (sub Jessie Fleming 78mins). Subs not used: Zecira Musovic, Fran
Kirby, Lauren James, Drew Spence, Jonna Andersson.
Manchester City: Ellie Roebuck, Demi Stokes (sub Julie Blakstad 82mins), Alex
Greenwood, Chloe Kelly (sub Hayley Raso 75mins), Georgia Stanway (sub Laura
Coombs 78mins), Lauren Hemp, Caroline Weir, Lucy Bronze, Khadija Shaw (sub Ellen
White 78mins), Keira Walsh (sub Vicky Losada 118mins), Alanna Kennedy. Subs not
used: Khiara Keating, Filippa Angeldahl, Jess Park, Ruby Mace.
REACTION...….....….….…
“I’m just so happy. Those women will go down in history. I will look back in tean years
time and go ‘that group was immense’. They are the best team I have ever coached. We
have a group of people who won’t be on the losing side, they will find a way.“ -
Chelsea Manager, Emma Hayes
“This is football, it can happen, you can dominate long periods and have nothing to
show. There were areas we can improve for sure and I’d probably say the only
disappointment is we gave Chelsea three goals. But outside of that I never felt they had
many opportunities, we nullified the threat and created chances for ourselves. We
wanted to lift the trophy but at the moment it’s pride of the way the team played
today.” - Manchester City Head Coach, Gareth Taylor
Issue no. 35 - 19 May 2022 news@womenssoccerscene.co.uk