Page 30 - Women's Soccer Scene Issue no.20 2021-22

Northern Ireland to play Everton

Northern Ireland’s Women’s Under-17 team will prepare for Qualifying Round 2 in their UEFA
Women's European Championship competition by playing two friendlies against Everton Women’s
teams next month.
The games against Everton for the WU17s, who are due to compete in Euro qualifiers in
March, will be the competitive element of a training camp in England from 6 to 11 February.
Northern Ireland WU17s boss Alfie Wylie has chosen a 24-strong squad for the camp and the
friendlies on 9 and 11 February against Everton teams that will be a mix of their WU17s and WU19s.
There are six new faces in the panel from the squad that took part in stage one of the WU17
Euro 2022 qualifiers in Serbia back in the autumn.
Among the newcomers are two players from West Bromwich Albion, goalkeeper Kaicee
Griffin and forward Olivia Stubbs, and Birmingham City defender Mikayla Wildgoose.
Also in the squad for the first time are Antrim Rovers forward Kascie Weir, Carnmoney Ladies
defender Tara Gilmore and her club team mate Grace Montgomery, a midfielder. Montgomery was
named in the squad for last year’s trip to Serbia but was unable to travel due to illness.
As part of a new Nations League-style qualifying format the WU17s are in League B of their
current Euro competition where they will be aiming to gain promotion to League A in Qualifying
Round 1 of the 2022-23 edition.
The WU17s will be taking on Luxembourg, Faroe Islands and hosts Israel in March. The three
League B Group 1 matches are scheduled for 8-17 March (venues TBC).
Wylie revealed his 20 players for the trip to Israel will be chosen from the 24 taking part in
the training camp in England. He said he expected the games against Everton to be tough tests for
his squad, pointing out the Liverpool-based club have an excellent academy set-up and a strong
group of players.
The WU17s boss further said: “We have some really exciting young players in our ranks and I
believe quite a few of them could be senior internationals of the future, which is testament to our
performance pathway. I am looking forward to seeing how they do against top quality opposition.”
The Northern Ireland Under-17 squad for the upcoming training camp in England is as follows:
Kaicee Griffin (West Bromwich Albion), Erin McAllister (Linfield), Abi Sweetlove (Linfield), Sarah
Tweedie (Linfield), Niamh Coyle (Sion Swifts), Claragh Quigg (Sion Swifts), Tara Gilmore
(Carnmoney Ladies), Cerys Madden (Cliftonville), Rebecca Magee (Glentoran), Mikayla Wildgoose
(Birmingham City), Naomi McLaughlin (Sion Swifts), Aoibhe O’Neill (Sion Swifts), Lucy Johnston
(Linfield), Rhyleigh Marks (Linfield), Aimee Kerr (Carnmoney Ladies), Grace Montgomery
(Carnmoney Ladies), Sophie Gargan (Linfield), Keri Halliday (Linfield), Emily Reid (Linfield),
Rachael McIntyre (Glentoran), Tara Reilly (Cliftonville), Chelsea Scott (Sion Swifts), Olivia Stubbs
(West Bromwich Albion), Kascie Weir (Antrim Rovers).
(www.irishfa.com)
UWLC Final ball revealed

Adidas has revealed the official match ball for the 2021-22 UEFA Women’s Champions League
knockout stage, which is inspired by the mountains of the Piedmont region in Italy, where this
season’s final will take place on 21st May.
The ball design heavily features the Alps, which are located near to Turin, with a mirrored star
shape featuring in the imagery. For adidas, the ball represents a symbol of possibility – a vehicle that
can inspire the next generation of footballing talent and grassroots communities around the world.
In an effort to highlight the importance that grassroots football plays in giving footballers a
springboard to reach greater heights, adidas has invited some of its adidas Football Collective (aFC)
community members from the Turin region to take part in the launch.
The ball will be used for all the remaining matches in the UEFA Women’s Champions League
this season, with the quarter finals getting underway on 22 March and the final taking place in Turin
almost two months later, on 21st May.
Issue no. 20 - 3 February 2022 news@womenssoccerscene.co.uk