Shim and Iga FC on to quarterfinals in Empress Cup
Mana Shim started and played 75 minutes as she helped Iga FC secure a spot in the quarterfinal round of the Empress Cup with a 2-1 win over Speranza FC Takatsuki on Saturday. With the win, Iga FC is one of eight teams remaining in the hunt for the Empress Cup. The final is set to take place on Dec. 27.
Up Next: Iga FC takes on NTV Beleza in its quarterfinal round match on Dec. 19.
Around the W-League
Michelle Betos and Sydney FC suffered a narrow defeat in a 1-0 loss as Canberra United tallied a late goal to earn a 1-0 win. Thorns FC teammate Kendall Johnson, who is currently playing for Western Sydney Wanderers, was enjoying a bye week and was in attendance cheering on her Portland teammate.
Match Report
Betos and Sydney FC look to bounce back Adelaide United on Friday, while Western Sydney Wanderers are back in action on Saturday against Canberra United.
Melbourne City FC kept its perfect record intact as Steph Catley’s side earned a 4-0 win against Clare Polkinghorne and the Brisbane Roar. Both players started and played all 90 minutes in the match.
Match Report
City enjoys a bye this week while the Roar square off against the Newcastle Jets on Saturday.
2016 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament Field Set
The schedule and groups for the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament were set on Monday morning. The tournament will begin with group play on Feb. 10 that lasts until Feb. 16 with games being played in both Houston and Frisco.
The semifinals and final are Feb. 19 and 21 in Houston with the semifinal winners earning a spot to compete at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.
The United States is featured in Group A with Costa Rica, Mexico and Puerto Rico, while Canada is in Group B with Guatemala, Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana.
For a complete schedule, click here.
NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament field whittled down to eight
Interactive Bracket
There were some upsets in the second and third rounds of the NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament over the weekend, while all four teams from the 2014 College Cup – Florida State, Virginia, Stanford and Texas A&M – advanced to the Elite 8.
Texas A&M, the only unseeded team remaining in the tournament, earned an upset win in the second round against North Carolina and then knocked off Mississippi – a team that eliminated a seeded-squad in Clemson in the second round – in a penalty-kick shootout to earn a meeting with Florida State. Florida State kept clean sheets in each of the last two rounds with a 5-0 win against South Alabama and a 2-0 win over Auburn in the third round to advance.
Penn State scored 10 goals in the second and third rounds combined with wins over Boston University and Big Ten foe Ohio State, earning the Nittany Lions a matchup with West Virginia. The Mountaineers first knocked off Northwestern before claiming victory over a surprising Loyola Marymount team with a 5-2 win.
Stanford and Duke will meet in the Elite 8 round. Duke knocked off a pair of Florida schools in route to the round of eight, first Florida Gulf Coast by a score of 2-0 and then earned a 2-1 upset win over Florida on their home turf. Stanford prevailed in a close contest with BYU, grabbing a 2-1 win and downed Arizona 3-0 in the next round to punch its ticket to the next round.
Finally out east, Virginia shutout UNCW 2-0 in the second round and then defeated USC 3-0 to move on in the tournament. Rutgers claimed a 2-0 win against Hofstra and then a 4-0 win over a surprise Connecticut team that knocked off seeded Notre Dame in the second round. Virginia and Rutgers will meet on Friday with a trip to Cary on the line.
Elite 8 round matches are set for Nov. 27 and 28. The Final Four in Cary begins with semifinals matches on Dec. 4.
Upcoming International Matches
England
vs. Germany – Nov. 26
vs. Bosnia & Herzegovina – Nov. 29
Australia
vs. Korea Republic – Nov. 29
United States
vs. Trinidad & Tobago – Dec. 6
vs. Trinidad & Tobago – Dec. 10
vs. China – Dec. 13
vs. China – Dec. 16
Canada
vs. Mexico – Dec. 9
vs. Croatia – Dec. 13
vs. Brazil – Dec. 16
