MIAMI, Florida – Europe’s most competitive tournaments are getting to their final stages, as well as the domestic seasons in many countries. Concacaf players are making a difference within their teams, playing for glory in every match.
One of the competitions that is coming to an end is the UEFA Women’s Champions League, with the semifinals taking place this week. In the first semifinal, FC Barcelona welcomed Chelsea FC, a team in which Canadian Women’s National Team members Jessie Fleming and Kadeisha Buchanan serve as key players. Fleming started in the initial XI in the second leg and fought until the last minute to get the ticket to the big final in a 1-1 second leg draw. In the end, the Blues couldn’t come back from the 1-0 first leg defeat at home and were eliminated.
However, this is not the last chance for Chelsea to add some silverware to their collection, as they are preparing to play in the FA Women’s Cup Final against Manchester United, a team that also has a Canadian in their ranks in the form of newly signed defender Jayde Riviere.
Spain is another country with some finals on the docket. The Copa de la Reina tournament is just around the corner, with the Final Four happening at the end of May. Panama international Aldrith Quintero gave her team, Alhama FC, the pass to this stage in the competition, after scoring the only goal of their last match in the quarterfinals. They will face Atletico de Madrid on the 23 of May, with hopes of making history and reaching their first ever final.
On the other side of the bracket, Athletic Club de Bilbao will face Real Madrid, with captain for both club and the Mexican Women’s National Team, Kenti Robles, being present in every game for Real. The Merengues reached this Final Four after downing Villarreal. With Robles as one of the leaders in Madrid, Las Blancas will leave it all on the pitch to try to take the title.
Neighboring country France is also having some huge games at the close of their season, with the Coupe de France Feminine just around the corner and Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon being the teams that reached this final stage.
Lyon have United States Women’s National Team midfielder Lindsey Horan as one of their key pieces to control the game and make a difference for the entire 90 minutes. PSG have top class Canadian defender Ashley Lawerence, who is also one of the most important players in the squad. Both teams are head-to-head in the local League, Division 1 Feminine, with this Coupe being the first of their decisive encounters to come.
