Arsenal Women fly to Washington DC today to play a friendly against Washington Spirit this Sunday at Audi Field, followed by a clash with WSL rivals Chelsea at the same venue a week later. Emily Fox, Mariona Caldentey and Laia Codina will join the squad a little later as they went to the medal matches in the Olympics.
Australian trio Caitlin Foord, Kyra Cooney-Cross and Steph Catley are also included, as is Victoria Pelova, who has an ACL injury but will join up with the team to continue with her rehabilitation and presumably because there is a strong commercial element to the tour too. Youngsters Vivienne Lia, Freya Godfrey, Naomi Williams, Laila Harbert, Maddy Earl, Katie Reid and Michelle Agyemang are included, as are new signings Daphne van Domselaar and Rosa Kafaji.
Full travelling squad listed below:
1.Manuela ZINSBERGER
2.Emily FOX
3.Lotte WUBBEN-MOY
5.Laia CODIA
6.Leah WILLIAMSON
7.Steph CATLEY
8.MARIONA Caldentey
9.Beth MEAD
10.Kim LITTLE(c)
11.Katie McCABE
12.Frida MAANUM
13.Lia WALTI
14.Daphne van DOMSELAAR
16.Rosa KAFAJI
17.Lina HURTIG
19.Caitlin FOORD
21.Victoria PELOVA
22.Kathrine KUHL
23.Alessia RUSSO
25.Stina BLACKSTENIUS
26.Laura WIENROITHER
32.Kyra COONEY-CROSS
40.Naomi WILLIAMS
53.Vivienne LIA
56.Freya GODFREY
59.Michelle AGYEMANG
60.Maddy EARL
61.Laila HARBERT
62.Katie REID
Arseblog News will be on location in DC next week and we will have plenty of content for you from DC and we will be at the Arsenal v Chelsea game.
Absolute madness to take the Olympic players. The WCL quallifiers are less than a month away, the season six weeks away. We’re creating the same situation as we faced last pre-season, but of our own volition.
Great to take VP but they could have left out any player who was at the Olympics and it would still have been a decent squad of 22-23 players with all the positions covered.
I’m very happy for the children, though – Agyemang, Godfrey, Earl, Reid, Lia, Harbert and Williams will get so much out of this tour.
2 weeks break after their international duty is at least better than the 10 days they were getting a few international windows ago. I’m afraid if the players want more time off they will likely have to unite to put pressure as a large group across clubs and leagues.
Last preseason Arsenal didn’t play any games and only had the squad together for a few days before the UWCL qualifiers. Playing preseason games and having the squad together for a couple weeks before the UWCL qualifiers is the opposite of the situation from last preseason, not the same.
Good point but I was talking about the lack of rest.
29 Players – it looks like everybody wants to visit the US of A!
Great for the youngsters whilst I’m sure the Olympians will be used sparingly.
It’s the travel, though. The change of climate and time zone. Not being able to fully relax because of all the pr and marketing commitments…
Yes, it’s not just kicking a ball round and catch the bus home now, is it? WSL is surely going to become more commercial with the pressures that brings on players time also from now on. The new management are already talking in business buzzwords and any changes are down to them and no longer the FA. Once the £20m loan is paid up the FA will not even have a seat on the board.
To be frank, women’s football needs to be a lot more monetized for the girls to earn mo’ money.
The US is still largest women’s football market on the planet- visiting to raise the profile of the team, particularly with young people, is hugely important to maintain pace with other clubs that might have deeper pockets (due to ownership laundering their
country’s womens rights records)