Women’s football round-up: Palace make Riley addition as Bompastor outlines Chelsea ambition
BY GINA BAGNULO
As the start of the Women’s Super League (WSL) and the Championship edges even closer, South London teams have been gearing up for the beginning of their respective seasons.
Newly-promoted Crystal Palace have welcomed three new players to their club so far as they prepare to make their WSL debut.
Arriving after defender Katrine Veje and goalkeeper Shae Yanez, New Zealand international Indah-Page Riley became the most recent addition to the team, joining the side on Wednesday.
Riley previously played for the Dutch team PSV Eindhoven in the top tier of women’s football in the Netherlands.
Speaking to Palace’s website, the 22-year-old expressed her excitement about signing with the Eagles. She said: “It’s always been a dream of mine to play in the WSL and to do it here with Crystal Palace, I’m so excited.
“It’ll really help me take the next step in my career and keep on improving, because I’m still quite young and there’s a lot of improving to go.”
Despite her youth, Riley still has a wealth of experience under her belt and was picked for New Zealand’s FIFA 2023 World Cup squad. She played in all of her country’s group stage matches before their exit from the tournament.
Elsewhere, Chelsea’s new manager Sonia Bompastor has big shoes to fill.
Succeeding the long tenure of Emma Hayes, who achieved an impressive seven WSL titles with the Blues and is now seemingly coaching the US women’s national team to victory at the Olympics, to say Bompastor has one of the toughest jobs in women’s football ahead of her would be an understatement.
Bompastor has outlined what she hopes to achieve with the Blues over the course of the 2024-2025 season.
“I also will make sure and will work very hard to make the team look good on the field. I want the fans when they come to watch to just enjoy the game. Enjoy the fact we are going to score a lot of goals – I hope so! We are working hard to do that.”
Bompastor did not shy away from discussing Emma Hayes’ legacy either. She said: “I will be careful building on this legacy because she left the club in such a good place. Now, I just want to make sure we go for the next step. I will be respectful while bringing my own identity and my own vision to the project.”
Shifting away from the WSL, Championship side Charlton Athletic have started playing pre-season matches before their first league fixture in September. This kicked off with a 2-1 victory against Nottingham Forest on Monday.
Five minutes in, Charlton scored the first goal of the game when a cross by Jodie Hutton was fired into the net by Melissa Fillis.
Charlton were then able to capitalise on their lead when Princess Ademiluyi, who is on loan from West Ham United, shot the ball into the bottom corner of the opposing net.
Forest were able to get a goal back when Jordie Hutton attempted to clear the ball but turned it into her own net.
PICTURE: PA