She Kicks issue 46

News (round-up)

News ·p.4

A three-page news round-up opening the March 2018 issue. FIFA confirms the 2019 World Cup schedule, Paris Saint-Germain's Parc des Princes hosting the opening match on 7 June and the Stade de Lyon the…

2018 Continental Tyres Cup Final

Match report ·p.8

A three-page report on the 2018 Continental Tyres Cup Final, in which Arsenal claimed a fifth success in the competition by beating Manchester City 1-0 at a crowd of 2,136. Arsenal dominated the first…

SheBelieves Cup 2018

Tournament feature ·p.12

A seven-page tournament report on the 2018 SheBelieves Cup, Phil Neville's first games in charge of England. Speaking after his first training sessions, Neville says he dreams about winning the World Cup and that…

Harding Heating Up Again

Interview ·p.20

Chris Brookes interviews Wales forward Natasha Harding, freshly arrived at Reading and looking ahead to a World Cup qualifier against England. Reviewing an eighth-place finish at the Cyprus Cup, she argues the results read…

Kim Little’s Big Comeback

Interview ·p.24

Catherine Etoe charts Kim Little's return from a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, nine months in the making, from fifteen applauded minutes against Millwall in the FA Cup to captaining Arsenal for 89 minutes and…

Red Alert (Bethany England)

Cover feature ·p.28

Chris Brookes interviews Bethany England, who hit 2018 with six goals in two matches and took the FA WSL 1 Player of the Month award for January while on a season-long loan at Liverpool…

Kerys Kicks

Column / Opinion ·p.31

Birmingham City skipper Kerys Harrop uses her column to welcome Phil Neville's appointment as England manager, calling it a surprise but a positive one given his experience at the highest level and his schooling…

Right on Time Renée (Renée Hector)

Interview ·p.32

Chris Brookes talks to Tottenham Hotspur defender Renee Hector, who joined in the year the club won promotion to FA WSL 2. She says the move completely changed her life, arriving off the back…

Ward’s Words

Column / Opinion ·p.33

Helen Ward sums up her last couple of months as having been through all four seasons and every weather type while chasing a ball or a stopwatch. She reports on Wales at the Cyprus…

WSL Action Gallery

Other ·p.34

A two-page photographic gallery of FA WSL action between 15 January and 23 February 2018, credited to various photographers for The FA. The spread carries no reporting text, each image labelled only with a…

Opta Stats: WSL Stat Attack

Other ·p.36

A two-page Opta statistical review of FA WSL 1, correct to 20 March 2018 and taken just past the season's halfway point after a stuttering run of fixtures broken by the international window and…

Lionesses Team Poster

Poster ·p.38

A full-page England team poster captioned #LIONESSES, printed without accompanying text. It faces the Ellen White player poster on the following page, and belongs to the issue's coverage of the 2018 SheBelieves Cup, Phil…

Ellen White Poster

Poster ·p.39

A full-page player poster of Ellen White scoring against Germany at the SheBelieves Cup, played at the Red Bull Arena in New Jersey on 4 March 2018, credited to Charlotte Wilson and Rob Tringali…

Why the USA? (US Soccer Scholarships)

Run-of-page feature ·p.40

Carrie Dunn weighs the attractions of a United States college scholarship against staying in the UK to study and play. She traces the tradition from Kelly Smith and Rachel Brown around the turn of…

Young Lionesses in the USA: Lotte Wubben-Moy

Interview ·p.43

The first of two features on England Under-20 regulars who left the WSL for United States scholarships ahead of the summer's World Cup, by Sophie Lawson and Jen O'Neill. Lotte Wubben-Moy calls her first…

Young Lionesses in the USA: Anna Patten & Alessia Russo

Interview ·p.46

The companion scholarship feature pairs Anna Patten, at Florida State University, with Alessia Russo at North Carolina. Patten, who played every minute of Arsenal's Spring Series, says FSU's many international players, including Deyna Castellanos…

Khym’s Rocky Road Back (Khym Ramsay)

Interview ·p.50

Caroline Brazill talks to goalkeeper Khym Ramsay, back at Rangers in February after a spell in Finland and a broken back. Ramsay explains she had unknown instability in her back until, playing for Aland…

Murray’s Matters

Column / Opinion ·p.52

Joelle Murray's column follows Scotland to a ten-day warm weather training camp in La Manga, beginning with fitness testing at Oriam, Scotland's National Performance Centre, on 15 January. She describes the squad flying out…

Amber’s All Go on Green (Goal Getter: Amber Barrett)

Interview ·p.52

Chris Brookes meets Republic of Ireland prospect Amber Barrett, who set aside Gaelic football, a sport dear to her and her family, and then took the FAI Continental Tyres Women's National League Player of…

NIFL Women’s Premiership In Focus

Run-of-page feature ·p.54

A two-page preview of the Danske Bank Northern Ireland Women's Premiership, presented with the views of the marketing team behind the league. It traces the journey from 2015, when the Women's Premiership joined forces…

A Pride That Tom Built (Tom Sermanni)

Interview ·p.56

Chris Brookes interviews Tom Sermanni, the Glasgow-born former Australia and USA head coach now over two years into his tenure at NWSL side Orlando Pride, who came third in 2017 having doubled both goals…

Safe Hands: Rachael Laws

Interview ·p.59

The recurring Safe Hands slot, by Chris Brookes, features Sunderland goalkeeper Rachael Laws. She names no single favourite save, preferring the memorable ones made to protect a 1-0 lead in a game her side…

Bring the Heat, Bach! (She Kicks a Beat: Ramona Bachmann)

Interview ·p.60

Chris Brookes profiles Chelsea's Swiss forward Ramona Bachmann for the music-led She Kicks a Beat slot. A five-time Damallsvenskan champion who faced Chelsea for Wolfsburg in the Champions League before joining them in December…

Born Kicking: Anna Draper

Other ·p.63

The Born Kicking junior-reader slot meets thirteen-year-old goalkeeper Anna Draper, who plays for the Aston Villa Under-14 Girls' Regional Talent Club and supports Villa's women's and men's teams. Right-footed but comfortable with both, she…

Kessi Kicks Back (Nadine Keßler)

Interview ·p.64

A two-page She Kicks Back special in which Chris Brookes invites Nadine Kessler, forced to retire at 28 by knee injuries and now UEFA's Head of Women's Football, to revisit her favourite football memories.…

Position by Position: Lucy Bronze (Full-Back)

Other ·p.66

A two-page instalment of the SK Player Guides position series, with England full-back Lucy Bronze breaking down the role alongside Jazz Hervin. Bronze puts defending the one-against-one first, then argues full-backs are as important…

Locker Room – Before & After: Christie Murray

Interview ·p.68

The She Kicks Locker Room's Before and After slot follows Scotland midfielder Christie Murray, reunited with Glasgow City after four years taking in Arsenal, Bristol Academy, Celtic and Doncaster Rovers Belles. For a 2pm…

Locker Room – Car Quiz: Poppy Bignell

Interview ·p.69

The Locker Room's Car Quiz features Poppy Bignell, a defender and Sport Management major from Northampton now at Goldey-Beacom College in Delaware. She drives a 2001 VW Jetta, as yet unnamed because the name…

Locker Room – Kit Check: Chloe Peplow

Interview ·p.70

The Locker Room's Kit Check slot presses England youth prospect Chloe Peplow, who swapped Birmingham City for Brighton and Hove Albion in January, on her kit preferences. Her first boots were bright orange Nike…

Locker Room – Captain’s Chat: Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir

Interview ·p.71

The Locker Room's Captain's Chat features VfL Wolfsburg midfielder Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottir on wearing the armband for Iceland, having also captained Haukar at home and Rosengard for a season in Malmo. She describes herself…