News Round-up
News pp.4–6
A three-page round-up spanning the end of the domestic season and the build-up to the World Cup. The BBC and ITV agree a deal with FIFA to show all 64 matches in the UK.…
Issue
She Kicks issue 80
July 2023 38 articles indexed
Read She Kicks issue 80 in full
Barclays WSL Action: 27 May 23 — Last-Day Drama
Match report p.7
A single-page photo montage of the WSL's final day, 27 May 2023, each frame given a hashtag caption. Chelsea sealed a fourth successive title with a 3-0 win at Reading, Guro Reiten doubling the…
WWC 2023 Preview: New Zealand — Are You Ready For Take Off?
Tournament feature p.12
The page that opens the magazine's World Cup preview, setting out a route through all eight groups with interviews from across the 32 competing nations before a pundit round-table at the end. It shares…
All Together Now
Interview pp.13–14
A Group A interview with the Bayern Munich defender ahead of her third tournament and Norway's first under Hege Riise. Hansen describes a new emphasis on defensive compactness and a team mantra of 'one…
Philippine Supreme
Interview p.15
A Group A interview with the Philippines forward as the nation prepares for its first major tournament, ranked at an all-time high of 46th with a squad blending the Filipino diaspora and a smaller…
Swisstory To Be Made
Interview p.16
A Group A interview with the Eintracht Frankfurt forward ahead of Switzerland's second World Cup, their first under the German goalscoring great Inka Grings. Reuteler recalls setting up Fabienne Humm's 121st-minute winner in the…
The Cool Chids
Interview pp.17–20
The Group B cover interview with the Australia attacking midfielder, who won the 2023 Julie Dolan Medal as the A-League Women's best player during a loan spell at Melbourne Victory. Chidiac talks about the…
Pet Corner with Alex Chidiac
Interview p.20
The recurring quickfire pet slot, sharing a page with the main Chidiac interview. The Australia midfielder introduces Livia, a grey foster cat she has had for about a year and who is, by her…
Yes They Can
Interview pp.21–23
A Group B interview with the Canada full-back, conducted as she prepares for a third World Cup and a move to Chelsea after six and a half years at Paris Saint-Germain. Lawrence traces the…
Stormin’ O’Gorman
Interview p.24
A Group B interview with the Shamrock Rovers captain, who retired from Republic of Ireland duty in 2018 at 29 with 100 caps and returned three years later to reach a first World Cup.…
Mas O Menos…
Tournament feature p.25
A Group C team preview asking whether Spain are serious contenders, and answering: more or less. The piece sets out a squad combining strength, experience and outstanding technique, but notes the unresolved shadow of…
Marvel in the Making
Interview pp.26–27
A Group C interview with the Liverpool midfielder before her first senior World Cup, under Futoshi Ikeda, the coach who led her to an Under-20 world title in 2018. Nagano says the tournament has…
Copper Loada That
Interview p.28
A Group C interview with the Zambia forward, fresh from a 25-goal Liga F season for Madrid CFF that included both goals in the 2-1 win over Barcelona which ended the European champions' 64-game…
Ready to Reign?
Tournament feature p.29
A Group D team preview built around quotes gathered at England's St. George's Park media day. With Leah Williamson, Beth Mead and Fran Kirby all missing, Millie Bright steps up as captain, supported by…
Defending the Pride
Interview pp.30–33
A Group D cover interview with the Manchester City defender ahead of a third World Cup, having been the youngest member of England's bronze-winning 2015 squad. Greenwood talks about becoming a mentor to younger…
Alex On The Spot
Interview p.34
The quickfire sidebar following the main Greenwood interview. She always sits by the window with Ellie Roebuck on the outside, thinks of kangaroos, barbecues and beaches when Australia comes up, and would build a…
WWC 2023 Tournament Planner / Match Schedule
Other pp.35–46
A four-page fixture pullout, printed across two spreads either side of the Football on the Brain supplement so that it can be removed and kept. It lists all eight groups with their four teams,…
Football on the Brain: Circadian Rhythms & Jet Lag
Other pp.37–44
An eight-page educational pullout produced with Oxford University's Football on the Brain project, pitched at younger readers and themed around a tournament played on the other side of the world. It explains the circadian…
Pet Corner with Ellie Roebuck
Interview p.47
The recurring pet slot goes to the England goalkeeper, who introduces Johnny, a French bulldog she has had for three years and who is, at around 12 kilos, in her own words well fed…
Ups and Downs
Other p.47
A themed quote compilation sharing the page with Ellie Roebuck's Pet Corner, in which Lionesses were asked which teammate they would least like to be stuck in a lift with at the team hotel.…
More Bits from the Lionesses…
Other p.49
A second quote compilation from the England media day, lighter in tone. Alessia Russo has never been to Australia but her parents got engaged there and will be travelling out. Laura Coombs wants to…
The Menu with Esme Morgan
Interview p.49
The recurring food Q&A, running alongside the Lionesses quotes on the same page. The Manchester City defender reports having tried both Vegemite and Marmite as part of a squad 'try an Australian snack' exercise,…
Safe Hands
Interview p.50
The recurring goalkeeper Q&A goes Danish, profiling the player most likely to stand in England's way in Sydney on 28 July. The 23-year-old Rosenborg goalkeeper, working her way back to competitive action, names the…
Haitian Sensations
Interview p.51
A Group D interview with the FC Fleury 91 forward as Haiti prepare for a first major tournament, secured by a 2-1 win over Chile in February's inter-confederation play-off in Auckland. Louis speaks of…
Golden Star
Interview p.52
A Group E interview with the Vietnam captain, who last year became the first female Vietnamese player to move abroad, joining Lank FC Vilaverdense in Portugal. Huynh Nhu is clear-eyed about a group containing…
USA Preview: Emily Fox
Interview pp.54–57
A Group E interview with the North Carolina Courage defender as the United States chase a third successive title with a substantially new squad. Fox names Becky Sauerbrunn as her mentor, recalling teammates' video…
The Way Esmee
Interview pp.58–59
A Group E interview with the 19-year-old PSV attacker whose cross bounced in against Iceland to send the Netherlands to the World Cup with two minutes to spare. Brugts describes the relief of that…
Viva La Vivi
Interview pp.60–61
A Group F interview with the West Ham forward, included in France's provisional squad a year after missing the Euros cut. The piece sets the scene of a genuine new beginning: Corinne Diacre's six-year…
Just Call AA…
Interview p.61
A Group F interview with the Brazil forward, a league champion with Roma and bound for Houston Dash, as she prepares for a third World Cup. Alves, 30, scored the 93rd-minute equaliser at Wembley…
Beware of the…
Interview pp.62–63
A Group G interview with the Sweden defender ahead of a sixth major tournament and a second World Cup, having won bronze in 2019. Andersson explains her departure from Chelsea plainly: the club told…
Queens of the Continent
Interview pp.64–65
A Group G interview with the South Africa midfielder, whose first months at Glasgow City ended in an SWPL title decided on the final day, her pass setting up Lauren Davidson's stoppage-time winner at…
That’s Azzurre
Interview p.66
A Group G interview with the Juventus forward, hoping to make her first World Cup squad after scoring against England in the Arnold Clark Cup, her first goal for Italy. Cantore frames the tournament…
Braun Ready
Interview p.67
A Group G interview with the Argentina defender-midfielder on an unusual qualification celebration: after the third-place play-off win over Paraguay at the Copa America, the squad collected on a bet and took turns cutting…
Germany Over All?
Tournament feature pp.68–69
A Group H team preview, framed around the number of journalists in the following pages who make Germany favourites. The piece argues that, as before EURO 2022, Germany have not overwhelmed anyone on the…
Essential Seleccion
Interview p.70
A Group H interview with the Atletico Madrid midfielder as Colombia return to the World Cup after eight years away. Santos says last year's run to the Copa America final gave the squad confidence…
Korea Opportunities
Interview p.71
A Group H interview, and the preview's only manager interview, with the Leicester-born coach of Korea Republic. Bell, a Champions League winner at 1.FFC Frankfurt, is heading to a first World Cup in a…
World Cup Wonderings…
Column / Opinion pp.72–76
A five-page pundit round-table in which 11 UK-based writers and broadcasters, from Jacqui Oatley and Suzy Wrack to Tom Garry and Sophie Lawson, answer a run of prediction questions. Germany and the United States…
Born Kicking: Florence Campbell
Interview p.77
The recurring youth Q&A, introduced as meeting a young Hammer who is world class at selfies. Florence Campbell is eight, from Romford in Essex, known to teammates as FloFlo, and plays centre-midfield for Tigers…