Lucia Garcia scored the only goal of the game to help Man United Women produce one of the narrow football results of the weekend in the Women’s Super League. Having kept the championship battle alive with a stunning last-second victory against Manchester City in their penultimate game, United entered the last weekend of their finest WSL season with the knowledge that they had already secured their place in Europe. Marc Skinner’s squad lost by two points when the Blues easily defeated Reading, but Chelsea manager Emma Hayes praised their brave attitude in the days leading up to Saturday’s final round of games, referring to United as “one of the best teams in the league.”
Three minutes after entering the pitch, United’s super sub-Lucia Garcia scored the game’s lone goal by lifting the ball over Gemma Bonner and firing low into the bottom corner in the 72nd minute. She did this in an effort to take advantage of any Chelsea lapse in concentration. Hayes’ champions, who retained their championship for a fourth straight season after key goals from Sam Kerr (2) and Guro Reiten helped them defeat the demoted Royals 3-0, were not upstaged by the victory.
To put further pressure on their championship rivals, United needed an early goal; perhaps that would have made Chelsea’s team nervous. Instead, United struggled against Liverpool because they tried too hard to force impossible entries while knowing that Chelsea’s fate depended on how well Kerr played his opening goal. At the end of a disappointing first half in which neither team was able to establish a solid foothold, Nikita Parris headed straight at Rachael Laws before the Liverpool custodian pushed Parris’ curler onto the post.
A swift Liverpool break left United vulnerable, and Mary Earps was called upon to step up and stop Emma Koivisto. She had minimal involvement the entire time. Prior to the breakthrough occurring five minutes later, their custodian kept things level with a clawed save. Garcia gave United the new motivation they required to take a more direct approach, tease Liverpool’s backline with deft movement, then create an opening with exceptional skill.
The attacker had the foresight to grab a searching long ball from Maya Le Tissier and elevate it over Bonner before swinging a left boot at the shot. She did this while slipping past the hosts’ weary backline. Similar to the last United game against Man City, which was won by Garcia’s game-winning substitution off the bench, the ball nestled softly inside Laws’ near post.
A third gaze was directed at a large number of visiting supporters at Prenton Park. nothing more, though. Not a wave or goodbye salutation. Nothing that would suggest a breakup. There is no evidence at all that Alessia Russo played her final match in Manchester United garb. But as the thrill of another spectacular season fades, it is unclear if Russo will stay in Manchester past this academic year.
“It’s important that we act consistently. We are so near now. To make it happen, we haven’t exactly got the right crew. Next year, hopefully, players want to join a strong United squad competing in the Champions League. We also want to hold onto the guys we currently have,” Manchester United goalkeeper Mary Earps said. “We have a lot to be proud of. It’s not simple. We have young players who haven’t competed under extreme strain. Experience is necessary to enhance such quality. We did a wonderful job, and the entire crew deserves praise. I won’t specify any roles since it is the responsibility of the management; it is about increasing quality. But the park as a whole needs greater depth.”
“Only what is under our control may be changed. Although we won the game, we didn’t win [the title]. Congratulations to Chelsea! They won the title this year, and I’m sure they’ll know about us when the new season begins,” Manchester United head coach Marc Skinner said. “We have made tremendous progress. How often do you get to watch a club get to the Champions League from its beginning five years ago? We would make Manchester City, Arsenal, and Chelsea very nervous. The experience we’ve had this season has been incredible, as I predicted at the beginning of the season. We won’t be standing still because Chelsea won’t either.”
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