:00:16. > :00:48.Good evening and welcome to a new series of the Women's Football Show.
:00:49. > :00:52.Manchester City were crowned WSL champions for the first time in
:00:53. > :00:58.their history last season. Will they want again be the team to beat
:00:59. > :01:58.domestically and in Europe? -- will Baby once again the team to beat?
:01:59. > :02:04.Yes, Manchester City aiming to prove unstoppable as they chase a travel
:02:05. > :02:11.Champions League, FA Cup and the Spring Series. A one-off competition
:02:12. > :02:15.created to bridge the gap between seasons as the WSL transitions from
:02:16. > :02:19.a summer league to a more traditional football calendar. We
:02:20. > :02:26.have got our on unstoppable forces denied, Alex Scott and Rachel. We
:02:27. > :02:29.will be checking in with Manchester City shortly, but we begin with the
:02:30. > :02:32.news that on Friday morning Notts County Ladies players and staff were
:02:33. > :02:38.told the club were financially unable to stay afloat and would fold
:02:39. > :02:41.on the eve of the new season. Having only come into existence
:02:42. > :02:47.three years ago after relocating from Lincoln, local businessman Alan
:02:48. > :02:52.Hardy, who purchased Notts County's men's and women's clubs November,
:02:53. > :02:59.has reluctantly admitted defeat in his bid to restructure the 6-figure
:03:00. > :03:05.debt incurred by the previous owner. In March, a winding-up petition was
:03:06. > :03:09.adjourned for a second time, giving Notts County until July three to pay
:03:10. > :03:14.debts owed to inland revenue and Customs. With projected revenue from
:03:15. > :03:18.attendances and sponsorship are set against operating costs of
:03:19. > :03:25.approximately half ?1 million, Hardy said continuing would have been
:03:26. > :03:29.little short of financial suicide. It is a very sad day for me
:03:30. > :03:33.financially, he said, and supporters should rest assured I left no stone
:03:34. > :03:36.unturned in my quest to save the club.
:03:37. > :03:40.It doesn't seem real. Yesterday we were training. We were looking
:03:41. > :03:44.forward to playing Arsenal on Sunday. Today the club does not
:03:45. > :03:55.exist any more. People were upset. Livelihoods have been ruined. It is
:03:56. > :04:00.pretty heartbreaking. We are all kind of left in a boat that is
:04:01. > :04:05.sinking very quickly. Speculation emerged that two Premier
:04:06. > :04:10.League clubs were interested in buying the WSL license but the FA
:04:11. > :04:31.responded with the following statement.
:04:32. > :04:35.Notts County have officially withdrawn from the Spring Series,
:04:36. > :04:39.which will be contested by the nine remaining teams, with an
:04:40. > :04:45.announcement about their replacement for 2017-18 to follow at a later
:04:46. > :04:48.date. Of more immediate concern is the uncertain future faced by the
:04:49. > :04:54.staff and the players from Notts County.
:04:55. > :04:59.Devastating news for everybody involved. A big blow for women's
:05:00. > :05:05.football. The FA say their priority of the players and they will work
:05:06. > :05:09.closely with them, the PFA and wider stakeholders to support them through
:05:10. > :05:13.this time, the most important thing being the players and staff. What is
:05:14. > :05:17.your reaction, Rachel? The timing seems to be the key thing. A lot of
:05:18. > :05:23.people shocked at it happening two days before the start of the Spring
:05:24. > :05:25.Series? It seems crazy. Few months before a number of these players
:05:26. > :05:31.will be stepping out to play for England in biggest tournament coming
:05:32. > :05:35.up. Alan Hardy, the chairman, didn't even tell the players themselves.
:05:36. > :05:40.They found out five minutes before it went public. So many things were
:05:41. > :05:45.wrong about the announcement, yet alone -- let alone the consequence,
:05:46. > :05:50.which means Notts County are no longer in existence. A lot of anger
:05:51. > :05:56.on social media. Alex, you were supposed to play in Notts County.
:05:57. > :05:59.Have you spoken to the players? What can you say, you can only show
:06:00. > :06:05.empathy of what they are going through. It is the hard situation.
:06:06. > :06:08.One moment they are preparing to play us and then their lives are
:06:09. > :06:11.turned around. They are left without a job, some are homeless and they
:06:12. > :06:16.are preparing for the European Championships, some of them. The PFA
:06:17. > :06:22.say they are hopeful players will be granted special dispensation to move
:06:23. > :06:26.outside of the transfer window, but it is a fluent situation because
:06:27. > :06:32.liquidators need to assess assets. It is complicated and it could take
:06:33. > :06:37.some time. The players of any professional clubs are assets. When
:06:38. > :06:41.liquidators come in, they worked out what the acids are and what they are
:06:42. > :06:47.worth. Who knows how long that process will take? Until that
:06:48. > :06:52.happens, players can't Mike Sherman -- players can't move on. Where did
:06:53. > :06:56.they move to due clubs have already budgeted for the next year. Do they
:06:57. > :07:00.have room in their squad? Do they have money left to pay these
:07:01. > :07:03.players? Summoning unanswered questions. This is a unique
:07:04. > :07:09.position. I just hope the welfare of the players is paramount. That these
:07:10. > :07:15.players can find a club and get back on the training pitch. It does sound
:07:16. > :07:19.like they are the priority. But going back to the money, if you look
:07:20. > :07:25.at the projected revenues, ?28,000 coming in but half ?1 million in
:07:26. > :07:31.operating costs. The figures don't add up. What does this mean in terms
:07:32. > :07:36.of progress? In terms of ticket sales, yes. We want the game to be
:07:37. > :07:41.open to families. It is different to the men's game. With that, you will
:07:42. > :07:46.not generate a lot of revenue from ticket sales. Where clubs need to be
:07:47. > :07:50.smart, where they need to generate income, you will use the girls as
:07:51. > :07:53.commercial assets, market them and use them in the wider community to
:07:54. > :07:58.generate money from a different strain. An extremely difficult time
:07:59. > :08:02.for everybody involved. We wish them all the best. Manchester City have
:08:03. > :08:06.signalled their intent to secure more silverware with the signing of
:08:07. > :08:12.Carli Lloyd on a short-term deal from Houston. Ahead of city's
:08:13. > :08:19.Champions League semifinal tie against Lyon, Sue Smith sat down
:08:20. > :08:24.with her. She has won two Fifa player of the year awards, two
:08:25. > :08:34.Olympic medals, and a hat-trick in the World Cup final in Vancouver.
:08:35. > :08:42.It was one of those -- those moments where I was in the zone, I was super
:08:43. > :08:50.focus, I wanted to win. You dream of doing something like that.
:08:51. > :08:55.What a goal! Carli Lloyd has a hat-trick inside 16 minutes.
:08:56. > :08:58.It brings chills to my arms still thinking about it. I was waiting and
:08:59. > :09:05.waiting and waiting and when it went in I was like, oh my gosh. I ran
:09:06. > :09:12.back to hope and she has our arms around me and she said, are you even
:09:13. > :09:19.human? Are you superhuman? No. It's called just working extremely,
:09:20. > :09:24.extremely hard. My life changed completely after the
:09:25. > :09:31.2015 World Cup, which was great. It took some getting used to. President
:09:32. > :09:35.Obama, what was he saying to you when he was holding your hand?
:09:36. > :09:39.Everybody seems to be laughing. He was talking about the moment I
:09:40. > :09:47.scored the third goal. I remember he asked what I ate for breakfast that
:09:48. > :09:52.morning. If you had to pick three words to sum yourself up, what would
:09:53. > :09:59.they be? I would probably say relentless, professional and German.
:10:00. > :10:03.I don't ever switch off. It is one of those things where, if the
:10:04. > :10:08.football aspect of your life is going well, the rest of your life is
:10:09. > :10:15.going well. But if the football isn't going well, it drives me
:10:16. > :10:20.insane off the pitch. I look at all these moments and
:10:21. > :10:26.these are all glorious moments. What isn't up here is the hard, tough
:10:27. > :10:31.moments that I had to go through, the struggles, the obstacles. Those
:10:32. > :10:41.moments have helped me propellant to the biggest stage. -- propel onto.
:10:42. > :10:45.You nearly turned your back on the game in 2004? I was cut from the
:10:46. > :10:50.under 21 national team by Mike coach and I figured I would quit because I
:10:51. > :10:54.didn't know how to overcome that. I was going to finish out my
:10:55. > :11:01.collegiate career. That is when my dad reached out to James and said,
:11:02. > :11:12.my daughter really needs somebody to work with. Can you train her?
:11:13. > :11:17.James, my trainer, he is the wizard, the brains behind how fit I am, how
:11:18. > :11:21.strong I am, how I deal with certain situations. If it weren't for him, I
:11:22. > :11:25.wouldn't be standing here. I would never have accomplished all of this.
:11:26. > :11:31.I think what's amazing about James is he never had announce of doubt. I
:11:32. > :11:35.had some doubt. I asked my self over and over, can I really become the
:11:36. > :11:40.best player in the world? Is it really going to happen? When is it
:11:41. > :11:47.could happen? If I had to do it all over again, and weighed 13 years to
:11:48. > :11:50.stand on that stage receiving my trophy as Fifa's best player in the
:11:51. > :11:57.world, I would probably do it the same way. It takes is that much
:11:58. > :12:01.sweeter that you had to work so hard to reach a point like that. I was
:12:02. > :12:06.probably more nervous at that moment wedding to have my name called and I
:12:07. > :12:10.was in the world Cup final. I was super nervous because you can
:12:11. > :12:19.control what you do on the pitch. But this, it is voting. You just
:12:20. > :12:22.don't know. I obviously train to win team events, but for an individual,
:12:23. > :12:29.this is something I was going after for some time. Who is the best
:12:30. > :12:37.player you have played with? With? You know, Kelly Smith. I actually
:12:38. > :12:43.got to play with her when I was young, in my high school days. She
:12:44. > :12:48.was someone I thought to myself, wow, she is great. You still as
:12:49. > :12:53.hungry for success? I am. There are still people out there and look at
:12:54. > :12:57.my age and say, she is 34. But bring it on. People have died of me ever
:12:58. > :13:01.since I started and I have made them eat their words and I will continue
:13:02. > :13:10.doing that. I still have a lot in me and I think my best is yet to come.
:13:11. > :13:19.It has been amazing. The girls have been amazing. Great. Lots of
:13:20. > :13:27.characters. Weird acts and is? May be the Scouse accent! -- accents.
:13:28. > :13:31.They speak a different language, that is for sure. When they are
:13:32. > :13:36.speaking with one another I'm like, what did you guys say? I don't know
:13:37. > :13:41.if it is something I will ever learn. Some of your team-mates have
:13:42. > :13:49.come across as well. Heather O'Reilly, Crystal Dawn. Karen Hauer
:13:50. > :13:53.league get to the level it is in America, a world-class league? I
:13:54. > :13:59.definitely think so. The biggest thing is the funding. At Manchester
:14:00. > :14:04.City they treat the men world-class and they treat the women world-class
:14:05. > :14:08.as well. I have been impressed. There are some great players. We
:14:09. > :14:15.play really good soccer, or football. It's great. Do you think
:14:16. > :14:20.you may come back to women's Super League or finish in America? I don't
:14:21. > :14:24.know. It is a really good question. That is the first question I have
:14:25. > :14:29.been asked as far as that. I'm not sure. I'm open to all possibilities.
:14:30. > :14:34.As we get closer to the 2019 World Cup and the 2020 Olympics, that will
:14:35. > :14:42.pretty much, if all goes well, be the end of my career. But I'm just
:14:43. > :14:45.taking it as it comes right now. I am really loving it. Is there a
:14:46. > :14:50.possibility of coming back and re-signing? Absolutely? The
:14:51. > :14:55.Champions League, is that one of the main reasons why you came to
:14:56. > :14:59.Manchester City? Yes. With Nick reaching out, that was one of the
:15:00. > :15:04.big draws. He wanted someone of my stature who could help with the
:15:05. > :15:09.experience. Just be a good role model here. Do you think you will go
:15:10. > :15:13.in against Lyon and take the game to them? What I have always done with
:15:14. > :15:18.my career is it is not about the opponent, it is not about any one
:15:19. > :15:22.particular player. Yes, Alex Morgan is on that team. But at the end of
:15:23. > :15:27.the day I'm competing against myself. And I'm competing against
:15:28. > :15:32.being better than I was in previous games. It will be tough. France has
:15:33. > :15:37.some amazing players who play for Lyon. At the end of the day we just
:15:38. > :15:38.have too worry about us and what we can do and what we control. We will
:15:39. > :15:48.be OK. Kylie Leuluai was in the starting
:15:49. > :15:52.line-up at the academy Stadium on Saturday afternoon, where City phase
:15:53. > :15:53.told as Lyon in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal.
:15:54. > :16:07.COMMENTATOR: Swung in and headed off the line by
:16:08. > :16:19.Tenor stokes was that a handball? Yes it was. Lyon have a penalty. The
:16:20. > :16:24.arm was raised from the USA captain. Against Bardsley, and scores. The
:16:25. > :16:32.worst possible start for Manchester City. Lyon take the lead from the
:16:33. > :16:44.spot. Bardsley going the wrong way. Dispossessed by Walsh.
:16:45. > :16:54.Birgen fans. Equalisers for Manchester City. Eight minutes after
:16:55. > :17:02.Lyon take the lead comedy Sweden international makes it 1-1. Uses her
:17:03. > :17:09.pace to drive away. Good finish as well. Asllani gets a foot in. Morgan
:17:10. > :17:17.retains possession. Most touch, lasered off. Lyon retake the lead
:17:18. > :17:27.and it is an excellent team gold. Bardsley was now chance. Lyon coming
:17:28. > :17:33.forward again. Looking for Morgan. Bardsley out well to smother. Again,
:17:34. > :17:37.Lyon showing plenty of verve and vigour attacking the Manchester City
:17:38. > :17:51.penalty area. The England goalkeeper does well. The ball in, looking for
:17:52. > :17:59.Le Sommer. Lyon take real control in this tie. Eugenie Le Sommer shows
:18:00. > :18:02.her quality with a cracking finish. Can Manchester City haul themselves
:18:03. > :18:06.back into this game? It is off the post, the initial effort from
:18:07. > :18:13.McManus. Christians and will try to play this on. It goes behind and it
:18:14. > :18:19.will be a mountain the Manchester City to climb in the second leg in
:18:20. > :18:22.France -- Christiansen. We heard Carly telling some part of the major
:18:23. > :18:25.attraction for moving to Manchester City was playing in the Champions
:18:26. > :18:30.League, so I can only imagine she would have been really unhappy to
:18:31. > :18:34.concede a penalty in the first few minutes without handball. It wasn't
:18:35. > :18:38.the ideal start. Whether she was a bit hyped up, she has been in
:18:39. > :18:42.high-pressure situations before. She does have her arm raised as the ball
:18:43. > :18:47.was played and it hits her arm in a none position. The referee has no
:18:48. > :18:53.option other than to give a penalty. Not a great start for City at all.
:18:54. > :18:54.But we see for the second goal, Maroszan, Carly Booth is best to be
:18:55. > :19:20.marking her. -- Carly Lloyd ASBOs to be marking
:19:21. > :19:24.her. She would be disappointed. Lyon have won three in the Champions
:19:25. > :19:29.League. Alex, your team were the last British team to make a European
:19:30. > :19:37.final decade ago, were you playing them? A decade ago! Showing my age!
:19:38. > :19:42.It will be a huge task for them to climb, not a start they wanted, but
:19:43. > :19:47.it has taken a team of Lyon's calibre to exploit the City defence
:19:48. > :19:51.because we haven't seen that in the WSL. I would like them to show they
:19:52. > :19:59.have nothing to lose was the batting lower spaces in Lyon's defence,
:20:00. > :20:03.which result from the girl. How important is the presence of Carli
:20:04. > :20:07.Lloyd, not only of the pitch but on the pitch as well, where she heard
:20:08. > :20:14.her described herself as relentless, professional, driven. I loved that
:20:15. > :20:18.interview with Carli Lloyd. The words she uses, for every young
:20:19. > :20:21.female and male players watching that interview, it is not about
:20:22. > :20:25.talent, you need more than talent, it gets you through the door but it
:20:26. > :20:29.is not enough to stay there, it is about your mentality and drive to
:20:30. > :20:33.stay there and do it consistently. Like she said, it has taken her 13
:20:34. > :20:37.years to become the best player in the world and jackets working and
:20:38. > :20:41.she wants more. And to think she nearly gave it all up at one point.
:20:42. > :20:46.That was the turning point. That switch. That is robust calibre of
:20:47. > :20:51.player brings to the WSL, because she has won World Cups, she has
:20:52. > :20:57.captain, bringing other players over, the likes of crystal done,
:20:58. > :21:04.Heather O'Reilly. Coming back to the WSL, but those US national women's
:21:05. > :21:08.team players they are winners, that is something England players don't
:21:09. > :21:13.have and can learn from. Despite defeat to Lyon, there was some good
:21:14. > :21:18.news for Manchester City after Lucy Cammack were bronze was named
:21:19. > :21:33.women's players Player of the Year for the second time. -- Lucy Bronze.
:21:34. > :21:37.Deserving of that win? Absolutely. She has been phenomenal for both
:21:38. > :21:41.club and country. Alex has a great knowledge of what it takes to be a
:21:42. > :21:49.wonderful right back. Lucy has good defensive quality. It is her
:21:50. > :21:56.attacking prowess that makes her stand out and has probably won her
:21:57. > :22:03.the representation from her fellow players. She sees the space, the
:22:04. > :22:08.12s. That was the blueprint that Manchester City had all last year
:22:09. > :22:11.and was really why I believe they won the league and have been so
:22:12. > :22:16.successful. She just exploit space over and over. That attacking tactic
:22:17. > :22:26.was why there were so good. She really does live up to her middle
:22:27. > :22:32.name, Tough. Did you vote for her? She was another one, yesterday when
:22:33. > :22:36.I was speaking to her, but like Carli Lloyd, it occur 13 years, but
:22:37. > :22:39.I told her she needs to do that and have the time because I believe
:22:40. > :22:43.Lucie Kankova on to be one of the best players in the world. A good
:22:44. > :22:47.night the full-backs with just Carter named young Player of the
:22:48. > :22:53.Year after a superb debut season in 2016. We can have a look at the tomb
:22:54. > :22:58.of the year as well. Rachel, do you think there's anyone missing from
:22:59. > :23:11.that list? We were debating this before. Kira Walsh with Man City was
:23:12. > :23:16.excellent. I think Nikita Parris had a fabulous season for Man City. She
:23:17. > :23:20.broke into the senior side. She is tenacious and her play. She might
:23:21. > :23:27.feel hard done by that she is not on that list. Kelly Smith gets a second
:23:28. > :23:29.shout out. Carli Lloyd says she is the best pleasures are played
:23:30. > :23:38.against Antonacci has won a special achievement award. Rightly so. 117
:23:39. > :23:46.caps, her career spans longer than probably most people. Phenomenal
:23:47. > :23:49.player. When you have players like Lucy Bronze saying it was her dream
:23:50. > :23:52.come true just to be on the same pitch as Kelly Smith, it shows how
:23:53. > :23:57.much Kelly Smith has been such a role model for the young players
:23:58. > :24:00.coming through. Caroline Weir made it into the tomb of the year. She
:24:01. > :24:05.was involved for Liverpool as the spring series got underway. They
:24:06. > :24:10.face newly promoted your Poole Town, aiming to build upon glasses and's
:24:11. > :24:17.extraordinary achievements. Jamie Sherwood's side fired expectations
:24:18. > :24:23.in 2016, in front of a record crowd on the final day of the season they
:24:24. > :24:28.beat Sheffield FC to beat local rivals Bristol City WSL title. We
:24:29. > :24:31.all do this part time, we are not here for the money, it is true
:24:32. > :24:36.determination, true character, it is all about family and that is what we
:24:37. > :24:40.are, we have come a long way and we deserve it. Yeovil Town will need to
:24:41. > :24:44.draw on that unity as the club aim to compensate for having one of the
:24:45. > :24:48.more modest budgets in the Super League, so could the Lady make an
:24:49. > :24:54.immediate impact when they kicked off the made in top-flight campaign
:24:55. > :24:57.against Liverpool? COMMENTATOR: An historic day for Yeovil Town, their
:24:58. > :25:01.first match of the top flight of women's football after winning
:25:02. > :25:06.promotion as champions from WSL2 glasses on. They have already played
:25:07. > :25:11.once. They were knocked out of the FA Cup in the last 62. The big team
:25:12. > :25:14.news, the return of striker Sarah Wiltshire, she gave birth to her
:25:15. > :25:17.daughter Alexa in February and after a short loan spell at Cambridge
:25:18. > :25:20.United she is back in the Yeovil Town squad and named on the bench
:25:21. > :25:26.will stop Nicola cousins returns in the fence. Liverpool were knocked
:25:27. > :25:31.out of the FA Cup semifinals by Manchester City last weekend, two
:25:32. > :25:35.judges for them. Casey Stoney is out so Sophie Inglot lobsters at the
:25:36. > :25:40.heart. Caroline Weir comes in and Laura clones, who signed permanently
:25:41. > :25:44.for Chelsea after a successful loan spell last season, also starts. The
:25:45. > :25:51.head of kick a bit of a mix-up with the Liverpool kit. It didn't arrive
:25:52. > :25:59.in Somerset, so Liverpool will be playing in your Poole Town's away
:26:00. > :26:04.strip, not their traditional red. -- Yeovil will be playing. Here,
:26:05. > :26:15.Liverpool, played out the Hodgson. A bit of a clash. It will be a free
:26:16. > :26:23.kick to Liverpool. Nicola Cousins on Caroline Weir. Alex Greenwood with
:26:24. > :26:31.the delivery. Might fall here for Harding. Saved and off the line by
:26:32. > :26:41.blizzard. -- by Blezard. Really good opportunity, this, for Liverpool.
:26:42. > :26:46.Yeovil survived. Chance for Liverpool. Very close, can they get
:26:47. > :26:55.the follow-up? Handball and it will be a penalty kick. Yeovil look at
:26:56. > :27:04.salute Lee devastated with that. It was her son who had her hand in an
:27:05. > :27:12.amateur opposition. -- Heatherson. Here is Greenwood. Really good
:27:13. > :27:23.penalty. Haynes went the right way. 1-0 to Liverpool. She was not far
:27:24. > :27:27.away from that, Charlotte Haynes. Van de Sanden with a nice ball
:27:28. > :27:34.forward. Having forced wide. Lovely nutmeg by Harding. Oh so close!
:27:35. > :27:41.Inches wide. Vital touch by Haynes to prevent Harding from making it
:27:42. > :27:45.2-0. Into stoppage time. Yeovil made to stand strong. That is another way
:27:46. > :27:54.through and that is a really poor bit of defensive work from Yeovil.
:27:55. > :28:03.Jim Obama has got the decisive touch -- Gemma Bonner. She has made it 2-0
:28:04. > :28:09.to Liverpool Ladies. Liverpool just try and pile on the misery before
:28:10. > :28:11.the referee blows for half term. It is a shame because Yeovil have
:28:12. > :28:18.looked better. That is really poor once again. Good saved by Haynes.
:28:19. > :28:28.Will it be an own goal? Just cleared off the line. A decisive bit of
:28:29. > :28:38.work. A chance for Yeovil to swing one in. You want a penalty. It was
:28:39. > :28:49.cousins who went down. The referee unmoved. A nudge in the back there.
:28:50. > :28:56.Zelem comes into the ball. Van de Sanden. She squares it, here's
:28:57. > :29:05.Zelem. It will trickle over the line. Katie Zelem makes it 3-0 to
:29:06. > :29:10.Liverpool. On target, and Haynes just couldn't give it out. Liverpool
:29:11. > :29:19.heading for a very comfortable victory here. Picked up by Clark.
:29:20. > :29:26.Harding. Van de Sanden with a little bit of pace. Shanice van de Sanden.
:29:27. > :29:36.It might fall here for Zelem again and it is four. Two for Katie Zelem,
:29:37. > :29:38.on as a substitute, and Liverpool now on their way to a very
:29:39. > :29:49.comfortable victory. Here comes Sarah Wiltshire. Can she
:29:50. > :29:58.give Yeovil fans something to cheer about? Not a bad delivery. Just
:29:59. > :30:02.about gathered by Chamberlain. A bit over afters between Jones and Sophie
:30:03. > :30:08.Ingle. It appears the referee has given a penalty kick. It is for this
:30:09. > :30:15.altercation. Sarah Wiltshire on her return to Yeovil Town. She buries
:30:16. > :30:25.it. She sends Chamberlain the wrong way. Yeovil fans have something to
:30:26. > :30:34.cheer about. A good header. Jones! Not far away.
:30:35. > :30:42.A comprehensive win. How pleased I you with the performance? We are
:30:43. > :30:48.delighted. We knew it would be a tough place to come. Yeovil are
:30:49. > :30:52.riding high. We knew they would be up for this. They made a big deal
:30:53. > :30:57.out of it. We knew it would be a great occasion and one we had to
:30:58. > :31:01.turn hold in. The game was there for the taking at 2-0. I do believe
:31:02. > :31:08.there was a slight push in the back, potential penalty. We have to take
:31:09. > :31:13.baby steps. We have to learn and enjoy what we have done today but
:31:14. > :31:18.move forward quickly and learn. You played in Yeovil Town's away kit.
:31:19. > :31:22.What actually happened? I thought we looked good in it. I thought we
:31:23. > :31:27.played really well in it. There is no real comment on that.
:31:28. > :31:38.It is one of them. Wrong kit. A bit like yours, but the wrong -- right
:31:39. > :31:43.result? Jamie Sherwood says you get punished at this level for the
:31:44. > :31:46.mistakes you make. Yes. Sunderland hit the ground running when they
:31:47. > :31:55.came up. The Oval, simple stuff. In defence
:31:56. > :32:00.they didn't track their markers. Sophie Ingle is free. Gemma Bonner
:32:01. > :32:06.slots home. It is way too simple. Player takes her eye off and it is
:32:07. > :32:11.an easy tap in. You get punished in the second division but in the first
:32:12. > :32:16.division, you will find it difficult to get back into the game. This is
:32:17. > :32:22.the third goal. Defenders looking at the ball, not the players. Katie
:32:23. > :32:29.Zelem under no pressure slots home. Way too easy. The final one, the
:32:30. > :32:37.fourth goal. Another run, no pressure on the ball. Katie Zelem
:32:38. > :32:41.has time to have a touch. The keeper has to be forward so she is balanced
:32:42. > :32:47.and can make a dive. Yeovil one of the to part-time teams
:32:48. > :32:54.in the WSL. A crucial point in the game. Should they have had a
:32:55. > :32:58.penalty? Absolutely. Yeovil can feel slightly aggrieved. Kate Longhurst
:32:59. > :33:01.has actually lost our marker. Instead of going for the ball she
:33:02. > :33:07.has gone straight through the player. That is a clear penalty.
:33:08. > :33:13.Whether the player would have made contact with the ball is debatable.
:33:14. > :33:17.But yeah, simple. It is a penalty. Even if they get the penalty, after
:33:18. > :33:21.30 minutes you could see the difference in the fitness levels.
:33:22. > :33:24.Liverpool were always going to win. Last season Liverpool finished
:33:25. > :33:29.mid-table. What do you make of their recruitment? I have been impressed.
:33:30. > :33:32.Casey Stoney was a fantastic signing. She is a leader at the back
:33:33. > :33:39.and has partnered Gemma Bonner really well. Bringing in Jess Clarke
:33:40. > :33:46.as a late signing has been fabulous. What they do have a fairly small
:33:47. > :33:52.squad. Just thinking about Man City last season, they had the smallest
:33:53. > :33:59.woman in the league and went on to be invincible.
:34:00. > :34:04.Two more matches to catch up on. Bristol City Ladies took the field
:34:05. > :34:11.shortly after the men. They face Reading ladies.
:34:12. > :34:16.The opening fixture of the Spring Series saw newly promoted Bristol
:34:17. > :34:21.City take on Reading in front of more than a thousand fans. They
:34:22. > :34:28.almost got the perfect start, denied by the post. The teams went in level
:34:29. > :34:34.at half-time. Two minutes after the break Rachel Furness gave the
:34:35. > :34:37.visitors the lead. With only one win in the WSL campaign last season,
:34:38. > :34:48.Reading were well on their way to matching the tally in their opening
:34:49. > :34:54.game. Bristol City were left stunned when a quickfire third by Melissa
:34:55. > :34:57.Fletcher put the game beyond doubt. Bristol will probably want to forget
:34:58. > :35:05.the mix-up between defender and goalkeeper. Bristol did get a
:35:06. > :35:17.consolation late on with arguably the goal of the match. Lauren Hemp
:35:18. > :35:23.capped off a fluid move. A class between two new managers as
:35:24. > :35:27.Marc Skinner's Birmingham took on Sunderland. It has been a solid
:35:28. > :35:31.start for Skinner who has guided the blues to a first FA Cup final in
:35:32. > :35:43.five years. Charlie Wellings headed over. Last season's strugglers
:35:44. > :35:53.Sunderland had to stand strong against Birmingham pressure. White
:35:54. > :35:56.came close to opening the scoring. This free kick was the closest
:35:57. > :36:03.Sunderland came to scoring. No doubt Melissa Ray will be held the light
:36:04. > :36:09.-- will have been delighted by the efforts of our team. The point could
:36:10. > :36:18.prove precious for Sunderland. Very early days, of course. This is
:36:19. > :36:20.how the Spring Series table looks. Man city and Chelsea not in action
:36:21. > :36:27.because of city's European commitments.
:36:28. > :36:34.No relegation and no promotion. Birmingham struggled with goals in
:36:35. > :36:42.the early part of last season. Goldust today. How do you think they
:36:43. > :36:45.will progress? They had a great season last year. I think they made
:36:46. > :36:51.some wonderful signings in the transfer window. They brought in the
:36:52. > :36:54.likes of the goalkeeper, Berger, and they have done the same in the
:36:55. > :37:03.off-season. They seem to be ambitious. Bringing in Ellen White
:37:04. > :37:07.was a fantastic signing. Page Williams as well. Really solid
:37:08. > :37:12.signings. They are building on their progress. Onwards and upwards, along
:37:13. > :37:16.with a new manager, Marc Skinner, a young, fresh attitude. Earning are
:37:17. > :37:21.looking totally different outfit. They have an FA Cup final to look
:37:22. > :37:25.forward to. -- Birmingham are looking totally different outfits.
:37:26. > :37:30.Arsenal were supposed to play today against Notts County. I have still
:37:31. > :37:36.been in training today! We have brought in new players. We lost a
:37:37. > :37:40.lot of senior players. We need a core group of players. We don't want
:37:41. > :37:44.an influx every season. It is a chance to give the younger players a
:37:45. > :37:50.chance to see and they are capable of playing at this level. With no
:37:51. > :37:54.relegation or promotion, will teams be more experimental? I do,
:37:55. > :38:00.definitely. There is nothing to lose. It gives them the opportunity
:38:01. > :38:04.to possibly bring players in ahead of the new season in August,
:38:05. > :38:09.September. So yeah, it is an opportunity for young players. They
:38:10. > :38:13.can really make their mark, impressed their managers and
:38:14. > :38:17.possibly get those contracts. Going into every game, you want to win it.
:38:18. > :38:24.Newly promoted teams get to play a lot of games? They do. They get to
:38:25. > :38:27.see what they are going to be up against. Newly promoted teams like
:38:28. > :38:32.the will have nothing to lose. They will learn a lot of lessons. It
:38:33. > :38:38.was St George's Day yesterday. We have got just enough time to focus
:38:39. > :38:42.on England's Lionesses. Mark Sampson made the unconventional decision to
:38:43. > :38:44.announce which 23 players would be requiring their passports for the
:38:45. > :38:45.European Championships this summer, three months ahead of the
:38:46. > :38:57.tournament. I think there were probably a few
:38:58. > :39:01.people thinking it was a good coal and other people thinking, what is
:39:02. > :39:07.this Wally doing? Is important we make the big calls at the big -- big
:39:08. > :39:11.times. We are the best prepared team in Europe and we can focus on the
:39:12. > :39:17.things we can improve on and make sure that every areas covered by the
:39:18. > :39:20.first game. It takes away dead. It gives us togetherness to build on
:39:21. > :39:26.the plans and the game plans, our structure. The reason we named the
:39:27. > :39:30.squad early as the players will get some clear plans and guidelines
:39:31. > :39:35.about where they need to be come July. We are now in a place where
:39:36. > :39:39.this team is ready to win. We are going to this tournament expecting
:39:40. > :39:43.to go all the way. Even personally speaking, I feel a lot more
:39:44. > :39:46.confident going into this tournament than the World Cup. There are not
:39:47. > :39:49.many things that will be thrown at us in the summer that we have an
:39:50. > :39:53.experience. Particularly if we look at the teams in our group, Scotland,
:39:54. > :39:59.first major championship, Portugal the same, a Spanish team that's
:40:00. > :40:02.traditionally disappointed major championships. We have been there,
:40:03. > :40:08.we have done it, we have won on the biggest stage and we know what it
:40:09. > :40:20.takes. We can definitely be confident.
:40:21. > :40:28.Alex, you have made the squad, good news! Mark Sampson talked about
:40:29. > :40:32.making the big calls at the right time. Does the decision to announce
:40:33. > :40:38.that the squad early create unity and security for the players?
:40:39. > :40:41.It is easy for me to say it is the right decision and I understand why
:40:42. > :40:45.people have been debated it, but I know there are plans already in
:40:46. > :40:49.place. We're working on fitness, game plan tactics, and things away
:40:50. > :40:55.from the field. It gives players like Casey Stoner, who has a family,
:40:56. > :40:58.time to put plans in place. I get the debate. People are saying that
:40:59. > :41:04.players who have been picked may take their foot off the gas in the
:41:05. > :41:07.WSL. That is not the case. We don't want to embarrass ourselves. We have
:41:08. > :41:12.even more work to do to show everyone we deserve our place.
:41:13. > :41:18.Expectations are very high. Interesting that Mark said form is
:41:19. > :41:23.not that important. I think sometimes Mark throws things out
:41:24. > :41:29.there. I wouldn't say it is for a fact but he has these buzzwords.
:41:30. > :41:33.Maybe that is one of his buzzwords. I think he will look at form.
:41:34. > :41:36.Players will want to impress and they will want to be absolutely
:41:37. > :41:41.flying. They will not take their foot off the pedal. I'm sure all of
:41:42. > :41:47.the players will be fine and be on form. Four of those players from
:41:48. > :41:53.Notts County are in the squad as well? That is massively unfortunate.
:41:54. > :41:57.I hope they can find clubs soon as soon as possible. They are losing
:41:58. > :42:01.days right now not having a club and team-mates to train with, will not
:42:02. > :42:07.been able to build on the tactical building blocks. All these things
:42:08. > :42:12.Alex was talking about. They are not getting the day-to-day contact time.
:42:13. > :42:17.I am sure they will have -- will be trying to bridge that gap.
:42:18. > :42:22.Let's look at the fixtures. Are you looking forward to England and
:42:23. > :42:25.Scotland? Already smiling. Everybody wanted to see this happen. As soon
:42:26. > :42:29.as Scotland qualified, everybody was wishing for this fixture. This is
:42:30. > :42:34.where rankings go out the window. We know this is more than England
:42:35. > :42:40.versus Scotland. It is that rivalry. An exciting way to get the
:42:41. > :42:45.championships way. Portugal and Spain also in the group? Spain have
:42:46. > :42:49.improved year-on-year. Some of the players who outplayed for Barcelona
:42:50. > :42:53.are outstanding. They are the rise. Portugal is their first tournament.
:42:54. > :43:00.You don't know what to expect. They don't know what to expect. It will
:43:01. > :43:05.be exciting. European teams play the same and are hard to break down.
:43:06. > :43:13.Given England's World Cup finish, third, what are your predictions?
:43:14. > :43:18.Not this bit! In England. I'd like to go out with a win, of course.
:43:19. > :43:31.There will be full coverage of the European Championships in Holland.
:43:32. > :43:39.We will be back next Sunday night talking all things Arsenal and
:43:40. > :43:45.Scotland with Kim Little. Thank you to our guests, Rachel Brown-Finnis
:43:46. > :43:49.and Alex Scott. The WSL is back and Liverpool started the new series --
:43:50. > :44:07.series with a spring in their step. Bye for now.
:44:08. > :44:12.MUSIC: Pure And Simple by Hear'Say It's like old times!