Reigning Abroad: Battle in Melbourne City

Another exciting week of W-League action took place in Australia, and Seattle Reign FC players once again played a big role in their games. Here’s an update on their most recent play Down Under.

W-League

Western Sydney Wanderers (Kendall Fletcher, Paige Nielsen) v. Brisbane Roar

The Western Sydney Wanderers (1-3-0) continue to struggle, as they remain in seventh place out of nine teams and fell 2–0 to the Brisbane Roar. Kendall Fletcher started in defensive midfield for Western Sydney, playing the full 90 minutes and recording four shots during the match. Paige Nielsen, who plays in the midfield just in front of Fletcher, also went 90 minutes, getting one shot off.

Want more reading on Fletcher and Nielsen’s adventures in Australia? Check out this Q&A with them and FC Kansas City defender Alex Arlitt.

Melbourne City FC (Jess Fishlock, Lauren Barnes, Bev Yanez) v. Melbourne Victory (Christine Nairn)

Last weekend was the Melbourne Derby, and both sides were represented by Seattle Reign players. While Christine Nairn was heavily involved for Melbourne Victory (0-3-1) — registering two shots and 44 passes — she couldn’t do it all for her side, which fell 3-0 to Melbourne City (3-0-0). On the other end, Jess Fishlock earned a brace — including this beautiful goal to seal the match.

Lauren Barnes did not appear in the match, as she was nursing a wrist injury. She’s expected to play this weekend, however, and will be joined by her Reign teammate Bev Yanez, who just signed with Melbourne City and will suit up this weekend.

City currently sits at the top of the W-League table, with Victory at the bottom. Nairn simply doesn’t have enough talent around her, although she looked quite strong at the start of this match.

Upcoming W-League Matches:

• Western Sydney Wanderers (Kendall Fletcher): Bye week
• Melbourne Victory (Christine Nairn) v. Perth Glory (1-1-1): Saturday, December 3, 9:00 p.m. PT
• Melbourne City FC (Jess Fishlock, Lauren Barnes, Bev Yanez) at Brisbane Roar (2-1-1): Saturday, December 3, 10:00 p.m. PT

A reminder that some W-League games air on WatchESPN, although no games with Reign players will air this week. To find the games, click on ESPN3 under networks and scroll to the soccer section. The match will either be under A League or W League.

Other International Play

Naho Kawasumi remains on loan with her former club, INAC Kobe Leonessa. After a 3-0 win over FC Kibi International University Charme., INAC Kobe advanced to the quarterfinals of the Empress Cup. Next up, they’ll face Urawa Reds Ladies on December 17 at 10:00 p.m. PT.