#Veatriki Sarri

[unitedbydevils]

Match Review: Brighton & Hove Albion Women 2-2 Manchester United Women

Unlike the Arsenal youth team, Manchester United's women's side did actually make it to Brighton, though it was a difficult affair that took the super sub antics of Rach Williams to save a result...

For United, it really is a case of Jekyll and Hyde at present. In attack, the reds look strong and full of guile and ideas, but perhaps aren't as clinical as they could be - especially given the class of Geyse but her lack of goals since arriving at United.

In defence, Zelem is a dependable captain in the pivot as a passing 6, and Mary Earps - for all the contract drama - is solid in goal (sorry haters, you're just looking to knock her down a peg). The issue comes with the back four. Gabby George, the die-hard United fan and LB, is out injured and missed massively. In her absence we've seen both Hannah Blundell and Jayde Riviere swap between LB and RB to deputise. Both prefer the right side, both aren't at the level of Ona Batlle there, and both aren't as comfortable as George out left. United's defence suffers as a result of the high pressure being put on the wide positions and chances coming in.

For this game, Millie Turner was all over the shop. She missed an early header defending a corner, which forced a clutch save from Mary Earps, and was miles off Terland for Brighton's opener, but it's not purely Turner's issue. Toone lost the ball from a high risk pass out by Blundell. Galton goes to press but then switches players rather than forcing the press and letting someone else - Blundell in this case - pick up the next player. Blundell hesitated which allowed the pass in to Terland, and Turner isn't on the forward whilst Le Tissier is in a weird no man's land behind the pair of them half marking the other attacker and half loitering. Indecision crippled United for the first goal.

It wasn't awful from United though. Geyse was denied by the post first half, as was Ella Toone with a cheeky cross-cum-shot which former red Sophie Baggaley tipped onto the crossbar, before blocking Millie Turner at close range.

The second half saw more sustained pressure from United until finally an equaliser, courtesy of a beautiful curling effort by Ella Toone. Top right corner, perfectly out of reach of Baggaley, and you could see the delight on her face as United were finally back in the game.

Brighton smartly broke on the counter, with Veatriki Sarri testing Mary Earps late on, and again the defensive issues were visible; United's back line clearly not holding any semblance of a line or an offside trap. Rather it felt like a scramble to get back and do anything, which is something coaching needs to address asap.

An 89th minute corner was nodded in back post by Brighton captain Bergsvand to give the Seagulls what nearly all thought was a late victory at the Broadfield Stadium, but never say never when Rachel Williams and Fergie Time are involved. The super sub scored a late late 98th minute equaliser, tapping in back post as Brighton's defence couldn't properly head clear Katie Zelem's corner. Not quite a mirror of Brighton's second goal but a true striker's finish and top positioning to be ready for the opportunity.

With two wins (Villa and Everton) and three draws, United find themselves 6th of 12 in the Women's Super League, though only one point behind City, Spurs, Liverpool and Arsenal - all of whom are on 10 to United's 9 points.

Whilst Everton were easily dispatched, Villa were close to a result against United, as were Leicester and now Brighton. United have only faced Arsenal from the sides above them, so manager Mark Skinner has his work cut out to shape up United's defence ahead of tougher ties in the coming weeks.

The big dilemma will be whether he benches Geyse for Malard as the centre-forward in order to start with the industry of Lucia Garcia, or will he continue to risk being too big a gap between attack and defence?

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I am an arsenal wfc fan but I'm happy as a greek that sarri scored

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[redwineconversation]

Griedge M'Bock Le Progres Article (September 7 2022)

Standard disclaimers apply.

Suffering from a dislocated knee, MBock will soon be operated on

OL and French defender, who exited on a stretcher during the France-Greece game Tuesday September 6, is suffering from a dislocated knee according to the FFF [French federation]. The 27-year-old player will have additional exams at Lyon before being operated on.

September 2021, Griedge MBock was making her big return to group training in Décines [Lyon's training ground], after a year and half of absence and two operations on the Achilles tendon.

A year later, the 27-year-old defender had a rude awakening. Called up to the Bleues to take part in the last two 2023 World Cup qualifying games, the Lyonnais player collapsed on the the field in Louis-Dugauguez de Sedan stadium, after a tackle with [Greek] forward Veatriki Sarri, in the 37th minute of France-Green, this Tuesday September 6 (5-1).

The horrific cry let out by the French [player], writhing in pain after her right leg stayed on the ground, and the tears of her teammates, implied the worse case scenario for her injury.

Exiting on a stretcher, the player with 71 call-ups was immediately taken to the Charleville-Mézières emergency room, accompanied by her friend and teammate Aissatou Tounkara.

MBock will return to Lyon this Wednesday

Suffering from a dislocated knee, put under general anesthesia at the hospital that same night according to the FFF [French Federation], Griedge MBock retuned to Lyon this Wednesday afternoon. The Briton will have several additional exams this evening, and then agin on Thursday morning, to be able to confirm the nature of the injury. If the dislocation is confirmed, her absence will be around six weeks.

According to our sources, the OL [medical] staff is much more pessimistic. And visibly very angry, having explicitly asked French national coach Corinne Diacre to rest the Lyon players as much as possible, who were already very exhausted from the Champions League - Euros sequence. And knowing that the Bleues were already qualified for the 2023 World Cup before these last two matches.

Already decimated by injuries at the beginning of the season (thigh injury for Bacha, calf injuries for Renard and Henry, leg injury Hegerberg picked up during national team duties, and then the longterm injuries of Macario, Marozsan, Carpenter, Majri), OL will not be in the best shape for the beginning of the league, Sunday at Reims (12h45).

[magdasabs]

I half-watched it (I was also watching Hoffenheim-Potsdam so was flipping back and forth for much of the time).

Emily Ramsey really impressed me. I remember not being particularly impressed by Birmingham's defenders during the goal they conceded (or during some other moments - there were times when it seemed like Brighton wasn't scoring due to poor luck and Ramsey's excellence rather than due to good defending from the Birmingham defenders). Veatriki Sarri really impressed me as well.

Megan Walsh seemed off today. And I wondered why Koivisto did not start.

oh yeah, I didn't say anything about Birmingham earlier but Emily Ramsey was so impressive!! She made I think 4 incredible saves that no one would've blamed her for letting in. Brighton had 9 shots on target vs Birmingham's 4 (it was also only the two until like the 80th minute) so that says a lot. I also liked Sarri, Pennock too and obvs Louise but there were quite a few players I felt were a touch too rough without being technical and should've toned it down.

And agree on Megan Walsh, it might be a confidence thing since she didn't start a few games recently? I saw a quote somewhere from HP about how both of her goalkeepers are in great form rn and it's hard to choose who to start. So idk but if I was Megan I might feel a bit insecure after being probably the best GK in the league for the first half of the season to not even a guaranteed starter now. There's actually a piece on Katie Startup and her starting those few games in the matchday programme, I still have to read that

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