This Week in Women’s Football: A-League Women, NWSL, FA WSL, Division 1 Feminine & Serie A Women

Topics: A-League Women, A-League Men, Chelsea, PSG, Sam Kerr, Christine Sinclair, Roma, Juventus, Arsenal, PSG, Portland Thorns, OL Reign, NC Courage

This week in women’s football saw the men’s and women’s leagues in Australia join forces with a rebrand. Also, check out what games to watch in the USA this weekend.

From ‘W-League’ to ‘A-League Women’

From now on, there will not be an A-League and a W-League in Australia. The leagues will now be called ‘A-League Men’ and ‘A-League Women’ to make football in Australia more inclusive.

The A-Leagues will move to a unified social media channel for men’s and women’s football on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and will launch a new website, creating a single realm for Australian football fans and increase the reach of women’s football.

The reveal of the new brand is the latest in a series of announcements regarding professional football in Australia since December 2020:

Women’s league expansion to three teams in two years.
Launch of a new Club Championship, which will award a piece of silverware at the end of the season to the club that accumulates the most combined points between their men’s and women’s teams.
Historic Collective Bargaining Agreement to drive up standards and bring equity to the sport in Australia.

The brand unification and new features to football in Australia will take effect before the start of the A-League Men 2021-22, which is scheduled to begin on Nov. 19, 2021. The A-League Women will kick off on Dec. 3, 2021.

Six games on ATA Football this weekend

ATA Football will screen six games exclusively online this weekend. The action will begin on Friday at 3 p.m. ET when Montpellier host FC Fleury 91 for a Division 1 Feminine fixture.

FA WSL reigning champions Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion will resume football action on ATA early Saturday at 6:30 a.m. ET. A Serie A Women clash between Roma and league leaders Juventus are set to begin at 8:30 a.m. ET. Saturday games on ATA Football will end with Aston Villa hosting FA WSL leaders Arsenal at 12:15 p.m. ET.

Sunday matches will begin with Division 1 Feminine champions PSG taking on Guingamp at 6:45 a.m. ET. Lastly, ATA Football will close weekend play with an encounter between Birmingham City and Manchester United, two clubs that are living a tough start to their 2021-22 season. The kick-off is set for 1:45 p.m. ET.

Friday, Oct. 1

Division 1 Feminine: Montpellier vs. FC Fleury 91 at 3 p.m. ET

Saturday, Oct. 2

FA WSL: Chelsea vs. Brighton at 10:30 a.m. ET

Serie A Women: Roma vs. Juventus at 8:30 a.m. ET

FA WSL: Aston Villa vs. Arsenal at 12:15 p.m. ET

Sunday, Oct. 3

Division 1 Feminine: PSG vs. Guingamp at 6:45 a.m. ET

FA WSL: Birmingham City vs. Manchester United at 1:45 p.m. ET

NWSL games on Paramount+ and Twitch

The National Women’s Football League enters its last month of regular season play on Friday with two games.

The North Carolina Courage will look to avenge their loss last week when they face the Washington Spirit at WakeMed Soccer Park on Friday at 7 p.m. ET. Racing Louisville and Gotham FC will clash at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville at 7:30 p.m. ET.

The Chicago Red Stars and Orlando Pride will resume NWSL action on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. Kansas City and the Houston Dash will step onto Legends Field at 8 p.m. ET. And lastly, Cascadia rivals Portland Thorns and OL Reign will clash at Providence Park. OL Reign can go level on points with the Thorns at the top of the table if they find an away win.

Friday, Oct. 1