WSL Cup | United draw City Liverpool and Everton in the group stage!

jojojo

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We're in Group C of the WSL/Continental Cup, along with City, Everton, Liverpool - what are the odds eh :lol:


Only the top one goes through automatically to the knockout stage, two best runners up get the remaining places.

The competition will start on Wednesday, 7 October. The groups have come out gloriously unbalanced:
  • Group A: Coventry United, Aston Villa, Sheffield United, Durham
  • Group B: Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal, London City Lionesses
  • Group C: Liverpool, Manchester United, Everton, Manchester City
  • Group D: West Ham, Charlton, Reading, Brighton & Hove Albion
  • Group E: Birmingham City, Blackburn, Leicester City
  • Group F: Lewes, London Bees, Bristol City, Crystal Palace
 

Champ

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So I assume the draws are localised based on that grouping?
Very difficult group, will be a big test for sure.
 

jojojo

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So I assume the draws are localised based on that grouping?
Very difficult group, will be a big test for sure.
The geographic split is basically the north, going down to Birmingham (A, C, E) and then London and the south (B, D, F). No one (football media) seems to know what the criteria the draw itself used, but I doubt anyone believes it was random. There's a lack of transparency around decision making in the women's game that can be breathtaking at times :lol:

People suspect they've factored in the idea that because the matches are played midweek - that's particularly bad news when amateur/parttime clubs drawn against fulltimers. So they may have tried to avoid those kind of huge mismatches in the group stage. It'll be interesting to see what it means for the knockout rounds - though of course (given the lack of information from the FA) we don't actually know how those will be drawn/seeded.
 

Maestro14

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Two really strong groups, one for the North and one for the South. What are the odds!

Also 6 groups instead of four because...reasons?
 

jojojo

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Two really strong groups, one for the North and one for the South. What are the odds!

Also 6 groups instead of four because...reasons?
The 6 group idea is apparently to limit the number of midweek matches each club has to play before Christmas (3 rather than 5 for most teams). It's just part of trying to handle a season that is already squashed (last year's WFA Cup hasn't finished yet) and that might hit cancellations if teams need to quarantine etc.
 

Maestro14

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The 6 group idea is apparently to limit the number of midweek matches each club has to play before Christmas (3 rather than 5 for most teams). It's just part of trying to handle a season that is already squashed (last year's WFA Cup hasn't finished yet) and that might hit cancellations if teams need to quarantine etc.
OK, that makes sense. Still feels like they're doing everything they can to avoid the same final 4 as the last couple of seasons, with City/United & Arsenal/Chelsea in the same groups, with only one guaranteed through each group.
 

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Hard to believe it’s random, yeah. Got some appetizing rivalries early on in those two groups. I’m backing us for the second spot in the group, but it’s going to be a challenge even then to become one of the best runners up after playing City, Everton and Liverpool. Liverpool perhaps the weakest team there, still we drew them 0-0 recently in a training match.
 

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United's game against Everton, which was scheduled for 7pm tonight has now been called off by Everton because of concerns with the stadium. The game was already clashing with the men's CL tie, and I don't think there was any live coverage whatsoever, but now the game is called off only a few hours before kick off. Casey isn't happy:

Casey Stoney: “I must make it clear that we as a club wanted this game to be played and were accommodating in the options that were put forward.

“My players and staff have worked so hard in our preparation for this upcoming busy fixture period and it is therefore extremely frustrating to have it called off less than 24 hours before kick-off.”
 

jojojo

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United's game against Everton, which was scheduled for 7pm tonight has now been called off by Everton because of concerns with the stadium. The game was already clashing with the men's CL tie, and I don't think there was any live coverage whatsoever, but now the game is called off only a few hours before kick off. Casey isn't happy:

Casey Stoney: “I must make it clear that we as a club wanted this game to be played and were accommodating in the options that were put forward.

“My players and staff have worked so hard in our preparation for this upcoming busy fixture period and it is therefore extremely frustrating to have it called off less than 24 hours before kick-off.”
I wonder when the damage happened? I guess if it was overnight then it's understandable. Otherwise I'm sure United could have offered Leigh or the Cliff or somewhere for the match. No wonder Casey is upset.