MATCH INFO:

Chelsea 3, West Ham 2

Goals: Sam Kerr – 15’, Rachel Daly – 47’, Sam Kerr – 55’, Sam Kerr – 68’, Magdalena Eriksson (OG) – 88’

After a long, two-week international break, the FAWSL returned with a thriller between Chelsea and West Ham at Kingsmeadow. It wasn’t an easy London Derby for Chelsea, the defending league champs, but they were able to finish the job and take away the three points.

The match was also memorable for being the first since March in which a limited number of fans (up to 700) were allowed in the stadium due to COVID-19 restrictions.

So good to see you, Blues fans! ????????#CFCW pic.twitter.com/W0ZCUSoYwU

— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) December 6, 2020

Here’s how the action unfolded: 

Early on, both sides had a chance, but Bethany England’s attempted header went wide, and Martha Thomas’ shot was blocked.

The first real chance of the game came in the 9th minute, when Cecilie Redisch Kvamme was able to get into the middle of Chelsea’s box and find enough space to shoot; the shot was on target, but Ann-Katrin Berger managed a save.

West Ham would come to regret that chance, and the couple they had after, as five minutes later, Chelsea scored their first.

The goal started with Ji So-yun pressing West Ham in their own half. Ji, who was celebrating her 100th appearance in the FAWSL (and is the first international player to achieve that feat), managed to rid West Ham’s Cho So-hyun of her possession, allowing Pernille Harder to pick up the loose ball.

The first non-British player to reach 100 #BarclaysFAWSL appearances ⭐️@jsy0341 ???? pic.twitter.com/9PW9qPubHZ

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) December 6, 2020

Harder then passed it to Fran Kirby, who was playing in her first game back from injury. Kirby then crossed it into the box and found Sam Kerr, who knocked it in from close range.

The Kirby ➡️ Kerr combo is back! ????@samkerr1 scores her fourth #BarclaysFAWSL goal of the season! pic.twitter.com/o1uUgG0G5R

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) December 6, 2020

West Ham reacted almost immediately, with Rachel Daly able to win the ball off of Magdalena Eriksson around the half-way line. Daly then sprinted the whole half the pitch, but was unable to get the ball around Berger in a crucial one-on-one.

The Hammers nearly draw straight back level! ⚒

What a save by @berger_ann to deny @RachelDaly3 ????#BarclaysFAWSL pic.twitter.com/13WBf6YF6r

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) December 6, 2020

The rest of the half was end to end, but Chelsea was unable to up the score, and West Ham was unable to equalize. Going into half-time, Chelsea remained up by a goal.

The speech delivered by interim West Ham managers Billy Stewart and Paul McHugh must have worked, because West Ham equalized minutes after the whistle. Adriana Leon received the ball near the halfway line and was able to sprint to the final third without being challenged. A short pass from Leon across the box to Daly followed, and this time, Daly didn’t waste her chance, scoring the equalizer.

It's a goal for the birthday girl! ????@RachelDaly3 scores for @westhamwomen at Kingsmeadow! #BarclaysFAWSL pic.twitter.com/nkMXUy28lC

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) December 6, 2020

West Ham would have to cut its celebrations short, however, as a relentless Chelsea attack followed. The Blues won multiple freekicks and had several opportune chances before a breakthrough came in the 55th minute. West Ham keeper Mackenzie Arnold got a hand on a cross from Harder into the box, but she spilled the ball at Kerr’s feet, leaving the Australian with an easy shot on an open net.

The ???????? is at it again! @samkerr1 scores her fifth #BarclaysFAWSL goal of the season! pic.twitter.com/sYsrVOCJyI

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) December 6, 2020

Thirteen minutes later, Kerr completed her hattrick, with Kirby again assisting on the goal. The sequence once more started with Chelsea pressing West Ham, leading to some quick interplay between Kirby and Kerr, which ended with Kerr easily tapping in the score.

She's got her third!

It's a #BarclaysFAWSL hat-trick for @samkerr1! ???? pic.twitter.com/3LnzWexNsL

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) December 6, 2020

At 3-1, it was all Chelsea. West Ham did not give up per se, but Chelsea, with the fans backing them, and with the two-goal cushion, felt comfortable and confident. They even had multiple chances in which they could have extended their lead.

Things got interesting near the end, however, when Eriksson scored an own goal in the 88th minute. With the score now at 3-2, West Ham tried to push for a final equalizer in the last minutes of the second half and the seven minutes of extra-time, but they were unsuccessful.

???? Substitute @lehmann_alisha whips it in and @westhamwomen
get a goal back late on at Kingsmeadow! #BarclaysFAWSL pic.twitter.com/87SjZ0HfTn

— Barclays FA Women's Super League (@BarclaysFAWSL) December 6, 2020

With her three goals, Kerr moved up to third in the FAWSL top scorers of the season, behind Arsenal’s Vivianne Miedema and Jill Roord.

Chelsea sits in 3rd place, with 17 points, three behind league leader Manchester United and two behind Arsenal, though they have a game in hand.

The Blues will be taking a break from the FAWSL for their next match, as they will be facing Benfica in the Champions League.

The match details for our #UWCL round of 32 tie against Benfica have been confirmed! ????

— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) November 29, 2020

West Ham currently sits in 10th, but an away match against Chelsea was always going to be a tough match for them to win. The goal for West Ham this season is to avoid relegation, and their next match against Bristol City, who are bottom of the table, will be the perfect opportunity to give them some cushion so as to avoid playing in the FA Women’s Championship next season.

Ex-San Diego Wave boss Casey Stoney is taking over head coaching duties for the Canadian women's national soccer team, Canada Soccer confirmed on Monday morning.

Stoney replaces longtime coach Bev Priestman, who is currently serving a one-year suspension from FIFA for her role in the 2024 Paris Olympics drone-spying scandal.

Canada Soccer officially fired Priestman in November 2024, after an independent investigation into a drone spotted hovering over New Zealand's Olympic training session found Canada's coaching staff liable.

Immediately following the incident, Canada saw six points deducted from their Olympic group stage standing. The 2021 gold medalists eventually lost to Germany in the quarterfinals.

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Stoney jumps from club to country

This will be Stoney's first time leading a national team, making the professional leap after San Diego abruptly fired the decorated former England defender and captain in June 2024.

Prior to her NWSL tenure, Stoney made her head coaching debut with Manchester United. She led the club to an FA Championship trophy in the team's inaugural 2018/19 season, earning the team promotion into the WSL.

After joining the NWSL's California expansion side in 2021, Stoney led the Wave to two playoff appearances and a career regular-season record of 24-15-18. San Diego's 2022 semifinals run made the club the first-ever franchise to make the NWSL Playoffs in their inaugural season. The campaign eventually earned Stoney the 2022 NWSL Coach of the Year award.

Stoney also helped the Wave snag the 2023 NWSL Shield and the 2024 Challenge Cup trophy — all behind Canadian starting goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan.

With an eye on developing a strong Canadian roster to contend for the 2027 World Cup, Stoney's first task on the team's sideline is set for February, when Canada will compete in the annual Pinatar Cup in Spain.

"Casey's track record of successful leadership, her values and strength of character, and her lifelong dedication to the advancement of women's football make her the right person to lead our national team into its next chapter," said Canada Soccer CEO and general secretary Kevin Blue in today's statement.

Tennis's first Grand Slam of 2025 kicks off on Saturday, with the sport's heaviest hitters convening in Melbourne for the Australian Open.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka — the reigning back-to-back Australian Open champion — enters as the tournament's first overall seed for the first time. However, she'll see stiff competition by way of No. 2 Iga Świątek, No. 3 Coco Gauff, and No. 4 Jasmine Paolini.

"For me being the one to chase... I like that feeling," Sabalenka told reporters this morning. "That's what drives me and helps me to stay motivated because I know that I have a target on my back."

Tough roads to the trophy litter Australian Open draw

Each top contender faces a tricky tournament draw, with upset potential lurking in every quadrant.

Sabalenka could meet 2024 Olympic gold medalist and WTA Finals runner-up No. 5 Zheng Qinwen as early as the quarterfinals, as long as she survives a first-round matchup against 2017 US Open winner Sloane Stephens.

Reigning WTA Finals champion Gauff's quadrant is in Sabalenka's half of the field, setting up a possible rematch of last year's semifinal. As for the 20-year-old US star's path, earlier rounds could see Gauff contending with tough competitors like 2021 Australian Open champ Naomi Osaka, 2024 US Open semifinalist Karolína Muchová, and 2024 US Open finalist No. 7 Jessica Pegula.

Świątek and Paolini could also meet in a semifinal, though fellow top competitors No. 8 Emma Navarro and 2020 Australian Open winner Ons Jabeur stand in Świątek's way while No. 10 Danielle Collins and 2022 Wimbledon champion No. 6 Elena Rybakina have been drawn into Paolini's quadrant.

How to watch the 2025 Australian Open

The 2025 Australian Open's first round starts on Saturday at 7 PM ET, with Sabalenka's first-round match set for 3 AM ET on Sunday.

Live coverage for the tournament will air across ESPN platforms.

On a Thursday night that saw several top NCAA basketball teams stumble, No. 6 LSU narrowly managed to keep their perfect season intact, though No. 16 Tennessee took the Tigers to the brink in a close 89-87 conference battle.

The SEC's rising parity was fully on display as stars Jewel Spear and Talaysia Cooper posted 25 and 24 points, respectively, to try and put their surging Tennessee side on top.

Though the Vols chipped away throughout the game at LSU's nine-point first-quarter lead, it was Tiger junior Kailyn Gilbert who cemented LSU's win with a wild, last-second bucket, putting a bow on her 22 points off the bench.

LSU senior Aneesah Morrow also shined, registering 23 points and 21 rebounds — her NCAA-leading 16th double-double and second 20+ point, 20+ rebound performance this season.

Now 18-0, LSU is one of just three undefeated Division I college basketball programs this season, joining just No. 1 UCLA and No. 9 Ohio State in remaining unbeaten.

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Seven top 25 NCAA teams fall on Thursday

LSU's victory over Tennessee was just one of seven NCAA basketball games to see ranked teams fall on Thursday night. No. 5 Texas annihilated No. 18 Alabama to the tune of 84-40, while No. 19 UNC and No. 24 Cal registered upsets of No. 14 Duke and No. 21 NC State, respectively.

Unranked teams also did damage in the Top 25, with Illinois downing No. 23 Iowa and Mississippi State bouncing back from the 95-68 shellacking they took at the hands of No. 2 South Carolina on Sunday by taking down No. 10 Oklahoma 81-77.

That said, No. 13 Georgia Tech suffered the most consequential defeat after seeing their unbeaten season disappear in a 105-94 double-overtime loss to unranked Virginia Tech.

Yellow Jacket junior Kara Dunn's game-leading 33-point, 10-rebound double-double and teammate Tonie Morgan's 28 points kept Georgia Tech alive throughout much of the back-and-forth battle.

However, 17+ point showings from Virginia Tech's entire starting lineup, not to mention a late, stifling defense that allowed them to outscore Georgia Tech 13-2 in the second overtime period, ultimately secured the win for the Hokies.

NCAA basketball weekend rife with upset potential

With 23 ranked NCAA teams facing unranked opponents this weekend, the potential for upsets is high, though the lone ranked pairing is a highly anticipated Top-5 affair.

The SEC will take center court again, as No. 5 Texas takes on defending national champions No. 2 South Carolina on Sunday.

Ahead of the tense matchup, guard Rori Harmon promised that the Longhorns are "going to make sure it's a knockdown, drag out."

"It's going to be a battle, and we look forward to the battle," said South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley, referencing her team's tough conference slate.

How to watch top-ranked NCAA basketball this weekend

No. 5 Texas will visit No. 2 South Carolina on Sunday at 1 PM ET, with live coverage airing on ESPN.

Brazilian superstar Marta has officially re-signed with the NWSL's Orlando Pride through 2026, the club announced on Thursday morning.

The news comes just over a month after the 38-year-old international football icon captained Orlando to its first-ever NWSL Championship win.

While Marta expressed ongoing interest in continuing club play, the free agent's future remained uncertain after announcing her retirement from Brazil's national team in April 2024.

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Marta's Orlando Pride legacy

Marta has played for Orlando since 2017, riding out the franchise's ups and downs before the team's banner 2024. Last season wasn't just a massive campaign for the team, however — it cemented the seemingly ageless athlete as a club legend.

The Orlando captain scored finalist status for the league's 2024 MVP and Midfielder of the Year awards, plus booked an NWSL First-Team Best XI honor. Her 11 goals across all competitions, including the Pride's NWSL Shield-clinching game-winner and arguably the most memorable NWSL Playoff goal in years, was enough to snare an impressive fourth place on the league's 2024 goal-scoring table.

"Coming off the most successful season in our club's history and, personally, one of the best of her professional career, re-signing Marta was a key business priority for us during this offseason," said Orlando Pride VP of sporting operations and sporting director Haley Carter in today's club statement. 

"Last year, we proved everyone wrong and did something so special, as a team, and that's why I'm so happy to have the opportunity to sign for two more years," Marta commented.

"Personally, it also means a lot to me that I will reach 10 seasons as an Orlando Pride player, a special number for me as I have worn the No. 10 jersey most of my career," she added. "I love living in Orlando, I love the community, and I love the way that people embrace and enjoy Orlando Pride soccer. I can't wait for the season to start."