Chelsea bring star-laden squad to Sydney
Chelsea have confirmed a 28-man touring party for the Sydney Super Cup, with Cole Palmer, João Pedro, Estêvão and Andy Robertson among the headline names flying to Australia. New manager Xabi Alonso named the group on Saturday as the club headed out of London for friendlies against Western Sydney Wanderers on Tuesday and Tottenham Hotspur on August 1. The trip comes with Chelsea managing workloads carefully after a World Cup summer, so several players who featured at that tournament have been left at home ahead of the Premier League season starting on August 22 (AEST).
The squad mix underlines both Chelsea's depth and the club's intent to use the tour as a showcase event. Alonso has also included 21-year-old right back Marco Palestra, signed from Atalanta, while the most eye-catching inclusion is 16-year-old Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli, the Sydney-born England youth international. His selection adds local intrigue for Australian fans and raises the possibility of a future Socceroos storyline if his international allegiance changes. For Chelsea, the tour offers a competitive tune-up and a chance to project the new manager's early vision before serious domestic matches begin.
Kerr fires Gotham to NWSL summit
Sam Kerr scored her first goal for Gotham FC to help them move to the top of the National Women's Soccer League standings after a 2-2 draw away to the Portland Thorns. The Australian striker equalised in the 62nd minute with a firm finish past her Matildas goalkeeper teammate Mackenzie Arnold, then helped swing the match further when Portland centre back Jayden Perry was sent off in the 73rd minute for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. Gotham could not find a winner against 10 players, but the point was still enough to overtake the Washington Spirit at the summit.
The goal mattered well beyond the scoreline because it was Kerr's first for Gotham in her third appearance since joining from Chelsea in June, and it came after a long absence from the NWSL, where she remains the league's all-time leading scorer with 78 goals despite not playing there since 2019. The muted celebration reflected the significance of the moment: Kerr is still building rhythm, but Gotham now have a genuine statement result from one of the world's most recognisable forwards. If she settles quickly, the club's title push becomes much more dangerous.