USWNT REWIND: Mewis Continues Scoring Streak, Champions League Quarterfinals Await

U.S. Soccer’s 2020 Female Player of the Year Samantha Mewis has carried her stellar run of form into 2021, scoring yet again, this time in Manchester City’s 3-0 win over Bristol City on March 17. Mewis scored off a header in the 89^th minute for her sixth goal in her last five outings for the club and her sixth league goal of the season. She is tied for third in overall goals on the team. USA teammate Abby Dahlkemper started yet again in the Manchester City defense as City pitched its sixth consecutive clean sheet in all competitions. Rose Lavelle also saw time in the win, entering the match in the 80^th minute. The win was Manchester City’s 10^th consecutive victory in the FA Women’s Super League and keeps the Citzyzens within striking distance of the league title, just two points back of Chelsea at the top of the table. Both clubs have played 17 matches.

WATCH: Mewis Continues Scoring Spree

Manchester United remains third in the league table, but after a 2-0 loss on the road to Arsenal on February 18, is facing increased pressure to hold onto that spot which comes with a berth to next year’s Champions League. Christen Press played the full 90 minutes for United, which now sit just three points ahead of Arsenal in the table, but the Gunners have a game in hand. Manchester United will look to return to its winning ways on Saturday, March 27, when the Red Devils host West Ham United at Old Trafford. This will be the first Women’s Super League match ever played at the “Theatre of Dreams.” The USWNT played at the iconic venue during the 2012 Olympics, beating Canada 4-3 in an epic semifinal clash.

The U.S. Women’s National Team will also be well represented when the UEFA Women’s Champions League quarterfinal round begins on Wednesday, March 24. Manchester City takes on Barcelona a 7:30 a.m. ET while Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais square off later that afternoon at 1 p.m. ET. The full draw and schedule for 2021 UEFA Women’s Champions League can be found here.

Manchester City will be making its third appearance in the Champions League quarterfinals and advanced through to the semifinals on each of the previous two occasions. The English side dispatched Fiorentina in the Round of 16 by an aggregate score of 8-0, which included three goals by Mewis. Manchester City now takes on a FC Barcelona squad that reached the Champions League semifinals last season and defeated Fortuna Hjørring 9-0 on aggregate to reach the quarterfinal. Wednesday’s match between Barcelona and Manchester City will be played in Monza, Italy, due to travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite having to forfeit the second leg of its Round of 16 matchup against Sparta Praha, Paris Saint-Germain advanced to Champions League quarterfinal on aggregate, 5-3. PSG was deemed responsible for the cancellation of the March 17 match against Sparta after positive tests within the French side and as a result, Sparta were awarded a 3-0 victory. PSG still qualified having won the first leg 5-0 at home the previous week. U.S. Women’s National Team defender Alana Cook came on in the 74^th minute of PSG’s shutout victory over the Czech side on March 9, helping set up a clash longtime rivals Lyon and fellow USWNT midfielder Catarina Macario. Macario played in both fixtures as Lyon dispatched Danish side Brøndby 5-1 on aggregate in the Round of 16. The reigning champions, Lyon is seeking its eighth Champions League title while PSG, who finished runner-up in both 2015 and 2017, looks to reach the semifinals for the second year in a row.

Stateside, the start of the new NWSL season is fast approaching, with the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup slated for kickoff on April 9. The 21-game tournament opens with a rematch of the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup final between Houston and Chicago at BBVA Stadium on CBS Sports Network. The full schedule and viewing information can be found here.

 

Information on upcoming matches featuring U.S. Women’s National Team players can be found below. All times listed are ET.

 

Wednesday, March 24
Abby Dahlkemper, Rose Lavelle, Samantha Mewis	Barcelona vs. Manchester City	7:30 a.m.	CITY+
Alana Cook, Catarina Macario	Paris Saint-Germain vs. Olympique Lyonnais	1:00 p.m.	beIN
Saturday, March 27
Christen Press	Manchester United vs. West Ham United	7:30 a.m.	FAPlayer.tv
Catarina Macario	Dijon vs. Olympique Lyonnais	9:30 a.m.
Alana Cook	Montpellier vs. Paris Saint-Germain	9:30 a.m.
Abby Dahlkemper, Rose Lavelle, Samantha Mewis	Manchester City vs. Reading	1:30 p.m.	NBCSN