So today I'm roaring, on what I think is one of the most interesting questions heading into Germany, what will happen to Lisa De Vanna?
You can read the story here, but what's even more interesting is the media release that Perth Glory issued yesterday with the W-League team for 2010/11.
In it, coach John Gibson explained his decision not to re-sign the Westfield Matildas pocket rocket.

A 2-1 defeat to current FIFA World Cup winners Germany is certainly not a bad thing, but I think the most interesting point to come from this is just how different it was from playing in Asia. Cue Kate Gill's comments,
"The football here is very different to Asian Football. They are more physical in Europe," she said.

The Matildas have a busy month ahead of them, with the Peace Cup in Korea and then a friendly against Germany in Germany on October 28. Yes, that's right, Germany, the second best women's team in the world. What a test that will be.
Here are the players that went into camp today at the Australian Insititute of Sport in Canberra -
Emma Wirkus (Adelaide), Victoria Balomenos (Adelaide), Collette McCallum (Perth), Sam Kerr (Perth), Laura Alleway (Brisbane), Karla Reuter (Brisbane), Kim Carroll (Brisbane), Clare Polkinghorne (Brisbane), Amy Chapman (Brisbane), Brooke Spence (Brisbane), Joanne Burgess (Brisbane), Elise Kellond-Knight (Gold Coast), Casey Dumont (Gold Coast), Aivi Luik (Gold Coast), Tameka Butt (Gold Coast), Melissa Barbieri (Melbourne), Lydia Williams (Canberra), Emily Van Egmond (Canberra), Sally Shipard (Canberra), Caitlin Munoz (Canberra), Ellie Brush (Albury), Kyah Simon (Sydney), Thea Slatyer (Sydney), Kylie Ledbrook (Sydney), Leena Khamis (Sydney), Teigen Allen (Penrith/Sydney), Michelle Heyman (Sydney), Ellyse Perry (Sydney), Danielle Brogan (Sydney), Caitlin Foord (Sydney)
Head Coach: Tom Sermanni, Asssistant Coach: Robbie Hooker, Goalkeeper coach: Paul Jones
Obviously this camp is missing all those Matildas who do ply their trade overseas, Sarah Walsh, Heather Garriock, Katie Gill, Lisa de Vanna (who if you didn't already notice, has been splashed across news today for all the wrong reasons) and Lauren Colthorpe.

So apologies again for the sporadic posting that has become a trademark at GirlsWithGame. But here is my compromise, in the lead-up to the W-League, a monthly wrap of all the happenings and then from November a more consistent focus on the W-League. Heading into next year's FIFA Women's World Cup, it's going to be a cracker of a season.

So news today is that the 2010/11 season of the W-League will start on November 5 and will another 10-round competition, but without the Central Coast Mariners.
First of all, it's hardly a surprise, given that Football NSW and NSWIS were supporting two teams (Sydney FC and the Mariners) and the Mariners girls were actually based in Sydney, not at all near Gosford like their men's counterpart.

So now the World Cup is on and all of Australia's focus is on the Socceroos, although, after the first game, I think there is probably a few broken hearts around the country. But anyway, what is means is that the Matildas are out of the worldwide spotlight.
But that doesn't mean girls have to be completely, and it's today I'm going to ask you to do a little something for me, and sign up to the 1GOAL campaign.

So this time last week the Matildas were just about to get their hands on Australia's first ever Asian Cup, and since then they've been able to soak-up a little of the spotlight. Here is my round-up of the best stories that appeared in the last week.
One of my all-time favourite writers Greg Baum, tackles the entire issue of Matildas and other women's media with perfect prose.

WAIT...stop there for just a minute...I know what you are thinking, it's just another rant about the Matildas should be getting more media coverage. But my point is different.
I think it's about time they stopped whining about it and did something instead.
Now, don't jump straight to the comments, just let me explain myself.

Wow, what a final, for a host of reasons and not all of them good. (Um, did you see the pitch? More like a swamp), but this is how the final moments of the AFC Womens Asian Cup in Chengdu went.
After tied of 90minutes of normal time, then another 30minutes of super-painful extra-time, no-one could have made playing in that torrential rain and the swamp easy, it all came down to penalties.

Anyone else notice anything different in that pre-match interview? Umm, yes. Where is your mo and silver locks Tom? It seems they have been the victim of the Matildas success.
Thanks to Sal Shipard's insight here, Sermanni made the promise that the girls could get rid of said moustache and dye his hair if they qualified for the World Cup, so hello Germany, goodbye facial hair!

So it's almost time, in just a little under an hour we'll be able to find out whether this Matildas team can make a little history of its own. Which is all pretty amazing really when we think about where the Matildas have been since the last Asian Cup, there has been retirements of legends and plenty more who had a break from the game, but also a new women's league in Australia and with it more games and more time for the new generation to develop.

It was close, it was sometimes scrappy and sometimes brilliant, but Katie Gill's half-time goal was just enough last night to clinch the Matildas place in the 2010 AFC Women's Asian Cup final and with it, a place in next year's FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany.
So yay for that! Great effort girls!

Oops-a-daisy, but unfortunately this whole travelling through Canada thing hasn't helped when it comes to regular internet access. Luckily I've been able to catch-up on all the Matildas news thanks to kind people who have emailed me, but if you missed it, here is a recap.
What happened in their Group B matches?

So the Matildas kickstarted their 2010 AFC Asian Women's Cup with a win! And even more interesting, in the other match in Group B, Korea Republic and China played out a 0-0 draw. That has two great benefits, that Australia already have three points while the two teams they really have to beat to get into the finals only has one and the Matildas already have a better goal difference.

The latest news on the squad that is set to start the 2010 AFC Women's Asian Cup opener for Australia is this, Lydia Williams in goal, Melissa Barbieri on the bench. Defender Thea Slatyer will wear the captain's armband. And two wonderful stories in that Aivi Luik will play, completing the journey she set out to when she came back to Australia from America at the end of last year, with a goal to get into the Matildas, and so will Sally Shipard, who is back on the international stage after a two-year-break and a W-League season where she signed for Canberra United but couldn't play at all due to an international transfer hold-up.