1sts lost in a penalty shootout against Portugal . We opened the scoring with a great crossfield pass from Bono to Rach who picked  his spot to score. The rest of the  half we played well and had chances but Portugal also looked dangerous and just on the stroke of half time they got a corner and it was hit to a player  on the edge of the box who struck it first time into the net. 2nd half was well contested with chances at both ends but it finished 1-1 at full time.

They won the penalty shootout by 5-4.

In the first half, it was quite equal but with a slight edge for us, they got some chances, but they didn’t score, they got a chance from a questionable pass back to Clara who then had to save it. We got at goal from a corner that was disallowed by a questionable decision from the referee. We created a lot of chances from playing very direct and shooting the ball over their defense and then running in behind, but their keeper was always far out from her line to clear it. We scored in the first half from a penalty caused by a hand ball, Momo scored. Towards the end of the first half their keeper jumps for the ball but landed badly and got injured, she got carried out and the second keeper got put in. Second half started with us having good play with the ball at our feet and the opponent trying to play wide, but their long balls were often intercepted by Michele before they got dangerous. They got a lot of questionable freekicks by the referee and then scored on one of said freekicks. Later on, we scored again on a corner, scored by Sarah, but this time it wasn’t disallowed and we ended up winning 2-1

Match was forfeited by the opposition

It was a bright sunny day in April, and the clocks were striking ten. FC Irlande Ladies III entered the pitch to play the last match of the season, an away game against BX Brussels.

FCI starts the match with the same formation that worked pretty well in the previous match, a solid 3-4-2-1. Again, in this match, FCI effectively used the characteristics and advantages of this formation. A high defence that provoked many offside calls, defensive and offensive support from external midfielders and more space creation offensively, thanks to the combination between the strikers and the two offensive midfielders. Obviously, this positioning would not work if the players aren’t committed to putting effort for 90’ and to supporting each other when in difficulty. Despite the overall coordination and solidity, BX Brussels manages to cut FCI’s defence thanks to high and through balls, but everything is stopped by Marina or defensive recovery. In attack, FCI tries to find the right space to worry BX Brussels but, except from a corner and some shots, not remarkable goal scoring opportunities are created. The first half ends 0-0.

The second half starts with FCI receiving the instruction of conceding less space to BX Brussels and playing with their irritability. FCI defense keeps on playing high, confident that every ball that was going through would have been blocked by Marina. FCI struggles to create goal chances but maintains pressure and compactness. The match ends 0-0.

An amazing point to conclude the season with smiles. But the smiles were hiding bittersweet feelings, not so much for the relegation, which feels more like an opportunity to grow than a punishment, but because of the goodbye of our first coach for the past two years, Francesco. We are thankful to Francesco for helping us grow individually and as a team. This season, despite living in another country, he tried his best to be as present as possible in training and matches. We hope to see him next season in some of our matches, fighting with the referee from the stand. We also learnt that it will be Maz’s and Spohie’s last match… as captains. We will all miss receiving a message starting with “Hello dear” when Maz wants to ask us to do something or remind us to do something and her panic when a shirt is going missing, and Sophie’s pre-match speeches reminding us that we cannot score if we don’t shoot and that if you are not tired at the end of the match, it means you didn’t give 100%.

Despite the point, we were relegated. However, we should not be disappointed with our season. At the end of many matches, the opponents told us that we did not deserve to be last in the league, and many teams got extremely upset playing against us because they realised that scoring against us was way more complicated than they were expecting. We have solid foundations on which we can build for next season and a core group committed to putting in time and effort for the team. Next season will be an interesting one. We do not know what to expect, but as always, we will give everything.

✨ Forecast for Summer 2025 ✨

As all the astrology enthusiasts have been saying, 2025 is a major year in which we will face significant challenges and opportunities to rethink our ways of doing things. As usual, we’ll have a few seasons of Mercury retrograde (the next round starts July 17, so you can relax for now), and we’ve already survived Mars retrograde and (most of) Venus retrograde. However, the big planets are causing significant shifts. Neptune just entered Aries for the first time in over 160 years, ushering in a new collective consciousness. Since Neptune’s movement is slow (14 years), its impacts are felt on a generation. If the last match is any indication of what the next chapter has in store for the team, we will engage with each other with a lot of trust, communication, strength, and courage. We should continue to water these seeds over the summer so that we can start the next season off strong with a vibrant bouquet of athletic and interpersonal qualities.

In the summer, we’ll see Saturn, Jupiter, and Uranus also march into our orbit. While we will have a lot of planetary movement in the off-season, the effects will be pretty calm compared to what we’ve already seen and what is coming later in the year. This gives us plenty of time to recharge our batteries and use that fresh energy to build upon our skills before the next challenging (astrological) season starts in September. Regardless of what awaits us in the fall, we can rest assured that the stars will affect everyone – every player, every team, and every league. Now, we must do what is in our control: get some high-quality rest, maintain good connections, and proactively think positively about the upcoming season.

Player of the match: Marina

In a hard-fought match against the league’s most talented team, Uccle Lions, Ladies 2 showed great resilience and skill. Despite the ladies in green great start, playing well and holding their ground, Lions’ quick passing and sharp play ultimately broke through our defense (also with a little help from the ref who didn’t call an off-side). The match ended 4-0. As we close out this incredible season, we look forward to coming back stronger with this incredible group of players in the next season.

On Sunday, 30 March, FC Irlande Ladies III welcomes RAS Jodoigne for the last home match of the season. Already the pre-match is greatly eventful: changes in defense, bleeding noses, attempts of socks stealing caught on camera and tests on the reliability of Schuman metro station.

FCI starts the match with an unusual formation, a 3-4-2-1. This formation works well, especially in the offensive phase and already, during the first half, FCI has different opportunities to score. The first chance to score comes from Roxanne, who finds the right space to penetrate Jodoigne’s defensive line and, almost in front of the goalie, decides, instead of taking a shot, to pass to Viktorija. But the ball is intercepted by Jodoigne’s defence. Despite the good team performance, a moment of distraction leads to Jodoigne’s opening goal at 26’. FCI does not lose its heart and stays focused and determined to keep playing its game. On the left, Meryl and Sophie create great combinations together that open up the field for FCI’s attacking incursions. At the end of the first half, FCI has an excellent opportunity to equalise: Eliana passes the ball to Viktorija, who wide on the right wing, receives the ball, and, with a great pass, finds Meryl in the penalty box, whose shot is blocked. The first half ends 0-1.

FCI starts the second half with the awareness that the smell of a goal is in the air. At 65’, Meryl receives the ball on the edge of the penalty area, controls it and finds the space for a magnificent shot and beats the goalkeeper. FCI is not fully satisfied with the draw and tries to obtain the first win of the season. For FCI, the clearest chance to score comes from a corner: the cross, delivered by Meryl, gets past the goalie, but none of the FCI players put the decisive touch to score. At 85’, the cold shower arrives. Jodoigne’s striker steals the ball on the edge of the penalty area, shoots and scores the winning goal. The match ends 1-2.

Although, in these last matches, the team has been experimenting with formations and positions, it has constantly delivered great performances and gave a hard time to all the opponents faced. The last performances also give hope and a good foundation for next season with players open to listen to new instructions and play in new roles.

Player of the match: Meryl

Last year’s Abssa champions took on this year’s Abssa champions in a sunny Rossiers, very even, good quality game with some nice passages of play from us. We deservedly took the lead after a great cross from Alvaro to Tommy who headed down for Nair to volley home, high quality goal. We came close to adding to the lead through Sylvain with an audacious effort, James & from a corner. HT 1 up, 2nd half they pushed us back a bit, eventually scoring a really good team goal themselves. We hit the post, Erik just wide with a one on one & we thought Remy had won it right at the end with a brave header but was given offside. Draw probably just about a fair result, congratulations to Brussels British on their deserved championship, hopefully we’ll be back to challenge again next season & still the cup to play for. Motm Alex, majestic at the back but everyone contributed.