Chelsea carve up in Sydney as concussion fright hits All Stars
Aideen Keane gave her A-League All Star teammates a fright on Wednesday after she copped a brutal ball to the head late in the first half against Chelsea.
The Melbourne City star was looking to stand in the path of a cross from Lauren James when she was struck in the face, miscalculating how low the cross was.
Keane hits the deck after being collected in the face by Lauren James’ cross. Paramount +
Keane immediately hit the deck and appeared to be in an uncomfortable state, with James, an English international, running in to check on her wellbeing.
“That is a really tough one to watch,” Matildas great Grace Gill said as a replay of the falcon was shown on Paramount +.
“For a slight second there, she did appear to lose complete control of her body.”
The referee immediately called for medics to come to the field, halting play. Keane, who was lying face-down, did not move until midway through her medical assessment.
While it initially appeared Keane’s time on the field may be over, she remarkably was able to get back to her feet, pass her medical test and run back out to play the two minutes of additional time before the half-time break.
Keane’s concussion scare was only another struggle that the A-League All Stars had to work around in the first half, with Chelsea scoring two quick goals.
US international Alyssa Thompson set up teammate Sandy Baltimore to snatch the first goal in the eighth minute, firing the ball into the far corner with ease.
Sjoeke Nusken followed suit shortly after, curving a simple shot past All Stars goalkeeper Courtney Newbon.
Chelsea’s pre-season team did not slow down in the second half, with Australian star Ellie Carpenter putting up a strong showing in front of her home crowd.
While she did not find the back of the net herself, 19-year-old academy player Lexi Potter slotted the third and final goal to seal victory for the English giants.
“It’s amazing to bring some of that European football culture out here, and to see the fans in the stands,” All Stars skipper and Matildas gun Tameka Yallop said when asked about her experience facing a team like Chelsea on Paramount +.
“For us to come together with a week of training is a credit to Jeff (Hopkins) and the girls for all coming together and enjoying the experience.”
Chelsea will now return to London to finish off their preparations for the upcoming Women’s Super League season.
Before that, the club will take on Spain’s Real Sociedad Femenino on August 26 (AEST) to kick off their women’s Champions League campaign.
