Tobin Heath played 78 minutes for PSG on Saturday in her first match in over a month. (Photo copyright Meg Linehan for The Equalizer)
U.S. international Tobin Heath played her first match of the season for PSG and her first competitive game in over a month in the club’s 2-1 victory over Montpellier on Saturday.
Heath’s last competitive match was the National Women’s Soccer League final, when her free kick from a “sore right foot” lifted Portland Thorns FC to a championship. U.S. Soccer said this week that Heath still has” a ways to go” in recovery, but she was apparently healthy enough to play 78 minutes on Saturday.
Fellow American Lindsey Horan scored the game-winning goal in the 71st minute after Marie-Laure Delie equalized just before halftime. Marina Makanza had given Montpellier the lead in the 25th minute.
Swede Kosovare Asllani also saw the pitch, giving way to Horan in the 61st minute.
This all leads into PSG’s massive UEFA Champions League Round of 32 clash with Swedish champions Tyresö FF. The first leg of that series is Wednesday, with the second leg in Paris on Oct. 16. Are Heath and Asllani fit enough to play significant roles in this two-leg tie? Saturday’s evidence suggests so.
Marta (through translation, so take it with a grain of salt) thinks Sweden has a better league than France, which should add some nice fuel to the fire. Tyresö find themselves up against PSG after being unseeded in the draw, this being Tyresö’s first Champions League campaign.
Here’s a reminder of the Champions League schedule ahead:
Round of 32
Ties 9 & 16 October (*first leg 10 October, **second leg 17 October)
*Konak Belediyesi (TUR) v RTP Unia Racibórz (POL)**
*MTK Hungária FC (HUN) v 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam (GER)
R. Standard de Liège (BEL) v Glasgow City LFC (SCO)**
Tyresö FF (SWE) v Paris Saint-Germain FC (FRA)
Pärnu JK (EST) v VfL Wolfsburg (GER, holders)
FSK St. Pölten-Spratzern (AUT) v ASD Torres Calcio (ITA)
*Apollon Limassol LFC (CYP) v SV Neulengbach (AUT)
ŽFK Spartak Subotica (SRB) v FC Rossiyanka (RUS)**
PK-35 Vantaa (FIN) v Birmingham City LFC (ENG)
FC Zürich Frauen (SUI) v AC Sparta Praha (CZE)
*LSK Kvinner FK (NOR) v FCR Malmö (SWE)
FC Twente (NED) v Olympique Lyonnais (FRA)
WFC SSHVSM Kairat (KAZ) v Arsenal LFC (ENG)**
FC Barcelona (ESP) v Brøndby IF (DEN)
Thór/KA (ISL) v FK Zorkiy Krasnogorsk (RUS)
UPC Tavagnacco (ITA) v Fortuna Hjørring (DEN)
Last 16 draw
Barcelona/Brøndby v Zürich/Sparta
Konak/Unia v Apollon/Neulengbach
Tavagnacco/Fortuna v Tyresö/PSG
Spartak/Rossiyanka v Spratzern/Torres
MTK/Potsdam v Twente/Lyon
Thór/Zorkiy v PK-35/Birmingham
LSK/Malmö v Pärnu/Wolfsburg
Kairat/Arsenal v Standard/Glasgow
Tournament calendar
Round of 32: 9/10 & 16/17 October
Round of 16: 9/10 November & 13/14 November
Quarter-final & Semi-final draw: 21 November
Quarter-finals: 22/23 & 29/30 March
Semi-finals: 19/20 & 26/27 April
Final (Lisbon): 22 May
