LAST UPDATE | 16 Aug 2023
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND international Kyra Carusa has signed for NWSL outfit San Diego Wave.
She departs London City Lionesses, who signed Niamh Farrelly on a one-year deal earlier today. Farrelly, 24, links up with Grace Moloney at the Championship club after a stint in Italy.
Carusa joins her hometown club on a free transfer after a short stay at London City. The 27-year-old striker impressed for Vera Pauw’s side at the World Cup and will now play under former Manchester United boss Casey Stoney, and alongside US star Alex Morgan, in her home town.
“We started following Kyra closely this offseason, and we are excited to welcome her to the club,” Stoney said.
“She will bring healthy competition to our forward group and provide the team with much-needed depth for the rest of this season. She’s just coming back from the World Cup and eager to make a difference to help her hometown make a run deep into the playoffs.”
Carusa scored one goal in eight games at London City, while she previously represented Le Havre (France) and HB Køge (Denmark).
home sweet home 🌊
— San Diego Wave FC (@sandiegowavefc) August 16, 2023
welcome, @kyracarusa! pic.twitter.com/VImK02x9RI
Farrelly joins her former side on a free transfer from Parma Calico, where she spent one season, having previously starred for Glasgow City and Peamount United.
The Dubliner can play in midfield or defence and has four Ireland caps to her name. She is a regular member of Pauw’s squad, but did not make the World Cup cut
“The club has been successful over the last couple of seasons and I think that we can push for promotion,” Farrelly said after putting pen to paper for London City.
“I was really impressed when I spoke with Carolina [Morace, new manager] and Nicola [Williams] about their ambitions and how they develop players After playing in Italy, I think I will be able to fit in quickly under the coaching staff. My first two days with the team have been great, everyone has been really welcoming and I’m looking forward to what’s to come.”
Welcome to #ThePride, Niamh Farrelly 🇮🇪
— London City Lionesses (@LC_Lionesses) August 16, 2023
We're thrilled to welcome the Dublin-born midfielder to the Club on a one-year contract ✍️
📲 https://t.co/aNZoKgblyE pic.twitter.com/T4jG1sYvi1
“Niamh is a dynamic player who can contribute to the attack but also excels defensively,” assistant coach Williams added. “She’s got a strong physique, which is another significant boost.
“We’re familiar with Niamh after her season in Italy, which she said helped develop her game because of the level of tactical detail in Serie A. We’re really pleased to have been able to add her to our group.”
Grace Moloney’s signing was confirmed yesterday, with a number of other Irish players making moves in recent days and weeks: Hayley Nolan swapped London City for Crystal Palace; Tyler Toland joined Blackburn Rovers from Spanish outfit Levante; Diane Caldwell signed for Swiss side FC Zurich after a stint with Reading; and Eleanor Ryan Doyle signed for Durham WFC after her Birmingham City exit. Harriet Scott, meanwhile, announced that she was stepping away from football to pursue her medical career, while Gemma McGuinness moves across the water to Bournemouth from Galway United.
Several others are on the hunt for new clubs, including Ruesha Littlejohn, Megan Connolly, Heather Payne, Megan Campbell, Megan Walsh and Lily Agg, the latter recently leaving London City.
Things just got a whole lot bigger 🙌
— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) August 16, 2023
As part of 50-Year WNT celebrations, every player to have featured for 🇮🇪 Women's Senior Team can avail of 2 free tickets @AVIVAStadium
Ireland v Northern Ireland
Saturday, Sep 23
UEFA Nations League
Aviva Stadium#COYGIG | #WeAreOne
Meanwhile, the FAI have announced that they will honour all Ireland WNT players by inviting them to the Aviva Stadium for the historic Uefa Nations League opener against Northern Ireland on Saturday, 23 September.
As part of the 50-year anniversary celebrations of the WNT, every player who featured receives a one-off commemorative cap — and two tickets to next month’s game.
Whether Pauw will be in charge for Ireland’s first post-World Cup fixture remains to be seen, with her future to be decided in the coming weeks.
