After the success of VAVEL's Top 50 Women's Footballers of the Year list, there has been another addition to the debate for who has shone most in 2015. There are, of course, some less high-profile players who rose to stardom and odidn't make that cut, so find themselves here - on VAVEL UK's Biggest breakthroughs in Women's Football 2015.
The criteria on which this list is based is not age related. The only requirement was that this has been the year, that the player has gone to a new level. A breakthrough can be many things; it can be a young payer that has just broken onto the scene, but still has better years ahead of her.
It can be someone who has been prominent in her own country for some time, but has now gained more international recognition. It can also be a player that has shown her abilities for a number of years, but has added to that and who has had their best year to date.
There must be a big thanks to all of those who contributed to the list. There are so many women’s football leagues that makes every single one impossible to follow in great detail, and so this compilation would not have been possible without those who watch some of the divisions that are harder to follow.
Part one of the Breakthrough Series can be found here.
Without further ado, here are the next 11 randomly selected players who have made their breakthrough this year:
Sara Serrat Reyes (Sporting Huelva, Spain)
The Spanish goalkeeper was instrumental in Spain's under-19 campaign at the European Championship in Israel. They fell short in the final against Sweden, but throughout the tournament Reyes looked strong. She has also impressed tremendously in the Spanish league for her club Sporting Huelva, and a move to a bigger club in 2016 is plausible.
Nevana Damjanovic (Spartak Subotica/Fortuna Hjørring, Serbia)
Damjanovic is a player many will not have heard of. She plays for one of the minor national teams in terms of women’s football, and since she is showcasing her abilities in the Danish 3f Liga, many will not have seen her play for her club either. Those that have seen her play in 2015 will, however, have seen a defender who has been impressive.
After moving to Fortuna in the summer, she has gotten better with very game and Danish women’s football outlet kvindeliga.dk named her in their team of the autumn season for the Danish 3fliga. She is probably Serbia’s best player and, at the age of 22, that is an indication of how good she is.
Pauline Hammarlund (Piteå IF/IFK Göteborg (from 2016), Sweden)
Hammarlund was one of the surprise stars of this years DamAllsvenskan. She has numerous appearances for various Swedish youth national teams, but many would not have expected her to be this dominant in the league. However, with 16 goals placing her third in the top scorer chart as the best Swede and a debut for the Swedish national team in a European qualifier against Moldova (in which she scored), she has been hot property this off-season.
Rumours linked her with Rosengård and Göteborg, and eventually she signed for the latter. No doubt she will be important for them next season, now that Manon Melis has joined Seattle Reign. She got nominated as ‘Breakthrough of The Year’ at the fotbollsgalan in 2015, but she lost out to Stina Blackstenius.
Thora Hansen (IK Skovbakken, Denmark)
This Danish under-19 international goalkeeper has had a splendid year. She has been the best goalkeeper in the Danish 3f liga this season and with competition from Odense Boldsklub’s Stina Lykke Petersen, the starting goalkeeper for the Danish women’s national team, that is a great achievement.
Her club, IK Skovbakken, has performed above expectations this season and earned impressive results this autumn against the leading clubs in Denmark; Fortuna Hjørring and Brøndby IF. Hansen can take a lot of the credit for those. She has proven this year that is someone who can be counted on, and it would not surprise many if she is in and around the senior national team soon.
Amy Harrison (Sydney FC, Australia)
Amy Harrison missed out on being in Australia’s World Cup squad at the death. Despite this, she still deserves to be on this list. She is here because her season with Sydney has proven that she is one for the future. Together with Alanna Kennedy she has formed a solid centre-back duo. Unfortunately, she has just torn her ACL, but if this years' form is anything to by, she has all that it takes to come back afterwards and become a regular with the Westfield Matildas as well as defensive rock for her club.
Marith Prießen (1. FFC Frankfurt, Germany)
After not getting much game time after her big move from Bayer Leverkusen to German giants 1. FFC Frankfurt, Prießen started getting playing time this year and has shown just how good she is. While not a part of Silvia Neid's plans for her German national team, Prießen has been an integral part of a Frankfurt side who ended up lifting the Champions League trophy.
Wang Shuang (Wuhan Ladies/Dalian Quanjin (from 2016), China)
Shuang might best be known as the one who scored against USA in Abby Wambach’s farewell game, which also ended their 10-year unbeaten streak at home. However, Shuang is much more than this.
She was a part of China's World Cup squad, and while not a regular starter, she shone in the minutes she got and showed moments of brilliance on the ball. She has had a strong season with Wuhan Ladies, and there was continued interest from English clubs. Shuang however have decided to sign with Dalian Quanjin. She is still young, and it wouldn’t surprise anyone if she moves to a bigger league at some point.
Samantha Mewis (Western New York Flash, USA)
In her rookie season with the WNY Flash, she started all 20 games, scored four goals and assisted four times. This meant that the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NWSL draft became the club's top scorer, together with Lynn Williams, in her rookie season. She was the rookie with the most assists, shots, and shots on goal.
Subsequently she was nominated for NWSL Rookie of the Season, before eventually losing out to Chicago Red Star’s Danielle Colaprico. She also earned herself a call-up for USA’s games against Brazil, after initially getting her first cap back in 2014.
Fran Kirby (Reading/Chelsea, England)
There is a certain amount of debate a to whether or not Kirby should make the list. She had a stellar 2014, and playing wise, it could be argued that she has topped that in 2015. Some would say her breakthrough came in 2014, which is not wrong.
However, she did cement her place with the national team this year and scored a goal at the World Cup in England’s 2-1 win over Mexico. Additionally, she earned a move to the eventual league and FA cup winners, Chelsea, for what is believed to be a record fee. Kirby has also continued her scoring form, although at a slower rate.
Jill Roord (Twente, The Netherlands)
A first cap and goal for the Netherlands, a call-up for the World Cup and a standout season at Twente. That’s why Roord has been selected for this list. She might not have featured as heavily for the national team as many would have liked her to, but when she has got the chance she has looked comfortable.
She is one of the best young talents in Europe, and this year she has proved that. She has 12 goals in 12 games in the Eredivisie , whereas in the previous two years she needed 24 and 27 games respectively to reach 13 goals. Several of Europe’s big clubs are after her, and 2016 could prove to be an even bigger year for her than 2015.
Maria Thorisdottir (Klepp IL, Norway)
After getting her senior debut for Norway at the 2015 Algarve Cup, Thorisdottir has just gone form strength to strength. She went from being with the U23’s at La Manga to debuting for the senior national in March to an established starter at the World Cup over the course of just a few months.
This is why she has been chosen for this list. She ended the year with an injury, but this can’t take away from the overall positive 2015 for the Norwegian. According to rumours, she is at the top of Norwegian side Avaldsnes’ wishlist. They are a side with ambitions of being champions and they have a spot in the 2016/2017 Champions League season. After this year, a step up on the career ladder seems like the obvious choice.
