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Monday, June 15, 2026
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Burch-Waldron & Sutton Confirm 2026/27 Warm-up Campaign
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Bermudian international K’Shaela Burch-Waldron and her Sutton United Women teammates have officially unveiled an extensive pre-season programme ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
The announcement comes on the heels of a historic, record-breaking year for the U's, which saw the club secure its highest-ever league finish and points total in the London & South East Regional Women’s Football League Premier Division.
Determined to build on that historic foundation, management has mapped out a highly attritional summer schedule. The pipeline features a testing mixture of fixtures against opponents from the Southern Region, the London & South East Regional system, and the tier-four FA Women’s National League.
Sutton’s summer preparations will ignite in spectacular fashion on Saturday, 12th July, with the squad scheduled to undertake a demanding two-matches-in-one-day itinerary.
The U’s will open their account with an early 11:00am kick-off against Woodley United at the Archbishop Lanfranc School, before rushing back home to the David Weir Leisure Centre to host Reading Women in a high-profile 2:30pm clash.
The relentless opening week continues just two days later on Tuesday, 14th July, with a short, highly charged trip to face regional rivals Croydon Athletic at 7:30pm. The squad then returns to home turf on Saturday, 19th July, to welcome Southern Region League outfit Farnham Town.
As the summer crosses into the critical late-July stretch, Burch-Waldron and the Sutton midfield will navigate a series of fresh tactical challenges.
A fascinating midweek away fixture awaits on Tuesday, 21st July, against the newly formed SE Dons, ahead of a trip to Kent on Tuesday, 28th July, to battle Ashford United.
The volume of competition intensifies significantly on Thursday, 30th July, when the U's travel to meet FA Women’s National League heavyweights London Bees—a fixture designed to test the squad’s defensive shape against semi-professional opposition.
August offers absolutely no respite for the South London club. Sutton open the month with a premier away test against Queens Park Rangers on Sunday, 2nd August, before traveling to Three Bridges on Wednesday, 5th August.
The grueling warm-up schedule will officially draw to a close on Sunday, 9th August, with a road trip to face newly promoted Saltdean United, leaving the squad fine-tuned and fully prepared for another promotion charge.
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Sunday, June 14, 2026
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Smith’s Rhode Island FC crush Loudoun United
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Bermudian manager Khano Smith saw his Rhode Island FC side wrap up their June slate in spectacular fashion, dismantling Loudoun United FC 4-1 at Segra Field to secure the second-largest away victory in club history.
An explosive, highly clinical attacking display yielded goals from JJ Williams, Nick Scardina, Leo Afonso, and Dwayne Atkinson. The result not only marks Rhode Island’s first-ever victory over Loudoun, but it also highlights a frightening run of form for Smith's front line, who have now racked up 11 goals in their last four outings across all competitions.
Despite the emphatic final scoreline, Rhode Island (4W-4L-3T) had to endure a bruising opening spell from the hosts. Loudoun United missed a gilt-edged chance to open the scoring inside two minutes when Thor Úlfarsson pulled the ball back to an unmarked Jack Panayotou, who fired wide of an open goal.
Rhode Island goalkeeper Koke Vegas was then forced into a sharp reflex save in the 17th minute, turning away a low Úlfarsson free kick. Loudoun outshot the visitors 6-2 in the first half, but Smith’s men executed a tactical lesson in efficiency, striking first against the run of play in the 22nd minute.
A trademark long throw-in from Clay Holstad was flicked on by Hugo Bacharach, allowing the towering JJ Williams to rise above the rearguard and power home his team-leading ninth goal of the season.
Rhode Island emerged from the interval with ferocious intent, doubling their advantage just three minutes after the restart. Williams turned provider this time, latching onto an Amos Shapiro-Thompson cross to head the ball back across the face of goal, allowing Nick Scardina to ghost in and slot into an empty net.
Loudoun briefly threatened a comeback in the 57th minute when Christian Torres snuck a low cross past Vegas, setting up Úlfarsson for a deserved close-range finish to cut the deficit to 2-1.
However, Smith's tactical adjustments proved definitive, with a pair of second-half substitutes instantly combining to re-establish the cushion in the 71st minute. Holstad brilliantly broke two tackles in midfield before spreading the ball wide to Noah Fuson. The winger tore down the right flank and squared a low pass to Leo Afonso, who swept a first-time finish into the bottom corner.
The rampant visitors added the final gloss to a masterclass in transitional football in the 89th minute. A long punt from Vegas found Afonso, who immediately released Williams down the left wing. Williams curled a low, pinpoint delivery to the back post where Dwayne Atkinson thumped the ball into the roof of the net, sealing a statement 4-1 victory for the Ocean State club.
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Saturday, June 13, 2026
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Christopher inspires FH Hafnarfjörður to Commanding Away Win
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Bermudian international Nia Christopher was the catalyst for a dominant second-half display as FH Hafnarfjörður Women cruise past Víkingur Reykjavík Women 5-2 on the road.
In a breathless encounter in the Icelandic top flight, the visitors turned a tight half-time lead into a comfortable victory, ruthlessly exploiting defensive lapses from the hosts after the interval.
The match started at a ferocious tempo, and it was Víkingur who drew first blood in the 11th minute. Exploiting space down the flank, Freyja Stefánsdóttir drifted into the penalty area to fire a low strike into the bottom corner.
The hosts' celebrations were short-lived, however, as Hafnarfjörður responded instantly. Just six minutes later, the clinical Christopher showcased her blistering pace, latching onto a loose ball inside the box to calmly slot home the equaliser in the 17th minute.
Before the home side could regroup, FH struck a second quick-fire blow. Straight from the restart, Ingibjörg Magnúsdóttir found herself unmarked at the back post to turn the ball home in the 18th minute, capping off a wild two-minute window and sending Hafnarfjörður into the break with a hard-earned 2-1 advantage.
FH completely seized the initiative after the restart, overwhelming the Víkingur rearguard with sharp, transition football.
The pressure told in the 57th minute when Deja Sandoval rose highest at a set-piece to power home a header, stretching the lead to 3-1. Less than ten minutes later, Christopher turned provider; the Bermudian striker showed superb vision to pick out Thelma Hermannsdóttir, who made no mistake from close range to make it 4-1 in the 65th minute.
Víkingur briefly threatened a late fightback when Jóhanna Halldórsdóttir pulled one back in the 71st minute to reduce the deficit to 4-2.
However, any hopes of a dramatic home comeback were permanently extinguished ten minutes from time. In the 80th minute, Andrea Hauksdóttir capped off a clinical team move with a composed finish, sealing an emphatic 5-2 victory on travel duties to keep FH flying high in the league standings.
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Friday, June 12, 2026
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From 'Football Mom' to FIFA Agent
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Eight years ago, Carla Zuill-Ikonwa was like thousands of other parents standing on the touchline on wet weekend mornings—admittedly clueless about the finer intricacies of the offside rule, and quietly questioning why on earth coaches required players to arrive a full hour before kick-off.
Fast forward to today, and the Bermudian native has officially shattered one of modern sport’s most notorious glass ceilings, announcing her qualification as an official, licensed FIFA football agent.
Her remarkable transition from a self-described "football mom" navigating the highly competitive British academy system into the upper echelons of global football governance is a testament to sheer grit, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to personal accountability.
For Zuill-Ikonwa, the grueling journey began when she relocated to the United Kingdom with her family. Raising two exceptionally talented young footballers as a solo mother in a completely unfamiliar country was daunting enough; doing so while trying to understand the labyrinthine and heavily male-dominated British football industry proved to be an entirely different challenge.
"Having two sons who were talented ballers was not for the faint of heart when I moved to the UK," Zuill-Ikonwa reflects. "I had to navigate it alone in a male industry. But eight years later, here I am."
The catalyst for her historic career pivot arrived last year during a guest speaking appearance at a conference hosted by the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation (BEDC). When asked by panel organizers what her "next" professional chapter would look like, she boldly spoke her footballing ambitions into existence.
"I spoke it aloud. Why? So I could make myself accountable," she says.
True to her word, Zuill-Ikonwa registered for the notoriously difficult FIFA agent examination. However, a scheduling mix-up meant her preparation window was brutally cut short when she discovered her exam date was actually in April, rather than her anticipated June slot.
Faced with a heavily truncated timeline to master hundreds of pages of complex international sporting law, transfer regulations, and legal frameworks, she blocked out the world, put her head down, and fully immersed herself in the textbooks.
To say the odds were stacked against her would be a massive understatement. The FIFA agent exam has become a globally feared hurdle; the 2025 iteration saw a brutal global pass rate of just 18%.
Furthermore, the demographics within the football agency landscape remain starkly unrepresentative. Women make up a mere 5% of all licensed FIFA agents globally, with Black women comprising a microscopic fraction of that total.
Yet, against the statistical tide, the results confirmed she had defied the odds. "Ya girl PASSED," she announced. "I’m officially a FIFA football agent."
With her official credentials secured, Zuill-Ikonwa is wasting no time mapping out her next strategic steps. Her immediate focus turns toward undertaking specialized certification courses that will legally qualify her to represent minor athletes on the global market.
However, anyone expecting her to immediately take over the contract negotiations for her own talented son will be sorely mistaken. For this trailblazing agent, some boundaries are sacred.
"No, I am not going to represent my son," she insists with a smile. "I prefer the job of mommy. Now I’m going to learn all I can."
As she prepares to step into the cutthroat boardrooms of the professional game, Zuill-Ikonwa's story stands as an inspiring blueprint for parents and women everywhere, proving that it is never too late to rewrite the playbook.
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Friday, June 12, 2026
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Simmons strikes as Dandy Stars edge Somerset Lady Trojans
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Dandy Stars 1 Somerset Lady Trojans 0
Dandy Stars secured a vital victory in the Bermuda Football Association Women's League, edging out defending champions Somerset Lady Trojans 1-0 in a tense midweek clash at Bernard Park.
As the compact domestic campaign intensifies, the lone fixture of the night promised a high-stakes tactical battle, and it delivered a defensive masterclass that was ultimately decided by a single moment of brilliance just before the interval.
Both sides traded heavy physical exchanges in the early stages, with Somerset’s experienced backline doing well to absorb the initial pressure. However, the definitive breakthrough arrived in the 41st minute when Dandy Stars' clinical forward Jahni Simmons found a pocket of space inside the penalty box, calmly slotting the ball into the back of the net.
The second half proved to be an attritional affair as the Lady Trojans threw bodies forward in a desperate bid to preserve their unbeaten run and salvage a point.
Despite successive waves of pressure from the Somerset frontline, the Dandy Stars' defensive unit held remarkably firm under the lights, turning away consecutive set-pieces and seeing out the remainder of the match to secure both the clean sheet and all three points.
The result deals a significant blow to the reigning champions' title defense while establishing Dandy Stars as formidable contenders in the four-team race for domestic supremacy.
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