The UEFA women’s Champions League final had the potential to be a fitting send-off for OL Lyonnes midfielder Lindsey Heaps. After four years in Lyon, Heaps is set join the NWSL’s Denver Summit after the international break — but first, she’d get a shot at becoming a two-time UWCL winner.
Instead, Barcelona crushed Lyonnes with four second-half goals, winning their fourth UWCL title in six years behind a pair of braces from Ewa Pajor and Salma Paralluelo in front of a rowdy crowd in Olso.
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In the first half, Heaps had a chance to go out on the highest note: After an initial strike from Wendie Renard off a set piece was saved by Barcelona keeper Cata Coll, Heaps slammed home the rebound. However, review found that she was offsides in the run-up to the play, and the goal was called back.
OL controlled the chance throughout most of the first half, but a few great chances from Barcelona before halftime threatened to spoil things for Lyon.
Shortly after halftime, Pajor finally broke through for Barcelona with a great strike in the 55th minute.
Less than 15 minutes later, Pajor did it again, tapping the ball past Lyon keeper Christiane Endler amid chaos in the box.
Lyonnes may have help the chances in the first half, but it was all Barcelona in the second. In the 90th minute, as the game started to tick to an end, Salma Paralluelo hit a screamer to ice the victory. And three minutes later, Pajor took the ball down the field and gave it to Paralluelo, who buried it into the back of the net for a brace of her own.
It’s not the ending that Heaps might’ve wanted before heading back stateside. Heaps, a Colorado native, officially signed with the Summit in January with the understanding that she would join after finishing out the season with Lyonnes.
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Since joining OL on loan from the Portland Thorns in 2021, Heaps has won four Première Ligue titles, a Coupe de France and a Champions League title in 2022; that trophy case will have to be enough as she returns to the NWSL this summer.
Heaps and Lyonnes have one more game to play this season, facing Paris FC in the Première Ligue final. A win there would bring Heaps’ domestic titles up to five.
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