Cochrane Park | Newcastle, England — July 13, 2026
The Sporting JAX Women took on Newcastle United Women on Monday in a closed-door exhibition, part of the team’s preseason activities in the United Kingdom.
The match served as an opportunity to face high-level opposition, with the English Premier League-affiliate club currently sitting in Women’s Super League 2, England’s second tier of women’s professional soccer.
“Any opportunity that we get to play against quality opposition is giving us more information about ourselves,” Sporting JAX Head Coach Stacey Balaam said. “We wanted to make sure that we focused on us going into the game; that’s what preseason is about.”
“I think it’s a great opportunity to come all the way out here and play some of the top levels in the world and be able to showcase that we can compete with them,” Sporting JAX newcomer Maci Teater said.
Additionally, this was the first time that Sporting JAX’s 2026 squad played a competitive match together. New faces took the pitch on Monday, including Teater, Ginger Fontenot, Mélina Descary and more. The fixture was an early opportunity to continue building chemistry, something that has been taking place in the early stages of preseason training.
“The key was the fact that we returned so many of our players from last year that we’ve got a foundation to build on,” Balaam said. “I think the leaders in the group–Sophie Jones, captain, Parker Roberts, the ones that have returned–have helped the newcomers come in and settle in, and they understand now what our identity is.”
“We still have a core group from last year so it’s good to get with them and I’ve been able to build connections,” Teater said. “Today was the first day I was able to display that, so [I’m] super happy to be here.”
Looking Ahead
The squad now heads southeast to Wales, where they’ll battle with globally-recognized Wrexham AFC Women, on Thursday, July 16. The match kicks off at 2:00 p.m. Fans can stay tuned to Sporting JAX on social media for updates and watch the match on Wrexham AFC’s YouTube channel.
