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Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Halfway to the 2027 World Cup, here's where the USWNT stands
Full Time Newsletter ⚽| This is The Athletic's weekly women's soccer newsletter. Sign up here to receive Full Time directly in your inbox. Why wait for 'Wicked' part two when you can tune into the 2025 European Championship in Switzerland to watch Germany's goalkeeper defy gravity and the odds? I'm Emily Olsen here with the whole crew — *Cynthia Erivo's Elphaba riff* welcome to Full Time! (And especially if you're new here!) Coming up: Two years to the 2027 World Cup in Brazil A goalkeeper bending the space-time continuum Summer's soccerpalooza recap Halfway to the World Cup Exactly two years ago today, around the time that we launched this newsletter, the U.S. women's national team beat Vietnam 3-0 to open the 2023 World Cup. Sophia Wilson (then Smith) scored twice, followed by Lindsey Heaps (then Horan). It was the last time they'd capture a victory in the competition, before crashing out in the next round. It's not just the players' last names that have changed since. Here's where we stand two years from the next one in Brazil: What's happened since? If you haven't paid attention to the USWNT since the last World Cup, brace yourself for some vertigo; very few aspects of this program will look like you last remembered. Since Sweden forward Lina Hurtig scored the penalty kick that goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher (who is now retired) will always swear never crossed the line, Vlatko Andonovski resigned from his position as head coach, and then-assistant coach Twila Kilgore stepped into the interim role while U.S. Soccer scouted for a permanent replacement. Then, in November 2023, the Emma Hayes era began. The former Chelsea manager started her job as USWNT head coach in May 2024, two months before the Summer Olympics in France. That's where 'Triple Espresso' — the attacking trio of Mallory Swanson, Sophia Wilson and Trinity Rodman — entered the women's soccer lexicon and powered the USWNT to a gold medal. How much has changed since then? The starting XI from that gold medal match against Brazil in Paris has not played together since. Two shots of Triple Espresso, Swanson and Wilson, are pregnant. And Rodman has been resting and rehabilitating her back. But perhaps most profoundly, Hayes (21-2-2 with the U.S.) has enacted one of the most radical transformations to the U.S. youth and women's national team talent development pipelines the program has ever seen. What's ahead? Despite being the competition's most successful competitor, with four World Cup titles, the U.S. isn't guaranteed a spot in the field. Over 30 Concacaf teams will contend for four guaranteed places at the 2027 Women's World Cup, with the U.S. and Canada as heavy favorites. These places will be earned at the 2026 Concacaf W Championship, an eight-team bracket which will be held in November 2026. (While there is a qualifying period for the W Championship, the U.S. is expected to bypass that gantlet as one of the region's two highest-ranked nations.) Last year, after the U.S. and Mexico withdrew their late joint bid to host the 2027 tournament, FIFA members threw their support behind Brazil, selecting it over a European proposal. The decision marked a historic milestone: For the first time, the biggest event in women's soccer will be staged in South America. The 1950 and 2014 men's World Cups drew millions to Brazil's white sand beaches and samba-charged streets, turning the country into a global soccer festival. The question now: Will the world return with the same passion for the women's game, 13 years later? Meg's Corner: USWNT triage is over — but urgency persists Two years ago, I wrote that the U.S. looked toothless and lost during the group stage of the World Cup, but that everything going wrong in New Zealand was actually a symptom of the USWNT's larger problem, not the illness itself. Helpfully, Hayes came in from day one calling herself a 'heart surgeon in the middle of emergency surgery' as she tried to prepare the team for the 2024 Olympics. Speaking as someone on the ground for the last World Cup and the Olympics, the difference in mood around the team couldn't have been more stark. The pressure was still on, but the next generation was ready for it. Now, the days of emergency surgery are behind the team, but the federation, the program and Hayes are still working on fixing all of those underlying issues. They've found investment via Michele Kang, owner of the Washington Spirit, among other clubs, who has invested millions to address pipelines for players, coaches and referees in the women's game. Hayes told me shortly after taking the USWNT job that if the team had won the 2023 tournament, she wouldn't have been interested. It was the project of taking over a team at one of its lowest points, and building again — building something new — that interested her. Gold medals in Paris can never be overlooked, but this project has always been about 2027. Hi, My Name Is: Germany's flying goalkeeper Call her Elphaba, because she defied gravity. Call her Ice because that's what's in her veins. Call her 'OMG DID YOU SEE THAT?!' Or you could just call her German goalie Ann-Katrin Berger, because that's now synonymous with putting up stone-cold performances in big moments. Down a player and a goal in the first 15 minutes versus France on Saturday, hurting their already depleted backline, Germany could have easily been counted out. And yet they went into halftime tied, held on through extra time and sealed the deal in a penalty-kick shootout. And it was due in large part to Berger, the Gotham FC goalkeeper whose resume speaks for itself. The 34-year-old won 10 trophies in five seasons with Chelsea and earned NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year in her first season with Gotham in 2024. Berger notoriously 'loves' facing penalty kicks (and isn't bad at taking them, either). In 2023, she denied Lindsey Heaps in Chelsea's Champions League quarterfinal penalty shootout against Lyon, and at the 2024 Olympics she turned away former Ballon D'Or winner Alexia Putellas' ninth-minute penalty to help Germany reach a bronze-medal finish. Berger has also twice overcome thyroid cancer, including a recurrence during the 2022 Euro run where she was the backup keeper. 🎧 Listen to the latest 'Full Time Euros' podcast to relive the wild shootout. What to Watch: Soccerpalooza races toward a finale 📺 Euros: SemifinalsEngland vs. Italy tomorrow at 3 p.m. ET (Fox)Germany vs. Spain on Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET (Fox) Cristiana Girelli's brace in stoppage time pushed Italy through to the semifinals for the first time since 1997, where they will face defending champions England. The Lionesses will be entering the fixture in protest in support of defender Jess Carter, who said she has been subject to racial abuse all tournament long. The second semi is a must-watch as Gotham FC teammates Esther Gonzalez (Spain) and Berger (Germany) go head-to-head. 📺 WAFCON: SemifinalsNigeria vs. South Africa at noon ET tomorrow (beIN Sports)Morocco vs. Ghana at noon ET tomorrow (beIN Sports)The Nigeria and South Africa fixture is a repeat of the 2018 championship match, with this semifinal clash further cementing the two sides' budding rivalry. The Super Falcons have a record nine championships, with Banyana Banyana eager to defend their 2022 crown. Then there's host nation Morocco, which will look to top Ghana in hopes of securing their return to the finals stage for a second year in a row. 📺 Copa America Femenina: Group stageVarious times, watch on VIX and FS1Thankfully, we still have two more weeks of South American football. As a growing number of players have called on their federations and Conmebol for better working conditions, they've managed to juggle protesting off the pitch with beautiful football on it. Watch Mayra Ramirez's banger for Colombia or Linda Caicedo's brace against Paraguay, as Las Cafeteras begin to settle in the competition after a rocky start. Full Time First Looks With the match schedule quite heavy, we thought it'd be nice to revisit some of our deeper reads. Twinning: Ever want to switch places with your sibling? These identical twins in England's top division have bamboozled rivals and their coaches alike with their similar skills and matching features. Teen sensations: Before, playing in college was one of the few paths to the pros for women. Now, more players are getting started before they even graduate high school, including 14-year-old star Mak Whitham. Just a feeling: NWSL partnered with podcaster Alex Cooper's Unwell brand earlier this year, but is the relationship an 'incredible platform' to grow the game or an existential risk? Broken-foot goals and building worlds: We still aren't over having to say goodbye to former USWNT star Tobin Heath's playing career, so you can find us reading Meg's recent interview with her again … and again. 📫 Love Full Time? These stories can also be found on Yahoo's women's sports hub, in partnership with The Athletic. Also, check out our other newsletters. (Photo: Mark J. Rebilas / Imagn Images) This article originally appeared in The Athletic. US Women's national team, NWSL, Full Time Newsletter 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
01-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Sophia Wilson, Trinity Rodman headline NWSL's class of free agents
NWSL free agency is here and some notable players could potentially be on the move in 2026. The league published its list of eligible players on Tuesday, with Portland Thorn's Sophia Wilson and Washington Spirit's Trinity Rodman headlining this year's class of free agents. Other notable free agents include Gotham's Midge Purce, Kansas City Current's Lo'Eau LaBonta and North Carolina Courage's Casey Murphy. Advertisement This year's free agency will be especially chaotic for teams hoping to keep their biggest stars, as two NWSL expansion sides — Boston Legacy and a still-unnamed team in Denver — are also actively building out rosters for their inaugural seasons next year. Wilson and Rodman make up two-thirds of the USWNT's self-proclaimed Triple Espresso, the attacking trio that steered the team to Olympic gold in Paris last year. Wilson, who is pregnant, has been absent from the pitch this season, while Rodman is expected to make her NWSL return this month after being sidelined since April by a back injury. The Spirit have been vocal about their desire to keep Rodman with the club, with owner Michele Kang saying in March that keeping the 23-year-old was 'important,' after speculation swirled that Rodman may be the next high-profile star to exit the NWSL for Europe. Rodman previously told ESPN she 'always thought about playing overseas at some point in my career.' Kang said at the time, 'We're going to do everything in our power to hopefully keep her here. She's an integral part of our success, our success meaning the Spirit as well as NWSL.' Rodman joined Washington in 2021 when the team selected her second in that year's NWSL Draft. Rodman had a contract extension the next year worth a reported $1.1 million. The three-year deal, which had an option for 2025, made the goal scorer the highest-paid player in the league at the time. Wilson, who announced her pregnancy in March, has an extensive resume in the NWSL. She was the league's MVP in 2022, when the Thorns won the NWSL championship. In 2023, her 11 regular-season goals in 17 matches earned her the league's Golden Boot. That same year, she was the only American player on the 2023 Ballon d'Or Feminin finalists list. In 2024, Wilson notched 12 goals across 20 matches for Portland. While the 24-year-old is currently not an active player on Portland's roster, her contract runs through the 2025 season with a player option for 2026. Advertisement Wilson, a native of Windsor, Colo., would be a dream signing for NWSL Denver, especially as the club has been vocal about its desire to build a roster with direct links to Colorado's rich history as a soccer state. Wilson has spent her entire professional career with the Thorns, beginning in 2020. Players who are under contracts that expire at the end of the 2025 season became free agents Tuesday. They can now begin negotiating their contracts for next year with their current or new teams. Clubs have been working around the clock finalizing their rosters ahead of the free agency period, with a flurry of updates released by various teams in recent days. On Monday, Gotham announced the departure of Portuguese forward Jess Silva, who agreed to a six-month contract in the winter. Defender Emerson Elgin and goalkeeper Tyler McCamey, who joined the club as short-term replacement players, have also left the team. The New Jersey club said it's in 'active contract discussions' with all five of its free agents — goalkeeper Ryan Campbell, defender Bruninha and forwards Ella Stevens, Khyah Harper and Purce. Stevens has a mutual option with the club for 2026. Free agency for all remains a novel concept in the NWSL, with the league ushering in this era last year thanks to the 2024 Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NWSLPA. Through this CBA, the NWSL became the first American professional sports league to eliminate its college draft, bucking a North American tradition that put the league in line with the mechanics of global soccer. The league also did away with its expansion draft as part of the CBA. With no drafts and with two expansion teams joining the league in 2026, the NWSL recently introduced more mechanisms for player movement. The rare midseason changes, announced last month, introduced intra-league loans and increased spending resources for expansion teams, adding another layer to this year's free agency. Beginning Tuesday, expansion teams have access to $1,065,000 in allocation money, with 50% of these funds provided by the league. The teams have until December 31, 2027, to use all these funds.
The Guardian
29-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
‘Triple Espresso' led the USWNT to Olympic gold. Now, they must move forward
The first time we saw the free-flowing force of Mallory Swanson, Sophia Wilson (née Smith) and Trinity Rodman starting together was 1 June 2024 – Emma Hayes' first match in charge of the national team, with little more than a month to go before the Olympics. Their mutual arrival to the US frontline was delayed by injuries and other uncertainties, but they emerged just in time for a blistering gold medal run. The self-styled 'Triple Espresso' trio combined for 10 of the USA's 12 goals in Paris. They were dynamic. They were fun. They were each capable of match-saving heroics, sparks of individual radiance that propelled the team to the next round: Rodman's heroic quarter-final strike in the 105th minute against Japan; Wilson's goal 95 minutes into a grueling semi final against Germany; then Swanson with the decisive gold medal goal against Brazil. That was the last time we'd see them together for quite some time. On 5 March (one week after the US lost to Japan in the SheBelieves Cup final), Wilson announced she was expecting her first child. On 8 May, Swanson shared news of her first pregnancy as well. Rodman dealt with back issues, making her first appearance for the US since the Olympics in April (she took just five minutes to score). The winger has since has stepped away, focusing on rehabbing her chronic back pain. Given their youth and unique talents (Rodman, Wilson and Swanson will be just 25, 26 and 29, respectively, at the next World Cup) it seems improbable they won't eventually return as a trio. But the adage Steinbeck made famous from a Robert Burns poem certainly rings true in soccer: the best laid plans of sports and its stars oft times go awry. Right now, Hayes is focused on building the team she'll need to make a trophy-contending run at the 2027 World Cup. We're two years out, wading through the 'build depth' and 'experiment' phase, but Hayes can't wait too long to prepare the team she'll need to contend with the world's elite on the most competitive international stage in soccer. Nor can she hang her managerial hat on the expectation that Triple Espresso will be available and healthy when Brazil 2027 arrives. Last week, Hayes named the 24-player training camp roster that will face Fifa's No 17-ranked China this Saturday, and No 40 Jamaica next Tuesday. The squad includes an interesting array of goal threats aspiring to stick around while Triple Espresso is unavailable. In this way, the trio's absence can be seen as a good thing. It forces a talented player pool to identify and perfect replicable goalscoring moments, while whittling down a wider range of players who can provide those goals. It also provides a young, emerging generation of players the opportunity to accrue valuable minutes against top competition, and potentially claim a lasting role. Nobody has taken firmer hold of that opportunity than Alyssa Thompson. After missing the '24 Olympic team, the 20-year-old winger played her way back into the national team picture with a series of statement performances with Angel City in the NWSL. She's kept up the pace in 2025, scoring five goals with two assists in nine matches for ACFC, averaging 0.8 goal contributions per 90, the highest such mark any NWSL player in camp. Alyssa's 19-year-old sister Gisele joins her this window, and though she plays fullback for Angel City (and was placed there in previous call ups) the younger Thompson sister that loves to get forward is listed as one on this roster. Given Gisele's ability to contribute in the attack (the right back has three assists and one goal in 10 appearances for Angel City, with the highest assists per 90 of any NWSL player present) it seems Hayes' penchant for helping to mold young players could be in effect with the younger Thompson. Of the seven forwards on this US roster, four are aged 22 or younger. The Thompson sisters are joined by 22-year-old Michelle Cooper, who returns to camp with two goals and one assist in five games for first-place Kansas City, and 21-year-old Utah Royals midfielder/forward Ally Sentnor. Cooper and Sentnor both collected their first USWNT goals in the SheBelieves Cup. 24-year-old Emma Sears also returns to the roster with five goals in ten games for Racing Louisville, one among many examples that club output matters a lot for Hayes in this era. Trusted veterans like 32-year-old Lynn Biyendolo are also present, bringing the intrepid experience of 78 appearances and 22 goals for the USWNT with her, alongside 25-year-old Cat Macario, who was coached by Hayes at Chelsea, where she scored 11 goals across all competitions this year. Sign up to Moving the Goalposts No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football after newsletter promotion It seems likely Hayes will deploy those one of those two more experienced forwards as strikers atop her preferred 4-2-3-1, with some degree of rotation among the wingers around them while she experiments. Of course, replicating the output of Triple Espresso will be a team effort. In midfield, Kansas City veteran Lo'eau LaBonta has earned her first USWNT callup at the age of 32, where she is joined by three teenagers (Claire Hutton, Lily Yohannes, and Olivia Moultrie) and gold medalists Sam Coffey and Lindsey Heaps. A mix of athleticism and ball skills pervades that midfield group, where perhaps even bigger questions linger than among the Espresso-less forward formation. With multiple outside backs present that like to play an attacking role (including veterans like Emily Fox or Crystal Dunn, as well as first time callup Kerry Abello and Houston Dash defender Avery Patterson, who has two goals for the Dash this season), we can expect them to play a part in what looks like an aggressive attack that may need to unlock compact defenses. By no means are any of these players secure in their spots. Hayes has emphasized the importance of club form; that seems evident in this camp. Olympians Korbin Albert and Jaedyn Shaw, as well as Mia Fishel (who recently returned from ACL injury) have all been semt to the concurrent U23 camp, but are each notable talents that can return to the senior squad. Other players in the U23 camp, like NWSL rookie standout Riley Tiernan – who is tied with her teammate Alyssa Thompson for seven goal contributions, the second-most in NWSL – have plenty of time to work their way in through the league or youth national team performances. Hayes noted in her roster drop that, 'As has been one of our focuses this year, this camp and the following camp are going to be two amazing opportunities to develop squad depth.' There's nothing quite like Triple Espresso. But the coming week of tests promises continuation of the year's theme: experimentation, rotation, and essential experience for a broader player pool that will help form the foundation of any trophy-contending team.
Daily Mirror
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
EA FC 25 Serie A TOTS – Napoli and Inter dominate as three huge names miss out
The EA FC 25 Serie A TOTS promo squad is now available in Ultimate Team packs, featuring some of the best players from the 2024/25 Serie A campaign. We're starting to approach the latter stages of the TOTS promo, with EA Sports releasing the EA FC 25 Serie A TOTS squad into Ultimate Team packs. The seemingly never-ending TOTS content keeps on coming in EA FC 25 Ultimate Team, with EA Sports following the Ligue 1 TOTS, Premier League TOTS and Bundesliga TOTS releases with the EA FC 25 Serie A TOTS. Featuring the best players from Italian football over the last year, the EA FC 25 Serie TOTS squads include some huge names, just as we guessed in our Serie A TOTS predictions. But, there are also some noticeable omissions, with Inter's Lautaro Martinez and Milan's Rafael Leao and Theo Hernandez not in the squad, though these could potentially come later on as SBCs. EA has also released two more TOTS squads into Ultimate Team packs, with the EA FC 25 Serie A TOTS being joined by the NWSL TOTS and Rest of Europe TOTS squads. The EA FC 25 Serie A TOTS squad is now available in Ultimate Team packs until Friday, May 23 at 10am PDT / 1 pm EDT / 6 pm BST, when the highly anticipated La Liga TOTS will take its place. EA FC 25 Serie A TOTS revealed 23 players have been released as part of the EA FC 25 Serie A TOTS squad, with 18 of these TOTS items and three TOTS highlights. Inter and Napoli dominate the squad, but it's Atalanta striker Mateo Retegui who steals the headlines, with the league's top scorer receiving a 97-rated card with four PlayStyle Plus'. Elsewhere, there are some fantastic players released as part of the NWSL TOTS and Rest of Europe TOTS, with Sophia Wilson, Xherdan Shaqiri, and Temwa Chawinga the standouts from the two squads. Here are all the Serie A TOTS, NWSL TOTS and Rest of Europe TOTS players now available in Ultimate Team packs, along with official ratings: EA FC 25 Serie A TOTS ST: Mateo Retegui (Atalanta) - 97 OVR* CB: Alessandro Bastoni (Inter) - 97 OVR* CM: Scott McTominay (Napoli) - 96 OVR* RM: Riccardo Orsolini (Bologna) - 96 OVR CM: Nicolo Barella (Inter) - 96 OVR ST: Moise Kean (Fiorentina) - 96 OVR LB: Federico Dimarco (Inter) - 95 OVR CM: Tijjani Reignders (Milan) - 95 OVR ST: Romelu Lukaku (Napoli) - 94 OVR CB: Alessandro Buongiorno (Napoli) - 94 OVR RB: Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli) - 94 OVR LW: Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio) - 94 OVR CAM: Ademola Lookman (Atalanta) - 94 OVR RM: Christian Pulisic (Milan) - 94 OVR GK: David De Gea (Fiorentina) - 94 OVR CB: Amir Rrahmani (Napoli) - 92 OVR CDM: Manuel Locatelli (Juventus) - 92 OVR CB: Evan Ndicka (Roma) - 91 OVR LM: Kenan Yildiz (Juventus) - 91 OVR ST: Marcus Thuram (Inter) - 95 OVR (TOTS Highlights) CM: Khephren Thuram (Inter) - 95 OVR (TOTS Highlights) CAM: Nico Paz (Como) - 93 OVR (TOTS Highlights) ST: Che Adams (Torino) - 92 OVR (TOTS Highlights) *Four PlayStyle Plus' EA FC 25 NWSL TOTS LM: Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City Women) - 97 OVR* ST: Sophia Wilson (Portland Thorns) - 96 OVR* CAM: Marta (Orlando Pride) - 96 OVR ST: Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride) - 96 OVR CAM: Croix Bethune (Washington Spirit) - 96 OVR CB: Emily Sams (Orlando Pride) - 95 OVR GK: Ann-Katrin Berger (NY/NJ Gothams) - 95 OVR RM: Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit) - 95 OVR CM: Lo'eau LaBonta (Kansas City Women) - 93 OVR RB: Ryan Williams (NC Courage) - 92 OVR CB: Kaleigh Kurtz (NC Courage) - 92 OVR CB: Tara McKeown (Washington Spirit) - 94 OVR (TOTS Moments) CM: Haley McCutcheon (Orlando Pride) - 92 OVR (TOTS Moments) CAM: Allyson Sentor (Utah Royals) - 91 OVR (TOTS Moments) *Four PlayStyle Plus' EA FC 25 Rest of Europe TOTS CAM: Xherdan Shaqiri (Basel) - 96 OVR* RB: Rodinei (Olympiacos) - 95 OVR CAM: Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge) - 95 OVR LW: Daizen Maeda (Celtic) - 94 OVR RM: Vaclav Cerny (Rangers) - 94 OVR ST: Toluwalase Arokadare (Genk) - 93 OVR CM: Otar Kiteishvili (Stum Gratz) - 93 OVR CDM: Patrick Berg (Bodo/Glimt) - 93 OVR GK: Senne Lammens (Royal Antwerp) - 92 OVR CB: Tomas Holes (Sparta Prague) - 92 OVR CB: Stratos Svarnas (Rakow) - 91 OVR ST: Cristiana Girelli (Juventus Women) - 93 OVR (TOTS Moments) ST: Promise David (Union SG) - 92 OVR (TOTS Moments) CDM: Adrian Sut (FCSB) - 91 OVR (TOTS Moments) *Four PlayStyle Plus' More players from the three TOTS squads will be released as SBCs and Objectives in the next week, while TOTS-themed Evolutions, Rush events and Friendlies cups will also be available.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
USWNT star Sophia Wilson and NFL husband announce pregnancy with sweetest photos
Sophia Wilson is having a baby! On Wednesday, Sophia, who married Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson earlier this year, shared the sweet news in a joint announcement. Wilson posted two simple pictures to her Instagram account with the caption "Life just keeps getting sweeter." Sophia's right. Life has been pretty pretty sweet for her. She's had a magnificent few months, which include several signature moments on the USWNT and a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics alongside Trinity Rodman and Mallory Swanson. Here are the adorable photos of Sophia and Michael and their baby announcement. Baby Wilson on the way! Congratulations to Sophia and Mike on THE BEST NEWS ❤️🍼(via Sophia Wilson/IG) — National Women's Soccer League (@NWSL) March 5, 2025 View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sophia Wilson (@sophiawilson) This article originally appeared on For The Win: USWNT star Sophia Wilson, husband announce pregnancy with sweet pics
