Barbra Banda CAN'T. STOP. SCORING. 💥

It’s June 24, 2024. Give us four minutes, we give you everything The Women’s Game.

Dearest gentle readers,

Good morning, TWG readers!

What an incredible weekend of soccer we had. First of all, I have to share a little bit about my experience coaching this weekend. For those of you who haven’t heard, I coached the Vermont Green FC women’s exhibition match on Saturday. The club currently has a men’s team that plays in USL League 2, but the founders are committed to exploring the idea of having a women’s team as well. So their first step was to host a one-off women’s exhibition match. We trained for 3 days and then played a game at Virtue Field in Burlington against FC Laval, a women’s team from Montreal.

The game was amazing — the stadium was sold out with 2,500+ people and the game was so exciting. A true nail-biter. We scored an awesome goal in the second half only to have FC Laval equalize in the dying minutes of the game… it went straight into PKs and we won! It was CRAZY how invested I was in the game. After only knowing these players for 3 days, I wanted us to win so badly. I was so proud of the group for coming together in such a short amount of time and pulling off a win in such a high-pressure situation. The fans were so amazing and I’m so grateful to have been a part of it.

Meanwhile, here at TWG, things are ticking over as usual while we begin preparing to cover the Olympics in just a few short weeks. We dropped an interview with Jaedyn Shaw last week. Tomorrow you’ll hear from Becky and me about all things NWSL in a new episode of GVFC. And then on Thursday, we have the GOAT on Friendlies… it’s Marta! This was one I was so excited to record and I can’t wait for you all to hear it. 

Thank you all so much for following along with us. It means so much to have your support and I’m so grateful that I have the opportunity to make content like this every week. 

Yours truly,

Lady Whistledown

Love,

Sam

I. NWSL Matchday 14: two undefeated teams remain, Gotham is clutch in the final moments but break their unbeaten run, more players returning at last 🇺🇲

a. Halfway through the season, Kansas City Current and Orlando Pride both remain undefeated and seemingly, unstoppable. Friday in Florida, Zambian wonder Barbra Banda put a brace past bottom-ranked Utah Royals in a 6-0 drubbing that saw Banda draw level with Soph Smith in the golden boot race, and become the fastest player to record four braces in NWSL history.📈 🇿🇲 But Banda wasn’t the only phenom in the match. Marta, living legend from Dois Riachos, Brazil, also sent two goals past the Royals, reminding us she’s as fierce as ever (KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED: MARTA’S UP NEXT ON FRIENDLIES 👀🇧🇷). Sunday in Portland, the Current tore into the home side with a 4-1 victory over the Thorns. Highlights include Malawian star forward Temwa Chawinga’s ninth goal of the season, and a first-ever NWSL brace for queen of the celly Lo’eau Labonta. Mark your calendars now: these two face-off in two weeks, on July 6th. 🔥

b. Gotham has clinched three game-changing goals in the 90th minute or later this year, including in a midweek 2-1 victory over San Diego Wave complements of rookie Maycee Bell (and a special shoutout to Rose Lavelle’s left foot). But at the weekend, the reigning NWSL champions ended a nine game unbeaten run against Washington Spirit. The Spirit (who sit third in the standings behind the undefeated Current and Pride) also happen to be the team Gotham lost to last, on April 20. USWNT star forward Trinity Rodman made it 2-0 to clinch her fourth goal of the season, and remarkable rookie Croix Bethune collected a league-leading ninth assist in Courtney Brown’s first career goal. 

c. In a game stricken by ACL injuries, it’s a precious delight to see stars of the game finally returning to play. USWNT veteran Christen Press, who recently returned to training, was a vision of joy as she traveled with Angel City for the first time since returning. Next up? Last year’s MVP, Brazilian magician Kerolin, was featured back in training for North Carolina Courage after 7.5 months away. 🇧🇷

More: ‘USWNT great Tobin Heath not ruling out return after two years out’

Also: ‘San Diego boss Stoney rips NWSL for ‘unacceptable’ schedule’

II. Coach Sam Mewis makes a smashing debut with Vermont Green 💚 

It really must be emphasized again: The Women’s Game’s own Editor-in-Chief, the inimitable Sam Mewis, made history in Vermont over the weekend. With environmental and social justice a key part of its soccering vision, Vermont Green has been a unique team on the scene since their men’s side debuted in 2022. Now, they’re exploring expansion with a women’s side. Who better to showcase what’s possible than new Vermont resident Sam Mewis? The inaugural Women’s Exhibition game had everything: a sold out crowd, end-to-end football, and a dramatic finish on penalties. As team captain Olivia White from Pittsford, Vt. told the Burlington Free Press: “This is women’s soccer, and I am glad that we can show how much potential women’s soccer has and how much growth we have seen from it and women’s soccer is the future.” Up the Green!   

More: ‘Vermont Green FC: Sam Mewis, women’s team shine in debut’

III. News and Notes 📰

a. WSL’s new governing body, Newco, has appointed Chelsea’s Zarah Al-Kudcy to a senior role set to begin this summer. Newco will take ownership of England’s WSL and Championship, tasked with increasing revenue, amongst other initiatives. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

b. With Jonatan Giráldez officially in the US to coach the Washington Spirit, Spanish giants Barcelona have replaced their former manager. 30-year-old Spanish manager Pere Romeu is set to take over FC Barcelona Femeni through 2026. 🇪🇸

c. 17-year-old dual national and ascendant midfield talent, Lily Yohannes, was supporting Netherlands at the Euros over the weekend. Born in Virginia, the Ajax talent scored just minutes into her debut for the USA in Minnesota, but remains eligible to play for the Netherlands, where she lives now. Fret not, USA fans, captain Lindsey Horan is on it. 🇺🇲🇳🇱

d. No matter how much the game grows, there is still much work to be done. This week in England, parents and players launched a petition to keep Reading Women FC and save their girls academy. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

e. Australian manager Joe Montemurro—once reported to be a finalist for the USWNT coaching job— will take up the reins of eight-time Champions League winners Lyon, as French manager Sonia Bompastor heads to Chelsea. 🇫🇷 

f. Big news out of Germany: top-flight Frauen Bundesliga is expanding from 12 to 14 teams for the 2025/26 season. Next season will serve as qualification, with three teams from Germany’s second tier earning promotion, and one current top flight team to be relegated. 🇩🇪

IV. Parting Shots 🥃

Every week, it feels like a new record is broken across women’s sports, not just in women’s soccer. Fittingly, NWSL has announced that 1,000,000 fans have already attended a match this year, marking the fastest the league has ever reached that number. 🏟️📈

V. Good Reads 📚

a. From Tom Garry in The Guardian, ‘Data shows 89% of women in football industry experience discrimination’

b. From Tom Kludt in Vanity Fair, ‘Trinity Rodman and USWNT’s next generation seek Olympic redemption after chaotic World Cup’

c. From Britanny Kiefer in Adweek, ‘Orange’s ad just won a Cannes Grand Prix, a Turning Point in Women’s Sports Marketing’