Chelsea Win a Sixth-Consecutive WSL Title 💙🏆

Happy Tuesday, TWG readers!

We saw some major moments in English football this past week, including Chelsea clinching another WSL title. Notoriously, I had predicted that Man City would win this year and was subsequently called out by my future sister-in-law and Chelsea striker, Sam Kerr. Consider this my formal apology! I’m thrilled for Chelsea and hope they can also win the FA Cup in just a few short weeks. The other major headline from across the pond this weekend was Michele Kang’s London City Lionesses securing promotion from the second-division Championship into the Women’s Super League. I love everything Michele is doing and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens with this team next season. 

In TWG news, we dropped an interview with Angel City defender Sarah Gorden last week, which you can find wherever you get your podcasts and on our Youtube channel. I really appreciated hearing Sarah talk about what it was like to be a mom in the NWSL when she first started playing professionally. The league has come so far, but still has a ways to go, and players like Sarah are pushing the standards for everyone. 

Also, don’t miss Good Vibes with Seattle Reign’s latest goal-scorer Lynn Biyendolo dropping today and an all-new Friendlies with Michelle Cooper coming out on Thursday.

Thank you all for being here with us.

Love,
Sam

Chelsea Win Sixth Consecutive WSL Title 💙🏆

It’s easy to forget how impressive this feat is, but Chelsea clinched the WSL title for the sixth year in a row (and the eighth time in their history) last Wednesday with a 1-0 win against Manchester United. The victory sealed the undefeated Blues’ trophy with two matches to go, as second-place Arsenal were stunned 5-2 by Aston Villa on the same day, creating an insurmountable gap between first and second place. Chelsea’s win came just days after a staggering defeat against Barcelona in the Champions League, and sealed Sonia Bompastor’s third domestic trophy in an impressive first year in London. 

More: Chelsea want invincible title after sixth successive title win.

Also: Relive Sam and Rog's conversation from last summer with Chelsea's manager and some of the team's biggest stars before they began their title-winning campaign.

And this: With one weekend left in the season, the race to be this season’s top-scorer is still on. Arsenal and England striker Alessia Russo is even with Manchester City’s Jamaican striker (and the reigning WSL top-scorer) Bunny Shaw on 12 goals with one game left to go. Shaw is currently sidelined with a lingering leg injury, so Russo could move ahead with a goal in Arsenal’s final match of the year. With seven goals in 10 Champions League matches for Arsenal, Russo is also tied for second place in the UWCL scoring charts, and became the highest-ever English goalscorer in a single season of Champions League play.

NWSL Weekend Seven: Top Teams Toppled Again 📊

Seattle Reign FC 1-0 Kansas City Current

One week after suffering their first loss of the year, Kansas City stumbled again, this time against the Seattle Reign. While the Current (who remain in first place despite their few-game slump) were stymied by injuries to key players like Temwa Chawinga (who came off the bench) and Michelle Cooper (who remains out with a lower leg issue), Seattle kept their defensive work clean, and sealed the victory with Lynn Biyendolo’s first-ever goal for Seattle.

• Sam’s Take 🗣️: LYNN! I was so happy to see this finish from my friend and co-host. Make sure you check out Good Vibes this week for Lynn's play-by-play of the goal.

Portland Thorns 1-0 Orlando Pride

Mexico international Reyna Reyes' stunning 16th-minute strike was all it took to down Orlando 1-0 in Oregon. Well, that and Aussie keeper Mackenzie Arnold’s four saves. That’s now two defeats in three games for the reigning champs, who head to North Carolina next for another tough test against the Courage. The Thorns, who started the year slightly shaky, finished the weekend in fifth place with two wins and seven points from their last three games.

Washington Spirit 3-4 Angel City F.C. 

For the second weekend in a row, Washington Spirit lost at home, this time in a 3-4 goal-fest against Angel City. Jersey native and NWSL April Rookie of the Month Riley Tiernan showed out in the nation’s capital, scoring two goals, including the stoppage time match winner, as she continues to tear into her debut professional season. Despite two consecutive disappointments at home, Spirit have a lengthy injury list and plenty of time to get back on track as one of the stronger sides in NWSL.

• Sam’s Take 🗣️: The Spirit have dropped down to sixth place after this weekend, but they'll take on last-place Chicago on Saturday and should regain their momentum. While still missing some key pieces, I think we'll see the Spirit return to their winning ways soon.

🥤 Olipop power everything we do here at The Women’s Game. You can use code TWG20 for 20% off your first order at drinkolipop.com/TWG20.

Elsewhere in Europe 🌍

Bayern Munich 4-2 Werder Bremen 🇩🇪

Just a few days after clinching the Frauen-Bundesliga title, Bayern Munich secured Germany's domestic double (for the first time in their history) after beating Werder Bremen in the DFB Pokal Cup Final. Lea Schüller, who scored in their title-winning victory last week and was Germany’s top-scorer at the Paris Olympics, notched a hat-trick in the win. Their coach, Alexander Straus, heads to Los Angeles next, where he’s taking over as Angel City’s head coach.

Also: Germany’s FA has doubled the bonus money available for Die Nationalelf at this summer’s EURO 2025 in Switzerland. If they win the tournament, each player for the two-time World Cup champions and eight-time champions of Europe will now be paid €120,000 ($137,000).

Manchester United 2-2 Manchester City 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

On the penultimate matchday of the season, the final Manchester Derby of the year ended in a draw between WSL’s third-place United and fourth-place City. With that, Manchester United secured a spot in next year’s Champions League, while City will look to qualify again next season. 

• Sam’s Take 🗣️: I’m devastated for City, a club that I played for, to miss out on Champions League next year. When they signed Viv Miedema, I picked them to have a trophy-winning season. However, the team had some major injury woes, plus a coaching change, and couldn't maintain form in the league or in their other competitions. The players have got to be gutted.

London City Lionesses 2-2 Birmingham City: London City Lionesses Earn Promotion to England’s WSL 📈

On the final matchday of the 2024/25 season, England’s second-division top-placed teams, London City and Birmingham City, faced off in a decisive battle that saw the Lionesses promoted to England’s top flight. With their promotion, London City (owned by Lyon and Washington Spirit businesswoman Michele Kang) are the first WSL team to compete without any attachment to a men’s club.

More: Michele Kang steals show as London City Lionesses seal WSL spot.

📬 Enjoying The Women’s Game? Check out our other MiB newsletters here.

Matches Worth Setting Reminders For 📺

WSL 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Arsenal vs. Manchester United (Saturday, 7:30 a.m., YouTube / ESPN+)

Although Chelsea’s already clinched this year’s WSL title, this final battle between England’s second-place Arsenal and third-place Manchester United promises to be an entertaining close to the regular season. All eyes will be on Alessia Russo, who’ll take sole hold of the 2024/25 WSL top-scorer spot with a goal.

NWSL 🇺🇸

North Carolina Courage vs. Orlando Pride (Saturday, May 10, 7:30 p.m. ET, ION)

The Courage were slow to start this season, but collected a big win against first-place Kansas City Current two weeks ago and then beat Utah 1-0 last weekend. With some momentum in their corner (and a historic strength playing at home), they host second-place Orlando this Saturday. The Pride started the year undefeated in four games, but have lost two of their last three, and will be looking to get back on track against the Courage.  

San Diego Wave vs. Portland Thorns (Saturday, May 10, 10 p.m. ET, ION)

Both West Coast teams have started the year with mixed results, but solid season-long potential. They’ll play one another in Southern California while sitting just behind the top four teams in the table.

News, Notes & Good Reads 🗞️

• Over the weekend, two-time World Cup champion and Olympic gold medalist, Carli Lloyd, was inducted into the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame. She was honored alongside four other U.S. Soccer greats, including Mary Harvey, Chris Armas, Mark Abbott, and Nick Ramando. More: Reliving Carli Lloyd’s Top 10 USWNT Moments.

• Last Monday, U.S. captain and Lyon midfielder Lindsey Heaps was honored at the French Première Ligue’s annual awards ceremony. Heaps is the league’s current assists leader with eight in 14 games, in addition to her 14 goals, and was one of seven Lyon players named to the 24/25 best XI.

• From Megan Swanick in The Guardian, ‘Quiet rise of rookies shows benefits of NWSL’s bold decision to ditch draft’

• Canadian veteran legends Christine Sinclair and Diana Matheson were inducted into Canada’s Soccer Hall of Fame last week. Matheson is the co-founder of Canada’s recently-launched top-flight professional league, the Northern Super League, which also made history over the weekend as Roses de Montréal became the first professional team to play in a Canadian stadium built specifically for women’s soccer, the Stade Boréale, where they beat Ottawa 2-1.

• From Suzanne Wrack, also in The Guardian, ‘Eni Aluko, Ian Wright, and a conversation on punditry that took a wrong turn’

What’s the Story? 🗣️ Angel City’s Sarah Gorden on Taking Over Captain Duties and Leading by Example

Sam Mewis: Last season in 2024 when Ali Riley got injured, you really stepped up for the team, became vice captain, and you still serve as captain during games. How important has it been to you to be someone that the other players, especially some of those young players we were talking about, can consistently count on as a leader?

Sarah Gorden: The one thing I feel like I can always control is how I carry myself and the things that I do, so obviously building relationships with young players is so important, but for me I know leading by example is the most important thing I can do and I take it very seriously. I’m honored to be a captain and to be looked at as a leader. And more than that, I really just want to make my teammates proud, and I hope to hold myself and the team accountable in all of these things, but I mostly hope to have fun and grow with players young and old.

📺 Watch the full conversation here.

It’s TWG Trivia Time 🤔

Welcome back to our weekly trivia game!

This week’s question: Arsenal and England striker Alessia Russo was named Football Player of the Year at this year’s Women’s Football Awards in London (alongside Chelsea forward Lauren James). This is Russo’s second recognition with this award, with her first coming in 2023 while she was playing with which club?

Respond to this email (or reply here) for a chance to win a coveted TWG patch.

Moment of Joy 🤸

Roni writes: Hi Sam, Lynn, Becky, and the whole Good Vibes crew,

I am a longtime fan of you and your podcasts and I have thoroughly enjoyed watching as this project has grown and blossomed into a real force within women's soccer and media.

I have been living in Cambridge, Mass. for nearly three years, but I will be moving to Louisiana this summer. I'm trying to soak up as much here as I can before I leave, so I have been trying to explore the wider Boston and New England areas. Of course, that quest would not be complete without a pilgrimage to the one and only Hanson, Mass., home of the Mewis sisters and Ally Sentnor!

On my drive down, I listened to the Friendlies episode with Ally so that I would know all the ins and outs of Hanson; this worked out well because I was able to recognize Damien's, Camp Kiwanee, and Indian Head School as I passed each one. I wandered around a bit near Hanson Town Hall and found two of the three Dunkins! Now, whenever Sam inevitably mentions Hanson, I will be able to picture it. I hope you get a kick out of my Good Vibes-inspired day trip.

Keep up the great work!

Cheers,

Roni

P.S. Since I've already been to both Fresno and St. Louis, I guess that means I have now completed the Good Vibes hometown trifecta!

Sam writes: Hi Roni!

Thank you for the kind words. I love that you took a trip to Hanson and listened to the Friendlies episode with Ally! Good luck with the move and thank you for listening!

Sam

📝 Want to be featured in next week’s TWG newsletter? Send Sam an email! All your questions, comments, and dog (or wedding) photos can be sent to [email protected]

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