Is Croix Bethune the Too-Early NWSL MVP Candidate? 🇺🇸

It’s June 17, 2024. Give us four minutes, we give you everything The Women’s Game.

Happy Monday, TWG readers!

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend—mine was filled with friends, family, and activities. I got to celebrate Father’s Day with my dad, and as usual, he picked pizza for dinner. It was really nice to spend the day with family and I’m feeling extra grateful.

Last week, we dropped a really special interview with Kelley O’Hara and I want to use this moment to thank you all for your wonderful responses. Kelley was so open and vulnerable in the episode, sharing her emotions as she deals with injury in her final season of soccer. If you haven’t heard it yet, it’s available on our podcast feed and our YouTube channel. Maybe have some tissues handy.

We have even more great content coming for you this week— tomorrow, an all new episode of Good Vibes with Lynn Williams will hit the pod feed. We’re discussing Croix Bethune’s last-minute heroics, the Cascadia clash TV drama, and Ella Stevens’ magical goal for Gotham. Then on Thursday, Jaedyn Shaw joins me on Friendlies and we get to know so much more about her— including her history and love for futsal. 

Finally, I’m coaching a women’s exhibition game here in Vermont this Saturday for Vermont Green FC. The match will be streamed online and I’ll be sure to provide all the details in an upcoming episode and on social media this week. Up the green!

Thank you for being here!

Love,
Sam

I. NWSL Matchday 13: Kansas City back on top; early MVP candidate? 🇺🇲

a. Kansas City Current are back top of the table after a 2-2 draw with Chicago Red Stars Friday night in Kansas. Andonovski’s squad of formidable attacking force (no team has scored more goals than the Current’s impressive 33) surpassed Orlando Pride on goal differential alone, who also drew over the weekend (North Carolina Courage 0 - 0 Orlando Pride). Malawian star Temwa Chawinga scored in what continues to be a standout season for the forward, who now has eight goals in her first year in NWSL. Chawinga is now tied with Zambia phenom Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride) and just behind Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns) in the NWSL golden boot race. ⚽

b Speaking of phenoms tearing through the league in their first year, Washington Spirit rookie sensation Croix Bethune scored yet again for the Washington Spirit in a 1-1 draw with San Diego Wave (fun fact: five of seven matches ended in a draw this weekend). Bethune is a technical wizard working magic in the Washington midfield, and collected consecutive Rookie of the Month accolades for her immediate impact in the league. With five goals and seven assists, Bethune leads the league’s assist tally, and sits second behind Sophia Smith in total goal contributions. 

More: San Diego’s lone goal from 19-year-old USWNT ascendant talent Jaedyn Shaw in their 1-1 draw with Washington Spirit is Shaw’s 13th career goal, making her the teenager with most-goals all-comps in NWSL. 

c. Not even a weekend with five draws in seven games can stop Gotham’s winning form. The reigning champions haven’t lost a game since April 20, winning six of eight games in that time-frame, and collected their fourth straight victory Saturday night in Kentucky. Gotham’s 2-0 win over Racing Louisville included yet another superb goal from Ella Stevens of Snellville, Georgia— her fifth goal of the year. 

d. In the Battle of 2024 Expansion Clubs™, Utah Royals clinched their second win of the season with a late-game goal against Bay FC. Kenosha, Wisconsin native Kate Del Fava broke the team’s 10 game winless run with an 89th minute header from a set piece. Just look at what it means. 🦁

More: Following a long rehabilitation journey full of tribulations, USWNT veteran Christen Press is back training with ecstatic Angel City FC teammates exactly two years to the day she tore her ACL.❣️ 

Also: Esteemed England defender Esme Morgan is moving to the NWSL. The Washington Spirit becomes even more formidable with the acquisition of the Manchester City and Lionesses burgeoning talent. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

🥤 Our friends at 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.

II. News and Notes 📰🗞️

a. Spain’s Liga F officially wrapped up its season over the weekend, with giants of football Barcelona the league winners once again. With that, Spanish manager Jonatan Giráldez concludes his time in Catalonia, and will soon take up the reins of the Washington Spirit. Giráldez inherits a team ranked third in NWSL equipped with exceptional talents like US star Trinity Rodman and rookie sensation Croix Bethune; watching what magic Giráldez makes with them will be exciting to watch. 🇪🇸 

b. Following public backlash, including from England veteran talent Beth Mead, Thornaby FC is reinstating their women’s football team. The club had originally announced plans to cut their women’s programs, leaving over a hundred young footballers with no club. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

c. Denmark’s Women’s National Team have achieved equal pay with their men’s program, and an insurance upgrade to boot. 🇩🇰

d. Australia’s legendary striker, Sam Kerr, who’s set records in every league she’s played in, confirmed her return to Chelsea this past week. While currently sidelined by ACL injury, Kerr’s return is key to London’s Blues. 🇦🇺

e. The US Women’s National Team have been demoted once more, now falling to a lowly 5th in FIFA’s world rankings. Emma Hayes’ tenure arrives just in time to ascertain a new future for the beleaguered giants. 🇺🇲

f. The Korean Women’s Football Association is calling upon their federation to establish equal conditions and treatment with their men’s program. 🇰🇷

III. Parting Shots  🥃

Earlier this month, Virginia-born Lily Yohannes made history in Minnesota when she made her debut for the USWNT against South Korea, taking just minutes to notch her first-ever USWNT goal, making her the third-youngest goalscorer in USWNT history. The teenage record setter and 2024 Ajax Talent of the Year turned 17 years old this weekend. Happy Birthday to Lily. 🎂

IV. Good Reads 📚

a. From Emma Tobiasson in The Guardian, ‘What we Learned from the Women’s U17 Euros in Sweden’ 

b. From Frida Protheroe in The Boer, ‘How men’s football stadiums have become the home of women’s teams too’

c. From Morgan Ofori in The Guardian, ‘As we approach the Euros, a call for the media to think about their representation of black players’

d. From Amy James-Turner in The Guardian, ‘Women’s football holds immense potential as a lever for climate action’