NWSL's Big Rivalry Weekend 💥

Happy Tuesday, TWG readers!

NWSL Rivalry Weekend was worth the hype in my book – especially that Cascadia Clash that saw Portland defeat Seattle 4-2. Even though they were playing against our bestie, Lynn… I was impressed with Portland. Reilyn Turner and Olivia Moultrie stood out to me in this game as young players who are carrying forward the Thorns legacy. They’ve got a big couple of weeks with the Courage and Current on the horizon, but find themselves sitting in fifth place and firmly in the playoff picture.

I spent my weekend watching all of these games and recovering from my big NYC trip last week, where TWG did a live show at Racket NYC. Thanks to our friends at Ally, we had Katie Nolan, Ann-Katrin Berger, Jess Carter, Rose Lavelle, and Emily Sonnett all join me onstage to preview the Gotham vs. Washington Spirit game. I also had NY Sirens players Jaime Bourbonnais and Ally Simpson tell me all about the PWHL and I got to meet many of you after the show. This one was really fun and meant a lot to me. If you missed it, check it out on our YouTube channel!

This week, we’ve got our normal cadence of shows for you all. Good Vibes with Becky Sauerbrunn is out today and then we have Jess Fishlock on Thursday to tell us all about her Euros experience with Wales and how she feels being back in Seattle. It’s a really great conversation, you don’t want to miss it!

Thank you all so much for being here.

Love,
Sam

🥤 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.

NWSL Matchday 15: Rivalry Week Delivers Drama & Draws 🙃

Portland Thorns 4-2 Seattle Reign

Portland secured victory in Sunday’s Battle of Cascadia with retired Cascadian royalty watching (Thorns legend and Canada GOAT Christine Sinclair and USWNT icon Megan Rapinoe were both present for Portland’s 4-2 win). USWNT midfielder Sam Coffey scored her second goal of the season from the penalty spot to start things off for the Thorns, after trailing early thanks to Emeri Adames’ fifth goal of the year for Seattle, which she knocked home in the third minute. Multiple goals later for both teams (including a goal and assist for Seattle’s Welsh veteran Jess Fishlock), 21-year-old Pietra Tordin put away her fourth on the season to mark Portland’s fourth of the evening in Oregon. With the W, the Thorns leapfrog Seattle in the standings to finish the weekend in fifth place, while the Reign fight on in sixth.

Gotham FC 0-0 Washington Spirit

Playing at home against the Spirit, Gotham battled through this rivalry bout while down a player from the 30th minute on after Brazilian forward Geyse was sent off (holding true Gotham defender Emily Sonnett’s warning on TWG Live: “There are sometimes red cards,” when these teams meet). But the eighth-place ‘23 champs managed to hang on for a 0-0 draw against the third-place Washington Spirit despite their prolonged disadvantage. The Spirit held most of the possession while playing with an extra player, but Gotham defended well – the two teams ended with a near-even split of shots, saves, corner kicks, free kicks, and fouls.

San Diego Wave 1-1 Angel City

The SoCal derby also ended in a tie, after the pair of 2022 Cali-expansion squads traded late scores in San Diego on Saturday. Thirty-one-year-old Makenzy Robbe (née Doniak) knocked home an 85th-minute goal that gave the Wave an initial lead and hope of all three points. But victory was snatched away at the death by Australian center-back Alanna Kennedy, who scored in the 92nd minute to even things up.

• Sam's Take 🗣️: I thought all three of the "classic" rivalry games had a real intensity this week. I'm curious if anyone thinks any of the other matchups have the potential to turn into a more heated rivalry... Orlando vs. Louisville? Courage vs. Houston? Let me know what you think and send me an email to [email protected].

More: Temwa Chawinga scored her 10th goal of the season in first-place Kansas City’s 1-0 win against Utah Royals, bringing the Malawian striker level with Gotham’s Esther in the Golden Boot race. Chawinga has now scored 30 times in 40 games, making her the fastest player to score 30 goals in NWSL history, burying the previous record set by Christen Press, who scored 30 in her first 51. Former Utah forward and USWNT emerging talent Ally Sentnor also made her debut for Kansas City in their victory against her former team.

• Sam's Take 🗣️: The soccer gods are cruel sometimes, forcing Ally's first game in a Current jersey to be against her former team. But she’s got good karma and the interactions between her and her old teammates looked really pleasant. We got the chance to speak with her shortly after the trade news came out, check out our chat on Good Vibes this week.

Join Us on Discord for Early Access to New Merch ☀️

A sunny, limited-edition collection… coming soon. Join us on Discord for first looks and early shopping access!

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

🐦‍⬛ The Raven: Our Monday and Friday newsletter where we preview the biggest matches from around the world (and tell you where/how to watch them) and recap our favorite football moments from the weekend.

🔍 The Correspondent: Acclaimed football writer Rory Smith’s thoughts on the world of soccer, culture, food, and how they all connect – launching this Thursday!

🇺🇸 USMNT Only: Your weekly digest featuring the biggest stories in the U.S. men’s game, all leading up to next year’s World Cup.

News and Notes 🗞️

• The Ballon d’Or Feminin nominees are in. This year’s list features seven players from Arsenal's Champions League-winning squad, including U.S. right-back Emily Fox, who joins Lyon midfielder Lindsey Heaps as the only two American nominees. Back-to-back Euro champions England also collected five noms. 

• English manager Nick Cushing, the former Manchester City women and NYCFC boss, will be the first head coach of Denver Summit FC. Additionally, ESPN has reported that Orlando Pride forward and Colorado native Ally Watt will be the club’s first signing. 

• North Carolina Courage fired their head coach, Sean Nahas, with the team in ninth place (one spot short of the playoff positions) ahead of their most recent match. Friday in Texas, they lost 2-1 to the 12th-place Houston Dash, finishing the weekend still in ninth. 

• OL Lyonnes played their first pre-season friendly against Swiss club Servette with former Barcelona and Washington Spirit boss Jonatan Giráldez as their new manager, and a spate of USWNT players in their squad. Lily Yohannes and Korbin Shrader (née Albert) both started the match in their debuts for their new club, while U.S. captain Lindsey Horan also featured in the tune-up, wearing the No. 10 shirt. The French giants beat the Swiss side 5-0, featuring a brace from NWSL’s top-scorer Temwa Chawinga’s sister, Tabitha. 

• The latest FIFA Women’s Football Rankings see Spain (who were the runners up at this summer’s Euros) overtake the United States and move into top spot. While the USWNT dwell at No. 2, Sweden, England and Germany round out the top five, in that order. Despite claiming first place in the FIFA rankings and finishing this summer’s Euros in second (their best-ever finish), the reigning World Cup champions have parted ways with manager Montse Tomé. Former U-23 manager Sonia Bermúdez will take her place.

We Want to Hear from You 🫵

Attention TWG readers! Here at The Women’s Game, we value your feedback on all things we do, and we’re looking for your input in the survey linked HERE. In return for your support, completing the survey will give you the chance to be one of two winners of a $100 gift card to the new TWG store, coming soon. 👀

It’s TWG Trivia Time 🤔

Welcome back to our weekly trivia game!

This week’s question: Since the Ballon d’Or Feminin named its first winner in 2018, four players have collected the prize. Who are they, in order of the years they won?

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

Last week’s answer: Marta collected her first continental trophy in 2004.

This week’s winner is Tess Weinberg. Thanks to everyone who replied!

Good Reads 👩‍💻

• From Ed Dove on ESPN, “The WAFCON confetti has settled, but did Africa's women get the best out of it?”

• From Janina Nuno Rios for Reuters, “Thrilling Women’s Copa America final can’t hide challenges ahead”

Moment of Joy 🤸

Anna writes: Hi Sam and Lynn and Becky and team,

Y’all are absolutely the best! As a former player who had to stop due to head injuries to now your biggest fan, I love listening to your podcast to get the inside scoop, giggle, and hear your consistently vulnerable and thoughtful perspective. I remember when y’all first started and I felt so excited and it’s only gotten better!

Here are your real biggest fans: the kitties Fishlock “Fish” and Rapinoe “Pinoe” and Junie (who was going to be named Lu, but held steadfast to her rescue name). Thanks for all you do!

Sam writes: Hi Anna! Thanks for writing in and sharing these photos of Fish and Pinoe! Based on these pics, I’m sure they caught all the action from Sunday’s Cascadia Clash between Portland and Seattle - and even a goal from Fishlock!

I’m sorry to hear that you had to stop playing and I hope you’re able to find ways to stay connected to the game. Wishing you all the best!

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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