NWSL's First 2025 Playoff Team ❤️🩵

Happy Tuesday, TWG readers!

This is not news to NWSL fans… but Kansas City clinched a playoff berth this past weekend with a win over North Carolina. With eight games remaining, they are 14 points clear of second-place Washington Spirit and I feel pretty confident that the Shield is reserved for the Current. I’m so happy to have KC Current leading goal scorer Temwa Chawinga for this week's episode of Friendlies! Make sure to tune in on Thursday.

Also, today we’ve got an all-new episode of Good Vibes FC with Lynn Biyendolo. We’re chatting about all the other headlines from this past weekend, debating if Ludmila is an MVP candidate, and even previewing the start of the WSL this weekend. If you love Good Vibes, make sure you grab some of our limited-edition Olipop merch, available here.

I hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend as much as I did! I’m hanging onto summer as long as possible, but it won’t be long before my house is filled with candy corn and fall candles. I’d love to hear from you - when do you mentally make the transition from summer to fall? Send me an email and let me know, [email protected].

Thank you all so much for being here!

Love,
Sam

NWSL Matchday 18: Kansas City Are Playoff Bound, Esther Back on Top of the Golden Boot Race 📈 

Kansas City Current 2-0 North Carolina Courage

The runaway top team, Kansas City Current, are the first to book their spot in the 2025 playoffs after collecting their 15th win of the season on Saturday. Twenty-six-year-old left-back Izzy Rodriguez (who scored in her USWNT debut this June against Ireland) knocked home her first goal of the season in the victory, marking the 10th Current player to score in 2025. The Courage were a bit unlucky as they managed nearly as many shots as the Current in their visit to CPKC Stadium, but had no goals to show for it, and finished the weekend just short of the playoff positions as they vie for a shot at the postseason. 

Orlando Pride 0-2 Gotham 

Playing in Florida, it took just 13 minutes for Spanish striker Esther González to score her 12th of the season, moving her ahead of Temwa Chawinga in the NWSL Golden Boot race.

Pride of Cincinnati and friend to all bulldogs, Rose Lavelle, assisted Esther’s goal while wearing the captain’s armband for the first time in her club career. With the team’s leading scorer Barbra Banda out for the season, the fourth-place Pride extended their winless run to six games. But help is on the way: after setting a new women’s transfer record, star Mexican forward Lizbeth Ovalle will join the Pride’s ranks soon. 

📬 Enjoying The Women’s Game? Check out our other Men in Blazers newsletters:

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🇺🇸 USMNT Only: Your weekly update on the most important topics in the U.S. men’s game, all leading up to next year’s World Cup.

England’s WSL Returns THIS Weekend 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Chelsea vs. Manchester City (Friday, Sept. 5, 2:30 p.m. ET, DAZN)

Last season’s treble-winners, Chelsea, start their new campaign against Manchester City, who finished fourth in 24/25. USWNT fans may have their eye on 25-year-old center-back Naomi Girma, who’ll start her first full-year campaign playing in England after breaking records signing for Chelsea last winter.

• Sam's Take 🗣️: City have new a new manager this season, Andrée Jeglertz, who comes to Manchester after coaching the Danish women's national team. After a disappointing campaign last year, I'm hopeful and excited for my former club!

More: Chelsea hoping to sign Angel City’s 20-year-old USA winger Alyssa Thompson

Arsenal vs. London City Lionesses (Saturday, Sept. 6, 8:30 a.m. ET, DAZN)

Arsenal finished second in last year’s title race, but won the Champions League for the second time in their history as the only English club to claim the prize. They face off against American business owner Michelle Kang’s (also the owner of Washington Spirit and OL Lyonnes) newly promoted side, London City Lionesses, who’ll compete in their first-ever top-flight competition. 

More: ‘We have the quality’: Saki Kumagai says London City Lionesses are ready for the big time

🥤 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.

On the Continent 🇪🇺

Spain’s Liga F Started Over the Weekend 🇪🇸

Barcelona Femeni 8-0 Alhama

The Liga F juggernauts from Catalonia blazed into the new campaign with an eight-goal victory over Alhama, despite a small roster heading into the season due to budgetary issues. The dominant performance featured goals from five different players and a hat-trick from 24-year-old Spanish forward Clàudia Pina, who netted 10 for Barcelona last season.

France’s Premiére Ligue Sets Off 🇫🇷

OL Lyonnes vs. Marseille (Sunday, Sept. 7, 11:30 a.m. ET, Fubo)

In the offseason, France’s most dominant team, OL Lyonnes, underwent a name change and massive shifts to its roster. Top players like Daniëlle van de Donk, Ellie Carpenter, Eugénie Le Sommer and Dzsenifer Marozsán all departed the squad, as an enormous cadre of exciting names were subsequently brought in, including Canadian defender Ashley Lawrence, Norwegian defender Ingrid Engen, French striker Marie-Antoinette Katoto, German winger Jule Brand, and USWNT midfielders Lily Yohannes and Korbin Shrader. The eight-time champions of Europe with eight Premiére Ligue titles start their season Sunday against Marseille.

Germany’s Frauen-Bundesliga Begins 🇩🇪

Bayern Munich vs. Leverkusen (Saturday, Sept. 6, 11:45 a.m. ET, DAZN)

Last year’s Frauen-Bundesliga race was hotly contested throughout the season, with both of these teams consistently at the top of the table. In the final weeks, Bayern pulled ahead to claim their seventh league title, but the two will start off the new campaign with a fresh test in Munich. 

More: Union Berlin, the Frauen-Bundesliga newcomers making history and disrupting the norm

Goals of the Weekend, Presented by New Balance 💥

News and Notes 🗞️

• The UEFA Women’s Champions League wrapped up its second qualifying round over the weekend, with the draw now set for the third and final round. Taking place Sept. 11-18, 18 teams will play a two-leg playoff with the winners making the league phase of the 2025/26 UWCL. There are a bunch of exciting matchups on deck, including Manchester United and Brann as United hope to make their first-ever UWCL league phase. 

• Speaking of United, they were left furious over the weekend after being forced to pay for their own flights home from their UWCL qualifier against Hammarby in Sweden.

• World Sevens Football has announced a U.S.-based tournament, set to debut this December in Fort Lauderdale. The development follows a highly entertaining inaugural tournament in Portugal this May, which saw Bayern Munich beat Manchester United for the $2.5 million prize. 

• After a successful 2025 Women’s Euro in Switzerland, UEFA has confirmed the four countries bidding to host the 2029 edition are Germany, Portugal, Poland, and a joint bid between Sweden and Denmark. The location is set to be confirmed at a ceremony on Dec. 3.

• In the wake of the racist abuse Euro-winning English and Gotham defender, Jess Carter, received online, British authorities arrested a man “on suspicion of malicious communications in relation to some of the messages.” The ongoing investigation is part of a greater effort by the FA to stop hateful, dangerous language as well as prioritize player safety.

• The Gainbridge Super League’s second season is well underway. You can catch all the drama in the USA’s other top-flight league with this rundown and then watch the games live on Peacock.

Want to ball like Jordyn? Order your pair of Tekelas today. Tekela, the boot built to optimize your touch.

It’s TWG Trivia Time 🤔

Welcome back to our weekly trivia game!

This week’s question: Among the 18 teams still seeking qualification for the 2025/26 UEFA Women’s Champions League is a German club that’s won the second-most tournament titles behind Lyon. What club is that?

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

Last week’s answer: The other Gunner that was previously named PFA Player of the Year, aside from Kim Little and Mariona Caldentey, was Vivianne Miedema.

This week’s trivia winner is Sejal Jhaveri. Thanks to everyone who replied!

Good Reads 👩‍💻

• From Jeff Kassouf in ESPN, ‘NWSL transfer grades: How did USWNT moves, others rank?’

• From Nina Lloyd on BENews, ‘Why women’s football needs infrastructure to match its momentum’

• From Tom Garry in The Guardian, ‘Anna Moorhouse: England’s Euro 2025 win put my heart through the roof’

• From Emma Sanders for the BBC, ‘Union Berlin Women– the German club attracting thousands’

Moment of Joy 🤸

For this week’s moment of joy, check out this beautiful story from Ali Riley – her former teammate, Meggie Dougherty-Howard, made her wedding dress! Such a moment of light when Ali was dealing with the devastation of the LA wildfires earlier this year. ❤️

📝 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]