I hope everyone has had a great week. I’m enjoying a few days off, but I had to check in ahead of this weekend. The WAFCON tournament is heating up with all the quarterfinal matchups finally confirmed. After an electrifying group stage run, I can’t wait to see Malawi and the Chawinga sisters go up against Ghana in a bid to qualify for their first-ever World Cup. 🇲🇼 🇬🇭 

I also have one eye on the NWSL as the race for those coveted playoff spots continues! Ashley Sanchez and the North Carolina Courage face a big challenge on Saturday as they take on Trinity Rodman and the Washington Spirit… a “Sandman” reunion you don’t want to miss. Plus, a miniature version of the 2027 Women’s World Cup is happening between Gotham and San Diego, featuring up to 11 global national team stars, including Rose Lavelle, Kenza Dali, and Sam Kerr. Read on for your guide to three standout matches this weekend and my scouting report on an up-and-coming midfielder I’m excited to watch. 🔍

We also just released our latest “Friendlies” episode with USWNT and Chicago Stars forward Mallory Swanson that was SO FUN to record. I had a great time catching up with Mal and hearing all about her journey through pregnancy and returning to play after giving birth to her beautiful baby Josie. Having known Mal for so long, it’s incredible to see her become a mom. She embodies such a wonderful mix of grace, greatness and groundedness. I really encourage you to check out the episode if you haven’t yet. 🎙️

Thanks for listening and being part of the TWG community! 🫶

Love,
Sam

P.S. Denver fans, be on the lookout! TWG will be coming to Mile High City on Sept. 1. Keep an eye out for updates coming soon in this newsletter, and mark your calendars for a night you won't want to miss! ⛰️

P.P.S. To see it, is to “BELIEVE” it. Check out which real-life women footballers inspired the new “Ted Lasso” cast. ✨

By Laura Swanbeck

Denver Summit ⛰️ 0-2 North Carolina Courage  💙

Shortly before the first-ever meeting between Denver and the Courage (and so last minute it didn’t even make the availability reports), news broke that co-captain Lindsey Heaps wouldn’t be cleared to play due to a nagging leg injury. Despite this major miss, the Summit soldiered on. To their credit, they managed to neutralize two of North Carolina’s most fearsome attackers — Ashley Sanchez and Evelyn Ijeh — who have both been on a tear recently. The former is currently the runner-up in the Golden Boot race and the latter just completed a hat-trick last weekend to stun Orlando. (And, no, the altitude didn’t phase them either.)

In the second half, the Courage amped up the pressure. After a foul on young Lioness Erica Meg Parkinson, North Carolina earned a penalty kick that USWNT prospect Riley Jackson converted from the spot. Then, later in the half, the Courage lofted a perfect ball over the top to forward Ally Schlegel, who scored after beating Janine Sonis in a footrace and goalkeeper Abby Smith who came off her line. Schlegel, who is a Colorado native, then ran to her mom and grandma in the stands to celebrate. 

With the departure of Manaka Matsukubo to Chelsea in June, the Courage have shown their savviness by recruiting rising star Parkinson, who is already impressing, despite her brief stint with the club (she also received her first senior call-up with the England Lionesses this year). Parkinson has proven to be a clear attacking threat with both her dynamic dribbling in the box, which led directly to the opening goal, as well as her long-range shooting capability. With the Washington Spirit up next, she’ll face stiff competition in the middle of the park where matchups against fierce competitors like Hal Hershfelt and Tara Rudd will fully test her mettle.

Plus: Check out what the NWSL table looks like after Week 15. The Shield Standings Series, presented by CarMax. 📈

We were treated to a dizzying number of goals last weekend: North Carolina ran rings around Orlando (5-0), while Utah conceded early to Portland (giving us flashbacks to the Royals of old) only to shake it off and complete a stunning 5-1 comeback. 

Will we see more NWSL After Dark chaos or nail-biting close-calls this weekend? Either way, we’ll be tuning in for all the action. Here are three of the best match-ups for your weekend enjoyment and one player who should be on your radar.

Gotham 🦇 vs. San Diego Wave 🌊 (Friday, 8 p.m. ET, Prime Video)

Tonight, the Bats welcome the Wave in this highly anticipated coast-to-coast clash between Gotham perched in first place and San Diego sitting in fourth. While the Wave triumphed 2-0 in their first meeting of the year at Snapdragon, it will be a major coup if they can win on the road against a team with the strongest defensive record in the league (the Bats have only conceded 12 goals total this season). Gotham must adjust to an Emily Sonnett-less backline after she suffered a season-ending injury vs. Portland. And it will be intriguing to see if goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger returns after resting for two matches or if Shelby Hogan, who has kept three clean sheets in three starts, is deputized in her stead.

Washington Spirit 💛 vs. North Carolina Courage 💙 (Saturday, 6:30 p.m. ET, ION)

Former teammates, best friends, fierce rivals. On Saturday, Spirit star Trinity Rodman and Courage attacker Ashley Sanchez will be reunited with both their teams’ ambitions and individual glory on the line (Sanchez is the current runner-up in the Golden Boot race with 10 tallies while Rodman is on 8 goals so far this year). While the Spirit are the favorites in this match-up, especially with home field advantage, they will no doubt be wary of the Courage’s recent form, with the Sanchez-Evelyn Ijeh connection only growing stronger and new recruit Erica Meg Parkinson helping to pull the strings in the midfield.

Boston Legacy 💚 vs. Portland Thorns 🌹 (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, CBS Sports)

To cap off the weekend, we head to New England where the Legacy welcome the Thorns for the first meeting in franchise history. Coming off a 5-1 hammering vs. Utah, Portland will look to put last week behind them. Boston, meanwhile, are aiming to reassert themselves after settling for a 1-1 draw vs. Denver. With Legacy striker Aïssata Traoré still away at WAFCON, other members of Boston’s attack, like Amanda Gutierres and Sammy Smith, will need to step up and show their quality. Boston’s backline, including USWNT defender Lilly Reale, will also have their hands full with Portland’s Sophia Wilson — already on eight goals this season — and the league’s current assist leader, Pietra Tordin, who will be eager to bounce back.

“C” apparently stands for “chaos” in WAFCON’s Group C. The notorious “Group of Death,” which included Nigeria, Malawi, Zambia and Egypt, lived up to its billing this week. For a fleeting moment following their 2-1 win over Malawi, Zambia mistakenly believed they had booked a spot in the quarterfinal. In fact, if results had stood at halftime, they would indeed have progressed. However, in the second half, Malawi’s captain Tabitha Chawinga fought off two defenders and fired a low strike past the Copper Queens’ goalkeeper to give them a lifeline in their WAFCON campaign.

In the end, reigning champions Nigeria, Malawi, and Zambia all finished level on six points, with identical head-to-head records and goal differentials. The tiebreaker? Head-to-head goals scored. That criteria catapulted Malawi (who topped the group) and Nigeria, after pummeling Egypt 6-2, to the knockout round, with Zambia’s hard-fought campaign ending in heartbreak. Sadly, such a competitive group meant that one team was bound to fall short. After Zambia bowed out, with both their WAFCON and World Cup dreams ending in one fell swoop, Captain Banda shared a heartfelt message thanking everyone for their support.

The Quarterfinals Await: This weekend’s knockout rounds carry significant weight, with the winners automatically qualifying for next summer’s World Cup. All eyes will be on Nigeria, as a beacon for African women’s football, to see if they make it to their 10th World Cup. We’ll also be cheering on debutantes Malawi and the unstoppable Chawinga sisters, who could book their ticket to their first-ever World Cup and redefine the future of the sport for young girls and women across their nation.  

2026 WAFCON Quarterfinals

More: WAFCON needs better broadcast coverage and greater accessibility. But, as The Athletic argues, we shouldn’t let it overshadow the extraordinary accomplishments on the pitch.

A USWNT-Canada rivalry match is always fiery, but the 2012 Olympics semifinal at Old Trafford was one for the storybooks. It included a Christine Sinclair hat-trick special, a Megan Rapinoe “Olympico” — the first in Olympic women’s soccer history, and a dramatic build-up to a 3‑3 deadlock.

Then, in the waning moments, USWNT midfielder Heather O’Reilly whipped in a wicked cross that Alex Morgan, in true “Baby Horse” fashion, leapt up and launched over Canadian goalkeeper Erin McLeod to the consternation of Canadians and jubilation of American fans the world over. Check out the goal above! 🤯

This week’s phrase: The inspiration for today’s Mad Lib comes from “Good Vibes” when Sam said winning at kickball felt as good as triumphing at the World Cup.

The thrill of ___________ rivals winning the World Cup.

Email us your most hilarious takes for the chance to receive a TWG Patch. ✍️

Last week’s Mad Libs winner: Congratulations to Leah Cohen, who said that trying to find a stream of WAFCON was similar to… trying to find a picture of Sam Mewis in a Becky Sauerbrunn Portland Thorns jersey. 💀

Thanks for making us laugh, Leah! Send us an email, so we can get your patch in the mail. 💌

Imagine being so beloved that your former club invites you to come out of retirement for a final swan song. That’s exactly what happened to Tobin Heath (and what’s giving us joy this week). The former midfield dynamo will sign a one-day contract to retire on Aug. 22 as a Portland Thorn (the team she played for from 2013 to 2020) to close out her venerable career on her terms. During her time with Portland, she influenced countless aspiring athletes and helped her team secure the 2016 NWSL Shield and win two NWSL Championships in 2013 and 2017.

After suffering a degenerative knee injury, Heath officially announced her retirement last year and was honored in March by the USWNT for her incredible contributions (these five magical moments honestly only scratch the surface). Over the past few years, Heath hasn’t slowed down, continuing to broadcast The RE—CAP Show with Christen Press, breaking barriers as the only woman in the FIFA Club World Cup Technical Study Group, earning induction into the National Soccer Hall of Fame, and serving as an analyst at this summer’s World Cup. Is there anything she can’t do?

She will be remembered as a quintessential tiki-taka technical maestro, the Queen of the Nutmeg, and a Thorns and USWNT legend with unparalleled style. Bravo, Portland, for honoring a player who gave everything to the game, and we hope more clubs follow suit to give players their flowers. 💐

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