NWSL's New Leading Scorer 🥅

Happy Tuesday, TWG readers!

I have spent the last week coaching a local team, Vermont Green, in two exhibition matches. We won both games, winning 4-0 on Wednesday thanks to some unbelievable goals and completed a comeback win on Saturday night in front of a sold-out crowd. I was overwhelmed by how much fun it was to coach these women and I feel so grateful to have been a part of such a talented coaching staff. Vermont is such a special place and I have been so embraced by the soccer community here. It made me so happy to meet friends and fans after both games and hear how much this week of women’s soccer meant to them. I’m already excited for next year!

We’re starting to gear up for USWNT camp next week, during which the women’s national team will play Ireland twice and then Canada. On June 30, Becky, Rog, and I will be in DC to preview the Canada game and talk all about the rivalry between the USWNT and Canada… we’ll have some amazing guests joining us, including Canada WNT head coach, Casey Stoney. Join us at the historic Howard Theatre, but don’t worry if you can’t be there - the show will be on our YouTube channel and pod feed afterwards.

Good Vibes FC is back tomorrow with Lynn Biyendolo, and then later this week we have an interview with the Orlando Pride’s Ally Watt. Only one more week of NWSL this weekend before a long international break that includes the Euros, AFCON, and Copa America… and TWG is here to cover all of it!

Thanks for being here with us.

Love,

Sam

NWSL Weekend 12: A New Top Scorer Emerges 🥅

Portland Thorns 2-0 Washington Spirit

The Spirit went to Oregon without manager Jonatan Giráldez (who was absent due to his wife having a baby), and suffered a 2-0 loss to the Portland Thorns. Portland kept a clean sheet thanks to Bella Bixby’s four saves, which stymied Washington’s 13 shots (five on target) from 58% of possession. Aubrey Kingsbury also made four saves, but it wasn’t enough to throttle the Thorns. Canada’s stoic veteran midfielder Jessie Fleming deftly assisted both 21-year-old rookie Pietra Tordin and 22-year-old Reilyn Turner to make it three wins in five games for the fifth-place Thorns. The deeply-talented Spirit finished the weekend still sitting in fourth, with another tough test next weekend against third-place San Diego, but plenty of time in the season to rebalance and move forward. 

Utah Royals 0-3 Gotham FC

Gotham got back in the win column with a 3-0 triumph against the Royals on Friday, officially breaking a four-game winless run in the regular season (despite winning the inaugural Concacaf W Champions Cup in between). Gotham’s win came despite acquiring two red cards in the second half, one for denying a goal scoring opportunity, and finishing the game with nine players. Spanish striker Esther González led the team to victory with a brace of goals, marking her eighth (below) and ninth of the season to become the league’s top scorer. Esther entered the weekend tied atop the goal charts with Orlando forward Barbra Banda and Kansas City forward Temwa Chawinga, who both scored in wins for their teams this weekend, but Esther broke into first place with her brace. 

More: ‘Esther Gonzalez: now girls in Spain can grow up knowing we have Ballon d’Or winners’

Houston Dash 2-3 San Diego Wave

San Diego also moved back into the win column, after Seattle Reign snapped their six-game win streak in the previous game. This time playing in Houston, the Wave put three goals past the Dash to lead 3-0 by the 51st minute, but allowed Houston to come back with two goals of their own (including former Gotham forward Yazmeen Ryan’s first goal for her new club) to walk out with a 3-2 win and finish the weekend in third place. The Dash have been tough to beat in recent weeks, holding two of the top three teams (Orlando and San Diego) to slim wins by one-goal margins, but finished the weekend in 12th place as they prepare to face North Carolina next weekend.

• Sam’s Take 🗣️: This was a San Diego-dominated first half, so props to Houston for getting themselves back into this game. I was crossing my fingers for Yazmeen Ryan to get her first goal for her new team, and she seemed determined to make that happen. Houston continues to scrap and I hope players like Yaz and Avery Patterson can lead the team to some results soon.

More: The 2025 NWSL Championship is coming to Cali! This year’s final will take place in San Jose on Nov. 22.

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Elsewhere in North America 🌎

USL Super League Final: The Battle of Florida 🇺🇸

In the inaugural Championship for the USA’s first-division USL Super League, 23-year-old Danish striker Cecilie Fløe scored a 100th-minute goal to secure Tampa Bay Sun FC’s Championship victory over Fort Lauderdale United FC. That momentous trophy-winning goal is the Danish forward’s 12th of the year, after she finished the regular season with 11 goals as the league’s third-highest scorer. Tampa Bay claimed the league’s first Championship trophy after finishing the regular season in second place and two points behind first-place Carolina Ascent, then beat Dallas Trinity FC 2-1 in the semifinal to reach the Championship. As the USA’s newest top-flight football league finishes its first season, it does so with expanded professional opportunities for players as well as fans, who sold out the 5,000-capacity Riverfront Stadium to watch history get made Saturday evening in Florida. 

Canada’s Northern Super League Check-in 🇨🇦

Nine weeks into the inaugural season for Canada’s first-ever first-division women’s football league, Montreal Roses FC are in first place with 17 pts, after beating third-place Ottawa Rapid FC 2-1 on Saturday. Montreal’s 24-year-old captain (and University of Memphis alumna) Tanya Boychuk scored the game-winning goal to seal the win. While Montreal sit in first, AFC Toronto are hot on their tail: the second-place Toronto squad beat fourth-place Calgary Wild FC 2-1 on Saturday to finish the weekend with 16 points.

The Women’s Game x Men in Blazers LIVE! In Washington, DC, presented by Allstate 🏛️

The Women’s Game is coming to DC on June 30! Join USWNT legend and World Cup winner Sam Mewis alongside her Good Vibes FC co-host (and World Cup-winning teammate) Becky Sauerbrunn and Men in Blazers’ Roger Bennett to celebrate one of soccer’s greatest rivalries, USA vs. Canada, ahead of the Allstate Continental Classico. Sam, Becky, and Rog will welcome football icons to DC’s historic Howard Theatre at 7:30 p.m. as they revel in the past, present, and future of these two storied women’s programs. So join us for what is sure to be a magical night ahead of an unforgettable matchup.

Get your tickets now 🎟️

Upcoming Matches Worth Setting Reminders for 📺

San Diego Wave vs. Washington Spirit (Sunday, 10 p.m. ET, CBS)

Two of 2025’s top NWSL teams are going toe-to-toe in SoCal. San Diego is playing at home and looking to keep their hot streak alive; the third-place Wave missed out on the playoffs last season, but have won six of their last eight games in 2025 and lost only once in that timeframe. On the other hand, fourth-place Washington Spirit’s journey to Snapdragon Stadium marks their second tough test in a row on the road, following a 2-0 loss to the Thorns in Portland amid a period of injuries and managerial changes.

Gotham FC vs. Bay FC (Saturday, 6:30 p.m. ET, ION)

Gotham and Bay FC have been exciting to watch in 2025, but are both sitting mid-table, hovering just above (Gotham) and just below (Bay) the playoff line. They’re currently tied on 15 points with four wins, two draws and five losses on the season, though the ‘23 champs have the advantage in goal differential. Speaking of goals, Gotham’s Esther González is soaring atop the Golden Boot race with nine this season. This matchup is a fascinating test of entertaining teams who are deadlocked in the standings, with the added bonus of observing Esther in incredible form. Plus, Rose Lavelle is back playing. 👀 

🥤 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.

News and Notes 🗞️

• USWNT manager Emma Hayes has announced that her upcoming roster will focus on U.S.-based players that play for the in-season NWSL, allowing European based players to get a rest at the close of their seasons. 

  • Sam’s Take 🗣️: I appreciate this move by Emma Hayes! Players on the European calendar need a rest right now, and this kind of long-term planning will be good for the team in a multitude of ways. We hear so much about how Emma considers her players as people, not just athletes, and this is evidence of that.

• A U.S. women’s team made of veteran USWNT players as well as NCAA rising talents won the TST Tournament for a second straight year, claiming a $1 million dollar prize after beating Bumpy Pitch FC 3-0 in the final.

• After winning their second-ever UWCL title and continuing to fill stadiums, Arsenal will play all of their home games at Emirates Stadium next season, allowing fans to bring the energy for 11 of their 22 WSL regular matches at the historic London ground.

It’s TWG Trivia Time 🤔

Welcome back to our weekly trivia game!

This week’s question: Emma Hayes is getting ready to drop the USWNT squad that will play Republic of Ireland in back-to-back friendlies this June. What retired star scored a goal in her 100th cap against Ireland in 2016?

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

Last week’s answer: Canada recently won the 2025 Concacaf U-20 Championship after defeating the United States 1-0 in the semi-final and Mexico 3-2 in the final. Canada’s victory marks their third Concacaf U-20 Championship title. The United States, conversely, has won seven titles, but not since 2022.

This week’s winner is Hanna Foreman, and thanks to everyone who responded.

Good Reads 👩‍💻

i. From Courtney Hill on Olympics.com, ‘From rural Malawi to the NWSL: Temwa Chawinga, a rebel with a cause’

ii. From Aaron Timms in The Guardian, ‘Does US Soccer really need four first divisions? The answer isn’t necessarily no’

iii. From Hannah Goldfield in The New Yorker, ‘The Portland Bar That Screens Only Women’s Sports’

Moment of Joy 🤸

Meghan writes: Hi, Good Vibes FC Crew,

Sam: On a scale of one to a million, how excited are you to see that everyone made such a big deal out of Becky's retirement celebration even though she was totally cringing the whole time?

My partner and I live in St. Louis and he and I were so happy to attend the USWNT game against Jamaica where Becky was honored. That crowd was a good vibe!!

Love the show. You ladies crack us up weekly. Thank you!

PS - Attaching pictures of our two Portuguese water dogs to better ensure Sammie Media pays attention to this email. ;)

PPS - Also attaching a pic of the Becky mural in The Grove in St. Louis that I pass every day on my way to the office.

Meghan

Sam writes: Meghan, you know including photos of dogs will always get my attention! Thank you for writing in and I love that you attended Becky’s retirement game! Definitely such a good vibe. I also love that you pass Becky’s mural every day on the way to work. Talk about motivation!

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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