NWSL Is So Back 🇺🇸⚽️

Plus, one of the best goals you'll ever see.

March 11, 2025

Happy Tuesday, TWG readers!

And a very happy NWSL-season-is-finally-here week, as well! After the Challenge Cup excitement, I’m so so happy that we’re going to have games like that to watch every weekend. I’m most looking forward to Kansas City vs. Portland (Saturday, March 15, 11:45 a.m. ET, ABC, ESPN+) this weekend… I can’t wait to see Temwa Chawinga back in action against a Portland Thorns defense that is looking very different from last year. I’m also pumped for the Angel City vs. San Diego game on Sunday because I am planning to be there in person! BMO Stadium is one of the best places to watch an NWSL game so I can’t wait to see the SoCal rivalry live.

In honor of the big week ahead, we have lots of content coming out. Good Vibes FC with Lynn Biyendolo drops today - we chat Challenge Cup drama and how to get more eyeballs on the NWSL. Then on Wednesday we’ve got an all-new episode of Sammy Banana Phone previewing the NWSL season and answering YOUR questions. If you called one in, make sure to tune in because you could be featured on the show! Then on Thursday, we have Christen Press on Friendlies to chat USWNT, RE-INC, and Angel City.

I will leave you all with one request this week… do us a HUGE favor and double check that you’re subscribed to the TWG podcast feed on Apple Podcasts. While you’re there, leave us a rating and review. It really helps us out and will ensure that we can keep bringing you the content that we love to make.

Thank you all so much for being here!

Love,
Sam

NWSL Returns 🔙 🇺🇲

Washington Spirit Are 2025 Challenge Cup Champions 🏆

Last season’s first and second-place teams, Orlando Pride and Washington Spirit, kicked off the new NWSL season last week with the 2025 Challenge Cup. The 2024 league leaders drew 1-1 in regulation time, with goals from Orlando’s Brazilian defender Rafaelle Souza and Washington’s Colombian midfielder Leicy Santos. 

With things even at the final whistle, the first trophy of the year was decided by penalties. Washington Spirit and USWNT goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury had said before the contest (which was a rematch of last year’s final), “Yeah, it’s personal. I want to win everything and this is the first trophy.” Kingsbury came up big in the penalty shootout, which Spirit won 4-2. Washington defender Tara McKeown scored the game-winning penalty in style. Not a bad way to start the year.

The Regular Season Starts Friday ⚽️

NWSL’s 13th regular season kicks off this week on March 15. The reigning NWSL Champions and Shield winners, Orlando Pride, begin their title defense against Chicago Red Stars (7:00 p.m. ET, Prime Video) in Florida. In Houston, 2024’s second-place Washington Spirit (and 2025 Challenge Cup winners) play Houston Dash (7:00 p.m. ET, NWSL+) in the first games of the season. 

Here are a few storylines to keep an eye on this season:  

  • After years of disappointment, Orlando Pride went 24-games unbeaten in 2024 (a new league record) en route to both the NWSL Shield and Championship trophies. Now, they’re the team to beat. Will they continue to dominate in 2025? 

  • Will new teams break into the top four? Last season saw four teams dominate at the top of the table: Orlando Pride, Washington Spirit, Gotham FC, and Kansas City Current. There were just five points between them, but a 16-point gap between fourth-place Kansas City and fifth-place North Carolina. NWSL is a uniquely competitive league, with exceptional talent spread across it. Can those same clubs remain on top?

  • No More Draft. This is the first NWSL season since the league abolished the draft. With a new class of rookies entering the league with more autonomy, will that affect their transition into the pros?

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European Roundup: Cup Competitions Galore 🌍 

WSL - Matchday 16 of 22 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

  • England’s top-flight played two games in the midweek. U.S. midfielder/forward Catarina Macario scored for first-place Chelsea in a 3-1 win against Leicester City, marking her third goal and fifth goal contribution of the regular season to go with her three additional goals in the Champions League. In the WSL’s other midweek test, Jamaican striker Khadija “Bunny” Shaw scored for Manchester City yet again in a 1-1 draw with West Ham. Shaw was last season’s WSL top scorer, and leads the league again this year with 12 goals in 14 games.  

FA Cup - Quarterfinals 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

  • The Women’s FA Cup (a domestic competition featuring 514 clubs at all levels of the game) played its quarterfinal round over the weekend. Three of the WSL’s top four teams won their tie to move on to the semifinal, including Chelsea, Manchester United, and Manchester City, who beat Crystal Palace, Sunderland, and Aston Villa, respectively. The WSL’s third-place club, Arsenal, lost 1-0 to sixth-place Liverpool in the sole upset of the round. The semifinals take place April 13, and will feature a Manchester derby as United faces City, while Chelsea plays Liverpool.

Chelsea vs. Manchester City vs. Chelsea vs. Manchester City vs… 💙🩵

  • Speaking of Chelsea and Manchester City: Starting next Saturday, these two will play one another in back-to-back contests four times in less than two weeks. The unprecedented situation comes as the two clubs are scheduled to face-off in the Women’s League Cup (a domestic cup competition between the top two divisions of English football), the UEFA Women’s Champions League quarterfinal, and the WSL regular season.

Copa de la Reina & Liga F 🇪🇸

  • In Spain, league giants Barcelona beat Real Madrid 5-0 in the first leg of the Copa de la Reina semifinal. Polish striker Ewa Pajor notched a hat trick in the win, and scored again for them in a 4-1 victory against Valencia in Liga F play on the weekend, which takes her league-leading goal total to 17 on the season. The second and final leg of Barcelona’s Copa de la Reina clash with Real Madrid takes place this Wednesday, March 12 (2:00 p.m. ET).

Coupe de France Feminine 🇫🇷

  • U.S. veteran Crystal Dunn assisted fellow American gold medalist Korbin Albert in PSG’s 2-1 win against Saint-Étienne in the Coupe de France Feminine semi-final. PSG will play Paris FC in the final on May 3.

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News & Notes 🗞️

  • On May 31 and June 3, the USWNT will play China PR in back-to-back friendlies. Becky Sauerbrunn, who retired at the end of last year, is set to be honored ahead of the June 3 friendly in her hometown of St. Louis. 🇺🇲🇨🇳

  • NWSL & WNBA connections continue: Basketball star Sabrina Ionescu is joining Bay FC’s investment group as an official commercial advisor. 🏀

  • FIFA is delaying the launch of the inaugural Women’s Club World Cup to 2028. The 16-team event was originally slated to begin in 2026, but will launch in 2028 with plans to hold it every four years. 🏆

  • NWSL has commissioned an independent investigation into Bay FC manager Albertin Montoya following two formal complaints alleging a “toxic” culture and “bullying”. 🔎

Parting Shots 🥃

WORTH A WATCH: On Saturday, 25-year-old Mexican midfielder Lizbeth Ovalle scored a golazo (above) for Tigres in their 4–0 win against Necaxa in Mexico’s Liga MX Femenil. (Check out the world-class finish from another angle.)

U.S. fans may remember Ovalle from the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup, as she scored the first of two goals for El Tri Femenil in their historic 2-0 win against the USWNT in California. The Tigres star has the second-most goals in Liga MX Femenil this season with 28. 🇲🇽⚽

Good Reads 📚

Moments of Joy 🤸

International Women’s Day was this past Saturday and Australian club Adelaide United did something special. The players walked out with the women that inspire them. ❤️

📝 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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