Happy Monday TWG Readers!

I don’t know about you, but I’m going to be recovering from NWSL Championship weekend for about a month. Kansas City was such an unbelievable host for the game. TWG hosted a sold-out live show on Thursday night at the Madrid Theatre (listen here) and the fans really showed up. I couldn’t get over the energy the crowd gave us for over 2 hours of guests, including players, owners, and even the NWSL Commissioner, Jessica Berman. Thanks to our friends at Ally, we had the best time and I’m still so grateful to everyone who came out and made it so much fun.

On Friday we had even more adventures — we hit up Bar K and had the dogs vote on who would win the championship, went to Ruby Jean’s Juicery for the juice inspired by the Black Women’s Player Collective, then we stopped for coffee at KC Current player-run coffee cart, Pitchside. Finally, I got to host the Skills Challenge and make a surprise guest appearance at A Touch More’s live show. Safe to say, I fell asleep quickly Friday night to rest up for the game on Saturday.

Finally, on Saturday, we took over the Adobe stage with the Pitchside crew for an interview about their creative small business. The interview will drop on our podcast feed on Wednesday! The crowd was amazing and FanFest was such an incredible event. It was awesome for me to see all the brands and fans come together to create an event that really highlighted the growth of the NWSL. I’ve been to a lot of Finals, and this one was unlike anything I’ve seen before. 

While we all come down from the weekend and gear up for Thanksgiving, TWG has you covered with lots more content. Keep your eyes peeled today for a surprise episode, then tune into our YouTube Channel or pod feed for Good Vibes tomorrow. 

I hope everyone has a restful, turkey-stuffed week with family, dogs, and loved ones. I’m hosting Thanksgiving this year — my sister and parents are coming to Vermont! Pat will be cooking and I will be in my slippers with a Christmas movie on. Send me an email and tell me your favorite Christmas movies– I am torn between the OG Santa Claus and The Princess Switch… only half kidding.

But come Saturday, the USWNT is BACK and so is TWG… Kristie and I will be going live reacting to the USA vs. England game right at the final whistle. We’ll tell you all about the Mewis family Thanksgiving and break down the game together.

Thank you all so much for your support over this NWSL season… there is so much more to come and we’re so grateful you’re on this ride with us!

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Love,

Sam

🦋 PS: The Women’s Game is now on Bluesky! Follow us here.

🥤 Olipop powers everything we do here at The Women’s Game. You can use code TWG20 for 20% off your first order at drinkolipop.com/TWG20.

Orlando Pride win first-ever NWSL Championship 🏆

Saturday in Kansas City, the year’s most gripping story ended with a fairytale finish. The Orlando Pride, who’ve finished every season except 2017 in the bottom three of the table, won their first NWSL Championship, 1-0 against the Washington Spirit, at the end of a record-breaking, rejuvenating year. 

• Zambian forward Barbra Banda scored the lone goal for Orlando, marking an incredible fourth goal in the playoffs after scoring 13 in the regular season. Banda, who debuted for Orlando in April, has been a pivotal piece in the Pride’s momentous year, and collected NWSL Championship MVP honors for her contribution. ⚽

• Orlando’s defense was formidable all year. English goalkeeper Anna Moorehouse set a league record with 13 clean sheets, and contributed five saves in the final. U.S. defender and Olympic alternate, Emily Sams, was named Defender of the Year as a key part of Orlando’s backline, which tied Gotham for fewest goals allowed this season. That solid defending helped seal their win in Kansas City. The Washington Spirit outshot and out-possessed Orlando, but never broke through.🧤

• 36-year-old Wetherby, England-born Seb Hines became the first black coach to win the NWSL Championship, in his second full season as manager of the Pride. Here’s the moment Hines made his mark in history. 

More: Rog and Sam discuss Seb Hines live in Kansas City

• 38-year-old Brazilian wonder, Marta, has been immense for Orlando this year. In a remarkable season, the Dois Riachos, Brazil-born forward scored nine regular season goals and a semifinal match-winning golazo, reminding the world why she’s among the greatest to ever play. After sticking with the Pride through difficult times, Marta was the spine that saw them through. Worth the wait: Marta’s mother traveled from Brazil to watch her daughter play in the United States for the first time ever, and witnessed her first NWSL Championship trophy in person. As Marta raised the trophy, she said, “I f*****g waited eight years for this”. 💜

More: Marta: NWSL Championship is the biggest game of my career

• The Washington Spirit deserve praise as one of the best teams in 2024. In a close 1-0 loss, the team expressed frustration with the refereeing, as many felt Banda’s goal followed a foul earlier in the play. Throughout the season, a team with key players still present from their 2021 Championship was bolstered by a sensational rookie class (including Rookie of the Year Croix Bethune, Hal Hershfelt, Katie Wiesner, Makenna Morris, Courtney Brown and Heather Stainbrook) as well as impactful new signings like Colombian midfielder Leicy Santos and English defender Esme Morgan. Former Barcelona boss Jonatan Giráldez took over midseason and has already made a mark. And Washington Spirit owner, business-woman-extraordinaire, Michele Kang, continues to set the standard for investing in the game. The future is bright for the Spirit. 

More: So close, yet so far for NWSL runners-up Washington Spirit

Cheers to another incredible year in the NWSL 📈

• The NWSL saw another riveting year of growth in its twelfth regular season. While a seismic new broadcast deal brought the game to a wider audience remotely, in-person attendance also reached new heights. The league passed 2 million attendees for the first-time, and surpassed 11,000 average fans per game.  

• On-field records were smashed. Orlando Pride set a new unbeaten record with a 24-game unblemished run. Orlando goalkeeper Anna Moorehouse set a clean sheet record with 13. Malawian forward Temwa Chawinga broke Sam Kerr’s single-season scoring record as she scored 20 goals in 25 matches, earning the Golden Boot and NWSL MVP. Chawinga’s team, the Kansas City Current, set the team goals record with 57. Washington Spirit and USWNT midfielder Croix Bethune tied Tobin Heath’s assist record, en route to Rookie of the Year and Midfielder of the Year accolades. 

More: Chawinga crowned NWSL MVP as Bethune, Sams win additional 2024 awards

USWNT vs England this Saturday at Wembley 🇺🇲🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏟️👀

This Saturday, the USA’s London-born manager, Emma Hayes, leads the gold medal-winning USWNT in a Wembley rematch against the reigning champions of Europe: England’s Lionesses. Much has changed since their last friendly at London’s historic Wembley Stadium, when the U.S. fell 2-1 with a lone goal from Sophia Smith in October 2022. And much remains in flux for both teams. England’s squad, who’ve been lackluster in recent matches, will be without key players like Ella Toone, Lauren James and Lauren Hemp. The U.S. will also be missing notable names, including their “triple espresso” forward force of Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman and Mallory Swanson, who combined for 10 goals in the USA’s gold-medal-winning summer. Hayes’ focus will be on testing the team against “world class teams”, and developing the roster for the 2027 World Cup. Of the 24 players traveling to London, 10 of them have no more than two caps, and 14 of them have 20 caps or less. The match seems sure to be fierce, and the focus will be on the future. 🇺🇲🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 (Saturday, Nov. 30, 12:20 p.m. ET, TNT, Max, Universo, Peacock). 

More: England vs USWNT set for fiery game at Wembley

Also: Olympics are over, World Cup is in three years: What questions must USWNT answer now?

And this: 36-year-old Alyssa Naeher has announced her retirement from the USWNT, leaving behind an incredible legacy as one of the best US goalkeepers in history. Naeher's brilliance in net was key to the USA's gold medal winning summer in Paris. She started 22 games for the US at the World and Olympics in her career, and retires as an Olympic gold medalist, bronze medalist, and two-time World Cup Champion. The USA's upcoming friendlies against England and The Netherlands will be her last.

📺 Watch: Alyssa Naeher spoke exclusively with Sam on The Women's Game about her decision to retire.

TWG Mugs, Hoodies, + More ☕️

Elevate your morning brews JUST LIKE SAM AND THE PITCHSIDE GIRLS with a The Women's Game Mug (Pitchside blend coffee not included). Perfect for chilly match days or cozying up for those early morning WSL matches.

☕️ Shop all TWG merch now.

PS: We might have some new merch coming 👀 Email and let us know what you’d like to see next!

European Roundup: Chelsea rolls past United 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿; Domestic Cup games 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇩🇪; Ewa Pajor 🇵🇱 keeps scoring in Spain 🇪🇸

• A much-anticipated test between Chelsea and Manchester United (which was delayed due to schedule congestion) saw London’s Blues win 1-0 on Sunday. Norwegian winger Guro Reiten scored her sixth goal of the season from the penalty spot in a match Chelsea controlled throughout. After eight matchdays, Chelsea are in first-place as the only undefeated team, with a five point lead in England’s top division. Chelsea’s new manager, Sonia Bompastor, has 12 wins from 12 games across all competitions in her first season with the Blues. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 

More: Chelsea can improve despite 100% start – Bompastor

• The Adobe Women’s FA Cup 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 continued with its second round on November 24, though several matches were postponed due to a storm. This is the 55th edition of England’s Women’s FA Cup, an annual competition between clubs at all levels of women’s football. This year saw 514 teams enter the qualification phase. The next round will be played on December 8th, when 11 teams from the second division Championship enter the fray. Top flight WSL teams won’t enter until the fourth round.

More: ‘Proud is an understatement’: Mancunian Unity chase women’s FA Cup glory’

Also: FA sorry after Women’s FA Cup draw stream freezes to leave clubs in dark

• England’s Women’s League Cup (a competition featuring teams from the top two divisions of women’s football: the Women’s Super League (WSL) and Championship) held the second matchday of the group stage this weekend. Top flight WSL sides Manchester United, West Ham and Tottenham all lead their groups with two wins from two matchdays. Tottenham’s Finnish midfielder, Eveliina Summanen, scored a gorgeous goal in their 1-0 win against Aston Villa. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

• Over the weekend, eight teams confirmed their spot in the quarter-final of Germany’s domestic cup competition, the DFB Pokal Frauen. In the Round of 16, six of the teams ranked 1-8 in the Frauen Bundesliga (Germany’s top flight of women’s football) moved on. Two second-flight Bundesliga 2 teams, Borussia Moenchengladbach and Hamburger SV, upset top division sides to move on. 🇩🇪

• Polish striker Ewa Pajor, who signed for European giants Barcelona this past summer, is Liga F’s topscorer after notching her 10th goal in a 5-1 win over UD Tenerife. Barcelona are in first-place of Liga F with 11 wins from 11 games. 🇵🇱🇪🇸

UWCL Matchday 4: Six teams book their spot in the quarterfinal 🏆

• Three English clubs— Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City— confirmed their spot in the next round of the UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL) in matchday four of the group stage. Swedish forward Lina Hurtig made the difference for Arsenal in their 1-0 win over Juventus, while Jamaican striker Bunny Shaw scored a brace of goals in their win, including this stunning strike. U.S. forward Catarina Macario made her first start for Chelsea in six months, and collected an assist in their 3-0 win against Celtic. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

More: Sonia Bompastor says Sam Kerr and Mia Fishel could be back training by the end of the year

• French giants Lyon, German juggernauts Bayern Munich, and Spain’s Real Madrid also qualified for the knockout phase. 🇫🇷🇩🇪🇪🇸

More: UWCL talking points: Hurtig saves Arsenal, Putellas’ 200 goals, are the groups too easy?

• There are two more matchdays in the UWCL group stage. And two quarterfinal spots remain up for grabs. Italian side Roma and German club Wolfsburg are neck-and-neck in Group A as they vie for the final spot. Reigning champions Barcelona have a six point lead over third-place Hammarby in Group D, and could qualify when the two play each next in December.

Euro 2025 🇨🇭 Qualifying Playoffs set to confirm final spots

The final round of Euro 2025 Qualifying starts this week. Seven two-legged ties will determine the final seven nations heading to Switzerland next summer. 

• Two teams, Norway and Sweden, have won the Euro tournament in the past, but are still seeking qualification for next summer. Norway plays Northern Ireland this Friday (Nov. 29, 3 PM ET, DAZN). And Sweden will face Serbia Thursday (Nov. 28, 1 PM ET, DAZN). 

• Five of the 14 remaining teams are seeking their first Euro appearance. That includes both Wales and the Republic of Ireland, who face each other in the two-legged tie. (Friday, Nov. 29, 3:15 PM ET, DAZN). 

More: Women’s Euro 2025 qualifying playoff round 2 starts Thursday

The Women’s Game x WorldSoccerShop Giveaway — Stay Warm 🎁

We love making football memories with all of you and our amazing friends at WorldSoccerShop help us give back and thank you for sharing these moments with us.

This week, they’ve hooked us up with one of the new Copa beanies to give away. So many of you have signed up for these giveaways and we’re so excited to be able to bring you more and more.

📧 SIGN UP HERE to make sure you’re entered.

News and Notes 📰🗞️

• U.S. Soccer confirmed the participants and schedule for the 2025 SheBelives Cup. The USWNT will play Australia, Japan, Colombia in Houston, Glendale, and San Diego from Feb. 20-26, 2025. 🇺🇲🇦🇺🇯🇵🇨🇴

• NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman says the next expansion team is down to three cities: Cincinnati, Cleveland and Denver. WNBA rookie star Caitlin Clarke has joined Cincinnati’s bid for NWSL’s 16th team. ⚽🏀🏟️

• Michele Kang makes another historic investment in women’s soccer. The businesswoman and multi-club women’s football owner has donated a $30 million dollar investment in US Soccer’s Women and Girls Program, which is the program’s largest philanthropic investment to date. In Kansas City, Kang told TWG live about her plans for women’s soccer. 💰

• TP Mazembe, a women’s football club based from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has won the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Women’s Champions League hosted in Morocco. The first-time winners beat former champions, the Morocco-based AS FAR 1-0 to claim the trophy. 28-year-old attacking midfielder Marlene Kasaj scored the game-deciding goal from the penalty spot. 🇨🇬

• The quarter-finalists of the 2024 NCAA DI Women’s Soccer tournament are confirmed. 21-time NCAA Champions and home to myriad USWNT legends, The University of North Carolina, will play Penn State University in the next round (Friday, Nov. 29, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN+). Three-time NCAA Champions and USWNT player-factory, Stanford, which has produced recent remarkable talents like Naomi Girma, Sophia Smith and Catarina Macario, beat Arkansas in penalty kicks and play Notre Dame (where USWNT and PSG talents Korbin Albert and Eva Gaetino both played) next. (Friday, Nov. 29, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN+). 🇺🇲

• Canada’s former manager, Bev Priestman, spoke publicly for the first time since being dismissed from her role following Canada Soccer’s drone-spying scandal. Priestman posted a statement to her Instagram, saying it would take a long time to, “process, heal, and find the right words…”, before going on to say that, “...I hope out of a really tough situation, this is a turning point for our game." 🇨🇦

Parting Shots 🥃

“It’s gonna hit a billion dollars… that’s gonna happen in our lifetimes.” 

— USWNT veteran, gold medalist, and World Cup champion, Lauren Holiday, on the skyrocketing valuations for franchises in women’s sports.🚀 

WATCH THE FULL CONVERSATION HERE. 

Good Reads 📚

• From Rachel Bachman in The Wall Street Journal, ‘Michele Kang: the free-spending owner building a women’s soccer empire’

• From Becky Sullivan in NPR, ‘Rocket ship of women’s sports propels NWSL record year’

• From Suzanne Wrack in The Guardian, ‘What do the weekend’s attendances tell us after WSL took center stage?’

Dear Sam… ✍️

Email from Valerie Dunham:

“My kindergartner had one of those “disguise your turkey” projects for school. Her friends did Iron Man and Spider-Man, and Eden did Lynn Williams haha. She also mispronounces Lynn’s name and it always comes out “Win Lilliams,” so she told everyone she dressed her turkey up as ‘Win’.”

Valerie! This is so cute! I'll be sure to share with Lynn. Your daughter is so right — her name should be Win. Thank you for writing in!

Write to us at [email protected] and maybe your letter will be featured in our next newsletter!