Rookies make BIG splash in NWSL Week Two 🇺🇸

It’s March 25, 2024. Give us four minutes, we give you everything The Women’s Game.

Happy Monday from rainy Manchester! I am back at Manchester City, a place I had such an incredible season, along with Rose Lavelle in 2020-21. I am on quite the world tour right now… living out of my suitcase and wearing the same socks multiple days in a row. Dirty clothes aside, I’m having the best time!

This past weekend, I went to the Manchester Derby at Etihad Stadium and saw City defeat United 3-1 in an incredible atmosphere and 40,000 fans. It was truly a spectacle of women’s football… Jess Park, the young City midfielder, outdid herself scoring 2 goals and assisting a third. We hit up the chippy after the game and ordered some fish and chips worth writing home about. It was a really special day and I’m so grateful and happy to have been there to witness it.

My big takeaway from this England trip so far is just how much things have changed since I was last here in 2020-21. It feels like women’s football is the place to be. There are murals of the Lionesses everywhere you turn, along with the street art in Manchester, and evidence of how women’s football has taken over here is easy to find. We hit up Jill Scott’s coffee shop, Boxx 2 Boxx, and saw so many jerseys, fans, and incredible memorabilia from Jill’s career. Women’s football is taking over.

ii. As my time in Manchester wraps up, I’m looking forward to heading over to London to spend some time with my sister. Please send me recommendations of places to have a pint, a glass of wine, and a roast dinner (emphasis on the Yorkshire pudding). Email me at [email protected].

I have a few more games on the schedule for this week, including the Chelsea vs. Ajax Champions League game on Wednesday, streaming on DAZN. Follow along on our socials, @womensgamemib on IG, Twitter, and TikTok for more coverage of my English adventure.

iii. We’ll be back tomorrow with an episode of Good Vibes FC, on our very own podcast feed which you can subscribe to here. And a very special guest on Thursday for Friendlies - Trinity Rodman, Washington Spirit and USWNT phenom. Trinity was so much fun to talk to - I heard all about Washington Spirit owner Michelle Kang, and about BOTH of her incoming head coaches: Emma Hayes of Chelsea and Jonatan Giráldez of Barcelona, who is coming to manage the Spirit soon. I can’t wait for you to hear it.

Thanks so much for being here with us!

Love,

Sam

🇯🇲BUNNY BREAKS THE RECORD: Before an enormous crowd of over 40,000 at the Etihad (our own Sam Mewis among them) Bunny Shaw scored the third goal of three for Man City in the Manchester Derby, becoming the top scorer in City history, as the Jamaican striker notched her 68th goal in just 82 games. 

I. Rookies make BIG splash in NWSL Week Two 🇺🇸

Following a raucous opening weekend marked by big crowds and new stadia, week two in NWSL came in swinging with rookie goals galore. 

Utah’s newly returned expansion side secured their first victory of the year on Friday against the North Carolina Courage (Royals 2-1 Courage), thanks to the fleet-footed fire of 2024’s number one draft pick, 20-year-old Ally Sentnor, who secured the go-ahead goal from distance. In the nation’s capital, this year’s draftee number three, Croix Bethune, stole the show in stoppage time as she slotted in the 95 minute match winner (Spirit 2 - 1 Bay FC), following the lead of fellow Spirit-rookie and 2024 draftee number five, Hal Hersfelt, who dropped this banger early on. 

ii. But alongside that string of debut rookie golazos, a few living legends are still bossing the game: Brazil’s Marta salvaged a point for Orlando with this sweet volley (Orlando 1 - 1 Angel City FC), and South Korean international of multi-league glory, Ji So-yun, secured a debut golazo for Seattle that even Alyssa Naeher couldn’t reach (Chicago Red Stars 2 - 1 Seattle). 

iii. After launching the new year with a Challenge Cup joust in New Jersey, last year’s Supporter Shield winners, San Diego Wave, played their first official league match in front of 32,066 fans in San Diego, setting a new NWSL home opener attendance record. Despite going ahead early, the visitors took three points as Kansas City Current became one of just two teams to win their opening two matches (San Diego Wave 1 - 2 Kansas City Current). And last year’s champions, Gotham FC, opened their season on the road, handing the Thorns their first-ever home opener loss (before a record home opener crowd in Portland of 19,857) as Spanish World Cup winner Esther González secured the lone goal. Tragically, Gotham’s irreplaceable winger Midge Purce went down injured in the process. We’re still waiting for an update, and hope for a speedy return ❤️‍🩹 (Portland Thorns 0 - 1 Gotham).

MORE: Yet another elite global name is coming to the NWSL. This time, it's Colombian midfielder Leicy Santos, who signs for Washington Spirit and will join the club this summer. 🇨🇴

🥤 Olipop: A New Kind of Soda. You can use code TWG20 for 20% off your first order at drinkolipop.com/TWG20.

II. US-born footballers make big marks across the UWCL quarterfinals 🌍🏆

The Champions League quarterfinal wrapped up its first leg last week with close games, new attendance records, and American-born ballers making their mark across the sea. 

In Portugal, USWNT captain and Colorado native Lindsey Horan assisted the 78th minute match-winner for the eight-time European champs, Lyon (Benfica 1 - 2 Lyon). Before the largest women’s football crowd in Dutch history, the USA’s newly returned Catarina Macario continued her goal-contribution form, assisting Chelsea’s third goal over Ajax, who featured 16-year-old Virginia native Lily Yohannes in the midfield (Ajax 0-3 Chelsea). And finally, 21-year-old Eva Gaetino scored first for PSG in their victory over Swedish side Häcken, making Gaetino the youngest American to score in the quarterfinal round or later in UWCL (Häcken 1 - 2 PSG). 

MORE: 20-year-old USWNT midfielder Korbin Albert carried forward the form of US-born players overseas, as she fired off her first D1 Féminine goal of the season from way, way out against Montpellier on Sunday.

AND MORE: ‘Barcelona and PSG win slim first-leg advantages’ 

III. El Clásico Femenil ends 0-3 in Barcelona’s favor 👑🇪🇸

The Spanish giants are top of the table in Liga F by a 12 point margin, after securing a three goal victory over rivals Real Madrid in the El Clásico Femenil this Sunday (Real Madrid 0 - 3 Barcelona). Exhibiting their trademark dexterity in possession, Barça Femení held 73% of the ball and achieved 91% pass accuracy as they calmly wore down their counterparts. Goals came from Swedish juggernaut Fridolina Rolfö, Spanish Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmatí, and Norwegian wonder Caroline Graham Hansen, whose third goal of the day may be the most remarkable of them all.   

IV. News and Notes 📰🗞️

i. The Olympic groups are confirmed. The USWNT will play in Group B alongside Germany, Australia, and the winner of Zambia or Morocco. AND, confirmed this week: the US will play Mexico at Red Bull Arena July 13 for their final tune-up ahead of Paris. 🇺🇲🇲🇽🇫🇷

ii. NEW tournament unleashed: the inaugural ‘Liga MX Femenil vs NWSL Summer Cup’ sets off this summer for the first time, featuring all 14 NWSL sides alongside the top 6 Liga MX sides, in a tournament that begins with a group stage in July. 🇺🇲🇲🇽

iii. Open-shirted singular suave manager Herve Renard says he will leave the women’s game after coaching Les Bleues at their home Olympics this summer. 🇫🇷

iv. Former Spanish FA President Luis Rubiales had his home raided alongside Spanish FA HQ in money laundering and corruption probe linked to Saudi Arabia 🇪🇸

V. Parting Shots 🥃

In their first-ever visit to Portman Road Stadium, where their men’s side play, Ipswich Town FC Women beat Chatham Town 5-0 before a crowd of 10,173 fans, setting a record for the third tier women’s football in England. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

VI. Good Reads 📚

i. From Amee Ruszkai at GOAL: ‘Lily Yohannes: Ajax’s Lindsey Horan and Lauren James-inspired teen who the USWNT look set to lose to the Netherlands’

ii. From Camila Alves in Globo: ‘“My coach tried to kiss me”: unprecedented survey reveals cases of harassment in women’s football’

iii. From Kirsten Robinson in Metro UK: ‘Why do so many men get so triggered by women’s football’

iv. From Abby Levene in Outside: ‘Jasmin Ryan becomes first woman to finish world’s hardest race’