Happy Tuesday, TWG readers!
⚽️ There was so much soccer this weekend – from the Asian Cup final to all the NWSL games to the WSL in England, we were spoiled with games. And surprises! Chicago beat Kansas City. Portland beat Seattle with only nine players on the field. London City tied Chelsea.
🇦🇺 I was devastated for Australia to lose to Japan in the Asian Cup final, but I’m so proud of Sam Kerr’s performance in this tournament. She scored three game-winning goals and really helped solidify Australia as a team to be reckoned with come next summer.
📺 Watching Angel City find success in their first two games this season feels like a long time coming. We recently chatted with Angel City stars Emily Sams and Gisele Thompson (dropping Thursday!) about the vibes in LA, and I’m happy to report that it sounds like things are going well beyond just the results. Could this finally be Angel City’s year? 💖 Let me know what you think by sending us an email at womensgamOnblazers.com.
🫠 Besides watching soccer, I’ve been busy crashing out over my Fantasy NWSL team and Women’s March Madness bracket 🏀. I’m good at a lot of things, but online predictions are not necessarily one of them. If you have tips, I’m listening.
Thank you all for being here!
Love,
Sam
NWSL After Dark: Matchweek Two 👀
Photo by Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
The league’s second weekend delivered on drama, doled out more red cards and showed signs that NWSL’s parity remains top-notch.
⚔️ Portland Stun Seattle 2-0 in Cascadia Classic
When it comes to NWSL rivalries, Portland vs. Seattle always delivers. While Seattle has had their share of victories over their Pacific coast rivals, on Friday at Providence Park, not even two red cards could stymie Portland’s strong start to the season in a 2-0 victory over the Reign, courtesy of a header from Pietra Tordin and stunning strike from Reilyn Turner.
Sam’s Take 🗣️: I was SHOOK about this game. I couldn't help but cringe for Seattle, who have to live with this result. I'm getting takes from both Becky and Lynn on “Good Vibes” today because HOW ON EARTH DID THIS HAPPEN?!?
Weekly Poll: What do you think is the best NWSL rivalry?
🤩 A Quintessential Comeback: Racing Louisville 2-2 Washington Spirit
On Friday, Racing Louisville hosted the Washington Spirit, with Emma Sears scoring off a blistering 60-yard run and goalkeeper Jordyn Bloomer making eight vital saves. Louisville doubled their lead, only for the Spirit to equalize, earning a 2-2 draw (watch this Sofia Cantore strike five times – molto bene! 🤌).
Photo courtesy of the NWSL
📈 Underdogs on Top: This Season’s Most Surprising Starts
On Sunday, the Chicago Stars, 2025’s last-place team, toppled last year’s Shield-winning Kansas City Current with a 2-1 defeat, thanks to striker Jordyn Huitema’s debut goal for her new club. 🤩
That wasn’t the only surprise in store to start the season as three teams that missed the playoffs in 2025 – Angel City, Houston Dash and North Carolina Courage – have rocketed to the top four, with Angel City and Houston sitting first and second.
Angel City stunned Bay FC 3-1 with Icelandic forward Sveindís Jónsdóttir scoring a brace and assisting USWNT’s Gisele Thompson, who opened her account with her first NWSL goal of the season.
Meanwhile, Houston beat the Boston Legacy 3-0 at home, winning their first two games of the season for the first time in club history.
Sam’s Take 🗣️: These Houston results deserve a deep dive. 2-0 to start the season is a big deal for the Dash, especially considering they just lost Yazmeen Ryan and Delanie Sheehan to Denver. Kiki van Zanten's first goal against Boston was the kind of beautiful, clean soccer that I would expect from a Fabrice Gautrat team, and I'm excited to see more from them if they can keep this up. P.S. – Shout-out to goalkeeper Jane Campbell who has let in zero goals so far this season.
WSL Teams Jockey for a Top-Three Finish 🏴
Photo courtesy of Manchester City
Who Will Qualify for Champion’s League?
With qualification for UWCL on the line, Manchester City, Man United, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Tottenham are all locked in a tense end-of-season battle. The WSL sends its top two teams straight into the league phase, while the third‑place finisher enters in the third-qualifying round.
A Quick Look at Who Can Still Make It, and Who Might Fall Short
🩵 The Frontrunner: If first-placed Manchester City lose their last four games, they’d not only let slip the title, they’d fumble their chance to return to Europe. With Bunny Shaw setting WSL records (Shaw scored the fastest hat-trick in WSL history in Saturday’s 5-2 win against Tottenham) that seems unlikely.
🤍 The Long-shot: Although technically still in the mix, Tottenham would need a stunning end to their season (and poor results from their peers) to pull it off. They trail fourth-placed Arsenal by six points, and play two of their final games against top-four teams.
♥️ In Striking Distance: The reigning champions of Europe, Arsenal, are in fourth, but with two games in hand and their form peaking (Chloe Kelly just scored a hat trick in a 5-0 win over West Ham), the Gunners seem likely to compete again next year.
👹 ⚔️ 💙 The Toss-up: The race could come down to second-placed Manchester United and third-placed Chelsea, who conveniently play each other on the last matchday of the year.
Wild Card Possibility
If Manchester United, Chelsea or Arsenal finish the WSL season short of the top three, they could still compete in next year’s competition if they win this year’s Champions League.
Japan Lift Asian Cup Trophy 🇯🇵 🏆
Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
In a close matchup, Nadeshiko Japan secured their third Asian Cup title, firing off more shots in total than any other team in the tournament. Forward Maika Hamano’s confident 17th-minute strike was all Japan needed to overcome a talented Matildas squad in front of a record 74,397-person crowd in Sydney.
Following the match, Sam penned this heartfelt message, championing the Matildas and Sam Kerr’s epic return to form following a long injury. Standout defender, Alanna Kennedy, was also awarded Most Valuable Player of the tournament.
Japan next heads stateside for a series of friendlies with the USWNT, setting up a three-peat of tantalizing tests for Emma Hayes’ side this April.
More: During the Asian Cup, 🇰🇵 North Korea and the 🇵🇭 Philippines clinched 2027 World Cup berths with wins over Chinese Taipei and Uzbekistan, who can still qualify via inter-continental playoffs.
Also: USWNT’s Naomi Girma and Sam Coffey stood in solidarity with players in the Asian Cup, calling for more equitable compensation. The tournament saw no increase in prize money from 2022, despite being the most successful Asian Cup to date.
Upcoming Games to Get Excited About 🗓️
🏆 Champions League (UWCL)
Arsenal vs. Chelsea (TODAY, 4 p.m. ET, Paramount+)
This UWCL London derby is the first time two teams from the same city will face off in a Champions League quarterfinal and pits the reigning European champions, Arsenal, against eight-time WSL champions, Chelsea.
Real Madrid vs. Barcelona (Wednesday, 1:45 p.m. ET, Paramount+)
Three-time UWCL champions Barcelona are the favorites in this Clásico meeting, Champions League edition, but Madrid could cause trouble for anyone when players like Linda Caicedo and Caroline Weir are firing.
Manchester United vs. Bayern Munich (Wednesday, 4 p.m. ET, Paramount+)
Manchester United’s first Champions League quarterfinal will showcase recent winter signing, German forward Lea Schüller, facing off against her former club Bayern Münich, as the Bavarian giants look to make their first semifinal since 2021.
Sam’s Take 🗣️: This is the time in Champions League when things get spicy 🌶️. These matchups are INSANE. I'm so nervous for Arsenal vs. Chelsea and cannot wait to watch. Join our Discord and watch with us!
🇺🇸 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL)
Portland Thorns vs. KC Current (Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, CBS/Paramount+)
Soaring at the start of the 2026 season, Portland host the 2025 Shield winners, who are adjusting to a new coach and two-time NWSL MVP, Temwa Chawinga, still being out injured.
Denver Summit vs. Washington Spirit (Saturday, 2 p.m. ET, CBS/Paramount+)
2026 expansion side Denver Summit has sold over 50,000 tickets for its inaugural home opener against the Washington Spirit, putting them on track to break the single-game NWSL attendance record as both teams are still searching for their first win of the year.
🏴 Women’s Super League (WSL)
Manchester United vs. Manchester City (Saturday, 9:30 a.m. ET, ESPN)
This weekend’s Manchester Derby between first-placed Manchester City and the second-placed Red Devils has massive implications for City’s hopes of maintaining its lead at the top of the table, and both team’s hopes of a 2026/27 Champions League berth.
News & Notes 🗞️
👑 Queens in Queens! Gotham will face the Washington Spirit at Citi Field, home of the New York Mets, on July 15 for their first meeting since the 2025 NWSL Championship.
💪 Casual flex. USWNT attacker Alyssa Thompson surpassed her best single-season goalscoring record at Chelsea, scoring seven goals in 14 WSL appearances.
🏟️ Fewer Swedish meatballs, more full‑size pitches. Atlanta’s 2028 NWSL expansion side reclaimed the land once destined for an IKEA and is building a 33‑acre training headquarters instead.
💸 Even Sammy Media can’t help going over the salary cap in Fantasy Football. Learn how you too can join the TWG NWSL Fantasy League!
It’s TWG Trivia Time 🤔
This week’s question: European heavyweights, 🇫🇷 OL Lyonnes and 🇩🇪 VfL Wolfsburg, meet this week in the UWCL quarterfinal. How many times have eight-time European champions Lyon and two-time champions Wolfsburg faced off in the Champions League final?
Respond to this email (or reply here) for a chance to win a coveted TWG patch.
Last week’s answer: The NWSL player who broke Alex Pfeiffer’s record as the current youngest goalscorer in the league is Utah Royals forward KK Ream!
Congrats to Bella Vassos, who was the first person to respond with the correct answer. Bella, your TWG patch is on the way! 💌
Good Reads 📚
☕️ Make that a double hit of espresso. Trinity Rodman and Sophia Wilson are back, and the NWSL is banking on them to keep fans buzzing.
✈️ Less than 500 days until the 2027 World Cup in Brazil, and the NWSL season is basically a stampede for the last seats on the plane.
🗣️ FIFA has spoken. Women’s international competitions will now require at least two female staff members, including a head coach or assistant coach, in a move to expand pathways for women on the touchline.
Moment of Joy 🤸
Abby writes: Hi Sam and team,
I just wanted to share that on Saturday, I got a group of friends together to watch Denver Summit’s opening game at our local sports bar!
I live in a small mountain town in Colorado with one local sports bar in town. And I’m determined to turn it into a Summit bar :) Helping the servers find the broadcast, answering all the questions (Wait, Denver has a team? Which color are we? Why did she get a red card? Who just scored? What league is this??), and getting to watch the Summit start their journey made my day!
Even though we lost, I still had a huge smile on my face the entire day. I can’t wait to be at Mile High on March 28. I can’t wait to watch the season unfold, and I can’t wait to watch more Summit games in my tiny town.
Thank you for helping to grow this sport, for lifting up the voices of women’s soccer, and for sharing your own stories. Go Summit!
All the best,
Abby
--
Sam writes: Hi Abby, I love that you’re turning your small mountain town’s sports bar into a Summit stronghold. That’s real supporter energy. And with Denver fans already breaking records, selling over 50,000 tickets for the home opener, it’s clear the whole state is behind this team.
Denver’s been overlooked as a soccer powerhouse for far too long, especially with players like Sophia Wilson, Mal Swanson, and Lindsay Heaps – who’ll return to play in her home state this summer – all coming from Colorado.
Thank you for spreading the word, backing this new expansion side, and bringing new fans along for the ride. I hope the game is everything you’ve been waiting for this weekend. Enjoy every second. Go Summit! <3
Love,
Sam
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