Two Games, Two Wins for USWNT 🇺🇸; Final Weekend of NWSL Regular Season is Here 🗓️

It’s October 28, 2024. Give us four minutes, we give you everything The Women’s Game.

I. U.S. beats Iceland 3-1 in back-to-back friendlies, with honors for a few USWNT veterans 🇺🇲🇮🇸

a. This past week, the USA’s gold-medal-winning USWNT played their first set of friendlies since Paris. Thursday in Austin, Texas, English manager extraordinaire Emma Hayes fielded a Starting XI rife with recent Olympians, featuring the sole addition of 19-year-old Angel City forward Alyssa Thompson. After making the 2023 World Cup squad as an 18-year-old, Thompson fell short of this summer’s Olympic team, but earned her way back with incredible league play, scoring five goals since the Olympics with seven assists this season for Angel City. In the 39th minute, Thompson ripped in the opening goal of the game to mark an emotional first international goal. Iceland midfielder Selma Sól Magnús­dóttir equalized shortly after. But another remarkable teenage talent, 19-year-old Jaedyn Shaw, reclaimed the USA’s lead in the 85th minute. Triple Espresso forward phenom Sophia Smith added a third in the 88th to finish the night USA 3 - 1 Iceland. 

More: ‘Here for a reason’- Alyssa Thompson reintroduces herself to USWNT, as teenager proves why she should be in Emma Hayes’ plans 

Also: Sam and Becky went live at the final whistle. WATCH THEIR INSTANT REACTION ON YOUTUBE HERE. 

b. Sunday evening in Nashville, the U.S. collected a second straight 3-1 win over Iceland. This time, Emma Hayes opted for a significantly rotated lineup, featuring a first-ever cap for Olympic alternate Emily Sams. On the night of her 100th cap celebration, Triple Espresso member Mallory Swanson captained her first USWNT match. Amid short rest and myriad changes for the U.S., Iceland proved another tough test, and they took the initial 1-0 lead with a 31st minute Olimpico from 23-year-old Bayer Leverkusen forward Karólína Lea Vilhjálmsdóttir. But with trademark depth and resilience, the U.S. fought back to win with three goals in the second half. The Women’s Game record-breaking podcasting partner, Lynn Williams, started the comeback with a crisp finish in the 72nd minute. Pride of Golden, Colo. and frequent U.S. captain Lindsey Horan made it 2-1 four minutes later with the assist from Williams. And 23-year-old Racing Louisville forward Emma Sears finished off an incredible debut, as she collected a 93rd minute goal to add to her earlier assist. 

More: Emma Sears shines in USWNT debut, recording a goal and an assist

Also: Sam and Becky went live again at the final whistle, this time with the inimitable legend Megan Rapinoe. WATCH ON YOUTUBE HERE.

c. 100 club and retirement honors: While the team celebrated their gold medal, debuted new players and worked through some rust, they also celebrated the careers of multiple team veterans. That includes a retirement celebration in Nashville for one-of-a-kind USWNT defender, two-time World Cup champion, two-time NWSL Champion, gold medalist, bronze medalist, and all around incredible human, Kelley O’Hara. In Texas, Emily Sonnett became the 45th USWNT player to mark 100 caps. In Tennessee, Mallory Swanson was honored for her 100th cap, which she collected in this summer’s gold medal match, where she also scored the game-winning goal. And on Wednesday, Rose Lavelle will be honored for her 100th cap in Louisville. 

More: The USWNT will play one more friendly to round-out the October window. After beating Iceland 3-1 twice in a row, they’ll wrap up Wednesday in Louisville against Argentina (Wednesday, Oct. 30, 7 p.m. ET, Peacock, Max, TNT Sports, Universo, TruTV). BECKY AND ROG WILL BE LIVE ON OUR YOUTUBE AT THE FINAL WHISTLE: TUNE IN HERE.

👕 The USWNT have one more match this camp and thanks to our great friends at WorldSoccerShop, you can gear up with all the USWNT jerseys, hats, and anything else you can think of.

II. European Roundup: Euro 2025 Playoffs 🌍

a. Qualifying for Euro 2025, which takes place in Switzerland next summer, continued this past week with Round One Leg One of the Qualifying Playoffs. Played across two, two-legged rounds, the playoffs will decide the final seven teams in the Euros. In Round One, the Republic of Ireland beat Georgia 6-0 featuring two assists for North Carolina Courage midfielder Denise O’Sullivan, this Katie McCabe golazo, and a sweet finish from San Diego forward Kyra Carusa for the team’s second goal. Scotland beat Hungary 1-0 in Budapest with a goal from Tottenham Hotspur striker Martha Thomas. And Wales stumbled in a 2-1 defeat to Slovakia, with Bristol City’s Ffion Morgan providing the lone goal for The Dragons. 

More: Euro 2025 playoffs: Wales suffer Slovakia setback, Scotland gain edge on Hungary

b. The second and final leg continues this Tuesday, Oct. 29, with the winners progressing to the final round of the playoffs. Four matchups are dead even heading into the second leg, including Turkey 1-1 Ukraine; Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-2 Serbia; Greece 0-0 Belgium; and Croatia 1-1 Northern Ireland. Four other matchups were decided by just one goal in the first leg. TUNE IN INFO HERE.

III. Around the world: friendly roundup 🌍

a. On Friday, England’s Lionesses hosted Germany for a re-match of the 2022 Women’s Euro Final, which saw the Lionesses crowned European Champions on home soil. Germany proved victorious this time, in a 4-3 goalfest that saw England fight back after trailing 3-0 within the first 30 minutes. German right-back Giulia Gwinn and English midfielder Georgia Stanway, who are teammates at Frauen Bundesliga club Bayern Munich, both scored a brace of goals for their national teams at Wembley. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇩🇪

More: More: 33-year-old German striker Alexandra Popp walked off the field for Germany for the final time in a friendly against Australia today (which ended 2-1 in the Matildas' favor). The Wolfsburg forward retires with 144 appearances and 64 goals for Die Nationalelf, making her the third-time leading scorer in program history.

b. In Spain, the Canadian Women’s National Team drew the reigning World Cup champions 1-1. 29-year-old Benfica midfielder Marie-Yasmine Alidou scored Canada’s lone goal to mark her first international goal in her third cap for the CANWNT. 🇨🇦🇪🇸

c. El Tri Femenil beat Venezuela 3-0 with a goal from Orange, Calif. born and Club América forward Kiana Palacios, followed by a brace from 23-year-old Monterrey midfielder Nicole Pérez.🇲🇽🇻🇪

d. Banyana Banyana goalkeeper Jessica Williams scored a free kick golazo in a 3-0 win over Eswatini in the COSAFA Women’s Cup. 🇿🇦🇸🇿

IV. THE FINAL WEEKEND: NWSL Wraps Up 2024 Regular Season Next Week ⚽

Matchday 26 of 26 in the 2024 NWSL regular season is set for this weekend, with three remaining playoff spots on the line. Seventh-place Portland Thorns will host Angel City in Oregon as they seek to confirm their spot (Friday, Nov. 1, 10 p.m. ET, Prime Video). Expansion club Bay FC is hoping to make history in their first season. The eighth-place team enter the final weekend in the final playoff spot, and will play Houston Dash in Texas with the postseason on the line (Saturday, Nov. 2, 9:30 p.m. ET, ION). And finally Racing Louisville, who are currently one spot short of the playoff positions, also hope to make history as they fight to qualify for their first-ever postseason against San Diego Wave (Sunday, Nov. 3, 5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+). 

V. News and Notes 📰🗞️

a. 21-year-old Haitian midfielder Melchie Dumornay was named the 2023/24 Concacaf Player of the Year last week, honoring her standout performances for Haiti at the 2023 Women’s World Cup and as a midfielder for European giants, Lyon. 🇭🇹

b. The Ballon d’Or winner will be announced today in Paris. This year’s player nominees feature an array of the world’s best footballers. Spanish midfield maestro Aitana Bonmatí could be set to win her second straight trophy following another seismic season with European champions Barcelona. Bonmatí’s teammate, Norwegian wonder Caroline Graham Hansen could lay claim to the esteemed prize as well. But the USA’s newly minted gold medalists feature a few contenders of their own, including Lyon midfielder Lindsey Horan, and all three members of the “Triple Espresso” forward force: Washington Spirit’s Trinity Rodman, Chicago Red Stars’ Mallory Swanson, and Portland Thorns’ Sophia Smith. 🇫🇷

c. The Ballon d’Or Women’s Coach of the Year also features a few phenomenal names. That includes USWNT manager Emma Hayes, who won gold in Paris just two months into her international tenure after a decade with Chelsea. Former Barcelona boss Jonatan Giráldez, who now manages the Washington Spirit, is also nominated after lifting the UEFA Women’s Champions League trophy earlier this year. 

d. Kansas City Current won the inaugural Liga MX Femenil x NWSL Summer Cup with a 2-0 victory over Gotham FC on Friday. Malawian forward Temwa Chawinga, who broke the NWSL record for goals in single regular season this month, scored both goals for Kansas City in the win. 🏆

e. Japan has announced hopes to host the 2031 Women’s World Cup. Nadeshiko Japan were among the most exciting teams at this summer’s Olympics, putting up a valiant performance against the eventual winners, and remain one of just five national teams to have won the coveted Women’s World Cup. 🇯🇵

VI. Parting Shots 🥃

"The captains that have been on the national team have been such impactful players and people... Just to know that my teammates trust me means the world." 

24-year-old San Diego Wave centerback, lynchpin to USWNT glory, and immediate leader despite her age, Naomi Girma, spoke with Sam on last week’s Friendlies pod about the meaning behind taking the U.S. captain’s band, which she’s donned a few times under Emma Hayes.

VII. Good Reads 📚

a. From Suzy Wrack in The Guardian, ‘PSG’s Mary Earps: United fans come out to watch me’

b. From Tom Garry in The Guardian, ‘Nick Cushing on Arsenal’s shortlist to replace Jonas Eidevall as head coach’

c.  From Flo Lloyd Hughes, “Stop Infantilizing Women’s Football Fans’