USWNT Say Goodbye to Julie Ertz and Megan Rapinoe 👋🇺🇸

It’s Monday, September 25th. Give us four minutes, we give you everything The Women’s Game.

“14 years of hugs and cellys and trophies and tears together. All the feels for Pinoe’s last USWNT game”

- Alex Morgan says it best for all of us as she bids adieu to her sidekick in legendary, World Cup-winning crime: Megan Rapinoe.

I. Julie Ertz and Megan Rapinoe retire amid two victorious friendlies against South Africa 🇺🇸🇿🇦

The US Women’s National Team has returned to the field of play for the first-time since a dismal World Cup showing in as emotional a fashion as possible, bidding a final farewell to two absolute legends of the game.

Across two victorious friendlies played in the American midwest, the four-time World Champions celebrated the careers of two-time World Cup winners Julie Ertz and Megan Rapinoe, who say so long for good. We’ll remember them for the trophies, for the olimpicos, for the inimitable will to win, for the grace in loss, for their defining games in a dominant era, for the joy they brought to fans.

Julie Ertz - who detailed the undulations of her storied career on the pod last week - retires among the most winning records of any player to ever wear the US crest. You read that correctly. This squad has lost just three total games with the velvet hammer as a starter in their ranks. Her return to this year’s squad (unexpected and at the last gasp) provided a steady, determined hand to an otherwise youthful backline that was already missing the experience and leadership of Becky Sauerbunn. We may never find another like her again.

Megan Rapinoe retires from the USA’s star-studded program high among the most notable players on the field, and perhaps the most remarkable off of it. Her 203 caps include goals and assists toward the top of USWNT history. But as Rapinoe told the press in Chicago before her farewell match Sunday evening, the 2019 World Cup golden boot winner and Ballon D’or recipient learned early on that the platform of her success could achieve far more than mere trophies. For her wide-ranging advocacy off the pitch, Rapinoe retires with a Presidential Medal of Freedom to sit alongside her myriad sporting brass.

The US Women played a South African side hot off a historically successful World Cup appearance. In a restitution of joy as much as anything else, they collected two wins, defeating Banyana Banyana 3-0 in Cincinnati and 2-0 in Chicago.

The tea leaves say little, as of yet, as to whether the festering problems boiling over this summer down under will be rectified long term. But this pair of wins featured a dynamic younger generation perhaps ready to carry the torch. That includes the introductions of freshly arrived Mia Fishel (Chelsea), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave), and M.A. Vignola (Angel City FC), as well as the mounting dominance of young stars sharpening their edge.

In her last-ever press conference, Megan Rapinoe told the media in Chicago that she wasn’t worried about the next generation. She nodded to the young talents of Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith and Naomi Girma in particular, as players ready to lead on the field and off of it.

Sunday evening, rather poetically, Pinoe was first to jubilantly celebrate as Rodman scored the opening goal.

MORE: We spoke with newly retired legend of the game, Julie Ertz, in a brand new episode of The Women’s Game dropped this past Thursday. LISTEN HERE.

II. Se Acabó continues as La Roja restate demands amid first international window since the World Cup 🇪🇸

The intervening space between last week’s newsletter and today’s edition has been an event-filled one for La Roja.

As Montse Tomé readied to announce last Monday’s Nations League roster (the first since the newly crowned World Champions collected all the spoils in Sydney), the women’s football-watching world expected no less than 39 players in their pool to be absent due to a clearly stated intention to strike.

But with potential legal ramifications looming, 21 names from that list of striking players were called to camp regardless. Aghast reactions spun out across the globe as disgruntled players (who revealed they’d been given no clear warning to expect that call) reported to duty on Tuesday, despite their expressed wishes requiring further amends.

Once forced together, however, players met Tomé and federation representatives, alongside the Spanish government’s High Commission of Sport, to make clear (again) their ongoing concerns and requirements.

Reportedly, progress remains a slow-moving train, though one whose forward direction continued, thanks to the pressure from players.

Sufficient agreements were made between the three parties so that 21 of the 23 players called in agreed to travel to Sweden for Nations League play (with the notable exceptions of Barcelona’s Mapi León and Patri Guijarro who also sat out this summer’s World Cup) and cease the terms of their strike.

In Sweden, the reigning champions fought to a dramatic 3-2 victory in a semi-final rematch against the Swedes, who showed support for Se Acabó at the start of the match.

MORE: Spain’s women’s players agree to end national team boycott

III. UEFA Nations League is back and so is beautiful football chaos 🌍

Europe’s vast and expanding football powers were back in competition over the weekend, vying for 2024 Olympic qualification through Nations League play. With contests continuing through this week and into March (though you’ll need a VPN to watch from the USA) a few interesting bouts enthralled us:

2 England - Scotland 1

This match’s intrigue began before the first whistle. With Nations League serving as official qualification for the Olympics, England’s Lionesses faced their neighbors due north to qualify for a tournament wherein the two sides would be on the same team. In Olympic terms, both countries compete as part of “Team GB” (Great Britain and Northern Ireland). But rather than give Team GB four chances to qualify through the Nations League, the Olympic committee had them select just one among them to attempt that berth. Given their success and ranking: England was chosen. Then, they found themselves in a group with Scotland. The potential of losing to the team you’d later join with was avoided by narrow margin Sunderland last Saturday, as the Lionesses were victorious thanks to goals from Lucy Bronze and a victorious header from Lauren Hemp.

MORE: England vs Scotland vs Team GB, the curious ramifications of the Women’s Nations League

3 Ireland - Northern Ireland 0

Neighbors across the Irish Sea also faced off this weekend, with Ireland collecting the resounding win fresh off their first World Cup. In a post Vera Pauw era- with the controversial former-NWSL manager ousted from her role- goals came from three different players (Lucy Quinn, Kyra Carusa, Lily Agg) to mark the new age.

MORE: Republic of Ireland return for Tyler Toland marks a new era without Vera Pauw

Elsewhere in Nations League action, upsets and global parity remain the theme of the year as Belgium (who did not qualify for this year’s World Cup) overcame the mighty Dutch 2-1. And the Germans have yet to recover from historic defeat in the group stage of this year’s event as they fell to Denmark, 2-0.

With international friendlies kicking off across the globe, Japan continued to impress as they reeled in the goals with a 8-0 trouncing of fellow World Cup participants Argentina. Manchester City’s Yui Hasegawa led the charge with a brace.

IV. News and Notes 📰

• The NWSL is expanding to Boston in 2026.

• So long, Chicago. Atlanta is the new hub of US Soccer. What does that mean?

• Alex Morgan was fined for her comments criticizing a referee’s decision in a play that could have left her injured. Will Sophia Smith be next?

• England’s Women’s Super League is back next week. Here’s a comprehensive, team-by-team preview of what’s in store.

V. Parting Shots 🏆

NWSL is back next weekend. And just three regular season weekends remain before the playoffs come crashing in. This year’s competition has been a whirlwind cut in half by a World Cup, and the end of year promises as much intrigue as we’ve ever seen. Just 11 points separate the top-ranked side (Portland Thorns) from the last-placed team (Chicago Red Stars) and every team remains in mathematical contention to make a last-ditch playoff run. Megan Rapinoe’s last games. Trinity Rodman’s revenge. We’ll have all the assured chaos and gripping emotion detailed here, so do your inbox a favor and ensure you’re subscribed. And SHARE WITH A FRIEND.