Happy Tuesday, TWG readers! 

I hope everyone had a soup-filled long weekend as we gear up for SheBelieves aka SonnettBelieves this week! It feels like it’s been a long time coming to see the USWNT back in action with games and I’m so excited for what’s to come.

Today, Becky Sauerbrunn and I are diving into the SBC roster and opponents on an all new episode of Good Vibes. Tomorrow, we’re dropping a Sammy Banana Phone special on the tournament: Emma’s thoughts, the goalkeeper situation, and what it’s like to play with your sister on the national team. Then Thursday we’ll hear from USWNT captain, Lindsey Horan, on what the past year has been like for her and what we can look for this week during the tournament. After the Colombia game on Thursday, Alyssa Naeher will be joining me for a live reaction show on TWG’s YouTube channel. There’s so much content coming!

We’re buried under snow here in Vermont so while I’m snowed in, send me an email with your predictions for the tournament. Write to me at [email protected]. If you’re snowed in as well, check out last week’s podcast with Sofia Huerta or do as Lynn Biyendolo would do and get yourself a little treat… order Good Vibes merch here!

See you all very, very soon!

Love,
Sam

SheBelieves Cup Begins this Week 🏆

The Tournament 🇺🇲🇯🇵🇦🇺🇨🇴

• The 10th SheBelieves Cup features three double-header matches between the U.S., Japan, Australia, and Colombia. The first set of matches take place Feb. 20 in Houston, Texas (5:00 p.m. ET for Australia vs. Japan and 8:00 p.m. ET for USA vs. Colombia – available on TBS, Max, Universo, and Peacock). 

• The tournament then moves to Glendale, Ariz. on Feb. 23, and finishes in San Diego, Calif. on Feb. 26 with the winner determined by total points after three match days. 

The Roster ✅

• Emma Hayes confirmed her 23-player roster last week, naming 12 of 22 gold medalists, as multiple senior team stars remain unavailable. That includes all three members of the “Triple Espresso” forward force that combined for 10 goals at the Paris Olympics (Mallory Swanson, Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith), as well as midfield maestro Rose Lavelle and record-setting center back Naomi Girma. 

• Hayes continues to focus on building experience for a wider talent pool as she builds toward the 2027 World Cup. For the team’s first international games of 2025, she’s named four uncapped players, and 10 players with four or fewer caps. 

• 19-year-old right-back Gisele Thompson (who earned her first call-up under Emma Hayes in June 2024) appears in her first competitive camp roster alongside her sister, Alyssa Thompson. The Thompson sisters (and Angel City FC teammates) are the third set of sisters to make the same USWNT roster (joining ranks with the inimitable Mewis sisters). 

More: “You’ve got to continue to perform and show that you deserve to be there.” – Lynn talked to Sam about the SheBelieves Cup roster and more on this week’s episode of Good Vibes FC. Watch the full episode on YouTube.

And this: SheBelieves Cup squad continues new look trend with Triple Espresso absent.

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

Meanwhile in England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

The WSL Resumed with Matchday 14 of 22

• Third-place Arsenal won the North London Derby against sixth-place Tottenham 5-0, in front of 55,000 fans at Emirates Stadium. Arsenal’s fifth goal was a 90th-minute rocket struck by none other than Virginia-born right-back Emily Fox (who said post-game that when Leah Williamson tells you to shoot, you do it). After 2,815 days, 27-year-old England forward Chloe Kelly made an emotional return debut for Arsenal, her original club, in the derby. 

More: Arsenal welcome Chloe Kelly with record crowd and local derby rout.

Also: Arsenal risk being left behind as transfer failings widen gap with Chelsea.

• Jamaican striker Khadija “Bunny” Shaw scored two goals in Manchester City’s 4-0 win against Liverpool on Sunday. Shaw—who was the league’s top scorer last season, and tops the chart this year too—was the victim of racist abuse online, and made a powerful statement.

More: Shaw’s powerful gesture after starring role.

• U.S. center back Naomi Girma (who broke the women’s football transfer record last month) is working back to fitness from a calf injury, and has yet to debut for her new club. But U.S. midfielder/forward Catarina Macario got the start in Chelsea’s 2-1 win against Everton on Sunday, which saw the Blues maintain their undefeated run at the top of England’s WSL. England’s Lauren James scored in the 93rd minute to seal the win. 

• Manchester United maintained their hold on second place this weekend after beating Crystal Palace (who are in last-place of the WSL) 3-1.

More: In Phallon Tullis-Joyce we trust.

Men in Blazers LIVE in Los Angeles 🌴🏆

Join Rog for “Rebuilding a Champion presented by MLS Season Pass on Apple TV” as he sits down with the architects of the Galaxy’s fairy-tale rebuild—including Marco Reus and GM Will Kuntz—to unpack the singular sporting narrative that transformed the Galaxy from second to last in the Western Conference in 2023 to a record-breaking sixth championship in 2024.

📍 LOCATION: Stadium Club at Dignity Health Sports Park

📅 DATE AND TIME: Friday, Feb. 21 – Doors open at 6:30 PM PT, show starts at 7:30pm PT

🎟️ TICKETS ON SALE HERE

We can’t wait to share an evening of joy, laughter, and celebration with you. 🍺

📧 Enjoying The Women’s Game? Check out our other newsletters.

Around the Continent 🇪🇺

• France’s first-place juggernauts, Lyon, beat Guingamp 7-0. U.S. right back Sofia Huerta scored her first goal for Lyon in the win. 🇫🇷

More: “The next day, I wrote down on a piece of paper that I wanted to be a professional soccer player.” — Sam interviewed Lyon’s latest goalscorer, US fullback Sofia Huerta, on last week’s episode of Friendlies. Watch the full episode on YouTube here. 📺

• Germany’s Frauen-Bundesliga saw movement at the top of a closely-contested table this weekend. Frankfurt (who’d maintained a hold on first place while tied on points with teams below them) fell to second place after losing 6-1 to third-place Wolfsburg. Wolfsburg are now tied on points with Frankfurt, and both clubs are just three points short of Bayern Munich, who moved into the top position with a 1-0 win against Werder Bremen. 🇩🇪

News & Notes 🗞️

• While the USWNT prepares to host the 10th SheBelieves Cup 🇺🇲🇯🇵🇦🇺🇨🇴, international teams across the world are also in action this coming week. In Europe, the 2025 UEFA Women’s Nations League commences with matchday one of the League Phase. 

• Canada will play their first games under former England captain and San Diego Wave’s inaugural manager, Casey Stoney, in the 2025 Pinatar Cup. This year’s tournament takes place in Murcia, Spain, and features Canada, Mexico, China, and Chinese Taipei. 🇨🇦🇲🇽🇨🇳🇹🇼 More: Sam talked with Casey Stoney about her new job with Canada, and her departure from San Diego on last week’s podcast. Watch their full conversation on YouTube here. 

• The former head of Spain’s Football Federation, Luis Rubiales, is awaiting a verdict in Spanish court. Rubiales is on trial for kissing Spanish forward Jenni Hermoso in the immediate aftermath of La Roja’s 2023 World Cup victory.

• Adidas have released their new away kits for Euro 2025 (🔥), and you know our friends at WorldSoccerShop are ready for them to kick off. THEY'VE GOT YOU COVERED ON ALL THE NEW KITS HERE.

Parting Shots 🥃

For a second-straight year, Sam will coach the 2025 Exhibition Games for Vermont Green FC. This summer’s edition will feature two matches, building on a successful one-match exhibition in 2024, when Coach Mewis coached Vermont Green to a 5-4 win on penalties.

Good Reads 📚

• From Nancy Armour in USA Today, ‘Emma Hayes is reimagining women’s soccer in America: the USWNT way’.

• From Joshua Nichol in The Northern Echo, ‘EuroMillions winners make significant investment in Durham Women FC’.

• From Jack Snape in The Guardian, ‘It’s pressure not to let people down: Lydia Williams makes leap from goalline to boardroom’

Moment of Joy 🤸

Amanda writes:

Hi, Sam!

I'm a huge fan of The Women's Game - thank you for making my long commute to and from work brighter! 😄 You mentioned on the most recent episode of Friendlies that you're interested in recommendations for memoirs that were written by women. I wanted to share a few recommendations that I've loved over the past few years!

• The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

• Good for a Girl: A Woman Running in a Man's World by Lauren Fleshman

• Ranger Confidential: Living, Working, and Dying in the National Parks by Andrea Lankford (Andrea writes about her own experience and also shares stories from the lives of three of her colleagues) 

• Blood Orange Night by Melissa Bond

• In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado 

• Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton

• Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb 

I hope you enjoy these - wishing you the best!

Best, 

Amanda

Sam writes:

Amanda! Thank you for writing in and sharing these recommendations. Adding these to my reading list immediately. I love that the TWG community are such avid readers - keep the book recs coming!!

📝 Want to be featured in next week’s TWG newsletter? Send Sam an email! All your questions, comments, and dog (or wedding) photos can be sent to womensgamemib@meninblazers.com

Correction: In last week's newsletter, we incorrectly spelled Mia Fishel's last name as "Fischel". We apologize for the error.