Between the WSL, the Olympics, and the Super Bowl, I watched SO MUCH SPORTS this weekend. I couldn’t get over Mariona Caldentey’s assist to Olivia Smith in Arsenal’s upset over Man City. I chuckled so hard at this reminder of how Olympic gold medalists are celebrating too hard with their gold medals. And while I was bummed for the Patriots, I LOVED Bad Bunny’s halftime performance. 🏟️

This week at TWG, we’ve got a lot on the books. “Good Vibes” with Lynn Biyendolo drops today, so make sure to check that out for an update on both of our “catastrophes” from last week. Then on Thursday, Chelsea’s Lucy Bronze joins me on “Friendlies” where we talk about her broken leg at the Euros, England’s mentality, and her passion for growing the women’s game. Lastly, on Friday, Kristie and I will recap our recent visit in London together on an all-new episode of “Mewis Squared.” 📺

I was on the road for about 10 days, so I’m thrilled to be settling back into my routine in Vermont with the dogs. I’m unpacked, I’ve got the Olympics on, and there’s a chicken in the fridge. Exhale. 🍗

Thank you all for being here with us, only 33 days until the NWSL kicks off!

Love,
Sam

PS - Madonna has never been more relatable than when she shared some recent thoughts on English weather while watching her daughters play for Tottenham’s U-14s. 👑

The UWCL knockout rounds begin this week, with eight teams competing to join Barcelona, Lyon, Chelsea and Bayern in the quarter-finals. Here’s a quick look at the matchups: 

OH Leuven 🇧🇪 vs. Arsenal 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 (Wednesday, 12:45 p.m. ET, Paramount+)

After finishing the league phase in fifth place, the reigning champions narrowly missed auto-qualification for the quarters, and play the last team to make the playoffs in a two-legged tie that determines who plays Chelsea. The Belgians are underdogs here, and they lost 3-0 to the Gunners in the final day of the league phase. But hey, anything can happen on a Wednesday night at the Gemeentelijk Sportstadion.

Paris FC 🇫🇷 vs. Real Madrid 🇪🇸 (Wednesday, 3 p.m. ET, Paramount+)

Just like the first matchup of the playoffs, these two also faced off in the league phase. On matchday three, they settled for a 1-1 draw, and while Real Madrid’s talent is immense, they’ve been inconsistent in this competition. Paris FC has secured points against middle-tier teams, but looked less sure against top-of-the-table sides. Meanwhile, three-time champions Barcelona await the victor. 

Wolfsburg 🇩🇪 vs. Juventus 🇮🇹 (Thursday, 12:45 p.m. ET, Paramount+)

After finishing eighth and ninth in the league phase standings, this game should be a close one. Wolfsburg are two-time champions of Europe, have played in six Champions League finals, and made it to 12 quarter-finals in the last 13 editions. But Juventus, like the Italian national team, are an ascendant force that won’t be discounted. The winner plays OL Lyonnes. 

Atlético Madrid 🇪🇸 vs. Manchester United 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 (Thursday, 3 p.m. ET, Paramount+)

In their first-ever league phase, United came out swinging. With four wins and two defeats, the Red Devils settled for sixth in the standings, and will start their playoff tie on the road in Madrid. Atleti picked up some big wins and big losses in the league phase, and fell 1-0 to United when they met on matchday two (USWNT goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce had six saves to keep a clean sheet while playing with 10 from the 41st minute). Bayern Munich will greet the winner in the next round.

📬 Enjoying The Women’s Game? Check out our other MiB newsletters:

🐦‍⬛ The Raven: Our thrice-weekly newsletter where we preview the biggest men’s matches around the world (and tell you where/how to watch them) and recap our favorite football moments from throughout the week.

🔍 The Correspondent: Rory Smith’s thoughts on the world of soccer, culture, food, and how they all connect – every Thursday.

🇺🇸 USMNT Only: Your regular update on the most important topics in the U.S. men’s game, all leading up to this summer’s World Cup.

Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City

Still in fourth with a game in hand, the Gunners handed first-placed City their second loss of the season and ended their 13-game winning streak in the process. Spanish talent Mariona Caldentey set up Canadian forward Olivia Smith for the decisive goal. 

Tottenham 0-2 Chelsea

The troubled former treble winners finished the weekend in third place after a victory against Tottenham (with Madonna in the stands). But the football gods do offer condolences: Alyssa Thompson can’t stop scoring. The 21-year-old’s latest volley is her fourth in the last five regular-season contests. Elsewhere, Catarina Macario was seen paying homage on social media to her former Chelsea coach, USWNT manager Emma Hayes, as reports indicate the U.S. forward is pursuing opportunities with other clubs.

Up next: Next weekend marks matchday 16 out of the WSL’s 22-match season. It will also be the league’s last match before they pause for FA Cup action and a break before resuming play on March 15. Man City remain runaway favorites to take the title with an eight-point lead above second-placed Man United, and play last-placed Leicester City this Friday (2 p.m. ET, ESPN+), while Arsenal will look to continue their good form against seventh-placed Brighton (Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET, ESPN+). 

🥤 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.

This week’s question: In the latest meeting between Spanish rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona Femeni in the Copa de la Reina (this time a 4-0 win for Barcelona in the quarter-finals), Alexia Putellas scored her 12th El Clásico goal. How many times has Real Madrid scored in total across all competitions against Barcelona?

Respond to this email (or reply here) for a chance to win a coveted TWG patch.

Last week’s answer: It was the USWNT’s 2015 World Cup squad that collectively won the LA Sports Awards’ Sportsperson of the Year.

We didn’t receive any correct responses last week, but better luck to everyone this time around!

This week, we wanted to pass along an excellent book recommendation from one of our readers:

Hi TWG Team, I wanted to share a book I recently stumbled across that immediately made me think of your shows and the way you tell the deeper stories behind the game. Maybe you are already aware of it and have read it.

It’s called “The Keeper: Soccer, Me, and the Law that Changed Women’s Lives” — a beautifully written and illustrated graphic memoir that weaves together the history of women’s soccer and Title IX with the author’s own story growing up playing the game and competing in college. It’s thoughtful, literary, and full of voices and quotes from writers and players who helped shape the sport’s legacy.

It caught my eye in part because the author, Kelcey Ervick, is from Ohio (I live in Cleveland) and went to Xavier (my alma mater), but what really stayed with me is how powerfully it captures a story that still needs telling — even as women’s soccer continues its incredible rise here in the U.S. As a dad of two boys, it’s exactly the kind of history and perspective I want them growing up with too.

I always very much appreciate how the entire MIB network always weaves in poetry, literature, art, and storytelling to talk about this sport. Thanks for all you do to celebrate the game and community so thoughtfully.

All the best,
Jon G.

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