Veteran Stars Shine Bright in NWSL’s Decision Day Extravaganza 🇺🇲

It’s Monday, October 16th. Give us four minutes, we give you everything The Women’s Game.

SO-CAL SUPER CLUB SECURES SUPPORTERS SHIELD: In just their second season since entering the league, San Diego Wave defeated Racing Louisville this Sunday to land first in the league and collect their first bit of brass. 🏆

“THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME BECOME THE WOMAN THAT I AM” - Ali Krieger was honored at New York/New Jersey’s Gotham FC final home match of the season. With an epic goal line save, Krieger became just the fourth player in NWSL history to play more than 15,000 minutes in the league.

I. Veteran stars shine bright in NWSL’s Decision Day Extravaganza 🇺🇲

NWSL’s 11th regular season came to a close this Sunday with six simultaneous games of gripping import and pre-playoff pandemonium.

With two teams already qualified for the playoffs with a first-round bye (Portland Thorns and San Diego Wave), and just two teams already eliminated (Kansas City Current and Chicago Red Stars), the final day of clashes featured eight teams fighting over just four remaining postseason positions.

At the top of the table, Portland Thorns fumbled their hold on first place as they flailed before Angel City’s home crowd, losing by a staggering gap of five goals to one. In the process, Angel City FC made good on their star-powered marketing and talent-laden promise by qualifying (in resounding fashion) for their first-ever NWSL playoffs. Hard to pick a goal of the day, but Sydney Leroux’s bicycle might take the cake. They’ll meet OL Reign in Seattle next Friday night.

Perhaps a slice of solace can still be gained for Thorns fans, though, as Sophia Smith still took home the Golden Boot. Finishing the year with 11 goals in 16 games, Smith led the league despite missing 6 of the year’s 22 games with injury and the World Cup.

Alex Morgan came in clutch with a beauty of a strike for San Diego Wave, helping to lift her club over Racing Louisville as she built on what 18-year-old future national team wonder Jaedyn Shaw started early on. With the win, Casey Stoney’s second-year stunners took hold of their first-ever trophy, collecting the Supporters Shield. The Shield, awarded to the team that finishes the regular season in first place, is sometimes overshadowed by the playoffs in the traditional American sports psyche, but is a true feat of incredible consistency for a team to land first in a league this competitive.

Heading into the evening, Seattle was hardly a sure bet for Laura Harvey’s mid-table team teetering on the edge of playoffs. But Alex Morgan wasn't the only veteran proving their legendary worth, as a retiring Megan Rapinoe proved once more why we attach ‘great’ to her name, as she came up big with a brace to defeat Chicago on their turf. Chicago entered the match already eliminated, but they were a tough test, thanks in part to some stellar saves from US goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher.

Over in Gotham, Ali Krieger whipped out a goal line clearance in yesterday's Decision Day matchto leave her veteran mark on Gotham’s 2-2 draw with Kansas City. Edging into the playoffs with the result, Krieger will head to North Carolina with her squad to meet the North Carolina Courage, telling press afterward, “My career’s not finished just yet”.

But wait, there’s more! Yet another veteran legend in Brazil’s soaring striker, Marta, scored from the penalty spot to give Orlando Pride the lead and the win over Houston Dash. The win gave hope, though ultimately not enough to the Pride, who were eliminated.

In a turn of events so heart-wrenching we hate to even give it space, Washington Spirit also fell from the playoff spots as the USA’s burgeoning wonder, Trinity Rodman, was sent off early after an unintended but careless tackle on Denise O’Sullivan in just the 23rd minute. Playing with just ten women, the Spirit fell by just one goal to the Courage, who move on.

II. Sam Kerr crushes a goal and Beth Mead assists in weekend of returns in WSL 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

The top half of the Barclay’s Women’s Super League is a closely contested pack of powers to start the new season. And with games coming down to the wire across the table, we’ve been treated to yet another weekend of last minute salvation and stoppage time stunners.

That includes two stoppage time goals from Arsenal to overcome Aston Villa 2-1. The first was a gorgeous goal from the inimitable Katie McCabe, her sixth goal involvement of the season. The second came four minutes into added time, scored by Alessia Russo and assisted by the freshly returned, immediately-impacting-the-game foot of Beth Mead. After 11 months away as she recovered from an ACL injury, the world class talent of Mead returning to the field of play was an emotional one for both friends and foes of Arsenal. The win marks their first of the season.

Elsewhere, the post-World Cup rest afforded to Sam Kerr ended as she made her first start for Chelsea. Ever reliable and always clinical, Kerr capitalized on that start by grasping hold of her first goal of the year. And as if that wasn’t enough in the department of emotional returns, yet another long-injured great graced the field for Chelsea, as the creative force of Fran Kirby took to the field beside Kerr in their 2-0 victory over West Ham.

MORE: Beth Mead ready for England after successful Arsenal return

III. Champions League carries on in Europe 🌍

UEFA Women’s Champions League returned to action this past week for the second qualifying round. The first leg transpired across Europe as 24 teams kicked off their two-legged tie, with the winners progressing to the group stage.

Many, if not all, of the contests were closely contested, with exciting back and forth and high goal counts. Highlights include French international Melvine Malard (freshly on loan from Lyon for this season), scoring for her second time straight game at Manchester United’s Leigh Sports Village (the first came in their regular season bout with Arsenal the weekend before) in their 1-1 draw with PSG. The goal marks the first-ever Champions League goal for Manchester’s tournament debutantes.

In Paris, Wolfsburg were treated to a tough test with Paris FC that finished 3-3 after a seesaw of goal-scoring, wherein we learned once more, for perhaps the millionth time, how lethal Germany’s star striker Alexandra Popp can be in the air. Death, taxes, an Alex Popp brace of headers.

With the first leg complete as of last week, each tie meets their final fate as they meet in the second leg this Wednesday.

IV. News and Notes 🗞️

1. Last week, Nike (finally!) put a Mary Earps replica jersey on sale. It sold out in under a day.

2. French official Stéphanie Frappart continues to make history, as the experienced official (the first woman to officiate in men’s Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 in France, as well as men’s UEFA Champions League and Super Cup), became the first woman to officiate a men’s friendly at Wembley last Friday. Frappart took charge of England’s 1-0 defeat of Australia.

3. Jorge Vilda - the recently dismissed, controversial former manager of Spain and close ally of Luis Rubiales - has been named the coach of Morocco’s women’s team.

4. Sure enough, Alexia Putellas scored her 182nd goal for Barcelona with a go-ahead goal against Atlético de Madrid Femenino, officially surpassing Jenni Hermoso as the all-time top scorer at Barcelona Femení.

V. Parting Shots

“I should have died four or five times”. Canadian goalkeeper Riley Foster has officially returned to this beautiful game of football after a tragic car accident left her near death, emerging after two years away from the field of play to appear for Australian side Wellington Phoenix this past week. To Riley. 💙