West Ham Beat Arsenal For FIRST TIME EVER in WSL 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

It’s Monday, February 5th. Give us four minutes, we give you everything The Women’s Game.

Happy Monday, TWG readers! 

Sam Mewis here. Another magical weekend in the world of Women’s Football is in the books! Thanks for all your feedback on last week's episode with Mal Swanson, which blew me away to record. Actually doing the interview itself was so emotionally difficult because I was learning about the extent of Mal's injury and the infection post surgery in real time. The conversation was also cathartic -– we both shared our experiences about missing the World Cup in 2023. Mal has been through so much, which makes it all the more amazing to see her back training with the Chicago Red Stars.

ii. Last week, we also launched our first Women's Game Weekend graphic detailing game times and where to watch. Big shoutout to Gabi on our team here at MIB who brought our idea to life with an amazing design! One of the biggest challenges facing women’s football is access. Thankfully, more and more games are being broadcast, but they are often scattered across multiple platforms. Listener Erin Nelson emailed us with the idea to centralize this information with a weekly graphic. Ask and you shall receive, Erin! Lots more to come with the graphic -- we are accepting feedback! Let us know what you think by emailing [email protected].

iii. The NWSL season is less than 6 weeks away, and these preseason updates are giving shape to some pretty unbelievable rosters. The W Gold Cup, which will feature the USWNT, Canada, Mexico, and other CONCACAF and CONMEBOL national teams, is also right around the corner, kicking off Feb. 17. We are going to be eating and breathing soccer for the foreseeable future.

iv. Coming up this Thursday, we have an interview dropping with LUCY BRONZE, the Lioness and Barcelona right back. We talk about our time at Man City, how much Lucy is enjoying life in sunny Barcelona, and of course that incredible Euros win the Lionesses had back in 2022. I can’t wait for you to hear it. 

We are beginning to build out our coverage for the kick-off of the NWSL season -– getting the band back together with Lynn Williams and more. Please share this newsletter with your friends and ask them to subscribe and remember, follow all our platforms @womensgameMIB. 

Until next week, email me your thoughts, ideas and questions at [email protected].

Thanks for being here!

Sam

I. Aussie G(l)orry stellar for West Ham as Arsenal suffers title blow 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

For Week 13 in England’s Women’s Super League, a London Derby saw third place Arsenal shocked by West Ham and suffer a reality check to their Title dreams. 

Arsenal took the lead in the 43rd minute thanks to versatile English striker and UNC graduate, Alessia Russo 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, who headed home her fifth goal of the season. But powered in part by the prowess of Australia’s inimitable Katrina Gorry 🇦🇺 (super soccer on the field, super mom off of it), the Hammers came back with a vengeance in the second half, nicking the equalizer from the penalty spot. Vivi Asseyi’s cool finish 🇫🇷 officially makes her the highest scoring French player in WSL history with eleven total goals. Seven minutes later, Parisian defender Hawa Cissoko claimed the game-winning goal, settling it at 2-1 in the 58 minute. 

A valiant turnaround, and the Irons did not even have to bring in Kristie Mewis off the bench.The victory marks the first time West Ham has beaten mighty Arsenal in the WSL-era, as the relegation-scrappers climbed two spots to end their weekend in ninth place, after starting out second from bottom. 

However, Arsenal’s third loss of the season is a symbolic challenge as no team in WSL history has suffered three losses and gone on to win the title. Arsenal remain in third place at the close of play, but trail Chelsea by six points. The Gunners have not won the title since 2019, but still hope to regain that glory.

Silver lining for the Gunners? England’s long-injured captain, Leah Williamson, got her first start at the club level after returning from an ACL injury, wearing the captain’s armband, and celebrating Alessia Russo’s early goal with jubilant glee. And Ashburn, Va.'s right back, Emily Fox, freshly nominated for WSL Player of the Month, had another strong game evading opposition and orchestrating attacks from the right flank. 

ELSEWHERE IN WSL: 

a. Manchester City remain at Chelsea’s heels for the title, as City made magic from a Lauren Hemp golazo, followed closely by a Chloe Kelly Olimpico, marking a resounding 2-0 win over Leicester City. 🏆⚽

b. League-leaders Chelsea beat Everton 3-0 this Sunday. The USA’s San Diego-born striker, Mia Fishel, subbed in at the 79th minute and set up Erin Cuthbert for goal number three. Colombian striker Mayra Ramírez collected her first start since signing for The Blues from Levante as the most expensive women’s transfer in world football history. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇺🇸🇨🇴

c. It’s hard to pick just one strike as Goal of the Weekend, but Bristol City’s majestic midfielder of Welsh National Team glory, Carrie Jones, earns a claim, with the equalizer to clinch a point in their 2-2 battle with Aston Villa. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

AND, there’s a new American abroad, as Gotham sends forward Taylor Smith to Brighton! 🇺🇸

MORE: “Future US coach Emma Hayes: Chelsea manager says lack of female coaches 'a massive issue” 

AND MORE: Marc Skinner calls for Manchester United to invest more, to keep up with the top three. 

II. International stars are moving Stateside 🇺🇸

The transfer window may have closed in Europe last week, but NWSL still has time to go before signings shut down ahead of the 12th regular season. 

And with two new clubs about to make their debut— Utah Royals and Bay FC bring NWSL’s club count to 14— numerous teams are inking deals with marquee international stars, perhaps shifting the balance between US and European leagues.

Last week, Bay FC made big news as a part of this trend.

a. The first seismic signing dropped on the world last week was multi-time Nigerian CAF Player of the Year and Barcelona wonder-forward, Asisat Oshoala 🇳🇬. The 29-year-old two-time Ballon d’Or nominee (the first African woman nominated for that prize) is moving to California from Spanish giants, Barcelona, where she’s made a remarkable 162 appearances and scored 117 goals since 2019, collecting two Champions League trophies and a closet full of league titles in the process. Oshoala signed with Bay FC for an undisclosed transfer fee, joining on a contract that lasts through 2026 with an option for 2027. 

In a conversation with The Equalizer, Oshoala explained Bay FC’s appeal: “I spoke with [Montoya, the Bay FC head coach] earlier and I like the style of play, the style of football he wants to play… I like the fact that he wants to do something different, something you don’t get to see in the NWSL every time because mostly this league is about transition. But he wants something different. He wants to keep the ball; he wants to play an attacking style of football. And I feel like coming from Barcelona, it’s something I would really love to be a part of.”

b. But the Bay-area expansion side weren’t done there. Scotland’s veteran center-back, Jen Beattie 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿, is joining Oshoala in the Bay. Beattie heads there from Arsenal, where she’s made 123 appearances and scored three goals since her return to the Gunners in 2019, winning both the WSL title and the Continental Tyres League Cup in the process. At 32, Beattie has kept an incredible pace for club and country, all while battling and overcoming breast cancer off the pitch. Explaining her decision to move to NWSL, Beattie said: “I was just ready for another challenge.”

These moves, of course, come after a slew of eye popping signings were already announced (Jessie Fleming 🇨🇦 from Chelsea to Portland, Deyna Castellanos 🇻🇪 from Manchester City to Bay FC, to name two), and others that seem still incoming. Elite Dutch winger Lieke Martens rumors 🇳🇱, anyone? 

III. Sixteen-Year-Old American Lily Yohannes stars for Ajax as Champions League Group stage wraps up 🔒🇪🇺 

The Champions League concluded their group stage with yet another strong performance from a burgeoning US-born star, the 16-year-old Lily Yohannes. Yohannes made history in November of 2023, as she started Ajax's group stage clash with PSG, becoming the youngest-ever footballer to start in the prestigious Women’s Champions League.

Last Tuesday, Yohannes shined from midfield once more as Ajax fought to hang on in the ‘group of death’. After Yohannes set up this equalizer, Ajax indeed proceeded from the chaos of Group C, and will meet a new test in the quarterfinal. 

The Springfield, Virginia native has appeared for the US at youth level, though not since 2022. She developed her game in the Netherlands, where she also is eligible to play, having moved there at a young age with her family because of her father’s work.  

MORE: “Lily Yohannes: The 16-year-old breaking Champions League records” 

b. The other team to emerge from Group C was PSG. The proud Parisian club saw 20-year-old US midfielder from Grayslake, Ill. Korbin Albert— who left her collegiate career at Notre Dame early to ply her trade in Paris— appear for 16 minutes in the match. With Albert on the pitch, PSG bounced Bayern from the competition. Big news for American PSG fans: fellow Yankee and former Notre Dame defender Eva Gaetino will also join Albert in Paris. Perhaps influenced by Albert’s move to France, Gaetino also forgoes a year of eligibility with the Fighting Irish to start a professional career internationally. Gaetino has said of her move that she is interested to learn and grow, and has a goal of winning the Champions League. 

c. Chelsea had already qualified from Group D the previous matchday, but Emma Hayes started San Diego-born striker and newly capped USWNT player, Mia Fishel, in their 4-0 victory over Paris FC. Fishel collected her first-ever UWCL goal in the showing. All Hail Big Fish 🐟

d. And finally, in the USA-abroad in UWCL category: Benfica moves on from Group A, with 26-year-old Sacramento-born footballer Paige Almendariz Benfica among them. 

With just eight teams remaining, the draw for the quarter final takes place tomorrow, Feb. 6. And for the first time in competition history, there is not a single German side amongst them. Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayern Munich, the last Deutschlanders standing this time around, both fell short in the final match days. (HOW TO WATCH LIVE).

IV. News and Notes 📰

1. Barcelona lead Liga F by nine points over second-place Real Madrid after defeating Sporting Club de Huelva 4-0 this Sunday at the Estadi Johan Cruyff in Barcelona. Claudia Pina’s perfect free kick set things off, before she added a second shortly after, joined by Norway’s Carolina Graham Hansen and Dutch Esmee Brugts to make it four. 🇪🇸🇳🇴🇳🇱

2. Roma were knocked out of the Champions League but they’re still top of Serie A Femenil after beating second-place Juventus, 3-1. You can feel what it means in the emotion emanating after Evelyne Viens reclaimed Roma’s lead. That’s Viens’ 7th league goal of the season. 🇮🇹

3. American manager Melissa Phillips was fired as head coach of Brighton. After just ten months in charge, and keeping the side from relegation last season, Phillips left the club while it sat in 10th place halfway through the season. Is it a sign of impatience in WSL? 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

4. Christen Press is still involved in preseason with Angel City, while she aims to slowly return to play from a prolonged ACL injury and multiple setbacks 🇺🇸 ACFC manager Becki Tweed: “...Everybody has a role here, no matter if you’re injured, starting, not starting…”

5. GOAL OF THE WEEKEND nominee comes from the fleet foot of Lourdjina Etienne, firing from the top of the box for Haiti in the Concacaf U17 Championship. Stop what you are doing and enjoy this goal.

6. Per Charlotte Harpur at The Athletic, USWNT and Chelsea forward Catarina Macario will likely return from injury after the February international break. The former Stanford Cardinal joined Chelsea in the summer of 2023, but has not played a game since tearing her ACL in June of 2022.

V. Parting Shots 💉

Women’s sports skeptics stay flummoxed, as yet again star ballers draw huge crowds to savor the experience of watching them live. This time in College Park, Maryland, fans lined up early and paid big money to see Caitlin Clark take on the UMD Terps. AND: with tickets already sold out, the Battle of Bay Street for newly launched PWHL sides in Boston are poised to set an early league record with 18,800+ fans this Feb.16. 🏀🏒