While the soccer world was turned upside down early this week with the announcement of the European Super League — and its impending demise — the non-soccer world has been glued to the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former police officer who was filmed murdering George Floyd, a Black man, in broad daylight last year.
Trinity Rodman scored her first career NWSL goal in record-breaking fashion, but it wasn’t enough to keep the N.C. Courage from claiming a 3-2 victory over the Washington Spirit on Saturday in the Challenge Cup.
The 2021 NWSL season kicks off Friday. Before the league’s ninth season begins, let’s take a moment to appreciate the quality of NWSL jerseys that will be on display this year, which serve as proof that the league understands how important marketing is and how to take money from my wallet.
No sport is as connected to fashion as soccer; while the constant release of new uniforms can lead to some uninspired designs, most clubs recognize the value of putting out the most eye-catching jerseys. This year, NWSL clubs across the board nailed it with some superb kits.
Last summer, National Women’s Soccer League was the first major pro team sports organization in America to return to play during the Covid-19 pandemic. The 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup became a blueprint other leagues followed to safely return to play, and CBSViacom has created a one-hour special to commemorate the groundbreaking tournament. Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch NWSL Challenge Cup 2021 and the documentary on the 2020 competition.
As much as we at The18 love women’s soccer, it’s a sad fact that the men’s game receives far more attention, whether it’s from FIFA, other media companies, potential sponsors or the fans themselves. (We could spend hours debating why this is the case, but that’s for another story.) Despite this, there are still a large number of women’s footballers who are far more famous than their partners, who are themselves professional soccer players.
The NWSL has been around since 2012, but has anyone noticed that you can barely find any NWSL gear in stores? As the league is growing and fan bases are expanding, it's about time you're able to walk into a soccer shop or Dick’s Sporting Goods and able to pick out your favorite NWSL jersey or hoodie or even flannel to represent your club.
Angel City FC will join the National Women’s Soccer League in 2022. The team has several high profile owners, including Natalie Portman, Eva Longoria and Mia Hamm. As these inspirational women are trying to increase opportunities for female footballers, the future of the NWSL is growing in a direction that will only support these athletes and give them equal opportunities.
A place for us all to come together for the sport we love
Racing Louisville FC finally got to play a full 90 minutes of action against the University of Louisville, and Racing is definitely ready to compete in the NWSL.
The 2021 NWSL expansion team defeated the college side 4-0 as former Houston Dash forward Cece Kizer led Racing with a hat-trick to help solidify the win. As Racing has only been competing in practice, it was about time they got to play in a real scrimmage to get used to one another and improve their team chemistry.
In case you didn’t watch the Super Bowl, Paramount+ is coming. But while ViacomCBS has been oddly coy about what exactly it is, we’re here to tell you all the Paramount+ soccer offerings coming to the newest streaming service.
Historically speaking, there’s only ever been one correct answer to the question of a dream away day in the National Women’s Soccer League. As well as producing the sort of football that’s landed two NWSL championships, the Portland Thorns boast the division’s best atmosphere with an average attendance (we have to go back to 2019 to look at such things) of over 20,000 at beautiful Providence Park.
But I believe Portland has been usurped for three reasons: views, horse racing and bourbon.