Tobin Heath

Christen Press, Sam Mewis, Rose Lavelle, Abby Dahlkemper and Alex Morgan are all returning to the NWSL after brief stints in the FA Women’s Super League last season. But one USWNT star is sticking around: Tobin Heath.

One of the most entertaining footballers in the world, Heath has been searching for a European club to call home since the Olympics ended. It appears she’s found one in the only English club to win a Women’s Champions League title: Arsenal.

Reports on Thursday said Heath had agreed to personal terms to join Arsenal on a free transfer from Manchester United.

Carli Lloyd was not good enough. Megan Rapinoe was not good enough. Alex Morgan was not good enough. Crystal Dunn was not good enough. Tobin Heath was not good enough. The USWNT was not good enough. 

Carli Lloyd running sprints alone after defeat may be the lasting image of the USWNT’s 2020 Olympic run, but her questionable inclusion on the team will be a talking point for years to come. 

The USWNT has been far from impressive at the Tokyo Olympics. The defense has been shaky, the midfield often overrun and the forwards unable to stay onside. But Team USA is through to the medal rounds thanks to the heroics of goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, the one constant this tournament.

The USWNT bounced back, as basically everyone expected it to do, taking care of New Zealand 6-1 on Saturday in Saitama, Japan. After they were crushed by Sweden in the Olympic opener, the Americans needed a response, and this was a pretty good one. It was a fairly straightforward victory, though not necessarily the sort of performance that will scare the other medal favorites in Japan. 

One thing Team USA did accomplish was providing one of the few audience members a profound understanding of the intricacies of the offside rule. 

With just over two weeks to go before the USWNT opens the group stage of the Summer Olympics against Sweden in Tokyo, manager Vlatko Andonovski — treating the send off series like a college senior — wanted to experiment with some things.

Namely, the scenario of “what if we put seven players in attack and got buck wild?” One feature of this particular setup was the presence of deep-lying midfielder Lindsey Horan taking her place alongside Carli Lloyd for the game’s opening period.

The USWNT defeated Mexico 4-0 during an international friendly in the pouring rain of Hartford, Connecticut on Thursday night to extend the team’s unbeaten streak to 43 games. The matchup was one of two games the U.S. and Mexico will play as a send-off for the Olympics later this month. The USWNT vs Mexico highlights and takeaways include the return of Tobin Heath, Christen Press continuing her insane form and lots and lots of rain.

Tobin Heath’s season at Manchester United is over, manager Casey Stoney confirmed on Friday, a disappointing end after a second Tobin Heath injury for the USWNT winger. 

Heath had four goals and two assists in eight matches with United since joining (along with Christen Press) in September. She hasn’t played since Dec. 20, a two-goal performance against Bristol City.