USWNT

The USWNT’s friendly against Australia on Saturday (well, Friday in certain parts of the States), was in many ways a changing of the guard. Lindsey Horan took over the vaunted No. 10 jersey from Carli Lloyd. Alana Cook and Tierna Davidson started together at center back. And Casey Murphy looked like a star in the making between the sticks.

Murphy made eight saves in her first career U.S. start, helping the USWNT blank the Matildas 3-0 on Saturday afternoon in Sydney, Australia. 

Back when allegations first arose against former NWSL coach Paul Riley’s sexual coercion and verbal abuse, I made a timeline of all the women’s soccer coaches and staff in America who had been fired, resigned or were otherwise accused of some sort of abuse. Even then I said there were probably more cases out there that hadn’t been reported upon yet. Sadly, it looks like I was right. 

With the OL Reign taking center stage at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma on Sunday, all eyes were on the attacking riches of the No. 2 seed in the NWSL playoffs, including the USWNT duo of Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle, France’s Eugénie Le Sommer, Germany’s Dzsenifer Marozsán and Wales’ Jess Fishlock.    

They were collectively outplayed and humbled by the Washington Spirit’s 19-year-old sensation Trinity Rodman and 22-year-old attacker Ashley Sanchez.

One day after being named to Vlatko Andonovski’s USWNT squad for a pair of friendlies against Australia at the end of the month, 22-year-old midfielder Catarina Macario played a huge role in Lyon’s comeback victory over Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Bayern took the lead in the 25th minute at Groupama Stadium after Kadeisha Buchanan scored an own goal with Carina Wenninger lurking.  

The U.S. Soccer Federation said on Wednesday it reached a long-term deal with Nike to extend their apparel partnership along with a focus on elevating the profile of the women's game globally and promoting inclusivity.

Terms of the deal, which U.S. Soccer said is the largest commercial agreement in the history of the national governing body, were not disclosed but multiple media reports said it was a 10-year agreement.

There was a large sense during the USWNT’s last two friendlies against South Korea that the team was growing stale.

Mallory Pugh is back.

After playing an ever-present role in Chicago’s regular season campaign — second most minutes, second most goals, joint-most assists — Pugh’s resurgent year continued on Sunday with her biggest strike yet: the game-winner against NJ/NY Gotham FC in the NWSL playoff quarterfinals.

Mal Pugh and her Chicago Red Stars are preparing for a trip to the NWSL postseason. But the 23-year-old American winger took a slight detour ahead of her quarterfinal showdown against Carli Lloyd and Gotham FC on Sunday in Chicago. Pugh was in Houston on Tuesday, watching her boyfriend win the World Series.