Women's National Teams

According to a press release from FOX Sports, the network has landed an exclusive multi-year English-language rights deal with CONCACAF for coverage of the 2021 and 2023 Gold Cups as well as men’s and women’s Olympic qualifiers and the CONCACAF Champions League. 

A sell-out crowd at Arsenal’s Meadow Park stadium was witness to the rapidly turning tide of the FA WSL as Chelsea stormed to a 3-0 halftime lead before securing a 4-1 victory to remain undefeated after 12 matches.

Arsenal’s the most successful club in the division’s eight-year history with three titles — including last year’s triumph when Chelsea finished third — but the Blues issued a statement of intent by signing Norway’s Guro Reiten in May before adding Australia’s Sam Kerr back in November, and both of the club’s marquee signings got on the scoreboard today. 

Coach Vlatko Andonovski announced his 20-woman USWNT Olympic qualifying roster on Friday with a few surprises.

Mal Pugh, who competed at the 2016 Olympics as an 18-year-old and helped the U.S. win the 2019 Women’s World Cup, was left off the roster. Pugh was one of five players on Jill Ellis’ squad last summer omitted from the USWNT Olympic qualifying roster.

Mal Pugh is Sky Blue.

The USWNT starlet who skipped college at UCLA to join the Washington Spirit in 2017 was traded to Sky Blue FC for four — yes, four — draft picks during a blockbuster draft-day move on Thursday.

The Portland Thorns selected Sophia Smith with the first pick of the 2020 NWSL Draft, making her the first teenager ever selected in any NWSL draft, but the focus quickly shifted to what Sky Blue was doing. 

The SheBelieves Cup is an invitational women’s football tournament held in the United States. It began its campaign in 2016 after the 2015 Women’s World Cup to continue the hype for women’s soccer. Inspired by the USWNT players, the #SheBelieves campaign brings together the world’s most talented female football players to encourage both athletes and non-athletes to follow their dreams and accomplish all of their goals both on and off the field. This week, the SheBelieves Cup 2020 schedule was announced.

The International Olympic Committee announced guidelines limited free speech during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics this summer. The parameters, released Thursday, codified previous rules barring athletes from making political statements during competition or medal ceremonies by specifying what actions are not allowed.

Australian tour de force Sam Kerr made her highly anticipated Women’s Super League debut for Chelsea on Sunday and provided an assist in the club’s 3-1 victory over Reading at Kingsmeadow in London. 

A forward pairing of Kerr and Bethany England looked terrifying on paper ahead of the former Chicago Red Star striker’s first appearance, and that certainly proved the case on Chelsea’s opening goal in the 40th minute.