Women's Soccer

The Washington Spirit and Orlando Pride delivered a classic NWSL match on Sunday evening at Audi Field with Marta scoring a memorable goal for the visitors before Ashley Sanchez’s spectacular game-winner in the 89th minute.

The first half finished scoreless, but Washington’s Trinity Rodman was twice denied by the woodwork while Orlando’s Sydney Leroux was kept out following a sensational double-save by Aubrey Bledsoe.

But there was no keeping out Marta’s opener in the 68th minute, which was smashed off the inside of the far post from distance.

Morgan Weaver hadn’t made an appearance for the Portland Thorns in over a month after getting injured against the Orlando Pride on July 18. The 23-year-old made her return in fashion and in the form of an 87th minute winner against Lyon.

Weaver was substituted into the game in the 82nd minute and nearly scored with her first touch of the game. She was in on goal against Lyon’s Christiane Endler but ended up hitting her shot over the bar.

The Houston Dash was the oddball inclusion the 2021 Women’s International Champions Cup. 

Teams like the Portland Thorns, French powerhouse Lyon and perhaps the most dominant team on the planet, Barcelona, all looked like giants compared to the Dash. 

The 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup champions were heavy underdogs against Barcelona for the third-place match, but holy hell did the Dash give the defending UEFA Champions League winners a run for their money, losing 3-2.

15-year-old Portland Thorns phenom Olivia Moultrie scored her first professional goal on Wednesday night to help her side advance to the final of the Women’s International Champions Cup.

Shea Groom had given the Houston Dash a 2-0 halftime advantage to stun Providence Park, but Natalia Kuikka pulled one back for the Thorns in the 51st-minute to set the stage for Moultrie’s equalizer in the 58th.

The former captain of the Afghan women's soccer team has urged  players to delete social media, erase public identities and burn their kits for safety's sake now that the country is again under Taliban rule.

Copenhagen-based Khalida Popal told Reuters in a video interview on Wednesday that the militants had killed, raped and stoned women in the past and female footballers were scared of what the future might hold.

Former USWNT goalkeeper Hope Solo has stirred the pot and then some with her latest take about her former teammate Megan Rapinoe. The Hope Solo Megan Rapinoe comments were made during Goal’s “All of US: The U.S. Women’s Soccer Show” podcast.

If you would like to listen to what Solo had to say I have provided the podcast and fast-forwarded to the question that leads to her comments. The audio begins with the host, Seth Vertelney, asking Solo about her thoughts on the USWNT’s activism and the growing opposition towards the team.

The Women’s International Champions Cup returns on Wednesday, giving us a rare glimpse of how the best club sides in Europe match-up with the NWSL elite. This year’s tournament boasts the defending UEFA Women’s Champions League winner, Barcelona, and the most recent NWSL champ, the Portland Thorns. 

Carli Lloyd, one of the greatest women's soccer players to ever grace the game, has announced her retirement, U.S. Soccer said on Monday.

The 39-year-old Lloyd, who was twice named the FIFA Women's Player of the Year, became the second-most capped player in world soccer history (312) during a career that includes two Women's World Cups and two Olympic gold medals.