Women's Soccer

Women’s soccer is rare in Europe and South America, the widely agreed-upon cradles of the game. It is not unheard of. It is rare. As an Italian, I like telling my American friends that women’s soccer is illegal where I come from. “Yes, the police come and take you away!” I tell them to get a laugh.

I finally got my chance to attend a women’s soccer match when the world-champion U.S. Women’s National Team took on Japan in a friendly last week at Dick’s Sporting Good’s Park in Commerce City, Colorado.

The USWNT probably won't boycott the Rio Olympics. If they're willing to brave the horrors of the Zika Virus for a shiny gold medal, the wage gap likely won't deter them either.

But it might.

In an interview with ESPN's Hannah Storm, Lloyd was asked what would make her consider boycotting Rio. Lloyd's answer:

The Houston Dash confirmed Monday that midfielder and reigning FIFA World Player of the Year Carli Lloyd has been diagnosed with a grade 1 MCL sprain that will sideline her for 3-6 weeks. Lloyd suffered the injury in the fifth minute of Saturday's 3-1 loss at the Orlando Pride in the NWSL. Lloyd was substituted from the match in the 12th minute.

The Orlando Pride's home opener against the Houston Dash Saturday was noteworthy for several reasons. First, it was the NWSL's newest team's first-ever home game. Second, it was the most-attended game in NWSL history with an estimated 23,403 fans in attendance. Third, team talisman Alex Morgan scored her first goal as a member of the Orlando Pride.

Never doubt Carli Lloyd.

Before the 2015 World Cup, Lloyd’s former coach and the coach of World Cup rival Sweden, Pia Sundhage, said that Lloyd was a great player, but was mentally weak.

“Carli Lloyd was a challenge to coach, by the way. When she felt that we had faith in her, she could be one of the best players. But if she began to question that faith, she could be one of the worst.”

“It was so delicate, so, so delicate.”

The players of U.S Women's National Soccer Team (USWNT) could potentially boycott the Rio Olympic Games in 2016 because of wage inequality in regards to the men's team.

In an interview with ESPN, USWNT co-captain Becky Sauerbrunn said that if nothing changes until July, the women's team may not go to Rio de Janeiro.

FC Kansas City, the reigning champs of the NWSL, got a little shock when they received their shiny new championship rings.

FCKC, who have won the NWSL in two of the league's three seasons (season four just started), shared a nice photo of their championship rings on Twitter (the tweet has since been deleted). But something was a little off.

Megan Rapinoe has been here before. Twice she tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee while playing her college ball with the University of Portland, injuries which resulted in her missing out on both the 2007 FIFA World Cup and the 2008 Beijing Olympics. 

Now, aged 30 and with more than 100 caps with the United States national team, Rapinoe is once again facing the arduous trials and tribulations of returning from an ACL injury, this one having been sustained in her left knee.

Rachel Daly announced herself as a new star to watch as the NWSL season kicked off this past weekend. Daly, who hails from Harrogate in England, scored one and assisted one in her debut for the Houston Dash as they trounced the Chicago Red Stars 3-1 in front of a vociferous home crowd.