NWSL

After a period of dominance that yielded every trophy (2020 Fall Series, 2021 Challenge Cup, 2021 Women’s ICC, 2021 Shield) apart from the one that really matters, the top-seeded Portland Thorns suffered heartbreak on Sunday in the NWSL playoff semifinals to the Chicago Red Stars, despite the underdogs missing Mal Pugh, Casey Krueger, Kayla Sharples and losing Kealia Watt to injury in the 29th-minute. 

It was Watt’s substitute — Katie Johnson — who gave the Red Stars the advantage in the 37th minute with a shot from an impossible angle that caught Bella Bixby napping. 

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.

On Tuesday, PSG hammered Real Madrid 4-0 in the UEFA Women’s Champions League with 26-year-old France international Aminata Diallo starting in the defensive midfield role.

Thirty-one-year-old France international Kheira Hamraoui — Diallo’s direct competition for the spot — had started PSG’s first two UWCL games, but Hamraoui had been ruled out of the match due to injuries sustained following an assault by two masked individuals last week that left her requiring stitches. 

Less than two weeks after the Kansas City Current revealed its new team name and logo, the National Women’s Soccer League’s newest expansion team in San Diego announced its new name. The Current now has its biggest rival: San Diego Wave FC.

San Diego Wave FC

It's official...We are WAVE FC! ️⚽️

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

Just give Trinity Rodman a call-up for November’s USWNT friendlies against Australia now. She’s earned it. 

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.