NWSL

These Players Are Setting An Example We Can All Follow

In the wake of the murder of George Floyd, the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement is experiencing a renewed vigor and is proving to be a powerful force for change. As the movement gains worldwide attention, more and more companies and individuals in the limelight are coming forward to show support and solidarity.

Before you get annoyed and complain that you’re ‘tired of seeing politics in soccer,’ I’d like to point you to this video of Jalen Rose and other ESPN voices.

U.S. Soccer President Personally Apologizes To Rapinoe For Anthem Policy

A day after the U.S. Soccer announced that it had overturned its ban on protests during the national anthem, federation president Cindy Parlow Cone apologized to women's national team star Megan Rapinoe for the policy being instituted originally.

U.S. Soccer added the rule to its bylaws in 2017 after Rapinoe began kneeling for the anthem to protest racism and police abuses. Rapinoe was following the lead of then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who began the same protests in 2016 and hasn't played in the NFL since that year.

CNBC Forgets The NWSL Exists

CNBC released an article June 11 at 8 a.m. EST with the headline “Major League Soccer will be the first contact sport to return, giving it a chance to outshine rivals.”

Now I don’t know about you guys, but that headline sure doesn’t seem accurate. MLS is said to return July 8, while the NWSL Challenge Cup is said to return June 27. 

In an era of fast-paced media consumption and Google at our fingertips, a slew of responses flooded Twitter and said all the right things. (CNBC since took down the original tweet publicizing the article.)

2020 NWSL Challenge Cup Schedule, Preview, TV Info And Streaming Options

Professional team sports return to America beginning Saturday, June 27 with the start of the NWSL’s Challenge Cup in Herriman, Utah. The NWSL Challenge Cup schedule was unveiled Monday, and the tournament will feature 25 extremely meaningful matches over the course of a month.

Things begin with an 18-game preliminary round that takes place between June 27 and July 13. Each of the league’s nine teams will play four games and those results will be used to determine the seedings in the quarterfinal knockout round with the last-place squad being eliminated.

Veró Boquete Says She Wasn’t Aware Of Real Racism Until She Moved To The U.S.

Veró Boquete is one of the most accomplished footballers in the world. A short list of her achievements includes being Spain’s all-time top scorer, having a stadium named after her and fighting for women to be included in the FIFA video game.

The 33-year-old has been all over the world playing for clubs in the United States, Spain, Russia, Sweden, Germany, France and China. She recently returned to the NWSL last year after a five-year hiatus from the U.S.

OL Reign Signs 24-Year-Old Japanese International Yuka Momiki

On May 22, 2020, NWSL side OL Reign announced the signing of Japanese standout Yuka Momiki. The 24-year-old was born in New York City but grew up playing in Japan with Nippon TV Beleza’s youth side before reaching the senior team.

 “Yuka is a young, dynamic player with tremendous potential that we believe will play an important role in our club this season and far into the future,” said OL Reign CEO Bill Predmore in a team press release. 

NWSL Announces Month-Long Tournament In Utah Scheduled For Late June

The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) will return to action in late June with a 25-game tournament in Utah that will be played in empty stadiums due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The NWSL, which delayed the start of its season because of the coronavirus, said it has worked with team doctors and public health officials to develop testing protocols to ensure a safe environment for its nine teams during the month-long tournament. 

Megan Rapinoe, Sue Bird And Russell Wilson To Host 2020 ESPYs Remotely

The hosts for the 2020 ESPYs have been announced. This year, the ESPYs will shift its focus from outstanding athletic achievement to highlighting the impact athletes have made outside of sports. This shift in showing the world that there's more to athletes than just their performances on the field or court aligns with the current global situation we are in. While sports took a halt, many athletes did not.

Seattle Storm point guard Sue Bird, USWNT standout Megan Rapinoe and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson will be the voice of this years ESPYs.

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