Women

The United States women’s national team are set to hire Chelsea women’s head coach Emma Hayes to fill the void left behind following Vlatko Andonovski’s departure.

Final details between Hayes and the USWNT are still being ironed out as she will see out her final season with the Blues which won’t end until May.

Two-times Women's World Cup winner Megan Rapinoe has added one final stop on her farewell tour, with her OL Reign side beating the top-ranked San Diego Wave to reach the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) Championship on Saturday. 

The 2019 Ballon d'Or winner bid a bitter goodbye to the global stage as the United States crashed out in the last 16 of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in August. 

Two of the biggest players in United States women’s national team history will face off in search of NWSL glory. Alex Morgan’s San Diego Wave FC will host Megan Rapinoe’s OL Reign in the NWSL semifinals at 9:30 p.m. ET on Sunday at Snapdragon Stadium.

It could be Rapinoe’s final professional game.

Rapinoe has already retired from the USWNT and will hang up her boots at the end of the 2023 NWSL season. The 38-year-old forward has spent the last 10 years with OL Reign but has never won a championship.

Ireland secured promotion to League A of the Women's Nations League with a 1-0 win away to Albania on Tuesday, but had to come through torrential rain, thunderstorms and a pitch which resembled a lake.

"Wettest game in history but job done and top of the group with the girlsss," Ireland captain Katie McCabe posted on Instagram after the match in Shkoder.

"Ballon Pour," Ireland teammate Louise Quinn commented under the post, a reference to McCabe, like many others, missing the Ballon d'Or ceremony on Monday despite her nomination.

Mia Fishel scored her first international goal in her hometown to spark the U.S. women's national team to a 3-0 victory in a friendly against Colombia in San Diego on Sunday.

Fishel, in her second appearance, put the Americans ahead in the 56th minute, and Lindsey Horan followed with another goal six minutes later for a 2-0 lead. Jaedyn Shaw, an 18-year-old forward who made her debut on Thursday, scored in the 83rd minute.

The goals came after Casey Murphy made two saves in the opening three minutes of the second half to preserve the scoreless match for the Americans.

Spain substitute Jenni Hermoso scored a superb 89th minute goal to help her side snatch a 1-0 win over Italy in the Nations League on Friday as she returned to the national team for the first time since their Women's World Cup success in August.

Hermoso came on in the 68th minute and collected a rebound from Alexia Putellas' shot to nudge the ball into the net for her 52nd goal as the national team's top scorer.

The United States women's national team drew Colombia 0-0 on Thursday in a lackluster friendly game that had one big theme. Alex Morgan couldn’t finish the USWNT’s best chances.

Morgan debuted for the USWNT on a snowy night in Sandy, Utah, back in 2010. The 34-year-old striker was on the field for the Stars and Stripes at the same venue again 13 years later.

The homecoming to Utah will be one to forget for Morgan who squandered three golden chances including a penalty kick.

Christine Sinclair, the world's all-time leading international goalscorer, has announced her retirement from the Canada women's national team but said she still planned to play for Portland Thorns in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) next season.

The 40-year-old Sinclair's illustrious international career includes a record 190 goals for Canada in 327 games, an Olympic gold medal and six World Cup appearances.

"Honestly, you can't play forever," Sinclair told Reuters. "And this seems like a good time to be done."