History was made on Friday when U.S. Soccer announced USWNT star Megan Rapinoe will become the first soccer player to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. U.S. President Joe Biden will award Rapinoe, along with 16 other recipients including gymnast Simone Biles, the medal on July 7 at the White House.
NWSL side Angel City FC announced a completed a trade with the Orlando Pride for former USWNT forward and 2015 World Cup champion Sydney Leroux. The Leroux trade sees her move to Los Angeles following an almost five-year stint with the Pride during which she scored 16 league goals in 53 appearances.
Welcome back to L.A., Sydney!
CAPE TOWN - World Cup places will be up for grabs at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, which kicks off in Morocco on Saturday, with the top four finishers guaranteed a spot at the 2023 finals in Australia and New Zealand.
Africa previously had three places at the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France, but with the field for the 2023 tournament expanded to 32 teams, there are now four automatic berths for the continent and the chance of two more places via a proposed 10-team playoff tournament.
The USWNT huffed and puffed its way to a 2-0 victory over Colombia on Tuesday night in Sandy, Utah. It was hardly the first time the Americans struggled to put away lower competition, and with World Cup and Olympic qualifying less than a week away, you have to wonder if it’s time to start worrying about the USWNT’s rebuild.
Carson Pickett made history on Tuesday during the USWNT’s 2-0 friendly victory against Colombia as the first player with a limb difference to play for the national team. Pickett is a fullback and had a quality 90 minutes against Colombia playing at left back.
Stan Kroenke, through Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, owns seven professional sports franchises and two eSports teams across the U.S. and UK, in Los Angeles, Colorado and London. Four of those teams have won championships in 2022: the NFL’s LA Rams, the National Lacrosse League’s Colorado Mammoth, Call of Duty League’s Los Angeles Guerrillas and, on Sunday night, the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche.
So, uh, I guess that means Arsenal is next, right? Or maybe the Colorado Rapids? How about Arsenal Women?
If you’re a fan of any of those teams, don’t hold your breath.
Haley Carter is a former Marine, former Houston Dash goalkeeper and former assistant coach for the Afghanistan women’s national team. She’s an attorney with degrees from the Naval Academy, University of Liverpool and University of Houston’s law school. The lifetime Girl Scout has received many military medals after serving two tours in Iraq and started a program with the Dash to honor female veterans and servicemembers. She’s a mother.
According to one failed politician, however, Haley Carter has no right to be the Grand Marshal of a local Independence Day parade.
Venezuela defeated Chile 1-0 in a friendly ahead of the next Copa América Femenina. Mariana Speckmaier was the hero for La Vinotinto, but the game's real star was a black dog that entered the pitch to bless us with a very needed dose of cuteness.
The pup stole the spotlight in the middle of the first half when he set foot on the pitch of the aptly named La Granja (The Farm) Stadium.
San Diego Wave midfielder Taylor Kornieck had an unforgettable night on Saturday when made her USWNT debut and netted her first goal. The 23-year-old got on the end of a Megan Rapinoe free kick in the 90th minute and flicked it off her head to the far post to make it 3-0.
The United States women’s national team defeated Colombia 3-0 on Saturday in Commerce City, Colorado, during the first of two friendlies. The game was frustrating at times for the USWNT as the team failed to score two penalties and missed a plethora of chances but ultimately got the job done.
In the end it was two perfect Rose Lavelle assists to Sophia Smith that unlocked the game for the USWNT. There’s a chance that Lavelle has laser vision because these two assists were about as good as it gets.