{"id":31068,"date":"2025-07-29T05:14:10","date_gmt":"2025-07-29T05:14:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/31068\/"},"modified":"2025-07-29T05:14:10","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T05:14:10","slug":"summer-of-womens-soccer-goes-and-returns-plus-uswnt-announces-fall-friendlies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/31068\/","title":{"rendered":"Summer of women\u2019s soccer goes and returns. Plus: USWNT announces fall friendlies"},"content":{"rendered":"

Full Time Newsletter \u26bd| This is The Athletic\u2019s weekly women\u2019s soccer<\/a> newsletter.\u00a0Sign up here<\/a> to receive Full Time directly in your inbox.<\/p>\n

Now feels like the perfect time to use the \u201cHere\u2019s what you missed on \u2018Glee\u2019\u201d meme \u2014 are we still using that? Welcome to Full Time!<\/p>\n

Tournament Hangover<\/p>\n

The best remedy for soccer is more soccer<\/p>\n

One day, we will have public health studies about the long-term effects of this Summer of Soccer. If you experienced any of the following, you may be entitled to an extra week off work\/school (however, the antidote is just more soccer):<\/p>\n

Irregular heartbeat from having to endure multiple rounds of penalty shootouts and Video Assistant Review checks that lasted an eternity.
\nEmotional highs and lows between Mariona Caldentey\u2019s and Alessia Russo\u2019s spectacular headed goals in the 2025 European Championship final, or Ghizlane Chebbak\u2019s golazo in front of a packed stadium in Rabat and Esther Okoronkwo\u2019s composed penalty that turned the tide back toward Nigeria and\u00a0their Mission X<\/a>.
\nA dip in mood now that the games are fewer and farther between, after so much quality soccer.<\/p>\n

The two continental finals last weekend \u2014 Women\u2019s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco on Saturday and the Euros in Switzerland on Sunday \u2014 were\u00a0so comprehensively high-octane that I am considering taking PTO just to mend my edges, settle my nervous system and bask in the glory of this game.<\/p>\n

In Rabat, Nigeria \u2014 which had nine titles to its name before Saturday \u2014 was very much the away team. They were down two goals at halftime of the WAFCON final, yet found a way to hand the Moroccan hosts\u00a0their second straight championship loss<\/a>. Morocco are hosting a third consecutive WAFCON next year, raising questions about\u00a0what it means to host even when you lose big games<\/a>.<\/p>\n

England also entered the half losing the game thanks to that well-worked Caldentey goal, but as the now-two-time European champions\u00a0have shown throughout their Euros campaign<\/a>, they don\u2019t need to hold a lead to win a game. They only\u00a0led for four minutes and 52 seconds<\/a>\u00a0across all three knockout round matches, including two that came down to penalty kicks.<\/p>\n

Spain deserve credit for their dominant performance, only losing in the final. A lot of that comes down to the investment. As\u00a0Laia Cervello Herrero writes<\/a>, the Spanish federation is finally putting more backing behind the team after the fallout from its previous errors.<\/p>\n

Unlike Spain, England were unconcerned by on-the-ball aesthetics nor healthy bones, as\u00a0Lucy Bronze revealed that\u00a0she\u2019d been playing on a fractured tibia<\/a>\u00a0the whole tournament. (She told BBC after the match: \u201cIt\u2019s very painful, but I\u2019m going to party.\u201d) That\u2019s mad even by Bronze\u2019s extreme standards. But then again, hasn\u2019t the madness of the best kind been the case all summer?<\/p>\n

Want to re-live the tournament? You can read about\u00a0England\u2019s penalty kick specialist<\/a>\u00a0Chloe Kelly, who is cool as ice, and the European champion goalkeeper that you\u2019d never know\u00a0has a problem with depth perception<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Tamerra Griffin<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfa7\u00a0On the \u201cFull Time\u201d podcast<\/a>: The Euros crew in Switzerland joins Jillian Sakovits from the final to assess a truly mad finale.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re coming home<\/p>\n

The European trophy might be heading home with England, but\u00a0many of the stars from the tournament are returning home to NWSL.\u00a0Here are a few to keep an eye on when league play returns Friday.<\/p>\n

If, like me, you couldn\u2019t get enough of Germany goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger at the Euros, she\u2019ll rejoin her club teammates and Euros finalists Esther Gonzalez and Jess Carter at Gotham this week. And the second half of the NWSL season will see AKB go head-to-head with some of the league\u2019s most dangerous attackers:<\/p>\n

Washington Spirit\u2019s Trinity Rodman on Aug. 9 at home
\nOrlando Pride\u2019s Barbra Banda on Aug. 29
\nAngel City\u2019s rising forward line on Sep. 7<\/p>\n

Italy\u2019s run to the Euro semifinals<\/a>\u00a0sparked a new light in the country. Part of their attack, forward Sofia Cantore, is headed to NWSL, after\u00a0signing a three-year deal with the Spirit<\/a>, becoming the first Italian player in NWSL history. While she didn\u2019t score for the Azzurre during the tournament, she has notched more than 40 goals and 20 assists in 120 appearances across multiple Serie A teams.<\/p>\n

France shook up its squad, opting for younger players and leaving out veterans like Wendie Renard, the country\u2019s top goal scorer Eugenie Le Sommer and San Diego Wave\u2019s Kenza Dali. But the changes\u00a0proved too much<\/a>\u00a0as they fell to Germany in the semifinals.\u00a0Delphine Cascarino was part of getting Les Bleus to that stage<\/a>, and she could be back as soon as this weekend for the Wave\u2019s match against the North Carolina Courage.<\/p>\n

\u2014Asli Pelit<\/p>\n

Meg\u2019s Corner: That major tournament bump<\/p>\n

A month ago, I wrote that the Euros, WAFCON and Copa Am\u00e9rica Feminina would be a far more revealing look at the state of the game in the U.S. than a World Cup \u2014 and with the main international break now at a close and the NWSL returning this weekend, there\u2019s so much to be encouraged by.<\/p>\n

As much as the Euros had grown in accessibility and importance here since the 2017 edition, this summer was truly the moment the tournament broke through. The vibes were immaculate in Switzerland, but so were the\u00a0increases in TV numbers for Fox Sports<\/a>. I might have had issues with Fox\u2019s usual approach to broadcasting a tournament, but watching this major tournament felt like a premium product akin to the World Cup or the Olympics.<\/p>\n

The same can\u2019t really be said for WAFCON and especially Copa Am\u00e9rica \u2014 also on Fox, yet a shadow of the Euros production and schedule. Tamerra and I have been discussing how these two tournaments have lagged behind the shine of the Euros over the past two weeks, but the soccer itself has provided plenty of reasons for increased investment.<\/p>\n

The NWSL couldn\u2019t have asked for better results or better performances from its players this summer. The social feeds have been popping, and teams have already reactivated the marketing email machines. At least a couple of teams are offering free tickets to first-time fans to get them through the doors.<\/p>\n

\"\"NWSL Is Back: Where did we leave off?<\/p>\n

Re-examine the standings during these final moments of calm before the storm, and there\u2019s so much to study in the season\u2019s back half. As a reminder, we left off with all 14 teams facing each other exactly once, bringing us to the midpoint of the 2025 season.<\/p>\n

Last year was a true four-team race, with a clear quartet vying for the title.\u00a0This year, nobody can keep pace with the Kansas City Current, who have an eight-point cushion over Orlando. The Pride and Spirit set a new single-season wins record with 18 last year; KC already has 11. Will anybody complicate their Shield quest?<\/p>\n

Esther is the golden boot front-runner, after capturing the same award at Euro 2025,\u00a0but Gotham is narrowly clinging to the final playoff place. With 2024 qualifiers North Carolina and Bay FC on their heels, the 2023 champs will need to find a rhythm quickly.<\/p>\n

Seattle Reign has bounced back from a disappointing 2024 and is sixth in the table. That second tier is awfully compact, with just four points separating the Reign and second-place Orlando.\u00a0Will\u00a0Mia Fishel\u2019s arrival vault Seattle<\/a>\u00a0into contention to win the title?<\/p>\n

Trinity Rodman is back in training, ending a lengthy absence as she received back and spine treatment. Her return will be quite welcome, but with the USWNT star\u2019s contract\u00a0expiring after the year<\/a>, it won\u2019t just be her performances that Spirit fans will study closely.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Jeff Rueter<\/p>\n

What to Watch \ud83d\udcfa<\/p>\n

Seattle Reign vs. Angel City FC
Friday at 10:30 p.m. ET, NWSL+<\/p>\n

The Reign are riding high after edging out the Portland Thorns in a 5-4 penalty shootout win during a fiery midseason friendly at Providence Park last weekend. While it will be nice to see Lynn Biyendolo, Sofia Huerta, Jordyn Bugg, Jordyn Huitema and Claudia Dickey back, Angel City\u2019s latest additions, Icelandic forward Sveind\u00eds J\u00f3nsd\u00f3ttir and Evelyn Shores, could debut under Alexander Straus in this one.<\/p>\n

Copa Am\u00e9rica semifinals
Argentina vs. Colombia today at 8 p.m. ET, FS1
Brazil vs. Uruguay tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET, FS1<\/p>\n

The winners of these matches will meet in the final Saturday (5 p.m. ET). Brazil remains the favorite to win it all, especially after Colombia\u2019s underwhelming showing against the defending champions last week. Will Argentina continue its unbeaten streak to top Colombia? Will Uruguay upset Brazil, which has featured in every single Copa America final? We can\u2019t wait to find out.<\/p>\n

Full Time First Looks<\/p>\n

It\u2019s party time:\u00a0The USWNT\u00a0will return to action in October<\/a>\u00a0for a round of games and celebrations for recently retired players. First, the U.S. will honor Alex Morgan at Subaru Park outside Philadelphia (the site of her first goal) on Oct. 23 and then Connecticut native Alyssa Naeher in Hartford on Oct. 26. Both games will be against Portugal. The final game of the window will be in Kansas City, Mo., against an opponent yet to be determined.<\/p>\n

Lasso\u2019s return:\u00a0Speaking of Kansas City, \u201cTed Lasso\u201d has officially begun production on season four of the Apple TV series, which is expected to follow AFC Richmond\u2019s endeavors into women\u2019s soccer. While the Current declined to confirm whether they are involved in the filming, lead actor Jason Sudeikis, a KC native, joined co-stars Juno Temple and Hannah Waddingham around multiple Kansas City landmarks recently and popped up for a surprise appearance at a\u00a0Mumford & Sons concert on July 24<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udceb Love Full Time?\u00a0These stories can also be found on Yahoo\u2019s\u00a0women\u2019s sports hub<\/a>, in partnership with\u00a0The Athletic.\u00a0Also,\u00a0check out our other newsletters<\/a>.<\/p>\n

(Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI \/ AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n