Tobin Heath's time at Arsenal is over. The USWNT star and the North London club mutually agreed to end her contract early after she suffered a minor hamstring injury ruling her out for the rest of the season, Arsenal announced Thursday. Heath signed with the club in September and the contract was to last until the end of the 2022 season.
In September, the USWNT crushed Paraguay in back-to-back friendlies by a 17-0 aggregate score. This past week, the USWNT crushed Uzbekistan in back-to-back friendlies by an 18-1 aggregate score. While the September matches felt mostly a waste of time, the April matches felt instructive and useful, for both Vlatko Andonovski’s plans moving forward and U.S. fans trying to figure out those plans.
If you just look at the opponent, the USWNT’s April friendlies against Uzbekistan are likely to be fairly drab. Matches against the 48th-ranked team in the world in Ohio and Philadelphia, on the face of it, don’t really kindle much enthusiasm. But the April USWNT roster makes it clear: This is the final chance for some young players to earn a spot on the team at World Cup and Olympic qualifying this summer in Mexico.
USWNT stars have demanded answers. On Thursday, they got some, but they probably won’t appease immediate concerns over systemic abuse in women’s soccer.
MANCHESTER, England - Tobin Heath struck the equalizer deep into stoppage time as Arsenal snatched a 1-1 draw away to Manchester City in the Women's Super League, while Manchester United went second thanks to a 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur earlier on Sunday.
The draw leaves Arsenal top of the table on 26 points, two ahead Manchester United with a game in hand. Chelsea, who were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by Brighton & Hove Albion, are third on 22 points, with one game in hand over Arsenal and two over United.
While not quite as bad as 2020, 2021 was not exactly a great year. The Covid-19 pandemic still rages, providing daily disruptions to our lives, politics remained fucked as ever, preventing any real progress on issues of climate change or equity, and my favorite soccer teams all still suck. But an Instagram post featuring Christen Press and Tobin Heath may have just made the entire year worth it.
After a 2020 that was, in many ways, a lost year for international soccer, the U.S. women’s national team went into 2021 with high hopes. The year ended with feelings of missed opportunities and the need for a rethink moving forward less than 20 months away from the next Women’s World Cup.
Arsenal is not having a good start to the month of December. As if the men’s team hasn’t provided enough gut-punches to fans this season, the month began with back-to-back, one-goal losses to Manchester United and Everton. But the Arsenal women have managed to disappoint even more, capped by another comprehensive defeat to Barcelona.