USA

Center midfielder Malik Tillman shocked the soccer world in May when the Bayern Munich youngster announced he was switching his nationality to play for the United States instead of Germany. Now on a quest for more playing time, Tillman is heading to Scotland on a loan deal with Rangers.

What’s better than soccer and beer? How about soccer and free beer.

The Washington Spirit will be offering 1,000 free beers to fans who attend Sunday’s match against the Orlando Pride at Audi Field. It’s part of the club’s introduction of Spiritville, a pregame tailgate with beer, merch, kids games and more.

Cheers to a brew-tiful matchday at @AudiField pic.twitter.com/Rnmyx5kBbt

As many states ban abortion across the United States, soccer fans could find more than their reproductive freedoms disappearing. They might also lose their ability to watch top-flight soccer.

NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said this week full access to healthcare — including birth control, in-vitro fertilization and abortion — is one of the league’s values. As the NWSL seeks to increase by two teams up to 14 by 2024, states that deny women and those who may become pregnant full healthcare rights could find themselves left out of the growing women’s soccer party. 

The USWNT secured a spot in the Concacaf W Championship final on Thursday after defeating Costa Rica 3-0.  The winner of the Concacaf W Championship will book one of two spots in the 2024 Paris Olympics. The U.S. will play the winner of Canada vs. Jamaica in the final on Monday.

USWNT vs Costa Rica Highlights

Thursday’s semifinal was frustrating at times for the USWNT as the team couldn’t put away golden opportunities. Alex Morgan failed to score two big chances in the opening 20 minutes. 

It seems to happen every time the U.S. women’s national team plays in a major tournament. Fans flock to stores online and in person seeking USWNT merch. Almost without fail, Nike, the U.S. Soccer Federation and other outlets quickly run out of stock, never learning from past mistakes to properly prepare for spikes in demand.

No more.

The USWNT Players Association launched its own line of USWNT merch on Thursday, taking full advantage of bargaining for their name, image and likeness rights in 2017. 

A fairly unassuming weeknight MLS match between the cellar-dwelling Chicago Fire and Toronto FC proved to be anything but on Wednesday night. Chicago took care of business at home thanks to a pair of goals by 18-year-old Colombian Jhon Durán, the second of which has garnered much attention thanks to a spectacular assist. 

THIS FLICK TO SET UP THE GOAL pic.twitter.com/HC9dKYo7gi

Leeds United continued its preseason tour this week with a trip down under to face the Brisbane Roar. Former Red Bull Salzburg midfielder Brenden Aaronson was named as a starter and almost kicked off his debut in spectacular fashion. 

Aaronson put the ball in the back of the net just ~10 seconds into his Leeds debut, but was (rightly) ruled offsidepic.twitter.com/Su5vVgMash

On Wednesday night at TCO Stadium in Eagan, Minnesota Aurora — the state's fledgling, community-owned women's soccer team — made history with a record crowd of 6,200 inside the ground for a USL W League playoff quarterfinal against Indy Eleven. 

The big news out of Barcelona on Wednesday was confirmation of Raphinha's $58.5 million transfer from Leeds United, but the team also opened its preseason campaign 60 miles north of home against fourth-tier side UE Olot at the club's modest Estadi Municipal in Catalonia.