Women's Soccer

The United States is into the semifinals of the 2019 Women’s World Cup, continuing its incredible streak of reaching the final four in all eight editions.

The USWNT did it by seeing off host France, seen by many as the biggest challenger to the No. 1 team repeating as world champion. The 2-1 win on Friday night in Paris was coach Jill Ellis’ 100th win in charge of the Americans, including 11 wins and one draw with no losses in World Cup play. 

Hope Solo may disagree, but maybe we should give the Englishwoman a bit of respect for what she’s accomplished with Team USA.

Megan Rapinoe may just win the Golden Boot — and help the USWNT win a fourth Women’s World Cup in the process.

The USWNT winger scored in the fifth and 65th minutes to lead the U.S. to a 2-1 win over France in the 2019 Women’s World Cup quarterfinals on Friday in Paris. The anticipated showdown came down to the wire but the U.S. held on for an impressive victory over the host nation.

As much of a cliché as this sounds, England is very much a team that is greater than the sum of its parts.

This isn’t to say England has bad players — Fran Kirby and Lucy Bronze are among the best in the world at their respective positions. Yet it would be hard to say the Three Lionesses are the best in the world in any one particular area. There are better passing teams, better possession teams, better defending teams and quicker and stronger teams.

But when England puts it together, there might not be a better team.

Legendary referee Pierluigi Collina, who now serves as the chairman of FIFA’s Referees’ Committee, took center stage at a FIFA media briefing today about officiating and VAR at the 2019 Women’s World Cup, much like he did last summer in Moscow for the men’s tournament.  

After watching Jessica McDonald’s story from the USWNT 23 stories, we learned what motivates her to pursue her dream of playing professionally. Her mother had her and her brother right out of high school and struggled to give them the life they deserved, so she ended up being raised by her grandmother.

Friday. On Friday, you don’t work. On Friday, you watch perhaps the most anticipated match in the history of the Women’s World Cup. The USA vs France World Cup 2019 predictions, previews and general hype train is building to a crescendo, like a Marta message to the children. 

We’ve all seen him by now, the USWNT assistant coach.

With a broad, reassuring face and hair pulled back tight, he shadows U.S. head coach Jill Ellis on the sidelines, almost brother-like in appearance.

So who is this guy anyway? And what’s with the man-bun?

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The Telegraph has reported that Qin Liang, the England vs Cameroon referee, twice ignored VAR advice in order to prevent the Cameroonian team from walking out during the game.

The first instance was Fran Kirby’s penalty appeal, in which Kirby was taken down with a high challenge in the box by a Cameroonian defender.

Japan has reached the end of a semi-successful Women’s World Cup run and finished on a good note. The Netherlands lucked out by receiving a penalty kick to surpass the Japanese in a final score of 2-1. However, the Japanese managed to keep fighting after scoring a cheeky goal before half and unfortunately got the boot in the round of 16.