NWSL

CeCe Kizer is, like many Americans in the NWSL, playing in Europe this fall as the U.S. fails to contain Covid-19. The Houston Dash midfielder didn’t go on loan to a well-known club in England like Tobin Heath and Christen Press (Manchester United), Rose Lavelle and Sam Mewis (Man City) and Alex Morgan (Tottenham). Instead she found herself a club to get some playing time while the NWSL plays a mostly meaningless Fall Series back home.

After an exciting weekend of NWSL matches with plenty of goals and quality plays, the games continue on Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 10:00 p.m. EST with the Portland Thorns welcoming OL Reign to Providence Park. 

The Thorns are coming off their first match — and win — of the Fall Series after defeating the Utah Royals 3-0 on Sunday, Sept. 20. Simone Charley, Lindsey Horan and Sophia Smith all tallied goals. Smith debuted for Portland, scored her first professional goal and truly showed why she was the No. 1 draft pick in 2020. 

Rookie defender Madison Hammond collected a bunch of firsts after her OL Reign faced off against the Utah Royals in their Fall Series debut.

Hammond, a graduate of Wake Forest University, made her first appearance for the Reign during the match and became the first Native American to play in the NWSL. (Hammond is Navajo.)

Richie Laryea and Sophie Schmidt made history by becoming the first Canadians ever to simultaneously win MLS and NWSL Player of the Week honors. Laryea was named MLS Player of the Week after he tallied one goal and two assists for Toronto FC. Houston Dash midfielder Schmidt scored, had an assist and played a crucial role in the Dash’s third goal to defeat Orlando Pride, earning herself Budweiser Woman of the Week.

Both of the Canadians showed off their composure and creative abilities, and they are both, without a doubt, representing their nation one accolade at a time. 

Carli Lloyd, one of the world’s best footballers of the 2010s, turned 38 this summer. With the Covid-19 pandemic postponing the Olympics, she missed out on a potential curtain-call tournament, one last chance to strive for gold before riding off into the sunset. In March, after the Olympics were postponed, Lloyd announced she would put off retirement to work toward making the 2021 Olympic team.

Now Lloyd has all but confirmed that she will retire after next summer’s Olympics in Tokyo.

U.S. Open champion Naomi Osaka, American soccer player Megan Rapinoe and Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes were among the athletes named on the 2020 "Time 100" list of the most influential people in the world.

The annual list, which is not ranked, honours individuals who have had the most significant impact on the global landscape that year and includes heads of state, business leaders, activists and entertainers, among others. There is no winner named.

Alex Morgan is a Spurs player. It’s a sentence that I haven’t gotten used to saying after she left for England earlier this month. Morgan traded the NWSL for the FA Women’s Super League and shed some light on that decision in her first interview with Tottenham.

"Just to be a part of this organisation is pretty incredible, I’m really happy to take this next step in my career.”

The North Carolina Courage won a seven-goal thriller last week. Back on CBS this week, the 2019 NWSL champs just couldn’t find a way past USWNT keeper Ashlyn Harris.

The Orlando Pride, playing in their first match of 2020, held the Courage to a 0-0 draw on Saturday in the NWSL Fall Series, with Harris and the Pride defense coming up big to deny North Carolina’s potent offense. 

In March of 2019, USWNT players celebrated Women’s History Month by wearing the names of inspirational women on their jerseys for a SheBelieves Cup match against England. One of the most prominent names was on Becky Sauerbrunn’s back, three simple letters that mean so much to so many: RBG.

The rumors aren’t true, the NWSL is definitely not dead. Although many familiar faces have decided to take their talents overseas, the NWSL Fall Series is heading into its third weekend of games and the highlight reel is growing.