The National Women's Soccer League said this weekend's matches will not take place a day after a report detailed allegations of misconduct against former North Carolina Courage head coach Paul Riley.
The Athletic on Thursday outlined allegations of sexual coercion and misconduct by Riley, who led the Courage to back-to-back NWSL championships in 2018 and 2019, after speaking to more than a dozen players he coached since 2010.
Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021, will be remembered as a dark, devastating day for women’s soccer in the U.S.
The Washington Spirit and Orlando Pride delivered a classic NWSL match on Sunday evening at Audi Field with Marta scoring a memorable goal for the visitors before Ashley Sanchez’s spectacular game-winner in the 89th minute.
The first half finished scoreless, but Washington’s Trinity Rodman was twice denied by the woodwork while Orlando’s Sydney Leroux was kept out following a sensational double-save by Aubrey Bledsoe.
But there was no keeping out Marta’s opener in the 68th minute, which was smashed off the inside of the far post from distance.
Abusive behavior, racist jokes, homophobic slurs — Richie Burke, it seems, is no Ted Lasso, and he appears to be on his way out of the NWSL after a damning report and some confusing reactions from his Washington Spirit club.
When you hear her teammates talk about her, Olivia Moultrie isn’t just a 15-year-old gimmick, she’s a contributing member of the Portland Thorns. And now that the NWSL has allowed her to become the youngest player in league history, she’s making an impact on the pitch.
In her first career start, Moultrie provided the game-winning assist, sending in a peach of a cross for Simone Charley to head home as Portland held off Washington 1-0 on Saturday night.
Trinity Rodman scored the best goal of her rookie season on Sunday, but it wasn’t enough as the Washington Spirit fell 3-2 to Gotham FC at Segra Field.
The Spirit looked doomed as early as the seventh-minute after Sam Staab was issued a straight red card for committing a foul as the last defender, but six minutes after her dismissal, Rodman shocked NJ/NY.
The 19-year-old used her pace to get on the end of a ball out wide, but with support arriving in the middle, Rodman elected to drift inside before unleashing a right-footed effort that flew inside the far post.
In a YouTube video with a former Japan teammate, Washington Spirit forward Kumi Yokoyama revealed they are transgender.
Kumi uses they/them pronouns...and don't forget it!
— Washington Spirit (@WashSpirit) June 19, 2021
The NWSL Challenge Cup is in full swing and these lady ballers are here to show what makes them the best of the best. They are showing class both on and off the field; from their pre-game outfits to their goals and celebrations, you do not want to miss a single second.
As NJ/NY Gotham FC leads the East Division and the Portland Thorns hold the No. 1 spot in the West Division, there has been great play and amazing moments during tournament play.
OL Reign beat the Chicago Red Stars 3-2 in one of the more entertaining NWSL Challenge Cup games of the year on Tuesday night. Tziarra King had an assist and scored the late winner, further cementing her as my second favorite NWSL player (just behind of my fellow Aggie Shea Groom).
But what stood out more than King’s heroics or Mal Pugh’s first goal since 2019 was the continued misgendering of Reign midfielder Quinn by NWSL announcers. It was made all the worse by the announcers making damn sure they used the correct surnames for recently married players.
When the world shut down in March 2020 for Covid-19, there was a lot of fear about the future of soccer. How could we play in the midst of a pandemic, one that would kill more than half a million people in the U.S. alone? The NWSL Challenge Cup was the answer, proving you could play sports and keep everyone safe.