Women's Soccer

Claudia Romani doesn’t deserve your attention in a referee’s kit. In a bikini, sure. In a skin tight dress, yes. She’s a model, she gets paid for the attention that her looks garner. But I don’t care what tests or qualifications she may have passed; I don’t care if she would have been the hottest ref in soccer; this good looking woman is not a referee. She would have made a mockery of Seria A if she had been allowed to officiate a match.   

What we know and don’t know can influence us all, it can change our perceptions and then change our opinions. That’s the kind of change Brenda Perez and the Spanish television show El Hormiguero had in mind when they dressed up Perez, a 21-year-old professional footballer, as a man and then set her loose in a men’s amateur match. They are smart, because few things alter your opinion more than seeing a young woman school a men’s team. 

One of the cool things about winning something major in sports (other than, obviously, winning something major in sports) is that you get to meet the President. This is what happened to the USWNT Tuesday, as they visited the White House and hung out with Barack Obama. 

Obama had some very kind words to say about the USWNT, including this perfect line about the USWNT and changing peoples' minds about womens sports and soccer.

After years of dominance with the United States Women’s National Soccer team, forward Abby Wambach announces retirement from soccer following the USWNT’s World Cup celebration at the White House today.

As she leaves the game, Wambach holds the record as the leading scorer — for both men and women — in international soccer, with 184 goals in 252 international appearances.

Her USWNT swansong will be the final four games of the team’s 10-game victory tour, with her final match coming on Dec. 16 against China in New Orleans.

According to Sports Illustrated, the newly-formed Orlando Pride have made a move for USWNT and Portland Thorns striker Alex Morgan.

Last Thursday FC Kansas City beat the Seattle Reign in the NWSL Championship match. It was a huge occasion for the league; the game was played in Portland in front of 13,000 fans and broadcast nationwide. Being a part of such a showcase event was obviously a huge honor for both of the teams, but only one could be named champion. FC Kansas City came out on top of a hard fought affair with a 1-0 victory. 

Sometimes things just start with a friend. 

“My really good friend in school when I was about 7 started playing soccer, so I signed up, just to take part and really soon after just started to enjoy it.”

It’s a little frustrating to hear that a professional soccer player started playing the game so, well, randomly. Here is someone ostensibly living a dream, and it all started off with an “I guess I’ll do that.”

“If it had, by default, been an instrument or a different sport I think I kind of just would have gone with it.”