The NWSL regular season is past the one-third mark, and the table is beginning to take shape. Here’s a look at the players and teams that are dominating the stat charts so far.
Goals
A strong week nine from Marta has pushed her into a three-way tie at the top of the scoring chart.
Marta (Orlando Pride) - 5
Megan Rapinoe (Seattle Reign) - 5
Torsten Frings is finally getting his comeuppance, 15 years and 24 hours to the day.
The former German international became head coach of SV Darmstadt in January, around the time American Terrence Boyd joined the team.
Darmstadt was promptly relegated to 2. Bundesliga.
On Thursday, 19-year-old Texan McKinze Gaines signed with the club. One can only assume he’s planning to help finish the job Boyd started.
Why might these young Yanks be plotting revenge on a new coach of high regard who spent a couple years in MLS before retiring?
With the Russia World Cup less than a year away, we here at The18 asked ourselves who are the best (and worst) fans in the world.
We’ve compiled a list below of superlatives to break down what makes each country’s fans unique, for better or worse.
Note: We limited results to nations that are or have been regular World Cup qualifiers. Scroll to the bottom for the best and worst fans.
Here it is: your complete guide to the 2017 summer soccer schedule.
For most sports, the offseason is a time of respite. Once the Super Bowl ends in February, NFL teams don’t suit up for another game, scrimmage or otherwise, for six months. Soccer, fortunately, doesn’t abide by such silly rules.
The European soccer season technically ends after the Champions League final around late May or early June, but preseason exhibitions pick up in early July. Then there are also international matches (friendlies and cups) to also fill the void.
In 2016, the Chicago Fire were awful. They finished last in all of Major League Soccer with 31 points from 34 games. The foundations for that pathetic season had been laid in 2015, when they finished last in MLS with 30 points from 34 games.
2017, however, has been a different story. The Fire have already matched their point total from last season, and surpassed their total from 2015, with 18 games still to play, and they're riding an eight-game unbeaten streak in league play.
Here’s a scouting report for every United Soccer League team with Phoenix Rising FC on the schedule.
Man mark — no, double team — Didier Drogba.
I’m no coach, but the best player to ever wear the USL badge on his sleeve probably needs to have a defender or two in his back pocket at all times.
Still a hulking 6-2 powerhouse, Drogba isn’t hard to find on the pitch. But on Sunday, he was allowed acres of space and did what Drogba does: score.
It’s that time of year: the temperature is hotter, the days are longer, and players are heading for the exit and onto new clubs. Take a look at which Europe-based stars might make the leap to the states this summer.
A stellar 2017 season has come to a halt for young sensation Rose Lavelle. The Boston Breakers announced Thursday that she will be out four to six weeks due to a strained left hamstring. She picked up the injury during the USWNT’s recent trip overseas to take on Norway. Earlier in that trip, Lavelle scored the USA's only goal in a 1-0 victory against Sweden.
After a nearly two-week break, the NWSL returns to action having since its stars featuring in international friendlies across the globe. The Courage have dominated the first third of the season, and now get a home and away series with a Boston Breakers side who have to cope without Rose Lavelle (injured).
It happens every year. Like a Johnny Unitas haircut, you can set your clock to it.
When MLS teams hop into the U.S. Open Cup, inevitably some are immediately chopped down. On Wednesday night, three MLS clubs were swept aside by lower-level squads.
An impressive 30,160 fans showed up at Nippert Stadium for USL side FC Cincinnati’s 1-0 home win over Ohio rival Columbus. For the record, the Cincinnati Reds are averaging 22,063 fans per game.