United States women’s national team and San Diego Wave center back Naomi Girma was a brick wall in defense last year and has deservedly been named the 2023 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year.
Girma is the first pure defender to win the award in its 39-year history.
Naomi Girma Player of the Year award
National Women’s Soccer League champions Gotham FC are the talk of free agency. The Bats have their eyes set on several high-profile players and have so far confirmed the signings of two USWNT stars.
Crystal Dunn and Tierna Davidson are the first two players set to take their talents to the east coast for the 2024 season.
Gotham FC announced the signing of Dunn on New Year’s Eve and then revealed Davidson as a new player on Tuesday.
Gotham FC signings
Barcelona women's captain and twice Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas will undergo knee surgery, her club said on Tuesday.
The Spain forward had to leave the national team training camp in Madrid last month because of a knee injury, which also kept her out of recent matches with Barcelona.
Alexia Putellas knee injury
Barcelona have announced that Alexia Putellas will undergo surgery on her left knee this Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/rh8rdn10cg
United States women’s national team midfielder and 2023 NWSL Champion Kristie Mewis is taking her talents to London as she leaves Gotham FC to join Women’s Super League (WSL) side West Ham United.
Mewis and Gotham FC mutually parted ways as the 32-year-old will face an entirely new challenge with West Ham who face a relegation battle. The Hammers sit second from last in the WSL table, have one win from 10 games and have the fewest goals scored in the league with eight.
Kristie Mewis West Ham transfer
The Lindsey Horan red card in the UEFA Women’s Champions League on Thursday has made the rounds among USWNT fans. The star American was sent off during Lyon’s group stage game vs. Norway’s Brann.
Horan’s red card occurred in the 52nd minute when she was fouled by Brann’s Karoline Haugland. The 29-year-old Colorado native wasn’t pleased about the challenge and gave her opponent a shove.
Tensions continued to rise as words were exchanged with Haugland and then with the referee.
Lindsey Horan red card
Gotham FC are the talk of NWSL free agency as the reigning league champs are in advanced talks with multiple big names. This latest era of Gotham FC free agency could be one for the books.
No free agents have officially signed yet, but the Bats are in contact with the likes of Rose Lavelle, Emily Sonnett, Crystal Dunn and Tierna Davidson.
Gotham FC free agency targets
One of the biggest “What-ifs” for the United States women’s national team in 2023 is what would the year have looked like if star forward Mallory Swanson didn’t suffer a knee injury in April.
During a friendly against Republic of Ireland Swanson’s 2023 World Cup dreams were shattered after suffering a gruesome tear to the patellar tendon in her left knee. She hasn’t played for the USWNT or the Chicago Red Stars since.
Christine Sinclair bid an emotional farewell to international soccer on Tuesday with one final match that brought an end to a superlative career in which she catapulted the Canadian national women's team from obscurity to Olympic champions.
The result of the friendly, a 1-0 win over Australia played in Sinclair's home province of British Columbia, did not matter as the night was all about celebrating Canada's most successful soccer player of all time.
The United States women’s national team ended the 2023 calendar year with a 2-1 comeback victory vs. China on Tuesday.
Interim head coach Twila Kilgore utilized an interesting 3-4-2-1 formation that had a blend of familiar names and newcomers.
Unfortunately, the first half reflected just that: Many players who haven’t played much time together in a formation they didn’t appear comfortable in. There was little to discuss about the USWNT’s attack in the first half.
Ali Krieger hung up her boots as the 39-year-old defender ended her career with a punctuation mark after lifting the NWSL Championship with Gotham FC. The United States women’s national team got a chance to say thanks to the U.S. legend before a friendly vs. China on Tuesday.
Krieger’s 108th and final appearance with the national team came in January 2021 and U.S. Soccer did the right thing in organizing a proper ceremony for the stalwart defender.
Here was the moment Krieger received her flowers and thanks from the USWNT.