Women's Soccer

On Saturday night, the Houston Dash faced off against the Washington Spirit in Boyds, Maryland, where both teams had their fair share of opportunities on goal.

After an hour delay at halftime due to lightning, the Spirit came out strong and found the back of the net first. Midfielder Jordan DiBiasi received a deflected ball off a long throw-in from Sam Staab, and DiBiasi got her head on it to give the Spirit the lead in the 52nd minute.

The stars of the 2019 Women’s World Cup are returning to the NWSL and if Friday night was any evidence, they’re ready to keep people talking about women’s soccer beyond just once every four years.

All four goals in a 2-2 draw between the Utah Royals FC and Portland Thorns FC were scored by Women’s World Cup stars on Friday night in Sandy, Utah, yet the best performance of them all came from a USWNT player who didn’t even make it onto the pitch en route to the Americans’ fourth World Cup title.

Before, during and after the USWNT’s run to its fourth Women’s World Cup title this summer, the American players have been outspoken about their social activism. 

The undeniable leader of those efforts has been Megan Rapinoe, who has drawn considerable ire (but equal parts praise) from many across the globe for speaking up.

Rapinoe appears to be inspiring the next generation of USWNT leaders, her younger U.S. teammates.

FIFA released its July 2019 rankings for women’s soccer and, obviously, the USWNT ranking remained No. 1. The Americans also set a new record in the process.

@USWNT take big lead atop the latest #FIFARanking

Allie Long, a veteran member of the Women’s World Cup-winning USWNT, had a rude awakening from the delirium of the team’s week-long celebration.

This morning, the USWNT received a letter from the 25 female members of the Senate, requesting a meeting with them to discuss issues facing women. The letter, which is addressed to head coach Jill Ellis, Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd, and Megan Rapinoe, congratulates the team on its victory and remarks on how it has ignited conversation regarding women’s issues.

Back in 2003, Rose Lavelle was just an eight-year-old girl with dreams to one day be like her idol, USWNT legend Mia Hamm. As a two-time World Cup champion and one of the greatest players to ever play the game, Hamm was one of the most idolized athletes. Although the USWNT fell short to Germany in the semifinals of the 2003 World Cup, a little girl from Cincinnati, Ohio remained emotionally attached to her role model — Lavelle cried after the U.S. was eliminated from final contention. 

The USWNT victory party continued apace on Wednesday morning with the team embarking on a parade through New York City before settling down for a ceremony in front of city hall, which included a powerful speech from Golden Boot and Golden Ball winner Megan Rapinoe and a not-so-incredible talk from USSF president Carlos Cordeiro. 

It’s with great sadness that our summer of soccer 2019 draws to a close. The USWNT lifted the World Cup, Brazil triumphed on home soil at the Copa América, Mexico reclaimed the Gold Cup and we’re into the final week of the Africa Cup of Nations. Unless you’re eagerly anticipating the ICC, our glorious summer is at an end.

There’s perhaps no greater testament to the strength, drive, togetherness and badassery of the USWNT than the whirlwind tour they’ve been on since Sunday night.

Mere mortals like you and I would probably like nothing more than to curl up under a blanket and nurse a week-long hangover while regaining some sort of feeling in our legs after a month of heinous physical exertion, but the USWNT knows no chill.