The Portland Thorns signed forward Sophia Smith to a two-year contract extension Tuesday, making her the highest paid player in the NWSL, ESPN reported.
While Smith's deal runs through the 2025 season, the contract will include an option for 2026.
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We’ve agreed to a contract extension with forward Sophia Smith.More here: https://t.co/5lmwcbQau3 pic.twitter.com/suBqSm86qy
Gotham FC and United States women’s national team forward Midge Purce is out for the season and unavailable for this summer’s Olympics after suffering an ACL injury.
Purce was substituted in the first half of her side’s 1-0 victory against the Portland Thorns on Sunday after picking up an injury.
The 28-year-old confirmed on social media that she had sustained an ACL injury and will be out for an extended period.
Midge Purce ACL injury
Mallory Swanson and Catarina Macario will make their long-awaited returns to the United States women’s national team after missing an extended period due to knee injuries.
Swanson’s last USWNT game was April 8, 2023, against the Republic of Ireland. During that game she suffered a gruesome torn patella tendon.
Macario returns after nearly two years with her previous national team appearance being a friendly vs. Uzbekistan on April 12, 2022. She tore her ACL that summer with her previous club Lyon.
The United States women’s national team will be looking for revenge against Mexico as the two sides will meet again in Harrison, New Jersey, on July 13. The game will take place 12 days before the USWNT’s opening game in the Paris Olympics vs. either Morocco or Zambia.
July’s friendly will be a special occasion as the game will also feature a reunion of the iconic 1999 USWNT Women’s World Cup team who lifted the title at the Rose Bowl in front of over 90,000 fans with 40 million tuning in.
The Houston Dash fired goalkeepers coach Matt Lampson for an alleged violation of the NWSL's policies against fraternization.
The league and the team engaged a third-party attorney to investigate claims that Lampson, 34, had an improper relationship with a player.
The United States women’s national team’s 2024 revenge tour will begin in Nice and Marseille for this summer’s 2024 Olympics. The USWNT Olympic group will feature the winner of Morocco/Zambia along with powerhouses Germany and Australia.
After claiming bronze in 2020 and not making the podium in 2016, the USWNT will be seeking their first gold medal in 12 years.
USWNT Olympic group 2024
Our third opponent will be decided in a playoff during the April international window.
Chelsea and United States women’s national team forward Catarina Macario returned from an ACL injury this month and has already bagged two goals and an assist for her club.
Macario, who had been out injured since summer 2022, made her long-awaited Chelsea debut on March 3 in the FA Women’s Super League, scoring a late goal. She then found the back of the net again with the winner vs. Everton on March 10.
On Tuesday she provided her first assist for her new club as Chelsea defeated Ajax 3-0 in the Women’s Champions League.
Player-to-player relationships within the same squad are inappropriate and can lead to significant challenges for managers, Chelsea coach Emma Hayes said.
Reports in British media this week said Leicester coach Willie Kirk is under investigation by the club amid allegations of a player-coach relationship.
Asked about the need to safeguard players, Hayes told reporters: "Player-coach relationships - they're inappropriate, player-to-player relationships are inappropriate."
Emma Hayes relationships quote
The USWNT have dropped to their lowest-ever position in the official FIFA rankings following their participation and win in the Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup.
The four-time World Cup champions now sit in fourth (2011.20 points), below France (2018.81), England (2021.41) and first-placed Spain (2085.96).
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There's no doubt about this one.
USWNT’s Alyssa Naeher collected the 2024 Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup Golden Glove following the U.S. women’s national team’s victory over Brazil in the final this Sunday.
NO DOUBT, YOUR GOLDEN GLOVE WINNER pic.twitter.com/1H7xArzZ8Q