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Ever wonder what goes through former Arsenal defender Alex Scott’s head during games? That The historic 2007 Champions League winning goal? Well, we asked her! In today’s full game:
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🏆 How to create a champion
📺What to watch this week
🦎 Komodo dragon? uh, yes
Let’s start with a budding dynasty…
NWSL review
How to build a championship lineup
Winning the NWSL championship is one thing. But how do you maintain this success year after year? That’s the question Yael Averbuch West is thinking about as he plans for the future of Gotham FC as the club lifts two league trophies in three years.
“That part of the project is really my focus,” said Averbuch West, the club’s general manager and director of football operations. Competitor Recent stories. “How do we make this the norm in Gotham? That’s the dilemma now.”
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Sustaining success means mastering how to build a championship roster within the strict confines of the NWSL’s salary cap and other restrictions.
Gotham recently signed former Chelsea star Guero Reiten, one of the best left-footed wingers in the world. Her arrival, initially on loan until July and then as a free agent in the summer, will bolster a talented squad – from World Cup winners and Olympic medalists to promising young stars.
As Averbuch West explains, clubs are always looking for ways to utilize existing rules and make the most of new ones, including the “high-impact player” rule.
That means Gotham is always “keep building, never ending” – the club’s motto. That’s why last November, when players were handed the keys to the city on the steps of City Hall, the club’s director of scouting and player development, Richard Gunney, was scouting potential replacements for Gotham rookie Jordynn Dudley in California.
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“We do a really good job of making game day exciting and engaging,” Gunny said, “but the reality is behind the scenes, you want it to be as boring, consistent and predictable as possible.”
For more on Gotham’s roster mysteries, see Melanie’s full story (with Megan Ferringa).
16 Moments from the NWSL Weekend
After two weekends in the NWSL, only three teams – Angel City, Houston Dash and Portland Thorns – have won back-to-back games.
Scored 21 goals in 16 games this week. We saw players score their first NWSL goals and we saw more veterans return. It’s been a whirlwind these three days.
We’re back with five games on Wednesday before the first batch of midweek games get underway The 16 best moments of the weekend:
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1 and 2) Denver Summit scored the club’s first points after drawing 1-1 against the Orlando Pride. Forward Barbara Banda scored her second goal of the season on her 26th birthday to give Orlando a point. 3 and 4) In a rematch of last year’s quarterfinals, Louisville Athletic took a 2-0 lead into halftime against the Washington Spirit, but Sofia Cantor and Lacey Santos mounted a comeback late in the game in true Spirit fashion. We also saw the return of veteran midfielder Andy Sullivan after a 17-month absence.
5) The 44th Annual Cascadia Rivalry became an instant classic, as a short-handed Portland team defeated the Seattle Reign despite playing most of the second half with only nine players. 6) Combined with the four red cards issued this weekend, the total number of red cards in the first two weeks of the 2026 season has reached six.
7) The Houston Dash beat Boston Heritage 3-0 despite the surprise departures of midfielder Delany Sheehan and forward Yazmin Ryan to Denver. Houston enjoyed a brace from Kiki Van Zanten and a goal from Kate Redd. 8) Gotham and the North Carolina Courage tied 0-0 at Sports Illustrated Stadium, a game highlighted by Tierna Davidson’s long-awaited return after 358 days.
9, 10 and 11) Italy captain Cristiana Girelli made her NWSL debut for Bay FC despite a poor performance against Angel City. Angel City remain top of the league on goal difference thanks to a brace from forward Svendis Janjosdottir and a goal from defender Gisele Thompson at PayPal Park on Saturday.
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for 12 and 13)The Chicago Stars, ranked last in the 2025 class, beat the defending Shield champion Kansas City Current 2-1 on rookie Tessa Dellarose’s debut goal and a stunning header from Jordyn Huitema.
14, 15 and 16) Although the Utah Royals lost to the San Diego Surge, the club still made history as Lara Prašnikar scored the NWSL’s first goal, the Slovenian’s first in the league. San Diego clinched the title on an early goal by Dudinha, who took advantage of a Utah defensive miscue, and a late goal by rookie Lia Godfrey.
Highlights: UWCL returns, plus midweek NWSL episode
Midweek social plans are always a bit ambitious, and this is a good week to think about postponing or inviting people over because Tuesdays, and especially Wednesdays, are filled with football games.
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Tuesday marks the return of the Champions League, with every quarter-final first leg match available to watch by appointment (all live on Paramount+), especially for those who love derbies. The first game will be between Arsenal and Chelsea tomorrow at 4 PM ET, following Wolfsburg’s match against Lyon, which is not a legendary game but is still worth watching (1:45 PM ET). The French side are clear favourites, but Wolfsburg’s comeback in the knockout stages shouldn’t be overlooked either. The European Nations Derby kicks off on Wednesday (1:45 p.m. ET), followed by another tantalizing non-derby between Manchester United and Bayern Munich (4 p.m. ET).
There are five more games in the NWSL on Wednesday night. It’s still early in the season, but I can’t help but feel the pressure Orlando is facing against Chicago after splitting time with expansion team Denver (8 p.m. ET, Win+) last weekend. While the matchup between Portland and San Diego is unlikely to be as intense as the last Cascadia rivalry, it will be a huge test for both sides coming off wins (10 p.m. ET, CBS Sports).
News to know
U.S. Soccer team salaries revealed
U.S. women’s national team owner Emma Hayes earned nearly $1.5 million in her first 10 months on the job, including a base salary of $744,557 and $700,000 in “bonus and incentive compensation,” according to a tax return released this week by U.S. Soccer. Men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino made about $5 million in his first seven months on the job. One of the coaches has an Olympic gold medal…
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New female coach mission
FIFA is breaking the glass ceiling by requiring every women’s team to have at least two female staff members, one of whom serves as head coach or assistant coach. The rule comes into effect immediately at all FIFA competitions, starting with this year’s Women’s Under-20 World Cup in Poland in September.
2028 Olympic Games schedule set
It’s hard to believe we’re already talking about the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, but here we are! Organizers announced last week that the women’s tournament will kick off on July 11, three days before the opening ceremony, at venues including New York FC’s Etihad Park, Columbus Crew’s Scotts Miracle-Gro Field, St. Louis City’s Energizer Park and Nashville’s Joda Park, in addition to the San Jose Earthquakes’ PayPal Park and San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium. We already know the Rose Bowl in Pasadena will host the gold medal game. Full venue details can be found here.
NWSL New York debut
Following huge wins in Chicago and the Bay Area, Gotham FC upped the ante by bringing one of their own big games to the pitch. The Bats will face the Washington Spirit on July 15 at Citi Field in Queens, home of the New York Mets, in the league’s first game in New York City. The stadium has a seating capacity of 41,800.
first sight
A noteworthy hobby: Welcome to the world of U.S. women’s soccer goalkeeper Fallon Tullis-Joyce, who can play for Manchester United one day and feed Komodo dragons the next. In an interview with Megan Feringa, Tullis-Joyce explains her passion for conservation and how it intersects with her day job. Read the full story (and see more photos) here.
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Asian Cup results: Australia lost 0-1 at home to Japan on Saturday. This was Australia’s third defeat in the final. Australia also lost 0-1 to Japan in the Asian Cup finals in 2014 and 2018. They are still waiting for an Asian Cup victory. On the plus side: Australia won the quarter-finals to qualify for the 2027 World Cup.
NWSL 4.0 is here: As Asli wrote last week, the league is experiencing accelerated expansion and financial momentum. The new teams are backed by billionaire ownership groups, and franchise fees have climbed into the hundreds of millions of dollars due to high demand and limited supply. But infrastructure improvements are also at the heart of growth.
Transfer speed dating? TransferRoom is a digital marketplace where clubs can advertise, buy and sell players for clubs around the world. The market launched a new women’s program this year and hosted its first live speed-dating-style forum last month. Charlotte Harpur explores whether this effort could help tackle the opacity that plagues the women’s transfer window.
📫 Do you like working full time? These stories can also be found on Yahoo’s Women’s Sports Hub, which is in partnership with Athletic team. Also, check out our other newsletters.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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