The USA’s 2023 Women’s World Cup squad of 23 — from 18-year-old Alyssa Thompson to 38-year-old Megan Rapinoe — hail from nine states. Here’s a look at the paths they’ve taken to soccer’s highest level. 1. Alyssa Naeher (age 35)The goalkeeper who played soccer in her Connecticut backyard with her twin sister — Amanda, who […]
Ben Wiley
Posted inSoccer America Daily
Ireland: USA's friendly foe on the rise with American boost
The USA’s final tests before Coach Vlatko Andonovski names his 2023 Women’s World Cup roster come Saturday in Austin and Tuesday in St. Louis with a pair of friendlies against Ireland, which is going to the World Cup for the first time. The USA has won all 13 previous encounters with the Ireland — outscoring the Irish 48-1 […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily
NWSL 2023: Portland Thorns look to go back-to-back
The perennial powerhouse Portland Thorns reigned again in 2022, winning their record third NWSL Championship. With largely the same cast of stars, the club will look to extend its league dominance and bring home a fourth title this year. Last year, the Thorns finished the regular season in second place, a point behind regional rival […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily
NWSL 2023: Chicago Red Stars forge ahead following turbulent offseason
In 2022, the Chicago Red Stars began head coach Chris Petrucelli’s tenure with a second-place finish in the Central Division of the NWSL Challenge Cup. The team finished the regular season with a 9-7-6 record, earning the sixth and final postseason spot. Its record seventh-straight postseason appearance came to a quick end with a 2-1 […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
NWSL 2023: Gotham FC embraces the underdog label
This offseason, Gotham FC entered yet another rebuilding period following a miserable 2022 season. The club hopes that its new head coach and players can mesh with those returning from last year to lead Gotham out of the basement and into the NWSL playoffs for only the third time in team history. Last year, Gotham […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
NWSL 2023: Racing Louisville FC seeks maiden playoff berth
Entering its third season, Racing Louisville hopes to put the pieces together and earn its first playoff appearance. Its inaugural 2021 season ended with a second-to-last finish after a beginning marked by the firing of its first coach, Christy Holly, for cause. Swede Kim Björkegren took the helm for the 2022 season and Racing Louisville finished […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
NWSL 2023: OL Reign looks to get over final hurdle
Since its founding as one of the eight inaugural NWSL teams, OL Reign, formerly called Seattle Reign, has been one of the most successful teams in the league on the field. However, it has never been able to translate regular-season success into the postseason. Last year marked the team’s third season (including 2014 and 2015) […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
NWSL 2023: Washington Spirit seeks fresh start
The Washington Spirit recently began preparations for 2023 looking to bounce back under new leadership. After it finished as the runner-up in the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup, the Spirit’s form took a nosedive in the regular season. It finished in second to last place with a 3-9-10 record (19 points). That performance came in the […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
NWSL 2023: San Diego Wave set to make a bigger splash in year two
In its inaugural season, the San Diego Wave became the first NWSL expansion team to make the playoffs. The Wave was in first place much of the year before finishing the regular season in third place with a 10-6-6 record (36 points). It beat the visiting Chicago Red Stars 2-1 in the quarterfinal round before […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
NWSL 2023: Orlando Pride restructures after tumultuous season
Since its founding in 2016, the Orlando Pride has done a lot more losing than winning, never advancing past the group stage of the Challenge Cup and only making the NWSL playoffs once, in 2017, when it was eliminated in the semifinals. After a 10th-place finish, the Pride knows that the only way to go […]