FootyPop: Becky Sauerbrunn to Miss World Cup, Naomi Girma Re-signs With the Wave, and More
June has been flying by, but we can’t complain too much since it means we’re closer to the Women’s World Cup and to seeing who is making the USWNT’s squad. In this week’s women’s soccer news, a huge player announced she’d be out for the United States, Jamaican players came out against the conditions of their World Cup preparation, the NWSL had an exciting weekend, and much much more. Get all caught up with this week’s women’s soccer news recap!
Juneteenth
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Today is Juneteenth! We celebrate the historic day that marks the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States. It symbolizes freedom, resilience, and the relentless pursuit of equality. As part of the Girls Soccer Network community, we stand in solidarity with our Black players, coaches, and fans, recognizing their invaluable contributions to the sport. Together, we strive for a more inclusive and equitable future! Happy Juneteenth!
High of the Weekend
Rapid growth for the NWSL just halfway through the 2023 season 📈 pic.twitter.com/bWKscaCoDN
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) June 14, 2023
The NWSL is experiencing rapid growth right now! It’s the sports league with the highest momentum for fan growth and extreme social media growth as well!
She’s the present and the future.
San Diego, Naomi Girma is here to stay. 👑 pic.twitter.com/r1JRY0xZIs
— San Diego Wave FC (@sandiegowavefc) June 14, 2023
To add to the excitement of NWSL growth, defender Naomi Girma signed through 2026 with the San Diego Wave. Many wondered if she’d go to Bay FC since she is from San Jose. Nonetheless, the fact that a generational player has decided to stay in the NWSL is excellent news for the league (and, of course, the Wave).
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Another high for this week–the BBC and ITV reached an agreement with FIFA to broadcast the Women’s World Cup. Before the deal, FIFA president Gianni Infantino declared that FIFA wouldn’t sell the rights because of lowball proposals. But now, thankfully, every single match will be available for fans to watch on those two channels!
Low of the Weekend
— Becky Sauerbrunn (@beckysauerbrunn) June 17, 2023
I think we can all agree that our jaws dropped when we saw this news. Becky Sauerbrunn is out of the Women’s World Cup. She’s been recovering from a lingering foot injury but won’t be ready by tournament time.
At 38 years old, this means the 2019 World Cup was likely her last.
News of the Weekend
— Cheyna Matthews (@Cheynalee_) June 15, 2023
Again, another national team is speaking out against its federation. Cheyna Matthews, a forward for the Chicago Red Stars, came out with a statement on Twitter about the disappointment that the Reggae Girlz had against Jamaica Football Federation.
The focus is on the inadequate planning, accommodation, training, and other aspects that the federation should prioritize for the team, especially heading into the World Cup this summer. They also stated that they hadn’t received the compensation the team agreed upon and have even missed friendly matches this year due to disorganization.
Jamaica joins France, Canada, and Spain, who’ve all spoken against their federations or management.
Fail of the Weekend
Charlie Davies says that due to the equity regulations within US Soccer, the men’s team couldn’t hire someone like Pep Guardiola if they had the chance because they would have to pay the women’s coach a similar amount.
He essentially said that limits their options.
— MLS Buzz (@MLS_Buzz) June 16, 2023
During the semifinal CONCACAF Nations League match between the USMNT and Mexico, commentator Charlie Davies made a comment about how the men couldn’t hire a better coach than Gregg Berhalter because U.S. Soccer would have to pay the women’s coach the same because of the recently agreed upon equality regulations.
Not only is this untrue, but it fans the flame on the already harmful and misogynistic rhetoric around the USMNT/WNT. In fact, Coach Berhalter was paid more than triple what Coach Andonovski was paid last year. The equality regulations don’t apply to coaches’ salaries.
Win of the Weekend
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Despite all of the circumstances, Angel City pulled off an incredible upset against San Diego Wave. First, Angel City just fired their coach, Freya Coombe. They’ve been struggling to perform and pull out wins. Their record was 2-3-6 going into this weekend–and they hadn’t won a match in 12 matches. The game was in San Diego, so Angel City was at a disadvantage. Plus, San Diego was ranked first in the standings heading into the weekend.
The fact that Angel City pulled out this 2-1 against their rivals with all the odds stacked against them surely gives the team hope. This is the kind of win that could turn their whole season around.
Goal of the Weekend
RECORD BREAKER!!!
Michelle Cooper scores the fastest goal in NWSL history, just 23 seconds after the opening whistle. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/iEVZWosZdG
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) June 18, 2023
Michelle Cooper scored the fastest goal in NWSL history! At just 22 seconds in, Cooper put one in the back of the net.
The KC Current was up 2-0 on the Washington Spirit, but the Spirit pulled off the ultimate comeback and won 3-2.
Player of the Weekend
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Our player of the week just has to be Savannah DeMelo. She’s tallied five goals this season, with one coming in this past weekend’s match. DeMelo has truly been a force for Racing Louisville, and she’ll allegedly be in the USWNT camp leading up to World Cup.
Transfer of the Weekend
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Alessia Russo left her long-time club Manchester United and signed with Arsenal. At first, there were rumors about her receiving offers from the NWSL, but ultimately she announced her new home in the WSL.
What to Look Forward To
Friday, June 23: Portland Thorns vs. Washington Spirit at 10:30 PM ET/7:30 PM PT
Saturday, June 24:
Orlando Pride vs. KC Current at 7:00 PM ET/4:00 PM PT
North Carolina Courage vs. Racing Louisville at 7:00 PM ET/4:00 PM PT
San Diego Wave vs. OL Reign at 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT
Sunday, June 25:
Gotham FC vs. Chicago Red Stars at 5:30 PM ET/2:30 PM PT
Angel City vs. Houston Dash at 8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT
Featured image via Getty Images
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