FootyPop: A Young USWNT 18 Player Olympic Roster is Paris Bound
The Olympics begin this month, and the hype is REAL. The USWNT released its 18-player roster that will be headed to Paris, with a lot of young faces. In the NWSL, the Current and Pride continue to dominate but will be going head-to-head this weekend. Keep on reading for this week’s women’s soccer news recap!
High of the Weekend
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Temwa Chawinga continues to quest for the Golden Boot, but too bad it doesn’t count river goals! She was the first Current played to smack a shot outside the stadium and into the river. In the team’s match against the Dash, she did manage to score two goals in three minutes, winning the game for the Current. And she had the best quote about her performance, “Maybe I’m making a name for myself, but I’m not making my name by myself. It’s my teammates who help me to make my name”
Low of the Weekend
It has taken me some time to find the right words as I am still processing what has happened but I have tried… pic.twitter.com/TxKRDsAdZM
— Casey Stoney MBE 💙 (@CaseyStoney) July 1, 2024
The NWSL saw two shocking firings in the past week: San Diego Wave head coach Casey Stoney and Utah Royals head coach Amy Rodriguez. Both coaches were let go at strange timing for the clubs.
Stoney led her expansion side to the playoffs two years in a row and added a Challenge Cup title at the beginning of this season. Although this season isn’t living up to their past success–holding a 3-6-5 record under Stoney–she is a world-class coach who was more than dedicated to advancing this team.
AMY RODRIGUEZ FIRED AS UTAH’S HEAD COACH 🚨
Former USWNT & NWSL forward leaves expansion team Utah Royals with a record of 2W-11L-2D sitting last in the standings in her first season.
GK coach Maryse Bard-Martel & president Michelle Hyncik were also fired from their roles. 😳 pic.twitter.com/MMBIgP0QCK
— The Women’s Game (@WomensGameMIB) June 30, 2024
Another questionable firing came after the Royals tied the Portland Thorns. Similar to San Diego, Rodriguez has struggled to find wins with her expansion side. Yet, they did show out and had a great performance, earning them a point against the Thorns. But, the day after the match, the club let her go.
News of the Weekend
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Emma Hayes set the USWNT roster for the Olympics. Limited to 18 players and four alternates, there were some surprising cuts to the team we usually see. Most notably, Alex Morgan was not on the roster. Instead, Hayes opted to continue the trend of going younger. The squad has an average age of 26.8, the youngest Olympic roster since 2008, and three players are three-time Olympians: Crystal Dunn, Lindsey Horan, and Alyssa Naeher.
Win of the Weekend
Wholesome moment between Barba Banda & the Zambia fans who showed OUT in LA to support her 🧡 https://t.co/re6IJk8zxJ
— The Women’s Game (@WomensGameMIB) July 1, 2024
Orlando took on Angel City in LA and came out with a 3-0 win. The real win here is the support that Barbra Banda receives literally anywhere she goes. The Zambia fans always come out to cheer her on!
Goal of the Weekend
Dressing for revenge 😈#ForTheLove pic.twitter.com/4gMwvtCeaW
— NC Courage (@TheNCCourage) June 30, 2024
Ashley Sanchez scored the only goal in the North Carolina vs. Washington Spirit game, which served as some sweet, sweet revenge who was traded out of the blue by the Spirit ahead of this season.
Return of the Weekend
🚨North Caroline Courage press release
“Collins will continue her return-to-play protocol with Canada under joint medical supervision from the club and country.”
Collins: “I couldn’t be more excited and honored to represent Canada in the Paris Olympics” pic.twitter.com/WDhoMt65nG
— SHE scores bangers (@SHEscoresbanger) July 1, 2024
Second-year North Carolina player Sydney Collins is making her return to soccer after an ankle injury earlier this year. Canada called her up for the Olympic team as she continues to recover and return to play.
What to Look Forward To
9 – Saturday’s match between @thekccurrent (17 straight unbeaten) and @ORLPride (16 straight unbeaten) will feature two of the three longest regular-season unbeaten runs in #NWSL history and is the first match between teams entering on unbeaten runs of 9+ games. Feature. pic.twitter.com/nvgnnO22to
— OptaJack⚽️ (@OptaJack) July 1, 2024
The game we’ve all been waiting for… Kansas City Current vs. Orlando Pride. The two undefeated teams will go head to head. It’s Temwa Chawinga vs. Barbra Banda in the Golden Boot race, and it should be a fantastic game to watch.
Fav Social Media Post
This 🥹 pic.twitter.com/M2lIKjxxyD
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 1, 2024
Vanessa and Natalia Bryant went to the Angel City game and stopped by to say hi to Sydney Leroux!
Featured image via Noel Danseco
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