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The best remedy for soccer is more soccer
One day, we will have public health studies about the long-term effects of this Summer of Soccer. If you experienced any of the following, you may be entitled to an extra week off work/school (however, the antidote is just more soccer):
Irregular heartbeat from having to endure multiple rounds of penalty shootouts and Video Assistant Review checks that lasted an eternity.
Emotional highs and lows between Mariona Caldenteys and Alessia Russos spectacular headed goals in the 2025 European Championship final, or Ghizlane Chebbaks golazo in front of a packed stadium in Rabat and Esther Okoronkwos composed penalty that turned the tide back toward Nigeria and their Mission X.
A dip in mood now that the games are fewer and farther between, after so much quality soccer.
The two continental finals last weekend Womens Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco on Saturday and the Euros in Switzerland on Sunday were so comprehensively high-octane that I am considering taking PTO just to mend my edges, settle my nervous system and bask in the glory of this game.
In Rabat, Nigeria which had nine titles to its name before Saturday was very much the away team. They were down two goals at halftime of the WAFCON final, yet found a way to hand the Moroccan hosts their second straight championship loss. Morocco are hosting a third consecutive WAFCON next year, raising questions about what it means to host even when you lose big games.
England also entered the half losing the game thanks to that well-worked Caldentey goal, but as the now-two-time European champions have shown throughout their Euros campaign, they dont need to hold a lead to win a game. They only led for four minutes and 52 seconds across all three knockout round matches, including two that came down to penalty kicks.
Spain deserve credit for their dominant performance, only losing in the final. A lot of that comes down to the investment. As Laia Cervello Herrero writes, the Spanish federation is finally putting more backing behind the team after the fallout from its previous errors.
Unlike Spain, England were unconcerned by on-the-ball aesthetics nor healthy bones, as Lucy Bronze revealed that shed been playing on a fractured tibia the whole tournament. (She told BBC after the match: Its very painful, but Im going to party.) Thats mad even by Bronzes extreme standards. But then again, hasnt the madness of the best kind been the case all summer?
Want to re-live the tournament? You can read about Englands penalty kick specialist Chloe Kelly, who is cool as ice, and the European champion goalkeeper that youd never know has a problem with depth perception.
Tamerra Griffin
On the Full Time podcast: The Euros crew in Switzerland joins Jillian Sakovits from the final to assess a truly mad finale.
Theyre coming home
The European trophy might be heading home with England, but many of the stars from the tournament are returning home to NWSL. Here are a few to keep an eye on when league play returns Friday.
If, like me, you couldnt get enough of Germany goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger at the Euros, shell rejoin her club teammates and Euros finalists Esther Gonzalez and Jess Carter at Gotham this week. And the second half of the NWSL season will see AKB go head-to-head with some of the leagues most dangerous attackers:
Washington Spirits Trinity Rodman on Aug. 9 at home
Orlando Prides Barbra Banda on Aug. 29
Angel Citys rising forward line on Sep. 7
Italys run to the Euro semifinals sparked a new light in the country. Part of their attack, forward Sofia Cantore, is headed to NWSL, after signing a three-year deal with the Spirit, becoming the first Italian player in NWSL history. While she didnt score for the Azzurre during the tournament, she has notched more than 40 goals and 20 assists in 120 appearances across multiple Serie A teams.
France shook up its squad, opting for younger players and leaving out veterans like Wendie Renard, the countrys top goal scorer Eugenie Le Sommer and San Diego Waves Kenza Dali. But the changes proved too much as they fell to Germany in the semifinals. Delphine Cascarino was part of getting Les Bleus to that stage, and she could be back as soon as this weekend for the Waves match against the North Carolina Courage.
Asli Pelit
A month ago, I wrote that the Euros, WAFCON and Copa América Feminina would be a far more revealing look at the state of the game in the U.S. than a World Cup and with the main international break now at a close and the NWSL returning this weekend, theres so much to be encouraged by.
As much as the Euros had grown in accessibility and importance here since the 2017 edition, this summer was truly the moment the tournament broke through. The vibes were immaculate in Switzerland, but so were the increases in TV numbers for Fox Sports. I might have had issues with Foxs usual approach to broadcasting a tournament, but watching this major tournament felt like a premium product akin to the World Cup or the Olympics.
The same cant really be said for WAFCON and especially Copa América also on Fox, yet a shadow of the Euros production and schedule. Tamerra and I have been discussing how these two tournaments have lagged behind the shine of the Euros over the past two weeks, but the soccer itself has provided plenty of reasons for increased investment.
The NWSL couldnt have asked for better results or better performances from its players this summer. The social feeds have been popping, and teams have already reactivated the marketing email machines. At least a couple of teams are offering free tickets to first-time fans to get them through the doors.
Re-examine the standings during these final moments of calm before the storm, and theres so much to study in the seasons back half. As a reminder, we left off with all 14 teams facing each other exactly once, bringing us to the midpoint of the 2025 season.
Last year was a true four-team race, with a clear quartet vying for the title. This year, nobody can keep pace with the Kansas City Current, who have an eight-point cushion over Orlando. The Pride and Spirit set a new single-season wins record with 18 last year; KC already has 11. Will anybody complicate their Shield quest?
Esther is the golden boot front-runner, after capturing the same award at Euro 2025, but Gotham is narrowly clinging to the final playoff place. With 2024 qualifiers North Carolina and Bay FC on their heels, the 2023 champs will need to find a rhythm quickly.
Seattle Reign has bounced back from a disappointing 2024 and is sixth in the table. That second tier is awfully compact, with just four points separating the Reign and second-place Orlando. Will Mia Fishels arrival vault Seattle into contention to win the title?
Trinity Rodman is back in training, ending a lengthy absence as she received back and spine treatment. Her return will be quite welcome, but with the USWNT stars contract expiring after the year, it wont just be her performances that Spirit fans will study closely.
Jeff Rueter
Seattle Reign vs. Angel City FCFriday at 10:30 p.m. ET, NWSL+
The Reign are riding high after edging out the Portland Thorns in a 5-4 penalty shootout win during a fiery midseason friendly at Providence Park last weekend. While it will be nice to see Lynn Biyendolo, Sofia Huerta, Jordyn Bugg, Jordyn Huitema and Claudia Dickey back, Angel Citys latest additions, Icelandic forward Sveindís Jónsdóttir and Evelyn Shores, could debut under Alexander Straus in this one.
Copa América semifinalsArgentina vs. Colombia today at 8 p.m. ET, FS1Brazil vs. Uruguay tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET, FS1
The winners of these matches will meet in the final Saturday (5 p.m. ET). Brazil remains the favorite to win it all, especially after Colombias underwhelming showing against the defending champions last week. Will Argentina continue its unbeaten streak to top Colombia? Will Uruguay upset Brazil, which has featured in every single Copa America final? We cant wait to find out.
Its party time: The USWNT will return to action in October for a round of games and celebrations for recently retired players. First, the U.S. will honor Alex Morgan at Subaru Park outside Philadelphia (the site of her first goal) on Oct. 23 and then Connecticut native Alyssa Naeher in Hartford on Oct. 26. Both games will be against Portugal. The final game of the window will be in Kansas City, Mo., against an opponent yet to be determined.
Lassos return: Speaking of Kansas City, Ted Lasso has officially begun production on season four of the Apple TV series, which is expected to follow AFC Richmonds endeavors into womens soccer. While the Current declined to confirm whether they are involved in the filming, lead actor Jason Sudeikis, a KC native, joined co-stars Juno Temple and Hannah Waddingham around multiple Kansas City landmarks recently and popped up for a surprise appearance at a Mumford & Sons concert on July 24.
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This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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