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Your go-to tournament recap
Last weekends tournaments featured must-see goals, impressive comebacks, expected dominance and puzzling omissions. We now know the quarterfinal matchups for the Euros and Womens Africa Cup of Nations, and Copa America Femenina finally kicked off. Whew.
Lets take a trip around the world:
In Switzerland
Things kicked off with the final group-stage round of the European Championship. Every team scored on the last day.
The hosts found their way out of the group. Their reward? World champions Spain.
Sweden continued their superb run of form, England sent Wales home and France made yet another comeback against the Netherlands, who were without their 100-goal captain. Heres how the quarterfinals shape up:
In Morocco
The final three spots in the WAFCON quarterfinals were set today. The knockouts begin with heavyweights Nigeria vs. Zambia followed by Morocco vs. Mali, Algeria vs. Ghana and South Africa vs. Senegal.
Two NWSLers are scoring all of Zambias goals. You can easily guess who they are: Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji.
And finally, we land in Ecuador
Dont worry, theres still time to catch up on what to expect from Copa America Femenina. Marta featured for Brazil in her sides 2-0 win over Venezuela last night a game that included seven NWSL stars with the 39-year-old in Brazils starting lineup (more on her next).
Uruguays Belen Aquino set the tone for the competition when she opened scoring with a stunner in the 11th minute against host nation Ecuador, who came back to finish 2-2. Weve since seen 13 goals across Copa Americas first four matches.
Marta weighing 2027 home World Cup
Marta was an atypically quiet presence in the match yesterday, stepping off for 20-year-old Dudinha in the 74th minute. It was a symbolic moment, reminding us that she may soon pass the baton to Brazils next generation.
The six-time FIFA World Player of the Year recently admitted she was weighing her career against a very strong desire to become a mother, which she said could keep her from the 2027 World Cup in her home country when shes 41. Its still too early to say, Marta said, while also acknowledging the responsibility she feels to bring home another Copa America title.
If youve watched NWSL this season, particularly the San Diego Wave, then what Delphine Cascarino did yesterday for France shouldnt have come as a surprise.
The French forward has scored three goals in 13 games with the Wave and leads the league with five assists. Against the Netherlands in the group-stage finale, the 28-year-old did both again, scoring twice and assisting once in Les Bleus 5-2 win. Watch her initiate the French comeback with this golazo:
France topped their group for a Saturday encounter with Germany, leaving England to face the in-form Swedes. Some background on the hero:
Cascarino missed the 2023 World Cup with an ACL injury before moving to Southern California last July. She previously spent time with eight-time Champions League winners OL Lyonnes.
The only French player not based in Europe this Euros, she says her moves are habit and that her body just does what it wants, but that type of skill comes from years of practice.
Fun fact: When not training or competing, Cascarino listens to music, mostly French rap. And as a foodie, Trader Joes is her happy place. She creates French favorites like gratin dauphinois, french onion soup and sometimes makes cakes and even bakes her own bread.
The news of U.S. womens national team midfielder Tobin Heaths retirement wasnt necessarily surprising. However, after talking with Heath and trying to capture such a lengthy and dominant career in a story, I found myself in the familiar cycle of reviewing my own mental Rolodex of memories and best moments. Revisiting all these in-person moments, watching film and re-reading my own stories from over the years felt more important than usual.
There was one big moment in the 2013 NWSL championship I kept coming back to as I wrote. The Portland Thorns were on the road, with the Western New York Flash hosting as the top seed in the days before predetermined championship sites. The Flash had hometown captain Abby Wambach, plus the likes of Carli Lloyd and a young Sam Kerr.
We all knew Heath was less than 100 percent heading into the championship. It would take over a decade for her to admit her foot was broken but I remember watching her step to the ball for a first-half direct free kick through the lens of my camera, knowing with that placement it was basically a foregone conclusion. It turned out to be the game winner, despite a second-half red card to a Thorns defender.
Id watch Heath, now 37, win another NWSL championship and both World Cups, too. Heath will always be remembered for her swag, the low socks, the nutmegs and the creativity, but if you ask me about her, the first image in my mind is this one her screaming in joy after drilling that free kick.
Oh Ariana, were really in it now. Euro quarterfinals are upon us, WAFCON knockouts start Friday with a big one and Copa Americas group stage is underway. Again, we cant fit everything in here, but three matches with stakes on the line will get you started.
Sweden vs. EnglandEngland bounced back from that opening loss to France, but Sweden has looked strong so far in Switzerland. Should be a tasty afternoon treat.
Nigeria vs. ZambiaAbsolutely absurd that this is a quarterfinal match, but hopefully, this one is full of fireworks.
France vs. GermanySure, the big remaining question of the Euros is if anyone can beat Spain. Whomever wins this one gets to try to answer that. Either way, I would like to see it.
Intriguing NWSL moves: After upgrading their roster this winter, the Seattle Reign made another headline-stealing move, bringing in USWNT striker Mia Fishel. She struggled to see much of the field with Chelsea due to an ACL injury last season, but on her day, can threaten any NWSL back line and may bolster her case to return to Emma Hayes side.
Also: University of North Carolina midfielder Evelyn Shores who scored the million-dollar goal at The Soccer Tournament is leaving Chapel Hill six months early to join Angel City, and Boston Legacy ramped up its offseason by signing Mali international Aïssata Traoré (currently away at WAFCON).
A fit in Boston: One player with a in the city already, Indiana Fever All-Star Aliyah Boston, is investing in the NWSL team that will start in 2026 in the place where she played high school ball.
Getting on the board: Nineteen years into her international career, Seattle Reigns Jess Fishlock scored her first goal at a major tournament for her homeland. At 38, she became the oldest goal scorer in Womens Euros history and the first ever for Wales women in such a competition.
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This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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