Building the future of women’s sports, literally. Plus: A record crowd in Georgia
News to Know
Georgia draws record crowd
Speaking of infrastructure, the University of Georgia’s women’s soccer team drew an NCAA-record 25,433 fans to Sanford Stadium last week, including football coach Kirby Smart. The Bulldogs put on a scoring clinic, defeating James Madison 6-0. They also beat the previous NCAA women’s soccer attendance record (14,410) by more than 10,000 fans.
“We had an opportunity to celebrate one of the best moments in women’s soccer ever,” coach Keidane McAlpine said after the game. Lucky for locals, they’ll also have an NWSL team soon enough, with one coming to Atlanta in 2028.
I won’t say it was a full-circle moment, because the story isn’t over, but Sanford Stadium was also the site of the USWNT’s first gold medal win, defeating China in the 1996 Olympic final. That match drew 76,481 fans, then the record for a women’s sporting event.
And if you need any more convincing of how impressive the feat last week was, it was 98 degrees at kickoff!
Full World Cup match schedule announced
There are 303 days until the World Cup in Brazil, but who’s counting? (We are!) And now we know the full schedule of matches and where they will be played. FIFA shared the update last week, confirming that the hosts will kick things off at Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Maracanã Stadium on June 24. The final will take place in the same building on July 25. You can see the full footprint here.
Gotham’s dominance and Lavelle’s injury
Gotham has been the definition of dominant this season. As of today, Opta gives them an 80.1 percent chance to win the NWSL Shield (a first in club history). But those chances might depend on the extent of Rose Lavelle’s apparent head injury after the USWNT midfielder left yesterday’s game against Angel City in the 37th minute. The 31-year-old was down for several minutes before walking off on her own. The club has yet to share a formal update on her status.
Related: Former Gotham striker Esther González, who agreed to terminate her contract last month to attend to “personal matters in Spain,” has already joined a new team, Saudi club Al Qadsiah.
First Looks
An exciting beginning: Union Berlin believes in goddesses, and they seem to have found one that believes right back. Megan Feringa traveled to Germany last Friday to witness the beginning of history. Her piece on coach Marie-Louise Eta is worth your time.
A complicated tournament: Yes, the U-20 World Cup is still happening in Poland next week despite the ongoing beef between FIFA and UEFA. There are some notable absences from the U.S. roster as clubs weren’t required to release players. Coach Vicky Jepson still made sure to personally call every player she picked, the ones she didn’t and the ones whose teams refused to release them.
Balling out: Ashley Sanchez is having a season few get to experience — a second breakout. The 27-year-old midfielder’s late-game winner Saturday for the Courage against the Legacy puts her atop the Golden Boot race with 13 goals in 20 games. At this point, it would be negligent not to call her into the next U.S. squad, especially with injuries to Catarina Macario and Olivia Moultrie, and even questions around Lindsey Heaps.
Jump scare: The Stars have a new-ish tradition of ringing a six-foot steam whistle before and after games. The honor after a victory usually goes to the player of the match. We haven’t seen many Chicago wins this season, so I think it’s only fair to forgive Mallory Swanson for not knowing what was about to happen after pulling the lever to commemorate her goal in the Stars’ 3-2 win over Louisville yesterday.
