WOMEN’S FOOTBALL WEEKLY

IN THIS WEEK’S ROUND-UP...

• Top headlines: NWSL resumes, US pre-season tour kicks off.

• Fave finds: It’s all about Marta and Mary

• Kit drop: Away shirts, third shirts, and boots with a tongue

• In stats: New FIFA rankings

• Transfer news: Zelem, Evans and Lacasse make moves

• Jobs: New opportunities in football

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🚨ICYMI

The stories that caught our attention this week

🇺🇸 Arsenal beat Washington Spirit 2-1 in their pre-season US tour. Chelsea will face Gotham tomorrow, with a final clash between Arsenal and Chelsea scheduled for the weekend.

📅 The 2024/25 group stage of the Women’s League Cup will be drawn later today on talkSPORT2’s Social Show at 3:30pm. Teams will be placed in two Northern and three Southern groups, with the first fixtures played on 2 and 3 October. Arsenal and Manchester City will enter the competition at a later stage depending on their performance in the Champions League. Chelsea, as WSL winners, will join at the Quarter-Final stage.

🥇The NWSL resumes after breaking for the Olympics, welcoming back 56 players, including 15 from the USWNT gold medal team. Matches restart on August 23, with key players like Marta expected to feature as teams push for playoff positions. Orlando Pride currently sit top on 38 points, with Kansas City Current three points behind in second. Check out the Watchlist below for match details.

🌊 Landon Donovan has been named interim head coach of San Diego Wave FC, following the controversial dismissal of Casey Stoney, who was unexpectedly fired despite a recent contract extension. Donovan, despite his successful playing career, has limited coaching experience and has attracted criticism for past comments on the USWNT pay dispute. His appointment has been met with little enthusiasm from fans, especially as the team struggles in the NWSL standings.

🎤 American musician, Jack Harlow, has joined the ownership groups of Louisville City FC (USL) and Racing Louisville (NWSL).

🏁 The USL Super League has kicked off its inaugural season with sell-out crowds. Vicky Bruce scored the first-ever goal of the league for Carolina Ascent FC. If you’ve missed the hype, the new US eight-team league positions itself as an equal to the NWSL but unlike its rival, its season runs from August to May.

WHAT WE’RE READING…

→ The rise and fall of North Korea - the sleeping giant of women's football

→ Where are the women of South Asian heritage in football?

🔍 IN FOCUS

WSL Enters New Era 

Women’s football in England is stepping into an exciting new chapter with the launch of Women’s Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL).

What’s Happening: WPLL (previously referred to as NewCo) has officially taken over the Barclays Women’s Super League and Barclays Women’s Championship from the FA, marking a significant shift in how the women’s game is managed. Now, each club in these leagues will become a shareholder in the new organisation, paving the way for growth and innovation.

Leadership Insights: Under the leadership of CEO Nikki Doucet, WPLL is on a mission to create the most competitive and entertaining women’s football league in the world. Doucet emphasises the importance of collaboration with clubs and stakeholders to ensure the sport continues to flourish while keeping the focus on players and fans.

Supportive Partnership: The Premier League is backing this initiative with a generous £20 million interest-free loan and their seat on the board will bring valuable expertise in areas like broadcasting and commercial operations.

Looking Ahead: WPLL is eager to build on the incredible momentum seen in women’s football recently, with more fans engaging and participating than ever before. The organisation is dedicated to prioritising player welfare, creating a vibrant community for fans, and nurturing the sport’s long-term growth.

👀 FAVE FINDS

All Eyes on Marta and Mary

Marta and Carrie Lawrence are engaged. The Orlando Pride couple, who have been together since January 2022, announced their news on Sunday via social media, a week on from Marta’s Olympic silver medal.

Mary Earps, England's goalkeeper, will be the first female footballer featured at Madame Tussauds London. Chosen by public vote, her wax figure will debut in Autumn 2024, celebrating her achievements in women's football.

📊 STATS

🤓 KNOWLEDGE

New Menstrual Cycle Study Launches

UEFA and Manchester Metropolitan University are teaming up to explore how menstrual cycles affect female footballers' performance. The project aims to improve player health and wellbeing with a budget of €40,000 over two seasons.

• Research Goals: The study will investigate the link between menstrual cycles and athletic performance, providing valuable insights for clubs.

• Expert Leadership: Professor Kirsty Elliott-Sale will lead the research, collaborating with football doctors and sports scientists to fill a crucial knowledge gap.

• What to Expect: Findings will be published this summer, and UEFA plans to create practical toolkits for clubs to help them track menstrual health effectively.

✍️ INSIDE TRACK

Transfer Round-up

CONFIRMED TRANSFERS

Katie Zelem has joined Angel City FC until 2026 in a move she’s described as a ‘huge step’ in her career. The former Manchester United captain is the latest WSL star to head to the NWSL, with Esme Morgan, Ann-Katrin Berger and Jess Carter having signed with Washington Spirit and Gotham.

Gemma Evans has completed her move from Manchester United to Liverpool after just one season. The 28-year-old centre-back said more game time and the chance to show what she can do as reasons for moving to Merseyside.

Cloe Lacasse has signed a three-year deal with NWSL team, Utah Royals. The 31-year-old forward signed for Arsenal on a permanent deal last summer, so the move has caught many fans off-guard. Arsenal have made a lot of signings over the summer which make game time less likely for Lacasse had she stayed.

• Naomi Lazyell | Contract to 2028 | Centre Back | Bristol City   → Manchester City

• Rosa Kafaji | Forward | Hakken → Arsenal FC

• Maren Mjelde | Right Back | Chelsea → Arna-Bjørnar

• Clare Hunt | Contract to 2027 | Centre Back | Paris Saint-Germain F.C → Tottenham Hotspur

• Jéssica Silva | Contract through 2024 | Forward | SL Benfica → Gotham FC

• Mille Gejl | North Carolina Courage → Crystal Palace

CONTRACT RENEWALS

• Nadia Nadim has signed a new contract with AC Milan taking her through to 2026

• Jovana Damnjanović has renewed her contract at Bayern Munich until 2027

MANAGER MOVES

• Horst Hrubesch’s second stint as German head coach is complete. He took the position on an interim basis and finished things off with an Olympic Bronze medal.

• Hervé Renard’s time as French national team coach has also come to an end. His contract was up following the Olympics.

RUMOURS

• Louna Ribadeira is rumoured to be heading to Chelsea from Paris FC on loan

• Brazilian international Lauren is said to be of interest to Atlético. Her contract with KC Current currently runs to the end of the season.

👟 KIT DROP

Away Shirts. Third Shirts. Boots with a Tongue.

Home shirts were done and dusted weeks ago, so now it’s time for the away end to step forward.

• Manchester City has gone full maroon with the ship detailing from their crest forming a texture running through the design.

• Arsenal’s third kit made its first appearance against Washington Spirit on their US tour this week. The observant among you will notice that Adidas’s Trefoil logo, usually only used on their Originals range, makes an appearance.

• Newcastle returned to 1995 with their classic away offering.

• Aston Villa meanwhile kept things simple with their white away top.

The next Adidas ‘Made in Germany’ boot has been released. The white and black COPA Pure 2 has a folding tongue for a classic look and includes the year 1949 to celebrate its 75th anniversary.

📺 WEEKLY WATCHLIST

What We’re Watching

The NWSL returns after its break over the Olympics. Pre-season friendlies are in full swing too.

The time difference is extreme in places, so watch out for US/ET dates and times in curly brackets, otherwise times and dates are UK/BST.

Tuesday 20 Aug
00:00 (19:00 ET) Gotham vs Chelsea
17:00 (18:00 CEST) FC Bayern vs Juventus

Friday 23 Aug
19:00 (20:00 CEST) Barcelona vs AC Milan

Saturday 24 Aug
01:00 (Fri 23 Aug, 20:00 ET) - Houston Dash vs Orlando Pride [Amazon Prime Video]
02:30 (Fri 23 Aug, 21:30 ET) - Utah Royals vs Bay FC [NWSL+]
19:30 (14:30 ET) - NJ/NY Gotham FC vs Portland Thorns [CBS, Paramount+. TNT Sports 1]
21:30 (16:30 ET) - San Diego Wave vs Angel City [CBS, Paramount+]

Sunday 25 Aug
00:30 (Sat 24 Aug, 19:30 ET) - Racing Louisville vs Chicago Red Stars [ION]
19:00 (16:00 ET) - Chelsea Women vs Arsenal Women [DAZN]
17:00 (12:00 ET) - Washington Spirit vs Kansas City Current [CBS Sports Network, Paramount+]

Monday 26 Aug
03:00 (Sun 25 Aug, 22:00 ET) - Seattle Reign vs North Carolina Courage [ESPN2]

📂 JOBS, JOBS, JOBS

More Women Working in Football

• PA to Women's Football Director (PT) | The FA | Apply by 25 August

• Head of Operations | Amateur FA | Apply by 26 August

• NewCo Project Officer - 12mth FTC | The FA | Apply by 30 August

• Content Manager - England | The FA | Apply by 27 August

• Director, Analytics | The NWSL (New York) | Apply now

More women watching, playing and working in football