Read to the end to see a GIF representation of how I feel planning my year. I’m Emily Olsen here with Meg Linehan and Jeff Rueter, welcome to Full Time!
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The Road To Paris
USWNT schedule footprint ahead of Olympics
In January, like many, I try to get my life organized. “Try” is the operative word. This month, I started to plot out the year ahead in women’s soccer and somehow I had forgotten it’s an Olympic year! OK, I didn’t completely forget, but seeing all those dates on the calendar was definitely a loud reminder.
Here’s what the USWNT’s road to Paris looks like:
- Feb. 20–March 10: CONCACAF W Gold Cup
- Feb. 20: USWNT vs. the winner of Guyana vs. Dominican Republic
- Feb. 23: USWNT vs. Argentina
- Feb. 26: USWNT vs. Mexico
- March 2/March 3: Quarterfinals at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles
- March 6: Semifinals at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego
- March 10: Championship at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego
- April 6-9: SheBelieves Cup
- April 6: USWNT vs Japan, Brazil vs Canada at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta
- April 9: Third place game and championship at Lower.com Field in Columbus
- May 18: Manchester United vs. Chelsea (Emma Hayes’ final WSL game)
- May 25: UWCL Final (possible Chelsea match obligations for Hayes)
- May 27-June 4: First FIFA window with Hayes as USWNT coach
- July 8-16: Second FIFA window with Hayes as USWNT coach
- July 25: First women’s group stage game at the 2024 Paris Olympics
Also before you ask, keep an eye out for the full NWSL schedule later this week.
‘I hope my funeral is as good as this’
Speaking of Hayes, the future USWNT coach received the Football Writers Association Tribute Award in England on Sunday. And in her typical dry-wit fashion, as the room applauded her, Hayes said, “I hope my funeral is as good as this.”
Hayes is the 42nd recipient of the award but the first woman, something she pointed out during her acceptance speech while also talking about the strides women’s soccer has made since her childhood.
“When I was growing up and aspiring to play an FA Cup final at Wembley, I was being Glenn Hoddle. Now scores of young girls and boys are thinking about how amazing Millie Bright is or Sam Kerr is.
“I think those are the moments I pinch myself about more than I do the achievements.”
As for who will replace Hayes at Chelsea, we now know it won’t be Casey Stoney. The Wave coach signed a multiyear contract with San Diego through 2027, with an option for 2028. We can also likely rule out Seattle Reign FC coach Laura Harvey, who told CBS Sports that Seattle is still her home.
Sam Mewis Retires
An emotional goodbye
Sam Mewis was not only a towering figure (her nickname is Tower of Power) but also a key fixture in the USWNT’s 2019 World Cup victory. Now, at just 31, Mewis has announced her retirement from playing after two years of persistent ankle and knee injuries that have kept her off the field since 2021. She also announced her next step: serving as editor-in-chief for a new women’s soccer vertical at Men in Blazers.
“My goal started being: I want to walk my dog and not limp for a while,” she told the Wall Street Journal. “I recognized that I had other things to live for besides being good at soccer.”
Mewis appeared for the U.S. 83 times, including 12 alongside her sister Kristie. Mewis’ professional career began with the Western New York Flash where she was an NWSL rookie of the year finalist. She also spent time with the NC Courage, winning back-to-back championships before joining Manchester City in 2020. Her career ended with KC Current, though she never got to see the field because she was recovering from two knee surgeries.
Internationally, Mewis was also a driver of success. During the 2019 tournament in France, she put in 467 minutes and ranked in or above the 90th percentile in nearly every crucial category.
As Jeff Rueter writes, “Simply, she was at the heart of nearly every good thing that the U.S. did.” Read Jeff’s full breakdown of Mewis’ mighty impact.
Meg’s Corner: What Mewis joining the media means for women’s soccer coverage
Mewis is no stranger to women’s soccer media. I wrote a piece on Friday about her being a queen of content, but seeing her shift to this other side of the game is particularly interesting.
- Mewis funniest moments: Cold tubs, caroling, and “having an OK time”
I’ve seen it up close, having worked with her on multiple guest columns for The Athletic. (If you haven’t read them, I highly recommend making time to do so.) She was an English major at UCLA, and we have watched her develop these skills in real-time. Through her former podcast Snacks, we listened as she talked about the game in a way that was accessible and entertaining to fans and people who aren’t living it day-to-day.
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Mewis is now among a group of several USWNT players entering the media, including Tobin Heath, Christen Press, and Midge Purce who all participated in weekly podcasts during the 2023 World Cup. What I’ve been thinking about all weekend is this new ecosystem of coverage, and what we still need in women’s soccer media.
The other piece of information I am grappling with at the same time is the downfall of Sports Illustrated, whose publisher told writers it was conducting mass layoffs, some effective immediately. I thought about all of those covers featuring the USWNT after their World Cup wins – all covered in some part by Grant Wahl. We are probably never going to see one of those covers again.
We have seen a lot of growth in women’s soccer, but mainstream coverage can’t be left behind. We have seen the power of journalism and how necessary it is. So while it is very exciting to see all of these current and former players find a voice in the media, it comes with its own set of challenges, some yet to be uncovered.
We need to acknowledge that and continue to provide resources for the coverage of NWSL, USWNT, and women’s soccer across the globe.
Mewis’ columns for The Athletic:
- What it’s like to play in a World Cup final
- Climate change, player safety, and the 2026 World Cup
- The World Cup is an opportunity for exposure, but does it help in the fight for fair treatment?
NWSL Offseason
A busy week of trades
NWSL preseason officially kicked off yesterday, but the trades have not slowed down. Here are a few highlights:
- Angel City acquired midfielder Rocky Rodriguez from the Portland Thorns in exchange $275,000 in allocation money.
- The Thorns, meanwhile, locked down Christine Sinclair for another year and added Canada midfielder Jessie Fleming from Chelsea.
- Seattle Reign FC is reportedly set to sign South Korea international Ji So-yun to a two-year deal that could make her the highest-paid female Asian player, according to Emma Sanders of BBC Sports.
As reported by Sports Chosun, I also understand former Chelsea midfielder Ji So-yun is set to join Seattle Reign in the NWSL on an initial two-year deal with potential option clauses. Believe she will be quite comfortably the highest-paid female Asian player. Big-money move.
— Emma Sanders (@em_sandy) January 23, 2024
- Kansas City Current acquired forward Nichelle Prince from the Houston Dash in exchange for forward Cece Kizer and a 2024 International Roster Spot. The Current also signed Beatriz Zaneratto João through the 2024 season with a club option for 2025. With Bia and Debinha on the same club team, that’s simply Jogo Bonito. Thanks to Andre Carlisle for bumping this beautiful Brazilian highlight.
- Not a player, but the Washington Spirit named RCD Espanyol head coach Adrián González as an assistant coach. González will act as interim coach until Jonatan Giráldez arrives from Barcelona in this summer.
Angel City makes everyone feel old
In January 2023, Angel City selected Alyssa Thompson as the No. 1 overall draft pick after the 18-year-old decommitted from Stanford. In December, the club signed her younger sister Gisele four days prior to her 18th birthday using the NWSL U-18 entry mechanism. Now, the team is adding another teenager to its ranks, signing 16-year-old Casey Phair.
At 16 years and 26 days old, Phair became the youngest player to appear in a FIFA World Cup over the summer, doing so for South Korea. She is also the youngest player in Angel City’s history.
- Phair’s World Cup story: The U.S.-based rising star who made World Cup history for South Korea
Howling In The Wind
As promised: Here is Kristie Mewis battling a corner flag during her debut for West Ham, and inadvertently representing the start-of-year planning process. (She later assisted a goal on a different set piece during the 4-3 loss to Tottenham).
Kristie Mewis 1 – England wind 0 pic.twitter.com/8evYUYtJfV
— Samantha 🫧 (@shadesofkaylor) January 22, 2024
Fans in the UK can watch this and more now that broadcaster DAZN has removed its paywall for its entire women’s football portfolio for the remainder of the 2023-24 season in the UK.
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(Photo: Brad Smith, Getty Images)