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Have you ever wanted to tell us exactly how you feel? Now’s your chance.
Send us an email with questions for us to tackle in the newsletter or relaunched Full Time with Meg Linehan podcast at fulltime@theathletic.com. I’m Emily Olsen here with Meg Linehan, Steph Yang and Melanie Anzidei — welcome to Full Time!
NWSL Weekend
Lynn Williams breaks goal-scoring record
Lynn Williams is good at soccer. We knew this.
Williams added to her growing list of accomplishments Sunday, scoring her 79th goal across all competitions in NWSL, surpassing the record previously held by Sam Kerr. The finish in Gotham FC‘s 2-1 win over the Chicago Red Stars might not make the top 10 of her illustrious, growing list, but the sequence was impressive, with Jenna Nighswonger sprinting up the left wing and delivering a looping ball across the face of goal. Esther González volleyed the ball back toward an open Williams, who smoothly headed it into the back of the net. It was the ninth headed goal of her career and her first since 2021.
A moment we won’t forget… Take a bow Lynn Williams!
Goal #79 in all competitions, a new league record. pic.twitter.com/IoJX12tOQe
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 19, 2024
Williams, 30, credited her teammates for helping her reach the milestone.
“I just owe it all to them,” she said, “and I can’t put any single one of those goals away without them.”
Kerr’s 78-goal record had stood since 2019, the year she left the league for Chelsea. All-time international goal-scoring leader Christine Sinclair rounds out the NWSL top three with 76 goals across all competitions.
“I’m just really proud of myself,” Williams said. “A lot of moments along the way I’ve been told, ‘No, you’re not good enough.’ And I think that every single time I score a goal, every single time I’m put on the field, it’s another moment for me to continue to believe in myself.”
Williams’ most memorable goals
The Western New York Flash produced two instant classics during the 2016 postseason. First, upsetting the Thorns in Portland thanks to two extra-time goals from Williams. Then, a wild finish in extra time in the championship against the Spirit. The Flash were down 2-1, until Williams’s head made contact with the ball, launched at the far post by Jessica McDonald. The official time was 123:33 (four minutes of added time).
Williams has scored some bangers, but this one might remain her most clutch. The Flash went on to win in penalty kicks, picking up the trophy in their final match as an NWSL club.
I was in Houston for the 2016 championship and on the field for the game. Williams scored that goal right in front of me. But as unbelievable as that moment was, somehow media day was even more memorable. Williams had already secured the golden boot for the season, but that Thursday ahead of the final she was named to her first USWNT roster in the morning, and won the MVP award by the afternoon. It was suddenly a Lynn Williams party at media day — and one of the best moments of the season. – Meg Linehan
More NWSL milestones
Williams wasn’t the only one to make a mark this weekend.
- Sydney Leroux became the first player to score at least five goals on five different teams (Boston Breakers, Seattle Reign, FC Kansas City, Orlando Pride, Angel City) during a chaotic 4-2 loss to the Washington Spirit.
- Chicago’s Sam Staab became the first NWSL player to reach 100 consecutive starts in the league. Though she has held the record for a while, the century call-out was an added bonus.
- Orlando Pride and Portland Thorns extended their winning streaks to four. When the sides meet next week, it will be the first time two teams on such streaks meet.
The Pride remains unbeaten this season, along with KC Current, who came back from an early goal to tie Racing Louisville 3-3. More importantly, Lo’eau LaBonta returned to her iconic celebration ways. The captain, who goes by the nickname LoMomma, embraced the “KC Baby” chant by placing the ball under her jersey and sticking her thumb in her mouth in celebration of her penalty kick goal. The celebration caused some confusion with LaBonta’s husband (former MLS midfielder Roger Espinoza):
My husband after the game: “are we pregnant?” https://t.co/Ysn1Nm22GI
— Lo’eau LaBonta (@L0momma) May 19, 2024
KC leads the league in goals scored with 25, followed closely by the Thorns at 23 and Spirit at 22. The Current has had 14 different goal scorers this season, with Temwa Chawinga (5) and Bia Zaneratto (4) leading the way.
Meg’s Corner: The Full Time podcast is back!
It’s a really exciting time for us here at The Athletic as a lot of planning sessions and behind-the-scenes work is all starting to come together — and we can finally share everything that we’re doing to provide the best coverage you expect from us. I’m so excited to let you know that we’re relaunching our podcast “Full Time with Meg Linehan” and once again expanding our women’s soccer coverage into the audio realm.
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You may already be familiar with the podcast, which we launched in 2020 and recorded almost 150 episodes. The one we’re bringing back on Thursday, May 23 is bigger and better than ever. I know that’s a cliche, but in this case I firmly believe it’s true. It will live in the existing Full Time audio feed and as always free to listen and available wherever you listen to podcasts.
Tamerra Griffin joins me as a co-host. You might already know her from her stories here at The Athletic. She’s a former foreign correspondent, and she’s written for ESPN, USA Today and other outlets. She joined us for the 2023 World Cup and produced some of my favorite stories from the tournament, whether she was covering Zambia, Colombia, or all the forms of self-expression from players.
Emily Olsen serves as executive producer of the podcast, in addition to being the voice that brings you the newsletter every Monday, and we’ve brought in Theo Lloyd-Hughes as our dedicated producer.
In terms of the show itself, we’re taking the same big-picture approach that the podcast has always had — finding the best stories and interviews on a weekly basis, bringing you in-depth reporting and analysis, and digging into the context and culture of women’s soccer here in the States. We’ll have a global eye too — after all, the game’s more global than ever.
We’re going to make sure you’re fully prepared for the Olympics, from following along at Emma Hayes’ first games in charge of the USWNT to what’s happening on the ground in Nice, Marseille, and wherever else the team might play as the tournament builds to the finale in Paris.
New episodes will be released on Thursday mornings, so whether you’re listening from home, your commute, the office (we won’t tell anyone), or wherever else, you’ll be covered ahead of the NWSL matches on the weekend too.
Around The World
Hayes days are finally here
Are you sick of me saying it’s officially the Emma Hayes era? Well, here we are. After Chelsea Women captured the Women’s Super League title on the final day, defeating Manchester United Women 6-0, Hayes said “I’m so tired. I’m exhausted from 12 years — not just 90 minutes of football. I don’t know how I’ve done it.”
Unfortunately, there’s no rest for the weary:
- Monday: Meeting with Chelsea players and staff
- Tuesday: Leadership call with U.S. Soccer + USWNT roster announcement
- Wednesday: Leaves London
- Friday: Meets with her USWNT staff
I need a nap just thinking about it, not to mention that her first game in charge is in Denver against South Korea. Hopefully, altitude sickness and jetlag stay at bay.
2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil
Last week, Brazil won the right to host the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, following an open vote from the FIFA Congress in Thailand. While the win was expected in the weeks leading up to the formal vote, the decision is still a historic one — it’s the first Women’s World Cup to be held in South America.
GO DEEPER
What the first Women's World Cup means for soccer in the region
Brazil’s bid book openly addressed the fact that the country banned women’s football for decades, and centered on the idea of normalizing the sport. Despite being a hotbed of soccer, the women’s game is still developing in South America. The Athletic looked at how a World Cup might supercharge that development.
How much soccer is too much?
FIFA announced that the first Women’s Club World Cup will take place in January and February of 2026. The 16-team tournament will happen every four years. The governing body did not announce a host for the first edition. The timing of the new tournament falls during the European leagues’ seasons, between the group stage and knockout rounds of the UEFA Women’s Champions League, and in the NWSL’s offseason.
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The Club World Cup was part of a larger announcement confirming changes to the international match calendar running from 2026-2029. While the calendar is still not optimized for maximum player rest and recovery, it does show some compromise from FIFA acknowledging player workloads — specifically, reducing the number of overall international windows from six to five.
Meg Linehan and Steph Yang explain what it means for player rest and recovery.
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(Top photo: Vincent Carchietta, USA TODAY Sports)