Category: USWNT

USWNT midfielder Coffey suspended for Olympic quarterfinal

It’s potentially a major blow for the USWNT heading into the knockout phase

Emma Hayes took a risk by starting Sam Coffey against Australia on Wednesday. Early on, it became clear that it didn’t pay off.

Coffey will be suspended for the U.S. women’s national team’s Olympic quarterfinal with Japan on Saturday after she picked up a fourth-minute yellow card in her team’s 2-1 win over Australia.

USWNT coach Hayes made just one change — an injury-enforced swap of Emily Sonnett for Tierna Davidson — from the side that started each of the team’s first two Olympic matches.

The USWNT won both of those games, clinching advancement to the quarterfinal before Wednesday’s group-stage finale against Australia.

That meant Hayes could have rested some of her players — particularly Trinity Rodman and Coffey, who entered the match one yellow card away from a suspension.

Her decision to start Coffey was not made to look wise just four minutes in against the Matildas, as the midfielder was shown a yellow card after she stood on Katrina Gorry’s leg when going into a tackle.

Coffey was also yellow carded in Sunday’s 4-1 win over Germany. That meant the Portland Thorns star will be suspended for the team’s quarterfinal with two yellow cards in the group stage.

Her absence could be a potentially major blow for a USWNT side that has come to rely on her as the holding midfielder.

In Coffey’s place, Hayes could opt to start Korbin Albert as a like-for-like replacement. Sonnett could also be an option to move into a holding midfield spot if Davidson is recovered in time for the quarterfinal.

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Press and Heath say they’ve been in relationship for eight years

The duo kept their romance quiet for several years before becoming more open

Tobin Heath and Christen Press have recently made it more clear they are a couple, but just how long they’ve been together has been a mystery.

Until now.

On a recent episode of Peacock’s “Watch with Alex Cooper,” Press revealed that the pair has been together for eight years.

“Tobin and I were not really friends. We weren’t really running in the same circles. And then as soon as I actually got to know her, there was just, like, a magnetism,” said Press. “And I was like, that’s what I want. And I never looked back. I still feel the exact same way.”

“The other day, someone just said to us, ‘Oh, you guys, these guys just met, you look like you’re in love,’” Press continued. “And I’m like, ‘No, it’s been eight years.’”

That would put the start of their relationship back to 2016, a year the pair were part of the U.S. women’s national team that lost in the Olympic quarterfinal. They would go on to win the World Cup together three years later in France.

Press and Heath were quiet about their relationship in its first years before recently becoming more open.

Press said that it was difficult to be completely transparent when they were both competing for the same spot on the USWNT.

Now, neither has played on the national team in three years and they are working together with their RE-INC media company, making it easier to be more open.

“I think there was something a little bit forbidden when it comes to navigating that situation,” Press said. “We’re both forwards so competing for a spot, competing for time. And then off the field, locking it down, being in a relationship and navigating that through the early, early stages of our relationship.”

Press added. “It wasn’t until we both weren’t playing on the same team that it was a little bit easier for us to come forward and share our relationship a little bit more.”

Though the outside world hasn’t become aware of their relationship until recently, Press said all of their teammates weren’t kept in the dark.

In addition to the USWNT, Press and Heath also played together with Manchester United in 2020 and 2021.

“Our teammates knew. … We were never, like, in the closet, like hiding it. Our people always knew what was going on with us,” Press said.

“It’s kind of this protective bubble,” Heath added. “It was kind of more normal than it sounds.”

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USWNT’s Davidson and Shaw ruled out for Olympic group finale vs. Australia

The duo will both not recover in time from their injuries

The U.S. women’s national team will have to do without Tierna Davidson and Jaedyn Shaw for Wednesday’s Olympic group finale against Australia.

Davidson was forced out of the team’s 4-1 win over Germany on Sunday, coming off in the first half after a knee-to-knee collision with Jule Brand.

The Gotham FC defender was replaced by her club teammate Emily Sonnett, who slotted into central defense alongside Naomi Girma.

On Tuesday, USWNT head coach Emma Hayes told the media Davidson would not recover in time for Wednesday’s match against the Matildas.

“She got a contusion because she got hit in her leg,” Hayes said. “Knee-on-knee situations can create a bit of swelling so that swelling will keep her out of this game.”

Hayes did not indicate who would replace Davidson, but Emily Sams is the only defensive option of the four alternates.

On Wednesday, U.S. Soccer confirmed it would indeed be Sams who replaced Davidson on the gameday squad.

The coach also ruled out Shaw for a third straight match. The San Diego Wave star suffered a “leg injury” in training the day before the team’s Olympic opener against Zambia.

The 19-year-old was replaced on the gameday squad by alternate Croix Bethune, who has yet to see any playing time at the Olympics.

The USWNT has already clinched a berth in the knockout stage with consecutive wins over Zambia and Germany, and can lock up first place in Group B with a win or draw against Australia.

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USWNT 2024 schedule: Results, fixtures, TV channel and streaming

All of the USWNT’s fixtures in 2024, including the Olympics and W Gold Cup

The U.S. women’s national team is looking at a busy 2024.

Two significant tournaments await. The first-ever Concacaf W Gold Cup will come up quickly in February and March, while the 2024 Summer Olympics will be the biggest priority.

New USWNT head coach Emma Hayes will join up in time for a pre-Olympics FIFA window, a short run-up before leading the team to Paris in pursuit of an improved showing after a disappointing 2023 World Cup.

Between those two events, the USWNT will face a revamped SheBelieves Cup in April, while there are multiple friendly windows after the Olympics finish up.

Here is a list of all of the USWNT’s fixtures for 2024.

USWNT to face England at Wembley in November

The USWNT will return to Wembley after losing to England in a 2022 friendly

The U.S. women’s national team is heading back to Wembley Stadium.

U.S. Soccer has announced that the USWNT will face England in a friendly at the famed venue on November 30.

The match will kick off at 12:20 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on TNT, Universo, truTV, Max and Peacock.

After England qualified for Euro 2025 this month, the defending champion became available for the November international window due to not having to play in a playoff.

The USWNT will play one more game in Europe after the match against England, with the opponent and venue to be announced soon.

The match at Wembley will see the U.S. return after losing 2-1 to England in a friendly in October 2022. It will also be a homecoming for head coach Emma Hayes, a London native.

The USWNT and England have played 19 times in their history, with just three of those matches taking place in England.

Currently, the U.S. is in France attempting to win Olympic gold, with its final group-stage match set for Wednesday against Australia.

England, which was designated as the team to qualify on behalf of Team GB, did not reach the competition.

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USWNT star Smith warns opponents: This is only 70 percent of what we can do

The USWNT has seven goals in two games, and there is still room for improvement

The U.S. women’s national team has started the Olympics in devastating form, and forward Sophia Smith offered a warning to any future opponents after a 4-1 rout of Germany.

This team hasn’t yet hit its peak.

Smith and her front-line partners Trinity Rodman and Mallory Swanson have been impossible to stop at the Olympics so far, as the U.S. cruised past Zambia 3-0 before putting global power Germany to the sword on Sunday.

The trio has combined for six goals and three assists at the Olympics, with the USWNT already clinching a spot in the quarterfinal ahead of Wednesday’s group-stage finale against Australia.

Speaking to reporters after Sunday’s game against Germany, Smith insisted that her side still had another level to reach.

“This is probably only game six or seven of us playing up front together,” Smith said in quotes on The Athletic.

“We’re clicking really well, really fast. I think this is only like 70 percent of what we can do.”

The USWNT’s front three had only started one time together before pre-Olympics friendlies this month, but have already formed a partnership that is borderline unstoppable.

With Smith as a nominal No. 9 and Swanson and Rodman to either side, the trio interchange liberally and cause fits for defenders who have to account for their constant movement and overloads.

The team’s attack stands in sharp contrast to last summer’s World Cup, when the U.S. beat Vietnam 3-0 to kick off the tournament and then proceeded to score just one more goal in its final three games en route to a last-16 exit.

This time around, the U.S. has already netted seven times in two games — and there appears to be much more to come.

“We have a lot of really special players and we’re finally starting to connect,” midfielder Rose Lavelle said. “But we know we still have another level in us.”

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USWNT defender Davidson comes off with injury vs. Germany

The defender’s injury could potentially be a major blow for the USWNT’s Olympic hopes

The U.S. women’s national team suffered a potentially major loss against Germany on Sunday, as defender Tierna Davidson left the Olympics match just before halftime with an injury.

Davidson was involved in a 40th-minute collision with Germany’s Jule Brand, who clattered into the center back and made what appeared to be knee-to-knee contact.

The USWNT bench quickly got Emily Sonnett up and ready as soon as it became clear Davidson would not continue.

On the USA Network broadcast, announcer Jon Champion quoted a USWNT press officer as saying Davidson has suffered a “lower leg” injury.

The Gotham FC defender limped off and was replaced by her club teammate Sonnett in the 44th minute, just before the U.S. scored to increase its lead to 3-1.

The USWNT would go on to win 4-1, sealing progression to the quarterfinals.

Should Davidson be forced to miss any time, it would be a significant blow to the USWNT’s gold medal hopes. The 25-year-old has formed an effective partnership with Naomi Girma in central defense, regaining her starting role after missing a long period with a torn ACL suffered in 2022.

If head coach Emma Hayes is forced into a roster change, Emily Sams appears to be the clear like-for-like option. The Orlando Pride defender has been named as an alternate and, per a new roster rule, could swap in on a game-by-game basis.

Davidson is not the only injury concern on the USWNT roster, as attacker Jaedyn Shaw missed her second straight game on Sunday with a foot injury.

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USWNT vs. Germany: How to watch Olympics, TV channel, live stream

The U.S. looks to make it two wins from two to start the Paris Games

The U.S. women’s national team looks to make it two wins from two at the Olympics when it faces Germany on Sunday.

The USWNT kicked off the competition with a 3-0 win against Zambia Thursday, scoring three first-half goals and then easing to a win following a first-half red card for Zambia.

A tougher challenge awaits in game two, with Germany looking formidable after opening its Olympics with a 3-0 win over Australia on Thursday.

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The U.S. got some mixed news on the injury front prior to the match, with Sophia Smith ready to go after coming off injured against Zambia. Meahwhile, Jaedyn Shaw will miss her second straight match with a leg injury.

The USWNT is aiming for its first gold medal since 2012, having lost to Sweden in the quarterfinal in 2016 before falling against Canada in the semifinal in 2021.

After this match, the USWNT will close out Group B play on Wednesday against Australia.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.

USWNT vs. Germany (Olympic women’s soccer)

  • When: Sunday, July 28
  • Where: Stade de Marseille (Marseille, France)
  • Time: 3 p.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: USA Network, Telemundo, Peacock (WATCH NOW)

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Smith fit for USWNT match vs. Germany, Shaw still sidelined

It’s a case of good news, bad news on the injury front for the U.S.

For the U.S. women’s national team, it’s a case of good news, bad news on the injury front.

Sophia Smith will be fit for the team’s Olympic match against Germany on Sunday, while Jaedyn Shaw will remain sidelined.

Per The Athletic, head coach Emma Hayes said that Smith was “fine” and would be involved in training on Saturday. Shaw, meanwhile, trained individually and will miss a second straight game.

The USWNT kicked off Olympics play on Thursday with a 3-0 win against Zambia, emerging from the match with a pair of injury concerns.

Just before halftime, Sophia Smith left the match with a suspected ankle issue. The extent of the injury wasn’t clear, but it appeared her removal may have been precautionary due to the USWNT being up three goals and a player already by that time.

Meanwhile, Shaw will remain sidelined with a leg injury that she suffered in training the day before the Zambia match. Just 90 minutes before Thursday’s game kicked off, U.S. Soccer announced that the San Diego Wave attacker would miss the match.

Croix Bethune was moved from an alternate to the active roster as a replacement for Shaw, and the Washington Spirit rookie appears set to be part of the matchday squad against Germany as well.

Like the USWNT, Germany also began the Olympics with a 3-0 win, defeating Australia easily in its opener.

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‘Today’ show faceplants with awkward question for Rodman about father

This was an own goal for the NBC morning show

It may be back to the drawing board for the research department at the “Today” show.

The morning show is going heavy on the Olympics over the next two weeks, with NBC and its family of networks holding the rights to the Paris Games.

On Friday morning, the show hosted the two goalscorers from the U.S. women’s national team’s Olympics-opening 3-0 win over Zambia.

It was all shaping up as standard morning-show fare with guests Trinity Rodman and Mallory Swanson, before host Hoda Kotb killed the mood with an awkward follow-up for Rodman.

“Did your dad call and give you an ‘attagirl’ after that one?” Kotb inquired.

Handling the moment deftly, Rodman quickly responded: “Nope, but my mom was there. She gave me a big ol’ hug.”

Rodman, of course, is the daughter of NBA legend Dennis Rodman. And as Kotb and the show’s staff should have known, she doesn’t have much of a relationship with the ex-Chicago Bulls star.

The USWNT forward has periodically spoken about her father, but she opened up on their relationship — or lack thereof — in a 2021 post on Instagram.

“My dad doesn’t play a big role in my life at all and most people don’t know that, we don’t see eye to eye on many things,” Rodman said.

“I go months if not years without his presence or communication. Being in spotlights has been hard for us, him and me. We don’t have the best relationship, but at the end of the day he’s human I’m human… he’s my dad, and I’m his little girl that will never change.”

Kudos to Rodman for handling a potentially awkward moment on live TV with grace. As for the “Today” show — we’ll call that one an own goal.

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