Tag: Lynn Williams

Lynn Williams revealed how she broke the gold medal she won with the USWNT during the Olympics

“They should have made them more sturdy, and honestly, I can’t be faulted for that.”

Olympian Lynn Williams actually broke the gold medal she won with the USWNT during the Paris Olympics, and the story of how it happened is hysterical.

Imagine going out to celebrate you being a total boss at the Olympics, and you break the thing that shows you were a total boss during the Olympics. I’d be so upset. I’m talking, “Nobody speak to me. I need a moment to dramatically cry,” upset. But not Lynn Williams.

She turned what would surely be a traumatic event for most people into an epic story. The soccer star recently turned to TikTok to share how she now has “the world’s most expensive” coaster, and the details did not disappoint. Here’s what Lynn said about her gold medal:

“Obviously, you guys all saw me swinging the thing around…ironically that’s not how it broke…we were dancing…I had it on my shoulder like a little purse, and I was just jumping — dancing, jumping — and I jumped down, and it just fell off.”

“So, everybody was dancing, and I was roaming around, trying to get my medal off the ground. It has a dent now. So, it’s definitely one-of-a-kind, and the little bar [inside the medal] is gone.”

“So, I don’t know what happened. The bar got loose, and it fell out. Probably, swinging it around didn’t help, but I just think they should have made these better. They should have made them more sturdy, and honestly, I can’t be faulted for that.”

Watch on TikTok

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Gotham FC striker Williams becomes all-time top NWSL goalscorer

The USWNT striker has now scored 79 goals in all competitions in the NWSL

There is a new all-time goalscoring leader in the NWSL.

NJ/NY Gotham FC forward Lynn Williams scored her 79th career goal in all competitions on Sunday night, breaking the record previously held by Sam Kerr.

Williams scored her record-breaking goal 57 minutes into a match against the Chicago Red Stars at Red Bull Arena. Jenna Nighswonger’s cross found Esther González in the box, and the Spain international’s volley was perfectly placed to give Williams a simple header on the doorstep.

The goal opened the scoring on the night. After Penelope Hocking equalized for the visitors, Ella Stevens scored a late winner for Gotham to ensure Williams would go home with three points on her record-breaking evening.

Williams, 30, was selected by the Western New York Flash in the 2015 NWSL college draft, and stayed with the team when they became the North Carolina Courage ahead of the 2017 season. She was traded to the Kansas City Current in 2022, but played just once due to an injury. In 2023, Williams was traded to Gotham FC.

Williams has won four NWSL titles and three NWSL Shields in her career,  in addition to one Golden Boot and one MVP award. She has also played at a World Cup and an Olympics with the U.S. women’s national team.

Watch Williams score record-breaking goal

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‘Some things are bigger than soccer’ – Mewis and Williams address Albert controversy

Williams admitted that there could be some issues in the USWNT locker room

Sam Mewis and Lynn Williams have addressed the controversy surrounding U.S. women’s national team midfielder Korbin Albert, with the pair both voicing their support for the LGBTQ+ community that Albert maligned on social media.

Albert was forced to apologize last week after fans discovered that Albert’s TikTok account had either shared or reposted a host of anti-LGBTQ+ content. The 20-year-old also appeared to like an Instagram post celebrating Megan Rapinoe’s injury in last year’s NWSL championship game.

Rapinoe quickly went on the offensive against Albert in an Instagram story, with the former USWNT star’s words of condemnation reposted by both Mewis and Williams.

The pair offered more perspective on the controversy in the latest episode of the Good Vibes FC podcast

“You and I are both supportive of the LGBTQ community. We want our teammates, we want everybody who identifies in any way to be able to express themselves freely and live a happy, safe existence,” said Mewis, who retired earlier this year.

Williams is still an active member of the USWNT, and was on the roster with Albert for the W Gold Cup in February and March. The Gotham FC forward missed the SheBelieves Cup squad this month due to injury, while Albert is a part of the group that will play a pair of upcoming matches.

Both Williams and Mewis played alongside Jaelene Daniels for club and country, and compared the current situation with Albert to that of the former North Carolina Courage and USWNT defender.

Daniels declined a USWNT call-up in 2017 over her refusal to wear Pride-themed rainbow numbers, citing her Christian faith. The defender would then refuse to play for the NC Courage on the team’s Pride Night in 2022.

“Back then we didn’t know how to approach the situation and we put soccer first,” Williams said. “I feel like if I’ve learned anything, it’s that there are some things that are just bigger than soccer. And one of them is human rights, and making sure that people feel safe in their body and just safe in this world. So I think it is a moment for us to say you know what, this topic is bigger than soccer.

“At the same time, women’s soccer has been a safe space for the LGBT community. And I think that it does affect the locker room a little bit. But again, I think this is bigger than the locker room.”

Mewis added that Albert’s apology was a good start, but said that the PSG midfielder still has plenty of work to do.

“Zooming out, making an apology is a solid first step,” Mewis said. “And I think you and I in many cases want to leave room for there to be growth and a change in behavior. But first and foremost, I don’t accept intolerance or the exclusion of people on a human level.”

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USWNT sends Julie Ertz off with confident 3-0 win over South Africa

One of the team’s greats got her farewell in an uncomplicated USWNT win

A new era is beginning for the U.S. women’s national team, and that means saying goodbye to some veteran stars.

The USWNT gave two-time World Cup champion Julie Ertz the kind of farewell match she would have likely wanted, with a confident, uncomplicated 3-0 win over South Africa on Wednesday in Cincinnati.

Lynn Williams claimed two goals, sandwiching Trinity Rodman’s finish from open play as the U.S. reeled off all of its goals in a nine-minute span late in the first half.

Unsurprisingly, the USWNT looked for Ertz — possibly the best set-piece target in program history — on most of its early set piece opportunities, but couldn’t quite carve out a serious threat.

However, it was only a matter of time, and while Ertz didn’t score the opener herself, her customary near-post run was a big factor as Williams gave the U.S. a 32nd-minute lead.

If that goal required a bit of good fortune — Williams and the USWNT had to appeal for the goal to be given, as the ball only barely crossed the line — it took just 65 seconds to score a far more authoritative second.

A counter-press at midfield won the ball back for the USWNT, and a rapid-fire passing sequence ended with Alex Morgan running in behind the South African defense. From there, the San Diego Wave striker teed Trinity Rodman up perfectly for a close-range finish.

Before the celebrations even truly petered out after that goal, Ertz was given her moment, with TQL Stadium giving the USWNT legend a standing ovation in the 35th minute, as she stepped off the pitch one last time.

Another corner made it 3-0 before halftime, with Andi Sullivan (who replaced Ertz) serving in a near-post ball. Lindsey Horan’s cheeky flick caught South Africa off-guard, with Williams once again on hand to make sure the ball got over the line.

With much of the talk around the game surrounding a changing of the guard for the USWNT, interim coach Twila Kilgore’s second half substitutions included three players who suffered various sorts of World Cup snubs. Ashley Hatch and Casey Krueger were left off the roster entirely, while Ashley Sanchez saw zero minutes of playing time for a goal-starved USWNT in Australia and New Zealand.

That trio,18-year-old forward Alyssa Thompson (who appeared in just one World Cup match), and USWNT debutant M.A. Vignola all entered the match, with more experienced names like Horan, Morgan, Crystal Dunn, and Emily Fox among those coming off.

In the end, Ertz watched on as the USWNT defense — something she took ferocious pride in throughout her 123-cap national team career — gave Alyssa Naeher precious little to do against a side that advanced to the World Cup’s round of 16.

The USWNT will wrap up the September window with another big goodbye, as Megan Rapinoe’s final match with the team looms on Sunday in Chicago.

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USWNT player ratings: Defensive spine shines in gut-punch penalty kick defeat

The USWNT finally played like themselves, but soccer can be cruel

Soccer has always been a cruel sport, and today it came calling for the U.S. women’s national team.

After three underwhelming performances in the group stage, the USWNT finally looked like themselves against Sweden, bossing one of the best teams in this World Cup.

Unfortunately, they found goalkeeper Zećira Mušović having one of the games of her life, and when she wasn’t making a big save, the errant finishing that has plagued this team appeared again, and the result was a penalty kick elimination after a scoreless 120 minutes.

It was a heartbreaker for the U.S., who missed a shot in the shootout that would have seen them advance, and then had to watch Sweden’s winning kick require a VAR check to reveal that the ball had crossed the line by a nearly imperceptible margin.

Still, when it comes to ratings, this was by some margin the best performance from the USWNT at this World Cup as a team, and for many players as individuals.

As a reminder, here’s the Pro Soccer Wire player rating scale:

Our scale:

  • 1: Abysmal. Literally any member of our staff would have been been able to play at this level.
  • 6: Adequate. This is our base score.
  • 10: Transcendent, era-defining performance. This is Carli Lloyd vs. Japan in the 2015 final.

USWNT player ratings: Lack of ideas as U.S. barely survives Portugal

Lots of not-great, and some quite bad!

The U.S. women’s national team, by a margin of about three inches, survived a feisty Portugal side to get through to the knockout round of the World Cup.

That’s about all the good news there is to discuss. The USWNT were totally unable to solve the Portuguese midfield diamond throughout a troubling 0-0 draw, struggling for possession and also lacking chances to break out in transition.

The stats may show the USWNT holding a 17-6 shot advantage, and this is another game in which a U.S. opponent were held without a shot on goal. However, anyone that watched the match would be able to tell you that the Portuguese troubled the U.S. from start to finish, seeing the game’s best chance end with Ana Capeta hitting the post deep in stoppage time.

It was a dispiriting and disappointing showing in which no player really looked like they’d been given a platform to be their best. If the USWNT is to go on and make history as the first team to win three consecutive World Cups, this has to be by far their worst performance of the tournament.

Here’s a breakdown from a game in which no one looked particularly good.

As a reminder, here’s the Pro Soccer Wire player rating scale:

Our scale:

  • 1: Abysmal. Literally any member of our staff would have been been able to play at this level.
  • 6: Adequate. This is our base score.
  • 10: Transcendent, era-defining performance. This is Carli Lloyd vs. Japan in the 2015 final.

USWNT lineup vs. Portugal: Rose Lavelle, Lynn Williams in for high-pressure Group E clash

Not many changes, but both likely popular ones for the USWNT

The U.S. women’s national team has made two changes for a decisive World Cup group stage match against Portugal.

Rose Lavelle and Lynn Williams represent all of the changes Vlatko Andonovski has made to the USWNT starting 11 that drew 1-1 with the Netherlands last week (a selection that was unchanged from the team’s opening 3-0 win over Vietnam). Lavelle will replace Savannah DeMelo in the U.S. midfield, while Williams replaces Trinity Rodman on the front line.

Lavelle has performed well in two substitute appearances, but has not started a game for club or country since doing so for OL Reign on April 1 in NWSL regular season play. It is unclear how long she can play after getting 27 minutes off the bench against Vietnam, and then entering at halftime against the Dutch.

Sophia Smith has, after spending most of the last two years on the right wing, been playing on the left with Rodman more comfortable on the opposite side. It wasn’t clear until kickoff, but Andonovski has simply replaced Rodman with Williams, keeping Smith on the left for a third straight game.

For the USWNT, this match against Portugal has huge importance. A win may or may not be enough to secure the top spot in Group E: the Netherlands could overtake them if they can beat Vietnam by three more goals than the U.S. margin of victory at Eden Park.

A shock loss would — barring an even more monumental upset win for Vietnam in the other game — end the USWNT’s World Cup far earlier than expected.

All 23 players in the U.S. squad are, per U.S. Soccer’s game notes, listed as available and in uniform.

USWNT lineup vs. Portugal

(4-3-3): Naeher; Fox, Ertz, Girma, Dunn; Lavelle, Sullivan, Horan; Williams, Morgan, Smith

Portugal lineup (4-3-1-2): Inês Pereira; Ana Borges, Carole Costa, Diana Gomes, Catarina Amado; Andreia Norton, Tatiana Pinto, Dolores Silva; Kika Nazareth; Jéssica Silva, Diana Silva

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‘We’ve dealt with this too many times’ – USWNT reacts to Auckland shooting

A gunman in downtown killed two and wounded several others before he was also found dead

For the U.S. women’s national team, Thursday’s deadly shooting in Auckland was sadly reminiscent of so many similar events back home.

A gunman in downtown Auckland killed two and wounded several others before he was also found dead in an incident on the morning of the first two Women’s World Cup games.

The shooting took place close to the USWNT team hotel in Auckland, where they will kick off the World Cup against Vietnam on Saturday afternoon local time.

At a press conference, USWNT forward Lynn Williams said that it was difficult to reckon with the shooting while also trying to focus on preparing for the team’s opener.

“Unfortunately, I feel like in the U.S. we’ve dealt with this far too many times,” Williams said.

“But there was definitely a sense of, ‘Let’s come together, we still have a job to do,’ but also recognizing that there were lives lost and that is very real and very devastating.

“We were just thankful that we were safe, that the first responders came in and everything was very quick. Our security was very swift to say, ‘Look, we can’t go anywhere right now. We need to make sure you guys are safe first.’ There was a sense around the team that we recognize that this is devastating. And then once we were able to go to training we were like, ‘We have to focus on the job at hand.'”

U.S. Soccer released a statement shortly after the incident, saying: “All of our players and staff are accounted for and safe. Our security team is in communication with local authorities and we are proceeding with our daily schedule.”

USWNT defender Crystal Dunn added that the team is looking to support one another in any way they can.

“This is very real and our condolences are with the families of the victims and the lives that were lost,” Dunn said.

“Everyone handles these situations differently. So it’s important to give people the space that they need to work through the trauma that has occurred today, but understanding that we’re a unified team.

“We give people the space that they need and hopefully we’re able to get on the pitch and just have a kick around and just try to be connected again in a tough day.”

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NWSL Weekend Take-Off: Gotham FC top the table after topsy-turvy results

No one’s flying higher than the Bats

Just like everyone expected, NJ/NY Gotham FC is in first place in the NWSL, while the Kansas City Current and Chicago Red Stars are struggling.

It’s fun to start with a joke. Obviously no one really thought the standings would include Gotham FC — for the first time since 2013! — in first place in late May. While Chicago’s off-field problems always looked like they’d undermine their 2023 season, KC sitting in 11th after following a run to the 2022 final with a blockbuster offseason? It’s arguably more of a shock than Gotham’s ascent.

This wasn’t the most artful or edifying NWSL weekend, but with the season now over 36% complete, we have enough to start really sketching out a final product for teams rather than discussing various works in progress. Let that be your North Star as the Take-Off rumbles on.

NWSL Weekend Take-Off: Ertz changes Angel City, Williams and Kizer standing out

Big names are shaking things up in the NWSL

The NWSL returned to regular season play after its first dalliance with the new Challenge Cup format, and gave fans plenty to think about.

Julie Ertz made her first appearance in the league in over two years, and the early signs are that her presence will change a lot about how Angel City FC executes. That follows some positive changes that came in part from Lynn Williams arriving with NJ/NY Gotham FC this winter, while Cece Kizer’s return to fitness has opened up missing elements for the Kansas City Current.

Unless you’re the Portland Thorns, change is good at this part of the season. For some teams, that means staying the course in anticipation of changes for the better coming to fruition. In other cases, we may have a couple of teams who need to consider more marked changes to avoid being left in the dust.

Here’s your look back at another eventful weekend in the NWSL: