Final match of the regular season; playoffs on the line

Hi everyone,

Short newsletter this week, since last week we offered a recap and look ahead at this weekend’s Gotham matchup. The league has been on a break to accommodate international matches before Decision Day and the playoffs.

I’ve done a quick recap of the international matches below, but it’s worth noting that the Japanese Football Association listed Manaka Matsukubo as withdrawing due to injury for their second match. It’s a short, cryptic note, so it’s hard to say what it might mean. It could be a precaution with a relatively minor injury, or it could be more serious. We’ll keep you posted on social media.

The Lion’s Pitch podcast returns this Thursday if you’re looking for a deeper dive of the Courage’s playoff prospects. Katie and I wrestle with what a starting XI might look like, wondering if it’s a better strategy to play conservatively and win by one, or go all-in and try for multiple goals, like the Courage did against Bay FC.

The team is expecting a sellout crowd this week, so if you haven’t gotten tickets … uh, do that right now. Like this very second.

On Sunday, if you’re coming to the match, arrive early, join the Uproar pre-game tailgate starting at 3p, then enjoy some always epic late-season soccer.

As a reminder, two things need to happen for the Courage to continue this season:

• This is a must-win match. A draw won’t cut it.

• Louisville must either draw or lose in their home match against Bay FC.

No matter what, we’ll be here next week for a recap, so embrace the chaos, and we’ll catch you on the flip side.

Courage international play roundup

Here’s a quick rundown so far:

• Sydney Schmidt, U-17 World Cup:

  • The team blazed through the group stage, winning all 3 matches.

  • They played Netherlands to a draw in the Round of 16, but were knocked out by penalty kicks.

• Denise O’Sullivan, playing for Ireland in UEFA Women’s Nations League qualifying round:

  • They split their matches with Belgium. Abbie Larkin scored at 90’ in the second match, and the lone goal was enough to promote Ireland to League A.

• Manaka Matsukubo and Shinomi Koyama, playing for Japan in friendlies:

  • Drew Italy 1-1

  • Lost to Norway 2-0

• Cortnee Vine, Australian WNT friendlies:

  • Beat Wales 2-1

  • Lost to England 3-0

Free Agent Tracking

Since it’s been a quiet week, we figured we should update our free agent tracking.

Still TBD:

• Katie Cappelletti (keeper)

• Kaleigh Kurtz (defender)

• Tyler Lussi (forward)

• Heather MacNab (forward, signed for partial season in 2025)

• Charlotte McLean (defender; on loan to Tampa Bay Sun FC)

• Victoria Pickett (midfielder; on loan to AFC Toronto)

• Brianna Pinto (midfielder)

• Meredith Speck (midfielder)

• Dani Weatherholt (midfielder)

• Olivia Wingate (forward)

Known and rumored:

• Feli Rauch (defender) - re-signed to the Courage for a 2-year contract through 2027.

• Sydney Collins (defender) - signed to Bay through 2027.

• Casey Murphy (keeper, former USWNT) - ESPN reported Murphy is heading to Boston Legacy.

Around the league and beyond

• Jess Fishlock announced her retirement from international football, playing her final matches in the Wales friendlies this week.

• Bay FC Brady Stewart departed as the team’s CEO and a search for a new CEO is underway. Earlier this season, the team announced head coach Albertin Montoya would be exiting to assume a different role with the club.

• ACFC player Elizabeth Eddy published an op-ed in the New York Post criticizing the league for not having “a clear standard” for gender. It unfortunately widens an already open door for harmful rhetoric against marginalized communities. The piece sparked pushback from nearly every corner of the league, including NWSL team staff members, multiple supporters groups and members of the media. Here’s an article from Meg Linehan at The Athletic, that includes quotes from others. Angel City also released a statement.

That’s it for this week! As always, you can get in touch with tips, suggestions, corrections and more: [email protected].

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