Expected Own Goals

NOT A PATREON MEMBER? ⁠⁠⁠⁠Use the code "XOG"⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get a year's subscription for 50% off!!! The NWSL dropped their "High Impact Player" rule two mornings before Christmas, and they're acting like they don't need the NWSL Players Association to negotiate and sign off on it. The union has different ideas. The guys walk through all of the insane details of the rule, why the league released it just b...

NOT A PATREON MEMBER? ⁠⁠Use the code "XOG"⁠⁠ to get a year's subscription for 50% off!!! With the year coming to a close, it's time to reflect on the best players of the 2025 NWSL season. The guys draft players into their respective best XIs, bicker and argue all the way, and then try to synthesize both into the Official xOG Best XI. Agree with their choices? Disagree? Sound off! Like & subscribe...

NOT A PATREON MEMBER? ⁠Use the code "XOG"⁠ to get a year's subscription for 50% off!!! The NWSL offseason is officially in full swing. Teams have given roster updates, and extensions/re-signings are being announced along with significant deals like Ally Schlegel's to North Caroli—oh, who are we kidding? There is only one story in the league right now, and it's one that will affect every other deal...

NOT A PATREON MEMBER? Use the code "XOG" to get a year's subscription for 50% off!!! The U.S. women's national team took down Italy 5-0 on aggregate across a window that saw the 26th and 27th players get their first caps under Emma Hayes, an all-time record for a U.S. head coach. What has 2025 meant for the USWNT, and how has it set themselves up for the next phase of their World Cup preparations?...

Fly Bats, fly! Gotham FC won their second NWSL title on Saturday, squeaking past the Washington Spirit 1-0 on a miracle goal from Rose Lavelle in the second half. Did the Spirit deserve to lose? Did Gotham deserve to win? What ultimately separated the two sides, how should they view their seasons as a whole? Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for only $6/month to get exclusive bo...

The moment has finally come! In the now-most-played fixture in NWSL—and in what may now finally be called a true rivalry—the Washington Spirit and Gotham FC face each other in San Jose for all the marbles. The guys hung out at each team's training to figure out who has the edge. The projections make Gotham slight favorites, so why do our guts tell us the Spirit have the advantage? They try to make...

Yael Averbuch West will be the first to tell you she didn't fully grasp what the job of General Manager would entail when Gotham FC tapped her for the post. Four years and a Championship trophy later, Gotham finds itself knocking on the door of another title. Averbuch West sat down with the guys to share her evolution as a GM, the club's evolution from where they were, and what she has attempted t...

Washington Spirit GM Mark Krikorian stepped down from his position back in March, but instead of rushing to find a replacement, owner Michele Kang entrusted the front office to two of Krikorian's protegées, interim GM Nathan Minion and sporting director James Hocken. How did Minion and Hocken navigate the at-times rough seas that was the 2025 season, and how have they continued to shape the organi...

It was more than 90 minutes of dross, capped by a moment of magic: 2023 NWSL champs Gotham FC squeaked past 2024 champs Orlando Pride thanks to Jaedyn Shaw's free kick wizardry and little else. Neither team played well. How much does that inform Orlando's offseason outlook? How can Gotham find the juice to get past a peaking Washington Spirit in the Championship game? The guys muse over all of it....

The Washington Spirit are headed to their second straight NWSL Championship game on the heels of a commanding performance against a depleted Portland Thorns side. Were Washington good, or were Portland bad? What will the Thorns need to do in the offseason to get back to the playoffs? And what do Trinity Rodman's contract negotiations tell us about the state of the NWSL's ability to retain top tale...

Our second semifinal preview looks at the other two recent champs, Orlando and Gotham. Gotham has the better and deeper roster, but are they invincible? Orlando still has the core of their world-class defense, but can it slow down the likes of Jaedyn Shaw and Gabi Portilho? Will Esther be available from first whistle, or could she be a late-game changer? The guys tease out all the possible scenari...

The first of our two semifinal previews drills down on the Portland Thorns coming to Audi Field to try and force an upset on the Washington Spirit. The only trouble is that Washington now has the depth the Thorns are so sorely lacking. How can Olivia Moultrie and co. fight uphill against the most complete remaining attack in the NWSL playoffs? Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for only $6/m...

Our Patreon feed is out from behind the paywall this month! ⁠Join for only $6/month⁠, where you'll also get the main feed (audio & video) ad-free! On this week's bonus episode, we were thrilled to welcome back coach and broadcaster Jill Loyden to the show to break down the year that was in NWSL goalkeeping, drilling down deep on the playoff performances from Aubrey Kingsbury, Lorena, Claudia Dicke...

There was only one NWSL quarterfinal that wrapped in regulation time, but it wasn't exactly a classic. The Pride's early goal let them wait Seattle's anemic offense out en route to a 1-0 victory. Was this Seattle's best performance of the year? Did Orlando offer enough to deserve the win? The guys tease out all the details. Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for only $6/month to get exclusive...

Everyone knew that the Portland Thorns and San Diego Wave could go any number of ways. But a raucous home crowd and a moment of magic from Olivia Moultrie and Reilyn Turner pushed Portland into the semifinals. How have the Thorns managed to get so far when so many key weapons haven't been available? What do the Wave need to do to keep their rejuvenated success going in the seasons to come? The guy...

The Washington Spirit played like the no. 2 seed by the end of the regular season. They offered a genuinely strong attacking performance. But Racing Louisville have been survivors all year, and took the home side all the way to penalties at Audi Field, where Aubrey Kingsbury once again shut down the shootout. How should we look at Louisville's season? Are the Spirit ready to challenge for the big...

Though some may have predicted it—and Gotham didn't exactly play like a no. 8 seed this year—the Bats delivered the upset of the decade, beating the Current in their own house at the death of extra time. Where did things go wrong for the greatest regular-season team in NWSL history? Did Gotham play well, or did they get lucky with an injury-riddled Kansas City attack? The guys offer some nuance on...

Now, the hard work begins. For the Houston Dash, Angel City, Chicago Stars, Utah Royals, and Bay FC, there is much work to be done to get back to winning ways. What did each team do lead them to the bottom of the table, and how they turn the ship around for 2026 and/or 2027? The guys unpack it all. This is one of our exclusive Patreon bonus episodes, free and un-paywalled for the month of November...

The 2025 NWSL regular season is in the books, but the fun is just getting started. Defector columnist ⁠Abigail Segel⁠ joined us to walk through all the Decision Day silliness, break down the four upcoming quarterfinal matchups, and what we have learned about the state of the league at the end of the year. Like & subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ page and watch the first volume of our Anatomy of s...

RECORDED BEFORE SARAH GORDEN'S STATEMENT ON ELIZABETH EDDY'S NEW YORK POST ARTICLE The U.S. women's national team logged three more friendlies on their way to the World Cup, and had a full spread of results. Should we get too down about the 2-1 loss to Portugal? Should we get too high about the 6-0 demolition of New Zealand? Or was this window about continuing to get burgeoning talent more playing...

Four more teams punched their tickets to the NWSL playoffs, while Racing Louisville and the North Carolina Courage are staring each other down. Meanwhile, the Orlando Pride grabbed an emphatic win on the road against a rotated Washington Spirit. What are we to make of the Pride's regression in 2025? How have they coped without Barbra Banda? And can they return to the Championship game in a tight p...

The Kansas City Current have officially become the best regular-season team in NWSL history. Their win over Gotham ensures that they will break the all-time points-per-game record, plus a slew of other feats. After the whiparound, the guys walk through some key games from the second half of the year to try and see ways teams like Washington, Orlando, and Seattle could potentially spoil KC's party....

Only three games left in the NWSL regular season, and Racing Louisville pulled off an emphatic road victory over the North Carolina Courage to solidify their playoff aspirations. Meanwhile, the San Diego Wave dropped yet more points and slid yet further down the table. Can Racing feel comfortable yet? Will the Wave be able to stay afloat for another month? Can the Courage somehow haul themselves b...

The Seattle Reign—who take fewer shots than anyone, and whose defense is mediocre at best—are somehow in fourth place in the NWSL standings. How did we get here? How did they? After a quick whiparound (and a check-in on the Hina Sugita and Chloe Ricketts transfers), the guys dive into season that Laura Harvey's squad has had: what they have done right, what they have done wrong, and just how lucky...

Only five games remain in the NWSL regular season, and hardly anything separates those teams on either side of the playoff line, not to mention those hoping to grab a home game in the playoff quarterfinals. Which team's schedule sets them up for success? Who will fall despite recent form, thanks to some tough games in October? The guys move through all 14 teams to try and make sense of the playoff...