Expected Own Goals

The Orlando Pride continued their unbeaten streak on Sunday, taking down Gotham FC 2-0 after a monsoon nearly flooded Inter&Co Stadium. Gotham was unable to gain any separation from its peers in the top 4. But does it portend anything serious? Eric and Evan talk to Gotham reporter Jenna Tonelli about Gotham's performance, the magic of Ella Stevens, and how dangerous Gotham will be come playoff tim...

Jonatan Giráldez has officially entered the NWSL chat. The Washington Spirit took down the Kansas City Current 4-1, and for a brief second, one had to wonder if the wheels were coming off of the most dominant squad in the league. This game had everything. Six defenders to handle Debinha and Chawinga! Otherworldly finishing from Trinity Rodman! A new center back pairing falling out of a clown car!...

The NWSL Players Association has just signed a new collective bargaining agreement, which may be one of the most historically significant labor deals in American sports history. The elimination of the draft, universal guaranteed contracts and free agency, player consent for trades, and massive increases in minimum salaries without corresponding max salaries all give serious power to the players. W...

The NWSL is back, baby!!! After six agonizing weeks away, the stretch run kicks off on Friday. A massive amount of transfer activity has gone down in that time. Eric and Evan highlight some of their faves and not-so-faves.  Could Delphine Cascarino help push the San Diego Wave into playoff contention? How does Carson Pickett fit into the Orlando Pride lineup? Are the Chicago Red Stars playoff lock...

369 days after the USWNT crashed out of the World Cup Round of 16, they put those demons to bed, winning the gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics. The team managed to weather the worst half of football they had played all tournament to wear down Brazil until Mallory Swanson took Korbin Albert's through ball and ripped the Brazilian defense to pieces. Some heroics from Alyssa Naeher and the usual...

The players were dead on their feet. Lindsey Horan could barely ping a pass toward the German goal. But Naomi Girma led the defense to another sterling performance, Sophia Smith threaded a wonder goal past Ann-Katrin Berger, and the USWNT will face Brazil for the gold medal on Saturday. Was there anything besides heat and fatigue that slowed the US attack down? Can they avoid Spain's fate against...

It was brutal, but perhaps it was necessary. The USWNT scraped past Japan in the Olympics quarterfinals thanks to an extra-time wonder strike from Trinity Rodman, setting up a semifinal rematch with Germany. Were the players just too tired? Is Emma Hayes's focus on chemistry over fresh legs about to blow up in her face? Was the Japanese defense just too good for the US? Thankfully, the US's defens...

The USWNT beat Australia 2-1 in the final round of the Olympics group stage, topping the group and heading to the quarterfinals to play Japan on Saturday. Despite all the hand-wringing about the US heading into the tournament, they finished group play with the best goal differential the best non-penalty xG differential, the most shots taken in the box, and the most touches in the box. (There's als...

Bang! The USWNT rained goals on Germany in a 4-1 victory, their biggest result against a FIFA top-10 side in six years. A Sophia Smith brace, a Mallory Swanson tap-in, and a Lynn Williams dagger made Germany look far worse than their world ranking would indicate. But was it all bread and circuses for Emma Hayes's side? Eric and Evan examine the tactical imbalance that allowed the Germans to find s...

There were a couple of emphatic 3-0 wins in Group B as the Olympics tournament kicked off on Thursday. The USWNT contained Barbra Banda and put Zambia to the sword with some dazzling goals from Trinity Rodman and Mallory Swanson. What did the US do right? What can they carry over to their match against Germany on Sunday, a team that looked stout and strong against a naïve Australia? Eric and Evan...

Here we go again! One year to the week that xOG launched, we find ourselves on the precipice of yet another major international tournament. The USWNT are in the Olympics Group of Death; how will they manage opposition as varied as Zambia, Germany, and Australia? Eric and Evan plunge into the US lineup, head coach Emma Hayes's tactical plans, and what tests each of their group B opponents offer.  Y...

Yes, the USWNT couldn't score against Costa Rica in their final pre-Olympics friendly. No, none of their boundless chances were especially high-quality.  But so what? The heat, the field, and the desire to keep everyone healthy explain the result a lot more than alleged poor play can. Eric and Evan tease out why this result doesn't augur doom for the U.S. in France this summer.  This is our final...

The USWNT offered a lot in their 1-0 victory over Mexico on a hot and muggy day in New Jersey. Was their lack of finishing something to be concerned over? Can Rose Lavelle be counted on in the absence of an injured Catarina Macario? Will Korbin Albert ever do what it takes to stop being booed? Plus, we have a big announcement about something we can't wait to debut when the Olympics starts! Stay tu...

It's our last NWSL-centric episode for a month, friends! We decided to chat about some of our favorite players who slipped under the radar, and whose names we haven't discussed nearly enough. (13:56) Before that, Evan and Eric unpack all the latest transfer news, including Julia Grosso to the Chicago Red Stars, Mackenzie Arnold to the Portland Thorns, Rosemonde Kouassi to the Washington Spirit, an...

The two best teams in the NWSL had to wait until the final matchweek before the Olympics break to square off,  and dear lord was it worth the wait. Brain-busting goals from Barbra Banda and Temwa Chawinga, a game-changing second yellow card for Carrie Lawrence, and a feisty, physical encounter all made this fixture an instant classic. Eric and Evan analyze what Seb Hines and Orlando did right, and...

We didn't think a U.S. holiday weekend would toss so much news at us. First up, Eric and Evan chat about the announced Olympics rosters for Brazil, Spain, Canada, Japan, Germany, and Nigeria. (01:00)  Then it's on to the developing news that USC Journalism School dean Willow Bay and husband, Disney CEO Bob Iger, will be buying a majority stake in Angel City FC. What does this mean for the team, an...

Eric and Evan debate another notable NWSL head coach sacking, hand out some Midseason Awards and go deep on Chicago's 3-0 "rout" of San Diego... was it a rout? What even is a rout?   Art by Eli Elbogen Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Quiet week, how's everyone doing? LOL JK  First up, on the heels of Casey Stoney's firing, Eric and Evan puzzle over the unexpected resignation of Bay FC GM Lucy Rushton. (00:33) Then, the moment has arrived! Emma Hayes announced her first USWNT major tournament roster, and it's a doozy. No Alex Morgan! Lots of Korbin Albert! Croix Bethune and Hal Hershfelt as alternates! What does this lineup tel...

We're now (just over) halfway through the 2024 NWSL regular season, and trends are emerging! Eric and Evan uncover a host of interesting nuggets about how teams are playing this year compared to past seasons. Why on earth did the San Diego Wave "part ways" with Casey Stoney? (00:16) Where did parity go? Is it simply a byproduct of expansion? (08:37) Does the increase in goalscoring come down to Ba...

It's time to pause and reflect on how much history the NWSL really possesses--something no professional club league in America has been able to accomplish. Using Evan's g+raft Score method, we tapped into ASA's g+ above replacement database to determine the best players in the league's history.  We induct several players from the Dead Stats Era (2013 - 2015), before advanced stats were available,...

Gotham FC's 2-0 victory on the road against Racing Louisville was about as ugly as 2-0 victories get, but dig under the hood and you see that the preseason Shield favorites are finally coming into their own. The galacticos of Dunn, Lavelle, Davidson and Sonnett started their second game in a row together. Ella Stevens can't stop scoring. Ann-Katrin Berger might be the best keeper in the whole leag...

The Seattle Reign got smoked by the Kansas City Current over the weekend. That such a result would be par for the course shows what kind of season Laura Harvey's crew have had. Sylvs of Shea Butter FC hopped on to talk about Reign history, the struggles of the team in the void of the team sale yet to close, and what glimmers of hope Jordyn Huitema's two goals could represent.  Art by Eli Elbogen M...

The day has come: Emma Hayes is now the head coach of the U.S. Women's National Team. The side demolished South Korea for a combined scoreline of 7-0. Sam Staab and Lily Yohannes each earned their first caps. The law firm of Smith, Swanson, and Rodman served papers to their opponents over and over again. Alex Morgan--well, she was present.  What did we learn about how Hayes wants the team to play?...

The international break has flipped our schedule this week, so for this week's early bonus episode, we bring you a great conversation Evan had with Our Futbol co-host Adriana Terrazas to break down the recent Clausura final and all the storylines from Liga MX Femenil this season.  Team by team, we look at how C.D. Guadalajara ("Chivas") came up frustratingly short (11:20). C.F. Pachuca (17:01) won...

Barcelona capped off their third Champions League title in four years by taking down their final boss, Lyon, to have no more rivals for best team in the world. How dominant were they in the game, though? Did Lyon actually knock them off their axis for a brief moment? Eric and Evan debate the merits of each team's performance (00:45). Then, veteran NWSL play-by-play announcer Mike Watts comes on (2...