Sophia Smith has spoken out about the U.S. women’s national team’s struggles at the 2023 World Cup, saying she felt isolated in attack and wasn’t able to use her strengths as a player. The USWNT crashed out of the tournament against Sweden in the round of 16, with a shootout defeat ensuring the program’s worst ever finish at a World Cup. Smith entered the tournament expected to be one of the team’s breakout stars but after a two-goal performance in the opener against Vietnam, she and the rest of the team’s attack went quiet. The USWNT would manage just one more goal the rest of the tournament ..read more

Alex Morgan has said that several U.S. women’s national team players saw their confidence damaged from a lack of opportunities at the 2023 World Cup. The third episode of the four-part Netflix series “Under Pressure: The U.S. Women’s World Cup Team,” focuses on the USWNT’s second and third games of an ultimately doomed World Cup, which both resulted in disappointing draws. The first of those games, a 1-1 affair against the Netherlands, saw head coach Vlatko Andonovski come under fire for using just one of his five available substitutions — a halftime swap with Rose Lavelle entering for Savanna ..read more

The U.S. women’s national team received more than double the online abuse as the next highest team during the 2023 World Cup, according to a report from FIFA and FIFPRO released on Monday. The report found that one in five players from all teams at the tournament were targeted, with homophobia especially prevalent. More than 20 percent of the abuse was homophobic and nearly 14 percent was sexist, per the report, with female players 29 percent more likely to be subjected to abuse than male players at the 2022 World Cup. The report also stated that two players were targeted more than any ot ..read more

The 2023 Women’s World Cup was in many ways the most successful edition yet, but a survey conducted by FIFPRO shows that there is still some way to go for the women’s game. The global players’ union has released the results from a survey conducted of players from 26 of the 32 teams at the World Cup, which uncovered issues with preparation, compensation and recovery. Of the 260 players who participated in the survey, one in three said they earn less than $30,000 a year from soccer, and one in five supplements their income with a second job. Player earnings in the survey did not include World Cu ..read more

Trinity Rodman has admitted she’s kicking herself over her World Cup performance after the tournament ended in frustration for her and the U.S. women’s national team. The USWNT crashed out in the round of 16 for its worst World Cup finish ever, winning just one of four games at the tournament. The team’s result saw head coach Vlatko Andonovski step down, with a permanent replacement yet to be named. Scoring goals was a major problem for the U.S. at the World Cup, as a 3-0 win over Vietnam to open the tournament was followed by three games in which the team score just one total goal. Rodma ..read more

U.S. national team goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher said she’ll go to her grave claiming she saved Sweden’s penalty that knocked the USWNT out of the World Cup. With a round-of-16 penalty shootout into sudden death, Sweden’s Lina Hurtig stepped up to the spot knowing that a converted penalty would send her side into the quarterfinal. Naeher dove and stopped Hurtig’s shot, which popped up into the air and was then clawed out a second time by the USWNT goalkeeper. It appeared that the shootout would go on but after a review, the penalty was shown to have crossed the line by the absolute slimmest of marg ..read more

Vera Pauw will not be offered a new contract as Ireland women’s national team head coach, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has confirmed. Pauw’s current deal will expire on Thursday and following a lengthy meeting on Tuesday, the FAI confirmed that the Dutchwomen’s four-year spell in charge will end. “On behalf of the Football Association of Ireland, we would like to thank Vera for her hard work and commitment over the past four years and wish her well for the future,” said Jonathan Hill, the FAI chief executive in a statement. “In particular, I wish to acknowledge the role she played ..read more

When you find yourself in a hole, the Spanish soccer federation’s advice is to just keep digging. That’s the only conclusion that can be drawn from an extraordinary public statement published by the federation (RFEF) after midnight on Saturday in Spain, which purported to defend its president, Luis Rubiales. Rubiales has come under intense criticism for his actions following Spain’s World Cup final victory, which include kissing attacker Jenni Hermoso on the lips — an act Hermoso has called non-consensual in public statements — calling the team together to announce that he would marry Hermoso ..read more

The entire Spain roster that won the 2023 World Cup said in a joint statement that they will not play for the national team as long as “current leaders” continue in their positions. The letter, released through the Spanish players’ union FUTPRO, was issued as a response to an extraordinary speech given by Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales earlier on Friday, during which he refused to resign despite widespread reports he would do so. Rubiales has been under huge pressure after his kiss on the lips of Spain star Jenni Hermoso following Sunday’s World Cup final. In h ..read more

It’s safe to say that no one associated with the U.S. women’s national team had the World Cup they had envisioned. Few players are likely feeling that as keenly as Ashley Sanchez. The Washington Spirit playmaker did not play a single second for the USWNT at the World Cup, a wholly unexpected turn of events that has resulted in plenty of criticism for the team’s former coach, Vlatko Andonovski. Speaking to reporters after her NWSL club’s training session on Wednesday, Sanchez declined to go into much depth about how the World Cup went for her, only conceding that she had imagined the experience ..read more