a multitude of factors

The NWSL has been back for one damn week and we already have some tomfoolery happening. North Carolina’s midweek yeeting of Sean Nahas invited several questions given the club’s short statement and mention of ‘maintaining a professional’ environment.

Then the team held a presser in which sporting director Ceri Bowley created more questions by refusing to elaborate on anything and instead dropping some variation of ‘multitude of factors’ thirteen times in twenty minutes. ESPN reported that the league has no current investigations into Nahas, which, given the history of this league and abrupt coach firings, is where everyone’s minds went.

So either something nefarious has happened that we will eventually find out about—which is not the transparency the league or clubs should be operating with, again, given its history—or bumbling miscommunication from the front office has unintentionally left things so cryptic that a standard firing has dominated news about the league in only its second week back from a break.

One day this league and its clubs will get out of their own way. One sweet and glorious day. Anyway, I have your NWSL schedule below, plus three pieces posted this week. I compiled a timeline of the Copa América Femenina final, put together your weekly dose of #neat, and posted last week’s g+ pass networks for the nerds.

So onto the woso…

upcoming matches for your eyeballs

today, august 8

Before Sean Nahas was yeeted this Houston/North Carolina match was going to be a Spider-Man meme. Now, with Courage interim coach Nathan Thackeray, who made the team more vertical in his interim stints replacing Nahas, we might have a chance at something a lot less predictable.

Utah somehow clinging onto a point against Orlando Pride last weekend could be a sign of a team that used the break to reinvigorate themselves and lift their performances. They also removed Cloé Lacasse from the SEI list this week. So despite having also traded away Ally Sentnor, the vibes are up. But now Sentnor and her new team, Kansas City Current, are coming to town, and quite likely to blow all of that up.

saturday, august 10

Gotham had a weird one coming out of the break. A Chicago team enduring lots of incompetence from its front office, and subsequent poor results, picked up just their seventh point of the season, and dropped the Bats down to the final playoff spot. Washington Spirit, meanwhile, had an opposite return to play. They dominated the first half against Portland, then Trinity Rodman made her return and immediately scored a match winning goal. I expect the teams to meet in the middle and show out for ESPN audiences.

Rahsing Louisville made life as difficult as they could against Kansas City but in the end suffered what looked like a regular degular 2-0 loss. Orlando Pride will be very annoyed that they let Utah add to their gap to Kansas City in the race for the NWSL Shield. Needing a win against a team like Louisville, who are quite happy to turn matches into a series of scraps and duels, could mean another frustrating day for Orlando.

San Diego also had a disappointing return, failing to score a goal for only their third match all season, but second consecutive. Angel City had an equally unpleasant return, getting Harv’d right in the face by Seattle Reign. Both teams need this one, which should make it quite tasty.

sunday, august 10

Last weekend’s ‘hey that was neat’ piece (linked below) has a gorgeous buildup sequence from the Chicago Tsars. You read that right. Their energy and sudden quick passing kept Gotham’s press at bay, so it will be interesting to see whether they can replicate that against Bay FC, who still don’t know who they are or what they want to be.

Then, to cap off the weekend, we get another iteration of the Cascadia Rivalry, Seattle Reign vs. Portland Thorns. The NWSL has dubbed this ‘rivalry week’, and despite the fact that meaningful rivalries don’t spawn from marketing meetings, this one is legit. It’s the NWSL’s oldest, and often chippiest, rivalry. Just three months ago Seattle head coach Laura Harvey was slamming a bouquet of roses on the turf after beating Portland 1-0. Tune tf in.

things to read

let’s relive the 2025 copa américa femenina final, forever

I still can’t believe this match was real. Every time I think of three incredible things that happened during this match, I quickly remember that there are several more. How? I do not know. So to fix that, and allow us to live, and relive, this masterpiece of soccer, I’ve assembled a timeline. May this match live forever (or at least as long as the internet).

your dose of #neat from the nwsl’s week 14

There are people out there—I refer to them as losers—who think that soccer is boring because goals can be infrequent. Goals are tremendous and typically the crescendo to some level of orchestration which makes it all worth it. But a lot of other neat stuff happens in between the ball hitting the back of the net, and enjoying those moments is the key to falling in love with the sport.

2025 nwsl week 14: xG race charts & g+ pass networks

The NWSL is back and so are your weekly handy dandy xG race charts and goals added (g+) passing/receiving maps. As expected after a lengthy break and multiple international tournaments, there were some varied performances. Some teams looked like they used the break well, while others might need more time, a player or two, or a hug.

more #content you might be into

Diaspora United
Copa Masterpiece Theater, NWSL Stuff, & World Athletics Being Dumb (Again) [w/ Reo Eveleth]
🍎 Apple | 🟢 Spotify

We wanted to have Reo Eveleth on to talk soccer, then yet another governing body in sports did a dumb thing. So we chat Copa América final and the return of the NWSL before diving into the anti-science behind World Athletics reinstating sex testing.

Hey Spirits
Spirits BACK, Trinity BACK, Audi dubs BACK
[Spirits v. Thorns Review]
🍎 Apple | 🟢 Spotify

Annie, Ella & I do our best to recap another magical day at Audi. From a dominant first half (until a deflating equalizer), to the storybook return of Trinity Rodman, we relive it all!

farewell fun

Genuine chaos demon.

talksport

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