jacquie ovalle's next move is to the nwsl and we are so blessed

The Orlando Pride went and did the damn thing. Lizbeth ‘Jacquie’ Ovalle has been one of those rarer and rarer gems across soccer that seem more mythical than real. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, more accessibility means more eyes and awareness of the absurd talents that spring up around the globe. But if you only followed Liga MX Femenil through GIFs dropped on social media, Ovalle almost doesn’t seem real.

A highlight would hit the timeline and make you shake your head in disbelief. Another would be a banger you’d loop until each frame was seared into your memory. Then a disrespectful piece of dribbling that’d make you thankful that your job isn’t trying to stop her in front of live cameras. At some point you’d become aware that these were all clips from the same player, and you would wonder why this player isn’t talked about more.

Now Ovalle is heading to the NWSL to play for one of the league’s best teams, Orlando Pride, and into a spotlight she’s deserved.

a long time coming

From what I’ve heard it’s been a bit of a contentious time between Tigres’ front office and Lizbeth Ovalle over how she would get to end her career as an Amazona. Rumors date back to 2023 when Manchester United were apparently poking around, and in more recent times rumors spread of interest from Barcelona, then Washington Spirit.

Ovalle’s contract with the Mexican club was reportedly was set to expire in June of 2026, so more rumors made sense the longer she went without an extension. Then, as transfer windows opened and shut without a move it seemed Tigres were content to let her contract run out unless a mind-blowing offer was sent their way. The club has plenty of money, and Ovalle’s popularity is a benefit that extends beyond the club to the league and Mexican soccer as a whole.

But I did say ‘mind-blowing offer,’ and, suddenly, that’s Orlando Pride’s music. Seeing an opportunity to turn ~$1.5-million into one of the most unique and complete talents in the world was the same sort of easy math that led to them dropping $740,000 to sign Barbra Banda. Now Ovalle takes on the designation of the highest value transfer in woso as she shifts into the next phase of her career as a member of the Orlando Pride. Her next step could’ve been anywhere, and we are blessed it’s going to be in the NWSL.

from those who’ve watched her for years

Since the delight of Liga MX Femenil came to my awareness a few years ago I have had the pleasure of getting to know a few people who know and cover the league much more deeply than my sporadic GIFs of bangers. These good people are Melissa Castro, Amelia Lopez, and Eugene Rupiński. So I asked each two questions:

1. What is it like to watch Ovalle on the pitch?

2. Can you describe the most impressive non-goal thing you’ve seen her do?

Amelia, Director of Communications for TMJ, the agency that brokered the historic deal for Ovalle alongside her agency, 235 Sports Management, had this to say:

Next we have Eugene, journalist and cohost of Our Futbol podcast:

Last but certainly not least, Melissa, writer for FMF State of Mind:

the only good maga

Ovalle’s bag of tricks is overflowing. So much so that she earned the nickname La Maga, which translates to The Magician. While she has a wand of a left foot (that I’ll get to), she is not entirely one-footed, nor is she a completely unplayable on the left. In fact, she can find a way to terrorize a defense rom pretty much any position along the attacking line.

She can dribble in, out and through multiple defenders, keeping the ball glued to her foot while she surveys the pitch. Then, she gets to employ her vision and crisp technique to find paths to slice open a defense—from the extravagantly complicated to the beautifully simple. She’s also a smart mover off the ball and knows the key to a lasting highlight is finishing the play, like she did against the USWNT in Gold Cup last year. The more a defense panics the more predictable they become, the more diabolical she becomes.

But sometimes she doesn’t even need a defense to panic. Sometimes she just decides that something is possible, and then without waiting for fact checks from the departments of physics, geometry or admissible audacity, she does something outrageous. The most pertinent example yet (yes, yet) is her mid air twist to connect with a cross on the heel of her left foot to loop the ball over the keeper and into the far side netting. You can read that sentence several times and it will still not prepare you for what you will see when you watch it. And that’s fine, because it also made Jenni Hermoso—who has seen so much soccer, and many brilliant soccer players—drop to her knees in bewilderment.

fit with the pride, and the nwsl in general

The Pride are spending money because they have already done the hard work of instilling a belief and structure. First, they increased the overall talent level of their squad by adding depth and developing young talents, then they went star shopping. This approach has boosted them to the top of the league, and last year they became the second ever club to win the NWSL Shield and Championship in the same season.

This season it’s been a bit of a rougher go. They’re still a formidable side, but well behind Kansas City Current, who have been equally as impressive in their structure and squad build. The primary thing plaguing the Pride this season has been a lack of width and playmaking in the attacking third. In the offseason Adriana (who was once on the shortlist for league MVP) transferred to Al Qadsiah in the Saudi Women’s Premier League. That loss has been felt all season.

Marta is still the GOAT—just watch her highlights from the Copa América Femenina final—but is 39-years-old. Barbra Banda is one of the best strikers in the world, but has been isolated. Fellow Zambian attacker Prisca Chilufya (who also came over from Liga MX Femenil) has helped a bit, as has Simone Jackson, a rookie who last played for USC, but they haven’t been able to reprise the brutal attack that paired with smothering defense that helped them win everything in 2024.

When the Pride were truly cooking that year, auxiliary attackers like Adriana, Ally Watt, Summer Yates and Julie Doyle flourished. That group combined for 16 goals and 5 assists last year, but this season Chilufya, Watt, Yates, and Doyle have 4 goals and 2 assists. Yates has battled injuries all season and has only played just over 400 minutes, and logged one assist and no goals.

Unfortunately Barbra Banda has suffered a season-ending injury, and in yet another reminder that we live in an unjust world we will have to wait until 2026 to watch Banda and Ovalle together. However, Ovalle should still provide plenty of entertainment as the team’s primary playmaker. In fact, straightaway, in the same way Delphine Cascarino started snatching ankles and dropping assist, you can expect the same from Ovalle. Defenders should start icing up now.