Song: ‘Ordinary World’ -Duran Duran | This song is a banger but if I’m honest it’s nestled in my brain because some genius behind the score for Layer Cake decided to make it the background music for a beating in a diner and the contrast made me laugh then, and still does.

Hello good people,

The NWSL is well and truly back underway and some things look the same from when the league went on break, but a few things have changed (Boston might be good now?). Of course, the league’s much touted Queen’s Classic was marred by a curious decision to plow through extremely unhealthy air quality in order to preserve their spectacle, even if it required two (2!) hydration breaks per half of soccer. For The Guardian, Ella Brockway has a good piece on this, as does Meg Linehan for The Athletic.

Another summer week has also brought us another slew of London City signings. This week alone they announced Kadidiatou Diani and Rosa Kafaji, who left Arsenal to join the Lionesses. I definitely have several thoughts about all this, especially given that London City don’t have Champions League competition and next year is a World Cup, yet they’re still attracting star after star after star. Once my thoughts on this are complete I’ll drop a piece on it soon.

Aside from all that to come, there’s also fun stuff below. Including the data from last weekend’s matches, plus the games midweek. Also, Annie and I processed the Spirit’s 0-1 loss to Gotham (and the surrounding nonsense) of the Queen’s Classic in a supposedly mini episode of Hey Spirits. We also have an interview with Tori Huster, OG and Deputy Executive Director of the NWSLPA dropping next week so smash that subscribe button or whatever it is the kids say now.

Ok, that’s enough. Below is your weekend schedule of NWSL and NSL games (shoutout to longtime NWSL player Desiree Scott on adding Winnipeg as an NSL expansion team in 2027), and at the end is video of Sue Bird getting uncontrollably giggly at a souvenir torch going limp. Just scroll down, it’s worth it. Onto the goods…

We had two Wednesday matches, both of which were interesting for reasons that were on opposite ends of the (complimentary) and (derogatory) spectrum. Onto the nerd shit.

Last weekend’s matches featured two of the best goalkeeping performances we’ve seen all season. Shoutout to Angelina Anderson and Anna Moorhouse. I also do some light chest-puffing as one of the holdouts outside of the Church of URFC Believers, and wonder why Bay were forced to travel to Louisville for a training session.

Annie & I try to process a midweek match that was frustrating for a multitude of reasons!!

🍎 Apple | 🟢 Spotify

Again. Sue, please.