paradise circus

Delighted to be back to regularly scheduled posting. There’s a lot of good stuff below, including a new piece in which I argue with myself about Jaedyn Shaw’s fit at Gotham, an interview with Spirit goalkeeper Sandy MacIver, and Courtney returns to process the bonkers move that was Alyssa Thompson to Chelsea.

I shan’t keep you from it all any further. Onto the woso…

upcoming matches for your eyeballs

today, september 19

London City have had a brutal schedule to start the season but finally get a bit of a reprieve with this match against Everton. We’ll probably know a lot more about Michele Kang’s London Project after this game than their first two lopsided losses to Arsenal and Manchester United.

Houston was unbeaten since the break until last week’s dismantling by Utah. Yeah, I know, this league is bonkers. This suddenly determined and resurgent Chicago probably isn’t the team you want to face when you’re needing to recover some confidence.

Surprise, the Orlando Pride are 7th on the table, just four points away from being outside of the playoffs altogether. In fact, if North Carolina beats them, they will jump up to within a point of the Pride. Heavens.

If results go their way, Rahsing Louisville can draw level on points with Orlando. Only problem is, they have to find a way to beat the team at the bottom of the table, Utah. Sounds easy enough, but the only team to have beaten the Royals since the break has been Kansas City, and even that was by a lone, late goal.

(Utah’s run of one loss in seven games includes four draws but still highlights just how galactically bad they were in the second half of the season that they’re still stuck on the bottom of the table.)

saturday, september 20

Kansas City can clinch the NWSL Shield with a dub over Seattle, who are allowing the third most expected goals against (xGA)—while manufacturing the third lowest expected goals (xG)—since the break. Expect to see a very shiny dinner plate lifted by lots of people in teal.

In the second half of the season no team is allowing more xGA than Portland and only one team is creating more xG (Kansas City). San Diego, meanwhile, have been held scoreless in six of their last eight, including a current run of four straight. With as open as the Thorns have been, this is their best chance to end that streak and target what would be their third win since June 13.

(The Wavé’s final stretch of games is a bit brutal [Orlando, Washington, Utah, Chicago, Kansas City], so any hopes of stopping their slide down the table start with three points from this game.)

sunday, september 21

Last season Manchester United had people thinking they were serious because they went on a very long unbeaten streak that also coincidentally coincided with a very long run without playing any of the top-4. Once they did, things got unfortunate (1W, 2D 3L). An early match against Arsenal might give us a hint about whether or not that trend will continue.

Gotham discovered scoring goals again and then added Jaedyn Shaw. I am extremely interested in how this is going to go (more on that below), and since Bay have conceded the fourth most xGA since the break this match could give us a blueprint of what Gotham have in mind.

monday, september 22

Last season Eintracht finished third and only had four losses. Two games into this season they’ve already lost a match, courtesy of a 3-0 wrecking by Hoffenheim. Yesterday they had a UWCL qualifying match that also ended 3-0, this time in favor or Real Madrid. It’s early, but they might wanna get back to the whole winning soccer games thing soon.

things to read

Shaw’s stint in North Carolina was marred through system rigidity and a poor fit. Gotham are suddenly resurgent and scoring goals again, but it’s another scenario in which the fit isn’t immediately obvious. Working in her favor, though, is that Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amorós is a bit of a mad scientist, and non-obvious fits are where he can do some of his best work.

So why has Shaw moved to her third team in two seasons, and what can we expect from her batty era?

2025 nwsl week 20: xG race charts & g+ passing/receiving networks

more #content you might be into

Hey Spirits
TikToks, Biscuit(s), and Bathroom Doors
(w/ Sandy MacIver)
🍎 Apple | 🟢 Spotify

Annie & I chatted with Spirit goalkeeper Sandy MacIver! We get into her journey from striker to goalkeeper, the culture shock of going to Clemson, TikTok, getting trapped in a hotel bathroom, & more.

Diaspora United
The WSL is not prepared for Alyssa Thompson
🍎 Apple | 🟢 Spotify

HEY GUESS WHAT? COURTNEY IS BACK! As your friendly neighborhood woso podcast hosted by two Chelsea supporters, we absolutely had to link up to discuss all things Alyssa Thompson to Chelsea.

farewell fun

Croix.