- beyond the vaudevillian cane
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- this week(end) in woso
photo by Emily Anderson
No story or weird divergent rant this time. It occurred to me that while I’ve been having fun keeping this portion unpredictable, important and/or silly, it means I never preview what’s in the rest of the newsletter. As a result it’s become a bit too easy to miss some things. Erm, oops.
In this one you’ll have mini-previews of each NWSL game. It’s the last NWSL weekend before the summer break, so be sure to get your fill of chaos. I’m also re-sharing my ‘my bad’ post about Angel City forward Riley Tiernan. I love when I’m surprised by a player or team’s development, so her first half performances are helping me kickoff a fun new series.
Brand spankin’ new is a piece about the ongoing men’s Club World Cup. It’s provided some light entertainment, and weirdly fun matchups. But FIFA President Gianni Infantino chased the money (as expected) and in doing so robbed women’s soccer of something unique and desperately needed, in favor of yet another men’s tournament no one asked for.
There’s also links to a couple podcasts, including a weird one from us at Hey Spirits as we break down the most un-Spirit like performance of the season. On DRS FC I chat about F1, groundhogs, and men communicating poorly in a recap of the Canadian Grand Prix. Plus, your gif, which I haven’t decided on yet. Scroll down to see what I chose. (Ooh that’s what we in the #biz call a #tease!)
Anyway, onto the woso.
upcoming matches for your eyeballs
today, june 20
The final NWSL weekend before the summer break is bringing absolute bangers. Louisville looked like they were going to be destroyed crooked-number style by Kansas City last weekend. It ended up being 4-2, but that was much better than the 3-0 it was after nineteen minutes. Their reward for fighting back to 3-2 was a late Temwa Chawinga goal and Barbra Banda and the Orlando Pride this week. Let’s see if they’ve learned anything.
The matchup on my largest screen will be Kansas City versus Angel City. The Current have been absolutely dominant this season, even after a number of significant injuries to key players. New Angel City head coach Alexander Straus has had the NWSL-iest welcome to the league so far, but his team has the firepower to test Kansas City—who vibe in the first half, keep it business casual in the second—for a full 90 minutes.
saturday, june 21
A truly diabolical slate of games. Utah seem stuck but have recently accepted that they need a vertical threat, which they don’t really have on their roster. After Seattle found a way to stop the ultra surprising San Diego Wavé, they had to claw their way back against 13th place Chicago. Seattle seem to be great at reacting to their opposition, but are still finding their way when they have to create.
North Carolina and Houston might be about to do a Spiderman meme. Although, the Courage have found some verticality in sending Cortnee Vine on go routes to get in behind and stretch the defense. Houston hasn’t quite added that wrinkle, but might need to soon, they haven’t posted a match above 1.0 xG since early May.
I expect Gotham and Bay to be a weird one. Bay still don’t seem settled or know how to get the best from their many attacking talents. It’s a bit of a shame, because they have two of the best young USWNT midfield prospects in Taylor Huff and Hannah Bebar. Speaking of the USWNT, Rose Lavelle is back, was just named to Emma Hayes’ USWNT squad, so could see her first start of the season.
After dismantling a wobbling Spirit side, Portland got the awful confirmation that rookie standout winger Caiya Hanks tore her ACL. I hate it, and send her all the good vibes in recovery. Hanks was giving a consistent, direct on-ball threat the Thorns haven’t had since Sophia Wilson was terrorizing the league. Still, they should have enough to trouble Chicago, but will need to be wary of Ludmila, who’s turned her menace meter up to a billion in recent weeks.
sunday, june 22
nwsl
san diego wavé v. washington spirit
10 p.m. | CBSSN
After only their third loss of the season, San Diego bounced back with a 3-2 dub over the Dash. They dominated yet again, and things only got slightly nervy due to Houston choosing violence and hitting a couple bangers. The Spirit, meanwhile, will be looking to atone for last week’s loss and worst performance of the season, and soldier through yet another uncomfortable coaching transition. They’re still fourth on the table and have managed to stay afloat through injuries and the additional instability, but desperately need the break.
thursday, june 26
int’l friendly
norway v. sweden
12 p.m. | 🏴☠️
netherlands v. finland
2 p.m. | 🏴☠️
uswnt v. republic of ireland
9 p.m. | TBS, Max, peacock
The NWSL All-Stars + Naomi Girma should be quite fun.
friday, june 27
int’l friendly
spain v. japan
3 p.m. | 🏴☠️
france v. brazil
3:10 p.m. | 🏴☠️
mexico v. colombia
10 p.m. | 🏴☠️
This is an absolutely spicy set of matches and it is wild that, as of today, none have actual broadcast details here in the states. If some pop up between now and then I’ll share them on Bluesky.
things to read…
If you want to trap FIFA President Gianni Infantino all you need is a stick, string, cardboard box, and a billion dollars from an investment fund. Digital ad boards promoting PIF—the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia—on pitches across America are an unsubtle hint at the only reason this summer’s men’s Club World Cup exists. It’s a tournament no one was really asking for in men’s football, but has been forced without care or thought to the current political landscape in America, or what even is the point. If only on the day this was created, Infantino had felt like someone who remembered women’s soccer exists.
I insist on having fun. I was the kid constantly getting in trouble for laughing in the back of the classroom and cracking jokes under my breath so I wouldn’t be alone. This carries over into how I absorb, analyze and discuss sports. It’s why I call players menaces or hoopers and claim a thing they’ve done is an act of violence or something sinister, or diabolical. If I’m going to analyze the game, I’m going to have fun. Sometimes, though, in my quest to describe things I’m seeing with humor or something distinct, I get it wrong.
Week 12 saw twenty-four goals, a 3-0 win that featured two red cards for the winners, a post 85th minute two goal comeback, Utah trying to turn Bianca St. Georges into White Chawinga (it almost kinda worked but not really), and Portland putting the Spirit in a sleeper hold. Here’s how every game went down in xG race charts and goals added (g+) passing/receiving networks.
more #content you might be into
Annie, Ella & I recap a strange one from the Spirits. We discuss how Portland capitalized, and ponder the roots of the vibelessness. Then we get into Spirit news and welcome Sofia Cantore!
We review the Canadian GP! We chat about the McLaren scrap we’ve been waiting for (until…), Mercedes possibly being back, sassy drivers, men communicating poorly, & RIP to a groundhog.
gif time
Not a gif, but you’ll forgive me after watching this.
@sandymaciver Welcome to SpiritTok😋 @Esme Morgan @Croix @hal @Tara McKeown @Chloe Ricketts
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