The 2023 World Cup is just around the corner, and one spot in this summer’s tournament remain up for grabs.

New Zealand is hosting a play-in tournament to determine the final three entrants to the World Cup. Ten teams from the six FIFA confederations participated, and just two remain in the running for the final World Cup berth.

U.S. women’s national team fans had reason to pay attention to the tournament, as the USWNT’s final group-stage opponent came out of these intercontinental playoffs. By winning Group A, Portugal moves into Group E for the World Cup, where it will go up against the USWNT, the Netherlands and Vietnam.

Where are the playoffs?

World Cup co-host New Zealand also will host these playoffs, with teams competing in two of the World Cup venues.

Which teams qualified?

Teams that narrowly missed out on World Cup spots via their confederations’ qualifying tournaments join the intercontinental playoff field for one more chance at a trip to Australia and New Zealand.

  • AFC (Asia): Chinese Taipei, Thailand
  • CAF (Africa): Cameroon, Senegal
  • Concacaf (North America): Haiti, Panama
  • Conmebol (South America): Chile, Paraguay
  • OFC (Oceania): Papua New Guinea
  • UEFA (Europe): Portugal

What is the format?

  • The 10-team field was divided into two groups of three teams and one group of four teams.
    • Group A: Portugal, Cameroon, Thailand
    • Group B: Chile, Senegal, Haiti
    • Group C: Chinese Taipei, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Panama
  • The top two seeds (Portugal and Chile) received the top spots in Group 1 and Group 2, respectively, and first-round byes. Each team will face the winner of the first-round match between the two unseeded teams in the group final.
  • The third- and fourth-seeded teams (Chinese Taipei and Papua New Guinea) received the top spots in Group 3. Each faced off against an unseeded team in the first round for a spot in the group final.
  • The winners of Group 1, Group 2 and Group 3 will stamp their tickets to the 2023 World Cup.

What is the schedule?

Group A

  • First round
      • Cameroon 2, Thailand 0
  • Final round
      • Portugal 2, Cameroon 1

Group B

  • First round
      • Haiti 4, Senegal 0
  •  Final round
      • Haiti 2, Chil 1

Group C

  • First round
      • Paraguay 2, Chinese Taipei 2 (Paraguay advances 4-2 on PKs)
      • Panama 2, Papua New Guinea 0
  • Final round
      • Panama vs. Paraguay, 8 p.m. ET Wednesday

The 2023 World Cup will feature a 32-team draw and will kick off in Australia and New Zealand on July 20.

Each month in the leadup to the World Cup, Just Women’s Sports will make the case for one player as most essential to the success of the USWNT in 2023.

Rose Lavelle burst onto the scene in spectacular fashion at the 2019 World Cup.

The midfielder’s low shot in the World Cup final served as a critical insurance goal for the U.S. women’s national team, helping the squad to a 2-0 win over the Netherlands and its second straight World Cup title.

Lavelle has remained a USWNT mainstay since her breakthrough run in France, evolving into a critical piece of the squad’s midfield.

The 27-year-old OL Reign star acts as the lever for the USWNT’s attack, injecting the squad with an offensive creativity unique to Lavelle.

World-class on the ball, she is known for her ability to take defenders one-on-one and create space with her talent in possession. She is particularly gifted in tight spaces, linking up with the frontline in the final third with ease.

Former USWNT coach Jill Ellis, who led Lavelle and the group to their 2019 World Cup trophy, praised Lavelle’s singular skillset.

“She’s an incredibly technical player, and we have very players to play off her,” Ellis told reporters in 2018. “But just her sense of awareness, of space…I think she just sees and reads the game very well, and she solves pressure exceptionally well.

“Her timing and just her cleanness on the ball is really special.”

What makes Lavelle so essential to the USWNT, however, is her ability to impact a game. When Lavelle is firing on all cylinders, the USWNT is on. When she isn’t finding touches or her place in a match, chances are the U.S. squad is struggling.

As a formidable presence down the spine of the pitch, Lavelle acts as the team’s connective tissue, often serving in dangerous passes to the forwards.

On the other side of the ball, Lavelle acts as a necessary defensive authority, winning the ball high up the pitch.

“Rose Lavelle is the best at defending in transition in the world,” USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski said in 2021. “There’s not a player that transitions as well as she does.

“And I know because of her creativity and because of how good she is on the ball or in possession, we don’t talk much (about) how good she is out of possession. But she’s not just world-class, she’s the best in the world in that situation of the game.”

So far in 2022 for the USWNT, Lavelle has four goals and six assists. Her assists mark puts her one back of team leader Mallory Pugh, who has seven.

As the United States midfield continues to develop without anchor Julie Ertz, who is out after giving birth to her first child in August, Lavelle has shown herself as an increasingly irreplaceable link on the field.

Who is the most essential USWNT player?

The U.S. women’s national team is gearing up for its Oct. 7 friendly against England, with the Wembley Stadium fixture marking the latest chapter in a budding cross-pond rivalry.

Friday’s match will mark the 19th meeting between the USWNT and the Lionesses and the teams’ third matchup in England. Both of the previous games in England were held in 2011, with the teams splitting the results.

Twelve years later, the USWNT returns to England to take on a hot Lionesses squad, which is fresh off an inaugural Euros title under the leadership of new coach Sarina Wiegman.

“These are big tests for our team in front of crowds cheering against us and after long travel, but our players absolutely love games like these,” USWNT coach Andonovski said. “The group we are bringing to Europe includes players who have a lot of experience against top European teams and some that don’t, so these games are even more critical for our growth as our team. Our whole squad needs to get a clear picture of what these games are like as we continue to prepare for the World Cup.”

Rivalry rewind: Breaking down the USWNT’s five most recent meetings with England

1. SheBelieves Cup: March 5, 2020

USWNT 2, England 0

The United States and England most recently met at the 2020 SheBelieves Cup, with the USWNT walking away with a shutout. Christen Press, who is currently injured, and Carli Loyd, who has since retired, found the back of the net for the USWNT in the match, bringing the crowd at Orlando’s Exploria Stadium to its feet.

The 2020 victory marked Andonovski’s first win over England as leader of the USWNT.

2. World Cup Semifinal: July 2, 2019

USWNT 2, England 1

The most recent high-profile meeting between the USWNT and England came in this 2019 World Cup semifinal clash. The USWNT walked away with a hard-fought victory in Lyon, France, advancing to the tournament final.

Press opened up scoring for the USWNT, with since-retired England star Ellen White responding ten minutes later to equalize.

Alex Morgan ultimately played hero for the USWNT, notching the go-ahead goal and celebrating her epic finish with a memorable tea-sipping celebration.

3. SheBelieves Cup: March 2, 2019

USWNT 2, England 2

The USWNT and England played to a 2-2 draw at Nissan Stadium during the 2019 iteration of the SheBelieves Cup.

Megan Rapinoe and Tobin Heath put away two finishes for the USWNT, while longtime Lionesses captain Steph Houghton and Nikita Parris scored for England.

Rapinoe is the only player who scored during the 2019 meeting that will be present at the 2022 fixture at Wembley.

4. SheBelieves Cup: March 7, 2018

USWNT 1, England 0

An own goal from England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley was the deciding factor in the USWNT’s 2018 victory over the Lionesses.

The 2018 SheBelieves Cup was a frustrating tournament for England, with the team struggling on defense, notching three own goals throughout the competition.

5. SheBelieves Cup: March 4, 2017

USWNT 0, England 1

This shutout stands as England’s most recent win over the USWNT.

The Lionesses broke the 0-0 deadlock in thrilling fashion, with White following a brilliant Lucy Bronze strike that ricocheted off the crossbar. The electrifying go-ahead finish came in the 89th minute, leaving the USWNT little time to respond.

The USWNT will take on England at Wembley Stadium at 3 p.m. ET Friday, Oct. 7. The match will air on Fox in the U.S.

U.S. Soccer released the full findings of its investigation into abusive coaching in the NWSL on Monday, providing new insight into Rory Dames’ tenure as head coach of the Chicago Red Stars and his subsequent exit from the club.

The report, spearheaded by former attorney general Sally Q. Yates, expanded on previously reported claims of abuse and misconduct leveled at Dames and Red Stars owner Arnim Whisler’s handling of those complaints.

Red Stars players said Dames used “pejorative and degrading language and made racially insensitive comments,” according to the report.

“For example, they said that: In addition to referring to Black players as ‘thugs’ and one Black player in particular as a ‘bodyguard,’ on one occasion, Dames approached a Black player, pointed to her styled ‘baby hair’ and asked, ‘what is it?’” Per the report, it was explained to Dames that his question was a “microaggression.”

The report also showed a concerted effort by players to alert the NWSL of Dames’ behavior early in his tenure.

In 2014, U.S. women’s national team and Red Stars forward Christen Press filed a complaint to then-U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati and then-USWNT head coach Jill Ellis, saying that Dames “‘created a hostile environment,’ verbally and emotionally abused players, had made sexist and racist remarks to players and had retaliated against her and other players when they spoke out.”

The complaint was shared with USSF CEO Dan Flynn, acting-NWSL General Counsel Lisa Levine and NWSL Executive Director Cheryl Bailey, who then forwarded Press’ concerns to Whisler, according to the report.

Whisler “complained that National Team players wanted ‘this league to shut down’ and simply had an ‘axe to grind’ with Dames,” the report states.

The investigation revealed that Dames offered to resign “in light of the complaints,” but Whisler declined to accept his resignation and no disciplinary measures were taken.

Instead, Dames stayed on with the Red Stars as head coach until Nov. 21, 2021, when he resigned from his position. The announcement came a day before the publication of a Washington Post story detailing verbal and emotional abuse allegations against Dames.

“The decision to allow Rory to step down after the championship match was allowing the players to finish the season that they wanted to finish,” Whisler told the Chicago Sun-Times earlier this year. “We conducted an internal workplace assessment with a third-party sports psychologist and others and made sure that the environment was safe to continue.”

The psychologist, however, revealed that “70 precent of players reported concerning behaviors that are consistent with the generally accepted definition of emotional abuse in sport,” the report states.

Whisler remains the owner of the Red Stars, and according to the report, he “states that there is ‘nothing to this day’ that he observed or was told about Dames during his tenure as a coach of the Chicago Red Stars, that he believes constituted abuse of misconduct or required him to take action.”

In March 2019, while USSF was still investigating players’ allegations against Dames, SafeSport notified USSF that it had received a report that Dames had a relationship with a former player while she was on his team, married her and had a child with her, the report stated.

SafeSport determined after a month-long preliminary inquiry that there wasn’t enough information to proceed with a formal investigation. According to the report, there is no indication that USSF informed the NWSL, Red Stars or the Eclipse (Dames’ youth club) of the allegation brought to SafeSport.

Yates’ investigation addressed Dames’ time in youth soccer as well, uncovering a pattern of inappropriate behavior that the Washington Post first reported on in February 2022.

Players recounted instances of verbal and emotional abuse, claiming Dames created a “sexualized team environment.”

As Eclipse coach, Dames asked questions about players’ sex lives, “spoke to youth players about foreplay, oral sex and male climax,” spent time alone with players in his apartment, hotel rooms and their childhood bedrooms and “touched a youth player inappropriately on her thigh,” per the report.

Eclipse player Natalie Ramello said Dames would “give girls tips on sex and say things like: ‘you should be shaved and bare down there,’ and ‘I hope you’re giving your boyfriend a good time.’”

Players who participated in the investigation reported “that Dames has sexual relationships with multiple players who previously played for him at the youth level, though these relationships may have begun after they reached the age of consent.”

Many of the allegations from Dames’ youth career date back to 1998.

Per Yates’ report, the Red Stars did not fully cooperate with the U.S. Soccer investigation, initially declining to produce documents beyond those relating directly to Rory Dames.

Read more:

New details regarding the firing of former Racing Louisville coach Christy Holly emerged Monday as part of U.S. Soccer’s investigation into abuse and misconduct in the National Women’s Soccer League.

The investigation, spearheaded by former attorney general Sally Q. Yates, uncovered claims of abuse leveled against Holly by former Racing player Erin Simon.

Holly requested a one-on-one film session with Simon in April 2021, according to the report. “When she arrived, she recalls Holly opened his laptop and began the game film,” the report states, adding that Holly told her he would touch her for every bad pass she made. Holly then “pushed his hands down her pants and up her shirt,” according to the report.

“She tried to tightly cross her legs and push him away, laughing to avoid angering him,” the report states. “The video ended, and she left. When her teammate picked her up to drive home, Simon broke down crying.”

In a separate incident outlined in the investigation, Holly requested that Simon meet him at his home to review game film. The coach showed her pornography instead and masturbated in front of her before she left.

The report also includes claims that Holly sent Simon explicit photos.

Racing Louisville abruptly parted ways with Holly in August 2021, firing the coach for cause. The club did not elaborate on the factors that led to Holly’s firing.

According to U.S. Soccer’s report, Racing Louisville blocked former and current club employees from commenting on Holly, failing to cooperate with the investigation.

“Louisville has also declined to provide our investigation with any information concerning Holly’s employment, claiming that mutual non-disclosure and non-disparagement agreements signed with Holly prevent them from providing any information at all about his tenure with the team,” the report reads.

“As a result, Holly’s misconduct has remained largely unknown, including to anyone who might seek to employ him as a coach.”

Read more:

The final weekend of the NWSL regular season brought the drama, with the NWSL Shield and the last postseason spot up in the air.

Star players helped settle the playoff picture ahead of the start of the NWSL postseason on Oct. 16.

NWSL Plays of the Week

Yuki Nagasato’s playoff-clinching rocket

Yuki Nagasato sealed a playoff spot for the Chicago Red Stars with a stunning late-game individual effort. The Chicago forward faked out her defender before letting off a left-footed rocket from the top of the box to put the Red Stars up 2-0 with less than 10 minutes left to play Sunday against Angel City FC.

Chicago’s 2-0 win clinched the sixth and final NWSL playoff berth, sending the Red Stars to the postseason for the seventh straight season.

“Yuki’s the last one off the field every day, every single day,” Chicago goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher said following Sunday’s victory. “Yuki’s the last one off the field doing shooting, hitting that exact same shot that she hit tonight.”

Megan Rapinoe helps OL Reign to NWSL Shield

Megan Rapinoe opened the scoring Saturday for OL Reign, putting her side up early in an NWSL Shield-clinching 3-0 win over the Orlando Pride.

The U.S. women’s national team forward found herself in space, making a well-timed run into the box to connect on a perfectly-placed pass from Jordyn Huitema.

“For us as a club, this Shield is incredibly important. This was incredibly important to us. We want to compete for everything,” Rapinoe said, adding that the team’s sights are set on clinching an ever-elusive NWSL Championship.

Sophia Smith makes Thorns history

Sophia Smith made history in the Portland Thorns’ 3-3 draw with Gotham FC Saturday, setting the club record for goals in a season.

The 22-year-old’s brace brought her tally to 14 goals on the season, surpassing Lindsay Horan’s previous record of 13.

One minute after burying a penalty in the 44th minute, Smith expertly one-timed a cross from Hina Sugita to clinch the Thorns scoring record in style.

“It’s an honor,” Smith said of the feat. “I couldn’t do it without an amazing team and amazing coach behind me. This season has been a lot of fun, honestly. I haven’t been thinking too much about any awards or records or anything.”

The NWSL’s final regular season weekend was filled with drama, with the league’s Shield and last two playoff spots on the line.

The schedule for the final weekend of the regular season, however, featured matches spread across three days rather than a single decision day. San Diego Wave head coach Casey Stoney, whose team had already clinched a playoff spot, took issue with the scattered start times.

“I think it’s absolutely ridiculous that we’re kicking off over three days,” Stoney said. “Where is parity in that? That doesn’t happen in any other league in the world. You kick off on the same day at the same time for the last game of the season, so you’re really putting integrity into people’s hands in terms of results and stuff.

“I don’t agree with it. I think it has to change about this league,” she added. “Everyone should finish at the same time.”

All six NWSL matches over the weekend also aired on streaming services, and none on national television. A North Carolina Courage win over the Wave on Friday would have made Sunday’s regular-season finale irrelevant. Instead, the Courage and Wave played to a scoreless draw, giving the Red Stars a chance at a postseason berth and adding intrigue to the game Sunday night (though it was only available to stream on Paramount+).

OL Reign’s NWSL Shield-clinching win over the Orlando Pride streamed on Twitch at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday night, despite a record crowd of 10,746 fans packing Seattle’s Lumen Field for one of the most significant matches of the year.

A majority of the 137 games on the NWSL schedule this season have appeared on Paramount+ and Twitch, with CBS airing two regular-season fixtures and CBS Sports Network carrying 11 contests.

Despite the criticism over the final weekend, the NWSL did fix a sticking point from last season’s schedule.

The 2021 NWSL Championship match originally was set for 9 a.m. local time at Portland’s Providence Park, drawing ire from players and fans alike. That match was ultimately moved to noon local time in Louisville, KY.

This time around, the league is giving the final primetime treatment. The 2022 NWSL Championship will air on CBS at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 29, from Audi Field in Washington, D.C, making it the first primetime final in league history.

“What I’ve heard from our players is that in order for them to deliver on their value proposition and to maximize their potential, they need first-class facilities and they need to feel like they’re being treated like the first-class athletes that they are, and for them, being on prime time is really important,” NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman told Just Women’s Sports in August.

The Chicago Red Stars are heading to the NWSL playoffs for the seventh year in a row after clinching a spot in the postseason with Sunday’s 2-0 win over Angel City FC.

Chicago’s shutout put the club one point clear of the North Carolina Courage in the NWSL standings, with the Red Stars locking up the sixth and final playoff berth.

Mallory Pugh led the charge for Chicago, notching the team’s breakthrough goal in the waning minutes of the first half. Making a well-timed run on the outside of her defender, Pugh got on the end of a dangerous ball from Sarah Luebbert to put her side up 1-0 heading into the break.

“Everyone’s going to have to raise the intensity in some way or another,” Red Stars goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher said of the club’s must-win matchup. “Even Mal (Pugh) tonight, she’s got all the expectations in the world — Mal’s gotta score a goal, Mal’s gotta score a goal, Mal’s gotta score a goal — Mal scored a goal tonight. Sarah (Luebbert) made a great play, I don’t know how she got through all those people and then slips it into Mal and Mal finishes.”

Pugh finishes the 2022 regular season with 11 goals and six assists in 16 appearances for a prolific NWSL campaign.

Yuki Nagasato provided an insurance goal for the Red Stars, striking a rocket from the top of the box to put Chicago up 2-0 with just over ten minutes left in the match.

“There’s a number of us that have been here for a lot of years now,” Naeher said following the win. “And I think that camaraderie, I guess, or that sense of team that we’ve been able to create over the years with each other, it kind of makes you want it a little bit more. Because you don’t just want it for yourself, you want it for the person next to you too.”

The Chicago Red Stars will travel to San Diego on Oct. 16 to take on the Wave in the opening round of the NWSL playoffs, with the matchup set to air on CBS Sports Network at 10 p.m. ET.

The NWSL’s final regular season weekend was filled with drama, with the league’s Shield and last two playoff spots on the line.

All six NWSL matches, however, aired on streaming services, and none on national television.

OL Reign’s NWSL Shield-clinching win over the Orlando Pride streamed on Twitch at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday night, despite a record crowd of 10,746 fans packing Seattle’s Lumen Field for one of the most significant matches of the year.

The schedule for the final weekend of the regular season also featured matches spread across three days, rather than a single decision day.

A North Carolina Courage win over the San Diego Wave on Friday would have made Sunday’s match irrelevant. Instead, the Courage and Wave played to a scoreless draw, giving the Red Stars a chance at a postseason berth and adding intrigue to the regular-season finale. Chicago hosts Angel City FC at 6 p.m. ET on Paramount+.

On Friday, Wave coach Casey Stoney spoke out against the staggered start times for the league’s final weekend of competition.

“I think it’s absolutely ridiculous that we’re kicking off over three days,” Stoney said. “Where is parity in that? That doesn’t happen in any other league in the world. You kick off on the same day at the same time for the last game of the season, so you’re really putting integrity into people’s hands in terms of results and stuff.

“I don’t agree with it. I think it has to change about this league,” she added. “Everyone should finish at the same time.”

A majority of the 137 games on the NWSL schedule this season have appeared on Paramount+ and Twitch, with CBS airing two regular-season fixtures and CBS Sports Network carrying 11 contests.

Despite the criticism over the final weekend, the NWSL did fix a sticking point from last season’s schedule.

The 2021 NWSL Championship match originally was set for 9 a.m. local time at Portland’s Providence Park, drawing ire from players and fans alike. That match was ultimately moved to noon local time in Louisville, KY.

This time around, the league is giving the final primetime treatment. The 2022 NWSL Championship will air on CBS at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 29, from Audi Field in Washington, D.C, making it the first primetime final in league history.

“What I’ve heard from our players is that in order for them to deliver on their value proposition and to maximize their potential, they need first-class facilities and they need to feel like they’re being treated like the first-class athletes that they are, and for them, being on prime time is really important,” NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman told Just Women’s Sports in August.

The NWSL playoff push has come down to the final game of the regular season, with the Chicago Red Stars hosting Angel City Sunday night at Toyota Park.

The sixth and final postseason berth is on the line in Chicago, with the Red Stars and North Carolina Courage still in playoff contention.

One of those two clubs will join the OL Reign, Portland Thorns, San Diego Wave, Houston Dash and Kansas City Current, who have all already locked in their postseason spots.

Playoff Scenarios: Clinching the final postseason berth

Chicago Red Stars clinch with:

  • A win against Angel City FC

North Carolina Courage clinch with:

  • A Chicago draw or loss

Angel City FC clinch with:

  • A win over Chicago by 16 goals

Angel City FC came out on top in the clubs’ only previous meeting this year, downing the Chicago Red Stars 1-0 on Aug. 14.

Kick-off between the Chicago Red Stars and Angel City FC is set for 6 pm ET, Sunday on Paramount+.