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Ali Riley Talks Her Return to the Us

Belo Horizonte, Brazil – August 6, 2016: New Zealand defeated Colombia 1-0 during group stage of the 2016 Olympic games at Mineirao Stadium.

After almost ten years playing abroad for FC Rosengård, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich, Ali Riley is returning to the United States as the newest member of Orlando Pride. Just Women’s Sports caught up with Riley to talk about her jetsetting decade, goals for the upcoming season, and why now is such an exciting moment for soccer in the United States.

You’ve played in the US, England, Sweden, and Germany. Can you talk a little bit about your journey?

It’s a pretty crazy story. I was drafted to play in the WPS [Women’s Professional Soccer League] out of college, almost ten years ago exactly, which is crazy. I don’t feel a day over twenty-two, so hopefully I still play that way. But when that league folded, the only opportunity I got was in Sweden with FC Rosengård. They needed a left back, so I went over there from training in Germany. I had one bag and no warm clothing. I just showed up, met this team, played a game a few days after I arrived, and then we won the Super Cup. It ended up being the most amazing thing that could’ve happened to me. FC Rosengård was an incredible team, and so I kept extending my contract, and Sweden became home.

How did you end up playing in England and Germany?

In 2018, I just felt like it was time for a change. I had a clause in my contract that I could leave, and Chelsea was interested. I went over there at the start of the English season and halfway through my last season in Sweden. But I injured my foot right as I arrived and was out for three and a half months. It ended up being plantar fasciitis, which was horrible. So though I loved the team, I never really got into a flow there. And after the World Cup, Bayern Munich needed a fullback. They saw me play and they were interested, so I had another amazing opportunity. Bayern Munich is another huge club and they were in a league that I had trained with before going to Sweden. I talked with Chelsea, and they were understanding of my situation.

Did you consider going back to Sweden?

Definitely. But I had a couple of conversations with the club in Sweden and they didn’t lead to an offer right away. Plus, after my experience in Chelsea, I was kind of like, I can handle anything. I was so hungry for a new experience, and the allure of playing at Bayern Munich was strong. The facilities, the resources, the talent on the field, the discipline, the technique – I was blown away. The facilities were built maybe two years ago, and they could compete with men’s facilities around England, at least, and I’m sure around the world. Driving in every morning gave me chills. It was so professional on the field.

The transition wasn’t perfect, though. The language was hard to pick up, and there were already two other fullbacks from the German National Team, which made it tough, but I loved the competition. Looking back, though, it was kind of a crazy decision.

So Sweden still feels like home?

Oh, yeah. I bought an apartment here. I met my partner. We want to settle down in Malmö, build our home here. We have a dog. I know Swedish. But as I was becoming more sure that Sweden is where I want to be in the future, I also started realizing that I don’t have a lot of time to see my family and friends in the US. So when Orland said they were interested, it was such amazing timing. It’s a fresh start for me at a club that wants to have a fresh start after coming last in the league last year. And there are faces that I’m very familiar with, both on the team and around the league. It just feels like it was meant to be.

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Any nerves about returning to play in the US?

It’s never easy going to a new team. Even if I am American, you still feel like a little bit of an outsider. It really is like coming from overseas. I’ve gotten my Swedish passport and I have my New Zealand passport so I’m like, “Oh my gosh, I feel like a foreigner.” One thing that is always helpful is knowing someone on the team and having that comfort and family feeling. For me, Marta [Viera da Silva] has been a close friend. This will be the fourth team we’ve played on together, which is crazy. At my age, you don’t need everyone to like you, but it’s nice to have someone that feels like family.

What’re you most looking forward to in terms of coming back to the States?

My English has definitely gotten worse, so it’ll be good to improve my grammar again. But it will just be great to have so many familiar faces around and to be closer to my parents. Florida isn’t that close to LA, but it’s closer than Sweden. I’m also excited for the food and the lifestyle and the excitement around women’s football — or soccer, I need to say now — in the US. There will be so many opportunities off the field to be out in the community, do charity work, build my brand. All that is going to be much easier, and those are all things I’m passionate about. And the sun. I love the sun.

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BRAD SMITH/ISI PHOTOS
What’s got you excited to play for Orlando in particular?

I’ve heard so many good things about coach [Marc] Skinner from both people who have played for him and against him. Obviously things didn’t go as hoped last season. But I’ve spoken with Marc and I can hear how passionate and ambitious he is. That’s an environment I want to join. He isn’t satisfied with how the team did last year, and that’s kind of how I feel. I want to prove something, and so does he.

The fan base is also really impressive. That was one of the disappointing things in Germany and something that Sweden also struggled with a bit. But the numbers in the US are really impressive. I just think female soccer players are so unbelievable and so inspirational. It’s not just about soccer. It’s about balancing this passion and growing the game, while also inspiring people and living a balanced life. I think that’s why players like Ashlyn [Harris] and Ali [Kreiger] are sticking around, even though last season didn’t go that well. It’s still a really cool place to be.

Maybe I’m projecting, but do you think it will be tough once you’re back in the US to return to Sweden?

It’ll be tough, for sure. But I think that’s why I want to do it now. Play my best, give everything I can, and know that an amazing life is waiting for me in Sweden. I’ve learned a lot. I still feel like I’m the fittest I’ve ever been, and I’ve developed so much of my game from playing in these different countries and training with these players. I think I still have my style of play that made me successful in the WPS and college, but I’ve definitely developed in other areas. I’ve grown a lot mentally and emotionally. Honestly, after the experiences I’ve had in the last couple of seasons, I feel like I’m ready to take on the world.

PWHL Announces Vancouver Expansion Franchise Ahead of 2025/26 Season

New York's Jade Downie-Landry and Ottawa's Shiann Darkangelo face-off during a 2025 PWHL game.
The seventh PWHL team will be in Vancouver. (Troy Parla/Getty Images)

The PWHL is officially expanding, with the second-year pro women's hockey league awarding Vancouver its seventh franchise on Wednesday.

The league's first-ever expansion squad faces a short run-up, joining the current six-team roster when the puck drops on the 2025/26 PWHL season.

"To be able to grow this fast is just a testament to the great sport, our great athletes, and how people feel about the work that we’re doing and what our players are putting out on the ice," said PWHL EVP of business operations Amy Scheer.

Vancouver fanbase bolstered city's PWHL bid

Commenting on the eight-month expansion evaluation process, Scheer called Vancouver's bid "unbelievably robust," and noted that the city's "engaged, vibrant, fun" fanbase and its "remarkable commitment to growing the game of hockey" helped earn the Canadian community a team.

That commitment was on display at the PWHL's recent 2025 Takeover Tour, which drew major crowds as the league tested expansion prospects in non-market cities across North America.

Vancouver stood out, notching the the fourth-largest crowd in PWHL history when 19,038 fans showed up on January 8th — and claiming the highest social media engagement across all nine Tour stops.

That fan enthusiasm helped push Vancouver across the PWHL's expansion line, with the new team already making league history.

Besides marking the league's first-ever footprint on the the West Coast, Vancouver will become the first PWHL team to serve as the primary tenant in its home venue at the Pacific Coliseum.

The 17,713-seat arena and its adjacent PNE Agrodome — PWHL Vancouver's main training facility — will undergo extensive upgrades for the incoming franchise.

"The expansion brings greater visibility to the West Coast, expands out geographic footprint, and, most importantly, grows the game," said PWHL EVP of hockey operations Jayna Hefford.

A young fan holds up a sign reading "Just finished my 1st hockey season, PWHL here I come!" at a PWHL 2025 Takeover Tour game in Detroit.
PWHL execs said expansion adds roster spots for current and future league stars. (Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

League eyes next steps for expansion team

While the PWHL still has over 20 proposals from markets requesting a team — and rumors swirling that Seattle could join Vancouver as a 2025/26 season expansion contingent — the league is currently making more concrete plans for its official seventh squad.

"With this team comes more opportunities for the best women's hockey players in the world to continue competing in one league," remarked Hefford. "The talent pool has never been deeper, and with a strong 2025 draft class ahead, we're pleased that even more women are going to be able to play at the professional level."

Details for an upcoming expansion draft to begin stocking Vancouver's roster will be announced shortly, and the team will also take part in the 2025 PWHL Draft on June 24th.

"The PWHL is setting a new standard for women's hockey. The game has never been faster, more physical, or more skilled," Hefford added. "We're so excited for this city to experience the parity and the competitiveness that our league has every single game."

Bay FC to Host Washington at SF Giants Ballpark, Eye NWSL Attendance Record

A wide view of San Francisco's Oracle Park set up for a 2022 soccer match.
Oracle Park’s 40,000-seat capacity could set a new NWSL attendance record. (Doug Zimmerman/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

The NWSL is heading back to the ballparkwith 2024 expansion side Bay FC announcing Tuesday that the club will take on the Washington Spirit inside Oracle Park, the home of MLB's San Francisco Giants.

Shifting the August 23rd match to the baseball diamond isn't just a spectacle — the move builds on Bay FC's continuous ambitions to claim the top NWSL attendance record by filling the Bay Area ballpark's 40,260 seats.

Though the 25-year-old Oracle Park has previously hosted men's contests, August's NWSL match will be the first professional women's soccer game in the venue's history.

Similarly, while this will be the first NWSL competition in San Francisco's baseball venue, it's not the first league match in an MLB stadium.

Last summer, the Chicago Stars hosted Bay FC at Wrigley Field, packing an NWSL-record 35,038 soccer fans into the MLB home of the Chicago Cubs.

That June 8th, 2024, attendance surpassed the previous league-record crowd of 34,130 that attended USWNT icon Megan Rapinoe's final Seattle home game in 2023.

How to attend Bay FC vs. Washington at Oracle Park

To be a part of the potentially record-breaking August 23rd crowd, tickets will be available for general purchase beginning at 12 PM ET on May 6th.

Fans interested in securing pre-sale tickets can add their names to the online list.

Portland Rookies Top Gotham in Midweek NWSL Action

Portland forward Deyna Castellanos celebrates scoring a goal with her teammates in a 2025 NWSL win over Gotham.
Three Portland Thorns rookies scored their first NWSL goals on Tuesday. (Soobum Im/NWSL via Getty Images)

In Tuesday night's NWSL action, Portland upset a rising Gotham side 4-1 behind three debut goals from the Thorns' promising rookie class.

The rare midweek match came courtesy of next month's Concacaf W Champions Cup. Both Gotham and Portland advanced to the international club event's semifinals last October, forcing them to pull double-duty and add this week's extra regular-season NWSL game to accommodate the tournament's schedule.

The tight turnaround certainly didn't rattle the Thorns.

Portland newcomers Marie-Yasmine "Mimi" Alidou, Caiya Hanks, and Jayden Perry all earned their first NWSL goals in the match, before offseason signee Deyna Castellanos reinforced the victory with an 80th-minute chip.

As for Gotham, 32-year-old star forward Esther provided a bright spot for the NJ/NY squad, notching her fifth goal of the young season to boost herself to the top of the league's early Golden Boot race.

Despite the loss, Friday's strong outing against Angel City has Gotham still holding steady at No. 4 in the standings. However, both No. 5 Portland and No. 6 ACFC are close on the Bats' heels, with all three teams currently tied at eight points apiece.

"What I told the team is that we lost the battle tonight, but this is a long war," said Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amoros following the match. "We're there together on this."

How to watch Gotham, Portland this weekend

Gotham will take the pitch once again on Saturday, when they'll face East Coast rivals Washington at 1 PM ET. Live coverage will air on CBS.

Meanwhile, Portland will close out the NWSL's sixth matchday by hosting Racing Louisville at 4 PM ET on Sunday, streaming live on Paramount+.

TST Drops Expanded Women’s 7v7 Tournament Bracket

USWNT jerseys for Carli Lloyd and Ali Krieger hand in lockers before their 2019 World Cup quarterfinal.
Carli Lloyd and Ali Krieger will feature for the US Women’s 2025 TST 7v7 team. (Catherine Ivill - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

The Soccer Tournament (TST) presented by RBC Wealth Management revealed its 2025 women's bracket on Tuesday, with 16 7v7 teams gearing up to compete for the $1 million winner-take-all grand prize this June.

The US Women's Team is back to defend their 2024 title, fueled by World Cup-winning USWNT vets Heather O'Reilly, Carli Lloyd, and Ali Krieger, plus retired Scotland national and Bay FC defender Jen Beattie.

Additional teams participating in the competition include 7v7 offshoots of NWSL clubs Angel City, KC Current, and 2024 runners-up NC Courage, as well as former USWNT goalkeeper Hope Solo's Solo FC.

Returning to Cary, North Carolina, for its third year, TST doubled the size of its women's bracket after a successful eight-team debut in 2024.

"Our inaugural women's championship game viewership performed exceptionally well, as we grew our audience 452% from the beginning of the game until the moment the game-winning goal was scored," TST founder and CEO Jon Mugar told The Athletic.

"TST soccer is electrifying," Mugar added. "Our goal is to become the preeminent soccer festival in the world. Judging by the number of returning fans and teams, we are well on our way."

How to attend, watch the 2025 TST 7v7 contest

TST's 7v7 women's competition kicks off on June 5th and runs through the $1 million championship game on June 9th.

Tickets to attend are currently available online.

All matches will air live on either YouTube or ESPN platforms.

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