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Sam Coffey impresses in first cap with USWNT alongside childhood hero

Sam Coffey is a Rookie of the Year candidate for the NWSL’s Portland Thorns. (Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

When she was a little girl, Sam Coffey, like many young soccer players, dreamed of playing for the United States women’s national team. Her daily inspiration was a picture of Alex Morgan that hung on the wall of her bedroom in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y., one that’s remained there to this day.

On Tuesday, Coffey earned her first cap with the USWNT in a 2-1 friendly win over Nigeria. And her childhood hero was in the starting lineup with her.

“It might be time to remove that [picture],” Coffey said last Thursday with a laugh. “But yeah, I mean, it is so full circle in terms of it just being this dream I had worked for.”

Coffey’s path to playing for the greatest team in the world, as she refers to it, was not linear. It was Morgan who reassured her that it didn’t have to be.

Coffey, 23, made scattered appearances with youth national teams during her teenage years, but she never played in a junior World Cup and was never heralded as a child prodigy like U.S. teammate Mallory Pugh, who made her senior national team debut at 16. Morgan’s journey was similar, with the California native earning just 10 caps at the youth level while playing for the U.S. U-20 team in 2008.

Now, Morgan is fifth all-time on the USWNT scorers’ list, with 119 goals in 198 caps with the senior team. Coffey, in her third camp, has been trying to absorb every single piece of feedback from veterans like Morgan.

“I think it definitely can be intimidating when you look around you and you’re like, Becky is to my left and Alex is to my right and Crystal is in front of me, and, I mean, I can obviously go on and on of players that I watched growing up,” Coffey said. “But I think my goal is just not shrinking back to the challenge and being confident in what I bring to the team too, because I’m here for a reason.”

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(Erin Chang/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Coffey’s first big play in Tuesday’s game was a lobbed ball into the box that went around a defender and right to the feet of Morgan, who narrowly missed the goal with her shot.

Playing the full 90 minutes at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., Coffey took risks and stayed creative on and off the ball, pulling opponents away and dribbling through multiple defenders at once. Her ability to break lines was apparent as she continually sent passes to midfielders and forwards in high attacking areas.

A rookie in the NWSL this year, Coffey has adjusted to the No. 6 position with the Portland Thorns after playing as an attacking midfielder at Penn State. She held down the defensive midfield with the USWNT on Tuesday night, doing everything she could to fit the mold of head coach Vlatko Andonovski’s “modern-day six” — a player who can manage the position both offensively and defensively while also distributing the ball and winning tackles.

“I thought that she was very calm on the ball, very composed,” Andonovski said after the game. “For somebody who’s playing their first cap in front of a full stadium in a tight game, I thought she did a very good job,” said Andonovski, adding that there’s still room for Coffey to grow defensively.

On Thursday, as she remembered the picture of Morgan on the wall of her childhood bedroom, Coffey joked that she struggles to defend the USWNT legend in practice.

None of that wide-eyed wonder, however, has stopped her from embracing the challenge in front of her.

“Here you’re competing with the best players in the world, and if you told me last year I’d be doing that, I don’t think I would have believed you,” Coffey said. “I try not to let go of how amazing it is and what an honor it is here and how much all of this is going to continue to really positively impact my growth.”

Jessa Braun is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports covering the NWSL and USWNT. Follow her on Twitter @jessabraun.

Soccer Greats Salute USWNT Star Christen Press After Retirement Announcement

USWNT forward Christen Press celebrates a goal in a 2021 friendly.
Angel City and USWNT forward Christen Press announced her retirement at the end of the 2025 NWSL season. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Soccer's biggest names are giving Christen Press her flowers, praising the former USWNT forward's decorated career following the announcement of her impending retirement on Wednesday.

"Thank you CP23 for leading the way!! ACFC was our dream, and your commitment to the game and the club has transformed our community," USWNT '99er and Angel City investor Mia Hamm tweeted.

"On the field, a champion. Off the field, a leader and inspiration to so many. 155 caps, 64 goals, 2 World Cups, and a lasting impact in our sport that goes well beyond the numbers," echoed US Soccer CEO JT Batson.

"When you realize how perfect everything is, you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky. Congrats on your perfect career. ily," posted Press's wife, fellow retired USWNT star Tobin Heath.

While injury struggles kept Press off the international field under current head coach Emma Hayes, the USWNT boss still complimented the 36-year-old's work on and off the pitch during her Wednesday press conference.

"I remember watching Christen Press play for the first time — I went to a Stanford game — and I remember thinking, 'Who the hell is this kid?,'" Hayes said, citing Press's attacking versatility. "She could smash the ball into the top corner like nobody I know."

"What people don't really see with that generation of players is what they've had to endure to get to where they are," she continued, spotlighting the last roster's fight for equal pay. "They've had to sacrifice themselves, or put themselves in a place that positioned everybody else in a better place."

"I think it is time for my family to move on to our next chapter," said Press herself. "We're going to be a part of this game forever, but it's time for it to look different for us."

USWNT Stars Alyssa Thompson, Lily Yohannes Shine in 2025/26 Champions League Play

Chelsea forward Alyssa Thompson celebrates after scoring her first-ever Champions League goal.
Chelsea forward Alyssa Thompson scored her first-ever career UWCL goal on Wednesday. (Harriet Lander - Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

Two rising US stars made their European marks this week, as both OL Lyonnes midfielder Lily Yohannes and Chelsea FC forward Alyssa Thompson registered their first-ever UWCL goals in the second week of 2025/26 Champions League play on Wednesday — mere hours after earning call-ups to October's USWNT roster.

First, Yohannes launched a 57-yard screamer in the 51st minute of the French club's 3-0 win over Austrian side St. Pölten, with the 18-year-old helping lift Lyonnes over the competition after spotting the keeper out of her goal.

Later on Wednesday afternoon, recent WSL addition Thompson piled onto the Blues' eventual 4-0 thrashing of Paris FC, firing in her debut Champions League goal off a low cross from England mainstay Kiera Walsh.

"She brings a lot of speed up front," Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor said of Thompson. "She also is a player who is really comfortable on the ball."

How to watch 2025/26 Champions League action on Thursday

The second matchday of the 2025/26 UWCL league phase continues on Thursday, as WSL side Manchester United — anchored by USWNT goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce — faces Spanish club Atlético Madrid at 12:45 PM ET before reigning champion Arsenal looks to bounce back from their Champions League opening loss by defeating Portugal's Benfica at 3 PM ET.

All 2025/26 Champions League matches will air live on Paramount+.

Trinity Rodman, European Club Stars Headline USWNT October Roster

USWNT veteran stars Lindsey Heaps and Trinity Rodman are all smiles entering an April 2025 training session.
OL Lyonnes midfielder Lindsey Heaps and Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman are among the returning USWNT players named to the October roster. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)

The USWNT is getting the band back together this October, as manager Emma Hayes tapped a number of veteran faces in a 26-player roster for the team's upcoming three international friendlies on Wednesday morning.

The team's European-based players are stepping back into the spotlight, after Hayes chose to rest stars Lindsey Heaps, Lily Yohannes, Emily Fox, Phallon Tullis-Joyce, and Catarina Macario during the summer.

However, sidelined Chelsea defender Naomi Girma will sit this one out as she continues to recover from a calf injury.

The roster also highlights the return of favorites Trinity Rodman, Rose Lavelle, and Jaedyn Shaw, as Hayes also calls up 24-year-old San Diego Wave defender Kennedy Wesley for the first time.

As next fall's qualifiers for the 2027 World Cup quickly approach, Hayes is narrowing the field from her previous developmentally focused roster-building strategy.

"I think this was the one camp I had to make some really hard decisions, and that's the place I wanted to be in," Hayes told reporters on Wednesday morning. "It's the build for [World Cup] qualification for next year."

With an average age of 24.6, the latest squad reflects the US's youth movement, though Lavelle's return helps boost the average international experience from 18.4 caps in this summer's USWNT roster to 27.3 appearances on Hayes's October lineup.

The October 2025 USWNT roster

  • Goalkeepers: Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign) Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals), Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United)
  • Defenders: Jordyn Bugg (Seattle Reign), Emily Fox (Arsenal), Lilly Reale (Gotham), Tara McKeown (Washington Spirit), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride), Emily Sonnett (Gotham), Kennedy Wesley (San Diego Wave)
  • Midfielders: Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns), Lindsey Heaps (OL Lyonnes), Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current), Rose Lavelle (Gotham), Sam Meza (Seattle Reign), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns), Jaedyn Shaw (Gotham), Lily Yohannes (OL Lyonnes)
  • Forwards: Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current), Catarina Macario (Chelsea), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Yazmeen Ryan (Houston Dash), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville), Ally Sentnor (Kansas City Current), Alyssa Thompson (Chelsea)

How to watch the October USWNT friendlies

The world No. 2 USWNT will first take on No. 23 Portugal at 7 PM ET on October 23rd and at 4 PM ET on the 26th, before closing out the international window against No. 33 New Zealand at 8 PM ET on October 29th.

All three friendlies will air live on TNT.

Chelsea Looks to Bounce Back from 2025/26 Champions League Opening Draw

Chelsea FC winger Alyssa Thompson passes the ball during a 2025/26 Champions League match.
Chelsea FC newcomer Alyssa Thompson earned her first-ever UEFA Champions League start in last week's 2025/26 league phase opener. (Marcel ter Bals/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)

The 2025/26 UEFA Women's Champions League action returns on Wednesday, kicking off another week of league-phase play as WSL titans Chelsea search for their first UWCL win of the season.

The Blues settled for a disappointing 1-1 draw with FC Twente last week, despite outshooting the Dutch club 20-9 while holding 65% of possession.

"When I analyze the games, I think we are creating a lot, which is the most important thing," said Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastor. "But the most difficult thing in football is to score goals. We need to stay confident and keep trying."

"Sometimes, when you're able to be clinical, you kill the opposition’s hope a bit sooner," Bompastor continued, hoping to supercharge the Blues' offense ahead of their Wednesday afternoon clash with French side Paris FC.

Other UWCL heavy hitters will also feature on Wednesday's pitch, as Barcelona, Wolfsburg and OL Lyonnes all look to continue their winning ways after major victories in last week's opening slate.

The rest of the 18-club league phase will conclude the second matchday on Thursday, when fellow WSL powerhouses Manchester United and defending Champions League winners Arsenal return to the UWCL pitch.

How to watch Chelsea vs. Paris FC in Champions League play

Chelsea will host Paris FC in London for their second league phase match at 3 PM ET on Wednesday.

All 2025/26 Champions League matches will air live on Paramount+.

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