The US women's soccer team kicked off its October training camp on Tuesday at the Arthur M. Blank National Training Center in Fayetteville, Georgia — the squad's first sessions at the facility since it opened in May. With 17 outdoor pitches and purpose-built infrastructure, the center gives USWNT players a permanent home base after decades without one.
"The fields are what I'm probably the most excited about," USWNT captain Lindsey Heaps told reporters.
"US Soccer is just making a big push to make things incredible for us. I appreciate everything they did to put this together, and we're just excited to be here for the first time."
US Women's Soccer Boss Emma Hayes Issues Multiple 1st Senior Team Call-Ups
The fields weren't the only thing new when it came to camp.
Head coach Emma Hayes named a 26-player roster for this month's training session, highlighted by three first-time call-ups in Angel City FC defender Evelyn Shores, forward Trinity Byars, and Portland Thorns forward Pietra Tordin. Utah Royals defender Kate Del Fava also joined the group after an injury ruled out center back Naomi Girma.
While USWNT mainstays like Jaedyn Shaw and Ally Sentnor dropped down to U-23 play this cycle, the new facilities mean that Hayes can keep a close eye on her younger players.
"This is what we wanted from day one – a situation where we've got two elite groups, side by side, all competing to be on the senior squad," she said of both groups training for their respective matches at the same time. While the senior USWNT looks to take on reigning World Cup champions Spain, the U-23 squad face the Dominican Republic.
Where to Watch USWNT vs Spain Friendlies
That first match against FIFA's top-ranked team is set for October 10th at Audi Field in Washington, DC. A second USWNT vs Spain matchup follows on October 13th at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania.
Fans can catch both on TBS, TNT, and HBO Max.
Aitana Bonmatí returned to action at Camp Nou on Sunday, coming on for the final 30 minutes of FC Barcelona's 7-0 win over Real Madrid in Liga F's El Clásico. The three-time Ballon d'Or winner is still working her way back from a broken leg, but teammate Clàudia Pina made sure she didn't need to shoulder goal-scoring responsibilities while doing so.
Clàudia Pina Opens Scoring for Barcelona
Heavy rain in Catalonia delayed kickoff by two hours, though it did nothing to slow Barcelona FC's attack once play began.
Pina struck in just the fourth minute and added three more goals before halftime, putting the match out of reach before 40,533 fans. Caroline Graham Hansen also scored before the break, while Ewa Pajor and Sydney Schertenleib found the net after the restart.
"This is what we work for," Pina said after the match. "It's been a difficult start to the season, but we made a statement today. Barça will always be Barça. We will keep going in the exact same manner."
Barça Quell Doubts After Major Stars Leave
Even without Alexia Putellas, who left after 14 seasons, and with Bonmatí limited to substitute minutes, Barcelona FC has maintained a perfect record through six Liga F matches. Real Madrid, meanwhile, took its first loss of the campaign.
With Pina filling the void up front and Bonmatí edging closer to full fitness, the gap between the two rivals feels as wide as ever.
The USWNT is calling for backup. Key injury withdrawals forced the US to make roster changes ahead of its upcoming friendlies with world No. 1 Spain.
Gotham midfielder Jaelin Howell will replace Manchester City’s Sam Coffey. The move comes after the WSL star picked up a knock in Sunday’s win over Arsenal.
“The highs and lows of football. Epic wins followed by deep disappointment,” Coffey wrote on social media. “I’ll be cheering on my girls from afar.”
The US will face FIFA’s top-ranked team without an additional veteran presence, as Utah defender Kate Del Fava steps in for Chelsea’s Naomi Girma.
Del Fava had been called into the USWNT’s U-23 camp this week, making the jump to the senior team behind strong NWSL play with the Royals.
Howell has six international caps with the US, while Del Fava brings the October lineup’s uncapped player total to five.
WSL newcomer Alexia Putellas scored twice as the London City Lionesses routed Tottenham Hotspur 6-1 on Sunday in one of the most mismatched battles of the young 2026/27 season. In the bruising loss, LCL subsequently ended the Spurs' Women's Super League unbeaten streak.
LCL's Alexia Putellas Strikes Early Against Spurs
The two-time Ballon d'Or winner needed just three minutes to open the scoring after goalkeeper Lize Kop parried Grace Geyoro's strike straight to her. Kadidiatou Diani then doubled the Lionesses' lead in the 22nd minute, before Putellas added her second off a Danielle van de Donk cutback before halftime.
That trio of goals left Spurs trailing 3-0 at the break.
The second half brought more of the same as Van de Donk converted at the near post early on. Despite Victoria Pelova pulling one back for the North London side moments later, Diani answered almost immediately off a charged-down Kop clearance. Then, Delphine Cascarino capped the afternoon with a stoppage-time finish.
The win underlines just how far London City Lionesses have come after a summer that brought Putellas, Diani, and Mapi León to a club that finished sixth last season in the Women's Super League.
For Tottenham, the collapse more shocking. Manager Martin Ho called his side's display "poor" and "not acceptable," adding that Spurs "looked scared with the ball."
Angel City FC rescued a point against Gotham FC on Saturday after substitute Taylor Suarez buried an equalizer in the opening minute of stoppage time in New Jersey. The dramatic finish pushed Angel City's unbeaten streak to seven straight and kept the club in seventh place in the NWSL standings.
But it was Gotham who controlled much of the second half.
Angel City Answers Jaedyn Shaw's Goal with Stoppage-Time Stunner
Jaedyn Shaw broke through in the 66th minute, converting with her left foot inside the box after a sequence down the right flank involving Rose Lavelle. The goal marked Shaw's 10th of the season, making her just the third player in Gotham FC history to reach double figures in a single season.
Despite trailing for nearly 25 minutes, Angel City found an answer through Suarez, who had entered the match in the 83rd minute. Emily Sams delivered a ball to the front post, and Suarez tapped it home for her third goal off the bench in four appearances.
With the result, Gotham still clinched at least one home quarterfinal match during the NWSL playoffs. Meanwhile, Angel City carried away a valuable road point heading into its next outing on October 17th against the Denver Summit.
Lauren Hemp scored twice to lead Man City past Arsenal 4-2 at Etihad Stadium on Sunday, keeping Manchester's unblemished 2026/27 Women's Super League run going strong.
Man City, Arsenal Exhange WSL Goals Before Hemp Takeover
The highly anticipated clash saw the visitors take the lead twice — first through Lisa Baum's 43rd-minute finish, then via Alessia Russo early in the second half after a misplayed pass out of the back. Both times, City answered.
Hemp equalized before halftime with a deflected effort. Then, substitute Kerstin Casparij bent a shot in from outside the box to level the score again at 2-2.
From there, the 2025/26 Women's Super League champions shifted gears. Hemp tucked a finish inside the far post in the 72nd minute for her second goal of the gam, and Khadija Shaw added a fourth off a late breakaway to close the door on any Arsenal comeback.
Trouble for Gunners as City Stay Perfect
The defeat drops the Gunners to 10th with just one win from five matches. They're now 10 points behind league leaders City. After full time, Arsenal manager Renée Slegers conceded her side is "not in the title race conversation."
"There's a lot to review," she said. "How we've been doing things, from all aspects. Training program, bigger things in the background. We're going to do everything we can to see where we can be better."
Following the international break, Arsenal will take on Birmingham City on Oct. 17th. Man City, meanwhile, next face Brighton on Oct. 18th.
Trinity Rodman and the Washington Spirit shook off a persistent Houston Dash side on Saturday, scoring a 3-2 road win that all but locks Washington into a NWSL playoff position. The result pushes the Spirit to 49 points in the NWSL standings, nine clear of the playoff line with just three games left.
Spirit Pull Ahead Early, Dash Claw Back in Weekend Thriller
Rodman fueled the Spirit's second-half surge, threading the assist on Sofia Cantore's go-ahead goal in the 51st minute. Cantore's finish marked her 10th career NWSL regular season goal. Before that, defender Tara Rudd put Washington ahead off an Esme Morgan corner in the 11th minute.
Miljana Ivanović kept Houston in the match, equalizing twice — first before halftime, then again in the 59th minute — becoming the first Serbian player to score in NWSL history.
But substitute Clara Luvanga answered in the 84th minute to clinch all three points for the visitors. Luvanga, the NWSL's first Tanzanian player, has now scored in just her second appearance for the Spirit.
The loss drops Houston to 8-13-6, officially ending the Dash's postseason hopes. The Spirit, meanwhile, will look to firm up their playoffs berth when they face top-ranked Gotham on October 17th at 12:30 PM ET on CBS.
No. 5 Kansas City is on the up and up. The Current rocketed up the NWSL standings after dismantling No. 14 Bay FC 5-1 on Saturday.
Kansas City scored the first back-to-back hat tricks in league history behind midfielder Debinha’s three tallies. That stat mirrored forward Haley Hopkins’s scoreline in last Saturday’s 4-1 over No. 10 Denver.
“She runs for the team, she plays for the team, she works hard every day for her game,” Current manager Chris Armas said of Debinha.
The win launched KC three spots up the NWSL standings, cementing a +10 goal differential with just three regular-season matches remaining.
No. 8 North Carolina beat No. 9 Seattle 1-0 to enter the international break above the playoff line, while Shield hopeful No. 1 Gotham holds a four-point lead over No. 2 San Diego despite Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Angel City.
“Our ambition is big,” said Gotham FC manager Juan Carlos Amorós. “We want to win the Shield. We want to be the best team.”
Manchester City salvaged a point against Real Madrid on Thursday, with a Khadija "Bunny" Shaw second-half equalizer keeping the club unbeaten through its early UEFA Women's Champions League stretch. The 1-1 result at Joie Stadium marked Matchday 2 of the UWCL league phase, leaving both sides still searching for a first win after opening-match draws.
Man City, Real Madrid Trade Goals Early in Match
Colombian national Linda Caicedo put Real Madrid ahead in the 29th minute, finishing off a counter after Mary Fowler hit the woodwork early for City. However, Shaw's 51st-minute response subsequently tied the game and rewrote the record books.
The goal marked Shaw's eighth in UWCL tournament play, moving her past Georgia Stanway as the club's top scorer in European competition.
But despite the leveled scoreline, Real Madrid nearly snatched the win late.
Referee Collision Saves Point for City
Silvia Cristobal's effort from the edge of the box flew past City keeper Ayaka Yamashita and into the top corner. But officials pulled it back after determining that referee Silvia Gasperotti had unintentionally stepped into Beth Mead's path, preventing her from reaching the ball before Cristobal's strike.
The decision preserved a draw that extends City's unbeaten run to six matches across all competitions, though Andrée Jeglertz's side will want all three points when Champions League play resumes.
Up next, Manchester City hosts Arsenal in WSL action on October 4th.
The USWNT lost some veteran firepower. US Soccer announced defender Naomi Girma will miss next month’s Spain friendlies due to a muscle injury.
The Chelsea star picked up the issue in practice this week, after starting the 2026/27 WSL season on the bench.
“Naomi got a knock in training, so I think she will be unavailable for maybe a few weeks,” Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor said.
Already without the injured Emily Sonnett, Girma’s absence renders the USWNT roster thin ahead of back-to-back clashes with FIFA’s world No. 1.
The team will soon tap a replacement. For now, Tierna Davidson, Tara Rudd, and Kennedy Wesley wil hold down the central defense.