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.
OL Lyonnes and Chelsea played to a 0-0 draw on Wednesday at Parc Olympique Lyonnais in a UEFA Women's Champions League's second matchday. Chelsea scored another shutout in the UWCL tie, extending its streak to five straight matches. It also marked head coach Sonia Bompastor's first trip back to Lyon since leaving the club.
VAR Plays Key Role in Lyon vs Chelsea UWCL Battle
Goals or not, the Lyon vs Chelsea clash stayed unpredictable, mostly thanks to VAR. Lauren James appeared to win a second-half penalty, only for officials to overturn the call after determining she lost her footing. Minutes later, Salma Paralluelo's 70th-minute finish for Lyon was ruled out for offside.
Even without goals on the Champions League scoresheet, the final stretch delivered late tension. Goalkeeper Hannah Hampton made a diving save to deny Ada Hegerberg, then needed medical attention following a collision with Tabitha Chawinga. Eight minutes of added time followed the string of reviews.
Despite settling for the one-point scoreline, Bompastor was happy with her team's performance.
"I'm really proud of my team for not conceding here in this stadium against a strong team and a strong attacking line," she said after the match.
How Do the Champions League Scores Stack Up After Matchday 2?
Chelsea now holds four points from two UWCL matches after opening with a 1-0 win over Austria Wien. OL Lyonnes, meanwhile, routed Servette 8-0 and will look to better convert its chances next time.
Alyssa Thompson scored the only goal as Chelsea beat Arsenal 1-0 at Stamford Bridge in WSL football action on Sunday, snapping the Gunners' 20-game unbeaten streak in the Women's Super League.
Arsenal Dominate 1st Half Before Thompson Strikes for Chelsea
Arsenal controlled much of the early play in the London derby, hitting the woodwork twice through Kim Little and Mariona Caldentey. Still, it was Chelsea who found the breakthrough.
In the 39th minute, Wieke Kaptein won back possession before Ellie Carpenter and Melvine Malard worked the ball forward. Keira Walsh then fired a shot that Arsenal goalkeeper Anneke Borbe could only parry, and Thompson pounced on the rebound to finish from close range.
After the break, Arsenal pushed for an equalizer. Efforts from Chloe Kelly and Alessia Russo tested Chelsea defense, but goalkeeper Hannah Hampton held firm to preserve the clean sheet.
The result moves Chelsea within two points of WSL football leaders Manchester City, while Arsenal now sit seven points off the pace. Arsenal manager Renee Slegers remained confident despite the loss.
"I believe in these players," Slegers said. "The goals and the points will come."
Chelsea now turns its attention to a Champions League trip to Lyon on Wednesday.
Two UK heavy hitters are squaring off, as No. 3 Chelsea vs No. 6 Arsenal headlines Sunday’s WSL slate.
While both clubs remain unbeaten, early draws have the Blues and the Gunners trailing reigning champion No. 1 Manchester City and No. 2 Tottenham.
“As much as I know my job is to win many games and to win trophies and I’m desperate for that — it also takes time for the squad to gel,” said Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor.
Arsenal locked down a key part of its lineup this week, signing USWNT defender and UWCL champion Emily Fox to a three-year contract extension.
“This has felt like home since the moment I joined, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to continue to represent this club and compete for titles,” Fox said.
Arsenal takes on Chelsea on Sunday at 11:30 AM ET (Paramount+).
Chelsea FC opened this week's Champions League qualifiers with a 5-2 win over Real Sociedad on Wednesday. The latest UWCL results give the Blues a comfortable three-goal cushion heading into next week's second leg in San Sebastian.
Chelsea FC's 1st Round Qualifying UWCL Results
Real Sociedad struck first and early through Ainhoa Marín in the seventh minute. Before halftime, though, Naomi Girma pulled Chelsea level with a corner delivery from former Arsenal star Katie McCabe.
From there, the match swung back and forth.
Veerle Buurman put Chelsea ahead early in the second half, then Cecilia Marcos equalized for Real Sociedad four minutes later. Chelsea summer signing Melvine Malard responded in the 67th minute, before veteran Lauren James extended the lead and Malard added her second in the 88th minute to close out the win.
Malard, who joined from Manchester United in July, scored a brace in her competitive debut for the Blues, a positive sign for the rebuilding squad.
Champions League Schedule Kicks Off 2nd Leg
The Champions League schedule now turns to the return leg on September 2nd.
A positive result in Spain would send Chelsea into the league phase after a third-place WSL finish last season. Under Sonia Bompastor, the early returns suggest the new signings are finding their footing fast.
Chelsea’s Champions League campaign starts now, as the eight-time WSL champion hunts redemption against Real Sociedad in the first leg of the 2026/27 UWCL qualifiers.
The Blues are looking to punch a ticket to the League Phase after last season’s third-place WSL finish saw them miss an automatic Champions League berth.
Preseason records favor the UK side after Chelsea shut out Auckland FC and topped the A-League All-Stars, while third-place Liga F finisher Sociedad stumbled against Portugal’s Torreense.
Coach Sonia Bompastor will face both ties without Erin Cuthbert, Mayra Ramirez, and Manaka Matsukubo, as the rest of the reshuffled squad readies for its first competitive match since losing striker Sam Kerr to Gotham.
Chelsea hosts Real Sociedad today at 1:45 PM ET, streaming on chelseafc.com.
This year’s Champions League is taking shape, as Tuesday’s third qualifying draw unveiled 2026/27 paths for Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Paris Saint-Germain.
Hot off a busy transfer window, Chelsea drew Spanish side Real Sociedad, while Real Madrid pulled Dutch titan Ajax, PSG landed Bundesliga’s Eintracht Frankfurt, and two-time winner Wolfsburg got Serie A runner-up Inter.
The winners enter the 18-team League Phase alongside automatic qualifiers Barcelona, Lyon, Arsenal, and Manchester City, while the losing teams drop to the Europa Cup draw.
There’s financial incentive to advance in Champions League play. Each League Phase club earns a guaranteed €505,000, plus €60,000 for every win, €20,000 for each draw, and €10,000 to €180,000 based on final standings.
The Champions League third qualifying round kicks off August 26th (Paramount+).
Chelsea has nabbed another rising NWSL talent. The North Carolina Courage announced the immediate transfer of 2025 MVP finalist Manaka Matsukubo to the WSL titans on Saturday.
Matsukubo's Chelsea Deal and What It Means for the NWSL
The reigning NWSL Midfielder of the Year signed a five-year deal with Chelsea over the weekend. The move comes after Matsukubo scored five goals for the Courage during the 2026 NWSL season.
"I'm so excited to be joining Chelsea, a club with a lot of history," she said in a statement. "As a small child, I followed Chelsea because it is a club everyone in the world knows about."
Matsukubo’s transfer echoes former Angel City standout Alyssa Thompson’s midseason move to the Blues in 2025, as the NWSL attempts to compete in a global market with a salary cap.
The 21-year-old would've become a free agent at the end of the 2026 season, with a clause in her contract requiring the Courage to approve any transfer at or above a particular unknown threshold.
But Matsukubo might not be the only NWSL player on the move. USWNT forward Emma Sears has reportedly asked to be traded from Racing Louisville, as the club sits last in the league standings.
Sam Kerr’s NWSL return is official, as Gotham FC signed the Australian striker to a deal that keeps her in the US through 2030.
The 32-year-old will join New York/New Jersey next month. The move reunites the NWSL’s all-time leading scorer with the team she played for from 2015 to 2017 under its previous Sky Blue FC identity.
“This club was an important part of my journey,” Kerr said. “And to come back at this moment, with everything Gotham has built, is really special.”
Kerr exited as Chelsea’s top WSL scorer with 116 goals in 158 appearances. She led the UK club to 11 trophies across six seasons in London.
The 2023 Ballon d’Or runner-up returned to the pitch in September after an 18-month ACL recovery. She went on to net the game-winner in her final WSL start.
“Sam is one of the defining players of her generation and a game-changing talent who has consistently delivered at the highest levels,” said Gotham President of Soccer Operations Yael Averbuch West in a team statement.
Kerr will reportedly make her Gotham debut at July 15th’s Queens Classic, taking on Washington at MLB’s Citi Field.
Sam Kerr etched her name into Chelsea history Sunday, surpassing club legend Fran Kirby to become the Blues' all-time leading scorer in WSL competition with 64 goals.
The 32-year-old Australian striker reached the milestone with a towering first-half header in Chelsea's 3-1 victory over Leicester City . Lauren James added a second before halftime, as Chelsea secured the win and clinched a 2026/27 Champions League berth.
"It's a big achievement," Kerr said after the match. "Every goal for me is really important, and to do it for a big club like Chelsea is really special."
The record comes as welcome news for Sam Kerr after enduring years of injury struggles. The milestone demonstrated her continued importance to Chelsea, despite physical setbacks limiting her availability.
Kerr now faces a pivotal summer as her Chelsea contract expires at season's end. The striker's future remains uncertain, with the Blues falling short of a seventh consecutive WSL title.
Chelsea currently sits six points behind league-leaders Manchester City with just one matchday remaining. The Blues will close out the season on May 16th against Manchester United, deeming the 2025/26 title race effectively over.
Manager Sonia Bompastor's side needed Sunday's win over already-relegated Leicester to secure their Champions League spot for next season. The three points send the team into Europe's top-flight club competition regardless of the final weekend's results.
Kerr joined the WSL in 2019 from the NWSL's Chicago Red Stars, quickly establishing herself as one of the league's most prolific scorers.