Spanning 72 teams from 50 European leagues, the deepest Champions League tournament in UEFA history starts tomorrow with clubs from the UK to Georgia eyeing Lisbon's late-May final.
Four teams gained automatic entry to October's 16-team group stage — defending UEFA champs FC Barcelona and runners-up Lyon, plus top German finishers FC Bayern and WSL title-holders Chelsea — with this month's qualifiers determining the remaining 12.
The road to the Champions League group stage
There are two qualifying rounds played concurrently between two sets of teams: The champions path matches up winners from each non-automatically qualified league, while the league path does the same with second- and third-place finishers.
Each path opens with a series of four-team, single-elimination mini-tournaments, in which 59 clubs will enter Wednesday's semifinals with just 15 moving on from Saturday's finals.
Those 15 will join runners-up from top leagues France, Germany, Spain, England, Italy, and Sweden for Round 2 later this month, all vying for a spot in group stage play.
Top European clubs battle for Champions League glory
Set to square off against Denmark's FC Nordsjælland tomorrow, Portuguese powerhouse SL Benfica has made the group stage every year since the 2021-22 season.
WSL favorites Arsenal saw their 16-season UWCL quarterfinal streak snapped by Paris FC last year, so they'll be hungry for redemption when they face Scotland’s Rangers FC tomorrow. If victorious, they'll be set to face the winner of tomorrow's match between 2024 Women's Cup runners-up Atlético de Madrid and Norway's Rosenborg on Saturday.
Also brewing tomorrow is a battle of the underdogs between Finnish side KuPS Kuopio and Scottish third-place finishers Celtic.
How to watch UEFA Champions League matches
Champions League action kicks off tomorrow at 5 AM ET, with live streaming coverage exclusively on DAZN.
In the UK, the path toward becoming a professional soccer player starts early.
Kids in the US usually start out with local or travel clubs before moving to a high school team and then maybe playing in college before going pro. And recently, a small but growing number of teenage players are opting to sign contracts with the NWSL before they’ve even finished school.
But across the pond in the UK, a promising footballer’s road to stardom can start as young as five years old. The academy system was established to guide aspiring young players as they work towards an adult contract, with professional clubs like Arsenal, Liverpool, West Ham, Chelsea, and others supplying their youth programs with full-time coaches, training facilities, and a match calendar. Then at 18, the senior club either offers the player a pro deal or releases them to pursue a spot on another team’s roster.
The goal has always been to nurture and sustain homegrown talent, with academies around the league producing WSL and England national team icons like Leah Williamson, Lauren James, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Lauren Hemp, Chloe Kelly, and Mary Earps. And now more than ever, it’s something big league teams are focused on given the women’s game’s meteoric post-Euros rise in the UK.
Of course, academy life isn’t just afterschool practice and weekend fixtures at the training grounds. When senior clubs travel for international friendlies, they’ll often invite a few academy players to tag along. It’s a way to give the young players some exposure, bonding time with the team, and minutes on the field, all while the coaching staff has the opportunity to evaluate their progress and see how they gel with the club.
That was the case for Michelle Agyemang and Vivienne Lia, two up-and-coming academy products who joined Arsenal FC on their recent USA tour. 18-year-old Agyemang recently graduated from Arsenal’s academy, signing her first pro contract with the team this past May after debuting in November 2022 at the age of 16. 17-year-old Lia is still finishing school and academy training, having taken the field with the senior club for the first time in February 2024.
Last week, JWS spoke to the England U19 standouts in Washington, DC ahead of Arsenal’s friendly with crosstown rivals Chelsea to learn more about their journeys from childhood Gooners to academy superstars and beyond.
How's the trip going so far?
Michelle Agyemang: So far good. I think it's been good to go out and see the monuments and stuff, and obviously training. It's been nice to be around everyone as well.
Viv, this is your second team trip after Arsenal’s Australia exhibition in May. How are you finding it?
Vivienne Lia: It's great. Australia was more hectic with the fans, but over here it's been relaxed. But it's also been more dense — because it's pre-season, we've been working a lot more than we did in our postseason trip.
How old were each of you when you signed with Arsenal Academy?
MA: I was six.
VL: I was 14.
I know Arsenal has recently moved away from academy trials and now uses a talent identification team to recruit young players, but what was the process like when you joined?
MA: At the time, you just apply on a website, come in for a massive trial with about 30 girls, do a bit of training, and then if you're successful, you go to a second round with less girls. And that's it: Two sessions and then they send you an email or a letter. It's quite simple really.
VL: Mine was quite similar. There was a trial system: one and two trials. At the first one there were quite a lot of girls and then it cut it off a bit. From there, you get an email whether you got in or not. Now it's changed where they don't have open trials — you come in for training sessions instead.
Did your parents sign you up?
MA: I was playing for a local boys team and my dad was like, "Oh, might as well just sign her up." So he did, for a few different teams. And then we literally just rocked up to [a pitch] not too far from Colney for a little training session.
Do you remember that day?
MA: I do quite well. To be fair, we got lost on the way. We went to, I think it was a little farm instead of the training pitch. And then I remember my dad, he kind of pranked me a bit. He was like, "Oh yeah, sorry Michelle, you didn't get in." Then he actually brings out the letter. So it was really cute — a really good day.
If you were raised in the US, do you think you would have tried to turn pro at a young age or opt for the college route?
VL: I think probably the school route, because you want to get a firm foundation of education first. Because your career is not guaranteed at whatever age — you can get an injury, God forbid, and of course that's part of the game.
MA: I'd say the same. It’s also the experience of college — so many of my friends have gone through college and it just looks like good fun, obviously alongside football. You miss that if you go straight to pro. Getting school alongside football is something we don't get in England, so I think that'd be a really good balance to have between the two.
When you're in the academy, how much time are you devoting to soccer?
MA: I'd spend as much time as I could on both. So as soon as I finished school, I'm straight into the car, changing in the car, eating in the car, doing homework in the car, on the way to training. And then on the way back, I slept. It was an endless cycle but that was the only thing I knew.
VL: When you're younger, it's still a mix of it being a hobby but still your passion. But then as you get older — when it becomes more jam-packed, more serious — you have to try and find a balance between both. In England the systems are split, so you still have to go to school, but you also have to go to training. For me now, I go into school two, three times a week and training as well, so it’s about finding a good balance.
So you’re both lifelong Gooners — was Arsenal always the dream?
VL: Yeah, 100%. That was the dream for me. Of course, I grew up in North London — everyone's either Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea, or you got the odd northern team they support. Everyone wants to play for their local club, their childhood club. It was always a dream of mine to play for Arsenal and to make history at this club.
When you were younger, did you see women’s football as a viable career path?
MA: Absolutely not, no. My mum was saying to me the other day that she just thought I'd just go to Arsenal to do a few training sessions and then come back home. But the development of the game has been so fast in recent years. So I never really saw it as a career until maybe under-10s, -12s when it actually started to get much bigger as a game. At the beginning, I don’t think I had a real plan for football. But things change, and here we are.
Was the experience the same for you, Viv, seeing as you joined the academy a bit later?
VL: Different actually. I always wanted to be a footballer — or at least an athlete. It was either tennis, track, or football for me. But I always had more of a love for football, so I was like, "Okay, if I don't become a footballer, I'll be a tennis player instead." Like, "I'll be in sport."
Football was always what I wanted to do, but I wasn't completely sure it was possible. But as a kid you're like, "Oh yeah, it'll be possible. I can do anything." So I didn't really think of that side of it until I got older I was like, "Oh, this is actually something that I can do as a profession."
How has your game changed as you've gotten more time at the senior level?
MA: At Arsenal, the passing, the movement — everything is so crisp. It's a shock at first but you adapt. For my game, I’ve added more technical bits: passing, moving, working together as a team. As a kid, you want to go run and score 10 goals, but you obviously can't do that here. So working with teammates, moving the ball, moving myself to help other players — that's a big part of my game that I've improved here.
VL: The details are so important at this top level. At youth level, you can get away with not pressing as hard or not recovering as quick, but [in senior club games] you'll get punished for that. It makes sure that you're always working to the best of your ability, but also it switches you on mentally. You have to keep attuned to how quick the game is or spot different triggers — that's the main difference between senior football and youth football.
What is your favorite Arsenal memory?
VL: It was the season before last season, the Champions League game against Bayern Munich at home when Frida Maanum scored top bins. I was ball-girling for that and I had the perfect view of it. I was like, "This is the best goal I've ever witnessed in my life." Being an Arsenal fan, [knowing] the context of that game, I was like, "Wow, this is incredible."
MA: That's a good one. I’ll go for two seasons ago when we played Wolfsburg at home in the [Champions League] semi-final. I think it was two-two going into the second leg and then for me, coming on very late in the game — a Champions League debut — that was a massive moment. Just the atmosphere, 62,000 fans, everything.
After playing the Washington Spirit earlier this week, how do you find the NWSL compares to the WSL? Is there a different flow to the game? A different approach?
MA: We always associate America with athleticism, so the transition element was so fast at every point in the game, from the first minute to the last. And the atmosphere was very interesting as well. You got the fans hyping up a corner kick — like, "Get up and cheer. It's a corner kick!" I've never seen that in my life, never ever seen that, but it’s nice as well. I liked it.
VL: Yeah, the game was very fast-paced. But it was really on runs, their wide players just bombing it forward. The physical level of the game is top. As you said, the rest of the world associates America with athleticism — powerful, fast, physical. That was something that I thought of straight away, like it's less technical but still at a high level.
Where do you guys see yourself in five years?
MA: Right here.
Right in this room?
MA: Yeah. (laughs)
VL: In DC?
MA: Yeah, in DC. It would be awesome coming back. Imagine.
VL: I'll say the same: At Arsenal, establishing myself in the senior game and really showing what I'm about. And that's it — that's a good one.
While the NWSL doesn't officially return to regular season play until Friday, clubs were nonetheless in full swing this weekend as international matchups took centerstage.
On Saturday, the Current lifted The Women's Cup trophy in Kansas City after beating Atletico Madrid 1-0 behind Debinha's first-half goal.
Then in Sunday's friendly action, the Spirit fell 2-1 to the WSL's Arsenal behind Alessia Russo's brace, which one-upped a close-range strike by Washington's Ouleymata Sarr. Meanwhile, Angel City notched a massive friendly win of their own, taking down Liga MX Femenil's FC Juárez 7–0 thanks to a hat trick from Messiah Bright.
Concacaf W Champions Cup adds to international NWSL action
Perhaps the most intriguing moments of the NWSL's internationally tinged Olympic break will come courtesy of the Concacaf W Champions Cup's group stage openers. Similar to the UEFA Champions League, the budding competition's eventual victor will represent the region at FIFA's recently unveiled Club World Cup in 2026.
With Canada's Vancouver Whitecaps already beating Alianza Women FC in the tournament's preliminary round, this week's group stage slate includes Panama club Santa Fe hosting the San Diego Wave, Alajuelense taking on Frazsiers, Club América facing Vancouver, and a intracity clash between Monterey's Rayadas and UANL Tigres.
Other NWSL teams set for next month's Champions Cup group stage action are Portland and Gotham FC, who will face Club América and Alajuelense, respectively.
NWSL schedules more international club play
In another friendly meeting between the NWSL and WSL, Gotham will take on Chelsea in New York tonight at 7 PM ET (streaming on FuboTV) before Arsenal and Chelsea square off next week in Washington, DC.
NWSL newcomer Bay FC is also jumping into European friendly play with a match against UEFA Champions League victors FC Barcelona scheduled for August 27th.
The Barclays Women’s Super League officially kicks off its 2024-25 run the weekend of September 20th with six matchups across three days setting the stage for the much-anticipated WSL season.
The WSL is growing in more ways than one, and next year’s league title is very much anyone’s to grab.
Growing attendance spurs Arsenal move to Emirates
After drawing an average of 52,000 fans to each of their six Emirates-hosted games last season — including two complete sell-outs and three WSL attendance records — all 11 of Arsenal’s upcoming home matches will be played at Emirates Stadium. This makes the North London behemoth — home to Arsenal’s men’s Premier League team — the women’s team’s permanent 2024–25 season home.
Of the league’s 12 teams, only Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Leicester City will share gameday facilities with a top flight men’s division. The rest will play the majority of their matches at practice fields or smaller multi-use stadiums.
In addition to field conditions, access to training centers and equipment, and other on-pitch concerns, capacity is a central differentiating factor between men’s and women’s grounds. For example, Chelsea’s primary home of Kingsmeadow seats just 4,850 fans. Their Premier League counterpart's digs, Stamford Bridge — the 11th largest football stadium in all of England — can accommodate 40,343.
Arsenal’s move to Emirates was motivated in part by this divide, and after finishing the 2023-24 season in third place — nearly missing the cutoff for UEFA Champions League eligibility — the club is hoping this momentum will fuel their quest to lift the WSL trophy in 2025.
Offseason moves shake up WSL rosters
Arsenal isn’t the only WSL team on a mission to top the 2024-25 table, and teams around the league made serious waves in the offseason in a bid for this season's title.
Manchester City, 2024’s second-place club, bid adieu to Esme Morgan and Ellie Roebuck, but the club added a whole slate of stong footballers, highlighted by star striker Vivianne Miedema. Former West Ham full-back Risa Shimizu and Japan international Ayaka Yamashita are also joining a Blues roster that already boasts superstars like Khadija "Bunny" Shaw and Mary Fowler, among others.
As if losing Sam Kerr to an ACL tear last season wasn't enough, 2023-24 champs Chelsea have since seen Fran Kirby depart for Brighton, and defender Jess Carter and goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger flip to the NWSL’s Gotham FC. On the bright side, they snagged England mainstay Lucy Bronze from Barcelona, and Kerr should return to play this fall.
In Manchester United news, the Red Devils picked up Dutch defender Dominique Janssen but bid farewell to 2023 World Cup Golden Glove winner Mary Earps, who joined Paris Saint-Germain. Meanwhile, former captain Katie Zelem signed with ACFC this week.
England and Arsenal forward Alessia Russo already knows how she wants to spend her time in the United States.
The team is preparing for a first-of-its-kind preseason tour, first playing the NWSL’s Washington Spirit on August 18th at Audi Field, before a friendly against longtime WSL rival Chelsea on August 25th. But Russo also has other plans for her time in Washington, DC.
"I'm excited to go to Chipotle — I love it there," she told Just Women’s Sports about a week before her team was scheduled to fly across the Atlantic. "They do actually have a couple in London, but they're really far out for me. So I'm looking forward to Chipotle."
Russo has already seen her football career take her to heights she only dreamed of as a kid, winning the European Championship in 2022 with England, making it to a World Cup final the following year, and signing with Arsenal in 2023 after a successful three years starring for Manchester United.
Russo's footballing journey first took her to the US in 2017, where she cut her teeth in NCAA soccer at the University of North Carolina alongside current Arsenal teammate Lotte Wubben-Moy. In a way, her team's trip to Washington, DC — about a four-hour drive from Chapel Hill — is a bit of a homecoming for the striker.
"I loved my time at college," said Russo. "I remember going out there quite young and naive, and I thought I'd kind of throw myself into this new environment and experience. I came out of it with best friends that I still speak to now all the time."
Even as sold out stands at Wembley have become commonplace for the 25-year-old Kent native — not to mention the increasingly enormous crowds at London's Emirates Stadium where Arsenal Women will be playing 11 home games this season — Russo's memories of Chapel Hill are more akin to the average college student.
"We used to have our pre-games all the time at Panera," she recalls. "Everyone used to think like, 'Why are we going to Panera again?' But Lotte [Wubben-Moy] and I used to love it, so I'm sure we'll take a visit back there."
While Arsenal’s preseason tour will allow Russo plenty of time to relive her glory days, it will also act as prep for the upcoming WSL season, as well as a way to reach fans that might not otherwise ever get to see their favorite players in person. The club has leaned into those particular opportunities throughout the 2024 offseason, already completing a short tour of Australia.
Russo has cherished the chance to play in front of fans across the globe, but with a tight international calendar and mounting club workload, she’s had to be mindful about getting rest on her precious off-days.
"I think you really need to make the most of it when you do get time to fully switch off," she said. "[It's] something that when I was a little bit younger I probably wasn't as good at, but as I get older, it's knowing your body a bit more, knowing what works for you."
She enjoys the rare warm weather holiday, and Russo went on to note the support she has gotten from both the Arsenal and England training staffs, and how load management — especially during preseason — can be a key factor to achieving individual and team goals.
Their test against an NWSL team currently sitting third in the league standings will also be an important step in Arsenal’s preseason plans, as well as a challenge that draws specifically on Russo’s time at North Carolina. The NWSL is known for high transition-style play, moving the ball quickly and hurting their opponent on the counter.
The Spirit have taken that ethos and evolved it this season, creating a sturdy midfield that can retain possession as well as push back on the wings with former Barcelona manager Jonatan Giraldez taking full control of the squad.
"I think it's going to be a really tough game, and we all know that," Russo added. "Also, they're in their season, so they're going to be firing, they're going to be on form."
But should the match open up, Russo will be ready: "Going to the states, I developed a different side of the game in terms of strength and power and physicality, because in order to fit into the game and into college football, you needed to be strong."
"I just had to kind of catch my body up with where I needed it to be," she continued. "And it's still something that you work on now, but UNC was kind of the starting point for all of that."
Arsenal will need to rely on all of Russo’s past experiences this season, as the club reshapes its attack following the high-profile exit of superstar forward Vivianne Miedema, who signed with perennial title contender Manchester City earlier this offseason. And while Miedema’s playing time had dwindled at Arsenal after returning from injury, the team still has serious offensive connections to mend should they want to better their 2023-24 third-place finish in the WSL. According to Russo, diversity will play a major role in hammering out Arsenal's reformation.
"I think we've grown a lot as a team and we've reflected a lot after last season," said Russo. "Ultimately, a club like Arsenal, we want to be winning trophies and we know that we have the talent to do so — in the changing room and with all our staff.
"I think we have so many special players on the ball, off the ball, wingers and 10s that possess so many different qualities even between them — one winger might like to do, the other is completely opposite. That makes it really cool and unpredictable."
Russo describes herself as a forward-thinking player who loves to score goals but can also embody the off-the-ball roles of a No. 9, with an emphasis on pressing triggers when the team is out of possession. Execution in attacking spaces could make all the difference for a club looking to battle teams like Chelsea and Manchester City for domestic titles, as well enter back into the apex of European competition with their impending UEFA Champions League campaign.
Arsenal is also prepared to continue to push the sport forward, capitalizing on a global movement that’s propelled the rise of women’s football in the US, Europe, and beyond. Russo noted that while the talent on the pitch has always been there, but she feels lucky to be part of a generation that's bringing women’s sport into the spotlight.
"[Fans are] genuinely wanting to see the game grow, and they're actual fans of women's football," she said. "To play in those kinds of stadiums — whether that's in England, in Australia, in the US — women's football now is never questioned, we have our fan bases and we're getting to the stages that we deserve."
For Russo, the path forward is clear: win trophies with Arsenal, carry that momentum into the 2025 Euros, and excel in every international and club tournament beyond that — all while never forgetting her sense of gratitude, no matter how high her star ascends.
"People have a genuine connection to following these journeys and these stories," she said. "I feel very privileged to be in that kind of position, and hopefully long may it continue."
The WSL summer transfer window is heating up, with a number of big names on the move.
One of the biggest stars on the market is Dutch international Vivianne Miedema. The storied striker's contract with Arsenal — her team of seven years — expired on Sunday, with the Gunners choosing back in May not to offer the WSL’s leading scorer a new deal.
At the time, former England star Ellen White called the decision "shocking that [Arsenal] haven't shown her the love to want to keep her at the club… she's still got records to break. It's just outrageous."
Manchester City is reportedly in the market to land Miedema, who doesn’t appear to be leaving the WSL despite prior interest from outside of the UK.
Meanwhile, 2023 World Cup Golden Glove winner Mary Earps officially left Manchester United for a two-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain, the club announced on Monday.
And in other speculative news, five-time Champions League winner Lucy Bronze is reportedly set to sign with WSL side Chelsea, departing Barcelona after two seasons with the decorated Spanish team. The potential move follows ex-Barcelona coach Jonatan Giraldez's departure for the NWSL’s Washington Spirit, while Chelsea brought on former Lyon boss Sonia Bompastor following Emma Hayes’s departure.
Sam Kerr has signed a new two-year contract with Chelsea.
The Australian forward teased fans in the announcement, after speculation regarding her future with the club had been swirling for months — particularly with the departure of head coach Emma Hayes.
In a video posted Thursday morning, Kerr thanked fans for the memories before saying she will "always be Chelsea" in a tone that suggested she was leaving the London club. But 20 minutes later, the team took to social media to announce the striker had actually signed a new two-year deal.
"Did you guys really think I was gonna end on 99 goals?" asked Kerr in a followup video.
BBC Sport reported that the contract extension fake-out was Kerr’s idea.
"It’s really exciting and a very proud moment for me," Kerr said in a statement. "Having the opportunity to stay at a club like Chelsea means a lot to me. I’m really excited to continue to push and to try to win trophies."
The 30-year-old is currently recovering from an ACL tear sustained in January. The injury will keep her out of the Paris Olympics.
Arsenal announced on Monday that it will join Chelsea for a series of preseason friendlies in the US in August.
Arsenal will be based in Washington, DC from August 15th through August 26th. The Gunners are scheduled to play the Washington Spirit on August 18th, followed by a match with fellow WSL team Chelsea on August 25th. It’s the first time that the two London clubs will meet each other on this side of the Atlantic.
Chelsea had previously announced their game against Gotham FC, confirming reports from ESPN that surfaced last month.
"We always want to create the best conditions for our teams to prepare and perform at their best in pre-season," said Arsenal sporting director Edu Gaspar in a statement. "This gives our players an opportunity to play and train in a new environment, in front of our supporters around the world."
Both Arsenal and Chelsea tout rosters full of international talent — formidable opponents for two equally stacked NWSL teams gearing up for postseason action. Arsenal is home to accomplished England nationals Leah Williamson, Beth Mead, and backheel goal-scorer Alessia Russo alongside Ireland captain Katie McCabe and USWNT defender Emily Fox.
The games are set to be streamed live for free on DAZN.
Arsenal's US tour builds off of a trip to Melbourne, Australia at the tail end of the 2023/24 season, where they beat A-League All Stars women 1-0 in front of 42,120 fans.
Two of the WSL's biggest teams will cross the pond this summer, set to battle both each other and select NWSL teams in a series of Stateside club friendlies.
On Monday, the Blues confirmed their matchup against NJ/NY Gotham FC on August 19th, setting up a showdown between two league champions. It’ll be the first time that the English title-winners square off with the NWSL champs.
Longtime Chelsea goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger recently joined Gotham FC, setting up an extra layer of intrigue ahead of the August 19th championship scuffle.
It’s not Chelsea’s first time playing in the States. Back in August 2022, the Blues traveled to Portland to compete in that year's Women’s International Champions Cup.
ESPN reported on Saturday that fellow WSL contender Arsenal is scheduled to face the Washington Spirit in the same timeframe. To cap off their joint US tour, Arsenal will then take on the UK table-toppers at Audi Field in Washington DC.
Making things even more interesting, two of the teams featured in the club friendly series will have recently undergone coaching changes. The preseason matches could be a first look for Sonia Bompastor at Chelsea, as reports indicate that the Lyon manager will take over for incoming UWSNT coach Emma Hayes next season. (Chelsea is waiting until the conclusion of Champions League to make a formal announcement.) In the US, the Washington Spirit will be welcoming Jonatan Giráldez from Barcelona once he finishes his tenure with the Spanish club next month.
This Saturday, Bompastor's Olympique Lyonnais Féminin will go up against Giráldez's FC Barcelona Femení in the 2024 UEFA Women's Champions League Final.
Emma Hayes is bowing out of the WSL in style, with Chelsea winning its fifth consecutive WSL title on Saturday.
The Blues needed a win over Manchester United on Saturday and they got one in true Chelsea fashion, beating United 6-0 to take the WSL crown. While the team tied Manchester City in points at 55 apiece, they beat City on goal differential, outscoring their northern opponents 53 to 46.
The title is the team's fifth in a row and seventh under Hayes, who now departs Chelsea after 12 years as manager.
"I can't say it's my most enjoyable but it's definitely been the toughest, without doubt, and for that reason probably the sweetest," she told Sky Sports. "I'm just so relieved it's over. The hardest thing to do is five in a row because people take their eye off the ball. My legacy is winning while building a team for the future."
Midfielder Erin Cuthbert called the title the "hardest one yet" for Chelsea, but also the sweetest. A month ago, the team was virtually all but out of the title race, with Hayes conceding as much. Chelsea went on to right the ship, however, putting on a stunning eight goal performance against Bristol City to insert themselves back into the conversation.
"In the moments that really matter, we find a way," Cuthbert told BBC Sport. "We've never really backed down from a challenge. The fans have been with us from the start, they've been incredible this year.
"There have been a few rough moments, this title has taken about 10 years off my life if I'm being deadly honest. The hardest one yet, the sweetest one yet, so I'm going to enjoy tonight."
Hayes will now leave to manage the USWNT, telling BBC Sport on Saturday that the team and its fans will always in be in her heart.
"I don't think I have the words really. I am full with a ton of different emotions," she said. "I am ready, I have given everything I've got. [I am] ready for my next adventure."