The USWNT will take the pitch for their second Olympic championship rematch against Brazil on Tuesday night, when the world No. 1 team will look to close out April’s international break with a two-match sweep as the squad continues strengthening its new-look player pool.
Bolstered by a quick goal from returning striker Trinity Rodman and solid net-minding from national team debutant Phallon Tullis-Joyce, the US took the pair's opening friendly 2-0 on Saturday.
"Obviously, it's a quick turnaround against the same team," forward Jaedyn Shaw told reporters on Monday. "The last game was a good building block."
"It's a fun test for us, especially against Brazil," echoed defender Emily Fox. "It’s a great opponent — with how physical they are, how attacking-minded they are — to rebound [against] and get another win, hopefully."
USWNT veterans to lead fresh faces against Brazil
Balancing the desire for positive results with developmental roster rotation, the US will rely on their veterans to guide less experienced players through Tuesday's tough matchup.
"One of the great things about our team is not just the quality that we’ve got in depth, but the quality of our senior leadership," noted head coach Emma Hayes on Monday. "And I think that showed so much the other day in the Brazil game."
With Hayes focusing on testing starting goalkeepers as well as players' overall health amid active club seasons in both Europe and the US, Tuesday's starting XI will likely be a departure from Saturday’s lineup.
Hayes assured media that the team isn’t carrying any injury concerns, and that the coaching staff "will be experimenting again with players, and looking forward to those changes."
How to watch the USWNT vs. Brazil friendly on Tuesday
The USWNT's second April friendly against Brazil will kick off in San Jose at 10:30 PM ET on Tuesday. Live coverage will air on TBS.
Arsenal confirmed USWNT defender Jenna Nighswonger as their newest signing on Thursday, with the ex-Gotham FC midfielder becoming a symbolic center-point for the recent exodus of NWSL stars heading overseas.
The 2023 NWSL champion is just the latest in a number of Gotham FC's offseason departures, as the NY/NJ club's superteam experiment resulted in a roster that's bursting at the seams.
At 24 years old, Nighswonger also finds herself among a group of NWSL players currently moving away from the US league. She follows USWNT teammate Naomi Girma — who last week signed with Chelsea for a record fee — 2023 NWSL MVP Kerolin, and other standouts to England's top-flight Women's Super League (WSL).
These moves have reignited longstanding discussions surrounding parity and superiority within international women's leagues. And with so many moving parts, it's easy for a single player to get caught up in a worldwide debate that far eclipses their career. But as Nighswonger tells it, the decision to sign with Arsenal comes from a simpler, more personal place.
"Playing in England is just something that I've always wanted to do," she told Just Women’s Sports this week in the lead-up to Arsenal's announcement. "So sometimes when an opportunity presents itself, even if you're happy at a club, you just have to take a leap of faith."
Of course, Nighswonger is less interested in comparing the NWSL to the WSL, preferring instead to detail her own footballing journey. "I have nothing but positive things to say about Gotham and the NWSL," she continued. "I think [transferring] is just a fun opportunity to play in another country, and learn about a new culture."
The opportunity to join Arsenal came about quickly. Though Nighswonger noted that any offseason comes with the possibility of player movement.
"My agent just called me and I was through the moon, just so excited," she said.
A fitting positional pick-up for Nighswonger
Beyond the headlines, the transfer is clearly a good positional fit for Nighswonger's continued development. Despite originally launching her professional career as an attacking midfielder, she moved to left-back after winning 2023's NWSL Rookie of the Year award in the role.
"I'm so grateful for [Gotham]," she said. "Because when they picked me up out of college, I was an attacking mid, and they saw the vision and had confidence in me to be a left-back."
The 24-year-old's successful conversion piqued the attention of the USWNT senior team. Going from a position of depth to one that centers on consistency was especially appealing for the national team. Subsequently, Nighswonger featured as an option off the bench for the US during last summer's Olympic gold medal run. However, she has yet to unseat 32-year-old Crystal Dunn to claim a starting spot in any major competition.
Dunn herself is just one example of an attacking-minded player making the move to outside-back at the international level. As such, Nighswonger trusts that the more appearances she has on the flank, the more comfortable she will become.
"When I first changed to left-back, I was kind of like, 'What am I doing?'" she recalled. "I had a little bit of a moment — I thought I was the No. 10, that's what I've been for a while. Then switching to left-back, I started to love it more and more."
"I might not have the experience that all these other left-backs have," she added. "But I have talents coming from other positions that are useful as well."
Becoming a two-way player with Gotham
As she shifts through thirds on the pitch, Nighswonger is certainly attacking-focused. But she increasingly feels drawn to becoming a true two-way player at the highest level. The NWSL has a reputation for fast-paced play and a high level of transition. However, thanks in part to to Spanish head coach Juan Carlos Amorós's overseas experience, Gotham wasn't a stranger to favoring the possession-based style more often encountered in Europe.
Throughout the 2024 regular season, Gotham played a very fluid defensive formation that utilized Nighswonger's instincts as an attacker. The team would defend in a back four, but their offense saw the outside-backs pushing into the attacking third. Therefore, it wouldn't be uncommon to see Nighswonger alongside the center-backs on opposing goal kicks. But the moment Gotham won possession back, she'd be sprinting forward ready for service.
"The more I play this position and the more games I hopefully get on the national team or with Arsenal, challenges are gonna happen," she acknowledged. "It's just trying to work through those and accept that adversity is what's going to make you better in the long run."
Nighswonger talks overcoming adversity
While she downplays any talk of strife between her and her former NWSL club, some of the adversity she mentioned did show on the pitch. Nighswonger didn't start in Gotham's final regular season game — nor their two postseason matches — with the club instead featuring WSL product Jess Carter and longtime veteran Mandy Freeman.
With Gotham players Carter, Freeman, and Brazilian defender Bruninha all under contract through 2025, Nighswonger's position had become a little crowded. She also had her work cut out for her on the USWNT, struggling against the Netherlands alongside her teammates before coming off at halftime in 2024's hard-fought final friendly.
But none of those factors spell disaster for a young player. Instead, they might simply signal a need for a change. And Nighswonger won't be without Arsenal allies to get her through it. Soon, she'll be suiting up beside fellow USWNT star Emily Fox, who has excelled since joining the Gunners in early 2024.
It's 'full steam ahead' with Arsenal
Nighswonger named Fox as an important point of contact during her transfer decision. She also mentioned her excitement to learn as much as possible from Katie McCabe, with the Ireland captain having run Arsenal's left flank for years. And off the pitch, she's ready for every new challenge.
She's eager for Fox to show her around London. Additionally, she can't wait for her first match at the Emirates, the women's side's primary home this season. She's already heard good things about player housing. And when touring the facilities for her medical checkup, she was awestruck by the English club's rich history.
"I've wanted to come here since I was seven because I watched the Premier League," she said. "It's always been a dream of mine."
Nighswonger is now laser-focused on getting up to speed, integrating herself into the locker room culture Arsenal has already established. From there, it's all about competing for trophies against the other ambitious European sides. With Chelsea catapulting ahead in the WSL standings and a slew of top squads vying for this year's UEFA Champions League title, Arsenal's success will surely be a team effort.
"We're going after trophies," Nighswonger told JWS. "I'm here to help the team win, and I know they want to win, too. So full steam ahead."
Kristie Mewis made a statement in her West Ham debut on Sunday, assisting on a game-tying goal against Tottenham Hotspur.
WSL debut✅
— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) January 21, 2024
First WSL assist✅
Talk about a perfect start for Kristie Mewis 🌟🤩 pic.twitter.com/HQzJdSLpLW
Tottenham would win the game 4-3, but it still marked a point of positivity for the east London team, which currently sits 11th in the league table.
Elsewhere in the WSL, USWNT defender Emily Fox made her debut for Arsenal over the weekend, starting in the team’s 2-1 win over Everton. Forward Mia Fishel also earned a start for Chelsea in the wake of Sam Kerr’s season-ending injury.
It’s Fishel’s third start for Chelsea, and her second at Stamford Bridge.
Bunny Shaw had an outstanding performance over the weekend, notching a hat trick for Manchester City in their win over Liverpool. It marked her third hat trick in the last four league games.
🚨 BUNNY SHAW BACK HEEL GOAL 🚨
— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) January 21, 2024
She completes her hat-trick to make it THREE hat-tricks in her last FOUR league games. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/AxxztgtTjf
Arsenal has announced the signing of Emily Fox, with the USWNT defender joining the Gunners from the North Carolina Courage.
It confirms what has been reported for weeks, including a rumored sighting of Fox in a Getty image that has since been removed from the photo database. She follows in the footsteps of USWNT stars Heather O’Reilly and Tobin Heath, who both played for Arsenal.
Emily Fox is a Gunner 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/cT3mop2XWR
— Arsenal Women (@ArsenalWFC) January 11, 2024
In a statement, Fox said that it’s “amazing” to have signed with Arsenal.
“When I think of Arsenal, I think of excellence, I think of a global organization, I think of family,” Fox said. “I think of pushing the standards of football and especially in the women’s game. It’s a huge honor to get the opportunity to represent this club and I’m excited to get started and play in front of our supporters.”
It will be the 25-year-old’s first time playing outside of the United States. But she already knows a couple of her teammates, having played with Alessia Russo and Lotte Wubben-Moy at the University of North Carolina.
“Emily has shown impressive development over recent seasons and her strengths in both phases will make her an important addition to our squad,” Arsenal head coach Jonas Eidevall said. “At international level, the experience she’s built up gives her an excellent foundation to make the transition to English football.”
Fox joins USWNT teammates Catarina Macario, Mia Fishel and Kristie Mewis in the Women’s Super League. Macario and Fishel both play for cross-town rival Chelsea while Mewis recently joined West Ham.
Arsenal currently sit third in the WSL behind Manchester City and leaders Chelsea. The league will return from its winter break on Jan. 27.
All signs point to Emily Fox having signed with Arsenal after the USWNT star showed up in the background of some training photos on Sunday in Getty Images.
The picture has since been deleted from Getty, but was credited to Arsenal photographer David Price as part of the club’s coverage collection. In the foreground of the photo are defender Leah Williamson and forward Beth Mead in pre match jerseys. In the background of the picture walks another player, who looks strikingly similar to Fox.
The team had a closed door friendly against Dutch club Feyenoord in Portugal.
Notice anything in the background of this (now-deleted from Getty) picture, Arsenal fans? 🦊😉 pic.twitter.com/NLZTSGeVKP
— Women’s Transfer News (@womenstransfer) January 7, 2024
Reports have previously linked the North Carolina Courage star to the WSL club. Arsenal head coach Jonas Eidevall has hinted at adding more players in the offseason, and Arsenal reporter Tim Stillman reported that the restricted free agent was a potential target.
On Friday, BBC’s Emma Sanders reported that Arsenal were “close” to signing Fox, with hopes of reaching an agreement. She also reported that the two sides had been in “advanced talks since before Christmas.”
Arsenal is currently third in the WSL, tied with Manchester City with 22 points and sitting behind Chelsea, who has 25 points and will now be without star forward Sam Kerr, who tore her ACL on Sunday.
Arsenal and North Carolina Courage are in advanced talks to send star defender Emily Fox across the pond.
Arsenal head coach Jonas Eidevall has hinted at adding more players this offseason, and Fox could be sent to Arsenal on a free transfer, according to a report from OneFootball. Fox may be moving in the January transfer window, per Arsenal reporter Tim Stillman. Fox is a restricted free agent, though, so nothing is certain yet.
“Ideally was hoping to say this after a win (!) but I understand that USWNT right-back Emily Fox to Arsenal in January is at an advanced stage,” Stillman wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
The 25-year-old defender made 17 starts for the Courage in the 2023 season. She also started in all four matches for the U.S. women’s national team at the 2023 World Cup. She is versatile enough to play both left and right back and is a key target in the Gunners’ plans, according to the latest reports.
Further to this, understand a right-back is considered a priority for Arsenal Women in January. USWNT right-back Emily Fox a potential target. Player is currently a restricted free agent after spending this year at North Carolina Courage #AWFC
— Tim Stillman (@Stillmanator) December 16, 2023
U.S. Soccer announced the nominees for its 2023 Female Player of the Year award on Monday, including last year’s winner Sophia Smith.
Joining Smith are Crystal Dunn, Emily Fox, Naomi Girma and Lindsey Horan. Both Horan and Smith are among the team’s leading scorers, while Girma and Dunn featured heavily for the defense. Fox, meanwhile, had a breakout year for the USWNT.
Just Women’s Sports breaks down the three front-runners. The winners of U.S. Soccer’s annual awards will be announced in January 2024.
The national federation also announced nominees for Young Female Player of the Year, including senior national team members Alyssa Thompson and Olivia Moultrie as well as U-20 players Savannah King, Onyeka Gamero and Ally Sentnor.
Naomi Girma
If there is one player who has stood out among the rest for the USWNT, it’s Girma.
Questions arose about the team’s defensive line at the World Cup, particularly after longtime captain Becky Sauerbrunn went down with an injury. But Girma – alongside veteran Julie Ertz – answered those questions and then some. Penalty shootout against Sweden aside, the team allowed just one goal at the tournament due in part to Girma’s work along the back line.
In total, the team allowed just three goals through 16 games in 2023, going undefeated in friendlies. The USWNT allowed just 0.17 goals per game on the year, which is the best in any year in team history, according to OptaJack. Without Girma, that backline would have looked much different – and, arguably, the group stage at the World Cup would have gone much differently as well.
To end the year, the USWNT held its opponent without a shot attempt in the first half of its Dec. 2 friendly against China. That marked the eighth time in 2023 that the USWNT did not face a single shot in a half. Girma anchored that choke-you-to-death, lock-down defense, making the 23-year-old a top contender for the player of the year award.
Lindsey Horan
A former winner of this award, Horan once again had a banner year for the USWNT. She was one of few players to score at the Women’s World Cup – doing so twice, including a critical tally in the 1-1 draw against the Netherlands.
In total, Horan scored four goals on the year, which ties her for second-most on the team. (Mallory Swanson, despite going down with an injury in April, is the team’s leading scorer, with six goals in 2023.) Horan also added an assist to bring her total goal contributions to five. She started and played in 15 games for the squad, wearing the captain’s armband during the World Cup after Sauerbrunn went down with an injury.
Not only did the 29-year-old midfielder contribute offensively, but Horan also has been a steady presence for a USWNT team that has undergone some major changes this year — and will continue to do so under new head coach Emma Hayes. Horan also is the only player from the USWNT this year to have been nominated for the FIFA Best Player award, which is a testament to the year she had.
Sophia Smith
Smith followed up a banner 2022 with another great one for the USWNT in 2023. She joined Horan as the only two players to score for the U.S. at the World Cup, doing so twice. She also had an assist to finish as the team’s leader in points for the tournament.
Smith missed significant time with an injury after the World Cup, but the 23-year-old forward returned to the starting lineup for the team’s December friendlies and scored almost immediately – showcasing just how good she is and just how much the team needs her on its attack. The reigning player of the year, Smith backed that up, continuing to excel and putting herself back in the conversation once again.
U.S. women’s national team forward Trinity Rodman plans to tune into the four-part documentary on Netflix chronicling the team’s journey at the 2023 World Cup.
Already two trailers have been released for the docuseries, which will premiere on the streaming platform on Dec. 12. The series, titled “Under Pressure,” recounts the USWNT’s campaign for a World Cup three-peat at the 2023 tournament, which ended in a disappointing Round of 16 shootout loss to Sweden.
“We’re all talking about this. I think for me personally, it is a lot of emotions, and I think it will be for a while,” Rodman told reporters on Wednesday, admitting that she hasn’t watched the preview yet. “I will be watching though because I think we all need to see behind the scenes and see the journey that we went on, as much as it does kind of hurt.
“I do feel like we all need to reflect and see how much we went through together so then we can grow in the future. I think it’s going to be really cool for everyone to see and for us to grow as people and as teammates to each other. It’s gonna be tough though.”
And while they didn’t get the result they wanted at the World Cup, Rodman is excited for outsiders to “see the work that we put in.”
“It will be really interesting. I mean, I think with Netflix, they’ve done a few of these four-part documentaries and they’ve been really interesting on a lot of different subjects and sports,” said defender Emily Fox, who has yet to watch the second trailer. “I think when the documentary comes out, I definitely will be watching it.”
The USWNT is preparing to play China PR on Saturday, Dec. 2 and Tuesday, Dec. 5 in their final games of 2023. Next year, they’ll start the work of reclaiming gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Under new head coach Emma Hayes, they’ll be focused on winning, just as they were in Australia and New Zealand, where Rodman said they were barely aware of the Netflix film crew.
“I think for all of us, our heads were down with all the outside noise. And I think going into the thing, we did say we came together as a team and said there is so much outside noise and we cannot pay mind,” Rodman said of the World Cup. “We are here for one thing, and that’s to win. And that’s all we were thinking about was training and winning the next game.”
Players on the U.S. women’s national team reflected on meeting new head coach Emma Hayes on Wednesday, with Trinity Rodman calling the introduction “great.”
Hayes flew to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to meet with the team ahead of their final friendlies of the year. She won’t stay for the games, but in just two days, she made a impression. Hayes, currently the head coach of Chelsea, won’t join the USWNT until Chelsea’s season ends in May 2024.
“She’s amazing so far,” forward Rodman said. “Obviously, it’s only been two days. So there’s only so much you can find out about a person and I’d never met her before. So initial impressions have been really good.”
“First impressions of Emma are very welcoming, exciting and eager to really be a part of this team and get to work,” defender Emily Fox said. “So I’m really excited to have her as a coach and I know that we’re all gonna learn a lot from her.”
To Rodman, the biggest priority over the coming months will be Hayes building relationships with the U.S. players despite not physically being around the team. Interim coach Twila Kilgore will serve that role in Hayes’ absence.
“I think the biggest thing with her coming in is getting to know us as players because she’s not going to be able to build the foundation or start anything with us if she doesn’t really get to know us as people and know our characteristics on and off the field,” Rodman said.
But Hayes has also communicated to the players that she doesn’t want them to stray from their identities, and Rodman has heard from her peers that Hayes lives up to that standard.
“She wants us to be the players that we came into these camps as. She doesn’t want us molded into something else. She doesn’t want to stray away from who we are,” Rodman said.
“I’ve talked to a lot of people who have known her and have been coached by her, so I heard all good things. The relationships are always good with her. The coaching is amazing. She wants to win, but she also caters to what the players needs are, not just what her needs are to win.”
Hayes will also bring a much-needed international perspective to the USWNT. As the sport continues to grow and evolve abroad, some have questioned whether the U.S. has adjusted accordingly after their worst-finish ever at a World Cup in 2023. Hayes’ experience coaching in the Women’s Super League and in the U.S., with the NWSL’s Chicago Red Stars, makes her a unique fit for the squad.
“With this team, we’ve always been disruptors and trying to break barriers and just get better and better,” Fox said. “I think with the hiring of Emma, that just proves it once again. … First impressions, just really excited to have her because I think she brings in a different perspective. But she also has those similarities and always wanting to win, always wanting to disrupt, push for more and be the best.”
The second year of NWSL free agency opened on Nov. 20.
One of the top free agents on the market is Crystal Dunn, who already has announced her intention to depart the Portland Thorns. Other top targets include OL Reign midfielder Rose Lavelle and Chicago Red Stars forward Mallory Swanson.
With the expansion draft set for Dec. 15, teams and players alike seem to be in no rush to formalize contracts for the 2024 season. Teams can protect up to nine players from selection by Bay FC or the Utah Royals, but free agents are exempt, so expect most signings to become official after the draft.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the lone signing on the opening day of free agency went to the Royals. Michele Vasconcelos signed a two-year deal with Utah, setting up her return to her home state.
Unrestricted free agents can negotiate a new contract with any NWSL club, including expansion clubs Bay FC and Utah.
Restricted free agents also can negotiate with any NWSL club, but a player’s current team will have seven days to match any offer received — in salary, bonus structure and years. If the team does not match the offer, the player can sign with the new team, as spelled out in the NWSL’s collective bargaining agreement.
