The FAWSL may be on hold for a couple of weeks while players are away on international duty, but that doesn’t mean clubs have been shy about trying to improve before the second half of the season begins. Two have made major managerial decisions that are sure to have an impact on how the rest of the year unfolds.

West Ham United announced early on November 19th that head coach Matt Beard would be leaving the club, a decision that has been publicly disclosed as mutual.

West Ham United can confirm that Women’s head coach Matt Beard has left the Club by mutual consent.https://t.co/ANFLQ3UcLa

— West Ham United Women (@westhamwomen) November 19, 2020

Later that day, Tottenham Hotspur announced that co-managers Karen Hills and Juan Amoros have been released of their duties with immediate effect.

Karen Hills and Juan Amoros leave Club.

Statement: https://t.co/3kl6ixrRgT pic.twitter.com/dXmwCPscaf

— Tottenham Hotspur Women (@SpursWomen) November 19, 2020

Thank you for the memories Matt ❤ pic.twitter.com/E9k3s6jKcx

— West Ham United Women (@westhamwomen) November 19, 2020

However this season, West Ham are in 9th place and are four points behind 8th place Brighton & Hove Albion.

Beard is a fantastic coach — there is no doubt about it. But it has not seemed to be clicking for him at West Ham as of late. The team is massively underperforming and has not been consistent in their performances since at least the beginning of 2020.

A personal message from me @westhamwomen! pic.twitter.com/ypLzcGO4sx

— Matthew Beard (@mattbeard02) November 19, 2020

West Ham have not announced a replacement yet, and it’ll be interesting to see who they bring in. Beard is one of the biggest names in women’s football, and the club will be hoping to bring in someone with a similar pedigree who can re-energize the squad. As of right now, goalkeeping coach Billy Steward and first-team coach Paul McHugh will act as interim coaches until a permanent replacement is announced.

Karen Hills has been at Tottenham Hotspur for over a decade, taking over as head coach in 2009. Juan Amoros joined the club in 2011 as co-head coach. The two were pivotal in bringing the club up from the amateur leagues to the FAWSL, having won the Championship play-offs in the 2016/17 season, and securing a promotion spot to the FAWSL in 2019. They also won the FA Women’s National League Cup back to back in 2016 and 2017.

Last season, during their first year in the FAWSL, Tottenham Hotspur finished in 7th place — a strong finish for a newly-promoted side. However, this season, Tottenham have yet to win a match in the league as they currently sit in 11th place with three points. Hills and Amoros’ sacking makes a lot of sense — the Spurs have a real chance of being relegated this season, and something must change if they are to avoid dropping down.

Unlike West Ham, the Spurs have a replacement lined up. They announced later on Thursday that Rehanne Skinner will take charge at the club on a contract through the 2022/2023 season.

???? We are delighted to announce the appointment of Rehanne Skinner as our Head Coach on a contract that runs until the end of the 2022/23 season.

???? https://t.co/UqRHRrGXxZ pic.twitter.com/40Vv4iGEVa

— Tottenham Hotspur Women (@SpursWomen) November 19, 2020

Skinner will leave her role as England’s assistant coach, where she worked alongside Phil Neville starting in September of this year. Prior to that, she was head coach of England’s U21 team. She also previously worked with Tottenham’s North London rivals Arsenal, where she was part of the coaching staff that won six trophies, including two FAWSL titles.

Absolutely delighted to be joining @SpursWomen can’t wait to get started, new chapter, exciting times ahead https://t.co/VzQtF4xYzZ

— Rehanne Skinner (@rehanne_skinner) November 19, 2020

It is clear that Tottenham have been working on this appointment for a while, with it being announced mere hours after the sacking of the previous managers. It’s no question that Amoros and especially Hills have cemented themselves in Tottenham’s legacy book, but it’s also clear that a fresh change is needed at the club if they want to build on last year’s 7th place finish and avoid relegation.

The Tour de France Femmes confirmed its course for 2026 this week, setting up next year's event as the longest iteration of the race in the women's tour history.

The 2026 course will run in nine stages starting in Lausanne, Switzerland, on August 1st and continuing through the finish line in Nice, France, on August 9th.

Cyclists will cover a total of 1,175 kilometers, with 18,795 meters of climbing.

The course will feature three flat stages and three hilly stages as well as two mountain stages and one individual time trial, with riders tackling Mont Ventoux — an iconic climb from the men's event — for the first time.

Though 2026 will only by the fifth edition of the modern Tour de France Femmes, the race will make its debut in a standalone time slot one full week after the men’s race ends, with recent record viewership fueling the move to separate the races rather than continue the previous tactic of scheduling the two events back-to-back.

"We no longer need men for the Tour de France Femmes to exist,"  said race director Marion Rousse at Thursday's course unveiling. "There's no need to have the men's race as a platform to launch the women's race. Now people are waiting to see us."

"People have embraced us," Rousse continued. "The new dates, separate to the men, prove it."

This weekend's slate of international soccer features more than one blockbuster matchup, as some of the summer's top performers, including England and Brazil, begin the long process of preparing for the 2027 World Cup.

Reigning UEFA Women's Euro champions England will be hosting 2025 Copa América Femenina winners Brazil at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester on Saturday, when the Lionesses officially kick off their four-game Homecoming Series to close out 2025 play.

The match between world No. 4 England and No. 7 Brazil will serve as the first of the series of friendlies that will span the final two international breaks of the year, with the Lionesses closing out the opening pair of games against No. 15 Australia on Tuesday.

Elsewhere, while England fans will be enjoying the team's victory lap after their second-straight Euro title, other top UEFA competition are honing in on 2025 Nations League play.

Behind a long-range goal from winger Klara Bühl, No. 5 Germany snagged a narrow 1-0 victory over No. 6 France on Friday morning, taking the lead in the pair's two-leg semifinal.

The second Nations League semifinal round kicks off at 2 PM ET on Friday, when No. 1 Spain faces No. 3 Sweden live on Prime.

How to watch England vs. Brazil this weekend

England takes on Brazil at 12:30 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage streaming on Prime.

The Wings have found their next sideline leader, as multiple reports on Thursday linked longtime University of South Florida (USF) head coach Jose Fernandez to the open position in Dallas.

Fernandez is still finalizing his contract with the WNBA team, with the 53-year-old exiting USF having led the Bulls for 25 years, making 10 NCAA tournament appearances along the way.

Calling his impact "profound," USF athletics CEO Rob Higgins acknowledged that Fernandez is leaving for a WNBA position in a Thursday statement.

"While this is a bittersweet moment for our program, it is a well-deserved opportunity for Jose," said Higgins. "We are incredibly proud of him."

Replacing Chris Koclanes after one year, Fernandez will become the fifth Dallas head coach in seven seasons, with the Wings trying to build a title-contending roster around 2025 WNBA Draft overall No. 1 pick and reigning Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers.

Fernandez will also be the third WNBA hiring out of the college ranks in the last two years, joining Atlanta Dream boss Karl Smesko (FGCU) and LA Sparks manager Lynne Roberts (Utah).

Hoping to improve on a 13th-place 2025 finish — and make the WNBA Playoffs for the first time since 2023 — Dallas could claim a second straight No. 1 draftee next year, with the Wings entering 2026 with the highest odds to snag the top pick in the league's draft lottery.

The WNBA league office and the Players Association (WNBPA) exchanged escalating public statements this week, as both sides dispute terms surrounding a key issue in the ongoing CBA negotiations: revenue sharing.

"When the players opted out [of their CBA] a year ago, they made it clear they wanted a salary system that values their labor and allows them to grow with the business they are very clearly driving," WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson told ESPN in a statement this week, citing the vast disparity in revenue sharing percentages between the WNBA and the NBA.

Jackson continued by claiming that the WNBA intends to "run out the clock" and double down on a model that "intentionally undervalues the players."

Days ago, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said publicly that "[Revenue] share isn't the right way to look at it," pushing instead for salary increases in "absolute numbers."

WNBA leadership, however, denied that their current offer to players omits all revenue sharing, with the league calling the WNBPA's claim "incorrect and surprising," while indicating that an uncapped revenue sharing model "directly tied to the league's performance" is on the table.

"It is frustrating and counterproductive for the union to be making misrepresentations about our proposals while also accusing the league of engaging in delay," the WNBA's statement continued. "That is simply not true."

With both parties not seeing eye to eye, a resolution before the October 31st CBA deadline appears unlikely, though a formal request for an extension on negotiations is not currently in the cards.