Here are the notable’s since last Friday:
- Chicago Red Stars: Maxi Rall off 45-day injury list, Sami Feller released
- North Carolina Courage: Maya McCutcheon released, signs with Wellington Phoenix of the A-League
- San Diego Wave: Goalkeeper Mackenzie Rath signed as injury replacement player
- U-20 WWC Players Update: USA and Japan advance to the semifinals
Chicago Red Stars: Maxi Rall off 45-day injury list, Sami Feller released
German defender Maxi Rall is back on the active roster for the Red Stars after being placed on the 45-Day injury list on August 1st (press release). As the Red Stars were already at the maximum of 26 players due to the addition of Canadian international Julia Grosso and Brazilian international Ludmila, one player would need to be removed.
That player is second-year defender Sami Feller, with whom the Red Stars “have come to a mutual agreement… to terminate her contract”. (September 16th press release) Feller was unavailable for the first half of the season, as she was on the SEI list for a hip injury until just before Chicago’s last pre-Olympics match. (July 5th press release)
Today’s press release does not mention forward Mallory Swanson, who was subbed off in Chicago’s last match due to an apparent shoulder injury. Except for a nonspecific comment by head coach Lorne Donaldson after that match, no updates regarding Swanson have been posted by Chicago Red Stars social media or NWSL journalists.
North Carolina Courage: Maya McCutcheon released, signs with Wellington Phoenix of the A-League
McCutcheon, who was on a National Team Replacement Player contract, requested the release so she could sign with Wellington Phoenix, which plays in Australia’s A-League, but is located in New Zealand. (Courage press release, Phoenix press release)
McCutcheon graduated from West Virginia University in December 2023, where she played three seasons for the Mountaineers. Previously, the Dallas native played two seasons at Oklahoma before transferring to WVU.
McCutcheon was not drafted in the 2024 NWSL draft, but did train with the Courage as a non-roster invitee and was used as replacement player twice this year, including most recently due to the absence of U-20 WWC players Riley Jackson and Manaka Matsukubo.
San Diego Wave: Goalkeeper Mackenzie Rath signed as injury replacement player
On Saturday, before their match against the Utah Royals, the Wave announced that Rath had been signed as an injury replacement for an unspecified period. The Wave’s goalkeeping corps was without two players due to Kailen Sheridan serving a red card suspension and Meghan Messner being out with a hand injury (x.com post)
U-20 WWC Players Update: USA and Japan advance to the semifinals
In Sunday’s quarterfinals match against Germany, for a few minutes, it looked like the USA were definitely going home, following Loreen Bender’s stoppage time insurance goal. But, the USA scored two late goals within 90 seconds to send the match into extra time.
Both USA goals had the involvement of an NWSL player: The USA’s first goal, scored by Florida State’s Jordynn Dudley was assisted by the Orlando Pride’s Ally Lemos who sent a high looping pass beyond the German backline. Dudley spun and raced onto the ball, briefly dribbled, and then unleashed an angled ground-level shot into the back of the net.
The USA’s equalizer was off of a deflected cross from Maddie Dahlien, which popped up into the path of Utah Royal’s Ally Sentnor who contorted her right leg and redirected the ball toward goal where it deflected off the inside of a leg of a German defender and across the line. Ultimately, this goal has been credited as a German own goal.
After two scoreless periods of extra time, the match went to a penalty shootout. The USA made all three of their necessary kicks, while Germany only converted their first, but then missed their next two kicks and had their final kick saved by USA goalkeeper Teagan Wy. Two NWSL players took spot kicks for the USA: Ally Sentnor and North Carolina Courage’s Riley Jackson, who had a penalty kick saved during the extra time of the Round of Sixteen match versus Mexico.
In the semifinals, the USA will play Korea DPR on Wednesday, September 18th, at 5:30 p.m. EDT. That match will be shown live by FOX Sports 2 and will stream live via Telemundo Deportes.
The North Carolina Courage’s other player at this tournament, Manaka Matsukubo, is also still in the tournament after Japan’s 1-nil extra-time victory over Spain.
As the tournament has a third-place match, both teams are guaranteed to stay in Colombia through the weekend, so the USA and Japan players will not return to their teams until the week of September 23rd.
[September 5th] Portland Thorns: Goalkeeper Lauren Kozal loaned to USL Super League club Tampa Bay Sun
(Missed this from a couple of weeks ago.)
The loan is only through the end of the current NWSL season. “Portland reserves the right to terminate the loan agreement at any time.” (September 5th press release)
Kozal was drafted by the Thorns in 2023 out of Michigan State.
Women's Soccer Express 