women’s soccer – Page 2 – Women's Soccer Express

Northern Super League: Canada’s new league kicks off on Wednesday

Update (16-Apr-2025): All matches will be available in the USA, either via ESPN+ or the NSL’s website (nsl.ca). Also, for those outside the USA and Canada, all matches can be streamed for free via the NSL’s website.

Canada’s first professional women’s soccer league, the Northern Super League, begins play on Wednesday, April 16. Fans in the United States will be able to watch about half of the league’s regular season matches via the ESPN+ streaming service.

For its inaugural season, the league consists of six teams: The Calgary Wild, the Halifax Tides, the Montréal Roses, the Ottawa Rapid, AFC Toronto, and the Vancouver Rise. All six teams have received a “National 1 License” under the Canada Soccer Club Licensing Program (Canada Soccer press release).

During the 2025 regular season, each team will play each other team five times, for a total of 25 matches. As the total number of matches each team will play is odd, three of the teams (Ottawa, Calgary, and Halifax) will have an extra home match. The regular season runs from mid-April to mid-October. Playoffs will also be held: The top four teams will be paired off for two-legged semifinals, followed by a single-match championship. (NSL press release).

USWNT: The USA will play Jamaica on Tuesday, June 3, instead of China PR

For the next international window, which begins in late May, the United States Women’s National Team will only play China PR once, as for some unspecified reason, China PR “could play only the first match”, which is on Saturday, May 31.

From U.S. Soccer’s press release (11-Apr-2025):

After initially agreeing to play two matches during the upcoming FIFA window, the Chinese Football Association subsequently informed U.S. Soccer that its Women’s National Team could play only the first match.

For the second match, on Tuesday, June 3, the USWNT will now Jamaica, which is currently ranked #40 in the FIFA rankings and is the fourth-highest Concacaf team, behind the USA, Canada, and Mexico. The time, venue, and broadcast details for the match have not changed.

NWSL: 2025 USA TV/Streaming Schedule — Week 4, with Referee Assignments

With the first international window of the season out of the way, the National Women’s Soccer League resumes on Friday for seven straight weekends of matches until the next international break, which starts in late May.

Week Four kicks off on Friday night with a Prime Video match featuring two teams that are both looking for their first win of the season: The Utah Royals and the Portland Thorns .

The only two teams with perfect records, the Orlando Pride and the Kansas City Current, will both be in action during Saturday night’s ION doubleheader. In the first match, the #1 Orlando Pride play at #6 Seattle Reign. Then, the #2 Kansas City Current face the #5 San Diego Wave.

USWNT: TV and Streaming details for Tuesday’s USA-Brazil friendly

On Tuesday, April 8, the United States Women’s National Team will host Brazil for the second friendly of this month’s two match series. That friendly has a start time of 10:30 p.m. EDT (7:30 p.m. PDT).

In the United States, English-language coverage on TBS and via Max will begin at 10:00 p.m. EDT.

TV & Streaming Details

English-language

Television: TBS
Streaming: Max (“Standard” or “Premium” plans only)

Spanish-language

Television: Universo
Streaming: Peacock

In the first friendly, on Saturday, April 5, the USWNT won 2-nil via a Trinity Rodman goal and a Lindsay Heaps penalty kick (YouTube highlights).

During the next international window, which starts in late May, the USWNT will host China twice. Then, in late June, the USA hosts the Republic of Ireland for a pair of matches, followed by one friendly against Canada in early July.

TV & Streaming: Saturday, April 5, 2025 — USWNT vs. Brazil, U-17 USWYNT vs. El Salvador

USWNT: Brazil roster for the friendlies with the USA

For its first encounter with the United States Women’s National Team since last year’s gold medal match in the 2024 Summer Olympics, Brazil will have nine starters from that clash available, compared to just six for the USA. Overall, 12 of Brazil’s 22 players from last year’s Olympics have been named by head coach Arthur Elias to their roster for the upcoming friendlies against the USWNT.

Among the nine gold medal match starters are all three front line players: Gotham FC’s Gabi Portilho, who had the game-winner in the quarterfinals against France (NBC highlights) and also scored against Spain in their semifinal (NBC highlights). Ludmila, now of the Chicago Stars, was a dangerous presence in the gold medal match, where she could have had a goal in the second minute and later had a goal cancelled by the offside flag (NBC highlights). The 23-year-old Jheniffer, who joined Tigres of the Liga MX Femenil in January (Instagram), scored against Japan during the group stage, via an assist from Ludmila (NBC highlights).

Also on the present roster is Adriana, who won the double with Orlando Pride last season, but now plays in Saudi Arabia. During second-half stoppage time of the gold medal match, Adriana had a diving header saved by USWNT goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher (NBC highlights). However, Adriana was not denied in Brazil’s semifinal, where she headed home what would be the game-winner against Spain (NBC highlights).

Mexico U-23 WNT: Mexico holds its first-ever Under-23 camp — One NWSL pro and five NCAA players called up

After hiring a permanent head coach in February, the Mexico Under-23 Women’s National Team is holding its first-ever camp, which got underway on Monday, March 31, at its federation’s High Performance Center.

In charge of the Mexico U-23s is Vanessa Martínez Lagunas (LinkedIn profile), who played collegiate soccer at the University of Texas and was capped by the senior Mexico Women’s National Team. Prior to being hired by the Mexico Football Federation, she served as the head coach of the women’s soccer program at Canada’s University of Manitoba (coach bio). Martínez has a doctorate degree in sports science from Leipzig University in Germany.

The 26-player roster for this camp, which runs through Tuesday, April 8, includes six players currently based in the United States. The remaining 20 athletes all play professionally in Mexico’s Liga MX Femenil.

The only NWSL professional is Angel City FC goalkeeper Breanna Norris, who was signed by ACFC on a roster relief contract that runs through the end of June (ACFC press release). The 5’10” Norris played four seasons of NCAA soccer at the University of Portland (player profile) where she was the West Coast Conference Goalkeeper of the Year in her final two seasons.

Five players called up are currently on collegiate teams: Maribel Flores, USC Trojans; Isabella Gutiérrez, East Carolina Pirates; Xcaret Pineda, Oklahoma State Cowgirls; Giana Riley, Florida State Seminoles; and Val Vargas, UCLA Bruins.

Streaming: USWNT and USMNT matches no longer available on the Max “Basic With Ads” plan

zoomed screenshot of the Max app interface showing the USWNT-Brazil April 5 match page with the flags of both countries. The page has "Unavailable with your current plan" plus a large "Switch Plans" button.

As announced in late February, the Max streaming service has removed live sports from its “Basic With Ads” plan.

Thus, in order to watch international soccer friendlies involving the United States Women’s and Men’s National Teams, viewers who have relied on the Max streaming service will either need to upgrade to its “Standard” plan or use NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming service, which shows USA friendlies with Spanish-language commentary. For details about pricing and alternatives, see this help guide.

USWNT: The USA will play Canada on July 2 in Washington, D.C.

The United States Women’s National Team’s third match during the June-July international window will be against Canada on July 2. The friendly will be played at Audi Field, the home of the Washington Spirit.

Canada is currently ranked 7th overall in the FIFA rankings and is the second-highest ranked Concacaf team, behind the USWNT.

This will be the first USWNT-Canada match for the head coaches of both teams, Emma Hayes, and Casey Stoney, respectively.

For sponsorship reasons, the match will be branded as the third edition of the “Allstate Continental Clásico” (“Allstate” = Allstate Insurance Company). That gratuitously Spanish moniker was first used for a 2023 friendly between the United States Men’s National Team and its Mexico counterpart (USSF match page). In the 2024 edition, the U.S. Men hosted Brazil (USSF match page). Both matches ended in 1:1 draws.

USWNT: Roster announced for Brazil friendlies — Trinity Rodman returns, Avery Patterson receives first call-up

Update (31-Mar-2025): As expected, center-back Tierna Davidson has been withdrawn due to her knee injury. Outside-back Gisele Thompson has been called from the U-23 USWYNT as a replacement. (U.S. Soccer press release) On 5-April-2025, the rest of this post was been updated accordingly.

Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman is back with the United States Women’s National Team for the first time since the 2024 Summer Olympics.

The addition of Rodman is just one of several changes from February’s SheBelieves Cup roster that USWNT head coach Emma Hayes has made for the squad that will face Brazil twice in early April. Defenders Jenna Nighswonger and Gisele Thompson; along with forwards Lynn Biyendolo, who has a minor lower leg injury, and Emma Sears have not been called up.

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce, defender Alana Cook, and forward Ashley Hatch also return to the official USWNT fold. Hatch most recently attended the January 2025 USWNT camp. Both Hatch and Cook have not appeared in a USWNT match since 2023.

The Houston Dash’s Avery Patterson is receiving her first call-up to the USWNT. Patterson attended the January 2025 U-23 USWYNT “Futures Camp”, where she was listed as a forward. Here, the versatile flank player is listed as a defender, so she will likely be trialed as an outside-back, a position she has played for the Dash, as well as her former NCAA team, the North Carolina Tar Heels.

TV & Streaming Details

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