American Soccer Analysis

NOT A PATREON MEMBER? ⁠Use the code "XOG"⁠ to get a year's subscription for 50% off!!! The U.S. women's national team took down Italy 5-0 on aggregate across a window that saw the 26th and 27th players get their first caps under Emma Hayes, an all-time record for a U.S. head coach. What has 2025 meant for the USWNT, and how has it set themselves up for the next phase of their World Cup preparations?The guys also do a quick news roundup from the past two weeks, including the Rob Gale firing, the Hailie Mace and Jess Fishlock signings, and other bits and bobs. Like & subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ page and watch the first volume of our Anatomy of series!Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Art by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Eli Elbogen⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs⁠⁠⁠

Fly Bats, fly! Gotham FC won their second NWSL title on Saturday, squeaking past the Washington Spirit 1-0 on a miracle goal from Rose Lavelle in the second half. Did the Spirit deserve to lose? Did Gotham deserve to win? What ultimately separated the two sides, how should they view their seasons as a whole? Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for only $6/month to get exclusive bonus content, including the show ad-free! Like & subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ page and watch the first volume of our Anatomy of series!Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Art by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Eli Elbogen⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs⁠⁠⁠

The moment has finally come! In the now-most-played fixture in NWSL—and in what may now finally be called a true rivalry—the Washington Spirit and Gotham FC face each other in San Jose for all the marbles. The guys hung out at each team's training to figure out who has the edge. The projections make Gotham slight favorites, so why do our guts tell us the Spirit have the advantage? They try to make sense of it all. Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for only $6/month to get exclusive bonus content, including the show ad-free! Like & subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ page and watch the first volume of our Anatomy of series!Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Art by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Eli Elbogen⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs⁠⁠

It was more than 90 minutes of dross, capped by a moment of magic: 2023 NWSL champs Gotham FC squeaked past 2024 champs Orlando Pride thanks to Jaedyn Shaw's free kick wizardry and little else. Neither team played well. How much does that inform Orlando's offseason outlook? How can Gotham find the juice to get past a peaking Washington Spirit in the Championship game? The guys muse over all of it. Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for only $6/month to get exclusive bonus content, including the show ad-free! Like & subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ page and watch the first volume of our Anatomy of series!Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Art by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Eli Elbogen⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs⁠⁠

The Washington Spirit are headed to their second straight NWSL Championship game on the heels of a commanding performance against a depleted Portland Thorns side. Were Washington good, or were Portland bad? What will the Thorns need to do in the offseason to get back to the playoffs? And what do Trinity Rodman's contract negotiations tell us about the state of the NWSL's ability to retain top talent? Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for only $6/month to get exclusive bonus content, including the show ad-free! Like & subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ page and watch the first volume of our Anatomy of series!Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Art by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Eli Elbogen⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs⁠⁠