Full Time: A show about women's soccer

29 games down, 1 to go. The longest NWSL regular season ever is reaching its climax, and two teams, Gotham FC and the San Diego Wave, are left duking it out for top spot in the standings and the chance to lift the NWSL Shield.So, on the show today, we’re going to be debating what winning the NWSL Shield really means. Should the regular season title mean more than a Championship? How do we increase the value of this trophy? And what would winning it mean to the two clubs left chasing the glory?The podcast also breaks down all things Decision Day. From what will happen on Sunday in the Shield race, who will win the final playoff spot, and which teams can claim a spot in the top four and the right to host a playoff game._______________HOST: Theo Lloyd-HughesPANEL: Meg Linehan, Tamerra GriffinPRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes_______________Referenced on the show:NWSL Decision Day: Explaining what’s at stake on the final day of the regular season_______________Get in touch: ⁠⁠fulltime@theathletic.com⁠⁠Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltimeSubscribe to our YouTube channel: hereSubscribe to the Full Time newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠Visit the Yahoo Women's Sports hub ⁠⁠here

On Monday, Alexia Putellas was crowned the best player in the world, as she claimed her third Women’s Ballon d’Or trophy. But what does the Ballon d’Or really tell us about who the best player in the world is? What is the point of this award? Is it really just an exercise in marketing? Or can it truly be a gauge of success and value on the pitch? On this episode of Full Time, Theo Lloyd-Hughes is joined by The Athletic’s Meg Linehan and Tamerra Griffin to debate the biggest award in the soccer calendar. Charlotte Harpur also joins the show to share her perspective from being in London at the awards to see the Ballon d’Or handed out. And Gotham FC president of soccer operations, Yael Averbuch-West, also breaks down what the Ballon d’Or means for elite clubs.PLUS: Theo, Meg and Tamerra give their eulogies for all the NWSL teams that have already been eliminated from the playoffs. Which teams have plenty of hope and which teams don’t?_______________HOST: Theo Lloyd-HughesPANEL: Meg Linehan, Tamerra Griffin, Charlotte HarpurGUEST: Yawl Averbuch-WestPRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes_______________Get in touch: ⁠⁠fulltime@theathletic.com⁠⁠Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltimeSubscribe to our YouTube channel: hereSubscribe to the Full Time newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠Visit the Yahoo Women's Sports hub ⁠⁠here

This week, reports from The Athletic learned that the cities of Chicago and Portland are returning to the table to place bids to host the 2031 Women’s World Cup, which is expected to be hosted in the United States, Mexico, Jamaica, and Costa Rica.So, on this episode of Full Time, Theo Lloyd-Hughes, Tamerra Griffin, and Meg Linehan debate the case for those two cities to host. What makes a good host city? And what lessons will FIFA and U.S. Soccer have learned from the 2026 men’s World Cup when it comes to making their picks for the women’s edition in five years? PLUS: The Athletic’s Asli Pelit joins the show to give more details on Portland’s bid. While the pod also discusses the viral video from Angel City FC that riled up the Denver Summit after last weekend’s match in the NWSL, and who is the favorite to win the 2026 Women’s Ballon d’Or next Monday?_______________HOST: Theo Lloyd-HughesPANEL: Meg Linehan, Tamerra GriffinPRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes_______________Referenced on the show: Portland wants to host 2031 Women’s World Cup games. The Bhathal family is helping lead the chargeChicago want to host the Women’s World Cup after saying ‘no’ to men’s tournament_______________Get in touch: ⁠⁠fulltime@theathletic.com⁠⁠Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltimeSubscribe to our YouTube channel: hereSubscribe to the Full Time newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠Visit the Yahoo Women's Sports hub ⁠⁠here

On Monday, the England women’s national team announced that head coach Sarina Wiegman had signed a two-year contract extension, through the end of the UEFA Women’s Euro 2029 tournament. So, what does Wiegman’s contract extension mean for Wiegman, the Lionesses, and the rest of global women’s soccer?On this episode of Full Time, Theo Lloyd-Hughes is joined by The Athletic’s Megan Feringa to unpack Wiegman’s new contract extension as well as all the latest from the English Women’s Super League, including how the teams lower in the table can bridge ‘The Gap’ on those at the top, whether Manchester City will ever lose again, and the latest on Arsenal’s crisis that continues to embroil head coach Renee Slegers.PLUS: Melanie Anzidei discusses what we learned from the NWSL weekend and gives her predictions on how the top eight places in the league will shake out. Were the San Diego Wave the real winners of the weekend? What happens to Ashley Sanchez’s MVP campaign if the North Carolina Courage miss out on the playoffs?_______________HOST: Theo Lloyd-HughesPANEL: Megan Feringa, Melanie AnzideiPRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes_______________Get in touch: ⁠⁠fulltime@theathletic.com⁠⁠Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltimeSubscribe to our YouTube channel: hereSubscribe to the Full Time newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠Visit the Yahoo Women's Sports hub ⁠⁠here

This week, the Full Time podcast is wondering: Is there such a thing as the biggest game in the NWSL calendar? And if so, right now, is that marquee matchup between Washington Spirit and Gotham FC?Well, with the two teams facing off on Saturday at Audi Field – in a rematch of the 2025 NWSL Championship – what better time to debate what it means to see these two go head-to-head and unpack why this week’s regular season match has so much on the line. How are these squads looking heading out of the international break and back into league action? And what will this match mean for the Shield, the playoffs and the MVP race?_______________HOST: Theo Lloyd-HughesPANEL: Meg Linehan, Melanie AnzideiPRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes_______________Get in touch: ⁠⁠fulltime@theathletic.com⁠⁠Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltimeSubscribe to our YouTube channel: hereSubscribe to the Full Time newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠Visit the Yahoo Women's Sports hub ⁠⁠here

On this episode of Full Time, host Tamerra Griffin is joined by The Athletic’s Meg Linehan and Melanie Anzidei to discuss the recent friendlies between the U.S. women’s national team and Spain, which finished 2-0 to the European visitors and then 2-2.Is the USA midfield still a problem? Where did Emma Hayes get her team selection right and wrong? Do these results make Spain favorites to next year’s World Cup? Fresh from Audi Field and Subaru Park, our panel breaks down all the lessons learned.PLUS: On Wednesday, U.S. Soccer announced plans for a new national tournament that brings together women’s soccer clubs from different leagues nationwide to compete for a single championship. What do we know about the Crest Cup? The pod reacts to the breaking news._______________HOST: Tamerra GriffinPANEL: Meg Linehan, Melanie AnzideiPRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes_______________Referenced on the show:The USWNT and Emma Hayes needed Ashley Sanchez to step forward. She deliveredUSWNT showed they have depth against Spain. Suddenly, Emma Hayes’ core group is under pressureU.S. Soccer launches Arthur M. Blank Crest Cup, women’s soccer’s equivalent to U.S. Open CupSanchez’s, Swanson’s goals lift USWNT to thrilling second-half comeback to draw Spain_______________Get in touch: ⁠⁠fulltime@theathletic.com⁠⁠Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltimeSubscribe to our YouTube channel: hereSubscribe to the Full Time newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠Visit the Yahoo Women's Sports hub ⁠⁠here

This week marked the finale of the fourth season of ‘Ted Lasso’. This was the first season of the incredibly popular Apple TV show that centered around women’s soccer. So, on this week’s Full Time, the podcast wonders: Did ‘Ted Lasso’ do women’s soccer justice?Host Theo Lloyd-Hughes is joined by The Athletic’s Meg Linehan and Asli Pelit, as well as writer Steph Yang to unpack what worked and what didn’t about this high-profile televised comedy that broadcast women’s soccer to millions of homes around the world.PLUS: Theo and Meg give their three things to watch out for in the upcoming U.S.women’s national team vs. Spain friendlies._______________HOST: Theo Lloyd-HughesPANEL: Meg Linehan, Asli Pelit, Steph YangPRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes_______________Referenced on the show:Ted Lasso and what promotion means in the women’s game‘Ted Lasso’ tackles women’s soccer’s worst nightmare: Knee injuriesSide hustles aren’t just for ‘Ted Lasso’s’ plot, they’re many professional footballers’ realityWhat ‘Ted Lasso’ gets right about the lack of resources allocated to women’s soccer_______________Get in touch: ⁠⁠fulltime@theathletic.com⁠⁠Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltimeSubscribe to our YouTube channel: hereSubscribe to the Full Time newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠Visit the Yahoo Women's Sports hub ⁠⁠here

Are Arsenal in crisis? And, what does the future hold for head coach Renée Slegers?On this episode of Full Time, Theo Lloyd-Hughes and The Athletic’s Megan Feringa break down a testing week for Arsenal and their beleaguered head coach that finished with a 4-2 defeat to Manchester City on Sunday. After another poor start to a WSL season, the Gunners find themselves 10th in the table and 10 points adrift of the league leaders. Yet again, a long-awaited title chase feels over before it ever really began. PLUS: What is still at stake in the NWSL? The Athletic’s Meg Linehan also joins the show to analyze the league standings in the NWSL with 27 matches played and three more games left to go in the regular season. Who is in the Shield race? Who can host a playoff game? Who is locked into the playoffs? And who is still clinging to faint playoff hopes? _______________HOST: Theo Lloyd-HughesPANEL: Megan Feringa, Meg LinehanPRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes_______________Referenced on the show:Arsenal have lost their self-belief. Rediscovering it won’t be straightforwardThe Lauren Hemp 2027 Ballon d’Or campaign starts hereWhat are we meant to think of London City Lionesses and their superstars?Houston Dash eyeing fresh start in 2027 is more exciting than concerningUSWNT calls up Jaelin Howell to replace injured Sam Coffey for Spain friendliesYou can find Alison Gale’s playoff predictor website here_______________Get in touch: ⁠⁠fulltime@theathletic.com⁠⁠Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltimeSubscribe to our YouTube channel: hereSubscribe to the Full Time newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠Visit the Yahoo Women's Sports hub ⁠⁠here

Five years ago, the NWSL was facing a reckoning over systemic abuse within women’s soccer. With play halted and protests from players and fans across the country, no one was sure if the league would survive.Five years on, the league barely resembles the NWSL of the past. But how did we get here? And how did the NWSL players save their league and shape its future? On this special episode of Full Time, host Jillian Sakovits is joined by The Athletic’s Meg Linehan to trace the developments in the league since its biggest crisis in the wake of reporting on abuse in the NWSL in 2021. Former NWSL and U.S. women’s national team player Meghan Klingenberg also joins the show to share her insight from being a player with the Portland Thorns back in 2021, and reflect on the legacy that the NWSL Players Association helped to create in the wake of the reckoning._______________HOSTS: Jillian Sakovits, Meg LinehanGUEST: Meghan KlingenbergPRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes_______________Referenced on the show:Five years ago, the NWSL was in crisis. Thanks to its players, it’s flourishing‘This guy has a pattern’: Amid institutional failure, former NWSL players accuse prominent coach of sexual coercion_______________Get in touch: ⁠⁠fulltime@theathletic.com⁠⁠Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltimeSubscribe to our YouTube channel: hereSubscribe to the Full Time newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠Visit the Yahoo Women's Sports hub ⁠⁠here