Full Time: A show about women's soccer

Cloe Lacasse is having one of the best seasons of her career. The Utah Royals forward co-leads the NWSL in assists, with 10, and could break the league record in the same statistic if she sets up one more goal. She also has seven goals, making her one of the league’s top goal contributors. The Canadian’s form has begged the question: Is Lacasse underrated?On this episode of Full Time, host Jillian Sakovits and The Athletic’s Tamerra Griffin sit down for an interview with Lacasse to learn about her journey to Utah, what she thinks of personal accolades, the tricks of being a good goal creator, and what makes the Royals a team without an ego.PLUS: Jill, Tamerra, and Producer Theo give their picks of who the most underrated players of the 2026 NWSL season are, while also trying to better understand what makes a player underrated._______________HOSTS: Jillian Sakovits, Tamerra GriffinGUEST: Cloe LacassePRODUCER: 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

10 days after mutually parting ways with the Kansas City Current, Vlatko Andonovski is back in the NWSL.In a dramatic turn of events, the former USWNT head coach is now the Chief Soccer Officer for the Chicago Stars. So, on this episode of Full Time, host Jillian Sakovits is joined by The Athletic’s Meg Linehan and Tamerra Griffin to discuss whether Andonovski can make Midwestern magic happen yet again and turn the worst team in the NWSL into a contender. Can Andonovski revive the Chicago Stars? PLUS: The latest top stories from the NWSL weekend, from Angel City’s surge into the playoff places and Gotham becoming the first team to book their ticket to the postseason. And the pod takes a look at the state of the USWNT U20 group, which was eliminated from the World Cup by Brazil in the Round of 16 last week. What does another early exit from a world competition mean?_______________HOST: Jillian SakovitsPANEL: Meg Linehan, Tamerra GriffinPRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes_______________Referenced on the show:Chicago Stars’ struggles this season were evident. Vlatko Andonovski could revive the teamEx-Chelsea director Paul Green wants to turn Bay FC into a championship teamThe under-20 World Cup has top players ‘caught in between’ club and countryAlex Morgan, Crystal Dunn, Marta among players calling for FIFA to move U-20 Women’s World Cup_______________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

How long does the average head coach last in the NWSL? Why do we see so much turnover at the head coaching position? What are the causes, and what are the solutions (if we need them)?On this episode of Full Time, host Jillian Sakovits is joined by The Athletic’s Meg Linehan and Tamerra Griffin for a deep dive into coaching turnover in the NWSL. The trio unpacks all the data from coaching turnover over the last five years in the NWSL, examining the trends behind the revolving door as well as trying to understand which clubs are showing a different way. Are male and female head coaches given different lengths of tenure? What is the adequate amount of time to evaluate a head coach?_______________HOST: Jillian SakovitsPANEL: Meg Linehan, Tamerra GriffinPRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes_______________Referenced on the show:As NWSL grows, ‘head coach retention’ should become a new marker of successHouston Dash fire coach Fabrice Gautrat and technical director Twila KilgoreVlatko Andonovski’s Kansas City Current departure: ‘The finality of it hurts for the players’Bay FC close to appointing ex-Chelsea general manager Paul Green as head of footballMeet Jimmy Coenraets, the 31-year-old Utah Royals coach leading NWSL’s most unlikely contender_______________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

Cat Macario’s debut season in San Diego is over before it ever really began. Wave FC announced on Monday that the U.S. women’s national team attacker would be placed on the season-ending injury list after undergoing knee surgery. So, how did we get here, and what does it mean for Macario, the Wave and the USWNT? Host Jillian Sakovits is joined by The Athletic’s Melanie Anzidei and Tamerra Griffin to discuss a big news week in the NWSL, where, alongside Macario’s injury, we saw the Houston Dash fire head coach Fabrice Gautrat, the Orlando Pride hand out a big contract extension to Barbra Banda, and a group of past and present global soccer stars pen an open letter to FIFA._______________HOST: Jillian SakovitsPANEL: Melanie Anzidei, Tamerra GriffinPRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes_______________Referenced on the show:San Diego Wave place US forward Catarina Macario on season-ending injury list with knee injuryHouston Dash fire coach Fabrice Gautrat and technical director Twila KilgoreOrlando Pride signs prolific scorer Barbra Banda to contract extensionThe under-20 World Cup has top players ‘caught in between’ club and countryAlex Morgan, Crystal Dunn, Marta among players calling for FIFA to move U-20 Women’s World Cup_______________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

After 18 months away, Jenna Nighswonger is back in the NWSL and back in her home state of California. So, why has she joined Bay FC, what excites her about head coach Emma Coates, and how is life back in the league where she was a league Champion and Rookie of the Year three years ago? On this episode of Full Time, Nighswonger sits down with The Athletic’s Tamerra Griffin to catch up on life and soccer after returning to the U.S .from Arsenal this summer._______________HOST: Jillian Sakovits, Tamerra GriffinGUEST: Jenna NighswongerPRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes_______________Referenced on the show:Ballon d’Or Feminin 2026: Who do our writers think should win?The under-20 World Cup has top players ‘caught in between’ club and countryMaking sense of Vlatko Andonovski's exit from the KC Current_______________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 Kansas City Current announced that the team would be mutually parting ways with Sporting Director Vlatko Andonovski. The bombshell news came just 10 months after Andonovski led the Current to a record-breaking NWSL Shield win as head coach, then swiftly restructured his role in Kansas City, moving him from the dugout to head of the front office on the sporting side.On this week’s Full Time, Jillian Sakovits, Tamerra Griffin and Meg Linehan will be trying to make sense of what this divorce means for the Current and Andonovski. How did we get here, and where will both go next? Is Kansas City still an elite destination in the NWSL?_______________Articles referenced on the show: Kansas City Current and ex-USWNT manager Vlatko Andonovski ‘mutually part ways’How ‘Ted Lasso’ found a love for women’s soccer in Kansas CityTwo-time MVP and Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga’s aura charges KC Current_______________HOSTS: Jillian Sakovits, Tamerra Griffin, Meg LinehanPRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes_______________Get in touch: ⁠⁠fulltime@theathletic.com⁠⁠Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltimeSubscribe to the Full Time newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠Visit the Yahoo Women's Sports hub ⁠⁠here

A Ballon d’Or winner, in Bromley? Yes! You are hearing that correctly. The Athletic’s Charlotte Harpur takes you inside Alexia Putellas’s debut in the English Women’s Super League, a curious and historic night in Southeast London for big-spending London City Lionesses and owner Michele Kang. The pod also breaks down how London City overcame Manchester United on the pitch in the first match under United’s new head coach, Eva Olid. And, how is Kang trying to balance the books and the WSL’s new spending rules?PLUS: All the top moments from the NWSL weekend, which saw history in Portland, a hat-trick for the unstoppable Ashley Sanchez and an upset at the top of the table._______________HOST: Jillian SakovitsGUESTS: Charlotte HarpurPRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes_______________Referenced on the show:A Ballon d’Or winner in Bromley? Watching Alexia Putellas’ WSL debut with fans from around the worldManchester United and the 45 minutes that put them in the sights of the WSL’s chasing packNorth Carolina midfielder Ashley Sanchez sets U.S. scoring record — USWNT could be nextWSL investigating rule breach by Crystal Palace Women, as match officials stood downEarps, Putellas and how London City can afford their high-profile transfers_______________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 Athletic confirmed with sources that United States women’s national team midfielder Rose Lavelle has re-signed with Gotham FC through the 2029 season. The story was first reported by ESPN. So, why did Lavelle choose to stay with Gotham? And what does it mean for the USWNT?PLUS: Are we seeing the greatest Golden Boot race in NWSL history? Host Theo Lloyd-Hughes and The Athletic’s Melanie Anzidei break down the Lavelle contract news as well as how all the top scorers in the league match up and who their picks to win the award are come November. _______________HOST: Theo Lloyd-HughesGUEST: Jillian SakovitsPRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes_______________Referenced on the show:Rose Lavelle re-signs with Gotham FC through 2029_______________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

The English Women's Super League is back and bigger than ever. Expanded to 14 teams for the 2026-27 season, this week’s Full Time podcast previews the new season’s title contenders, relegation battlers, new players to watch, and biggest narratives to know before it all kicks off.Host Jillian Sakovits is joined by a panel of writers from The Athletic, featuring Tamerra Griffin and Megan Feringa. Can Manchester City repeat for the first time in their history? Are a strengthened Arsenal the top pick to win a first WSL title since 2019? How much spotlight will Alexia Putellas take up as she crashes the party with the big-spending London City Lionesses? Articles referenced on the show: Seven top WSL transfers: From young stars to some of Europe’s most in-demand playersManchester United set to sign Hacken winger Monica Jusu Bah in transfer over £400kWashington Spirit’s Rebeca Bernal nearing Manchester United moveWho is Eva Olid, why have Manchester United appointed her and what is she walking into?_______________HOST: Jillian SakovitsGUEST: Tamerra Griffin, Megan FeringaPRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes_______________Get in touch: ⁠⁠fulltime@theathletic.com⁠⁠Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltimeSubscribe to the Full Time newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠Visit the Yahoo Women's Sports hub ⁠⁠here