WSL clubs are increasingly investing in young talent from abroad. Sources say WSL academy players are not ready. But why? “It’s easy to say, they aren’t ready, but no one has come down from the top of the club to check on them.” @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/707...

Man Utd to wear third black kit, not red, for UWCL tie vs Atletico Madrid tonight due to colour clash. MU say AM brought only their orange GK kit, not pre-approved yellow one. However AM say MU approved the orange kit + confirmed w Uefa. @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/705...

on vinicius, jim ratcliffe and bad immigrants www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Family-friendly isn’t an identity. Being too afraid to alienate anyone that you fail to connect meaningfully w anyone won’t grow attendances. Piece w Aston Villa’s Maggie Murphy on growing attendances + club identity in age of impatience. @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/704...

Apparently there is a lack of women in important positions in football. Thank goodness we have the unimpeachable feminist icon that is Gianni Infantino to enlighten us on a system he has definitely not abetted. @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/704...

"A masterpiece torn apart.” Inside CFCW crisis: Green's exit, club's “disgraceful” email to staff + ops, leadership interference from men's side, recruitment failings, staff division + more @reallycerys.bsky.social @charpur.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/703...

Wrote a piece on the window. Specifically its "quiet" + how people seem upset by this, despite multiple club records broken, the WSL's increasingly disproportionate financial heft + another USWNT player discovering what a Tesco club card is. @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/701...

Excl: Everton have parted ways with head coach Brian Sorensen and assistant coach Stephen Nilgen. Comes after Everton's 2-1 win over Aston Villa with Everton 4pts off bottom. @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/702...

I wrote a column about the age of theft www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Kerolin is very good. But head coach Andrée Jeglertz (after agreeing she is very good) focused on where she can be even better. Which is the key (+ for rivals, the fear) of this Man City side: an insatiable appetite + a demand to quench it. @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/701...

Great interview by @adamleventhal.bsky.social w/ Helena Costa on a life spent breaking thru glass ceilings, now as men's football's only female sporting director. "For me, it's natural. But it’s also a responsibility. It has to work. Otherwise, it won’t open doors.” www.nytimes.com/athletic/699...

Manchester City lead Chelsea in the WSL by six points. They have won all 11 games since defeat on the opening day to their title rivals. The perennial champions are their only rivals. @meganferinga.bsky.social on a top-four race split in two. bit.ly/4aVF4W3

“When we’re in the Champions League.” An ambition that’d be filed under delusional if Wrexham weren’t so deft at these kinds of grand plans. Next up: Wrexham Women in Europe. The first big step - owning their own ground - has been taken. @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/685...

A farcical League Cup draw: the latest example of why a blind obsession for women’s sports’ growth at all costs is abandoning the very audience and soul that built it. But hey, at least we can all eat footlongs. @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/683...

Excl: Hannah Forshaw to step down as Everton Women CEO at end of 2025/26 season, despite starting in Sept. Exit is mutual + amicable. Review ongoing on what leadership will look like for future. Details below @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/683...

Tottenham Hotspur Women have completed the signing of Norway international Signe Gaupset for a club-record fee of £378,000. More from @meganferinga.bsky.social ⤵️ 🔗 www.nytimes.com/athletic/682...

Fantastic piece. Full of background detail. By @meganferinga.bsky.social who is always excellent on Spurs Women. www.nytimes.com/athletic/679...

5th in WSL. Level on pts w Arsenal. 2nd from bottom last season. Inside Tottenham's revival: ▪️Last season's toil ▪️Ex-Arsenal chief Venkatesham appt ▪️Martin Ho's 4-day recruitment ▪️Casey Stoney’s phone call ▪️Koga Hail Mary ▪️Ho's reset @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/679...

Wout van Aert is one of cycling’s superstars; his win over Montmartre one of the year’s top moments. We spoke about post-injury doubts, managing his own demanding nature, and his big offseason adventure in the USA. www.nytimes.com/athletic/679...

Choose your avatar. #TeamHannah. #TeamMary. Community Note: There’s only one right answer. But maybe this can also be sad, a reminder of how easily we exalt humans to heroes + how precipitous the inevitable crash down is. @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/677...

Jarrad Branthwaite is set to undergo surgery on Tuesday after suffering what Everton described as a “complication” in his return from a hamstring injury. More from @paddyboyland.bsky.social and @meganferinga.bsky.social ⤵️

Jess Park is very good at football. Apparently the only way to stop her is by kicking a football into her face, That’s after coming off the bench + scoring two goals. Given the freedom to invert, to carry the ball, to roam, Park is thriving. Man Utd are better for it. www.nytimes.com/athletic/671...

“You don’t have a period but that’s fine. You’re an athlete.” A caveat accompanying countless medical results, despite inevitable danger, lines being drawn between sacrifices periods + sporting success. A piece for my sister + those challenging the system. www.nytimes.com/athletic/658...

“You don’t have a period but that’s fine. You’re an athlete.” A caveat accompanying countless medical results, despite inevitable danger, lines being drawn between sacrifices periods + sporting success. A piece for my sister + those challenging the system. www.nytimes.com/athletic/658...

Great article.👍🏻

A very good article. A critical part of this is listening to the fans. I have a good feeling about this. Everton can be the next Arsenal.

Good read, tremendous opening.

6,473 at Goodison Park for Everton Women yesterday. Nearly 6x average of WPH. Some expect Everton (& the wider game) to have all the answers now or it's a hoax. Goodison is a reminder that ambition & patience are not mutually exclusive. This is a work in progress. www.nytimes.com/athletic/662...

Pre-season vs Juve, Everton’s Hayashi advised Rion Ishikawa in Japanese. Martina Fernandez assumed it was words of encouragement. “I ask, ‘Hono, what did you say?’ She says, ‘We need to f***ing win’.” Fernandez on leaving Barca + Everton’s new mentality. www.nytimes.com/athletic/661...

Olivia Smith interview. On that goal. On Renee Slegers. On Arsenal being her first long-time home. On being glad Beth Mead didn’t leave. On being scared to say hi to Katie McCabe - then becoming bffs. On being the first £1m women's player. On not caring about that. www.nytimes.com/athletic/661...

'We already made Anfield our training pitch,' Brian Sorensen told 40k at Goodison Park in May. There's cheek + there's having faith in circumstances. Everton W are 6/6 at Anfield, Sunday's win the result of planned, meaningful investment. @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/660...

Reigning Women’s Super League champions Chelsea beat Manchester City 2-1 on Friday — and offered a timely reminder that their domestic hegemony has never boiled down to just one facet. @meganferinga.bsky.social

🚨 THURSDAY POD! 🚨 @acjimbo.bsky.social's got @oilysailor.bsky.social, @danielstorey85.bsky.social & Natalie Gedra with him for... ✅ Deadline day chaos ✅ World Cup qualifiers ✅ A brand new WSL season w/ @meganferinga.bsky.social ✅ High altitude in La Paz/ West Bromwich pod.fo/e/324da0

🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Chelsea have reached a verbal agreement with Angel City to sign United States international Alyssa Thompson, sources with knowledge of the deal told The Athletic. 📝 @david-ornstein.bsky.social, @meganferinga.bsky.social and @charpur.bsky.social 🔗 www.nytimes.com/athletic/659...

Chelsea reach verbal agreement with Angel City to sign #USWNT's Alyssa Thompson. Transfer fee of just under £1m, five-year contract, medical completed. @theathleticfc.bsky.social @david-ornstein.bsky.social @meganferinga.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/659...

“Don’t give up on Ruby.” So said Mace's brother to their parents. Yesterday they watched Mace pose for photos at Goodison Park as Everton's club-record transfer on a 3yr deal. Piece w Mace & parents on a "stressful" transfer tug-of-war + how they never gave up. www.nytimes.com/athletic/659...

Chelsea in advanced talks to sign USWNT’s Alyssa Thompson from Angel City. Fee likely to break the $1million mark. @charpur.bsky.social @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/658...

Exclusive w @jeffrueter.bsky.social + @meglinehan.com: Kansas City Current have acquired forward USWNT Ally Sentnor from the Utah Royals. 21yo was named the 2024 U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year. Full story @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/653...

Me and @meganferinga.bsky.social photobombed the Spain team tonight

Tottenham winger Hayley Raso is in talks over a move to Benfica. More from @meganferinga.bsky.social & Guillermo Rai

Exclusive: Fuka Nagano has committed her future to #LFC as she is set to renew her contract amid interest from WSL rivals. Everton held an interest in signing the out-of-contract Japan international while #MUFC also briefly considered a move. 📝 @meganferinga.bsky.social 🔗 bit.ly/3TSYFMP

🚨BRAND NEW POD!🚨 @acjimbo.bsky.social is joined by Carl Anka, @cdeccleshare.bsky.social, @adrianjclarke.bsky.social & @meganferinga.bsky.social. 🧤That Berger save 💣Rashford out, Mbeumo in 💵Liverpool's spending spree 🇮🇹David Platt in Serie A pod.fo/e/2ff92d

Ann-Katrin Berger saved, dropped to her knees, arms stretched Christ Redeemer style. Same arms that reached into another dimension 30min earlier. Germany are in the semis. Despite hair pulling, gravity, basic human limitations. Bc of AKB @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/650...

Olivia Smith was always going to be women’s football’s first £1m player this summer. But nobody was meant to know. Inside the deal, incl Arsenal’s long-term interest, Smith’s ambitions outgrowing Liverpool + Liverpool’s “Coutinho” gamble. @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/649...

Spoke to coaches of Olivia Smith. Their origin stories are the same: a moment of total arrest, time stopped at a pass/shot/hip swivel, her destiny unfurling. More than anything they speak of a contagious smile, zeal to learn, a will to win. @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/650...

Fantastic piece on the Olivia Smith signing by @meganferinga.bsky.social:

Olivia Smith was always going to be women’s football’s first £1m player this summer. But nobody was meant to know. Inside Smith’s deal, incl Arsenal’s long-term interest, Slegers' sway + Liverpool’s faith in making this a “Coutinho moment”. @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/649...

Liverpool striker Olivia Smith is set to join Arsenal in a world-record £1million deal. All agreements are in place with the deal set to be announced within the next 24 hours. More from @meganferinga.bsky.social ⬇️ 🔗 www.nytimes.com/athletic/640...