The playoffs are set! The top four finished the season strong and look like they'll make it to the semifinals with ease. Or will they? The guys preview all four quarterfinal matchups, and wonder where we could see upsets. Do Bay FC have what it takes to get past an injury- and suspension-rattled Washington Spirit? Could the Portland Thorns put some payback on Gotham FC after last year's playoff defeat? Do the Chicago Red Stars have any hope at all? And is the Kansas City Current's match...

The USWNT played a couple friendlies against Iceland, walloped them 6-2 across both games, and got four new players their first caps. That's about all there is to report! The guys go pebble hunting to find something to analyze in the most meaningless games of the year.  Then, they break down their picks for the NWSL awards slate. Most of these are no-brainers, but they make a case for some down-ballot candidates, followed by an in-depth discussion of how to approach Defender of the Year. Join...

We're taking one of our bonus episodes out from behind the table to give you a little taste of what great content you can find on our Patreon! For only $6/month, you get four episodes like these, each and every month. Plus, you get access to our Discord server, as well as our YouTube livestreams, which we're firing up again for the postseason.  In this episode, we talked to Our Fútbol co-host Amelia Lopez about the Liga MX Femenil Apertura, and what fans should expect from team like Tigres...

Racing Louisville grabbed all three points against the Portland Thorns thanks to a late corner header from Taylor Flint. Their playoff hopes are still alive, but is it too little too late? The guys cap off the episode with this playoff six-pointer (41:20). Before that, they run through playoff scenarios for the top four (1:01), ruminate on the two dead rubber matches between Angel City and the Utah Royals (20:40), as well as the Seattle Reign and Houston Dash (27:48). Some quick lamentations...

The Chicago Red Stars own one of the worst xG differentials in league history. Only the Utah Royals have played worse in total this season. But Chicago just clinched a playoff berth, and look poised to finish the year in sixth place on a mere 1.3 points per game. No team since 2018 has finished sixth or higher with so few points. Can it really just be luck? Is their low-volume, high-efficiency attack and defense sustainable once they face better teams in the postseason? The guys dissect the...

We have got some things to cover, here! The guys get into the news of Angel City's fines and suspensions for salary cap violations, the firing of former Houston Dash head coach Fran Alonso, the absurdity of the Chicago Red Stars conceding at least three xG for the second time in three weeks, Bay FC's four-minute meltdown, and the Orlando Pride's historic Shield win.  Then, it's on to the main events. Portland has been one of the worst teams in the NWSL since the end of the Olympics break....

A scrappy 1-0 victory on the road to the Seattle Reign may not look like much, but Bay FC are creeping closer and closer to a playoff berth, only a few months removed from looking like one of the worst teams in the NWSL. The guys dig into all of the ways the team has managed to improve since early June, from trusting new players to Albertin Montoya reimagining the team's tactical vision. It's wild. Still not a member of our Patreon? Sign up today for only $6/month to get all of our exclusive...

Oh, did you forget that the Current can gut your favorite team like a fish? After a few games of sputtering defensive performance, KC's new back line is locked in and Temwa Chawinga is, well, Temwa Chawinga. Their 3-0 battering of the Washington Spirit was a bit lucky, but was also a scary proposition for any team that will face Kansas City in the playoffs. The guys break it all down. Plus, xG shenanigans with the San Diego Wave! Officiating questions with Angel City and the Portland Thorns!...

We've got two games to cover this week! One was the matchup of the weekend on paper, but fizzled out to a 0-0 draw between the Pride and Current. The other ended up with significant playoff implications, as the Red Stars snatched a 1-0 road win against the Thorns and shored up their postseason odds, while Portland continued their freefall. What can they do to right the ship? Is Chicago's season-long overperformance about to pay off? Subscribe to our Patreon for only $6/month and get all of...

Alex Morgan has retired. As yet another titan of the sport walks into the sunset, the guys reflect on what Morgan's career truly meant beyond the goals and trophies. Then, after rounding up NWSL results across the weekend, they dive into Bay's 1-0 defeat of Racing Louisville. Have Abby Dahlkemper and Penelope Hocking helped Bay find the answers? Is Albertin Montoya finally getting the team to play like he envisioned? How much does this result and performance portend for Louisville's playoff...

The Orlando Pride continued their unbeaten streak on Sunday, taking down Gotham FC 2-0 after a monsoon nearly flooded Inter&Co Stadium. Gotham was unable to gain any separation from its peers in the top 4. But does it portend anything serious? Eric and Evan talk to Gotham reporter Jenna Tonelli about Gotham's performance, the magic of Ella Stevens, and how dangerous Gotham will be come playoff time. Sign up for our Patreon for only $6/month!Art by Eli ElbogenMusic by Devin Drobka's Bell...

Jonatan Giráldez has officially entered the NWSL chat. The Washington Spirit took down the Kansas City Current 4-1, and for a brief second, one had to wonder if the wheels were coming off of the most dominant squad in the league. This game had everything. Six defenders to handle Debinha and Chawinga! Otherworldly finishing from Trinity Rodman! A new center back pairing falling out of a clown car! Adrianna Franch living up to her new reputation! It's all here, and the guys break it all down....

The NWSL Players Association has just signed a new collective bargaining agreement, which may be one of the most historically significant labor deals in American sports history. The elimination of the draft, universal guaranteed contracts and free agency, player consent for trades, and massive increases in minimum salaries without corresponding max salaries all give serious power to the players. What did that they have to give up to ownership, and what might that mean come 2028 when a new...

The NWSL is back, baby!!! After six agonizing weeks away, the stretch run kicks off on Friday. A massive amount of transfer activity has gone down in that time. Eric and Evan highlight some of their faves and not-so-faves. Could Delphine Cascarino help push the San Diego Wave into playoff contention? How does Carson Pickett fit into the Orlando Pride lineup? Are the Chicago Red Stars playoff locks thanks to Ludmila and Julia Grosso? Can Jess Carter adapt to the league's pace? Will Alana Cook...

369 days after the USWNT crashed out of the World Cup Round of 16, they put those demons to bed, winning the gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics. The team managed to weather the worst half of football they had played all tournament to wear down Brazil until Mallory Swanson took Korbin Albert's through ball and ripped the Brazilian defense to pieces. Some heroics from Alyssa Naeher and the usual shutdown defense from Naomi Girma helped the US grab their first gold medal in 12 years. Now,...

The players were dead on their feet. Lindsey Horan could barely ping a pass toward the German goal. But Naomi Girma led the defense to another sterling performance, Sophia Smith threaded a wonder goal past Ann-Katrin Berger, and the USWNT will face Brazil for the gold medal on Saturday. Was there anything besides heat and fatigue that slowed the US attack down? Can they avoid Spain's fate against Brazil in the semifinal? Is Girma the undisputed best center back in the world? Eric and Evan...

It was brutal, but perhaps it was necessary. The USWNT scraped past Japan in the Olympics quarterfinals thanks to an extra-time wonder strike from Trinity Rodman, setting up a semifinal rematch with Germany. Were the players just too tired? Is Emma Hayes's focus on chemistry over fresh legs about to blow up in her face? Was the Japanese defense just too good for the US? Thankfully, the US's defense was even better. Eric and Evan get into all of it and preview the semifinal via Germany's...

The USWNT beat Australia 2-1 in the final round of the Olympics group stage, topping the group and heading to the quarterfinals to play Japan on Saturday. Despite all the hand-wringing about the US heading into the tournament, they finished group play with the best goal differential the best non-penalty xG differential, the most shots taken in the box, and the most touches in the box. (There's also the small matter of Spain as the only other team to win all three of their group games.)How did...

Bang! The USWNT rained goals on Germany in a 4-1 victory, their biggest result against a FIFA top-10 side in six years. A Sophia Smith brace, a Mallory Swanson tap-in, and a Lynn Williams dagger made Germany look far worse than their world ranking would indicate. But was it all bread and circuses for Emma Hayes's side? Eric and Evan examine the tactical imbalance that allowed the Germans to find seams on the counter--and the ways the US exploited their opponent's resulting gaps in the other...

There were a couple of emphatic 3-0 wins in Group B as the Olympics tournament kicked off on Thursday. The USWNT contained Barbra Banda and put Zambia to the sword with some dazzling goals from Trinity Rodman and Mallory Swanson. What did the US do right? What can they carry over to their match against Germany on Sunday, a team that looked stout and strong against a naïve Australia? Eric and Evan leave no stone unturned. Subscribe to our Patreon if you haven't already, and sign up for our...

Here we go again! One year to the week that xOG launched, we find ourselves on the precipice of yet another major international tournament. The USWNT are in the Olympics Group of Death; how will they manage opposition as varied as Zambia, Germany, and Australia? Eric and Evan plunge into the US lineup, head coach Emma Hayes's tactical plans, and what tests each of their group B opponents offer.  You can now subscribe to our Patreon for all of our exclusive content, including our bonus...

Yes, the USWNT couldn't score against Costa Rica in their final pre-Olympics friendly. No, none of their boundless chances were especially high-quality.  But so what? The heat, the field, and the desire to keep everyone healthy explain the result a lot more than alleged poor play can. Eric and Evan tease out why this result doesn't augur doom for the U.S. in France this summer.  This is our final public bonus episode before we move them to Patreon on July 25th! E-mail...

The USWNT offered a lot in their 1-0 victory over Mexico on a hot and muggy day in New Jersey. Was their lack of finishing something to be concerned over? Can Rose Lavelle be counted on in the absence of an injured Catarina Macario? Will Korbin Albert ever do what it takes to stop being booed?Plus, we have a big announcement about something we can't wait to debut when the Olympics starts! Stay tuned for more info! Art by Eli ElbogenMusic by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs