Today The IX Sports Podcast is all about women’s soccer. Host Kathleen Gier walks listeners through the latest United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) roster drop, shares clips from coach Emma Hayes’ press conference and updates listeners on where National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) teams stand ahead of the summer break.
Mallory Swanson, the standout forward for the Chicago Stars, returned from maternity leave May 15. She was also named to the USWNT roster for the World Cup in Brazil next year. Swanson was part of the USWNT squad that took home gold from the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“I think you know, as these players get back into the groove, it’s so cool, it’s so empowering, and it just makes this team so much more special, you know, they’ve always kind of had that that effect on society, they have been leaders, they have been advocates, and I think that watching this team grow up has been really, really special. And so I’m excited to see how this next kind of iteration of the team goes as we prepare for the World Cup next year,” Gier said.
The USWNT is set to play Brazil in two friendlies this week, one on June 6 and one on June 9.
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In a press conference, head coach Emma Hayes said she expects the Brazilian National Team to be physical and aggressive.
“So, there’ll be big focus on how do we cope with the demands of playing a very, very, very aggressive Brazilian team that won’t let us play, that will happily run as deep in 1-v-1 situations,” Hayes said. “I think this is a Brazil team that’s the highest level it’s been at for a number of years.”
To close out the podcast, Gier gave a quick recap of the NWSL standings, where the San Diego Wave are back on top of the NWSL with 25 points. They only lead Utah and Portland by one.
“I feel like the league is really wide open right now, and obviously with such a large break, there are a million different things that could happen,” Gier said.
Make sure to subscribe to The IX Sports Podcast for in-depth coverage of women’s soccer, hockey and basketball; and tune in each weekday morning for a quick overview of the biggest headlines on Women’s Sports Daily, like WNBA news and PWHL expansion updates.
What you missed on today’s episode of Women’s Sports Daily: What’s the deal with WNBA developmental contracts?
