Full Time Newsletter ⚽| This is The Athletic’s weekly women’s soccer newsletter. Sign up here to receive Full Time directly in your inbox.
The U.S. women’s soccer calendar might be winding down, but professional women’s hockey is just getting started. Though you probably knew that, seeing as the PWHL’s Seattle Torrent already broke a U.S. attendance record.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBack in soccer, we’re getting retrospective in today’s Full Time, talking the final USWNT game of the year tonight and what’s going on with Arsenal. Plus: special podcast episodes from the NWSL final. Let’s jump right in …
USWNT 2025 Finale
What to watch for against Italy (again)
We still have a few Full Time newsletters left to reflect on 2025, but the U.S. women’s national team is closing down a year of highs and lows tonight with its final game against Italy at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (7 p.m. ET on TBS, HBO Max and Peacock).
As NWSL championship MVP Rose Lavelle put it, the injuries and lineup rotation this year allowed the team to “tap into (its) depth” and gave a lot of players “experience in really good, hard games.”
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe U.S. beat Italy 3-0 in Orlando on Friday, but more crucial than the result was the return of some key pieces to the starting lineup.
Lavelle provided the assist to Olivia Moultrie’s opening goal and orchestrated both the midfield and attack. Seeing her form now, it’s hard to believe the 30-year-old missed the first half of the year recovering from ankle surgery.
Friday also saw striker Catarina Macario score her second consecutive brace (we won’t talk about the possible offside position on the second goal).
Center back Naomi Girma reclaimed the captain band for the fourth time, returning after 149 days away from the team due to injury. In case you forgot (though how could you), this defensive run alone shows why the U.S. needs her for 2026 and beyond:
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe first clash against Italy left much to be desired on the competitive front, but we’ll see if that changes tonight.
Tamerra Griffin is in muggy Florida to cover the game for us. Here are her keys to watch for:
💬 “Expect tactical adjustments for Italy and personnel changes for the U.S. Coach Emma Hayes leaned into the Americans’ experience in the first leg by starting Lavelle, midfielder Sam Coffey, center back Emily Sonnett and fullback Emily Fox, and subbed in the two USWNT debutants in this camp, forward Jameese Joseph and fullback Kate Wiesner, late into the second half. Considering how strong the rotation and experimentation have been for Hayes and the USWNT this year, it would make sense to see them get more minutes on the pitch in their last game of the year, along with others like midfielders Croix Bethune and Jaelin Howell.”
Hayes skips Messi to go Christmas shopping
Several USWNT players were in attendance for the MLS Eastern Conference final between Inter Miami and New York City FC at Chase Stadium on Saturday night, but Hayes had Christmas matters to attend to. She told reporters yesterday why she missed the match:
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement💬 “There’s certain presents you can buy in America that you can’t buy in England, and if I don’t get them, then I’m not presenting something uniquely different to Harry (Hayes’ 7-year-old son), so I’ve got to keep up with that.”
Hopefully, Harry hasn’t caught wind of the news conference; otherwise, his gifts will have been completely spoiled. According to Hayes, he has a few different Star Wars rebel planes that you cannot get in England. “And he definitely got a Messi jersey,” she added.
Meg’s Corner: Hayes rediscovers an old cheat code
Hayes doesn’t yet have the full band back, with the Triple Espresso still absent, but 2025’s final international window brought a taste of the full strength of the USWNT thanks to Lavelle, Macario and Girma finally getting on the field together.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementGiven her 2024 Olympic experience, Girma’s importance to this team remains as crucial as ever, but having both Lavelle and Macario on the field at the same time feels like Hayes remembering she has another cheat code in her pocket.
Lavelle, in particular, might be having the best second half of 2025 out of anyone, even though she’s only managed 251 minutes in a USWNT kit. In her five appearances this year, she scored two goals and had three assists. In the NWSL, she scored the game-winning goal in the championship, but also secured Gotham’s playoff place with her ridiculous free kick goal in the final game of the regular season.
Having Lavelle, Girma and Macario back ahead of the World Cup qualifying tournament next November feels like three key puzzle pieces fitting back into place for Hayes. There will be more pieces within reach next year, but December’s friendlies against Italy feel like a fitting place to end 2025.
Need to Know
What’s gone wrong for Arsenal?
After lifting the Women’s Champions League trophy in May, Arsenal had an underwhelming start this season in the Women’s Super League. It has shed light on wider cultural and structural issues within the team.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe dressing room dynamic is being influenced by a small group of players, according to multiple sources, and pits players’ status against team cohesion. The split goes beyond the typical competitive environment. Combined with mixed messaging from leadership, the team that won the top European prize in May has been left to feel like it’s steering itself.
This only scratches the surface. You should definitely read the full report.
Feeling thankful for the ‘Full Time’ family
Last week, I couldn’t help but take a moment to be thankful for this team and everyone who supports us — including you!
The NWSL Championship allows us to gather with those who cover this sport domestically, and we had an amazing time seeing everyone IRL. From media day to our first in-person event, we loved the sense of community.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBefore the final, we hosted USWNT greats Briana Scurry and Aly Wagner at a plant shop just around the corner from PayPal Park. The legends chatted about how the past will continue to shape the future of women’s soccer, and also maybe started a girl band. Watch to see who will play the drums. 🥁
What to Follow
📺 UEFA Nations League final: Spain vs. GermanyTomorrow at 12:30 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network
Spain looks to finish off the year with a second consecutive Nations League title against Germany after finishing in a scoreless draw during the first leg on Friday. The big asterisk here: Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmatí, 27, fractured her leg during training and will undergo surgery in Barcelona. Laia Cervelló Herrero will be in Madrid covering this one.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement📺 England vs. GhanaTuesday at 2 p.m. ET
The Lionesses completed an emphatic Wembley homecoming with an 8-0 win over China on Saturday. The friendly turned out to be a celebration of England’s excellence in front of 74,611 fans — impressive for a largely inconsequential match. England gets another chance this window against Ghana tomorrow, before World Cup qualifiers for UEFA kick off in January and February. Megan Feringa will have coverage from St Mary’s Stadium tomorrow.
Full Time First Looks
Lack of respect: The Women’s League Cup draw in England was a bit of a disaster. A social media influencer publicly spanked herself with the bag holding the competition’s draw balls live on TikTok, among other things. Megan put into words this catastrophic wake-up call.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLooking ahead: I can barely get my Christmas shopping together, but others are already working on World Cup plans for 2031 and 2035. The UK is the sole bidder for 2035 and included the new Old Trafford stadium in its official proposal on Friday. A day later, U.S. Soccer’s joint bid with Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica submitted potential host sites for 2031.
Uh, what?! A player for Norwegian club Valerenga has been cleared by an anti-doping investigation after she accidentally ingested a banned substance contained in rubber crumbs from an artificial pitch. I have nothing to add.
📫 Love Full Time? These stories can also be found on Yahoo’s women’s sports hub, in partnership with The Athletic. Also, check out our other newsletters.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
US Women's national team, NWSL, Full Time Newsletter
2025 The Athletic Media Company
AdvertisementAdvertisement
