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Nothing like a week of tennis and soccer to make you realize that if they wanted to, they would. More on that in a moment.
🤳 Influencers out-influencing their teams
Players call for FIFA to move U-20 World Cup
Former and current women’s soccer stars, including Alex Morgan, Marta and Crystal Dunn, are asking FIFA to move the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in the soccer calendar to ease the tension around whether to prioritize club (and universities) or country.
The tournament is an opportunity for young players to make their mark.
But under FIFA rules, clubs do not have to release players for the tournament as it currently falls outside one of the governing body’s international windows.
This year’s U-20 Women’s World Cup kicked off last week in Poland and runs through Sept. 27.
Players such as U.S. youth captain Kennedy Fuller, who scored a hat trick against New Zealand to qualify for the round of 16 on Saturday, were allowed to join the U.S. in competition. Others, such as the Wave’s Melanie Barcenas, were not included and instead are helping their clubs in an important final stretch of the season. Barcenas scored this weekend for the Wave in a crucial 2-1 win over the Courage.
The U-20 World Cup has produced breakout moments for Colombia‘s Linda Caicedo, Spain‘s Salma Paralluelo and, of course, Morgan in 2008. U.S. coach Emma Hayes made clear she values the tournament in a post-victory locker room speech, saying the experience is “all in preparation for what’s next.”
Macario to sit out entire NWSL season
San Diego’s $8 million signing won’t take the field this season.
Catarina Macario had been listed as out due to a heel injury since her arrival from Chelsea this summer, but she also underwent minor surgery for an ongoing knee issue that will officially sideline her for the rest of the year, the Wave announced today.
General manager Camille Ashton backed the 26-year-old forward: “We made a significant long-term commitment to Cat because we believe in her ability to make a lasting impact on this club.”
Macario — the USWNT‘s top goal scorer in 2025 — has dealt with multiple injuries throughout her career, which have kept her out of WSL games, the Olympics and a World Cup. Her current injury leaves little runway for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.
“To be completely honest, it sucks to find myself in this position again. There’s no way around how difficult it is to go through another rehab and spend more time away from the game I love,” Macario said on Instagram. “I miss football, I miss competing, and after coming home to San Diego, I wanted nothing more than to be out there with my teammates, representing this club and this city.”
There’s no denying the U.S. star’s impact when she’s healthy, and we wish her the best in her recovery.
Count me among those bummed to see today’s update on Macario. But I also feel relieved that we finally have meaningful information about her injury status after months of vague updates from the team. It’s frustrating to see it’s not actually her heel putting her on the season-ending injury list, but a minor operation on her knee.
I mentioned this recently on an episode of “Full Time” in the context of fantasy and betting, but right now, there’s very little pressure on NWSL clubs to accurately report players’ injuries and return timelines.
Of course, there has to be sensitivity around sharing personal medical information, but the collective bargaining agreement specifically carves this out for teams when athletes are not “rendering service as a player.” (Players do have some limited approval rights over the language.)
The frustration from Wave fans over a multimillion-dollar signing never suiting up this year is fair when viewed from a transparency lens. It was always clear the Wave were making a long-term bet on Macario’s recovery, but it’s been impossible to fully understand that bet until now — a full five months after they signed her.
Weirdness surrounds decorated coach’s exit
A week ago, the Current released a 78-word statement announcing they “mutually parted ways” with sporting director Vlatko Andonovski.
This had us raising our eyebrows for three main reasons:
We don’t need to make much room for the full statement:
Meg, who has covered this league since the start, called it “the worst press release I’ve ever read in the NWSL.” And that’s saying something.
The Labor Day announcement did not include any of Andonovski’s accolades with the team, including a record 65 points in 2025, the NWSL Shield and the recruitment of two-time MVP Temwa Chawinga, nor did it have quotes from owners Angie and Chris Long. Instead, the main message was that Andonovski’s requested transition from head coach and sporting director last year to just sporting director “was not the right fit.”
The timing seems less than ideal, as the Current are at risk of falling out of a playoff spot with a relatively green coach in Chris Armas at the helm.
Andonovski, a former USWNT head coach, had nearly lost his love for the sport before reigniting that passion with a return home to Kansas City. While his time with the U.S. was largely underwhelming (an Olympic bronze medal and a round-of-16 World Cup exit), the most telling part of Andonovski’s departure has been the overwhelmingly positive messages from players. Which brings us to …
Players ‘hurt’ by Andonovski’s departure
Shortly after the announcement, current and former Kansas City players took to social media to give Andonovski his flowers — from team captain Lo’eau LaBonta to forward Michelle Cooper and midfielder Claire Hutton, who has since moved to Bay FC.
LaBonta addressed the departure with local media Thursday. She said that the finality of the announcement hurt the players because “in women’s sports especially, it takes so long to build trust.” Andonovski had built that with this Current team.
While his next move is still unknown, he did recently attend the U-20 Women’s World Cup, watching alongside Hayes, who shared a picture to her socials with Andonovski and the text: “What a super person. Enjoyed watching the game with Vlatko.”
Not jumping to conclusions, but … U.S. Soccer is looking to fill a new role of director of women and girls’ soccer.
🎧 Want more on one of the biggest stories in the NWSL this year? Jillian Sakovits, Tamerra Griffin and Meg discussed Andonovski’s departure in depth, and what’s next, on the latest “Full Time” podcast. Listen to the episode here.
Yes, Trinity Rodman made it to Arthur Ashe Stadium yesterday. A little more than three hours after the final whistle of the Spirit’s 3-0 loss to the Legacy at Audi Field, Rodman arrived in the stands 200 miles away in time to watch her boyfriend, Ben Shelton, collect the runner-up award at the U.S. Open.
“It means everything,” Shelton said after falling to Alexander Zverev in four sets. “I knew she was coming — I knew it was going to be pretty close to impossible to get here.”
Impossible for us mere mortals, but not for the NWSL’s highest-paid and possibly most recognizable player. Rodman attended multiple matches this year as Shelton became the first Black American man to play in a U.S. Open singles final since Arthur Ashe himself in 1972.
The support goes both ways. Late last year, Shelton made a similar trip, going from losing to Jannik Sinner at the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy, to supporting Rodman and the Spirit in the NWSL semifinals at Audi Field in roughly 24 hours. When it comes to these two, the sky’s the limit.
Going viral: When Ella Rutherford posted on TikTok that she was moving to the fifth-tier club Millwall Lionesses, it was viewed more than 800,000 times. The club’s post got roughly 2,000 views on the same platform. While great for the player’s personal brand, the popularity comes with existential questions.
Front-office shuffle: Bay FC are in the final stages of adding Paul Green as head of football. The former Chelsea executive spent 13 years alongside Hayes at the London club and helped them win 19 major trophies. Elsewhere, the Dash fired coach Fabrice Gautrat and technical director Twila Kilgore.
That’s rough: Manchester United absolutely capitulated against Chelsea in a 5-0 rout. Cerys Jones looks at what, if anything, they can learn from the loss.
One more thing: To bookend this email with more U-20 World Cup content, I leave you with this unique set piece from France in their 4-0 win over Ghana.
📫 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
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