plus some Lions Pitch updates!
Hello Courage Country! Happy Wednesday!
I didn’t send a newsletter last week, as the only real piece of substantive Courage news was the depressing announcement of the departure of Bianca St-Georges, but we’re back this week with more fun SheBelieves news and some Lions Pitch updates.
First up: The pod is back this week! Katie and I do a recap of the offseason, somehow keeping it pretty snappy, so it should be a good way to ease back into NWSL mode. Our intent was to help you catch up on offseason highlights. We’ll be in your ears again just before the opener against Louisville. You can subscribe at: Apple | Spotify | RSS
Second: you may have noticed already, but we’ve moved our social media to BlueSky: @lionspitch. Using X at the end of 2024 was a horrendous experience. It was like a reverse avalanche of the most toxic hate speech I’ve ever seen. It was like splashing around in a puddle of someone else’s lukewarm bile. At some point you have to ask, why would I subject myself to this? There have been reports that X has been amplifying that intentionally. Gross.
That said, there are some other woso journalists and brands still hanging around (Sean Nahas, too), though some double-post to BlueSky and a few have migrated completely over. So, if you’re still lingering on X to find woso news, I understand. May you be blessed with a strong stomach and good feed filters.
Finally, we have a lot more in store this year than last year. We are organizing more interviews, more time with press conferences, and maybe some Q&As here in the newsletter. Now that we have a streamlined workflow, we can squeeze in some more joy for us all. And we all need it in 2025. So keep on the lookout throughout the season!
Alright! Let’s get to the news.
Courage news and updates
- Jaedyn Shaw. If you’re been watching the SheBelieves matches, you know what I mean. She’s made her mark on the USWNT in a huge way. Coach Emma Hayes and journalists covering USWNT had a lot to say about her work, including an assist to Lynn Biyendolo around 41 seconds into the match v. Australia. You can see the incredible run she made to blaze past Sears and keep the play alive in the clip below.
- The Courage wrote a great piece with friend of the pod Eboni Christmas, as well as a local high school student, talking about the importance of Black representation in soccer, including on the field, with supporters’ groups and more.
- Finally, as I mentioned earlier, Bianca St-Georges has left the Courage. We talk about her on the pod; Katie and I both felt she brought some fire to the team, and some physicality when it was needed. We will miss her! There’s no word yet on where she’ll land.
Around the league and beyond
- Emma Hayes let Casey Krueger know she likely wouldn’t be called up again for the USWNT, as focus is starting to turn to the World Cup in a few years. This caused a gasp and a lot of mixed feelings in the Lion’s Pitch group chat; we know part of Hayes job is to work fresh faces into the mix, but can’t help but love the veterans who have carried the team so far.
- The Spirit are bringing in defender Rebeca Bernal from C.F. Monterey. That squad is looking increasingly scary this season.
- The USWNT has been solid in the SheBelieves Cup, albeit against Colombia and a lackluster Australia. The real test will be tonight against an outstanding Japan side. It airs at 10:30p on Max (English) and Peacock (Spanish).
- P.S. For my money, the Cat Macario goal in the first match against Colombia was a thing of beauty, a team build from the back. But … I concede that all anyone can talk about is Ally Sentnor’s midfield rocket:
That’s it for this week! As always, you can get in touch with tips, suggestions, corrections and more: contact@lionspitch.com.
Next match: Saturday, March 15, 5:00 pm ET
North Carolina Courage v. Racing Louisville
AWAY
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Find us on BlueSky: @lionspitch