NWSL Week 12: The Bats Take Flight as Gotham FC Start Dominating

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NWSL Week 12: The Bats Take Flight as Gotham FC Start Dominating

Gotham FC's 2-0 victory on the road against Racing Louisville was about as ugly as 2-0 victories get, but dig under the hood and you see that the preseason Shield favorites are finally coming into their own. The galacticos of Dunn, Lavelle, Davidson and Sonnett started their second game in a row together. Ella Stevens can't stop scoring. Ann-Katrin Berger might be the best keeper in the whole league right now. Is it all finally coming together for Juan Carlos Amorós's squad? Eric and Evan debate the finer points of Gotham's resurgence.

Art by Eli Elbogen
Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs

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NWSL Week 11: Rappelling Down the Seattle Reign Cavern, with Sylvs of Shea Butter FC!

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The Seattle Reign got smoked by the Kansas City Current over the weekend. That such a result would be par for the course shows what kind of season Laura Harvey's crew have had. Sylvs of Shea Butter FC hopped on to talk about Reign history, the struggles of the team in the void of the team sale yet to close, and what glimmers of hope Jordyn Huitema's two goals could represent. 

Art by Eli Elbogen
Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs

EXPECTED OWN GOALS: USWNT Recap -- The Emma Hayes Era Kicks Off With Goals Goals Goals!

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EXPECTED OWN GOALS: USWNT Recap -- The Emma Hayes Era Kicks Off With Goals Goals Goals!

The day has come: Emma Hayes is now the head coach of the U.S. Women's National Team. The side demolished South Korea for a combined scoreline of 7-0. Sam Staab and Lily Yohannes each earned their first caps. The law firm of Smith, Swanson, and Rodman served papers to their opponents over and over again. Alex Morgan--well, she was present. 

What did we learn about how Hayes wants the team to play? Eric and Evan uncover all the tactical nuggets across the two friendlies, then project the USWNT's likely 18-player Olympics roster. The takes get spicy.

Need a pick-me-up? Four out of five doctors recommend SoMalloTrin!


Art by Eli Elbogen
Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs

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NWSL Week 10: Destiny's Children? (H-Town Screwed Mix)

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NWSL Week 10: Destiny's Children? (H-Town Screwed Mix)

Week 10! Two teams. Two massive victories. Two bright futures ahead? Eric and Evan ponder the meaning of Houston's staggering 3-0 home win over North Carolina and examine the implications of Racing Louisville's 1-0 away result in Chicago. H-town madness? Kentucky fried conquest? We're curious too. 

Art by Eli Elbogen 
Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs

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EXPECTED OWN GOALS: NWSL Week 9 -- The Utah Royals Stare into the Void

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EXPECTED OWN GOALS: NWSL Week 9 -- The Utah Royals Stare into the Void

Another week, another brutal Utah Royals loss. Though the scoreline was a mere 1-0 defeat on the road to the North Carolina Courage, the expansion side was under siege pretty much from minute one. Eric and Evan use the Royals' performance to figure out just how badly the season has gone for the club, and what bright spots may be on the horizon. 

Art by Eli Elbogen 
Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs

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EXPECTED OWN GOALS: NWSL Vibe Check, Pt. I -- xOG's Biggest Own Goals of the Season!

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EXPECTED OWN GOALS: NWSL Vibe Check, Pt. I -- xOG's Biggest Own Goals of the Season!

We here at Expected Own Goals are about transparency and accountability. That's why, at the point in the season when xG stabilizes and becomes sticky, we've decided to go back and cop to our best and worst own goals from our preseason predictions. Kieran's back to face the music along with Eric and Evan. 

Be sure to tune in later this week for Part II, where the gang digs into the players that have surprised and disappointed them the most!

Art by Eli Elbogen 

Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs

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EXPECTED OWN GOALS: What We Talk About When We Talk About The Red Stars, with Gal Pal Sports!

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We've been putting it off all season, but after a tough loss to the Washington Spirit and an emphatic win against Bay FC, we can put it off no longer: we must discuss the fourth-place Chicago Red Stars. Eric and Evan were joined by Lesley Ryder of Gal Pal Sports to dissect the Laura Ricketts-Lorne Donaldson era of the team, if their early-season success is sticky or a mirage, and who will step up to score besides Mallory Swanson. Rep the 3-1-2, or the 7-7-3, or the 4-6-4, or whatever else people tear up about on The Bear! 

Listen to Football is Wife, hosted by Lesley Ryder and Emily Anderson

Art by Eli Elbogen

Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs

EXPECTED OWN GOALS--NWSL Week 6--Spirit: Pride of the Cimarron

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EXPECTED OWN GOALS--NWSL Week 6--Spirit: Pride of the Cimarron

Is Orlando the best team in the NWSL right now? They just might be. An emphatic 3-2 victory over the Washington Spirit on the road cemented what could be a hyper-organized defense with Barbra Banda as the tip of the spear. Other teams attack at your own peril. 

Evan and Eric dig into what made Banda so special, as well as what the future might hold for the Spirit--and Ashley Hatch--once Leicy Santos and Jonatan Giráldez arrive in June. 

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NWSL Week 5: Angel Cities with Filthy Soles, NC Courage Cursed by the Soccer Gods

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NWSL Week 5: Angel Cities with Filthy Soles, NC Courage Cursed by the Soccer Gods

The NWSL spring trade deadline has come and gone, and somehow, both the Houston Dash and Angel City made some significant moves. Eric and Evan brought Kieran Doyle-Davis on to get into all of the gobsmacking behavior by both teams in moving some major players. Then, they dig into Angel City's victory over the North Carolina Courage, and how a team with 62% possession and who topped the home side on xG 2.1 - 0.5 managed to still leave Los Angeles without a result. Plus, we'll hear from Angel City head coach Becki Tweed with her tactical analysis of the match! 

Art by Eli Elbogen
Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs

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EXPECTED OWN GOALS: NWSL Week 4: Gotham Gets Weird, and the Kansas City Current Put the "Fly" in "Chawinga"

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EXPECTED OWN GOALS: NWSL Week 4: Gotham Gets Weird, and the Kansas City Current Put the "Fly" in "Chawinga"

We last checked in on the Kansas City Current in Week 1. What a difference a month makes! They're sitting atop the table on 10 points, have a potential superstar in Temwa Chawinga, and got a road point against Evan and Eric's preseason title favorite, Gotham FC. But is Chawinga the real deal? Were Juan Carlos Amorós's tactics too clever by half? Who looks like the better bet to keep succeeding in the weeks to come? Dive in, baby! 

Art by Eli Elbogen
Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs

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EXPECTED OWN GOALS: USWNT Recap: Does SheBelieve?

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EXPECTED OWN GOALS: USWNT Recap: Does SheBelieve?

The USWNT is SheBelieves Cup champion once again. Woo...hoo? The Twila Kilgore era comes to a close on a second penalty shootout win over Canada in a month, and leaves us wondering: what did Kilgore do well? What did she miss on? Is the team in better shape now than it was back in August? Furthermore, who is in pole position for each Olympics roster spot? Eric and Evan answer all these questions and more! (Evan may or may not sing at the end of the episode. Fair warning.)

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EXPECTED OWN GOALS: NWSL Late-Game Deciders: A Breakdown of San Diego-Seattle, Portland-Louisville, and Bay-Houston!

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EXPECTED OWN GOALS: NWSL Late-Game Deciders: A Breakdown of San Diego-Seattle, Portland-Louisville, and Bay-Houston!

No fewer than three NWSL games were decided in the final moments of stoppage time last weekend, but each were decided in different ways. San Diego survived its battle of attrition through well timed bravery, while Portland's overwhelming attacking talent finally breached Louisville's walls. Bay FC and the Houston Dash fully embraced their stubborn, attack-loving identities and the Dash tripped into victory. Eric and Evan ponder how these teams all managed a late result, hear from Bay FC head coach Albertin Montoya on his side's approach, and parse what it means for these teams' talents more broadly.

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EXPECTED OWN GOALS: NWSL Week 2: The Spirit in the Bay is Strong!

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EXPECTED OWN GOALS: NWSL Week 2: The Spirit in the Bay is Strong!

A jam-packed, wackadoo weekend unfolded in the NWSL, with golazos and refereeing madness and everything in between. Eric, Evan and Arianna drill down on the Washington Spirit's 2-1 victory over Bay FC. Are Bay's tactics naïve? Has their depth been exposed? Is Croix Bethune the resurrection and the light? 1) Maybe 2) Probably 3) Get on your knees and pray. 

Art by Eli Elbogen

Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs

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Expected Own Goals: The NWSL is BACK, BABY! Breaking Down the Loony Nine-Goal Chaos Show at Kansas City

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Expected Own Goals: The NWSL is BACK, BABY! Breaking Down the Loony Nine-Goal Chaos Show at Kansas City

The greatest league in the world has returned, and boy was it a doozy! From first-minute penalties in Seattle, to the Naeher-aissance denying Utah their first-ever win in front of a "sold out" crowd, to 17-year-old Kennedy Fuller making as many headlines as Bay FC goalscorer Asisat Oshoala, there were narratives galore. 

But Eric, Evan, and Arianna can only focus on one thing: the Kansas City Current and Portland Thorns opening CPKC Stadium with nine goals, tying the NWSL single-game record. Did Mike Norris make a wise decision rolling out an entirely new backline? Did Vlatko Andonovski properly adjust to Janine Beckie's arrival in the second half? What on earth was Christine Sinclair doing starting the game at right wing? They get into all of it and more. 

Art by Eli Elbogen

Music byDevin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs

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