Women's Soccer Archives - New Hip Hop News

Emma Hayes Apologizes For Calling Teammate Relationships “Inappropriate”

March 16, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Incoming USWNT manager Emma Hayes has apologized for calling relationships between teammates “inappropriate”. “I want to be clear to everybody in the room, I don’t want to create any more clickbait headlines for you guys. I think sometimes that becomes the case when we have honest conversations about things. Of course, I’m disappointed about that. Of course, Jess and I have had a conversation today as I have with other players in the team. They know exactly who I am and what my intentions were. But I have to expect that — I’m supposed to be the most well-trained, non-clickbait coach and I let myself down yesterday. I didn’t think it was right for me to use the term ‘inappropriate’ for the players,” Hayes said.

Hayes had called teammate relationships “inappropriate” while responding to a question about player-coach relationships. However, despite the subsequent “clickbait headlines” it spawned, her stance was rooted in nothing but team cohesion. One player’s in the team, one’s not in the team. One might be in the last year of their contract, one might not be. We all know, those of us that have been in the women’s game for a long period of time, those things have been happening in dressing rooms. Longer term, it would be ideal [to get to a place] where you don’t have to deal with that. We’re dealing with human beings. We do talk about it internally,” Hayes reasoned.

USWNT Drops To Lowest-Ever World Ranking

Elsewhere, Hayes – who will take over the US National Team in June – will inherit a USWNT squad that just fell to its lowest-ever world ranking. Despite winning the inaugural Women’s Gold Cup. The US won the tournament with a 1-0 victory over Brazil. However, the team’s 2-0 loss to Mexico in the group stage is believed to be what caused their drop in the rankings. The USWNT is now fourth behind Spain, England, and France.

Prior to the loss to Mexico, the USWNT were 40-1 against their southern neighbor. The previous sole loss came in 2010. Furthermore, the two goals they conceded to Mexico were the first goals the US had conceded to a CONCACAF opponent in 33 matches. “I think it just shows how far the game is coming and there’s no easy games anymore. And if we don’t take care of business and we don’t execute, this is to be expected,” interim head coach Twila Kilgore said after the loss.

Read More: Sam Mewis, USWNT Star, Retires

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Emma Hayes, Incoming USWNT Coach, Shares Controversial Stance On Relationships Between Teammates

March 15, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Incoming USWNT manager Emma Hayes has sparked major discourse in the women’s soccer community. The current Chelsea head coach has said in a recent interview that she finds relationships between teammates to be “inappropriate”. “Player-coach relationships, they’re inappropriate, player-to-player relationships are inappropriate. But we have to look at it in the context of where the game has come from and say, ‘Look, we’re in a professional era now’ where the expectations in place for players and coaches is such that all of our focus and attention has got to be on having the top standards,” Hayes said ahead a rivalry match against Arsenal.

However, Hayes elaborated that her stance was purely rooted in the difficulties such relationships pose for a coach. “One player’s in the team, one’s not in the team. One might be in the last year of their contract, one might not be. We all know, those of us that have been in the women’s game for a long period of time, those things have been happening in dressing rooms. Longer term, it would be ideal [to get to a place] where you don’t have to deal with that. We’re dealing with human beings. We do talk about it internally,” Hayes continued.

USWNT Drops To Lowest-Ever World Ranking

Meanwhile, Hayes – who will take over the National Team in June – will inherit a USWNT squad that just fell to its lowest-ever world ranking. Despite winning the inaugural Women’s Gold Cup. The US won the tournament with a 1-0 victory over Brazil. However, the team’s 2-0 loss to Mexico in the group stage is believed to be what caused their drop in the rankings. The USWNT is now fourth behind Spain, England, and France.

Read More: Sam Mewis, USWNT Star, Retires

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USWNT Falls To Lowest-Ever World Ranking

March 15, 2024 by newhiphopnews

The USWNT has fallen to its lowest-ever world ranking despite winning the inaugural Women’s Gold Cup. The US won the tournament with a 1-0 victory over Brazil. However, the team’s 2-0 loss to Mexico in the group stage is believed to be what caused their drop in the rankings. The USWNT is now fourth behind Spain, England, and France.

Read More: Sam Mewis, USWNT Star, Retires

USWNT Still Finding Consistency After World Cup Loss

As Kilgore noted, the USWNT has spent the last year learning that there are no longer any easy matches in women’s soccer. At last summer’s World Cup, the USWNT only beat Vietnam. The team drew their other two group matches against the Netherlands and Portugal. Portugal actually came a post’s width away from beating the US, which would have eliminated the defending world champions in the group stage.

Furthermore, this was followed by the team crashing out in the Round of 16 against Sweden. The US had 22 shots against the European side. In fact, the US had more shots on target (11) than the Swedes had total shots (9). However, it wasn’t enough. The Swedes played their signature style of ultra-defensive football that has frustrated the Americans in the past. Regulation and extra time both came and went with no goals, meaning it was going to penalties. A string of late misses from the Americans, including sky-high efforts from Megan Rapinoe and Sophia Smith, gave the Swedes the chance to win. Lina Hurtig’s effort initially looked like it had been saved. However, it bounced back across the line to give Sweden the win. Swedish goalkeeper Zećira Mušović was named Woman of the Match for her record-breaking 11-save performance.

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USWNT Head Coach Search Down To Three Names

October 27, 2023 by newhiphopnews

The search for the next head coach of the US Women’s National Soccer Team is down to three names. The latest update is according to sources who spoke with The Athletic. While other names may remain on the shortlist, Tony Gustavsson, Joe Montemurro, and Laura Harvey are believed to be the top three names for the selection committee. The position has been vacant since Vlatko Andonovski resigned following a dismal outing at the Women’s World Cup earlier this year.

Gustavsson is currently the head coach of the Australian Women’s National Team. Furthermore, he spent a combined six years as a USWNT assistant coach under Jill Ellis. Joe Montemurro currently coaches Juventus’ women’s team in Italy. He has no international coaching experience. However, he carries a lot of weight as a former coach of Arsenal’s women’s team in England. Finally, there is Laura Harvey, the current coach of OL Reign in the NWSL. Harvey has a wealth of international experience, having run England’s youth set-up, the US U20 women’s team, and worked as an assistant coach for the senior women’s team as well.

Who Is The Favorite For The USWNT Job?

According to The Athletic‘s sources, Gustavsson is the selection committee’s preferred choice. However, Gustavsson has expressed a reluctance to leave Australia, with whom he is contracted through the 2024 Olympics. The second choice would be Montemurro. However, he has no international experience, as mentioned. This could be a turn-off for the committee. The USWNT just endured one of the worst periods in its history with a coach who took the job with no international experience.

Finally, there is Harvey. She might be the third-choice candidate right now, but she may also be the best person for the job. The committee may be wary of hiring from the NWSL again after Andonovski. However, Harvey has a wealth of international experience that Andonovski didn’t have. Furthermore, Harvey has some of the best experience with the current USWNT talent pool, as well as the domestic US pool. However, the committee is giving themselves plenty of time to decide. US Soccer director Matt Crocker has stated that the federation wants a new coach in place before the team’s two games against China in early December.

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Luis Rubiales Scandal: Court Ruling Prevents Government From Suspending Soccer President

September 1, 2023 by newhiphopnews

The case of Luis Rubiales, disgraced President of the Spanish Soccer Federation (RFEF), continues to unfold across the country. The Spanish government had to admit temporary defeat after a court ruling stymied their plans to plans to remove Rubiales from his position. The Spanish Administrative Sports Court (TAD) ruled in favor of opening an investigation against Rubiales for his actions at the Women’s World Cup. However, TAD classified the breach of conduct as “severe” as opposed to “very severe”. This one-word difference means that the Spanish government is unable to suspend Rubiales from his position. However, they will still be able to remove him during the investigation.

“TAD only considers the [offences] serious. We believe that they are very serious. The Superior Sports Council itself could have directly suspended Mr. Rubiales if they were very serious. But as TAD have not qualified it as such, it is up to the court itself. We will file a request for them to take that position,” said Miquel Iceta, Spain’s minister of culture and sports during a press conference.

Rubiales Takes Another Bizarre Turn

Ever since Rubiales refused to resign from office, the case has gotten progressively weirder. While he was provisionally suspended by FIFA, that did not quench the influence he had on the federation. His allies in the federation declared that Jenni Hermoso was deliberately and maliciously lying in a public statement. Furthermore, they also attempted to remove Spain from FIFA and UEFA jurisdiction. It is believed that this gambit was attempted in order to swing support back in favor of Rubiales by threatening the inclusion of Spanish clubs in continental competition.

Meanwhile, Rubiales’ mother, Ángeles Béjar, made headlines after locking herself in a church in her hometown and engaging in a hunger strike. She told reporters that she was fighting for justice for her son and would not eat until he was vindicated. This resulted in Béjar being admitted to hospital due to issues caused by the hunger strike. While she was soon discharged, it is unclear if she has continued the hunger strike. While the situation continues to unfold, a vast majority of the soccer world is standing behind Hermoso and the women’s team.

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Head Coach And GM Of USWNT Both Resign

August 18, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Head coach Vlatko Andonovski and General Manager Kate Markgraf have both resigned their positions with the United States Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT). The moves come after the team suffered its worst-ever performance at a World Cup. The two-time defending champions only managed to win one game at the tournament in Australia and New Zealand, beating Vietnam 3-0 in the Group Stage. After two draws to close out the group stage, they lost on penalties to Sweden in the Round of 16.

Both Andonovski and Markgraf had held their respective positions since 2019. Markgraf made hiring the Macedonian coach the first major decision of her tenure. Andonovski had no prior international coaching experience while Markgraft, a USWNT legend herself, had no prior experience in sports administration. Their tenure has been marked by a noted downturn in the fortunes of the American side. The team earned a bronze medal at the 2020 Olympics preceding their World Cup failures.

Future of USWNT In The Balance

Kate Markgraf departs U.S. Soccer Federation » https://t.co/fjmUvXXurS pic.twitter.com/PpbzAWkgnV

— U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (@USWNT) August 18, 2023

Both decisions were expected. Markgraf, whose contract expired at the end of August, had already made the decision to leave the role before the World Cup. Meanwhile, there was no way that Andonovski could stay on after an abysmal performance from the sidelines at the World Cup. In short, Andonovski ran the USWNT like you would a domestic club. He brought in masses of young talent in the hopes of developing them into superstars. Meanwhile, he ran a tactical philosophy counter-intuitive to the demands of a national team. However, with an Olympic campaign less than a year away, the US Soccer Federation must act fast to stem the bleeding.

It’s unclear if the position of GM will be filled after Markgraf vacates it. Given that the team won multiple World Cups without one, it’s not exactly necessary for US success. Meanwhile, numerous superstar candidates have been floated for the vacant head coach position. The problem is that many of these candidates are still under contract with their current federations. Those federations would demand an absolute ransom to have them join the US. The most likely solution would be to announce an interim coach until the Olympics and then hire a full-time leader to coach the team into the 2027 World Cup. A host for that competition will be selected next year. Bids from Belgium/Germany/The Netherlands, South Africa, Brazil, and The US/Mexico have been accepted by FIFA.

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SOURCE SPORTS: Klarna Supports Women’s Soccer with New World Cup Activation

July 20, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Klarna, the global payments network, is set to engage sports fans with a new in-app game called ‘Scream For Your Team.’ Running from July to August in conjunction with the major women’s soccer tournament, the game will reward fans for their loud cheers and screams during matches. Participants can win Nike gift cards worth up to $500 in weekly draws if they successfully score three goals by screaming at the indicated volume.

To support women’s soccer further, Klarna has teamed up with Angel City FC to offer free swag at upcoming watch parties. The first party will be held on July 26 during the USA vs. Netherlands match at The Music Center, with more events scheduled throughout the tournament. Klarna plans to reward the first 500 fans at each party who pose in front of the Klarna backdrop and share their experience on Instagram Stories, tagging Klarna.

According to a recent survey by Klarna, nearly half of respondents believe that cheering for their women’s soccer team can inspire young women and girls to pursue their athletic dreams. Additionally, fans think that vocal support for women’s soccer helps increase visibility and awareness of the sport, fosters camaraderie among fans, and provides inspiration and motivation. Studies have also shown that cheering for a winning team positively affects fans’ self-esteem and may extend life expectancy.

Furthermore, the Klarna research revealed that:

Sixty-one percent of respondents noted feeling a sense of pride when their team wins, while 40% feel overjoyed and 35% feel ecstatic.
Over half (53%) noted that they’ve become a fan of women’s soccer through major tournaments or events like the Women’s World Cup.
Notably, over half (53%) of respondents noted their attitudes towards women’s soccer have changed over the past few years.
Of that group, 40% stated that the change was driven due to increased media coverage and exposure, while 36% stated that the sport has become increasingly competitive and reached a higher level of performance over the past few years.
Watching women’s soccer is a family activity, with 60% of respondents saying that they watch games regularly with their family. However, the ability to attend live games in stadiums is still a barrier for 1 in 2 fans (50%) stating that there are no stadiums near their home city. However, almost 30% of respondents noted they are most likely to cheer or scream for their team when attending a game in person.
When it comes to which generation is planning to spend the most time watching the Women’s World Cup this summer, Millennials are the biggest fans (61%), followed by Gen Z (54%) and Gen X (48%).

Klarna’s ‘Scream for your team’ is just one of the initiatives launched by the company to promote women’s soccer in the U.S. and globally. As a founding partner of the National Women’s Soccer League team Angel City FC, Klarna has been actively involved in various projects. This includes collaborating on limited-edition merch collections with brands like re-inc and Suay Sew Shop and contributing to local Los Angeles philanthropies alongside ACFC.

Josh van Sant, Klarna’s Head of Global Consumer Communications, emphasized the company’s commitment to supporting women’s soccer fans worldwide. With the game, Klarna aims to reward fans for their unwavering support and offer them a unique way to engage with the sport during the summer’s major women’s soccer tournament in Australia and New Zealand.

The ‘Scream For Your Team’ game can be accessed through the Klarna app’s ‘You’ tab, available for free download on Apple and Android devices. For more information on watch party schedules, interested fans can visit angelcity.com/summer23.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Klarna Supports Women’s Soccer with New World Cup Activation first appeared on The Source.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Klarna Supports Women’s Soccer with New World Cup Activation appeared first on The Source.