Fútnotes, Volume 51

Still a rather slow week in the women’s soccer world, with the notable exception of the NWSL Draft in Anaheim, California. If you ever get the opportunity to attend a Draft in person, you should. I went last year when it was in Philadelphia, and it was a lot of fun. It was wild realizing that the Philadelphia Convention Center was full of people who were there to celebrate women’s soccer, and it was so much fun catching up with old friends and meeting colleagues.

Of course the Draft itself is the subject of controversy. It doesn’t afford those looking to enter the labor pool the chance to determine their own fate, and there are far too many stories of players picking up and moving across the country (on their own dime) only to be cut after a couple of weeks.

The good news is that there’s a greater acknowledgement that while 56 people found out their futures, those that didn’t get drafted still have many avenues to continue their careers. Players are called to camps by NWSL teams, there are a myriad of semi-pro teams throughout the country, and players are also recognizing the opportunities outside of the United States as well.

México

La U Times did a great podcast episode focusing on Tigres Femenil. (La U Times)

Isabel Kasis played in her 100th game for Atlético San Luis. (Atlético de San Luis)

Jazmín Castañon was ruled out of practice after suffering acute lower back pain. (Cruz Azul)

Eva González Tate will undergo surgery on January 16 for a knee injury suffered in training. (FC Juárez)

Thank you for reading Golazo del Gringo! If you enjoyed reading this post, please share it with anyone who enjoys women’s soccer.

Rest of the World

Ex-Tigres striker Mia Fishel hit a banger against West Ham in Chelsea’s 3-1 win in the fourth round of the Women’s FA Cup. (Adobe Women’s FA Cup via X/Twitter)

My friend André Carlisle started a blog called beyond the vaudevillian cane and one of his first articles was about Croix Bethune, who the Washington Spirit selected in the first round of the recent NWSL Draft. (beyond the vaudevillian cane)

Speaking of the Washington Spirit, they officially announced current Barcelona Femení head coach Jonatan Giráldez as their next head coach. (Washington Spirit)

The club formerly known as the Seattle Reign are now the club formerly known as OL Reign, as the NWSL team in the Jet City is once again the Seattle Reign, complete with their iconic logo. (Seattle Reign FC)

I enjoyed this look at what it’s like to be on the floor of the NWSL Draft by Steph Yang and Meg Linehan of The Athletic. (Possible paywall)

CBS Sports put out their list of NWSL Draft winners and losers. (CBS Sports)

Daniel Taylor of The Athletic published an investigative report about the death of Sheffield United’s Maddy Cusack in September by suicide. It’s heartbreaking and damning. (The Athletic, possible paywall)

This is a cool look at the history of women’s soccer in Austria, and the site looks like it’s full of these histories. (Forgotten Heroines)

Don’t ever let them tell you no one pays attention to women’s soccer.

If you have something that should be included in this segment, please reach out to me via twitter or email me at [email protected].