Fútnotes, Volume 59

Apologies for this coming out a little late, but rather than rush it and have it not be what I would expect in terms of thought and quality, I decided to get some rest and do it right on a different timetable.

Apropos of nothing, the NWSL franchise in Boston announced their name this past week, and it was an absolute disasterclass. Literally, they may teach this in marketing school about how not to launch a brand.

The online backlash against the name was swift, with people hating on BOS Nation FC almost immediately after launch. Things got worse when people watched the accompanying “Too Many Balls” video, mentioned all of the men’s teams in the area while ignoring the Boston Fleet, Boston’s PWHL team. When Seattle midfielder Quinn pointed out that the “Too Many Balls” campaign was transphobic, their reply was hidden by the BOS Nation FC Instagram account.

Yikes.

While the team can’t undo the launch, they can decide to be honest with themselves and recognize the miles of room for improvement. Talk with women’s soccer fans in the communities in and around Boston. Make sure it’s a diverse group too, so that the name, branding, and launch campaign are fully inclusive and representative.

And if they’re still not sure about it, maybe take a night, get some rest, and think about it some more in the morning.

México

Tigres and Gotham played to a wild 4-4 draw in New Jersey while América defeated San Diego Wave 1-0 in Concacaf W Champions Cup play, meaning that the first ever group stages of the Concacaf W Champions Cup were won by Mexican clubs. Tigres will face Portland Thorns and América will face Gotham in the semifinal round in May.

Karla Martínez missed Chivas’ match against Rayadas with an injury to her right hamstring suffered in training. No timetable is set for her return. (Chivas)

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

Corinthians defeated Santa Fe 2-0 to win their fifth Copa Libertadores Femenina.

After winning, the Corinthians players all released this video, calling for better support for women’s soccer throughout Latin America.

What a way for these women to use their platform.

Neel Shelat did a good write-up of the tournament for Forbes.

Shalat also did a good preview of the U17 Women’s World Cup that started last week.

My good friends at Shea Butter FC have launched their own newsletter on beehiiv! Subscribe (and check out their merch shop!) and learn something - I always do when listening to their podcast and when reading their newsletter.

Another good friend is doing amazing things, this time it’s fellow candy corn and iced coffee aficionado Jenna Tonelli talking about Gotham FC and the BOS Nation FC debacle on Good Game with Sarah Spain.

Temwa Chawinga became the first player in NWSL to hit the 20 goal mark as well as the first to score a goal against every other team in the league during a single season.

Finally, I love seeing women’s soccer attendance figures continuing to grow.

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 bluesky or twitter (if you must) or email me at [email protected].