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Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How Riley Tiernan's close relationship with her sister helped the NWSL rookie find success early
Angel City FC forward Riley Tiernan was exactly where she needed to be when her teammate Claire Emslie crossed the ball into the goalkeeper's box. The 22-year-old rookie headed the ball into the net for the game-winning goal in the 2-1 victory over Seattle Reign, her first in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Advertisement 'That was the only header goal I've ever scored,' Tiernan told on Wednesday over Zoom. 'For it to be in front of all our fans at home, and against Reign, and it was the one that put us in the lead — I was, like, in shock. I don't even really remember what happened.' That was the moment, Tiernan said, she felt welcomed into the NWSL. Since her debut goal, Tiernan has become one of the most-talked-about rookies in the league. Her five goals put her in a four-way tie for the second-most goals this season, and she has been called up to the U-23 U.S. women's national team camp in Germany next week. The New Jersey native spent four years at Rutgers University and was named the 2021 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and, by graduation, set the all-time assists record for the Scarlet Knights (34). Advertisement Tiernan's ability to quickly adapt to new environments is what makes her a lethal player, her college coach, Mike O'Neill, said. 'Riley is the type of player that you love to coach, and you don't like to coach against her,' said O'Neill, the longtime head coach of Rutgers women's soccer. 'Just seeing how competitive she was and the edge that she had to be the best player that she could be, she has always been a leader from the day she set foot on campus.' But one game stands out. In late November 2021, Rutgers defeated Arkansas in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA women's tournament to reach the College Cup for the second time in program history. Tiernan, then a 19-year-old freshman, opened scoring for the Knights two minutes in and later scored the game-winning kick in a penalty shootout. Advertisement 'The bigger the game, the better the player and that's Riley Tiernan,' O'Neill said. The pressure, Tiernan said, forces her to improve. 'Being uncomfortable makes me a better player,' Tiernan said, 'The one thing that's gotten me through my freshman year and this year so far is confidence. That's one of my strengths: remaining confident, even in tough environments.' Playing in the NWSL has been a lifelong goal, inspired by her older sister Madison, who played at Rutgers and later signed with Sky Blue FC. 'It was my dream since I was a little girl,' Tiernan said. 'I grew up watching my sister play, and seeing her play made me want it that much more.' Advertisement The sisters, 22 and 29, talk every day, making sure to FaceTime so Riley can still see her nine-month-old nephew, Grady, despite being 3,000 miles apart. When Grady sees Riley, his face 'lights up,' his mother said. 'Me and my sister are really close, and I think that's the main foundation of who I am as a player,' Riley said. Riley also has the tenacity to want to improve, Madison said, and the athleticism to match those aspirations. Madison remembered one summer when Riley decided she would learn how to do a backflip. She'd be in the yard every day, until her family looked out the window to see her whirling in the air. The sisters also have a middle brother, but, based on Riley's logic, sharing a bedroom made the sisters closer. 'It was a purple bedroom because she was obsessed with Justin Bieber, so I was obsessed with Justin Bieber,' Riley said, with a laugh. 'That was pretty much how everything went. I stole her clothes. I was a mini copycat. Advertisement 'I luckily copied her soccer skills as well.' 'Being eight years apart, we've kind of gone through the stages of life in such different time periods,' said Madison, 'but now, her being in her 20s, we've gotten so much closer. … She's my built-in best friend. When I was 16, I thought she was annoying, but now, I couldn't be more proud of her.' That admiration is mutual. 'It's not a luxury that a lot of people have,' Riley said. 'To be able to watch her go throughout all these high-level stages of her life, and to be able to watch it and be surrounded by that environment, I think it just motivated me. Having her be there for me mentally, physically, training me, teaching me, telling me everything that I need to know, to prepare me, was the most helpful thing.' Advertisement Riley committed to play for Rutgers as an eighth-grader on Madison's senior day, usually the last home game for a team's graduating class. In college, Riley wore the No 73 — a homage to her sister's birthday, July 3. The sisters' relationship evolved again when Madison became one of Riley's coaches at Rutgers, where Madison remains on staff as an assistant coach. The coaching part of their relationship persists today, with Madison checking in after most trainings. 'The beauty of sport is you can never be complacent,' Madison said. 'She has a lot of hype, and that brings another set of expectations and pressure. But I tell her, get better at one thing, and that's going to continue to add to your toolbox and make you a better player.' Advertisement The path to the NWSL wasn't as clear-cut for Riley as it had been for Madison, who was the 24th pick in the 2017 NWSL College Draft. The draft was nixed last year, and Riley was among the first college graduates to navigate entering the league without it. 'It was a little different experience for me,' the younger Tiernan said. 'There were a couple of things that happened that caused a little bit of a scramble for me.' It helped having an older sister who understood the NWSL. Madison reached out to folks she knew, including Becki Tweed, the head coach at Angel City. When Tweed and the club parted ways, Madison stayed in touch with the club. 'I did everything I could to help her get there because I knew she was doing everything behind the scenes to be ready for that level,' Madison said. Advertisement Tiernan would eventually receive invitations for preseason training with Angel City and another club, but she said she felt a pull to Angel City. She was named to the team's 2025 preseason roster as a trialist and played significant minutes at the Coachella Valley Invitational in February. Angel City signed Tiernan in March to a two-year contract through 2026, with a club option through 2027. She remembers one of their coaches telling her that the club's sporting director, Mark Parsons, wanted to speak with her. 'I was trying not to cry, honestly,' Tiernan said. 'I texted the family group chat immediately, and I was like, 'O-M-G, I just got a contract.'' Tiernan scored her first brace against the Washington Spirit in a 4-3 win at Audi Field earlier this month. She said it was her second 'Welcome to the NWSL' moment. That day, a 'family caravan' of about 30 to 40 people traveled to D.C. from New Jersey to watch her play. Advertisement Tiernan has worked her way into the starting lineup for Angel City, which sits seventh in league standings. The team faces Racing Louisville at home on Saturday. She's tied with some of the biggest names in the NWSL in the Golden Boot race – Kansas City Current's Temwa Chawinga and Debinha, and Spirit's Ashley Hatch — two goals shy of Gotham FC's Esther Gonzalez. Off the pitch, Tiernan is feeling at home in Los Angeles. 'I feel like I was made to live here,' she said. She's playing alongside some of the most promising stars in American soccer, like sisters Alyssa and Giselle Thompson. She's also learning from players she grew up idolizing, like Sydney Leroux, who she said, 'took me under her wing, which I really needed.' Advertisement 'I have so much to learn, and I'm just trying to be like a sponge and absorb everything,' Tiernan said. For now, her focus is on Angel City and then preparing for the U-23 camp later this month. 'Hopefully something good comes of it, and I perform and other opportunities will come from that,' Tiernan said. 'But, right now my main focus is just being where my feet are and doing as much as I can and getting our team to a championship.' This article originally appeared in The Athletic. US Women's national team, Angel City, NWSL 2025 The Athletic Media Company
Fox Sports
18-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Messi meets the Dawg Pound: Soccer superstar leads Inter Miami into Cleveland against Columbus
Associated Press CLEVELAND (AP) — Lionel Messi has played in his share of unique environments as one of the top soccer players in the world. He adds another on Saturday when the Argentine superstar visits the Dawg Pound. Instead of Cleveland Browns fans barking at opponents from the bleachers in the East end zone, Crew supporters will take over the space on Saturday when Columbus hosts Inter Miami. The Crew has had the option of holding a match in Cleveland since the Haslam Sports Group took over the franchise in 2019. The Haslams also own the Browns. 'This is a unique moment in time with Messi where we can fill the building and ensure that the first experience that Northeast Ohio has with the Columbus Crew is in a packed house,' said Josh Glessing, the Haslam Sports Group's chief of strategy development who is also the Crew's president of business operations. It will be the 11th match in MLS that Messi has played in an NFL stadium since he arrived in Miami in 2023 after captaining Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title. It is the second time that a club has moved it to a larger facility. The previous matches — nine regular season and one playoff — averaged 61,507 fans. Last year, Sporting Kansas City drew 72,610 when they played Inter Miami at Arrowhead Stadium instead of their home field, which has a capacity of 18,467. Atlanta United, Charlotte FC, the Chicago Fire and New England Revolution play in NFL facilities. Last Sunday's scoreless draw at Chicago's Soldier Field had a crowd of 62,358, a single-game record for the Fire. The Crew expect to set a single-game record, surpassing the 31,550 it drew for a 1996 match at Ohio Stadium against the New York-New Jersey MetroStars. 'For Inter Miami to travel around Major League Soccer and for us to be able to take that game into big stadiums and sell them out speaks to the impact he has on Major League Soccer and on the sport. But there's also an exciting legacy impact that I don't think a lot of people have realized yet," MLS executive vice president Camilo Durana said. Cleveland and Northeast Ohio do have a soccer history of their own. The Force of the defunct Major Indoor Soccer League was one of the top-drawing teams during the league's heyday in the 1980s. Recently, the region has been fertile ground for youth and club teams. The University of Akron won the Division I NCAA men's soccer title in 2010, was a finalist in 2018, and has reached the College Cup final four six times. The Zips have sent many players to MLS, including Crew midfielder Darlington Nagbe. Cleveland was in the running for an NWSL expansion team. After those efforts fell short, a local group this week announced its plans to field a club in WPSL Pro, a Division II and feeder league for NWSL. Huntington Bank Field has hosted U.S. men's and women's national team matches, including two CONCACAF Gold Cup doubleheaders. Columbus is one of the original members of Major League Soccer but has found itself in competition with fans in Ohio since FC Cincinnati began play in 2016 and joined MLS three years later. 'We think it's got a real half-life with the Crew in Columbus. If we can do this right, we can create new fans in Cleveland,' Glessing said. 'We hope that these people are going to travel to Columbus in the future to engage with the Crew there because they've been exposed to something new for the first time.' Besides Messi's fanfare, it is a matchup between MLS's only two unbeaten teams. The Crew (5-0-3) lead the Eastern Conference with 18 points while Inter Miami (4-0-3) has played one fewer match and sits in fourth place with 15 points. Messi has three goals and two assists in four MLS matches this season. Crew midfielder Sean Zawadzki, who grew up in Olmsted Falls, is excited for the opportunity to play in front of hometown fans. 'To me, it means a lot,' Zawadzki said. 'It's a place I've grown up going to, supporting the Browns and other teams in Cleveland. So to be there, closer to family and friends, obviously is a big part for me. So I'm just really looking forward to the game.' ___ AP soccer:
Associated Press
18-04-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Messi meets the Dawg Pound: Soccer superstar leads Inter Miami into Cleveland against Columbus
CLEVELAND (AP) — Lionel Messi has played in his share of unique environments as one of the top soccer players in the world. He adds another on Saturday when the Argentine superstar visits the Dawg Pound. Instead of Cleveland Browns fans barking at opponents from the bleachers in the East end zone, Crew supporters will take over the space on Saturday when Columbus hosts Inter Miami. The Crew has had the option of holding a match in Cleveland since the Haslam Sports Group took over the franchise in 2019. The Haslams also own the Browns. 'This is a unique moment in time with Messi where we can fill the building and ensure that the first experience that Northeast Ohio has with the Columbus Crew is in a packed house,' said Josh Glessing, the Haslam Sports Group's chief of strategy development who is also the Crew's president of business operations. It will be the 11th match in MLS that Messi has played in an NFL stadium since he arrived in Miami in 2023 after captaining Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title. It is the second time that a club has moved it to a larger facility. The previous matches — nine regular season and one playoff — averaged 61,507 fans. Last year, Sporting Kansas City drew 72,610 when they played Inter Miami at Arrowhead Stadium instead of their home field, which has a capacity of 18,467. Atlanta United, Charlotte FC, the Chicago Fire and New England Revolution play in NFL facilities. Last Sunday's scoreless draw at Chicago's Soldier Field had a crowd of 62,358, a single-game record for the Fire. The Crew expect to set a single-game record, surpassing the 31,550 it drew for a 1996 match at Ohio Stadium against the New York-New Jersey MetroStars. 'For Inter Miami to travel around Major League Soccer and for us to be able to take that game into big stadiums and sell them out speaks to the impact he has on Major League Soccer and on the sport. But there's also an exciting legacy impact that I don't think a lot of people have realized yet,' MLS executive vice president Camilo Durana said. Cleveland and Northeast Ohio do have a soccer history of their own. The Force of the defunct Major Indoor Soccer League was one of the top-drawing teams during the league's heyday in the 1980s. Recently, the region has been fertile ground for youth and club teams. The University of Akron won the Division I NCAA men's soccer title in 2010, was a finalist in 2018, and has reached the College Cup final four six times. The Zips have sent many players to MLS, including Crew midfielder Darlington Nagbe. Cleveland was in the running for an NWSL expansion team. After those efforts fell short, a local group this week announced its plans to field a club in WPSL Pro, a Division II and feeder league for NWSL. Huntington Bank Field has hosted U.S. men's and women's national team matches, including two CONCACAF Gold Cup doubleheaders. Columbus is one of the original members of Major League Soccer but has found itself in competition with fans in Ohio since FC Cincinnati began play in 2016 and joined MLS three years later. 'We think it's got a real half-life with the Crew in Columbus. If we can do this right, we can create new fans in Cleveland,' Glessing said. 'We hope that these people are going to travel to Columbus in the future to engage with the Crew there because they've been exposed to something new for the first time.' Besides Messi's fanfare, it is a matchup between MLS's only two unbeaten teams. The Crew (5-0-3) lead the Eastern Conference with 18 points while Inter Miami (4-0-3) has played one fewer match and sits in fourth place with 15 points. Messi has three goals and two assists in four MLS matches this season. Crew midfielder Sean Zawadzki, who grew up in Olmsted Falls, is excited for the opportunity to play in front of hometown fans. 'To me, it means a lot,' Zawadzki said. 'It's a place I've grown up going to, supporting the Browns and other teams in Cleveland. So to be there, closer to family and friends, obviously is a big part for me. So I'm just really looking forward to the game.' ___ AP soccer:
Fox Sports
05-03-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
USWNT, Portland Thorns forward Sophia Wilson announces she is pregnant
Portland Thorns and United States women's national team forward Sophia Wilson has announced she is pregnant. Wilson, who previously went by her maiden name Smith, posted a photo of herself on Instagram on Wednesday holding a strip of sonogram photos while being embraced by her husband, Michael Wilson, a wide receiver for the NFL's Arizona Cardinals. "Life just keeps getting sweeter," her caption said. Wilson, 24, was on the national team that won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics last summer. Fans dubbed the front line of Wilson, Trinity Rodman and Mallory Swanson "Triple Espresso." Wilson, who was also on the 2023 Women's World Cup squad, has played in 58 games with the national team, scoring 24 goals. She was named U.S. Soccer women's player of the year in 2022 and young player of the year in 2017. Wilson was the top pick in the National Women's Soccer League draft in 2020 after helping Stanford to a victory over North Carolina in the 2019 NCAA College Cup championship. She scored three goals in the Cardinal's semifinal victory over UCLA and was named the College Cup's most valuable player. In five seasons with the Thorns, she has scored 44 goals across all competitions. She was named the NWSL's most valuable player in 2022 after helping Portland win the league title. "We are overjoyed to share that @sophiawilson and her husband Michael are expecting their first child! The Thorns are proud to support her through this incredible new chapter," the team posted. The Thorns open their 2025 season on March 15 at the Kansas City Current. Reporting by The Associated Press. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily ! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience Sophia Smith United States NWSL Get more from United States Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
USWNT forward Sophia Wilson announces she is pregnant
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Portland Thorns and U.S. team forward Sophia Wilson has announced she is pregnant. Wilson, who previously went by her maiden name Smith, posted a photo of herself on Instagram on Wednesday holding a strip of sonogram photos while being embraced by her husband, Michael Wilson, a wide receiver for the NFL's Arizona Cardinals. 'Life just keeps getting sweeter,' her caption said. Wilson, 24, was on the national team that won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics last summer. Fans dubbed the front line of Wilson, Trinity Rodman and Mallory Swanson 'Triple Espresso.' Wilson, who was also on the 2023 Women's World Cup squad, has played in 58 games with the national team, scoring 24 goals. She was named U.S. Soccer women's player of the year in 2022 and young player of the year in 2017. Wilson was the top pick in the National Women's Soccer League draft in 2020 after helping Stanford to a victory over North Carolina in the 2019 NCAA College Cup championship. She scored three goals in the Cardinal's semifinal victory over UCLA and was named the College Cup's most valuable player. In five seasons with the Thorns, she has scored 44 goals across all competitions. She was named the NWSL's most valuable player in 2022 after helping Portland win the league title. 'We are overjoyed to share that @sophiawilson and her husband Michael are expecting their first child! The Thorns are proud to support her through this incredible new chapter,' the team posted. The Thorns open their 2025 season on March 15 at the Kansas City Current. ___ AP soccer: Anne M. Peterson, The Associated Press
