Latest news with #CosmicStorm
New York Times
04-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Our thoughts on the new NWSL kits, plus a Women's Club World Cup update
Full Time Newsletter ⚽| This is The Athletic's weekly women's soccer newsletter. Sign up here to receive Full Time directly in your inbox. Cut your bangs, dye your hair or spray-paint your jersey pink — whatever makes you happy. Emily Olsen here with Meg Linehan and Melanie Anzidei — welcome to Full Time! NWSL unveils 2025 jerseys Do you know what you're wearing to the NWSL season openers? With less than two weeks to go, now you do. The league recently showed off its 2025 collection of jerseys to mixed reviews. From the vinyl pool cover look in San Diego to the Houston Dash's chaos and whatever Gotham is doing, The Athletic broke down every look. Advertisement For most teams, last year's primary kits (what they typically wear at home matches) will carry over to this season. What the league shared last Thursday was all 14 teams' new secondary kits, which they will regularly wear on the road. In its sophomore season, Bay FC is getting fresh looks for both, now that the team's identity is complete. The Dash's 'Cosmic Storm' immediately went on my wish list, because when all is going wrong, you can always find solace in bold fashion. There was so much to discuss that we kept the conversation going on Slack: A championship rematch The Washington Spirit will likely debut their new look, which feels inspired by Australia, in the NWSL Challenge Cup on Friday when they meet the Orlando Pride at Inter & Co Stadium (8 p.m. ET, Amazon Prime Video). Last year, the competition transitioned to a one-off game between the NWSL champions and the league's Shield winners (most regular-season points). Because the Pride nabbed both those honors last season, this year's Challenge Cup will be a rematch of the NWSL championship game. It's the ceremonial start of the season with a trophy on the line. We can't think of a better way to spend a Friday night. 🎧 Listen to last week's 'Full Time' episode, recapping the SheBelieves Cup and weighing in on the latest NWSL jerseys. The inaugural women's Club World Cup looks likely to be postponed until 2027 at the earliest, per reporting from our Matt Slater. On the one hand, I'm glad FIFA has realized the whole tournament — which was originally planned for early 2026 — has not come together in any meaningful way. Still, the update also has me once again questioning how necessary this tournament is. Yes, I absolutely wanted competition at one point between all the top clubs in the world, especially after seeing the potential of these sorts of matchups from smaller outfits like the Women's ICC and Women's Cup tournaments here in the U.S. But considering the state of the men's Club World Cup, which has become another obligation on the calendar and a challenge for FIFA's media rights operation (ending up with DAZN), maybe now is the perfect time to truly put the brakes on and ask if trying to follow the same path is the right idea at all. Advertisement A potential four- or six-team tournament might be the immediate solution, but again, it's copying the men's structure of the Intercontinental Cup played in between Club World Cups. It makes more sense to start small, and then aim for a signature event, but so far there hasn't been any compelling argument for players, clubs and leagues to invest themselves in qualification — beyond the abstract idea of bragging rights. From my vantage point, this vague shell of a tournament certainly doesn't provide a reason for a men's club to form a women's club, one of the motives FIFA president Gianni Infantino cited at last year's FIFA Council meeting. Girma injured in first start Naomi Girma's Chelsea debut didn't exactly go as expected. The 24-year-old U.S. women's national team center back played 59 minutes in Chelsea's 2-2 draw with Brighton yesterday, a month after she became the most expensive player in women's football history. She spent most of the first half battling former Stanford teammate Madison Haley and working to adjust to Chelsea's midseason switch to a formation with three center backs alongside Millie Bright and Lucy Bronze, who Jessy Parker Humphreys reminds us is not really a typical center back. In the second half, Girma pointed to her calf and looked at the bench before needing attention from the athletic trainers. She headed to the sideline under her own power, and manager Sonia Bompastor eased concerns postgame with her lack of serious worry. However, she said Girma would likely get scans today. The defender missed the last two national team camps with a minor calf injury. The crossover we deserve The links between the WNBA and NWSL continue to grow. The latest is a hometown collaboration in the Bay Area. Today, Bay FC announced New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu has joined the club as an investor. The 2024 WNBA Champion and Bay Area native will also serve as commercial adviser to the team, focusing on commercial strategy and supporting players in building their brand portfolios. Advertisement Ionescu, 27, was the first women's basketball player to have a unisex signature collection with Nike, with her Sabrina 2 becoming the most-worn current basketball shoe in the NBA in 2024. Last month, RAJ Sports, which owns the Portland Thorns and the WNBA's expansion team in Portland, unveiled plans for a $150-million training facility that will be the first shared between teams in NWSL and WNBA. In the fall, Caitlin Clark expressed interest in NWSL club ownership when she was unveiled as part of the ownership group fighting to bring an NWSL club to Cincinnati. While Cincinnati lost the expansion race to Denver, Clark's interest, and now Ionescu's investment, is a sure sign the synergies between the leagues will only continue to grow. At the World Cup final in 2023, Spanish forward Jenni Hermoso's life changed. But not in the way it should have. In a moment that became more widely known as 'The Kiss,' former Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales grabbed Hermoso's face and kissed her on the lips. Last month, Rubiales went on trial for one count of sexual assault and one of coercion. In the end, he was found guilty of sexual assault. Meg guides us through the full story in a special edition of the 'Full Time' podcast, with the help of The Athletic's Spanish reporters — from the pitch in Sydney, to the hills of south Spain, over to the court room of Madrid — to answer one question: Se acabó? This is 'It's Over: The Trial of Luis Rubiales.' Bright side: The USWNT fell 2-1 to Japan last week in the final game of the SheBelieves Cup. Japan captured its first SheBelieves title and ended the Americans' five-year run as champions. But U.S. head coach Emma Hayes called it 'mission accomplished' in terms of beginning her developmental era. Presidential matters: U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone is running for another term in the role. Her five years in charge, across one and a half terms, have presented numerous challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, an equal pay lawsuit, two collective bargaining agreement negotiations and the Sally Yates report. She discussed her experiences and why she's going for a second full term with Paul Tenorio. Advertisement On the move: Everton is considering making Goodison Park the new home for the club's women's team. Right now, only Leicester City shares its main stadium between the men's and women's teams for all home matches, though Arsenal Women committed to playing 11 matches at the Emirates this season. Backing out: BOS Nation hit another speed bump last week. However, this one gets a lot smaller the closer you get. Boston Globe chief executive Linda Henry is no longer an investor in the NWSL expansion team. Despite her expansive portfolio, Henry's investment had been considered a minority and non-controlling one. 📫 Love Full Time? These stories can also be found on Yahoo's women's sports hub, in partnership with The Athletic.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NWSL reveals new jerseys for all 14 teams ahead of 2025 season
With only two weeks left until the start of the 2025 NWSL season, and the league is showing off its new threads. On Thursday, the NWSL teams unveiled its new secondary jerseys, debuting the bold looks that players will wear on the field this coming seaosn. Designed by Nike, the kits show off a wide variety of colors, patterns and regional themes. Here's a look at the new jerseys for all 14 of the NWSL teams. Angel City's 2025 secondary jersey is probably the most location-based of the new kits. The off-white jersey is covered in Los Angeles landmarks, from the monuments (Santa Monica Pier, Griffith Observatory) to the lifestyle (palm trees, fruit stands). The club's signature pink is used in accents on the uniform to pull everything together. With the club in its second year, the team went with a relatively simple but still eye-catching design. The jersey features a striped, swooping pattern with a subtle texture to it. But, perhaps unexpectedly, the most striking thing is the centered logo, something that certainly marks a change from past NWSL kits. The newly-named Chicago Stars FC is fresh off a rebrand of its own, and will be sporting a kit to match. The Stars will wear this marbled dark kit at away matchups, with red accents and the pop of its signature blue on the socks. A menacing alter ego to impose on our opponents anywhere we go. Introducing our 2025 secondary kit. — Chicago Stars FC (@theChicagoStars) February 27, 2025 In the years since rebranding as NJ/NY Gotham FC, has leaned into the minty blue associated with its past. This year's secondary jersey is no different, with the color paying homage to the team's old name, Sky Blue. The new kit also introduces a new black monochrome crest that stands out well on the blue. Unlike other teams, Gotham doesn't have a name for this kit yet; instead, the team is letting the fans decide. Made with for the historymakers. — Gotham FC (@GothamFC) February 27, 2025 Like many Houston teams before it, the Houston Dash have leaned into the area's space roots with the "Cosmic Storm" kit. With a magenta-tinged galaxy pattern, the Dash are leaning towards alternate colors, away from its typical orange and black, as the club seeks a fresh start in 2025. The 2025 Nike Houston Dash secondary kit 🤘 — National Women's Soccer League (@NWSL) February 27, 2025 The Kansas City Current are leaning aggressively into the teal in 2025 with its "Teal Town" kit. The all-teal kit features a map of Kansas City and the Missouri River overlayed over the jersey's front, with the crest marking the spot where the club's CPKC stadium sits on the map. Teal from top to bottom. An instant classic. — KC Current (@thekccurrent) February 27, 2025 The North Carolina Courage debuted a pink monochrome jersey for 2025, the "Believe" kit. Although it's a relatively simple kit, the dual-color pattern gives it a visually appealing texture. On the bottom right side of the jersey is a circle with "Esse Quam Videri," the state motto of North Carolina, which means "to be rather than to seem." Fresh off the 2024 NWSL Championship, the Orlando Pride is debuting a bright purple kit for next season. The Decennial kit, celebrating the club's 10th year, feature a fun textured pattern and light blue accents. The centered crest is iridescent and features a star over the top — spoils of the club's first-ever championship last season. The Portland Thorns went dark for its new jersey, part of the "Back in Black" kit. The away jersey features a blend of black and red accents, with the red invoking fiery embers, per the team. Racing Louisville returned to the earth for its new jersey, unveiling the Roots kit on Thursday. The green kit features a subtle texture and a lily design on the side panels. The club is also leaning into the theme by partnering with a local nonprofit to plant trees in the Louisville area. Our team dressed in a new green 🌲We'll debut the Roots Kit at our home opener on Saturday, March 15! Get your tickets at — Racing Louisville FC (@RacingLouFC) February 27, 2025 San Diego had one of the best kits of last year with its "Del Sol" kit; now, the club is adding to its rotation with the ocean-inspired Altamar kit. The all-blue kit features a sunlit water design across the jersey and lighter blue accents, with dark blue shorts and socks to match. an energy from deep beneath the sea. 🧜♀️🌊 — San Diego Wave FC (@sandiegowavefc) February 27, 2025 A year after rebranding back to Seattle Reign FC, the club has leaned into gold as a new accent color. This year's kit, the "Rise" kit, features a golden-tinted jersey with abstract rays, which the club says was inspired by the city's skyline and the rising sun in the Pacific Northwest. Repping Seattle with pride. 💛Pre-order now ➡️ — Seattle Reign FC (@reignfc) February 27, 2025 In its second year since returning to the league, the Utah Royals went for a bold kit that evokes the Great Salt Lake and the other natural elements of the Salt Lake City area. The jersey also reimagines the crest, reformatting it into the shape of the state of Utah. As part of the kit, the club has also donated $10,000 to the preservation of the Great Salt Lake. Last year, the Washington Spirit introduced yellow as an accent color, and is leaning into it even more this year. The Spirit's new "Shockwave" kit features a vivid yellow jersey with green accents, a bold and eye-catching look for this season's away matchups.
