It's still a little while longer until the major European leagues in women's football get underway, but there are still plenty of great games being played, including from Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, while the 2023 NCAA and NWSL seasons are in full swing.
Here's all you need to know ahead of another week of women's football.
NWSL
Portland Thorns currently hold a narrow two point lead over the chasing pack as matchday 18 gets underway this Friday with Kansas City welcoming Angel City. The Thorns will look to retain their slim lead when they face Racing Louisville on Saturday; however, North Carolina Courage, who are only two points behind, could jump into first place should they beat Gotham. Both games will kick off at 7.30 pm EST (4.30 pm EST).
Meanwhile, San Diego Wave, who are also two points behind the Thorns, will aim to keep up the pressure when they take on Houston Dash in matchday 18's final game on Sunday.
Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo, fuboTV, and Bally Sports are your options to follow the upcoming round of NWSL games. For more details, including a comprehensive schedule of matches coming up, make sure to check out our special NWSL match page here.
NCAA
The 2023 NCAA Division I soccer season is already underway, as numerous teams compete to become one of the 64 who will get to feature in the annual tournament that will determine who becomes the national champions of NCAA Division I women's soccer.
Fans in the USA have several options to follow the game, with ESPN+, ESPN App, and FuboTV all providing ways to live-stream games. For a detailed schedule of games, including where and how you can watch them, check out our special NCAA Division I women's soccer page here.
Damallsvenskan, Toppserien, and Elitedivisionen
In Scandinavia, the top leagues in women's football are all still in process, with ongoing title races in Sweden's Damallsvenskan, Denmark's Elitedivisionen, and Norway's Toppserien.
Here's where you can catch key games in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway
When do the major European leagues get back underway?
England: Women's Super League (WSL)
The 13th edition of the WSL is set to resume on Sunday, October 1st as reigning champions Chelsea aim to make it a seventh league title. As such, fans of this league will have to wait a bit longer in order to see their favorite players in action, but in order not to miss out, we suggest you bookmark our special WSL page.
Spain: Liga F
The 36th installment of Liga F gets back underway on Friday, September 8th and continues through the weekend of the 9th and 10th. Barcelona, who won the title last season for the eighth time will look to successfully defend their title and make it a fifth consecutive one on the trot. Make sure you bookmark our special Liga F page so as not to miss out on match times and where to watch them.
Germany: Frauen-Bundesliga
Top flight football in Germany starts on Friday, September 15th, and continues through the weekend of September 16th and 17th. This upcoming term will be the 34th since it was founded in 1990, and Bayern Munich, like the men's team, will come into this year as the reigning champions. Make sure you don't miss out on Frauen-Bundesliga games by bookmarking our special Frauen-Bundesliga match page.
France: Division 1 Féminine
The 50th iteration of top flight football in France will start on Friday, September 15th and continues during the weekend of September 16th and 17th. Lyon are the reigning champions following their 16th title victory during the prior campaign. Check out our special D1 Féminine match page in order not to miss out on any of the games.
Italy: Serie A Femminile
Matchday one of the 2023/24 Serie A season will start on Saturday, September 16th and Sunday, September 17th. Roma come into this season as the reigning champions after the Giallorosse won their first ever title last season. This will be the second year that the league is playing under a fully professional status, despite being founded back in 1968. Make sure you don't miss out on Italian women's football by bookmarking our special Serie A match page.
Top news in women's football
Manchester United reportedly reject 'world record' bit for shot-stopper
Mary Earps's dynamic performance for England at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup certainly has not gone unnoticed.
The 30-year-old featured in all seven of England's games as the Lionesses made a run to the tournament finals, and while she was unable to prevent her team from losing 1-0 to Spain, she nonetheless received deserved plaudits for her showings for Sarina Wiegman's side. As a result, the Nottingham-born goalkeeper received the Golden Glove prize. She was also a key protagonist for England as they beat Brazil on spot-kicks during the re-instated Finalissima competition while her heroics were vital in England's triumph at the UEFA Women's EURO competition in 2022.
Domestically, Earps, who plays her club football for Manchester United, played an equally instrumental part in the Red Devils' excellent run in the WSL, where they were narrowly pipped to the league title by Chelsea. Not surprisingly, Earps clinched several personal accolades, including the WSL Golden Glove and receiving a nomination to the PFA WSL team of the year (her second since being named during the 2016/17 season).
So, it's no surprise that, according to several reports, that Manchester United have received a huge bid for Earps. While the exact amount and the interested team have not been publicly revealed, it's safe to say that her team will be keen on getting her to extend her contract, which has one year remaining on it.
Since signing with Manchester United in 2019, Earps has played in every single minute of WSL action for the past four seasons, and the Red Devils' leadership will certainly look to ensure that she remains with the team for years to come.
USWNT veteran Megan Rapinoe set to retire in September
After 17 years, Megan Rapinoe is set to call time on her USWNT career next month. The 38-year-old has been part of the team set up for nearly two decades, where she has made over 200 appearances and has been directly involved in nearly 140 goals (63 goals, 73 assists). During her playing career, the California-born attacker has won two World Cups as well as an Olympic gold medal and made history back in 2019 where, at the age of 34, she became the oldest woman to score in a Women's World Cup final.
Unfortunately, Rapinoe's career did not end the way she had wanted, as she was one of three players to miss a penalty during the USWNT's loss to Sweden in the round of 16. In addition, her activism and outspoken nature earned her plenty of criticism from pundits back in the USA, some of whom blamed her for several younger players' refusal to sing the national anthem.
In any case, Rapinoe's final match for the USWNT is set to take place in September, when the Stars and Stripes face South Africa in a friendly match on the 24th, and naturally she will certainly hope to have a starring role in what will be her final match for Team USA.
However, while Rapinoe is concluding her career with the USWNT, she intends to continue playing for her club team, OL Reign until the end of the 2023 season.
Didn't find your favorite women's league on this list? No worries, as this is just a highlight of some of the exciting games coming up this week. Make sure to check out our special Women's Football Page here at LiveSoccerTV.com for full broadcast info, match updates, news, and more.
