u/Waltz8

This isn't meant as a criticism. Just asking out of curiosity. It seems like players being from the same city as the team isn't that big of a deal in the WSL as it is in the NWSL. In the NWSL, players who are from the same city/ state as the club are celebrated. Like Alyssa and Gisele Thompson are/ were seen as LA heroes. New expansion teams tend to sign players from that area where possible, and make them the center of attention. They're the players who are used heavily in team advertising. Like Lindsey Heaps at Denver... almost everything is centered around her (as well as other players from that area like Janine Sonis, who are frequently referenced).

They're used as a focal point for fan engagement. Regarding the new expansion team coming to Atlanta, many NWSL fans have speculated that Croix Bethune might be one of their first future signings.

How come we don't see Man Utd talking a lot about players like Gabby George, or something like that?

I'm talking about an obsessive approach to fitness. Being in the gym for hours on end, taking too many supplements, etc.

I'm an American who has watched soccer for multiple decades. I personally follow both men's and women's soccer (mostly the English Premier League for men and the US National Women's Soccer League for women).

During this world cup period, I've seen a lot of US based soccer newbies asking for recommendations of teams and leagues to watch. Most only look at the MLS and focus on whether their state has an MLS team. But I'd like you to consider women's soccer as well. Your state might not have an MLS team but could potentially have a women's team.

1. The US National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is widely regarded as one of the top 2-3 leagues in the world for women. Many Americans have a winning mentality and are used to sports where the US dominates. Women's soccer is something the US is good at so you'd get that product.

There's also the Gainbridge/ USL Super League, another D1 women's soccer league. It's newer and has fewer teams and is lower in quality but provides an option if that's the only team in your state or region.

2. There's less flopping in women's soccer. This isn't to say it's better than men's, as it has its own weaknesses like less physicality. But most Americans seem turned off by flopping, and it's worth mentioning that women's soccer has less flopping.

I know some people have stigma about women's soccer. It has historically not been that great to watch but with increasing investment in it around the world, the product is improving significantly. I'm not claiming it's like men's soccer, but the top women's leagues these days have a "watchable"/quality enough product.

Aside from women's leagues, it's also worth checking out the second division (USL men's league), which is less popular but your area could potentially have a team in.

Enjoy the beautiful game!

I noticed that WoSo has many top players in the other areas. It's easier to find a goalkeeper who is world class or very good. In the NWSL for instance, there's at least 6 'keepers who are legitimate enough to be starters in any of the world's top 10 ranked national teams. Same goes for defenders.

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There's good defenders in many leagues. When it comes to strikers, there's only a few who can be relied on to consistently score double digit goals a season. Like the Shaw/Pajor/Banda/Kerr/Chawinga (maybe Schroeder) type of players are relatively rare.

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Why aren't there many clinical strikers in women's soccer?

Although I primarily watch the NWSL, I find that Liga MX and the Gainbridge/ USL leagues have the best jerseys. They just have more color and more character. I've not seen many teams in these leagues that have hideous jerseys. Some teams in the other leagues have beautiful jerseys but there's a lot of variation in jersey quality in those leagues.

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Which teams/ leagues do you think have the best jerseys?

Morocco won't bid for African soccer tournaments anymore. That's a shame, because they have some of the best facilities on the continent. Remember that the U17 Women's World Cup also happened there and will continue to be held there for the next several years.

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I'm a US citizen serving in the National Guard. I'm married to a non-US citizen who also currently doesn't live in the US. Due to current immigration restrictions, she resides outside the US. She's a citizen of one of the 75 countries that are currently restricted from getting US visas. It might take many years for her to move here.

We had a newborn son who passed away recently, who despite being born abroad, had automatically acquired US citizenship through me. He passed away before I could get his US passport to prove his citizenship. His birth and death certificates reflect his other citizenship. I filed a claim for a military based life insurance payout for which I am eligible. But I've been told the payout process could be complicated or could take long because my late son wasn't living in the US and didn't have his US passport yet.

This has made me start to think more about my life insurance plans. I have two life insurance plans: one through the military, and another which I got myself through the civilian pathway. My wife is the stated beneficiary in case I died. If I died, would it be difficult for my wife to successfully claim the benefits because she's not a US citizen or US resident? I have one trusted friend who is a US citizen and lives in the US, and is also in the military. She's close to both me and my wife. Is it wise to list that family friend as the beneficiary, to simplify the payout process if something happened to me? That way, this person could collect the funds and issue them to my wife.

What advice would you give me regarding this? If my wife ever moves to the US, of course I would change the records and have her listed again as the beneficiary.

I appreciate any suggestions and advice. Thank you.

I'm a US citizen serving in the National Guard. I'm married to a non-US citizen who currently doesn't live in the US. Due to current immigration restrictions, she resides outside the US. She's a citizen of one of the 75 countries currently banned from getting US visas. It might take many years for her to move here.

We had a newborn son who passed away recently, who despite being born abroad, had automatically acquired US citizenship through me. He passed away before I could get his US passport to prove his citizenship. His birth and death certificates reflect his other citizenship. I filed a claim for a military based life insurance payout for which I am eligible. But I've been told the payout process could be complicated or take long because my late son wasn't living in the US and didn't have his US passport yet.

This has made me start to think more about my life insurance plans. I have two life insurance plans: one through the military, and another which I got myself through the civilian pathway. My wife is the stated beneficiary in case I died. If I died, would it be difficult for my wife to successfully claim the benefits because she's not a US citizen or US resident? I have one trusted friend who is a US citizen and lives in the US, and is also in the military. She's close to both me and my wife. Is it wise to list that family friend as the beneficiary, to simplify the payout process if something happened to me? That way, this person could collect the funds and issue them to my wife.

What advice would you give me regarding this? If my wife ever moves to the US, of course I would change the records and have her listed again as the beneficiary.

I appreciate any suggestions and advice. Thank you.

Sanchez has been on fire this season. She's arguably the best American player in the NWSL this year. Many people have been hoping she'd get a USWNT call up.

I understand coaches like to have continuity and chemistry among a core group of players, especially as the WC draws nearer. But some players can be too good to ignore.

What level of performance would it take for a player like Ashley Sanchez (who hasn't been on the NT for a while) to get called up? And if she was to get called up, who would she realistically replace on the roster?

For those doing consular processing with spouses/ dependents from the 39 or 75 banned countries, what are your stories? Just wanted to hear how others are remaining resilient.

Personally I've come to terms with living in two countries for the foreseeable future. I'm not super optimistic of positive changes any time soon.

I now work in the US for a month then travel across the Atlantic to live with my wife for another month. Fortunately my job is part time and flexible. Obviously still burning money but at least we're not going hungry. That's 6 air tickets per year. In the US I've moved from an apartment to a studio. I also plan to retire outside the US so I might not need to max my retirement contributions. An online job would be perfect but those seem hard to find.

Anyone else willing to share their story, plans or just some encouragement?

Apparently the French women's league has moved from the traditional system to a playoff system. How does this system work exactly? What impact is it likely to have on the league, including the title race? How do most fans feel about it?

Any leads on where I can buy an espresso machine in the city? I checked a few places and it's hard to find since it's more of a niche product. I've found either regular coffee makers or expensive, high grade/ industrial level espresso makers. I want something simple for home use. Preferably under 20k. A few of the ones I've found on FB Marketplace go out of stock pretty quickly. Any leads?

Throughout the league's history, has any team ever used a rookie as their main starting goalkeeper? If so, which team was it and how did that go?

I understand the WSL will expand to 14 teams. How does the expansion work?

1. How does it differ from the American model where the new team pays the other teams to buy rights? Are there zero fees paid by the expansion teams? Instead of the expansion team paying money, are the expansion teams given money (like what happens when teams get promoted to the Premier League?)

2. How are the teams chosen? Does it mean 4 teams will be promoted from WSL 2 to WSL 1 (instead 2 teams) for next season only?

Will they have an easy time or a hard time getting promoted back? I understand they'd lose some players. But still, aren't they supposed to be big enough to be automatic contenders for the Championship? Is there a chance they'd get stuck in the Championship for years?