More transparency! More accountability! More Own Goals! Kieran guest stars as the Grim Reaper in Evan and Eric's Own Goal Bogus Journey! Art by Eli Elbogen  Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs

We here at Expected Own Goals are about transparency and accountability. That's why, at the point in the season when xG stabilizes and becomes sticky, we've decided to go back and cop to our best and worst own goals from our preseason predictions. Kieran's back to face the music along with Eric and Evan.  Be sure to tune in later this week for Part II, where the gang digs into the players that have surprised and disappointed them the most! Art by Eli Elbogen  Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs

We've been putting it off all season, but after a tough loss to the Washington Spirit and an emphatic win against Bay FC, we can put it off no longer: we must discuss the fourth-place Chicago Red Stars. Eric and Evan were joined by Lesley Ryder of Gal Pal Sports to dissect the Laura Ricketts-Lorne Donaldson era of the team, if their early-season success is sticky or a mirage, and who will step up to score besides Mallory Swanson. Rep the 3-1-2, or the 7-7-3, or the 4-6-4, or whatever else people tear up about on The Bear!  Listen to Football is Wife, hosted by Lesley Ryder and Emily Anderson Art by Eli Elbogen Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs

Is Orlando the best team in the NWSL right now? They just might be. An emphatic 3-2 victory over the Washington Spirit on the road cemented what could be a hyper-organized defense with Barbra Banda as the tip of the spear. Other teams, attack at your own peril.  Evan and Eric dig into what made Banda so special, as well as what the future might hold for the Spirit--and Ashley Hatch--once Leicy Santos and Jonatan Giráldez arrive in June. (tl;dr they'll be fine.) Art by Eli Elbogen Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs

The NWSL spring trade deadline has come and gone, and somehow, both the Houston Dash and Angel City made some significant moves. Eric and Evan brought Kieran Doyle-Davis on to get into all of the gobsmacking behavior by both teams in moving some major players. Then, they dig into Angel City's victory over the North Carolina Courage, and how a team with 62% possession and who topped the home side on xG 2.1 - 0.5 managed to still leave Los Angeles without a result. Plus, we'll hear from Angel City head coach Becki Tweed with her tactical analysis of the match!  Art by Eli Elbogen Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs

We last checked in on the Kansas City Current in Week 1. What a difference a month makes! They're sitting atop the table on 10 points, have a potential superstar in Temwa Chawinga, and got a road point against Evan and Eric's preseason title favorite, Gotham FC. But is Chawinga the real deal? Were Juan Carlos Amorós's tactics too clever by half? Who looks like the better bet to keep succeeding in the weeks to come? Dive in, baby!  Art by Eli Elbogen Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs

The USWNT is SheBelieves Cup champion once again. Woo...hoo? The Twila Kilgore era comes to a close on a second penalty shootout win over Canada in a month, and leaves us wondering: what did Kilgore do well? What did she miss on? Is the team in better shape now than it was back in August? Furthermore, who is in pole position for each Olympics roster spot? Eric and Evan answer all these questions and more! (Evan may or may not sing at the end of the episode. Fair warning.) Art by Eli Elbogen Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs

No fewer than three NWSL games were decided in the final moments of stoppage time last weekend, but each were decided in different ways. San Diego survived its battle of attrition through well timed bravery, while Portland's overwhelming attacking talent finally breached Louisville's walls. Bay FC and the Houston Dash fully embraced their stubborn, attack-loving identities and the Dash tripped into victory. Eric and Evan ponder how these teams all managed a late result, hear from Bay FC head coach Albertin Montoya on his side's approach, and parse what it means for these teams' talents more broadly. Art by Eli Elbogen  Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs

A jam-packed, wackadoo weekend unfolded in the NWSL, with golazos and refereeing madness and everything in between. Eric, Evan and Arianna drill down on the Washington Spirit's 2-1 victory over Bay FC. Are Bay's tactics naïve? Has their depth been exposed? Is Croix Bethune the resurrection and the life? 1) Maybe 2) Probably 3) Get on your knees and pray.  Art by Eli Elbogen Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs

The greatest league in the world has returned, and boy was it a doozy! From first-minute penalties in Seattle, to the Naeher-aissance denying Utah their first-ever win in front of a "sold out" crowd, to 17-year-old Kennedy Fuller making as many headlines as Bay FC goalscorer Asisat Oshoala, there were narratives galore.  But Eric, Evan, and Arianna can only focus on one thing: the Kansas City Current and Portland Thorns opening CPKC Stadium with nine goals, tying the NWSL single-game record. Did Mike Norris make a wise decision rolling out an entirely new backline? Did Vlatko Andonovski properly adjust to Janine Beckie's arrival in the second half? What on earth was Christine Sinclair doing starting the game at right wing? They get into all of it and more.  Art by Eli Elbogen Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs

​​We did it. NWSL Season Preview Week concludes with last year’s champions and Shield winners, who square off tonight in the NWSL Challenge Cup. The Wave added a genuine playmaker in Savannah McCaskill, but otherwise remain largely unchanged from their table-topping campaign. Will McCaskill and USWNT phenom Jaedyn Shaw be enough to keep Casey Stoney’s offense sparking? Meanwhile, Gotham signed four gálacticos and maintained a remarkable amount of depth. They’re the favorites to win it all again, but can Juan Carlos Amorós make this group start gelling quickly together?  Click here to read ASA's written preview of today's teams   Art by Eli Elbogen Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs

​​The day has arrived! Arianna “Doc” Cascone makes her xOG début as we head into the homestretch of NWSL Season Preview Week. First up, Eric and Evan consider another team whose offseason was influenced by ownership transition. The Thorns replaced Crystal Dunn with Jessie Fleming (lol) and blended veteran re-signings with some young and untested internationals on the backline (hmmm). Even if they’re a touch leaky, will they score enough goals to still win? Then, Arianna comes on to break down the Courage, and whether Ashley Sanchez is a bright enough spark to help them score goals in Kerolin’s absence.  Click here to read ASA's written preview of today's teams, one of which was written by Arianna herself! Check out Arianna’s work at Backheeled Art by Eli Elbogen Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs

Another two-episode day here at xOG for NWSL Season Preview Week. We’re heading out to the best coast to talk about two playoff teams at a crossroads. Angel City seems to be tightening budgets as the bill comes due for their previous offseason work. Will now-permanent head coach Becki Tweed be able to recapture the magic of their playoff run, with Messiah Bright and Rocky Rodríguez in tow? Then, Eric and Evan welcome Reign reporter Susie Rantz to unpack how the still-not-closed sale of the Reign has affected their offseason, and whether there is enough spark in the roster to get to the postseason for the eighth time in the club’s 11-year history. Click here to read ASA's written preview of today's teams (both written by Evan!) Check out Susie’s work at Ride of the Valkyries Art by Eli Elbogen Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs

**RECORDED BEFORE SIMONE CHARLEY’S AND RAFAELLE’S INJURY ANNOUNCEMENTS**   ​​In part two of today’s entries in xOG’s NWSL Season Preview Week, Eric and Evan dive into the fetid swamps of two teams making big moves but also not completely certain of their futures. Pride GM Haley Carter made a big, late splash in signing Barbra Banda. Orlando will score goals, but will they be able to do much else? Is there a Marta succession plan? Will Adriana be their only hope? Then, writer, analyst, podcaster and all-around bon vivant André Carlisle dives deep into the Washington Spirit, and how incoming head coach Jonatan Giráldez will bring his Barcelona DNA to a team that barely managed 46% possession last season. Click here to read ASA's written preview of today's teams Check out André’s work at the Beyond the Vaudevillian Cane newsletter, and the Diaspora United and HEY SPIRITS podcasts Art by Eli Elbogen Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs

Our second episode today heads down south for the next edition of NWSL Season Preview Week. Louisville has a clear recruitment strategy—buy low on young internationals—but are hoping for a clear stylistic identity with new head coach Bev Yanez. The Dash are doing something similar with Fran Alonso and players like Cece Kizer and rookie Avery Patterson. Dash reporter and Squad Depth podcast host Theo Lloyd-Hughes breaks down Alonso’s approach to making the Dash a playoff contender. This is a good one, folks! Click here to read ASA's written preview of today's teams Check out Theo’s work at the Squad Depth newsletter and podcast Art by Eli Elbogen Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs

It’s a two-episode day on xOG as we roll along with NWSL Season Preview Week and continue to enjoy our new partnership with American Soccer Analysis! Eric and Evan dig into two teams undergoing massive change. The Chicago Red Stars have new owners, a new GM, and a new head coach, as they begin their long but hopeful rebuild. The Current hired Vlatko Andonovski as their head coach, and want to make a splash in their new stadium. Will any of it work for these two midwest stalwarts? Click here to check out ASA's written preview of today's teams! Art by Eli Elbogen Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs

This is a really exciting day. In addition to launch NWSL Season Preview Week--an entire week of content previewing all 14 teams--we are thrilled to announce that we've partnered with American Soccer Analysis to be their women's soccer content partner! If you've already subscribed to us on our feed, no need to do anything; episodes will show up every Tuesday morning as before. If you're coming to us from following ASA Show, welcome! Eric and Evan love talking about the NWSL, the USWNT, and global women's football through the same lens as Kieran and the gang: data, tactics, and the nitty-gritty of the beautiful game. Hope you enjoy the show, and kick back as Kieran joins us for our first two previews, of the Utah Royals and Bay FC.  Click here to check out ASA's written preview of today's teams!  Art by Eli Elbogen Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs

The USWNT are your inaugural CONCACAF W Gold Cup champions! A war of attrition broke out between Brazil's hyper-direct 3-4-3 system and the US's defensively resolute 4-2-3-1. Lindsey Horan's end-of-the-first half header won the game, but what now for the US as it heads toward the SheBelieves Cup and the Olympics? Is this hyperdefensive approach perhaps the new style that was promised? Is it simply the first step in a long evolution? Eric and Evan debate what Twila Kilgore and the players achieved. Plus, we have a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT about the show!  Art by Eli Elbogen

The CONCACAF W Gold Cup final is set! Brazil used the experimentation of the tournament to find the right players in the right shape to dominate México. The USWNT and Canada were dragged through Waterworld in a game that should never have been played. Where did Pedro López get his tactics wrong? How much praise should Alyssa Naeher really be getting for her shootout heroics? Can the US stop Debinha and company? Eric and Evan put on their galoshes and go singin' in the rain! Plus, the boys analyze Orlando's surprise landmark signing of Zambian star Barbra Banda! Art by Eli Elbogen Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs

The USWNT is through to the CONCACAF W Gold Cup semifinals, but my oh my, was it trench warfare against Colombia in the quarterfinals! Goals from Lindsey Horan, Jenna Nighswonger, and Jaedyn Shaw made the scoreline comfortable; flying elbows and hip checks from the likes of Linda Caicedo and Catalina Usme made the actual game anything but. Eric and Evan break down the headline-grabbing performances from Alyssa Naeher and Alex Morgan, get postgame reactions from Sam Coffey and Twila Kilgore, and preview their semifinal tussle with old rivals Canada in San Diego this week. Thin end of the wedge here, folks!  Art by Eli Elbogen Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs