Take a moment to keep your community close. In today’s Full Time:
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💰 Trinity Rodman record deal
🇺🇸 USWNT Declaration Victory
⚽ Latest international competition
We’ll get to the Rodman news from last week, I promise. But first, give me a moment while I share a reflection from my recent trip to our London office…
travel diaries
Everyone is in the LCL game
Someone once told me: “Football is a global game, but a small world.” It was the best reminder I’ve ever received in this business.
Days after Rodman signed his record deal to stay with a Michele Kang team in the NWSL, former Portland Thorns captain Sam Coffey made her debut for Manchester City against another Kang team.
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I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time at Hayes Lane to witness the moment Man City defeated the London City Lionesses 2-1. Even better, I met with Coffey’s parents after they watched their daughter make a dream come true. The game is global and each player chooses what is best for them, but it is really a small world ready to foster a truly special community (thanks for the train ride, Mr. and Mrs. Coffey!).
I wasn’t the only one in Bromley yesterday afternoon.
In addition to the number of NWSL alumni on the field, the Copperjax Community Stadium hospitality suite was a who’s who of women’s soccer. Arsenal’s Beth Mead (who had a great game on Saturday) and Mariona Caldentey sat a few rows in front of Barcelona’s Patri Guijarro and Alexia Putellas. Chelsea’s Ellie Carpenter and Alyssa Thompson were also present. The only player I expected to see in the stands, new LCL addition Delphine Cascarino, was sitting a few seats away from me.
More: Chelsea and Arsenal players were teammates yesterday but were opponents on Saturday as Arsenal showed that Chelsea, which has won the last six league titles, is beatable.
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While I’m sure Kang and the board would love to be linked with any of the above combinations, London City did a good job fending off the likely league champions, only conceding a late goal in the 86th minute to City’s top scorer Bunny Shaw.
As the only independent women’s team in England’s top division, the Lionesses always had a tall hill to climb in their first year in the WSL. Possibly more impressive than their performance on the field was the record attendance of 3,418 people, which created an incredible atmosphere.
Rodman remains
Spirit star agrees to record deal with NWSL
By now, you probably know that Rodman signed a record three-year contract to remain with the Washington Spirit last Thursday. While many will take credit for reaching a deal, I wrote about the unsung involvement of Spirit fans and a rare moment of community investment and coming together.
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In the contract, Rodman’s agent told us that the annual salary is more than $2 million a year. making her the highest-paid female footballer in the world (although that has been disputed by people familiar with Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati’s contract). I asked our fellow newsletter editors what they thought of the deal to really assess the impact outside of women’s football:
💬 “I didn’t know much about the series, but I just read it. Few stars in NFL history scored such a monumental victory for the players. The closest thing that comes to mind is the Reggie White class-action lawsuit, which led to the league’s modern version of free agency.” – Jacob Robinson, Scoop City
💬 “For me, the news is great and infuriating. Even the idea that she would be banned from signing a deal she deserves, and therefore lose her to richer teams abroad, was simply foolish. A milestone in the growth of the NWSL.” – Chris Branch, The Pulse
There is no denying that this is a win for the NWSL after seeing several American players opt to go abroad. But Rodman’s signing was not the end of a saga, but rather a turning point. We will explain to you…
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A league and an association of players in conflict
Rodman’s agreement did not end the debate over the NWSL’s new High Impact Player rule, which has been colloquially called the Rodman Rule. It was implemented on December 23 to the dismay of the players association. Spirit president of football operations Haley Carter, who helped orchestrate the Rodman deal, believes the HIP rule will evolve.
Before getting into the nuances here, it’s important to note that The outcome of any arbitration or adjustment will not affect Rodman’s salary. Meghann Burke, executive director of the union, stressed The Athletic that the NWSL and the Spirit are obligated to pay Rodman, and how those funds are obtained is essentially “their problem.”
Now back to the topic at hand: the NWSLPA has filed two complaints against the NWSL in the last two months.
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The first was filed Dec. 3 on Rodman’s behalf, in response to the league’s rejection of his original deal with the Spirit. The league had denied the union’s claims; The next step would be to take the dispute to a grievance committee and then to arbitration if no resolution is reached.
The second complaint was filed on January 12 regarding the implementation of the HIP rule and called for its immediate removal. The NWSL has until today to respond.
The league remains confident its new rule will stick. He also remains steadfast in his rejection of Rodman’s original deal. What happens next can be decided within the parameters of the federal labor court, should any of the complaints go to arbitration.
We hope everyone gets along well for the start of the season in *checks notes* 46 days. In the meantime, be sure to stay up to date on everything related to Rodman’s deal with our inside story.
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Camp Updates
USWNT’s dominant 6-0 victory over Paraguay
Following the theme of Rodman’s historic week, he participated for the United States on Saturday for the first time in 294 days. It marked the fourth of six goals for the United States in the team’s dominant victory over Paraguay. To top off the moment, she donned her captain’s sash for the first time and topped it off with an iconic celebration (even if coach Emma Hayes didn’t like being her dance partner).
Heading into the game, Hayes tempered expectations. The team is without many of its veteran players and all players are entering the NWSL preseason. Hayes anticipated that the work would appear “clunky” and he was right. The team struggled in its final third in the first 45 minutes, despite outshooting Paraguay. The frustration of the players was visible.
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But the United States found its rhythm heading into halftime, thanks to an extra-time goal from debutant Reilyn Turner. That momentum continued into the second half, which included five goals in 12 minutes: a brace from Ally Sentnor, Rodman’s comeback goal, a goal from Emma Sears and a Paraguayan own goal (forced by Croix Bethune).
We know this camp is intended to give more exposure to less experienced players and give more established players, like Rodman, a chance to mature as leaders. Hayes pointed to Emily Sams and Claire Hutton as the other leaders of this group. Sams played 90 minutes and Hutton finished the game as captain after Rodman left shortly after scoring. Hayes later called Hutton “a captain in the making.”
The United States closes the window against Chile tomorrow at 10 pm ET in Santa Barbara, California (watch on TBS/Peacock/HBOMax).
What to watch
📺FIFA Women’s Champions Cup
January 28 and February 1 on DAZN
Governing bodies love adding more international competitions to the calendar, and that’s exactly what the inaugural FIFA Women’s Champions Cup is. Arsenal (England), Gotham FC (United States), Corinthians (Brazil) and ASFAR (Morocco) are the last four teams remaining, competing for $2.3 million and the title of best club in the world. Kang’s Kynisca, his group that owns several clubs, is also the presenting sponsor, which has attracted attention. Here’s the full schedule (all Eastern times):
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Semifinal 1: Gotham FC vs. Corinthians, Wednesday at 7:30 am
Semifinal 2: ASFAR vs. Arsenal, Wednesday at 1 p.m.
Match for third place and final: Sunday at 9:45 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. at Emirates Stadium
First full-time looks
“Catastrophic” consequences: Not everyone loves the added competition in world football. A spokesperson for WSL Football told reporters that the league fears the timing of the FIFA Women’s Club World Cup, which begins in 2028, could be “catastrophic” for WSL teams (which would be mid-season during the January tournament). Meanwhile, FIFA’s head of football, Jill Ellis, has said she is wary of US hypocrisy over potentially holding the competition in Qatar.
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Money to spend: Rodman isn’t the only money move the Washington Spirit is making. The NWSL Club signed Paraguayan forward Claudia Martínez, 18, from Club Olimpia. ESPN reported that the transfer fee could be more than $900,000.
Cup changes: Major changes could be coming to the English Women’s League Cup. Teams that qualify for the Women’s Champions League will no longer participate in the cup competition, as WSL Football continues to seek innovation in its pyramid.
New hire: NC Courage has hired Mak Lind as its new head coach, the team announced Saturday. The 37-year-old is now the third head coach in the team’s nine-year history. That leaves only one NWSL job still available. Looking at you, Portland. Scroll up to remember how many days until the season starts.
📫 Do you love full time? These stories can also be found in the Yahoo Women’s Sports Hub, in partnership with The Atlético. Also check out our other newsletters.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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