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Full Time Newsletter 
| This is The Athletic’s weekly women’s soccer newsletter. Sign up here to receive Full Time directly in your inbox.Read to the end to find out which early aughts icon is already booked to DJ the U.S. women’s post-World Cup party in 2027.
Now, in today’s Full Time:
Educational hydration breaks
History lessons
Gotham’s new home
Let’s start with the most informative minute you’ll experience today …
World Cupdate
Hydrate and educate
Emma Hayes is a problem-solver. And the U.S. women’s national team coach might have just solved FIFA’s new, dreaded men’s World Cup feature, the hydration break. It only took her 70 seconds.
What’s a hydration break? Global soccer’s governing body introduced the mid-half three-minute stoppages for this summer’s tournament. They’re supposedly meant to combat the heat in the host nations of the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
What’s the issue? The break effectively creates a game of four quarters instead of two halves, changing a fundamental element of soccer. But speaking more cynically, the pauses provide chances for broadcasters to sell more advertising spots during FIFA’s biggest World Cup ever. Players like Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk and U.S. men’s coach Mauricio Pochettino have expressed their dislike for the breaks.
Hayes to the rescue: British TV broadcaster ITV turned to Hayes to make the best of a bad situation. From a stunning rooftop in Brooklyn, Hayes used her trusty chalkboard to provide insightful tactical analysis during a break that actually added to the viewing experience.
With Spain struggling to find answers for tournament debutants Cape Verde earlier today, Hayes suggested the 2010 World Cup winners focus on their “wide rotations” that produced two strong breakthroughs in the “first quarter.”
Obviously, Spain wasn’t able to hear her, leading to one of the most shocking results in World Cup history. Unfortunately for those in the U.S., the only clips of Hayes you’ll get are on social media or using a VPN.
Soccer history lesson
The U.S. men have sparked optimism across the country with their 4-1 win over Paraguay in Friday’s opening match of their World Cup run. But they are still following the lead of a team that has been dominant for decades.
The reason the men don’t have a superstar — yet — is the same reason the U.S. women do: culture, as Asli Pelit writes.
Though you can’t compare the teams’ experiences in World Cups for various reasons, it’s important to recognize the dominance the U.S. women have long shown amid any conversation about the growth of the sport.
You can certainly still celebrate both teams. In fact, many of the U.S. women were in the stands last Friday to witness the men’s impressive win at SoFi. We asked a couple of those players what it was like to experience the game in person:
North Carolina Courage midfielder Riley Jackson: “I’ve always dreamed of attending a World Cup. Getting to do so for the first time on U.S. soil in such an amazing atmosphere was more special than I could have imagined.” (Note: The U.S. women won the 1999 Women’s World Cup six years before Jackson was born.)
Chelsea forward Alyssa Thompson: “I thought the energy and the crowd were electric. It was so cool being able to watch a World Cup game live in our home country. The game was super exciting, our team played so well and I had so much fun. I can’t wait to go to more games and cheer on the guys!”
The U.S. men will continue their World Cup journey Friday at 3 p.m. ET against Australia. You can catch the game on Fox and in Spanish on Telemundo and Peacock.
Meanwhile, the men’s next chance to support the women in a tournament of the same magnitude on home soil will be in Los Angeles at the 2028 Olympics or at the 2031 Women’s World Cup, which will likely be in the U.S., Mexico, Jamaica and Costa Rica.
Soccer in Mexico
Mexico honors 1971 World Cup
In Mexico, Azteca Stadium became the first venue to host games in three separate FIFA World Cups. However, did you know that Azteca — known as the Cathedral of Football — also hosted one of the first unofficial Women’s World Cups in 1971?
That summer, the Mexican women’s national team made history by reaching the final, ultimately falling to Denmark before more than 100,000 fans. Two years ago, we told you about Copa 71, which aimed to revive the tournament’s forgotten story through film. Fast forward to 2026, and the that 1971 Mexican team is finally being celebrated.
On Thursday, ahead of the men’s World Cup opener, the team was honored as part of “the great World Cup parade” in Mexico City. An overdue and well-deserved celebration.
Investing after failing to qualify for 2023
This month’s installment of “Soccer In ___” took a deep dive into the state of women’s soccer in Mexico. Melanie Anzidei spoke with national team forward Maria Sanchez and current analyst Janelly Farías about Mexico’s goal of returning to the World Cup after a nearly 12-year drought. The team begins Concacaf qualifiers in the fall.
Whether Mexico qualifies or not could stymie the sport’s progress back home, especially after all the Mexico Football Federation has poured into its national team since missing World Cup qualification for 2023. The team has also been fueled by the rise of the domestic league, Liga MX Femenil, where many of its players compete.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that Mexican women’s soccer is at a crossroads, with the national team’s success capable of drastically propelling the sport’s growth even further at a very crucial time. The country is on track to co-host its first women’s World Cup — and we already know how much impact that type of tournament can have in the country.
Over to Meg!
Meg’s Corner: WoSo fans’ guide to the men’s World Cup
Your local women’s soccer writer here to talk about the men’s World Cup this week. There was a lot of justifiable angst leading into this summer’s tournament, from ticket prices to politics to something as simple as the vibes feeling deeply off. With the games having kicked off, the sport has shown its ineffable power to supplant crass and capitalistic overreach.
There are many reasons for those who primarily follow women’s soccer to follow this tournament, beyond the fun of watching the USWNT use the USMNT’s first match as a content goldmine. Here are a few more to track:
Ramifications from this tournament that trickle down the line for the 2031 Women’s World Cup.
The potential impacts of hydration breaks, a 48-team tournament and new laws of the game already playing out (I will treasure the first call of mistaken identity forever).
And there’s the money: You’re rooting for the USMNT because of the financial implications for the USMNT with all that FIFA prize money on the line.
The heart of the game itself. For every bagpiper in Boston, for the residents of Lawrence, Kan., shouting “Rock Chalk Algeria,” for the sea of Oranje bouncing through Texas, for a duck sporting a custom-fit Mexico jersey, this is what the game gives us. The chance to see each other, to be in community, to sing for 90 minutes and pray for goals and glory.
This moment on the largest stage is for us to take it back to the stands of our local teams and keep that energy going through 2027 and beyond. Over to Melanie:
What’s New? Gotham FC’s $35 million training facility
Gotham FC plans to construct its first training facility, a major milestone that marks a significant new chapter for the two-time NWSL champions. This is the first time the club will have its own facility after two decades of borrowing fields or sharing them with other teams across the state.
Gotham will move into the former New York Red Bulls training facility in Whippany, N.J., on a 15-year lease starting Sept. 1.
With $35 million in privately funded renovations planned, the 27,000-square-foot purpose-built center will feature three grass fields, including one that is heated. The club also intends to build a fourth full-size indoor field for year-round play.
The move emphasizes Gotham’s commitment to staying in the New Jersey area amid reports that it may soon relocate home games to Etihad Park in Queens, N.Y., for the 2028 season.
LISTEN: Melanie sat down with Gotham’s GM and president of soccer operations Yael Averbuch West ahead of the announcement to discuss details of the new facility. Hear more here.
First Looks
Rivals: In case you weren’t ready to move on just yet, Meg and Tamerra Griffin wrote up the long history of heated matches between the U.S. and Brazil after last week’s hotly contested 1-0 U.S. victory. Educational.
Transfer news: The Women’s Super League transfer window opens tomorrow. In all other major European leagues, the transfer window for women’s clubs opens on July 1. We are still waiting for the official word of if Alexia Putellas is joining London City, but in the meantime, we do know Beth Mead has signed with Manchester City and Caitlin Foord has extended her time with Arsenal by two years.
That’s hot: Hayes joined the USWNT players who gathered to watch the men play Paraguay last week. The U.S. coach also made a new friend, Paris Hilton. Hayes said the team would celebrate after the 2027 World Cup in Brazil with a party in Ibiza, DJ’ed by Hilton. Bold prediction.
Love Full Time? These stories can also be found on Yahoo’s women’s sports hub, in partnership with The Athletic. Also, check out our other newsletters.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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