World Cup prep continues vs. Japan. Plus: NWSL's big market shift

Emma Hayes thinks Japan is a serious contender to win the 2027 World World Cup. Brad Smith / ISI Photos / USSF Share full article Full Time Newsletter ⚽| This is The Athletic’s weekly women’s soccer newsletter. Sign up here to receive Full Time directly in your inbox. They say never meet your idols. Tell that to Kennedy Fuller. You need to watch how the 19-year-old reacted to meeting Marta. In today’s Full Time: Let’s start with knowing thy enemy … Emma Hayes thinks Japan is “without question” one of the favorites to win the 2027 World World Cup. So what better way to prepare for such an opponent 444 days out than to play the team … three times in a row? A little over a year ago, Japan defeated the U.S. 2-1 and handed Hayes her first loss as USWNT’s head coach. The Nadeshiko went on to win the 2025 SheBelieves Cup, breaking the Americans’ five-tournament streak. Like the Michael Jordan meme, Hayes took that personally. The U.S. hosts Japan on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET in San Jose, Calif.; on April 14 at 10 p.m. ET in Seattle; and on April 17 at 9 p.m. ET near Denver. The games will air on TNT and truTV and stream on HBO Max and Universo (in Spanish). A few quick reminders about the U.S. opponent: While Japan has plenty of consistency, there will be one major change from the last few years. Last week, the Japan Football Association announced the surprising exit of head coach Nils Nielsen. The JFA said his contract expired but, according to AFP journalist Kazuhiro Ishii, there were rumors that the federation was not happy with Nielsen as early as last year. Japan appointed Nielsen, 54, as head coach in December 2024 after a stint as Manchester City Women’s football director. The Danish coach was the first foreign coach to lead Japan. Michihisa Kano, who previously coached the country’s under-20 side, will lead the team on an interim basis. Despite the changes, Japan will still be crucial to the USWNT’s preparations for 2027 World Cup qualification. Hayes said she plans to use one lineup for two of the games and rotate for another; she didn’t say in what order. Plus, two key players rejoin the U.S. squad mix, making a case to join Hayes’ core … The USWNT’s core has been forming since the day Hayes arrived, but with the crucial returns of Sophia Wilson and Tierna Davidson, the exact calculations are still being run. While Hayes has a good idea of the 35-40 players that she calls her “WNT core players,” she’s not naive enough to close the door on the possibility that some of them will drop off while others enter their primes over the next 12 to 15 months. Tamerra Griffin looks closer at how closed the door really is. It’s time for a proper U.S. bubble watch. In the past few years, we have seen financial records fall every few weeks during each transfer window — the latest being U.S. forward Cat Macario’s five-year deal to join San Diego Wave from Chelsea. The contract is reportedly worth $8 million, the richest in women’s soccer history. But what is the real value of breaking these records? In her latest “Down to Business” column, Asli Pelit argues that Macario’s blockbuster move isn’t just a big number, but a sign of change in the market. Bottom line: It is part of the growth. With more money, longer contracts and global pressure, the landscape is shifting, and finally, talented players are getting paid what they’re truly worth. Macario’s reported contract terms grab attention, but it is the deal’s ties to NWSL’s implementation of the High Impact Player rule that helps us understand why teams are now willing to sign bigger contracts and cut larger checks. The HIP rule is arguably one of the most significant moves since the USWNT’s fight for equal pay. A few years ago, the idea of bending the salary cap might have seemed impossible, but today, it was essential. As the NWSL and England’s Women’s Super League compete for dominance as the world’s top soccer league, retaining top talent has become more competitive than ever. Soccer in Colombia: We are starting a monthly series at The Athletic called “Soccer in ___.” The purpose is to use stories of players, teams or moments to bring the world of women’s soccer closer together as we prepare for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil — the first edition of the tournament to be held in South America. We start with Colombia, as Melanie Anzidei spoke to two NWSL players who have been pioneering members of the national team, and who have played domestically in Colombia and around the world. The Colombian team felt right at home with record crowds last time around in Australia and expect the same support, if not more, in Brazil. Learn more about Soccer in Colombia here. Women’s teams sold to help balance books: Many English clubs released their financial records from last season, as part of an annual tradition. For the men, the most jarring number to me: Of the 19 that reported accounts from a 2024-25 campaign in the men’s Premier League, just six turned a profit. Combined losses total $943 million. As Chris Weatherspoon writes, “Football is broken and ‘selling’ community assets to keep up with huge spending is proof.” Those assets include their women’s teams. Both Aston Villa and Everton followed Chelsea’s path and sold their women’s teams. Speaking of finances, the Football Association released its accounts of agent fees in men’s and women’s football. It was a great week for those, like me, who like to get nosey with other people’s budgets. (I may or may not be avoiding my own.) NWSL weekend odds and ends: Heading into this two-week international break, I’m not really sure what to make of the NWSL. After Orlando’s smash-and-grab win against Angel City, there are no more undefeated teams in the league. With that result, San Diego Wave, Portland Thorns and Seattle Reign all jumped ahead of the Los Angeles club. Meanwhile, Temwa Chawinga made her long-awaited return. Although she did not score, her presence helped KC to another win over Gotham in a rematch of last year’s quarterfinal. We are also keeping an eye on Denver goalkeeper Abby Smith, who has the most saves in the league and helped her team to its third clean sheet of the season. Finally, the Washington Spirit climbed into playoff position (yes, I know it’s early) with its first win. But I do have another question remaining: How did this go in? Must watch: Former USWNT midfielder Kelley O’Hara visited the “Full Time” podcast last week to talk about her transition into broadcasting, the NWSL season and missing out on a chance to play for her hometown team in Atlanta. Watch to find out her least favorite part of her new career. England squad: The Lionesses also return to action along with several other European teams vying for World Cup spots. Notably, 17-year-old midfielder Erica Meg Parkinson earned her first call-up for matches against Spain and Iceland. Competitive champions: The UEFA Women’s Champions League semifinals are set after a very competitive quarterfinal round. Arsenal knocked out Chelsea, marking another reminder of how crucial this summer will be for the Blues. Bayern Munich withstood a late response from Manchester United to advance, and OL Lyonnes came back from a first leg 1-0 deficit to bounce Wolfsburg from the competition. The outlier was the absolute dominance of Barcelona over their Spanish rivals Real Madrid at a new Camp Nou, and in front of a record crowd of over 60,000 people. The result has us wondering if the rivalry deserves the El Clasico moniker. And, finally: Congratulations to UCLA women’s basketball and 6-foot-7 center Lauren Betts for winning the 2026 NCAA national championship. We know somewhere 5-foot-4 Rose Lavelle is jumping for joy. 📫 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. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Emily Olsen is a managing editor for The Athletic. She has covered the sport in America since 2015. Her work has appeared in USA TODAY, the Orlando Sentinel, MLSsoccer.com and others. She also spent time producing daily shows for SiriusXM's 24-hour soccer channel. Follow Emily on Twitter @EmilyTOlsen