Soccer Monday: Concerns about Trinity Rodman, new Angel City coach and the Northern Super League is here
The IX: Soccer Monday with Annie Peterson, April 21, 2025
Over the weekend, the Washington Post broke the news that Trinity Rodman was stepping away indefinitely to deal with her lingering back issues.
The development is certainly concerning for both the Spirit and the USWNT. With Sophia Wilson on maternity leave and Mallory Swanson sitting out for personal reasons, Triple Espresso is on indefinite hiatus.
Rodman previously said that her back has given her trouble since her rookie season. It was clearly exacerbated when she was injured last September against the Kansas City Current, when she was spotted in a wheelchair.
She had only recently returned to the national team after that injury, scoring against in the opening match of the recent friendlies against Brazil.
Back issues are difficult to manage, and they often mean lifelong pain. The late Bill Walton often spoke about how chronic back pain impacted his quality of life. So, it is essential that Rodman addresses the issue now.
Earlier this year, she said her back would likely never be 100 percent again. “I don’t think my back will ever be the way it was my rookie year, which is unfortunate,” she said.
Rodman met with a team doctor in Europe to better manage her back. She was also spotted in Munich, watching boyfriend Ben Shelton play in the BMW Open. The tennis player made their relationship Instagram official last month.
Angel City fills a vacancy
Angel City confirmed the rumors that had been circulating for quite a while when the team announced Alexander Straus as the new head coach.
Straus is currently with Bayern Munich’s women, so he won’t take over in Los Angeles until June 1.
“When we set out to hire our head coach, we looked for specific characteristics such as a dominant style of play, a proven winner at the highest level, a focus on player development, a collaborative mindset, and a leader in high performance,” Angel City GM Mark Parsons said in a press release. “Alex fits this profile at every measure. He has consistently demonstrated an ability to unite teams under a shared purpose, inspire players to grow and perform at their peak, and deliver results consistently,”
Straus has been with Bayern Munich since 2022. The team won Bundesliga titles in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.
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New league, familiar faces
The Northern Super League in Canada launched last week, with Vancouver Rise defeating the Calgary Wild 1-0 at B.C. Place. Just over 14,000 fans watched the inaugural match of Canada’s first pro league.
Quinn, who played in the NWSL before committing to their domestic league, scored the lone goal. Later, they said the moment became real when hearing the Canadian national anthem before the game. “It definitely hit my heart in a different way than I thought it would,” they said.
The women’s league has long been the goal of founder Diana Matheson, along with former Canadian national team players Christine Sinclair and Stephanie Labbe. The dream of a women’s soccer league in Canada really began back in 2015 during the Women’s World Cup. But, there were obstacles that slowed its progress, including COVID-19.
The BSL was eventually launched with six founding clubs: the Rise, Wild, Halifax Tides, Montreal Roses, Ottawa Rapid and AFC Toronto. Each team will play a 25-game season. Given that we’ve seen NWSL clubs play against Liga MX women and one match between the NWSL’s Gotham and the USL Super League’s Fort Lauderdale United, it would be great to see some cross-border friendlies.
NWSL reporting system
In case you missed it, Marisa Ingemi of the San Francisco Chronicle has been doing some crucial work. Her latest is on how the NWSL’s reporting system, one of the reforms prompted by both the Yates’ report and the NWSL’s own investigation into abuse, has been confusing for players.
The report prompted the league to change the software it uses for its tip line and anonymous player surveys to make them more accessible.
And this is why journalism is important, my friends. So if you can, subscribe. It’s only 25 cents for three months, and you’ll get all of Marisa’s great coverage of women’s sports.
The links:
Lindsey Heaps believes the NWSL salary cap may be fueling moves to Europe.
NWSL power rankings after this weekend’s actions.
Kansas City Current makes a statement.
Denver city officials consider investment in stadium site.
The Miller family buys the NWSL’s Utah Royals and Real Salt Lake.
Nice story from Melina Gaspar about Alyssa Thompson .
The Equalizer’s Evan Davis looks at the Courage’s commitment to possession.
Cleveland’s NWSL bidders look to the USL’s recently announced second-tier.
Watch excerpts from the NSL season-opening press conference from TSN:
| Mondays: Soccer |
| By: Annie Peterson, @AnnieMPeterson, AP Women’s Soccer |
| Tuesdays: Tennis |
| By: Joey Dillon, @JoeyDillon, Freelance Tennis Writer |
| Wednesdays: Basketball |
| By: Howard Megdal, @HowardMegdal, The Next |
| Thursdays: Golf |
| By: Marin Dremock, @MDremock, The IX |
| Fridays: Hockey |
| By: @TheIceGarden, The Ice Garden |
| Saturdays: Gymnastics |
| By: Lela Moore, @runlelarun, Freelance Writer |
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