Soccer fans have a different circadian rhythm than others. They're up early to see what's going on in Europe, they're in bed late to follow along with MLS and Liga MX, they reach an emotional peak on Wednesday afternoons and frequently block off entire month-long periods in the summer for international festivals of footie. It's a delicate balance, but the 2023 soccer tournaments calendar is packed with both a Women's World Cup and Concacaf Gold Cup to look forward to.

And just like that, it's over. The United States is sent packing after a 3-1 loss to the Netherlands in the first game of the knockout stage. The first World Cup since 2014 for the Americans gave fans much reason for hope, but it exposed the team's weaknesses as well. 

FIFA has announced that the Group E matchup between Costa Rica and Germany will be officiated by an all-female crew led by the highly experienced Stéphanie Frappart. This will be the first time that an all-female crew has taken charge of a men’s World Cup match in history. 

History is set to be made on Thursday!

Staring at an unprecedented fourth straight defeat after Jule Brand had given Germany an early lead at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey on Sunday night, the USWNT's misfiring forwards sprang to life in the second half with two goals in a two-minute span to get the squad back on track.

Sitting on USWNT Zoom media calls before Thursday night's friendly against Germany in Fort Lauderdale, the answer to every question was some iteration of how the squad would rebound from back-to-back October defeats to England and Spain.

The idea of the U.S. not putting things right wasn't entertained. Lessons had been learned, Alex Morgan was returning and statements would be made.

The USWNT is looking to make a statement after losing consecutive matches for the first time in five years.

The United States’ largest soccer supporters group, the American Outlaws, came under fire Thursday following a New York Times article claiming that a board member accepted a free trip to Qatar in exchange for reporting individuals who are critical of the host nation. The Outlaws have vehemently denied these allegations and issued a statement, saying the organization has never taken money from FIFA or Qatar and will never do so.