Human Interest

Italy's Serie A has appointed Maria Sole Ferrieri Caputi for the 2022-23 season as its first female referee.

The 31-year-old Ferrieri Caputi became the first female to referee a match involving a Serie A team last year — Cagliari’s Italian Cup clash with Cittadella.

She will now referee a top-flight match for the first time next term after joining the league's officiating team on Friday.

Serie A has appointed its first female referee.

History was made on Friday when U.S. Soccer announced USWNT star Megan Rapinoe will become the first soccer player to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. U.S. President Joe Biden will award Rapinoe, along with 16 other recipients including gymnast Simone Biles, the medal on July 7 at the White House.

Carson Pickett made history on Tuesday during the USWNT’s 2-0 friendly victory against Colombia as the first player with a limb difference to play for the national team. Pickett is a fullback and had a quality 90 minutes against Colombia playing at left back.

For years Americans have attempted to come to grips with the fact the nation’s most popular sport, football, causes severe head injuries resulting in chronic traumatic encephalopathy with lasting impacts on both physical and mental health, often leading to premature death. For the first time, doctors have diagnosed an American professional soccer player with CTE. 

Haley Carter is a former Marine, former Houston Dash goalkeeper and former assistant coach for the Afghanistan women’s national team. She’s an attorney with degrees from the Naval Academy, University of Liverpool and University of Houston’s law school. The lifetime Girl Scout has received many military medals after serving two tours in Iraq and started a program with the Dash to honor female veterans and servicemembers. She’s a mother.

According to one failed politician, however, Haley Carter has no right to be the Grand Marshal of a local Independence Day parade.

The USWNT plays Colombia in a friendly on Saturday and spoke to the media Friday ahead of the game. Originally only head coach Vlatko Andonovski and Lindsey Horan were supposed to be interviewed, but Megan Rapinoe took center stage. The Megan Rapinoe Roe v Wade speech to the media on Friday was emotional.

Across the United States, trans inclusion in sports has been a major topic of discussion. As of May 2022, 18 states had either enacted laws or issued rules limiting or outright banning transgender athletes from participating in youth sports such as soccer. Even if you hate her politics, you might actually agree with how Megan Rapinoe feels about transgender athletes. 

Qatar has been in the headlines recently as another of its rules for visiting fans ahead of the World Cup in late November has caught the public’s attention. After the recent reminders about Qatar’s ban on homosexuality, any single individuals who still wish to watch their team play in person have been warned to not have sex during their stay.

Qatar 2022 sex ban as fans warned they face 7 years in JAIL for one-night stands https://t.co/3x6Vm0Wj5q