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Emily Olsen here with Meg Linehan. It was a difficult week for many, especially those in Los Angeles. Hopefully, we can balance the hurt with some hope — welcome to Full Time!
L.A. Wildfires
USWNT forced to move camp
Sports are not immune to the effects of the devastating wildfires impacting much of Los Angeles.
The U.S. women’s national team was set to gather this week alongside a group of under-23 prospects at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif., roughly 30 miles south of the Pacific Palisades and Altadena neighborhoods — areas that have both seen extensive damage. Late Friday, U.S. Soccer moved the camps to Inter Miami CF’s training facility in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where the U.S. men are currently training.
L.A.-based teams in the NHL, NBA and NFL have also made schedule adjustments or postponements amid the fires. The NFL moved the wild-card playoff game between the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings, set for tonight at 8 p.m. ET, from SoFi Stadium to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
The fires have impacted individual athletes, too: Soccer stars Carlos Vela and Ali Riley are among those who shared they lost their family homes. The Los Angeles Times has a list of resources for wildfire evacuations, recovery and how to help.
Finding hope amid loss
Riley has captained Angel City FC and the New Zealand national team. I watched her play in front of a packed Eden Pack in Auckland, New Zealand, to open the 2023 World Cup and listened to her postgame speech about the meaning of the moment. She laid bare her soul with rainbow nails and tears of joy. That’s just who Riley is. She’s never shied from showing her heart — one that beats deeply for her hometown of L.A.
Last week, the 37-year-old shared something different, posting photos of the rubble that used to be her parents’ home in the Palisades.
“This was our home,” Riley wrote in a post on X. “How is this real. It can’t be real.”
Despite the devastation, Riley also shared joy. She posted videos of her parents and, this weekend, wedding photos and videos as she married former Swedish footballer Lucas Nilsson.
“I’ve never felt love like this,” Riley wrote. “We hugged, cried, danced and laughed. My parents are incredible.”
Meg’s Corner
The Orlando Pride finally finished one of their most crucial pieces of business this offseason, re-signing Marta to a two-year deal. There were no mentions of a potential retirement on the horizon for the 38-year-old, or even a last dance, when Orlando won the Shield and championship last year.
So our mission — and we should all accept it — is to once again witness greatness while we can. We must appreciate everything else Marta brings to Orlando, the NWSL and the sport in general.
And we can start with the contract extension announcement video. Did it have shades of Sam Kerr’s Chelsea announcement with the fake-out of a potential departure or retirement? Sure. But Marta’s intensity is on a whole new level because her emotions for the city and club are so authentic — and because no one loves a good joke more than the captain.
Now in the pantheon of images of Marta, alongside all the goals and the celebrations, I’m going to permanently have the one of her dancing in front of fireworks lit up just for her over the Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando. What an absolute legend.
🎧 The latest from the “Full Time” podcast: Gotham GM Yael Averbuch West discusses the team’s recent flurry of news.
Notables
Hayes looks to remedy a ‘lost generation’
As we’ve said before, this year is one Emma Hayes can actually use to take stock of what the U.S. player pool has to offer.
Hayes’ biggest issue? A “lost generation” of under-23 players and a gap she is “desperate” to bridge before the next World Cup.
“None of us know what the roster is going to look like in 2027, so I’m desperate to make sure that we’ve got more players that are in a better position that can help us compete for the highest level,” Hayes said last week.
In addition to the 26 players called into the senior camp this month, 24 under-23 players were named to a “Futures Camp” which will also be coached by a very busy Hayes, who will bounce between training sessions.
I also recommend this piece from the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jonathan Tannenwald, who was in the crowded conference room where Hayes said she “loved nothing more than the rest of the world writing us off” at the Olympics.
Orlando Ramirez / Imagn Images
Canada appoints Stoney as next head coach
Former San Diego Wave head coach Casey Stoney is Canada’s next head coach.
The Canadians have been without a permanent coach since the federation’s Olympic drone spying scandal (former head coach Bev Priestman was officially fired in November).
Stoney, 42, most recently led San Diego to a 2023 NWSL Shield and an NWSL Challenge Cup victory before a seven-game winless streak in 2024 led to her firing. Meg says Stoney’s jump to the international game is “no surprise”:
At first glance, it’s a perfect match considering Stoney’s reputation as a defensive-minded coach and Canada’s history of winning games and tournaments on gritty defending. There’s also the sheer fun of potential matchups between Canada and the USWNT with Stoney and Hayes on the touchline.
Stoney said she’s “used to derby games” and welcomes the opportunity to compete against Hayes and the U.S.
Nelson alleges abuse while playing for the Royals
Former Utah Royals goalkeeper Carly Nelson alleged she experienced “emotional and psychological abuse” during her time with the club in a post on social media Friday.
Nelson, who’s from Utah, joined the Royals after being traded from the Orlando Pride in December 2023. Nelson was regularly listed as an excused absence on game day and later took an extended mental health leave. A year after joining the club, the team announced that Nelson would not return for the 2025 season.
Nelson says there’s more to the story. Utah said it takes any allegations counter to “creating a positive and supportive experience” with the “utmost seriousness and urgency.”
Full Time First Looks
Good news: We recently shared the story of Celine Haidar, the 19-year-old Lebanese midfielder who suffered a serious head injury during an Israeli airstrike in Beirut. Haidar has since woken from a coma she was in for nearly two months.
Life after playing: In 1998, Julie Foudy was in the prime of her playing career with a potential path to medical school on her horizon. However, a chance encounter with a sports broadcast producer set her on a decades-long career in commentating. Now, the World Cup winner is helping other former and active players do the same.
On the move: USWNT forward Jaedyn Shaw is headed to the North Carolina Courage. Equalizer Soccer was first to report the move, which is expected to be announced this week. The move reportedly came at the 20-year-old’s request.
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(Top photo: Jack Gruber / Imagn Images)
