women's soccer

One of the NWSL's most accomplished teams — The Portland Thorns — is taking on the Kansas City Current, an expansion squad that joined the league just last year.

The D.C. team took home its first national championship on Saturday after defeating the Chicago Red Stars. The match ended in extra time with a final goal from Washington's Kelley O'Hara.

In an incident that's drawing comparisons to Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan, the Paris Saint-Germain player allegedly arranged for two men to attack rival Kheira Hamraoui, injuring her legs.

After the excitement and thrill of the U.S. victory in the Women's World Cup, attention shifts back to the NWSL — the 7-year-old pro league in the U.S. Will the enthusiasm lead to sustained interest?

The players' union and U.S. Soccer announced the collective bargaining agreement Wednesday, ending protracted and sometimes bitter negotiations over wages. The deal runs through 2021.

The U.S. is now No. 2, behind Germany and ahead of France, England and Canada. The American squad has been ranked in the top two spots since FIFA created the world rankings for women back in 2003.

After losing to the Swedes in the Olympic quarterfinals, the longtime Team USA goalkeeper said she thought "we played a bunch of cowards." Solo was widely criticized for her criticism.

The federal ruling removes the possibility that the American women might refuse to play in this summer's Rio Olympics as part of the maneuvering over their union contract.

"I think that we've proven our worth over the years," Carli Lloyd says of the team that's been ranked No. 1 in the world since last July.