Is Gotham FC headed to the city of bright lights? On this episode of Full Time Focus , host Jillian Sakovits sits down with The Athletic's Melanie Anzidei for a conversation about the reports that 2025 NWSL champions could move into New York City FC's Etihad Park in Queens. The duo chats about what this move could mean for Gotham's aspirations to break into the New York market, what the new stadium looks like and why this is overall a good move if it happens. The pair close the conversation with...
May 15, 2026•37 min
What is the link between Beth Mead , Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw and Sam Kerr 's transfers? Host Jillian Sakovits is joined by The Athletic’s Tamerra Griffin and Melanie Anzidei to discuss the art of a "fine wine" transfer, players who have proven themselves successful and still have time left in their careers to be leaders on any team. The trio breaks down the latest on Kerr's future with Chelsea , Shaw's impact and movement this summer and Mead's recent announcement that she will leave Arsenal this s...
May 13, 2026•51 min
The Women's FA Cup final is set with Manchester City and Brighton & Hove Albion advancing after comeback wins. Host Jillian Sakovits is joined by The Athletic’s Megan Feringa and Charlotte Harpur who were at the semifinals. The trio breaks down what happened and what we can expect from the final at Wembley Stadium. For Manchester City, it was striker Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw who mounted the team's comeback against Chelsea, a club that recently offered the striker a reported £1 million a year dea...
May 11, 2026•35 min
On this episode of Full Time Focus , host Jillian Sakovits sits down with Canadian international and Boston Legacy forward Nichelle Prince for a one-on-one interview. The duo chats about the Legacy's first win of the season , which came thanks, in part, to a goal from Prince. They also talk about her decision to "bet on" herself with her offseason move from the NWSL Shield-winning Kansas City Current . Plus, hear about Prince’s favorite things about playing for Boston and where she got her name....
May 08, 2026•23 min
Over the last few weeks, U.S. women's national team head coach Emma Hayes has toured the NWSL , attending matches, playing the drums and holding babies. While it's not out of the ordinary for coaches to do such scouting trips, the central role Hayes is taking is certainly a different approach. With the 2027 Women's World Cup more than a year away, are these trips relationship-building, marketing-driven, or football-driven? Or a combination of all three. On this episode of Full Time , hosts Jilli...
May 06, 2026•38 min
Gird your loins because the UEFA Women's Champions League final is set between rivals FC Barcelona and OL Lyonnes and the only word to describe it is cinematic. But how did we get here? Host Jillian Sakovits is joined by The Athletic’s Tamerra Griffin to break down the semifinal results. Our experts on the ground also chime in. Megan Feringa is talking all things Lyon, and our resident Spanish expert Laia Cervelló Herrero explains the uncertainty that remains despite Barcelona's dominance. Will ...
May 04, 2026•48 min
On this episode of Full Time Focus , host Jillian Sakovits and The Athletic 's UK soccer writer Cerys Jones discuss Chelsea defender Millie Bright 's retirement. Bright has been a key figure in women's soccer, especially in England , across a period of great evolution. The duo discusses the former England and Women's Super League defender's legacy and what yet another departure means for Chelsea as the club continues to navigate a period of transition. _______________ HOST: Jillian Sakovits GUES...
May 01, 2026•18 min
Over the last few weeks, the NWSL has debated flipping its Spring to Fall season calendar and instead aligning itself with other top European leagues and the FIFA international schedule by using the Fall to Spring calendar. Ultimately, the NWSL has put the brakes on making any such decision. At least, for now. On this episode of Full Time , hosts Jillian Sakovits and Tamerra Griffin were joined by Melanie Anzidei to debate all the angles of what flipping the calendar could mean for the NWSL, its...
Apr 29, 2026•34 min
After 540 days, Sophia Wilson is back scoring in the NWSL. So, what does it mean for the former MVP to net her first goal since returning from the birth of her first child? Host Jillian Sakovits is joined by The Athletic’s Asli Pelit to break down the top two games from the NWSL weekend. The Washington Spirit’s 4-0 win over the KC Current at a sold-out Audi Field, and the Portland Thorns’ 2-1 road win over Angel City FC in Los Angeles, where Wilson marked her return. Asli was even in D.C. on Fri...
Apr 27, 2026•27 min
On this episode of Full Time Focus , host Jillian Sakovits sits down with USWNT and Portland Thorns midfielder Olivia Moultrie for a one-on-one interview. The duo chats about the 20-year-old’s open and honest relationship with Emma Hayes, which started with an email and is now all about how Moultrie can help win a fifth World Cup for the United States . Plus, hear about Moultrie’s journey from being 13 years old in an NWSL locker room, what her best position on the pitch is, and what’s new in Po...
Apr 24, 2026•29 min
The NWSL officially has its 18th team. On Tuesday, commissioner Jess Berman announced that Columbus would be joining the league in 2028 . The Athletic also understands that the ownership group, Haslam Sports Group (HSG), Nationwide and Drs. Christine and Pete Edwards, have paid a record $205 million in expansion fees to make that happen. So, how did Columbus win the race to be the NWSL’s 18th team? What was behind their pitch, and what do they intend to bring to the league? On this episode of Fu...
Apr 22, 2026•44 min
Another U.S. women’s national team window is in the books. Which means there are now just five FIFA international breaks remaining until Emma Hayes will name her USA squad for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil. So, fresh off the USWNT’s three friendlies against Japan , the Full Time podcast gives their latest predictions on who is trending in and out of the roster. Host Jillian Sakovits is joined by The Athletic’s Tamerra Griffin and Melanie Anzidei to analyze their 23-payer predictions. Who ...
Apr 20, 2026•28 min
The United States, Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica were expected to be confirmed as the hosts of the 2031 Women’s World Cup at the end of April 2026. However, FIFA has suddenly postponed plans for any imminent announcement. So, what’s the holdup? On this episode of Full Time Focus , host Jillian Sakovits is joined by The Athletic’s Henry Bushnell and Melanie Anzidei to dive into the long runway to the 2031 Women’s World Cup and what is going on behind the scenes at FIFA and U.S. Soccer. When will...
Apr 17, 2026•34 min
After a 1-0 defeat to Japan, U.S. women’s national team head coach Emma Hayes confessed that she is prioritizing development over results right now. So, is that the right move for the team 14 months out from the next World Cup? On this episode of Full Time , host Jillian Sakovits is joined by The Athletic’s Tamerra Griffin to unpack the lessons learned from a soggy night in Seattle, Wash., at Lumen Field, where Hayes made 11 changes to her starting XI. What did we learn about the USWNT’s depth a...
Apr 15, 2026•43 min
The U.S. women’s national team defeated Japan 2-1 over the weekend, getting revenge for a 2025 loss by the same scoreline to the same opponent. But, is this result proof that Emma Hayes’s team has progressed? On this episode of Full Time Review , host Jillian Sakovits is joined by The Athletic’s Tamerra Griffin, who was out in San Jose, Calif., to take in the USWNT’s first of three friendlies against Japan. Who were the USWNT’s top performers? How did Japan test the USA? What did the pod make of...
Apr 13, 2026•33 min
So what makes the youngest-ever captain in U.S. women’s national team history so wise beyond her years? On this episode of Full Time Focus , host Jillian Sakovits sits down with USWNT and Bay FC midfielder Claire Hutton for a one-on-one interview. The duo chat about what was behind Hutton’s decision to turn pro at 17, her soccer role models, what it is like to be inside Emma Hayes’s leadership group on the USWNT, and how she’s grown after moving from the Kansas City Current to Bay FC in the NWSL...
Apr 10, 2026•27 min
This April, United States Women’s National Team head coach Emma Hayes has booked three friendlies against Japan with the intention of giving her team the perfect preparation for next summer’s Women’s World Cup. So, what makes Japan the ideal opponent for the USWNT to go head-to-head with? How will the three lineups look different? And, what is it about Japan’s style of play that will help iron sharpen iron? On this episode of Full Time , hosts Jillian Sakovits and Tamerra Griffin look into the p...
Apr 08, 2026•46 min
Temwa Chawinga is back. After 168 days out with an injury, the two-time NWSL MVP and Golden Boot winner made her return to the pitch with the Kansas City Current in their 2-1 comeback win over Gotham FC this past weekend. So, what does it mean for the Current and the NWSL to have Chawinga back? On this episode of the Full Time Review, host Jillian Sakovits is joined by Melanie Anzidei to discuss Chawinga’s return, as well as Kansas City’s revenge match against Gotham, and how much struggling Cur...
Apr 06, 2026•26 min
The UEFA Women’s Champions League quarterfinals are in the books. But did the four semifinalists, Arsenal, OL Lyonnes, FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich, deserve to advance? On this episode of Full Time Focus , Producer Theo Lloyd-Hughes and Tamerra Griffin break down all four of this week’s quarterfinal second legs, with the help of The Athletic’s Cerys Jones, from Stamford Bridge in London, and Laia Cervello , from the Nou Camp in Barcelona. Just how wasteful were Chelsea with their chances? Did ...
Apr 03, 2026•50 min
Undefeated with a perfect three wins from three in the NWSL , the time has come to wonder: What is Angel City’s ceiling? On this episode of Full Time , hosts Jillian Sakovits and Tamerra Griffin analyze a captivating press conference from ACFC head coach Alex Straus and what the Los Angeles team’s impressive start means for their contender status in the NWSL. Tamerra also takes the listener inside her trip to San Diego, where she sat down one-on-one with U.S. women’s national team star Cat Macar...
Apr 01, 2026•48 min
It was another record-breaking weekend in the NWSL . While we’ve got used to professional women’s sports attendance records getting smashed every year, this one felt quite different. When Denver Summit FC took on the Washington Spirit Saturday afternoon, 63,004 people showed up to Empower Field at Mile High, eclipsing the record set by Bay FC season at Oracle Park by more than 22,000 fans. So, what does it mean for the NWSL and women’s sports in the U.S. to have Denver to enter the league with s...
Mar 30, 2026•43 min
Stina Blackstenius and Alessia Russo were ruthless in front of goal in Arsenal's 3-1 win over Chelsea in the UEFA Women’s Champions League quarterfinal first legs. Did that performance highlight the exact sort of clinical forward play Chelsea have been missing? On this episode of Full Time Focus , host Jillian Sakovits is joined by The Athletic’s Charlotte Harpur, fresh from the Emirates Stadium in London, to break down what we learned from a quarterfinal classic between Arsenal and Chelsea, and...
Mar 27, 2026•34 min
The 2026 NWSL season is two weeks old. The chaos is chaosing, the takes are taking, and the narratives are...well...flying. Yes, on this episode of Full Time , it’s time to figure out what we’ve learned so far, and forecast which early-season narratives the podcast panel is buying and selling. Jillian Sakovits, Tamerra Griffin and Producer Theo discuss who the best team in the NWSL is right now, is this the year Gotham FC cracks an attendance above 10,000, are the Kansas City Current about to fl...
Mar 25, 2026•52 min
Kelley O’Hara has almost everything there is to win. But which trophy in her cabinet means the most? On this episode of the Full Time Review, host Jillian Sakovits is joined by O’Hara for a one-on-one interview with the USWNT legend turned CBS Sports broadcaster. The two-time World Cup winner talks about the NWSL’s recent uptick in red cards, how she made the jump to broadcaster after hanging up her cleats, who she’s picking to win the UEFA Women’s Champions League , and what it means for profes...
Mar 23, 2026•39 min
When five players made their decision to defect in the 24 hours following Iran’s final match of the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup , a 2-0 loss to the Philippines, they faced a near-impossible choice. Return to a war zone or leave everything behind and stay in Australia. If they remained in Australia, they had to consider the risks faced by their family back home. On this episode of the Full Time Focus, host Jillian Sakovits is joined by The Athletic’s Jacob Whitehead to discuss his extensive reporting ...
Mar 20, 2026•30 min
What is it like to score the winning goal in a European final for your girlhood club, when you have been marking Marta all through the match? On this episode of the Full Time podcast, Alex Scott joins the show for a special interview to reflect on exactly that, when she conquered the continent with Arsenal in 2007, and where dreams became a reality for the Londoner. Scott is now an ESPN presenter for the UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL) on Disney+, which will air all matches, including the q...
Mar 18, 2026•48 min
The NWSL is back! To kick off the 2026 season, we saw 19 goals, two red cards and not a single tie in the first-ever 16-team and eight-match opening weekend. On this episode of Full Time Review , host Jillian Sakovits is joined by Melanie Anzidei, fresh from criss-crossing the East Coast as she covered two games in-person in less than 24 hours, and Producer Theo to unpack all the top storylines from opening weekend. Have we underestimated a Portland Thorns team that can silence Audi Field? How m...
Mar 16, 2026•43 min
With the start of the NWSL season upon us, Theo Lloyd-Hughes and Tamerra Griffin join Jillian Sakovits to break down the biggest storylines on and off the pitch. They analyze the entrance of two new expansion teams in Denver FC and Boston Legacy, whether we'll see a repeat performance from the 2025 shield winners, KC Current, and if this is finally the year for the Washington Spirit. They also talk about NWSL attendance numbers and how the men's World Cup will affect the NWSL, the newly implemen...
Mar 13, 2026•50 min
The first-ever 16-team NWSL season is almost here. But who are these new 2026 expansion teams, Boston Legacy and Denver Summit ? On this special expansion-focused episode of Full Time , host Jillian Sakovits takes you inside the Legacy and the Summit, and their journeys to joining the NWSL. Hear one-on-one interviews with Legacy head coach Filipa Patão and Summit head coach Nick Cushing, breaking down their soccer philosophies, career paths and connections to their new homes. After that, Jillian...
Mar 11, 2026•44 min
The 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, once a shimmering mirage, is now taking shape into something almost tangible. The Athletic made its first U.S. women’s national team roster prediction back in October 2025, and now, with six international windows to go until the tournament roster announcement, it is time to jump back into roster predictions with our 2.0 edition. On this episode of Full Time, host Jillian Sakovits is joined by Melanie Anzidei and Tamerra Griffin to break down their lates...
Mar 09, 2026•39 min
