<p>The United States Post Office will issue a commemorative stamp for the upcoming <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/she-believes-cup-tv-schedule/">SheBelieves Cup</a> and the USWNT. Along with the stamp, USPS is also <a href="https://store.usps.com/store/results?Ntt=women%27s+soccer&amp;_requestid=366725" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">currently selling</a> a Field Notes notebook, envelopes, and pins featuring the special stamp design as well.</p>



<p>“This new Forever stamp celebrates women’s soccer in the United States,” a statement by the <a href="https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2023/0117ma-womens-soccer-stamp-to-kick-off-at-the-shebelieves-cup.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">USPS</a> read. “From youth leagues to the elite world champion U.S. National Team, millions of girls and women throughout the country participate in the fast-paced, competitive sport.”</p>



<h2>Late artist designed the impressive USWNT stamp</h2>



<p>The stamp itself shows a female player striking a soccer ball on a volley. Illustrator Noah MacMillan used a mid-century motif and font to display a timeless design. MacMillan sadly passed away from colon cancer in 2022. The USPS wanted to celebrate the 33-year-old artist, as well as commemorate women’s soccer as well.</p>



<p>MacMillan was previously approached by art director Antonio Alcala to create the artwork for the stamp. The artist used photos that Alcala took of his daughter Maya as inspiration for the design.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Big news for those among us who are Fans of Soccer and also Fans of Stamps: The USPS women&apos;s soccer stamp (ft. an illustration by the late Noah MacMillan) looks to be available for pre-order. It&apos;s set to drop on Feb. 16, when the USWNT opens the SheBelieves Cup vs. Canada. <a href="https://t.co/kf9mFNom9i">pic.twitter.com/kf9mFNom9i</a></p>— Ella Brockway (@ellabrockway) <a href="https://twitter.com/ellabrockway/status/1615487688894812161?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<p>There will also be a ceremony dedicating the stamp at the opening stages of the SheBelieves Cup. The ceremony will take place at Exploria Stadium in Orlando on Thursday, February 16th. It will kick off at 11:00AM (ET) and is free to the public. However, attendees of the ceremony should RSVP at the <a href="https://uspsonlinesolutions.wufoo.com/forms/mbwjjm3131lcaa/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">USPS/Women’s Soccer</a> website.</p>



<h5>USWNT looking for record sixth SheBelieves Cup title</h5>



<p>The 2023 SheBelieves Cup starts Feb. 16. It runs until the final on six days later. Orlando is one of three venues for the upcoming tournament. Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas and Geodis Park in Nashville, Tennessee are also hosting matches. The <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/womens-soccer-tv-schedule/">USWNT</a> will compete against Brazil, Canada and Japan for the trophy.</p>



<p>All four nations involved in the upcoming competition <a href="https://www.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/women?dateId=ranking_20221209" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rank inside the top 11 by FIFA</a>. The Americans hold the top spot, while Canada is sixth, followed by Brazil at nine and Japan in the 11th position.</p>



<p>The USWNT are the reigning champions of the SheBelieves Cup after beating Iceland 5-0 in the 2022 version of the tournament.</p>



<p><em>PHOTO: IMAGO / Sports Press Photo</em></p>


US Postal Service to issue USWNT stamp for SheBelieves Cup

The USPS has created a new Forever stamp commemorating women's soccer and the USWNT before the SheBelieves Cup.

<p>As the year comes to an end, the news for the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tv/2022-usmnt-tv-ratings-increased-4-compared-to-2014-20221219-WST-412820.html">TV ratings for the USMNT</a> was quite good. This was not a surprise as they made their return to the World Cup. Playing four games at the World Cup tends to boost the viewership.</p>



<p>Unfortunately for the USWNT, the news was not as good on the TV ratings front. Those numbers were down 10% when compared to last year. However, there are, several explanations for it. First, a look at the numbers.</p>



<h2>USWNT TV ratings in 2022</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center"><strong>Opponent</strong></td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center"><strong>Event</strong></td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center"><strong>Channel</strong></td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center"><strong>Viewership</strong></td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Czech Republic</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">She Believes Cup</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">ESPN</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">215,000</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">New Zealand</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">She Believes Cup</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">ABC</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">648,000</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Iceland</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">She Believes Cup</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">ESPN2</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">295,000</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Uzbekistan</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Friendly</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">FOX</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">438,000</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Uzbekistan</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Friendly</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">ESPN2</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">165,000</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Colombia</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Friendly</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">FS1</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">259,000</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Colombia</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Friendly</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">ESPN</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">316,000</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Nigeria</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Friendly</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">FOX</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">474,000</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Nigeria</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Friendly</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">ESPN2</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">336,000</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">England</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Friendly</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">FOX</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">726,000</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Spain</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Friendly</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">ESPN2</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">183,000</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Germany</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Friendly</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">FS1</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">323,000</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Germany</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Friendly</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">ESPN</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">337,000</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<h5>Takeaways</h5>



<p>Over the course of 13 games in 2022, the USWNT averaged 362,692 viewers per game. That is a 10% drop from 401,913 viewers per game in 2021. It is also 92% lower than 4,467,167 the MNT averaged this year. But it is up 20% from the same year in the previous cycle (2018) when they drew 302,421 viewers per game over the course of 19 games. And it figures to rise substantially next year during the Women’s World Cup.</p>



<h5>Unavailable numbers</h5>



<p>There may be 13 games with viewership numbers but the USWNT actually played 18 games in 2022. The missing 5 games were the Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament. While the two previous editions of the tournament were held in the US, this one was played in Mexico. As a result the games were shown on CBS Sports Network. Because that’s a channel that isn’t tracked by Nielsen, no viewership figures are available for those games. </p>



<h5>Lack of Spanish-language numbers</h5>



<p>One of the most underappreciated assets for US national team viewing is Spanish-language TV. With so many people here in the US from Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Argentina, Cuba, and so on it seems foolish not to count them in the viewing audience. </p>



<p>While Spanish-language viewing numbers may be readily available for the MNT, they seem to be in short supply for the WNT. In fact, not a single WNT game in 2022 has an available Spanish language viewership number. This comes after there were only three such numbers available in both 2020 and 2021. </p>



<h5>Overall</h5>



<p>While the WNT certainly did not have the same eye-popping number the MNT enjoyed in 2022, there were positive signs. Chief among them was better numbers than during the same year of the previous cycle. And, with the <a href="https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/womens/womensworldcup" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Women’s World Cup</a> next year, there figures to be bump in the ratings.</p>



<p><em>PHOTO: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire</em></p>


USWNT TV ratings down 10% from 2021

A year before they get set to defend their title at the Women's World Cup, the TV ratings for the USWNT dropped 10% from 2021.

main

<h5>Group A</h5>



<p>Group A of the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/womens-champions-league-tv-schedule/?adlt=strict&amp;toWww=1&amp;redig=8C82580776CB429984BA32396DAE9676">Women’s Champions League</a> features three dangerous sides in Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, and Real Madrid. The group produced some very interesting matches and included some very exciting story lines.</p>



<p><strong>Chelsea</strong>, with thirteen points in five matches, are wreaking havoc on both the Women’s Super League and the Champions League. They are first in the table with 27 points in 10 games. </p>



<p>Chelsea lead the Super League in goals scored, which seems like an easy task with human highlight reel Sam Kerr leading the Blues’ attack. They have not lost a game in the Champions League, only drawing with Real away from home.</p>



<p><strong>PSG</strong>, with ten points, has not been much worse than their London-based counterparts. They lead Division 1 Feminine, one point ahead of reigning European champions Lyon. In the Champions League, they have looked strong. Yet, they did lose 1-0 to Chelsea and drew with Real.</p>



<p><strong>Real Madrid</strong>, already mathematically eliminated from the group stage with their five points, has not been bad.  Yet their offense cost them crucial games. They have only scored four goals in five total matches and have lost some very winnable games. They have performed well in Liga F, getting 28 points in just eleven matches.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Real Madrid 1-1 Chelsea Women | Women&apos;s Champions League Highlights" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/axSJlhMYewY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
</div></figure>



<p>The fourth team in the group, Albanian side <strong>Vllaznia</strong>, has a solid argument to be the worst team in the group stage. They are the only team to not score so far in the Champions League, and they have given up a whopping 23 goals in their time  at the group stage. Vllaznia are undefeated in the Albanian Women’s National Championship, but that success has not transferred over on the continental stage.</p>



<h5>Group B</h5>



<p>A dangerous Wolfsburg side looking to avenge their semi-final exit in last year’s Champions League looks better than ever. They lead Group B with eleven points, followed by Roma with ten, St. Polten with four, and Slavia Prague with two.</p>



<p><strong>Wolfsburg</strong> lead Frauen-Bundesliga, with 30 points in 10 games. They have good wins like their 2-1 victory over Bayern and a 5-0 win over Frankfurt. They are dominant in Germany, but shaky in Europe. Although they lead their group, they have drawn with bottom-dwellers Slavia Prague and with their fierce Italian rivals Roma.</p>



<p><strong>Roma</strong> is also doing pretty well. They lead Serie A, with Juve trailing by three points. Yet they have yet to unleash their dominant side in the group stage. At times, they have conceded lots of goals, but they have also shown some of their offensive firepowers. Roma has already secured automatic qualification, but they could be in for an early exit with their recent form.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="🌟 UNA RIMONTA EPICA!! 🌟 | UWCL HIGHLIGHTS | ST POLTEN 3-4 ROMA" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3cLQ239eNhE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
</div></figure>



<p>Austrian champions <strong>St. Poiten</strong> launched a serious campaign this season, but no one really expected them to do well. St. Poiten’s only win came from a stoppage-time winner against Slavia Prague, and they drew the Czech side again. <strong>Slavia Prague</strong> themselves had two draws; one from St. Poiten, and the other, surprisingly, from title contenders Wolfsburg. </p>



<p>Wolfsburg and Roma have already qualified for the quarter-finals. A win against St. Poiten in December 22 would give the Germans first place. Roma faces a Slavia Prague side searching for its first Champions League win in 2022.</p>



<h5>Group C</h5>



<p>Unlike the other three groups, Group C is wide open. With Arsenal, reigning champions Lyon, and Juventus all vying for two spots in the Champions League, the final matchday will be crucial to each team’s season.</p>



<p><strong>Arsenal </strong>WFC, who landed just one point away from winning the Women’s Super League last season, have lost just once in this season’s edition. They look really strong this season, leading the league in goals allowed(5). Yet they’ve met their match in the Champions League. They recently lost a match that could have given them an automatic bid to the knockout round, and Arsenal has not exuded the sheer dominance you need to make a serious run into the finals. Some of the better games of their season were their 5-1 win over Lyon and 4-0 win over their hated rivals Spurs. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="STUNNING WIN | Olympique Lyonnais vs. Arsenal (UEFA Women&apos;s Champions League 2022-23)" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Jm1YZS0gATs?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
</div></figure>



<p>Similar to the Gunners, <strong>Lyon </strong>is uncharacteristically weak this season. The reigning European champions fell hard in their opening game in the Champions League and have struggled to find their footing. They have lost a game and drawn a game in France’s Division 1 Feminine, coming in at second place at the halfway point of the season.</p>



<p><strong>Juventus </strong>has not had its best season in 2022. Suffering two draws and a loss in the highly competitive Group C, they are also lacking in Italy. In Serie A, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/danieleproch/2021/02/16/womens-serie-a-to-kick-off-italys-first-ever-professional-sports-league-for-female-athletes-in-2022/?adlt=strict&amp;toWww=1&amp;redig=21A9E84315A54A7B9079818390B31F71&amp;sh=552843773b35" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">which just turned professional six months ago</a>, Juventus has drawn three games and lost one.</p>



<p>Despite coming in first in the Swiss Women’s Super League last season, <strong>Zurich </strong>has flopped this season. They have only scored one goal in five Champions League games, and have failed to get a single point through day five. In Switzerland, the side has lost two games in eight games, putting them in second.</p>



<p>Zurich is only playing for pride going into the last matchday on December 21, as they are mathematically eliminated. They play Arsenal, who has already qualified for the knockout round. Juventus, who plays Lyon away from home, has to win to move on</p>



<h5>Group D</h5>



<p>Group D, consisting of Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Benfica, and Rosengard, is already decided. Both Barca and Bayern have 12 points, while Benfica has six Rosengard has none. Barca and Bayern have automatically secured qualification to the quarter-finals going into matchday six.</p>



<p><strong>Barca</strong>, missing key players from last season like Jennifer Hermoso and Leila Ouahabi, is having a splendid start to the 2022-2023 season. They have won all twelve of their Liga F matches, giving them a large eight-point lead. They’ve also established their dominance with large wins over Benfica and Rosengard. Their only loss of the season came against a much-improved Bayern team, and their slip-up looks like an isolated incident so far.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="FC Barcelona vs SL Benfica (9-0) | Resumen y goles | UEFA Women&apos;s Champions League 2022-23" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BJdjhUoEW08?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
</div></figure>



<p><strong>Bayern </strong>has had a very good start to the season as well. They are second in the Frauen-Bundesliga, with just one game drawn and one game lost. They also advanced to the quarter-finals of the DFB-Pokal, making their mark with two big seven-goal wins against weaker teams.</p>



<p><strong>Rosengard </strong>ended its dominant domestic season with a league title, but it’s been lacking continentally. It has not won any games so far in the Champions League. <strong>Benfica</strong>, reigning champions of Portugal’s Liga BPI, have gone undefeated in their league so far, but also have not succeeded against the powerhouse of Group D.</p>



<p>Bayern plays Rosengard and Barca plays Benfica on December 21. Bayern will likely need a better result in their match than Barca due to the goal difference between them. </p>



<p>As it stands, Barca is set to go through as group winners; not shocking, considering their near-perfect season in the 2021-22 season.</p>



<p>Photo credit: IMAGO / Sports Press Photo</p>


Women's Champions League groups &#8211; what teams need to qualify

Matchday six of the UEFA Women's Champions League figures to be very entertaining. Here's what you need to know.

Women's Champions League groups - what teams need to qualify - World Soccer Talk

Women's Champions League groups – what teams need to qualify

<div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-401569" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/2022/09/Spain-womens-team-resign-1200x725.webp" alt="Spain women&apos;s team resign" width="1200" height="725" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure></div>
<p>The <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2022/07/08/spain-germany-start-euro-2022-in-style/">Spain women’s team</a> saw a number of players resign recently due to problems with the squad’s coach.</p>
<p>Fifteen players sent a mass email to the national team late Thursday. The women cited mental health issues brought on by head coach Jorge Vilda. On Friday, the email went public.</p>
<p>In the statement, the players ask not to be involved with the team for the time being. “The general situation on the Spanish national team generated by recent events, events which (the federation) is aware of, is greatly affecting my emotional state and therefore my health,” each of the 15 players <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/spanish-womens-soccer-turmoil-player-revolt-90377090" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>.</p>
<p>“Due to this, I presently do not consider myself to be a available for our national team and therefore ask to not be called up until this situation changes.”</p>
<p>While the Spanish FA says these players resigned, the 15 women contrast that. Instead, the players simply ask to withdraw their names from selection. That way, they can focus on their mental health. They want to return once the Spanish FA resolves the aforementioned situations.</p>
<p>Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas posted on social media the response to the Spanish FA.</p>
<p>In the excerpt, Putellas says the players never asked for the dismissal of the coach as mentioned.</p>
<p>“We understand that our job is in no case to choose such a position, but to express constructively and honestly what we consider can improve the group’s performance.”</p>
<p>“By requesting not to be summoned, we penalize our professional career, our economy and of course the continued effort to build something important in women’s soccer.”</p>
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/OwKIr3tWt3">pic.twitter.com/OwKIr3tWt3</a></p>
<p>— Alexia Putellas (@alexiaputellas) <a href="https://twitter.com/alexiaputellas/status/1573350333417488385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2022</a></p></blockquote></div>
<p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<h3>Fifteen players resign from Spain women’s team</h3>
<p>Guijarro appeared next to Paredes and forward Jennifer Hermoso at a press conference earlier this month. The trio voiced their concerns. Yet, they kept the issue more on actual match results. “It is a complicated moment,” claimed Paredes. “We are an ambitious team and we want to get better and win. We believe that various internal aspects (of the team) must improve.”</p>
<p>“There is a generalized discontentment among the team for what we went through at the end of the Eurocup,” said Guijarro. “We thought that we had a group that could win titles. We think that and feel that way. After the Eurocup, the group sent that message to our coach.”</p>
<p>None of the players mentioned their mental health in regard to Vilda’s actions at the press conference.</p>
<p>Head of women’s soccer in Spain Ana Alvarez backed Vilda. Alvarez claimed there are no reports of sexual or verbal abuse from the players. “Nothing like that has ever occurred (under Vilda),” Álvarez <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/spanish-womens-soccer-turmoil-player-revolt-90377090" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proclaimed</a> on Cadena SER radio. “All of us are professionals and there has never been anything to taint that. Nothing of what you could be thinking has happened. That would be very serious.”</p>
<p>The Spanish women’s team hired Vilda in 2015. Prior to him, players demanded the resignation of his predecessor, Ignacio Quereda.</p>
<p>Spain next has two friendlies scheduled for October.</p>
<p><em>PHOTO: IMAGO / NurPhoto</em></p>


Spain women's team players resign over issues with head coach

After complaints over their head coach, 15 members of the Spain women's team elected to resign from their national team.

Spain women's team players resign over issues with head coach - World Soccer Talk

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Spain women's team players resign over issues with head coach