This week will not see many of the top women's football leagues in action, but there are still matches to tune in for fans of women's football.
Here's all you need to know ahead of another busy week of women's football around the globe.
What to watch in women's football: September 21st to September 24th
NCAA
The week kicks off with plenty of NCAA action as the 2023 season continues. Fans in the USA can follow many of these games via live streaming through ESPN+ and the ESPN App, which also provides games from the ACC Network. Additional live-streaming options also include fuboTV, while the SEC Network will also be carrying some games on TV and live-streaming is also accessible through SEC Network +.
For a detailed schedule of games, including where and how you can watch them, check out our special NCAA Division I women's soccer page here.
UEFA Women's Nations League
The inaugural UEFA Women's Nations League gets underway this week. A total of 51 teams from across UEFA will be taking part in this event, and the action will commence with Israel and Armenia, who are in Group C4, locking horns on Thursday, September 21st.
Friday will be a packed schedule, with key games including Sweden, who finished third at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, facing newly-crowned World Cup winners Spain, as well as two other big games starring World Cup runners up England taking on Scotland, and heavyweights France battling Portugal.
On Saturday, it will certainly be a tense affair as the Republic of Ireland face Northern Ireland. Check out our dedicated UEFA Women's Nations League match page for key games, broadcast details, kick-off times, and more.
Friendlies
Here are some of the key friendlies taking place between September 21st and September 24th:
USA vs South Africa (double header)
Interestingly, the USWNT will play South Africa twice over the next few days. The first meeting will take place on Thursday, September 21st, while the second will happen on Sunday, September 24th. For the Stars and Stripes, this will be their first matches following their humiliating early exit at this summer's World Cup, and the first games for interim boss Twila Kilgore following Vlatko Andonovski's departure earlier this summer.
Fans in the USA will have a wide range of options to follow these two games, both on TV and via live-streaming. Here's how you can tune into the USWNT's first game following their World Cup exit, both on Thursday and on Sunday.
Japan vs Argentina
Japan experienced disappointment at this summer's World Cup, where, despite an excellent start, they were ultimately knocked out by Sweden during the quarter-finals. They will hope to get back to winning ways in their first international friendly prior to taking part in Olympics qualifiers within the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for the upcoming event next year. To date, Japan have never lost to Argentina, with four wins and a draw from their past five meetings.
Top news in women's football
Spain's players agree to end boycott after threat of legal action against them
Just when people had thought that the drama surrounding Spain had finally ended following their win at the Women's World Cup, things appeared to flare up once again. That's despite Jorge Vilda being forced out and former player Montse Tome making history as the first female coach to lead La Roja.
Indeed, many players were still not satisfied with these changes and quite a few made it clear that they would boycott being picked until further issues were resolved within the national team set-up. Now, under the threat of legal action being taken including fines and disqualification for up to five years, many have decided to show up for international duty. Still, all clearly is not well, with two players - Mapi Leon and Patri Guijjaro - reportedly leaving the team camp due to personal issues, and it will remain to be seen whether this chaos behind the scenes will have any impact as Spain prepare to take part in their first ever Nations League campaign this month.
What to watch in women's football: September 25th to September 27th
NCAA
There will be even more NCAA action as the 2023 season continues. Fans in the USA can follow many of these games via live streaming through ESPN+ and the ESPN App, which also provides games from the ACC Network. Additional live-streaming options also include fuboTV, while the SEC Network will also be carrying some games on TV and live-streaming is also accessible through SEC Network +.
For a detailed schedule of games, including where and how you can watch them, check out our special NCAA Division I women's soccer page here.
UEFA Women's Nations League
Great news, as there are even more UEFA Women's Nations League games taking place over the next few days. The action resumes on Tuesday, September 26th with key games including Italy versus Sweden, Germany versus Iceland, and Austria versus France. Additional big games fans will not want to miss include Portugal-Norway, Netherlands-England, and Spain-Switzerland.
Make sure you bookmark our dedicated UEFA Women's Nations League match page for key games, broadcast details, kick-off times, and more.
Top news in women's football
Arsenal get major boost ahead of Women's Super League season
The Gunners will be among several teams hoping to deny reigning champs Chelsea the chance to defend their title when the 2023/24 Women's Super League season gets underway early next month. As such, they have been keen on bringing in some much-needed reinforcements, and that is not restricted only to the players on the pitch.
Kelly Smith, widely regarded as one of England's best players and one of the legends of the women's game, has now joined the club she both idolized as a child and played for on a permanent basis. Smith was first part of Arsenal's coaching staff on a temp basis but now has secured an assistant coaching role that will see her closely work with the team's attackers.
USWNT star Alex Morgan hit with fine after lashing out following bad tackle
It's not been the easiest past few months for Alex Morgan, who was part of the USWNT team that crashed out early at this year's World Cup. The veteran striker, who will be preparing to feature with her national side during a series of upcoming friendlies, has returned to club action with the San Diego Wave, who presently sit second in the table behind league leaders Portland Thorns.
On Saturday, Morgan was in action with the Wave against Kansas City Current when she was fouled quite aggressively by defender Stine Ballisager Pedersen. The 34-year-old was not left impressed by the Danish defender's actions, and was quite incensed that she managed to remain on the pitch for the rest of the match. The Wave went on to lose the tie 2-1, which puts them two points behind Portland Thorns in the race for the league title.
Unfortunately for Morgan, the NWSL decided to punish her for her outspoken opinions on social media, and while the league has not revealed exactly how much she has been fined, it's clear that the NWSL wants to send a clear message to its players.
Didn't find your favorite women's league on this list? No worries, as this is just a highlight of some of the exciting games coming up this week. Make sure to check out our special Women's Football Page here at LiveSoccerTV.com for full broadcast info, match updates, news, and more.
