Expected Own Goals
Episodes
NWSL Preview Week: Seattle Reign, with Sylvs of Shea Butter FC
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Seattle Reign were old, slow, and boring last year. This year, they're slightly young, a bit faster, and potentially more exciting. Lynn Biyendolo...
NWSL Preview Week: San Diego Wave, with Kieran Doyle-Davis
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Out NWSL season previews keep on a'truckin' with a team whose fall from the mountaintop has been quick and precipitous. The Wave shipped Jaedyn Shaw a...
NWSL Preview Week: Houston Dash, with Theo Lloyd-Hughes
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
RECORDED BEFORE RAMONA BACHMANN'S RETURN TO THE CLUB Is Lucy going to pull the football? Will this time really be different? The Houston Dash have a ...
NWSL Preview Week: Washington Spirit, with Ella Brockway
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Washington Spirit may have the best roster on paper heading into the 2025 season. Can they be title contenders? Ella Brockway of the Washington P...
NWSL Preview Week: Orlando Pride, with Bridie O'Toole
06 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to NWSL Season Preview Week! We'll be bringing you previews of all 14 NWSL teams with some outstanding guests to help us break down each and e...
USWNT Recap: Don't Stop SheBelievin'
28 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The USWNT has put three more friendlies in the books, and Emma Hayes earns her first loss of her tenure as head coach. After the guys sort through the...
Breaking Down the USWNT SheBelieves Roster
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The guys make note of new signings Carissa Boeckmann to the Portland Thorns and Oihane Hernández to the Orlando Pride, and what Hernández's signing ...
NWSL College Week, Pt. 1: Signings in a Draft-less World, with Chris Henderson
11 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The guys touch on the Savy King transfer to Angel City (00:47) and the Hannah Bebar signing with Bay FC (13:00) before offering some thoughts on the N...
xOG Live in Houston, with Arielle Dror & Jen Cooper!
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
RECORDED BEFORE THE TRANSFER OF SAVY KING TO ANGEL CITY FC It's xOG's first ever live pod! The guys chat about Crystal Dunn's move to PSG and the oth...
Jenna Nighswonger is a Gunner. What's Going On with Gotham?
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Breaking news all over the place! Jenna Nighswonger is moving to north London. Where does this leave Gotham's offseason? (00:30) San Diego has made a ...
When Will San Diego and Louisville Catch the Big Fish?
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
RECORDED BEFORE THE SIGNINGS OF SHINOMI KOYAMA, SINTIA CABEZAS, DIDI HARAČIĆ, AND FAVOUR EMMANUEL It's been a busy-but-not-busy period of the NWSL ...
New Year, New US(WNT)
14 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're back! The guys return from their brief, fire-filled hiatus to unpack all the news of the first weeks of the new year. They chat about the senior...
The Biggest Own Goals of the Year
31 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's the last episode of 2024! No better time for the guys to look back on the previous year and all the things they and teams were wrong about, from ...
The NWSL Holiday Transaction Roundup
24 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Becky Sauerbrunn retiring! Jonas Eidevall to the San Diego Wave! Lynn Williams to the Seattle Reign! Jaelin Howell to Gotham FC! Rocky Rodríguez and ...
The xOG Top 10 Players of 2024
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's that time of year! The Best FIFA awards were announced on Tuesday, the final release of several end-of-year accountings of the year's best player...
NWSL Rosters Locked and the GM Carousel Continues
11 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
NWSL teams locked in their end-of-season rosters, traded some players, saw some others sign with new teams, and a whole bunch of free agents hit the o...
USWNT Recap, plus Kicking Off The NWSL Offseason with Taylor Vincent!
05 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The USWNT wraps up 2024 with a draw and a win overseas. How did the Triple Espresso-less attack acquit themselves? Was that scary first half against t...
NWSL Championship Recap: The Spirit Taken Down by the Pride, but Not Without a Fight
26 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What. A. Game. The Orlando Pride are your NWSL champions, the first Shield-Championship winners in five years. Their 1-0 victory over the Washington S...
NWSL Championship Preview, Part 2: Our Podcast with André (Carlisle)
23 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Washington Spirit have made it to the NWSL Championship, despite massive injuries to key players in the back end of the season. Can they keep this...
NWSL Championship BONUS: Inside the Orlando Pride with GM Haley Carter
21 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Orlando Pride are preparing to play the biggest game club history on Saturday, the culmination of a process that began more than two years ago. Te...
The NWSL Semifinals Delivered the Goods
19 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Well there you have it! The Washington Spirit will play the Orlando Pride at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City on Saturday for the NWSL Championship. The se...
NWSL Playoffs Recap: The Quarterfinals Were Sketched in Chalk
12 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The top four go in as favorites, and the top four leave as semifinalists. There were no upsets in the NWSL quarterfinals, as Orlando, Washington, Goth...
PATREON BONUS: NWSL Playoff Goalkeepers, with Jill Loyden!
08 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The NWSL playoffs start tonight, and so we decided to take our most recent bonus episode out from behind the paywall. Coach and NWSL commentator Jill ...
NWSL Playoffs Preview, Part II
06 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In Part 2 of our NWSL quarterfinals preview, we take a look at Sunday's doubleheader. According to one projection model, Bay FC actually have a decent...
NWSL Playoffs Preview, Part I
05 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The playoffs are set! The top four finished the season strong and look like they'll make it to the semifinals with ease. Or will they? The guys previe...
A USWNT Round-Up, and Our NWSL Awards Ballots!
29 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The USWNT played a couple friendlies against Iceland, walloped them 6-2 across both games, and got four new players their first caps. That's about all...
PATREON BONUS: Liga MX Femenil Apertura Review, with Amelia Lopez!
24 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We're taking one of our bonus episodes out from behind the table to give you a little taste of what great content you can find on our Patreon! For onl...
NWSL Week 25: Louisville, Portland, and all the Playoff Scenarios Fit to Print
22 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Racing Louisville grabbed all three points against the Portland Thorns thanks to a late corner header from Taylor Flint. Their playoff hopes are still...
NWSL Week 24: "Stop Laughing, The Chicago Red Stars Suck!!!" And Other Ravings of a Madman
15 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Chicago Red Stars own one of the worst xG differentials in league history. Only the Utah Royals have played worse in total this season. But Chicag...
NWSL Week 23: The Portland Thorns, Racing Louisville, and the Dangling Thread of the Playoff Line
08 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We have got some things to cover, here! The guys get into the news of Angel City's fines and suspensions for salary cap violations, the firing of form...
NWSL Week 22: Bay FC are Doing the Damn Thing
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A scrappy 1-0 victory on the road to the Seattle Reign may not look like much, but Bay FC are creeping closer and closer to a playoff berth, only a fe...
NWSL Week 21: Kansas City Current Remind Everyone Who They Are
25 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Oh, did you forget that the Current can gut your favorite team like a fish? After a few games of sputtering defensive performance, KC's new back line ...
NWSL Week 20: The Orlando-Kanas City Staredown and Portland's Continued Implosion
18 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We've got two games to cover this week! One was the matchup of the weekend on paper, but fizzled out to a 0-0 draw between the Pride and Current. The ...
NWSL Week 19: Au Revoir, Alex Morgan, Hello, Bay FC!
11 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Alex Morgan has retired. As yet another titan of the sport walks into the sunset, the guys reflect on what Morgan's career truly meant beyond the goal...
NWSL Week 18: Strolling through Gotham, with Jenna Tonelli!
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Orlando Pride continued their unbeaten streak on Sunday, taking down Gotham FC 2-0 after a monsoon nearly flooded Inter&Co Stadium. Gotham was una...
NWSL Week 17: Your Spirit Has a Powerful Current Flowing from Washington to Kansas City
27 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jonatan Giráldez has officially entered the NWSL chat. The Washington Spirit took down the Kansas City Current 4-1, and for a brief second, one had t...
EMERGENCY POD: The NWSL's Historic New Labor Agreement
22 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The NWSL Players Association has just signed a new collective bargaining agreement, which may be one of the most historically significant labor deals ...
The Big NWSL Midseason Transfer Round-Up!
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The NWSL is back, baby!!! After six agonizing weeks away, the stretch run kicks off on Friday. A massive amount of transfer activity has gone down in ...
OLYMPICS RECAP: The USWNT Paved the Parisian Streets with Gold
12 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
369 days after the USWNT crashed out of the World Cup Round of 16, they put those demons to bed, winning the gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics. T...
OLYMPICS RECAP: The USWNT are Exhausted, but are On to the Gold Medal Game
07 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The players were dead on their feet. Lindsey Horan could barely ping a pass toward the German goal. But Naomi Girma led the defense to another sterlin...
OLYMPICS RECAP: The USWNT Struggles, Japan Suffers, and the US Moves on to the Semifinals
04 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It was brutal, but perhaps it was necessary. The USWNT scraped past Japan in the Olympics quarterfinals thanks to an extra-time wonder strike from Tri...
OLYMPICS RECAP: The USWNT Win Group B in Fine Fashion, Gear Up for Japan in the Quarterfinals
01 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The USWNT beat Australia 2-1 in the final round of the Olympics group stage, topping the group and heading to the quarterfinals to play Japan on Satur...
OLYMPICS RECAP: The USWNT Fly Through Germany in the Balmy Marseille Air
29 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Bang! The USWNT rained goals on Germany in a 4-1 victory, their biggest result against a FIFA top-10 side in six years. A Sophia Smith brace, a Mallor...
OLYMPICS RECAP: The USWNT Opens Its Account with a Dazzling Win over Zambia
26 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There were a couple of emphatic 3-0 wins in Group B as the Olympics tournament kicked off on Thursday. The USWNT contained Barbra Banda and put Zambia...
The Big USWNT Olympics Preview! Plus Zambia, Germany, & Australia
22 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Here we go again! One year to the week that xOG launched, we find ourselves on the precipice of yet another major international tournament. The USWNT ...
BONUS THURSDAY: The USWNT Olympics Send-Off Was Fine. Really.
18 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Yes, the USWNT couldn't score against Costa Rica in their final pre-Olympics friendly. No, none of their boundless chances were especially high-qualit...
The USWNT Preps for the Olympics by Beating Mexico. Plus, A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!
15 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The USWNT offered a lot in their 1-0 victory over Mexico on a hot and muggy day in New Jersey. Was their lack of finishing something to be concerned o...
BONUS THURSDAY: Our NWSL No-Stars Five-A-Side Draft! Plus, Transfer News!
11 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's our last NWSL-centric episode for a month, friends! We decided to chat about some of our favorite players who slipped under the radar, and whose ...
NWSL Week 16: Kansas City Current vs. Orlando Pride Was the Game of the Season
09 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The two best teams in the NWSL had to wait until the final matchweek before the Olympics break to square off, and dear lord was it worth the wait. B...
BONUS FRIDAY: Olympics Rosters, New Controlling Owners at Angel City, and the Jill Ellis Scandal at the San Diego Wave
05 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We didn't think a U.S. holiday weekend would toss so much news at us. First up, Eric and Evan chat about the announced Olympics rosters for Brazil, Sp...
NWSL Midseason Check-In, Pt. 2: Firings, Awards and time to Buckle Up, San Diego?!
02 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Eric and Evan debate another notable NWSL head coach sacking, hand out some Midseason Awards and go deep on Chicago's 3-0 "rout" of San Diego... was i...
BONUS THURSDAY: Reactions to the USWNT Olympics Roster
27 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Quiet week, how's everyone doing? LOL JK First up, on the heels of Casey Stoney's firing, Eric and Evan puzzle over the unexpected resignation of Ba...
NWSL Midseason Check-In, Pt. I: The State of the League
25 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We're now (just over) halfway through the 2024 NWSL regular season, and trends are emerging! Eric and Evan uncover a host of interesting nuggets about...
BONUS THURSDAY: The Inaugural xOG NWSL Hall of Fame Class!
20 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's time to pause and reflect on how much history the NWSL really possesses--something no professional club league in America has been able to accomp...
NWSL Week 12: The Bats Take Flight as Gotham FC Start Dominating
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Gotham FC's 2-0 victory on the road against Racing Louisville was about as ugly as 2-0 victories get, but dig under the hood and you see that the pres...
NWSL Week 11: Rappelling Down the Seattle Reign Cavern, with Sylvs of Shea Butter FC!
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Seattle Reign got smoked by the Kansas City Current over the weekend. That such a result would be par for the course shows what kind of season Lau...
USWNT Recap: The Emma Hayes Era Kicks Off With Goals Goals Goals!
06 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The day has come: Emma Hayes is now the head coach of the U.S. Women's National Team. The side demolished South Korea for a combined scoreline of 7-0....
BONUS TUESDAY: Wrapping Up the Liga MX Femenil Season, with Adriana Terrazas!
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The international break has flipped our schedule this week, so for this week's early bonus episode, we bring you a great conversation Evan had with Ou...
BONUS THURSDAYS: Barcelona Wins the Champions League Again! Plus, The State of NWSL Broadcasting, with Mike Watts!
30 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Barcelona capped off their third Champions League title in four years by taking down their final boss, Lyon, to have no more rivals for best team in t...
NWSL Week 10: Destiny's Children? (H-Town Screwed Mix)
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Week 10! Two teams. Two massive victories. Two bright futures ahead? Eric and Evan ponder the meaning of Houston's staggering 3-0 home win over North ...
BONUS THURSDAYS: The Big WSL Wrap-Up, and the USWNT Takes Custody of Emma Hayes, with Jessy Parker Humphreys!
23 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's the premiere episode of our new Thursday bonus episode series, where we explore other tactical and analytical corners of the global women's footb...
NWSL Week 9: The Utah Royals Stare into the Void
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Another week, another brutal Utah Royals loss. Though the scoreline was a mere 1-0 defeat on the road to the North Carolina Courage, the expansion sid...
NWSL Vibe Check, Part II: Double the Own Goals, Double the Fun!?!?
17 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
More transparency! More accountability! More Own Goals! Kieran guest stars as the Grim Reaper in Evan and Eric's Own Goal Bogus Journey! Art by Eli E...
NWSL Vibe Check, Part I: xOG's Biggest Own Goals of the Season!
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We here at Expected Own Goals are about transparency and accountability. That's why, at the point in the season when xG stabilizes and becomes sticky,...
What We Talk About When We Talk About The Red Stars, with Gal Pal Sports!
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We've been putting it off all season, but after a tough loss to the Washington Spirit and an emphatic win against Bay FC, we can put it off no longer:...
NWSL Week 6--Spirit: Pride of the Cimarron
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is Orlando the best team in the NWSL right now? They just might be. An emphatic 3-2 victory over the Washington Spirit on the road cemented what could...
NWSL Week 5: Angel Cities with Filthy Soles, NC Courage Cursed by The Soccer Gods
23 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The NWSL spring trade deadline has come and gone, and somehow, both the Houston Dash and Angel City made some significant moves. Eric and Evan brought...
NWSL Week 4: Gotham Gets Weird, and the Kansas City Current Put the "Fly" in "Chawinga"
16 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We last checked in on the Kansas City Current in Week 1. What a difference a month makes! They're sitting atop the table on 10 points, have a potentia...
USWNT Recap: Does SheBelieve?
11 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The USWNT is SheBelieves Cup champion once again. Woo...hoo? The Twila Kilgore era comes to a close on a second penalty shootout win over Canada in a ...
NWSL Late-Game Deciders: A Breakdown of San Diego-Seattle, Portland-Louisville, and Bay-Houston!
02 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
No fewer than three NWSL games were decided in the final moments of stoppage time last weekend, but each were decided in different ways. San Diego sur...
NWSL Week 2: The Spirit in the Bay is Strong!
26 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A jam-packed, wackadoo weekend unfolded in the NWSL, with golazos and refereeing madness and everything in between. Eric, Evan and Arianna drill down ...
The NWSL is BACK, BABY! Breaking Down the Loony Nine-Goal Chaos Show in Kansas City
19 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The greatest league in the world has returned, and boy was it a doozy! From first-minute penalties in Seattle, to the Naeher-aissance denying Utah the...