We also present Part 1 of our NWSL 2026 season preview, the regular season of which starts this month. This week we look at Angel City FC, Bay FC, the expansion side Boston Legacy and the Chicago Stars, with player and coaching news.
Fiji WNT head coach Nicola Demaine interview, discussing Fiji’s hopes in the 2027 WWC Qualifiers and the growth of women’s football throughout the region.
Nicola Demaine started her third women’s national team job within Oceania—and fourth overall—with Fiji on January 22, 2026. She explained: “I’ve only been here a few weeks. I been trying to get to know the players. The team is a mixture of experience—there’s a few (players) in their thirties who have seen all of the things that have happened here.
"Then there’s this young group, a lot from the U-20 WWC (from the team that qualified for the 2024 U-20 FIFA WWC in Colombia, which despite defeats to France (11-0), Brazil (9-0) and Canada (9-0), was viewed as an important benchmark for Fiji’s women’s football and the game throughout the region) and then there’s a gap (with) no 23, 24, 25 year-olds, which is a shame. Hopefully this new group is so motivated, having visited the (U-20) World Cup, that it won’t happen again. There’s a little bit of a divide there so I’m working on that. There’s so many talented players, more so than any other country I’ve worked in (including Samoa, Papua New Guinea and Bhutan in Asia); to have the number of talent is really good.”
She did say that there are some challenges but she doesn’t see them as insurmountable: “Fiji has been dormant for a month (since a Cup competition in November). We’ve had to work hard on fitness but I think we will get there in time for the competition.” Longer-term, she said: “We are certainly focused on this tournament coming up but also a focus on how the women’s national team program will be going forward, making sure that we raise the level, professionalize everything and make it a proper high performance environment compared to what they have had before.”
Demaine then discussed their competitors in the first round of the 2027 WWC qualifiers: “Papua New Guinea team is very different from when I was working with them (from 2021-2023, during the 2023 WWC cycle); they have a lot of youngsters. New Caledonia have some very talented players and will be organized. Vanuatu has been training hard. It’s not as obvious who will walk out (as winners) as it’s been in the past; the playing field is leveling out.
TribalFootball.com wanted to know what she has seen change within the region since starting her Oceania coaching journey in 2018 in Samoa and what the region needs in order to build women’s football in OFC: “There’s definitely more people working in women’s football. There seems to be some programs in some countries for girls and leagues. Quality coaches, better preparation for tournaments but it should be an on-going program.
"What always surprises me about teams (in Oceania) is that they have trials for national teams like its high school. ‘I’ve been a national team player for eight years and I have to have a trial?’… You should know who your national team is, who’s coming, who’s finishing off, who’s maybe having a baby or injured and what’s coming through to replace them. It shouldn’t be trials and I think they would get more productivity; there’s talent in the region but (it) needs to be supported.
"In Bhutan, I was fortunate that the team was on contract for the whole year. They got monthly salaries so they were able to do the program. I’m able to say ‘You didn’t do the gym program; you’re dropped from the team.’ I can’t say that to a player who is not on contract. It’s come in, see how they are and hope they do stuff when they leave and then they come back and you start again…that’s not how it’s done in the rest of the world.”
We also discussed that some countries consistently wait until a major tournament to name a national team coach and that this is not unique to Oceania but is seen across Confederations: “Ahead of a tournament, I can’t believe they don’t have a coach and this is what I’m talking about. It’s World Cup qualification and countries aren’t putting people in place to help the women achieve the best that they can and it’s so unfair on the women. That’s what frustrating to see all around the world.”
She also would like to see more national team tournaments as many sub-regions of the world do, particularly in Asia: “In South Asia, there is a tournament every year for men, women and youth, all paid for by the federation (the seven member South Asian Football Federation), so all the countries go… To have annual national team competitions every year, not just at the senior level but also at U-15/U-16/U-17, would be beneficial.”
A few days after we talked with Nicole Demaine, her team had a friendly match at home against American Samoa, who will play in Group A, hosted by Solomon Islands and including Samoa and New Zealand. American Samoa will make their debut at the finals after defeating Tonga (3-0) and host nation Cook Islands (4-0) in preliminary qualifiers last November. Their only other attempt to qualify for the WWC was back in 1998 when Australia defeated them 21-0 and then Papua New Guinea bested them 9-0, with both games in Auckland. Held at the Fiji FA Academy in Ba on February 21, coach Demaine also had her two overseas-based players in forward Trina Davis from the U.S. and goalkeeper Ka’iulani Scott (17) from New Zealand, where she plays for Eastern Suburbs.
Davis scored in Fiji’s 2-1 friendly win over American Samoa in the 30th minute, but American Samoa tied the match on the hour mark. Sofi Diyalowai (31) scored the winner for Fiji in injury time. Davis, who currently plays for FC Olympia in Washington State, which plays in the USL summer amateur W-League, has scored 13 goals in 20 WNT games, and has played for clubs in Israel and Puerto Rico.
Angel City FC
A lot has happened in the off-season for Los Angeles’ team. Most encouraging, Savy King (21) has returned to training, after missing most of last season as she was placed on the league’s SEI (Season Ending Injury) list after suffering a cardiac event May 9 during the game against Bay FC. She underwent successful open-heart surgery and began a comprehensive rehabilitation process. She had minutes during pre-season friendlies.
King said about her return: “To be back out there with my girls is just the best feeling in the world.
“I’ve been looking forward to this for the last nine months, and so to be back out there with my girls is just the best feeling in the world. My teammates have been so supportive throughout this entire process, and my family is here, so it just felt amazing to be back out on the field."
Angel City FC sent $650,000 in intraleague transfer funds to the Orlando Price in exchange for defender Emily Sams (26), the second second-highest total in league history and a record sum for a defender. Sams was selected by the Orlando Pride in the 2023 NWSL Draft with the third overall selection. She went on to make 86 appearances across all competitions—seventh-most in Pride history—recording two assists and one goal. In 2024, Sams helped lead the Pride to its first NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship titles while setting numerous league records at the time, including most team clean sheets in a single season (13) and most consecutive minutes without conceding a goal (554).
In early January the club signed midfielder Taylor Suarez, who left Florida State University following her sophomore year to sign a three-year contract with the club. Suarez won the 2025 NCAA National Championship and the 2024 ACC Tournament Championships. In her two seasons at FSU, Suarez made 36 appearances, 26 starts, scoring eight goals with 14 assists. At the international level, Suarez has represented the United States at multiple levels. In 2017, she earned her first national team call-up for the US U-17 and had the game winning assist at the 2022 CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Championship against Mexico in the final. She scored one goal at the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Finals in India. In 2024, Suarez made the U-20 finals side in Colombia that won the Bronze Medal.
Defender Sara Doorsoun (34) left ACFC to return to Eintracht Frankfurt. She signed with ACFC in July of 2025, played her first match in September and only appeared in eight matches in total. She played at the 2019 and 2023 WWC Finals and 2024 Olympic Games Finals; she retired from the national team last July, after 59 senior caps.
Bay FC
England youth international Keira Barry (21) was a major off-season signing by Bay FC, which hopes to make the playoffs for the second time in 2026 in their three league seasons. Barry left England’s Manchester United after making two senior appearances for the club since her debut in 2022, where she has struggled to gain first team action. In 2023-24, Barry joined Crystal Palace on loan for her first professional season in 2023-24 as the club won the WSL2 title and earned promotion to the WSL1 for the first time. This season, she scored three goals in 12 appearances for WSL 2 side Sunderland on loan this season. She signed a four year deal with Bay FC through 2029.
Speaking to Bay FC’s website, Barry said: “When the opportunity to join Bay FC came up, it felt like the right move straight away. After speaking with Emma (Coates—Bay FC’s new head coach) and meeting (Sporting Director) Matt Potter and the staff, it was clear that the club’s values, ambition and people aligned with what I’m looking for at this stage of my career. I’m excited for the challenge of playing in a new league, testing myself against top players and experiencing life in the U.S. I believe this is the perfect environment to continue pushing my game forward, and I’m looking forward to showing Bay FC fans what I can bring.”
Barry played for new Bay FC head coach Emma Coates when with the England U-23’s, most recently featuring for the Young Lionesses during the late November/early December 2025 international window against Norway (a 1-0 win in Manchester) and the United States (a 4-2 loss at Accrington Stanley’s ground).
Barry was a standout at the youth level, featuring for England’s U- 17 and U-19 national teams and helping Manchester United’s U-21 side to a double in 2022, winning both the WSL Academy League and Cup titles. She was part of United’s Women’s Sevens tournament squad in Portugal last May and has a strong social media presence—with 30,000 followers on Instagram alone—focused on football training and game insights.
She joins English defender Anouk Denton (22), who also left England—West Ham United—for Bay FC. She signed with Bay FC on February 2 in a transfer that set West Ham United’s record for a fee received, which was reported by the BBC to be around US270,000. She has been capped by England at multiple levels and made her senior international debut in December 2025, coming on as a second half stoppage time substitute in a 2–0 win over Ghana.
American defender Heather Gilchrist has signed her first professional contract with the NWSL club after playing at Florida State University, scoring five goals in 81 matches at FSU from 2022-2025. She was a member of the U.S. U-20 WNT which finished third at the 2024 WWC in Colombia and is viewed as a senior national team prospect.
Boston Legacy
We featured some new signings for the expansion Legacy team earlier this year (see: The Week in Women's Football: Reviewing 2031 World Cup Bid Book; Analysis of Denver Summit - TribalFootball.com).
Spanish youth international midfielder Alba Cano (22), who previously played at Barcelona in Liga F, signed with Boston last summer for the 2026 and 2027 seasons, with a team option for a third campaign. She stayed on loan with Barcelona last fall but only played one game in the Copa de la Reina in December.
From Club America in Liga MX Femenil, Boston brought in Mexican international defender Nicki Hernandez (27). She was born in the U.S. in Illinois, played at the University of Michigan and was with Club America for four seasons, since the 2022 Clausura, scoring 12 goals in 133 regular season games for Los Aguilas. As of January, she had one goal in 26 internationals for El Tri Femenil.
Hernandez joins Canadian international forward Bianca St-Georges (28), who has played exclusively in the NWSL since 2019 with Chicago, North Carolina and Utah. She has 15 caps for Canada at the senior level. She played at the 2014 U-17 WWC in Costa Rica and 2016 U-20 WWC Finals in Papua New Guinea; she missed out narrowly on a spot with Canada at the 2020 Olympic Games Finals, when the Maple Leafs won the Gold Medal.
Another Canadian international joined the team for the inaugural season when Legacy brought Nichelle Prince in after a trade with the Kansas City Current, in which KC received $125,000 in allocation funds plus $50,000 in intra-league transfer funds in exchange for Prince and a 2026 international roster spot. Prince joined the Kansas City Current in January 2024 via a trade with the Houston Dash, who she began with in 2017 after college at Ohio State University.
Her inaugural season in Kansas City saw her contribute two goals and two assists in 13 regular season appearances with nine starts. The Canadian international had a goal and an assist in 21 regular season games in 2025. She has over 100 full national team caps (113) since her debut in 2013 with 17 goals and won a Gold Medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021, delayed a year due to the COVID epidemic
American midfielder Aleigh Gambone (25) moved from Nuremberg in Germany, where she played for only six months on loan, after signing with Boston in August of 2025. She previously played at Glasgow City for two seasons in Scotland and for a short time in Denmark with Fortuna Hjorring after her college career at the University of North Carolina. She was a youth international for the U.S. at the U-18 and U-19 levels.
Defender Laís Araújo (29) of Brazil can also play in midfield and played the past two seasons at Benfica in Portugal with Legacy head coach Filipa Patao. Araujo played collegiately at the University of Florida and for clubs in Brazil, Norway, Australia (with Adelaide United in 2019-20), Cyprus and Spain. She played for Brazil at the 2016 U-20 WWC Finals in Papua New Guinea, where they lost to Japan 3-1 in the quarterfinals.
Japanese goalkeeper Hannah Stambaugh (27) left Angel City FC as a free agent to move cross-country to join the Legacy. She said: “I’m excited, being a part of a brand new team with endless potential and the ability to make a new future.” She did not appear in any games with ACFC over the past two seasons after starting her career in Japan with Omiya Ardija Ventus and INAC Kobe Leonessa. She could play for Japan or the U.S. through FIFA ancestry rules.
American forward Ella Stevens (28), who won an NWSL titles last season with Gotham FC as well as the 2024-25 CONCACAF W Champions Cup, should see more playing time in Boston as she only played 10 games last season. She played 91 games at Duke University, scoring 24 goals.
Chicago Stars
The Stars went to Murcia Spain for pre-season training and had three friendly matches, defeating Danish power HB Køge (1-0) on a goal by American-born Nigerian international back Michelle Alozie (28) on February 6, then besting Alhama CF of Spain’s Liga F 1-0 on February 11 on a goal by Colombian international forward Ivonne Chacon (28) before falling to Boston Legacy 3-1, with American forward Ryan Gareis (27) scoring the Stars’ lone goal. Gareis is in her first season with the Stars after four seasons with the Houston Dash; she played collegiately at the University of South Carolina.
The Stars’ two consecutive wins to open pre-season is an extremely good sign, as they only won three regular season games last season. With some significant coaching and player changes, the Stars will be a much different proposition for opponents to face this season. They will also be playing at Northwestern University this season, much closer to the central city with better public transportation than at their former home on the far south side in Bridgeview where the MLS Fire moved out years ago.
On December 22, 2025, Chicago Stars FC announced the re-signing of forward, Nádia Gomes for her third season on a one-year deal through the 2026 campaign. Her story is inspiring as one of resilience and determination to play professional football. At Brigham Young University, she scored 23 goals and 23 assists in 83 career appearances, earning a spot on the NCAA All-American Third Team and was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year in 2016. After college, Gomes was drafted by the Orlando Pride with the 23rd overall pick in the 2018 NWSL Draft.
After a short stint with the Pride, Gomes left the sport entirely, gave birth to a son and took a job to help support her family. Later she tried out with the San Francisco Glens of the USL W League in 2023 and won a spot, then scored 17 goals in 15 appearances and was named USL W League National Player of the Year. In 2024, Gomes was invited to the Chicago Stars’ preseason as a non-roster invitee, earned a contract and made three starts and nine total appearances. The club re-signed Gomes to a short-term contract in 2025 and she was on the roster for the entire season. Across all competitions, Gomes has 32 appearances with 13 starts, two goals and two assists for the Stars. She was called into Portugal’s Women’s Nations League side in April of 2025 but did not see action.
Also back is goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher (37), the 2015 and 2019 U.S. World champion and 2024 Olympic gold-medalist with the USA, who began with the (then) Red Stars in 2016 following her trade from Boston. In 2025, Naeher started all but three games, finishing with 49 goals allowed in 23 games for a struggling side that finished at the bottom of the 14 team table.
Chicago Stars FC and free-agent Katie (Lund) Atkinson (29) agreed to terms in mid-December on a three-year contract. She spent five seasons with Racing Louisville FC, including their inaugural season in 2021. After becoming Racing Louisville’s first-string keeper in 2022, Lund became one of the top goalies in the NWSL, breaking the league’s record for saves in a regular season (112) and posting a top-five save percentage (75.86%). She played every regular season match in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Last season she was placed on the season-ending injury list in 2025 after six regular-season appearances. Lund spent most of her collegiate career at Texas Christian University before transferring to the University of Arkansas for her senior season.
New to the Stars for 2026 is midfielder Emma Egizii, who won the 2022 NCAA College Cup title at UCLA. She played five seasons at UCLA scoring 11 goals with seven assists across 50 matches played. She signed a three-year contract running through the 2028 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) season. Internationally, Egizii also has experience with the United States at the U-14 through U-19 levels.
At the end of January, Finnish international defender Natalia Kuikka (30) was put on the Season-Ending Injury list after tearing her an ACL in her knee during the first day of preseason training on January 2. This is the final year of a three-year contract that she signed with Chicago in 2024 and played in 33 games with the team. She previously played three seasons with Portland Thorns, won the 2022 league title, a Damallsvenskan title in 2020 in Sweden with Kopparbergs/Goteborg FC (now Hacken FC) and won a NCAA national championship in college at Florida State in 2018. She has 5 goals in 102 full national team appearances with Finland since her debut in 2013 at the UEFA Women’s EURO.
Defender Aailyah Farmer (22) played last season with Tigres UANL in Monterrey, scoring three goals in 26 matches. She played four seasons for USC in Los Angeles, recording 9 goals with 9 assists in 80 games (63 matches). Though born in the U.S., she plays for Mexico’s senior WNT, with five caps and one goal since her debut last year. She is on a three year contract through the 2028 NWSL season.
Tim Grainey is a contributor to Tribal Football. His latest book Beyond Bend it Like Beckham on the global game of women’s football. Get your copy today. Follow Tim on X: @TimGrainey