Soccer on a Volcano

One of the biggest feats in human history. This week, we look back at the incredible trek that took soccer to unprecedented new heights. We had to do it since today is “National Climb A Mountain Day.” Plus, we revisit the first-ever women’s soccer Olympic final, unravel a dangerous conspiracy, and much more.

This week’s stories:

• 🥇 The First Gold Medal

• 🎉 Worldie Fest

• 🌋 Soccer on a Volcano

• 🤐 We Knew They Cheated?

• 🗳️ Poll + Last Week’s Answers

• ➡️ And More

OUR HISTORY
The First Gold Medal

This week is the anniversary of the first-ever women’s soccer Olympic final. Before the USWNT got to taste gold at the ‘99 World Cup on home soil, they first made history in Athens, GA, back in 1996.

The tournament featured eight women's national teams from four continental confederations, and it was the perfect opportunity for the USWNT to take an important step in growing the game domestically and around the globe.

The final drew an incredible crowd of 76,000 fans, and the USWNT responded by beating China 2-1 and snatching the gold. It would be the first of four Olympic titles for the US. Here’s to hoping we add a fifth this summer.

EVENTS
Worldie Fest

A star-studded lineup. Come out to the Worldie Football Festival in Los Angeles on August 10th. Some of the most creative faces in the North American soccer space will be there.

You can expect performances by Foreign Culture freestylers, a premiere screening of Dare to Dream by Neighborhood Sports Club’s Max Ornstil, an EAFC cash tournament, and the official launch of the 23/24 Worldie Yearbook.

You can RSVP for free right here. We’ve already started booking our flights to LA.

COVER STORY
Soccer on a Volcano

This one comes courtesy of two-time Olympic gold medalist and USWNT legend Lori Lindsey. When she told me this story some time ago, I could hardly believe it. Who’d be crazy enough to fly across the world to play atop Mount Kilimanjaro?

Apparently she was. And so were 29 other passionate women’s soccer players from around the globe. It was all part of the NGO Equal Playing Field’s initiative to break the record for the highest-altitude game of soccer ever played. More importantly, it was a way to challenge gender inequality in sports and to promote sports development for girls and women globally.

In the summer of 2017, the players (and refs) scaled Kilimanjaro, propped up regulation-sized goals, marked the pitch with chalk, and used trekking poles as corner flags to make sure everything was up to official FIFA standards.

The match took place in the very crater of Mount Kilimanjaro at an altitude of almost 19,000 feet. It all ended in a scoreless draw, but it didn’t matter. They’d all broken a world record and shown how much can be accomplished with determination and commitment to a noble cause.

Lori summarized it perfectly: “I’m fortunate enough to have had pioneers who came before me, but it’s our responsibility to continue to make strides forward for the generations to come.” All those players took it quite literally, and they achieved something that goes beyond just a Guinness World Record.

POLITICS
We Knew They Cheated?

Put your tinfoil hats on. By now, you’ve probably heard that the Canada WNT got caught using drones to spy on opposition trainings at the Olympics. Here’s the kicker, though… the US Soccer Federation knew about this continued spying all along.

Latest reports state that the USSF had been aware of this continued pattern of spying by Canada in the past, but decided to not report it to FIFA or Concacaf for years.

A source within the USSF revealed that bringing this up to the attention of those higher governing bodies “wasn't worth it with so many bigger-ticket issues out there." Of course, this is referring to the joint bid both countries had for the 2026 World Cup (alongside Mexico) and the close working relationship between both federations overall.

Was it a cover-up, or simply a strategic political decision? You decide.

CLUBELEVEN
The Supporters Section

Quite an ethical dilemma here. We’ll highlight your best answers next week.

CLUBELEVEN
Aggregates

Kit Core: The Carolina Core have a special place in our hearts after we covered their first-ever home match earlier this year. This past week, they invited us to come out to see the debut of their brand-new jersey. It was an honor.

McKenna Beats Cavan: The record didn’t stand for long. On Sunday, 14-year-old McKenna Whitham became the youngest player to ever play in a top-flight U.S. soccer league.

Spin Cycle: This one did the rounds. If you missed it, here is Trinity Rodman scoring one of the prettiest goals in USWNT history. That turn was immaculate.

Meet Franco Baresi: The 1982 World Cup Champion with Italy and 1994 World Cup runner-up will be in New York this week. You can come meet one of the greatest defenders to ever live here.

Gaslighting the Masses: The smear campaign against the Open Cup continues. MLS commissioner Don Garber made some misleading claims about our oldest cup this past week. Shameful.

INSPIRATIONAL
Legendary Amateurs

It’s one of the beauties of the Open Cup. Seeing amateur squads earn a spot in the most historic tournament in our country never fails to tug at the heartstrings. But this one is even more special. 

The New York Pancyprian-Freedoms won their first-ever National Amateur Cup over the weekend and booked a ticket to the 2025 US Open Cup. That’s not all, though. This club is a sleeping giant.

Back in the ‘80s, they won three Open Cups during their golden era, and now they’re poised to take another stab at it. You can see how much it means by the look on players’ faces. Proper soccer heritage.

TELEVISION
24-Year Wait

The USMNT hasn’t made an Olympic knockout stage since Sydney 2000. That time, we were able to make the semifinals, and it was a solid showing despite failing to earn a medal. Now, almost a quarter century later, we’re chasing history.

Today at 1 pm ET, we’ll be playing for a quarterfinal berth. Can this team of youngsters pull it off? We need a silver lining after a disappointing Copa America showing. Let us dream.

CLUBELEVEN
Your Takes 🗯️ 

Last week, we asked you what you thought was the best All-Star Game format. Here are some of your answers:

• “None, get rid of the ASG all together!” - BS

• “MLS get embarrassed when they play v European teams so it's obvious it is not a good format. MLS v MX is overexploited with CCC, CAMPEONES CUP and now the Leagues Cup, so this all-star game is meaningless. East v West embodies what ALL STAR is all about, celebrating the league, and as a bonus, you get to see which conference is stronger.” - Dario

In the poll, “East vs West” won with 47% of the vote. Up next was “MLS vs Liga MX” with 35% of the vote. It was a close one, but it would definitely be great to go back to our ASG roots.

UP NEXT
Champions Tour

We’re on the road once more. This weekend we got to cover the opening match of the Soccer Champions Tour at Yankee Stadium, and what an experience it was. From stumbling into Haaland signing a kit for Ibrahimovic in the tunnel to shooting some beloved stars, it was quite a day in New York.

For the next two weeks, we’ll continue to capture these teams’ time in America, and you can check out all of our coverage here.

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Have a great Tuesday!

Pablo