The Premier League is back! And the results. Are. WEIRD! Sue Bird played her final regular season WNBA game, and a crowd befitting of the occasion - including Megan Rapinoe for the first half of the game - turned out to see it. FC Cincinnati seem to have somehow become...a good team? I don’t know, maybe not good, but they’re not the basement dwellers they’ve been up to this point any longer. In Seattle Soccer news, Tacoma Defiance picked up yet another win in a game that only half happened.

Seattle

Sunday’s sold-out Storm game marks the end of an era in Seattle sports. How do you say goodbye after two decades? “It hasn’t really sunk in,” Sue Bird said. ‘The end feels more like a celebration’ to Sue Bird ahead of her final regular-season home game | The Seattle Times

Tacoma Defiance racked up another win with goals in the first and final moments of the match. MATCH RECAP: Tacoma Defiance Grabs 2-0 Victory Over Earthquakes II at PayPal Park | Tacoma Defiance

A sell-out crowd packed Climate Pledge Arena to honor the G.O.A.T. Sue Bird honored in last regular season game in Seattle – JWS

MLS/Domestic men’s soccer

Fight over Championship Soccer Stadium breaks out. Orange County SC allege LA Galaxy trying to take their venue - Angels on Parade

Sam Adeniran went 90, but he and the rest of the Sounders South didn’t win. SAN ANTONIO FC FALLS 0-3 AT SAN DIEGO LOYAL SC - San Antonio FC

Villanueva keeps grinding out 90 minutes for a struggling team. OCSC SCORES THREE IN DRAW WITH COLORADO SPRINGS - Orange County SC

Ray Serrano made a 16 minute appearance as LouCity picked up the win. LouCity rolls Charleston, sets up 1-2 meeting with Tampa Bay - Louisville City FC

No Kinzner, no party. Gio Calixtro Nets First Goal In Richmond Defeat - FC Tucson

Back-to-back-to-back Wooden Spoon winners, FC Cincinnati seem to finally have hit their stride in the team’s fourth MLS season. FC Cincinnati confident after win vs. first-place Union: "We can play and beat anybody" | MLSSoccer.com

Sports are pain. Let Matt Doyle recap that pain for you. Shaqiri's heating up, Zelarayan looking MVP-like, Vazquez is league's best 9 & more from Week 24 | MLSSoccer.com

NWSL/Women’s soccer

The Kansas City Current announced today that midfielder Sam Mewis has been placed on the team’s season-ending injury list and will miss the remainder of the 2022 campaign. Kansas City Current place midfielder Sam Mewis on Season-Ending Injury List - Kansas City Current

As Mal Pugh explains, “Ultimately, this award goes beyond MVP, golden boot, all of that, because it’s what you’re doing off the field and how you’re impacting the world around you.” The NWSL Players Association teams up with league sponsor Ally for award highlighting leadership - All For XI

England’s win, which peaked with 1.2 million viewers, delivered the year’s largest soccer audience on an ESPN network regardless of gender. Ratings: F1, Women's Euros, MLB and more - Sports Media Watch

Emily Madril announced that she’d be forgoing her final year of NCAA eligibility to turn professional, and used the opportunity to voice her frustration with FSU’s handling of the search for Mark Krikorian’s replacement. Emily Madril: FSU soccer players 'not respected' during coach search

The Portland Thorns are almost fully built around Sophia Smith, and it’s paying off for both player and club. Sophia Smith ties Alex Morgan in NWSL Golden Boot race – JWS

The European season’s not yet begun for women’s football, which means there’s still plenty of transfer activity to stay on top of. Football transfer window summer 2022 – Europe’s top five women’s leagues | Transfer window | The Guardian

Global men’s soccer

Rogers and Rosenborg beat Rogers and his coach’s old team. The tips fixed the steak / Rosenborg

Newcastle United’s new Saudi owners saw the team survive a relegation scrap last season, and now the team faces increased scrutiny on and off the field. Newcastle United’s Saudi Ownership Prompts Debate Across Premier League - The Ringer

Timo Werner will now travel back and forth between Chelsea and RB Leipzig for the rest of time. Timo Werner ‘on verge of’ joining RB Leipzig from Chelsea - We Ain't Got No History

Jurgen Clop was decidedly unhappy with his team after stumbling out of the gates against a newly promoted team. Digging Deeper Into Liverpool’s Draw with Fulham - The Liverpool Offside

Leeds United opened up the Premier League season with a win, thanks in no small part to the Americans the club’s brought on board. Match Recap: Leeds United 2-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers - Through It All Together

It’s certainly not a new problem, but footballers being accused and/or charged for assault, domestic violence, or related crimes seems to have become more common in recent years. So why haven’t teams and leagues gotten better at dealing with it? Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schulz accused of domestic violence | Borussia Dortmund | The Guardian

The trend of jerseys with cool and intricate designs that look great up close but deeply boring from a distance continues. Official: Roma Unveil 22/23 Away Kit - Chiesa Di Totti

Chivas are still winless in the Apertura. Liga MX 2022 Apertura match recap: Mazatlan win sends Chivas into crisis mode - FMF State Of Mind

Culture

Luke Gygax, of D&Ds’s Gygax family and his publishing studio Gaxx Worx has become the inaugural third-party publisher for Evil Genius’ newly launched third-party license. Luke Gygax's RPG company signs on as an Evil Genius Everyday Heroes partner

The unstoppable rise of the football transfer announcement video | British GQ

What’s on TV today?

8:45 AM - Genoa vs. Benevento (Coppa Italia) - Paramount+

12:00 PM - West Bromwich Albion vs. Watford (English Championship) - ESPN+

4:00 PM - Cortiba vs. Santos (Brasileirão) - Paramount+

7:00 PM - Tijuana Femenil vs. Pachuca Femenil (Liga MX Femenil) - FoxSports.com