2020 NWSL Draft
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The 2022 NWSL Draft on Thursday takes center stage, and you can watch all the action across CBS Sports and Paramount+ platforms. I'm Mike Goodman, and on this edition of the Golazo Starting XI newsletter, I'll get you caught up on everything you need to know about tomorrow's brightest NWSL stars.

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NWSL Draft coverage (all times U.S./Eastern):

Coppa Italia round of 16 slate (all times U.S./Eastern):

  • AC Milan vs. Torino, Wednesday, 3 p.m. (Paramount+)
  • Fiorentina vs. Sampdoria, Thursday, 12 p.m. (Paramount+)
  • Roma vs. Genoa, Thursday, 3 p.m. (Paramount+)  

Notable games (all times U.S./Eastern):

  • Spanish Super Cup: Real Madrid vs. Valencia, Wednesday, 2 p.m.
  • EFL Cup: Southampton vs. Manchester City, Wednesday, 3 p.m.
  • Spanish Super Cup: Real Betis vs. Barcelona, Thursday, 2 p.m.

⚽  The Forward Line

2023 NWSL Draft: What to know

The biggest story in the lead-up to the NWSL Draft is Angel City FC trading up to get the No. 1 overall pick. It took a massive (and convoluted) four-team deal with picks and money flying everywhere, and when the dust settled, Angel City were on top of the draft order. The trade looked like this:

  • Angel City FC get: 2023 No. 1 pick
  • NJ/NY Gotham FC get: 2023 No. 2 pick; midfielder Yazmeen Ryan; $250,000 in allocation money
  • Orlando Pride get: 2024 fourth-round pick; $350,000 allocation money
  • Portland Thorns get: 2023 No. 5 pick; 2024 second-round pick; $200,000 in allocation money

Immediately thereafter, 18-year-old high school wunderkind, Alyssa Thompson declared herself eligible for the draft, opting to forego a collegiate career at Stanford where she had committed to at the age of 15. It doesn't take a genius to connect those dots.

Want more coverage of the NWSL Draft? Listen below and make sure to follow Attacking Third, A CBS Soccer Podcast devoted to bringing you everything you need to know from the NWSL and women's soccer around the globe.

Everybody expects Thompson to join Angel City by the time Gotham are on the clock with the No. 2 pick. And that's when things may get a little murky. In her latest mock draft, Sandra Herrera has 2022 MAC Hermann Trophy winner and Duke forward Michelle Cooper going to Gotham followed by Sannta Clara forward Izzy D'Aquila going to Orlando at No. 3 to round out an all-attacking top three.

Here's what Herrera had to say about why Orlando won't be able to turn D'Aquila down:

  • Herrera: "While Orlando needs some defenders and midfield depth, D'Aquila's 50 goals and 14 assists during her time in Santa Clara could make her a lock at No. 3 for Orlando if Thompson and Cooper go first and second. She won the 2020 NCAA national championship and was a College Cup semifinalist in 2021. She established herself among the top forwards as the West Coast Conference 2019 Freshman of the Year, and later in her college career earned all-American first-team honors."

Make sure to check out the rest of Herrera's mock draft as you get prepped for Thursday.

🔗  Midfield Link Play

Chelsea land João Felix on loan

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CBS Sports

We talked on Monday's newsletter about how Christian Pulisic was once again injured. On Tuesday, they didn't waste any time to make moves to fill his void after coach Graham Potter suggested that Pulisic could miss a "couple of months." Chelsea immediately secured Atletico Madrid forward João Felix on loan for the remainder of this season. 

The 23-year-old is a bit of a tweener -- comfortable as striker or a winger -- and brings a mix of creativity around the box and solid scoring numbers. He's got four goals and three assists in only 650 minutes on the field under a defensive-oriented Diego Simeone system. 

It's unlikely he'll make much of a long-term difference for Chelsea unless they somehow buy him in the summer, but for a side with an attacking injury crisis, a move like this certainly helps the cause while they wait for everyone to get back healthy and Christopher Nkunku to join from Leipzig in the offseason.

Let's get to some more links:

💰  The Back Line

Best bets

Let's put together some picks for the next few days. All odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook.

  • AC Milan vs. Torino, Wednesday, 3 p.m. ET on Paramount+:    
    💰 THE PICK: Torino (+375) -- Milan's title defense is on life support. They're third in the table but seven points behind Napoli. Their schedule is grueling with this being their third match this week, and they conceded two late goals to rescue a stunning 2-2 draw against Roma on the weekend. There's no let up in sight with Lecce on Saturday followed by a showdown against Inter Milan next week. Not hard to see the cup match being deprioritized for them here. Follow SportsLine's best bets here.
  • Real Madrid vs. Valencia, Wednesday, 3 p.m. ET:
    💰 THE PICK: Real Madrid (-200) -- It's a surprisingly good price for a Madrid side that has been absolutely dominant this season in Spain, despite losing to Villarreal last weekend. I wouldn't let it pass you by as Los Blancos look to set up another Clasico against Barcelona in the final (if Barca can get by Real Betis). Follow SportsLine's best bets here.