FC Barcelona. Arsenal. Chelsea. This week, that trio of top European clubs toured the United States. But why? Meg Linehan and Steph Yang unpack why more individual European pre-season friendlies are occurring across the Atlantic, and what the trend might be a sign of things to come. What can we learn from analyzing both the on-pitch and off-pitch gains? Should we be talking more about player load and fixture congestion? Is the NWSL a threat-come-inspiration to the WSL's commercial targets? Having been in Washington D.C. to cover Arsenal and Chelsea's co-tour, Steph expands on what she learned from spending time with the WSL coaches. She also shares some of the details of cross-club business growth from her sit down with Washington Spirit owner Michelle Kang. One of The Athletic's Arsenal writers, Are de Roché then joined the podcast to compare and contrast previous U.S. tours involving the Gunners' men's team. In addition to all that, there's also time to talk about the Abby Dahlkemper trade, Megan Rapinoe's jersey retirement, and so much more NWSL action. _______________ HOST: Meg Linehan GUEST: Steph Yang, Art de Roché PRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes VIDEO PRODUCER: Lia Griffin EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Emily Olsen _______________ Articles mentioned on the podcast: Michele Kang’s global investment in women’s soccer on display with Arsenal, Chelsea friendlies NWSLPA announces initial list of players eligible for league’s first free agency under new CBA ________________ Get in touch: fulltime@theathletic.com Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltime Subscribe to the Full Time newsletter here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices