NWSL news: Swiss international Crnogorcevic bound for NWSL, Cook dealt to KC, and more

NWSL news: Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic, formally of Atlético Madrid Femenino, is set to make her return to the league according to a report

Switzerland's all-time cap leader and goal scorer looks to be heading back stateside this summer. According to a report by Abseits, Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic, the ex-Portland Thorn "is set to make her move back to the NWSL" with the deal rumored to be for two years and completed by the end of the week. As of the time of writing, the team has not been named.

Crnogorcevic, the owner of one of the most difficult last names to pronounce in women's football, is a versatile player who has served as a center forward, a winger, or even a right-sided fullback throughout her professional career. After spending two seasons in Portland with the Thorns, mostly as a right winger, Crnogorcevic joined FC Barcelona in December 2019. She scored 21 goals in 117 games for the Spanish giants across four campaigns, winning two UEFA Women's Champions League crowns and four Liga F titles. Her productivity in the 2022/23 Champions League was quite impressive, finishing in the 87th percentile in goals plus assists per 90. She was one of just two Barca players during that run with four involvements in less than 450 minutes played.

She joined Atlético Madrid last September, contributing to three goals in 534 league minutes.

Prior to coming over to the NWSL for the first time, the Swiss legend spent eight successful seasons with FFC Frankfurt, now known as Eintracht Frankfurt, in Germany, winning the Champions League in 2015. She brings incredible versatility and experience to whichever club she is going to ink a deal with. Is it Angel City since we saw an international spot on its roster open up after parting pays with Clarisse Le Bihan on July 15? Or will she reunite with Jonatan Giráldez at the Washington Spirit? I guess we'll have to see.

NWSL news: Two-time NWSL Best XI defender Alana Cook dealt to Kansas City Current by Seattle Reign in exchange for a maximum of $140,000 in both allocation money and intra-league transfer funds

With the KC Current eyeing an NWSL championship, it felt necessary to find some reinforcements in the back after standout Gabrielle Robinson suffered a torn ACL on May 25. Just days after taking down Houston Dash in its inaugural Summer Cup match, the club announced the acquisition of defender Alana Cook from Seattle Reign FC via a trade. The title contenders sent $40,000 in allocation money and $75,000 in intra-league transfer funds plus an additional $25,000 in intra-league transfer funds if she meets certain incentive-based requirements to the outfit in 13th place in the league.

Per the Current, Cook will begin training this week in KC and and will be available for selection once the NWSL Secondary Transfer Window opens August 1. She'll be linking back up with Vlatko Andonovski, her former coach with the USWNT, who didn't play her a single minute at the last World Cup.

“Alana is a smart and experienced center back who has proved that she can play at the highest levels,” said KC head coach Andonovski. “She will be a great addition to this team and help us become even more competitive going forward.”

Across all competitions, Cook started in 81 of her 84 appearances in Seattle. She joined the Reign permanently in 2021 after a short-term loan from Paris Saint-Germain, the club she began her professional career with after attending Stanford. The New Jersey native is a former Pac-12 Conference Defender of the Year, a two-time NWSL Best XI selection, an NWSL Sheild winner, and a Division 1 Féminine champion.

In alignment with the Reign as a club, Cook has gone through a bit of a tough season to date. The 27-year-old is in the 13th percentile for pass completion percentage and blocks among center backs, far and away the lowest position she's been in since coming to the NWSL.

NWSL news: New York native and ex-NFL Executive Pioli explains his reasoning behind investing in NWSL Boston, an expansion team set to debut in 2026

In an article dropped on Sports Business Journal on Monday morning, Scott Pioli, the former college football assistant coach and NFL executive for six different organizations, let the public in on the reasons behind becoming an investor in Boston Unity Soccer Partners.

"There’s something special happening in Massachusetts involving incredible women leaders," said Pioli. "The collaboration that exists with the Boston Unity partners and our governor and mayor is something special. It represents a truth that shouldn’t be ignored, and I hope it inspires young women."

The ownership group which includes Jennifer Epstein as the controlling manager is bringing professional women’s soccer back to Boston in 2026. The city used to be home to the Boston Breakers, one of the eight original clubs that made up the NWSL but after failed last-minute attempts to sell the club, the team folded in January 2018.

"Even though I’m known for assembling rosters adept at finding success on the field, I’ve also always maintained a focus on gender equity and making every effort I can to create openings and opportunities for women in sports," said Pioli via the SBJ.

He wrote about the privilege he had over the members in his life who were female, the talent that they had in sports, and how her sisters' situation led him to join the Women’s Sports Foundation. Pioli, who was named the NFL Executive of the Decade for 2000–2010 by Sporting News, expressed how investing in this new NWSL team is a "tribute" to his grandmother, mother and sisters.