“There are things that WSL can take from NWSL”—Emma Hayes once rightly admitted, while discussing the key distinction that separates the two leading domestic women’s soccer leagues. While the former Chelsea boss subtly acknowledged that the American league has certain advantages over its European counterparts, Tobin Heath thinks otherwise. The USWNT icon highlights the major advantage that European leagues offer their players, compared to the NWSL, which she believes makes things ‘really hard’ for players.

Perhaps one of the biggest drawbacks of the NWSL is that it starts much earlier than other leagues of Europe, say WSL, which kicks off in late August. The NWSL season begins around the start of the new year, and when international tournaments take place mid-year, players are often forced to leave their clubs to join national camps, only to return and readjust later. This constant shifting can be difficult for players, a challenge Heath recognizes.

“In European football, they just played a world championship and now they get to ease back into their season. They get to go into pre-season, they get to start their season and get into form,” stated Heath to fellow co-host Christen Press in the latest episode of the RE—INC podcast, quickly sharing how it makes things difficult for players contesting in the American domestic league.

“It just feels like there’s more grace to that as opposed to literally ‘Boom! you’re back in the NWSL. Boom! make the playoffs. Boom win the Shield, win the championship.’ And you’re like, ‘Can I get a break?’ I think that’s really, really hard,” concluded the former USA forward. Notably, this isn’t something that happens in the women’s side of the game. Even on the men’s side, Major League Soccer (MLS) is a prime example. Mostly, it’s America that follows this tradition of starting and ending their domestic season early.

Whether it has something to do with the calendar or viewership is still a mystery as there’s no exact reason stated. Either way, except for the seasons where any major international tournament isn’t lined up, players competing in the American domestic league are surely facing difficulty over this schedule. No wonder Heath predicted that USWNT players who recently returned from the Olympics may face difficulty in resuming their respective NWSL season.

Tobin Heath underlines major challenges that NWSL stars may face after Paris Olympics

It’s perhaps no surprise that NWSL stars such as Mallory Swanson, Trinity Rodman, and Sophia Smith may need time to readjust to their domestic teams following a successful international campaign. “I think we’re going to be seeing a mixed bag but it is going to influence where these teams are going to finish up going to the playoffs and at the end of the season. The world championship years always affect the second part of the NWSL,” admitted Heath.

Interestingly, in a similar segment, even USWNT star goalie Alyssa Naeher admitted that she felt ‘anxious‘ over reuniting with her domestic teammates just weeks after a thriving Olympic triumph. “I just played an Olympic gold medal match two weeks ago and I’m just anxious now going into this match,” said Naeher while narrating her inner thoughts just before an NWSL fixture. Be that as it may, it’s clear that NWSL players do face some set of difficulties.