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A National Women’s Soccer League club has split after one of its players called on the league to “adopt gender standards” to protect the integrity of the organization and grow the sport.
Elizabeth Eddy’s column appeared in the New York Post last week and asked, “How do we preserve women’s rights and competitive equity while fostering meaningful inclusion?”
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Angel City FC defender Elizabeth Eddy (44) during the second half against Bay FC at PayPal Park on July 26, 2024. (Darren Yamashita/USA TODAY Sports)
Eddy wrote that controversies in swimming and track and field have shed light on the fact that women’s professional soccer lacks standards when it comes to intersex and transgender athletes. He wrote that the NWSL “must adopt a clear standard,” adding that only players born with ovaries should be allowed to play, following the UK Women’s Super League standard, or the league should adopt an SRY genetic test, like World Athletics and World Boxing.
“Equity and inclusion are core American values. Reasonable people can disagree about where to draw lines, but avoiding the conversation entirely by excluding diverse points of view doesn’t serve us well. In fact, we owe it to current and future female athletes to figure this out,” the 11-year veteran wrote.
But Eddy’s column didn’t sit well with his own teammates.
Sarah Gorden and Angelina Anderson offered a harsh rebuke to Eddy.
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Angel City FC defender Sarah Gorden (11) kicks the ball against the Chicago Stars during the first half of a match at SeatGeek Stadium on November 2, 2025. (Melissa Tamez/Imagn Images)
“That article doesn’t speak for this team in this locker room. I’ve had a lot of (conversations) with my teammates over the last few days and they’re hurt and hurt by the article, and they’re also upset by some of the things that were said in the article and it’s really important for me to say that,” Gorden said Friday.
“We disagree with the things written for a lot of reasons, but for the most part the undertones also seem transphobic and racist. The article calls for genetic testing on certain players and has a photo of an African player as the headline. That is very damaging, and to me, it is inherently racist because singling out this community based on their appearance or being different is absolutely a problem. As a mixed woman, with a black family, I am devastated by the undertone of this article.
Anderson spoke about what she believed the club represented.
“For me, personally, when I think of Los Angeles and I think of Angel City, I think of a place that was founded on inclusivity and love for all people: that’s our locker room, that’s our staff, that’s our fan base. Angel City is a place for everyone. It always will be. That’s how it was from the beginning, that’s how it always will be. Period,” he said.
Angel City FC goalkeeper Angelina Anderson (19) watches the play during the first half against Racing Louisville FC at Lynn Family Stadium on September 27, 2025. (EM Dash/Picture Images)
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“I think there’s an element of timing in this situation where it feels like another really big challenge that we have to go through as a team on top of an already very challenging year. And it’s definitely not the note that we as a group want to end on, so I just want everyone to know that we’re doing our best in the locker room to preserve the respect and belonging of this team and we hope to end the season on as positive a note as possible.”
The NWSL also reacted to Eddy’s column. The league told The Athletic it was “committed to working directly with the NWSL Players Association on any changes to our league policies.”
