Alicia Johnson

I was lying on my back in the waiting room, feet propped up on a chair, the ceiling spinning above me - all thanks to my IUD. I had just fainted after getting it inserted.

The U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) is reason enough to watch - they’re a favorite to win, and they play their first game tonight against Australia. But to get to the top of the world rankings (second only to Germany), the women of the USWNT have overcome barriers such as shockingly low pay in the National Women’s Soccer League (which drove at least one player in the past year to “retire” at age 22) and rampant sexism from the very people who control the sport.