‘Ted Lasso’ discovers soccer’s clique problem, one that the USWNT has mastered

Key Points:

• In the latest episode of Ted Lasso season 4, AFC Richmond’s women’s team faces the challenge of cliques, highlighting how divisions in locker rooms can threaten team unity and success.
• Cliques are common in soccer teams at all levels due to differences in age, tenure, backgrounds, and personalities, making it unrealistic to expect all players to form close friendships.
• Successful teams often overcome internal cliques by uniting against a common external challenge, as exemplified by the U.S. women’s national team’s fight for equal pay following their 2015 and 2019 World Cup victories.
• England’s national team also navigated locker room changes and external pressures ahead of the 2025 European Championship, ultimately achieving success through resilience and focus on shared goals.
• The article emphasizes that team cohesion is less about friendship and more about collective purpose and determination to achieve goals, whether on or off the field.