1
00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:02,520
Speaker 1: Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we'd be

2
00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:05,400
Speaker 1: honored to duck and cover when Caitlin Clark shanks a

3
00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:08,560
Speaker 1: drive on the golf course. It's Thursday, November fourteenth, and

4
00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:10,119
Speaker 1: on today's show, we're going to be joined by the

5
00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:14,280
Speaker 1: athletics Meg Linahan to discuss all things NWSL playoffs, end

6
00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:17,119
Speaker 1: of season awards, and the latest on dronegate and the

7
00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:20,640
Speaker 1: San Diego Wave. Plus a new women's league arrives, Bluer

8
00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:23,920
Speaker 1: skies ahead, and dreaming of a new head coach. It's

9
00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:34,400
Speaker 1: all coming up right after this welcome back slices. Here's

10
00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:38,640
Speaker 1: what you need to know today to the WNBA, the

11
00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:41,400
Speaker 1: Atlanta Dream announced that the franchise's next coach will be

12
00:00:41,479 --> 00:00:44,600
Speaker 1: Carl Smesco. Smesco spent the last twenty three years as

13
00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:47,400
Speaker 1: Florida Golf Coast head coach, leading that program to a

14
00:00:47,479 --> 00:00:50,400
Speaker 1: six hundred eleven and one hundred twelve record and ten

15
00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:54,240
Speaker 1: nc DOUBLEA appearances. Smesco has the third highest winning percentage

16
00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:57,560
Speaker 1: among active coaches in NCAA Division One women's basketball, behind

17
00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:00,600
Speaker 1: only Gino Oriema and Kim Mulkey, and he is actually

18
00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:03,640
Speaker 1: the only coach in Florida Golf Coast women's basketball history.

19
00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:05,360
Speaker 1: He was hired in two thousand and one ahead of

20
00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:08,080
Speaker 1: the team's inaugural season. The Eagles played in Division Two

21
00:01:08,120 --> 00:01:09,880
Speaker 1: from two thousand and two to two thousand and seven

22
00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:12,520
Speaker 1: before moving up to Division One in two thousand and eight.

23
00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:15,800
Speaker 1: In a statement, Smesco said, quote, the w has intrigued

24
00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:18,000
Speaker 1: me as a possibility for a long time. When this

25
00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:20,319
Speaker 1: opportunity came up, it really seemed like the right place,

26
00:01:20,319 --> 00:01:22,440
Speaker 1: in the right time. I had great conversations with the

27
00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:24,480
Speaker 1: general manager and with their ownership, and this is the

28
00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:27,479
Speaker 1: right move for me right now. End quote. Smesco phills

29
00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:29,880
Speaker 1: the void left after the Dream fired Tanisha Wright last

30
00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:32,160
Speaker 1: month after the franchise lost in the opening round of

31
00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:35,600
Speaker 1: the WNBA Playoffs. Shortly after Smasco's hiring was made public,

32
00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:38,600
Speaker 1: Florida Golf Coast announced that former player and current assistant

33
00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:41,640
Speaker 1: coach Chelsea Lyles would become the program's due head coach.

34
00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:45,959
Speaker 1: To soccer and the Canadian drone scandal, which made headlines

35
00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:49,920
Speaker 1: during the Paris Olympics. On Tuesday, Canada Soccer fired coach

36
00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:53,680
Speaker 1: Bev Priestman following the conclusion of an independent review. Assistant

37
00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:57,280
Speaker 1: coaches Jasmin Mander and Joseph Lombardi were also fired. All

38
00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:00,520
Speaker 1: three were previously suspended by FIFA for a year and

39
00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:03,240
Speaker 1: sent home from Paris after New Zealand complained about a

40
00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:05,640
Speaker 1: drone surveilling their practice ahead of a group play game

41
00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:08,840
Speaker 1: against the Canadians. The investigation reported that there's no evidence

42
00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:11,080
Speaker 1: that similar surveillance was used at the twenty twenty one

43
00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:14,480
Speaker 1: Tokyo Olympics, where Canada won gold, or that the players

44
00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:17,120
Speaker 1: saw the footage. We'll talk more about those findings later

45
00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:20,640
Speaker 1: in the show with Meglenahan. To the NWSL, the league

46
00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:23,160
Speaker 1: has announced the finalists for its end of year honors.

47
00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:26,480
Speaker 1: The NWSL uses a two round selection process. In the

48
00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:29,679
Speaker 1: first round, players, owners, GMS, coaches and media select the

49
00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:32,520
Speaker 1: nominees using a weighted scale, and fans get to join

50
00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:35,320
Speaker 1: the voting process in the final round. That means your

51
00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:38,360
Speaker 1: voice can be heard by voting for individual awards Best

52
00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:41,440
Speaker 1: eleven First Team and Best eleven Second Team by Friday

53
00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:44,280
Speaker 1: at three pm Eastern. We'll link to the voting site

54
00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:47,040
Speaker 1: in our show notes. As for those individual awards, a

55
00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:49,600
Speaker 1: couple will point out here MVP Race, Kansas City Star,

56
00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:52,160
Speaker 1: Tenwa chewinga winner of the Golden Bood Award for most

57
00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:54,640
Speaker 1: goals during the season, is obviously in the mix. There.

58
00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:57,520
Speaker 1: She's joined by Orlando Prides Barbara Banda and Marta, the

59
00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:01,240
Speaker 1: Washington Spirits Trinity Rodman, and the Portland Thorne Sophia Smith.

60
00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:04,160
Speaker 1: For Rookie of the Year, you've got Washington Spirit midfielder

61
00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:06,960
Speaker 1: Kroy Bethune, who won NWSL Rookie of the Month honors

62
00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:10,000
Speaker 1: four times this season before she got hurt. She's joined

63
00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:13,000
Speaker 1: by Kansas City Current midfielder Claire Hutton and Ali Sentner

64
00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:15,920
Speaker 1: of the Utah Royals. The league also announced the nominees

65
00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:18,280
Speaker 1: for Defender of the Year, Midfielder of the Year, Coach

66
00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:20,359
Speaker 1: of the Year, and Keeper of the Year. We'll link

67
00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:23,400
Speaker 1: to all those nominees in the show notes. Also an

68
00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:26,840
Speaker 1: NWSL news, the Kansas City Current announced that Caitlin Carducci

69
00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:29,920
Speaker 1: is officially the club's GM. Carducci has been working as

70
00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:33,160
Speaker 1: GM in an interim capacity since May after Camille Ashton

71
00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:36,680
Speaker 1: resigned from the post to tennis and to the Billie

72
00:03:36,720 --> 00:03:39,800
Speaker 1: Jean King Cup. The opening tie between Spain and Poland

73
00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:43,240
Speaker 1: on Thursday was postponed to Friday due to severe weather

74
00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:45,840
Speaker 1: that brought heavy rain to the region. In a statement,

75
00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:48,400
Speaker 1: organizers of the event said, quote, this decision has been

76
00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:51,320
Speaker 1: made based on guidance from the relevant authorities to ensure

77
00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:56,320
Speaker 1: the health and safety of all participants and attendees end quote. Lacrosse,

78
00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:59,680
Speaker 1: The Premier Lacrosse League, an eight team men's league that

79
00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:02,680
Speaker 1: was it in twenty eighteen, announced that it's launching a

80
00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:05,960
Speaker 1: new women's professional league that will begin play next spring,

81
00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:09,640
Speaker 1: starting at the PL Championship Series in February. The women's

82
00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:12,800
Speaker 1: league will initially feature four teams in cities to be announced,

83
00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:15,960
Speaker 1: and has already garnered commitments from top players, including Charlotte

84
00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:19,880
Speaker 1: North and Izzy Skain. College Volleyball, we got a blockbuster

85
00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:22,880
Speaker 1: doubleheader tonight as number two Nebraska takes on number sixteen

86
00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:26,240
Speaker 1: Minnesota eight thirty pm Eastern. For that one, Huskers haven't

87
00:04:26,279 --> 00:04:29,400
Speaker 1: dropped a set since October twenty six. That match will

88
00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:32,039
Speaker 1: be followed by number six Wisconsin facing number twenty three

89
00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:35,640
Speaker 1: USC at eleven pm Eastern. Badgers lead the overall series

90
00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:38,719
Speaker 1: with the Trojans five to three. Both matchups available on

91
00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:42,880
Speaker 1: the Big Ten Network. To the PWHL. Some news that'll

92
00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:45,760
Speaker 1: make gamers pretty happy, the league announced Thursday, it's entered

93
00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:48,679
Speaker 1: a multi year partnership with EA and that the PWHL's

94
00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:51,560
Speaker 1: players and teams will be included in NHL twenty five,

95
00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:56,280
Speaker 1: which launches December fifth. All right, if you listen to

96
00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:59,040
Speaker 1: yesterday's show Slice, as you heard us mention Caitlin Clark

97
00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:02,560
Speaker 1: playing in the Onika, and from the looks of social media,

98
00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:06,320
Speaker 1: she had some six shots and definitely some fire kicks,

99
00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:08,919
Speaker 1: but she also had one notable shank or was it

100
00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:11,920
Speaker 1: a slice right off the opening tee that nearly took

101
00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:14,239
Speaker 1: off the head of a spectator or two? It's twenty

102
00:05:14,279 --> 00:05:16,320
Speaker 1: twenty four, so everyone's got a phone. There are a

103
00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:18,560
Speaker 1: lot of angles of the shot out there, but the

104
00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:21,920
Speaker 1: best one is someone who caught the errant ball screaming

105
00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:24,640
Speaker 1: right at him from the spectator side. So we'll link

106
00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:27,240
Speaker 1: to that video in the show notes. Caitlyn even liked it.

107
00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:29,560
Speaker 1: She commented, this is the greatest video ever. I'm so

108
00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:32,400
Speaker 1: real good stuff. We got to take a break, but

109
00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:34,240
Speaker 1: we wanted to give you some context quick before our

110
00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:36,840
Speaker 1: interview with Meglenahan. Just in case you need it. Here's

111
00:05:36,839 --> 00:05:39,560
Speaker 1: a quick refresher on the current situation involving the San

112
00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:42,800
Speaker 1: Diego Wave. So back in July, former Wave employee Brittany

113
00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:45,800
Speaker 1: Alvarado spoke out against the club and team president Jill

114
00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:49,159
Speaker 1: Ellis on social media, alleging a toxic work environment. She

115
00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:53,320
Speaker 1: was subsequently sued by Ellis for defamation. Last month, Alvarado

116
00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:55,800
Speaker 1: and four other Wave employees filed a lawsuit against the

117
00:05:55,839 --> 00:05:59,680
Speaker 1: team and the NWSL for over fifteen claims, including discrimination,

118
00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:05,159
Speaker 1: sexual harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination. The lawsuit doesn't name

119
00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:08,080
Speaker 1: Ellis as a defendant, but it does include examples meant

120
00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:10,880
Speaker 1: to highlight her role in creating a quote abusive and

121
00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:13,840
Speaker 1: toxic workplace culture end quote. Now, we haven't learned much

122
00:06:13,839 --> 00:06:15,640
Speaker 1: more since the lawsuit was filed, and due to the

123
00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:18,960
Speaker 1: ongoing legal proceedings, the San Diego Wave inn NWSL have

124
00:06:19,040 --> 00:06:22,080
Speaker 1: previously declined to comment on specific claims in the suit.

125
00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:25,080
Speaker 1: We're going to get into all that, plus NWSL, SEMIS

126
00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:27,720
Speaker 1: and more when Meg Lenahan makes her Triumphit return to

127
00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:38,839
Speaker 1: the show That interview's coming up right after this. She's

128
00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:40,840
Speaker 1: a senior writer for the Athletic who covers the US

129
00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:43,839
Speaker 1: women's national team, the NWSL, and all things women's soccer.

130
00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:47,200
Speaker 1: She also co hosts the fantastic weekly podcast Full Time

131
00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:49,839
Speaker 1: with Meg Lenahan. Her wife and her dog have matching

132
00:06:49,839 --> 00:06:51,919
Speaker 1: puffy coats, and she wants to know if you're filling

133
00:06:51,920 --> 00:06:55,200
Speaker 1: out your full time playoff bingo card. It's Meg Lenahan.

134
00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:56,040
Speaker 1: What's up, Meg?

135
00:06:58,200 --> 00:07:00,599
Speaker 2: They do have matching puffy because I also have a

136
00:07:00,640 --> 00:07:02,920
Speaker 2: blue one. I was just not in that particular photo

137
00:07:02,960 --> 00:07:05,159
Speaker 2: slash wearing that coat at that time, but we all

138
00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:06,200
Speaker 2: have blue puffy coats.

139
00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:08,640
Speaker 1: Honestly, I wanted to ask you, and I felt like

140
00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:10,040
Speaker 1: it would only be right if you did, but I

141
00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:13,120
Speaker 1: didn't see photographic proofs. So you know, my reporting duties

142
00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:15,040
Speaker 1: required me to only report on your wife and your

143
00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:17,280
Speaker 1: dog having the same coat. But I'm gonna need a

144
00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:19,120
Speaker 1: shot of all three of you. Please, can we okay?

145
00:07:19,160 --> 00:07:22,200
Speaker 1: I'll work out, Thank you, Thank you. Before we talk

146
00:07:22,240 --> 00:07:24,560
Speaker 1: playoff matchups, I want to get into the news of

147
00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:27,480
Speaker 1: the week. Bev Priestman, the coach of Canada women's national team,

148
00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:30,679
Speaker 1: was suspended after the drone surveillance incident at the Paris

149
00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:34,080
Speaker 1: Olympics and was fired on Tuesday after an independent review,

150
00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:37,840
Speaker 1: along with assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joseph Lombardi.

151
00:07:37,880 --> 00:07:40,880
Speaker 1: They're also fired Canada Soccer releasing findings of the investigation.

152
00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:43,080
Speaker 1: What did you make of the report that's come out

153
00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:44,200
Speaker 1: and the resulting decision.

154
00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:46,320
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean I don't think there was anything truly

155
00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:49,520
Speaker 2: surprising in that report. I feel like I was actually

156
00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:52,640
Speaker 2: a little underwhelmed. Also, when you read it's just so

157
00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:56,080
Speaker 2: hilariously redacted, it's like, okay, but we actually know a

158
00:07:56,080 --> 00:07:58,680
Speaker 2: lot of what you've redacted, so thank you. I guess

159
00:07:58,760 --> 00:08:02,120
Speaker 2: like it doesn't really matter, but yeah, I mean it is.

160
00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:06,280
Speaker 2: It is interesting just in terms of clear sort of

161
00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:09,360
Speaker 2: you know, the higher brass at Canada Soccer wasn't really

162
00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:12,800
Speaker 2: aware of it that obviously. I don't think that there

163
00:08:12,880 --> 00:08:14,720
Speaker 2: was a path for any of those three people to

164
00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:17,440
Speaker 2: come back to Canada Soccer even after what happened. But

165
00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:21,160
Speaker 2: I do think the bigger question still is, like have

166
00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:26,040
Speaker 2: they actually gotten to the root of this practice because

167
00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:29,560
Speaker 2: John Herdman wasn't available, like the timing didn't work for

168
00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:31,680
Speaker 2: an interview, and I think that is still kind of

169
00:08:31,720 --> 00:08:35,000
Speaker 2: the number one question hanging out there of who started it,

170
00:08:35,040 --> 00:08:38,080
Speaker 2: Because it's not that I want to like absolve Bev

171
00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:42,640
Speaker 2: Priestmen of what happened at the Olympics or in other cases,

172
00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:46,120
Speaker 2: but I just don't want her to like get the

173
00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:49,720
Speaker 2: hook for something that is not just her. And I

174
00:08:49,760 --> 00:08:51,520
Speaker 2: think that there is maybe a chance for an easy

175
00:08:51,559 --> 00:08:54,240
Speaker 2: scapegoat here. And so this is one where it's like

176
00:08:54,559 --> 00:08:58,400
Speaker 2: I would like a yes and out of Canada Soccer, right,

177
00:08:58,760 --> 00:09:00,520
Speaker 2: I would like to see you know, and they I

178
00:09:00,559 --> 00:09:03,080
Speaker 2: think they have kind of promised more, but I don't

179
00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:05,280
Speaker 2: think this can be the end of Canada Soccer trying

180
00:09:05,280 --> 00:09:11,120
Speaker 2: to figure out culturally what enabled this behavior for so

181
00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:13,280
Speaker 2: long and it major targe, like.

182
00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:17,920
Speaker 3: Just again, the audacity is so baffling.

183
00:09:17,480 --> 00:09:20,040
Speaker 2: And the fact that you know, I mean, it was

184
00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:21,480
Speaker 2: kind of a meme at the time, but it's like

185
00:09:21,480 --> 00:09:23,800
Speaker 2: you're gonna spy on new Ze, like you're gonna do

186
00:09:23,840 --> 00:09:25,720
Speaker 2: this and still play like that, okay.

187
00:09:27,800 --> 00:09:30,320
Speaker 1: Right, Yeah, we love a yes and around here. And

188
00:09:30,400 --> 00:09:32,560
Speaker 1: I was feeling the same way reading the results, where

189
00:09:32,559 --> 00:09:37,480
Speaker 1: it was why would someone say Canada Soccer's been doing

190
00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:40,080
Speaker 1: this forever if they haven't. So when the result comes out,

191
00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:41,560
Speaker 1: it's like, yeah, there's no reason to believe the men

192
00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:44,160
Speaker 1: were doing this and that it was existing. I don't know,

193
00:09:44,320 --> 00:09:47,480
Speaker 1: I want more, Yeah, I want more out of this

194
00:09:47,559 --> 00:09:50,720
Speaker 1: to know exactly who knew and who knew? What? Are

195
00:09:50,760 --> 00:09:53,000
Speaker 1: there any wave updates? While we're talking about news, this

196
00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:55,720
Speaker 1: feels like a story that's been sort of boiling, but

197
00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:58,200
Speaker 1: we haven't gotten a lot of progress on exactly what's

198
00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:00,199
Speaker 1: happening for either of the wave or the people accu using.

199
00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:02,280
Speaker 1: Jill Ellis, do you have anything for us on that?

200
00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:04,680
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean not really. I think now that there's

201
00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:06,840
Speaker 2: a lawsuit in motion, I think that does kind of

202
00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:09,360
Speaker 2: change the scope of reporting. I mean, I think we've

203
00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:12,880
Speaker 2: seen that a few times in the NWSL where lawsuits

204
00:10:12,920 --> 00:10:16,200
Speaker 2: have just actively no one will really talk right and

205
00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:17,920
Speaker 2: like that even comes from a leak point of view.

206
00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:20,160
Speaker 2: So I think, you know, I have been working quietly.

207
00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:24,040
Speaker 2: The part of the challenge of timing as always is

208
00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:26,839
Speaker 2: you know, playoffs and trying to manage all these things

209
00:10:26,880 --> 00:10:28,600
Speaker 2: at the same time. But I think there are stories

210
00:10:28,640 --> 00:10:31,480
Speaker 2: around because again I don't think it's just necessarily a

211
00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:33,680
Speaker 2: wave problem. I think that's the one, to your point,

212
00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:38,439
Speaker 2: that boiled up fastest and hardest. But there are culture issues,

213
00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:40,880
Speaker 2: I think probably in every single front office, because it's

214
00:10:40,920 --> 00:10:43,240
Speaker 2: not just even an nw CELL issue. It's really a

215
00:10:43,320 --> 00:10:47,880
Speaker 2: sports industry issue of like what has been normalized, and

216
00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:50,800
Speaker 2: so I think there's even a challenge of just how

217
00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:54,280
Speaker 2: can you resolve some of these issues outside of lawsuits? Right,

218
00:10:54,280 --> 00:10:57,440
Speaker 2: how could you proactively address some of the culture things

219
00:10:57,440 --> 00:11:01,080
Speaker 2: that are probably happening, whether that's I mean straight up

220
00:11:01,120 --> 00:11:03,920
Speaker 2: toxic environment, but also just like working conditions in this

221
00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:09,160
Speaker 2: industry are kind of infamously not pleasant, and so I

222
00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:11,040
Speaker 2: think that there's a few different things happening. But when

223
00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:12,440
Speaker 2: it comes to San Diego, I think it is a

224
00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:16,599
Speaker 2: little bit tougher, just because now with a lawsuit ongoing,

225
00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:20,680
Speaker 2: everyone has a lawyer that really does I think, change

226
00:11:21,240 --> 00:11:25,199
Speaker 2: who is willing to talk and why, and like there's

227
00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:29,120
Speaker 2: just it's all risk, no benefit at that point, and

228
00:11:29,160 --> 00:11:30,120
Speaker 2: so that things change.

229
00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:32,280
Speaker 1: I think if you haven't been in a situation like

230
00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:36,160
Speaker 1: that too, it feels right and true to say whatever

231
00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:37,600
Speaker 1: it needs to be done to get the truth out,

232
00:11:37,640 --> 00:11:39,840
Speaker 1: whatever needs to be done to get people held accountable.

233
00:11:39,880 --> 00:11:42,160
Speaker 1: It's easier said than done. I'll tell you from experience

234
00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:45,360
Speaker 1: with the Red Stars. I was getting hounded as the

235
00:11:45,400 --> 00:11:48,760
Speaker 1: public face of the new ownership that had joined and

236
00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:50,600
Speaker 1: why am I not speaking out about stuff? And I

237
00:11:50,679 --> 00:11:55,360
Speaker 1: was getting threatened behind the scenes repeatedly with legal threats

238
00:11:55,400 --> 00:11:57,600
Speaker 1: that I didn't know how true they were. I didn't

239
00:11:57,600 --> 00:11:58,959
Speaker 1: know how real they were. I was told I was

240
00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:01,000
Speaker 1: behold into an NDA, but I never saw it or

241
00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:03,600
Speaker 1: signed it, so I knew somehow that didn't feel legally binding.

242
00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:05,640
Speaker 1: But I don't have the money to have a bunch

243
00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:08,560
Speaker 1: of lawyers fight that either. People don't realize even if

244
00:12:08,600 --> 00:12:10,320
Speaker 1: you're in the right, you have to spend all the

245
00:12:10,320 --> 00:12:12,880
Speaker 1: money on the lawyers to fight the other lawyers, and

246
00:12:12,920 --> 00:12:15,080
Speaker 1: then if nothing comes of it, you've still spent all

247
00:12:15,080 --> 00:12:15,600
Speaker 1: that money.

248
00:12:15,960 --> 00:12:18,679
Speaker 2: And I also think that there is a push for

249
00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:21,600
Speaker 2: people to see stuff like on social media that's like

250
00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:25,120
Speaker 2: a very definitive opinion and first of all, like I'm

251
00:12:25,160 --> 00:12:27,880
Speaker 2: not really allowed to do that in my job, but

252
00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:30,080
Speaker 2: second of all, like a I'm off Twitter now, so

253
00:12:30,160 --> 00:12:33,680
Speaker 2: that has already kind of been for you. Yeah, honestly,

254
00:12:33,760 --> 00:12:35,520
Speaker 2: I have not missed it. It's actually kind of like

255
00:12:35,640 --> 00:12:37,600
Speaker 2: you realize how much your brain has been poisoned. And

256
00:12:37,679 --> 00:12:40,640
Speaker 2: so anyway, different different podcasts, But yeah, I think there

257
00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:44,720
Speaker 2: is this sense of, you know, a pressure to want

258
00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:47,800
Speaker 2: to say something right, and I super understand that, but

259
00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:49,880
Speaker 2: I think it's also a lot easier for folks who

260
00:12:51,040 --> 00:12:55,360
Speaker 2: aren't in like a reporting situation to be able to

261
00:12:55,400 --> 00:12:58,959
Speaker 2: say things like that. Whereas you know, even when the

262
00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:01,280
Speaker 2: lawsuit was filed, just in terms of like it's got

263
00:13:01,280 --> 00:13:03,680
Speaker 2: to get covered, it has to go through multiple levels

264
00:13:03,679 --> 00:13:07,120
Speaker 2: of editorial review before it can get published, all of

265
00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:09,320
Speaker 2: that kind of stuff, and so there are sort of

266
00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:14,120
Speaker 2: guardrails on what like, I can certainly have a private opinion, right,

267
00:13:14,160 --> 00:13:17,280
Speaker 2: but the sharing of the private opinion.

268
00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:18,040
Speaker 3: Is a little bit different now.

269
00:13:18,120 --> 00:13:20,360
Speaker 1: And they're there for a reason, and they're there for

270
00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:24,680
Speaker 1: a reason because it does matter when people with journalistic

271
00:13:24,679 --> 00:13:28,520
Speaker 1: integrity and agency and voice say something more so than

272
00:13:28,559 --> 00:13:31,520
Speaker 1: when someone on the internet expresses an opinion and later says, oh,

273
00:13:31,559 --> 00:13:33,080
Speaker 1: I didn't know that. My bad, Yeah I didn't have

274
00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:33,640
Speaker 1: that information.

275
00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:34,079
Speaker 3: Yeah.

276
00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:36,559
Speaker 2: I think there's like there's absolutely you know, having read

277
00:13:36,559 --> 00:13:38,920
Speaker 2: the lawsuit, there's a there's a ton of concerning things.

278
00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:41,720
Speaker 2: But also now it is kind of you know, I

279
00:13:41,720 --> 00:13:44,640
Speaker 2: think there's alternate processes that these things can go through,

280
00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:47,200
Speaker 2: and generally, you know, the reason why I did so

281
00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:49,360
Speaker 2: much reporting for the NWSL is because it was not

282
00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:52,520
Speaker 2: going through one of those like more formal weather that

283
00:13:52,600 --> 00:13:55,120
Speaker 2: was an internal nw CL process or whether it was

284
00:13:55,160 --> 00:13:58,440
Speaker 2: a lawsuit or whatever it was. Right, those avenues had

285
00:13:58,480 --> 00:14:01,280
Speaker 2: not worked slashed, the pl didn't elect to go for them.

286
00:14:01,280 --> 00:14:06,400
Speaker 2: They elected to go for this sort of external communication strategy,

287
00:14:06,520 --> 00:14:09,280
Speaker 2: and so it's not this is where it is kind

288
00:14:09,280 --> 00:14:12,080
Speaker 2: of maybe not a yes, and right where once it

289
00:14:12,120 --> 00:14:14,960
Speaker 2: gets into one of these sort of paths, the other

290
00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:18,000
Speaker 2: ones get harder. Like I can have a whole bunch

291
00:14:18,040 --> 00:14:20,440
Speaker 2: of conversations behind the scenes, but that does not necessarily

292
00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:22,040
Speaker 2: mean it's going to get into a place where it

293
00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:25,800
Speaker 2: can be reported and get past you know, the number

294
00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:27,120
Speaker 2: of editors to get passed.

295
00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:31,000
Speaker 1: Yeah, for sure. Other news this week, the NWSL announced

296
00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:33,680
Speaker 1: the finalist for the awards MVP, Defender of the Year,

297
00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:35,400
Speaker 1: Midfield of the Year, Keeper of the Year, Coach of

298
00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:37,800
Speaker 1: the Year, Rookie of the Year. Any major surprises in

299
00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:39,960
Speaker 1: those nominees as far as you're concerned.

300
00:14:39,800 --> 00:14:41,000
Speaker 3: I don't know if there's a surprise.

301
00:14:41,080 --> 00:14:43,160
Speaker 2: I mean, I was certainly, I guess I was surprised

302
00:14:43,160 --> 00:14:45,760
Speaker 2: to see Marta in the top five finalists for MVP.

303
00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:49,800
Speaker 2: I think that maybe betrays a little sense of sentimentality

304
00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:52,640
Speaker 2: on the voter's point, but I.

305
00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:53,200
Speaker 3: Don't hate it.

306
00:14:53,280 --> 00:14:57,520
Speaker 2: I certainly am a big Marta supporter and I think honestly,

307
00:14:57,560 --> 00:15:00,680
Speaker 2: she's played out of her mind this season, so I

308
00:15:00,720 --> 00:15:02,960
Speaker 2: agree with that. I was a little surprised. I think

309
00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:05,520
Speaker 2: more in terms of who wasn't on some of these lists.

310
00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:09,040
Speaker 2: I think Abby Dahlkemper the way that she changed BFC's

311
00:15:09,400 --> 00:15:11,960
Speaker 2: entire second half of the season. She was on my

312
00:15:12,280 --> 00:15:16,560
Speaker 2: top five to head into that ballot for Defender of

313
00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:18,080
Speaker 2: the Year, and then the other one that I was

314
00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:21,560
Speaker 2: honestly very surprised by is no Taylor Flint in Midfielder

315
00:15:21,720 --> 00:15:23,520
Speaker 2: of the Year. I feel like we were maybe running

316
00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:25,880
Speaker 2: a little bit of an unofficial campaign. She was on

317
00:15:25,920 --> 00:15:30,000
Speaker 2: full time. Yeah, she's just I think she's really like

318
00:15:30,080 --> 00:15:33,320
Speaker 2: completely turned around her entire game. When she first kind

319
00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:35,960
Speaker 2: of got put into that holding midfielder positioned with the

320
00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:37,880
Speaker 2: US womens national team in New Zealand ahead of the

321
00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:42,040
Speaker 2: World Cup, I think everybody's looking at Flacko being like, sir, well,

322
00:15:42,080 --> 00:15:46,640
Speaker 2: it's happening, and it's been such a transformation at Racing Louisville,

323
00:15:46,720 --> 00:15:49,640
Speaker 2: and so she was very much in my top five

324
00:15:49,680 --> 00:15:51,680
Speaker 2: from Midfielder of the Year and to not see her there,

325
00:15:51,800 --> 00:15:53,720
Speaker 2: I am a little disappointed on that one.

326
00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:57,080
Speaker 1: I think some of them not surprises at all, Naomi

327
00:15:57,080 --> 00:15:59,040
Speaker 1: Germa trying to get a third Defender of.

328
00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:01,640
Speaker 2: The Year, but one where it's like, as much as

329
00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:05,160
Speaker 2: I fully, like fully fully respect Naomi Germa, it's kind

330
00:16:05,160 --> 00:16:07,760
Speaker 2: of hard with thee it's hard with the team she's on,

331
00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:09,840
Speaker 2: and it's not that she's had a drop in quality,

332
00:16:09,920 --> 00:16:12,080
Speaker 2: but you look at the other four candidates for Defender

333
00:16:12,080 --> 00:16:14,480
Speaker 2: of the Year and it's like, okay, all four of

334
00:16:14,520 --> 00:16:18,040
Speaker 2: those in terms of performances and the teams that they're on,

335
00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:20,520
Speaker 2: Like this is I think maybe some of the same

336
00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:23,800
Speaker 2: situation where Becky Souerbun kept getting nominated for Defender of

337
00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:25,400
Speaker 2: the Year and at some point finally had to like

338
00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:27,640
Speaker 2: put out that statement and be like I love the

339
00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:31,840
Speaker 2: energy that you all have, but also there are really other,

340
00:16:32,680 --> 00:16:36,000
Speaker 2: like you know, deserving candidates in this pool, and you

341
00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:39,160
Speaker 2: need to think about how you're voting. So I think,

342
00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:43,000
Speaker 2: you know, Kaylee Kurtz North Carolina really interesting one. Emily SAMs,

343
00:16:43,040 --> 00:16:45,400
Speaker 2: I think maybe has a little more momentum from that

344
00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:49,080
Speaker 2: sort of award season, you know, conversation to.

345
00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:51,160
Speaker 1: They if they cancel each other out though, when you

346
00:16:51,160 --> 00:16:55,120
Speaker 1: have two Pride players, yeah, will Kylie and Emily cancel

347
00:16:55,160 --> 00:16:57,040
Speaker 1: each other out in terms of voting, or will people

348
00:16:57,120 --> 00:16:59,040
Speaker 1: think that they were such a two headed monster that

349
00:16:59,080 --> 00:16:59,880
Speaker 1: neither is deserving.

350
00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:03,080
Speaker 2: I mean, that's actually I think we'll get into this

351
00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:05,639
Speaker 2: on my podcast a little bit too, because I think

352
00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:08,520
Speaker 2: Orlando isn't the only team that has that problem. Like

353
00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:11,480
Speaker 2: you look at Gotham and it is really hard I

354
00:17:11,520 --> 00:17:13,960
Speaker 2: think where a lot of players got left out of

355
00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:18,000
Speaker 2: these individual awards because that team is such a comprehensive team,

356
00:17:18,080 --> 00:17:21,320
Speaker 2: and also players sort of move in and out of roles,

357
00:17:21,560 --> 00:17:24,040
Speaker 2: and it's a little tougher when you think about like

358
00:17:24,080 --> 00:17:26,280
Speaker 2: a Yasmine Ryan who's had such a really good season,

359
00:17:26,440 --> 00:17:29,520
Speaker 2: or Neilie Martin again in my top five for Midfielder

360
00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:32,080
Speaker 2: of the Year, not there in the list, and so

361
00:17:32,359 --> 00:17:34,520
Speaker 2: and these are players that aren't like the big name,

362
00:17:34,640 --> 00:17:37,480
Speaker 2: you know, splashy signings in the off season. But it's

363
00:17:37,520 --> 00:17:39,639
Speaker 2: tougher when I think you have that sort of like

364
00:17:39,880 --> 00:17:44,360
Speaker 2: team team vibe to pick out names for individual awards.

365
00:17:44,359 --> 00:17:46,480
Speaker 2: So I think there is maybe a little bit of

366
00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:48,639
Speaker 2: a risk for I mean, we were even having an

367
00:17:48,680 --> 00:17:51,399
Speaker 2: internal debate of Emily SAMs versus Kylie Strawman, who's had

368
00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:52,160
Speaker 2: the stronger season.

369
00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:52,680
Speaker 3: It's tough.

370
00:17:53,160 --> 00:17:57,359
Speaker 1: Yeah. I also I knew Kroy Bethune would be in

371
00:17:57,440 --> 00:17:59,320
Speaker 1: Rookie of the Year. I think she'll win Rookie of

372
00:17:59,320 --> 00:18:02,239
Speaker 1: the Year of the month four times every time she

373
00:18:02,280 --> 00:18:04,920
Speaker 1: was available and not injured. But also very impressive to

374
00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:06,919
Speaker 1: be out for Midfielder of the Year as a key

375
00:18:07,240 --> 00:18:08,200
Speaker 1: with a shortened.

376
00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:12,320
Speaker 2: Season legit very I mean truly one of the best

377
00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:15,840
Speaker 2: breakout performances we've ever seen in the n of cell.

378
00:18:15,920 --> 00:18:18,280
Speaker 2: I'm not actually that surprised that she's on Midfielder of

379
00:18:18,320 --> 00:18:20,679
Speaker 2: the Year. I think, you know, I even saw cases

380
00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:22,960
Speaker 2: for her to be in the MVP conversation as well.

381
00:18:23,359 --> 00:18:26,440
Speaker 2: But I do think, and I said this from the

382
00:18:26,440 --> 00:18:28,720
Speaker 2: point of her injury on, like she did enough I

383
00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:32,040
Speaker 2: think to earn that award. There's just no one that

384
00:18:32,080 --> 00:18:35,840
Speaker 2: even touched right that agreeable and not not anything against

385
00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:38,200
Speaker 2: the other two candidates in that category, because I think

386
00:18:38,240 --> 00:18:41,119
Speaker 2: both were like very stellar players who did very important

387
00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:43,440
Speaker 2: things for their team, but Corey Bethune was one of

388
00:18:43,480 --> 00:18:45,919
Speaker 2: those ones where just also if you see her in person,

389
00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:49,040
Speaker 2: it's like, yeah, what is happening right now?

390
00:18:49,560 --> 00:18:52,240
Speaker 1: I can't wait to see her back out there. Okay,

391
00:18:52,280 --> 00:18:56,040
Speaker 1: let's talk playoffs four teams remaining before we get into strategy.

392
00:18:56,119 --> 00:18:58,359
Speaker 1: Let's say we've got some listeners here that don't have

393
00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:00,359
Speaker 1: a vested interest in the semi final. We want to

394
00:19:00,359 --> 00:19:02,200
Speaker 1: give them a chance to pick a squad and start

395
00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:05,840
Speaker 1: bandwagoning with two weeks left. So I need a sentence

396
00:19:05,920 --> 00:19:09,840
Speaker 1: per team to sell our unaffiliated slices on cheering for

397
00:19:09,880 --> 00:19:12,640
Speaker 1: that for that squad. So Washington Spirit.

398
00:19:13,400 --> 00:19:14,280
Speaker 3: Washington Spirit.

399
00:19:14,359 --> 00:19:16,520
Speaker 2: I mean, I do think it is just coming down

400
00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:19,200
Speaker 2: to a if you want to see them go all

401
00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:22,160
Speaker 2: the way, you want to be part of that championship celebration.

402
00:19:22,560 --> 00:19:25,240
Speaker 2: Because I don't know what kind of party Michelle Kang

403
00:19:25,359 --> 00:19:26,920
Speaker 2: is going to put on in DC, but I feel

404
00:19:26,960 --> 00:19:29,360
Speaker 2: like it's going to be legitimate one, and you.

405
00:19:29,320 --> 00:19:30,800
Speaker 3: Want to be a part of that. And maybe you

406
00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:31,600
Speaker 3: want to wear a cape.

407
00:19:32,119 --> 00:19:37,040
Speaker 1: Agreed, She wears a lot of capes. She does. Kansas

408
00:19:37,040 --> 00:19:37,879
Speaker 1: City Current.

409
00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:40,960
Speaker 2: Kansas City Current. Honestly, what I'm fascinated to see with

410
00:19:41,040 --> 00:19:44,160
Speaker 2: Kansas City Current is if they beat Orlando in the semifinal,

411
00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:46,840
Speaker 2: they're actually going to be the quote unquote away team,

412
00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:48,480
Speaker 2: So they're going to be forced to be in the

413
00:19:48,520 --> 00:19:50,240
Speaker 2: away supporter section.

414
00:19:50,520 --> 00:19:52,480
Speaker 1: And if they're a stadium.

415
00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:55,760
Speaker 2: It's just a little chaotic, and I enjoy the vibes,

416
00:19:56,119 --> 00:19:59,199
Speaker 2: but I do think go for the current. Go for

417
00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:02,600
Speaker 2: the the current. Obviously Temwatt, but I will say also

418
00:20:02,840 --> 00:20:06,280
Speaker 2: if you are someone who maybe thought Vlaco got a

419
00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:07,760
Speaker 2: little bit of a rough deal with the US women's

420
00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:10,000
Speaker 2: national team, it is also the Vlaco and Aanofski.

421
00:20:10,720 --> 00:20:13,000
Speaker 1: You go there, you go, all right, New York, New Jersey,

422
00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:13,640
Speaker 1: Gotham FC.

423
00:20:14,680 --> 00:20:17,600
Speaker 2: I mean, you're rooting for a super team right in theory,

424
00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:19,840
Speaker 2: but I do think this is the most comprehensive team.

425
00:20:20,320 --> 00:20:24,399
Speaker 2: Also again, potential celebration. They did not do one last year,

426
00:20:24,440 --> 00:20:28,400
Speaker 2: but like I am rooting for if Gotham wins at all,

427
00:20:28,840 --> 00:20:29,040
Speaker 2: we go.

428
00:20:29,359 --> 00:20:30,080
Speaker 3: Ellie cameo.

429
00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:32,560
Speaker 1: I was gonna say, you can't throw a party for

430
00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:35,200
Speaker 1: the Liberty like you just did and then not follow

431
00:20:35,200 --> 00:20:35,479
Speaker 1: it up.

432
00:20:35,480 --> 00:20:39,040
Speaker 2: If Gotham so, I mean, like again, I would like

433
00:20:39,119 --> 00:20:42,080
Speaker 2: to maybe see an NW CELL parade down the canyon

434
00:20:42,080 --> 00:20:44,520
Speaker 2: of here, like you want to talk about first in

435
00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:48,080
Speaker 2: the nw CELL that honestly something too.

436
00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:50,440
Speaker 1: I want to see Ellie and a soccer kit.

437
00:20:50,920 --> 00:20:52,520
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, let's go.

438
00:20:53,400 --> 00:20:54,960
Speaker 1: Uh finally, Orlando Pride.

439
00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:58,360
Speaker 2: Orlando Pride, I mean then you are a fan of excellence, right.

440
00:20:58,480 --> 00:21:03,159
Speaker 2: They have been gold standard all this season. And I

441
00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:06,080
Speaker 2: think there is also again to our earlier point about

442
00:21:06,119 --> 00:21:08,680
Speaker 2: Marta being an MVP candidate. You want to see Marta

443
00:21:09,160 --> 00:21:13,920
Speaker 2: win another trophy in this country. She loves a trophy.

444
00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:17,760
Speaker 2: The celebrations are gonna be epic. Yeah, there's not a

445
00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:19,879
Speaker 2: bad choice out of these four if you're a neutral.

446
00:21:20,440 --> 00:21:23,639
Speaker 1: Yeah. And I think also Orlando, like being such a

447
00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:26,439
Speaker 1: downtrodden team for so many years, not only do you

448
00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:28,199
Speaker 1: get your roop for Marta, but one of those teams

449
00:21:28,200 --> 00:21:30,240
Speaker 1: that like, you know that they've got fans that have

450
00:21:30,280 --> 00:21:32,560
Speaker 1: been sticking with them for years through the tough times.

451
00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:35,000
Speaker 1: Kind of cool to see a team like that. You know.

452
00:21:35,040 --> 00:21:37,880
Speaker 2: Also for listeners of this show, if they're the slices,

453
00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:39,679
Speaker 2: like all you got to do is get an Orlando

454
00:21:40,080 --> 00:21:42,000
Speaker 2: Orange kit and then you're said.

455
00:21:41,960 --> 00:21:44,880
Speaker 1: Oh, look at you, look at you. Okay, let's talk

456
00:21:44,880 --> 00:21:48,080
Speaker 1: about these games. Saturday, Audi Field, twelve pm, Eastern Washington.

457
00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:50,000
Speaker 1: Host got them what needs to go right for the

458
00:21:50,040 --> 00:21:50,640
Speaker 1: Spirit to win.

459
00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:54,640
Speaker 2: They've got to probably just like get past the injuries, right.

460
00:21:54,880 --> 00:21:56,720
Speaker 2: I don't think that was the cleanest game for them

461
00:21:56,800 --> 00:21:59,240
Speaker 2: against AFC that was the one where everybody sort of

462
00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:02,080
Speaker 2: tapped an upset. And now, to be fair, I don't

463
00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:04,840
Speaker 2: think there's any such thing as an upset in these

464
00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:07,400
Speaker 2: two games, right, Like, yes, it seeds one through four,

465
00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:09,480
Speaker 2: but these were the clear four best teams of the year.

466
00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:11,720
Speaker 2: I don't know if we can call any of these

467
00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:14,879
Speaker 2: whoever wins an upset. Any one of these teams deserves

468
00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:18,119
Speaker 2: to go through. For the spirit Andy Sullivan, that injury

469
00:22:18,119 --> 00:22:19,919
Speaker 2: I think is still one of the biggest ones. But

470
00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:23,399
Speaker 2: Sar being out, I mean, they've just kind of Cory

471
00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:26,320
Speaker 2: Bethune again, like they've lost a lot of very key players.

472
00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:30,640
Speaker 2: So for me, Lacy Santos was the difference maker last weekend,

473
00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:32,800
Speaker 2: and I think you need to get another big performance

474
00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:35,480
Speaker 2: out of her, changing the game, being able to control

475
00:22:35,520 --> 00:22:39,160
Speaker 2: the temple, being able to find those spaces in those

476
00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:42,280
Speaker 2: little pockets in the midfield, and that's really tough to

477
00:22:42,280 --> 00:22:44,639
Speaker 2: do against that Gotham team, but she can do it.

478
00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:47,399
Speaker 1: What needs to go right for Gotham to win.

479
00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:50,640
Speaker 2: They've got to be I think, honestly a little more

480
00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:55,600
Speaker 2: ruthless having been at that quarter final. They love to

481
00:22:55,680 --> 00:23:00,280
Speaker 2: be pretty right, like it is a little frustrated watch

482
00:23:00,280 --> 00:23:02,960
Speaker 2: them sometimes where it's just like just someone take the shot,

483
00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:08,080
Speaker 2: like just right, and I like it's it's fun to watch.

484
00:23:08,119 --> 00:23:13,520
Speaker 2: But also I think there is this sense of they

485
00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:17,600
Speaker 2: Ella Stevens, like again, every time I see her in person,

486
00:23:17,680 --> 00:23:21,080
Speaker 2: I'm just like, you have such tremendous skill, and sometimes

487
00:23:21,119 --> 00:23:24,280
Speaker 2: I'm just like you just have to like, oh, I

488
00:23:24,359 --> 00:23:26,040
Speaker 2: just need you to make a slightly better.

489
00:23:25,840 --> 00:23:27,640
Speaker 3: Decision and you would have a goal right now.

490
00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:30,359
Speaker 2: And so that, to me, I think is the key

491
00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:34,160
Speaker 2: for Gotham is just really dialing in on the ruthlessness,

492
00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:38,560
Speaker 2: set set that game from the jump and just put

493
00:23:38,920 --> 00:23:41,760
Speaker 2: your foot on their necks, like truly, that's that's the

494
00:23:41,840 --> 00:23:44,400
Speaker 2: vibe for Gotham in order to advance well.

495
00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:47,240
Speaker 1: And Gotham benefits from the later in the season and

496
00:23:47,280 --> 00:23:50,760
Speaker 1: the more tired everyone is because they honestly have a

497
00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:51,960
Speaker 1: bench full of starters.

498
00:23:52,320 --> 00:23:55,280
Speaker 2: Yes, I mean we saw like Delaney sheehan coming in

499
00:23:55,480 --> 00:23:58,520
Speaker 2: changing the game for them. I mean again, I have

500
00:23:58,720 --> 00:24:03,040
Speaker 2: never just being at the Championship last year, the rain

501
00:24:03,119 --> 00:24:06,080
Speaker 2: vibes were great, right like Pino last game, like obviously

502
00:24:07,760 --> 00:24:09,879
Speaker 2: I know, right until two and a half in, but

503
00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:13,960
Speaker 2: like Gotham walking into the room for media day. I

504
00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:18,080
Speaker 2: have never experienced that sort of vibe with a team,

505
00:24:18,160 --> 00:24:19,919
Speaker 2: and the end of his they were just such a

506
00:24:20,119 --> 00:24:23,760
Speaker 2: team in a way that I it's so hard to explain,

507
00:24:23,840 --> 00:24:26,240
Speaker 2: but like they so clearly were in it and bought

508
00:24:26,240 --> 00:24:28,719
Speaker 2: into the system, and it didn't matter who got the glory.

509
00:24:28,760 --> 00:24:30,960
Speaker 2: It was all about the team result. And I think

510
00:24:31,040 --> 00:24:33,720
Speaker 2: this is a little bit of an extension of that. Obviously,

511
00:24:33,720 --> 00:24:36,400
Speaker 2: they have stacked in some more talent and we saw

512
00:24:36,400 --> 00:24:39,520
Speaker 2: it coming through with Tieranna Davidson and Roosevelt getting those goals, right,

513
00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:43,080
Speaker 2: like it has paid off. But it's really the Neely Martin's,

514
00:24:43,119 --> 00:24:46,120
Speaker 2: the Yasmine, Ryan's, the Delaney she hands, Like those are

515
00:24:46,119 --> 00:24:50,199
Speaker 2: the players who are making all of this work. And

516
00:24:50,280 --> 00:24:53,959
Speaker 2: so I like I do lean Gotham, but also Gotham

517
00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:56,360
Speaker 2: has not won at Audi Field this year.

518
00:24:56,440 --> 00:24:59,959
Speaker 1: Yeah, so yeah, all right. Sunday, Interra and Co Stadium

519
00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:03,560
Speaker 1: in Orlando, three pm, Eastern Pride hosting the current what

520
00:25:03,720 --> 00:25:06,879
Speaker 1: needs to go right for the Shield winners the near

521
00:25:07,119 --> 00:25:10,760
Speaker 1: ran the tablers Pride to finish the season off with

522
00:25:11,480 --> 00:25:12,880
Speaker 1: a win and chance at the title here.

523
00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:15,000
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I think more of the same of

524
00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:17,720
Speaker 2: what they got out of the quarterfinal I mean they

525
00:25:18,040 --> 00:25:21,400
Speaker 2: owned the midfield against Chicago. You got Barbara Banda off

526
00:25:21,480 --> 00:25:25,280
Speaker 2: the jump doing stuff right, and so Banda has been

527
00:25:25,359 --> 00:25:27,119
Speaker 2: quiet post Olympics. I think there are a lot of

528
00:25:27,200 --> 00:25:30,080
Speaker 2: questions that she's obviously dropped off in the MVP conversation

529
00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:33,960
Speaker 2: and then quarterfinal happens and it's like, oh, here's the reminder, right,

530
00:25:34,119 --> 00:25:37,440
Speaker 2: like here we go, here's what she's capable of. And

531
00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:41,280
Speaker 2: so I think that really is just can you get

532
00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:45,480
Speaker 2: Barbara Banda involved from the jump and forcing Kansas City

533
00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:49,159
Speaker 2: into making mistakes? But this is really one where, you know,

534
00:25:49,280 --> 00:25:53,440
Speaker 2: the last we had, there's some spice between these two teams,

535
00:25:53,600 --> 00:25:59,119
Speaker 2: and I think Orlando has owned the spice battle, yes,

536
00:25:59,440 --> 00:26:03,200
Speaker 2: and so just again doing more of the same for Orlando.

537
00:26:03,800 --> 00:26:06,560
Speaker 1: Yeah, for those who don't remember, tell everyone about what

538
00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:09,359
Speaker 1: Marta did after one of their previous meetings and how

539
00:26:10,520 --> 00:26:11,520
Speaker 1: current right.

540
00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:13,840
Speaker 2: So, I mean, the whole story of the first half

541
00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:17,080
Speaker 2: of the season was Orlando Casey two unbeaten teams. Orlando

542
00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:21,560
Speaker 2: comes in to Kansas City's beautiful little stadium and wins,

543
00:26:21,760 --> 00:26:25,399
Speaker 2: and Marta is in pure Marta mode, shushing the crowd,

544
00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:28,520
Speaker 2: and it did not go over well. Michelle Cooper had

545
00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:29,320
Speaker 2: some thoughts, right.

546
00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:29,440
Speaker 1: Like.

547
00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:32,919
Speaker 3: She did rock a bait. Yeah, I mean just like

548
00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:35,000
Speaker 3: truly truly.

549
00:26:34,640 --> 00:26:38,639
Speaker 2: Went for it in all Marta glory. And then we

550
00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:42,000
Speaker 2: got the second meeting in Orlando, which was this very

551
00:26:42,119 --> 00:26:46,920
Speaker 2: cagey zero zero draw, and I think everybody is kind

552
00:26:46,960 --> 00:26:49,760
Speaker 2: of expecting to see the Cagenus come back out in

553
00:26:49,840 --> 00:26:53,240
Speaker 2: this matchup. But I'm honestly like, these are two teams

554
00:26:54,040 --> 00:26:59,280
Speaker 2: between Barbara Banda and Tumwichwinga, like you can do heavyweight

555
00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:01,920
Speaker 2: punch for like, that's the game I want to see,

556
00:27:01,960 --> 00:27:05,720
Speaker 2: but also to jump ahead and get into what Kansas

557
00:27:05,760 --> 00:27:08,760
Speaker 2: City needs to do, right, Like, yeah, we did see

558
00:27:08,800 --> 00:27:12,200
Speaker 2: the return of that sort of Gwendinofski. I will settle

559
00:27:12,240 --> 00:27:14,800
Speaker 2: for a single goal and then might knuckling it the

560
00:27:14,840 --> 00:27:17,639
Speaker 2: rest of the way. And I don't know if you

561
00:27:17,680 --> 00:27:20,080
Speaker 2: can get away with that against Orlando. I don't know

562
00:27:20,080 --> 00:27:22,520
Speaker 2: if cagness will pay off in this game, right, It could,

563
00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:24,080
Speaker 2: It could, but I.

564
00:27:24,080 --> 00:27:27,120
Speaker 1: Mean prefer right, we would all like to see eight

565
00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:30,879
Speaker 1: thousand shots apiece from these superstar strikers. But to your point,

566
00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:34,600
Speaker 1: it is so easy because of the pace of both

567
00:27:34,640 --> 00:27:37,399
Speaker 1: Temwa and Barbara and because of their skill sets to

568
00:27:37,560 --> 00:27:40,359
Speaker 1: make a tiny little mistake. They got out ahead, they

569
00:27:40,480 --> 00:27:42,359
Speaker 1: beat your defenders to the ball, and it's a one

570
00:27:42,440 --> 00:27:45,120
Speaker 1: v one against the keeper and it's over. Right. If

571
00:27:45,119 --> 00:27:48,400
Speaker 1: that's so easy to happen, the game plan of sit back,

572
00:27:48,760 --> 00:27:51,360
Speaker 1: almost low block style and hope that no one makes

573
00:27:51,359 --> 00:27:55,040
Speaker 1: a mistake might be smarter. Then let's have a shootof

574
00:27:55,040 --> 00:27:56,359
Speaker 1: and see who gets the most.

575
00:27:56,560 --> 00:27:58,560
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean it is going to be really you know,

576
00:27:58,600 --> 00:28:01,120
Speaker 2: like maybe first half is super cagy and second half

577
00:28:01,160 --> 00:28:03,080
Speaker 2: opens up a little bit. I mean, this could be

578
00:28:03,119 --> 00:28:05,840
Speaker 2: one of those like very cliched tale of two half games,

579
00:28:05,920 --> 00:28:09,320
Speaker 2: but I do I think everybody is hoping for fireworks

580
00:28:09,320 --> 00:28:12,720
Speaker 2: to like that's truly this should in many ways be

581
00:28:12,760 --> 00:28:15,280
Speaker 2: a final, right, Like this is kind of the narrative

582
00:28:15,640 --> 00:28:19,520
Speaker 2: game of this postseason, And so it is a little

583
00:28:19,520 --> 00:28:22,880
Speaker 2: disappointing to not have it happen again in Kansas City

584
00:28:22,920 --> 00:28:25,400
Speaker 2: and have Orlando come in and have maybe this potential

585
00:28:25,440 --> 00:28:28,760
Speaker 2: repeat of do you get the narrative of Orlando shushing

586
00:28:28,800 --> 00:28:30,280
Speaker 2: the crowd in a championship game?

587
00:28:30,359 --> 00:28:31,719
Speaker 3: So it is a little bit of a bummer.

588
00:28:31,800 --> 00:28:36,359
Speaker 2: But again, like there's no wrong answer, right, what is

589
00:28:36,400 --> 00:28:40,440
Speaker 2: really I always try to resist predictions, and these semi

590
00:28:40,440 --> 00:28:43,360
Speaker 2: finals I think are truly impossible to predict because it's

591
00:28:43,440 --> 00:28:48,560
Speaker 2: just like, yeah, the parody narrative is obviously dead this season,

592
00:28:48,600 --> 00:28:50,120
Speaker 2: but like, if you want to talk about parodies the

593
00:28:50,600 --> 00:28:51,480
Speaker 2: team right here, it's.

594
00:28:51,400 --> 00:28:53,120
Speaker 1: The parody at the top. Yeah, and to your point,

595
00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:55,800
Speaker 1: like there is a great argument for like Temwell versus

596
00:28:55,800 --> 00:28:58,840
Speaker 1: Barbara Kurrent versus Pride been like at the top all

597
00:28:58,880 --> 00:29:02,200
Speaker 1: season long, But then you're also ignoring that Gotham, once

598
00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:05,360
Speaker 1: they adjusted to the new faces, to your point, might

599
00:29:05,440 --> 00:29:07,400
Speaker 1: actually be the deepest and most talented.

600
00:29:07,560 --> 00:29:09,720
Speaker 2: Yes, I mean back half of the back half of

601
00:29:09,760 --> 00:29:12,200
Speaker 2: the season, the way that like they just really since

602
00:29:12,520 --> 00:29:15,640
Speaker 2: July and to August like truly turned it on. And

603
00:29:15,880 --> 00:29:20,040
Speaker 2: I mean they've had some extremely comprehensive performances, right, and

604
00:29:20,080 --> 00:29:22,560
Speaker 2: like you look at the Summer Cup final where they

605
00:29:22,560 --> 00:29:25,440
Speaker 2: played against Kansas City and they were missing literally everyone

606
00:29:25,680 --> 00:29:29,800
Speaker 2: on that team, Yeah, and what that did to them

607
00:29:29,840 --> 00:29:31,880
Speaker 2: and the fact that they were still honestly like not

608
00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:35,440
Speaker 2: as bad as they could have been. Right, Yeah, it

609
00:29:35,560 --> 00:29:37,560
Speaker 2: is going to be really I mean, any matchup that

610
00:29:37,600 --> 00:29:39,280
Speaker 2: we get out of these semifinals is going to be

611
00:29:39,280 --> 00:29:42,320
Speaker 2: good and interesting. I have been joking that like any

612
00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:44,640
Speaker 2: matchup out of these semifinals also gets you like a

613
00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:47,800
Speaker 2: good pr team too, Like all the four meeting teams

614
00:29:47,840 --> 00:29:50,240
Speaker 2: are easy to work with, which is like a benefit

615
00:29:50,320 --> 00:29:51,080
Speaker 2: to the reporters.

616
00:29:51,120 --> 00:29:53,560
Speaker 1: But they've all got names, they've all got stars.

617
00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:56,800
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean there's no I think that there is

618
00:29:56,880 --> 00:30:01,720
Speaker 2: obviously the sentimentality in Marta potentially winning a championship in

619
00:30:01,760 --> 00:30:06,240
Speaker 2: this league, but really, you've got the narrative of Gotham

620
00:30:06,320 --> 00:30:08,520
Speaker 2: going back to back. You've got the narrative of the

621
00:30:08,520 --> 00:30:11,360
Speaker 2: spirit kind of coming back and having the head coach

622
00:30:11,400 --> 00:30:13,840
Speaker 2: of FC Barcelona come in mid season and the way

623
00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:17,240
Speaker 2: that they've you know, survived injuries that you have Kansas

624
00:30:17,240 --> 00:30:20,240
Speaker 2: City and everything with Kansas City to watchewinga right, like

625
00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:21,480
Speaker 2: at their.

626
00:30:21,360 --> 00:30:25,120
Speaker 1: Stadium, the first purpose built stadium for women's team, Yeah right,

627
00:30:25,160 --> 00:30:27,600
Speaker 1: really at a million times and getting to lift the

628
00:30:27,640 --> 00:30:29,760
Speaker 1: trophy at that stadium in front of the crowd that

629
00:30:29,840 --> 00:30:31,560
Speaker 1: sold out every game this season.

630
00:30:31,480 --> 00:30:35,000
Speaker 2: Right, Yeah, I mean there's no I don't loss, there's

631
00:30:35,040 --> 00:30:38,040
Speaker 2: no losers. It's it's all going to be just like

632
00:30:38,400 --> 00:30:42,520
Speaker 2: I hope, truly enjoyable soccer to watch from here.

633
00:30:42,720 --> 00:30:45,240
Speaker 1: I'm headed to Spain here, which means I will actually

634
00:30:45,360 --> 00:30:47,680
Speaker 1: be in a foreign country when these games hit, I'm

635
00:30:47,680 --> 00:30:49,479
Speaker 1: gonna have to figure out how to watch them and

636
00:30:49,480 --> 00:30:52,040
Speaker 1: how to see what happened. But I'm going straight from

637
00:30:52,080 --> 00:30:55,640
Speaker 1: there to KC four Championship weekend. And I haven't been

638
00:30:55,680 --> 00:30:58,240
Speaker 1: to an NWSL Championship weekend since the Red Stars fell

639
00:30:58,320 --> 00:31:00,520
Speaker 1: to the Spirit and a Thriller in Louisville in twenty

640
00:31:00,560 --> 00:31:04,200
Speaker 1: twenty one. That was a blast. I was making pyramids

641
00:31:04,440 --> 00:31:07,160
Speaker 1: at three in the morning the night before the game

642
00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:10,800
Speaker 1: with you know, the head of the NWSLPA and causing

643
00:31:10,880 --> 00:31:14,080
Speaker 1: trouble little on the next morning, not gonna lie, Yeah,

644
00:31:14,080 --> 00:31:16,080
Speaker 1: and then immediately got on a plane after the game

645
00:31:16,120 --> 00:31:18,000
Speaker 1: and had to fly home from my husband's birthday party

646
00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:20,400
Speaker 1: that I was potentially gonna miss if I didn't, if

647
00:31:20,440 --> 00:31:23,440
Speaker 1: I didn't high tail it back. But I've heard even

648
00:31:23,520 --> 00:31:25,720
Speaker 1: in the couple of years since then, it's gotten even better.

649
00:31:25,760 --> 00:31:28,600
Speaker 1: There's more going on, there's more events, there's more activation.

650
00:31:28,840 --> 00:31:31,120
Speaker 1: So tell us a little bit about what goes down

651
00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:33,840
Speaker 1: at the at the championship weekend and what you've heard

652
00:31:33,880 --> 00:31:35,640
Speaker 1: about plans specifically for Casey.

653
00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:38,400
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I do think obviously Casey is a

654
00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:40,640
Speaker 2: little bit of a smaller town like Louisville, right, I

655
00:31:40,680 --> 00:31:43,080
Speaker 2: think it's it's going to be pretty easy. Casey's also

656
00:31:43,160 --> 00:31:45,040
Speaker 2: just like a soccer town, So I do feel like

657
00:31:45,760 --> 00:31:49,040
Speaker 2: Ndbusel is going to take over for that weekend a

658
00:31:49,040 --> 00:31:51,959
Speaker 2: little bit. But yeah, I mean there's actually just compared

659
00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:53,720
Speaker 2: to I mean I was at the first end of

660
00:31:53,760 --> 00:31:57,840
Speaker 2: b Cell Championship. It was lame as hell and there's

661
00:31:57,880 --> 00:32:00,080
Speaker 2: nothing right. It was literally the game and that that

662
00:32:00,200 --> 00:32:03,920
Speaker 2: was it. And so to have more events to have,

663
00:32:04,640 --> 00:32:07,040
Speaker 2: you know, I think a lot of podcasts are going

664
00:32:07,120 --> 00:32:10,000
Speaker 2: to be recording Sam Muis, Kelly O'Hara, like all of

665
00:32:10,080 --> 00:32:13,880
Speaker 2: these folks are going to be in. There are parties,

666
00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:16,920
Speaker 2: there are you know, like there's the Skills Challenge, there's

667
00:32:17,120 --> 00:32:19,280
Speaker 2: obviously like the media, we all have a million things

668
00:32:19,280 --> 00:32:22,880
Speaker 2: to run around and do. But also just the fact

669
00:32:22,920 --> 00:32:25,360
Speaker 2: that Kansas City has its own stadium, like you can

670
00:32:25,400 --> 00:32:28,360
Speaker 2: actually have stuff. In the fact that they're right on

671
00:32:28,400 --> 00:32:30,520
Speaker 2: the river, there's going to be space to spread out

672
00:32:30,560 --> 00:32:33,520
Speaker 2: a little bit. And so I will say, like I

673
00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:37,640
Speaker 2: have finally learned my lesson in terms of trying to

674
00:32:37,720 --> 00:32:40,760
Speaker 2: be irresponsible adult and not drink my way through that way,

675
00:32:40,880 --> 00:32:45,560
Speaker 2: because like early endsl championships were very rough for me,

676
00:32:45,680 --> 00:32:49,600
Speaker 2: and I'm a little too old for that now, but yeah,

677
00:32:49,680 --> 00:32:52,680
Speaker 2: it really like especially for when you're working, you know,

678
00:32:52,880 --> 00:32:55,400
Speaker 2: twelve plus hour days and it's like, okay, I can't

679
00:32:55,560 --> 00:32:59,520
Speaker 2: get up the next morning and function. But yeah, it's

680
00:32:59,600 --> 00:33:04,440
Speaker 2: honestly like, I know the Blue Crew Casey supporters group

681
00:33:04,520 --> 00:33:06,480
Speaker 2: is going to be all out. They've got some spaces

682
00:33:06,520 --> 00:33:08,680
Speaker 2: already planned for this sort of thing too.

683
00:33:08,840 --> 00:33:11,040
Speaker 1: But I would like to see I mean, we've all

684
00:33:11,040 --> 00:33:14,120
Speaker 1: been talking about river goals all season. You know how

685
00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:16,720
Speaker 1: they always have these like fan activations where you can

686
00:33:16,800 --> 00:33:19,080
Speaker 1: like try to score a goal. We need to do

687
00:33:19,280 --> 00:33:22,840
Speaker 1: a fan time river goal. I mean you could put

688
00:33:22,880 --> 00:33:25,240
Speaker 1: some nets out there so the balls don't you know, actually.

689
00:33:25,080 --> 00:33:27,360
Speaker 2: They fish them out, like the one, the one that

690
00:33:27,440 --> 00:33:29,600
Speaker 2: tem Wall scored, they fished it out so they got

691
00:33:29,640 --> 00:33:30,440
Speaker 2: it all right.

692
00:33:30,480 --> 00:33:32,680
Speaker 1: Well, I would like I would like that instead of

693
00:33:32,720 --> 00:33:34,560
Speaker 1: like a dribble around the cones, I would like a

694
00:33:34,680 --> 00:33:37,440
Speaker 1: river goal participation element to this.

695
00:33:37,440 --> 00:33:39,880
Speaker 3: This is that there's still time to address.

696
00:33:40,120 --> 00:33:42,920
Speaker 1: Only I'm gonna call it Jessica Berman. I'll give her

697
00:33:42,920 --> 00:33:46,760
Speaker 1: my pitch. Okay, final question. There's only two weeks left

698
00:33:46,800 --> 00:33:49,000
Speaker 1: in this season, and while I hate to do this.

699
00:33:49,080 --> 00:33:50,520
Speaker 1: I have to ask you, do you know what next

700
00:33:50,560 --> 00:33:51,600
Speaker 1: your schedules coming out?

701
00:33:51,720 --> 00:33:58,320
Speaker 2: I do, yeah, hopefully sooner, hopefully. But this is I mean,

702
00:33:59,160 --> 00:34:01,320
Speaker 2: like to turn it more. Are serious for a second, like,

703
00:34:01,560 --> 00:34:03,280
Speaker 2: this is the challenge, right, And we saw this in

704
00:34:03,320 --> 00:34:04,880
Speaker 2: San Diego at the end of the year with the

705
00:34:04,920 --> 00:34:08,880
Speaker 2: fact that the stadium conditions were not ideal enough to

706
00:34:08,960 --> 00:34:15,000
Speaker 2: even play a game. NBSEL has very limited availability in

707
00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:18,880
Speaker 2: those stadiums, and so I think it does as the

708
00:34:18,960 --> 00:34:23,799
Speaker 2: league expands to it only gets harder. And I will

709
00:34:23,840 --> 00:34:25,800
Speaker 2: tell you I do not envy all.

710
00:34:25,680 --> 00:34:27,160
Speaker 1: The schedule makers.

711
00:34:27,400 --> 00:34:30,719
Speaker 2: Yeah, it goes through a machine first. Yeah, the after

712
00:34:30,880 --> 00:34:32,640
Speaker 2: part where you have to go to like every team

713
00:34:32,680 --> 00:34:33,719
Speaker 2: and you're like, what does this work?

714
00:34:33,719 --> 00:34:34,239
Speaker 3: Does this work?

715
00:34:34,760 --> 00:34:34,880
Speaker 1: Like?

716
00:34:34,960 --> 00:34:40,200
Speaker 2: That sounds like my nightmare. So kudos to Vicky and

717
00:34:40,280 --> 00:34:42,440
Speaker 2: crew at the end of USEL who it is a

718
00:34:42,520 --> 00:34:46,280
Speaker 2: very thankless job and obviously there's a lot of complaining

719
00:34:46,280 --> 00:34:47,239
Speaker 2: that happens around it.

720
00:34:47,320 --> 00:34:50,360
Speaker 1: So well, Meg, we always love to have you on.

721
00:34:50,480 --> 00:34:52,960
Speaker 1: We know you're so busy and you are have been

722
00:34:53,000 --> 00:34:55,480
Speaker 1: for a long time sort of single handedly holding up

723
00:34:55,520 --> 00:34:58,239
Speaker 1: the women's soccer infrastructure in our country. Thankfully, more people

724
00:34:58,280 --> 00:35:00,319
Speaker 1: are joining the party, but you're still the go to

725
00:35:00,480 --> 00:35:02,239
Speaker 1: and I know so many people try to get your

726
00:35:02,280 --> 00:35:05,640
Speaker 1: services and your insights. So thanks for coming on. Everyone,

727
00:35:05,680 --> 00:35:07,600
Speaker 1: go listen to Full Time with Meg Lenahan, read her

728
00:35:07,600 --> 00:35:10,399
Speaker 1: work on the Athletic and get a Bingo card. Right.

729
00:35:10,680 --> 00:35:13,000
Speaker 1: You guys put out full time Bingo cards for people

730
00:35:13,040 --> 00:35:14,759
Speaker 1: to play along with the playoffs.

731
00:35:14,239 --> 00:35:17,480
Speaker 2: So I do think we are refreshing the Bengo card

732
00:35:17,800 --> 00:35:20,880
Speaker 2: for this week. So and I think we'll have some

733
00:35:21,000 --> 00:35:23,239
Speaker 2: awards chat on full Time so I think we might

734
00:35:23,280 --> 00:35:26,359
Speaker 2: have a little awards card as well. But we're trying

735
00:35:26,400 --> 00:35:28,320
Speaker 2: to come up with our own awards, so if anybody

736
00:35:28,360 --> 00:35:32,080
Speaker 2: has any ideas, okay, well we are open to them, okay.

737
00:35:32,239 --> 00:35:34,520
Speaker 1: Love that. We've also been considering an end of the

738
00:35:34,600 --> 00:35:37,799
Speaker 1: year awards ceremony here at Good Games, so we will

739
00:35:37,800 --> 00:35:41,360
Speaker 1: all be thinking together and looking for those updated Bingo

740
00:35:41,440 --> 00:35:47,359
Speaker 1: cards to play along. Thanks Meg, Thank you, Thanks again

741
00:35:47,400 --> 00:35:49,480
Speaker 1: to Meg for joining us. We got to take another break.

742
00:35:49,600 --> 00:35:59,840
Speaker 1: Stick around, Welcome back slices. We've got some news from

743
00:36:00,000 --> 00:36:03,960
Speaker 1: the grove. The Good Sports. Y'all are coming through with

744
00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:06,840
Speaker 1: some good name suggestions for our little trio. Keep them coming. Okay,

745
00:36:06,880 --> 00:36:09,879
Speaker 1: So the news we've made the leap to Blue Sky

746
00:36:10,160 --> 00:36:12,799
Speaker 1: producer Alex and Meglenahan got the party started and I

747
00:36:12,880 --> 00:36:16,359
Speaker 1: followed belatedly, Sure, but I followed and Mish has two

748
00:36:16,520 --> 00:36:18,520
Speaker 1: so you can now follow all of us over there.

749
00:36:18,840 --> 00:36:21,799
Speaker 1: I haven't yet deleted Twitter slash x, but I'm hoping

750
00:36:21,840 --> 00:36:23,520
Speaker 1: to be part of a larger migration and be able

751
00:36:23,520 --> 00:36:26,279
Speaker 1: to find all my favorite teams, leagues, athletes, reporters and

752
00:36:26,360 --> 00:36:31,480
Speaker 1: fun follows over under bluer less Fascist Skies. Join us.

753
00:36:31,840 --> 00:36:34,600
Speaker 1: We'll link to our accounts in the show notes, and

754
00:36:34,640 --> 00:36:36,879
Speaker 1: besides following us there, we've got one more good game

755
00:36:36,920 --> 00:36:40,040
Speaker 1: play of the day too, play nwsl bingal with the

756
00:36:40,040 --> 00:36:43,280
Speaker 1: full Time with Meglenahan crew. The quarterfinal round card included

757
00:36:43,320 --> 00:36:47,560
Speaker 1: some fun spaces like hal Hirschfelt, Yellowcard, Brandy Chess, Dain Sighting,

758
00:36:48,200 --> 00:36:50,520
Speaker 1: check and check. We can't wait to see what's on

759
00:36:50,560 --> 00:36:52,480
Speaker 1: the card for the semis. We'll link to the full

760
00:36:52,480 --> 00:36:55,320
Speaker 1: Time Instagram account in our show notes and we'd always

761
00:36:55,320 --> 00:36:56,560
Speaker 1: love to hear from you, so hit us up on

762
00:36:56,600 --> 00:36:59,440
Speaker 1: email good game at wondermedianetwork dot com or leave us

763
00:36:59,440 --> 00:37:02,440
Speaker 1: a voicemail eight seven two two oh four fifty seventy

764
00:37:02,800 --> 00:37:06,280
Speaker 1: and don't forget to subscribe, rate and review. It's easy.

765
00:37:06,600 --> 00:37:09,160
Speaker 1: In fact, listener Matt Douglas emailed us to give us

766
00:37:09,239 --> 00:37:13,480
Speaker 1: a review of sorts. He responded to another Slice, Alexandra Hand,

767
00:37:13,719 --> 00:37:16,160
Speaker 1: who rode in and admitted to being new to the

768
00:37:16,360 --> 00:37:19,279
Speaker 1: w but wondered if the Connecticut Sun might ever move

769
00:37:19,320 --> 00:37:24,400
Speaker 1: to a bigger city. Well, Matt has thoughts his review,

770
00:37:25,760 --> 00:37:28,640
Speaker 1: know nothing new, w fans trying to take the Connecticut

771
00:37:28,640 --> 00:37:31,120
Speaker 1: Sun away from us. I have to assume his rating

772
00:37:31,120 --> 00:37:34,880
Speaker 1: would be zero one of five stars, Matt continues. Number one,

773
00:37:35,040 --> 00:37:37,279
Speaker 1: the Sun are the only professional sports team owned by

774
00:37:37,320 --> 00:37:40,600
Speaker 1: a native tribe. Please keep your grubby colonizer hands off

775
00:37:40,640 --> 00:37:43,759
Speaker 1: our team. Two. Yes, it's an arena that's under ten K,

776
00:37:43,920 --> 00:37:46,200
Speaker 1: but I've never seen that arena at less than seventy

777
00:37:46,239 --> 00:37:48,840
Speaker 1: five percent capacity in the ten plus years I've been

778
00:37:48,880 --> 00:37:51,880
Speaker 1: going to games there. Three, there's support for women's basketball

779
00:37:51,880 --> 00:37:54,000
Speaker 1: and Connecticut from the Sun and Yukon all the way

780
00:37:54,040 --> 00:37:56,000
Speaker 1: down to high school. The arena has been used for

781
00:37:56,040 --> 00:37:59,280
Speaker 1: tournaments and state championships for quite a bit. Now, hope

782
00:37:59,280 --> 00:38:04,040
Speaker 1: this helps Matt from Connecticut and unasked for unofficial Good

783
00:38:04,040 --> 00:38:08,440
Speaker 1: Game Connecticut's un correspondent, Thank you, Matt, check is not

784
00:38:08,840 --> 00:38:11,120
Speaker 1: in the mail. Just you know, FAYI, we don't have

785
00:38:11,120 --> 00:38:13,120
Speaker 1: a budget for correspondence yet, but we'll hang on to

786
00:38:13,160 --> 00:38:15,080
Speaker 1: your resume. Oh and by the way, Matt, you might

787
00:38:15,080 --> 00:38:17,640
Speaker 1: want to talk to your girl Djen A. Carrington. She

788
00:38:17,760 --> 00:38:20,240
Speaker 1: posted on Twitter in response to a report that Jason

789
00:38:20,239 --> 00:38:22,440
Speaker 1: Tatum might be trying to get a WNBA team in

790
00:38:22,480 --> 00:38:25,279
Speaker 1: Saint Louis. Quote, what about a bid to move a

791
00:38:25,320 --> 00:38:29,680
Speaker 1: team to Boston? Smiley faced Djona. I know you're a

792
00:38:29,719 --> 00:38:31,560
Speaker 1: free agent, but the Sun still has your rights. You

793
00:38:31,600 --> 00:38:35,320
Speaker 1: better be careful girl. All right, now, it's your turn slices.

794
00:38:35,360 --> 00:38:38,080
Speaker 1: Head to Apple Podcasts, scroll down to stars, give us

795
00:38:38,080 --> 00:38:41,920
Speaker 1: a five and review. Please, thanks for listening. See you tomorrow.

796
00:38:42,280 --> 00:38:46,400
Speaker 1: Good Game, Meg, Good Game, Women's Lacrosse League. You you redactions

797
00:38:46,400 --> 00:38:52,040
Speaker 1: in juicy investigative reports. Good Game with Sarah Spain is

798
00:38:52,080 --> 00:38:54,839
Speaker 1: an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue

799
00:38:54,840 --> 00:38:57,839
Speaker 1: Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the iHeartRadio app,

800
00:38:57,880 --> 00:39:01,080
Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Production by

801
00:39:01,120 --> 00:39:04,640
Speaker 1: Wonder Media Network. Our producers are Alex Azzie and Misha Jones.

802
00:39:04,800 --> 00:39:08,240
Speaker 1: Our executive producers are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan

803
00:39:08,320 --> 00:39:11,759
Speaker 1: and Emily Rudder. Our editors are Emily Rutterer, Britney Martinez,

804
00:39:11,800 --> 00:39:15,480
Speaker 1: Grace Lynch and Lindsay Cratowell. Production assistants from Lucy Jones

805
00:39:15,560 --> 00:39:17,040
Speaker 1: and I'm Your Host Sarah Spain