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Speaker 1: Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're celebrating

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Speaker 1: Lily Johannes officially declaring for the US women's national team

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Speaker 1: over the Netherlands.

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Speaker 2: By screaming if you're Dutch, you ain't much.

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Speaker 1: In the general direction of the land of tulips and windmills.

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Speaker 1: It's Tuesday, November twelfth, and on today's show, we'll be

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Speaker 1: talking to ESPN Soccer reporter Jeff cassoof about why he

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Speaker 1: doesn't love the NWSL's expanded playoff format, what to expect

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Speaker 1: in the NWSL semifinals, and how.

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Speaker 2: Long is too long for a var review? Wait is

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Speaker 2: Alex saying atm machine vaar, Hey, Sarah, the R stands

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Speaker 2: for referee perfect.

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Speaker 1: Plus, we're going to celebrate nationality declarations and the return

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Speaker 1: of camp season that is PWHL camp. It's all coming

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Speaker 1: up right after this Welcome back slices. Here's what you

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Speaker 1: need to know today.

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Speaker 2: To the WNBA.

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Speaker 1: Former Los Angeles Sparks head coach Kurt Miller is headed

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Speaker 1: to Dallas. Miller was hired by the Wings to service

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Speaker 1: the franchise's new GM and execut vice president of basketball operations.

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Speaker 1: Miller was fired by the Los Angeles Sparks shortly after

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Speaker 1: the season ended, a shocking move given the injury depleted

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Speaker 1: roster that he worked with. Rookie star Cameron Brink tore

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Speaker 1: her acl early in the season, sharpshooter Lexi Brown sat

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Speaker 1: for more than half the season dealing with Crohn's disease,

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Speaker 1: and point guard Leisia Clarendon sat out for the latter

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Speaker 1: half of the season due to mental health as well.

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Speaker 1: The news means that Miller is off the table for

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Speaker 1: the several W teams currently in search of a head coach.

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Speaker 1: Per ESPN's Alexa Philippoo, multiple WNBA teams did express interest

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Speaker 1: in Miller before he signed with the Wings. More w,

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Speaker 1: the Minnesota Links announced Monday that they're losing two members

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Speaker 1: of their staff. Assistant coach and two time WNBA champion

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Speaker 1: Katie Smith is leaving the franchise to head back to

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Speaker 1: her alma mater, Ohio State, where she'll serve as an

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Speaker 1: assistant on head coach Kevin mcguff's staff and Links Gmclaire

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Speaker 1: Dewillius is departing to serve as executive vice president and

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Speaker 1: general manager of the new unrival league founded by Link

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Speaker 1: starn OFFISA Kallier and New York Liberty star Brienna Stewart.

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Speaker 1: This leaves two big holes for the franchise to fill

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Speaker 1: after an electrifying season that ended in a loss to

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Speaker 1: the Liberty in the WNBA Finals. A little citizenship news,

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Speaker 1: so to speak, Soccer phenom Lily Johannes has committed to

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Speaker 1: playing for the US national team moving forward. The seventeen

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Speaker 1: year old was born in Virginia, but her family moved

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Speaker 1: to the Netherlands in twenty seventeen, and she'd been contemplating

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Speaker 1: representing the Dutch instead. She made her US women's national

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Speaker 1: team debut and a friendly against South Korea in June,

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Speaker 1: playing and scoring in the three to zero victory. But

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Speaker 1: FIFA rules do allow players to switch their competitive nationality

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Speaker 1: so long as they don't play more than three competitive

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Speaker 1: games at the senior level before the age of twenty one.

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Speaker 1: Addressing her decision to declare for the US women's national

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Speaker 1: team on social media Monday, Johannes wrote, quote, the US

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Speaker 1: is my homeland, my birthplace, and where my extended family resides.

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Speaker 1: These strong connections have driven me to honor my roots

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Speaker 1: and proudly commit to US soccer.

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Speaker 2: End quote.

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Speaker 1: Johannes is a certified phenom. In April of last year,

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Speaker 1: she became the youngest female professional in AJAX history, which

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Speaker 1: she signed a three year contract with the Dutch club

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Speaker 1: through June twenty twenty six, and at sixteen years old,

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Speaker 1: she became the youngest player to ever start a YUEFA

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Speaker 1: Women's Champion League group match last year. Johannes's declaration to

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Speaker 1: the US comes less than a month before the US

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Speaker 1: women's national team visits the Netherlands for a friendly to hockey.

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Speaker 1: We mentioned yesterday that Canada defeated the US on Sunday

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Speaker 1: to take a two to one lead in their five

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Speaker 1: game rivalry series. Four different Canadians found the back of

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Speaker 1: the net in that four to one win. Looking ahead,

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Speaker 1: the rivalry series now takes a pause so players can

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Speaker 1: head back to college or off to p WHL training camps,

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Speaker 1: which begin today. The final two games of the rivalry

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Speaker 1: series between the US and Canada will be played in February,

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Speaker 1: and we're going to get you ready for season two

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Speaker 1: of the PWHL later this week. In sponsorship news, basketball

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Speaker 1: player Alissa Peelely, who just finished her rookie season with

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Speaker 1: the Minnesota Lynx, has been named the official face of

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Speaker 1: Nike's N seven collection for Native American Heritage month. Peelee,

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Speaker 1: who also recently signed down to play Athletes Unlimited basketball

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Speaker 1: this winter, is of Simone and Alaskan and New Piat descent.

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Speaker 1: We're going to take a quick break, certainly quicker than

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Speaker 1: a var review in the NWSL when we come back.

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Speaker 1: It's the ESPN's Jeff Casoof.

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Speaker 2: Joining us now.

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Speaker 1: He's been covering soccer with an emphasis on advancing the

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Speaker 1: women's game since two thousand and eight. In two thousand

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Speaker 1: and nine, he launched The Equalizer, of the leading website

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Speaker 1: dedicated exclusively to comprehensive women's soccer coverage in North America.

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Speaker 1: He joined ESPN about eight months ago to become the

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Speaker 1: outlet's lead NWSL and US Women's national team reporter.

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Speaker 2: He's a big fan of Fall Foliage.

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Speaker 1: But that's about as much personal info as you'll find

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Speaker 1: on him online.

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Speaker 2: He is very secretive. It's Jeff Kasoof.

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Speaker 3: What's up, Jeff, Thank you for having me. I don't

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Speaker 3: know about secretive, but I guess I'm a bit mysterious

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Speaker 3: by that description.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, you maybe just keep it real business online. And

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Speaker 1: I'm an oversharer. So that's when I go digging for

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Speaker 1: personal info. Couldn't find much. The good news is you're

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Speaker 1: here to talk soccer, and I know you could do that.

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Speaker 3: And it is you can do that book.

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Speaker 2: See, there we go, There we go.

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Speaker 1: Okay, let's talk quarter final. We just witnessed a bunch

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Speaker 1: of those games. New format this year, playoffs expanded from

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Speaker 1: six to eight teams. All the top seeded teams won.

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Speaker 1: But do you think opening playoff weekend affirmed or rejected

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Speaker 1: that expansion?

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Speaker 3: Oh? I think it rejected. I mean I was anti

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Speaker 3: expansion the moment that this came. I think, I mean

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Speaker 3: we had a clear top four in this league. And

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Speaker 3: you know, I think, for as a neutral, especially if

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Speaker 3: you're the league, I think, as you're trying to put

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Speaker 3: on an entertaining product in the final, those top four

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Speaker 3: teams have been clear far and above the rest of

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Speaker 3: the league. You know, I think eight teams out of

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Speaker 3: four team going through. Look, I mean the games were competitive,

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Speaker 3: right for the most part. BFC was on a nice

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Speaker 3: run heading into the playoffs, nearly pulled an upset, got

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Speaker 3: it to extra time. I think we got off to

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Speaker 3: a really difficult start on Friday, night with Chicago just

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Speaker 3: getting absolutely throttled by Orlando. Granted a historic Orlando team,

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Speaker 3: but I mean you look at that, that's the eight

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Speaker 3: seed that has never existed before. It's a sub five

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Speaker 3: hundred team. You will find. For me that whether it's

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Speaker 3: playoffs or like the general pool of teams going beyond sixteen,

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Speaker 3: I'm not in favor of endless expansion because I think

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Speaker 3: it has a lot of ramifications.

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Speaker 1: It does feel like though there's a benefit in terms

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Speaker 1: of like being able to sell tickets, get excitement around

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Speaker 1: a playoff game, use that to motivate fans to return

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Speaker 1: later after they've been to a playoff game and the

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Speaker 1: energy is so high.

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Speaker 2: I mean, as a league.

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Speaker 1: That's trying to continue to grow, it feels like it

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Speaker 1: was a win in that sense.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I agree with that. I mean, we had a

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Speaker 3: record crowd at Gotham at Red Bull Arena, you know,

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Speaker 3: spirit game looked really full and really raucous. You know,

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Speaker 3: I think the good crowds throughout Kansas City has been

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Speaker 3: doing that all year. In Orlando, I think even for Orlando,

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Speaker 3: you know, typically for their history, a pretty good crowd

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Speaker 3: at eleven thousand plus. So you're right, I mean, I

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Speaker 3: think and it's look. I mean, yes, the league expanded,

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Speaker 3: so that's part of it. But they've got four TV

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Speaker 3: partners now too, right, And I think, you know, I

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Speaker 3: think it's very clear that the simultaneous announcement last year

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Speaker 3: of the new TV part and the expansion of the playoffs,

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Speaker 3: there's no separate in the two. I mean, this is

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Speaker 3: more TV games. It's good for TV. It's good for

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Speaker 3: teams to play more games. So I get it from

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Speaker 3: a business perspective. From a soccer purist perspective, I'm not

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Speaker 3: in love with it.

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Speaker 1: When we look ahead, though, is it possible that it

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Speaker 1: will make a difference for top teams not having a

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Speaker 1: buye We used to see teams with buys get upset,

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Speaker 1: So maybe that continued play and lack of rest will

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Speaker 1: actually be a benefit moving forward.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I think that's a good point. I mean, we

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Speaker 3: see all four teams advance, all four higher seeds advanced,

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Speaker 3: so you know, I think there was always a struggle.

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Speaker 3: And then we'll be going forward to with a disruption

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Speaker 3: to team seasons, and part of that has been not

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Speaker 3: only the bye week, but in the past the you know,

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Speaker 3: and ongoing the FIFA International Windows that fall roughly around

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Speaker 3: when the playoffs start. The league decided this year it

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Speaker 3: would be awkward to have a FIFA window in the

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Speaker 3: middle of the playoffs, let's start them after that window.

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Speaker 3: This window, I think, if I'm remembering it right, is

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Speaker 3: a little bit earlier than it has been in the

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Speaker 3: past anyway, so that helped. But yeah, I think you

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Speaker 3: know that disruption has been a problem for teams in

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Speaker 3: the past, and it's been really hard to pull off

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Speaker 3: the shield double with the championship and Orlando now I

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Speaker 3: think has maybe the best shot of anybody in a

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Speaker 3: while since those Courage teams of twenty eighteen nineteen, So

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Speaker 3: we'll see how that plays off. This is also probably

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Speaker 3: the most competitive semi final round that I can remember.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, like you mentioned, there was a very clear top

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Speaker 1: four and we're going to see them all battling. Before

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Speaker 1: we move on to the semis, let's quickly talk about

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Speaker 1: what we saw in the quarterfinals. You mentioned the Pride

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Speaker 1: win over the Red Stars four to one opened up

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Speaker 1: the weekend.

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Speaker 2: We got a brace for Barbara Banda.

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Speaker 1: She hasn't gotten as much attention with a quieter second half,

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Speaker 1: but obviously still very effective.

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Speaker 2: What makes Barbara Banda so dangerous.

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Speaker 3: Well, I mean, look, she's she's got the pace right

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Speaker 3: that I think is a little bit too cliche, but

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Speaker 3: it's it's been a problem for everybody. But I think

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Speaker 3: you know, she is a pure finisher too, I mean

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Speaker 3: technically speaking, that is, you know, I think we see

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Speaker 3: it when whether she's one v one with a defender

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Speaker 3: and you know she beats them on the dribble, if

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Speaker 3: she's one v one in the open field, obviously on

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Speaker 3: a through ball, and then in front of net I mean,

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Speaker 3: I think we've seen some creative finishes from her. So yes,

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Speaker 3: I mean there's the speed side, sure, but there's also

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Speaker 3: the technical ability that she's been able to show off

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Speaker 3: in this league, and I think, you know, in a

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Speaker 3: way that has been really good for the wider world.

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Speaker 3: I think because we've seen her with Zambia and you know,

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Speaker 3: we've seen that capability, but then playing in China in

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Speaker 3: a league that you know is really off the radar,

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Speaker 3: it's not a major league. I mean, players have made

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Speaker 3: their way there for various reasons, including you know, maybe

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Speaker 3: pay that they weren't getting elsewhere. But now we see

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Speaker 3: her in arguably the best league in the world, and

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Speaker 3: she's regularly beating the best defenders, which I think is

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Speaker 3: a testament to her quality.

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Speaker 2: Overall, Probe have been so dominant this year. What is

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Speaker 2: their weakness?

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Speaker 1: If you're facing them, where are you looking to try

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Speaker 1: to expose them?

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Speaker 3: Yeah, well, I think one. I mean we saw it

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Speaker 3: with Chicago didn't get the midfield right at all, and

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Speaker 3: I think that was a problem and that led to

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Speaker 3: those transition moments. I mean, you look at that goal,

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Speaker 3: I guess you'd say the backbreaking goal right before halftime,

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Speaker 3: and Emily Sam steps in, it's a win in midfield.

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Speaker 3: She plays a through ball to band Us, She's one

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Speaker 3: v one with Carrie Riccaro, and that's it. So I

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Speaker 3: think you've really got to win that midfield battle. And look,

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Speaker 3: I mean the Kansas City rematch. We saw this right

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Speaker 3: in the rematch that they played in Orlando less than

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Speaker 3: two months ago, or about two months ago, a nil

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Speaker 3: nil draw where it was not the first meeting. When

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Speaker 3: these two teams were unbeaten in June in Kansas City,

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Speaker 3: it was a chess match between them. Neither of them

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Speaker 3: wanted to give up too much of those transition moments,

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Speaker 3: so they both played pretty conservatively, especially for how they've

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Speaker 3: played throughout the season. So I think if you're Kansas City,

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Speaker 3: I mean that's your blueprint, that's your template is you know,

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Speaker 3: maybe this wasn't necessarily us, but you know, we played

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Speaker 3: a more defensive mindset and we were able to really

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Speaker 3: offset Orlando in the midfield, and then obviously that has

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Speaker 3: the knock on effect to Banda to Marta, to Ali Watt,

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Speaker 3: whoever's running on the wings. So I think that's really

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Speaker 3: it is staying compact, winning the midfield, and then look

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Speaker 3: for the moments in transition, and frankly, that's how both

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Speaker 3: of these teams win games. So it'll be it'll be

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Speaker 3: a moment of magic in that semi final, and whether

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Speaker 3: that's Chewinga for Kansas City or Bandit for Orlando, we'll see.

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Speaker 1: You mentioned the Casey Current and they squeezed past the

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Speaker 1: North Carolina Courage on Saturday Golden Boot winner. As you

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Speaker 1: mentioned Tim with Chwenga the lone goal scorer in that one,

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Speaker 1: shetalit in the eighth minute and then just kind of

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Speaker 1: stuck there.

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Speaker 2: Were you surprised it was as tight as it was.

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Speaker 3: No, I think this was the one game that I

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Speaker 3: really felt. I mean, Bay, yes, in the game that

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Speaker 3: we'll talk about with Washington, but I think you know,

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Speaker 3: this was the four or five game, a sixteen point

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Speaker 3: gap between four and five, which I think was pretty

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Speaker 3: noticeable in many ways and really defined this table throughout

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Speaker 3: the season. But not surprising. I mean, it played out

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Speaker 3: the way I think we would have expected in that

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Speaker 3: Kansas City had their moments, they had transition moments. How

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Speaker 3: many of them were they going to finish? I think

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Speaker 3: was the question, not if? And for North Carolina, I

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Speaker 3: mean they kept the ball throughout the match. This was

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Speaker 3: through and through their identity throughout the season. I mean

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Speaker 3: I asked that coach Shawn Dejas before or the game,

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Speaker 3: do you do you stray from that identity at all?

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Speaker 3: And very firmly said, we do not. This is who

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Speaker 3: we are and we saw that in the game. I mean,

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Speaker 3: I think the problem with the Courage throughout the season

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Speaker 3: has been they haven't had a finisher, or really proven finisher,

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Speaker 3: a multi you know, a double digit goal scorer that

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Speaker 3: could finish these opportunities for them, and it's cost them

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Speaker 3: games because they keep the ball and they don't they

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Speaker 3: don't have the final product, you know, and then I

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Speaker 3: think you can point to the absence of MVP last

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Speaker 3: year's MVP Caroline, who was in this game, in this

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Speaker 3: game probably more minutes than she should ever could have played,

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Speaker 3: just to try to get the result. And ultimately I

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Speaker 3: think it really did play out how we expected. Is

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Speaker 3: Kansas City in transition North Carolina keeping the ball and

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Speaker 3: like so many times this season, didn't find the breakthrough.

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Speaker 1: Afterwards, Lacko and Tanowski talked about the courage targeting Temwa

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Speaker 1: not getting the calls.

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Speaker 2: Do you see that when you're watching the game.

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Speaker 3: I mean, I think you do in some ways. You know,

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Speaker 3: I think I'd have to check again when I look

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Speaker 3: right after the game when he said that she actually

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Speaker 3: only had one foul suffered on the stat platform I

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Speaker 3: was looking at. But you see it in I think

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Speaker 3: maybe to his point in ways where she doesn't get

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Speaker 3: a foul called, And you know, I think that there's

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Speaker 3: I mean, there's a lot of layers there, right. I

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Speaker 3: think there's inconsistencies in the refereeing in the league period.

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Speaker 3: There is you know, is she getting special treatment? Is

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Speaker 3: she not? Is you know, a number of factors I

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Speaker 3: think you can point to it. I know a number

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Speaker 3: of teams have pointed to. I mean, I think one

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Speaker 3: of her best qualities, beyond the very obvious goal scoring,

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Speaker 3: is how she's progressed as I guess a team player

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Speaker 3: for lack of a better term, in her tracking back defensively.

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Speaker 3: I mean you'll see her at times near her own

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Speaker 3: end line helping out her full back and we've seen that, right,

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Speaker 3: I mean, I think people pointed to and again I

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Speaker 3: don't think there was a problem with this tackle, but

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Speaker 3: like she was the one who put in the tackle

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Speaker 3: on Trinity Rodman a month or so ago where it

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Speaker 3: caused Rodman's back spasms. I think those were generally coincidence,

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Speaker 3: those those two incidents or the net effect of them.

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Speaker 3: But you know, I think he's got a fair point.

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Speaker 3: I think people have a fair point in reverse as well,

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Speaker 3: that you know, she's a defensive forward who I think

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Speaker 3: can you give it as much as she can take

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Speaker 3: it at times?

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Speaker 1: Yeah, and sometimes it might be just subconsciously, right if

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Speaker 1: we're used to seeing those strikers that sort of set

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Speaker 1: up top and they're the ones handling the ball, and

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Speaker 1: it's they're the ones taking fouls versus when she gets

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Speaker 1: back there on the defensive side. You start to sort of,

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Speaker 1: even if it's subconsciously, see her as more of that

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Speaker 1: give than take her, and maybe you don't give her

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Speaker 1: as many of those protected, sort of favored calls that

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Speaker 1: you might otherwise.

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Speaker 2: Let's talk about you mentioned the Spirit.

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Speaker 1: Game they won two to one over BFC and own goal,

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Speaker 1: ending the year for the plucky expansion side. Never a

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Speaker 1: way you want your season to end. But what did

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Speaker 1: you see from the Bay in year one that you liked?

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Speaker 3: Well? I like the back half of the season, certainly

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Speaker 3: as putting it all together, and that was the defensive piece.

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Speaker 3: I mean, look, Abby dal Kemper, a US international World

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Speaker 3: Cup winner, arrives in late August, and you know, scores

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Speaker 3: in her first game, and immediately you know you can't

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Speaker 3: credit everything to Abbidal Kemper, right, but there's a tangible

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Speaker 3: sort of parallel here with a turn in fortunes for Bay.

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Speaker 3: And you know they spent they spent over a million dollars,

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Speaker 3: they spent a world record transfer fee and Rachel Kuinananji

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Speaker 3: a million dollars dollars, you know, in some in that

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Speaker 3: winter offseason heading into their first season as an expansion team,

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Speaker 3: and you know they very much define themselves coming into

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Speaker 3: the season as an entertaining, attacking team. They were going

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Speaker 3: to score goals, and then the problem was they gave

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Speaker 3: up so many and they couldn't win games. They couldn't

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Speaker 3: even draw games for almost the entirety of the season.

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Speaker 3: So what I liked from them in this back half

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Speaker 3: of the season was finding a defensive balance. Those pieces

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Speaker 3: are there, I mean a seaside Oshawala, Rachel Kinananji. They've

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Speaker 3: got their first season under their belts in this league.

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Speaker 3: This league is always a bit of an adjustment, even

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Speaker 3: for high quality internationals for the most part, and I

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Speaker 3: think you take that, you balance it with that defensive piece,

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Speaker 3: which I think you have to see Abby dal Kempe

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Speaker 3: as the core and the spine of it. And then

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Speaker 3: you get those midfield pieces Kiki Pickett, you know, you

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Speaker 3: get Alex Luera back hopefully healthy for a full season

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Speaker 3: after an early season injury test body you know, I

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Speaker 3: think did really well for them. So I think you've

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Speaker 3: got the pieces there and now it's a matter of

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Speaker 3: putting together complete performances, as they mostly did in the

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Speaker 3: back half of the season.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, it wasn't a great outing for the spirit but

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Speaker 1: they got the win.

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Speaker 2: What did they need to improve before this weekend?

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean I think they were frustrated defensively to

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Speaker 3: your point, I mean, you know, Rodman is the game changer.

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Speaker 3: I think this is the time of year where you

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Speaker 3: look at at those players and we've talked about showinga

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Speaker 3: and Banda. I mean Rodman, I think maybe a slightly

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Speaker 3: distant third in an MVP race, but was certainly had

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Speaker 3: her name in that in many ways, and is the

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Speaker 3: is the sort of entertaining player, certainly American in this

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Speaker 3: league and among the best, you know, among any players

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Speaker 3: in this league. So she can change games on her own.

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Speaker 3: I think, you know, obviously it's a lot of pressure

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Speaker 3: to put that on her in a playoff game, but

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Speaker 3: that's you know, that's in some ways what playoffs are about.

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Speaker 3: So I think getting her on the ball more. And

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Speaker 3: then that midfield, you know, I think Bay was really

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Speaker 3: able to stay compact and frustrate that spirit midfield at times.

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Speaker 3: So you know, finding a way to get through against Frankly,

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Speaker 3: I mean a Gotham team that I know we'll talk about,

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Speaker 3: but that is a strength of their So it's going

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Speaker 3: to be a tough one. For the spirit for sure.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, let's talk about them. Rose Level ends up being

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Speaker 2: the hero.

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Speaker 1: Her stoppage time goal helps Gotham get past Portland in

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Speaker 1: the last game of the weekend. Tieranna Davidson good timing

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Speaker 1: for her first goal of the NWSL year in the

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Speaker 1: victory too. How confident are you that this Gotham team

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Speaker 1: can repeat coming from a very different position last year,

390
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Speaker 1: the surprise coming out of six this year, they've got

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Speaker 1: all the pressure on them to try to get it

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Speaker 1: back to back years.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, as good a shot as anybody in

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Speaker 3: this top four. I think. I think we really are

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Speaker 3: seeing a semi final round here where any of these

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Speaker 3: four are going to be worthy champions. Any of these four.

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Speaker 3: I think the margins will be really fine on the day.

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Speaker 3: And you know we saw from Gotham in this quarterfinal

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Speaker 3: against Portland. Yes, they left it late, very late in

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Speaker 3: stoppage time that I think we've only had because of

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Speaker 3: a dubiously long var review.

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Speaker 2: But dubiously long.

403
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Speaker 1: That play was like half a second long, and it

404
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Speaker 1: took like eleven minutes to review.

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Speaker 3: Well yeah, I mean I went back and counted the

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Speaker 3: morning after here and it was six minutes almost of

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Speaker 3: review and for something that you know by the letter

408
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Speaker 3: of the law. Even on the call on TV was

409
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Speaker 3: pretty clear because this happened earlier in the season with

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Speaker 3: an in important game and pro came out and said

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Speaker 3: we got it wrong.

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Speaker 1: So right, this was the Becky sower Brun potential handball

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Speaker 1: call that in case people don't know what we're.

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Speaker 3: Talking about, so probably forever. Yeah, more cut and dry.

415
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Speaker 3: But yeah, but Gotham in this game. I mean, look,

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Speaker 3: I know the score line and the Lake goal, but

417
00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:45,960
Speaker 3: for me, Gotam controlled this game. I thought Neilie Martin

418
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Speaker 3: was really impressive in that sort of lone holding midfield

419
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Speaker 3: role she has been. I mean, that's the story, right,

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Speaker 3: is Rooseveltierna Davidson. They are those big names that came

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Speaker 3: over in the offseason and they've gotten all the attention

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Speaker 3: among others this season for Gotham. But Gotham's got this done.

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Speaker 3: Not just twenty six deep, but I mean, I was

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Speaker 3: out in San Antonio the other week They're signing seven

425
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Speaker 3: players just to get a roster fielded for a Cup final.

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Speaker 3: They've gone really deep this year, and it's players like Martin,

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Speaker 3: It's players like Delaney Sheehan coming off the bench having

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Speaker 3: that assist for the game winner six minutes later in

429
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Speaker 3: stoppage time, and they found the depth, they found the balance,

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Speaker 3: and they've got the momentum. So I think as good

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Speaker 3: a shot as anybody at this for a championship.

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Speaker 1: Before we move on from that final game, for Christine Sinclair,

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Speaker 1: there was a feeling that maybe Portland could come up

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Speaker 1: with some magic to try to sort of win one

435
00:19:30,840 --> 00:19:33,199
Speaker 1: for the Gipper style. Can you put in perspective for

436
00:19:33,280 --> 00:19:36,400
Speaker 1: us just what Christine Sinclair did for the game, how

437
00:19:36,480 --> 00:19:37,280
Speaker 1: much she achieved.

438
00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:40,120
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean it's tough to do that, right, I think, Yeah,

439
00:19:40,920 --> 00:19:44,600
Speaker 3: eleven years in Portland, I think that is sort of even.

440
00:19:44,640 --> 00:19:46,879
Speaker 3: That is a small piece of it, but is a

441
00:19:46,880 --> 00:19:48,679
Speaker 3: big piece of it for her, and that you know,

442
00:19:48,760 --> 00:19:51,440
Speaker 3: she was a founding member of the Thorns and helped

443
00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:54,680
Speaker 3: define that franchise, which is arguably the most successful in

444
00:19:54,720 --> 00:19:58,119
Speaker 3: the league obviously for Canada. Has been the face of

445
00:19:58,119 --> 00:20:01,560
Speaker 3: a country for two decades plus, and you know, world

446
00:20:01,640 --> 00:20:05,320
Speaker 3: leading goalscorer internationally, and I think you know all while

447
00:20:05,359 --> 00:20:08,399
Speaker 3: doing so, and you know all of those incredible stats

448
00:20:08,440 --> 00:20:10,359
Speaker 3: and I think you know this is is maybe a

449
00:20:10,359 --> 00:20:12,439
Speaker 3: little bit cheesy, but like, you know, we talk about it, right,

450
00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:14,240
Speaker 3: it is like how do people talk about you? And

451
00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:16,800
Speaker 3: you know, kind of the humble superstar. I mean, I

452
00:20:16,880 --> 00:20:19,360
Speaker 3: don't think you can find a person who can say

453
00:20:19,359 --> 00:20:22,800
Speaker 3: a bad thing about Christine Sinclair. And you know, I

454
00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:24,520
Speaker 3: think just right down to the very end. I mean,

455
00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:27,199
Speaker 3: you know, we we waited a long time after the

456
00:20:27,200 --> 00:20:28,520
Speaker 3: game to try to just talk to her for a

457
00:20:28,560 --> 00:20:31,919
Speaker 3: couple of minutes. And you know, even in asking her

458
00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:35,080
Speaker 3: about sort of the end for her, the entirety of

459
00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:37,640
Speaker 3: her answers straight to the team and losing the game.

460
00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:40,720
Speaker 3: And that's just her in a nutshell, even despite being

461
00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:43,480
Speaker 3: you know, world leading goal scorer and all those.

462
00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:45,880
Speaker 2: Things Canadians Canadian truly.

463
00:20:47,160 --> 00:20:49,439
Speaker 1: Also, in honor of her retirement, I think we should

464
00:20:49,480 --> 00:20:51,639
Speaker 1: finally fix the internet. So when you search who is

465
00:20:51,680 --> 00:20:56,000
Speaker 1: the highest goal scorer in international soccer history, you've fucking

466
00:20:56,040 --> 00:20:58,960
Speaker 1: stopped getting dudes and start getting Christine Sinclair at the

467
00:20:59,000 --> 00:20:59,639
Speaker 1: top of the page.

468
00:20:59,640 --> 00:21:00,679
Speaker 2: It's so infuriating.

469
00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:07,959
Speaker 1: Temwa, Barbara Banda, Ossi, Sadoshwala, who you mentioned, Rachel Kundananji.

470
00:21:08,040 --> 00:21:09,679
Speaker 1: You're looking at some of the goal scorers in this

471
00:21:09,720 --> 00:21:11,440
Speaker 1: opening round. You're looking at some of the big names

472
00:21:11,440 --> 00:21:13,320
Speaker 1: in this opening round, and it's a reminder of so

473
00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:16,920
Speaker 1: many high quality African players joining this league and becoming

474
00:21:17,119 --> 00:21:20,480
Speaker 1: instant game changers. How has the arrival of those African

475
00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:22,840
Speaker 1: players really changed the NWSL.

476
00:21:23,440 --> 00:21:25,520
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean I think, you know, in some ways

477
00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:28,480
Speaker 3: maybe a missing piece for these top teams. Orlando's a

478
00:21:28,520 --> 00:21:30,480
Speaker 3: team that I think had a lot of pieces in

479
00:21:30,520 --> 00:21:32,680
Speaker 3: place last year to build a foundation for what they're

480
00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:35,159
Speaker 3: doing this year. Never in my lifetime what I've I

481
00:21:35,200 --> 00:21:37,840
Speaker 3: expected to say that the Orlando Pride would start a

482
00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:41,520
Speaker 3: game twenty a season, twenty three games unbeaten. But I

483
00:21:41,520 --> 00:21:44,280
Speaker 3: mean what they lacked was probably a proven goal scorer.

484
00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:47,000
Speaker 3: And there it is in Bando with thirteen goals in

485
00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:50,760
Speaker 3: the season in the regular season, and you know, temwichowinga

486
00:21:50,840 --> 00:21:54,040
Speaker 3: obviously breaking Sam Kurz record. Again, I don't know that

487
00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:55,920
Speaker 3: it was a record that I felt like would never fall,

488
00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:58,760
Speaker 3: especially as we've expanded the league and the season, but

489
00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:02,240
Speaker 3: it's been there for a while and Sam Kerr was

490
00:22:02,680 --> 00:22:04,600
Speaker 3: you know, did what she did in a singular way

491
00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:07,000
Speaker 3: in this league. So you know, tim Wichwinga comes in

492
00:22:07,080 --> 00:22:09,359
Speaker 3: year one and breaks it. You know, I think that

493
00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:12,200
Speaker 3: they've really in many ways those two players alone, but

494
00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:15,439
Speaker 3: but you know, even beyond them, the influx of international

495
00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:17,680
Speaker 3: talent this year has defined the league and it's been

496
00:22:17,720 --> 00:22:21,200
Speaker 3: really quite a response from the World Cup last year

497
00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:23,399
Speaker 3: in a way, and whether they directly correlate or not,

498
00:22:23,560 --> 00:22:27,360
Speaker 3: you know, the US was generally terrible at that World Cup.

499
00:22:27,440 --> 00:22:29,879
Speaker 3: They you know, we came out of that saying, is

500
00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:32,919
Speaker 3: this where everybody turns and says, the NWSL is not

501
00:22:32,960 --> 00:22:34,680
Speaker 3: doing it for us, We need to expand our game

502
00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:39,960
Speaker 3: and go abroad. That really didn't happen, and instead NWSL

503
00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:42,880
Speaker 3: teams brought in international players, and I think the league

504
00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:45,919
Speaker 3: has been many ways doubled down on being arguably the

505
00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:48,600
Speaker 3: best in the world because of that. So I think

506
00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:50,200
Speaker 3: that they've they've helped in that case.

507
00:22:50,640 --> 00:22:53,280
Speaker 1: As a fan of the NWSL, as someone who supports

508
00:22:53,320 --> 00:22:55,080
Speaker 1: all of these investors and folks who are trying to

509
00:22:55,080 --> 00:22:57,640
Speaker 1: make this game bigger here, I am so grateful that's

510
00:22:57,640 --> 00:22:59,280
Speaker 1: the direction it went in, because there was a real

511
00:22:59,320 --> 00:23:01,879
Speaker 1: panic post World Cup about how the US was failing

512
00:23:01,920 --> 00:23:04,560
Speaker 1: on the international level, but also about how if the

513
00:23:04,600 --> 00:23:07,800
Speaker 1: international game started to pass them by, would the exporting

514
00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:10,560
Speaker 1: of players to European leagues or other leagues around the

515
00:23:10,560 --> 00:23:13,920
Speaker 1: world be be more likely than being able to draw

516
00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:15,800
Speaker 1: them in and instead, with the arrival of some of

517
00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:18,680
Speaker 1: these fantastic players and the enthusiasm and excitement around it,

518
00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:21,160
Speaker 1: I think we can say that the NWSL is still

519
00:23:21,520 --> 00:23:23,440
Speaker 1: the best league in the world, or at least still

520
00:23:23,440 --> 00:23:25,719
Speaker 1: competing for the best, and with room to grow now

521
00:23:25,760 --> 00:23:28,080
Speaker 1: that we've seen the results of these players arriving, which

522
00:23:28,119 --> 00:23:31,600
Speaker 1: is great news for growth. Okay, quickly, let's look ahead

523
00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:34,040
Speaker 1: to the Semis Gotham at Washington next Saturday.

524
00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:34,959
Speaker 2: Who's got the edge?

525
00:23:35,880 --> 00:23:39,040
Speaker 3: I mean, look, I like Gotham on momentum. Momentum is

526
00:23:39,040 --> 00:23:42,200
Speaker 3: a bit cliche, I realize, but I you know, pairing

527
00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:44,040
Speaker 3: with that is the fact that they find ways to

528
00:23:44,080 --> 00:23:46,480
Speaker 3: get things done and to the point of not just

529
00:23:46,520 --> 00:23:49,440
Speaker 3: with their superstars, but you know, the depth that they have.

530
00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:51,639
Speaker 3: I mean, Sheham coming off the bench because she was

531
00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:53,959
Speaker 3: dealing with a minor injury, but you know, whether it's

532
00:23:53,960 --> 00:23:56,840
Speaker 3: she Han. We haven't even said yas Ryan yet, who won.

533
00:23:56,920 --> 00:24:01,120
Speaker 3: Carlos Samros head coach was really complimentary of in that midfield,

534
00:24:01,240 --> 00:24:05,159
Speaker 3: so you know, Ryan Martin defensively, they've been really sound,

535
00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:08,760
Speaker 3: despite maybe a couple moments in that quarterfinal and obviously

536
00:24:09,040 --> 00:24:11,880
Speaker 3: maybe escaped with the help of the woodwork. But yeah,

537
00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:15,000
Speaker 3: I like Gotham in that matchup for the run that

538
00:24:15,040 --> 00:24:17,280
Speaker 3: they've been on, the ways they find it, the ways

539
00:24:17,280 --> 00:24:19,560
Speaker 3: they've found to get it done, and you know, Spirit

540
00:24:19,680 --> 00:24:21,800
Speaker 3: on pure talent, I mean, I think this game is

541
00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:24,000
Speaker 3: maybe equal on pure talent if you're looking on paper.

542
00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:27,760
Speaker 3: But I think Gotham has some experience from last year

543
00:24:27,760 --> 00:24:29,480
Speaker 3: and they've got that identity. I mean, the Spirit do

544
00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:33,440
Speaker 3: as well in transition, but Gotham finds ways to control games,

545
00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:36,280
Speaker 3: to win games, and you know, I think that they've

546
00:24:36,320 --> 00:24:39,560
Speaker 3: got all of those pieces in place in a way

547
00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:40,960
Speaker 3: that should get them through to the final.

548
00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:44,840
Speaker 1: We saw pretty rock and home crowd at Audi Field.

549
00:24:45,240 --> 00:24:46,879
Speaker 1: Does that play a difference there for you that the

550
00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:47,920
Speaker 1: Spirit are going to be at home?

551
00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:49,680
Speaker 3: I mean I think it's a factor. Yeah. I mean

552
00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:51,960
Speaker 3: being at Red Bull Arena yesterday, it was the best

553
00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:54,119
Speaker 3: I've ever seen red Bull Arena for a Gotham or

554
00:24:54,160 --> 00:24:57,520
Speaker 3: Skyblue game. It was as the press box is seated,

555
00:24:57,560 --> 00:24:59,760
Speaker 3: as you know, which is the last time it'll ever be.

556
00:25:00,119 --> 00:25:02,560
Speaker 3: Fortunately we're right by the benches, and I mean the

557
00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:05,639
Speaker 3: crowd was on the refereeing crew. I would say the

558
00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:08,240
Speaker 3: Gotham bench was fired up. We had at one point,

559
00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:09,919
Speaker 3: I don't know what the cameras caught, but the Thorns

560
00:25:09,920 --> 00:25:12,359
Speaker 3: were coming out of their technical area to talk to

561
00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:15,560
Speaker 3: the fourth officials. So I would say, I mean, it's

562
00:25:15,600 --> 00:25:17,919
Speaker 3: always hard to tell. It's impossible to know what the

563
00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:22,000
Speaker 3: crowd plays into a referee or otherwise. But like it

564
00:25:22,119 --> 00:25:23,680
Speaker 3: was there in a way that had never been there

565
00:25:23,680 --> 00:25:25,160
Speaker 3: for Red Bull Arena, And I think you could say

566
00:25:25,160 --> 00:25:28,479
Speaker 3: that about Audifield in many ways, at least for you know,

567
00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:33,159
Speaker 3: Audi Field pre Michelle kang Era in a way, you know,

568
00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:34,560
Speaker 3: even though that was growing at a time.

569
00:25:34,600 --> 00:25:36,000
Speaker 2: But right, well, we.

570
00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:38,480
Speaker 1: Talked about on the show yesterday that the crowd for

571
00:25:38,520 --> 00:25:40,400
Speaker 1: the last home playoff game for the Spirit was some

572
00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:42,400
Speaker 1: somewhere around five thousand something, and this was a cell

573
00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:43,440
Speaker 1: at nineteen thousand plus.

574
00:25:43,480 --> 00:25:44,720
Speaker 2: I mean, it's a very different space.

575
00:25:44,800 --> 00:25:47,600
Speaker 1: Now, maybe we'll get Magic Johnson back there in one

576
00:25:47,640 --> 00:25:50,000
Speaker 1: of those boxes to high five Trinity if things are

577
00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:53,200
Speaker 1: going well, let's talk about the other one, Orlando hosting

578
00:25:53,280 --> 00:25:57,120
Speaker 1: Kansas City on Sunday. How can case you mentioned this,

579
00:25:57,359 --> 00:25:59,679
Speaker 1: you know, and the Pride's great season, is it really

580
00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:04,159
Speaker 1: just about not making mistakes and allowing the Pride to attack,

581
00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:06,280
Speaker 1: but also finding ways to make them make mistakes.

582
00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:09,000
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, I think as simple as that sounds,

583
00:26:09,240 --> 00:26:11,480
Speaker 3: it is because you look at that blueprint of a

584
00:26:11,520 --> 00:26:15,640
Speaker 3: game from September and it really was a little bit

585
00:26:15,760 --> 00:26:18,040
Speaker 3: despite all the talent on both of these teams of

586
00:26:18,560 --> 00:26:20,600
Speaker 3: you make the first move, because each of these teams

587
00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:23,600
Speaker 3: knows how much they can get. You know how effective

588
00:26:23,600 --> 00:26:25,640
Speaker 3: they are in transition and how effective the other team

589
00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:28,600
Speaker 3: is in transition. So if you commit those numbers forward,

590
00:26:29,119 --> 00:26:31,359
Speaker 3: you know you might and you don't score, obviously, you

591
00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:34,359
Speaker 3: can very quickly get countered, and neither of these teams

592
00:26:34,440 --> 00:26:36,680
Speaker 3: you want to be counted by. So I do think

593
00:26:36,760 --> 00:26:39,440
Speaker 3: we could see something very similar to September, which was

594
00:26:39,480 --> 00:26:41,639
Speaker 3: a scoreless draw. I mean, this could go to one

595
00:26:41,720 --> 00:26:45,080
Speaker 3: twenty to PK's potentially. There's so little between these teams,

596
00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:48,520
Speaker 3: right down to that proven goal scorer that is just

597
00:26:48,560 --> 00:26:50,720
Speaker 3: head and shoulders above the rest of the league and

598
00:26:50,800 --> 00:26:54,280
Speaker 3: chewing gun Banda. You've got Marta in midfield, You've got

599
00:26:54,560 --> 00:26:56,280
Speaker 3: a host of other names that would take too long

600
00:26:56,280 --> 00:26:58,720
Speaker 3: to list, right, and Casey has that in midfield as well.

601
00:26:58,760 --> 00:27:01,240
Speaker 3: So yeah, I do think this is going to be

602
00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:04,879
Speaker 3: a game that potentially turns on a moment of a mistake.

603
00:27:04,920 --> 00:27:08,280
Speaker 1: Even Yeah, and Casey of course wants to get to

604
00:27:08,359 --> 00:27:12,720
Speaker 1: the final in their home stadium. Orlando obviously wants to

605
00:27:12,760 --> 00:27:14,880
Speaker 1: actually get the title to cap off a season that's

606
00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:17,120
Speaker 1: already been so spectacular for a team that was sort

607
00:27:17,119 --> 00:27:19,040
Speaker 1: of the laughingstock of the league for such a long time.

608
00:27:19,240 --> 00:27:22,480
Speaker 1: They've got the old win one for Marta to her contract. Obviously,

609
00:27:23,119 --> 00:27:25,959
Speaker 1: we don't know where her future lies after this season.

610
00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:29,880
Speaker 1: I listened to a really fascinating conversation that talked about

611
00:27:29,880 --> 00:27:32,320
Speaker 1: how the lack of relegation in the NWSL and also

612
00:27:32,359 --> 00:27:34,760
Speaker 1: the style of play means that teams usually show up

613
00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:36,679
Speaker 1: for every single game playing their style.

614
00:27:36,960 --> 00:27:40,000
Speaker 2: We don't usually see the way we do an international play.

615
00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:41,480
Speaker 1: When the US is in the World Cup or in

616
00:27:41,520 --> 00:27:44,080
Speaker 1: the Olympics, we talk a lot about the other teams

617
00:27:44,200 --> 00:27:46,760
Speaker 1: choosing to play a certain style knowing that the US

618
00:27:46,840 --> 00:27:49,919
Speaker 1: is a better team, playing super defensive and hoping that

619
00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:53,040
Speaker 1: a mistake will allow them to get some magic, knowing

620
00:27:53,040 --> 00:27:53,800
Speaker 1: that they're outmatched.

621
00:27:53,800 --> 00:27:55,760
Speaker 2: We don't usually see that in the NWSL. But does

622
00:27:55,800 --> 00:27:56,879
Speaker 2: it feel like when you get.

623
00:27:56,720 --> 00:27:59,680
Speaker 1: Down to these playoffs, you will potentially see teams being

624
00:27:59,720 --> 00:28:02,520
Speaker 1: more willing to play outside of their own style in

625
00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:04,199
Speaker 1: order to do what we just talked about with the

626
00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:07,040
Speaker 1: Pride Kansas City game, which is maybe we lay back

627
00:28:07,040 --> 00:28:09,120
Speaker 1: a little bit and hope that we get that opportunity

628
00:28:09,200 --> 00:28:11,119
Speaker 1: and we force them to make a mistake instead of

629
00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:13,480
Speaker 1: going out there with whatever aggressive style woul usually bring

630
00:28:13,480 --> 00:28:14,480
Speaker 1: to a regular season game.

631
00:28:14,880 --> 00:28:17,240
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, I'd argue that's happening in ways that

632
00:28:17,320 --> 00:28:19,920
Speaker 3: maybe our sort of novice eyes don't see as much

633
00:28:19,920 --> 00:28:20,960
Speaker 3: in the regular season.

634
00:28:20,960 --> 00:28:24,200
Speaker 2: But you say my novice eyes myself as well.

635
00:28:24,080 --> 00:28:27,000
Speaker 3: Like I mean, listen, I've been on calls where coaches

636
00:28:27,040 --> 00:28:30,160
Speaker 3: definitely don't agree with the assessment that we've had from

637
00:28:30,200 --> 00:28:33,800
Speaker 3: the outside, right, But you know, I think maybe this, Yeah,

638
00:28:33,800 --> 00:28:35,639
Speaker 3: the stakes are a little bit lower in the regular

639
00:28:35,680 --> 00:28:38,880
Speaker 3: season and in ways, but certainly there's an adaptation. I mean,

640
00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:41,880
Speaker 3: I think most coaches will tell you publicly that we

641
00:28:41,920 --> 00:28:44,160
Speaker 3: play our game. We don't you know, we're not going

642
00:28:44,240 --> 00:28:46,360
Speaker 3: to adapt to them, They're going to adapt to us.

643
00:28:46,480 --> 00:28:48,800
Speaker 3: But of course there's an adaptation. Of course, you're going

644
00:28:48,840 --> 00:28:50,800
Speaker 3: to go to an into a game and say, you know,

645
00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:53,280
Speaker 3: we can't give Orlando this piece, we can't give Kansas

646
00:28:53,320 --> 00:28:56,080
Speaker 3: City that part. So I do think, you know, I

647
00:28:56,080 --> 00:28:57,880
Speaker 3: think the coaching Actually, I'm mean I wrote about this

648
00:28:57,920 --> 00:29:00,800
Speaker 3: in the off season, although so how much has changed

649
00:29:00,800 --> 00:29:03,320
Speaker 3: in mid season, including the shocking stuff that like Casey

650
00:29:03,360 --> 00:29:06,080
Speaker 3: Stony not being in San Diego right now is nothing

651
00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:08,400
Speaker 3: I would have predicted eight months ago. But you know,

652
00:29:08,480 --> 00:29:11,520
Speaker 3: the coaching carousel of the offseason really benefited the NWSL

653
00:29:11,520 --> 00:29:15,400
Speaker 3: as well. You've got Jonathan Heraldez coming over from Barcelona. Arguably,

654
00:29:15,480 --> 00:29:17,720
Speaker 3: you know, the most coveted position in the world in

655
00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:21,280
Speaker 3: club football is lord to Washington. Like a lot went

656
00:29:21,360 --> 00:29:24,320
Speaker 3: right there of Lackwananofski returning as Kansas City's head coach,

657
00:29:24,840 --> 00:29:28,640
Speaker 3: and that is really elevated. I think the tactical piece

658
00:29:28,680 --> 00:29:30,560
Speaker 3: of this league in many ways, we talked about North

659
00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:34,160
Speaker 3: Carolina with their possessions, so I actually think that this

660
00:29:34,280 --> 00:29:37,880
Speaker 3: league to counter wherever that point was made a little

661
00:29:37,880 --> 00:29:39,840
Speaker 3: bit like, I think this league doesn't quite get enough

662
00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:44,160
Speaker 3: credit for being more tactically flexible, for the coaching quality

663
00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:47,160
Speaker 3: that exists. And I do think as much as there's

664
00:29:47,240 --> 00:29:50,400
Speaker 3: a tired cliche that we use here about there's only

665
00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:52,240
Speaker 3: two good teams in France and all of that, which

666
00:29:52,280 --> 00:29:54,400
Speaker 3: is becoming a little bit less true. I think it

667
00:29:54,440 --> 00:29:57,040
Speaker 3: happens in reverse too, that the NWSL is only a

668
00:29:57,080 --> 00:29:59,920
Speaker 3: transition league, when I don't I think that's a data

669
00:30:00,120 --> 00:30:00,960
Speaker 3: view to be honest.

670
00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:04,720
Speaker 1: Yeah, well, we're gonna have to have you back with

671
00:30:04,800 --> 00:30:06,800
Speaker 1: more time to talk about, Like you mentioned, whatever the

672
00:30:06,800 --> 00:30:09,520
Speaker 1: hell is going on with the Wave what other changes

673
00:30:09,560 --> 00:30:11,320
Speaker 1: we hope to see from this league in the off season.

674
00:30:11,360 --> 00:30:12,800
Speaker 1: But we can save all that for the off season

675
00:30:12,800 --> 00:30:14,440
Speaker 1: because we got Semi's coming up, and he did such

676
00:30:14,440 --> 00:30:16,440
Speaker 1: a great job getting us primed and ready for those

677
00:30:16,440 --> 00:30:18,080
Speaker 1: So thank you so much for the time, Jeff, and

678
00:30:18,560 --> 00:30:20,520
Speaker 1: congrats on the gig with ESPN. We love to see

679
00:30:20,520 --> 00:30:22,720
Speaker 1: a dedicated reporter covering all that stuff and bringing us

680
00:30:22,760 --> 00:30:25,480
Speaker 1: the good stuff. So thanks for coming on. Thanks for

681
00:30:25,520 --> 00:30:28,080
Speaker 1: having me, Sarah, We got to pay the bills, stick around.

682
00:30:33,280 --> 00:30:35,840
Speaker 2: Welcome back Slices. So last week you.

683
00:30:35,800 --> 00:30:39,040
Speaker 1: May recall my ode to soup season and my request

684
00:30:39,080 --> 00:30:41,360
Speaker 1: that y'all send me recipes. Well, we heard from one

685
00:30:41,400 --> 00:30:43,560
Speaker 1: carrot slice who puts oranges in soup.

686
00:30:43,640 --> 00:30:43,760
Speaker 3: Right.

687
00:30:44,240 --> 00:30:47,480
Speaker 1: Monica Powers wrote quote listening to you while making soup

688
00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:50,200
Speaker 1: for my restaurant, love your show, can't send you recipes

689
00:30:50,240 --> 00:30:51,320
Speaker 1: because they're top secret.

690
00:30:52,680 --> 00:30:54,280
Speaker 2: Okay, well thanks for nothing.

691
00:30:54,040 --> 00:31:01,720
Speaker 1: Monica, anyone, anyone, bueller, supress, send them. Send me your

692
00:31:01,720 --> 00:31:05,520
Speaker 1: delicious vegetarian soup recipes. Please, people not named Monica. You

693
00:31:05,520 --> 00:31:07,680
Speaker 1: don't even have to work in a restaurant to be qualified.

694
00:31:07,920 --> 00:31:11,040
Speaker 1: Send them. And while I'm asking for favors, you guys

695
00:31:11,040 --> 00:31:12,560
Speaker 1: know that we love that you're listening, but we want

696
00:31:12,600 --> 00:31:14,320
Speaker 1: you to get in the game every day too, So

697
00:31:14,600 --> 00:31:17,880
Speaker 1: here's our good gameplay of the day. Please join the

698
00:31:17,920 --> 00:31:20,720
Speaker 1: few loyal slices who have messaged us to tell us

699
00:31:20,760 --> 00:31:22,880
Speaker 1: the ways they're making a difference in their little slice

700
00:31:22,920 --> 00:31:25,720
Speaker 1: of the world. We are all trying not to catastrophize

701
00:31:25,720 --> 00:31:28,400
Speaker 1: about the future, so it really helps to hear that there.

702
00:31:28,320 --> 00:31:30,240
Speaker 2: Are good people everywhere doing their best.

703
00:31:30,600 --> 00:31:33,440
Speaker 1: So thank you to Aaron Raw whose family is fighting

704
00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:36,400
Speaker 1: back by playing women's sports, by supporting her eldest daughter's

705
00:31:36,400 --> 00:31:38,880
Speaker 1: good friend who happens to be trans and by focusing

706
00:31:38,880 --> 00:31:42,000
Speaker 1: on what they can do to spread real information. And

707
00:31:42,160 --> 00:31:45,760
Speaker 1: to Pamela Mudway, who has deleted Twitter is reducing her

708
00:31:45,760 --> 00:31:48,240
Speaker 1: reliance on Amazon by going directly to the sellers of

709
00:31:48,240 --> 00:31:50,800
Speaker 1: the products that she frequently buys on Amazon and is

710
00:31:50,880 --> 00:31:53,320
Speaker 1: volunteering for causes that matter to her. We love that

711
00:31:53,960 --> 00:31:57,080
Speaker 1: shop local, support local. I heard this last year and

712
00:31:57,080 --> 00:31:58,880
Speaker 1: it totally stuck with me. If you like walking around

713
00:31:58,880 --> 00:32:01,000
Speaker 1: your neighborhood and seeing cute little stores, then you have

714
00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:02,960
Speaker 1: to actually shop at those cute little stores where they

715
00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:03,920
Speaker 1: won't exist anymore.

716
00:32:04,520 --> 00:32:06,880
Speaker 2: So do that and speak up for folks.

717
00:32:06,720 --> 00:32:09,840
Speaker 1: In public and online and anywhere else that marginalized folks

718
00:32:09,880 --> 00:32:10,720
Speaker 1: are being mistreated.

719
00:32:10,760 --> 00:32:13,800
Speaker 2: They need our support. And yes, if you can quit

720
00:32:13,800 --> 00:32:15,920
Speaker 2: Twitter slash x, do it.

721
00:32:16,160 --> 00:32:18,720
Speaker 1: I honestly hate telling y'all to follow me there or

722
00:32:18,760 --> 00:32:21,440
Speaker 1: find info or vote on things there. I just haven't

723
00:32:21,440 --> 00:32:24,160
Speaker 1: found a suitable replacement yet, and I gotta do my job.

724
00:32:24,200 --> 00:32:27,200
Speaker 1: I got to get league team, athlete information, news updates,

725
00:32:27,200 --> 00:32:30,080
Speaker 1: all that stuff, and until I find a replacement, I

726
00:32:30,120 --> 00:32:34,080
Speaker 1: gotta stay there. But you can quit, so yeah, send

727
00:32:34,160 --> 00:32:36,360
Speaker 1: us that, Send us how you're making a difference. And also,

728
00:32:36,400 --> 00:32:38,800
Speaker 1: don't forget this trio needs a name. What do you

729
00:32:38,840 --> 00:32:41,000
Speaker 1: want to call me? Alex and Misha let us know.

730
00:32:41,280 --> 00:32:43,880
Speaker 1: Hit us up on email, good game at wondermedianetwork dot com,

731
00:32:44,080 --> 00:32:45,840
Speaker 1: or leave us a voicemail eight seven two two O

732
00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:51,160
Speaker 1: four fifty seventy and as always, don't forget to subscribe,

733
00:32:51,200 --> 00:32:54,200
Speaker 1: Rate and review. It's super easy watch Finding a perfect

734
00:32:54,240 --> 00:32:57,000
Speaker 1: little dog pawprint in the mud rating five out of

735
00:32:57,040 --> 00:33:00,200
Speaker 1: five Good Boys Review. What a delight it is to

736
00:33:00,240 --> 00:33:03,600
Speaker 1: stumble upon an unknown dog print perfectly preserved in the mud.

737
00:33:04,160 --> 00:33:06,320
Speaker 1: You know, just snow on that a dog walked right

738
00:33:06,360 --> 00:33:08,840
Speaker 1: where you're now walking, sometime between the current moment in

739
00:33:08,880 --> 00:33:12,160
Speaker 1: time and the last big rain or windstorm. It's truly

740
00:33:12,160 --> 00:33:15,600
Speaker 1: a small joy in life. Fossilize that shit. Now it's

741
00:33:15,640 --> 00:33:16,040
Speaker 1: your turn.

742
00:33:16,160 --> 00:33:18,920
Speaker 2: Rate and review. Thanks for listening, slices, see you tomorrow.

743
00:33:19,080 --> 00:33:23,760
Speaker 1: Good Game, Jeff, Good Game, Lily Johannes, you the news,

744
00:33:24,560 --> 00:33:26,680
Speaker 1: all of it right now, go away.

745
00:33:27,160 --> 00:33:31,840
Speaker 2: I am still trying to disassociate Good Game with.

746
00:33:31,800 --> 00:33:34,680
Speaker 1: Sarah Spain is an iHeart women's sports production in partnership

747
00:33:34,680 --> 00:33:37,120
Speaker 1: with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us

748
00:33:37,120 --> 00:33:39,880
Speaker 1: on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get

749
00:33:39,920 --> 00:33:43,640
Speaker 1: your podcasts. Production by Wonder Media Network, our producers are.

750
00:33:43,560 --> 00:33:45,040
Speaker 2: Alex Azzie and Misha Jones.

751
00:33:45,200 --> 00:33:48,640
Speaker 1: Our executive producers are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan,

752
00:33:48,720 --> 00:33:52,160
Speaker 1: and Emily Rudder. Our editors are Emily Rudder, Britney Martinez,

753
00:33:52,200 --> 00:33:55,880
Speaker 1: Grace Lynch and Lindsay Cradowell. Production assistants from Lucy Jones

754
00:33:55,960 --> 00:33:57,440
Speaker 1: and I'm Your Host Sarah Spain