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

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Speaker 1: it up for Kelsey Plum and Nellie Corda's cameos and

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Speaker 1: Happy Gilmore too. It's Monday, July twenty eighth, and on

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Speaker 1: today's show, we'll be talking with retired pro soccer player

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Speaker 1: turned broadcaster Darien Jenkins about the NWSL's return to action,

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Speaker 1: the Rivalry weekend game she's most looking forward to, why

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Speaker 1: she thinks the Seattle rain will make a run up

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Speaker 1: the table, and the storyline she's keeping tabs on in

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Speaker 1: the second half of the NWSL season. Plus they're chanting

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Speaker 1: It's coming home. A mascot goes Gaga and I made

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Speaker 1: it to Providence.

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Speaker 2: Park and the Sports Bra.

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Speaker 1: Finally a recap of my magical women's sports weekend in Portland.

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Speaker 1: It's all coming out right after this. Welcome Max Slices.

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Speaker 1: Here's what you need to know today. Let's start with

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Speaker 1: softball and the first ever Athletes Unlimited Softball League Championship.

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Speaker 1: Saturday's opener was spoiled by bad weather in Tuscaloosa, Alabama,

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Speaker 1: with thunderstorms delaying the start and then postponing the game

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Speaker 1: in the sixth inning.

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Speaker 2: With the Talents up three to one.

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Speaker 1: The game picked back up on Sunday morning, and the

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Speaker 1: Talents were able to hold off the Bandits to get

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Speaker 1: the win. Game two, just a few hours later, saw

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Speaker 1: another rain delay while it was scoreless in the fifth.

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Speaker 1: When the game resumed, Alabama alum Montana Fouts, who had

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Speaker 1: started for the Talents, finished off a shutout at her

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Speaker 1: alma mater, holding the Bandits to five hits while striking

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Speaker 1: out seven. Sidney Romero's game deciding home run in the

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Speaker 1: sixth was the difference, leading the Talents to a one

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Speaker 1: zero win and the series sweep, giving them the inaugural

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Speaker 1: AUSL Championship. It was also announced this weekend that the

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Speaker 1: Bandits Aaron Koffl was the most Valuable Player of the

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Speaker 1: inaugural AUSL season. Kaufele also won the league's Hitter of

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Speaker 1: the Year award and was named a member of the

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Speaker 1: AUSL All Defensive Team. To Soccer and an Electric Final

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Speaker 1: in the women's years that saw England defeat Spain in penalties,

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Speaker 1: repeating as euro champs and avenging their loss to the

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Speaker 1: Spaniards in the twenty twenty three World Cup Final. Mariona

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Speaker 1: Caldente scored first for Spain twenty five minutes in, but

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Speaker 1: Alicia Russo even things with itally at the fifty seven

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Speaker 1: minute mark. After regulation time ended at one to one

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Speaker 1: and a scoreless extra time, England ended up earning the

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Speaker 1: win in the penalty shootout three to one. English keeper

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Speaker 1: Hannah Hampton was the hero, saving two penalties, while Alex Greenwood,

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Speaker 1: Nef Charles and Chloe Kelly buried their attempts to get

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Speaker 1: the win. England manager Serena Veegman has now won the

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Speaker 1: Euros three straight times, once with the Netherlands and twice

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Speaker 1: with England. Spain's Ititana Bonmati was named Player of the

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Speaker 1: Tournament despite her team coming up short in the final.

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Speaker 1: The biggest winner of the Euros Women's footy, the event

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Speaker 1: set a new euro tournament attendance record of six hundred

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Speaker 1: and fifty seven thousand, two hundred and ninety one fans

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Speaker 1: to Hoops and some unfortunate news for the Golden State Valkyries.

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Speaker 1: The team announced that forward Kayla Thornton has undergone knee

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Speaker 1: surgery on an injury suffered in practice this week and

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Speaker 1: she'll miss the remainder of the WNBA season. We're wishing

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Speaker 1: Thornton a speedy recovery. She was enjoying a career season,

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Speaker 1: leading the team in points, rebounds, and steals per game,

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Speaker 1: and had just participated in her first All Star Game.

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Speaker 1: The Valkyries have split their two games since her surgery,

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Speaker 1: defeating the Wings eighty six seventy six on Friday night

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Speaker 1: before getting pounded by the last place Connecticut Sun ninety

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Speaker 1: five sixty four on Sunday. Elsewhere in the w the

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Speaker 1: New York Liberty seemed to have avoided a worst case

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Speaker 1: scenario after star Brianna Stewart left Saturday's game against the

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Speaker 1: LA Sparks just three minutes in with an apparent leg injury.

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Speaker 1: Sources told the Posts Madeline Kenny that imaging on Stuart's

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Speaker 1: lower right leg showed that she avoided a significant injury.

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Speaker 1: Brianna Stewart will travel with the team on their upcoming

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Speaker 1: four game road trip, but the team does plan to

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Speaker 1: give her some time to recover.

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Speaker 2: The Liberty ended up.

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Speaker 1: Falling to LA in that game one oh one ninety

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Speaker 1: nine on a Rakia Jackson layup at the buzzer second

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Speaker 1: Your Sparks standout Cameron Brink did not.

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Speaker 2: Suit up for that game, but She has.

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Speaker 1: Been cleared to play the number two overall pick in

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Speaker 1: the twenty twenty four draft. Has been out thirteen months

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Speaker 1: after tearing the ACL and miniscus in her leftknee early

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Speaker 1: in her rookie season last year.

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Speaker 2: We're excited to.

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Speaker 1: See cam Brink back in action, especially as the Sparks

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Speaker 1: start to put things together. They've run their win streak

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Speaker 1: to five in a row. Final piece of news from

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Speaker 1: that Liberty Sparks game gotta be Ellie the Elephant, somehow,

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Speaker 1: topping all of her previous shenanigans with a Lady Gaga

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Speaker 1: inspired spectacle that included an elaborate entrance in an egg

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Speaker 1: channeling Gaga's twenty eleven Red Carpet arrival, and then a

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Speaker 1: show stopping halftime dance to a Gaga mashup.

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Speaker 2: We'll link to that performance in the show notes.

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Speaker 1: More w on Sunday and epic showing from Kelsey Mitchell

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Speaker 1: Worth mentioning she hit seven three pointers and put up

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Speaker 1: thirty five points to lead her Indiana Fever past the

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Speaker 1: Chicago Sky at the United Center ninety three seventy eight.

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Speaker 1: Eliah Boston had a fourteen point eleven rebound double double

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Speaker 1: in the win It was a game that saw both

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Speaker 1: Caitlin Clark and Angel Rees sitting out with groin and

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Speaker 1: back injuries, respectively. To the pool, where Canadian summer McIntosh

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Speaker 1: won gold in the four hundred meter freestyle. On Sunday

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Speaker 1: at the Swimming World Championships, Lee Bingie of China took

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Speaker 1: silver with a late charge, leaving Katie Ladeci to settle

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Speaker 1: for bronze. Something to keep an eye on as the

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Speaker 1: meat continues. US swimming officials acknowledged on Sunday that some

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Speaker 1: members of the US team had come down with acute

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Speaker 1: gastro enteritis at a training camp in Thailand prior to

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Speaker 1: arriving in Singapore. They wouldn't say which swimmers or how

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Speaker 1: many total fell ill. Finally, in tennis, even though Venus

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Speaker 1: William's run at the DC Open came to an end

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Speaker 1: with a defeat at the hands of Magdalena Frek on

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Speaker 1: Thursday in the round of sixteen, we won't have to

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Speaker 1: wait long to see Venus play again. She's made it

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Speaker 1: known she'll play at the Cincinnati Open in August, and

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Speaker 1: we could even see her at the US Open if

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Speaker 1: the USTA awards her a wildcard entry slices I'm back

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Speaker 1: from a busy weekend in Portland and after just a

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Speaker 1: few days in the Pacific Northwest. I'm basically a tree

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Speaker 1: hugging bike riding lumberjack made up primarily of salt and straw,

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Speaker 1: ice cream, Ruby Jewel ice cream, sandwiches and Portland pino.

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Speaker 2: Y'all. I love Portland.

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Speaker 1: I had only been there for weddings before, but this

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Speaker 1: time I really got to explore and it was a blast.

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Speaker 1: The event I was attending was called the Epicenter Women's

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Speaker 1: Sports Global Somebody was put on by RAJ Sports, who

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Speaker 1: are the owners of the Portland Thorns and the new

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Speaker 1: WNBA expansion team, the Portland Fire. So they partnered up

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Speaker 1: with Nike and some venues and brands across Portland.

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Speaker 2: To showcase the city, discuss the future.

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Speaker 1: Of women's sports in Portland, and harness the brain power

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Speaker 1: of athletes, execs, sponsors and journalists, bringing them together as

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Speaker 1: they get.

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Speaker 2: Ready to launch the Fire.

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Speaker 1: So on Friday, I moderated a panel with Fire and

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Speaker 1: Thorn's owners Alex and Lisa Beathal, the Nike EVP of

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Speaker 1: Global Sports Marketing, Ann Miller, and Nike President and CEO

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Speaker 1: Elliott Hill, and we talked about the plans for both teams,

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Speaker 1: the new, first of its kind joint practice facility that

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Speaker 1: they're building taking advantage of the current moment, and how

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Speaker 1: Nike and RAJ Sports are working together to make Portland

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Speaker 1: what they're calling the global epicenter for women's sports now.

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Speaker 1: When I heard about their plans for the Fire and

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Speaker 1: Thorns to have joint spaces in the new practice space,

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Speaker 1: including a dining hall for all the athletes to hang out,

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Speaker 1: I immediately suggested a reality show because I would love

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Speaker 1: to see all the WNBA and NWSL players kicking it,

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Speaker 1: sharing tips and secrets, making friends, making more than friends.

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Speaker 1: So make it happen, RAJ Sports. I want to see that. Also,

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Speaker 1: it was cool to hear that they involved Sophia Wilson

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Speaker 1: aka so Smith and a few other Thorns players in

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Speaker 1: the process of things like picking paint colors and amenities

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Speaker 1: and stuff for the locker rooms and other facilities. I

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Speaker 1: also moderated a panel that included former pro runner turned

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Speaker 1: coach Shalaine Flanagan about the physiology of female athletes and

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Speaker 1: the need for more research and better understanding of the

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Speaker 1: female body, and I thought it was cool that she

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Speaker 1: talked about how beyond just educating her team on nutrition,

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Speaker 1: she's actually giving hands on instruction, having them to her

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Speaker 1: house for cooking classes, and even putting out three cookbooks

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Speaker 1: to help her athletes understand the importance of what they

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Speaker 1: put in and not shying away from the carbs and

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Speaker 1: the fuel that they need, especially as their body changes

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Speaker 1: due to natural hormonal shifts around child bearing age. If

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Speaker 1: you haven't read it, I highly recommend the book Good

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Speaker 1: for a Girl by Lauren Fleshman. I learned a ton

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Speaker 1: about the ways that we blame women athletes for natural

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Speaker 1: changes and cause long term damage and injury in the

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Speaker 1: name of getting smaller instead of stronger, and that conversation

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Speaker 1: with Shelanne and others reminded me how useful it was

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Speaker 1: to read that book and to better understand how women

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Speaker 1: athletes work. Also friend of the show, Annie Costabo was there.

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Speaker 1: She facilitated a panel conversation that included Don Staley. You'll

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Speaker 1: hear some of Don's words of wisdom later in the show.

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Speaker 1: Before the conference on Friday, we got to take a

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Speaker 1: tour of the Nike World Headquarters, which is this insanely

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Speaker 1: beautiful campus built right into the forest. There were like

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Speaker 1: snails crossing our path, and trees and lakes everywhere, and

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Speaker 1: some wildly cool design elements and memorabilia everywhere you look.

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Speaker 1: So in the giant Serena Building, all the buildings are

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Speaker 1: named after famous athletes, you could see Serena's catsuit from

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Speaker 1: the twenty eighteen French Open, her twenty fourteen US Open

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Speaker 1: Championship trophy, and cool things like this relaxing space full

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Speaker 1: of family portraits and the wallpaper there was designed to

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Speaker 1: look like repeating Wimbledon trophies. In the Lebron building, there

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Speaker 1: was a case full of Lebron shoe prototypes that never

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Speaker 1: made it to production and sale. And there's a basketball

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Speaker 1: hoop on the ground floor surrounded by all these floor

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Speaker 1: inlays that mark every one of his shots, both makes

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Speaker 1: and missus en route to his first thirty thousand career points,

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Speaker 1: which was really cool. If you can make it out

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Speaker 1: there and get a tour, I highly recommend a trip.

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Speaker 2: It was very cool.

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Speaker 1: Also, the Nike employee stour with some crazy discounts wasn't

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Speaker 1: half bad either. The rest of the weekend included this

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Speaker 1: gorgeous dinner at the Portland Japanese Gardens with top female

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Speaker 1: chefs and wine and tea producers from the area, a

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Speaker 1: trip to a beautiful property in the Willamette Valley wine

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Speaker 1: country for a gorgeous brunch, and and i'd at Providence

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Speaker 1: Park for a thorn Seattle rain friendly to help the

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Speaker 1: players get ramped up and ready for the start of

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Speaker 1: the second half of the season. It was super fun

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Speaker 1: to see Sam Coffee, Jordan Heidema, Olivia Moultrie, me Official

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Speaker 1: and others all in action. And I got to watch

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Speaker 1: alongside a scout for the OSM International team, which was

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Speaker 1: very cool. Also, I finally got to see that the

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Speaker 1: rumors about Portland soccer fans are all true. This was

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Speaker 1: an exhibition friendly and it was more electric than most

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Speaker 1: every NWSL game I've ever been two, besides maybe the playoffs,

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Speaker 1: So shout out Portland, what a scene. I also finally

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Speaker 1: got to make it to the sports Bra Women's sports Bar.

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Speaker 1: I got to meet friend of the show Lindsay Schnell

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Speaker 1: in person, got to take in all the insane memorabilia,

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Speaker 1: the great food, the vibes. Totally packed house, So congrats

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Speaker 1: to front of the show Jenny Wynn on a truly

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Speaker 1: cool spot. Also got a shout out the folks behind

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Speaker 1: Bump set Dyke who were recruiting players with a flyer

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Speaker 1: on the backroom door.

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Speaker 2: I did not meet them, but shouts to you on

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Speaker 2: that name. It is too good. Also, speaking of.

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Speaker 1: I got to give a shout out to a slice

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Speaker 1: I met at the conference who offered up an epic

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Speaker 1: entry into the life will surprise you files She was

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Speaker 1: telling us this story. She was married to a man

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Speaker 1: for years, always believed herself to be straight, and then

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Speaker 1: one day she woke up and realized she wanted to

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Speaker 1: leave her husband and be with women.

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Speaker 2: But before she.

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Speaker 1: Could get up the nerve to tell him, he sat

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Speaker 1: her down, put out a beautiful cheese plate, and told

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Speaker 1: her that he wanted to end things.

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Speaker 2: Because he was gay.

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Speaker 1: So he's now a de facto uncle to her kiddos

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Speaker 1: and they all lived happily ever after. Brian gay shit,

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Speaker 1: Welcome to the party. I want to just thank everyone

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Speaker 1: who organized a great weekend. I was really grateful to

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Speaker 1: experience the incredible Portland sports vibes that I've always heard about,

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Speaker 1: and I'm really looking forward to seeing what's to come

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Speaker 1: for the Fire and what will likely be a very

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Speaker 1: busy couple months as the team needs to play a

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Speaker 1: little catchup. They had a slow start. They just got

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Speaker 1: started working with interim president Claire Hammill. They still need

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Speaker 1: to hire a GM. The expansion draft is just a

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Speaker 1: few months away, and it's really yet to be seen

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Speaker 1: how the RAJ Sports Group is going to balance their time, energy,

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Speaker 1: focus and resources between the two teams. And also I'm

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Speaker 1: curious how the WNBA and NWSL might monitor that joint facility.

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Speaker 1: As I told several RAJ Sports folks this weekend, women's

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Speaker 1: sports fans are rooting for them. They are as loyal

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Speaker 1: as fans come, but they are sensitive to people getting

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Speaker 1: it right. And when things don't work out, a lot

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Speaker 1: of folks blame the product or a lack of interest,

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Speaker 1: but fans of women's sports know that if you do

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Speaker 1: it right, people will show up, buy stuff and spend money.

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Speaker 1: And yeah, the fans are tough, but that's because they

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Speaker 1: want to see team owners succeed.

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Speaker 2: And as much as pretty much.

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Speaker 1: Anywhere else I've ever been, the fans in Portland want

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Speaker 1: to see these owners succeed. We got to take a

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Speaker 1: quick break when we come back my delightful chat with

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Speaker 1: Darien Jenkins. We caught up with her last Monday ahead

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Speaker 1: of the Women's Euro semi Finals.

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Speaker 2: Joining us now.

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Speaker 1: She's a retired soccer player turned broadcaster for CBS Sports,

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Speaker 1: Does Zone and MSG. She played professionally for the North

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Speaker 1: Carolina Courage, helping them to an NWSL championship in twenty eighteen,

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Speaker 1: as well as the ol Rain, Kansas City Current, and

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Speaker 1: Orlando Pride and pro teams in Australia and France. A

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Speaker 1: four year starter and national champion with the UCLA Bruins

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Speaker 1: and former chief of staff Forgot Them FC. She's addicted

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Speaker 1: to funky pants and crop tops. It's Darien Jenkins.

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Speaker 2: Hi, Darien.

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Speaker 3: That was a hell of an intro. I loved that.

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Speaker 1: Hello, I love your funky pants.

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Speaker 2: Thank you two spot for those.

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Speaker 3: You know what gets me is Instagram shopping. Like the

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Speaker 3: ads on Instagram. I'm a sucker for a couple clicks And.

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Speaker 1: Does it make you feel guilty? Because I always feel

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Speaker 1: guilty that they got me.

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Speaker 2: It doesn't mean I don't buy it. I'm just like, oh,

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Speaker 2: they got me, they knew how that really knows me.

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Speaker 3: They know me too well.

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Speaker 1: So you're covering soccer in a lot of places, just

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Speaker 1: start by telling everyone where they can find.

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Speaker 3: Your work well, primarily with CBS Sports. They have the

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Speaker 3: Glazzo Network, and I'm super happy to be with them.

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Speaker 3: I honestly pinched myself that that's how I transitioned out

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Speaker 3: of playing and fell into Glazzo Net and that that's

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Speaker 3: what started up at the same time. But yeah, shows

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Speaker 3: like Morning Footy, Attacking Third, sometimes score Line, any sort

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Speaker 3: of CBS game coverage that covers the NWSL, that's where

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Speaker 3: you'll find me. And sometimes calling games with the NWSL.

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Speaker 3: You'll hear my voice with MSG or NWLCBS Sports and

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Speaker 3: then yeah, a little bit of sideline with his own,

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Speaker 3: and I'm on a couple couple other shows. I'm trying

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Speaker 3: to just expand and say yes to whatever the universe

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Speaker 3: brings my way. So yeah, it's been fun.

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Speaker 2: If Footy is there, Darien is there?

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Speaker 1: Yes, Yes, Okay, Before we get to the biggest NWSL storylines,

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Speaker 1: I want to chat about how you got into our

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Speaker 1: TVs and phones and all those places talking foot You

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Speaker 1: played for four NWSL teams, and when you think back

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Speaker 1: to each place, what stands out to you about the

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Speaker 1: different cultures or resources or experiences. Is there anything where

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Speaker 1: you're like, Wow, it's fascinating to look at each of

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Speaker 1: them as four distinct places.

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Speaker 3: One hundred percent. I mean, I was also playing pro

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Speaker 3: at a time where it's funny when I meet rookies

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Speaker 3: or younger players now, which I do because I have

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Speaker 3: so many friends still that still play, I'm like, you

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Speaker 3: guys have no idea how good you have it. Each

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Speaker 3: year the league grew exponentially. You know, it's become now

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Speaker 3: a bad business decision to not invest in women's sports.

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Speaker 3: But I think when I was playing, it was in

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Speaker 3: that time where it wasn't cool necessarily and people still

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Speaker 3: were very unsure. So facilities wise, each year each team

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Speaker 3: I kind of look at it, I'm like, oh, it grew,

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Speaker 3: It got so much better, It got more professionalized, especially

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Speaker 3: when I came back from playing abroad. But yeah, each

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Speaker 3: team just like the style of play, the culture. That's

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Speaker 3: probably the biggest thing I miss about playing is like

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Speaker 3: you jump into an immediate group of sisters essentially with

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Speaker 3: every team, and that was consistent throughout every single club

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Speaker 3: team I played for. But yeah, the environment changes, coaches

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Speaker 3: are different, but it makes you grow and honestly kind

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Speaker 3: of fearless to travel and like jump into new things,

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Speaker 3: even this new career path that I'm on. I think

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Speaker 3: going through soccer, especially playing for so many different teams

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Speaker 3: like that in the US and abroad, I'm like kind

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Speaker 3: of fearless when it comes to immediate change and like

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Speaker 3: having to start over. It's exciting to me.

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Speaker 1: And yeah, your shows are sort of like a new team,

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Speaker 1: and especially some of the shows you do that have

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Speaker 1: different pieces that come in and out, different parts and

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Speaker 1: analysts that are on different days. It kind of means

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Speaker 1: that you're just swapping teammates and you're figuring out how

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Speaker 1: to make it work with different people. It sounds like

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Speaker 1: you played forever ago based on your description of like

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Speaker 1: these youngsters don't know how good they got it.

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Speaker 2: But you just retired a couple of years ago.

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Speaker 1: In twenty twenty three, you went to work for Gotham

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Speaker 1: FC for a year. Tell me about going from the

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Speaker 1: field to the business side. What were the challenges in

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Speaker 1: the highlights you only spent a year doing the work there,

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Speaker 1: But how was it to suddenly be on the other side.

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Speaker 3: Well, it was a huge change. I knew when I

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Speaker 3: was playing, I always had side hustles. I was really

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Speaker 3: interested in the front office space. I was always asking questions,

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Speaker 3: and like I said, yeah, it wasn't forever ago, but

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Speaker 3: the game has grown so much, the investment has grown

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Speaker 3: so much, and so I helped Nationwide, which is a

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Speaker 3: big league sponsor for the MVU Cell, developed this program

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Speaker 3: about getting athletes to have real work experience or see

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Speaker 3: what it's actually like, because there wasn't there isn't much

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Speaker 3: to help people transition out of playing, especially for Rooman's

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Speaker 3: sports as scary. So that was something I thought, Oh,

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Speaker 3: this is very close to my heart. I'm very passionate

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Speaker 3: about this. Maybe I can be somebody that is one

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Speaker 3: of the few players that transitions into a front office

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Speaker 3: position on the business side, maybe gets their NBA while

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Speaker 3: they're doing this. It just makes it better. Is it

359
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Speaker 3: that hard to run a team? This was my mindset going,

360
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Speaker 3: Is it that hard to have a franchise? It really

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Speaker 3: that hard? I was a very nice It's very difficult.

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Speaker 3: There's a lot of moving parts, money is limited, it's

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Speaker 3: it has to go to so many different places. So

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Speaker 3: when I got the job as chief of staff, it

365
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Speaker 3: kind of it made a lot of sense to me

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Speaker 3: at the time because my ambition was I want to

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Speaker 3: be president of a club. I want to be GM

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Speaker 3: Yael Averbush. I loved watching her growing up when I

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Speaker 3: when I before I was playing pro, and I got

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Speaker 3: to train with her in the off seasons, so I

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Speaker 3: get to go work under her, which was great. It

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Speaker 3: didn't I think because it was so fresh off of retiring,

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Speaker 3: it was a little it almost like hurt to be

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Speaker 3: a game days still and not be a player that

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Speaker 3: was doing the tunnel walk and being with my teammates

376
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Speaker 3: and in that sort of routine of a game day

377
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Speaker 3: as opposed to being on the front office side. So

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Speaker 3: I think I kind of knew, like I think I

379
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Speaker 3: need a little bit of breading room from this. Yeah,

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Speaker 3: just because I retired due to an injury that I

381
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Speaker 3: had forever ago, I kind of knew my timetable when

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Speaker 3: I would have to step away from the game. So yeah,

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Speaker 3: I think it was a little difficult on that front.

384
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Speaker 3: But I learned so much, so much I take with

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Speaker 3: me today, especially on the business development side and how

386
00:19:14,160 --> 00:19:17,360
Speaker 3: intricate that world is. But yeah, while I was doing that,

387
00:19:17,480 --> 00:19:20,440
Speaker 3: CBS reached out for me to come do some TV

388
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Speaker 3: work with Champions League, and I was like, why not,

389
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Speaker 3: this seems whatever. I didn't like doing media stuff when

390
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Speaker 3: I was playing, but now I'm not really worried about

391
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Speaker 3: what people are thinking of what I'm doing when I'm

392
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Speaker 3: not on the pitch, and never what I have thought

393
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Speaker 3: i'd turn into this, but I'm really happy that it did.

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Speaker 2: I want to talk.

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Speaker 1: About the transition to the front office because we've had

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Speaker 1: several former players, and particularly on the soccer side, Merrit

397
00:19:45,320 --> 00:19:49,760
Speaker 1: Matthias and Lauren Holiday folks talking about how necessary it

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Speaker 1: is for former players to get into decision making roles

399
00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:55,040
Speaker 1: at the league to help make sure that the league

400
00:19:55,080 --> 00:19:58,440
Speaker 1: is centering players, to help make sure that toxic cultures

401
00:19:58,600 --> 00:19:59,840
Speaker 1: are done rid of.

402
00:20:00,280 --> 00:20:01,360
Speaker 2: Like it's really important.

403
00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:03,520
Speaker 1: So moving forward, what would you like to see the

404
00:20:03,560 --> 00:20:05,720
Speaker 1: league do to make sure that players are better able

405
00:20:05,760 --> 00:20:08,440
Speaker 1: to transition to life after they finished playing, whether that's

406
00:20:08,760 --> 00:20:10,959
Speaker 1: working in the space and taking on those very important

407
00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:13,640
Speaker 1: roles in the front office or entering a different career path.

408
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Speaker 1: Is that something that the league should be having a

409
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Speaker 1: hand in.

410
00:20:17,480 --> 00:20:20,320
Speaker 3: The league and individual clubs. If you have players that

411
00:20:20,480 --> 00:20:22,600
Speaker 3: are even interested and oh, in the off season, I'm

412
00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:24,760
Speaker 3: going to be here, Can I look, Can I at

413
00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:30,480
Speaker 3: least shadow at work? Or I think, truly, I think

414
00:20:30,480 --> 00:20:32,639
Speaker 3: that a way for this to help because that is

415
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Speaker 3: something I'm still very passionate about and want to keep

416
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Speaker 3: involved in, especially with the Players Association the Black Ones

417
00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:41,280
Speaker 3: Players Collective, which I'm a board member of. Is if

418
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Speaker 3: players want to go back to school or get some

419
00:20:43,480 --> 00:20:45,560
Speaker 3: sort of degree, there should be a way to work

420
00:20:45,560 --> 00:20:49,560
Speaker 3: with clubs like there are in regular jobs that supplement

421
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Speaker 3: your ability to further your education, whether it's degrees or certifications,

422
00:20:56,200 --> 00:20:58,600
Speaker 3: whatever it may be, because that is an asset to

423
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Speaker 3: the club. If the club is loyal to a player

424
00:21:00,760 --> 00:21:04,800
Speaker 3: and helping you build that transition, build your network in

425
00:21:04,840 --> 00:21:07,439
Speaker 3: that way, it's going to come back and build that

426
00:21:07,480 --> 00:21:10,000
Speaker 3: relationship with the club because there's still not that much

427
00:21:10,040 --> 00:21:14,480
Speaker 3: trust between the players and the NWUSL. That's just very real.

428
00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:16,040
Speaker 3: I think we're seeing that all across the board and

429
00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:18,919
Speaker 3: women's sports. So to do something like that, that's actually

430
00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:22,440
Speaker 3: helpful because what we just got four one ks three

431
00:21:22,520 --> 00:21:24,320
Speaker 3: years ago, two and a half years ago was the

432
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Speaker 3: first time you were able to actually start saving money

433
00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:31,640
Speaker 3: in the end of USL. So to me, I think, yeah,

434
00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:35,280
Speaker 3: that's incredibly important. I love hearing that Merit and Lauren

435
00:21:35,320 --> 00:21:37,959
Speaker 3: are two of the people too advocating for that because

436
00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:40,040
Speaker 3: what else are you supposed to do. We're still not

437
00:21:40,119 --> 00:21:46,560
Speaker 3: at a place where you're making our million dollars money, yeah,

438
00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:48,760
Speaker 3: to be able to do anything with it. In fact,

439
00:21:48,760 --> 00:21:50,959
Speaker 3: you're still Even when I retired, I was like, I've

440
00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:53,879
Speaker 3: probably got a couple of months and I need to

441
00:21:53,880 --> 00:21:55,680
Speaker 3: get a job. And that's just because I was very

442
00:21:55,720 --> 00:21:59,600
Speaker 3: frugal while I was playing. But yeah, I think it's

443
00:21:59,640 --> 00:22:01,679
Speaker 3: super important in a way for the league to build

444
00:22:01,680 --> 00:22:02,240
Speaker 3: that trust.

445
00:22:03,760 --> 00:22:05,960
Speaker 1: You mentioned that you weren't too keen on being a

446
00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:08,199
Speaker 1: member of the media, but all of you come around

447
00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:11,320
Speaker 1: eventually after you get enough time away from the field

448
00:22:11,400 --> 00:22:13,760
Speaker 1: or the court. So you moved to the media side

449
00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:18,000
Speaker 1: in twenty twenty four, you're now talking about friends, former teammates.

450
00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:21,000
Speaker 1: How have you found that challenge of critiquing folks that

451
00:22:21,040 --> 00:22:23,400
Speaker 1: you love but you have something to say about what's

452
00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:24,240
Speaker 1: happening on the pitch.

453
00:22:25,280 --> 00:22:28,000
Speaker 3: I haven't found it that difficult. Anybody that knows me

454
00:22:28,880 --> 00:22:32,280
Speaker 3: knows that I'm quite direct, and the way that I

455
00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:35,400
Speaker 3: talk about the game, whether I'm on TV or I'm

456
00:22:36,560 --> 00:22:38,440
Speaker 3: I mean, calling a game is different. Being a color

457
00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:41,560
Speaker 3: analyst is a little different. But we've talked very directly

458
00:22:41,760 --> 00:22:44,280
Speaker 3: about oh this is what I saw. I look at

459
00:22:44,280 --> 00:22:46,359
Speaker 3: it as being in a locker room watching film with people.

460
00:22:46,480 --> 00:22:48,320
Speaker 3: This is exactly what I'm seeing. This is what needs

461
00:22:48,359 --> 00:22:51,240
Speaker 3: to change. There's really personal about it. I mean, that's

462
00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:53,320
Speaker 3: the beauty of the game and that it's the world sport.

463
00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:56,600
Speaker 3: Everybody can see it, interpret it in whatever way. And

464
00:22:56,640 --> 00:23:00,120
Speaker 3: I think what bothers me that I really try to

465
00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:02,840
Speaker 3: be good about is with women's sports. A lot of

466
00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:06,240
Speaker 3: the time, I think they try to make it very

467
00:23:06,280 --> 00:23:12,840
Speaker 3: fluffy and everybody's friends and just it's still a sport.

468
00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:14,840
Speaker 3: It's a badass sport. In fact, the women are the

469
00:23:14,840 --> 00:23:18,639
Speaker 3: ones that are hitting harder, getting up quicker, not complaining,

470
00:23:19,119 --> 00:23:23,439
Speaker 3: not battling on the pitch yet no flopping, and the

471
00:23:23,480 --> 00:23:25,280
Speaker 3: game should be talked about that way, like it is

472
00:23:25,440 --> 00:23:28,080
Speaker 3: bad ass what these players are doing on the pitch.

473
00:23:28,119 --> 00:23:30,840
Speaker 3: We don't have to make it seem like we're little

474
00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:33,119
Speaker 3: girls running around on the field and everything's good and

475
00:23:33,240 --> 00:23:38,840
Speaker 3: dandy and it's about looking with some certain type of way. No,

476
00:23:38,920 --> 00:23:41,680
Speaker 3: it's you're there to battle, like these are something these

477
00:23:41,720 --> 00:23:43,880
Speaker 3: women have done, these women and players have done for

478
00:23:44,080 --> 00:23:47,960
Speaker 3: twenty something years. So I think that's how I approach it.

479
00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:51,959
Speaker 3: So I don't have much issue with critiquing or calling

480
00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:55,359
Speaker 3: out anything. I'm very respectful. It's just it's a game.

481
00:23:56,800 --> 00:23:59,080
Speaker 1: You know, as a former player, it probably comes naturally

482
00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:01,320
Speaker 1: to critique the on field to play, and you're an

483
00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:03,919
Speaker 1: expert in that. How do you feel as you continue

484
00:24:03,960 --> 00:24:08,119
Speaker 1: to expand as a broadcaster and analyst about talking about

485
00:24:08,119 --> 00:24:10,240
Speaker 1: issues off the field. You know, some of the long

486
00:24:10,280 --> 00:24:12,399
Speaker 1: term issues in the NWSL came from a lack of

487
00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:16,160
Speaker 1: media coverage, a lack of oversight, you know, the problematic coaches,

488
00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:19,840
Speaker 1: the facilities not being good enough, the toxic cultures. Without

489
00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:23,040
Speaker 1: media being able to be inside and understanding that that's

490
00:24:23,080 --> 00:24:25,080
Speaker 1: going on, they can't report on it. So sometimes it

491
00:24:25,119 --> 00:24:28,000
Speaker 1: requires players, current or former, to be the ones to

492
00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:31,199
Speaker 1: speak up. Do you feel comfortable yet speaking on the

493
00:24:31,240 --> 00:24:34,320
Speaker 1: stuff off the field or is that something you leave

494
00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:36,480
Speaker 1: to more investigative journalists.

495
00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:40,320
Speaker 3: No, I absolutely feel comfortable. The way that I look

496
00:24:40,359 --> 00:24:43,119
Speaker 3: at it is I mean, look at my track record

497
00:24:43,160 --> 00:24:47,800
Speaker 3: of coaches I've had, and you can see the shit

498
00:24:47,880 --> 00:24:50,080
Speaker 3: that I've had to deal with and go through, and

499
00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:53,119
Speaker 3: thank god I've had players around me, especially when I

500
00:24:53,160 --> 00:24:57,159
Speaker 3: was younger, that advocated and I was I'm so blessed

501
00:24:57,200 --> 00:25:00,960
Speaker 3: that I was surrounded by groups of women that did

502
00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:05,640
Speaker 3: not back down to toxicity, to lack of HR, that

503
00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:09,240
Speaker 3: built this programming around the league and for teams specifically

504
00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:12,760
Speaker 3: to have safety nets so this stuff doesn't happen anymore

505
00:25:12,800 --> 00:25:18,520
Speaker 3: around sexual harassment. And I think that that's given me

506
00:25:18,600 --> 00:25:21,760
Speaker 3: so much confidence from a very young age and especially

507
00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:24,359
Speaker 3: just my background of where I've grown up and standing

508
00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:30,120
Speaker 3: up against racism and sexual harassment that I've experienced even

509
00:25:30,119 --> 00:25:33,280
Speaker 3: while I was playing for clubs, and I have no

510
00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:36,439
Speaker 3: problem calling those out. Especially I feel I have a

511
00:25:36,520 --> 00:25:39,000
Speaker 3: duty to do it based on my platform, based on

512
00:25:39,040 --> 00:25:41,960
Speaker 3: my playing career, based on how I look the people

513
00:25:41,960 --> 00:25:44,240
Speaker 3: around me that look up to me. I think players

514
00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:47,480
Speaker 3: in media talking about like a Merit Matthias A, Kelly O'Hara,

515
00:25:48,520 --> 00:25:51,880
Speaker 3: Sam Ewis, who I absolutely love that there are. These

516
00:25:51,920 --> 00:25:54,280
Speaker 3: players have such a following, have made such an impact

517
00:25:54,320 --> 00:25:56,520
Speaker 3: on the fielder using their voices off the field to

518
00:25:56,680 --> 00:25:58,800
Speaker 3: call these issues out, because when you're playing, you don't

519
00:25:58,800 --> 00:26:03,200
Speaker 3: always feel safe to do so that retaliation is so

520
00:26:03,200 --> 00:26:06,760
Speaker 3: so scary because you never know it runs so deep.

521
00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:09,159
Speaker 3: So the fact that we have these platforms now and

522
00:26:09,200 --> 00:26:11,480
Speaker 3: there's eyes on women's sports, and that we can call

523
00:26:11,520 --> 00:26:14,480
Speaker 3: it out, whether it be just on social media, reposting

524
00:26:14,520 --> 00:26:17,080
Speaker 3: what players are saying, talking about it on our own channels,

525
00:26:17,480 --> 00:26:20,320
Speaker 3: using the networks that we're on in order to do so,

526
00:26:20,440 --> 00:26:23,159
Speaker 3: I think is the biggest way to affect change. And

527
00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:25,760
Speaker 3: that's actually what I think has kind of brought my

528
00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:30,200
Speaker 3: journey into the media space, especially being so camera facing.

529
00:26:31,080 --> 00:26:33,840
Speaker 3: I find that to be truly kind of what the

530
00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:36,679
Speaker 3: universe has put me here to do. So I actually

531
00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:39,320
Speaker 3: think what I'm that's what I'm meant to be doing

532
00:26:39,400 --> 00:26:42,040
Speaker 3: right now, is calling these issues out and affecting change.

533
00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:47,240
Speaker 1: It's really good and necessary. Let's get into this NWSL season.

534
00:26:47,280 --> 00:26:49,399
Speaker 1: Games are going to start back up after a month

535
00:26:49,480 --> 00:26:52,280
Speaker 1: plus long break, and the Kansas City Current have been

536
00:26:52,480 --> 00:26:54,840
Speaker 1: the top of the league, the league's best all season.

537
00:26:55,440 --> 00:26:58,280
Speaker 1: They still sit a full eight points ahead of second

538
00:26:58,280 --> 00:27:01,840
Speaker 1: place Orlando Pride. Any reason to believe they'll slow down?

539
00:27:02,920 --> 00:27:06,920
Speaker 3: No, No, they haven't. They haven't proven any I love

540
00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:09,040
Speaker 3: to joke that last year at Kansas City where the

541
00:27:09,080 --> 00:27:11,520
Speaker 3: team that was gonna let a team score around them,

542
00:27:11,520 --> 00:27:13,840
Speaker 3: but they were going to outscore you. And this year

543
00:27:13,880 --> 00:27:18,360
Speaker 3: they've done so much better defensively, so I would be shook,

544
00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:21,440
Speaker 3: shook if somebody knocked them off the top of the table.

545
00:27:21,480 --> 00:27:24,679
Speaker 3: I don't see them slowing down anytime soon. It's a

546
00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:28,320
Speaker 3: complete team now, yeah, yeah, it looks like the team

547
00:27:28,359 --> 00:27:30,760
Speaker 3: you want to play for. Peripherally, like if you're looking

548
00:27:30,800 --> 00:27:31,960
Speaker 3: at all the teams, you'd be like, I want to

549
00:27:31,960 --> 00:27:33,000
Speaker 3: play for a Kansas City.

550
00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:39,240
Speaker 1: Just five points total separates teams two through seven, The Pride,

551
00:27:39,280 --> 00:27:42,920
Speaker 1: San Diego, Wave, Washington Spirit, Portland Thorne, Seattle Rain, Racing Louisville.

552
00:27:43,080 --> 00:27:44,960
Speaker 1: They're all boom boom, boom, boom boom. Who do you

553
00:27:44,960 --> 00:27:46,679
Speaker 1: think is going to emerge as the strongest in the

554
00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:47,280
Speaker 1: second half.

555
00:27:48,320 --> 00:27:52,240
Speaker 3: I'm looking at Seattle Rain. I think the addition just

556
00:27:52,359 --> 00:27:54,760
Speaker 3: if you wear tes back, yeah, I think they're a

557
00:27:54,800 --> 00:27:56,600
Speaker 3: bit of a dark horse. If you wear tes back,

558
00:27:56,720 --> 00:27:58,760
Speaker 3: me official is going to be there playing in that

559
00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:02,399
Speaker 3: number nine position, And I think that adds so much

560
00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:06,040
Speaker 3: depth to that team that they kind of sneakily are

561
00:28:06,160 --> 00:28:09,520
Speaker 3: gonna push their way past everybody because they're not the flashiest.

562
00:28:09,560 --> 00:28:12,240
Speaker 3: They have Olympian dolo. Yes, they have Maddie Donneen, who's

563
00:28:12,359 --> 00:28:15,600
Speaker 3: brilliant young rookie, but we haven't seen them get the

564
00:28:15,640 --> 00:28:18,800
Speaker 3: best out of the individuals yet, and I feel like

565
00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:23,159
Speaker 3: the additions of Sophia ware ten official Go Bruins, by

566
00:28:23,200 --> 00:28:26,160
Speaker 3: the way, is gonna dominate the second half the season,

567
00:28:26,280 --> 00:28:28,719
Speaker 3: so I'm excited to see it. I think Laura Harvey's

568
00:28:28,720 --> 00:28:29,320
Speaker 3: gonna ball out.

569
00:28:30,320 --> 00:28:32,879
Speaker 1: There's a lot of talent in that group, but I'm

570
00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:35,320
Speaker 1: fascinated by the idea of the Rain being the ones

571
00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:39,320
Speaker 1: to emerge on top. Gotham currently occupying the eighth and

572
00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:40,440
Speaker 1: final playoff spot.

573
00:28:40,480 --> 00:28:42,160
Speaker 2: They're sitting at five five and three.

574
00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:44,560
Speaker 1: What do they need to do to make their record

575
00:28:44,760 --> 00:28:46,840
Speaker 1: match the talent that they have on the roster.

576
00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:53,360
Speaker 3: Play to their talent strengths. I think you look at

577
00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:56,080
Speaker 3: who they have. They've Jays, They've Midge purs back and healthy.

578
00:28:56,120 --> 00:29:00,440
Speaker 3: They have Vest there who's literally carrying the team, the

579
00:29:00,480 --> 00:29:03,080
Speaker 3: style of play that they're playing, the players that they have,

580
00:29:03,440 --> 00:29:05,680
Speaker 3: let them go one v one, let them cook, just

581
00:29:05,680 --> 00:29:08,640
Speaker 3: put numbers in the box. I think we saw Gotham,

582
00:29:08,640 --> 00:29:10,880
Speaker 3: I think overcomplicate a little bit in the first half

583
00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:13,800
Speaker 3: of the season, and I want to see simplification. And

584
00:29:13,840 --> 00:29:16,160
Speaker 3: that's how you're going to dominate with this team. Because

585
00:29:16,520 --> 00:29:18,680
Speaker 3: they're also coming from an identity change of being the

586
00:29:18,760 --> 00:29:22,880
Speaker 3: underdogs and the nwsls winning a championship, making it to

587
00:29:23,160 --> 00:29:26,440
Speaker 3: the quarterfinals last year, and now I think it's like, no,

588
00:29:26,560 --> 00:29:29,600
Speaker 3: everybody knows you're good now what So that's what I'm

589
00:29:29,680 --> 00:29:31,440
Speaker 3: that's a week, so let's get it. Let's get back

590
00:29:31,480 --> 00:29:32,040
Speaker 3: to the roots.

591
00:29:32,320 --> 00:29:35,680
Speaker 1: Yeah, you mentioned Ester Gonzales. She's got four goals in

592
00:29:35,720 --> 00:29:38,240
Speaker 1: four games at the Euros. At the time of this taping,

593
00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:40,720
Speaker 1: she cooled off a little bit after a super hot

594
00:29:40,720 --> 00:29:43,280
Speaker 1: start to the NWSL season, but still leading the Golden

595
00:29:43,280 --> 00:29:45,520
Speaker 1: Boot based on that early hot start. Do you think

596
00:29:45,560 --> 00:29:48,960
Speaker 1: she's going to return invigorated from her great Euros performance

597
00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:51,640
Speaker 1: or is it possible she comes back fatigued.

598
00:29:53,920 --> 00:29:56,400
Speaker 3: It's tough because the World Cup we saw players come

599
00:29:56,480 --> 00:29:59,240
Speaker 3: back very fatigued, and she was on the World Cup

600
00:29:59,280 --> 00:30:02,160
Speaker 3: winning team. I'm Spain or who I think are gonna

601
00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:07,560
Speaker 3: win the Euros. They're they're dominating. But with that, having

602
00:30:07,560 --> 00:30:10,480
Speaker 3: that confidence that she's had with Spain bringing it back

603
00:30:10,520 --> 00:30:13,160
Speaker 3: to Gotham, who have been working during this entire break,

604
00:30:13,200 --> 00:30:16,920
Speaker 3: hopefully building those those players around her to be confident

605
00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:19,680
Speaker 3: up to her level. I think it's gonna be a

606
00:30:19,720 --> 00:30:22,480
Speaker 3: huge asset even if it's just her being on the

607
00:30:22,480 --> 00:30:25,560
Speaker 3: bench because she needs the rest. That level that she

608
00:30:25,680 --> 00:30:30,040
Speaker 3: brings being a World Cup champion, potential Euros Euros winner

609
00:30:31,280 --> 00:30:33,080
Speaker 3: is a huge asset to the team. But I was

610
00:30:33,120 --> 00:30:35,800
Speaker 3: actually talking to Jen Beattie about this and that adjustment

611
00:30:35,920 --> 00:30:40,040
Speaker 3: going from tournament play where it's you don't have off days,

612
00:30:40,120 --> 00:30:43,200
Speaker 3: especially if you're on the Spanish national team coming back

613
00:30:43,240 --> 00:30:46,600
Speaker 3: to Gotham with a long NWSL second half season to go,

614
00:30:47,400 --> 00:30:50,280
Speaker 3: that fatigue is real. It's gonna be down to management.

615
00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:52,240
Speaker 3: But I think just how important she is to that team,

616
00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:55,920
Speaker 3: even just her energy on the bench is enough to

617
00:30:56,000 --> 00:30:57,240
Speaker 3: have a good effect for that team.

618
00:30:57,920 --> 00:30:59,960
Speaker 1: She's gonna sit down her teammates and ask who wants

619
00:30:59,960 --> 00:31:03,360
Speaker 1: to step up and feed her like Alexia pitaeis because

620
00:31:03,440 --> 00:31:06,880
Speaker 1: that has been a dynamic duo. Are there any other

621
00:31:06,920 --> 00:31:09,520
Speaker 1: storylines from the Euros that you're watching in terms of

622
00:31:09,560 --> 00:31:12,360
Speaker 1: the impact they might have when the NWSL's back up.

623
00:31:12,600 --> 00:31:15,520
Speaker 1: I mean, and Katrin Berger might be flying high no

624
00:31:15,560 --> 00:31:17,880
Speaker 1: matter how many weeks after that save she just made

625
00:31:18,080 --> 00:31:20,800
Speaker 1: that was absolutely out of control. So I think there's

626
00:31:20,800 --> 00:31:23,440
Speaker 1: some players putting up some highlight performances that might come

627
00:31:23,480 --> 00:31:26,239
Speaker 1: back feeling themselves a little or to your point, might

628
00:31:26,280 --> 00:31:27,680
Speaker 1: come back also a little bit tired.

629
00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:30,000
Speaker 3: Yeah, well we can stick with the Gotham theme. And

630
00:31:30,080 --> 00:31:33,040
Speaker 3: Katrin Berger, I mean German Player of the Year. I

631
00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:35,680
Speaker 3: gonna say she could be Player of the Euros just

632
00:31:35,720 --> 00:31:38,480
Speaker 3: based on her performance because she kept that team on

633
00:31:39,360 --> 00:31:43,240
Speaker 3: lock throughout this entire tournament, but especially that last game

634
00:31:43,280 --> 00:31:47,160
Speaker 3: that is like highlight career save that needs to be

635
00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:49,880
Speaker 3: like hung in the louver. But yeah, I think that

636
00:31:50,040 --> 00:31:52,920
Speaker 3: even with her coming back to Gotham, that's just another

637
00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:55,160
Speaker 3: asset for them that they need in the second half

638
00:31:55,200 --> 00:31:57,840
Speaker 3: the season. They just, like I said, everyone's kind of

639
00:31:57,880 --> 00:32:02,880
Speaker 3: found them out predictable, so we need to see something else,

640
00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:04,680
Speaker 3: another layer to that team.

641
00:32:05,320 --> 00:32:08,480
Speaker 1: And another Gotham player, Jess Carter, making some news because

642
00:32:08,520 --> 00:32:11,280
Speaker 1: of the racial abuse that she's suffering over there, shutting

643
00:32:11,320 --> 00:32:13,440
Speaker 1: down her social media to not have to address it.

644
00:32:13,800 --> 00:32:15,680
Speaker 1: But England also made a statement that they're going to

645
00:32:15,720 --> 00:32:19,080
Speaker 1: stop kneeling at Euros because they believe that that decision

646
00:32:19,120 --> 00:32:23,520
Speaker 1: is not helping the fight, potentially bringing more abuse to

647
00:32:23,880 --> 00:32:26,640
Speaker 1: Jess and others. Do you agree with that decision to

648
00:32:26,760 --> 00:32:29,760
Speaker 1: stop kneeling and say we need a different answer, or

649
00:32:29,800 --> 00:32:32,560
Speaker 1: does it feel like you're capitulating somewhat to the folks

650
00:32:32,560 --> 00:32:34,880
Speaker 1: who insist on perpetuating the abuse.

651
00:32:36,160 --> 00:32:39,120
Speaker 3: It's a bit of both to me. The kneeling aspect,

652
00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:42,120
Speaker 3: Like I said, I'm a member of the Blackman's Players

653
00:32:42,120 --> 00:32:47,680
Speaker 3: Collective and we've had multiple conversations about this. The kneeling

654
00:32:47,760 --> 00:32:51,000
Speaker 3: has become performative in a way to me, because yes,

655
00:32:51,080 --> 00:32:53,440
Speaker 3: you can continue to do so. I love that publicly

656
00:32:53,440 --> 00:32:58,040
Speaker 3: you're using your platform to stand up to racism, kneel

657
00:32:58,080 --> 00:33:01,520
Speaker 3: to racism. What else? What else are you doing?

658
00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:02,520
Speaker 2: What?

659
00:33:02,520 --> 00:33:06,920
Speaker 3: What are you actually doing that's tangible that's causing this

660
00:33:07,080 --> 00:33:11,320
Speaker 3: to stop, or educating people or banning fans out of stadiums,

661
00:33:11,360 --> 00:33:13,400
Speaker 3: get them out of standing, and you should not be

662
00:33:13,440 --> 00:33:18,240
Speaker 3: allowed at games if you're spewing racial abuse. It's an

663
00:33:18,240 --> 00:33:21,640
Speaker 3: interesting time to do that to me, because if you're

664
00:33:21,680 --> 00:33:24,160
Speaker 3: doing it for a game in the tournament, you should

665
00:33:24,160 --> 00:33:27,920
Speaker 3: continue to do so, especially sticks kneeling with your teammates,

666
00:33:27,920 --> 00:33:30,480
Speaker 3: supporting your teammate that is going through this racial abuse.

667
00:33:31,360 --> 00:33:36,920
Speaker 3: The timing's interesting to me, But the overall sentiment I

668
00:33:36,960 --> 00:33:39,400
Speaker 3: have about kneeling now is what are you actually doing?

669
00:33:40,280 --> 00:33:43,400
Speaker 3: It was like when people posted black squares it's what

670
00:33:43,440 --> 00:33:45,000
Speaker 3: are you What are you actually doing? You're not You're

671
00:33:45,040 --> 00:33:47,360
Speaker 3: not causing anything to happen. You're not taking an effect

672
00:33:47,400 --> 00:33:49,600
Speaker 3: in a way that's actually going to make change. So

673
00:33:50,720 --> 00:33:53,840
Speaker 3: I don't love the timing of it, but I support

674
00:33:53,920 --> 00:33:56,520
Speaker 3: Jess Carter and maybe this is a conversation that she

675
00:33:56,680 --> 00:33:59,640
Speaker 3: had and is what is necessary for her to continue

676
00:33:59,640 --> 00:34:00,480
Speaker 3: playing this tournament.

677
00:34:01,800 --> 00:34:04,040
Speaker 1: Well, gotha'ms certainly going to have a lot of catching

678
00:34:04,120 --> 00:34:05,880
Speaker 1: up to do from all the different members of the

679
00:34:05,920 --> 00:34:08,960
Speaker 1: team that are out at the Euros. And again, I'm

680
00:34:09,040 --> 00:34:12,319
Speaker 1: very interested to see how Estare comes back and if

681
00:34:12,320 --> 00:34:15,120
Speaker 1: she gets back into scoring scoring, scoring, because again she's

682
00:34:15,160 --> 00:34:17,040
Speaker 1: in the top of the Golden Boot race. There's a

683
00:34:17,080 --> 00:34:19,479
Speaker 1: couple of players right behind her, and then Angel City

684
00:34:19,560 --> 00:34:23,279
Speaker 1: rookie Riley Tiernan fourth in the Golden Boot race right now,

685
00:34:23,320 --> 00:34:25,960
Speaker 1: is buried seven goals this year. How do you describe

686
00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:28,040
Speaker 1: the start that she's having to her pro career.

687
00:34:29,360 --> 00:34:34,720
Speaker 3: Incredible? I love her story. She was a tryout player

688
00:34:35,000 --> 00:34:38,160
Speaker 3: and was balling out so much that Sam Leady, the

689
00:34:38,320 --> 00:34:41,200
Speaker 3: interim coach, was looking at her in film and just

690
00:34:41,360 --> 00:34:43,960
Speaker 3: realized how effective she was for the team they signed her.

691
00:34:44,800 --> 00:34:47,319
Speaker 3: There was a vacancy at that nine position, which as

692
00:34:47,360 --> 00:34:49,239
Speaker 3: a rookie, you just have to shoot your shot. You

693
00:34:49,280 --> 00:34:51,400
Speaker 3: got to be on agious and bold, and that is

694
00:34:51,440 --> 00:34:53,560
Speaker 3: exactly what she is. So she comes and balls out,

695
00:34:53,680 --> 00:34:56,319
Speaker 3: she shoots her shot. I think she even does think

696
00:34:56,360 --> 00:34:59,319
Speaker 3: sometimes that you know, when you're a player and you

697
00:34:59,400 --> 00:35:01,200
Speaker 3: get in your head a little bit about, oh, this

698
00:35:01,239 --> 00:35:04,279
Speaker 3: isn't a this isn't a likely goal scoring opportunity, this

699
00:35:04,360 --> 00:35:07,160
Speaker 3: is a low percentage shot. I don't think she cares.

700
00:35:07,239 --> 00:35:09,880
Speaker 3: I think that's such a beauty of being young, and

701
00:35:09,920 --> 00:35:12,000
Speaker 3: she will take the shot and it's worked out so

702
00:35:12,280 --> 00:35:14,799
Speaker 3: well for her, and she's a brilliant finisher. I love

703
00:35:14,840 --> 00:35:16,479
Speaker 3: her hold up play. I think we've seen her grow

704
00:35:16,520 --> 00:35:19,040
Speaker 3: a lot throughout the first half of the season. But yeah,

705
00:35:19,080 --> 00:35:23,279
Speaker 3: she's been absolutely electric to me, my rookie of the Year.

706
00:35:23,480 --> 00:35:25,240
Speaker 3: I think she's got it on lock already.

707
00:35:25,960 --> 00:35:27,799
Speaker 1: Can you explain to the listeners what you mean by

708
00:35:27,800 --> 00:35:28,480
Speaker 1: hold up play?

709
00:35:29,920 --> 00:35:32,000
Speaker 3: Hold up play? When you're a nine, A lot of

710
00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:34,240
Speaker 3: the time you have limited touches on the ball because

711
00:35:34,239 --> 00:35:36,719
Speaker 3: you're so high up the field. You don't want to

712
00:35:36,719 --> 00:35:38,759
Speaker 3: come too deep in crowd space, so you want to

713
00:35:38,800 --> 00:35:41,799
Speaker 3: post up against a defender, and you have to be

714
00:35:41,880 --> 00:35:44,720
Speaker 3: so strong and balanced and clean on the ball because

715
00:35:44,719 --> 00:35:46,759
Speaker 3: you get probably the least amount of touches next to

716
00:35:46,760 --> 00:35:49,480
Speaker 3: a goalkeeper on the field. So when you do get it,

717
00:35:49,520 --> 00:35:51,799
Speaker 3: you're giving your team the opportunity to get higher up

718
00:35:51,800 --> 00:35:54,239
Speaker 3: the field and build up. And then when you lose,

719
00:35:54,320 --> 00:35:56,840
Speaker 3: it's it's the absolute worst. You just feel like everyone's

720
00:35:56,880 --> 00:35:57,480
Speaker 3: like shaming you.

721
00:35:57,640 --> 00:36:00,560
Speaker 1: Yeah, you just made us sprint up to get this

722
00:36:00,680 --> 00:36:02,920
Speaker 1: play going. Yeah, and yeah, you were all defended like

723
00:36:03,040 --> 00:36:05,479
Speaker 1: the treading water of soccer. How do you tread water

724
00:36:05,520 --> 00:36:08,240
Speaker 1: long and exactle to let your teammates make the rush

725
00:36:08,320 --> 00:36:09,760
Speaker 1: up and start an attack in the box?

726
00:36:10,320 --> 00:36:12,680
Speaker 3: Exactly. So I've seen her grow in that way a lot.

727
00:36:12,960 --> 00:36:14,879
Speaker 1: So this year we're going to see the first ever

728
00:36:15,000 --> 00:36:19,160
Speaker 1: so called rivalry weekend. It's set for August eighth through tenth.

729
00:36:19,320 --> 00:36:22,600
Speaker 1: We've got the Cascadia Rivalry, the oldest series in the league,

730
00:36:22,640 --> 00:36:25,719
Speaker 1: the Portland Thorns versus Seattle Rain, and then we've got

731
00:36:25,719 --> 00:36:28,680
Speaker 1: the socol Rivalry, Angel City versus San Diego Wave, and

732
00:36:28,719 --> 00:36:31,440
Speaker 1: then an East Coast battle. We got gothamaf C versus

733
00:36:31,560 --> 00:36:34,160
Speaker 1: Washington two veteran clubs. Which of those are you most

734
00:36:34,160 --> 00:36:35,120
Speaker 1: excited to see.

735
00:36:35,960 --> 00:36:38,839
Speaker 3: I've got to go with Cascadia rivalry. That is what

736
00:36:39,040 --> 00:36:42,400
Speaker 3: I loved playing in when I played for Seattle because

737
00:36:42,400 --> 00:36:45,160
Speaker 3: you get a play with against Portland Thorns at Providence

738
00:36:45,200 --> 00:36:49,600
Speaker 3: Park and how loud that stadium is. I think goes

739
00:36:49,640 --> 00:36:53,600
Speaker 3: so underrated because when you're on the pitch, you can't

740
00:36:53,640 --> 00:36:55,960
Speaker 3: hear each other speak. On the field. You can see

741
00:36:56,000 --> 00:36:58,200
Speaker 3: maybe your coach yelling at you, you can see somebody

742
00:36:58,280 --> 00:37:01,000
Speaker 3: waving their hands trying to give you direction, but it

743
00:37:01,120 --> 00:37:04,200
Speaker 3: is so electric that you have no idea what's going on.

744
00:37:04,239 --> 00:37:06,319
Speaker 3: You're just going off of vibes and what you see

745
00:37:06,320 --> 00:37:08,000
Speaker 3: as an individual on the pitch and who has the

746
00:37:08,000 --> 00:37:11,280
Speaker 3: best chemistry. So to me, that has so much history

747
00:37:11,320 --> 00:37:12,960
Speaker 3: with it as well when you look at the legends

748
00:37:13,000 --> 00:37:14,799
Speaker 3: that have played for both clubs and made it what

749
00:37:14,840 --> 00:37:16,880
Speaker 3: it is that I think we're even seeing kind of

750
00:37:16,880 --> 00:37:19,880
Speaker 3: an evolution of it with these new very young teams

751
00:37:20,000 --> 00:37:23,560
Speaker 3: and new players coming in. So I love it. That's

752
00:37:23,560 --> 00:37:25,200
Speaker 3: still got to be my number one rivalry, And that

753
00:37:25,280 --> 00:37:28,440
Speaker 3: be so funny though I think they're forcing rivalry. We

754
00:37:28,600 --> 00:37:31,279
Speaker 3: get a little bit because they're trying does everyone Yeah,

755
00:37:31,360 --> 00:37:36,400
Speaker 3: does everybody have one? But it It'll become more catch on,

756
00:37:36,560 --> 00:37:38,200
Speaker 3: I think as the years go by, but that one

757
00:37:38,239 --> 00:37:39,360
Speaker 3: is definitely number one.

758
00:37:39,840 --> 00:37:42,880
Speaker 1: Yeah, we just need a little more, you know, hair pulling,

759
00:37:43,280 --> 00:37:47,439
Speaker 1: last minute goals, teams meeting in the championship a couple

760
00:37:47,440 --> 00:37:50,000
Speaker 1: different times for a to really set in. But I

761
00:37:50,040 --> 00:37:52,279
Speaker 1: do love that Portland and Seattle are separated by just

762
00:37:52,320 --> 00:37:54,400
Speaker 1: a point coming into the second half, so they have

763
00:37:54,440 --> 00:37:56,360
Speaker 1: a lot on the line too in that rivalry. These

764
00:37:56,400 --> 00:37:59,200
Speaker 1: are two teams both fighting four playoff spots. Give us

765
00:37:59,200 --> 00:38:01,479
Speaker 1: three storylines you're going to be watching as the games

766
00:38:01,480 --> 00:38:03,399
Speaker 1: start back up and the teams start to push towards

767
00:38:03,440 --> 00:38:04,080
Speaker 1: the postseason.

768
00:38:05,760 --> 00:38:08,840
Speaker 3: I'm looking to see North Carolina turn their season around.

769
00:38:08,960 --> 00:38:13,160
Speaker 3: That's been a very inconsistent team, had difficultly scoring goals.

770
00:38:13,400 --> 00:38:15,720
Speaker 3: But I love Shaw Nayhouse. I love him as a coach.

771
00:38:15,800 --> 00:38:18,160
Speaker 3: I think they have all the talent that they need

772
00:38:18,200 --> 00:38:21,879
Speaker 3: on the team, but it needs to change. The other

773
00:38:22,120 --> 00:38:24,840
Speaker 3: is Seattle Rain. I'm so looking forward to the additions

774
00:38:24,840 --> 00:38:27,600
Speaker 3: of Sophia a werta me official what that's going to

775
00:38:27,680 --> 00:38:30,440
Speaker 3: do for this team, how they're going to continue to

776
00:38:30,600 --> 00:38:33,840
Speaker 3: build and make that playoff push, because that middle of

777
00:38:33,880 --> 00:38:39,480
Speaker 3: the table is so unpredictable and so close, and last

778
00:38:39,640 --> 00:38:44,400
Speaker 3: but not least, Kansas City continuing to dominate. Who can

779
00:38:44,480 --> 00:38:47,160
Speaker 3: knock Kansas City off of the top of the table.

780
00:38:47,360 --> 00:38:51,440
Speaker 3: We have not seen it yet, Orlando Pride. I don't know,

781
00:38:52,239 --> 00:38:54,480
Speaker 3: but I want to see if Kansas City can maintain

782
00:38:54,560 --> 00:38:57,759
Speaker 3: that kind of perfect season that they're having all the

783
00:38:57,800 --> 00:38:59,040
Speaker 3: way to a championship.

784
00:39:00,120 --> 00:39:02,400
Speaker 1: You mentioned North Carolina. Right now, they're on the outside

785
00:39:02,400 --> 00:39:04,600
Speaker 1: looking in. They have the same number of points as Gotham,

786
00:39:04,600 --> 00:39:07,719
Speaker 1: but they're currently in ninth due to I believe goal differential.

787
00:39:07,880 --> 00:39:11,840
Speaker 1: So of the teams who are currently outside playoff position,

788
00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:16,000
Speaker 1: North Carolina, BAFC, Angel City, Houston Dash, Chicago Stars, and

789
00:39:16,080 --> 00:39:19,560
Speaker 1: Utah Royals who may be outside of North Carolina, Since

790
00:39:19,560 --> 00:39:21,520
Speaker 1: you already showed a little confidence in them, do you

791
00:39:21,600 --> 00:39:23,440
Speaker 1: think might be able to move their way up in

792
00:39:23,480 --> 00:39:24,080
Speaker 1: the second half?

793
00:39:25,120 --> 00:39:28,080
Speaker 3: My Angel City girls, I think they got it in them.

794
00:39:28,239 --> 00:39:33,320
Speaker 3: That's a team that super young, very very bright, getting

795
00:39:33,400 --> 00:39:35,959
Speaker 3: used to another new coach. I mean, they've been dealing

796
00:39:35,960 --> 00:39:38,200
Speaker 3: with a lot. But you have an Alyssa Thompson, you

797
00:39:38,200 --> 00:39:40,040
Speaker 3: have a Sibluaru who's coming back. You have a Riley

798
00:39:40,080 --> 00:39:43,359
Speaker 3: Tearnan who's balling out. Kristin Press, even if she only

799
00:39:43,400 --> 00:39:46,719
Speaker 3: plays twenty minutes, is a legend and so effective. So

800
00:39:47,160 --> 00:39:50,600
Speaker 3: to me, that's a team that has always put up

801
00:39:50,600 --> 00:39:53,160
Speaker 3: a fight and been in sort of a similar position

802
00:39:53,280 --> 00:39:55,439
Speaker 3: going into the middle of the season. But I think

803
00:39:55,480 --> 00:39:58,920
Speaker 3: they have the players now, a coach, the personnel to

804
00:39:59,080 --> 00:40:01,960
Speaker 3: actually make that push and get a playoff position. So

805
00:40:02,719 --> 00:40:04,840
Speaker 3: I'm going with the youngins on that side.

806
00:40:05,440 --> 00:40:08,319
Speaker 1: Because you mentioned coaches, I have one last question for you.

807
00:40:08,400 --> 00:40:12,920
Speaker 1: There is so much coach movement in this league. Chicago Stars,

808
00:40:13,080 --> 00:40:17,400
Speaker 1: for instance, Ever since the exit of toxic and problematic

809
00:40:17,440 --> 00:40:20,920
Speaker 1: coach Rory Dames, they have been cycling through head coaches.

810
00:40:21,680 --> 00:40:24,520
Speaker 1: Do you think that this league has a problem finding

811
00:40:24,680 --> 00:40:28,720
Speaker 1: and hiring and paying talent so that they stick around,

812
00:40:29,480 --> 00:40:33,080
Speaker 1: or finding good enough talent that they deserve to stick around,

813
00:40:33,160 --> 00:40:35,080
Speaker 1: or do you think it's a problem of impatience that

814
00:40:35,120 --> 00:40:37,759
Speaker 1: they don't allow people to be in position long enough

815
00:40:37,760 --> 00:40:42,279
Speaker 1: to create a system and start to employ it.

816
00:40:42,280 --> 00:40:46,680
Speaker 3: It's all of the above and the biggest issue for me.

817
00:40:46,920 --> 00:40:49,360
Speaker 3: We spoke earlier about how important it is to have

818
00:40:49,400 --> 00:40:53,120
Speaker 3: players in front office positions, in decision making positions, in

819
00:40:53,480 --> 00:40:56,560
Speaker 3: positions of power, because we've experienced this. We're the experts.

820
00:40:56,600 --> 00:40:59,280
Speaker 3: We know what trickle down effect to the player's side.

821
00:40:59,560 --> 00:41:03,080
Speaker 3: The coaches, I don't think the league. I don't think

822
00:41:03,080 --> 00:41:11,719
Speaker 3: in women's soccer there has been enough education, opportunity, a

823
00:41:11,760 --> 00:41:15,560
Speaker 3: pathway to build a good coach unless you've already been established,

824
00:41:15,600 --> 00:41:18,920
Speaker 3: and there's only so many, especially with the growth of

825
00:41:18,920 --> 00:41:22,799
Speaker 3: this of women's soccer, that we're seeing the effect of

826
00:41:22,880 --> 00:41:27,120
Speaker 3: the poor investment in developing good coaches, especially in the US.

827
00:41:27,200 --> 00:41:30,480
Speaker 3: I mean, most of the coaches for in the NWSL

828
00:41:30,760 --> 00:41:34,880
Speaker 3: are not from the US. That's just a fact, and

829
00:41:34,920 --> 00:41:38,080
Speaker 3: you look at coaches in Europe it's the same issue.

830
00:41:38,480 --> 00:41:40,200
Speaker 3: So to me, if we're going to talk about the

831
00:41:40,239 --> 00:41:43,239
Speaker 3: cycling of coaches on and needs to be better, and yes,

832
00:41:43,280 --> 00:41:46,560
Speaker 3: the pay I'm absolutely sure needs to be better, just

833
00:41:46,600 --> 00:41:48,680
Speaker 3: based on my own experience from playing and being in

834
00:41:48,719 --> 00:41:52,040
Speaker 3: this league, but the development needs to be there. We

835
00:41:52,080 --> 00:41:54,520
Speaker 3: can't expect the game to continue growing and not have

836
00:41:54,640 --> 00:41:58,120
Speaker 3: people that are solely responsible for developing these players that

837
00:41:58,200 --> 00:41:59,960
Speaker 3: work so hard to get to this point in their career,

838
00:42:00,440 --> 00:42:05,160
Speaker 3: whether it be literally having emotionally intelligent people in coaching

839
00:42:05,200 --> 00:42:07,880
Speaker 3: positions that know the game, will that know how to lead,

840
00:42:08,640 --> 00:42:12,520
Speaker 3: that are not toxic or harassing players. So it's a

841
00:42:12,760 --> 00:42:15,959
Speaker 3: massive issue that I could probably go on and on about,

842
00:42:16,040 --> 00:42:19,280
Speaker 3: but to me, it's starting young, creating those pathways where

843
00:42:19,440 --> 00:42:22,520
Speaker 3: we coaches like a Bevannez who was given a pathway

844
00:42:22,560 --> 00:42:25,520
Speaker 3: into coaching with the Jill Ellis Foundation, we both got

845
00:42:25,560 --> 00:42:27,680
Speaker 3: our coaching license and she's who made me realize I

846
00:42:27,680 --> 00:42:29,959
Speaker 3: don't want to be a coach. So I was like, damn,

847
00:42:30,000 --> 00:42:32,640
Speaker 3: that's passion. You're passionate about this town. I am not.

848
00:42:34,080 --> 00:42:36,520
Speaker 3: But there just needs to be so much more of

849
00:42:36,560 --> 00:42:40,920
Speaker 3: that and checks and balances when we get people that

850
00:42:41,080 --> 00:42:43,120
Speaker 3: want to be coaches so that they're not we're not

851
00:42:43,160 --> 00:42:47,160
Speaker 3: putting people in positions of power that should not be there.

852
00:42:48,000 --> 00:42:52,720
Speaker 1: Yeah, very true. It's all part of this changing ecosystem

853
00:42:52,760 --> 00:42:55,680
Speaker 1: where you imagine when teams start to put the money

854
00:42:55,719 --> 00:42:59,840
Speaker 1: into new facilities and get these new flows of cash

855
00:43:00,040 --> 00:43:03,759
Speaker 1: from massive expansion fees and growth of the league, they'll

856
00:43:03,800 --> 00:43:06,400
Speaker 1: start to recognize when those things start to settle in

857
00:43:06,880 --> 00:43:11,799
Speaker 1: that the game, the play, the outcomes, the wins will

858
00:43:11,840 --> 00:43:14,000
Speaker 1: also have a very long term effect on their fan

859
00:43:14,040 --> 00:43:16,439
Speaker 1: base and the support that their team gets. So making

860
00:43:16,520 --> 00:43:18,879
Speaker 1: sure they make good choices at the top and making

861
00:43:18,920 --> 00:43:20,680
Speaker 1: sure they have coaches that can lead them to wins

862
00:43:20,719 --> 00:43:23,000
Speaker 1: is going to become as much a priority as all

863
00:43:23,000 --> 00:43:24,520
Speaker 1: the other stuff that they're trying to figure out right

864
00:43:24,520 --> 00:43:27,040
Speaker 1: now as this league continues to grow. Darien, it was

865
00:43:27,080 --> 00:43:29,120
Speaker 1: so great to talk to you. Look forward to watching

866
00:43:29,160 --> 00:43:30,920
Speaker 1: more if you're coverage and appreciate the time.

867
00:43:31,360 --> 00:43:32,560
Speaker 3: Thank you so much. I love this.

868
00:43:35,920 --> 00:43:37,839
Speaker 1: We got to take another break when we come back.

869
00:43:38,200 --> 00:43:42,120
Speaker 1: I've been meaning to ask Misha Alex y'all got any

870
00:43:42,200 --> 00:43:52,319
Speaker 1: kids welcome back slices. We always love to hear from you,

871
00:43:52,360 --> 00:43:55,120
Speaker 1: so hit us up on email good game at wondermedianetwork

872
00:43:55,120 --> 00:43:57,560
Speaker 1: dot com or leave us a voicemail at eight seven

873
00:43:57,640 --> 00:43:59,400
Speaker 1: two two four fifty seventy.

874
00:44:00,000 --> 00:44:01,800
Speaker 2: We don't forget to subscribe, rate and review.

875
00:44:02,040 --> 00:44:05,920
Speaker 1: It's easy watch South Carolina head coach Don Staley's Pearls

876
00:44:05,920 --> 00:44:09,520
Speaker 1: of Wisdom rating ten out of ten examples of coaching

877
00:44:09,719 --> 00:44:13,000
Speaker 1: off the court review. I loved the piece of advice

878
00:44:13,040 --> 00:44:15,360
Speaker 1: that Don gave the RAJ Sports folks during her panel.

879
00:44:15,640 --> 00:44:17,719
Speaker 1: She told them how she's earned fan support at South

880
00:44:17,760 --> 00:44:20,840
Speaker 1: Carolina and why they should be sure to include Portlandian's

881
00:44:20,840 --> 00:44:23,600
Speaker 1: in the whole process of building the fire Take a lessen.

882
00:44:24,360 --> 00:44:28,000
Speaker 4: If you build it, they'll come. It'll come in the

883
00:44:28,080 --> 00:44:34,799
Speaker 4: most unlikeliest town. Like who would think that Columbia, South

884
00:44:34,800 --> 00:44:39,520
Speaker 4: Carolina would would lead the nation for the last ten

885
00:44:39,600 --> 00:44:45,440
Speaker 4: years with all the successful programs that there are across

886
00:44:45,480 --> 00:44:45,839
Speaker 4: the nation.

887
00:44:46,040 --> 00:44:48,600
Speaker 2: But we did it by just.

888
00:44:50,400 --> 00:44:54,520
Speaker 4: Really because and there's no money for marketing, Like there's

889
00:44:54,520 --> 00:44:56,800
Speaker 4: no money a whole lot of money you're work for

890
00:44:57,000 --> 00:45:02,040
Speaker 4: women's sports on college campuses, there's not We lead with

891
00:45:03,160 --> 00:45:07,440
Speaker 4: our fans and it's they created. I mean, if you

892
00:45:07,480 --> 00:45:09,960
Speaker 4: can't win at home, you're not going to be able

893
00:45:09,960 --> 00:45:11,160
Speaker 4: to win a national championship.

894
00:45:11,200 --> 00:45:14,920
Speaker 3: And they created that. And I had when.

895
00:45:14,719 --> 00:45:17,319
Speaker 4: I first got to South Carolina, I didn't even think

896
00:45:17,360 --> 00:45:18,080
Speaker 4: about fans.

897
00:45:18,320 --> 00:45:19,600
Speaker 3: I just thought about the product.

898
00:45:19,800 --> 00:45:23,239
Speaker 4: When the product on the floor that people could really appreciate.

899
00:45:23,800 --> 00:45:26,279
Speaker 4: But then they did the work and it was like.

900
00:45:26,280 --> 00:45:26,919
Speaker 3: Word of mouth.

901
00:45:27,280 --> 00:45:29,799
Speaker 1: Don also shared the advice that she recently gave a

902
00:45:29,880 --> 00:45:33,680
Speaker 1: top exec on how to get team buying. Here's Thatt

903
00:45:33,920 --> 00:45:35,719
Speaker 1: and he was like, well, why how are you able

904
00:45:35,760 --> 00:45:39,120
Speaker 1: to get people to work hard?

905
00:45:39,200 --> 00:45:42,319
Speaker 4: And then Unison right, he asked me this question like

906
00:45:42,400 --> 00:45:43,400
Speaker 4: three different times.

907
00:45:45,160 --> 00:45:48,520
Speaker 3: So finally I asked him, I was like, well, do

908
00:45:48,560 --> 00:45:49,600
Speaker 3: you know your employees.

909
00:45:50,960 --> 00:45:52,200
Speaker 4: Do you know if they're married, do you know if

910
00:45:52,200 --> 00:45:54,560
Speaker 4: they have children, do you know where their birthdays are?

911
00:45:55,560 --> 00:45:58,960
Speaker 4: Because ultimately, he's got a goal, he's got to he's

912
00:45:59,000 --> 00:46:04,240
Speaker 4: got a goal to reach. Is that and sometimes people

913
00:46:04,320 --> 00:46:07,560
Speaker 4: will will work for you versus the goal and they

914
00:46:07,560 --> 00:46:10,200
Speaker 4: will accomplish the goal. But if you don't know them,

915
00:46:10,719 --> 00:46:13,120
Speaker 4: like if you don't personally take the time to know them,

916
00:46:13,400 --> 00:46:16,400
Speaker 4: and you're always you know, just on a deadline and

917
00:46:16,480 --> 00:46:23,799
Speaker 4: trying to meet your mark, it helps to really get

918
00:46:23,840 --> 00:46:26,440
Speaker 4: to know people that are working for you, that are

919
00:46:26,520 --> 00:46:30,520
Speaker 4: working for your company, because if you don't, you know,

920
00:46:30,680 --> 00:46:33,840
Speaker 4: sometimes you'll meet that mark. Sometimes you can move people

921
00:46:34,200 --> 00:46:36,640
Speaker 4: to a place where they're doing it out of the

922
00:46:36,719 --> 00:46:40,440
Speaker 4: kindness of their hearts for you ranther than a company.

923
00:46:40,480 --> 00:46:42,840
Speaker 4: There's nothing better than to do it for a person

924
00:46:42,920 --> 00:46:47,359
Speaker 4: that really cares about you. So take the time out

925
00:46:47,640 --> 00:46:50,120
Speaker 4: to get to know your people, know your teammates, get

926
00:46:50,120 --> 00:46:51,479
Speaker 4: to know the people that you are.

927
00:46:52,160 --> 00:46:55,480
Speaker 3: You are working with or people are working for you.

928
00:46:57,120 --> 00:47:01,400
Speaker 1: Honestly, that advice is applicable across every single company and industry.

929
00:47:01,760 --> 00:47:04,920
Speaker 1: So something for us to all hear. Now it's your

930
00:47:04,960 --> 00:47:08,040
Speaker 1: turn rate and review. Thanks for listening slices. See you

931
00:47:08,080 --> 00:47:09,800
Speaker 1: tomorrow for my chat with the Seattle Storms.

932
00:47:09,840 --> 00:47:10,680
Speaker 2: Gabby Williams.

933
00:47:11,120 --> 00:47:15,160
Speaker 1: Good Game, Darien, Good Game, England, You Portland, being so

934
00:47:15,280 --> 00:47:21,319
Speaker 1: far away, I already want to go back. Good Game

935
00:47:21,320 --> 00:47:24,160
Speaker 1: with Sarah Spain is an iHeart women's sports production in

936
00:47:24,200 --> 00:47:27,120
Speaker 1: partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find

937
00:47:27,200 --> 00:47:30,360
Speaker 1: us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you

938
00:47:30,360 --> 00:47:34,400
Speaker 1: get your podcasts. Production by Wonder Media Network, our producers

939
00:47:34,440 --> 00:47:37,759
Speaker 1: are Alex Azzie and Misha Jones. Our executive producers are

940
00:47:37,840 --> 00:47:42,279
Speaker 1: Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan, and Emily Rutterer. Our

941
00:47:42,400 --> 00:47:46,400
Speaker 1: editors are Emily Rutter, Britney Martinez, Grace Lynch, and Gianna Palmer.

942
00:47:46,719 --> 00:47:48,760
Speaker 2: Our associate producer is Lucy Jones.

943
00:47:49,080 --> 00:47:52,880
Speaker 1: Production assistance from Avery Loftis and I'm Your Host Sarah

944
00:47:52,920 --> 00:47:53,200
Speaker 1: Spain