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Speaker 1: Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where the start

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Speaker 1: of any new season has us saying put us in coach,

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Speaker 1: But I think our main role these days would have

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Speaker 1: to be doling out orange slices and talking shit about

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Speaker 1: the other team. It's Wednesday, March eleventh, and on today's show,

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Speaker 1: we're skipping the need to Know and getting you straight

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Speaker 1: to my NWSL season preview with ESPN Soccer writer Jeff Cassou.

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Speaker 1: With the twenty twenty six NWSL campaign kicking off this weekend.

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Speaker 1: We discuss what to expect from the league sixteen countum

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Speaker 1: sixteen teams, including expansion sides, Denver Summit and Boston Legacy.

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Speaker 1: We also get into the biggest offseason storylines, his simplest

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Speaker 1: explanation of the High Impact Player rule and whether the

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Speaker 1: league hit peak freak mode last ball as front offices

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Speaker 1: watch players depart for teams in Europe. Our conversation from

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Speaker 1: Monday is coming up right after this, joining us now

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Speaker 1: and entering the Three Timers club. He's been covering soccer

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Speaker 1: with an emphasis on advancing the women's game since two

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Speaker 1: thousand and eight. In nine, he launched The Equalizer, the

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Speaker 1: leading websitet cad exclusively to comprehensive women soccer coverage in

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Speaker 1: North America before joining ESPN to become the Outlets lead

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Speaker 1: NWSL and US women's national team reporter. When it comes

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Speaker 1: to previewing the NWSL season, he's our high impact player.

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Speaker 1: It's Jeff cassou Hi draft.

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Speaker 2: Hello. I love that. How many people are in the

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Speaker 2: three timers club?

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Speaker 1: Just a few? Just a few?

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Speaker 2: Cool?

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Speaker 1: I think we have like maybe one five timer that

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Speaker 1: we owe a jacket to. But I think, yeah, you're

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Speaker 1: You're up there for sure, and you are our go to.

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Speaker 1: And I can't believe the NWSL season is almost here,

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Speaker 1: but we have a bigger than ever league to preview

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Speaker 1: because now we got sixteen teams set to start their

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Speaker 1: campaigns this weekend. And I want to start with the

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Speaker 1: two new teams because Denver and Boston actually the first

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Speaker 1: two teams to build an entire roster without a draft.

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Speaker 1: So I want to know how you think they each did,

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Speaker 1: and can either of them pull off a San Diego

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Speaker 1: Wave BAFC and actually make a postseason run in year one?

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Speaker 2: Yeah? So I think I mean two different situations. You

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Speaker 2: look at Denver, I think it's a team that has

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Speaker 2: leaned into NWSL experience with that's in the front office

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Speaker 2: or on the field. I mean, certainly you see that

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Speaker 2: with the roster construction, and obviously Lindsay Heaps will be

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Speaker 2: coming in the summer. You know, Boston, I think, is

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Speaker 2: this sort of on and off the field, which I'm

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Speaker 2: sure we'll get to, kind of this enigma of like

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Speaker 2: you know, I think it's fascinating. I have no idea

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Speaker 2: how it's going to play out, because more than anything

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Speaker 2: we've seen, and to your point, it's sort of unprecedented territory,

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Speaker 2: but the direction they've gone, being so international slash sort

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Speaker 2: of not NWSL experienced from front office to on the

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Speaker 2: field as well, is really fascinating. So I think, you know,

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Speaker 2: there's obviously a gamble to that. I think maybe Denver's

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Speaker 2: play in that sense, at least on the field certainly

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Speaker 2: is a little bit safer in knowing what you're getting

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Speaker 2: in a league that has not always been kind to

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Speaker 2: first time folks, whether that's players or coaches. So I

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Speaker 2: think Boston's going to be fascinating in that sense because

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Speaker 2: they've really gone for a new model that obviously they

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Speaker 2: think will work. I have no idea if it's going

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Speaker 2: to work in year one if I'm being totally honest

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Speaker 2: with you. But to your question of you know our

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Speaker 2: playoffs possible, yes, it is a bigger field, but if

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Speaker 2: you've got eight that get in, I think you know

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Speaker 2: you should at least be shooting for a playoff.

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Speaker 1: Berth And I'm speaking from the outside. I've not dug

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Speaker 1: in deep on exactly what Boston's doing, but it feels

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Speaker 1: like in terms of hiring in front office, they're leaning

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Speaker 1: very analytics heavy. They're bringing in a ton of people

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Speaker 1: that view the game maybe a little bit differently than

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Speaker 1: the rest of the NWSL. So that's kind of exciting

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Speaker 1: and maybe offsets some of the concerns early on that

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Speaker 1: mostly stemmed from their name and their marketing campaign. I

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Speaker 1: think they got a bad rep for a lot of

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Speaker 1: things on that side of the ball. But then now

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Speaker 1: you look and the decision making they've done in terms

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Speaker 1: of hiring is maybe a little exciting. Like you said, unproven,

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Speaker 1: but do you feel like, Okay, I actually kind of

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Speaker 1: like the approach they're taking when it comes to the

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Speaker 1: numbers and the strategy.

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Speaker 2: I mean, look, I think it was more than the

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Speaker 2: name too, right, I mean the Stadium is something that

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Speaker 2: hangs over there still. I mean, we're going to Foxborough

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Speaker 2: in a few days. That wasn't the plan. I think

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Speaker 2: we should, by all accounts, see that White Stadium finished

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Speaker 2: for twenty twenty seven. But you know, I've said it before,

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Speaker 2: and I don't think you know, I think we've maybe

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Speaker 2: even talked about it before, like it's a disservice to

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Speaker 2: sugarcoat things too, right, Like they had the longest lead

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Speaker 2: time of any expansion team in history, and they wasted

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Speaker 2: a lot of it from the name, you know, having

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Speaker 2: to redo that to the stadium. So you know, I

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Speaker 2: think that that is something we can overlook. That they're

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Speaker 2: playing in Foxborn, Rhode Island this year. It doesn't mean

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Speaker 2: that things won't be great when they get to White Stadium,

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Speaker 2: and they won't be great on the field, but you know,

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Speaker 2: I think that's been the thing that I'm really interested

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Speaker 2: to see how they kind of bounce back from that.

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Speaker 2: I think we won't. I don't think they'll get fully

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Speaker 2: past that until they're in White Stadium in terms of

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Speaker 2: that sort of narrative off the field, But you know,

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Speaker 2: on the field, yeah, I think you know, I spoke

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Speaker 2: with Felipa Patoum when she was hired the head coach,

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Speaker 2: and you know, again, I don't know how it's going

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Speaker 2: to work out exactly, but like I think anybody would

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Speaker 2: run through a brick wall for her if you talk

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Speaker 2: to those in thirty minutes. So yeah, I think it's

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Speaker 2: it's a fascinating sort of really, even more so than Denver,

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Speaker 2: who I think has done more with the stadium build

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Speaker 2: and everything. But you know, it's a fascinating sort of

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Speaker 2: project in Boston.

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Speaker 1: We had Domei Gash on the show, and I have

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Speaker 1: to admit I was unsure and then I was very

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Speaker 1: much charmed and excited about what he had to say

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Speaker 1: and what he might do with the team. Can you

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Speaker 1: remind our listeners where the White Stadium project is right now?

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Speaker 1: What's the status?

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Speaker 2: Yeah? Now set to be completed in twenty twenty seven,

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Speaker 2: you know, the renovation, the short version of it for

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Speaker 2: the listeners. Of the public private finance with Boston Public

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Speaker 2: Schools hit a lot of roadblocks that are probably even

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Speaker 2: beyond us in terms of Boston politics and mayorals with

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Speaker 2: you know, the crafts. So you know, there's finally like

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Speaker 2: advancement on construction but you know, the plan was certainly

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Speaker 2: to play you know, day one in that stadium fully renovated,

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Speaker 2: and I think, you know it's probably it might even

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Speaker 2: be generous the way things have gone to say a

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Speaker 2: year from now, but some point in twenty twenty seven,

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Speaker 2: I think is looking more realistic when.

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Speaker 1: It comes to Denver. There's a great thing when you

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Speaker 1: could bring in a Lindsay Heaps, a fan favorite, You

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Speaker 1: sell jerseys, you get people excited, and have some names

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Speaker 1: people are used to. It also can be tough, and

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Speaker 1: you look at a team like maybe Angel City where

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Speaker 1: you're banking on veterans to help start things, but then

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Speaker 1: maybe you get caught up on the wrong side of

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Speaker 1: those players' abilities. Are you concerned at all with the

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Speaker 1: safe approach from Denver? I do have a lot of young,

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Speaker 1: unproven talent too, though there no, I'm not.

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Speaker 2: I don't find it concerning. I think, certainly from a

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Speaker 2: roster standpoint, of the two expansion teams, like we said,

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Speaker 2: much more predictable, and maybe that's a synonym for safe,

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Speaker 2: I guess, But like I think you know what you're

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Speaker 2: getting in a sense of if you're an expansion team.

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Speaker 2: I mean, you asked me earlier. Is there a San

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Speaker 2: Diego season in it. I mean, maybe I don't think

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Speaker 2: any of these, either of these teams are going to

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Speaker 2: be Shield contenders, but I think it's realistic to say

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Speaker 2: playoffs are a goal and attainable. And I think, you know,

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Speaker 2: the big challenge with Heaps coming in the summer is

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Speaker 2: just kind of you have to kind of split the

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Speaker 2: season of managing it without her for that first half

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Speaker 2: and then managing it when she comes. But I think

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Speaker 2: it's a longer term signing. To me, it's a signing

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Speaker 2: that I mean, she signed for the long term, and

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Speaker 2: obviously we can talk age and everything, but to me,

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Speaker 2: it's a signing that if you look at the rest

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Speaker 2: of the roster, the fact that there's more to be

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Speaker 2: done this summer to plan for next year. I think

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Speaker 2: that the big plan in Denver is probably twenty twenty seven.

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Speaker 2: When you're looking on the field, not to concede this year,

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Speaker 2: but I think that's when you look at the Heap

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Speaker 2: signing and maybe some other possibilities that you know that's

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Speaker 2: the year for them that they're really looking to make

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Speaker 2: some noise.

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Speaker 1: Just remember for those who don't that Lindsay Heaps will

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Speaker 1: be joining mid season because she's finishing out her contract

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Speaker 1: with Leon, so they will have to figure out how

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Speaker 1: do we make sure we are set up for when

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Speaker 1: she arrives, but also not to your point like conceding

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Speaker 1: and waiting around for her to show up. Pretty exciting

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Speaker 1: for both teams. Forty five thousand tickets sold for Denver's

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Speaker 1: opener at Mile High, but the Legacy have new kids

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Speaker 1: on the block at halftime, so I think it's toss

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Speaker 1: up there. Speaking of Gillette, you know they're playing a

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Speaker 1: handful of games there in year one. That's a sixty

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Speaker 1: five thousand seat facility, tough to fill, even for a

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Speaker 1: new team that has a lot of excitement. For a

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Speaker 1: lot of teams, getting ten thousand is great, but ten

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Speaker 1: thousand doesn't feel very good in a sixty five thousand

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Speaker 1: seat stadium. So any thoughts on how it will affect

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Speaker 1: the team's vibe or the fan base trying to get

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Speaker 1: together and rally around this team if they're sort of

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Speaker 1: not even fulling out the lower Bowl.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't know about the team vibe, but certainly

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Speaker 2: from a fan base perspective, I think if you're a fan,

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Speaker 2: you know you waited the break I mean we haven't

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Speaker 2: even said yet, right, the breakers, their history, they go away.

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Speaker 2: If you're a Boston fan like the disappointment and heartbreak

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Speaker 2: of that to then get a team back. I think

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Speaker 2: I'm speaking for them a little bit, but I think

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Speaker 2: they're probably happy to just have it back, right, if

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Speaker 2: they've got to wait the year for White Stadium or whatever.

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Speaker 2: But it's been even from that fan perspective, the choppy

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Speaker 2: start of all right, white Stadium is not going to

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Speaker 2: be ready, which I think anybody logically paying attention knew

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Speaker 2: that was coming. But then its all right, we're in Foxborough.

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Speaker 2: And then the Rhode Island piece, especially some of the

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Speaker 2: fan reaction I saw was a bit abrupt in terms

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Speaker 2: of how it was brought on. It was announced after

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Speaker 2: there were sort of I think your select a seat

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Speaker 2: or season deposits at Gillette. So I do think that,

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Speaker 2: you know, going from Boston, I mean, if you look

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Speaker 2: at on the map, you just progressively get farther away

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Speaker 2: from White Stadium to Foxborough to Pawtucket, Rhode Island. That's

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Speaker 2: pretty jarring from a fan perspective. I think you could

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Speaker 2: argue maybe there's some long term impact there, but yeah,

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Speaker 2: to your point of you know, Foxborough where it is

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Speaker 2: filling it out, it's tough. Like I mean, I think

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Speaker 2: the rain have this problem the most. San Diego with

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Speaker 2: the dipping attendance had it a little bit like to

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Speaker 2: have seven thousand people in a sixty thousand plus stadium.

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Speaker 2: It's not a great environment and it's going to be

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Speaker 2: difficult if that's the case. And I would say they're trending.

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Speaker 2: I mean, they've announced about twenty thousand for the opener

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Speaker 2: as of recording here. You know, I think that's a

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Speaker 2: good respectable number. Maybe a champagn problem from the early years,

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Speaker 2: but you know, the home openers a novelty event. So

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Speaker 2: what's you know, Game two and three in ify New

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Speaker 2: England weather. I think that's where you start to wonder

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Speaker 2: for sure. But you can maybe say the same thing

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Speaker 2: about Denver the big event for the first one, and

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Speaker 2: then you know they didn't plan to play in Dick's

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Speaker 2: Sporting Goods. Their stadium is sitting on a shipping container

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Speaker 2: in LA you know. So I mean I think there's

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Speaker 2: there's these are expansion problems.

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Speaker 1: Yeah. Absolutely. A team that we thought might have more

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Speaker 1: problems last year and didn't was Gotham great transition Spain.

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Speaker 1: They had another surprise title run. They wanted from the

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Speaker 1: eighth seed, and this was their second championship in three seasons.

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Speaker 1: We spent so much time last offseason worried about roster

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Speaker 1: shakeups and then they went and won it. So what

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Speaker 1: do you expect from the returning champs this year?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, good question. I think you want to see consistency,

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Speaker 2: certainly if you're a Gotham fan. I mean, I think

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Speaker 2: I would expect to see more of that. I mean

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Speaker 2: it's a team that, you know, the two titles in

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Speaker 2: three years can be deceiving because they came from you know,

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Speaker 2: bottom seed in each case, changed scenarios obviously, but you know,

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Speaker 2: I think that can be a little bit deceive him.

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Speaker 2: But the talents there, I mean, they're also you know,

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Speaker 2: the the dichotomy of it of like some of the

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Speaker 2: in league struggles. But then you know, in May of

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Speaker 2: last year, in the midst of that, they're winning the

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Speaker 2: Conka CAF title and winning the region for the first

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Speaker 2: time and going to you know, the first FIFA event

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Speaker 2: so which they forfeited.

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Speaker 1: According to headlines, they forfeited all the money by le

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Speaker 1: ridiculous word choice for them just not winning.

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Speaker 2: It definitely, you know, underperformed. I think disappointing to to

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Speaker 2: not even make the final there, but sure, you know,

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Speaker 2: having a full season or even more than like two

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Speaker 2: months of Jaden Shaw presumably keeping Rose devel fully healthy.

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Speaker 2: I mean she's been spectacular for the last year or so,

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Speaker 2: but this time last year she was still coming back

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Speaker 2: from a surgery. So, you know, I think having that

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Speaker 2: consistency is you would expect certainly a more consistent season.

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Speaker 2: And I think they're still in that group that maybe

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Speaker 2: it was this time last year we talked about three

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Speaker 2: four teams that should distance themselves. I think they're in

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Speaker 2: that group, and you know, maybe that we'll get to

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Speaker 2: there's a little bit more of a question mark around

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Speaker 2: some of those other teams now too.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, let's talk about the Kansas City Current. They ran

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Speaker 1: away with the shield. They felt inevitable. We were like,

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Speaker 1: this is boring, They're gonna win everything, and then they

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Speaker 1: fell to got them in the quarterfinals. Tamushewinga will be back,

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Speaker 1: hopefully healthy for the season. In a terrifying twist, she's

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Speaker 1: going to be joined by Kroy Butthune, one of my

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Speaker 1: favorite players in the League, who left the Washington Spirit

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Speaker 1: for the Current in the offseason, high hopes again for

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Speaker 1: the Current. Any reason to believe otherwise there's a coaching

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Speaker 1: change that could switch things up a little bit.

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Speaker 2: You know, I do have some questions about the Current,

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Speaker 2: and I don't think that's like you know that that

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Speaker 2: doesn't mean that they're going to be eighth place or

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Speaker 2: missing the playoffs, But I don't know. I mean, look,

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Speaker 2: I said this about Orlando a year ago, coming off

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Speaker 2: of the best, one of the best seasons we've ever

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Speaker 2: seen in league history. You just can't sustain that. I mean,

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Speaker 2: it's it's totally unrealistic. So the idea that Kansas City

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Speaker 2: could do anything close to winning the league by twenty

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Speaker 2: one points again setting scoring records, it's not going to happen.

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Speaker 2: And part of that is a regression of the mean

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Speaker 2: I would say, But also like showinga I don't know

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Speaker 2: how healthy she is, that's all been a bit guarded.

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Speaker 2: You know, how serious is that? Even if it's not

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Speaker 2: serious quote unquote, it's been an issue that's lingered now

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Speaker 2: for long enough that on and off it's been a problem.

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Speaker 2: And what does that mean? Because we know that they

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Speaker 2: play so different when they don't have her on the field,

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Speaker 2: which really was the story of that Gotham quarterfinal. So

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Speaker 2: I think if she's not ready beginning of the season,

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Speaker 2: and if that stretches for a while, add into that

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Speaker 2: that Bia has departed, who I don't think ever got

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Speaker 2: enough credit, you know, Kroy coming in, Kroy Betune coming in.

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Speaker 2: To your point, I mean, there's plenty of talent here,

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Speaker 2: But then you add in the Chris Armis higher, which

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Speaker 2: again I think a lot of unknowns first time really

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Speaker 2: in the women's pro game. I mean, you know, the

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Speaker 2: short stint at a you know, not necessarily a big

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Speaker 2: college on the women's side, I think you could say

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Speaker 2: tactics are tactics, sure, but you know there's a learning

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Speaker 2: there that he's somewhat readily admitted in terms of understanding opponents,

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Speaker 2: understanding the league. More so, I think that there are

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Speaker 2: a few factors there that could add up in a

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Speaker 2: way that Kansas City is I think, will be in

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Speaker 2: the mix, but might not cruise at all in the

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Speaker 2: way that they did last year.

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Speaker 1: You know, you don't want to undermine a head coach,

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Speaker 1: but when you have someone like vladco that's still in

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Speaker 1: the building, working. Do you get a sense for the

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Speaker 1: idea that he could work with Chris or would it

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Speaker 1: feel like, hey, we need to create a separation here

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Speaker 1: because it's going to make things difficult for Chris to

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Speaker 1: take over if lack co's in a shadow.

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Speaker 2: No, I think it's absolutely working with But to your point,

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Speaker 2: I mean, I think you could find and top of mind,

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Speaker 2: I don't have them. You cover more sports than I do,

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Speaker 2: but there's enough examples of like coming in and being

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Speaker 2: the guy after the guy, especially if the first guy

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Speaker 2: is still there, that creates some odd dynamics. I mean,

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Speaker 2: actually I can think of in Washington a few years

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Speaker 2: ago where there was some dynamics of like, you know,

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Speaker 2: the hiring. You had Markakriyan in and he came in

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Speaker 2: and he, you know, came off this incredibly successful head

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Speaker 2: coaching stint in college, and you know, he's obviously a

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Speaker 2: coach coming into director of Soccer OPS or a GM

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Speaker 2: type of role, and that creates a different dynamic than

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Speaker 2: maybe a GM who's never been a head coach. So

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Speaker 2: I don't know what it will mean again, but you know,

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Speaker 2: I think that there's a level of expectation and understanding

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Speaker 2: of that coaching role that doesn't always exist in every team.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, Spirit got their girl in Trinity Rodman lost Bethune.

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Speaker 1: What do you expect from this DC team? They've been

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Speaker 1: so close for two years running. They got the biggest

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Speaker 1: piece back, But what else might they now be missing,

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Speaker 1: especially if they're spending a whole bunch of money in

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Speaker 1: one spot.

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Speaker 2: I don't think missing a lot. I mean they got

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Speaker 2: creative enough with you know, the biggest contract we've ever

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Speaker 2: seen in the league or the world. From everything that

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Speaker 2: I do understand from from fully checking that, I.

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Speaker 1: Know, I love that every report was close to is

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Speaker 1: might be probably his biggest contract in women's soccer.

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Speaker 2: I'm confident in saying that I will I will, okay,

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Speaker 2: But you know, I think they've done They've were creative

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Speaker 2: enough as much as they could be in the accounting

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Speaker 2: for that, in terms of how do you spread it,

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Speaker 2: how do you use this new hip rule all of that.

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Speaker 2: So I don't think, you know, losing Kroy Bethune obviously

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Speaker 2: is a hit, but I think this is a team

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Speaker 2: that's still deep, It's still very talented. I would expect,

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Speaker 2: you know, to the points we just made about Kansas City,

356
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Speaker 2: of any of these sort of contenders that existed before Washington,

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Speaker 2: to me is the one that sort of stayed, you know,

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Speaker 2: right where they were in a good way, and I

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Speaker 2: would expect them to be back in it. I you know,

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Speaker 2: two straight final losses. Of course the bar there is

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Speaker 2: go win it. But yeah, I think that they are

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Speaker 2: as much as anybody, maybe potentially the standard setters for

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Speaker 2: the season.

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Speaker 1: Nice. We saw soph Smith back in action for Portland

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Speaker 1: and you know friendly ahead of the season. Great sign

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Speaker 1: that she'll be ready to go and is going to

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Speaker 1: be a part of this Thorn's team. They were a

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Speaker 1: surprising three seed by the end of last year. What

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Speaker 1: do you expect from them this season.

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Speaker 2: I think it's gonna be a tough year in Portland,

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Speaker 2: I do. I know I've said that before, but you know,

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Speaker 2: Sophia Wilson coming back is going to be a huge

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Speaker 2: boost obviously, But you know is does it become really

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Speaker 2: what became an issue sort of pre maternity leave, which

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Speaker 2: was Thorn's struggle need to get bailed out. Sophia Wilson

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Speaker 2: could do that and repeat and you know, you look

377
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Speaker 2: at Hina Sagita leaving at the end of the season.

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Speaker 2: Toward the end of the season, Sam Coffee departing in

379
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Speaker 2: the offseason, no real like for like replacements yet maybe

380
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Speaker 2: that happens in the summer. But bigger issue there too.

381
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Speaker 2: Then this coaching process, this hiring process of firing Rob

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Speaker 2: Gaale in late November to making a decision call it

383
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Speaker 2: late February, mid February, whenever it was made. But you know,

384
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Speaker 2: three months to get a coach who then loses preseason,

385
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Speaker 2: who might not even be here. It doesn't look like

386
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Speaker 2: for the opener based on visas and when does that happen?

387
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Speaker 2: So to me, you've really lost I mean a full preseason.

388
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Speaker 2: You've probably conceded the first half of the season. It

389
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Speaker 2: doesn't mean you're not going to win a game, but

390
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Speaker 2: I think you're in trouble in that sense. I think

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Speaker 2: from these perspectives, I do think for a team, I

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Speaker 2: would say it like this, and I write as much

393
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Speaker 2: in something forthcoming. I don't know when you're I guess

394
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Speaker 2: one of t ease. Yeah, I think this might be

395
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Speaker 2: out before that. But like the standard in Portland has

396
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Speaker 2: always been set the bar globally, that's on and off

397
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Speaker 2: the field. Off the field obviously still leading the league

398
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Speaker 2: in attendance on the field. I don't think they're doing that,

399
00:18:23,119 --> 00:18:24,719
Speaker 2: and I think they're playing some catch up with some

400
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Speaker 2: of these other teams.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, well, and it feels like and I look forward

402
00:18:27,840 --> 00:18:30,880
Speaker 1: to seeing what this ownership group of both the Portland Fire,

403
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Speaker 1: the new expansion WNBA team and the Thorns can do.

404
00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:36,040
Speaker 1: But the Fire we're also playing catchup in terms of

405
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Speaker 1: hirings and figuring out their front office. So it's a

406
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Speaker 1: question of what is that ownership group doing that's from

407
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Speaker 1: afar not in market all the time, and how are

408
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Speaker 1: they going to handle some of the big decision making

409
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Speaker 1: to get this team back to what it was before

410
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Speaker 1: their purchase, which is you know, yet to be seen.

411
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Speaker 1: Sofa is back? Any idea when we can expect to

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Speaker 1: see mel s Watson?

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Speaker 2: Well, we saw that she's back into a level of

414
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Speaker 2: training you in and out on the team. That's always

415
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Speaker 2: a good sign. I mean, they haven't been specific, and

416
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Speaker 2: I honestly don't have a specific date, So I mean

417
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Speaker 2: I would think, you know, sooner is better, especially for

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Speaker 2: her trying to get ramped up when you think about

419
00:19:11,200 --> 00:19:13,240
Speaker 2: not that much time until a World Cup too on

420
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Speaker 2: an international level, But yeah, I'm not sure of a date.

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Speaker 1: I would like to commend the girlies on timing their

422
00:19:19,359 --> 00:19:22,520
Speaker 1: pregnancies right in that middle of the time ahead of

423
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Speaker 1: another World Cup and an Olympics, Like they really nailed that.

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Speaker 1: It was very impressive racing level. Let's talk about them.

425
00:19:29,119 --> 00:19:31,399
Speaker 1: They finally broke their curse of ninth place finishes to

426
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Speaker 1: make the playoffs, nearly took out the spirit went down

427
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Speaker 1: to Pete K's can Bevanez in company be a semi

428
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Speaker 1: final or further team again this year?

429
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Speaker 2: Yeah, I think this is probably one of the most

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Speaker 2: fascinating on field only stories, so to speak of Louisville.

431
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Speaker 2: A team that I think a franchise that is you know,

432
00:19:50,440 --> 00:19:52,480
Speaker 2: has a lot of questions about it's you know, long

433
00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:54,840
Speaker 2: term future. I think a lot of people, you know,

434
00:19:54,880 --> 00:19:57,439
Speaker 2: continue to look at that and wonder. But you know,

435
00:19:57,520 --> 00:20:00,320
Speaker 2: from on field, a team that sort of punches above

436
00:20:00,320 --> 00:20:02,879
Speaker 2: its weight, I think, I mean, I said throughout last fall,

437
00:20:03,520 --> 00:20:05,240
Speaker 2: a team that you don't want to meet in the

438
00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:07,640
Speaker 2: playoffs because it has that capability to win a one

439
00:20:07,680 --> 00:20:10,359
Speaker 2: off game. And to your point, I mean I was

440
00:20:10,400 --> 00:20:13,320
Speaker 2: at Autyfield for that. It never totally felt like they

441
00:20:13,359 --> 00:20:15,359
Speaker 2: were in it, but they just hung around and then

442
00:20:15,359 --> 00:20:18,840
Speaker 2: they obviously made things interesting, So I think that's exactly

443
00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:22,679
Speaker 2: their DNA. Can you make that sustainable over not just

444
00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:26,719
Speaker 2: a season, but multiple seasons as teams sort of figure

445
00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:29,199
Speaker 2: you out. I think that's a big question. I mean,

446
00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:31,680
Speaker 2: I think I'm a big Bevanez fan, so I think

447
00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:34,399
Speaker 2: at minimum she'll have the group motivated and bought in.

448
00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:36,640
Speaker 2: I just saw a little bit of her talking about

449
00:20:36,680 --> 00:20:39,840
Speaker 2: the you know, the team culture. Again. I think that's

450
00:20:39,880 --> 00:20:42,480
Speaker 2: that sort of blue collar DNA in racing Louisville that

451
00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:45,439
Speaker 2: you have to have Because they readily admit they're not

452
00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:48,080
Speaker 2: going to spend more on players than some of these teams.

453
00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:50,239
Speaker 2: They're not going to attract some of these players, So

454
00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:52,920
Speaker 2: I think, you know, how they follow that up might

455
00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:56,119
Speaker 2: be the most interesting question for a franchise that doesn't

456
00:20:56,160 --> 00:20:57,399
Speaker 2: always get a lot of attention.

457
00:20:58,200 --> 00:21:01,280
Speaker 1: Yeah, well fans should give attention. It's a great place

458
00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:03,320
Speaker 1: to go watch a game. It's a fun city to visit.

459
00:21:03,359 --> 00:21:06,399
Speaker 1: The stadium's awesome. Like if people haven't thought about Louisville

460
00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:08,920
Speaker 1: as a potential NWSL road trip, I recommend it. I

461
00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:11,159
Speaker 1: always have a good time down there. We asked this

462
00:21:11,240 --> 00:21:13,240
Speaker 1: every year, and I think I might actually be contractually

463
00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:16,639
Speaker 1: obligated to ask, is this the year Angel City adds

464
00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:19,840
Speaker 1: soccer success to the resume of business and sponsor and

465
00:21:19,880 --> 00:21:21,680
Speaker 1: promotional and attended success.

466
00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:25,280
Speaker 2: Oh? Man, well they I would say, at minimum they

467
00:21:25,359 --> 00:21:27,760
Speaker 2: need to write because I don't think a lot of

468
00:21:27,760 --> 00:21:31,880
Speaker 2: factors last year, even locally. I'm well aware of things

469
00:21:31,880 --> 00:21:34,439
Speaker 2: that extended beyond soccer. But you saw the hit at

470
00:21:34,480 --> 00:21:36,920
Speaker 2: the gate. I mean I think it was not only

471
00:21:36,960 --> 00:21:39,520
Speaker 2: noticeable in numbers with the drop, but really when you

472
00:21:39,560 --> 00:21:41,399
Speaker 2: looked at that stadium, you tune in and say, whoa

473
00:21:41,760 --> 00:21:44,920
Speaker 2: like this used to be such a scene, typically much

474
00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:48,720
Speaker 2: more full, So I can't you know, the struggles on

475
00:21:48,720 --> 00:21:51,840
Speaker 2: the field were a factor, maybe not the factor. So

476
00:21:51,880 --> 00:21:54,439
Speaker 2: I think they need to from that perspective. You know,

477
00:21:55,800 --> 00:22:01,800
Speaker 2: look again, I think losing illicit Thompson at the time

478
00:22:01,840 --> 00:22:05,240
Speaker 2: they did in the way they did at minimum extremely dejecting,

479
00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:08,160
Speaker 2: right the hometown hero that and this is not speaking

480
00:22:08,200 --> 00:22:10,600
Speaker 2: of her, but of where it leaves Angel City in

481
00:22:10,640 --> 00:22:14,760
Speaker 2: that sense, to leave, you know, mid season or late

482
00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:17,679
Speaker 2: in the season. I think that they were already in

483
00:22:17,720 --> 00:22:20,439
Speaker 2: a rebuild as it were, but she was the focal

484
00:22:20,480 --> 00:22:23,120
Speaker 2: point of it, or a forthcoming one, and so her

485
00:22:23,160 --> 00:22:25,320
Speaker 2: departure I think sets that back a little bit further.

486
00:22:25,359 --> 00:22:27,760
Speaker 2: Even so, I think the playoffs have to be a

487
00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:30,560
Speaker 2: minimum here. Again, I don't think this is a team

488
00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:33,400
Speaker 2: contending for a shield. You know, you get in the playoffs.

489
00:22:33,440 --> 00:22:35,879
Speaker 2: Anything can happen, but like they need to make the

490
00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:39,920
Speaker 2: playoffs from a business perspective, from a sporting perspective, can

491
00:22:39,960 --> 00:22:43,160
Speaker 2: they and will they? I mean, we'll see. I don't think,

492
00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:45,040
Speaker 2: you know, I think it should be a little bit

493
00:22:45,040 --> 00:22:46,879
Speaker 2: more wide open this year when you look across the

494
00:22:46,880 --> 00:22:49,480
Speaker 2: field of teams and the various things we've talked about

495
00:22:49,520 --> 00:22:51,520
Speaker 2: with some of the favorites, even in questions around them,

496
00:22:51,880 --> 00:22:54,280
Speaker 2: that you know there should be an opportunity.

497
00:22:53,880 --> 00:22:58,080
Speaker 1: To do that. They lost a couple big names, beloved players,

498
00:22:58,080 --> 00:23:00,399
Speaker 1: but folks who maybe weren't contributing in this where they

499
00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:03,000
Speaker 1: used to Ali Riley Kristen Press among them. They're actually

500
00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:04,640
Speaker 1: one of the bottom teams in the league in terms

501
00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:07,480
Speaker 1: of returning player minutes from last year, so change could

502
00:23:07,480 --> 00:23:09,480
Speaker 1: be a good thing. They've got Riley Tiernan, a young

503
00:23:09,520 --> 00:23:12,640
Speaker 1: star who could be doing big things. Emily SAMs comes over.

504
00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:17,040
Speaker 1: That's an interesting dynamic switch there in terms of roster.

505
00:23:17,280 --> 00:23:19,639
Speaker 1: Do you see reasons to be optimistic or is it

506
00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:21,280
Speaker 1: just the same as every year where it's like, well,

507
00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:23,960
Speaker 1: this has got to be the year, right, like like

508
00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:26,679
Speaker 1: without even necessarily having a reach dec it feels like

509
00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:28,680
Speaker 1: it needs to be well.

510
00:23:28,760 --> 00:23:30,760
Speaker 2: I think Kina Sagita. I mean, if you talk to

511
00:23:30,760 --> 00:23:33,879
Speaker 2: anybody in LA and certainly we've seen that, you know,

512
00:23:33,960 --> 00:23:37,280
Speaker 2: before her arrival there, you know, she came over so late.

513
00:23:37,320 --> 00:23:39,080
Speaker 2: I mean the season was pretty much dead for them

514
00:23:39,119 --> 00:23:41,400
Speaker 2: at that point. So to have the full year out

515
00:23:41,440 --> 00:23:44,200
Speaker 2: of her to make her a focal point, I think

516
00:23:44,240 --> 00:23:46,720
Speaker 2: that's you know, a huge one. I mean your point

517
00:23:46,720 --> 00:23:49,840
Speaker 2: about Emily SAMs for sure, to sure up a back

518
00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:53,040
Speaker 2: line that I mean, I'm thinking about this time last year,

519
00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:55,679
Speaker 2: they played in Orlando where I remember I don't have

520
00:23:55,680 --> 00:23:57,639
Speaker 2: the score in front of me, but I remember the

521
00:23:57,680 --> 00:23:59,359
Speaker 2: first half I was, you know, to your point, I

522
00:23:59,400 --> 00:24:02,160
Speaker 2: was like, okay, Angel City, They're like they're looking good

523
00:24:02,160 --> 00:24:05,560
Speaker 2: against Orlando. It's early season, and then halftime came and

524
00:24:05,600 --> 00:24:08,240
Speaker 2: that all changed, right, So it's just the consistency factor

525
00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:10,920
Speaker 2: for me. That's been it since day one for them.

526
00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:13,159
Speaker 2: I mean consistency and I'm talking day one, you know,

527
00:24:13,520 --> 00:24:16,840
Speaker 2: years back. Within a game, within a season, So yeah,

528
00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:20,560
Speaker 2: I mean I think Sugita is a big reason for optimism.

529
00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:23,000
Speaker 2: You know, Emily Sam's sharing up the back line, So yes,

530
00:24:23,080 --> 00:24:26,600
Speaker 2: I think from a roster perspective, Kennedy Fuller again is

531
00:24:27,560 --> 00:24:30,919
Speaker 2: a very good young talent. Riley Tiernan I'm also high on.

532
00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:32,960
Speaker 2: I mean, I think you've got to kind of capture

533
00:24:33,040 --> 00:24:35,639
Speaker 2: lightning in a bottle twice there, potentially with how she

534
00:24:35,760 --> 00:24:38,520
Speaker 2: stormed onto the scene, so you got to figure that out.

535
00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:40,680
Speaker 2: But yes, there's reason for that optimism.

536
00:24:41,119 --> 00:24:43,160
Speaker 1: Yeah, they will see her coming now in a way

537
00:24:43,160 --> 00:24:46,159
Speaker 1: that they worked before any of the rest of the

538
00:24:46,160 --> 00:24:48,600
Speaker 1: teams from the table that you see contending this season

539
00:24:48,600 --> 00:24:49,280
Speaker 1: that I didn't mention.

540
00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:52,199
Speaker 2: I mean, I am interested in what Denver does you

541
00:24:52,200 --> 00:24:55,840
Speaker 2: know North Carolina? You know, I think Orlando is a

542
00:24:55,880 --> 00:24:58,439
Speaker 2: team that I'm interested to see that the talent there

543
00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:01,359
Speaker 2: is still there. I mean, I think Marta will be

544
00:25:01,400 --> 00:25:06,520
Speaker 2: playing until she's sixty potentially and probably still nutmegging folks.

545
00:25:06,240 --> 00:25:06,879
Speaker 1: As she should.

546
00:25:08,119 --> 00:25:10,640
Speaker 2: No, I mean, you know, San Diego is a team

547
00:25:10,680 --> 00:25:12,600
Speaker 2: again with you know, there was a lot of turnover.

548
00:25:12,640 --> 00:25:14,600
Speaker 2: I think we saw a lot of potential. I am

549
00:25:14,680 --> 00:25:17,720
Speaker 2: curious if you think about the typical arc of an

550
00:25:17,840 --> 00:25:21,800
Speaker 2: NWSL contender, And I'm thinking about Orlando actually, where you

551
00:25:21,840 --> 00:25:24,760
Speaker 2: know that twenty twenty four double winning season that they

552
00:25:24,760 --> 00:25:29,800
Speaker 2: had was irreplicable, but if you paid attention, you saw

553
00:25:29,800 --> 00:25:31,919
Speaker 2: it in twenty twenty three, you saw the foundation for it.

554
00:25:32,600 --> 00:25:35,359
Speaker 2: I think, you know there San Diego, it's like a

555
00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:37,800
Speaker 2: little bit of whiplash sometimes with what's going on there.

556
00:25:38,080 --> 00:25:40,640
Speaker 2: But I do think that they showed us moments last

557
00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:44,560
Speaker 2: year where the possession was there, the style of play

558
00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:46,360
Speaker 2: was there. Now can you put it all together and win?

559
00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:51,159
Speaker 2: Delphine Cascarino leaving, you know, is a hit, but you know,

560
00:25:51,280 --> 00:25:55,600
Speaker 2: Kenza Dali, they bring in Lujemila, we believe they'll be

561
00:25:55,640 --> 00:25:59,840
Speaker 2: bringing in or potentially bringing in kat Maccario, So you

562
00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:02,160
Speaker 2: put all those things together. I am interested to see

563
00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:05,640
Speaker 2: if last year was sort of the inconsistent foundation for

564
00:26:06,040 --> 00:26:08,440
Speaker 2: potentially San Diego being you know, making a lot more

565
00:26:08,480 --> 00:26:09,160
Speaker 2: noise this year.

566
00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:12,679
Speaker 1: And I believe you mean whiplash just metaphorically and not

567
00:26:12,840 --> 00:26:17,760
Speaker 1: that JK. Simmons is Jill Ellis and the toxic behind

568
00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:19,919
Speaker 1: the scenes behavior is reminiscent of the movie with my

569
00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:22,200
Speaker 1: Miles Deller. But it's possible that it was a double

570
00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:24,560
Speaker 1: meaning there. We're still trying to sort all that out.

571
00:26:24,560 --> 00:26:27,679
Speaker 1: When it comes to the San Diego Wave international players.

572
00:26:27,760 --> 00:26:29,560
Speaker 1: Are there any coming to the NWSL this year that

573
00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:31,040
Speaker 1: we should be particularly looking out for.

574
00:26:32,040 --> 00:26:33,919
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean I think that's always a big one.

575
00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:36,320
Speaker 2: I mean for starters heaps coming home I know, on

576
00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:40,000
Speaker 2: the end of that end of the career arc potentially.

577
00:26:40,040 --> 00:26:42,960
Speaker 2: But you know, that is a good reverse trend, so

578
00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:46,600
Speaker 2: to speak, for Americans leaving, even if it's not necessarily

579
00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:49,720
Speaker 2: like for an easy example at the same team like

580
00:26:49,760 --> 00:26:52,960
Speaker 2: Lily Johanns coming over at the beginning of her career,

581
00:26:53,040 --> 00:26:56,320
Speaker 2: but it is a good sign, you know. I'm interested.

582
00:26:56,440 --> 00:26:58,760
Speaker 2: You know, we talked about Boston again, sort of the mystery.

583
00:26:59,040 --> 00:27:01,119
Speaker 2: I mean, Amanda Gutia there is I think is somebody

584
00:27:01,119 --> 00:27:04,720
Speaker 2: who probably you know, I don't, I don't know many

585
00:27:04,760 --> 00:27:07,439
Speaker 2: people including myself maybe have talked about but you know,

586
00:27:07,560 --> 00:27:10,360
Speaker 2: really interested to see how she adapts to the league,

587
00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:13,960
Speaker 2: if she can kind of force herself into the big

588
00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:16,720
Speaker 2: time player, you know, chase a golden boot type of

589
00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:21,760
Speaker 2: scenario or conversation. So I think that's probably you know,

590
00:27:21,920 --> 00:27:25,960
Speaker 2: one of them that jumps out or a big one

591
00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:31,160
Speaker 2: from like a you know, a mystery perspective, I would say, yeah.

592
00:27:30,160 --> 00:27:32,000
Speaker 1: What about a few rookies to keep an eye on

593
00:27:32,040 --> 00:27:34,040
Speaker 1: this year. We don't hear about a draft in the

594
00:27:34,119 --> 00:27:36,879
Speaker 1: sense of that telling us who might be the best.

595
00:27:36,920 --> 00:27:38,760
Speaker 1: We can just look at sort of college success.

596
00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:41,040
Speaker 2: But right, yeah, I mean I think the rookie I

597
00:27:41,040 --> 00:27:45,399
Speaker 2: mean Jordan Dudley going to to Gotham, I think, you know,

598
00:27:45,600 --> 00:27:47,520
Speaker 2: even sort of behind the scenes, I think a lot

599
00:27:47,560 --> 00:27:49,600
Speaker 2: of a lot of promise, a lot of hype. I mean,

600
00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:52,320
Speaker 2: certainly if a US fan who's paid attention to kind

601
00:27:52,359 --> 00:27:54,800
Speaker 2: of the youth national teams will know that name, or

602
00:27:54,840 --> 00:27:58,080
Speaker 2: anybody who's followed college ball, so I think she really

603
00:27:58,160 --> 00:28:00,560
Speaker 2: jumps out. As you know, again, you're in this era

604
00:28:00,600 --> 00:28:02,680
Speaker 2: of kind of I mean Riley Tyrnham being a good

605
00:28:02,680 --> 00:28:05,719
Speaker 2: example maybe of you know, you can always find a

606
00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:07,639
Speaker 2: diamond in the rough. I'm thinking of like a Bethany

607
00:28:07,680 --> 00:28:11,320
Speaker 2: Baalser from years past two. But now in this era

608
00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:13,800
Speaker 2: where you've got to kind of get these college signings

609
00:28:13,880 --> 00:28:18,080
Speaker 2: right because you're not drafting them on the idea that

610
00:28:18,119 --> 00:28:19,719
Speaker 2: you now have the rights and you can make them

611
00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:21,360
Speaker 2: come to training camp and you don't have to sign

612
00:28:21,440 --> 00:28:23,960
Speaker 2: them to a contract until April first or something like.

613
00:28:24,040 --> 00:28:26,280
Speaker 2: Now you're signing these players and you need to get

614
00:28:26,280 --> 00:28:29,080
Speaker 2: it right. So I think Dudley's one that, you know,

615
00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:33,400
Speaker 2: is probably in that very much more pro ready sort

616
00:28:33,400 --> 00:28:36,159
Speaker 2: of stratosphere that I don't know I think of like

617
00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:38,520
Speaker 2: a I mean totally different position. But like when Claire

618
00:28:38,560 --> 00:28:41,640
Speaker 2: Hutton came into the league at she had just kind

619
00:28:41,640 --> 00:28:45,040
Speaker 2: of turning eighteen in that beginning of the year. You know,

620
00:28:45,040 --> 00:28:47,760
Speaker 2: when I was talking to people, I still you know,

621
00:28:47,840 --> 00:28:50,000
Speaker 2: she was the real deal. I think briefly was calling

622
00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:52,440
Speaker 2: her Claire the real deal Hutton, and she's played out

623
00:28:52,440 --> 00:28:54,440
Speaker 2: that way. I mean, she might be a World Cup starter.

624
00:28:55,160 --> 00:28:56,680
Speaker 2: Those are players you've got to get it right, and

625
00:28:56,720 --> 00:28:59,320
Speaker 2: I think Dudley's probably in that category among others.

626
00:29:00,520 --> 00:29:03,800
Speaker 1: You mentioned Alyssa and an Angel City and that sort

627
00:29:03,800 --> 00:29:07,040
Speaker 1: of I think shocking in the middle of the season move. Publicly,

628
00:29:07,080 --> 00:29:10,800
Speaker 1: the NWSL will brush off most of their concerns about

629
00:29:10,840 --> 00:29:13,920
Speaker 1: the Alyssa's and the Naomi Germas, and you know, they'll

630
00:29:13,920 --> 00:29:18,120
Speaker 1: talk about the international talent coming back. Behind the scenes,

631
00:29:18,400 --> 00:29:21,880
Speaker 1: Do you think the NWSL is freaking out even though

632
00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:24,400
Speaker 1: they've put that high impact player rule into place, and

633
00:29:24,680 --> 00:29:27,640
Speaker 1: maybe are trying to convince us that that's satisfactory enough

634
00:29:27,680 --> 00:29:30,240
Speaker 1: to stem future waves of players leaving.

635
00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:36,479
Speaker 2: I think maybe not freaking out in that conjugation that tense.

636
00:29:36,640 --> 00:29:39,080
Speaker 2: I think if you look at her leaving in a

637
00:29:39,120 --> 00:29:42,800
Speaker 2: September amid everything that was already happening, amid uncertainty, and

638
00:29:43,320 --> 00:29:45,120
Speaker 2: you know how it played out in the months that

639
00:29:45,240 --> 00:29:50,280
Speaker 2: followed with Trinity Rodman, I'm confident from like a reporting

640
00:29:50,320 --> 00:29:53,520
Speaker 2: standpoint and saying there was freak out in that September,

641
00:29:53,720 --> 00:29:54,960
Speaker 2: that autumn time frame.

642
00:29:55,200 --> 00:29:56,560
Speaker 1: Peak freak was in the fall.

643
00:29:56,800 --> 00:29:59,720
Speaker 2: Yeah, in that boardroom. And you know, again, this is

644
00:29:59,760 --> 00:30:05,000
Speaker 2: like I've even had this argument and playfully and I'm

645
00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:07,880
Speaker 2: sure someone you know, folks listening who know will laugh

646
00:30:07,920 --> 00:30:11,040
Speaker 2: of like, you know, is this the Rodman rule or not,

647
00:30:11,280 --> 00:30:13,440
Speaker 2: because you know, they will tell you that they were

648
00:30:13,440 --> 00:30:15,160
Speaker 2: talking about it for years and this was the right

649
00:30:15,200 --> 00:30:17,600
Speaker 2: time to enact it. Well, the very definition of the

650
00:30:17,600 --> 00:30:19,400
Speaker 2: fact that this was the right time to enact it

651
00:30:19,480 --> 00:30:23,280
Speaker 2: is because the trend that you're speaking to Alyssa Thompson

652
00:30:23,360 --> 00:30:26,280
Speaker 2: leaving really spiking that to the point that, as I

653
00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:29,000
Speaker 2: reported in the fall, US women's national team head coach

654
00:30:29,040 --> 00:30:31,360
Speaker 2: Emma Hayes went to the board meeting in New York

655
00:30:31,360 --> 00:30:33,960
Speaker 2: City and said, I am not telling players to leave,

656
00:30:34,360 --> 00:30:38,360
Speaker 2: so you can stop thinking that. And so I think

657
00:30:38,440 --> 00:30:40,440
Speaker 2: you know the fact that this rule got enacted when

658
00:30:40,440 --> 00:30:44,479
Speaker 2: it did is absolutely because of Rodman, and absolutely in

659
00:30:44,520 --> 00:30:46,960
Speaker 2: the sense that that would have been such a blow

660
00:30:47,040 --> 00:30:50,000
Speaker 2: on top of the others if she left specifically because

661
00:30:50,000 --> 00:30:52,400
Speaker 2: of salary, when it was clear to everybody that she

662
00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:53,040
Speaker 2: wanted to stay.

663
00:30:54,040 --> 00:30:55,800
Speaker 1: We got to take a quick break more with Jeff

664
00:30:55,920 --> 00:31:05,600
Speaker 1: right after this. Have you heard anything more about the

665
00:31:05,640 --> 00:31:07,560
Speaker 1: high Impact Player rule in terms of how many teams

666
00:31:07,560 --> 00:31:10,960
Speaker 1: are taking advantage, especially with there being some uncertainty about

667
00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:12,800
Speaker 1: a potential appeal and what it will look like for

668
00:31:12,840 --> 00:31:15,480
Speaker 1: their books if somehow that rule is dismantled.

669
00:31:16,240 --> 00:31:18,480
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, depending who you talk to of whether

670
00:31:18,680 --> 00:31:21,120
Speaker 2: it could even be dismantled, right, But obviously I think

671
00:31:21,200 --> 00:31:23,800
Speaker 2: you know, it feels like headed toward arbitration or I mean,

672
00:31:23,800 --> 00:31:26,040
Speaker 2: the updates have been a little bit scamp lately, but

673
00:31:26,480 --> 00:31:28,600
Speaker 2: we could probably do a whole like show on how

674
00:31:28,600 --> 00:31:31,640
Speaker 2: the high Impact Player rule works. So I think to

675
00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:35,440
Speaker 2: your point about like taking advantage of it, it's the

676
00:31:35,680 --> 00:31:38,200
Speaker 2: tricky part is like it's not just oh, I want

677
00:31:38,200 --> 00:31:40,360
Speaker 2: to pay the player a million dollars, you have to

678
00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:44,080
Speaker 2: have your whole cap maxed out. So that's where like,

679
00:31:44,120 --> 00:31:46,400
Speaker 2: if you're a fan following along the confusion of like

680
00:31:46,560 --> 00:31:50,680
Speaker 2: is Lindsay Heaps a high impact player? Well she should be,

681
00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:53,800
Speaker 2: but Denver hasn't used up their cap if and that's

682
00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:55,760
Speaker 2: like the very the simplest way I could kind of

683
00:31:55,760 --> 00:31:58,480
Speaker 2: put that. So I think that on top of the

684
00:31:58,600 --> 00:32:01,120
Speaker 2: will this rule stay and will the CIA stay? I

685
00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:04,239
Speaker 2: think creates confusion for sure, But I think if you're

686
00:32:04,280 --> 00:32:07,120
Speaker 2: a team, much like Washington did, you basically just have

687
00:32:07,160 --> 00:32:09,400
Speaker 2: to operate as if this is the rule, this is

688
00:32:09,440 --> 00:32:11,160
Speaker 2: how we're going to use it, and you have the

689
00:32:11,200 --> 00:32:14,400
Speaker 2: backing too of even what Megan Burke has said publicly,

690
00:32:14,480 --> 00:32:18,520
Speaker 2: which is, even as the PA is fighting the sort

691
00:32:18,560 --> 00:32:22,520
Speaker 2: of criteria and everything, everybody is acknowledged once that contract

692
00:32:22,560 --> 00:32:24,640
Speaker 2: is signed, like, it doesn't say I'm a high impact

693
00:32:24,680 --> 00:32:27,960
Speaker 2: player and here's my contract. It just says I'm making

694
00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:31,680
Speaker 2: a million or ten million. So at that point, however

695
00:32:31,720 --> 00:32:35,440
Speaker 2: this plays out as arbitration or whatever else, that contract

696
00:32:35,480 --> 00:32:36,840
Speaker 2: has to be honored and the league has to figure

697
00:32:36,880 --> 00:32:38,360
Speaker 2: out a way to do it. So I think that

698
00:32:38,440 --> 00:32:40,920
Speaker 2: gives you confidence if you're a team. Yeah.

699
00:32:40,960 --> 00:32:42,560
Speaker 1: Well, and it also in the fact that I would

700
00:32:42,600 --> 00:32:45,440
Speaker 1: imagine if there were arbitration enough to overturn it, and

701
00:32:45,480 --> 00:32:47,160
Speaker 1: then the league had a bunch of teams on their

702
00:32:47,160 --> 00:32:49,680
Speaker 1: hands that had committed that money, they would potentially have

703
00:32:49,760 --> 00:32:51,960
Speaker 1: to just force through a new salary cap raze. They

704
00:32:51,960 --> 00:32:53,840
Speaker 1: would just have to allow them to spend more, because

705
00:32:53,840 --> 00:32:56,000
Speaker 1: they couldn't hamstring a bunch of teams with deals that

706
00:32:56,080 --> 00:32:59,880
Speaker 1: no longer fit with their money spend because of this

707
00:33:00,120 --> 00:33:03,240
Speaker 1: back and forth about whether they'd wrongfully applied language in

708
00:33:03,280 --> 00:33:04,040
Speaker 1: the CBA.

709
00:33:03,800 --> 00:33:05,960
Speaker 2: Which is the PA's whole argument. Yeah, just just raise

710
00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:06,600
Speaker 2: the cap.

711
00:33:06,880 --> 00:33:09,520
Speaker 1: Right exactly, let the teams decide how they spend it

712
00:33:09,560 --> 00:33:12,520
Speaker 1: instead of making it be limited. You know, we talked

713
00:33:12,560 --> 00:33:15,360
Speaker 1: last year about how NWSL viewership was down about midway

714
00:33:15,360 --> 00:33:16,960
Speaker 1: through the season. We were chatting about it in part

715
00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:19,560
Speaker 1: because the absence of Triple Espresso for most of the season.

716
00:33:19,600 --> 00:33:20,400
Speaker 2: Up on ESPN.

717
00:33:20,520 --> 00:33:24,720
Speaker 1: Sarah, Okay, good to know. Good to know, which is

718
00:33:24,720 --> 00:33:28,160
Speaker 1: why we like when ESPN invests and the summer Sundays

719
00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:30,720
Speaker 1: are going to be great when there's primetime Sunday viewing

720
00:33:30,720 --> 00:33:34,040
Speaker 1: that everyone knows they can expect there. What's your prediction

721
00:33:34,120 --> 00:33:36,240
Speaker 1: for fan interest and engagement this year and how much

722
00:33:36,280 --> 00:33:40,240
Speaker 1: is it based really on the storytelling and the organic

723
00:33:40,320 --> 00:33:43,360
Speaker 1: stories that come out of the players and teams and

724
00:33:43,720 --> 00:33:44,880
Speaker 1: challenges and rivals.

725
00:33:45,160 --> 00:33:47,800
Speaker 2: Yeah, I do agree with the league front office at

726
00:33:47,880 --> 00:33:52,240
Speaker 2: large and Jessica Berman that there's not enough storytelling around players.

727
00:33:52,280 --> 00:33:54,520
Speaker 2: I think, you know, again to the point we were

728
00:33:54,560 --> 00:33:56,640
Speaker 2: just talking about of like was there a freak out?

729
00:33:56,680 --> 00:33:59,440
Speaker 2: Is there still some freak out? However, you might sort

730
00:33:59,480 --> 00:34:02,840
Speaker 2: of classify that about star players leaving that this league

731
00:34:02,920 --> 00:34:05,720
Speaker 2: needs more stars, and I know some people push back

732
00:34:05,720 --> 00:34:08,000
Speaker 2: on this idea. We even had some of that in

733
00:34:08,040 --> 00:34:11,880
Speaker 2: our GM survey, but like stars sell a league to

734
00:34:12,120 --> 00:34:14,560
Speaker 2: an audience beyond this one that is just in the

735
00:34:14,560 --> 00:34:18,440
Speaker 2: weeds with it. So Trinity Rodman, I mean, they could

736
00:34:18,480 --> 00:34:19,960
Speaker 2: have paid her five million and it would have been

737
00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:22,320
Speaker 2: worth it, right that, Like, they needed her to stay

738
00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:26,400
Speaker 2: because she resonates beyond the soccer audience and there's not

739
00:34:26,680 --> 00:34:28,920
Speaker 2: a ton of that yet. I think, you know, Sophia

740
00:34:28,960 --> 00:34:31,680
Speaker 2: Wilson and Mallory Swanson coming back will certainly help with that.

741
00:34:31,760 --> 00:34:34,120
Speaker 2: I mean, we had games last year where you know,

742
00:34:34,440 --> 00:34:37,239
Speaker 2: I think they were scheduled before any announcements, right, and

743
00:34:37,280 --> 00:34:41,480
Speaker 2: it was like Chicago vers Portland or Washington on you know,

744
00:34:41,960 --> 00:34:44,400
Speaker 2: a major platform, and it's like, oh, none of the

745
00:34:44,440 --> 00:34:47,600
Speaker 2: Triple Espresso are on the field and in the spring.

746
00:34:48,440 --> 00:34:50,520
Speaker 2: So I think that will help, you know, Alyssa Thompson

747
00:34:50,520 --> 00:34:52,759
Speaker 2: Stain would have helped certainly, but Lindsay Heaps coming back.

748
00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:56,080
Speaker 2: You know, I think the star power needs to drive.

749
00:34:56,120 --> 00:34:58,120
Speaker 2: So I think there's a need for more storytelling. And

750
00:34:58,160 --> 00:35:01,560
Speaker 2: then you know, the wrench in this year is is

751
00:35:01,600 --> 00:35:04,800
Speaker 2: the Men's World Cup. And I know that the league

752
00:35:04,840 --> 00:35:07,560
Speaker 2: is high on the idea that the Men's World Cup

753
00:35:07,640 --> 00:35:11,160
Speaker 2: will sort of create some kind of growth or interest

754
00:35:11,280 --> 00:35:15,480
Speaker 2: for the NWSL. You know, I think there's some dissonance

755
00:35:15,520 --> 00:35:19,719
Speaker 2: there in that idea potentially, but I think that's going

756
00:35:19,800 --> 00:35:21,720
Speaker 2: to be one because at minimum it's going to disrupt

757
00:35:21,760 --> 00:35:24,680
Speaker 2: the season in a very weird way. And you know,

758
00:35:24,719 --> 00:35:26,759
Speaker 2: how does that and it will continue? Right Like you

759
00:35:26,760 --> 00:35:30,200
Speaker 2: can look at the schedule and Gotham's playing games that

760
00:35:30,239 --> 00:35:31,719
Speaker 2: are not where they need to be.

761
00:35:31,880 --> 00:35:34,320
Speaker 1: And I was going to ask about that tournaments outside

762
00:35:34,320 --> 00:35:37,520
Speaker 1: of NWSL international stuff, how much of that impacting the

763
00:35:37,640 --> 00:35:38,480
Speaker 1: footprint this year?

764
00:35:38,520 --> 00:35:40,480
Speaker 2: I mean the Men's World Cup is I would say

765
00:35:40,520 --> 00:35:43,800
Speaker 2: killing the NWSL schedule from you know, the rain playing

766
00:35:43,840 --> 00:35:46,839
Speaker 2: in Spokane to you know, having to take the month off,

767
00:35:46,920 --> 00:35:49,279
Speaker 2: I mean, I think I think that's a real, a

768
00:35:49,320 --> 00:35:52,000
Speaker 2: real underscoring of the venue problem that you know, we've

769
00:35:52,040 --> 00:35:55,040
Speaker 2: talked about a lot that that Jessica Berman talks about

770
00:35:55,080 --> 00:35:57,319
Speaker 2: a lot with expansion and everything. So yeah, I think

771
00:35:57,360 --> 00:36:00,839
Speaker 2: that the venue issue is alive and well and we're

772
00:36:00,840 --> 00:36:05,000
Speaker 2: seeing it there big time in the season where teams,

773
00:36:05,080 --> 00:36:07,640
Speaker 2: you know, Men's World Cup teams have taken over even

774
00:36:07,680 --> 00:36:11,080
Speaker 2: training facilities for some of these women's teams. So yeah, yeah,

775
00:36:11,120 --> 00:36:13,160
Speaker 2: I think that's a big, big beast to get around,

776
00:36:13,160 --> 00:36:14,960
Speaker 2: and it's not going to go away. Twenty thirty one,

777
00:36:15,000 --> 00:36:17,359
Speaker 2: the Women's World Cup is coming. That maybe you could

778
00:36:17,440 --> 00:36:19,520
Speaker 2: draw a better line from yeah, you.

779
00:36:19,480 --> 00:36:20,960
Speaker 1: Know, World Cup, get the World Cup.

780
00:36:20,840 --> 00:36:23,160
Speaker 2: Bump to NWSL than the men's one.

781
00:36:23,239 --> 00:36:27,279
Speaker 1: But yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean I think I did

782
00:36:27,280 --> 00:36:30,120
Speaker 1: see the NWSL is investing in some storytelling, especially in

783
00:36:30,239 --> 00:36:32,759
Speaker 1: terms of appealing to younger audience, that they're doing some casts,

784
00:36:32,800 --> 00:36:36,280
Speaker 1: they're doing some content creator influencer type stuff. But I agree,

785
00:36:36,360 --> 00:36:39,120
Speaker 1: I also think the league itself has absolutely no identity

786
00:36:39,200 --> 00:36:42,000
Speaker 1: or voice, and that has a real impact on how

787
00:36:42,320 --> 00:36:45,120
Speaker 1: fans engage with it at large. I think if you

788
00:36:45,160 --> 00:36:48,120
Speaker 1: look at something like Unrivaled or even the WNBA pre

789
00:36:48,280 --> 00:36:51,080
Speaker 1: CBA arguments, there was a real sense of what it

790
00:36:51,160 --> 00:36:52,759
Speaker 1: stood for and what it meant to be a fan,

791
00:36:52,840 --> 00:36:56,400
Speaker 1: and people rock WNBA merch as much as they do

792
00:36:56,440 --> 00:36:59,200
Speaker 1: an individual team. It's not the same in the NWSL

793
00:36:59,400 --> 00:37:00,960
Speaker 1: and a lot of that I think stems from the

794
00:37:00,960 --> 00:37:04,480
Speaker 1: front office marketing. They've been looking to rehire that CMO

795
00:37:04,560 --> 00:37:06,839
Speaker 1: position for like over a year now. I think they

796
00:37:06,920 --> 00:37:09,720
Speaker 1: just aren't really planting a flag as to were anything

797
00:37:09,760 --> 00:37:12,600
Speaker 1: other than soccer, and to me and the women's sports space,

798
00:37:12,640 --> 00:37:15,040
Speaker 1: that is so much more necessary than on the men's side.

799
00:37:15,320 --> 00:37:17,040
Speaker 1: So I look forward to them trying to figure out

800
00:37:17,160 --> 00:37:20,000
Speaker 1: ways to sell people who aren't qute unquote natural stars,

801
00:37:20,040 --> 00:37:23,160
Speaker 1: but have great stories, great personalities. Could be a star

802
00:37:23,320 --> 00:37:25,600
Speaker 1: if they, you know, did write by them in a

803
00:37:25,640 --> 00:37:27,799
Speaker 1: way that I think requires a little bit more creativity.

804
00:37:28,440 --> 00:37:30,359
Speaker 1: But that's a topic for another time. A couple last

805
00:37:30,440 --> 00:37:33,680
Speaker 1: questions for you, Sean Najas any other final details on

806
00:37:33,719 --> 00:37:36,240
Speaker 1: that are we just forever gonna wonder what the multitude

807
00:37:36,280 --> 00:37:37,600
Speaker 1: of factors were.

808
00:37:37,800 --> 00:37:39,839
Speaker 2: No, I think, I mean, I report at the time.

809
00:37:39,880 --> 00:37:41,759
Speaker 2: I mean it was just, you know, I think it

810
00:37:41,840 --> 00:37:45,000
Speaker 2: was poorly messaged in the end for something that was

811
00:37:45,080 --> 00:37:49,200
Speaker 2: just like bad performance, more or less your average coach firing.

812
00:37:49,239 --> 00:37:51,000
Speaker 2: I mean it's yeah, that's an over general.

813
00:37:51,600 --> 00:37:52,799
Speaker 1: They were so weird about it.

814
00:37:53,600 --> 00:37:56,160
Speaker 2: I agree with that. I think it could have been

815
00:37:56,160 --> 00:37:57,759
Speaker 2: handled all right.

816
00:37:58,400 --> 00:38:00,640
Speaker 1: Speaking of coaches, I can't even count how many new

817
00:38:00,640 --> 00:38:02,520
Speaker 1: ones are here to start the season, or who started

818
00:38:02,560 --> 00:38:04,719
Speaker 1: midway through last year. I certainly can't pronounce all their

819
00:38:04,760 --> 00:38:07,160
Speaker 1: names yet, especially the ones from across the pond. Are

820
00:38:07,200 --> 00:38:09,800
Speaker 1: there any new coaches that you're particularly excited about that

821
00:38:09,840 --> 00:38:11,520
Speaker 1: You're like, this seems like a great hire, or I

822
00:38:11,640 --> 00:38:13,480
Speaker 1: like their tactics where they were before, or I think

823
00:38:13,480 --> 00:38:14,839
Speaker 1: they're going to be a good fit with the talent

824
00:38:14,840 --> 00:38:15,360
Speaker 1: they're getting.

825
00:38:15,520 --> 00:38:17,680
Speaker 2: Well, well, I'll bring her up again for both the

826
00:38:17,719 --> 00:38:21,680
Speaker 2: pronunciation you said and for for everything else. Philippa patoum

827
00:38:21,880 --> 00:38:25,600
Speaker 2: in in Boston. I think, you know again, I think

828
00:38:25,600 --> 00:38:27,920
Speaker 2: it's it's going to be a fascinating project, Like how

829
00:38:27,960 --> 00:38:30,719
Speaker 2: does that come together? I don't think there's been a

830
00:38:30,760 --> 00:38:33,720
Speaker 2: ton of buzz about like that roster, so to speak.

831
00:38:34,480 --> 00:38:38,680
Speaker 2: So I think that's one for sure. Yeah, I mean

832
00:38:38,719 --> 00:38:41,120
Speaker 2: from there, I think she's the one that jumps out.

833
00:38:41,160 --> 00:38:41,440
Speaker 1: Really.

834
00:38:41,480 --> 00:38:44,440
Speaker 2: I mean there's other hires obviously that you know again Portland,

835
00:38:44,520 --> 00:38:47,040
Speaker 2: I mean I think that that was a timeline issue

836
00:38:47,040 --> 00:38:50,880
Speaker 2: more than anything. You know, Nick Cushing and Denver again

837
00:38:50,920 --> 00:38:53,280
Speaker 2: sort of that dichotomy of of what Boston and Denver

838
00:38:53,320 --> 00:38:55,200
Speaker 2: are doing. I mean they both come from Europe at

839
00:38:55,239 --> 00:38:59,680
Speaker 2: least in that sense. But you know, he has MLS experience,

840
00:39:00,080 --> 00:39:03,600
Speaker 2: he has experienced sort of seeing how different the world

841
00:39:03,640 --> 00:39:07,719
Speaker 2: of soccer business is over here too. So I think

842
00:39:07,760 --> 00:39:10,480
Speaker 2: those two, you know, from the expansion front, will be interesting.

843
00:39:10,480 --> 00:39:13,839
Speaker 2: And then probably you know, Alex Strauss in Angel City

844
00:39:13,880 --> 00:39:15,919
Speaker 2: having a full season to your point of like, what's

845
00:39:15,920 --> 00:39:18,920
Speaker 2: going to happen in Angel City? You know, coming in,

846
00:39:18,960 --> 00:39:20,880
Speaker 2: whether it's a coach or player halfway through a season

847
00:39:20,920 --> 00:39:23,919
Speaker 2: is difficult. Having that full season. What's going to happen there?

848
00:39:24,120 --> 00:39:26,640
Speaker 2: How does it come together? Because again, you know, the

849
00:39:26,680 --> 00:39:30,960
Speaker 2: inconsistencies you can kind of excuse in from him entering

850
00:39:31,000 --> 00:39:34,040
Speaker 2: in the summer to Alyssa Thompson leaving in September, But

851
00:39:34,200 --> 00:39:36,920
Speaker 2: now it's got to start coming together right well.

852
00:39:36,920 --> 00:39:39,520
Speaker 1: And I think also It's always like I get it

853
00:39:39,600 --> 00:39:41,799
Speaker 1: when gms or presidents come in and they give you

854
00:39:41,840 --> 00:39:43,920
Speaker 1: a certain number of days that they tell you is

855
00:39:44,080 --> 00:39:47,200
Speaker 1: required to turn something around. The problem is once you

856
00:39:47,239 --> 00:39:49,799
Speaker 1: put those days out, people start counting backwards from them.

857
00:39:50,080 --> 00:39:53,000
Speaker 1: Think in Chicago, think in Angel City. Right, So then

858
00:39:53,000 --> 00:39:55,040
Speaker 1: you used to have to start, you know, making good

859
00:39:55,080 --> 00:39:57,000
Speaker 1: on whatever you say is your two year plan or

860
00:39:57,040 --> 00:40:00,000
Speaker 1: your however many day plan, last question for you anything else.

861
00:40:00,080 --> 00:40:02,000
Speaker 1: You're just keeping an eye on this season big picture

862
00:40:02,080 --> 00:40:05,239
Speaker 1: issues or items that you think are going to come

863
00:40:05,280 --> 00:40:06,319
Speaker 1: up this year, you know.

864
00:40:06,400 --> 00:40:09,400
Speaker 2: I think expansion is always like the big big thing.

865
00:40:09,440 --> 00:40:11,640
Speaker 2: I mean, Atlanta's already in. I think we're going to

866
00:40:11,680 --> 00:40:15,200
Speaker 2: see an eighteenth team admitted at some point, and is

867
00:40:15,239 --> 00:40:18,160
Speaker 2: it in time for joining them in twenty twenty eight.

868
00:40:18,719 --> 00:40:22,000
Speaker 2: I mean, Jeff Carla and are reported on Columbus being

869
00:40:22,120 --> 00:40:24,280
Speaker 2: very interested. I think, you know, is in the mix

870
00:40:24,320 --> 00:40:29,120
Speaker 2: of certainly more serious, most serious type of bids or

871
00:40:29,840 --> 00:40:34,400
Speaker 2: cities and groups. You know, I think I'm like the

872
00:40:34,480 --> 00:40:38,640
Speaker 2: calendar nerd too, I'm really interested in what this league

873
00:40:38,920 --> 00:40:43,399
Speaker 2: decides because, yeah, having covered that from years ago when

874
00:40:43,400 --> 00:40:45,480
Speaker 2: they were debating it, they've just kind of put it

875
00:40:45,520 --> 00:40:48,960
Speaker 2: off and now MLS is shifting their calendar, and I

876
00:40:49,000 --> 00:40:51,200
Speaker 2: think I don't know that it's going to flip or

877
00:40:51,320 --> 00:40:53,959
Speaker 2: imminently flip, but I don't think you can keep putting

878
00:40:54,000 --> 00:40:56,680
Speaker 2: it off either. And you know, they're emitting some more

879
00:40:56,760 --> 00:41:00,680
Speaker 2: northern locations at least, Like I wouldn't want to even

880
00:41:00,680 --> 00:41:02,440
Speaker 2: with a winter break. I wouldn't want to see Boston

881
00:41:02,520 --> 00:41:06,280
Speaker 2: or Denver trying to play in December or early February

882
00:41:06,440 --> 00:41:10,120
Speaker 2: or any of that. So Chicago right on the lake

883
00:41:11,480 --> 00:41:13,879
Speaker 2: on the league. Yeah, yeah, so.

884
00:41:13,560 --> 00:41:15,399
Speaker 1: The ball's like it'd be like playing as a kid.

885
00:41:15,440 --> 00:41:17,480
Speaker 1: The ball keeps going in the water because of the wind.

886
00:41:18,800 --> 00:41:19,640
Speaker 1: Twenty ball is a game.

887
00:41:20,040 --> 00:41:22,000
Speaker 2: Yeah. So I mean I think big stuff like that

888
00:41:22,040 --> 00:41:24,560
Speaker 2: calendar issue venues again. I mean, I don't think this

889
00:41:24,680 --> 00:41:26,400
Speaker 2: venue problem is going to go away. And I think

890
00:41:26,440 --> 00:41:28,640
Speaker 2: it's going to be when you start actually seeing the

891
00:41:28,640 --> 00:41:32,040
Speaker 2: game and Spokane and seeing the schedule get changed because

892
00:41:32,360 --> 00:41:34,680
Speaker 2: some game has to move. I think that's when people

893
00:41:34,719 --> 00:41:36,640
Speaker 2: are going to be like, oh, yeah, really they we

894
00:41:36,760 --> 00:41:40,320
Speaker 2: have like third and fourth tenants in these stadiums. So yeah,

895
00:41:40,400 --> 00:41:42,360
Speaker 2: those are sort of recurring themes really.

896
00:41:43,000 --> 00:41:45,600
Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely, Yeah, when we all start to suddenly have

897
00:41:45,600 --> 00:41:48,959
Speaker 1: to know things about Rhode Island, like we've been able

898
00:41:48,960 --> 00:41:50,120
Speaker 1: to ignore them for so long.

899
00:41:50,239 --> 00:41:51,200
Speaker 2: I don't know what.

900
00:41:51,760 --> 00:41:54,080
Speaker 1: I'm sure it's fine. You East Coast people are weird though.

901
00:41:54,120 --> 00:41:57,200
Speaker 1: Everybody just like that. You have games in different states

902
00:41:57,200 --> 00:41:59,920
Speaker 1: and it feels totally normal here in Chicago. The idea

903
00:41:59,920 --> 00:42:02,240
Speaker 1: of putting the Bears in Indiana, even if it's fifteen

904
00:42:02,239 --> 00:42:05,520
Speaker 1: minutes away, we're like, what, that's not possible. That's not Illinois.

905
00:42:05,800 --> 00:42:07,600
Speaker 1: And out in the East Coast, y'all are just the

906
00:42:07,800 --> 00:42:11,600
Speaker 1: blurred lines over there. Well, Jeff, we're super excited for

907
00:42:11,760 --> 00:42:13,680
Speaker 1: the season to start as quickly as it came upon us,

908
00:42:13,680 --> 00:42:16,000
Speaker 1: and we feel even more ready now that we've taken

909
00:42:16,080 --> 00:42:17,840
Speaker 1: up way too much of your time to break it

910
00:42:17,880 --> 00:42:19,440
Speaker 1: down for us. So thank you so much. We really

911
00:42:19,440 --> 00:42:20,000
Speaker 1: appreciate it.

912
00:42:20,080 --> 00:42:21,040
Speaker 2: Yeah, thanks for having me, sir.

913
00:42:22,960 --> 00:42:24,800
Speaker 1: Thanks again to Jeff for taking the time and getting

914
00:42:24,840 --> 00:42:26,840
Speaker 1: us ready for the season. We have to take another

915
00:42:26,880 --> 00:42:38,520
Speaker 1: break when we return. New Kids, Old Tunes, Welcome back slices.

916
00:42:38,600 --> 00:42:40,279
Speaker 1: We love that you're listening, but we wanted to get

917
00:42:40,280 --> 00:42:42,439
Speaker 1: in the game every day too, So here's our good

918
00:42:42,440 --> 00:42:45,280
Speaker 1: game play of the day. Follow Jeff on Blue Sky.

919
00:42:45,600 --> 00:42:48,440
Speaker 1: We'll link to his profile in the show notes, also

920
00:42:48,840 --> 00:42:52,520
Speaker 1: our Denver and Boston slices. We want to hear from you. Bianca,

921
00:42:52,640 --> 00:42:54,640
Speaker 1: alex Ny are all planning to be at Boston's home

922
00:42:54,680 --> 00:42:56,879
Speaker 1: opener this Saturday, so we'll tell you all about our

923
00:42:56,920 --> 00:42:59,360
Speaker 1: experience during next Monday show. But we also want to

924
00:42:59,400 --> 00:43:02,320
Speaker 1: hear yours now that an NWSL team is in town,

925
00:43:02,800 --> 00:43:04,960
Speaker 1: or in the case of Boston, back in town, so

926
00:43:05,080 --> 00:43:07,960
Speaker 1: send us voice memos, call in email us, tell us

927
00:43:07,960 --> 00:43:10,239
Speaker 1: about your experience. Getting ready to cheer for your new team.

928
00:43:10,640 --> 00:43:13,080
Speaker 1: You can send um my email good game at wondermedianetwork

929
00:43:13,120 --> 00:43:15,399
Speaker 1: dot com, or leave us a voicemail at eight seven

930
00:43:15,440 --> 00:43:18,600
Speaker 1: two two o four fifty seventy. Don't forget to subscribe,

931
00:43:18,680 --> 00:43:22,360
Speaker 1: rate and review too, y'all. It's real easy watch queuing

932
00:43:22,440 --> 00:43:25,879
Speaker 1: up a new Kids on the Block playlist rating one

933
00:43:25,920 --> 00:43:30,640
Speaker 1: out of five stars, not as I remembered review. I'm

934
00:43:30,680 --> 00:43:33,360
Speaker 1: getting ready for this weekend's Boston Legacy opener by pulling

935
00:43:33,400 --> 00:43:36,400
Speaker 1: up my old faves from Donnie Joey in Company. You know,

936
00:43:36,600 --> 00:43:40,360
Speaker 1: hanging tough, step by step and those songs do solely

937
00:43:40,400 --> 00:43:44,480
Speaker 1: to nostalgia are still bangers, but trying to engage with

938
00:43:44,600 --> 00:43:47,360
Speaker 1: the rest of the band's ouvra left me realizing that

939
00:43:47,920 --> 00:43:51,480
Speaker 1: they are not good at singing and playing music. I

940
00:43:51,520 --> 00:43:54,680
Speaker 1: am so sorry to my NKOTB diehards, but it is

941
00:43:54,760 --> 00:43:56,839
Speaker 1: a tough listen if you're no longer nine or ten

942
00:43:56,920 --> 00:44:00,000
Speaker 1: years old reading a teen beat and spooning over Jordan Night.

943
00:44:00,440 --> 00:44:02,680
Speaker 1: Or maybe it'll still hit if you're a forty somethingter

944
00:44:02,800 --> 00:44:05,719
Speaker 1: a few Sam Adams deep at Gillette. We'll find out

945
00:44:05,719 --> 00:44:08,880
Speaker 1: this weekend. Now it's your turn, y'all rate and review.

946
00:44:09,280 --> 00:44:12,719
Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, See you tomorrow. Good Game, Jeff, Good Game,

947
00:44:12,800 --> 00:44:16,160
Speaker 1: New Seasons and clean slates you the fact that the

948
00:44:16,239 --> 00:44:19,239
Speaker 1: hip rule would need a full episode to explain. Why

949
00:44:19,280 --> 00:44:24,080
Speaker 1: can't you just raise the salary cap? Good Game with

950
00:44:24,120 --> 00:44:27,120
Speaker 1: Sarah Spain is an iHeart women's sports production in partnership

951
00:44:27,160 --> 00:44:29,759
Speaker 1: with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us

952
00:44:29,760 --> 00:44:32,799
Speaker 1: on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get

953
00:44:32,800 --> 00:44:36,440
Speaker 1: your podcasts. Production by Wonder Media Network, our producers are

954
00:44:36,480 --> 00:44:40,480
Speaker 1: Alex Azzi and Bianca Hillier. Our executive producers are Christina Everett,

955
00:44:40,520 --> 00:44:43,680
Speaker 1: Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan, and Emily Rudder. Our editors are

956
00:44:43,680 --> 00:44:47,200
Speaker 1: Emily Rudder, Lucy Jones, Britney Martinez and Gianna Palmer. Production

957
00:44:47,239 --> 00:44:50,520
Speaker 1: assistants from Avery LOFTUS and I'm Your Host Sarah Spain