Transcript

0:04
Oh hey, welcome to Into the Channel podcast right now about
0:09
women's football. I'm your host Dean de Suspicious
0:11
and as always, I'm joined by my Co host Mr. Grant Engel.
0:16
What is up man? I'm feeling fantastic, buddy.
0:19
What a football weekend that was.
0:23
My head is spinning more than the the BFC backline.
0:27
Hey oh why did I do that? Why did I do that?
0:30
Zing Oh no show of all things. Yeah, I want to scrub that, but
0:36
I I can't. We got to, we got to keep it
0:37
moving. Nah, they played.
0:39
All right, we'll get. They weren't the only.
0:41
Backline, by the way, whose head was spinning?
0:42
We'll get into that. No, they weren't.
0:44
Yeah, we, we're, we're week Week 2.
0:46
We're very much in a Week 2, Mr. Grantingle.
0:50
Where should we get started? Let's get started with a
0:51
beverage, my man. What I mean, my goodness, a lot
0:55
of good football was played. Oh.
0:57
My God, what a week to preview. Also good call by us.
1:02
Cheers to you. Cheers to you.
1:04
Cheers to all of that delightful football.
1:09
When you ask me where I want to get started, I guess.
1:13
I mean, I know it's not our domestic league.
1:16
I know we're talking about a faraway land here, but how about
1:19
Japan won Australia nil in the final of the Asian Cup as a
1:25
football game? Let's go A football game, a
1:29
final, a triumph. Come on a, a a shot across the
1:34
bow. Maybe, you know, maybe.
1:36
What are we, 1516 months out from the World Cup 2027?
1:40
But before we get there, what what did you see in the match?
1:44
Japan just plays with a sharpness, a crispness in their
1:49
attack, in their decision making.
1:52
They're so sure of so many of the passes that they're hitting
1:55
with each other. Yeah, I mean long passes, short
1:59
passes, intermediate passes. Everything just feels not
2:04
scripted because it's not rigid but there is just a free
2:09
flowing. I have a pretty good idea with
2:11
the person next to me and then with the skip pass to use
2:14
basketball terminology, what that two passes away looks like
2:17
to for me to make it 1 pass. They're just a joy to watch
2:19
every time I see him. I I love, I mean, obviously
2:23
they're, they're fantastic to watch and they play a truly
2:27
unique brand of football. Like there's nobody that plays
2:29
like that, but I love the committed runs in behind, you
2:34
know, because it's like so much so many times good stuff is
2:38
happening and they just have like runners flying and they're
2:41
just like, I know I'm not going to get the ball, but I'm going
2:44
to run really hard and really fast and fill this lane and just
2:47
in case something happens, I'm going to be right here to smash
2:49
it. And more often than not, in in a
2:51
match, you know, or, or the course of a tournament, for
2:53
sure, they just cash in. Like, you know, time and time
2:57
again, just on that, on that committed level of like, you
3:01
know, just I'm, I'm going to fill the fill this space.
3:04
And when, when the ball kind of squirts out, I'm going to be
3:06
ready. I think that speaks to their to
3:10
their connectivity. I will say, you know the goal,
3:15
the ball gets to Himano and Himano has her back to the goal.
3:20
Her back is to Mackenzie Arnold and she turns in one touch turn
3:26
fire absolute nails the best part of the net that you could
3:31
you could hit in that spot. And it's just like, I don't
3:34
know. And I, you know, I thought the
3:35
commentators were good in the throughout the match, but on on
3:38
the stream that I was watching, they're like, ah, maybe
3:41
goalkeeper could do a little more there.
3:43
The Homano's back is to her. Like why would you expect a a
3:48
turn in fire like that? I mean, you'll, yeah, she would
3:52
have been having, she would have been having like standing there,
3:56
like in that spot to be able to get there because the placement
3:58
was crazy. Yeah, and it was just the, the
4:02
the the angles were totally wrong for Arnold there to to be
4:05
able to do do anything with it. It was just completely
4:08
audacious. It was ridiculous.
4:10
Like taking that that, that, that chance goes all the way
4:13
across nothing out of nothing anybody could do with that one.
4:17
No, definitely not. And you know, they, they held on
4:20
throughout, obviously, you know, I mean, and it's, it's not even
4:23
homerism. It's not because she plays for
4:25
Manchester City Football Club. But what can you say about Yui
4:27
Hasegawa at this point? It's just crucial interceptions.
4:30
Settle the ball when you need to settle it, move the ball when
4:33
you need to move it. She's a footballing computer
4:37
that makes good decisions at just an alarming rate for her
4:40
opponents. Yeah.
4:42
And I mean, I think her her level of winning now is starting
4:45
to kind of rack up, you know, it's like, you know, we're kind
4:48
of in like kind of KDB territory where it's just or you know, how
4:52
we how we want to think about that.
4:53
But you know and. Audrey, perhaps?
4:56
Yeah, exactly. I took, you know, I always think
4:58
about Jess Carter where you would continue to take 5 for the
5:00
Internet 2025 best 11. But you know, just, I love when
5:05
when, when players just win and in big games they play either at
5:10
their level or smidge above their level.
5:12
And that just seems that that seems to be always what we get
5:14
with UE. Yeah, I mean, that's who she is.
5:17
And then she's behind her. Japanese legend Saki Kumagai
5:22
scores, you know, the winning goal in the 2011 World Cup.
5:25
Still out there playing good minutes, making good decisions,
5:29
being physical, using her, her size in the in the moments where
5:33
you need to to use them. Australia had chances and you
5:36
and I talked about it like, that's a good team with a lot of
5:39
good players and emerging young good players.
5:41
Sam Kerr looks like she's continuing to just kind of ramp
5:44
up slowly, kind of get back to to the insane level that we're
5:48
used to. But, you know, Kennedy had that
5:50
header near the end. It wasn't a terrible header.
5:54
Like, yeah, it could have been better.
5:55
It could have been more toward the the post.
5:58
But you know, Yamashita diving save all over it.
6:01
Yamashita had a couple big moments in the match.
6:04
So you know, Australia, more time of possession, 54 to to 46,
6:09
more shots on target, six to four more shots, 16 to 12.
6:14
Japan's just able to withstand all that.
6:17
I mean, you know, it's it's like it very much looked like a
6:20
final, you know, where the definitely the chances kind of
6:23
weren't as good. You know, the Kennedy like you,
6:25
you love a player like Kennedy getting to that point and
6:27
getting getting that opportunity.
6:31
Congratulations to Japan for sure.
6:34
One of the most interesting things though that I've got in
6:36
my notes. I want to highlight two players.
6:39
20 year old Momoko Tanakawa, the star for, you know, one of the
6:43
stars of the iron, 21 year old Monaka Matsukubo.
6:47
Just because this is how loaded Japan is.
6:49
I talked about the 2027 World Cup.
6:51
So Tanakawa 2 starts 2 appearances of sub 2D and PS
6:56
doesn't play in the final. Yeah, I mean, come.
6:59
On and manak about the Kubo 3 DNPS and then three appearances
7:04
of the sub. This is the end of yourselves.
7:06
Midfielder of the year, my pick for the 2026 and MVP.
7:10
And they just have her just be like that baby DNP.
7:12
Yeah, maybe a couple minutes here, maybe we'll see.
7:15
You know, they're so extremely loaded that, you know, you have
7:23
to be so sharp defensively to kind of pick up on the
7:25
intricacies of the differences between these attacking players
7:29
to really kind of like be be ready for all the things that
7:32
they can do in a big time tournament.
7:35
You can't help but think about that Spain performance and you
7:38
know just they're going to rock a couple teams in the World Cup
7:41
next summer for sure. They can win it.
7:45
They're they're for sure a real contender to win the 2027 World
7:51
Cup. I can't wait to say we haven't
7:52
even said Alba Fujino's name. I mean, she's going to continue
7:55
to develop. We're going to see what happens
7:57
with the health of June Endo. Yeah, like you said, they are
8:02
super loaded and therefore I believe super live.
8:08
He believes there it is 3 matchups coming up too with the
8:12
US international team. Yeah, April 11th going to be
8:14
interesting. Let's go April 11th, San Jose
8:17
April 14th, Seattle April 17th, Commerce City Co Cannot wait for
8:20
those but let's keep it moving. Big football weekend like you
8:25
mentioned. Where do you want to go?
8:29
From here now, let's go over to London real quick on those USA
8:31
Japan matches you did you say San Jose or?
8:36
That's right. Yeah, San Jose, and then you
8:38
also said Seattle. That's right.
8:41
Oh, that's interesting. OK, maybe we'll attend those
8:44
games. We'll see.
8:45
Yeah. I think so.
8:46
I will. We'll try to make it happen.
8:48
I mean, you know, I appreciate shout out to, you know, the, the
8:51
Federation for helping us out, you know, putting a couple dates
8:55
on the calendar for, you know, I don't know, cutting down the
8:58
travel. We appreciate.
8:59
It yeah, let's go So obviously I mean, what other podcasts would
9:03
you listen to to to discuss those matches in the lead up
9:06
other than into the channel? Sorry, I just want a quick
9:09
sidebar there. I think it we will more than
9:12
likely be in the building one way or another.
9:16
All right, where do we go from there?
9:17
How about London City Lionesses 1 Chelsea Football Club 1?
9:24
Well, you're you're one of those London Reds.
9:26
How did you feel about that performance from a couple of
9:29
London Blues? Different colors.
9:31
Let's go with it. Let's start with a darker blue
9:33
first. Oh my goodness.
9:36
Well, I put this one on our list for a reason.
9:39
You know, one of the matchups that I was always interested in,
9:42
intrigued by, just because I just wasn't really sure.
9:46
And you know, the first thing you think about.
9:49
Things have been exciting for the the Lionesses.
9:51
Under Adair Maestri, they were at 1.36 points per match.
9:57
Under Johnson, for sure, he gets that go right at the beginning
9:59
of the year, 0.71 points per match under Maestro.
10:03
But four of the seven matches against the top four and then
10:08
those to get the draw and their three goals, 47 against -4
10:12
pretty respectable. You know, when you think about
10:14
this team, just up against these top four teams, kind of holding
10:19
their own for sure. But I thought that the Lionesses
10:23
were really able to hurt Chelsea, you know, in a way that
10:27
we really kind of haven't seen like Lucia Corrales
10:29
specifically, you know, she has that that run where she just
10:32
like like dusted 3 three different defenders, like
10:35
Khadija begins like, you know, freshly back at these begins
10:38
like laying laying on the grass, just like, you know, about
10:41
Corrales is a kind of like sprinting over.
10:42
That was weird to see. And then Corrales obviously
10:45
involved in the goal, smashes one off of Hannah Hampton.
10:50
And then Godwin puts it in who was who just always seems to
10:53
score for the Lionesses in in the games that they win.
10:57
So it comes up huge again. But Chelsea in real, real
11:02
trouble at this point. I mean, what what are we?
11:04
What are we thinking? What's the What's the
11:06
temperature check on them? Definitely in trouble in in the
11:09
sense that their defense just looks way too open way too
11:14
often. Especially late in the match.
11:16
Yeah, I I will say and you know, you know, I get hypnotized by
11:21
these kind of things like these like individual plays.
11:24
How about how about that header for Maggie Beaver Jones to
11:28
release Connor Root for the, you know, off of Buchanan pass?
11:31
Speaking of Candice Buchanan, she plays it forward.
11:35
Just that little just touch completely releasing Cannery 1V1
11:40
with the keeper. Easy goal there.
11:41
I mean, if you're going to be bad at defense, you have to show
11:46
me that you can be awesome on offense.
11:49
And I know they only got 1, but there were some other moments in
11:53
there where I was like, OK, can you do that a little more?
11:58
Like if you can create those kind of chances consistently, if
12:01
you start burying them, then you know, some score lines can get
12:04
out of whack. But I I absolutely cede to your
12:08
point, a defense just there, just sometimes where I'm like,
12:11
who's covering who? Yeah, and, and rumors obviously
12:16
this week that, you know, Millie Bright might be moving on and
12:18
there was a funny somebody post I, I'm not sure where I saw it,
12:23
but it was a somebody had had found out that meme Charles only
12:26
follows 1 NBSL team on Instagram, which is the Portland
12:30
Thorns. And it, it looks like it's a
12:31
pretty recent follow. I actually went in fact checked
12:33
this. It's true.
12:35
She followed the Portland Thorns and she follows two other clubs.
12:38
You know, they're not Chelsea, Liverpool women's football club
12:41
and Bayern Munich. What does that mean?
12:44
Who knows? It means I have too much time on
12:46
my hands if I can go through. I have a lot of no, that's great
12:50
details. I mean, it could mean she has
12:52
like friends on those clubs. But you know what, Now we have
12:55
the information. So if she ends up on one of
12:57
those clubs, you know, we could be like, all right, we had it
13:00
here first. Already here first for sure in
13:04
in in terms of that, you know, a couple points that were hit.
13:07
You mentioned the offense just want to see them scoring goals.
13:10
There was 1 moment where Sandy Baltimore has the ball right at
13:13
the edge of the box and she's like, all right, I'm in my zone
13:16
right in the Chico's like red or wind up like turns the hips and
13:19
then Grace Guerra just zooms in and pokes it away.
13:22
You know, it's like you're just not used to see like Chelsea's
13:25
used to having their run of oh, I got to look here.
13:27
All right, here we go. Get ready because I'm going to
13:29
uncork 1. And now it's just like, oh, they
13:31
can't really overwhelm teams like they used to.
13:37
And I think it's really kind of knocking them on their heels a
13:41
little bit with like maybe not not sure what they what they
13:44
need to go to, but it's clear that they they don't really have
13:49
great adjustments, you know, down the stretch and maybe
13:51
straighten from a strength and conditioning standpoint too.
13:54
They looked a little lagging in this match up.
13:57
Which you do not want when you're going into a London Derby
14:03
in the Champions League. So the I and I don't know, I
14:08
don't know if it's crap analysis or what, but like the only thing
14:12
that you can kind of look at is just the nature of just football
14:16
all over the world. When you see sometimes these
14:18
great teams, they have a weird performance and then they have a
14:22
performance where it's like, Oh yeah, you know, a bunch of the
14:26
good players came through here. You know, maybe Alyssa Thompson
14:31
gets one over or whatever. Alyssa Thompson looked dangerous
14:34
in a lot of spots in this match. But yeah, I mean, do you want
14:40
to, do you want to draw London City line as is before you go to
14:43
a Champions League match against your bitter rival?
14:45
Probably not. I mean, gave them all they can
14:50
handle and and I think like, you know, if I'm Chelsea, I'm
14:54
thinking like, you know, I'm not sure like the moves.
14:58
Micah Himano, let's start there. You think that's a player that
15:01
they they can probably use right now?
15:04
Yeah, I would say. I love the the Aggie Beaver
15:08
Jones header that I think chef's kiss would be kind of
15:11
underselling it. That, that was a great moment
15:12
right there. But my, my, my, my overarching
15:16
thoughts on Chelsea. I have two, one, we've got some
15:19
friends of the show that are still out here kind of thinking
15:22
that Chelsea could win the Champions League.
15:24
I think that's a flat out impossibility with what they
15:27
look like. And I think they're going to be
15:31
in in a real, real dogfight to kind of grab that last Champions
15:35
League spot. I think they're going to luck
15:37
out that United has to take on city.
15:40
But as of right now, like United, they, they control their
15:42
destiny. Like if they went out, they're
15:44
going to grab that third spot. And I, I truly believe that
15:48
we're just at the point where, you know, the, the air of
15:51
Chelsea dominance, I think is, I think it's kind of over.
15:54
I think they're just a top four team.
15:56
It would like I, I don't think we're, we're waiting for Chelsea
16:00
to turn a corner. I, I kind of think that this is
16:02
who they are. They're they're up in the mix,
16:04
They're one of the best teams, they're one of the most talented
16:07
rosters. But on on any given day against
16:10
either of those top three teams, I don't know, like it's I'm 0%
16:16
surprised if they lose, if they look flat, if they just kind of
16:19
go out and get beat, you know, like it's like, OK, you know,
16:21
and I'm not surprised if they win either.
16:23
I was just going to say. They're in the mix that that put
16:26
that makes them right, You know, on the level you could probably
16:28
say United is maybe like half an inch below, but I don't know.
16:31
Chelsea is not better than City and I think we're going to learn
16:34
a lot when we see Chelsea and Arsenal, you know, in these two
16:36
back to backs. Yeah, and I mean gauntlet the,
16:42
you know, for for a lot of these teams late and Chelsea has it a
16:46
little easier, like no disrespect to Aston Villa, but
16:48
for Chelsea to go at Arsenal, then home for Villa, then home
16:53
against your Gunners again on the second leg.
16:55
Home. All three.
16:56
Yeah, like in London. Yeah, so I mean, like you get to
17:02
you get a little bit of a schedule break and will that
17:05
help them? I think you, you illustrated
17:07
perfectly, not surprised at all if they lose against one of
17:10
these good teams, but they still have enough where you're not
17:12
surprised if they win. So, you know, and what happens
17:17
and what happens if you get an LJ game against Arsenal?
17:20
And it's just like, well, OK, what do you do against that?
17:23
But you could still get a get an LJ game.
17:26
And if you play defense like that, give up three to Arsenal.
17:30
I mean, yeah, I think that's the that's the thing right now.
17:33
Like you can get like an LJ goal and an assist, you know, or
17:38
maybe she draws a penalty and you know, or and has the end
17:40
times a little something awesome.
17:41
But I don't know. To me, like Mariona and Russo,
17:46
if if you get a Mariona Russo game, they're finished.
17:50
There's yeah. I'm like, I don't know that
17:51
there's anything Chelsea could do right.
17:53
Like if if they give up, you know, like, you know, 88 and a
17:57
half and above performances to those two players, right?
18:00
So that to me just means that they're they're in that mix.
18:04
I'll just let me let me rehash. I think they're a top three
18:07
team, you know, But I think those top three, if United is
18:11
just outside the cusp, we're kind of splitting hairs, at
18:15
least for this season. I think that's probably fair,
18:20
man. Some of it.
18:22
Somebody's going to be mad. Somebody's going to be super,
18:24
super, you're mad, whether it's no, no, no, no, not about your
18:28
takes. I mean, like City, United,
18:30
Chelsea, Arsenal in that four and three get a Champions League
18:34
spot. One team is going to be bitterly
18:36
disappointed. Yeah, and I mean it.
18:40
It's going to be united. United has to go out and and and
18:43
make it happen. I'm not think they're going to
18:45
do it. They have to take on, they have
18:47
to play city. You know they got fired and then
18:50
the. We got them, yeah.
18:52
Bayern, City, Bayern tough. And then closing with at Bayern
18:57
is is tricky at Tottenham after that versus Brighton and then at
19:00
Chelsea to close it out. So no, no walk in the park for
19:02
them, but they're playing hard and they're going to make it
19:05
really interesting. And I think side note, I think
19:08
Arsenal, we we talked, we mentioned them if they win their
19:11
next two in hand, they're five points behind City.
19:13
I think they're the only real team that could kind of make it
19:16
halfway interesting. And that and that that's if City
19:19
stumbles a little, a little bit to United.
19:21
But outside of that, I think City's got it pretty much
19:23
wrapped up. You wouldn't.
19:24
Do you have any city? City thoughts?
19:25
They had a great performance this weekend.
19:28
Do I have any city thoughts? Do you just want to do it now or
19:30
do you want to do it later? No, let's do it.
19:33
Let's do. It now look and Bunny Shaw hat
19:35
trick, hat trick in 21 minutes. The fastest Hattie in the
19:38
history of the WSL. Is that good?
19:41
I is that it sounds like a good thing.
19:45
I mean, she is. She can do what Hattie thing
19:49
because the announcement was like and Pony Shell has already
19:52
got a a hat trick versus Tottenham.
19:54
So does that mean like in her next match, she's on a hat trick
19:57
of hat tricks versus Tottenham? You're God damn right it does
20:00
because she's already had a hat trick first Tottenham.
20:03
So yeah, let's go Yeah, the the hat trick inception, hatty
20:06
inception, whatever you want to call it.
20:08
I mean, she's an absolute beast out there.
20:10
What, 18 goals in league play for eight ahead of 2nd place.
20:17
I mean, she's. It's her and Benda.
20:20
Can I can we just that's it, right?
20:22
Is that is that even like if we're doing tears, it's her and
20:29
Benda as number nines because I count your wing as a wing.
20:32
So like, you know, and then I think you have your ketoto high
20:41
or high or Astaire Exactly. Yeah, Yeah, that kind of second
20:45
tier. Yeah, I think Payor, Astaire and
20:47
ketoto are probably the same tier.
20:49
Yeah, Russo probably on that tier.
20:53
I would put Russo, yeah, yeah. Russo, yeah.
20:56
Russo not on the tier, yeah. 3rd 3rd tier then.
20:59
No, no, second tier. OK, Yeah, she's got to be second
21:01
tier. She's got yeah, the, the euro, I
21:04
think. Astaire you could maybe make a
21:05
case goes through Astaire looks looks all the all the way back.
21:09
But sure, you might be in that on the cusp.
21:13
Yeah, and and you know, I. Got I?
21:15
I sidetracked myself. I'm sorry.
21:17
No, no, no, that's that's totally fine.
21:18
This is fun. And let us know in the comments
21:20
like who are the number nines? You're like, you're somebody's
21:22
going to yell at us about somebody do it.
21:25
Let us know who are we? Who are we for your for?
21:27
Your. You know what?
21:30
You score a winner. Pretty happy.
21:32
You score 33% of the goals you scored last season.
21:35
You accomplished in one match this season.
21:38
That's not bad cooking. That's in pace.
21:41
That's pace right there. City.
21:44
Unreal. I love it.
21:47
Yeah. I think Punny Shaw, I mean,
21:49
obviously Banda was out last year.
21:51
So for me, last, I mean, Punny Shaw I have, I always have her
21:55
in my head as #1 ahead of Banda. And maybe that's just kind of
22:00
like we had to see, you know, Banda work all the way back.
22:02
But to me, if I had my pick, I'm taking Shaw #1 number that that
22:07
I think it's easy for me right now.
22:09
She's in, she's on such a tear, like the form is crazy and she's
22:14
so strong. She's so smart.
22:16
That's like there's, there's nothing really could do.
22:18
So it's like if the service is there, it's like that's already,
22:20
it's already cashed. Yeah, I mean, the headers she
22:22
was able to score in in this attic, you know, like the
22:25
second, the. Yeah, both of the second, both
22:29
of the goals, the second and third goal.
22:31
That's a goofy way to say it. Sorry about that.
22:33
The second and third goals, I think both headers, you know,
22:36
there, there's no, there's nobody in the world who can
22:38
really check her when she's operating like that.
22:41
The second one, she's just soared.
22:43
I was just like, you could see it, like with the ball, like the
22:45
ball's going in and she's going up.
22:46
You're just like, oh. It's going to happen.
22:48
Yeah. Yeah, it's inevitable.
22:50
Yeah, let's go over the NWSL. Lot of fun matches there as
22:54
well. Your boys are both on
22:56
assignment, you know, just go doing, doing, doing our press
22:59
box shit. Let's I want to start with with
23:02
your foray Friday night. Keep it chronological.
23:07
Portland to Seattle. Nil.
23:10
What did you see in this one? Bonkers game.
23:13
Dude, are you fucking kidding me with this?
23:15
I mean, just insane. Yeah.
23:18
Took a took a lovely train ride down to Portland.
23:23
What is it? the Rose City?
23:24
I think it's a nice city like commutable, like, you know what
23:30
Portland, not you're, you're OK in my book.
23:34
You're you're a good city. I I like it good fives out there
23:37
very nice people. I mean, so you know SK Braun
23:42
alumna Ella Boguerre, 20 year old Norwegian, 2 yellow cards in
23:47
the span of like 90 seconds in the 1st 9 minutes of the match.
23:51
Absolutely insane. Both fair yellow cards to call.
23:56
She is grabbing the opponent and just yanking them by the arm.
24:00
And so it was just like, OK, you know, I was excited to see her
24:04
play a former Bron player. Our our pal Morton was messaging
24:10
with us. Shot to Morton, the legend, the
24:11
greatest Bron fan in the world, and boom, she's out of there.
24:16
They're down to 10. We talked about Seattle rains,
24:19
travel woes to and from Orlando, a gigantic weather delay in
24:24
Orlando. Thorns are down to 10.
24:27
I'm like, well, this, this is like the best case scenario for
24:31
a tired team. Now you get to play with an
24:33
extra player. What could go wrong?
24:39
Everything. Somehow.
24:40
Everything. Oh my goodness, I thought I I
24:45
mean, it's weird. I I, my, my brain went to a
24:50
weird place. You know, you, you hit, you hit
24:52
us with a skip pass earlier I was like, is Rob, GAIL, Mark
24:55
Jackson, and now we're in the Steve Carrera of that's great.
25:00
That's. Amazing.
25:01
We're at because I was just like, damn, how the why are they
25:04
going to let go of this guy? It was our coach of the year
25:06
last year, but they seem to have like taken a leap and, and now
25:10
it's all over, You know, like last year it kind of was.
25:14
So you know, like centralized in terms of like where, where their
25:19
effectiveness was coming from. But now it just feels like
25:22
everybody's pretty sharp. You know, Turner's like a year
25:25
or older, like like toward the year older.
25:28
Reyes, I love from like how she plays.
25:30
It's just like, wow, there's really no weak spots on this
25:32
team. And it's like they seem to kind
25:36
of they kind of feel like a team like in in the in the second or
25:39
third year of like a rebuild. But it's really just like the
25:41
second game of like having come back from last season.
25:44
And it's like it wasn't even a rebuild because they finished
25:46
crazy high based on expectations and kind of where things are
25:49
tracking this. I mean, I'm just, I'm, I'm super
25:53
impressed. I've made, I think I made the
25:56
comparison last year when, you know, I foolishly said they
26:01
would they would finish near the bottom of the league and they
26:03
they finished third in the table.
26:05
Yeah, you and I were in the in the same boat there.
26:07
And I just realized that, I mean, this is the highest
26:10
compliment. They're the Miami Heat like you.
26:13
They're just not going to be bad and then they're going to do
26:16
some stuff that you're like what?
26:18
My God, they're just a a pain in the ass to play all the time and
26:22
there there's never any relief. They're always prepared.
26:25
They're always ready. Players cycle out, players
26:28
retire, they change the coach. I mean, obviously in the Miami
26:32
Heat, you don't see that like they haven't, they've had long
26:34
standing coaches, but it's just like we can rotate the pieces,
26:39
but the entire infrastructure is built around we're going to be
26:43
prepared. We're going to have a plan,
26:45
we're going to have an identity, and then we're going to execute
26:48
it. That's such a great point
26:50
because you know, you, you switch coaches and it's like it,
26:54
it somehow feels like a, like, you know, you feel the
26:58
continuity, you know, and it's like, it's crazy.
27:01
It's crazy, you know, I thought the the Olivia Moultrie, you
27:06
know, I continue to kick myself for not have me picked her as my
27:09
MVP. You know, famously I I took a
27:12
Spain just Jones out here as as my MVP for that one later.
27:15
That's right. But I was joking.
27:18
But yeah, Olivia freight trade Moultrie.
27:20
I just one of my favorite players to watch, you know, an
27:22
absolute handful. And I think she's just getting
27:26
better and faster and stronger and sharper.
27:28
And I don't know, I'm, I'm excited to see what the ceiling
27:32
is because I think we, we just kind of continue to see this
27:35
player grow. I, I, I think you said it last
27:39
year, her ceiling is MVP of the league.
27:41
And I, I cosigned it with you as a great point.
27:44
I was one of those, one of your many takes that I was instantly
27:47
jealous of. I was like, God damn, this guy's
27:49
done it again. It was great.
27:50
It was a great shout out by you watching her play in person.
27:55
I'm glad you mentioned the physicality.
27:56
She's imposing, dude. Like she just gets it done.
27:59
She's getting to the ball, she's ripping the ball off you, she's
28:03
getting past you when she needs to and then she's still.
28:06
She has all the smarts, too. The getting past one, that one
28:09
blows me away because it's like she she can like you see her
28:12
muscle somebody or, or like, you know, the, the smart step and
28:15
then the muscle and then she just runs away from you.
28:18
It's like, how is that fair? 100% and just energy for days
28:22
is, is going in the 88th minute the way she was going in the
28:25
25th minute. See, she's just, I mean, you
28:28
know, what can you say about the kids?
28:29
She's absolutely outstanding. So they get that.
28:32
So they go down to 10. And Speaking of Moultrie, she
28:37
hits a corner just right on the forehead of Pietra.
28:41
Torden nods it in from from that angle, From the first angle we
28:45
saw, it had such great curl on it.
28:48
It looked like an Olympico like I I think a lot of people in the
28:51
stadium thought Moultrie scored it, but then you saw that Torden
28:55
was able to get her head on it and perfectly tuck it away.
29:00
I just think look like the the rain players, Laurel Harvey,
29:05
they will never like Speaking of culture, I feel like the rain
29:09
have a lot of that stuff too, right?
29:10
Like, you know, they're in the mix.
29:11
They make the play offs last year, they win the shield like
29:13
what was like 4 or five years ago.
29:16
They'll never make an excuse. But all that travel stuff all
29:21
like short week Thorns have a rest advantage, all the weird
29:25
travel stuff with with rain on their delays and the weather
29:28
delay in the match and etcetera, etcetera.
29:30
They looked physically and mentally weary, and Tordens
29:35
standing kind of with no defender really in front of her
29:39
or really challenging her to just kind of like nod that in
29:42
like, it felt like there I was like, oh boy, is 11 on 10 going
29:47
to be enough? It it was not enough and it's so
29:54
early, you know, it's so early that like, you know, those
29:57
travel hiccups, the impact is outsized, you know, because it's
30:01
like from week 1 to Week 2. It's like, damn it, you know,
30:04
it's not the same as week 14 to 15.
30:07
I I felt bad for you because you were in the building.
30:09
You didn't get you probably heard on the replay, but we got
30:12
an unbelievable. He talked about this one being
30:15
chaotic. Mike Watts, our guy, his call in
30:18
the rail and Turner to Turner. We got a, we got an epic Turner
30:23
call from our guy. Let's go What a what an absolute
30:26
legend. I, I, I did see some of my pals
30:30
in the press box. You know, I was I, I had some
30:32
day job stuff to take care of and then I make it over to the
30:34
press box a little while before the match started.
30:37
I saw a I, I get, I think Mike and double L did a did a bit
30:41
where they sat on the cooler that Laurie Laura Harvey
30:45
typically sits on. And so they like took a photo of
30:47
them sitting on the cooler from the press box.
30:49
I was like, all right, they're they're doing their stuff.
30:51
They're in they're Lori Lindsay and Mike Watts.
30:54
You already know they're in mid season form in Week 2.
30:57
But it's a great point by you that the travel stuff, it is
31:01
different because you're not like they're not all the way,
31:03
all the way conditioned. There's a reason people use the
31:06
term mid season, because it's a real thing.
31:10
Absolutely. So I mean, well, what's your,
31:14
what's your take on Seattle like?
31:16
Do you feel like it's you know where, where are they at?
31:20
It turns out Jordan bug important player that you would
31:25
like to have on the field and Torden and Turner and and look
31:31
the the Turner goal is I I think one of your center backs should
31:39
should probably know that that run is is happening.
31:43
That's where I I look at like 1. You don't have bug 2.
31:48
There's some physical and mental weariness from from pardon me
31:52
from all the all the surrounding context of them traveling back
31:57
to Seattle from Orlando and then down to down to Portland.
32:00
But I think you before anybody makes any like wide,
32:06
wide-ranging judgments about Seattle Rain FC, we you got to
32:10
see bug in there because she is who she is for a reason.
32:15
And like, you can't just lose, even as young as she is, you
32:19
can't lose a player like that And and you know, really survive
32:23
it with replacement level players, we'll say.
32:29
Yeah, yeah. And that's that's kind of
32:30
understandable. And a lot of a lot of parallels
32:33
between what we saw Seattle from a backline perspective and what
32:36
we saw Bay FC from from from a backline perspective.
32:40
We mentioned it up top. I was kind of joked a little
32:43
bit, but Spain just John Soetier just completely stunned and just
32:51
carved up the Bay FC in that first half and scores a goal
32:55
kind of like even before I'm kind of fully nozzled into into
32:58
my spot in the press box, they're already down the goal.
33:01
And so early in the season and so early in the match.
33:06
It it, it's sort of the same situation.
33:07
Like the third minute is way, way too early.
33:10
Like, you know, because then from from then on you're you're
33:13
sort of shell shocked a little bit.
33:15
It's not like the 9th or 10th minute worked up a little sweat.
33:18
That's really, really early. That means that they they kind
33:22
of clocked you super, super, you know, on the on the way into the
33:24
stadium for sure. A lot of problems defensively
33:27
for BFC, but Angel City, I thought they were they were
33:31
incredible. And I talked to Spandis in the
33:35
in the post game and the thing that stuck with me was she
33:39
didn't really talk only, you know, like the speed was brought
33:42
up and that was on, you know, front and center.
33:45
But she was like, it's also the timing.
33:47
You know, she mentioned Kennedy Fuller by name.
33:49
And I think if they can sort that out, that that makes them
33:52
really scary because I didn't, I don't even think they really
33:54
played that well. And, and they're all the the
33:57
other 7. Seven goals for one against, two
34:01
wins on the season. And they beat juggernaut Chicago
34:05
Stars FC-4 Nell, who we obviously know beat the reigning
34:08
Shield winner. So like what's doing, you know,
34:09
how great is Angel City? But in All in all seriousness,
34:15
like, you know, we're going to get these kind of like these
34:17
seesaw moments throughout a 30 match football season in the
34:21
chaos league. Imagine like how how things
34:24
might change over the course of these several months.
34:27
I'm with you, though, man. Like I, I, like I said it after
34:31
last week's win over Chicago, I, I don't know, dude.
34:35
Like, so that's 180 minutes where they look awesome.
34:40
Speaking of Angel City, like they look, they got a lot of
34:43
weapons and trying to run with Jones Duddier, it's hard, man.
34:48
She's bigger than you. She's faster than you.
34:51
And that finish when she was one-on-one verse silky, like I
34:55
felt bad for our goalkeeper. Like, you know, Jordan Silkowitz
34:59
is a damn fine goalkeeper, one of the better goalkeepers in the
35:02
league. I would argue a friend of the
35:04
program as well, of course, and she just has no chance.
35:09
And I would argue that she, her defense left her exposed on all
35:13
three of those goals that were conceded.
35:16
I'm not even going to say that Silky conceded those goals.
35:18
I know from when from our conversation with her, with her,
35:21
she's a very talented and intelligent young professional
35:24
who's going to take accountability.
35:26
I didn't like any of the spots that her defense left her in for
35:30
all three of those. Yeah, I I totally agree with
35:32
that. And and she had she made some
35:35
plays too. She made some plays to keep it
35:37
at 3. And she's she's still in Jones
35:39
Stotier along with I think Maddie Moreau on one spot where
35:43
we had a real, real look. But you look at what Angel City,
35:49
to me, they look like they were at a 4141 and that second four
35:53
behind Jones, Stotier, Riley Tiernan Noose, Adi Borges, Kenny
35:58
Fuller, buddy, that's a that's a lot of that's a lot of
36:01
firepower. And you know, they and they have
36:05
like, I don't know that that unpredictability and they're
36:10
looking for Jones those here. And it's not just I love that
36:12
they called out, you know, timing decision making says not
36:16
to speed. You know, like a lot of players
36:18
with speed and you can kind of contend with speed, but they
36:21
play really, really smart. And then in the second goal, for
36:24
sure, silky, I mean silky completely, you know, put in
36:28
terrible positions on all three, but Jones don't hear so much
36:33
gravity pulls everybody out to the left.
36:36
And then when you got to sell, you know, those four that I
36:38
mentioned just just sells. Not in those four.
36:41
She's, you know, a couple a couple lines back, but then
36:43
she's flying in and white player to be flying in, you know, to be
36:46
able to smack one and one-on-one with keeper totally overmatch
36:51
for sure that BFC defense on that.
36:54
Yeah, definitely. And I'm I'm glad you you
36:56
mentioned 21 year old Brazilian attacking midfielder, attacker
37:01
all out baller sauce, player of the week noose.
37:06
Good Lord, she's good, huh? Yeah, they, her and Hutton went
37:11
back. It was crazy, the midfielder, it
37:13
was like so scrapping the Hutton made mention of, you know, kind
37:17
of like getting bumped and bruised up for sure.
37:19
But that's only because Noose was a wrecking like any player
37:24
that she could find in the midfielder.
37:25
And then at one point, I think like around 20 minute mark
37:28
Hutton's like this is over, just completely takes her out.
37:32
And then from then on it was on like any any opportunity for the
37:35
beef to continue to simmer in that midfield.
37:38
It was happening. It definitely, definitely
37:40
chippy, definitely contentious. I'm with it.
37:43
I, you know, I thought it was entertaining.
37:44
I I, I actually put it in my notes and I'm glad you you
37:48
mentioned that is when when things started to get away.
37:54
You know, once Angel City goes up two Nil Thompson for the tap
37:59
and again, you know, silky left completely vulnerable back
38:02
there. In my notes, I literally wrote
38:06
quote Bay FC, Bay FC playing with a lot of physicality.
38:10
If you're going to concede some goals, make sure your opponent
38:13
still feels your presence. And I don't hate it.
38:15
And I and I like that mentality from them.
38:17
And then you got to think, you know, you talk about the team
38:20
kind of knowing some things about themselves and playing
38:23
with the identity of their new manager.
38:25
I felt like that we didn't see that in years past.
38:30
Now correct me if I'm wrong, but that felt like in Emma Coates
38:32
kind of thing. I think so.
38:36
And, and you know, they had, they took tremendous pride in
38:40
getting that, that goal make it 31 and they fought really hard.
38:44
You know, they like, I think they would have been happy to
38:46
just get a second one because they really worked hard for that
38:49
second one. And then they they played hard
38:50
defensively as well. I asked Coats about Jarelli and
38:55
you know, because Coats had talked about, you know, the last
38:59
20-30 minutes, you know, BAE like just being really proud of
39:04
how they were pressing and and and I thought Jarelli, you know,
39:08
didn't get off to a slow start, but early in the match maybe too
39:11
facilitating, you know, I was like, you know, like I think she
39:14
didn't have great looks, but it was always back to goal.
39:17
She's always kind of looking, you know, and it's like, all
39:18
right, can we like get a little bit more aggressive with it?
39:22
As the match went on, her like her stamina is off.
39:25
It's crazy. Like he's she's getting like
39:27
she's right there, she's getting faster.
39:29
She doesn't I mean, I think the XOG guys when they announced
39:33
really well, you know, how much sports you have, you know, her
39:36
age, is she going to be spot minutes here and there?
39:38
But clearly she could she could still play.
39:41
You know, she's she's definitely in in game shape.
39:44
And as the game wore on, she got smarter, she got more effective
39:48
and I think she's definitely going to be on the path towards
39:51
figuring it out. But they definitely just they
39:54
did. They just need the finishers and
39:56
help defensively and some other stuff.
40:00
You know what, though, I mean, I, I felt like Jarelli coming
40:04
in, I and I, I think it was, it seemed like somebody had told
40:07
her like, Hey, we would really like your help with our we want
40:11
to use your hold up play and create some opportunities for
40:15
your for your teammates and I and I think like we saw some of
40:18
that. Let me just do a quick, I had a
40:20
feeling, I, I packed a second. I had a feeling this was such a
40:24
good weekend of football that this was going to be a 2 beer
40:28
program for your boy. Let's just do that.
40:30
You know what's crazy? I went to, I went to Target
40:32
today. No, not Target.
40:34
I did go to Target, but I got this my beer from the
40:36
supermarket and I was carrying, I brought in so much stuff into
40:40
the into the house. I'm just like, you know what?
40:43
I'm, I'm not going to bring the whole case of beer.
40:44
I'll just take one beer in the house just so I have it.
40:47
I was like, no chance. We're doing 2 beer show Sunday
40:49
night and here we are. Just another prediction gone a
40:54
foul. You know what it's bound to
40:56
happen and it's just more about me than you, buddy.
40:59
So we'll just we'll keep it at that.
41:01
We, we always enjoy our football responsibly.
41:04
We enjoy everything responsibly. But you know what God damn, I, I
41:09
mean, this was, this was great. Obviously not the results that
41:12
Seattle Rain Football Club or BFC supporters wanted to see.
41:16
But I don't think you, I, I don't, you can't be like, oh,
41:21
huge problems at both of these clubs.
41:24
Like I think the, the clubs in both of our home cities have
41:28
shown enough good things and have enough that's going to
41:32
should be coming online over the course of the next 28 matches,
41:36
28 matches. I think they should be fine.
41:39
I can't believe that. Yeah, last week, last week, no
41:41
one in Angel City, I got a chance.
41:45
This was crazy. This doesn't usually happen.
41:47
We're talking about it pre show a little bit.
41:48
But I got a chance to talk to a few of the players from Angel
41:50
City and Alex Strauss after the game, which was very, very
41:54
exciting because I wasn't expecting it.
41:56
So Emily Sam's walks in, he's famous.
41:58
Gene Jones Otier walks in. That was exciting.
42:01
I asked Emily Sam's about her chemistry with Savvy King and
42:04
she had a lot of really positive things to say about Savy King,
42:06
because that's another piece that like, OK, you're going to
42:11
take the second pick and, you know, a couple drafts ago, you
42:14
know, that that level of pedigree and the Pistel defend
42:17
of the year year before last, and you're going to pair them
42:19
up, you know, with everything going on up front, Like those
42:21
are two good defenders. And like they were just, you
42:25
know, they had they had command of what was happening for most
42:29
of the match. So they should definitely get a
42:33
shot as well. But Alex, Alex Strauss was
42:35
really funny. He you know, in in just a very,
42:39
you know, where we just get away.
42:41
He, he referred to the team as AFC Bay, which made me laugh.
42:46
He, he said that the team played like grown-ups today and quote,
42:49
which I thought was, was, was sharp because like, you know, a
42:51
lot of times you see a team take a step up.
42:54
They're they're racking up goals and now they're jolly, they're
42:56
high fiving. They're, they're, they're kind
42:58
of like goal celebrations. And it's like, no, this team
43:01
looks super duper serious and just like sort of business as
43:05
usual. And then he had a one another
43:07
fight quirk where he was talking about XG.
43:09
He's like, I think we had like 2.225 XG and BAE.
43:13
I think they had zero point something nice.
43:17
It's like what? Did this like this visibly be
43:19
like that Zero point? What?
43:22
Didn't even have one. But I know it's not like he
43:25
wasn't talking shit, but it was just like a funny, you know,
43:27
like, yeah, this was the second language quirk that made me
43:29
laugh. I love that.
43:31
I mean, you know, I like our European pals, our, our, our
43:35
pals from the Nordic countries, they, they do have a very kind
43:40
of straightforward, well, this is, this is what the, the math
43:43
say. Like the math says like somebody
43:45
handed me the iPad and I looked at it and said, OK, there's the
43:50
data. And so I'm just going to share
43:51
that with you. And I think that's a that's a
43:53
great quality to have, man. They feel they feel kind of
43:59
loaded too. I mean, we'll see like how the
44:01
long season treats them. I just didn't see anything to
44:07
push me off. Like when I said I didn't want
44:10
to react after week 1. I don't see anything to push me
44:14
off of. I think they'll challenge for
44:16
the top four. They they got to be good enough.
44:18
And those, those Yon's daughter throw wins.
44:22
I thought Mary Matthias did an awesome job on the broadcast
44:26
just talking about it's, it's the velocity on those that that
44:31
makes them like a free kick almost.
44:33
And I think that's that's the really important part.
44:36
I got to see. I got to I when I I saw one and
44:39
I'm like, let me lock in here and see it and it just goes.
44:42
Yeah, it's like firing them in there.
44:44
And from where you're at when you're at the press box and you
44:45
can't tell the the the elevation but doesn't go very high.
44:49
No. You're just watching from up
44:51
high and then it just goes, yeah, it just keeps going.
44:55
All the crowds, you're like, wow, that was pretty cool.
44:57
Yeah. For very, very impressive stuff.
44:59
And yeah, I think I was joking about it.
45:01
I didn't actually predict Jones O2 for MVP, but I think she's at
45:05
the inside track at this point. Two goals, 2 assists, You know,
45:09
we tracked her career. We're going back to to
45:13
Wolfsburg. I don't remember seeing that
45:15
vision, you know, and I think that that one was called out.
45:19
I'm not sure if it was Mathias as well on the call out, but on
45:22
the, on the, on the, on the telecast, but the, the decision
45:27
to get it to Giselle, to wait, to wait to wait to draw and then
45:32
just make a, you know, like basically guarantee the goal,
45:37
you know, with that, with that decision and that timing, that's
45:39
impressive. I don't remember seeing that.
45:42
I mean, you know, she's 24 years old and would we were watching
45:45
her play for for Wolfsburg. You know, sometimes she was
45:48
coming off the bench, you know, maybe on some of the the other
45:50
matches of when when people were being rotated, she was she was
45:54
playing. Maybe our pals can correct me if
45:56
I'm wrong there, but at least from like, well, what I felt
45:58
like we were watching, you know, run and go get it.
46:03
Use your sides, use your speed, use that stride and then give us
46:07
some great throws. Obviously for Iceland and the
46:10
EUR, take 15 seconds to dry off the ball with a towel before you
46:14
deliver a throw. Like everybody remembers that.
46:17
But yeah, I mean, she she clearly has great football
46:21
intelligence as well. And it just feels like that's
46:25
what Strauss was after in the last couple windows.
46:28
You know, he comes into the club and and they start kind of
46:32
collecting players and Jones, Jones doter, Jones doter.
46:37
I think it's a soft J. We'll have to figure it out like
46:39
yogging. I'm I'm not 100% sure, but we'll
46:42
we'll get to the bottom of that because I the the crazy part
46:46
about women's football, you hear every pronunciation 5 different
46:49
ways, every last name 5 different ways.
46:51
Sorry for the sidebar, but yeah, we're probably.
46:54
In that mix now we're we're, we're just bringing.
46:55
The we're contributing to it, you know, that's a that's a
46:58
great point. But like, you could Strauss has
47:04
a vision for the club. It it really seems like he's the
47:07
right dude to be leading this. Yeah, he's he's definitely got a
47:11
vision, growth mindset, all the stuff that I'm super duper into.
47:15
So, you know, he I was glad he gave me like a three or four
47:17
minute answer was and I was like, damn it.
47:20
And it's so this is such a stupid side note, but I'm pretty
47:23
sure that he maybe, yeah, I don't want to say he'd do the
47:28
show, but he kind of he he kind of answered me like he
47:31
recognized me, which I was like, I was like, we're kind of like
47:34
locked in 2 minutes prior. Emily, Sam's could just zero.
47:39
I was just, you know, like just I was gonna ask.
47:41
That's how she rolls. But that would hurt that that
47:44
would hurt your boy. I was just like.
47:45
Oh, man. Damn.
47:46
Come on, Emily, what's up? We raised the trophy two years
47:50
ago, it was just two years ago. We raised the trophy.
47:53
Yeah. No, it's there, man.
47:55
I was gonna ask. That's a little bit of a bummer.
47:58
I'm sorry, buddy. I you know, it hurt.
48:00
It hurt. We all dudes look the same.
48:03
I I get it. I guess I.
48:05
Oh yeah, it's all right. And she's, she's always lucky.
48:09
She's the best, really. Yeah, you know, if it was if it
48:12
was another, there's a couple other Pride players or if it was
48:15
some other private players, it would it would truly hurt Sam's
48:18
We we only had probably if Corey super quick interactions.
48:22
If Corey Dyke completely blanks us, I'd be like, Corey, I
48:25
thought we were friends. You're an ITC Hall of Famer.
48:27
What happened? Yeah, Corey Nadaner there's a
48:32
there's a few that I'm just like that that would that would that
48:36
would really knock me down a few things.
48:38
That's fair. Great football weekend are any
48:41
other matches, you know, obviously loaded slate, but any
48:45
of the quick hitters that you want to talk about before you
48:47
get out of here? Houston Dash, you just, you
48:50
know, you send off Yasmine Ryan, you send off Delaney Sheehan.
48:55
Easy peasy. No problem. 3 nil victory over
48:58
Boston Legacy. I am very interested.
49:01
I'm going to do some quick, quick FOP mobbing here.
49:04
Let me just make sure I have this right because I think
49:06
Boston Legacy plays Utah in their next fixture.
49:11
Do I have that right? I do Boston Legacy FC home
49:14
versus Utah Royals. That might be just what the
49:17
doctor ordered because Boston Legacy versus that Utah Royals
49:23
defense, I think that we we might be primed for our first
49:26
Boston Legacy FC victory. Victory that's that's an
49:31
interesting prediction I'm I'm I'm officially re re re retiring
49:34
from any official predictions after I I basically told folks
49:39
that KC current beatings the show stars was free money last.
49:42
Weekend. Oh yeah, that haven't.
49:43
Yeah, they they, they go all the way.
49:45
The other way they lose. But yeah, that's why I'm
49:47
retired. So we, we, we, we keep it
49:50
moving. I put my energy into the show
49:52
nowadays. Couple of that I wanted to hit a
49:54
couple racing too Spirit 2A funny moment racing Louisville
49:59
goes up two NIL. I think Jill Lloyd was like, you
50:02
know what's always all this BS about people talking about like
50:04
2 Nil's most dangerous lead in football.
50:06
Amazing. And then she followed up with
50:08
like, oh, racing Louisville, I think gave up A2 to lead to
50:10
watch it last season. And then they they they finished
50:13
this 122. Either way.
50:15
We talked about this with not neither team wanted to fall down
50:19
to zero wins, 0 draws, 2 losses. Both teams successfully dodged
50:25
that. And then the Courage get a get a
50:28
nice Rd. draw versus the Champs nil NIL sitting on 4 points
50:33
after two matches. My Shield pick, No Manaka
50:36
Matsukubo, my MVP pick, and you know, firmly above water for my
50:41
North Carolina Courage still. Alive, buddy, you know what it's
50:45
going to be it's going to be interesting to track that
50:48
throughout any time you get a you get a an away draw versus
50:52
the bats. That's a that's a pretty good
50:54
result. I mean, you touched on it.
50:59
I mean, surprise of the weekend, right?
51:01
So so for any results anywhere in maybe in life, Chicago stars
51:07
2 Kansas City Group 1. I mean, you know who saw that
51:11
coming? The weather looked absolutely
51:13
awful, but let me just say, if you wanted anything to soothe
51:18
your soul, that announcing combination, the great Jackie
51:24
Olli, the great Leanne Sanderson, both friends of into
51:29
the Channel. I mean, come on.
51:30
As soon as I turned on the broadcast, I was like, are you
51:33
kidding me with this? This is as good as it gets.
51:36
Yeah, I I let out an audible yes, like a Marv Hubbard.
51:41
That's amazing. The best?
51:43
Topic. They were so good.
51:45
They were. They sounded like a great
51:47
football game. Just just those two on the
51:50
broadcast, it just sounds great. I mean, this is this, this is so
51:55
weird. But like, I mean, this is total
51:57
hyperbole. I told you, you know, Jackie
51:59
Ollie, that's that's my, that's my, the voice, that's my, my
52:02
queen voice. Play by play.
52:04
I'm like when I, when I die and go to heaven, I just want a
52:08
channel where the Lionesses are playing high stakes matches and
52:12
it's always a new match and it's always Jackie on the call.
52:15
That's, that's my, you know, and, and I'm not just sitting
52:18
there in heaven just watching football 24/7, but it's on, you
52:21
know, so whatever I'm doing, you know, it's just on in the
52:24
background. The voice is going, the stakes
52:26
are high. That's, that's kind of how what
52:28
I want to happen after, you know, they close the, they close
52:32
the curtain. What a weird way to just.
52:34
Sure. Yeah, Yeah.
52:34
You know, curtain closed. Sure.
52:36
Yeah. We'll talk about our eminent
52:38
demises at some point. It's going to happen to all of
52:40
us, right? What can you do?
52:41
Here we go. But I mean, look for Chicago to
52:45
bounce back like that. Maitani was good, dude.
52:51
Like she was good all match. Ryan Garish was excellent up and
52:58
down the left wing. She's the one who served in the
53:00
cross for the go ahead for Heidema.
53:03
I really like Garish too out the match and Grosso started that
53:06
whole action. So it's like Grosso push the
53:08
pace, push the pace, push the ball up field.
53:10
And then she knew she had the option.
53:12
It was either going to be Haidema on the right or Garish
53:15
on the left. And I feel like Grosso knew
53:17
like, OK, the right way to go is send it out to Garish, who then
53:22
plays it in the Haidema. And it's like great football
53:25
intelligence. Haidema.
53:26
All she has to do is is nodded in and she's right there using
53:29
her size and strength to get the ball in.
53:32
You know, we, we joked earlier about the lack of goals.
53:35
I, I in the past two seasons for Heidema.
53:38
Sanderson talked about it. Look, a player of Heidema's
53:42
pedigree who played at Perry's Angemon, who, you know, made it
53:46
a little bit an impact early, has a, has a, an Olympic gold
53:49
medal for Canada. You want to see more goals out
53:53
of her. And maybe she didn't get them in
53:55
Seattle and maybe it wasn't totally the right situation, but
53:59
to see her get that goal in their home opener in just
54:02
terrible looking weather in a spot like that coming from
54:05
coming back from a devastating, kind of embarrassing loss in in
54:09
match Week 1, you know, hard not to feel good for everybody
54:13
involved with Chicago Stars FC. Yeah, and and a slow start too.
54:20
So to kind of get that result, you know, from from all of the
54:25
circumstances, a real performance to hang your head
54:27
on. You definitely don't want to
54:28
like follow up a terrible performance with another loss.
54:32
So they're they're they're back. They got to be in good spirits.
54:36
And you know, the league, the parodies is definitely front and
54:39
center now. I think we're back into no clue
54:42
where this is going. You may mention to the the 30
54:45
game season. I mean, I can't imagine how
54:47
much, how many times this thing's in a flip over super
54:50
duper exciting stuff. With that said, is there
54:53
anything else might hit Poor guy out here?
54:55
I guess just the last thing, I mean weird game for Kansas City
54:58
current, but Bethune was still good.
54:59
I mean, I thought she was she was good in a lot of different
55:02
spots. I thought Kansas City left some
55:04
meat on the bone to where they they had some some scoring
55:09
opportunities. But yeah, long season for them.
55:12
I'll be interested to see. And what how can you really
55:15
judge them without Chewinga, right?
55:18
Like, I mean, you know, she's going to come back and change
55:20
everything. Yeah, 100% quick episode
55:24
calendar. So now we are past midnight here
55:28
on the West Coast Sunday night. So now we're into Monday, which
55:31
means there's champions in football tomorrow, my guys.
55:33
Go ready for it. We're going to be ready.
55:37
No live shows this week. You know, life, life has gotten
55:40
in the way. But we're going to be back this
55:41
week. Full recaps.
55:43
We're going to talk about all four matches.
55:45
I'm sure we'll lose our mind 400 times over over the course of
55:49
this week, but we will be back, so not to worry.
55:52
Make sure you keep it locked for sure.
55:54
This has been another episode of this channel.
55:55
Thank you, thank you, thank you for watching, listening, hanging
55:58
out. If you enjoy the show, we do
55:59
this every single week. This week we're going to do it
56:01
twice a week. Let's go YouTube, Spotify
56:03
podcast where we like to watch or listen.
56:06
Please like, subscribe, follow, comment, leave us a review.
56:09
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56:12
Into the channel merch even great way to support the show.
56:15
Shout out to everybody who does either of those or both.
56:18
Links to all the above much much more in the description of this
56:21
episode and a big thing in my close as well.
56:23
Mr. Grant and go for I texted you this weekend this very this
56:27
very statement. You my good man, are in mid
56:30
season form even though it's just match Week 2.
56:33
I appreciate that buddy. And the feeling is mutual.
56:36
You know, look, we're, we're off to a fast start.
56:39
I think we've put together some good shows.
56:41
We have the legend Mike Watson. We do, we do a preview show.
56:44
We talk about the the great matches coming up.
56:46
Pretty much all of them live up to the to the billing of being
56:49
extremely interesting. So you know, I'm I couldn't be
56:52
more ready to tackle the final 28 matches of this season, USA
56:57
versus Japan World Cup qualifiers.
57:00
You just throw anything at us, we'll be ready.
57:03
And that's because we're supported.
57:04
We're buoyed by all of you who are always dropping knowledge in
57:08
the comments, always holding us accountable, letting us know
57:11
what we need to be looking out for.
57:13
We very much appreciate all of you.
57:15
Thank you for watching and we will see you all next time.