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From causal and seasoned fans to fresh new fans to the game, Casual FC is your Angel City FC podcast previewing all upcoming matches, highlighting what to look for as the casual football fan.
Mario: Welcome to Casual FC, an Angel
City preview pod and Footy Therapy pod
featuring two certified footy therapists.
Certified by who?
Us, but still, we're certified.
Angela: We're
Mario: I
Angela: and certifiable.
Get with it.
Yay,
Mario: with my amazing, dino
wearing co host, Angela Morales.
This
Angela: in my eye and like, yay.
Mario: doesn't count, this
doesn't count as Angela crying.
Angela: No, absolutely not.
For the record.
That just, genuinely hurt.
It felt like a rock flew in my eye.
Anyway, hi
Mario: Anyway,
Angela: the
Mario: hey,
Angela: Woo!
Mario: so we are on our kind of
sporadic, Group of episodes, and
today is going to be a special one.
Angela: do this time?
Mario: Exactly.
Today's special episode.
we're going to close out the year
by just kind of recapping the lot
of off season movement that's been
happening the last couple of weeks.
So what do we know?
What don't we know?
And it's still up in the air.
Angela: We don't know a lot.
Nobody knows anything.
Mario: and then just throwing out
some questions that, if we remember
to answer them when it comes to
the preview episode next season,
Angela: Do
Mario: we'll try to answer them.
Angela: notes and scripts
and bullet points of things?
Yes.
Do we ever look at them after we're done?
No.
Mario: No.
Angela: Or,
Mario: know what?
Angela: know what?
I should say rarely.
Because sometimes I go back to
see, who I've already talked about.
Mario: okay.
Angela: going to find a better
way to track it and I just don't.
Mario: So I totally have
had this conversation with
people where I'm like, look,
Part of me figuring out my brain is, I
write shit down, I just never look at it.
Angela: I wrote it down.
Mario: in high school, did
you ever get the were you
ever given the annual planner?
Like the school planner?
Angela: This is where our
neurodivergence differs.
Mario: Hehehehe.
I mean,
Angela: gave it up.
I got the, the planner that has the like,
wooshy wooshy, holographic little thing.
Mario: that's, that's, that's,
that sound, how you have a sound.
Everybody has a thing.
Angela: Is it
Mario: that just yeah,
Angela: I'm
Mario: and,
Angela: but you know exactly
what planner I'm talking about.
Mario: yeah, it's the same
planner, the same planner we got.
Angela: in like seventh grade
and I never looked back.
Mario: Okay, see, I have,
Angela: girly.
Mario: I have countless
of these books, okay?
And I use them, I do, I
do, I use them, a ton.
But.
Angela: he never saw it again.
Yep.
Mario: the main thing was like, oh,
you'd go up with your planner, you'd
start off the day, and then, at least
for us, like, all the teachers, upper
right hand corner of the whiteboard
would write the homework for the day.
I'd pop out that book, write it
down, that muscle memory was there.
Close that, throw it in the
bag, completely forgot about it.
Angela: only see it the next period when
you have to do the same thing again.
Mario: But by the end of the day, the
only time I saw it was when I opened it
again, first period, to write down the
homework for the next It's a miracle I got
Angela: no.
Mario: of my homework done.
Honestly, I don't know how I did, and,
and that's, that's my constant dilemma,
my constant problem is I write stuff
down, and sometimes it gets chaotic,
at one point I couldn't find this
book, and And so I, my desk literally
was covered in, in these orange,
post its, the white ones, everywhere.
And I had them layered by conversation.
Heh heh heh.
Heh heh heh.
Heh heh heh.
Angela: I will make a special trip up
to the valley to get you figured out.
Mario: and I, and the thing is that
starting the new year, I have a
nice clean one, a new one to use.
cause I'm also almost done with this one.
But, I've tried, I've
tried bullet journaling.
I've tried every which
way method out there.
Okay.
Angela: thing with neurodivergence is you
have to find the ones that are already
like 90 percent of the way done for you.
Mario: Yeah, I I saw one that I
really liked and I was like, oh, I'm
gonna order this one, but apparently
they're from Australia and the book,
the one booklet, because I was like,
I'm not gonna order everything.
I'm just gonna order one booklet,
see if it actually works for me.
The booklet is 20 bucks.
But then to ship it from
Australia to here is 20 bucks.
Angela: Yeah, that's fair.
Mario: so yeah.
Okay.
Angela: we'll have to deep dive about
planners at our planning meeting.
Mario: Yet I somehow figure out how
to like schedule and script our show,
Angela: We're, we're already into
a shenanisode and I called that
earlier today for the record.
Mario: Yes, yes, Angela did.
Angela: shenanisode.
I've been up since 3 a.
m.
Cause Eva flew out to New Jersey today.
Also, my dishwasher was running
because I started it then it was like,
oh, I'm gonna go set up to record.
And then went, ah, damn it.
So if you hear weird
gurgling noises, it's just
Mario: It's not, it's not Angela.
okay.
Angela: off to the side, it's because
I decided to try something new and
switch where I have things on my screen
and now I don't know what I'm doing.
Mario: Oh, oh no.
Okay.
Angela: who knows?
Mario: Let's roll with it.
Let's roll with it.
All right.
as we said, let's find out what we know
at the, at this moment, we know who's out.
Angela: Pretty much.
Mario: Some of them, we
know where they went.
Some of them we don't.
I mean, first one that was
Angela: Heartbreaking.
Mario: heartbreaking and a shock.
And I want to say If she ever
listens to us, or has listened,
we, I know it was probably, I want
to put the good faith out there that
it was probably your decision, right?
It's free agency, you got your one
year contract, you rocked it, but
then, Let's go check out something new.
Plus you're a California girl.
I mean,
Angela: Yeah, you home.
Go explore.
Mario: yeah, it's, you
don't have to be like me.
I don't like, I don't like other cities.
I don't like other people.
Like I want to stay here, so I'm good.
Angela: Mario, who are you talking about?
I know who
Mario: Curry.
Angela: Just
Mario: I was going to get to it.
It's going to be a big, yeah,
big buildup, but Maddie Curry,
is now moving on to Seattle.
We, and see, the thing is, the thing
that was also part of a big shock to
all of this is that it wasn't one of
those, thank you, thank you, Maddie,
for, always part of the family, moving on
to Seattle, because there was no trade.
Yeah, it was just a
straight up, out of nowhere.
Yeah, peace out.
thank you, Maddie.
Thank you.
And then that was it.
It's just Oh man,
Angela: Depressing.
Mario: of bad news.
Angela: Yeah, this
offseason's been rough, y'all.
Mario: yeah.
but she's up in Seattle, which means
we'll still see her in the NWSL.
now we're just gonna have that extra
hard time getting past her, because
Angela: thing is, is Seattle
did not re sign Sierra King.
That's right.
Jess Fishlock's wife.
Mario: I wondered, because there's
been a couple of those, right?
There's been a couple of, there's been
a couple of these, like Relationships
that are, were either on the same team
or near each other that are starting to
Angela: They found out before Wales
competed to qualify for the Euros.
So Jess Fishlock is trying to, prep
for the game, and they're in Wales.
Sierra King finds out she's not resigned.
And then Fishlock has to go play the
game, and then they end up qualifying.
And I can't imagine how
emotional that day was.
Anyway, it's just,
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: weird shit going on y'all.
Mario: Chaos is brewing.
I mean, NWSL is giving us, they're
giving us what we want in general,
in the, they're giving us what we
want in the large sense of league.
not what we want as Angel City fans,
Angela: No, or as NWSL fans,
because I don't know if you
saw what was announced today.
Today's Monday.
Also we're recording on the 23rd.
Balls FC announced their stadium.
I've
Mario: Oh no, I missed that one.
Okay, I saw, I saw memes going
up about San Diego and Balls FC.
is this anything to do with the whole,
them sharing with the high school?
Angela: Yeah, so they now are like
13th priority in schedule making
there's 12 events that are going
to be happening at this field
for the public school districts,
which by all means, use, use it,
Mario: Use the stadium.
I mean, nothing's worse than a
big ol stadium that nobody uses.
Angela: So there's that.
So there, there's a 13th
in line to get scheduled.
That, that's one.
Two,
there can't be, I think it's weekend
games can't start after 830 Eastern.
There can only, you can only be there
like two hours pregame, one hour postgame.
You can't have two, like you
can't have, like it's, two games
can't be in the same month.
Like it's this whole like.
Choose your own adventure, everything
is confusing, but basically, how
are they gonna schedule this?
We're never we're gonna get the
schedule three weeks into the season.
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: Genuinely, I
Mario: You know what?
And then
Angela: Every time
Mario: I
Angela: the chance to do
something good, they don't.
Mario: Look.
Look, NWSL, is, who, what,
Jessica, what, what, Berman?
Angela: I'm also upset about Cleveland.
Mario: Look, you had Cleveland, who
was going to build a stadium, you had
Cincinnati, who already had everything set
up, who has a stadium, and you go give it
to Denver, who doesn't have shit, and if
they do play, they're gonna be playing in
Dick's Sportings, which is in the boonies,
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: and they, people barely go.
Although, the Rapids had a
pretty good year this year.
and then now Boston, who like,
Angela: It's
Mario: they,
Angela: deeper and deeper.
Mario: they fumbled, they
fumbled the balls thing.
They
I did not mean that.
Okay.
okay.
Okay.
Yes.
Angela: And on that note,
I'm moving my microphone.
So maybe I'll be able
to look at my camera.
Shenanigans.
Okay, so let's, we'll get back to the
shenanigans of the league probably later.
Let's talk about has left us.
Mario: Yeah, we, we were going
on a roll of our own team.
Angela: Depressed.
Look.
Mario: okay.
next on the list is Not that surprising.
Kinda surprising, but not surprising.
Angela: disappointment and waste
of a year of somebody's career
and frustrating everything,
Mario: Yes.
Angela: I don't think anybody is happy
with Rocky's tenure at Angel City.
don't think she's happy.
She didn't play.
think the fans are happy
because she didn't play.
Mario: I, I will say this And this is
me going off of my very bad memory.
Wasn't Rocky injured
when we first got her?
Angela: no, she was fine, but in
the gold cup, she got a concussion.
Mario: Okay.
Okay.
Angela: at the beginning of the
season, she had a concussion.
But then
Mario: Okay.
So we didn't, we didn't We didn't do
the traditional Rehab FC to thing where
we're like, we can make you better.
No,
Angela: We can heal you.
Granted, we usually do, but,
Mario: I can fix her.
I promise.
Angela: Oh, no.
Team red flag.
Yeah, we essentially wasted a year
with the Rocky Rodriguez, and I
will, I think, forever be mad.
Mario: It's very, it was.
Yeah.
I mean, who knows?
Who knows what the reasons were?
Who knows why Tweed wasn't putting her
in, the times that she was in again,
mixed bag, like sometimes it worked.
Sometimes it was like, Oh.
Angela: But when there's
Mario: She was in, yeah.
Angela: you, yeah,
Mario: team had, had games where
you could have just gone without
knowing they even were on the field.
Like the, they didn't do anything and
it wasn't necessarily because of them.
It was just, weird lineups,
like everything's different.
Like you're not keeping
anything consistent.
Angela: yeah.
Mario: yes, biggest.
Disappointment, waste of time
for, her career and everything.
She's moving on to Kansas City, and
Angela: come bite us in the ass.
Just FYI.
going to put it out there right now.
That's going to bite us in the ass.
Mario: You know what?
Every move that we have
made has bit us in the ass.
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: Every single one.
Even Henry.
Henry at Utah, beat the crap out of us.
Angela: Yeah.
So we'll see.
Mario: yeah, we're, we don't
got, we don't got a good record
on, on some of these moves.
Angela: No,
Mario: yeah.
All right.
so that's second player gone.
third player is, and we've already
talked about how amazing she was,
but Merritt Mathias is retired.
So we no longer have her.
And if you want to.
Here is Gushabout, Merritt's awesomeness,
go check out the last episode, the
Retirement Retrospective, it's an awesome
episode, and, if you heard it already,
Angela: There's
Mario: go watch it!
Angela: and I'm so sad about all of it.
I'm just grateful that in that
retirement episode, Eva and I had
the wherewithal to talk about Broon.
about Becky Sauerbrunn, and gushed about
Becky Sauerbrunn, and I'm still sad that
Becky Sauerbrunn retired, Like, she had
stepped away from the national team,
and then she announced her retirement
from the league, and it just Damn.
Mario: yeah,
Angela: What a time,
what a time, what a time.
Mario: Katie Johnson is also, was not
re signed, was, chain of events went,
Katie Johnson was released, or not
released because it's not like we have
that type of contract thing anymore,
Angela: yeah,
Mario: just Katie Johnson wasn't renewed.
And then a week or two later,
she announces her retirement.
Hopefully the reason she wasn't renewed
is because she was already talking
to the team about look, I'm retiring.
Angela: was injured the
majority of the season,
Mario: Yeah, yeah.
Angela: it was like, we'll
you know, I don't know.
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: when team conversations came up,
she was probably like, yeah, just don't
Like, open up the spot on the roster.
It time to Put those feelings into
words for like a social media post
Like, you can have talked about it.
You can have made that decision
quietly, but making it very public is
Mario: Yeah, yeah, I mean, making any
type of announcement that you're walking
away from essentially what has been
Your
life,
your whole life.
Angela: Mexico.
done so much.
Mario: Yeah, yeah, and,
we wish, Merritt, and K.
Jo the best in retirement.
I know they're probably gonna come
back in some weird, combo podcast
that's gonna, kick her ass and, yeah.
Angela: Merritt was at a broadcasting,
course that the PA put together,
the NWSL and the WNBA PA put
Mario: Oh, okay.
Angela: like retired athletes
going into commentating and
that, like, uh, how to do it.
So she was there.
So it's a sour bun.
Mario: Retirement and you.
Angela: What?
Mario: Retirement and you.
Your next steps.
Angela: Retirement 101.
What to do now?
Mario: Alright, so the next three,
have not announced any type of
retirement or even what's going on yet.
Angela: I'm
Mario: jazz,
Angela: to
preface this by saying, in my
notes, can tell that I have just
seen Frozen 2 for the first time.
I'm not singing it.
I want to, but I'm not, I'm
going to spare our listeners
because I want them to come back.
But I basically just said, for the
first person, Into the Unknown, then
the second one, Into the Unknown,
Mario: DD,
Angela: then it's just a
lot of capital letters.
Mario: and then MDH.
Hi.
Angela: one.
Like, it's the long into the unknown.
I
Mario: You're not in?
Angela: sing and I totally
chickened out for the record.
Mario: There was, if you're watching
the, if you're watching us on video,
there was a slight hesitation.
Angela: I
Mario: In.
so yes.
Into
Angela: so people actually see it.
Mario: Into the Unknown is, Jazz Spencer,
Dee Dee Heritage, and Maggie Dirty Howard.
How
Yes.
Howard.
I thought the name was something else.
Oh, man.
yes.
We don't know, they were released,
not renewed, from their contracts,
and they haven't announced, they
haven't been picked up by anybody else.
so they're still free agents, but
I mean, off season's still kinda
young, I mean, we've got till,
Angela: There's a break in trades and
things right now for the holidays.
So.
Mario: but I mean,
Angela: Who knows?
Mario: like we said, the NWSL
schedule's not gonna get released
till like we start the season, you
never know what's gonna happen.
Angela: We don't even
know what we're doing.
Mario: And then, the big elephant
in the room, the merch that
is no longer in our store.
Angela: Yeah, we had to take
down a lot of merch real quick.
Mario: Becky Tweed.
Becky Tweed got a year
and a half with the team.
Rockstar, second half, recovered,
amazing, undetweeted run.
Angela: Yeah,
it was a
Mario: 11 matches.
we did amazing.
And then it just gave everybody
such high hopes for the season.
And then we get Freya 2.
0.
and
Angela: There's theories as to
why and what, but essentially it
doesn't really matter because.
Mario: she's gone.
Angela: as a team, from
scratch, basically.
GM open, head coach open,
the coaching staff open.
Mario: I
Angela: a
lot,
Mario: goalkeeping coach open.
Yeah.
So there's, there's a lot of unknowns.
Becky, we don't know what's
going to happen if she's going
to get picked up by anybody else.
I mean, Freya got picked up by
Casey and then became the assistant.
And then they went gangbusters all year.
So you never know.
who knows?
But, like Angela said, we are
in search for our head coach.
So we'll see what happens there.
Alright, and then who's in?
This is our current roster
as of today, Monday the 23rd.
We're saying the date because there's
always this thing that, we record these
and then take a day or so to edit and
make sure I don't screw something up and
then it gets released and then soon as
we hit release there's some announcement
where it's like everything changed your
whole thing is wrong and I'm like, ugh.
Angela: like, don't listen to this
episode, but also listen to it.
Mario: okay, so we'll just
go flip flop from position.
So I'll start off with goalkeeping.
We, Angelina Anderson, we already
had, on contract for one more year,
and so 2025 will be the last contract
year that we have with Angelina.
I think, as we've stated before, she was
totally short handed, or, or got the,
the crap end of the stick, this season.
got slammed by the first three
really tough teams in the league
at a point in the season where
our team was still figuring stuff
out, and she lost her position.
And, you know what, that's, that's
how, that, it is what it is.
You lose your position, you lost it, and
it, in the goalkeeping position, like
we've said, it's the goalkeepers fault.
position to lose.
It's not like when you gain back.
You gain it back when someone
else loses their spot.
unfortunately for Angelina,
she did not regain her spot.
she got to do a couple of the goal,
the, the, Challenge Cup matches.
but that was about it.
Summer Cup or yeah.
so yeah, and then, we re
signed, Hannah Stembaugh.
For one more, one more year.
She is a fan favorite.
She was a huge rowdy applause when she was
coming on the field for that summer cup.
And you know what?
We'll probably get to see
both of them in action.
Probably a third keeper at some
point, because it's always smart to
have three keepers on your roster.
You never know.
And the team will be playing in
the Coachella Valley Invitational.
Coming up, what is it like February
next year?
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: so they'll,
they'll be playing there.
Usually those games are very much
like kind of intense preseason
training where you can really just
Angela: Mm
Mario: just kind of rotate everybody.
But then it gives everybody
some playing time.
So that's, that's always good.
it's usually, it'll usually
be like Angel City versus.
Houston and the Coachella Valley wins.
There's three teams
playing in those games.
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: those balls just go, whoosh.
Angela: They go flying.
Coachella's no joke.
Like I, Eva and I joke that the
only way you could get me to go to
Coachella, like the music festival,
one, because it's my birthday weekend,
it's first weekend in May, two, I'm
like, the only way I would go is if
you're playing, that means I like,
most likely would have some not be with
the masses passes, like, I get some, I
Mario: The bougie passes.
Angela: a little bit, or like, just
sign me in, like, let me sit down.
I'm old.
My body
Mario: I'm too old for this.
I don't, I don't need to, I
can't, I can't do a festival.
Angela: Yeah.
So let's talk about defense, my friend.
Who do we got?
Mario: We've got M.
A.
Angela: Woo.
Mario: M.
A.
is coming back.
Extended her contract.
So we get more explosive M.
A.
to Syd Connections,
Angela: Get
Mario: next season.
Okay.
Angela: a lot of whoever comes in.
I have a feeling there's going
to be like, push this ball wings.
Like, just what have doing?
Like, get,
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: G
I T, get.
Mario: she is fast as, I mean,
get her, let her, let her go.
Angela: Mm
Mario: All right.
we also got Megan Reid.
We've got Sarah Gordon.
Madison Hammond and Gisele
Thompson coming back.
Angela: Yes,
Mario: That's what we have on defense.
In the mid, we re signed
Claire Emsley, which was
one of those that was like,
Angela: the best announcement.
I think any of us could have like
inadvertently prepared ourselves for.
Mario: it's, it's the type of
signing where we love Claire.
We wanted Claire to stay
from a purely sporting
standpoint of the team.
Was it the smartest decision to re sign
Claire, that could be debatable, right?
But
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: we would have rioted if
Angela: Yeah,
Mario: got.
Angela: if they had let Claire
slip away the entire fan base
would have just been like picketing
Mario: Yeah.
Yeah.
so glad that we have Claire and
have her for a couple years.
So we're, we're gonna be good there.
and we've also got Lily Nabet.
Elizabeth, Eddy is still around,
Kennedy Fuller, Katie Zelem, and
our brand new signing as of today,
Angela: December 23rd.
Mario: Macey Hodge.
And I think you put some
notes on who Macey Hodge is.
Angela: is.
fresh out of Mississippi State
who are coming off an undefeated
season and she was an like, first
team All American, first team All
SEC, SEC Midfielder of the Year.
SEC sports in general are huge.
Oklahoma, Texas, like um, South Carolina,
you have like heavy hitting in schools.
Good at every sport because they have
a gazillion dollars to play with.
So to make it in the SEC, to do well, you
know, go to the playoffs, what have you,
conference championships, all that, you
have to, you gotta have some stuff, know?
So they went into The, the playoffs
into the bracket, they lost to Stanford,
I want to say, but I mean, North
like, resurrected their, uh, were
a dynasty, like, they kind of are.
Um, there's scandal there, but whatever.
We're not talking about that tonight,
but yeah, we've got a new, a new
midfielder who's apparently fantastic.
I'm very excited to see just what she
comes out with, how midfield shapes up.
Mario: Yes.
Angela: have a feeling like
we've, we've got, we've, we
still have a good foundation.
Mario: The pieces are here.
Angela: pieces are here.
The pieces have always been here.
Whether or not we play the
pieces is the question.
Mario: Yes.
Angela: But yeah.
Anyway.
Mario: or not we play the pieces or how
those pieces back up each other is really
the question and so Yeah, I'm I'm excited
Maybe and you know at some point We're
probably gonna talk to someone who knows
a little bit more about like how to set
these things up And do we have holes?
I mean, where are the holes and what
would we need and then You know send
that to the team and be like, hey
Angela: Once we have a final
roster, then we'll talk about it.
Mario: Alright, and then as the
attacker forward list, we've got
a lot of good, coming back talent.
We've got Alyssa Thompson coming back.
Syd Leroux got re signed for three years.
So
we've got her.
Angela: in L.
A.
That's what
Mario: Yeah.
Yep.
Yep.
Angela: Talk to your therapist.
you know, hit us up.
You're okay.
We're gonna be okay.
We're not gonna be okay,
but we're gonna be okay.
Mario: okay.
At least she's not going out with the
entire class of 2024, which was like
gut punch for all of the WOSO fans.
Angela: team, half the 2019 team.
Like, just my heart on, on a revolving
door getting just smacked around.
Mario: Yeah, I mean, I saw, I, I
kept up with all the, the, the online
discourse about it and be like, yeah.
I mean, emotionally, I'm not there
because, it's not that for me, but
I completely understand what it is,
Angela: a slap in the face because
they're like a year or two younger than
us, like maybe, or we're the same age.
And I, just depressing.
Mario: All right, so we
have, Casey Phair also.
Hopefully, we get to actually see her
play Real Minutes during a real season.
With us, and not just with
the South Korean team, and not
just during a BS Summer Cup.
Angela: a 7 0 1 win.
Yep.
Mario: Ah, alright, she's young,
and hopefully she's moldable in
whatever new system comes out that
she becomes a good key player for us.
Messiah Bright is, coming back still here.
Messiah Bright
had some points where she was
doing Messiah Bright things
Angela: She
Mario: didn't miss.
Angela: half of the season.
Mario: She didn't get to, she didn't
get to be Messiah Bright, right?
She didn't get to be Rookie
of the Year Messiah Bright
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: the whole season.
Angela: Yeah.
She, and like, the injury was
one of those where it was,
like, Like, yes, no, yes, no.
So it wasn't, like, she wasn't ready, but
she wasn't ready, if that makes sense.
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: she was probably so there.
Physically, her body was
like, nah, girl, chill.
Mario: Yeah.
Yeah.
There were some games where when she
started she had Some really great moments.
And then you can see that she was
starting to burn out because of maybe
her fitness wasn't there or whatever.
And then we had Sid come in as
like super sub and just kill
it because Sid is just a beast.
Like she is
like, how do you have
the energy to do that?
How the hell do you have energy
to do that with two kids?
it's just insane.
But, She does it, and so like that
combo has always been a like, why
didn't that combo happen more of
Messiah with, with Syd right behind her.
Angela: I think that's what
we'll see this season, genuinely.
I think it's, it's gonna be that
transition more, or like, first
half, second half, and then
Mario: Yeah,
Angela: that kind of thing.
But, either way, I'm happy
to have both of them still.
Because,
uh, an M.
A.
to Syd connection, M.
A.
to Messiah, like, M.
A.
to Alyssa, we just,
we've got, we've got it.
Mario: we've got the, we've
got the skills to like.
Angela: us, let these girls
let them run, let them fly.
gonna, I'm just gonna be
talking about forever.
Like, please let them play.
Just please.
Mario: and then we, we've got our
other new signing, Julie Dufour?
Dufour?
Dufour?
Dufour?
She French.
She's French.
Angela: So she's a French
national team player.
We got her from Paris FC.
nice thing is that in the last two
seasons, she's scored 13 goals.
Which is a lot.
Mario: That's insane.
Angela: mean, we were
Mario: I mean,
Angela: this year as NWSL
fans with Barbara Chawinga
scoring gazillions of goals.
But 13 in two years is a lot.
A I'm Like, I think the biggest
thing is cohesion and that's
what the team's gonna need.
It's like they just need to together
and have similar groups play with
Like, similar starting lineups.
Similar, similar things to
create habits and patterns and,
Mario: consistency.
Angela: exactly, just a little bit.
Just as much.
Mario: So yes, there is a big name missing
there that we will get to in a minute.
But the last thing we wanted to
kind of talk about, those are
the 18 signed roster players.
But in totality, we have 18
plus three, three of them are.
In the wings, don't count for our
roster cap and don't count for our,
salary cap at the moment because
of their particular standing in the
first one, the ever elusive Vanessa
Gilles, still on loan for another year
has stated that will be coming back
after the loan ends in, June 2025.
Live.
Angela: she just said
she wanted to come back.
She didn't say when.
This one she said, when, like,
they've announced, like, when the
loan is over, she's coming back.
I don't know what that's going to mean.
I put notes, like, I'll believe
it when I see it, Vanessa.
You might be
Mario: I mean,
Angela: of or the Canadian
player of the but like, girl,
are you on our team or not?
Make up
Mario: and, and, and then I bet you
she's gonna come back and then it's gonna
be like, oh, oh, my, my, my shin, oh.
Angela: that in the universe.
Take it back.
Take it
Mario: Okay, I take it back.
Angela: drop that dun dun dun.
I'm sorry.
I've had that in my head
like stuck for three days.
Don't put shit like that out there.
We cannot risk it.
We cannot Nope,
Mario: I mean, again, I, I
will believe it when I see it.
I don't, I'm not holding my breath.
Angela: I'm not
Mario: It's going to be a nice.
Addition and a very good plus if she,
when she, when she makes it back, but when
she makes it back, we'll talk about it.
and then,
Angela: when I'll probably cry.
I like, I have three center backs like
Mario: alright, and then, the last two
are our two fan favorites, Ali Riley and
June Endo, both of them on the SEI list.
And the I'm gonna go silver lining
of an SEI declaration is that
Once you've made it, I believe you
don't have to re declare anymore.
It's just kind of like there
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: Same as with with press which
is you said it you don't have to keep
saying it every single year like it's
just on the list and they can be they
can get to the point where they can
start training and stuff, but until they
Angela: They
lift
Mario: that they are off the list,
that will put them automatically
back onto the roster, which means
there needs to be a spot open at the
time that they're about to declare.
And I don't think the rules would
have changed for this, but I
believe if you cannot, you cannot
bump someone from your roster
Angela: yeah.
Mario: just because someone is coming SEI.
Angela: That's
Mario: there has to, there
has to be space for it.
June has been progressing really well,
as we were seeing towards the end
of, middle and end of last season.
She started, running on her knee, she's,
Angela: all
Mario: know, yeah,
starting to do, more stuff.
Ali had that, nerve problem and
kind of working through that, so
hopefully that's something that, with
more rest and not as intensified.
play and practice and things like that.
She's giving it enough time to
actually heal or heal to a point
where she can, she can feel like
she can do something on the field,
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: but also
Angela: to see her on the pitch one more
Mario: don't, don't push it.
don't,
Angela: chill out.
Go
Mario: yeah,
Angela: Cap.
Go
Mario: yeah.
Angela: Go have fun.
Mario: So that is our team.
now there's a couple of questions that we.
don't have answers to but we hopefully
should have them by the next time
we do one of these recap episodes or
the preview episode for the season
sometime before the season starts
Angela: So Mario's first question
was what's happening with Like,
the ever elusive Kristen Press.
Here's the thing.
She's on vacation with Tobit in Mexico.
You're not finding shit
out till next year.
Mario: yeah
Angela: That's a, that's a boundary.
She drew the line in the sand,
like, country border and sand.
Like, no, we're not,
leave her, let her be.
Like, let, just, no.
Mario: yeah
Angela: It, we don't
need to know right now.
They're probably just figuring like,
little baby details of contracts, because
that takes time, and when you don't have a
GM, and your president can't do anything,
and, There's a whole lot of other stuff.
yeah, it's going to take time, but if
Kristen Press, if, if Kristen Press
doesn't come back, I'm in, I'm shocked.
Mario: i i i yes
Angela: That's it.
Mario: okay do you feel at this
moment That we have a good starting
11 with our current roster.
And I mean that's
Angela: saying this
for four years, almost.
We have a good team.
We
Mario: Yes.
Angela: team.
we
Mario: mean, not knowing
Angela: We have who, like, dig in
and like, gritty when you need it.
Mario: Yeah, I mean, not knowing
Angela: to do things.
Yeah,
Mario: we've got fairly
healthy players at this point.
Yeah, we have a solid team.
Starting 11 now, is there,
is there a good 18 on there?
Angela: I think so.
Mario: I don't, I don't know.
I mean, I'd have to like, sit
down and actually maybe do little
paper dolls and put them in their
spots and be like, Can I, can this
person swap out with this person?
Cause that's where I'm worried about.
It's yes, we have, Yes, we have let's
see, right now we have 1, 2, 3, 4,
we have 5 forwards, but can, can
they play where they need to play,
or are we overloaded, on one side?
And that's where I said we're probably
going to invite someone at some point
that might know a little bit more
about the tactics of all of this, of
Do we have too many right forwards?
we're like, we have three right
forwards and one middle and one left,
and then, if the middle and lefts
Angela: and we have Katie Zelem and,
Mario: know we have players, mids,
mids that can go up as attacking mids
and things like that, so Again, my
brain doesn't work that way, I can't
think about it that way, I literally
probably would have to do paper dolls.
Angela: Please do.
Mario: That might be a way to, explain it.
Maybe do a little TikTok of, or if
that's still around by the next season.
Angela: don't, don't, don't say things.
Mario: Okay, next question is,
what spots might we need to fill
at this moment, do you think?
Angela: I think if anything, right
now, like another true center back,
but Vanessa Gilles is coming back,
I see why we wouldn't do that.
I don't know.
It's just went from having four center
backs to having two center backs.
And then, Just fill ins here and there
Mario: Yeah,
Angela: but
Sarah Gordon and Megan Reid need
another Like there needs to be a
backup in case something happens not M.
A.
and not people who play the wings
who are used to playing that
like a faster push the ball pace.
Granted, we need to do that too, but
like that needs to happen at a different
place on the pitch, but we'll see.
Mario: we'll see.
Angela: we'll see.
We'll see
Mario: All right, and then one
of the other big questions, who's
filling the head coach and GM spots?
Angela: who the hell knows.
Mario: Again, these are
questions that we technically
may not know the answer to yet.
I mean, yeah.
And I'm not saying that in
a way where it sounds like I
actually know anything about it.
We don't know shit.
Angela: Christmas Adam.
two days before Wait, you know, you
know about Christmas, Adam, right?
Mario: no.
I thought that was a typo.
Angela: Think about it.
It's Christmas Eve Eve,
which is Christmas Adam, the
Mario: Christmas Eve Eve, I get.
Christmas Adam.
Angela: ever get.
The slow burn,
Mario: Oh, okay.
Angela: yep,
Mario: I totally thought that was a typo.
Angela: nope, Christmas Adam, it's, that
is an old Tumblr joke, old, 15 years old,
Mario: Christmas Eve Eve is
more of a friend's joke for me.
It's oh yeah, it's Christmas Eve Eve.
yeah, so we have no clue.
I mean, honestly, and it would
be interesting, that's just one
of the dynamics that I have no
clue really on how those work is.
How the head coach,
how, and I think this is not going to be
a standard answer for any team, so that's
another problem, but like, how does the
head coach, the GM, and then the sporting
director, or whatever title you want to
give to someone in that type of position,
how, what's the dynamic there, right?
what
is going on, who, yeah, exactly,
who hires who, who has say.
And who has say into this person's not
working out, or is it like head coach
says, Becky was saying, hey, this is not
quite working out with, X, Y, Z player,
and then, Hucles was like, deal with it,
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: or, yeah, yeah,
so I mean that, that
Angela: we'll see.
Mario: is something, but it'll be
exciting, I think, hopefully to have, A So
we had, we had Freya, who was very much,
I felt a very rigid type of head coach.
tried to force the, the square, square
peg into the round hole type thing.
Of this system is what's gonna work,
and you guys better make it work.
And, Didn't quite work.
And then we had Becky
who was, who felt like
she was way more open and
quick on the foot to adapt.
But then that's how it felt
for that interim season.
And then maybe there was too much of a
focus on trying to create like tweet ball.
And, cause then it, it, I don't
know, it felt like it fell apart.
Again, again, I believe there's a ton of
reasons why this season didn't work out.
Angela: I think
Mario: And it's,
Angela: is some of the coaching
staff who left between the
interim season and this season.
That's my theory.
Mario: yeah,
Angela: I'm just a girl.
I've been saying that week.
Like, my mom was, like,
venting to me about work.
And I was like, how are
you supposed to know, mom?
You're just a girl.
And she's like, honestly, how am I
supposed to know Like, it's so dramatic.
Yeah.
Mario: about what a new coach can bring,
what a new style of play, and hopefully
something, I honestly believe someone who
is Adaptable is really what always wins,
like you can't just force feed your style,
you know?
Angela: will, I will say this because
I know there's a big still, so, a
big push for female coaches, minority
coaches, all the boxes to be checked.
Don't expect it because we're at a point
in the coaching pool that we're not,
we're not left with too many options
besides like a cishet white dude.
And it sucks.
not saying I like it.
I'm not saying that that's what I want.
I'm just saying that given who's
available, given who is desiring to
come so many variables, but the coaching
pool is so small when it comes to female
head coaches, minority head coaches.
It's such a small group.
And if they're all employed,
we're just left with white dudes.
Mario: Yeah,
Angela: The same thing is happening in
the WNBA and it's, it's a little bit
different over there, but like stop.
we have to figure out how to get
more women, more minority women,
more diversity in the coaching pool.
At like the lower levels,
so then you can move up,
Mario: yeah,
Angela: yeah, fingers crossed.
Mario: yeah.
And I know, we did the little poll and
people were throwing out options and
stuff like that and we've got the big
names that everybody wants, the big
flashy names of Stoney or Kilgore, but
money talks.
Angela: I don't know.
Mario: I mean, it's part money
talks, part like, are you gonna
get them at the right point?
are they gonna want to even do it, or are
they gonna want to come into something
that they feel might be already, a
cluster, like I have no control over the
team, I have no control over anything
else beyond you hiring me and saying,
here,
Angela: something
Mario: Do something
Angela: it work
Mario: Make Trophies.
yes.
So okay, and then so we kind of touched
on what the technical director, Mark
Wilson's role might be in reshaping
the, the front office, and who makes
the moves, but you know, hopefully
that's something we can figure out and
hopefully they figure out, you out what.
What's going to be going on?
I forgot I put this question in.
Will we still do the three club next year?
Angela: Here's the thing.
I love the three clap in spirit
In practice Stop it It went from
a three clap like a 19 clap.
Nobody knows what's going on.
Nobody does it.
People completely check out in the stands.
Nobody, nobody cares anymore.
We need another thing, I don't,
either we revert back to the
original three clap or we just throw
it away and start something new.
I'm sorry, Julie Foudy.
It's just not well.
Mario: It works better in a small setting.
Like, when you're in the room and
you want to do three, it works.
In the stadium,
Angela: It
Mario: it
Angela: in the stadium though.
That's the thing.
There's no reason why the original
3Clap, like, shouldn't have aside
from the fact that nobody who was
leading the knew how to do it.
Mario: and I think this
is where we talk about,
Angela: involved.
Mm
Mario: about those things where
it's is it, is it something that
is happening naturally or is it
something that's being forced, right?
And I do believe,
I do believe the 3Clap, can have a
version where it, it exists and it
just becomes part of Angel City.
I think what kills it.
That is the, the momentum killing
ness of, alright everybody,
we're gonna do the three clap.
Ready?
Are you guys ready for the three clap?
Where?
Okay.
Ready?
Ann, are you ready?
Are you ready?
Angela: you're like, huh, huh, huh, huh,
Mario: And then, and then of course
now the new three clap is there's
a, it's a lot more involved.
Angela: I don't even remember it.
I
Mario: I would just say look, if you
want to keep the 3Clap, and if the SGs
want to keep the 3Clap going in some way,
just make it a thing
Angela: Make
Mario: that you do,
Angela: very simple.
Mm
Mario: you do, and you just do,
and people will start to catch on.
Angela: hmm.
Mario: It's kind of like if you, if
you've ever been to like a, and I don't
know if, I mean, I would assume that,
that the, that, The Thorns do this
also, but, I've, when I've gone to the
Portland Timbers and when they do, the
National Anthem, everybody has a callback,
like an automatic callback during the
National Anthem where everybody like,
throws up their, their scars and the
like, some part of the song, whatever.
And like everybody, it's like a big cheer
Angela: Mm.
Mario: the National Anthem when
the whole stadium is singing.
It's just the thing that happens.
There's nobody on the field like
trying to time it and trying
to get everybody involved.
Angela: It feels like a little
grade, like, dance recital where
the is like, okay, okay, okay.
like, guiding everybody.
That's what, that's what, at
least this season, that's what
the three clubs felt like.
I thought the first two, we
were like, getting our groove.
With, like, the regular three
clap and then it got changed and
everybody just went, Oh, okay.
Mario: So in my, in my head, I would
envision something where it was
like, after, after they do their
like intro, here comes the queen
Angela: Mm hmm.
Mario: Soon as that's over,
bam, bam, bam from the, from
the supporter section, done.
That's your three clap.
People will catch on.
People are not stupid.
You don't have to walk them through it.
And I think that's what kills the
momentum, is that you're trying
to get everybody's attention
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: whoever's on the field doing it.
And, yeah, so Will it stay?
I don't know.
Should it stay?
I don't know.
Angela: We
Mario: No.
Angela: something and I
don't know if that's it.
Like
Mario: And then, last question
that I have on here so far.
How many more moves are going
to be announced 10 minutes
after this episode go live?
Angela: Um, I'm hoping not too
many, just given the fact that
they're like, Okay, pause.
It's Christmas and New Year's.
But With our luck, gonna
Mario: a Christmas Hanukkah present!
Angela: Chris Mahana, we're gonna
get a head coach announcement,
a GM announcement, like,
everything's gonna unroll.
And we're uh, okay.
And then we just clip this and say,
here you go, see what happened?
We
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: We told you.
Mario: alright.
And then, just for shits and giggles,
Merry Let's throw out some wild
guesses having no basis for anything.
Where will be, where will be, where
will we be on the table next year?
We finished 12th this year.
What do you think?
All the way?
Angela: Top six.
Statistically, this is in our favor.
Mario: Top four, Bob!
Top four!
Shit, no, it's top five.
I should
Angela: because, I know,
it's Drew for the children.
It's Drew Carey now.
Bob Barker died, bro.
I think.
I
Mario: Spay and neuter your pets.
Angela: Honestly.
Adopt.
Don't.
Don't shop.
no, but year, Orlando was in last place
and then they won everything this year.
Same thing with Gotham.
Gotham.
Gotham.
Gotham.
This season before.
it's in
Mario: We
Angela: We could do things.
Mario: We're due, we're due for stuff.
And I mean,
Angela: requested, let's get weird.
I put up in the discord earlier today,
like, hey, we're going to record tonight.
you guys excited for?
What do you want to hear?
And I think it was David that
was just like, I just want to
hear Angel say, let's get weird.
So let's get weird.
Like, Angel City has nothing to lose.
Just do something, like, just
get, get weird, get crazy.
Don't do normal things.
Why?
We've been doing normal
things last three years.
Where has it gotten us?
Mario: think, sadly, all a
head coach needs to do next
year is give us more than 50%,
Angela: Honest to
Mario: get us a, get us a 500 season.
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: will be happy if you can make,
Angela: season, like just one extra week.
Mario: if you can, if you can
make, if you can make that 500
more heavy on the home games.
Nobody's going to care.
All
Angela: shit what happens on away
Like, nobody's gonna care because we're
gonna be like, uh, undefeated at home.
blind excitement.
Nobody, nobody's gonna care.
But
Mario: And then how many matches do you
think with the almighty gods at the NWSL
who like to plan things super last minute?
Will we have to sit
through 90 degree or more
weather?
Angela: For home and
Mario: That's the answer.
Angela: Because Houston exists.
Louisville in the summer exists.
Orlando in the summer exists.
North Carolina.
Mario: And that that's, that's a.
I'm gonna accept that answer
of how many is just yes.
Angela: Too many.
Hopefully not a lot, but too
Mario: Invest,
Angela: One is
Mario: in one of those nice like
cooling towels, I think I got one
from one of the fan fest too, so
it's an Angel City branded one.
You can
Angela: Yeah, if you were
Mario: put that cool towel.
Angela: the end of the season, I
don't remember which game it was.
They gave out a cooling towel
in the shape of a jersey.
Mario: Oh, I don't have that one.
I just have a long one.
all that's what we've got.
Happy holidays, everyone.
Angela, take us out.
Angela: All right, everybody.
Thank you so much for listening this year.
Happy holidays, happy new
year, happy everything.
Thank you so much for
sticking around with us.
If you'd like what you heard on this
absolute shenanisode, I can't even
talk at this point, jeez, make sure
you hit the subscribe button wherever
you're listening, YouTube, Instagram,
Tick tock if it lives, Spotify, Apple
Podcasts, who knows where you're
listening is the most important
because that's what you're doing.
You can also check out casualfc.
com for all of the podcast links.
We're on YouTube.
I mentioned it.
It's exciting.
We're on YouTube.
You get to see our face.
You get to see me cry.
Not tonight, suckas.
if you don't already, follow us
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I was ranting this morning
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If you have not already, please
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It is a super fun group of shenanigans
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We talk about everything under
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So the invite link for that is on
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The best way to if you have not
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share, comment on posts or
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We love it.
we'll get better at commenting back.
I now have a little bit more free time in
my life so I can manage more of the social
media, which I'm very excited about.
I can do more things.
Mario: Yay!
Angela: engagement
though, super important.
Repost stuff.
We just want to have fun.
So that's, that's what we want to do.
Have fun with our friends.
You can grab some of our
Current evergreen merch at
Mario: Yes.
Angela: casualfc.
com.
We'll have new stuff
coming up this season.
We've got some really fun stuff,
especially for listeners who have
been around at least for the last two
seasons are in on the inside jokes.
So some good stuff coming.
Keep an eye out on shop.
com.
It'll also be on every social
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You can support the pod by also
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Quick throwback to our merch.
We might have to do a second sale
on our fancy dancy scarves that
Mario designed and are super dope.
So I love this little,
little, I know it's so good.
But.
Thank you so much.
Again, tell your friends
about the podcast.
We hear it brings good luck.
We try and funnel that to the team, maybe
to the front office in the offseason.
Who knows?
We might be generous.
Thank you so much for
sticking around this year.
It has been a long and windy road,
and I'm so grateful you stuck around.
We got a lot of fun stuff coming to you
guys next season, so we'll see you soon.
Happy New
Mario: See you, everyone.
Bye!