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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.
Angela: Oh no.
This is just gonna be a giggly episode.
Hey , everyone.
Welcome to Casual FC, an
Angel City preview pod.
I'm your host, Angela Morales, with my
door connoisseur co host, Mario Salazar.
Mario: just 'cause I live near a
place called like the Door Warehouse.
Warehouse or someone like that.
And that's where I got my doors,
But yes.
do you need a hollow door?
Do you need a solid wood door?
What do you need?
I got you.
Angela: Do you need a
hollow core or a solid
Mario: Yeah, there you go.
It's
Angela: I am in the mix, I'm in a lot of
things of, construction on renovating a
90 year old house and I have picked out
Mario: looking good though.
Angela: I know but I don't want to pick
anything else out ever again in my life.
If you've never had to go through
construction or home renovations
or anything, consider yourself
lucky because there's so many
decisions you have to make.
this is not an HGTV podcast,
and unfortunately today I
do not have a Capri Sun.
We are here to talk about Our
match preview for Angel City versus
the Seattle Reign, coming up on
Friday, September 6th at BMO,
Mario: another home game.
Angela: another home
game, a freaking miracle.
we'd have a home game and
then not for two months.
So here we are, super pumped, Friday
night, September Date night at BMO, 7 p.
m.
kickoff, so pumped.
It'll be streaming on Amazon Prime on
the radio at iHeartRadio, where Isaac and
Tracey are going to be freaking lighting
up the airwaves because there's just
going to be so much energy coming down to
BMO, especially after this last weekend.
Mario: Oh
yeah.
Let's go.
Bring it
on.
Undid tweeted.
But
Angela: is so lucky it doesn't
have a roof after this last week.
Mario: we're also lucky
that we do have shade,
Angela: honestly.
And that we have a grounds crew
that knows what they're doing.
Mario: Yes.
Angela: I have a lot of good
things to say about BMO based on
some pictures I saw of some other
stadiums are roughly two hours away.
Really quick, back to the broadcast.
iHeartRadio with Isaac and
Tracey, the big homies.
It'll also be on 1330,
which is an AM network.
If you're listening on like an
actual dial radio, you gotta flip it.
it to AM, crank it up.
Mario: Did you know
my car doesn't have AM radio anymore?
Angela: What?
Mario: Yeah, I found this out
because I was
Angela: listen to sports?
Mario: I
don't any if it's not, if it's
not streaming on an app, I can't
listen to it in my car.
I,
Angela: granted, you aren't like a big
baseball person, but listening to a
baseball broadcast on the radio is summer.
Mario: yeah.
Angela: so good.
Mario: How else am I going to get
disappointed that ESPN is not putting
on a soccer game and is doing like
some preseason Lakers basketball,
Angela: I can't even keep my
little desk set up from shaking
because I'm just laughing too hard.
I'm just like, hehehe.
But anyway, back to the match again.
This is just going to be the vibe, guys.
It's a little bit of a shenanisode.
Sorry, not sorry, but, Friday
night is also a special match,
it's Community Heroes Night.
We are going to be recognizing first
responders, and If you have bought
a ticket through the special Ticket
Link guy, you get a free carabiner!
You get a personalized
Angel City carabiner.
Now that I'm saying this out loud,
I don't understand why they're not
selling, big branded carabiners,
Given the population and demographics.
That this team appeals to, myself
included, guys, I need to make, I need
to make a phone call, send a couple
emails, be like, hello, you're missing
out on a fantastic stereotype right now.
Mario: What goes with flannel?
Angela: Oh no, you're clipping
this part, aren't you?
you know what, sometimes, okay, so every
stereotype is based in truth somewhere.
Mario: yes.
Angela: And, oh, my wallet is in my bag,
otherwise I was gonna grab it, cause
there's carabiner on my wallet, I have a
little toiletry bag, I've got a carabiner
on frickin everything, but I will say
that's also because I get them highly
discounted, and they're like, rated
for tree climbers, given where I work.
So I get the
Mario: you get some nice one.
I don't think I've
ever bought a carabiner.
Angela: mine are like triple
locking, like crazy fancy, has
a 3, 000 pound weight limit,
Mario: the one
with the screw on it.
Angela: Yeah, because if you're climbing,
if you're like rigging stuff, you have
to have safety measures and it has to
be, has to have a three point system.
See, I learn things about
stuff that I don't do.
Mario: Yeah, no, I don't think any
carabiner I've ever owned has come
free as, with a water bottle or
something, we were just talking about
not necessarily, being a
dude, liking dudes, you're
right, yeah, I'm not gonna be.
Angela: Oh no.
Okay.
Mario: alright,
Angela: Back to our regularly
Mario: yes, alright, real quick, sorry
everyone, I was late to the game, this
weekend, I know we promised stickers
and a
Angela: every,
Mario: few
people,
Angela: was late to the
Mario: oh, yeah,
Angela: was so much traffic and
Mario: was hot,
Angela: it was hot as hell.
When we were getting there,
there was a police incident.
Mario: oh, is that why I saw
the helicopter, there was no,
Angela: Yeah.
There was two or three
helicopters circling 40th, which
is two blocks South of BMO.
And.
And, Menlo, which is the street
before Hoover that you would,
turn on to catch that signal.
Mario: yeah,
Angela: Yeah, there, there was a
whole incident, was an ambulance,
Mario: oh,
okay,
Angela: happening.
Mario: I was making my way down and I saw
Angela: Were you
Mario: the, huh.
Angela: downtown, walking, I've
seen that song performed live and
it's a moment I'll never forget.
Anyway, go ahead, sorry.
Vanessa Carlton forever.
Mario: If she wasn't on, a
trailer with the piano on it,
on stage, just going in circles.
Angela: She was at the Greek, so that's
Mario: Oh, that's new.
all So yeah,
sorry.
Angela: is off the
Mario: It's off the rails
Angela: minutes in.
Mario: all yeah, sorry, everyone.
We promised stickers a handful of you
did get stickers, and that was awesome.
And thank you for the compliments.
I did see some messages, like
really late, and I feel bad
because I was like, I was there.
Except for the one that, the person
that, asked me if I was at the, At the
Fanfest.
earlier, and I was like, Oh, yeah, no, I
first I'm also seeing this after the game.
And two, I was late to the point
where I missed the first goal.
but
Angela: the only
Mario: yeah,
Angela: granted, we're not used to this
team scoring so early in the game, and
Mario: right?
Angela: of it.
Mario: Yeah, you get butts in seats.
Angela: get your butt to BMO.
Mario: But,
Angela: preferably.
Mario: Chaos Award for this last,
match day, which I think we're
just gonna say it, everywhere.
It was just
the amount of stoppage time.
We, there was a little
social clip from, um,
CBS
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: Goloso.
they mentioned that it was 142 minutes
total across the league of stoppage time.
Angela: Across three games.
Mario: And was it
only three games?
no, I think it was across the lake.
Angela: You think it was across the,
Mario: yeah.
Angela: across, it's too many,
Mario: No, but they were
just counting stoppage time.
and then, they compared it to movies,
and Forrest Gump is 142 minutes?
Angela: oh no,
Mario: It's
Angela: I commented, from our podcast
account, I was like, okay, but,
Sarah got stitches on the pitch in
under 15 minutes, that's insane,
Mario: but, what was the
excuse for the other matches?
Angela: I have no idea,
Mario: we had a total of 17 extra
minutes in the first half, and
extra 8 minutes that actually
turned out to be 10, in the second.
Angela: the first half was an hour
long, over an hour, it was forever.
It
Mario: We were there with
the kids, we were there with the kids,
and we were trying, one, it was
hot, two, we were trying to just
figure out, like, when the potty
break was going to be, whatever.
And then, my wife looks up at
the screen, and she's okay, 60,
the game's over at 90, right?
maybe we'll wait a little bit.
I'm like, no, sorry, it's,
we're still in the first half,
Angela: my best friend and his wife and
their three kids were behind us because
my nephew was, and I've talked about this
on the last episode, please, when can
Mario: yeah,
Angela: So we finally found the day.
all
Mario: Of all games.
to go to.
Angela: And he's just
like, when is halftime?
He's oh my God, it's taking forever.
It was hysterical.
And I was like, wait, and I asked,
my friend, his dad, and I was
like, when, how long are his games?
was like 20, 20 minute halves, maybe.
And I was like, oh,
Mario: Yeah,
Angela: already played three games.
In this first half, he's yep,
got
makes more
Mario: yeah, geez, yeah.
Angela: What a, game.
Mario: was a game, and
we will get to that.
but really quick, other scores around
the league led up to that 142 Forrest
Gump movie long of extra time.
we have Bay, so I'll talk about
this in the standings too, but
Bay beat Portland 3 1, we have the
Reign beating Racing Louisville 3 2.
We have Utah beating Houston, 3 1.
We have The Courage beating KC, 2 1.
And then we have Orlando,
unstoppable, beating New York, 2 0.
And then San Diego tied The Spirit, 1 1.
And when
I'm reading,
Angela: first draw, really quick, I saw
a thing over the weekend, that was the
first draw since before the Olympic break.
Mario: oh wow,
Angela: Yeah,
Mario: okay, but that's,
that is
Angela: it
Mario: it,
Angela: but no, like it was, I
think, 12 or 13 games straight.
Which is two weeks, really?
Or wait, how many games?
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
So like a week and a half worth of games,
but 13 matches without a draw is a lot.
Mario: Yeah.
I mean Let's see, what did Bay
still Does Bay FC, I believe,
still does not have a draw at
all.
Angela: they don't.
Mario: They have 7 wins and 11 losses.
No draws.
Yeah.
It's
crazy.
It's
crazy.
Angela: is undefeated.
This season is
Mario: It's bonkers.
alright, so that brings up to our match.
Our quick little recap.
Angel City vs.
Chicago Red Stars.
What happened?
Angela: So we won IDK if
but we won two to one.
Gorden got stitches in her forehead,
and now we're gonna have matching scars.
Mine is here, hers is gonna be
like over, like this, a little bit.
the first millisecond of the game, Alyssa
just nails it, gets it in, around Alyssa
Nair, that wasn't the first time, that
was her second attempt, it, she was
in the box, in the mix the whole game.
The Alyssa face off in our favor.
Mario: when I, we were, we got to
the stadium, and we were in the line.
Security.
We were in the line.
Maybe about three people away
from the metal detectors.
Angela: yeah,
Mario: And then the smoke, I see the smoke
pop off and I was like, Oh, we scored.
All right, cool.
And then, we get in first priority,
make sure the kids are good.
Go get the headphones if we
can, get them food because
it was a one o'clock game and
they were at that point hungry.
so as we were going trying to get
situated, I hear the roar again and
then the kind of boo and I was like,
oh no, I don't know what happened
there, but I guess we got pulled back.
Angela: Yeah, so both teams
had a goal called back.
Both.
insane.
Just thank goodness, though, game
very well could have ended 3 2.
And on who you ask, probably should
have ended 3 2, but it was wild.
So Alyssa scores in
the first five minutes.
It then goes into eternity in the first
half, and then Franklin on San Diego.
San Diego.
Chicago scores at the 45th plus 7 minutes.
So we're only minutes into
stoppage time at this point.
So they tie it up and granted,
like this is one of those oh crap,
like here they come kind of thing.
Halftime finally happens.
A miracle.
Subs are made, people are switching,
It's really interesting, and I'll talk
about a little bit later, how Chicago
shifted their strategy at halftime,
that was the thing that, that really
stuck out for me, because we took out
the bite that Chicago has started to
have in this post Olympic run, and
Mario: be interested to hear
what you have to say, because I'm
like,
Angela: can read my notes.
Mario: I know, but it's, but
you wrote the notes after I did.
Angela: sheet.
Oh, that's true.
I did.
But then at the death, granted, there's
stoppage time again, because why not?
M.
A., the ball like, M.
A.
goes on a frickin run, this is the
kind of stuff we were talking about
that we wanted to see, ideally, the M.
A.
to C.
P.
connection.
I will take M.
A.
making a pass like this to
literally anyone on Angel City.
I don't care who I just
want it to happen again.
I just want to have it again
and again because this is
like either bread and butter.
Mario: and straight up to
Leroux, and you know that she's
in there, she is going for it.
there's no,
Oh, I, there's no oh, I
could have done it, or,
oh, I should have dove for
that, she's going for it,
whether she makes it.
or not.
Yeah.
Angela: this was like
Sydney effing Leroux.
reminding you just exactly
who she is and what she does.
And
Mario: Oh yeah.
Angela: chef's kiss, so good.
M.
A.
's pass was amazing.
The reaction between the
two of them, just oh, cool.
I saw a postgame interview with
Syd and she was just like, yeah, M.
A.
's got the ball.
I know where she's passing it.
I know exactly where it's going to end up.
I know exactly where I need to be.
And I was like, oh,
Mario: That's the
gelling.
Angela: need.
I need this.
I want this.
I love this.
yeah.
I love this for us.
Let's do this.
But, absolutely, we looked like a terror.
we looked like a team with a mission,
with nothing to lose, in the best way.
Mario: I will counter that with, at times.
Angela: That's interesting, because I
think this is one of the best games, if
not the best game we've played all season.
Mario: Really?
I don't yeah, I had a
different view on that.
yeah,
Angela: overview real quick.
The Yips?
we don't know her.
Mario: She didn't go here.
Angela: left.
Yeah, she doesn't go here.
Girl got expelled.
uh uh.
the audacity that this team has found and
is playing with is so much fun to watch.
our offense, that, that first goal,
we need to add a clip in right here
of this goal because it went, Messiah
to Claire to MDH Over to Alyssa.
the movement of this ball, every single
person who touched it, drew the defense.
it just pulled it, boom.
And I'm like, can we just do
this all the time now, please?
This is it.
given the terror she's been on since she
came back full strength, is doing what
she did last season in Orlando and pulling
the defense in the attacking third.
She was able to offload the ball to
Claire, who was then able to offload it
to MDH, who then went, oh, Alyssa's open?
Sick.
Boom.
And the ball movement that we
were able to create through that.
So good.
good.
So Syd's goal now moves her to having
46 across her career in the NWSL.
She's now ninth all time
on the leaderboard, which
is absolutely fantastic.
I'm so happy for her.
So
Mario: Yep.
this is where I'm gonna get to
the, the And, I think that's it for
this casual point of view where I'm
like, also the dad getting stuff and
having kids there and distracted,
point of view of it all.
Angela: Hawkeyes on the
game the whole time?
Even with your nephew sitting
behind you, you're just like, huh.
Yeah.
Mario: Okay, granted, Jen is
amazing and she is awesome.
Whenever possible, she's no,
we're honestly here for you.
So you watch the game.
I'll go grab this.
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: but
Angela: you don't, you're not
the kind of person who just
offloads everything onto her.
Mario: no.
And then, and then I'm like helping the
kids eat, giving them their like, so it's
not that they can't eat by themselves.
It's that I don't trust
them dropping everything.
So I have to hold it.
I just spent 20 on these
notches.
Like you're not going
to drop these notches.
Angela: Exactly.
Mario: for
the love of God, can we please
stop passing the ball back?
we sit right in front of DiDi.
I'm directly in front of, DiDi is
just, front and then to the right.
just
Angela: making eye contact the whole game.
Mario: Yeah.
it's not even, like Five minutes, right?
It's 12 o'clock.
you are in the corner.
So you're like seeing everything from
that kind of corner vantage point
everywhere else.
I'm looking directly at her and it's so
frustrating and everybody in my section
is so frustrated that we keep getting
these balls being passed back to
DiDi when we know we love her.
She is a wall,
like, you know, um,
Angela: long
Mario: the the
Angela: strongest
Mario: goalie, the goalie handball club,
not even just the long ball, though,
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: is not
her strongest.
Angela: isn't
Mario: there were at least
four, five different times that
she got the ball back, or she did, a
really, half assed pass, or the pass
not, sometimes the passes were half assed
back to her, And there was a Chicago
player right there, ready to pounce, and
she was just, honestly, she was lucky
we didn't get scored on a bit more.
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: A couple of them she
hustled, too, but the fact
that she had to hustle to these
really easy, really stupid plays.
is so annoying.
Angela: And that's in the second half.
that's when Chicago shifted things.
That, at least is what I noticed
from upstairs, is that in the second
half, Chicago, defense was playing
up higher, so we couldn't penetrate
as deep into our attacking third.
Wow, Mario.
Mario: we're on video.
Angela: That was fantastic,
because I saw you forget.
I saw you go,
Mario: I
don't know if I'm gonna,
oh man, I don't know if that's
gonna stay in, but that's good.
Okay.
Angela: After the half, Chicago
adjusted where their defense was
playing more towards the midfield.
So they weren't as close to the goalie
and like just letting us run into the
attacking third and move everything
deeper, which then forced us to play more
in the midfield and in our defense and
run the ball and push the ball that way,
which was frustrating to say the least.
I think we handled it better
than we normally do, but.
what, and I've realized this over the
last few games, is that's what happens.
The defense adjusts to us,
and then we freak out a little
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: we get it together towards
the end of the game, but there's a
good 20 30 minute stretch of ugh.
Shit.
what do we do?
And that's when those
backward passes happen.
Mario: those back,
Angela: then everybody's just no, not
Mario: no, as soon as we
start seeing those backward
passes, it's just,
It's
Angela: get a pit in your
Mario: yeah, you know that,
that clean sheet is going away.
Soon as all
that starts happening, if there was a
clean sheet, it's nope, that's gone.
cause it feels like the confidence
is dipping a bit, and then
you know that something's gonna happen
and get past them.
But, I, like you were saying, I felt,
especially in that, second half, because
they were down this side going the
other way, It felt like we were way
more in control when we were able to
move the ball up, and we had the speed.
Whenever we did that, it was,
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: it was beautiful to see, and
that's how we got that Leroux, the M.
A.
and Leroux goal.
Like, when we keep the pace up,
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: we can break through.
Angela: we have to play
into our speed a lot more.
Mario: and then here's my little bit
of tactics, if you saw my notes, it
felt like the team was very smushed
together, that's a technical term,
we were,
Angela: I meant.
That's exactly what I said, but different.
We were smooshed together in the midfield.
Mario: okay, so we
were smushed and gathered all in
the middle, we couldn't do anything
with it, and every time Chicago
got it, they were like, spread our
wings, and went everywhere, alright, now I
understand, you gotta use, Just technical
terms, or else I won't understand.
Angela: So in comparison for that
in the second half where you saw us
smooshed around the midfield, think
about in the first half when we just
were a freaking tear and everybody's
just so spread out, so free.
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: I think we need to do that more.
We gotta just, like we, I think we
need to figure out a different way to
come out in the second half Like, the
other teams, our opponents are, like,
dialing it in a little bit better in
that second half to make those changes.
so I'm just curious
Mario: just like a step behind,
getting to whatever they made.
yeah.
But also, Sarah, mother effin Gordon.
Just.
Angela: have I said about Sarah
on every time I talk about it?
I'm either crying or screaming about her.
Mario: Her,
Angela: in between, I
just love her so much.
Mario: this was another moment of
dad going to go get food because
three, the three year old was
like, I don't want nachos anymore.
And we're like, and then,
Angela: Dang it, just eat the chips.
Mario: and then it was getting
food, but then also gave me an
opportunity to grab my own beer.
But still I was getting food.
and then it was just, it started
getting like dead silent.
And normally in the concession stands,
they started showing the game, in a tiny
little picture in picture, but it was
just the ACFC logo, and I'm like, oh,
maybe their system is down or whatever,
because that happens, but it was just
quiet for a long time, and so I'm all
coming back with my pizza, with the
pizza and the beer and everything,
and then I'm like, what's going on?
What's the
where's the party?
And then Yeah.
and then it's like someone when I went in,
I was like, who's down there like Sarah?
Oh,
Angela: The amount of like,
please be okay, please be okay,
Mario: yeah.
Angela: prayers that
Mario: that was down for a long time.
It wasn't like, it wasn't like a little
bit of magic spray and you're good.
It wasn't hotshot and you're good.
It was stitches.
and she had a really funny like
TikTok afterwards where she's
like, when you have a game at
one, but I got to go out at night,
got to go out at seven.
or something.
Angela: Yeah.
And she's just her makeup is done
to make it look like she doesn't
have two black eyes, but does she?
Yes.
And then she's got like a sick stitches.
Mario: the butterfly,
Angela: They look
Mario: band aids.
Angela: They lined them up real
Mario: Oh yeah.
Yeah, it's
on point.
Angela: somebody who is bus you can't
see it in the video too much, but I
have a, three inch long scar right here.
I had internal and external stitches.
I did it real good.
Mario: You got the special one.
Angela: special treatment.
Mario: So seriously,
she is our Iron Woman.
She gets knocked down,
she gets right back up.
I think I took a quick picture of
our like, don't piss off the moms
sticker.
after she got up, it wasn't like,
while she was down, I'm like, look,
she's down, don't piss her off.
No,
Angela: it was like, she's okay.
Mario: I when I was writing that
I was like, Oh, let me check.
Unfortunately, she is not
an Iron Woman this year.
But she has been
Angela: have any
this
Mario: we don't have any Iron players
this year, but she was for two years,
in a row, and yeah, she's still freakin
amazing, and funny enough, it was
just weird, I was like, oh, Casey Fair
hasn't actually seen a regular season
match, so she was featured in some of
those, Summer Cup matches, and, yeah.
But because, again, don't count,
let's get weird, figure out some shit,
she still has not had a regular, she
still has not made her NWSL debut.
Angela: Yeah.
I think there's some international
play stuff and then league adjustment.
going on, I think it's a lot more
physical than what she had been used
to playing in the leagues overseas
that she was in, that kind of thing.
it's just, it's so different.
I think, honestly, I think she
needed to bulk up and get stronger.
Because, not to say that she's
not strong, I don't, this
Mario: No, But
Angela: way.
But she's also,
Mario: when you're 16 and
you're gonna get bodied by,
Angela: we, when Alyssa came up,
at 18, She was getting flown,
she just got bodied all over the
Mario: she still
kinda is,
Angela: yeah, and she's gotten stronger,
it's like you look at Kennedy, same thing,
Mario: And a
lot of,
Angela: is a little stockier than
Alyssa is, just her build is different,
so she's got some more to learn.
Some more, what's the
word I'm looking for?
Like oomph behind her
Mario: it's,
Angela: Alyssa does.
Mario: and the,
Angela: I remember Alyssa just pew,
Mario: it's not necessarily that
we're saying, you That it's straight
up bulk up like you need to get like
bigger you need to get like stuck.
It's not that it's a lot of it also
is just It's the soccer IQ, right?
it's what we talk about, you can't figure
it out till you're there, and you gotta
get the knocks in to figure it out.
and
Angela: out how to recover in stride.
Getting bodied by like Sarah Gorden.
Mario: or when you're about to get
bodied by someone like Sarah Gordon,
you have learned how to plant your feet,
you've learned how to do your footwork
to take that hit or to, get some judo
moves on and be like, whoop, deflect,
Angela: Yeah,
Mario: that's
Angela: how to avoid it.
It's learning how to call
it out for your teammates.
because I am who I am, we're gonna
talk basketball for a second.
So in the first matchup between the
New York, okay, the WNBA is known
for welcome to the league moments.
you just getting rocked by a screen,
getting your shot stuffed, like just
so incredibly embarrassed as a rookie
by the most elite players in the world.
Like it's bonkers.
It's so silly.
It's so fun.
But of the biggest things In
basketball, if you are setting a
screen, you hold your line, basically.
One of my coaches told me
growing up, plant roots.
Grow your roots, your feet are rooted
in the ground, bend your knees just
a little bit, get your body because
if the opponent see the screen, or if
they don't call it out and let their
team know, switch, screen, something,
you will get your shit rocked.
And if you, as the screen setter,
aren't ready for it, so will
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: there's a reason why my
Letterman jacket says Angela the
Wall Morales, just letting you know.
but what happened was
Mario: we see that next episode?
Angela: no, it's packed away right now,
but yeah, I'll, it'll come out eventually.
there's a clip of Stewie, Breonna
Stewart, on the Liberty, setting a screen.
And nobody called it out to Caitlin
Clark, and she just hit it like a wall
and went, just crumbled, and that's
the kind of moment, if you don't know
what's coming, it's gonna, you'll,
you get your shit rocked, I don't
even know how else to explain it,
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: and that's a welcome to the
league moment, and think in the NWSL
you don't see it as blatant, because
it's a much, It's a longer game.
There's less, big impacts like that.
you're not constantly trying
to get open in the same way.
But
Mario: We've talked about it.
The basketball court is
the size of the goalie box.
Like
Angela: so small.
I'm like, it's so big, thinking of,
like, how fast you're running constantly.
But, to have moments like that
in the NWSL, they still exist.
And it's how do you prepare for them?
And a lot of them happen in training.
A lot of them
Mario: Yeah,
Angela: When you're not paying attention
or you're like, as a fan, you're looking
at one section and somebody just got
bodied across the pitch, So I think
that's a lot of it too of her body
adjusting and like to the level of
physicality, because that's what a lot of
international players say in general is
that the NWSL is the most physical league.
And not to say it's like dirty,
Mario: no, it's just,
Angela: It's just much more physical.
People, their, our body
structures are different.
We're more muscular here.
there's a lot less, I don't want
to say there's a lot less finesse
because that's not it at all.
It's just there's a lot
more contact, physicality.
know.
Mario: it's a combination.
It's a combination of, just being,
like you said, just the simple
fact, it's more of physical game
here in addition to.
Our refs aren't the
brightest crayons in the box.
Angela: that's nice.
That's one way to put it.
Mario: so a lot of stuff gets let go
and
going to get the calls.
So you can't bitch and moan
about not getting a call.
It's gonna happen.
Learn how, you got to
learn how to defend it,
Angela: Yeah.
And
Mario: no blood, no foul.
Angela: Honestly, did they even
Mario: Street rules.
Angela: getting her face busted open?
No.
granted, it was a header that did it,
but it was because of an impact earlier.
Anyway, I just listened to Sarah
Spain's new podcast called Good
Game and she had Kap and Syd on, she
asked them who are the, Who are the
most, what'd she say, who are the,
or who dives the most in the league?
And they were like, no,
those are my friends.
no,
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: can't do that.
And then Syd just paused
and just goes, Pino!
Because Pino, everybody knows
exactly what Pino's dive looks like.
And she got the call every time.
So obviously you're
going to keep doing it,
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: they're good friends.
So it's, It was so funny,
the whole conversation.
to mention something I learned from
the episode later, but, definitely
go listen to Sarah's new podcast.
It's absolutely fantastic.
She is beloved in the sports community.
She is part of the, it's weird.
She's part, she used to be an owner
of the Red Stars, which, so it's
appropriate to talk about her.
but with the new purchase of
the team, she no, like she
had to sell her shares, which.
It's good for the team but sucks
because she's a fantastic person
to have in an ownership group
and actually helped get some shit
Mario: I guess she was
one of the good ones.
Okay,
Angela: at this point.
Yeah, but the game was great.
I'm so proud of this team.
Like I said, our most complete
game thus far, I think.
And man, I'm just, I'm so proud of them.
I'm going to talk more about it later.
But we post on Instagram per use.
We post on Instagram per use.
Um,
Mario: funny story.
Angela: is this?
Yeah, what is this funny story?
Mario: Okay, again, 1 o'clock game,
ends early, it's 3 o'clock, we're like,
alright, dude, everybody's leaving, we
don't want to get stuck in traffic, let's
take the kids to the Science Center.
Cool.
And my son actually said he wanted
to go to the Science Center because
he wanted to see the Space Shuttle.
We had to explain to him that the Space
Shuttle actually, so he wanted to see
the Space Shuttle, but what he really
meant is he wanted to go to the Space
Shuttle section and ride the simulator.
Angela: Oh,
Mario: but we went to go kill
time at the Science Center
and we had some fun in there.
But as we entered, And we were finally in
the air conditioning and nice and cool.
I was working on this post
of hey, how are we feeling?
and I had it in my head that
I was going to use, Take It
To The House by Trick Daddy.
I just had it in my head like,
Angela: it's just a jam.
Mario: Yeah.
it's a bop.
and,
I post it, the kids are playing,
with the sound thingy, so they're
distracted, I get it, I post it,
okay, kids are done, we start walking
towards the other exhibits, and I
hear Trick Daddy going off, literally
right near where we were, And then I,
I start looking around and I'm like,
what, no, and then I pull out my phone
because I was like, is my phone just on
still and it's playing
music and it, no, it's off.
Okay, I put it up to my ear.
Nothing.
Angela: were at the Science Center,
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: us.
Mario: So literally, two minutes after
I posted it up, like it, I heard the
trick that, so it's either someone that
follows us, saw the post right away.
The algorithm said, Hey, you
guys are in the same area.
Here's this,
Right.
Or just really stupid coincidence.
The fact that you were listening
to Trick Daddy, but if you were,
Angela: Out loud at the Science Center.
Mario: let us know.
It was just.
It's just a really fun thing.
So yeah, so we posted up the prompt.
It said, under tweeted, number
two, technically number three if
we count Juarez, but in the season,
number two.
Angela: think Juarez
wants to count Juarez.
Mario: How's it?
what did we get?
Angela: yeah.
So on the Discord, our buddy
Ethan came in with his haiku.
The haiku bot even agreed that
it was officially a haiku because
sometimes it's temperamental.
he said, Great grit by Thompson, bit shaky
till Syd pushin Gordon and Dee beasts.
love that.
And Mario put in a little comment
that He loves that we're starting,
this section out with a haiku,
and truly, I completely agree.
Mario: You think You
got your
Angela: me happy that it's become,
part of this, thanks, Ethan.
Mario: Yeah, and Ethan, it's not like
we're asking him to do it every single
time, and it's, believe me, we love
it, we appreciate it every single time
you do, whenever there's a haiku, we're
starting this section off with a haiku.
Yeah,
Angela: watch party.
I think it was when Vero got
there, it goes, Is Ethan here?
I need to ask him about a haiku, and,
walked over, like, where's Ethan?
People were like, where's the haiku guy?
So, I'm very excited about this, honestly.
I'm very
Mario: Okay, so we did get
a couple of them on Discord.
Katie came in with, I almost don't need to
go see my therapist today after that win.
And then some crying, laughing faces.
JK, kids, don't be flaky
with your therapist.
If you're a local therapist.
yeah.
And then Dustin came in
with, he had two posts.
He had one on Discord and then
one on, IG responding to us.
I had a dream last night that
we would win four to nothing.
Not quite the right scoreline,
but the three points count the
same.
Wow.
What a game.
And then, also came in with, it feels
like a different team, seems like Alyssa's
goal lifted the weight off of everyone.
Angela: Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
I completely agree.
Mario: And then, Max came in on
Discord with, can I get a hell yeah,
and yeah.
Angela: yeah.
Mario: definitely posted
up a hell yeah gif.
Angela: Thank you.
Cause I didn't see it.
This weekend was incredibly busy.
Saturday, Eva and I moved her out of her
old practice space into a new, and then
we moved her into a new studio on Monday.
So to say that I'm tired, I
don't know what a relaxing
Labor Day weekend is apparently.
Mario: Oh man.
Rachel came in with three heart
eyes emojis, and then three more,
hearts.
around the head, swoony, and I think,
yes, we're all there right now.
Yessi, I am so sorry.
You are one of the people that messaged
us, DMed us, and I didn't see it
till I was at the Science Center.
But, Yessi came in with, let's fucking go.
Let's keep the momentum going.
Yes, I agree.
Let's keep this under
tweeted streak going.
Alicia came in with Sarah Gorden, period.
Period.
That's it.
Myrna came in.
Leroux was on fire.
They all played well.
Good passes, moving the
ball, and Sarah is a beast.
and I will have to add a
disclaimer for this next one.
we are not giving, and I don't think Jeff
is giving any type of financial advice.
Angela: zero.
Mario: Do not take this
Angela: This was a personal decision,
maybe, but not probably made by Jeff.
Mario: Jeff said, putting all
my 401k into Alyssa Thompson's
stock because it's just rocket.
three rocket emojis.
subs made big impact.
Bo, effing, lemos.
And then, can you decode
this Janthony one for me?
Angela: No, I don't, I've been
looking at this since Sunday.
So our buddy Janthony sent a
sun with a face, I'm guessing
because it was hard as shit.
And then,
Mario: Cooking.
Angela: Like a frying egg, the fry
egg in a pan emoji, which to me, given
that I am the millennial of the age
that I am, is this is your brain on
drugs and I can't see it any other way.
this is your brain.
Mario: This is your bin on
Angela: drugs.
I hear that commercial in my head.
So I have no idea because then it's
like the little confetti party emoji.
Mario: I'm, okay, so the
emoji is called cooking.
Cooking.
if you search egg, it doesn't come up.
Or, it comes up just because it's
tangentially, but it's actually cooking.
So it's sun, because it was hot,
they were cooking, let's party?
I'm gonna go with that.
I'm gonna go with that.
Angela: yeah, Janthony, let us know,
his, okay, so Janthony's name is
John, FYI, everybody, he's really
nice, super great, it's Janthony.
yeah, let us know if we figured
it out, if we were smart enough.
Mario: I
was, I
and I want to say that I
resisted the urge to message him.
Because I wanted us to figure it out.
Janthony, just let us know.
Angela: I
Mario: alright, So let's check
out the quick standings before
we get to the match preview.
we're still tied in ninth,
which is still a good thing.
It, we were in ninth the last week.
We're still in ninth now,
but with three more points.
the only downside was
that Bay was under us.
They
were in tenth.
They also got their three points, but
they also have a better goal differential.
Oh no, our goal differential is the same.
So it's,
Angela: goal difference
was the same, but they
Mario: I think
Angela: record.
Mario: a better record.
So they moved up.
So they are in the playoffs.
We are not.
Angela: has not had a draw all
Mario: I know.
It's insane.
But they are just above us in the
playoffs, they're in the eighth position,
we're in ninth, just on the outside
looking in, but I think I'm still hopeful,
we're only, because we're tied for
that last spot, we're so close,
we can taste it, the Red Stars, We
kept them exactly where they were.
When we said it was a six point
match, it was a six point match
because they did not get away from us.
We just got closer to them, and
any mess up they have, we're
just gonna leap right over them.
Because
we're only two points away, right?
they lose the next game, and we win.
There we go.
We've just leapfrogged them.
it's getting really tight.
That point of the season, we're
like, Everything's gonna like
really be froggy and crazy,
but,
Angela: top four teams,
honestly, are pretty set.
Mario: oh yeah, there's that.
Angela: else is shenanigans
until the bottom four.
like the bottom two.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Mario: Orlando had a chance.
to make the playoffs,
Angela: Yeah,
Mario: like clinch.
the playoffs this week.
But in order for them to clinch
the playoffs, like two other
things needed to happen, right?
Starting to get into this
crazy permutation section.
Angela: Your favorite!
Mario: So I was actually running or
looking at my little spreadsheet thing,
which Anthony has commented that he's I
still don't like this column right here.
it doesn't make sense.
And I'm like, but it does
if you're in my head.
Angela: So many things
make sense in there.
Mario: okay, Orlando basically will
clinch, a playoff berth this next week,
this next game.
All they have to do is tie,
which they're not going to do,
right?
they're gonna,
Angela: Chicago.
Mario: oh, perfect.
yeah, then yes, Orlando, clinch
the playoffs, do us a favor.
They only need one point, and the
way I figured this out is that in my
spreadsheet, maybe I'll post it up
on the video right here somewhere,
look right here, no it's not TikTok,
Angela: gonna be Charlie
Dave with his murder board.
that's what the picture is,
Mario: that's, yeah,
Angela: to post it.
Mario: I have a column that says what
our potential points are throughout
the season, every time we lose,
we, that, that potential point gets
smaller and stuff, so both things.
Us and Bay, because we're tied at
21 points with 8 matches left in the
season, our potential max is 45 points.
I'm
throwing stuff at them.
Angela: Orlando, currently has 44.
Right now,
Mario: So
Angela: today,
Mario: long as they have a tie,
they can,
if they tied this next game and
lost everything from here on out,
Angela: they're playoff
Mario: they're playoff bound
because the best we can do is 45 points.
yeah, they're in, and it's
starting to get close.
The other teams aren't quite as close,
but they're getting there, And again,
all these potential points part is,
it's a total aggregate of points, so
if they win, they get the three points,
but if another team that is really
close to them loses and can't catch
up those three points, and then that
just makes their It's a lot of math.
It's Excel formulas.
I don't even understand it all
the time, so it is what it is.
Angela: Hopefully they work right.
We don't know.
Mario: Yes.
All right.
let's do our preview.
We are playing Seattle Reign.
I have this written wrong.
We are playing the Seattle Reign next at
home.
Angela: notice that until right now.
Mario: shenanigans.
Angela: in Chicago.
You can tell we copy paste and most of the
time we catch the majority of our errors.
Not this week because this week is a lot.
Mario: yeah.
Angela: is a lot.
So this week we are matching
up against Seattle at BMO,
which is going to be insane.
I just want to say, in general,
it feels really weird to, not be
talking about Pino, in general, and
thankfully I was able to bring her
up in this episode in a different
way, but, it's one of those, what?
Huh?
But,
Mario: It's
like we were talking about last episode.
It's like you, you grow up so long
watching these players.
Grow up and develop.
And a lot of times like, it's no,
they don't look a day older than
when they first started playing.
what are you talking
about?
Angela: because I don't either, Pino's
two
Mario: The
Angela: like that, we're the
same age, it's stupid, but,
Mario: first season without,
Angela: yeah, and it's one of those
where you're like, wait, what?
We're not like that realization
that you have when you're watching
sports and you're like 25 and you're
like, we're the same age, oh, shit.
And reality starts to set in
that you will never be 17 again.
And you're like, oh, my
God, the world is it.
Mario: yeah.
Angela: But that's what this feels like.
It's very strange to not
be mentioning Pinoe in the
forecast of the Seattle Reign.
Which is awful and also very cool,
because it means that the torch has
been passed, and we talked about that
a little bit, but all that good stuff.
The Reign this season have
had a very weird year.
Just in general.
They're confusing, and I think they
haven't figured themselves out yet,
because essentially, they're stacked.
But they haven't been able
to really put it together.
They've got up and coming phenoms,
they have national team players,
they have, post prior, not on the
team anymore, I don't know what
to call it, where they were on the
national team and now they're not.
But Ex National Team players,
but that sounds like they
were kicked out, but whatever.
you have this group of people who are so
ridiculously talented, and it doesn't make
sense Like, why is this happening to you?
But they've had a lot of injuries.
I know they've had some stuff happening.
Lots of folks left, went to Gotham.
Lots of folks left, went to other teams.
They just recently lost Bethany
Bolser to a trade to Louisville.
big shifts.
this is a big turning point.
The sale of the team.
They're no longer under OL.
They are officially the Seattle
Reineken, which is dope.
But there's a lot going on.
Even now, Laura Harvey, their
head coach, has been sick.
She hasn't been traveling with the team.
Don't know if she'll be in L.
A.
She doesn't know if she'll be in L.
A.
yeah, just, it's been a weird year for
Seattle, and I'm glad they're hanging
in there, but at the same time, if
you lose, I'm not gonna be that mad.
Sorry about it.
the other interesting thing is that
Van der Jagt is out with an excused
absence, but it's an indefinite.
don't know when she's coming back.
So to me, that means that there's
something going on personally,
or with family, or where it's
soccer is not my priority.
have to handle some real life shit, so
whatever is going on, I hope she's doing
okay, her family's okay, that good stuff.
recently traded for a player from
Utah to fill her role, so that'll be
interesting to see how that plays out.
I think it's gonna be a good fit.
I think it's Carly.
I think her first name's Carly.
I don't remember.
Her last name is Glas with one S.
My autocorrect kept trying to change
it to Glad, and I'm like, stop it.
Mario: the, autotranscription is going
to have a field day with these names.
I'm just going to be like, Oh, geez,
I'm going to have to,
Angela: like VanderYacht?
What's that?
I'm just gonna keep saying it now.
additionally, both teams.
Gisele is playing with the
Women's National U20 team.
And I think,
Ademas,
another player who has a name
who starts with a B on the reign.
They have two or three players on
the national team or with the team
right now, so they have players
missing for the U 20 qualifiers.
There's a whole bunch of stuff going on.
This game is going to be really
interesting because I think it's
going to show the grit of Angel
City and what reign can do given
the wonky season they're having.
I'm interested, I'm excited for
this match because I think it's
gonna be a really a really, dig
deep and see what happens game.
get a little weird, find, this
is a find your identity match
of, shit's gonna get weird.
This team, Seattle's a little
unpredictable in ways they weren't before.
I don't know, we'll see, but it's been
really fun watching Angel City light
it up and get themselves together in a
way that is really obviously, because
we're winning, but you're showing,
you're seeing, in real time what happens
when shit gets hard and difficult and
frustrating, the players work together
to get through that instead of turning
on each other, both can happen, no matter
how close a team is, you start blaming, if
you had been there and gotten that ball,
or if you had been able to break that
Mario: yeah.
Angela: get nitpicky.
You either do that, Or
you're like, you know what?
That was maybe not our
greatest performance.
Screw it.
That's done.
That's over.
Goldfish mindset.
Let's move on.
And Becky, I've said it before, you can
tell Becky didn't lose the locker room.
were just struggling to translate what
was happening at training on the pitch,
and now we're seeing it click everywhere.
Which, as Syd Leroux said at
the end of the game, you know
what happened last season?
We gon do it again.
we gon do it again.
Mario: Let's go.
Angela: Yeah.
for Seattle, like I said, I
don't know who to talk about.
This team is all over the place right now,
and I don't know who's gonna be available.
I always want to talk about Fishlock
and Sierra King and Lou Barnes
because they are like of Seattle,
especially Fish and Lou Barnes.
it was the two of them in Pino is
like, The three pillars and longest
tenured Reign players, so when we
play them again in Seattle, I'll talk
about Fishlock, I'll talk about Lou
Barnes, because they're just wonderful.
Please hold me to this,
don't let me forget.
somebody in the Discord,
because shoot, guess what?
This is gonna be gone
from my brain in a second.
I,
Mario: Let's say when we stop.
Angela: end recording.
Yeah, but I wanted to talk about
one of their international players,
who has, She had a prolific career,
newer to the NWSL, and I think it's
important to spotlight these players
her career is fantastic.
Ji So-Yun is a Korean
national team player.
played in the leagues in Korea,
spent eight years at Chelsea.
So eight years,
Mario: So with M.
Angela: Kerr, Mia Fischel, like,
studded roster, including her,
because in the international
game, for the Korean national
team, she's 160 caps and 71 goals.
Mario: a dang,
Angela: That's a
Mario: that's a lot.
Angela: And she's 33.
Mario: What?
Angela: Yep.
Yeah, that part.
That's a, oh my god, what
have I done with my life?
yeah.
she's 33.
And She's so good.
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: She's a midfielder.
Like I said, spent eight years at
Chelsea, had 124 caps there with 37 goals.
Mario: Jeez.
Angela: That's nothing to sneeze at,
especially when goal scoring isn't your,
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: a
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: but she's just there.
Which leads me to explain how she
scored her first NWSL goal this
weekend in a win over Louisville.
So Seattle won 3 2, but homegirl, goal.
Was kicking a free kick.
No big deal.
Boom.
Goal.
just in.
And it is beautiful.
Chef's kiss.
That's how you put the goal in.
so good.
one of those where you're
just like, holy shit.
Who are you?
have you been?
it's one
Mario: Yeah.
And you said this was her
first year in the league?
Angela: yeah.
At 33, which is wild.
Absolutely, but granted, I wouldn't
leave Chelsea either, given, the
last, because she played eight years
in Chelsea, had a stint in, a year
somewhere else, and then came here,
I think, if I remember correctly.
But, that's peak Chelsea
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: You have Sam Kerr, Mia
Fishel, Bunny Shaw, other people
that I can't think of right now
because I'm tired, but, just those
people alone, why would you leave?
You want to just win forever?
Okay, sure.
I wouldn't say no to that.
and that's the thing, when you have
a player who might be new to your
league, look where else they played.
Because that's a huge one.
And to be involved with your national
team for a long enough period
of time to get 160 caps is huge.
Mario: with the amount of games
that national teams actually play.
Angela: Yeah, huge.
I'm curious how, Or if she and
Casey Fair have a relationship now
that they're both in the league,
and if there's any, mentorship or
guidance there, being on the national
team together, performing at level
together, and seeing okay, this is how
you get used to this is how you get used
to that, because that's important, and
that's a lot of what people don't in the
like behind the scenes of professional
sports is like everybody knows everybody
to some degree in different ways.
So
Mario: a small league.
Like you're not going to get,
you're not going to get away
with doing shit that big.
Angela: it's a small
Mario: Yeah,
Angela: There's only like a few hundred
people, a few hundred women playing
across the world, like a thousand
maybe in all the different leagues.
So you're going to eventually
play each other, you're going
to eventually know each other.
But yeah, that's my, Seattle Reign, I
don't know what you're gonna do, but I'm
excited to watch it, cause it's gonna
be interesting, that's for damn sure.
Cause they're on the come up, but
also not, like it's one of those,
it feels very akin to Angel City,
of they figure it out, they don't.
They figure it out, they don't.
So it's I don't know.
But what I do know is that
both teams cannot lose.
You can tie, you can win,
you can lose, and that's it.
Which is good, because I don't want
to lose, but Angel City, dun, Angela
is back on her I love defense mindset.
Sarah
Mario: which go
get your I Love Defense t
shirt at shop.
casualfc.
com.
Yeah,
Angela: but let's talk about her
some more, because I found out some
people didn't know that she was
a 400 meter hurdler in college,
while playing soccer, and had a
kid, She's just a wonderful woman.
I have a friend, a long,
long, long time friend.
We went to middle school and
high school together, like
college, all that kind of stuff.
We were still friends.
mom, rest in peace, was a fantastic woman.
And whenever she was at any of our
games, her daughters played softball
and soccer, I played basketball,
like she was just everywhere.
But when you made a great play,
you would, it would just get quiet
and you would hear, what a woman.
And it was like this.
This moment of oh, hell yeah, like
what a woman that is Sarah Gordon.
So Adriana, if you end up
hearing this, cheers to your mom.
but yeah, Sarah Gordon sticks
up, number 11, center back of
the world, like forever and ever.
I think everyone questions
why she wasn't called up.
Ever.
It's stupid.
I have a feeling it has to do with the,
skewed logic of women who have children
slash things Nike has done to
female athletes who have had
women, who have had women, who have
had children, yeah, it's stupid.
I have theories, if you will,
as she has put it recently,
she's focusing on winning.
She's a captain of this team.
She has different responsibilities now.
She's just freaking amazing, and it
shows, and it's such a beautiful thing to
see, your captain, it's not a beautiful
thing to see your captain going down.
It's a beautiful thing to see how people
respond when your captain goes down, when
it's somebody as beloved as Sarah Gorden.
second she was down, the
entire team was there.
Claire stayed with her for a hot
minute, trying, it was just, wow.
from an athletic perspective, you
don't do that unless you respect
the shit out of that person.
You just don't.
oh, I hope you feel better, cool,
I'm gonna go get some water.
It's cool, you're gonna be down
for a minute, we're gonna, we're
gonna reassess, we're gonna figure
this out, we'll fill you in.
But this was very much all hands on
deck, make sure she's okay, get the
trainers there, get the doctor, get the,
whoever, athletic trainer, whoever came
out, that man, was like, who are you?
you have on normal clothes, you're
wearing white, and you're around all
kinds of blood, and you don't know.
Mario: it's the, it's usually
the concussion, like the doctor
with the concussion protocols
and
Angela: Yeah,
and this was, yeah, who
actually can, administer
lidocaine and, local anesthesia?
Um, yeah.
The fact that she received stitches,
which meant, which means she was,
like, numbed up, stitched up.
If you have had stitches,
you know the feeling.
If you don't, I'm not explaining
it to you because it's weird and
it's going to gross people out.
Mario: Did she get stitches, I
don't, did she get stitches on field?
Cause like they put the
big ol bandage, so I'm
guessing like
Angela: think
Mario: they glued it, they
like, they
Angela: they
either did
Mario: put that to compress it and
basically took care of it.
Angela: it,
because they had to keep that together.
Because if you just, even with
gauze, it's not gonna stop.
I have, like I said, I
have had head injuries.
Forehead, specifically.
Mario: eyebrowed is the It's
the one where, like, when
you, see, boxers or MMA
fighters and, like, when they
get the, when the, they can get
beat up and cut up,
Angela: fast.
Mario: everywhere, but as soon
as they get the eyebrow, it's
Angela: It's because
there's not a lot here.
there's not a lot of muscle, there's
here you get a cheek cut, there's stuff.
nothing.
I'm like, there's nothing
Mario: everybody touch your eyebrow.
Angela: Yeah.
But no, she's just,
she's a wonderful human.
And fact that Kayden and Syd's kids, Rue
and Cassius, got to do the three clap
with our homie Jamie and our homie Alex's
daughter Ridley, it was a family affair.
Granted, it was Kids Day, it makes sense.
But this game was so special.
And to have, end up with her
getting stitches was just, Insane.
But Sarah Gorden for captain forever.
if cap, if Ali Riley can't be
on the pitch, it's Sarah Gordon.
If Sarah can't be, then it's
Claire or Jasmyne Spencer.
come on.
Just so good.
So wonderful.
And then to continue on our back line,
Megan Reid, center back, another defender.
And I've talked about how it's really
hard to look good when you're playing
next to Paige and playing next to
Sarah Gordon, or like their backup,
because they're just ridiculous.
like Naomi Gurma, come on.
Okay, Julie Ertz.
Duh, nobody's gonna look as good as
a phenom, or as like a generational
player, but it's been really interesting
to see, our quote unquote team EMT,
because she was right there too,
Mario: So give me the gloves.
Let me do this.
Angela: yeah, exactly, I got this,
don't worry about it, I still have
my certifications, But it's really
interesting to see her grow into this
role of center back next to Sarah.
and I had a 20 minute conversation after
the game, driving back to her place,
like how she's grown, the fact that
she's gotten faster this season, and
she's gotten a lot more agile, which
if you're not looking for, you're not
necessarily going to see because of Sarah.
that's the thing, is Sarah draws your eyes
in, but Megan is there with incredible
soccer IQ, and she's a fantastic defender,
and I honestly think she's gotten
better this season, and it, we brought
this up, the last time we talked about
her, and the whole Paige situation and
everything, is that she doesn't have
the tenure in the league, That Sarah and
Paige do to know, oh, that's this player.
I know how to respond.
that's this.
She's learning that now.
And that's what we're seeing.
We're seeing a better response to the
other, to, forwards and other players
from other teams, because she has better
scouting and better knowledge, personal
knowledge, not just what on paper.
And it's really cool because you're
also starting to see the connection
between Sarah and Megan change.
Of Sarah has the mark.
Sarah knows, she's got the
little, beep radar that I said,
Alyssa Nair has for the ball.
Sarah has that for the
offensive players coming at her.
And Megan is just okay, I'm part
defender, part keeper as your backup.
if they get past you, don't
Mario: Yeah,
Angela: that's what that feels like now.
And She's moving a lot
better on the pitch.
I don't know what's different.
she's just
Mario: I think it's just
Angela: maybe she's just
more comfortable, and
Mario: more minutes,
more,
Angela: yeah, but it's damn, like it's
different this season and I know on this,
like when she hears this, someone who
I'm good friends with is going to text
me because she's not a big Megan Reid
fan and I'm like, What's wrong with you?
But regardless of if you're the
biggest fan or not, recognizing
improvement in players is so important.
recognizing that their game changes
as they grow my favorite thing,
because that's what we're seeing.
You're seeing someone who took a long
time away from the game and came back,
fell in love with it, Got picked up,
became a professional player randomly,
and you're seeing the exponential
growth from here, because I don't
think she's hit her ceiling as a
defender either, which is really dope.
And then, my random fact I mentioned
earlier, that I learned on Sarah Spain's
podcast, is that Maggie Dirty Howard
is making Ali Riley's wedding dress.
So go listen to Sarah Spain's podcast.
I, she's not going to care that
we're promoting because we have
12 listeners compared to her,
no offense to our 12 listeners.
I love you so much.
But she's Sarah Spain.
She's like the popular
girl, I have a podcast.
Yes, everybody listens
because she's that cool.
But go listen to it if you're not already.
It's fantastic.
It's so funny.
She likes to start like a fight.
episode, like this one, it was
who dives the most or who's
like the most, egregious divers.
talked about, Pino and Sav
and a couple other players.
It's very funny because they're
like, I can't say these things.
it's, I was cracking up listening
to it, but, it's like, who are
your top three WNBA teams ever?
if you had to pick, Any five
athletes across sport, who would
be your team to get in a fight?
who would you fight with?
That kind of thing.
it's a fantastic show.
Go listen to it.
But that's Angel City.
That's Seattle Reign.
We have an interesting
history with Seattle.
Mario: yeah, it's this West Coast,
particularly just the West Coast,
Challenge Cup,
series numbers,
but yeah.
Angela: So the numbers are a
little skewed when we look at
our overall record with them.
Partially because of injuries on
our end, partially because they
were going on a huge ass playoff
run, and just bumped on a lot of
people, including us, a lot of times.
we have one win, one
draw, and seven losses.
In three years against Seattle
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: but in without, if you
take up the challenge cup games is
still not great, but it's better
in the sense that we have won.
So that, that win was a
Mario: The regular city going, yeah.
Angela: what matters.
We have not drawn with them
and we have lost four times.
Like I said, I have no idea what to
expect given the transitional era that
the reign is in and with what we're doing.
Hell if I know what's gonna
happen, but pumped for it.
It's gonna be a great match.
Come get stickers.
Mario: come get stickers, I
will promise to check, okay,
I'm gonna, I'm gonna,
Angela: also be checking and I
have a little, I have a few left.
I've given a
Mario: okay, I will have to track
back because, it is a, Friday match,
it is a midweek match, or, it is a
weekday match, and I will not be able
to make it, so I will not be at this
match, I will be listening to Isaac
and Tracey, to cover all of that,
Friday, September 6th, Angel City
versus the Seattle Reign at BMO Stadium.
It's going to be a 7 p.
m.
kickoff.
It's going to be streaming on
Amazon Prime, which is where
I'm going to be watching it,
along with singing iHeartRadio,
listening to Isaac and Tracey.
It's also going to be
on 1330 Tu Liga Radio.
And for the Spanish broadcast, and it is
the special Community Heroes Night, so
it's recognizing first responders as our
community heroes, and if you did get your
ticket from the special ticket thingy,
you get, there's a special carabiner
that
Angela: pam.
Mario: stoked for,
Angela: I unfortunately am not a community
Mario: yeah,
Angela: a
Mario: yes, but Again, it for all the
community, for all our first responders
and community here, thank you.
I know there was this big
rightfully earned but not fully
respected or taken as far as it really
should be for our first responders,
especially during the dark times and
Angela: The heart of the
that we don't talk about,
Mario: yeah, they're like it apparently
it's over But it's not really
honestly, I Thank you for all you guys do.
A lot of times it's, when you're the
good ones, you're the good ones, and
Angela: Y'all are good
Mario: I'll leave it at that then.
Angela: We're not crying tonight.
Mario: no, and I'm not getting on
a different soapbox about Yeah,
if you like what you hear, if you like
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Wherever you're listening, check out
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We're also on YouTube, so
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Angela: never.
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So there's that
Angela: Wild.
Wild to see my face on Spotify.
Mario: grab some merch
at shop.casualfc.Com.
Like we said, we have a,
I live defense t shirt.
We also have, this is not a shirt of
ours, but it is one that I did, purchase.
but we have a bunch of stuff and if
you ever see one of our stickers,
want it as a shirt, just let us know,
and maybe we can put it up there.
And if you feel so inclined and you
don't need extra stuff, and you still
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support the pod by buying us a coffee
at buymeacoffee.com/casualfcpod,
or check the link in our bio.
It's basically a way to throw us a couple
bucks to help keep the lights on and
help keep us doing what we're doing.
And, having fun and having these
conversations with everybody.
And remember, we have a Discord.
Find the link on our socials and
you can, or just DM us and we'll
send you the link to the Discord.
It's really fun, super nice
small community, having a fun
chat about all these games.
Tell a friend about the pod, it
brings us luck, we send that luck,
send it right back out to the team.
So far it's been doing us
really good, this restart of
the season, so it is what it is.
Thank you everyone,
and have a great night,
or
Angela: Good night, everybody.
See you Friday.
Mario: or whenever you listen to this.
Bye.
Angela: Have a great time.
Mario: I changed into this shirt.
Because I was helping someone
Angela: Mm
Mario: like in a forum, and I sent them
some screenshots to show them, like, A and
B.
And then, I was like, I'm
wearing the same shirt.
I literally just
did,
Angela: only has one shirt.
Mario: I sh
Angela: his recording shirt.