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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: I think I messaged you while I
was driving, so don't quote me on that.
Or don't, I'm gonna stop
recording and say that.
Ally: statute of limitations,
Mario: Yeah, it's fine, it's fine.
Ally: a, uh, golf cart
Mario: Yes,
Angela: Yeah,
Mario: yeah.
Ally: yeah,
Angela: he was driving Hot Wheels
with his kids, so it's fine.
Mario: exactly.
Okay, cool.
And Ha
Angela: clip that.
Mario: All right.
Welcome to Casual FC, an
Angel City preview pod, but
now an Olympic preview pod.
Angela: Woo!
Mario: your host, Mario Salazar, with
my amazing co host, Angela Morales.
And today we are being visited
by two of the most amazing people
we've had the chance to meet.
We've got Em Woods.
and Ally from the Soccer Moms podcast.
Also from across the pond NWSL podcast.
Angela: Also from State Champs Coffee
I will forever hype up State Champs.
EM: It's so good.
The coffee is so good.
Mario: Welcome you too.
EM: Thank you.
It's so fun to be here.
Mario: joining us.
Yeah,
Ally: and my last name is like
sparingly used just because, I
don't know, I think I'm Cher maybe?
But I love when people are like,
EM Woods and Ally because it just
sounds like I'm your plus one on the
red carpet with you and I love it.
It's my favorite
EM: Yeah.
I
Ally: never change
EM: think I gave you a
fictional last name in my phone.
Ally: Yes!
EM: I think I made one up for you.
Yeah.
Mario: you
Angela: I love that.
Mario: it.
I love it.
you can just say you're just
part of the Brazil national team.
you
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: name.
Ally: love that.
Honestly, yeah.
I'm going to start with
a rumor now that I got.
It's from Marta.
I, thank you.
EM: She's the Marta of Northeast Ohio.
That's what it is.
Angela: Yes.
Ally: Yes.
huh.
Mario: Ah, all both of
them are here helping us.
Preview the Group A for the
Olympics, which will be France,
Columbia, Canada, and New Zealand.
But before we get into that,
let's meet Em and Ally.
So give us a little spielo
background of how you two met
because two are coming from different
places of the country initially.
Ally: can I explain it?
Because it's ama it's
EM: Please.
Yes.
Ally: Okay.
Okay, so before I live in Ohio,
for those that know or don't know,
EM is quite popular on TikTok.
Angela: Just a little bit.
Mario: Just a little bit.
Ally: woeso, comedy, life, humor stuff,
and EM came across my For You page.
I was like, she's amazing.
She's funny and followed her.
This is when I was still in California.
I told my friends about it.
I was like, Oh my God, this person,
like I felt as my spirit animal, which
I know we're not supposed to say that
anymore, but she, like I related to her.
Cut to move to Ohio.
I'm not even exaggerating.
I'm at the gym.
First of all, I have an Angel City sticker
on my car because I'm an Angel City fan.
And also I have this weird thing,
like I'll have women's sports stuff
on, like maybe someone will see
me and like real recognize real.
So
Angela: Yep.
Ally: let you guys know I was
wearing a W and NWSL, Get up, right?
I was like, women's sports threw up on me.
I see Em at the gym on the
treadmill wearing a Gotham FC shirt.
of all, you guys know this, it's
very hard to find people in the
wild that are fellow like, fans.
And I was like, oh my god.
And I texted people that knew I was
like, I'm pretty sure that person
I follow on TikTok is at the gym.
I was like, Em from TikTok.
No one answered me because
it was like 9 in the morning.
and I'm like, seriously, Em's like
on the treadmill talking to a friend.
And I kid you guys not,
I'm walking up and back.
In front of her, hoping she'd
catch, my woe so ness, or WNBA
Angela: Ali, love you
EM: Listen.
Listen.
Ally: though, so that's why I'm wondering,
to everyone else working out, just
see someone being frickin awkward, and
I'm like, damn, they didn't see me.
Okay, fine, so I follow whatever.
Eventually, I want to
do a little cliff note.
She followed Cassie before she
EM: I did.
Ally: because Cassie had a pretty
big TikTok following, and Cassie
likes to give me grief for this.
Eventually, EM and I fall
EM finally, I DM'd her.
I was like, this is random, but I'm
pretty sure we, go to the same gym.
We hit it off.
EM is famously very hard to get a hold
of, she left me on read for a hot minute.
And then, doing Across the Pond,
I met James, and he's hey, we're
looking for another podcast host.
I was like, EM, first person that came to
mind, we literally lived, 15 minutes from
each other, and then the rest is history,
and we're, like, match made in heaven.
So that's the EM and Ali
EM: It's really wild because I wear
women's sports stuff constantly in the
hopes that I will meet someone that is
also, that knows anything in the wild.
And I always complain, I'm like,
Oh, I've never seen anybody.
Like they're just not around.
And it just must be that I'm
oblivious because she was right there.
And I was like, just chatting
with my friend at the gym.
Ally: It was amazing.
Mario: I think my, my bit of ADHD is
like when, I totally have squirrel,
so when I'm out in the wild and I see
people, I'm very much Oh, there they go.
Or, if I, if, or if, my ear.
I don't try to eavesdrop, but my
ear just picks people up a lot, just
because I'm picking up everything,
like, kind of overstimulated.
my friends or, my wife even, she's
are you listening over there?
And I'm like, not
Angela: not on purpose.
EM: It's not my fault.
Mario: it's also because, it's
also, and, oh, God, imagine that,
tick, at a soccer game, like.
You hear people behind you and
then you hear someone trying to
explain to their friend, like
the rules or what's happening.
And I'm just like,
Ally: or the
Mario: no, that's not it.
Ally: when they're trying to
explain, something that you know,
because you're so perpetually
online, you know all the tea, and
Angela: So much.
Yep.
Ally: you want to chime in?
no, that's not, what happened
in, Discourse Online.
you want to because they didn't
quite get the facts right.
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: Yeah, no, I'm
with you wholeheartedly.
I cannot control the fact that my brain
listens to everything and has to make
sure that you have the right information.
And I sit there, with my hands,
sitting on my hands, don't do it,
don't do it, don't do it, don't do it.
And then sometimes I do,
sometimes I can control it.
But who really knows?
Mario: my favorite one is just like
sitting there and I'm like, nope,
they're gonna, they're gonna tell
them, they're gonna tell them.
The clock doesn't stop in soccer.
I'm just like, oh,
Angela: They don't have,
they don't take timeouts.
Yeah,
Mario: that's,
Ally: seen.
I feel seen.
We're all the
EM: Mhm.
Yeah.
I feel like when I have something
to say and I'm like, ah, I'm
fighting it, I just shouldn't
fight it because it's coming out.
It's gonna come out.
Mario: Yeah.
Alright, that leads into the next one
where, I was just going to mention,
Ali, you're from California, and
you're from both ends of the state.
you've been up and down.
what caused the move over to Ohio?
Ally: so yeah, I'm born and
raised in the Bay, lived in L.
A.
for a little bit, and then,
No, I met someone from here.
it's a tale as old as time.
Love.
so moved down here for love.
And best decision I ever made.
I was also ready to leave.
I grew up in the Bay Area, especially,
and pre, Silicon Valley, and I was working
in tech, and I have kids, and I didn't
really want them to grow up in that, Need
for, I need to work at Google, I need
to be an engineer, I need to make, cause
I've seen what it's done to like family
members and friends who have older kids
and there's weird stats coming out of
the bay of like kids that are just, they
Angela: it's wild.
Ally: It's insane, like the suicide
rates, it's really dark, but the
suicide rates are really high in like
the neighboring areas around where the
campuses are of these like tech companies.
I was like, I just want
my kids to be kids.
And I kid you not, like the options
before, I met anyone that lived in
Ohio was like, I've always loved
Ohio, that my friends would tease
me because I rode for Ohio State.
Never been here, just loved Ohio.
I loved how much they love sports.
And I was like, okay, maybe I'll just
leave the country, which sounds dramatic.
I've always wanted to live in Spain.
but I was like, that might be like
a retired, like life choice I make.
And then no, and then the
universe was like, bet.
And then I met someone from
Ohio and the rest is history.
there you go.
Yes!
Angela: fact that you haven't lost
the California cadence in your speech.
Like, many people do you encounter
that are just like, alright, bet,
Ally: I know.
I know.
I don't talk like anyone over here.
no.
I usually get people assume, I went,
I recently got, a new hair person,
because I was trying to find one.
And she's are you from California?
And I was like, yeah.
She's it's not an insult.
I can just tell you're from
EM: Immediately.
Yeah.
Ally: yeah.
Angela: yeah, few times I've been to
Ohio to visit friends outside of like
Cincinnati and Columbus, they're just
like, people are like, you are not
from here, I'm like, is accurate, yes,
congratulations, what, yeah, they're
like, you're not mean, but you're
just direct, are you from, but you're
not from New York, because you don't
sound like, I was like, no, it's L.
A.,
EM: Yeah.
Ally: Yeah.
I talk fast and I just
get to the point and
Angela: yeah.
Yeah.
Ally: like my brain.
Angela: Yeah,
Ally: but no, you have to
be quick in California.
You have to be, or like my
favorite thing is obviously you've
listened to EM and I on the pod.
Our voice, our cadences are so different,
Angela: yeah,
Ally: but I think that's
Angela: I love it,
EM: Yeah, I always tell her I think slow.
She like,
Mario: I was just going to ask, yeah,
EM: I like have to plan it out.
I have to have notes and think.
She's no, let's go.
Come on.
Are you ready now?
And I'm like, no, I'm not.
Mario: I was going to ask him, what
are the things that you notice from
Ali that are completely like, yeah,
you're definitely not from Ohio.
Cause you're, you born and raised in
EM: Yeah, I was.
She definitely is a lot faster on
the uptake and Zero fear in her.
just will go, go, go, go, go.
And will, this is the same thing,
I feel like you guys have it.
You'll just like, invite people and
try it out and see what happens.
Where I'm like, I gotta think
about this for six months.
And maybe I'll do it.
But yeah, there's a go that I feel
like California breeds naturally.
Ally: Yeah, I think, the best story is
we were at the grand opening for state
champs and shout out to Taylor Mizell,
friend of us she was out at the grand
opening and EM is a big Taylor fan.
EM, lives in the area.
Taylor's, a local hero.
She
EM: Went to a local high school, yeah.
Ally: people love her here.
And she's a big deal.
And I can don't, I know
EM wanted to talk to
EM: Yeah.
Ally: And EM was like, in her head, and
and I was like, hey, why are you over,
Cassie was like, why are you over here?
she's, go talk to her.
Angela: right,
Ally: I'm good.
And I was like, come on, let's
EM: Literally
Ally: come on,
EM: shoving me, hand in the back,
Angela: we're
EM: guiding, and I was like,
no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Yeah.
Yeah, she was a, she's an Ohio
State basketball player, if you guys
didn't know who Taylor Mixell was.
Yeah, she's an excellent, she,
signed for a little, she had a little
contract with the Sparks this year, but
didn't get picked up, unfortunately.
Ally: she's
EM: Yes, she got signed overseas, so
it was maybe develop a little bit, and
Angela: the W is ruthless.
And, it's so
EM: it is, it breaks my heart every
time that these players get picked
up on training camp contracts,
and then you see, the thank you
for your service kind of thing.
That's yeah, it's vicious.
Angela: got waived.
Ugh,
Ally: Yeah.
Angela: yeah.
Or the like, hardship contracts.
Anyway, hardship contract.
Henny just got
EM: I know.
Angela: I just wanted her to
stay in the league, but whatever.
Anyway, back to
EM: Yes.
No,
Angela: the goal, because I could,
if I get derailed talking about
basketball, we're done for, I will
talk about basketball all day, every
day, and so we know, you've been
on the pod before, we know you are
a TikTok, superstar in the WOSO
EM: no, no.
Okay.
Okay.
Angela: yeah, you can say no,
but that's not how this works.
Ally: Yeah, both Mario and I are
literally handing you flowers, a crown,
Angela: Yeah.
Ally: fanning you, like, you
Mario: you know,
EM: Thank you.
Angela: been the most surprising
thing that's happened since you
started just being on TikTok to
find friends and find community?
what's the most surprising thing
that's come out of that for you?
EM: definitely meeting
people in real life.
Yeah.
That is something I really wanted to do.
I really started making videos
because I was like, I want to make
friends and I want to find community
and to find that in real life.
And then I met two friends
that live, now they live in.
St.
Louis.
so like I text them, like I have
their phone numbers and stuff.
So real life friends, has been weird.
But one time Hillary Knight
commented on my hockey video that
I made, the very only hockey video.
And I was like, okay, I'm done.
I've peaked.
Hillary Knight commented.
She's seen my face.
Yes.
And I was like, I'm done.
That's cool.
And I think, and Midge Purce followed me.
I don't know if she still does.
I refuse to check.
Because I'm just gonna, I'm gonna stay
in the moment where she followed me
and in my head she still follows me.
So there it is.
Those are the craziest things.
Mario: just leave on the
EM: Yeah.
Mario: You know?
EM: Yeah,
Angela: that's awesome, and Ali, so for
those who don't know, Ohio in general
has a lot of frogs, I've seen them,
I've experienced them, how's the frog
sitch at the coffee shop, how's State
Champs holding out, how are you doing,
Ally: Not great.
So I have two big fears,
and they're birds and frogs.
There's like a wide separation between
the two fears, but birds and then frogs.
But I will say, since I've lived
here, I've never seen more wildlife.
I grew up, growing up in California,
my grandma lived in the country, up,
between, in the San Jose Morgan Hill area.
you would have to go to the country to
Angela: yeah, you have to visit it,
Mario: Yeah.
Ally: a deer, I'm gonna go to his house.
No, that's not the case in Ohio.
They're just
EM: they're just here.
Ally: streets, the, yeah, where the
pavement is, they're in the world.
I've never seen more wildlife.
we haven't seen the frog since, but
that was a horrific moment because, only
reason we discovered the frog was there
was someone spilled coffee walking out,
and I was like, oh, Cass, will you,
because I was like doing something on the
computer, I was like, will you grab that?
And she's yeah, and she thought
it was a leaf next to it, because,
Mario: Yeah.
Ally: can't we
Angela: yeah,
Ally: Frog, and as you guys, if you
saw the video, learned frogs scream, it
was horrific, it's been an adventure.
Our team just messaged us, something
about, just, there's, they're like,
hey, there's, we saw, found spiders
outside just because it's, and
also Ohio gets, weather, it will
Angela: yeah.
Ally: and then be sunny.
And nature loves water.
I think they
Mario: Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Ally: it was rough, but
I haven't seen him since.
My oldest was bummed because he was
like, I would have kept him as a pet,
and I was like, in what world are we
Angela: in this house?
Ally: No.
So no, yeah, it's been wild.
So if you're ever planning on visiting
Ohio, just know that there's wildlife
wherever you are, not just the country.
EM: But nothing like poisonous.
I feel like that's the best thing
about Ohio is the winter kills
all the really scary wildlife.
Although, I would be scared of that frog.
I don't like things jumping at me.
Ally: I saw a wolf, this
past winter, or this past
EM: kidding.
Ally: just in, no, it was like a
wolf coyote, whatever, I don't know
EM: Now hold on, was
it a coyote or a wolf?
Angela: bigger.
Coyotes are small.
EM: Teeny tiny or,
mountain, mon, monstrous.
Ally: It wasn't a dog.
Angela: It was an outside
EM: It's an outside creature with teeth.
Got it.
Ally: was definitely related to
Sirius Black, we'll leave it at that.
EM: Okay.
Okay.
Angela: what.
EM: I'm in disbelief, Ali.
Angela: So aside from the
frogs, aside from the frogs,
how's the journey been opening,
Ally: Yeah.
Angela: sports coffee
shop, which is honestly?
Maybe the new dream of mine,
because that's my, that's
two of my favorite things.
Ally: It's been fun.
It's been, it's interesting.
We opened at a college town, and we
opened, we purposely opened with,
the tournament starting, because we
Angela: yeah,
Ally: Before, so we planned it and because
being in a college town, obviously the
college leaves for the summer, so we've
learned like the townies and the locals
and stuff, but it's been really fun
in that, you guys know, because we've
obviously all met online, you see what
the brand looks like outside of the
four walls, but we are living the dream,
it's by no means easy because, we're
small business owners and we're doing
math and I'm getting texts from my team
when we're talking about stuff and it's
definitely the most stressed I've been
in my life, but also the most fun because
Angela: awesome.
Ally: I think this is the coolest stuff,
and EM's been there because we've recorded
the pod from there, you just see people
come in and look around and take it in,
and still the coolest stuff, much like
when you're at a soccer game and a parent
and a kid, or someone who's not quite a
fan, can't even be an adult, and you're
like, oh, you're about to get really
into this in the way that I'm into it.
Angela: Yeah.
Ally: the top, every day.
You see
Angela: Oh, that's so wonderful.
Ally: They'll bring it.
It's really cool when it's it's honestly,
it's usually daughters, whether it's a dad
or mom or, parental figure brings in and
the daughter's stoked on whatever it is.
This guy came in yesterday.
He's come in all the time.
I recognize him during the week.
He must come before work.
He's I just want to show my daughter
like something like this exists.
And she's
Angela: Oh, wow.
Yeah.
Wow.
Yeah.
Ally: Wilson, he's like showing them,
the different women on the wall, because
we purposely have, an even split, if not
more women on the wall, and he's I just
want her to show it, and she's oh, this
is really cool, so stuff like that, it's
been awesome, and you get to, it sounds
silly, but drink coffee and watch sports
and just nerd out with people, And people
coming in to be like, I never thought
I'd have somewhere, like how we all get
to like nerd out about soccer online.
People come in, they're like, I don't
have friends, like it's usually like older
folks that aren't like on Twitter, like I
don't have anyone to talk about like the
transfer portal or like who made the U.
S.
Olympic roster.
someone that I've met through the
shop, he came in yesterday, he's I
haven't seen you, I've been working.
He's let's talk about the roster.
So he like, We're sitting down having
coffee and he's what do you think?
And he's I'm a career Alex Morgan hater.
So I'm okay with not making it.
He's I can't say that to my friends.
Cause they're like, I don't know.
They don't know who Alex Morgan is.
it's fun.
Like you get to have conversations like
that, which the fact that obviously
we exist in one location currently.
There's so many people around
the country that have this.
They're like, man, I just want to talk
sports and drink coffee with friends,
there isn't a place to do that.
So hopefully,
Angela: that's me.
Ally: it's been
Angela: that person.
Let's hope that we all, that, like on
TV, this podcast makes us so rich and
then we'll just open a coffee shop
out here and then best of both worlds.
Ally: the plan.
I've had California friends be
like low key, like butt hurt
that I didn't open one back home.
I'm like, yeah, but you know
what rent's like in California.
Angela: was going to say it
costs, what, four times as much?
Like just for permits?
Ally: the tile of your car, all
of mine and EM's like children.
it's
Angela: Yeah.
Ally: It's aggressive.
EM: have to keep having them.
Yeah.
Angela: of
EM: Yeah.
Angela: are any of your kids
as into sports as you two are?
EM: her, she has one.
Ally: Yeah.
EM: My
Ally: yeah, EM's are, EM's kid
stories are my favorite because they
are like comedically into it because
her mom, their mom is into it.
My oldest is obsessed, in the way that
I was as a kid, and just both of them,
obviously being in the world that
we're in, they see the stuff we're
working on, they understand who the
99 Women's World Cup is, we've watched
all the stuff, so they understand
Angela: Oh, man.
Ally: but, I think I told the story on
R Pod, but my youngest, I was watching
the Warriors game, I forgot who they
were playing, and she, stopped, and she's
like, why are boys playing basketball?
Angela: Yes.
Ally: She didn't get it.
then same thing with my son, I was
watching Premier League, and he's oh,
it's not the Women's National Team?
And they just, walk down the hallway.
So they, definitely are sports fans.
They obviously lean women's sports just
because it's what's always on, what we're
always working on and talking about.
But my oldest is obsessed,
he has the get up.
He reminds me of me as a kid.
he gets the full, if he's into
a sport, he wants all the gear.
He wants to fill the part.
Angela: Oh, I love that.
Ally: so it's cool.
And then my oldest and one of Em's are,
like, separated at birth and they're both
EM: little buddies, yeah.
Yeah, I feel like mine, mine are,
Angela: buddies are
EM: they don't like me taking away from
their cartoon time to put it on the TV.
There's lots of whining when I do
that, but they like rooting against me.
So I'll be, they'll be
like, Mom, who's your team?
Who's your team that's playing?
I'll be like, oh, it's the
blue team, the Red Stars.
And they're like, okay, I
want the Houston Dash to win.
And I was like, okay, fine.
you're losing, so how does that feel?
there, yeah.
Ally: yeah.
Kids are funny.
my, the household is collectively,
grieving with me because Klay
Thompson's no longer a warrior.
Angela: Yeah.
Ally: I'm a huge fan of,
autograph basketball.
I'm, like, a diehard since he got drafted.
Angela: And it's like Texas of all places.
Like Dallas.
Ally: I know, it's cause taxes,
Angela: I, so dumb, but,
Ally: but yeah, we're like in a
grieving state, cause like I knew
it was coming, but they're all like,
Angela: Oh, man,
Ally: more.
Angela: That was me after
the Paige trade, just
EM: Oh, yeah.
Angela: scrolling sadly.
Ally: Yes.
I was so sad about the Paige trade.
I
Angela: We're still sad about it.
Ally: But honestly, I think the one, if
they ever traded Sydney, I think people,
Paige was a taste of what Angel City
fans would do, but if you guys ever,
if they got rid of, if you front office
listen to this, if you get rid of Sydney,
there will be riots in the street.
Angela: Yeah, a few players that
I think if anything happens, there
will be severe public outrage.
Mario: the transfer window is coming
up, and we do know that things need
to change, so I'm bracing for a storm?
Angela: Yeah.
Yeah, we'll see.
Mario: Because
Angela: I don't know.
Mario: I don't think it's just gonna
be like addition, just oh, we lost two
players, but here's one that we got.
It, I, the way we've
Angela: And
Mario: it
Angela: the hard part is that
I know it's not going to be the
players I want to be traded.
that's never how it works.
EM: Wait, what's your biggest
prediction that somebody's going?
Do you have a gut feeling
somebody's leaving?
Angela: No.
But, just trade wise, they'll be like,
we need more money in this, so bye!
EM: Oh,
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: yeah.
Ally: Yeah.
Mario: And knowing the way our
FO has been going, it's going
to be like, we need more money.
So here's two
Angela: Our best player, like
Mario: and then we get who's one
player as a replacement for four and
be like, yeah, that didn't do shit.
Angela: Yeah.
We'll see.
We'll see what happens.
They've got to figure out this.
Ally: you
Angela: Sale
Ally: see the Ali Riley quote?
From last night?
Or this morning?
Yeah.
And I was like, dang, they feel it.
Angela: Yeah.
players I don't know if you guys saw
Syd Leroux's Instagram post the other
day, like her stories, but she's
majority of the team has had to block
the team's social media accounts of the
vitriol that the players are receiving.
And it's the younger folks, it's
like, it's the Thompsons, it's Kennedy
Fuller, it's like the younger girls.
And I'm like, they're not even
full fledged adults, like their
brains aren't done developing
and they're just getting smashed.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Ally: to block like the Angel City handle
so they don't see people commenting?
EM: wow.
Angela: Yeah, it's actually really common
throughout women's sports, unfortunately,
there's different reasons why players
have blocked official accounts, there's
that, and then Kelsey Plum, when she
was coming up out of college, blocked
all of the official WNBA accounts
because they were only highlighting her
and other white players, and she was
like, absolutely not, and just blocked
all of them so they couldn't tag her!
EM: She's so real for that.
Wow.
Yeah.
Angela: All right.
So this Olympic business,
let's get into it.
Let's talk about it.
Let's have some fun.
So coming up at the, End of the
week that this episode drops.
Now that I am rearranging my words
as I speak, we are gonna be able to
check out the NBC Olympic coverage.
the broadcast schedule, the stations,
the times, everything will be on
the NBC Olympic website, which will
link to all of that good stuff.
Select matches for the women's soccer
tournament will air be airing on
Telemundo and Verso in Spanish, and
then on the USA network in English.
Get ready, y'all.
But the best part,
Mario: the best part is that
all matches for any sport,
Angela: sport, everything,
Mario: want to watch, regardless
if it's on broadcast TV, will
be available on Peacock, on the
Peacock app, will be streaming.
So you can watch it wherever you want,
as long as you have your subscription
ready on your phone, on your tablet,
on your, at your favorite coffee shop.
Angela: not even an, this isn't a or here.
It's you can have it on your TV.
You can have something else on your iPad.
You can have something else on your phone.
You can go somewhere where
something else is streaming.
You can just live your best Olympic life.
EM: I'm so excited.
Ally: take
EM: That's right.
Angela: Yeah.
EM: right.
NWSL Plus.
Mario: I know.
Angela: You tell them, EM.
Mario: hearing, hearing the
pod before, I know m has had
a, tough relationship with N
EM: They are dead to me.
I will, gosh, my love for the WNBA app is
at an all time high and my just hate for
the NWSL Plus is at also an all time high.
So,
Angela: my Amazon Prime hatred because
of what happened during the Aces game on
EM: I,
Angela: is
EM: technical difficulties,
get it together.
Angela: 10 minutes for like a whole
EM: I fell asleep.
Angela: Oh no.
EM: I didn't get to finish the game cause
I was waiting for it and I just zonked.
Angela: that's fair.
It was late there and it was stressful.
It's good that you maybe missed it.
You saved yourself some like
Mario: some
Angela: palpitations.
Yeah.
Not even trauma, just like stress.
Mario: Alright, yes, we are all
talking about Group A, which again
is France, Colombia, Canada, and New
Zealand, and to give you the rundown
of the first group matches for Group A
will be on Thursday the 25th, so this
actually, the soccer great goodness,
it to me on my streaming app begins
before We will The opening ceremonies.
So on Thursday, July 25th, will be at 8 a.
m.
will be Canada versus New Zealand, and
12 will be France versus, Colombia,
on Sunday, July 28th, will be 8 a.
m.
will be New Zealand versus Colombia,
and 12 will be France versus
Canada, and then the final Group
A match will be on Wednesday, July
31st, both at noon, Zealand versus
France, Columbia versus Canada.
All those times are Pacific times.
so for anybody listening
in Ohio, convert it back to
EM: Now hold on a second.
These 8 a.
m.
So we're talking about
the middle of the night.
8 a.
m.
Minus 3.
Angela: 8am Pacific.
Ally: Pacific.
Mario: Pacific.
Yeah.
EM: Okay, I'm back on.
I'm on track.
Angela: I'm just so happy because
these are in like, normal time frames,
given that the last games were in
Tokyo, but The Tokyo games are why
Eva and I got, or how Eva and I ended
up getting together, so it works out.
We'd stay up and watch the soccer matches
at 1 o'clock and 4 o'clock in the morning.
Ally: story?
Angela: pretty much.
Ally: Oh my god.
You need to be in an Olympic commercial.
EM: Yes.
Ally: needs to be a commercial.
I don't know if Hallmark or
whoever sponsors the Olympics.
that, again, our vibe is giving
away free marketing ideas.
That would be
EM: Full length movie.
I would watch that.
A full length movie.
Angela: we met in 2019
through a mutual friend.
And just it was like, oh, hey, cool,
nice to meet you, bye, see you later.
cool, you know somebody
else in LA kind of thing.
And then I reposted the
national team soccer schedule.
for the Tokyo games.
she messaged me and was like, Oh, dope.
thanks.
I've meant to look for
the schedule and I forgot.
now I know what time the games are.
I was like, Oh, are you gonna
watch the game tomorrow night?
And she was like, Yeah, I'm
like, I'm probably gonna stay up.
cool, me too.
Just let me know.
We can like, at least have somebody to
talk about because it's people don't
understand my commitment to international
sport tournaments of watching it.
you have to get up like rewatch.
I can't do that.
No, my genetic makeup.
So then we just talked.
for, I don't know, two weeks,
and then watched basketball
and volleyball and yeah.
And then she asked me out and
left for a music, like a tour
with a band for three weeks.
And then we went on our
first date after that.
Cute.
EM: That's a rollercoaster.
Ally: I know you.
I love that because it's also like
really cute that you met during like peak
sports stress because if your loved ones
Angela: Yeah.
Ally: during peak sports
stress, it's the one.
that's a true
Angela: like we both come
from baseball families too.
So and like big baseball
families, she's a Yankee fan.
I'm a Dodger fan.
We, all we know is sports
genetically at this point.
So
Ally: soulmate.
awesome.
That is cool.
For anyone listening, you too can meet
the love of your life this Olympic season.
We're
Angela: it's true.
Just go, especially if you're in
Ohio, if you go to state champs, it's
EM: I was gonna say, Ali,
you should a singles meetup.
Ally: on your story.
We've thought about it.
The team has asked because our
team is like college students.
They've wanted to do
Angela: Yeah,
EM: Like a mixer thing.
Ally: people.
Mario: Do it.
Ally: We should.
Angela: Angel City just did one on
Ally: Should do
Angela: yes, on Saturday.
Yeah.
Yesterday.
Mario: Yeah.
Yesterday.
Yeah.
Ally: And also, for those of
you not in Ohio, just post the
Angela: Yeah,
Ally: your story.
Post about it.
Angela: your people will find you,
Ally: They will.
They really will.
It's amazing.
Angela: and now you know.
Anyway, players, let's
talk about, about this.
we got all kinds of, world superstars
talk about Up and comers, stalwarts
of women's soccer, all kinds of stuff.
So we gave it to Em and Ali to
really give us their, There are
faves to watch, who they're looking
forward to seeing, so rock and roll.
Hit us with who you got.
EM: Okay.
So I had to start, we're
talking about France first.
Wendy Renard, to me, is the
face of French soccer, right?
I just feel like when I think of
French soccer, it's Wendy Renard.
She's 6'2 She is a center, yeah.
She's a center back.
Angela: She's great.
EM: I just feel like she is.
is French soccer.
Ali, you got anything?
Ally: yes, she's French soccer.
I always get excited
when I see a tall soccer
EM: Right?
Ally: I don't
Angela: Same.
Ally: I just, it feels rare to me.
I don't know.
It just does.
It's very noticeable, right?
what I love about her, Wes, I
see, when I think France soccer,
French soccer, I think her.
I also love the fact that
she's the same age as us,
EM: Yes.
Ally: just so you it up
EM: We love old soccer players.
Ally: get, excited about ages.
She's the same age,
holding it down for the 30
EM: That's right.
Ally: that for us.
But she just looks if they were to also
cast a movie about French soccer, she is,
she exudes it and is also, really frickin
EM: Yeah.
Ally: I'm
Angela: Yeah.
EM: She holds down the defense.
I feel like when you, I can think of
off the top of my head, Taylor Flint.
Who are the other tall soccer players?
That are over six, six foot.
Taylor Flint, Wendy Renard, is that it?
Angela: That's a good question.
How tall is Barbara Bondo?
EM: I don't think she's over six foot.
Ally: question.
Angela: I don't think so either.
She's probably my height,
which is just under six
EM: Ooh!
Ally: She's 5'10
Angela: Oh,
EM: She's 5'10
Angela: Bondo and I are the same height.
Ally: You're
EM: Ah, I wish I was 5'10 Gosh.
Angela: I'm a tall.
EM: You're tall.
Ally: a tall, I'm
Angela: I'm a tall.
Yeah.
Yeah.
EM: Gosh.
Okay.
Angela: Yeah.
EM: do you wanna go back and forth?
Or do you wanna just run down my list?
Angela: that's, you can
run down yours, I'll just
EM: Pepper in.
Angela: cause a lot of our,
I did a shortlist, because I
knew you two would have more,
EM: I just picked my favorites.
Angela: deep dives, I knew
there'd be overlap, so do, haha.
Mario: cause in, true to the
name of Casual FC, I'm the one
really learning about all of
this, so I'm just soaking it in.
so a lot of this does come from Angela.
EM: Okay, so one of my favorite, players
on the French team is Kadidia Toudiani,
and she has the most magnificent braids.
Sometimes she'll have, gray in her
braids, and I think with the blue
French uniforms, she looks flawless.
Angela: Oh, it looks
EM: So good.
she also plays for Lyon, I forgot
to say Wendy plays for Lyon as well.
she had eight goals.
Last season.
and she also had some goals
in the last World Cup.
Like she is somebody
you got to look out for.
Angela: Yep.
Ally: No, I, I've affectionately
called her, for people that try
to get into, or in, the W, but
they're not into the WOSO world yet.
if you, if ma future episode
idea, you can map, similarities.
I feel like if you're, like, an
Aaliyah Boston fan, for those
Angela: Yeah.
Ally: she is
Angela: a really good comparison.
Ally: look like, they look alike, too.
their vibe is similar.
couldn't tell you how tall she is, sorry.
EM: Yeah,
Angela: Probably
EM: probably not.
Yeah.
Leah Boston's so tall.
She's so tall.
Ally: and Scott, I don't know, and I
don't know if, there's any crossover,
if she could play basketball and,
Aaliyah could play soccer, who knows.
yeah, similar, I would say, if you're
looking for someone that is feeling that,
I want to get in women's soccer, but I
only really know, W, if you're looking for
the Aaliyah Boston equivalent on the WOSO
side, I feel like she's your best bet.
EM: Yeah,
Angela: That's
EM: she's a fun player to watch.
She's a, yeah.
my next one is Marie Antoinette Catoto is
one, the best name in the entire world.
She plays for PSG.
she had 11 goals.
She's a goal scoring machine.
She is coming off of, not coming off of,
but she recently went through an injury.
I don't know if it was an ACL,
but it was a long term injury.
and so she's making her way back,
obviously with 11 goals, so I hope,
hopefully, we're going to see her
score some goals this Olympics.
I
Angela: I feel like this group
is going to have a million goals
EM: hope, I love this French team.
Angela: France, Canada, even New Zealand,
gonna, they're gonna light it up.
All four of these teams.
It's going to be probably
the highest scoring, group.
I think so.
Yeah.
EM: Lots of firepower,
Angela: only because, each
team has a reason to go hard.
Ally: Yeah.
Angela: France, in general, they
have a lot of players who are
getting to the point of, this
might be their last Olympics.
coach is stepping away to, who
knows, maybe come to San Diego.
It's a rumor, whatever, nobody knows.
there's a lot on the line for them.
Plus, they've had maybe some not great
showings over the last few years,
so I think that's, another push.
Columbia is just Columbia.
EM: right?
Angela: they're going to disrupt everyone.
Canada,
Ally: there's something to
being in your home country for
an Olympics that you have to,
Angela: Oh, a hundred percent.
That's why like the Tillys
went so far with the World Cup.
Like it's different when it's
on like your home fields.
EM: Yeah.
Angela: At least it would be for me.
I'm, I'm speaking from
experience, but hell yeah.
Ally: Yeah.
Angela: If I'm playing at home in
front of my own like people, much as
I will critique America, like this
is my, I'm the most patriotic I will
ever be in my entire life, like USA.
screeching version of
EM: Yes.
Mario: not to derail the
WOSO conversation, but it
wasn't true for the men's, U.
S.
team.
Angela: that, that team doesn't,
that team doesn't count.
EM: That's not, yeah, I don't,
Mario: okay.
EM: I couldn't, I can name
one player, that's it.
Angela: them.
Ally: yeah, they're no count.
They don't have the stars,
so they don't count.
EM: Alright, Angela, tell me more about
this rumor, because Herve Renard is the
French, The French coach who said he's
gone after the Olympics, and I really
like him, so tell me this San Diego thing.
Angela: to think that it, they
might be like trying to recruit him.
I don't know how, what the terminology
is for coaches, but it's oh, I wonder if
he's gonna come to San Diego and then.
It was, he announced his, retirement from
French team, I don't know what to call it,
EM: Departure.
Yeah.
Angela: with, yeah, he announced
that, and then I think it was the same
day that the Casey Stoney situation
happened, but I don't know, I, I don't
EM: Wow.
Angela: walk into that, frankly, given
everything that's going on in San Diego
right now, I'd be like, no thanks,
EM: Yeah.
Ally: On a side note, not to be
this person, I don't really know
if, I've ever seen him outside
from, on the side of the pitch.
He is, what exactly I would
picture a French man to
Angela: thank you.
EM: Yeah.
Angela: With his open, crisp,
white shirt, big collar,
EM: Yes.
Mario: you Google
Angela: belongs on a yacht
EM: He comes up.
Angela: the French Riviera.
that's, I don't understand
anything else, but yes.
Ally: Yeah,
Angela: I sound a little ignorant?
Yes.
But, what else has France
given me to tell me I'm wrong?
Ally: is, we're from, we're obviously
recording from the States, we have Emily
in Paris, that's like the extent, we
have Lauren can't go to Paris in the
hills, so our knowledge is very limited,
this is what I imagine a Frenchman
looks like, he looks like Gabrielle
from Emily in Paris, grown up, this is,
EM: Rugrats in Paris.
Ally: I like San Diego.
Let's go to
EM: Yes.
That's it.
That's all I got.
Yeah.
Angela: Yeah.
Ally: yeah.
don't go to San Diego.
Not yet.
Angela: No.
EM: keep
Ally: figure out their
EM: first.
Angela: Yeah, they gotta
figure some stuff out.
Make sure people are okay.
But, back to French soccer.
pick to talk about was Eugenie Le
Somer, who's also playing for the
Reign right now on the loan from Lyon,
who the most decorated goal scorer.
She's the, leading
scorer across in France.
Men's, women's, doesn't matter.
Most goals scored in soccer
history, which is bonkers.
EM: I love her so much.
Angela: to win
EM: I love her so much.
Like, when she played
for, I guess it was O.
L.
Reign at the time, I did not know who
she was and she had this goal that
was the prettiest goal I've ever seen.
Angela: She just finesses it.
she's, it's different.
her way of playing feels very, what
we know as, stereotypically French.
very, it's swirly.
I don't know how to explain this.
it feels like she plays in cursive.
Ally: Yeah, it
Angela: I don't, it,
Ally: It's
Angela: yeah.
Ally: almost like say
ballet, but like it just
Angela: Yeah.
Ally: like I don't know.
Angela: Yes.
Ally: It's early ish.
Adjectives are not a
thing right now for us.
EM: If you could play in a French
accent, that's what it would be.
Angela: yeah, she plays
in with a French accent.
Absolutely.
That's 100 percent what it is.
Thank you for
EM: Yes.
Angela: exactly what's happening
Ally: You
Angela: my brain.
Ally: this game without,
thinking of Angela saying she
can't do the French accent.
It's
amazing.
Angela: Sorry, not sorry.
Ally: Great.
That's fantastic.
Angela: So for those of you who
didn't listen to, missed out on our
preview episode where we talked about
Paige and Amandine Henry, right?
14 seconds before the frickin
trade, which I'm, I still have
feelings about, but Mandy, as she's
affectionately known only in the U.
S.
Nobody else calls her Mandy, but us.
the nickname, I know, the nickname
came from her time in Portland on
the Thorns before she left the NWSL.
and rightfully given what was
happening in Portland at the time.
but she is a fantastic
midfielder, world class player,
has won just about every level.
I want to, I don't know if she's, I don't
think she's medaled in the Olympics, I
would love to see her get a medal, she's
of those players that's in the twilight
of their international career, so it's
get this girl some medal, get this girl
some hardware, come on, her ponytail,
she's aggressive in the right way,
she's just freaking good, that's all.
I'm glad she's on this roster, because
Like I said, I think there's a lot of
changes that are going to be happening
for French soccer I think that having her
help usher in a new, generation of players
is going to be fantastic for the culture.
Ally: Yeah,
EM: Yeah, I just really
Ally: bummed about the trade,
Angela: So is our midfield.
Just,
EM: Utah, of all places.
What's a French woman gonna do in Utah?
Angela: yeah, we'll talk about that
EM: Okay.
Angela: Alright, so Columbia.
I feel like Columbia is a thorn in
most teams, like other international
teams aside, due to their youth,
due to their skill, their ability to
disrupt, aggressive play, but so good.
Ally: so
EM: Columbia is one of those teams
that is so unafraid that they
will openly tussle with people
that are a head taller than them.
Columbia is one of those teams that the U.
S.
almost gets into a fight
with every time they play.
Ally: Yes.
Columbia has that, we all, we've obviously
all been to school, we're adults.
You know that kid in class that, doesn't
understand their size but has, six foot
EM: huh.
Ally: given away the confidence of I know
you're half my size, but you scare me.
Angela: Yeah.
Ally: the best way.
they give no Fs.
Angela: they have like
small dog, big bite energy.
Ally: love it.
Angela: it's like they're the size of,
a smaller terrier, but will run over
you like a full strength, beautiful,
Ally: Yeah,
Angela: want to say a pit bull
because I don't want people to
think I don't like pit bulls because
they're just big old land hippos, but
Ally: they are.
Angela: strong, muscly
dogs that are scary.
Like, where you're, like, intimidated
because give off that vibe, where
you're like, oh, you have no fear, you
are all gas, no brakes, you, you'll,
Mario: ones that are scrappy
that you got to worried of.
EM: Until
Angela: And I think
they're definitely on the
EM: yeah, until you've been chased by a
miniature schnauzer, you do not know fear.
miniature schnauzers, with
their little beards and their
little legs, can climb trees!
You gotta get up in that tree!
And that is what Columbia is.
Mario: story here.
EM: My, one of my neighbors
had a miniature schnauzer.
That was so mean.
That thing was terrifying.
And that's Columbia.
Ally: Columbia.
Angela: yeah, I do too.
Ally: but I feel like for people that
are like, I want to get into soccer,
and I don't really know where to
start, I feel like Columbia is one
that, if you saw them, in the wild,
or watching them, you caught a glimpse
of their game, you, that, that's the
team that could get you excited about.
Angela: Yeah,
Ally: soccer.
Angela: really draw people in,
Ally: Yeah.
EM: You root for that.
Angela: as a club,
Ally: really
Angela: as a country.
Yes!
Ally: with, they make such, I don't know,
obviously it's probably not the team, but
Angela: It's because it's Adidas.
Ally: Truly.
EM: Yes, I am so bummed.
Angela: They have Adidas kits, so they
have cool ones, not just white with spots.
I'm so disappointed in Nike kits.
as I look up and I see my plain
white US jerseys, which is
the red and blue cuff, cool.
Thanks.
EM: Yes.
Angela: Thanks for this
venture that you had.
Ally: Nike gives like this is for
any other designer or anyone that
has to do something like a lot of
Nike's kids just give the energy of
the client asked for 100 I got tired
after two so I just started like
copying the file and tweaking slightly.
That's
Angela: Yes.
Ally: Nike does for their kids.
Adidas is like clearly Take in all the
espresso shots and Adderall and they
just came up with a bunch of cool stuff.
Angela: Yeah.
Ally: Adidas
Angela: Like those Japan
kits from the World Cup?
Ugh.
The Cherry Blossom kit?
come on.
Ally: So good.
Columbia will look good and they
will put up a showing, especially
Angela: Yeah, they will.
Ally: like, they're playing
the home team, right?
It's Olympics, I know it's international,
but they're playing the home team.
Columbia wants to make a
statement with this game.
Angela: Absolutely.
They do not back down, from any matchup.
It's like you said, they look at you
and say, all right, we sized you up.
Cool.
Now what?
I'm excited because
Linda said, Caisedo, it's
EM: Caisedo, yeah.
Angela: right?
Caisedo, yeah.
she, if for anyone who's, newer
to this, has never watched really
international woe, so attention to you
will watch her for another 15 years.
Easy.
She debuted for The club she was playing
with at is gone from my brain at 14.
So she started playing like senior level.
no, before then.
Ally: Oh, okay.
Angela: Yeah.
Like debuted at 14 as a professional.
Insane.
Ally: Insane.
Angela: Her family has been
interviewed and quoted saying that
she just wanted to play football so
badly she would kick around any toy.
Dolls, like anything.
like that alone, it's the way that
mean, we'll probably talk about
this on a future Olympic episode or
Ain't, preview for playoff soccer,
but, Barbara Bondo was a boxer.
Where do you think her
footwork comes from?
It's that kind of thing where it's
the more diversity in your sports
or in your upbringing you have,
the more creative your game can be.
So she's just fantastic and she's flashy.
She's one of those players that
like, for the more old school
soccer fans, probably is irritating.
Because it's not that traditional,
this is the beautiful game.
This is how we play.
She's just no, we don't do that.
We don't have to do that anymore.
it doesn't have to be the same thing that
we've been doing for hundreds of years.
we can be creative.
We can be inventive.
We can be exciting on the pitch.
she played in three Cups in a year,
going up through the, through the
like U 14, U 17, U 20, and then like
professional ranks, that's insane.
Ally: I don't know if you guys knew this.
I, one of the, I looked
her up at one point.
she's a cancer survivor.
So she's yeah, apparently, and
I was fact checking right now
to make sure I didn't misspeak.
She, at 15, she got
Angela: whoa.
Ally: survived.
she's seen a lot of life.
Angela: Yeah.
Ally: she goes back to giving it your all.
that's you do with international soccer.
Angela: Yeah.
Ally: in your life, and
she's just so fun to watch.
random tangent, do you ever,
do you see her ever coming
stateside and playing with NWSL?
Ever?
Angela: Oh, that would be amazing.
We'd have to pay a whole bunch of money,
EM: She plays.
Angela: I don't know, because I
feel like the NWSL right now is bit,
is leveling up in a different way.
Like the league we knew and
the league we are turning into,
we're in that transition phase.
is something I talk about, what teams
are going to get left behind, because
every league has that, where a few teams
don't jump on that boat initially, and
then it's like, what happened to you?
Ally: Yeah.
Angela: takes them years to rebuild.
Just saying, intent to possibly
sway some FO members, hello,
please, don't let us fall behind.
But, you have Brazzalambia Orlando,
you have, Incredible international
players across this league.
it wouldn't surprise me.
I think they would just have
to pay her a good amount.
EM: I would love to see it.
Angela: closer to home.
Ally: Cleveland, we
Angela: Oh,
Ally: Cleveland.
Cleveland,
Angela: yeah.
Ally: look at Em's face.
that would be, we talked about could there
be like a Caitlin Clarke person at NWSL?
I'm gonna manifest this
EM: Oh, yes.
Yeah.
Ally: Cleveland, we could
have the C play on words.
Angela: Yeah.
Little CC logo.
Ally: her, she'd
Angela: Yeah,
EM: She's only 19.
Angela: that
EM: Yeah.
She's got a long, hopefully,
career ahead of her.
Ally: love it here.
Mario: There's
Angela: You have the humidity, like
it's similar climate wise, just
EM: would.
Definitely need a vitamin D supplement.
For sure.
Ally: always said that Cleveland
is the Columbia of Ohio.
We've always said
EM: Absolutely.
That is something I am on record saying.
Yeah,
Angela: Ali, you're going to
start just making sure you have
Colombian coffee constantly.
see, we support all different.
Ally: I will embrace it, you guys.
Angela: Yeah.
Ally: Columbia.
I'll put this now, because I
honestly, would love someone
of that caliber to play here.
If she comes It's documented.
I'll get, I don't know, I'm not even
Colombian, I'm Mexican and Spanish, but
I'll get the Colombian flag tattooed.
That's how much I would commit to
the cause, which my ancestors would
be like, are you a Shakira fan?
Angela: Yeah, maybe What about it?
Ally: yeah,
EM: I would go with
you to the appointment.
I wouldn't get it tattooed,
but I'll go with you.
Ally: yeah, just make sure they get the,
just make sure they do the colors in the
EM: Oh gosh, I'd have to
look it up multiple times.
Angela: can do content
creation while you're
EM: That's right.
Angela: your tattoo.
Ally: But she is amazing, and
I'm excited to see her play.
I'm excited, again, I just get
stoked when players have, more
eyes on them, because they
Angela: Yeah.
Ally: not the average person
doesn't watch international soccer.
Angela: Not here.
Ally: if people can see, yeah, not
in the States especially, if the
States can get excited, because then
that'll get people being like, hey,
wow, I can really see, Ramirez at my
favorite club, and then I momentum
EM: Linda Caicedo has a
huge TikTok following.
she might be over a million now.
Angela: I believe
EM: It's, I don't know if it's just being
19 and that's what young kids do now.
she's obviously a very famous athlete, but
they do the little, the Paige Beckers kind
of style of like very relaxed dancing.
but people eat that up.
So yeah.
so I, I did, there are some other
players that I like on Columbia.
Manuela Venegas is a defender
and she plays also in Spain.
Lucy Santos is a midfielder, and she
had a goal against England in the World
Cup, and then, Mayra Ramirez plays for
Chelsea, and she's like their, to me,
the biggest club name on their team.
Real Madrid is where Caicedo
plays, but when you see Chelsea,
I feel like you pay attention.
So that's their big signing.
Angela: Especially for women's
soccer, the way like Barcelona and
Real Madrid are in the men's game.
I feel like that's how Chelsea
EM: Yeah.
Angela: Chelsea and Arsenal are for women
EM: Yeah.
her transfer fee was a big deal.
Like I think it was, it led
the charge at that time.
Angela: Yeah.
Yeah.
I have a feeling Columbia is
going to upset at some point,
EM: I hope so.
Angela: probably if they make it out
of the group, them upsetting somebody,
EM: That would be great.
Angela: right?
I feel like all of these groups
are so insane, they're so
difficult, ugh, see what happens.
Who knows?
EM: Yes.
Angela: Alright, our
neighbors to the north,
EM: Our neighbors to
the north, I feel like
Angela: time,
EM: has had a tumultuous go of it
just because of their funding issues,
like their own organizational issues,
where it trickles down to players.
It's stressful for the players
because then they have to negotiate
in a way, you spent all our money
on the men's team, and now you're
saying you don't have any for us.
And I think that is so wrong, because
these are the defending gold medalists.
These are the Olympic champions,
and you got them stressed out.
Angela: like for
EM: For what?
they're the all,
Angela: what?
EM: yeah, so my favorites, actually I have
a few, because I know a lot, we're from
America, so we know a lot about Canada.
Khadija Buchanan is the, center
back, she also plays for Chelsea.
I feel like she, the buck stops with her.
She's just that back line.
The other side, I don't know, you
guys are the Vanessa Gilles experts,
so maybe you want to talk about her.
Angela: not really, she was only with
us for three quarters of a season
and then we've never seen her again.
Ally: see her, I have, weirdly, seeing
her name, evoke something in me where I'm,
Angela: Mhm.
Ally: bitter.
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: same.
Ally: I'm truly because
she dipped so fast.
Angela: Yeah.
Ally: really wanted to be here.
I'm sorry if you happen to hear this.
This is from a fan.
I just had that experience, and just, she
didn't seem like she wanted to be here.
EM: You're kidding.
Angela: think it was, I think Angel City
wound up being more of like a jumping off
point than of us But honestly, even her.
I think it was like, okay, cool.
And I don't know if it was gonna happen.
I don't think she thought it
was gonna happen this fast.
like the loan and like jumping to Lyon.
Mario: in the documentary, you can
like, as they were like interviewing
her, pre everything, like she was
already like one foot out the door.
So yeah, we've, she's Angel City
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: because we hold the
contract, but that's about it.
And
Angela: I don't know if we're
gonna hold that much longer.
Mario: Yeah, everybody
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: her coming back.
And I'm like,
Ally: vibe that she was just
EM: She enjoys speaking French.
Angela: excited to come back.
Yeah, I think she enjoys being French
Ally: Yeah, I just
Angela: or French
EM: French Canadian.
Ally: I feel like she always, had a
foot out the door, just was checked out.
the co worker that you're like,
oh, you're looking for a new job.
I can tell, you're not really
present in the meeting.
again,
Angela: Yeah,
Ally: soccer player, but I guess
that's just, again, bitter sports fan.
I'm like, I just feel like
Angela: I know.
And all of that could just,
it's just speculation and
it's just because we're mad.
Ally: I know.
This is our trauma talking, Vanessa.
we're just upset that you left us.
We didn't
Angela: we just miss you.
Ally: that's really what
EM: It comes from a place of pain.
Ally: text back.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Left us on read.
EM: Well,
Ally: good, she's frickin talented,
and she goes hard for Canada,
EM: yeah.
Angela: Yeah, I feel like, too,
this is the passing of the torch
for Canada, player wise, Sync is no
longer with the team after retiring
from international play, somebody
EM: Sophie Schmidt,
Angela: me right now.
Yes, thank you.
Thank you for reading my mind.
I appreciate that.
very much what we're doing now
with the national team for the U.
S.
it's this changing of the guard, the
next generation, and I just hope that I
don't even want to talk about the U.
S.
national team right now.
I just hope that they have a good
showing, but they don't beat us ever.
Because If it comes down to U.
S.
and Canada, like I said, I will bring out
all of the red, white, and blue everything
that I own, which is not a lot, but it
will be all of it, and I will be like, U.
S.
forever.
Yeah,
Ally: we're all going
to our local Old Navy.
So fun.
Angela: I'm buying a flag t shirt,
some flip flops, some Bermuda plaid
shorts, I am America embodied.
Ally: personal when it's Canada US.
Angela: Yeah,
absolutely.
But the hard part is that their team
is so good and so easy to cheer for.
Ally: yeah, a lot of
their players play in,
Angela: Play here.
Yeah.
Ally: I love Jess Fleming, and
I'm like, okay, but I can't
love you in the Olympics.
I'll see you after
Angela: how I feel about Quinn.
I love watching Quinn
play, but please don't.
EM: not against us.
Ally: don't do it.
Angela: Yeah, not against us.
please just, can you just
sit down, game, please?
like Quinn's the first out trans non
binary athlete to compete at this
level, to win a medal at this level, and
then specifically to win a gold medal.
that's just amazing.
And then the fact that we have another,
Trans non binary athlete in the track
and field world doing the same thing
and paving that road, so frickin pumped.
So pumped about track and
EM: Wait, no, did you see their TikTok?
Yeah.
Angela: Oh,
EM: Oh, I loved it.
Angela: Yes, I
EM: Is
Angela: I like that TikTok?
That's why I don't want to talk
to the national team right now.
Ally: You guys, I would love to be a
fly on the wall at Olympic Village.
Angela: Please,
Ally: I'd
Angela: please.
Ally: break room at the Olympic Village.
Angela: I would like to be one of those,
cafeteria trays that gets passed around.
I want, just let me eavesdrop
on everything, but I want, I
need like a decoder so I can
understand every language.
Ally: Oh yeah,
Mario: need a Babelfish.
Ally: for sure, yeah.
Mario: You need a Babelfish.
Stick that thing in your ear.
You'll be good.
EM: that a real thing?
Is it not a real thing?
The thing in your ear?
It's not?
Mario, what's the, is,
you said a Babel fish?
What's a Babel fish?
Mario: Yeah.
Ally: an app?
Isn't that like a Duolingo thing?
Mario: No, it's a thing from
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
it's the thing that
EM: Oh.
Mario: that he puts into his ear and
It takes your brainwaves of stuff that
you don't understand, like different
languages, and it poops out, conscious
things that you can understand.
So that's how, they get around it
in the book and in the movie that
they can, understand all the alien
languages is the fact that, and
everybody speaks English, is the fact
that he has a Babel fish in his ear.
Sorry, my
Angela: We just nerded out so hard.
I,
Ally: you
Angela: Mario went,
Ally: FC for pop culture
obscure references like this?
Because I will listen.
I will learn
EM: I'm sorry.
Angela: that, Mario, you
need to do that with Eva.
You and Eva would have that on lock,
and I like, I don't know what this is.
EM: The premise of this is you stick a
fish in your ear, the fish listens to
the language, and then in your head,
Mario: yeah.
EM: that's wild.
Angela: I just don't, the way
you feel about frog's alley
is how I feel about fish.
I know, I don't,
Ally: though, because there's more of
those, I think, in the, everyday life.
As
Angela: that's why I
don't interact with them.
Ally: you, as you should.
Angela: Yeah, I had a full panic
attack in the Natural History Museum
in New York because I wound up in the,
underwater room and it's really dark
and it's got, wooshy music happening
and there's a life sized version of
a blue whale, kelp, it's beautiful.
And I'm like, this is my nightmare.
And I'm, like, trying to get out.
I open this door to go through a hallway
because it's, like a maze going through
there and it's literally just a hallway
full of, birds, like everything I don't
like and I'm like, I'm texting my mom,
I'm like, I can't get the map to load,
can you go and get me out of here?
I full on had to go to
like a, what is it called?
like just an open area and
just breathe a little bit.
I'm like, okay, I'm not gonna die,
I'm not getting smashed by the weight
of the water because it's fake.
I had to talk myself down
because I got lost in the museum.
EM: aren't scared enough about the ocean.
Mario: I've never had I've never had
that before, but there was that one,
YouTuber that did like the four hour
long thing on the Star Wars Hotel,
and one of the things, because it's a
freaking bunker, it's essentially like
a concrete bunker, for people that might
have that freak out moment, there is a,
there was a garden a botanical garden,
which was the only outdoor space where
you can actually see the sky, it was
Angela: Oh my god,
Mario: like a big garden.
That's where all the green plants were.
So if you freaked out and you needed some
fresh air because you were in a bunker,
like that was the room you would go to.
It would be like, okay, I can see the sun.
I'm okay.
Angela: I would just be there constantly.
Ally: Yeah, I don't, I need
to be where there's light.
That's ever, so I, Ohio has basements,
which is another adjustment.
I need light.
I need to see the sun.
I'm
Angela: Yeah.
Ally: the apocalypse.
that's the takeaway here.
I'm not built for, I,
I'm high maintenance.
I need sunlight the sky.
It can be overcast, that's fine.
Angela: Yeah, I just need to be able to
know that the sky is like right there.
Ally: so Canada.
EM: Oh yeah, Canada, back to Canada.
Okay, so what I'm really excited about
is Julia Grosso is rumored to be joining
the Chicago Red Stars, and she is a
Canadian midfielder, and the Red Stars
Angela: I think that trade is completed.
Ally: let's
EM: time we checked it was just a rumor.
Ally: Yeah, it's still
just a rumor, I think.
Let's see.
Yeah, I don't know if it's like a fish.
Six days ago, it was CBS
Angela: it's probably just paperwork
because of the holiday here,
EM: Okay.
So I can be even more excited
because the Red Stars need a little
bit of help in their midfield.
And she will provide that.
Angela: Yeah, she will.
EM: She will.
And then the Ohio State
alum, Nichelle Prince.
So OHIO, go Bucs.
Ally: you gotta root for
the, you gotta root for her.
You
EM: We have to.
Ally: It's a
EM: Yeah.
Angela: That's, I feel like Canada,
Canada is, I think, the team to beat
EM: You think so?
Ally: Really?
Angela: Yeah, because, Columbia
is going to be the disruptor.
think New Zealand borders
on that disruption as well.
I want them to make it out of the
groups, which we'll talk about in a
EM: Yeah.
Angela: But I think Canada doesn't
necessarily skate through, but I
think Canada has the team and the
team has played together enough
in different ways to really make
the push to get out of the groups.
Ally: I think Canada's the team that the
others are like, we have to beat them.
Angela: Exactly.
Ally: have to beat to get out of
Angela: Yeah.
Ally: yeah, know that's the.
Angela: Yeah.
Because so many people
on Canada can score.
granted, it's like that for every
team, it's the freaking Olympics,
but Canada, have defenders who can
score midfielders, who can score.
Like everybody on that team is a
EM: Mhm.
Angela: And I think that's
the difference that takes them
to the next level right now.
Oh,
EM: Tell me, okay, so I
adore Bev Priestman so much.
Tell me your opinion.
Angela: I don't know if I
EM: No.
Angela: I don't know if
I've thought about it.
EM: I just really liked, I really
appreciated her attitude going into
their gold medal run in the last
Olympics, change the color of the
medal and like really, to me, Canada's
not even in the running for the gold
medal, going into that Olympics.
And, yeah, I feel like she really
believed in her team to get
there and I just really liked it.
Angela: yeah.
That's, I forgot, I'd
EM: Yeah, she was,
Angela: Yeah, I think
they have what it takes.
I just don't know if they're gonna,
get through some of the other, Spain.
EM: oh yeah, Spain,
Angela: Japan.
Ally: Yeah.
Yeah.
EM: yeah, they're always a problem.
All right, do we want to
talk about New Zealand?
Angela: Yeah.
All right.
Let's
EM: Let's do it.
Angela: can we save Ali Riley for last?
Just so I don't cry.
Ally: Yes.
New Zealand, for me, is the team I
really, again, to talk about Ali Riley,
I love New Zealand because of her.
really want them to do great.
they, I don't know, I'm just rooting
for them to just do, just to get,
just make it out of this group.
I think you said that, just
get out of this somehow.
Angela: Yeah.
Ally: because I feel like they've
just had, I don't know, I feel
like they haven't really had,
a further along international
presence, does that make sense?
Angela: Yeah,
Ally: And
Angela: they're, they circulate in the
groups and they do really well, but they
haven't been able to take that next step.
I would love to see them
make it out of the groups.
for caps, probably last ride.
I know.
I know.
I didn't, I don't want to talk about it.
Mario: don't know, Angela is famous for,
Ally: are you gonna
EM: go ahead.
Mario: I was gonna say, if
you guys don't know, Angela is
famous for crying on the pod.
Angela: I just love women's sports.
It's
so stupid.
Mario: I, we were joking about
doing a bingo card next year of
like, how many times she cries.
Angela: Yeah.
EM: I cry all the time.
it's
Angela: I cry as much as
Ali Riley does like a lot.
Ally: is our
EM: she is.
Ally: for New Zealand, EM, I have
to ask, did you put Millie on
because you're secretly a racing
EM: Stop it.
Listen, okay.
Millie, I put Millie on because,
Millie doesn't get a ton of
playing time with racing.
She's only 18.
I think she's one of
those development players.
But she's a striker and I wanted
to talk about Hannah Wilkinson.
who is their, Alex Morgan esque player.
She's their striker.
She had a goal in the World
Cup that was really big.
125 caps is not on this roster.
And she really didn't know that she
wasn't going to be on this roster.
Angela: That's just insane
EM: I don't know.
And the, so they've also had some kind of
turmoil in their club where their coach
was on leave under an investigation of,
I don't know how they worded it, but not
good behavior in the club environment.
Angela: for
EM: For cause, yeah.
And, they have been, I don't know, not
cleared, but gone through the remedial
whatever it is, and I guess they could
have come back, but then they decided, no,
you're gonna come back after the Olympics.
So the person that's actually
at the helm is this gentleman
named Michael, is it Mayne?
EM A Y N E.
I don't know how to, Mayne?
I'm not sure exactly how to say it, but
he's gonna be the head coach through the
Olympics, which I think is it's great in
the fact that the organization is taking
whatever happens seriously, but I don't
think it's great, stability sake, it's, it
would be better to have your head coach,
a good head coach that wasn't making
environments bad through the whole thing.
I don't know, I don't know
what's gonna happen with that.
Angela: Apparently that's a big ask
still to have a coach or a head coach.
Federation that isn't making things
insanely difficult and yeah, I,
we didn't talk about it too much,
but we mentioned it with Canada.
France has had their issues.
I'm sure Columbia has had federation is
struggling to do right by their community.
They're women's teams.
And I'm sure, honestly, I'm sure
it's the same on the men's side.
They just don't want to talk about it
because men be mennin Sorry, Mario.
Ally: Yeah, no offense, Mario.
Mario: I get it
like I, we, yeah.
We do some stupid shit,
EM: yeah, I am just proud of the women's
teams that do stand up and we didn't
really talk about the French teams.
Wendy Renard said she would not
come in if their old coach, and
now I forget her name, Diakra,
Angela: Yeah,
EM: she would not come in.
Angela: of players
EM: Yes, and it worked, and that's why I
like Renard so much, is because some of
the interviews he gave afterwards were so
good, and what he had to say were so good,
and so if he ends up in San Diego, good.
Angela: Is there anybody else you,
y'all want to talk about on New Zealand?
EM, you had listed a couple
EM: Oh, okay, so Jackie Hand is a
player who plays for Lewis FC, and I
found out that their stadium is called
the Dripping Pan, and I love that.
And they're also the only team that
plays their men's team, pays their men's
team and their women's team equally.
And I was like, I need to know everything.
I need to know everything about this club.
Ally: Love it.
That's how
Angela: The dripping pan?
EM: Pan.
Angela: in such amazing
cultural references for this
EM: Love it.
Angela: love it.
Ally: too?
It's Lewis?
I never knew that.
Mario: I will say EM.
Listening to their podcast, EM.
comes with the, best.
if we're talking
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: trivia podcast.
We're just gonna open it up
to, random anything podcast.
And I think EM.
would just be, like, right there with us.
Because.
She,
Angela: EM, I feel like you and Yeah.
Ally: Yeah, it's
Angela: You and my fiancée Eva, she calls
herself a human junk drawer because she's
I just have so many things in my head.
And I was like, that's
EM: Yes,
Mario: Yeah.
EM: I would love to be
a human junk drawer.
Ally: is Em just knows things.
Angela: yeah.
Ally: Em is, we're all driving together
Thursday, and Em, her text to ask me
if she could drive with us, because
Em, overthinks and I love her for it.
She was like, can I please come?
I'll come with pre made topics.
I have all these things, I'll have
conversation starters, I have questions
to ask, or I can just be totally
silent, I'm good with that too, and
then I was like, yeah, we're like, of
course you, we'll drive, yes, we'll go
together, and she's I feel like Donkey
asking Shrek if I can stay at a swamp,
EM: Can I stay with you please,
Angela: sweet.
Ally: but I'm so excited for her
topics, to, knowing random stuff, Em is
gonna bring it for the six hour drive,
EM: Yeah.
I'm really excited.
Mario: I did, I totally didn't want to
like, put more on, because we already
asked a lot of you guys for this, but
I was like, can we get an EM quiz?
Like, I wanted to do
EM: You should have told me next time.
Next time I'll make a quiz.
Angela: What if, yeah, next time
you have to make a quiz and then
we'll do it, we'll do a two parter
where we can put like questions
on Instagram and have a live quiz.
Yeah.
EM: Okay?
Angela: happening.
I'm so pumped.
Ally: any saved from, the, the last
Soccer Moms quiz, because Em just thinks
of the randomest things, and they're
so fun, I'm putting together like a
greatest hits of soccer moms because we
had so many mic issues and one of the
best things EM ever did to me was Quiz
me about the Olympics and she is so
convincing that she made these like big
descriptors and just like I failed so
EM: Yeah.
Ally: I thought they were actual
Olympic sports one of them was
the plot to Lord of the Rings.
EM: Yeah.
I made fake Olympic events and
she, one of 'em was the, I like
the, some kind of decathlon.
And I described Frodo taking the ring
to Mordor in other words, and she's
yes, that is a real Olympic event.
And I was like, Ali, this is
the plot to Lord of the Rings.
What are you doing?
And she's I've never seen it!
Ally: I feel like it's Olympics,
they bring international cultures to
these games like I don't know, you
EM: A ring carrying event?
Ally: it's Yes,
Angela: Please send that
quiz over, because I
EM: I'll find it.
Angela: how I would fare.
Or send it to Mario, I won't look at it,
Ally: it's
Angela: he needs to quiz me, I
need to know what this entails.
Ally: back on.
Her quizzes are top tier
and they're so obscure.
Angela: I can't wait.
Ally: she has to
Angela: Can.
Not.
Wait.
Ally: best Google search history ever.
EM: Oh,
yep.
Angela: Oh man, okay, back to New
Zealand, since we've waxed and waned
EM: We have
Angela: to the sun very far away.
Mario: Oh, this is going to
be a fun episode to edit.
EM: Ali Riley,
Ally: Sorry, Mario.
EM: princess of LA.
Angela: The princess of the
land, the queen of the land, the
everything Angel City's captain.
Ali Riley, who's just, listen, if you need
a beautiful representative from a country
to represent the country, to represent,
everything good in it's Ali Riley.
You cannot convince me otherwise,
granted, we're filming this, er,
we're recording this a couple weeks in
advance, and last night, they had a group
come in haka as part of the send off.
Immediate tears.
just before they started, I looked
at my mom, Eva, some friends of
ours, I was like, I'm gonna cry.
And they're like, what?
Eva just starts laughing.
She's of course you are.
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: And I'm like, in
general are so emotional for me.
not even Maori, I'm not, I have
no connections to New Zealand,
and I'm just like, this is the
most beautiful representation of a
culture, of pride of the culture,
it's just, oh, it's just beautiful.
Cap has been with the international
team, or the national team
for New Zealand for 17
Ally: It's a
Angela: this is, yeah, she
said, it's lucky number five,
it's most likely the last one.
She's never say never, but
realistically, this is probably her
last Olympics, which boggles my mind.
She just, ugh, she's just such a
beautiful representative of the
game, and of and I'm starting to,
my voice is starting to crack, she
played at Stanford, she's so good.
EM: She's an excellent player,
but the stuff she does to be,
like, even an ally, like an LGBTQ
ally, like painting her nails,
what she says when she gets
the chance to be interviewed.
Angela: she's so full of and you
never question what her motives
are, because she will tell you.
Ally: Yeah,
Angela: And she,
Ally: a good person,
Angela: yeah!
Oh
Ally: a different note, I've
always been curious, you and her
are a day apart, birthday wise.
Mario: What?
EM: her.
I'll be like, we're almost birthday twins.
Yeah.
Angela: she'll be excited.
she's just such a beautiful
person in general.
She's so kind, so giving with her time.
Her family is so
EM: Yes.
Their TikToks are great.
Yeah.
Angela: they're so funny.
I went to her book signing she and
Tony came out with their cookbook,
had a 20 minute conversation with her
dad about politics, just because he
was there and he asked me and I was
like, all right, I'll talk about it.
Because he's not from here.
So it's okay, cool.
We have this beautiful
international, politic conversation.
He was like, I had no idea you
knew so much about world events.
And I was like, JR, you
met me 23 minutes ago.
of course you didn't.
Ally: She's
Angela: And he was like, okay.
Ally: the best.
I, it's funny, I wish I knew you
guys then, so I met her, I had like
photos with her from like their
opening, their first season, I have a
Angela: Yeah.
Ally: my oldest.
He was like, baffled at how nice
she was and she played soccer.
he's always amazed when people
are like nice and good at things.
he's just
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: yeah.
Angela: you be both?
Ally: he,
Angela: not wrong.
Ally: with her and I have a
photo, like a selfie with her.
And I remember putting on my Instagram
story and people were like, who is this?
And I'm like,
Angela: How disrespectful.
Ally: Riley.
come on, Stanford zone.
Angela: Yeah.
Ally: then, my Stanford roots.
I just love her.
if she played for good person.
I'm curious if she's
going to do post career.
I know that's a ways out because I think
she'll play club level for a while.
Bye.
She'll probably just mix.
if the pod she does with Syd is
any indication, I think she'll do
Angela: Oh my God, please.
I need BFFR injected into
EM: Yeah.
Angela: Like the two of
them together is just love.
It's freaking hysterical.
And to be, that's another, let
me be a fly on the wall of those
conversations and like that friendship,
because it's so lasting and so long.
And just I don't know, Ali Riley
is just she's somebody I wish
more people wanted to be like.
really what it is.
She's so welcoming, she's so
warm, and just, she's just lovely.
EM: She is.
Angela: legit crying.
Cool.
Welcome
EM: She's worth it.
She's worth the tears, I feel like.
Ally: Yeah,
Angela: She'd probably cry.
She started crying during the Haka,
it made me cry harder, I'm just
like, I just love this so much!
Mario: I turn around and look at my wife.
She's like, how do you
expect me not to cry?
Angela: I'm just like can't,
you just, you can't escape it.
That's what happens.
EM: Yeah.
Ally: perfect.
I
Angela: Ali Riley is a gift
to soccer, a gift to the WOSO
community, just a gift in general.
Mario: All right.
Ally: do we go from
Mario: Now that we've done,
EM: I know.
That's the drop the bomb.
Yeah.
Mario: done out, so famously, not famously
to ourselves, we like to call our, we like
to reference our pod as footy therapy.
This is very much footy therapy.
Angela: much.
Mario: It's being able to talk about
all of this, all our feelings about it,
good, bad, indifferent, and think the
anticipation of the Olympics, like that's
what gets us pumped was like doing these
episodes for the, for the World Cup.
We're like, we're giddy already
just like the anticipation of
recording more episodes and just
deep diving into all of this.
again, it's our community
of letting us do it.
nerd out or teach about soccer
and then also, women's soccer.
And, cause I can't, I'm not going to
talk to people at work about this.
They're like, I have a hard time
just being like, Hey, I got a couple
of tickets I'm going to give away.
yeah, no.
but the community
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: has been great.
this has been an amazing
piece of footy therapy.
And, I think the last thing to
wrap this all up with the Olympics
is what other Olympic events
are you guys looking forward to?
Let's go.
Let's go with EM.
Ally: I mean,
EM: Okay.
I made a list because I love the Olympics.
Okay, so first is archery, because,
okay, there are some sports you watch
that I don't, I look at it and I'm
like, they did really, that was a
great dive, and then they'll get a six.
And I'll be like, I don't get it,
but archery, you get it because
it's wow, that was exactly where
it was supposed to be that.
So I get it.
three by three, three by three,
basketball and rugby sevens only
because I've never watched rugby
before, but I love Alona Marr.
Angela: you're gonna have the
time of your freaking life.
EM: Will I?
I'm so excited.
I'm planning.
Angela: is rugby is like football, soccer,
something else, like it's just everything.
And they lift each other
up, it's just, it's
EM: See, I don't, I, the lifting thing.
Why?
But I'm excited to learn.
those are my big ones.
Angela: That's awesome.
Mario: Nice.
Ali.
Ally: mine are basketball.
basketball is my, is number one.
we say, I've been saying three by
three, it's three on three, but I,
my brain sees it differently, so
we just started calling it that.
swimming.
is just fascinating to me.
Katie Ledecky, oh my god, like
she breathes and we're like ten.
and then I learned more fun facts
about swimming through EM, about
like the person that has to splash
the water so they know where to go.
So like now I'm gonna watch
swimming with new eyes.
EM: The diving.
The diving.
Ally: Yeah, EM Explained.
EM: Okay.
because the divers are doing such like
complicated flips and like gymnastics
things, sometimes they can, have
trouble seeing where the surface of
the water is because it's so clear.
So sometimes you'll either see a diver
throw in their towel or they will have a
spray thing underneath the diving board
that is like shimmering on the water.
So like they can orient themselves.
Angela: know that was what
EM: I just learned it too, but I get,
because there's a lot of potential
injuries in diving and like neck
and back, how you hit the water.
So I guess for safety, they like try
and agitate the water a little bit.
Angela: That's cool.
That's very cool.
Now I will watch diving differently.
Ally: why I'm excited to watch it, because
I'm going to see it differently now.
Angela: Mhm,
Ally: And with the Peacock
app, we can just watch
EM: All the time.
Angela: I know.
Mario: Peacock sponsor the
Angela: I'm a,
five on five, like regular
five on five basketball.
I just, this is where it comes
out that I don't care about men's
sports nearly as much as I used to.
I'm just like, that's nice
that you're gonna try.
We're going for eight
gold medals in a row.
EM: I
Angela: this is the women's basketball
team, like our national team.
is my team.
it's just.
I can't wait.
people have asked me, do you think
Diana Taurasi should be on the team?
And I was like, she has to because
she can't have a tie with Sue.
you don't understand how her brain works.
I've watched her since
she was in high school.
DT is competitive.
And I get it.
But that track and field, because
I was a thrower, I get to watch all
the field events in their entirety.
And I'm so excited.
women's volleyball, both beach and indoor.
men's volleyball because for a while
I knew a bunch of guys on the team
because when we went to college our
men's volleyball coach is the Team
USA coach because that's just what
happens in Southern California.
So just volleyball in general,
swimming, archery, I just, I
freaking love the Olympics.
I just get to watch everything cool.
If you don't already, or if you haven't
ever watched it, watch Handball.
EM: have that written down.
Angela: it's weird.
EM: I'm going to have to learn the rules.
Angela: it's insane.
Please, and
EM: Oh, okay.
Angela: me know what you do.
The story is that, I was in a really bad
car accident 20 years ago this summer,
and the week of that car accident was
during the Olympics in Greece, in 2004.
or Athens.
It was really wild.
A friend of mine came over to stay
with me because my mom was like going
between our house, my aunt's house.
It was a whole thing, like family was out
of town, it was crazy I was all banged
up and my friend came to stay with me
and we fell asleep on the couch at my
aunt's house because we had been house
sitting woke up at 3 in the morning.
both woke up at the same time and he
and I just looked and the TV had been
on and the handball was on and we stayed
up till the sun came up watching this.
it is one of the most fascinating
sports I've ever seen in my life.
It's a little tiny, lacrosse ball size,
racquetball size, and I don't understand
it, and I will watch it every time.
It's captivating because it's so
fast, so high energy, and I know
getting hit by that ball hurts so bad.
I want it, I just wanna, I wanna know.
EM: The stakes are high.
Angela: Mario, what about you?
Mario: I, I'm actually really interested
to see, besides, track and field being,
I didn't go as far as you did with
track and field, but high school track
and field, gotta, I love the track and
field events, swimming has always been,
a fan favorite here, and of course we're
gonna watch the soccer, but, really
excited to see how the new events are
going to play out, so we've got, uh,
Angela: EM
Mario: freestyle, we've got mountain
biking, we've got skateboard, we've got
surfing, and how all of those are going
to play out in, an Olympic, tournament.
I barely know how they score them.
then, like the Olympics usually
have a little more rigid
kind of structure of things.
So just understanding how that is going
to pair in an Olympic environment.
But dude, like the, isn't there like a
year old, like skateboarding Olympian?
Angela: Yeah.
A
Mario: it's insane.
I'm really excited to see like all of
those kind of basic, basically, The
fringe, X Games sports getting into,
something that's giving it a little bit
more legitimacy, from the Olympics, right?
It's like the It's like the the grunge
skater person getting like the, getting
into the opera like, it's Ooh, is,
Angela: hmm.
M EM
Mario: place and I'm just going to
be what I do, so I'm excited to see.
to see that.
I, in a few years, I would love to
see the, ah, I forget what they call
it, but there's like a ice skating,
rally race thing.
event at like the X Games where I'm
like, that needs to be in the Olympics.
Angela: Oh, whoa.
That sounds crazy.
A Yeah.
EM Yeah.
A
Mario: it's, during the winter, when
they do it, I think it's called,
Snowboard X and they did bring it to the
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: it's like, they're basically
racing down a track, but it's four or
five snowboarders at the same time.
Think about that, but they like
purpose built like an ice sled and
then it's skaters, Hockey skaters, , I,
Angela: Winter Olympics stress
me out so much because I don't
understand how any of it works.
Ally: I feel like I'm more scared
that someone's going to get
hurt in winter versus summer.
I don't know
Angela: Same.
Ally: I
Angela: there's blades.
Ally: of it being cold.
Angela: there's ice.
There's blades.
It's cold.
EM: They're wearing knives on their feet.
I don't know, I don't know how
else to say it but that, but you
are wearing weapons on your feet.
Quit it.
Angela: Yeah.
In so many different sports
Ally: In summer, yes, it's hard,
but sunscreen is your friend.
Mario: Yeah.
Ally: And like conditioning
and water and Gatorade,
Angela: Yeah.
Ally: but
Mario: Yeah.
Ally: is what you really
need to worry about.
EM: People pooping in the sin.
Mario: Yeah.
timing.
Timing.
Their timing, their poops.
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: yeah, I feel bad
for the swimmer's foot
Angela: France.
Mario: I'm like, please have a backup
Angela: I hope they move it.
Yeah.
I don't,
EM: Just put them in a pool.
Put them in a pool.
Mario: don't underestimate
the French for a protest.
it's gonna happen.
Angela: Yep.
EM: Right?
Angela: They did it.
Mario: it's planned again, too,
Angela: Yeah.
Yeah, don't underestimate the French.
EM: Ever.
Angela: And good on them.
yeah.
Alright, Mario, let's
bring this thing home.
Mario: Remember to check out all the
Olympic coverage on the NBC website.
the TV schedule for the Telemundo
Universo in Spanish or the USA network.
These that's only for the soccer
matches for any other sport.
Just check out their website.
You'll get the full,
broadcast schedule there.
The cool thing is it
adjusts by your location.
you don't have to do the math of, Timing
and when it's actually going to be on.
But, again, to recap, everything's
going to be on the Peacock app.
first matches for Group A are going
to be Thursday, the 25th, 8am and 12,
Sunday on the 28th, 8am and 12, and
then, Wednesday, the 31st, it'll be both
matches to end the group stage will be
at noon and that's all Pacific time.
so yeah, make sure you catch
all the great Group A matchups.
Angela: Alright, and big, huge,
mega, ultra, largest thank you
I can provide from California
to Ohio to both Ali and EM.
Mario: bam!
Angela: on a Sunday morning and
record this shenanigans of a podcast
and have honestly one of the best
conversations sports related.
You can follow them on social media, and
EM @emwoodscasual on TikTok and like every
Instagram, you find m is the best place.
you can follow State champs, which is
Ally's Coffee Shop @thisisstatechamps
on just about everywhere.
have fantastic content, a
whole bunch of stuff coming up.
They host a podcast together
called Soccer Moms Pod, and you
can find it @thesoccermomspod
on both Instagram and TikTok.
And if you follow them on Twitter, because
that is the one thing I will deadname.
It is just @SoccerMomsPod.
No, the.
Do you guys, aside from yourselves,
have anything fantastic to promote?
Mario: she
Angela: Definitely
nothing that I know about,
Ally: now, we're recording this
before, but by the time you guys post
it, it'll be out in the wild, so, uh,
and EM is involved, because I make
EM, I tell EM, whatever cool stuff
I do, you're coming with, that is,
Angela: yes, woo,
Ally: we are announcing on the 10th, so
hear this from the future, it's out now.
State Champs is doing a collaboration
with the 99 Women's World Cup team
this summer 25 years since that iconic
penalty kick, which is crazy because
it feels like it was yesterday.
are doing a merch collaboration with
them, and it's live, it's out in the wild.
Shout out to Foudys.
com, so Foudys is the only place you
can get women's specific football
merch from kits to uh, shirts.
They brought us in, just through friends
and the network, and we've been working
with the 99 World Cup team since,
earlier this year, it's a top to bottom
collection that's hoodies, scarves,
everything that commemorates that
moment, so getting to work with idols
that, kid me, pretended to be Brandi
Chastain, In elementary school, it's
wild, so that's out, uh, statechampsco.
com, and it's amazing, with us recording
this, we talked about the road trip we're
going on this week, we are going to New
York for the send off game, and doing
a lot of cool stuff around the team,
as well as the current team, and just
people in the soccer community, which is
crazy, think, I'm actually, just truly
excited for that car ride, because we're
going to just get to see but no, it's
something we're super passionate about.
It's out as of listening
to this in the future.
And, there's so much to
talk about with that.
I don't even know where to start because
it's been quite the journey, which been on
the receiving end of my texts of stress.
yeah, we, We, I never thought I would
see Julie Fowdy give me kudos for
something I designed, a hoodie, three
shirts, scarves, hats, stickers.
Fowdy's, their designer,
Louise, she designed the poster.
It's just, it was cool, That is one thing
I love doing is designing, and merging
it with sports and like idols is like
a weird, so that's coming out and we
will be in New York or, I guess by the
time you hear this we will post it, but
we're gonna just interview people and
talk to people outside the pitch and
talk to players and make weird stuff.
prepared.
EM: yeah, I,
Angela: cannot wait,
EM: yeah, I've gotta learn
all the 99ers by, face.
I'm trying to come up with,
content specific to them.
I don't know.
I'm ver Ali is excited.
I am very nervous.
hopefully, by the time this comes
out, I will have done an okay
job and it will have been fine
and I didn't embarrass myself.
Ally: Yeah,
Angela: no, you,
Ally: in the future.
We did great.
We crushed it.
We had
Mario: Yeah, you
Ally: we went on the subway.
We had fun.
Mario: We reposted
Ally: personally,
Mario: everything you guys did.
We hyped it up the
Angela: yeah,
EM: yeah.
Mario: completely sold out with
Ally: Yeah, that's the crazy thing.
it goes live the 10th,
so here in the future.
It's gonna go live on
the 10th this Wednesday.
And then we literally leave the
next morning to go to New York.
We're in New York until, the following
week, and then we're gonna, have
things start to ship out and, because
we're fulfilling everything from Ohio.
State Champs is handling everything,
start to finish, so shipping
internationally, the coolest thing
through all this is, we've done, because
it's the age of social media, you sent
influencer packs, you guys got a pack,
but you weren't alone in the packs, as
far as, you were in the likes of Natalie
Portman, Hilary Knight, it was one of
Angela: no big,
Ally: That, they, we have this list
and I think the coolest thing is, so
we sent something to Caitlin Clark
again, like back to my kid, like my kids
just being like cool and along for the
ride is, we're shipping them all out.
Like again, we're a women owned business.
We do everything ourselves.
I have my seven year
old's holding the box.
I'm like, what are you doing?
He's I want to hold Caitlin Clark's box.
He doesn't care that we're sending
something to Ryan Reynolds.
Like he knows who Deadpool is.
he's that's cool.
That's great.
He sees all these great things.
he's I want to, I have a picture of
him holding Caitlin Clark's box as
we're driving to the post office.
Cause he's
EM: That's so cool.
Ally: but there's a chance, she
doesn't open it, I don't want to get
in his head, because we know how, that
stuff works, but that was, so that's
probably, whatever happens in New
York, whatever happens with this, that
moment where he was stoked to hold
her box, peak, exceeded, so I'm happy.
Angela: I'm so excited for you, like
genuinely, this is gonna be the coolest
thing, I can't wait to, Like, when this
episode posts, I can't wait to be like,
oh, man, that rollout was so dope.
you for allowing us to be part of it.
it's just, so exciting.
We're so excited for you.
Ally: that I emailed to send stuff to.
I
Angela: Oh, yeah.
Oh, yeah.
Ally: it was one of those things, we
wanted it to be, like, genuine woes of
people, anyone with millions of followers,
that's great for you, love that for
you, we wanted to be authentic, we sent
stuff to our people that were like, if
EM: Yeah.
Ally: you to commemorate, because all of
us have that, connection to this team.
this moment, because it really did
change women's sports and a lot of
these players in our current lives with
like club ownership or commentating.
So I was
Angela: Yeah.
Ally: I want to send you have,
we have a spreadsheet of like
state champs, like list, it's
Angela: Oh, yeah.
Mario: It
Ally: that's who we wanted.
yeah, you're one of the first
ones I emailed and I was
like, She sent me her info.
Let me go back through my email
because it was like so long ago.
Angela: That's fantastic, enjoy the
trip, or, I'm so glad you enjoyed the
EM: Yeah.
Angela: and,
Mario: amazing.
It looked like awesome.
Ally: going to talk about the Fox.
I can't knowing just EM and I, like,
in a busy city and just everything.
there's going
EM: You're gonna have to put
a toddler backpack on me.
Angela: yeah,
Ally: to be
Angela: absolutely,
Ally: talk to Taylor.
I'm going to be like,
we're going to meet Julie.
Come on.
Let's go.
Angela: yeah.
Ally: We have to
Angela: And
Ally: Fowdy.
Let's go.
Angela: Julie is so chill, she's gonna
love it, she's just, she's she's such an
ambassador for this sport and bringing
people in, and I think that's such a big
part of, A lot of what all of us in the
WOSL community are trying to do is we want
to bring you in, but know your history.
Every, every league, every, everything
goes through a growth spurt.
And it's handled ish and growth is great.
Like it was in 2019, 2020 for the NWSL.
Sometimes it's a lot to handle.
Like it is currently for the WNBA
on a weird scale, but happens.
And we're just excited to be
part of another way to grow the
game, especially with you two.
on that note, we're also doing a
Olympic giveaway, so make sure you
check out our Instagram at casual
FC Pod to see an amazing soccer
bundle from a alphabet legends.
They are these super cool alphabet books
that highlight different Olympic legends,
different soccer legends for every.
of the alphabet.
It'll be one entry per post.
Comment under any of our Olympic episodes.
bonus if you share and tag us.
We're gonna be announcing the winner
to the giveaway after the group stages.
So keep an eye out.
I'm excited.
these books are so cool.
Queer sport legends, queer soccer
legends, normal folks, just it's just
so cool what this company is doing and
we're really excited to partner with
them to give some books away to some
kids, teach them the way of sports at
EM: Yes.
Yes.
Angela: the 25 percent of this
episode that is not a parent, I
will be the cool aunt who influences
your kids to love sports, always.
On that note, if you like what you heard
today and you want to enjoy the rest
of the Olympics with us, make sure you
subscribe wherever you're listening.
you don't know where you got this
link, you can go to casualfc.
com to find all of the streaming
links and find us everywhere on every
little weird corner of the internet.
The best way to support the pod
are to engage as much as possible.
Comment, share, like a comment,
like a post, do your thing.
Ask us on every different platform.
I don't know.
Just do whatever you feel like it's free.
It doesn't take a lot of time, and
we appreciate a ton because the
more you interact with us, the more
the algorithm algorithms and gets
us in front of different people.
You can also grab some of
our merch@casualfc.com.
We're still coming up with more ideas.
Life's been lifin but we've got some
comin down the pipe, and we'll put
something together for, for the Olympics.
I just have to,
Mario: Yeah, gotta
Angela: convince my, my, graphic designer.
Yeah, we gotta get some
brain cells to connect.
but aside from that, if you feel
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We don't.
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We text each other screenshots, oh
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It's always appreciated, we
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aside from that Tell the friend, tell the
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City good luck, this time we're sending
it to the national team, girls are gonna
need it to get out of the group, they're
facing some challenges this year, and
it will be fantastic to watch them play,
along with every other national team out
there, but obviously, USA all the way.
But thank you for joining us.
Thanks, EM, Ally, for hanging
out with us this weekend.
You are absolutely the best.
And we'll see you soon.
Mario: bye everyone.
Angela: everybody.