Scuffed | USMNT, World Cup, Yanks Abroad, futbol in America - #365: WoSo Wednesday: SheBelieves starts next week, Vlatko's a bozo

Episode Date: February 9, 2023

A Thursday edition of WoSo Wednesday with Tara and Vince. We discuss the upcoming SheBelieves Cup, Kornieck at the 6 and the ghost of Julie Ertz, and keep being weary of Vlatko.----support Scuffed on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/scuffed Skip the ads! Subscribe to Scuffed on Patreon and get all episodes ad-free, plus any bonus episodes. Patrons at $5 a month or more also get access to Clip Notes, a video of key moments on the field we discuss on the show, plus all patrons get access to our private Discord server, live call-in shows, and the full catalog of historic recaps we've made: https://www.patreon.com/scuffedAlso, check out Boots on the Ground, our USWNT-focused spinoff podcast headed up by Tara and Vince. They are cooking over there, you can listen here: https://boots-on-the-ground.simplecast.comAnd check out our MERCH, baby. We have better stuff than you might think: https://www.scuffedhq.com/store Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to the scuff podcast where we talk about U.S. soccer. Welcome to Woso Wednesday, the Thursday edition. We couldn't record yesterday morning because I scheduled a kid's doctor appointment for that window a long time ago. So my bad, here we are a day later. Jared from the Discord suggested we call it Thursday. I think I like that. Anyway, Tara, Vince, how are you guys? I'm good.

I miss you guys. I'm excited to talk. a little bit about she believes. Yeah. Hell you. So we play Canada in a week, right? Seven days, eight days. In Orlando, the roster is out, and it's, again, very, very similar to the previous

rosters. Sam Coffey is out, and Haley Mace is out as well. And also Sophia, but we know that she's an injury. We know now, for sure, FIFA has the Women's World Cup. roster at 23 people and 23 people were called into camp maybe we should discuss that because we've talked about it a little bit is this is this just pure unadulterated sexism from FIFA I I hear a lot of like back and forth online like it was only about COVID or it's about uh you know the money they want to pay I don't care the men just had 26 we should have 26 that so yeah

I think so. Okay. I mean, so I, you know, I don't want to step too deep in it, but I, the one, the one argument that makes some sense to me is that the men's World Cup was in the middle of the club season, of the European club season. And so that's why they gave them the extra three players, because, you know, as we all know, they finished their games for their clubs and they basically started the World Cup eight, nine days later.

Yeah, I mean, it makes sense. The counter to that is that the NWSL is, you know, the World Cup is happening in the middle of the NWSL season. Where a lot of players, not just U.S. players, a lot of players will be coming from. Right. NWSL plays a much bigger role in the women's World Cup than MLS does in the men's World Cup. It's fair to say. Yeah, I don't have an opinion. I don't get in a no comment from Vince on this.

Yeah, all right. I mean, sure. With the way women's ACLs are chair. you wouldn't like to have a little cushion? Oh, I think they should have 26 players for sure. And especially with our roster, like, I've been saying that I don't want to be problematic, but we're on the older side of a lot of our players. Like, are they going to stay healthy?

I don't feel strongly that they will. Yeah. I don't get it, yeah, to speak from the heart here. I don't understand why they wouldn't just make it 26. I don't think the money thing makes a lot of sense. I think the Confederations probably would be happy to pay for another three players to travel to Australia and New Zealand. I think in terms of comparing the men's World Cup that we just watched and the women's World Cup that's coming up, for the USA side, like, I am more worried about injuries with the women than I was with the men's side.

Yeah. So that's why I still feel strongly. be 26, but I think it's kind of been like beaten down a bit, so we just keep rolling. Well, like Julie Ertz still hasn't recovered from the 2019 World Cup, basically. And she won't. And we're going to get into it. Hopefully, I just desperately want us to be able to move on a bit. Okay.

So she believes the opponents are Canada, a week from today, 7 p.m. Eastern Time. Japan a week from this coming Sunday, 3.30 p.m. Eastern time. And then Brazil, you know, Wednesday, February 22nd, 7 p.m. Eastern time. All three good opponents ranked 6th, 11th, and 9th, respectively. So what's the latest on Sof? Yeah. When the roster was released, Vladko did his normal pre-camp press. And we got a little bit more on Sophia. She's out. He is, he is still insisting that the injury is not serious, that she's rehabbing and working on getting back to full fitness with the thorns. Portland has put out a few pictures of her in there pre-season camp. It's beautiful and snowy. She looks great. She's participating. She's running. She's always

dressed as if she's playing. So we're going to miss her and she believes for sure. It does intrigue me to see what Flacko's going to do without her. Do we see Trinity submit her spot as Sophia's backup? Or will we, you know, give Midge another go at it? Are we going to see any formation changes? Like, that part does intrigue me a bit, but I'm counting down the days until Sophia's back. Yeah. And didn't he, he made it pretty clear that Sophia is, she was, she could have been in this camp,

but they just wanted to give her a little more time. Yeah, it was purely let her be with her team, with Portland, get her back to full fitness, but that the injury was never serious. Even before January camp, it was just about rehabbing. Lindsay Horan over in the corner saying, like, wait a second, Sophia's basically healthy, she doesn't have to come to camp. I have to fly from France all the way to New Zealand to play one game against the New Zealand Sea team.

We're making her do it again. I don't get it. It doesn't make any sense. And a lot of what I enjoyed about the New Zealand games was that second game where we didn't have Alex and we didn't have her in. So, like, we really had to, we really had to rely on some of the younger players. We don't get to do that if we're forcing Lindsay to fly thousands of miles to play in, you know, not the most important of tournaments. Silliness. Let me take this opportunity to mention.

that we are going to be in Nashville for the Japan friendly. Well, Tara's not going to be there, but Vince and I are, I'm bringing my kids. Vince, you're bringing your daughter, right? Yeah, she's going to be there. She is. Greg Velasquez is going to be there for the tailgate the morning of the game. And we're going to do, I've already booked a soccer field in Nashville at the Rose Park Athletic Complex for pickup on Saturday night. So come join us, especially for the pickup.

We need bodies. I think we got, we'll probably have like 15 or so, but it would be great if we could get another 15. I'm excited for you guys. Like, I'm telling you, women's games are a lot different than men's games, just as a spectator. Should we leave our violent energy at home? Yeah, it's going to be inspiring.

I think you guys are going to really have a nice time. Like the crowd's just welcoming and warm and they'll just be excited for the gals, you know. Can't wait to be inspired. Shush. I sound sarcastic. Can't work, maybe. But, you know, we'll see. I'm excited to see how my daughter takes this.

It's up in the air. Me too. She could be inspired. She could also not care at all. We'll see. She's excited to go, but. Yeah, it's the same for my daughter. Like, she could, you know, maybe she'll see a really nice goal and be like the switch will flip. It may not even be the game, but like the kids might see other kids, you know, screaming.

How often do kids get to just like scream from the top of their lungs? Like, they'll have fun. You'll see lots of other kids. I'm jealous. I wish I was going. Okay. Yeah. I'm more excited than I was five minutes ago. I was already pretty excited.

But that said, I feel like she believes is important. And these are three games that, three games that we could lose, but it is really about the April window now, isn't it? When Sophia should be back fully fit. And it is fingers crossed the moment when Kat Makario will return to the team. Yeah. I mean, she believes this is important. Don't get me wrong.

But I am preparing myself, I guess. I guess is the way I'd like to say it. I'm preparing myself to expect that he, meaning Vladkeld, that he is going to still try some things out. And if he's trying new things, that is a positive, even if they crash and burn. I hope that that's what I've always hoped for him, is that we were able to do anything different.

We call all of the same players in all the time. So any chance that we can be a little bit creative, I'm going to hopefully watch with a clear head and not get furious. But all that to say is, yeah, April is going to be much more important for us. You got anything, Vince? Talking about who is we playing April? Oh, I don't know that. We don't know anything about April other than that the next camp.

And that is when. And that's when Kat will hopefully be back. First week of April, April, well, first full week of April. Well, I guess it depends on the, on the opponents, in it? You know what I'm saying? Like, there's no guarantee we're going to get anything better than these three that we got lined up. I'd be shocked if we did get line up as good as this one. Yeah.

So I don't know. I mean, of course, you're going to have two of our front three back, but like, I guess I just don't. know how much we can we can get from April if if you know we get to use Becostan or whatever the hell it's mostly about Macario being back for me you know I mean regardless of opponent but but yeah it's a good point um Canada's taking a little bit different approach to the she believes cup than we are apparently their roster is quite a bit more experimental and it still has Christine Sinclair, but some lesser-capped players in that lineup. And I think a lot of people wish the U.S. would do something, Vlako would do something like that,

but he just emphatically has not. I'm disgusted by it. Like they are developing their younger talent. Like, why aren't we able to do anything like this? They could, you know, get punched in the chin or whatever the phrase is. it could work out poorly for them, but at least they're getting looks at other players. Like we just straight up don't do that. I'm going to plow ahead.

We'll talk about the other opponents. Japan is, you know, the lowest ranked team here. But they traveled to Spain for a friendly month after we did. Remember, as you may remember, we lost two to one to a, was it a mostly Real Madrid, Spain team? Yeah. and so missing their their Barcelona players for sort of federation problems and then Japan traveled there a month later and they also lost they lost one to zero but they they were pelt in the goal for Spain they out shot them and out XG'd them by two X by two times each so I think they're

going to be pretty good yeah I've only watched a few Japan games. They look good. I am familiar. They play nice. Yeah, I'm familiar with a few of their players. All three of these opponents are good. We're in for a fun tournament.

I just think, you know, we're also very good. So even at our worst, we've gotten to Hamie Gorma, you know, so I'm looking forward to it. Vince, you've really been holding your fire. Do you want to, should we talk about Taylor Cornice at the 6th? Let's do it. That's maybe the big experiment that's coming up here. Yeah, how do you feel about having the same opinions as Vodco? You and Vodka.

Well, see, see, this is where it's getting confused a little bit, okay? I never said she should be at 6. as a matter of fact I'm not sure she should but you know I just said that she was she was good at soccer and other people

debated me on that and you know my only position was that she was good at soccer I don't even know if she should really be a national team player who knows to be completely honest with you like I just saw her at that game in Louisville after seeing her in the previous year

when she was playing as a forward I saw her in the midfield and I was like, hmm, there's a little something here. It's a little something here. Well, for what it's worth, I'm not sure she shouldn't be a national team player. I'm not saying that. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I'm not saying that either. She looked, I mean, she seems to be right on the borderline. I was happy when she got called up. But I don't know. I don't know. The sixth thing, when, you know, she's on her second, her second professional year playing midfield.

And we're trying to teach her how to play the six. She's probably not even going to play the six for the wave. She won't. She won't. Yeah, she won't. Yeah, so it seems like a problem. We have a problem. Yeah, still.

A little bit of a problem. But at the same time, at the same time, y'all, y'all saw her spraying those balls. Y'all saw her spraying those balls around in New Zealand. So we'll see what happens. It'll be interesting to see it against this level of comp. I feel for her because her first go at it being last camp was with Heron and Rose. And then the second game, Andy got to look like a hero because she didn't have her in.

I'm curious if Taylor gets that same rollout because I do think that they're going to, they're going to try some things out in that midfield. I just don't get it. Like I don't get what's wrong with Andy. Andy's good. People don't like her. I don't get it. She's getting some of the some of the Lindsay Horan's like, I guess,

we're playing through injuries and having that limit her athleticism and mobility and whatnot. And she, you know, we just haven't been able to see her have the keys at the 6 and be fully healthy, which it seems like she is now. The New Zealand window was probably the first time. Yeah, yeah.

That we saw her be fully healthy this position. So, you know, once again, let's just see what happens that she believes. She has been hurt a lot last year. But like, I just, I really am curious what Sam Coffey doesn't bring because the ghost of Julie Ertz is haunting, you know, Vladko, the team, every fan of the team, every commentator of the team, like, the only thing anyone can talk about is Julie Arts. if you want somebody who's more defensive-minded, that's Sam and that's the one we left off. So, like, I really hope going into She Believes, I don't hear all about Julia. It's like so many of these camps tend to be because that's clearly what we're not doing anymore.

Like, we're actually trying something else. But Sam, Sam Coffey is not the athlete or the hard woman that Julia's is. No, but she may be defensive-minded. She's way cleaner defensively than Andy is. So like, are we trying to make Taylor that or are we, you know, what are we doing with Taylor? Like, I don't get it. I lean back towards, we're just trying to get her on the field because we love to crossballs into the box and she's real tall. Yeah.

Let's hope that's not it. Love to see it. The Diaspora United folks were saying that, no, I don't, I couldn't find the audio, and I don't, I don't remember exactly when he talked about it, but I do remember hearing him talk about it. That, uh, they, they said that Vlako sounded extra dejected when he finally publicly admitted

that Julia Hertz wasn't going to play in the World Cup. And, um, I think that was either late January or early February. But, um, their, their theory is that he won, her all along and he never really admitted to himself that she wasn't going to come back and so that explains why we're in this situation

where we don't really have. I mean we have Andy Sullivan, I agree she's pretty solid, but we don't really have a backup because he didn't he sort of diluted himself into thinking that Julie was going to come back for too long.

Could that be true? Seems like it could be. I mean, you know, We've been in six limbo for a while here. And, and, as I've noted, like, the way he sets up the team seems like he's setting it up for a Julie Ertz to come in. You know what I'm saying? Just having Rose, having Lindsay ahead of the six will provide the six with a lot of stuff to do. And, you know, that's Julie Ertz right there for sure. Like an amount of work that

You know Should be for two women But Juliaert is used to taking on that type of workload You know what I'm saying? The midfield Just being, you know Just bossing it. Just bossing it.

But I don't know. I still feel like he could have made Better changes with regards to the sixth position Just like Even though I have my Sam Coffee agenda she's played well for the national team. Yeah. She's very put...

She's played very well for club, too. Yeah. And none of the issues that I've talked about have necessarily, like, reared their head. And she's played in the, you know, in the good games. She played a, in, she played in that European trip, right? England? Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. So, she showed well there. And then also, like I have to mention, uh, Jalen. Jalen Howe, who if I had the, if I can say so myself, she, she put at the top of Jalen Howe's potential, she is a Julie Ertz clone. She's not there yet. But if you're going to take all this time out to develop telecourniac, you could have took the time out to try and get Jailen How to where you need her to be.

And I think he did, he did speak on her and say, I think a few months ago saying that she needs to like play better at club first um before getting the opportunity with the national team or whatever but i'm like like i mean i guess but like racing was a was a train wreck last year i don't know how much you can take from it and then when you had already you had already kind of anointed her as next up when you're calling her up before she even made a you know nwsl debut you were calling up when she was still at fort estate you feel me but uh i i i just feel like like that, that is also a lost opportunity. I agree.

And I think like, well, first of all, I think I think it can get us in trouble reading too much into what Flacko says in these press conferences because he's awful at them. Like, he's a really bad communicator. But I do agree. Like, I think this is a larger issue for the women's national team as a whole. in order to see, you know, this team continue to succeed. So I'm talking past this World Cup, even past this next Olympics. In order for us to continue to succeed, we need to be able to keep growing these superstars that we know and love, your Rapinos, your Beckys, your Alexes, all of them.

And that's what worries me. All we do is rely on the same few players until we run them into the ground. we need an A team, we need a B team. We need to give a lot more opportunities if we want to, you know, continue to be dominant. And that's really what scares me the most because we do not do that. Man, like even for the sake of this pod, to be honest, man, because it gets boring, man. We call it the same people. Yeah.

Like, like, like, what are we supposed to talk about? It doesn't matter. You know, like. Like when you're talking about it. about Jalen Howell, there's no reason she can't be running the B team right now. But we don't have a B team because we just make the same 11 players play nonstop. Yeah. And it doesn't seem to be getting any better.

We don't seem to be unlocking anything with these reps. And I don't understand. I mean, I'm not a thorough expert on the two players. But from what I've seen of Corneac and what I've seen of Jalen Howell, I mean, how pops off the screen for her, like, range and mobility and just, like, her power? She's an elite athlete. Yeah. Like, the ball playing is not there yet necessarily.

So maybe that's it. Maybe that's all it is. Vlako says Taylor can play a ball. Jalen can't. Yeah. Probably, but. It reminds me of, like, me official, who I know I've talked a lot about. but me official's club form does not matter.

She's scoring nonstop. She just needs to wait her turn. To say like Jalen Howe's club form needs to improve, it sounds like a joke to me because he's not watching club form or else Christy Mewis wouldn't get called in or else Mitch Purs probably wouldn't get called in. I just, you know, I lean towards Taylor is getting like. So much opportunity because she plays on a really big team where, you know, they've got they've got the superstar Alex Morgan. And we just call in who we know.

And I just think it's, you know, kind of deplorable at this point. Oh, dear. Applorable. Well, has anybody looked at Vlako's contract lately? I did. I did. And, you know, I kind of hate that. I did without being asked because like what am I doing with my time if I'm looking up this man's

contract. Oh, that seems like exactly the kind of thing you should be doing. He is, it does seem like he's out after this World Cup. He got his contract extended to get until the 2023 World Cup. So I guess there's always a chance it can be extended again. but it is promising to think about a world where maybe we have a coach who's not terrified of, you know, not calling the same 11 players in. Or better yet, a coach that understands the importance of development. Oh, the world could be so bright.

Yeah. Well, you know, we discussed this a little bit last night, but it is interesting to see how much flakos paid. he makes a salary of $358,000, just under $358,000, which is 28% of what Burrhalter's $1.3 million is. And it's a discussion for another day, but it is U.S. women's national team related to wonder, you know,

how possible is it for U.S. soccer to go out and hire a Maricio Pacetino or some other big coach to coach the men's team and pay that person, say, $3, $4, $5 million a year when the women's national team coach is making $350K. Well, I will say, you know, performance to money.

So I would say Vlad's about, he's about 28% of the coach that Greg Burrho to his angle. I mean, that's... If I had to say so myself. But, yes, the greater issue, of course, is that, I mean, it's a bad look, obviously. You know, U.S. soccer. Like at this point, I don't know if you can call them bad looks,

because it's just how they look at. Yeah. You know, like, you call it a bad look when it's a deviation from your standard look. I just think it's kind of pathetic. Like, I in no way am saying he deserves the more money. But to make 28% of what Burrhalter just made, And he's been coached for much longer.

And it's just, we just had this big old fight about equal pay and we forgot to bring Vladko along. It's, it's just kind of sad. We had them doing, we had them picking up side jobs, I guess, I guess for extra pay. You know what I'm saying? Like, he came to Qatar. Yeah. He was scouting for us.

Oh. Hopefully we threw on an extra, extra 10K or something. You know, but, yeah. But I mean, it is a. It is helpful. Whatever you think about, because there are market. I know nobody wants to hear this, but there are market considerations here. Market considerations that are, to put it plainly, the men's World Cup makes more money than the Women's World Cup.

But there's also a context of sexism. The women's national team won more money based off the men getting out of their group than the women did by winning the World Cup twice, both times. They made more money off of the men's performance in Qatar, which is just insane. But it's got to be. See, this is what. It's getting out of the group. So it's great gets the big bucks. Well, it's just got to be something that the people on the men's, when people are talking about who the next men's coach, it's got to be something people have to consider.

Even if it's, uh, for sure. Even if, I mean, it's a, just merely for the politics of it. If we get that thing up to, you know, 3.5 million and the women's coach is making 10% of, this is ridiculous. It starts to become laughable, yeah. If it was five, and people are like, well, yeah, the U.S. can pay anything they want for the men's coach because Scope America's coming and the World Cup is coming here. Can't pay anything they want? I can already hear them try to justify it. Like, if we don't have the best go at it this summer in New Zealand, if we go from being the number one best.

team in the world to what the third best team in the world it's it's going to be comedy yeah vlako's going to drop down to making 44,000 a year it's going to go get a job at home depot all right what else well well i would just like to say that uh like like i made this declaration in the discord uh uh vlacos not a good coach i like i just i just want to say that that you know we've had enough time we've had enough time to see what he's got and uh he he's not really cooking nothing he's not really cooking nothing i have to say i just i just feel the need to get that off my chest maybe uh when burhalter is when his name is hopefully somewhat cleared we i got to stop you we're not going to be able to hire anyone with domestic violence to be the women's national team

coach okay fair enough although I would love to see it as as Ben's has mentioned I feel like you'd be good and like it made me think of it when the news came out of John Hurdman leaving Canada

because he did he did the women's in the men's I was like Burrhalter was like Powell's with him right they they seem to have a great relationship I was playing around with it in my in my own head that maybe he would want to go down the same path.

But yeah, it can't happen now. I guess not. Yeah. Yeah. Like, I mean, the fact that we're sitting here, I mean, bro has every resource, you know, like player-wise, talent-wise, to get us humming. You know what I'm saying? And the fact that he hasn't even figured out, like, the midfield yet.

He hasn't figured out the centerbacks. I mean, he hasn't figured out a single department of this team, despite having all this talent despite like having having the amount of camps that the women's national team has you know the amount of time that he has to work with them um it's it's you know what tera you're damn right uh deplorable it is the deplorable uh like like it's it's shambolic man it's shambolic i ain't a lot like if if gregg bralter can figure out like i'm not saying he's the greatest coach or whatever but he gave us a solid platform to play the game from yeah You know what I'm saying?

Having, having MMA, having, you know, like our defense back there. I mean, even though he brought on Tim Riem late, whatever. He gave us a solid platform to play off of most of the time. We were tilting the field in our favor. And, you know, we didn't make the magic happen, but that's, like, the hardest thing to do in the game. But we can't even, like, tilt the, like, we can't even guarantee that we're going to tilt the field against good teams. and like just camp out in somebody's half. Like I don't know how many times we've actually done that.

Playing the same exact style. And it's just, it is frustrating to see. That's why even though, you know, I admit that it's not going to be possible. The idea of Burrhalter is, because he, like, give him the most talented team in the world. But that'd be fun to see what he can do. But yeah.

Because, you know, there is the narrative about, you know, these other countries catching up or whatever. It is true as they start pouring more resources into the women's game. They are producing better players, having better teams or whatever. But we still are producing like, you know, blue chip prospects all the time, all the time. And you see these women play and like you see the kids coming up. Like we lack no technical ability. We lack no physical ability.

Like every single one of these women. can do like amazing things with the ball like there's nobody else i'm looking at like ah wow i wish we were able to do that maybe like a little bit of tactical sense which seems to just be like in an american football uh jesus i just called it who am i i called it football uh like in an american soccer just all over you know we see it with the men's national team saw the women's national team in that first half against new zealand where we were just uh we were just cool to to sit in an evened-up matchup while we were building out against New Zealand's defense. But yeah, as far as like, as far as ability, I'm taking us against anybody else in the world.

Still. Absolutely. And it makes me think about the England game, which was a blast. Like, I get that we did not win it. But do you guys remember how fun that was? both of England's goals were flukes and ours were just so exciting and Trinity Rodman is a superstar. But I mean, I agree with everything you said, Vince, Vladko is terrible. It brings me no joy in saying that because we do have all the talent in the world.

I just, I really am so disgusted with him that he at the very least is not able to say, thank you for your service without offering retirement tours for every wonderful and incredible, talented, decorated player who has played for him. Like, Vlad can't do that. And thus, a bozo he makes. Like, he's just bad. He's a bozo. He's a bozo. He's bozo, everybody.

So, Tara, on the England point, I do have to point out that they, I'm pretty sure they outpast us, like, 600 to 200. They did. But we, even though we, we did have some nice goals, yes. And we had the, the Trinity one called off, which, you know, hurt, hurt all three of us, I assume. Yeah, it hurt me. Immensely. But, yeah, that, like, that kind of goes to my point about, you know, being able to tilt the field or whatnot. We did the exact opposite.

Our midfield got owned in that game, if we're honest. They did. No, I completely agree. I remember that stat, like it was an outrageous comparison. But in terms of what we let in that game, like our defense was strong. Like the goals were, you know, dumb. It wasn't, they weren't even good goals. I'm just excited for us.

Like, I'm trying to keep my expectations in check because she believes could turn out to be, you know, real bad. But we're so talented. We have to regain some hope. but even with flat kill, you know, ruining things as much as he can. I just remember Georgia Stanway, Georgia Stanway doing a lot of good things in that game for England from the six, the double pivot. Yeah, I mean, I mean, it was a master class, you know, just with the little flicks and stuff that they were doing just to build out. It was, it was cool to watch. I ain't a lot.

But, but yeah, I'm always, especially with the women's national team, I mean, with the men's national team I'm coming into it like we about to we about to F some stuff up so with the women's national team there's no way I'm going to be sitting here like oh you know when the World Cup comes it's disaster is going to be looming like right around the corner

or whatever no even with the Bozo manager you know what I'm saying we've we've overcome many a Bozo before so absolutely and like the Men's World Cup the Men's World Cup for me was so exciting. Like they couldn't stop saying it.

It was us versus the world, us versus the world. Now this summer it's going to be the world versus us. Like it's completely different situation, but we still, I'm excited to get behind the team and see what we can do because we are very, very talented. Speaking of which, let's talk about how we line up against Canada and then two other items after that. But who do you guys want for your front three against Canada? I think I can probably guess, but Terry, you go first.

I would go Mal Lynn Trinity. Okay. Malin Trinity? Yeah. So I probably, I probably go with that. We could throw, yeah, yeah. I don't know. I'm going,

I'm going back and forth between Lynn and Alex. Because really, when it comes back, when it comes down to it, as far as, like, coming back to the ball, like, Alex hasn't done a good job at it either. Hasn't done a good job at it.

I don't know if Lynn will either. But, but Lynn just, well, we'll have to see. If she's, if she's, you know, I guess like 85, percent back to her full like freakish athleticism then then let Lynn go because that just having the threat of Lynn Williams to stretch a back line is it's it's it's something you definitely have to account for so like if you can't come back to the ball um but you can just run past everyone that that that also uh you know helps provide space for everyone that's that's that's kind of that's going to play in your wake so yeah yeah Lynn's cool I think you could see, no, I just totally lied so easily. I personally could see that Lynn and Trinity switch.

I know we've given Trinity a go at Falson Inn before and Lynn on the wings, but I'm sticking with Lynn in the center and Trinity outline. Okay. So then I assume is, I'm agnostic on Morgan. Williams myself, but in the midfield, I'd say Sullivan, Rose, and Ashley is who I'd like to see. Me too. We won't, but me too. Same.

Okay. Very much the same. Feels like the defense kind of picks itself at this point. Huerta on the right, Cook and Germa and Emily Fox on the left. Although Cook was kind of a bozo in that England game. It's going to be hard for me to forget that. You should because she's good. I just thought about this because like, you know, just, just basically accepting that her an

hand's going to be in the team. You know, like I feel like we could account. We don't have to leave the six all alone if we would just tuck a full back in. But we don't really do that. Like Crystal Dunn. Yeah, we kind of just let our fullbacks bomb the flanks, but it's like, yo, if we could, like, Lindsay Huran's going to do what Lindsay Horan's going to do. She's going to be, like, right next to whoever's playing striker a lot of the times. If we just tuck the fullback in and, you know, we don't have Juliaerts, right?

So we tuck a fullback in to help with, like, with the defensive responsibilities when inevitably the ball comes back to us or is coming back at us. I feel like it could work. We just keep, we just keep coming back to Greg Burrhalter, don't we? You crack the code. I'm not paid $358,000. You know what I'm saying? If we want to talk about percentages of that, you know, that I make, we can get into it. But, you know, I'm just saying, it would be nice to see.

And of course, Crystal would be the prototype. Yeah, she'd be perfect in that role. Somehow I don't think we're going to see it. Yeah, I don't either. Yeah, yeah, we're definitely not. Who would you guys put in goal? We never talk about our goalies because they're kind of boring because all of them are good. I'm happy you brought this up.

Let's get Neyre out of there. Thank you. I'm tired to see Alyssa Neyre. I'm not going to lie. I'm sorry, y'all, if y'all built up some type of affinity towards Alyssa. You know, big shout out to Alyssa, you know, World Cup champion. All of that, but I think her best days are definitely past her for sure. Anytime that she has to move, it's like, looks like it hurts.

That's what I mean by these like prolonged retirement tours. Vladko just can't do it. Like I understand Casey Murphy is, I guess, his number two and I like Casey Murphy, but there's absolutely no reason why it shouldn't be AD French. like based off of the season that she had and the season she's been having like for her to be number three is embarrassing I don't have an opinion deplorable again might as well but yeah and and you know we also got Katie Lund in the in the in the wings waiting for an opportunity eventually we've got so many goalies up and coming yeah for sure for sure

You got some ballers there. Yeah, I don't know. Because Alyssa can't really pass the ball for real. It's just a lot going on there that, you know, I'm not with it. I'm sick of Julie Foundy telling me every pregame that Alyssa just brings so much leadership in the back. I was like, isn't that why we have Becky? Isn't that why we have Rapino? Isn't that why we have Alex?

Like, how much leadership do we need? Like, we have to be able to try something else eventually. Okay, so Franch and goal. Agreed? Yep. That's what I would do. It's not going to happen. I would take Casey Murphy, though.

The NWSL schedule has been released. It was yesterday. Release yesterday. Things kick off on March 25th, if I'm not mistaken. With the North Carolina Courage hosting Kansas City Current, it would be good to see that Kansas City current team in their new iteration. And then San Diego Wave hosting the Chicago Red Stars. I'm really excited.

Any dates circled on your calendar? It's about time we got this schedule. I really am trying to see Kansas City this year. And I'm really trying to see Angel City this year because I want to see our draftees. I want to see Cooper and Thompson. The closest, it would probably have to be a Gotham game or a spirit game for me to get to see. But I also like to try to bring my niece and hopefully my nephew when he gets a little older to some of these games. So maybe racing too.

It's just where the schedule matches up. Right. Oh, so I appreciate you throwing that in, Tara, as a charity. You have to do that. geographically, racing is close to my family. You have no intentions of coming to a racing game, but I do appreciate it. Thank you.

I mean, if my brother doesn't like when I take his kids too far away, so racing would be pretty close. Fair enough. The spirit are visiting racing April 1st. Yeah, it's a first home game. It's a first home game. I went to, we played the spirit much later in the season, probably like our second to last home game of the season.

I was there. Had to make sure I saw Trinity in person. But yeah, I'm excited. Got the spirit first. The one thing I don't like is that we got Portland and Angel City. So early in the schedule, I don't think I'm going to be able to make those. Like at one point, I would like to get to an Angel City game for sure, just to, I mean, they're getting 22K to a, to a, to a, game, you know what I'm saying?

Yeah. That is not the case in Louisville. We get a solid six, seventh foul. So, yeah, but, but it happened, it happening in April is just, I'm not going to be able to swing it at all.

Maybe I'll go to San Diego. That's the last game of the season. That's San Diego. Maybe. I don't know. Probably going to visit my sister in New York. in August but yeah

so I look forward to providing everyone with commentary from all these games that I go to all the home games specifically because I'm making sure I catch every national team that comes through Agendas will be born at each of these in person

Hey man there's something about watching the games in person and especially like in Louisville where I can get so damn close to the field on both sides like usually like I said the stadium is not full so I just like

follow the side that race is attacking on and I can get I can get right out like I can touch somebody if I wanted to of course I will not I'm a responsible fan but uh yeah and and you know when KC gets their stadium built I'm definitely gonna probably make that a trip because I can I can drive that

yeah like once like every year or something so but yeah there's a lot of reasonably so anxiety around the national team but this NWSL season is going to be amazing like I'm really really looking forward to it yeah I have to say I'm excited about the moves racing made this off season uh it seems like we have a plan for the first time it seems like you know we we got a coach um and everything everything seems to be coming together a little bit A little bit for us. You know, when you see moves that like Kansas City's making, you know, they're building the Death Star for sure.

But hopefully I see a much improved race and Louisville team this year. That would make me very happy. And like anyone who has not fully dip their toes into women's soccer, like this NWSL season is going to be the time to start, even more so than the national team games to get familiar with a lot of these plays. players. Like, you could turn on any NWSL game and you're going to find at least one or two of our national team players, you know, playing that night or that day. I just, I can't say it enough. Like, a lot, a lot of these young players up and coming in the NWSL are exciting. I just, I just can't wait. March can't come soon enough. Yeah. So, so I will say, if you haven't watched the NWSL, like, be prepared. Be prepared.

Because the amount of tackles that you'll see that'll make you, like, cover your eyes, it's a epidemic. It's a dirty game out there. It's, yeah. I don't know. I'll be watching these games sometimes and just be like, oh, my God. Like, it's. So if you get slaughtered in that final box, like, she had a hell of a season last year, but the amount of tackles she took, she would get just slaughtered out there. It's a war.

And the tackles, like, like, sometimes those tackles, like, it looks like it even hurts the tackler. Yeah. Because they be, like, getting stuck in the grass and stuff. Yeah, that's another thing, you know, playing surfaces and whatnot in the league. But, yeah. And also, I realized this. I was watching, like, some video on racing's draft picks. I was checking them out on Y Scout.

Like college soccer is 10 times worse. So now I understand where the NWSL gets it from. because like you can seriously like one time i was watching one racing lovel drafty and like you could clearly tell she was like the best player on the team so like she's getting targeted by by the other team and they really like trying to rough her up and at one point they her and the player that's marking her just leave the ball to the side and they just start like physically tussling like like they were going to do a little grapple sash and And whoever gets put down first, the other person will then go get the ball and continue to play soccer.

But not before. You know what I'm saying? I get a tap in three seconds. It's crazy. Yeah. I remember watching my younger sisters play high school soccer. And it was the same feeling of covering your eyes because like knee to knee, just like full speed, knee-to-knotes on the plant leg. Yeah, dog.

I was like, dude, come on. You guys are going to die. He's talking about this ACL epidemic. Like, I mean, it could be worse. I assume just, you know. When I played high school soccer, I was one concussion away from having to wear a helmet. And for a high school girl, that is motivation. Like, I'm not wearing a helmet.

So I definitely can relate. So you jumped out of some tackles, I assume, after that. I said, I'm not wearing a helmet. Dude, leave me alone. Leave my big old head alone. Um, just, just one last thing, um, before we get out of here. Uh, we got, we got some big news. Big news coming from, uh, from Paris. Man, I, I, I'm really killing it. Pachia. Okay. Yep. Bells, you got it. But, uh, Corbett Albert, um, the, the U20, uh, women's national team player that goes to, uh, Notre Dame, or went to

Notre Dame. She's leaving school early to join PSG. I'm so excited for her. She was, she was so good in the U-20s when the U-20s were not good. Corbin Albert was a shining shining light there. I can't wait to watch her. I'm really looking forward to it, not to take anything away from Corbyn because she deserves all the praise in the world. But did you guys know that they tried to get Alyssa Thompson? But Angel City Outbid or Out Persuaded.

Did you know that? I mean, make sense. Makes sense. You're starting to see these European, well, specifically just mostly France, dip into the into the market here.

I mean, they, Leon grabbed cat before she can enter the end of Bicel. I mean, she could have entered the NDAO draft, but chose to go over there picking Corbyn up which if y'all haven't seen Corbyn-Ir play just just an absolute dynamo you know what I'm saying like like I would say probably if I had to comp it uh she she's the next rose she's the

next rose just an incredible baller like long range shooting just dribbling through the midfield like she she made a mockery of college soccer this year on a Notre Dame team that like wasn't very good. But like she put Notre Dame on her absolute back. It was ridiculous. Like I think it was like the the ACC tournament. They played Florida State and she had a hat trick.

One of the most ridiculous hat tricks you'll ever see. Like there there was one pen, but then just two bangers from outside the box. One where she dinked the ball over somebody and then caught it off the volley. And then another one

where she dribbled somebody in the midfield and just and just struck it with their left foot, put it in the top corner again. But yeah, Corbyn and Albert, just keep your eyes peeled because she's coming. I hope soon. Like, can you imagine if Albert gets caught up, if Cooper gets caught up, and like if we actually get to have a run of things for even the Olympics, go to Paris with some youngsters? That would be so exciting.

It would be so exciting. but I mean, I have to sort of be the devil's advocates here and say, we saw Alyssa Thompson with the national team. That girl was not ready. Come on, guys. She wasn't ready. She was fine. Come on, guys. Congratulations for her, but like she's not ready to play on the wing.

I mean, you know. Give her an NWS South season. She's just, she hasn't even played professional soccer yet. Like, I. You know who has played professional soccer? Who? and scored in our first game, Jaden Shaw. But she's not getting called up, so she's got to play better.

That's what he says. It's crazy. It's crazy. I'm glad we saw Alyssa Thompson, but I don't need to see her again quickly. So let's see Jaden Shaw. Let's see Corbyn Albert, see if they're different. I need to see Jaden Shaw for sure. I think Alyssa has a strong feature with the national team.

I could see her getting caught up when she has some majoral study games under her belt. Okay. Yeah, I'm not going to disagree with that. For sure. Give her a season. We've talked about it before, but the winger pool is going to go crazy here soon. It's going to be absolutely insane. If Felissa has a really good NWSL season, she can be the sixth winger on the national team.

I think Michelle Cooper has the ability. to be in the main conversation because we don't have many nines at all. Like she doesn't have a line of five superstars ready to go. Like Cooper could force the conversation a bit earlier than some of these other young players. It's 9.15 a.m. in Kansas City, she better be juggling right now. I'm really so excited. that I can't say that I'm like disgusting. I can't wait to watch Michelle Cooper.

All right. Let's get out of here. Canada on Thursday, a week from today in Japan on Sunday, a week from this Sunday, followed by Brazil the Wednesday after that. We'll have full recaps on all those games. And of course, we'll be in Nashville next Saturday and Sunday. So if you're going to the game, follow the Twitter feed and see what's happening because I'll try to keep everybody up to date.

Like I haven't decided yet, but I may or may not be smoking some meats. Ooh, yeah, you should. So I've put this out in the world now, so maybe I can't take it back, and maybe it was a mistake. Well, because I'd be tired, but you, you brought, fair enough, but you brought meat, you brought smoked pork, was it pork butt? Yeah. Correct. to Cincinnati for the Dos Acero Restoration game

back in 2021 that's a while ago now, huh? And it was delicious. Everyone agreed. So please do that again. I'll bring a keg and probably some hot dogs and stuff. See, my only question about this

is how the dynamics kind of work because I also have to watch a kid. That's the only thing that's giving me a little pause. It's just like, yes, Bells, you bring in this keg. But am I going to be able to drink that keg? I don't know how annoying my daughter is going to be. It's all, you know, variables. Yeah, but just maybe just, you know, play it by ear.

You know? Yeah, the few women's games I've gone to haven't necessarily been a party environment. And I don't have a child. Well, should I not bring a cat? No, no, no, no, no, no, bell's bring the cake, bring the cake. People are going to make it. We're going to make it a party, damn it. And I might, you know, my kids are going to be there.

So there's, sometimes when there's multiple kids, they sort of occupy themselves, you know? True. Flop together. That's fair. That's fair. Like little birds. Okay. Down with Canada.

I hope you guys have fun. Thanks, Tara. We'll talk to you in two weeks. Thanks, everybody for listening. We'll see you.