Scuffed | USMNT, World Cup, Yanks Abroad, futbol in America - #381: WoSo W'day — Int'l window wrap, player pool check-in

Episode Date: April 18, 2023

Tara, Vince and Belz discuss Ertz finding a club, Rodman replacing Swanson, Sanchez not doing enough, Albert balling for PSG, and much more.----Scuffed is an ad-free podcast. Support that and get exclusive episodes once a week, plus access to the Discord and live call-in shows, by signing up for our 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. Hello, hello. It's Tuesday, but we're doing Wesso Wednesday a day early again. And the top line news is Julie Ertz to Angel City. She is clubless no longer. Such good news. She's taking her talents to the city of Angels. Hindsight, of course, this was always the destination that made the most sense. It's a close commute from Arizona.

They have a huge need for some control in the midfield. Their midfield is typically in shambles. I noticed that. What's the Hammond? I was watching Hammond in one of their recent games. Giuliani's is going to slot right in. She probably wants some of those fancy Arawan smoothies. That's really the only thing I know about like what to do in L.A. right now.

maybe I'm projecting but there are 12 games between now in the World Cup to ensure Julie gets regular minutes no more of this coming in at 60, 65 minute garbage

she's going to get game ready I'm thrilled. What about you? Vince? Yeah, I mean, I'm happy I feel about how Tara is. I mean, really when you looked at the NWSL, when you factor out places that, you know, people want to live and then also factor in team need, it seemed like it was always going to be Angel City.

So, I mean, cool. Like, I don't know. This whole situation is so. Natalie Portman opened that checkbook. She got Julie. That's all that matters. Yeah, yeah. So, uh, Yeah, hopefully, I mean, 12 games to the World Cup. So, I mean, plenty of time, really. Plenty. Yeah, it's perfectly set up. So, okay.

I mean, I mean, you know, I don't know. Has it been laid out by, I guess, by Julie? What was this like the master plan all along? Or did she just wake up one day? Like, you know what? She talked. She talked a little bit about how she and her husband, Zach, spent like lots of weeks talking about, is it even possible? Can she do it?

What will they need? Like, as a family? And they decided to go for it. And I guess it's just been the private, like, under the radar, coverse operation training until the Vladko. is when she got caught into camp. Okay, okay. Interesting. It's a flex.

Yeah, and what? Yeah, so this is the NFL offseason, I guess. So I assume the whole family is going to move to L.A. I don't even know where her husband plays football at now. I think he's, like, not currently playing, but Lord, this is not a topic that I should, like, at all speak with confidence on. Yeah, I mean, I don't. I don't know either.

Wikipedia says he plays for the Cardinals, Arizona Cardinals. Oh, okay, cool. So, you know, they just go to L.A. for the summer to the World Cup. We got Greg Velasquez in the Discord. He said, like, how many games is Julie going to play for Angel City after the World Cup, which remains to be. He's just thrown a pot. It remains to be seen. It remains to be seen, but everything's working out now.

So you'd love to see it. Today, only good news. That's... Well, she and Zach are both from the L.A. area, right? They both grew up through. I think so. No idea. But, you know, if Angel City can get even remotely healthy, we have Julie Ertz, Sarah Gordon, and Kristen Press.

That is three key components of the old Chicago Red Stars guard. So it's going to be fun to see the chemistry back and see what they can do in a big brand new club. Yeah, and I think she does need to get sharper, obviously, having not played for nearly two years. But I disagree with anyone who says she wasn't an upgrade in midfield for us, even in that current state. But no one said that. So no need to disagree. Right. Yeah.

Well, I mean, I had a little disagreement with Greg. Like he said she got beat badly once, and I didn't think she did get beat. I thought it was just one of those things that happens sometimes. Definitely an upgrade, though. Okay. All right. We'll get into how some other six has played this weekend, but yeah, yeah, we'll get there. Well, let's do a little window wrap up.

Aside from Ertz, who everyone agrees was an upgrade in the midfield. Let's start up top. Alex Morgan thought she was pretty bad myself. I thought she was real bad. Real bad. Don't know what to do about it. Well, I mean, I kind of do, but we won't. Yeah.

And Tara, you've been a, you've been a hater for quite a bit now of Mrs. Morgan. Yeah. Damn it. Okay. Okay. But do you guys remember, because I was getting frustrated about the comparison to the men's September camp, but do you guys remember before the men's World Cup where Aaron Long was so, so bad? And then we got Tim Riem out of nowhere, right? Like, it's a classic story. Yeah. Now I may have to go into witness protection for even comparing Alex Morgan to Aaron Long. And, you know, I hope you two have my back on this, but I understand it may be a bit, a bit too heightened.

I don't get it. I don't think even Vladko could look at these two games and think she did well. But, I mean, she did save the chance from the goal line. So if we're considering that something a striker is good at, go ahead. But hopefully you get what I'm implying here, which is maybe the try. that we're going to hear Kat talk about. She said something along the lines of, Vladko needs to trust me and know what I'm able to do for the team.

Something like that. That was an interesting quote, yeah. After seeing what Alex did in these two games, which, again, like, I don't think we're the most serious games. I don't think she'd pull up like that in a World Cup. But I think that there is something to be said that maybe this put a little bit more trust onto Katarina and what she's capable of doing, seeing what Alex couldn't do even into, you know, like varying of importance friendlies. Well, well, like with the cat quote, I feel like it's almost like she's kind of,

I don't want to say begging, but she's like, look, Black Co, I may or may not be match fit by the time World Cup camp comes around. Yeah. I'm going to need you to have that faith in me that, you know what I'm saying? I like, like I am that player that you can trust to where, even though I might not have too many minutes before the World Cup comes through, that you'll still put your faith in me and I'll still go on deliver, which, you know, depending on the person. you know, they may or may not be receptive to it.

Yeah. And like Katta is doing more and more press, which I think is also a sign that she's trying to get, you know, her name out there in the forefront of Vladko when he's making these decisions. But no offense to Kat. I'm going to go back to Julie for one second. It was rumored that San Diego was the other club negotiating with Julie, which makes sense. geography-wise. But Angel City could promise her more playing time. So all that to say this is

a really big opportunity for Jill Ellis and San Diego Wave to also get a huge signing before the World Cup, help our girl get on that roster. And instead of two games left, which Leone has, she could have, you know, 10 or so games with San Diego if she's open to alone, which is the main question of the press we're talking about. Let's listen to the clip. The question from, it's on morning footy on this in the CBS family of networks. And this is Jenny Chu's question to Macario. Larko Donovsky said in his press conference that he still needs to see you in a professional

game ahead of this World Cup. How are you going to make that happen? I know with your season ending, is there a potential loan to NWSL? Give us some inside news here? I mean, to be discussed, I guess. No, I mean, I can't really say much, but I have been talking to Blacko, obviously, about the whole situation specifically because my season in Leon, and I'm hoping, obviously, to play as soon as I can.

But, like I said, you know, like sometimes with injuries, you just have to do. have to be patient. You need to have time, you know, and just hope everything heals well, but, you know, so far so good. And yeah, I mean, at some point, I think it's just going to be the fact that Vlako is going to need to trust me and, you know, and knowing that, you know, if I say that I'm ready, I'm ready. Yeah, the clip cuts out a little bit, but I'm pretty sure what she says there is, you know, we only have two more games left in Leon, like you said earlier, Tara. Yeah, only two more games, but even a few weeks ago when she was doing other interviews, the answer was a flat out no that she's not going to be coming to NWSO for a while.

But here she doesn't say no. Like, am I reaching too hard? I thought she was purposefully touring. No, that's not a reach. She needs, I mean, let's be honest, she needs to get a few games in before the World Cup. I mean, whether Vlako trusts her or not. And she doesn't need to stay. It can be a short-term loan. Others have done it. I think it makes a lot of sense. Yep.

And, you know, there are certain people that are against the particular calendar that we play here in the United States. But we see the benefit that it can have for our players specifically. Yep. Very interesting. And she has talked. I mean, meaning Kat, she's talked about how much she loves San Diego, how much she has a great relationship with Jill Ellis, how if she'd ever come back, it would be to the wave because she loves her hometown so much, or, you know, the town that raised her and that gave her so many opportunities in soccer. You know, the stars are aligning. Yes.

Let's get it done I do think it's I do still think it's kind of striking The way Macario talks about injury is like something You know you don't you can't put a timeline on it You saw about how you how confident you are And how you feel and stuff It's a it's it's it's it's very metaphysical talk

Yeah From uh miss Maccaria Which which maybe she's on that Kelly You know how they be out there Charger crystals figure it out Yeah exactly You know how they be out there I don't like that here in the heartland, are we?

We're all common sense. There's actually a medium that lives right down the street from me. Okay, all right, yeah. She keeps a sign on our lawn. Medium airing. No, I'm kidding. I mean, there's all kinds of mystical stuff going on around where I live, too. if we're really going to get into it.

Well, yeah, we don't need to get into it. All right. So Morgan was bad. Macario, let's say, probably going to get alone to San Diego. We just have to wait for the announcement. I love that you guys are going that far. Probably. That's so exciting.

I mean, at this point, it sounds probable. because I mean If we don't do it She really wants to be on the World Cup roster And she's going to need some game time So I don't see how that would not It's coming together Got a perfect place to play right here

Yeah it's a requirement It has to happen You are normally a much tougher sales I'm feeling really excited We're on the same page I mean she was directly asked it Started giggling Giggling

By the way By the way good job by Jenny you there to like sort of press the issue. Yeah, it was a great question. It was a great question. There was no wiggle room with regards to, I mean, but because the thing about it is maybe if she didn't even like truly want to answer it, but, but with the way she asked it, you can still get a reaction that you can still possibly, you know, gain some information

from. And when she said, I can't really talk about it. It reminded me of when Julie Earts was up to do press in this past national team camp, she said, somebody asked her about which club she's going to be playing at. She said, I can't really talk about it yet. And I get that to just what you say, but she didn't say no. So, you know, I'm taking it. Yeah, you would have just said, I don't know.

Yeah. Yeah. All right. So let's move on to Rodman. It seems like she's very obviously the answer. when it comes to replacing Swanson. But I can't help but feel like we need a little more from her for the national team. Yeah, I think that's totally fair.

She had a great goal over the weekend, so maybe she's inching towards that little bit more we want to see from her. But it's just still so heartbreaking to even think about not having Mao. That night I went to bed, and I'm not melodramatic enough to not sleep. But I am melodramatic enough to grind my teeth like all night out of stress to the point where like... Oh dear. I understand it's very melodramatic, but I'm just so upset for her. Aren't you guys?

Yeah. I prefer not to think of it. I just push it from my mind. I did enjoy though, like a lot of people have been heckling about how often Danesby, Swanson, is brought up in terms of like soccer coverage, like with the national team or even Chicago. They loved to be talking about Danes B. Swanson. But after her injury,

Mao was the talk of the town in baseball world. Like, so I did love the- I did love the solidarity there. They said that man, I couldn't eat, couldn't sleep. He was so upset for his wife. Oh, God love it. Yeah, I mean, which I mean, truly heartbreaking.

It is. When you imagine like just and especially you can't you can't even like be with her at that point in time when the when everything goes down like you're in the middle of your season. I mean it just started. You're at a new team specifically, you know, trying to make good impression and all that, whatever, whatever. But yeah, man, just just a lot going on from a human angle just within their relationship. then, of course, you know, the media families of both. But it's crazy, it's crazy.

The news didn't hit me the same because I wasn't watching the game at the time. I was in West Virginia, just chilling out, watching some baseball. And it came to me later. And ever since then, I've kind of been like bills. I haven't really thought too much about it. I'm just like, I keep moving. We don't have to sit in the sorrow of it all. Rodman is definitely the answer. I really like that. Trinity being the next man up keeps that quick rotation that Mal and Sophia had. Like Sophia can be on the right, on the left, Mao can do it. Not Mao. Trinity can do it as well. They can switch back and forth. And I think that that works out well for both of them. I really like the idea of the spot opening up for Alyssa Thompson to come in against tired legs.

We've seen how fast she can be. I think she can be a real difference maker. And before anybody yells at me, like, I fully understand. She'd be coming in at the end of a game. I don't think she's ready to start in a World Cup. And I also think it opens up a real. opportunity for Lynn Williams, who is proving time and time again that she is back and better than ever. And I think we've got to listen to it. I think we have a lot of good options.

Yeah, that's true. You think Lynn Williams is the answer at Stryker if Macario is not fully back. Yeah, I think Ashley Hatch is good in the NWSL. I don't love her with the national team. But Lynn can be in the center. Lynn can play outside or she can be in the center. And I think that she is a lot more defensive-minded than Alex is. I think she tracks back really well. And I also think she's scoring left and right. Like she can finish.

I think she has more than earned a chance to be a commanding presence in this team. And with Mao exiting, I think I think she's, She's got that. Okay. I mean, I'm not as confident in Lynn Williams as a number nine as you are, but. Well, you haven't seen it. We haven't seen her in the number nine. Just based on like how she plays, you know.

She just tied for the most goals in the NWSL. So I don't think she's like some bad choice. I'm not saying she's like some scrub, but like the, you know, the dropping in and cooking component of being a nine, you know, finding runners with perfectly weighted passes. I actually think Sophia, you know, Sophia does that for Portland. Yeah.

And I thought did it a ton over the weekend. You know, it was a one-one draw, but Portland had a lot of chances in the game. Yeah, I mean, it could be Sophia and Lynn on the right. But we have a lot of great options is my only point. I'm just saying things get a little loose when Lynn's in traffic. That's all I'm saying. Then no put her in traffic.

Just have her running it behind, man. That would, I mean, it would be foolish to have her in traffic. Which, you know, we have a fool of a coach. But, yeah, if she's playing nine, then she just needs to be focusing on. on on giving the back line hill. Just,

just by pure, yeah, just run all day. And I've seen, she, like we've seen her do it before. I mean, and times before,

like she, when it comes to, when it comes to the, the, the, the, Lynn 1.0. When it came to that bit of,

like, clinicalness in front of goal, it was often lacking. But as far as, like, her ability to find opportunities just from being extremely athletic,

and fast and being able to carry the ball and all that type of stuff, it was, it was just, she was almost a cheat code mode. Yeah. Well, it definitely was a cheat coat. Yeah. Speaking, you know, you were saying Ashley Hatch looks good in NWSL, but maybe isn't quite good enough for the national team. Is she, Hatch kind of looks like a cheat code in NWSL.

You know, she's just kind of toy in with people with the ball. It's totally different player than you see with the national team. It is. She drew a penalty. She got filed by Emily Fox. Had Emily Fox on her back, I think the ball was played in, I'm pretty sure it was played in my Trinity. Played to Ashley, like has Emily, just dragging Emily on her back like a backpack, makes just like a very silky touch to bring the ball down, put it right in front of her, and then eventually gets pulled down by Emily. But yeah, she does, she does things in the NWSL that are.

that are particularly eye catching. I don't know what the issue is with the national team because it's not, it never shows up. But yeah, I mean, I guess it could be. You know, the one thing I always think about is how Jedi Robinson went through that jitter phase. And he was very clearly, extremely nervous.

and like every opportunity he got with the national team then you watch one of this club and be like, there's a good player in here. But you could just see it with the national team, man. I mean, his eyes were all big. He was just making uncharacteristic mistakes

and all types of things. And I think we do kind of look past that that type of thing when we're talking about like the national team. It's like the summit. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, it's a very big deal.

Yeah, very big deal. The place of all these. players wanted to get to, they want to, they want to be good, they want to make an impression. And, you know, they can go against you if you're just, if you're too, if you're too wired. I think that, I think that Alex, I think that Alex plays a role in there too, because she is such, uh, maybe the biggest name in women's soccer. Um, and, and, yeah, I think that's fair to say. To, which is why she's not going to sit. To compete, to compete with her. Um,

I think would, you know, make many people anxious. And I think that that's actually one of the problems is how much Sophia doesn't get anxious around her. Like, those two have the chemistry of, like, a rock. They do not see eye to eye. I don't think that Sophia, like, really gives that much of a crap about it. Do you guys understand what I'm saying at all? I do. Yeah.

I hadn't ever really thought of it that way. but it doesn't look like Sophia, well, Sophia doesn't defer to anybody. Yeah, and I think that that's one of the problems. Like, at San Diego Wave, everyone defers to Alex Morgan. Like, that's Alex's field. That's Alex's ball. It all starts and stops with her. Sophia's like, I don't care.

I'm shooting. And I see that as, I mean, I love it. I love the attitude, but that's one of the problems we're having. That's why you're such an Alex Morgan hater. Yeah, I think it's Sophia's time for sure. Well, yeah, I do think I pretty much agree. I think should we talk a little bit more about the roster? And what else?

What else should we say from this window? The only thing, the only thing I want to say that, like, I think is worth highlighting aside from like all of the things that went wrong or, you know, Mao crashing out is, Julie coming back to me brings a much better Lindsay Horan. Like that first game, it felt like Lindsay kind of got to take some of the responsibility off of her back and played with a lot more freedom. And I think that it made Lindsay much better, even when Julie was out there for like 15 minutes. Yeah. Lindsay sees Julie running around with those little T-Rex arms and she's just like, hmm.

This is good. Like Lindsay didn't have to be the hero of the midfield, and we got to see her be better because of it, even in a short period of time. That's the thing. You got to have an adult. You got to have an adult in the midfield. And like Lindsay was like that babysitter.

That's just going to let you do whatever. You know what I'm saying? No bedtime. Ice cream for dinner. All that. And now we got Julie, back, I'm going to snap everybody in the place. Hopefully, hopefully.

You know what I'm saying? I mean, we can actually play and have something that resembles a midfield now. Yeah. Fingers across. Like, I think, I think events has gotten on me about, like, speaking in soliloquy here before, but like all of all of the positive things that Julie brings to the table, like, putting that aside, making Lindsay better might be one of the most important ones to me. Yeah, because Sullivan doesn't really do it.

It's just too messy back there. We do have two, well, I guess Taylor Corniac is also sort of somewhat in the picture, but maybe not anymore. She couldn't even dress. Probably not. Well, I don't think she deserves to be in the picture. I think coffee and Corbyn'n-Albert are, both better than Taylor Corneick and Andy Sullivan.

But here we are. Yeah. Agreed to disagree is what Vlako says to that point of view. I mean, well, yeah, yeah. Let's keep moving. We'll get to this when we go through these players here. Okay. So yeah, let's work our way through the player pool.

I mean, as you mentioned, Tara, Rodman had a nice goal. It was a great finish with a right foot from just inside the box. after a courage midfielder played a pass to her at the top of the box. So it was a little bit of a gift. But a finish like that is a great finish regardless of how you got to it. Yeah. And something the coach, their new coach, Mark Parsons talked about before the season started, like he was being so complimentary to many of his new players.

But with Trinity, he was talking about, of course. she's like incredible but what he wants to see more from her is staying higher up on the field and pressing higher because in past seasons like anybody who watches the spirit will know like she she tracked back so much she was winning the ball back like in in her own half the majority of the time and how he didn't want that for her anymore he wanted her to keep to keep her you know, real high up on the field. All that to say, her goal came from doing exactly that.

And I think that that'll really benefit us in the national team if she can keep it up. Yeah. Yeah. Which, you know, the thing about Trinity being the one to step up is that she can absolutely do it. As far as, I mean, because this male thing, like, why would, it's a huge loss.

Yes, it's a huge loss. On the last Wilson Wednesday, I was saying that, like, one of the, one of the things that's having me keep the faith is we have the two best wangers in the world. Well, we've lost one. But this Mao Renaissance was, like, a fairly recent thing. You know what I'm saying? Yeah.

Like, she went Supernova. Yes. Trinity Rodman went Supernova the season before her rookie season in the NWSL. And so far, if you look at her play in the NWSL, the NWS like the early returns have been good I mean we got I think it's two goals now had an assist against racing all on plays that were executed

that showed her quality that showed her quality you got the shot here you had that turn and run and and shot that the goal her first goal that one yeah the left footer yeah I love that one

and then the nice ball to Ashley Hatch that split two defenders against racing and you know you can and when you watch this match specifically like nobody could do anything

with her from North Carolina like every time Trinney got the ball like she just it was almost comical because like defenders were just like bouncing off of her as she was like carrying the ball at the field

um you know Terry you talked about Trent not having to track back as much which she didn't do but late in the match when it became winning time, you know, they were only up by one goal, protecting one goal lead.

Trinity did get back and made a beautiful, a beautiful tackle, long-legged tackle that she's kind of known for. So I guess I say all this to say that we need to be watching to see if she can make that assent to becoming, you know, a top five winger in the world, which I think she can do. I mean, we got all this runway.

We've talked about as far as that amount of matches left. So let's see what happens. I think she can too. And on your guys' recap part of the second game, you and Greg both touched on it about all of the losses, you know, with Mao being injured, like, everything we lose from it. But Trinity does add some stuff that Mal doesn't do either. Like I'm really excited to see, you know, how it translates, stepping up.

I think she's are, I think Trinities, I agree with that. Trinity's, I think Trinities are, well, of the wingers, she's the most, she's got the greatest subtlety as a player, you know? She's, she has the, she has the ability to slow things down, make a, and make a, a decision that isn't immediately obvious in a way that I don't think you see from, you see from, either Sophia or a healthy Mao. But, so I'm excited to see what happens. I just think we need a little more, just a little more cutting edge from her

international team games. But I'm confident about it. Yeah. Alex Morgan, we should mention, did play, she did play over the weekend. The wave lost to the rain, one to zero and got, I think, got beat pretty fair and square out possessed outshot the whole nine yards yeah i Alex had a few really good opportunities um i was about to say didn't uh which didn't phallon play well yeah that was a big story i'm highlighting later just as like positive notes for the reins goalie phallon told us choice but it's it's it's not

like Alex was invisible it's just fallon stopped her each time okay let's move to the winger sophia got an assist. I think Greg was saying, you know, she's not somebody who creates shots for other people in that recap.

You just mentioned Tara. But she got a really nice assist on a good cut back for Crystal Dunn for Crystal Dunn to roof it with her left foot. And, you know, generally cheat-coated her way

around the attacking third in this game. Like I said earlier, very involved in the build-up for the thorns, dropping in, receiving the ball, finding a layoff,

or maybe just turning and dribbling past the person that's on her back. But I thought she had another good game, which is no surprise, I suppose. Yeah, I mean, that was a fantastic game. If you had to pick one game of the NWSL from this last weekend, I would definitely encourage it be the Thorns v. Houston. Sophia was just so dominant. Although she didn't get a goal, you know, that assist was great.

Yeah, she almost, she had a couple close shaves with a goal. Yeah, like I would just say like in general, like the quality of play the NWSL this weekend was just, it was chef's kiss. It was. It was fun. Just across the board. Like everyone was balling. And and you know, sometimes I've kind of alluded to it without saying it like flat out. But sometimes these NWSL games can get a little crazy, man. It's just literally like imagine players not as good as Roosevelt and Lindsay Horan, but they're all hitting the.

the same hero balls. And they're literally just back and forth. And it's just like, bro, like what are we doing here? But this weekend, man, teams were playing ball. Like, I mean, I talked about that spirit, North Carolina courage game. If you have the chance, like, watch the courage because they, they really play, uh, just, just very attractive, very attractive soccer. Like on the, on the call, they were saying, uh, the spirit is the,

team that passes the ball the least and the courage of the team that passes the ball the most in the NWS. And it was a, it was an interesting contrast to styles, but yeah, just overall. And like Tara said, I mean, the thorns, like, you need to watch the thorns when you can to. Just every week, just go ahead and lock that in because that's some of the, that's also some of the more attractive ball you'll see. Yeah, I mean, Sam, I think Sam Coffey's a big part of that. She's, she's nice.

continues to be nice. You say, yeah, she's all right. She's on the team? She plays. She plays. She soccer's their way through it in a way that I think, you know, this hero ball that you're referring to. That's not how she plays. Definitely not.

The Thorne's Houston game, like, I'm scared I'm about to give off like a little too much Landon-Donovan energy here. But the Houston game was really good too. Like Houston has a lot of up-and-coming young players from the Mexico women's national team. And they were cooking. Like they weren't making it easy for Portland. And, you know, Portland's the reigning champs. They were playing low. Not the first time I've heard that the Mexican women's national team is cooking.

Oh, man. That's facts, though. They're real young. So they're like not solidified yet. But they're coming. They're coming. Okay. You know what?

Like every time I watch Sophie Schmidt, I kind of come away impressed. She's just like she put the clamps on Sav to Mello when we played them. We played the dash first first game of the season. Which is no small feature. Like she's legit. Right, right.

But yeah. I just want to give a little shout out to Sophie Schmidt because she's just a pure, a pure bulldog in there. She goes to work. Let's see. Do we need to talk about Midge Purse, Megan Rapino? One second, Midge Perce scored a great penalty kick.

You know, I hope she's not completely out of the water, but I don't think she's making the World Cup. Megan Rapino, though, yeah. She, we saw the first time we've seen Megan Rapino play soccer in quite a bit. She played 20 minutes with stoppage time. she took like three really great hero shots that of course didn't go in but it was still it was still nice to see her back out there I'm being serious and she went on the podcast snacks this weekend which is not this weekend like last week which is Sam U.S.'s and Lynn Williams podcast and they had a really

great conversation like really great vulnerable conversation about exiting soccer or like nearing the end of being a professional slowing down and that included her changing roles in the World Cup like compared to the past World Cup where she was a Titan and shifting into her current role which is not being that all that to say is I definitely encourage anyone to listen to it who's interested I think even she sees her role in the World Cup as someone who's coming in the final 10, 15, 20 minutes of a game. And I've super made peace with that. I think it was nice to see her out there for, you know, limited time the game this weekend.

And I think she definitely still brings something that could be a difference maker in New Zealand. All right. So, so, Tara, what made you come to peace? with this with with with with with with with with what co's ultimate decision that Megan Rapino will be on the roster did it have anything to do with advice from your dentist no no it didn't um what what

this is going to be equally snarky seeing Lindsay Horan's penalty kicks um as of late maybe become a bit because Megan is not missing that's facts that's facts okay who better to talk about slowing down with than uh Christy U.S. though, you know? Sam U.S.

Oh, it's Sam U.S. Okay. I was about to say, hold on. Way bad. To close out the Wingers, though, briefly, I'm not sure if, I'm not sure if you guys are on the same page here, but Lynn Williams scored. She scored the latest goal in the NWSL, which, again, is not like a sexy fact. But it was a goal nonetheless. And with that goal, she's tied Christine Sinclair for the NWSL, which I get is not like a sexy fact. the most goals in the NWSL, which is 59, a huge accomplishment.

Yeah. Because she's, you know, not as old as Christine Sinclair. So she's got a long way to go. Yeah. I mean, when, you know, when you had Lynn and Jess McDonald on the, on the courage there, I mean, and Crystal Dunn, too. I mean, they were just running it up. They were just running it up just ridiculously, disgustingly.

Because, like, Jess McDonald is, like, the all-time assist leader in the Opiecel. if I'm not mistaken. So those two, I mean, just numbers. Numbers on the board. Also, Christine Sinclair, I don't know if she's heard or what, but she didn't start this weekend. Olivia Moultrie did, which we'll get into later. They said it was just fatigue from the international break.

Okay. All right, in the midfield, Crystal Dunn scored that really nice left-footed goal off of the Sophia Smith assist. I did think Dunn was kind of chaotic. out there. There were a lot of silly touches. She was playing crossfield

floaters on the reg in her half. It was a lot going on with this crystal bound performance for sure. They wore that jersey for the first time, the Sailor tattoo jersey, and it just made Crystal crazy.

Yeah, it lived up to the building, didn't it? Uh-huh. But that's okay I think I'm not I'm not taking anything really away from that really No

Levelle didn't play Rose Levelle didn't play after the knocks she picked up in the game versus Ireland Horan was rested on Sunday in France I know you guys

don't want to talk about anything outside of the U.S. But just let me say that and then Ashley Sanchez what did you think of her performance Vince

that's a strong man argument bells but anyway it's time we talk about Ashley Sanchez it's time we talk about Assy Sanchez Tara I went ahead and gave you notice I went and subpoenaed you that you were coming to the courtroom today

Yeah You think I'm scared of that? No, no, I'm just letting the world know that I gave I gave Tara fair notice, fair warning This is not an ambush I just like when I really I don't know what hit me but I really sat there and like thought about it a little bit and I'm like are like are we sure that Ashley Sanchez is is that good

like and you know I've been talking about I mean you've been saying that for months well well kind of kind of like I don't know if I was saying that as much as I was kind of trying to pop prop up Sav de Mello but like really like seriously like non-agenda, like, the more I watch Ashley, I'm just like, there should be a little bit more here. It should be a little bit more here. And we got the, actually, you know what? It was the call out from, it was the call out from Black Co that made me think about it.

When he was talking about, I forgot what exactly he said, talking about the Trinity and Ashley connection. They need to connect more often, basically, is what he said, right? He said that they need to see the connection they have with the spirit for the national team. Okay, okay. But didn't he also say the connection they have at the spirit needs to be more consistent or something like that? Yeah. We're paraphrasing, but I mean, like, we know that.

He's like saying. Isn't his first language. Time for Ashley to play better. That's what he said. It's time for her to play better. And then when I watch this match, which. as I talked about with how the spirit play, it's not like,

it's perfectly designed for what Ashley does. But, I mean, it was like a two out of ten. It was like a two out of ten. And, you know, with the more,

the more evidence we keep getting with the national teams, keeps getting these chances, it's continually mid at best. And, you know, when we have somebody like, uh, shoot I'm blanking

the Notre Dame P SGG Corbin Corbin Corbyn Corbyn Albert we got somebody like Corbyn Albert coming up looking great Like I just don't know I just don't know and the fact that we have you know Ashley basically like in PIN as on the roster

I would like to I would just like to you know I do think it's a little suspicious that you Couldn't remember Corbyn Albert's name, given that she's in France right now. But, you know, whatever. The, the, um, I, my thing with Ashley is I love, I love her ideas.

I think she has great ideas on the field. Like she's, she's thinking the way I want, uh, attacking midfielder to think. But the, the execution doesn't live up to the ideas, almost ever. Like she, she, she's, she's, she's the queen of the really great idea. with the like five out of ten execution on it. Yeah, and that's my, that's my whole point. You know, when I, and when I talked about the NWSO, about players not as good as Roosevelt, Lindsay Horan,

hitting hero ball passes. I mean, Ashley, actually falls into it. I do. Gives the ball away, loses duels? I, sorry. I do wonder if this is a bit reactionary because Taylor Cornyack isn't even dressing for games anymore. Is it?

No, no, no, come on now. So I went ahead and put my and put my Taylor Cornyack and gender to bed last week. Okay, okay. I am kidding. I am kidding.

Joking aside, though, I definitely agree. We haven't seen our full potential. And if you two are ready to turn your back, I think that that's okay. Whoa, whoa. I will keep it going. I think she brings a burst of energy into a game which is severely lacking in our team as it stands right now. I understand that there are outsiders who could also do that.

I do think she plays with like a joy, which is not a serious term. I understand, but I've noticed that it's something that I value while watching these games. Joy is a serious term. All right. Let's get something straight. And, you know, even though you two, you know, respectfully, of course, can get a little bit tunnel vision with Ashley Sanchez. I think she's better than Christy Mewis. I think she's better than Andy Sullivan.

And I think she's better than Taylor Cornyack, which makes her an off-the-bench option for our midfield, which I'm happy with. I'm not with Vince where I think she should be off the roster. I think I'm fine with her remaining on the roster. I just want more from her. Yeah. And I definitely agree. Like I think she has more to offer and I think we should be asking that of her. But in this past, in this past Ireland game, like the second game where everything blew up,

the Sanchez Trinity Alyssa link up was like one of the only bits of light in that sad sack of a game. And I think that Trinity gets props for it. and I think Alyssa gets props for it. But I haven't seen many people acknowledge that Sanchez was also part of that. Yeah, I mean, cool. I get, like, I don't. Did I make it too serious? I'm sorry.

No, no, no, it's all good. It's all good. I just can't, I'm sitting here thinking, and I just can't see her coming in a knockout stage match, you know, whether we're playing Brazil, England, Germany, Netherlands, whoever the hell we're playing. And coming in off the bench, 70th minute or whatever, and truly making a severe impact on the match.

I just don't see it right now. I'm going to keep it real. That's just, that's how I'm feeling. That's how I'm feeling. And, you know, as we've talked about multiple times, I mean, you got 12 games to go ahead and get back on track and shut me the hell up.

And I hope it does happen. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. I would love to talk about Sam Coffee for a while, but I'm picking up maybe that you guys don't want to talk about that. I just thought she was, she's, Bob Morocco used the phrase pass empathy in the discord last night in a very esoteric discussion.

But I feel like she has it. She's, she moves constantly moving in a way. that makes her available to her teammates. Her passes are always to the right foot with the right weight. For me, it's a joy to watch that humble little lady play soccer. I thought in the Portland game, which I don't know why I can't shut up about this game, but Sam Coffee set everyone up for success. Yeah, she does.

Which is like not a glamorous position to be in, but she, she, she, she was setting all of her teammates up to do something good. And, you know, that's all you can ask. Yeah. My basic questions. And the question that really got me on the off-the-Sam Coffee train to begin with is just pitch control related. Like, she's just, I mean, as, as Bells put it,

that she is diminutive. And also, I mean, not particularly. Not super fast. Yeah, athletic or anything like that. But yeah, I mean, as far as a ball player, like the playing of the ball, yes. Yes, I'm with you all. You know, this is something that is, so there was a play where I think it was, oh, I forget who it was. Somebody on the left side played a hospital ball toward the middle to, I don't even know if it was aimed at coffee.

But coffee has that ability to sort of like read the flight of a ball or the movement of a ball, you know, like a really good rebounder or something in basketball. And she just gets to it before the defender. She had no right to. She's not quick. You know, she wasn't in, she just read it faster than everybody else. She gets to it, plays the ball forward to Sophia Smith and they're off to the races. And so I think the pitch control thing is a complicated discussion with her because, like, yes, she's not fast, not particularly strong.

but she reads things so well that it gives her a little edge in the pitch control. Anyway, she's not going to be on the roster for the World Cup. It seems pretty clear at this point. No, but I was watching the Portland Houston game in a hotel this weekend. And I was like talking to myself basically like losing my mind over this game and not a flattering way. And other Sanchez, Houston, Mexico national team player. She got past coffee like once. It wasn't anything like detrimental.

But I was like, that's why Sam not fast enough. I was like, that's why you're not going to be going. Yeah. Yeah. And I mean maybe, you know, she's, what is there a second year in WSL? Yeah. With these types of players like I think or I assume at least that, you know, You have to be, you really got to be a supercomputer out there if you're working with the limitation that Sam is.

And getting there, getting there. But maybe she's just not ready for the big time quite yet. Yeah, I mean, we'll never know because she really hasn't gotten a chance. I mean, when she did get a chance, I thought she was pretty decent. It's just going to be one of those things to me where I'm just putting all my eggs into the Paris Olympics basket. I was like 24th coming, Sam, it's your time. Yeah. Okay.

Andy Sullivan, she got the win with the spirit, but we don't need to really talk about that too much. Christy Mewis and Taylor Cornec. I think also don't need to be discussed. No. On the fullback front, what do we got on Casey Kruger? I guess full back slash centerback,

because she was on the right side of a back three. Yeah. Yeah. She can play both positions, but for the national team, she would be a fullback, in my opinion, at least. But anyway, Chicago did not take Mal Swanson's news and lie down or whatever that saying is. They beat Kansas City 4 to 2. And I thought Casey and Tierna had really, really good games, considering that they're just back from injury. And this is Tierna's third game, Casey's second.

can't game. So I just really liked seeing them out there, be consistent, get a win, and be part of that because Kansas City, Kansas City, you know, they've had a terrible start to the season, but they do have a lot of talent. Terrible. Yeah. Mexico women's national team vibes from them, for sure. It's really disgusting.

It's really disgusting. and the amount of time I spent thinking about this team. Well, they do have like 10 players injured right now. It's not like they're all just flops. Fair enough. I just got to point out that Tina Davidson got mugged shamefully by Michelle Cooper at midfield and then couldn't catch up.

And then Cooper did. Cooper missed the chance, but she was one-v-one with the keeper. Seeing that from Tina Davidson doesn't make me feel good. great, but I didn't watch the whole game, so I accept that she had a good game otherwise. 12 games left to get right. Yeah. I mean, Cooper just took the ball from her and left her for dead.

She's looking real good. Cooper is. Michelle, that is. Yeah. I just wanted to talk about Andy Sullivan real quick. Why? Why? Well, I just wanted to say she was really bad.

Okay. And I was kind of watching, like, I was kind of watching her versus Brianna Pinto, the six for North Carolina Courage. And Andy Sullivan was not the best six on the field. No, I agree with you there. Brianna's exciting. Good player. Hopefully she gets her chance after the World Cup as well. I think she's close to being ready, if not ready already.

Oh, geez, what a stupid sentence that was. No, that was great. I loved it. Let's do the youths. Let's talk about the youths. Big weekend for players that could be, you know, coming up for the national team. I thought Olivia Moultrie looked the best she's ever looked, which before either of you get snarky, remember she's 17. Yeah.

She's a big kid. She looks older than that because she's so, she's bigger than a lot of the other players on the field. I thought she looked good, too. She's a little bit of, like, the Nagby heat map, really good in the middle third. And then things kind of, she was wasteful in the attacking third. Let's be honest. She had her chances to win this game for her team. Just couldn't get the ball out of her feet quickly enough.

Yeah. But I agree. But I agree, Tara. She was, you know, she played that one ball down the line for Sophia Smith with her left foot. That was very nice. And she's just steady and comfortable on the ball. It was her first start, I believe, too. So I'm really looking forward to all of these players we're going to talk about.

Like, it's going to be their time to shine when the national team players go to New Zealand. Because NWSL's still going on. So I'm really looking forward to watching them. True. True. Yeah. I just want to say as the resident Olivia Moultriehater on this podcast, that she was good. Thank you.

Okay. That was big of you. Good job. But haters is a strong word, right? I mean, you're not really a hater. Yeah, I'm not really a hater. I just had my questions. I just had my questions.

Really about just what type of player that she even is to even start with. That's still kind of a question. Yeah. But I will say, like I thought, even though that passed with the left foot, like I feel like that was the easier, the easier of her. more impressive passes that she played in this match. Because there was a ton of space to play Sophia into there. If you go back and watch any of these clips, which I completely understand if no one does,

because more games coming. But Sophia was coaching Olivia out there the entire game. And I thought that that was adorable. Oh, really? I didn't notice that. What about Chloe Ricketts? The 15-year-old signed to Washington Spirit, made her debut. you. I know you were

impressed, right, Vince? I'm, I'm, I'm, uh, yes, yes. I was, I was very impressed. I mean, I, I was not watching, I had forgot that she existed. Um, well, it's the first one she played. Right, right. And, you know, I was

watching this match for Trinity and Ashley. And then, then Chloe Ricketts comes on the pitch. And, uh, I don't know. I, I guess I was like scrolling Twitter at the same time. And like, but because, well, the, the point I'm trying to make, the point I'm trying to make is that if I was just watching this game and she came on, I wouldn't have really thought anything about it. But then I think I saw something on Twitter. It was like, 15 year old, Chloe Ricketts.

And I was like, hold on. She's 15. And then so I started watching a little bit closer. And she did some impressive stuff. She did some impressive stuff, man. I was impressed watching her. She's kind of, she's kind of nice. She got something to her.

She does. She's got a little spark. like she seems fast and strong too. Yeah, yes. Was out there was very, uh, at some points was over eager. You know what I'm saying? But because I mean, she got 30 minutes. Um, when, when the spirit are holding onto a 2-1 lead.

You know what I'm saying? When I talked earlier about Trinity making that tackle, like Chloe Ricketts was on the field at that point. Like 30 minutes in the NWSL seeing out a lead against. against a decent opponent is very, and holding her own was very, it was very good to see. It was very good to see there were times, you know, where she, where you could just see like the game kinda bypassing her, like, like I said,

the courage can play some just incredible, some credible passages of play there. And you know, you just see Chloe like bringing up the rear, like, oh my God, they just, bam, bam, bam, I played these three passes and then they're off to the races and you can just see, you can just see her put her head down and like, well, I got to get on my horse and try to get down this end of the field. But, you know, a few times when she got on the ball, it was, she did some things.

She also gave Emily Fox a couple stepovers in the midfield before somebody came up behind her and fouled her. She was getting fouled a lot. They were like, welcome to the NWSL little child. It was it is a big vote of confidence for her to come on for the in that situation in the third game like I didn't I thought I thought this is a situation where we'd see her during the World Cup break like at most I was really surprised she came she got time already yeah and the spirit coach made it a point to mention that like she earned she earned those minutes like he I feel like he said it like two or three times he did but yeah yeah. So she's like, yeah, Chloe's looking like a player. And, well, just one more thing to the point of bells of her being fast and strong. Like the first time she even got on the ball on the match, they just, you know, when you got some pros out there, it's like, oh, this is a little 15-year-old wimp.

They were like, oh, she got the ball. Let me just knock her off her real quick. They couldn't do it. Yeah, that's what I noticed. It was very impressive to see. So, yeah, Chloe Ricketts. Chloe Ricketts Future keeper of Olivia Maltrey on the bench

Just kidding there All right Cooper Has yet to score in her first three games But but but but Oh I thought you were you were saying but But she is looking better each game I think it's really starting to click

Once Kansas City is less doomed with injuries And she has any teammates up there I'm really looking forward to seeing how it goes because I think each game there's solid progression. Okay. Savannah de Mello, anything on her, you guys? I am not the resident Savannah D'Mello Stan or whatever you want to call it, but I thought this was the best I've seen her play.

Like she was a force out there this weekend. Yeah, I have yet to watch this game because I was at a wedding on Saturday. And they didn't put this match up on Paramount Plus until like this morning. She was really, really good. And like for anyone who doesn't watch racing that often, this is a reason alone to start watching it. Vince taught me this this weekend. Savannah takes their penalty kicks.

Like they don't have Jessica McDonald take them. They don't have like their strikers or whoever take them. It's a young, young girl in the midfield. I think that that's awesome. it was a very nice pin too smacked it smacked it top bands beautiful i guess we mentioned this earlier but phallon told us joyce stopped uh morgan a couple times over the weekend she had a phenomenal game like this is our goalie for the future uh i you know goalies aren't the most exciting to watch but she is exciting to watch and i think

we got to get on board i i cannot wait till she has her time um to submit that spot, which I'm hoping is coming after the World Cup. All right. And if you guys will allow me to, you know, claw our way out of this cloud of jingoism that you have created, the two of you, I would, do want to mention something that happened beyond the borders of the lower 48? Corbyn Albert started again for PSG and her team won. She's good, man.

She's. I mean, I'm probably just going to say it every weekend, but I mean, every other week, but lots a good combination play in ball security. She does all the things. At one point in the 13th minute, she went stride for stride with the left winger for 40 yards, got her shoulder in, got between her and the goal,

then took the ball from her, and then turned and played a perfect, clean, 30-yard pass on the ground to spring a counter-attack going the other way. She does, she's doing a lot of stuff. She looks like she's sort of solidifying her spot next to, is it Ham Rawi?

Is that how you say it, Kira Ham Rale? Oh, yeah. Oh, girl that, uh... Yeah, yes. The girl, the one who got attacked, right? Like, uh, maybe by a hitman hired by her old teammate. Yeah, yeah. Like, I don't know that that's been proven, but...

There's a lot more going on to that. But it's neither here nor there. Well, it is a little here nor there because Corbyn Albert walked into this environment. Uh, a 19-year-old straight from Catholic school. And here she is just doing great. She's doing really good. And I definitely do think it's a wild accusation to say we're not paying attention to non-American soccer players.

Because this morning, I had to watch Mia Fiscal score two goals. And I, you know, that's my news. Me official scored twice. Yeah, really not. One of them was really nice. I saw one of them at least. I'm obviously just joking about that. Yeah, but any opportunity I can to fight back, I will, which is a flaw, which I'll work on.

All right, let's get out of here. Thank you, everybody for listening. If you want to join us on the Discord, get the Monday review every week, join the Patreon. The link is in the show notes. We'll see you.