SoccerWise - NWSL Edition: SheBelieves Starting XI, Denver Naming & Portland Offseason Deep Dive
Episode Date: February 19, 2025Jordan & David are so excited about the kickoff of the 2025 SheBelieves Cup. They present their preferred starting lineups for the first game. Then they dig into all the news around NWSL including a p...otential name for Denver & Orlando's newest signing. And then they continue their offseason recap with a deep dive on the Portland Thorns.3:45 Greatest April Fools Prank Ever6:51 Jordan & Davids USWNT Starting XI19:09 Discord Questions On Ally Sentnor, Tara McKeown & Uncapped Call-ups30:30 Voting On Denver’s Club Name43:36 Deep Dive On Portland’s Offseason Soccerwise Live 2pm ET Every Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday on Youtube/Twitch/Twitter
Transcript
Discussion (0)
Welcome everybody into Soccer Line. David Goss and Rap Star Jordan Angeley here. You've
got the hoodie on. You were leaning back just like feeling the flow. Just chilling. We're kind of silly today.
We got some silly vibes within us.
It feels very off season.
Doesn't this feel like an early camp?
You just wander out to the field whatever time, you do what you have to do.
You got to get rid of the sillies before you start playing.
Some of that comes in like my rap stance.
And maybe I think you'll have a few bars
about the US Women's National Team
and potential starting lineups in there.
I've been on the MLS side of things.
I've been hosting preview episodes
with 30 different podcast hosts.
And a lot of them have theme songs
that they have produced and written.
Some have put video to.
It's like really impressive.
Yeah.
Do we have that skill set?
You never know until you try.
True.
That is true.
We might as well give it a go.
Maybe we can use some of these new friends of yours to help us with, you know, produce some of the production, some of the vocal
synthesizing because we might need that. Yeah, I'm jingle writing, you know, I'm not a good jingle
writer but we could figure it out. We'll do a full We Are the World right recording wasn't that
famous? Yes. Get 35 stars in a room and it will just be me, you, and maybe we'll throw a Tom in there as well.
And all of us can try and write something up.
I am not creative.
I have no rhythm.
I am not musically talented, but I'm a good team player.
I'm here to help.
I'll definitely yes and as much as possible.
So I think we just sold it.
I think everybody's really excited
for our new theme song produced intro
that we have going on.
I think so too.
If not, you can be excited about the rest of the show
coming up.
We're gonna give our starting lineups
that we would like to see in match one
for the US Women's National Team against Columbia.
We'll go through some fan questions
that we got in our Discord.
If you do not, you can subscribe to our Patreon
that will get you access to our Discord
where we're always hanging out and talking during games before games as news breaks whatever it
is I will be in there on Thursday evening talking US women's national team
as well we've got a Canadian national team channel in there NWSL all of those
other things and it gets you access to our depth charts which are partially
updated to the full spot of where they need to be about 50% there and I'm
working on the rest of it.
But that gives you a clear idea about where teams stand, lineups, all that type of stuff.
We are going to be using it today because we're going to be talking about the Portland Thorns.
Doing a little bit of an update. I think we've hit, over the last few weeks, we've hit Houston, we've hit Gotham,
we hit Bay, we hit, I want to say North Carolina.
Can we talk about Washington?
We have talked to Washington as news has come in on Washington
I think we did like a full reset on North Carolina and where they sent I think those have been the four main ones so
Far we are putting our plans to paper right now for our preseason coverage
So we've got a lot coming up reminder the end of yourself challenge Cup is March 7th in Orlando, Orlando against Washington.
And then one week later, we start the NWSL full season. So it's right around the corner
with February being the shortest month. And we're going to have all your coverage right
here all the time. Before we get into it off season, do you have a pre-season memory? Do you have a pre-season vibe?
What was your experience living through pre-season matches and camps and all that type of stuff?
Gosh, got to go back in the archives for this one.
Pre-season is great and also terrible at the same time, right?
Because you're learning so much and it's so fun when you get a new group together or like
Can build off what you've you've had the year before but it's hard
you're just so happy when you get to the point where there's games in the near future because you're just kind of
you're sick of the the routine of just training and you want to compete as professional athletes that's what you
want to do you want to compete you want to gain that means something so I'm
trying to think of you know back in the day our season started a little later so
like we started preseason in March and wouldn't start our first games till
April and when I was at Boston we Ke, Keelin Winters, no, sorry,
it was Nikki Washington and I, it was April Fool's Day, and we pulled the best April Fool's prank.
We got in a fight, like during the, so the whole day we were kind of bickering at each other.
And Tony, we told Tony DeCicco, he was our head coach. We were like, Tony, we're going to do this.
And like, we need you on our side. So first he put us on the same team. And then we were like Tony we're gonna do this and like we need you on our side so first he put us on the same team and then we were like bickering at each other
and then he's like you two like Jordan you're on that team Nikki stay on this
team split us up and like we kept chirping each other and then we it came
to a head and we like gotten this confrontation and Keelan Winters was
like guys guys guys stop what is going on? And I just walked out.
I was like, this is it, I'm not taking this anymore.
Walked out and everybody was staring at us.
And then I look at Nikki, we go, April Fools.
And they were like, no way.
It was a legendary April Fools day
and that was our pre-season.
And so it was kind of gave us a little joy
during the middle of just another training
in the bubble.
It was in Boston at that time.
So we're just like, here we go into the bubble again.
Yeah, that was so that was an epic preseason moment for for whose idea was that?
I don't know, Nikki and I I don't know.
It was probably Nikki's.
She Yeah, she's just so funny like that and um Keelin was one of the younger players on the
team and I just will I will never forget she was like what is going like just new to the
league what is going on with people are like.
It was so good. Classic Tony Angelou just hot head throwing throwing fists and then
walking off the field. And just like a good memory too of Tony DeCicco and he's just the best.
Yeah.
Legend and I didn't prep you for this at all and you have an unbelievable story to go to.
So there you go.
You are quick on your feet.
That's why you're known for the freestyle style a little bit more than maybe the pre-planned
stuff.
That's what I sayanned stuff Yeah bars in your rap career. Let's leave your rap career and let's go into the soccer part
Which is the thing we probably know more about
She believes cup kicks off tomorrow night if you are listening on the day of or watching live
Thursday at 2
Thursday on the 20th at 8 p.m
Eastern time for the US women's national team that first matches against Columbia
Reminder Japan and Australia are the other two teams they will play each other and then by the time we are coming back for our
Show next week. There will have been a second game and then the final game is next Wednesday night
As well for the US women's national team. We went through the roster last show
We sort of dug into some of the ideas behind this,
what Emma Hayes is trying to build,
what she's trying to do.
She has spoken a lot over the last week
about that as well.
Opportunity for uncapped players,
opportunity for newer players,
trying to sort of push the next generation
into the national team.
And we see a lot of that in this team,
as well as some staples
like the Lindsay Heaps of the world and other players who have been around and some legends
as Emily Sane is going to be honored for in her hundredth cap in this camp which shows
the incredible career she has had so far a little bit of silverware to go along with
that as well.
So we've talked a lot about the rosters.
We have some questions from our Discord about a couple of players.
But before we do that, let's give our starting lineups what we think we'll see,
what we expect to see. Jordan, I'm going to let you set the tone with this one.
OK, well, I think it's important to say the U.S.
women's national team is playing Colombia, which is a team ranked 21st in the nation, but they've had really a resurgence in the last few years,
really good performance at the Women's World Cup in 23, a good performance again at the
Olympics.
Kind of fell off a little bit at the end of the year, didn't win I think in their last
five games it was, so weren't playing their best football.
But it is going gonna be one competitive
in the physical side of things.
They have some really top players
like Uzme, Caicedo, Maidara Ramirez.
So they're a good squad, but with that being said,
I think they're gonna get,
they're gonna be a little less organized
than the other teams that the United States sees.
So with that in mind, I started
to think of what team I would want to see that could exploit these spaces a little bit
more. And so I'm going to start with Jane Campbell in net. This is a place for the dash.
This game is in Houston. It makes sense to me to start off with somebody with a little
bit more experience in net in this new era of US women's national team goalkeepers, right?
No more Alyssa Nair. She retired in the fall. So Jane Campbell is starting that from left
to right across the back line. Jenna Niswonger left back, Emily Sonnet left center back, Emily
Sams. So full Emily back line with also Emily Fox as the right back. So we're getting Emily.
That was the focus for you?
Yeah, I only put Emily's in the back line.
So I don't know how Jenna popped in there, but we needed a left back.
So I put Emily Sonnet in.
I actually would have preferred to put Davidson in because I want to see Davidson Sam's next
to each other.
But since Sonnet is getting honored, I felt like they were probably going to give her
the start in this match.
And I still think that's a pretty solid center back pair and Sonnet can play anywhere in
those two center back spots and also in the midfield.
So that's my back line.
Moving forward, Sam Coffey will play the six, Heaps will, Heaps, I just said it like it
was normal.
Lindsey Haran, now Lindsey Heaps, willaps. I just said it like it was normal Lindsey Haran now Lindsey heaps will be the a and then I'm gonna put Katerina Macario at the 10 and
We spoke about this last week, right is are you taking the positions that these players are named at in the
Official announcement to heart and I can't remember now was Macario as a forward or she is listed as a foe
She listed as a But she is listed along
Eight other players that are listed as forward so it's a large pool. It's yeah probably means the front four
Right, so I put mccario in there
She's back which i'm stoked about and emma haze knows her very well
And the reason why I put her at the 10 is because I put jaden shaw at the 9
And I think that those two are
gonna interchange a lot if this was my starting lineup, I would want that from both of them and then
in the the channels I had Alyssa Thompson on the left side and
Yasmeen Ryan on the right side as a winger. So that's my starting 11
I don't know. I feel like it's pretty strong. With the with the caveat of there's going to be
some space to exploit. So can Thompson be the one that stretches? Ryan can also stretch in behind
if given if need be. But then it also creates potentially an overload centrally where Ryan
can come inside and play alongside McCarrio or Shaw in moments and use that creativity alongside two other very creative players.
What do you think?
I like it. I like a lot of it.
I have Emily Sonnet starting as well for the same reason. I also would have gone a little more
experimental in those spots.
I have one or two tweaks from what you have, but I think overall it's a similar idea
Basically my difference is I have Yasmin Ryan in Central Midfield as the time alongside coffee and heat
yep, and then pushing Shaw out wide and McCarrio up top and
My thinking there is I like the idea of having even more ball, more comfort on the ball and ball progression in central midfield.
And I think I don't know that that will be Yasmin Ryan forever.
I think there are other players coming up through the pool who are capable of that.
And I was like close to putting Claire Hutton on this and it's like there's no way it's gonna start this game.
So I can't do that.
But that idea or Hal Hirschfeldt or whoever it is sort of pushing through and I think
this sort of gives you a test to see what Sam Coffey looks with that player and what
heaps looks like.
Because I think in this setup, so I have Crystal Dunn, the one different, and then Tara McEon
instead of Sam's. I think that one is, the one different, one different and then Tarek McKeown instead of Sam's.
I think that one is, you could go either way.
My guess will be in three games.
They would probably, they will probably both start
at least one, if not two,
in terms of all the rotations you have.
I think they're fighting for a similar role
of a good ball playing center back
who can cover over the top.
Like I think they are both in that vein
and I think they're both fighting for the next spot
at center back that's coming through
if Naomi Germa and Terina Davidson
are your when healthy locked in starters
and Sonnet moving into the next half of her career.
So I had that one difference.
And then with Dunne and Niswanger,
I think you're talking about two players
who both need to prove it this year in different ways.
I think for Jen and Niswonger,
I'm still waiting to see that she is
a national team left back, not a national team level player.
The quality she has as a soccer player is clear,
but it is converted into that left back spot
and not yet a left back,
which is why Crystal Dunne has held the spot.
Dunne now just needs to show that she's still at the level she was at the Olympics. We haven't seen her play yet really at the club level
so I think you're splitting hairs there but with Giselle Thompson being the third option she's not
probably ready yet to start and so that was that debate. But then into midfield I like the idea of
having that possession. I also like the idea of the potential interchange. Heaps can drop deeper, Ryan can push higher,
Shaw can rotate inside Macario.
All of that is interchangeable to me,
which I think is a huge step coming for the US of,
okay, with triple espresso,
how do we break down a little block?
Elite talent, can we isolate players?
Can we get them into one-v-one situations?
And then the quick ball playing is that last little bit.
I think one of your other options could be,
well, all five of these players could show up
in different spots.
Can that be sort of the rotation and movements
which throw off a defense?
Is the off ball movements, picking up positions
that are different, trying to make other teams
make decisions of who they're gonna follow,
when they're gonna stay, and I think this group
has that capability, like you said with Sean Macario,
of like, almost everyone can interchange and pick up a different position and so that was sort of
what I leaned with with this one unless Claire Hutton is going to stay. Yeah and I agree I think
I hope we do see Claire Hutton starting one of these games and I can imagine she will. The
difference with Nicewang are when I'm thinking about the games to come,
I'm thinking I want to start Crystal Dunn against Japan. Like just to have some stability there,
because Japan is going to ask more... how should I... what's the word I want to say? Like...
More defensive questions? Yeah. You have to be locked in probably for longer stretches?
What they... is more sophisticated, I think, is what I want to say. Like their sophistication level is Yeah. You have to be locked in probably for longer stretches. Yeah.
What they, is more sophisticated, I think, is what I want to say.
Their sophistication level is a different level, this Japan national team.
And I think they're bringing in some younger players, but still, it has, their style of
play is so beautiful and brilliant.
And I think you want to have a good decision making outside
back in those situations where I think Jenna Niswonger could excel in this game against
Columbia is because yes she will be asked a lot defensively but I think there's going
to be times where she can get into the attack and do what she does best as a left back.
And so you're almost, maybe to your point, why wouldn't you want to start her?
If she hasn't proved that she's an out and out
left back for this team, she's quality to be on this team,
but are you a left back?
Maybe you start her against Japan and say,
solve these problems.
Prove to everybody that you can solve these problems
against a really elite team.
So I get what you're saying there.
Let me ask you this about this left wing
and then we have some questions as well from the Discord,
but Niswonger as a wide player likes to stay wide,
Thompson also likes to kind of stay wide.
Do you like that pairing on that side
or would that be one where you want to say,
oh, the other option is someone who wants to pinched inside and connect or do you like the idea of like?
Having that width and having the ability to always be attacking along this side. Yeah, I think
One of the things that
Even just when Jenna nice longer came into the Arsenal game this weekend, is she can attack wide,
but she also can attack in that half channel, right?
The channel right inside where she's getting the ball
and receiving it a little bit more narrow,
not to combine, but really to say,
hey, can we use a little bit more width
with the player out wide from me and create a combination?
So she's not really like creating centrally like Emily Fox would do,
but she's able to step into that space on the dribble, have somebody make a decision in front
of her, and then hopefully utilize either it's Thompson out wide of her. But I don't know,
I think that's a good point. Who do you use in front of Nice Longer to get the best out of her?
I think that's a good point. Who do you use in front of Nice Longer
to get the best out of her?
I think that's why I do like Ryan
on the side where Fox is on,
because those two can, Ryan can play pocket if need be,
Fox can play pocket if need be,
and there's a real interchange of just like,
this is the space that's given,
this is how we're gonna attack it.
Yeah, it was, I think one of the things we found
as the Olympics went along was like,
you wanna get Swanson and Rodman isolated
as often as they want.
And I think that probably was part
of what pushed Dawn into the team
was her comfort coming inside and playing
as a third central midfielder or in build outs,
even rotating inside and leaving Swanson out wide
on her own.
And then Fox has that responsibility as well
with Rodman, no triple espresso for this one,
but still some big questions to be asked.
It's gonna be fun to watch.
It is odd in that it's, you know,
before the NWSL season starts for many of these players
and yet they're high level games in, you know,
big atmospheres, big crowds.
And so we'll see how quickly everyone is able to get up to speed and what Emma Hayes is
able to put on the field.
Let's go into our two questions.
Let's start with Callan who says, as a Royals fan base, we want your thoughts on Ali Centenor.
Do we think she'll see significant minutes?
And if so, how does her role change from club level as the main focus to the national team?
I think it's a really good question.
I think Allie Centenor is going to be one of these players
as this goes along, that it's like,
she could play a lot of roles,
but there are a lot of pieces.
And as we just talked about,
there's a lot of pieces that could play a lot of roles
and it's gonna be tough.
She is the center of the universe at Utah
and she probably won't be that in the national team.
And Jordan, I kind of like that for her. There are players where I think stepping into like a super
team and having a small role actually hurts them and makes it harder. She feels like one where she's
so good at the little things, technically, athletically, ball striking, all those things,
that if she comes into this camp and they say, hey, we want you to be a winger for 15 minutes at the end of the game
Feels like Ali Centineur can do that
Well, she can because she proved that she could do it last year in a Utah team where she was asked to play as a left
Winger at times asked to play at nine at times what really found
herself at the end of the season as a ten with Mina Tanaka in front of her she could play a ten and
And just find space like that
I think that is what makes Ali Centineur, is she has all those skills that you just
mentioned, but when she's in the 10 spot, she can open up, she especially likes to open
up to the left side so she can bring it inside and utilize her right foot from distance.
So I would imagine, yes, her role is going to be different and she's going to be so happy
that she's not the center of the universe that she has
players around her not all the attention can come to her because now
as a little bit of attention comes to her great like I'm gonna dish and I'm gonna find the right pass and she has the
ability to
Find the right final pass to combine with players in tight spaces to get in beyond if she needs to
depending on where she she plays so if
If I was Emma Hayes and I'm looking
at Ali Setnor and how I could utilize her, I'm probably trying to play her at a nine or a ten
and play her in those internal spots and where maybe it's like this where I have McCarrion and
Shaw, they're both nines, they're both tens, they could play whatever, and there's like a little bit
of an interchange. Maybe there's times where it looks like it's two nines. Maybe there's times where one of the forward drops all
the way in and then Ali Centenor can get in behind. I think she has the savviness about
her game to play either one of those positions and I think when she plays centrally she also picks
and chooses the right times to get a little bit wider. Can I drag a center back out of the space centrally
to provide space for somebody else?
So that's where I would choose to put her in.
But when you're looking at this frontline,
you're also thinking there could be opportunities
late in games, as you just said, to play on the wing.
And I wouldn't want Ali Setnor coming in fresh
for the last 15 minutes if I was defender.
Yeah. She is one of those players where if she was not American, you'd be building the program around her for the next 10, 11 years, right? She can be the
center of everything and all of that. So it will be just, it will be interesting to see how she
fits in and what role she has and then how she takes it I mean we haven't even talked about Lily Yohannes. I know I almost put her in my starting 11
Where would you have how would you have had it lined up if you did? I probably I probably would have
This is where it's hard. I
Would have put her as a 10. I would have put her as the 10 and then
that's where I have the difficulty of like do you start shower? Do you start mark Macario because right I
Don't know I don't know if you're either one of those wide they don't feel like right. Yeah
So if you're a centenar you're coming in off a u20 World Cup where you were the 10 and Lily
Johannes is younger than you and she's stepping in coming out of being the 10 and I act and
You still got cut her you know Macario who's you know?
potentially the 10 all the time for Chelsea and
Jaden Shaw and all of that and like that's where it's hard in all of this and I don't think that takes away from how
Good of a player totally sentinels, but I do think
In saying like the you know her base of her talent is so high her technique is so
high her soccer IQ is so high her athleticism as well that I really think
she's one of those pieces sort of what's happened for Crystal Dunn where it's
like they could over time say like this is a role we need filled I think Ali
Centenar can do it at a really high level which will be separate from her
club experience and I think she could be successful on both sides but if she gets on the field I'd expect that she will be effective because she's good
enough to do it and she's shown that she's ready at this level.
It takes us to our next one from WSpitchbot who says, big Tara McKeown fan hoping she
gets some good minutes wondering if any of the uncapped players can make an impact.
So Tara McKeown getting her first opportunity at a cap.
Giselle Thompson coming in on no caps. Claire Hutton and Michelle Cooper as well.
And technically those are the only players who are uncapped.
There are other players in the team like Ali Centenor who have never had a start, but they have been capped before.
So those four players
Wait, do you think it's the three McKeown?
Thompson Hutton
And Cooper Oh Cooper Cooper
They're all gonna play. So who do you you think something? Yeah, I
Think they're all gonna play. I think Tara McKeown gets at least one start and
I am a fan. I think your point earlier was dead on. These are ball playing center backs and they can cover this facing behind. What Sams and McKeown
do is very similar for their teams. And they can both, I think one of their strong points
is they both can progress the ball at their feet on the dribble. Because Sam has midfield tendencies about her.
McKeown is a forward converted to a defender.
So she can pick and choose the times where she's like, cool,
if you guys are going to come at me,
I'm going to dribble all the way and score a goal,
or whatever she decides to do.
So I think McKeown will get at least one start in this series.
I think Michelle Cooper will get time off the bench.
And I'm interested to see where Michelle Cooper plays.
Because Michelle Cooper, for the majority of her career,
has been a 9.
And I don't think this is a very, when you talk,
there are 9s in this.
But I think she adds something different than the other 9s
add in her pace to get
in beyond. But her advancement as a winger over the last year and a half has been astronomical.
She has gotten so much better at the positioning, the intricacies of playing that wing position
that I think it wouldn't do her service if she doesn't play as a right-winger
Hutton I think Hutton gets a start I
Think you put her in there. I really do. I think you put her in there
Because you can always change it Right, you can always bring Sam Coffey back into the match, but I think you give her a start
You think she gets the start as the six? Yeah. Oh
Yeah, interesting. I think she actually start. I mean, this is me and I'm talking crazy
But I think defensively as I just said or I said last week
That's her strong point right like seeing where the passing lanes are cutting off the passing lane
channeling someone into a space that the
Team wants to defend in
Am I crazy to say?
I think she starts against Japan.
I think maybe because, interesting.
I think the game will be more compact
in moments against Japan.
So it allows her to,
one, can you make decisions at this level?
But two, the decisions that you have to make might be more obvious.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, the game, it will be more consistent where Australia is more transition.
And so there will be less defensive work probably in that spot throughout the 90 minutes in
that game, but it will be high leverage transition moments.
Do I take the foul now?
Do I close that space?
Do I drop?
And those are really, those are the high stress moments.
I kind of thought it would be as an eight alongside coffee
as like a, here's a safe way to introduce you.
And while she is at times the six in Kansas City,
Lola Bonta does so much work.
Could you just do that with Lindsay Heaps though?
Yeah, but it would also be similar with coffee
because then coffee could step into the attack
a little more.
Yeah, I think you're 100% right.
I hadn't even thought of it
because I just wasn't sure
that there would be the trust there,
but that's what this game is built for
and if it makes it's gonna do it.
Yeah, if you're bringing these players in you bet you better play them give
them yeah like and give them significant minutes and and yes i think it the americans we want to
win right i think they've won what eight out of the ten she believes and they're probably still
thinking about that one that they didn't win um i think it was to England actually. But anyways. Yeah, I think so too.
But this isn't the World Cup.
This isn't the Olympics.
This is a time early in the whole,
what did we call that?
The cycle.
Early in the cycle.
Where you can say sink or swim.
And I think starting some of these players
would actually be really beneficial for them
because then you can say, hey, really good job, XYZ is what you need to work on.
These things you were excelling at, but here's where you can get better at this level.
And you don't know those things until you're playing in these types of games.
And that's why I really like this Columbia, Japan, Australia lineup or set up with She
Blaves. Colombia, Japan, Australia lineup or set up with She Bleeves.
It is definitely three different styles, three different backgrounds and all at a high international
level to give these players that experience of what does it look like in all these different
tests.
I think that's 100% true.
And I think you're right about the, you know, if you're going to bring them in and give
them the opportunity, like this is the place and time to do it.
So I will be fascinated to see. I think Claire Hutton gets a start as well. I think Tara McKeown
gets a start. I think Giselle Thompson's minutes will be probably the most limited of all of
these. It's just tough. You're asking to sub in at left back. I think the hope would be
you get ahead in a game and so you can bring her on to help see it out and get her first
experience. But she's not going gonna play in the front line.
So that's not an easier introduction.
And you're not really gonna make a change at that position
depending on game states for a lot of games.
And so that's your hopeful scenario is can you get up
two or three goals at some point
and then bring her on for the last 15 minutes.
And I think Michelle Cooper's stuff, like you said,
is interesting because the center forward's in this pool
outside of Lindby and Dolo, who again has played on the wing.
Like none of them are pure nines.
And Michelle Cooper is no longer pure nine,
but is that a role she can take?
Or is her path to the national team being a backup
at four positions or three positions across the front line,
especially as you get tight on, you know, big tournament
rosters and like where's flexibility and who can play across a bunch of different roles.
Either way, it's going to be really fun.
Some new names to get involved, some big names returning as we know, and some meaningful
games, which I think is always exciting for us to dig into.
Let's talk a little NWSL now. The big news today in the NWSL side of things is the vote is open
for the name of Denver NWSL, the 16th franchise in NWSL history. There are six names
available as finalists. You can go on to the website and vote. Jordan, I think you might have more details than me.
Yeah, the website is denvernwsl.com
vote Jordan I think you might have more details than me. Yeah the website is denvernwsl.com backslash name and it's really exciting from from the jump this the ownership has been really
adamant about this launched as a community initiative with FDFC and the community has
been so much a part of what we're doing for Denver what they're doing for Denver NWSL, and so they wanted to make sure
the community had a voice in this. So there is a list of names that you can choose from, and right
now it's Denver Gold FC, Colorado Summit FC, Colorado Fourteeners FC, Denver Elevate, Denver
Peak, and Denver FC, which then you just go to that website, you can rank them all the
way that you like to rank them, and there is also an option, Goss, which I like, is
you can write in the name that you like. And so part of this process too is like
there could be something really great that gets written in and maybe a lot of
people are writing in the same thing and that becomes the name of the team.
So I like that there is not only, hey, here's what we're thinking, but we're also open to
ideas.
Do you have any ideas or do you like one of those?
Does one of those stick out?
What are you ranking number one?
I texted you earlier.
So for starters, I'm just saying this.
I'm not saying this to anyone associated to the organization.
People can listen or not. Don't love the FC thing thing just putting that out there. I don't need it don't love it
But I also named a thing soccer wise so I'm probably not the right person to ask in all of that
I actually like a few of them 14ers you had brought up. I think when we first started
I also do like that
It's the one with Colorado in it like you have the Denver Broncos the Denver Nuggets. There is a lot of Denver
Colorado is cool
And I think as you've talked about with me like there is this culture of Colorado soccer players
The term we don't use is Denver soccer players, right?
Like yeah, Lindsey Heaps and Sophia Willsons of the world are Colorado soccer players
so I like connecting to that and for teeners is
are Colorado soccer players, so I like connecting to that. And for teeners is unique and has a connection,
I think, to a lot of people across it.
Not that I will ever do one,
because I'm not in shape for stuff like that,
and I don't function at altitude like that,
unless there's a chairlift.
Then if the chairlift takes me to the top
and the work is getting down that I'm possible of.
And in that sort of vein, I don't mind a Denver peak. I think
it's different. There's a lot of things named after mountains or with mountain logos and
all of that. And I've never heard that one. And I think you could do some pretty cool
graphics and stuff around that. And then you get some good chance, like peak, peak, peak
and all that type of stuff.
Yeah. Ooh, you're already thinking of chance.
I go there first because I'm so musically talented as was stated in the opening of the
show.
True, right, I forgot, I forgot.
My hands are basically playing piano at all times.
I just can't stop.
That's what you were typing on.
I wish we could hear some of those notes you have been creating over there.
Yeah.
Yeah, there's a lot I like and I think it's just, for me, I think it's cool. It's a part where the community feels like they
are a big part of this.
Because this is a big part of the process,
is finding what the name of this team is going to be.
I think also, I don't know if all of those
will actually be Denver.
I don't know. I don't know. I'm those will actually be Denver. I don't know. Like I don't know. I'm not
in that privy to that. But like if something sounds better as Colorado, do you go with that
over Denver? And maybe that's something that we'll see in that slate that people can write,
type in their names. And so there's some good options. But also I know people are super creative
and might just think of something that we haven't thought of, which is just what we wanted to provide this opportunity where the community feels like they're really a part of it.
There is some team in North America that did an open vote and it was the write-in option that ended up winning. I think it may have been the Seattle Sounders. I think they didn't put Sounders, which was the original name in there. I'm sure I'm wrong about that and someone will
correct me soon, but I think that's what it was. And then it ended up being that that was the one
that everyone was like, yeah, of course this is what we're going to pick. So group thinking
come, however it does. And as you said, there's a lot of creativity out there. Either way, it's
exciting. It's the next step. It's the next stage.
And it feels like it probably won't catch us as off guard as
Boss Nation because there's a decent chance now that we already know
what most of the options are that it won't go in that direction.
But that's neither here nor there.
In other news, so far this week before we dig in on our Portland
Thorns, Ohani Hernandez has signed with Orlando,
24 year old right back coming over from Real Madrid,
World Cup champion.
Not a bad piece to add for the reigning champions
who are returning most of this team.
It is also interesting that it comes in a week
in which Emily Sams has signed an extension
and Corey Dyke who finished the year playing right back
for this team, signed an extension as well. So it who finished the year playing right back for this team,
signed an extension as well.
So it feels like solidifying what was great last year
and adding to it all at the same time.
Orlando is continuing to impress
in the way that they are resigning some of these players
and how they've built in the additions
that they're bringing in.
And just someone with a different style, I think too,
that there has been a lot of Portuguese-Brazilian
flair to this group. And now you're bringing in a Spanish player. I like it. I think it suits what
Seb Hines is trying to do. And then with Corey Dyches, she was playing right back, but she also
played left back. She played as a winger at times. She played in the midfield like this is a
Swiss army knife of a player and she can play in a lot of different spots
But also she's not gonna be afraid of that competition. I think we saw that last year in her
Winning out that that spot rightfully So it'll be interesting to see how you put all these really good pieces together on the field if you're sub-hines and we'll get
To see it before season starts in the Challenge Cup March March 7th. Yeah, yeah they are that first game. It will be I think fun to watch the
progression of this club because I think last year we saw them grow as a team but in the end
they won a championship being a mid-block to lower block team a large portion of the time and this feels like
one of those moves that
Can start to take you to being like, oh we are possession dominator all the time and I think
Bringing in Carson Pickett as well
Yeah
Could potentially like add to that and you are still potentially having to replace Adriana in the starting lineup who was sold because you got this outrageous deal that was an option
and it was like a must take.
And there's depth in this team, but you talk about now,
can Corey Dyke push into one of those positions
or does she push someone else wide
and come back into central midfield
or does a picket or a bellow get pushed into the front line
and then Dyke gets to start at left back.
Just having those options is really, really big.
And then having the potential to have a starter
who can progress your style a little more
and take some of the pressure off the back line
in those build-outs,
because she's comfortable to come inside
and get possession off the sideline
and be sort of an outlet and an option as well.
Feels really good.
And you have to think it feels good for this team
to get Sam's extended under that contract. Because as this goes along and there are some of the pieces of the spine that are a little bit
More senior it feels like Sam's is going to be the like long-term
Her and Banda this is built around they're there for five seven years and some pieces come in and out
But like they're the consistency and now they know that. Yeah. No really good points.
Watch out.
Orlando's still cooking.
Yeah.
Yeah.
It doesn't feel like we're going to get the drop off here.
I'm going to ask you this.
We're going to go into our preseason stuff like as the weeks go along, but
last year, what all for the top four seeds, only one of them had made the
playoffs the year before it was Gotham who had like rebuilt and retooled.
But basically the whole basically the whole league flipped
where it was all of the teams that finished strong
but outside the playoffs went on to win
in Washington and Orlando and all of that.
That feels unlikely this year.
It just feels unlikely that those teams take a step back
like the teams did two years ago.
But I feel like I would have said this
12 months ago as well.
What I think is going to happen is because last year was an expansion year, I think it's
going to get a lot tighter again, like it was two years ago, where the top to the bottom
was 11 points and we were like, who is going to make the playoffs?
How is this possible?
I think it's going to revert back to that again, because now you have players who have
played in the league at starting positions for a whole year, and Utah is going
to compete, Houston is going to compete. And this is going to be
a lot tighter of a race. So I think it's going to revert back.
But I think we're going to see it again with expansion. And I
think that's going to be the rhythm for a little bit for at
least the next two years. But I do think it's going to get
really tight again.
I don't think a lot of teams are gonna fall off.
I think Seattle is gonna be more competitive.
I think those other two teams that I just mentioned
where it just is gonna be a tight race.
Yeah.
One of the things that will also interest me
as early in the year is I think Equalizer
has a really good article about this.
Without the draft, the way things have happened. So I think Equalizer has a really good article about this without the draft the way things have happened
So I think it's like 48 college players have signed professional contracts and at this time a year ago
It was like five because in the draft it's like you got drafted
You didn't know you were gonna go there. You got to pick up your life and move there
You have to close out school you get into preseason and sometimes your contract's not done yet. I just wonder now if some of those players are ready to hit
the ground running faster because they've had time to like pick the right spot, mentally
get around it, establish, you know, get in contact with the coach, all those things.
And if that then deepens the player pool a little bit more in a way in which you probably
have less of a floor and
Therefore games are tighter and more competitive on top of what you said Which was you added 22 starting spots last year to a league that still had to fill that with the right talent and sort of
Get everyone in the right place and I think in the movement we've seen in the offseason. It feels like a lot of
Good player wrong club or bad role and now they've sort of
of a good player, wrong club or bad role. And now they've sort of reassessed and shifted in
and how that then affects things going forward.
We will see some really cool coverage
of last season coming up in a moment
as the For the Win Amazon documentary
has put out a trailer.
It's coming out four part series.
A ton of it seems like behind the scenes content.
A lot of sit downs.
It looks like with all the big players
from last year Marta included but like everyone who was heavily involved seems from the few clips
we've seen to have had those sort of sit downs and talk things through I believe it's the producers
of the last dance um the Michael Jordan Bulls documentary so I'm pretty excited for this because
I mean if you just give me high quality
Cameras behind the scenes with a couple interviews like I'm already sold any doc
This feels like a good year to have done it. You know I just watch an OJ doc. I'd rather watch
You know for the win. You know I'd rather watch this then that but you know give me a good documentary
Give me behind the scenes make me love these players
And that's what this is gonna do is you're gonna,
now I think a lot of people who maybe aren't NWSL fans
are gonna be like, how can I not be a Spirit fan
with Trinity Rodman?
How can I not like, I think Ali Schlegel is in it,
like the Chicago Red Stars,
because I like Ali Schlegel's personality and her story.
You're gonna learn a lot more about players
and it's gonna create bonds that I think,
that's one of the things we love about sports
is knowing something about the player
and you want them to succeed.
And so I'm pumped for this.
I really liked the trailer.
Yeah, me too.
And it feels like the right time of year as well
to be like, oh, remember these great personalities?
Like you see them week in and week out.
You hear the clips, the interviews, all that stuff.
And you're like in the flow.
And now in the off seasonseason everyone's kind of gone away
and it feels like even just watching it you're like all right Tara McKeown
crying because she didn't go to her sister's wedding but scored the goal in
the sold-out crowd. I forgot about that or Denise O'Sullivan giving a team
speech in North Carolina overcoming what they did last year and not having
Caroline and rebuilding and all that stuff. You're like okay now I'm sold again
I'm back in. I'm ready to go so I agree with you I
think it's gonna be awesome it's gonna be really fun to watch and we'll talk
all about it here at soccer wise as it goes along last piece of news which
takes us into our next topic which is that the Portland Thorns have signed a
record jersey sponsorship deal with ring ring being the camera
Security company. Yeah, the doorbell security doorbell. Thank you
As a New Yorker now a person who lives in high-rise not really seen a doorbell in a while And I could not remember the name of that ring police. I said the end of a cell record
Yeah
I'm open to it if anyone wants to the end of a cell previous record was last year, it was Bay.
They signed a deal I believe with Souter Home and it was $2.6 million annually, $13 million
over five years.
This deal from Portland we know is breaking that record but we don't know how because
the details have not come out yet so maybe it it's for the overall end size of the deal
or maybe per year, whatever it is, that's really exciting
and continues to be the growth of this club now
under new ownership and moving forward,
which takes us into our Portland Thorns conversation.
Last year was a down year.
It was a down year on the field.
It was a down year off the field.
There has been a ton of turnover.
The turnover in the front office we
already know changing out. You know soccer coordinators Jeff Agus has been brought in which is
an interesting addition. Someone who hasn't worked in the women's game before but has a long history
in major league soccer. Coming in with Lucy Rushton on his team who of course was partially or
shortly the general manager of Bay FC
and Gus McNabb who's worked in the Canadian side of things helped get Casey
Stoney landed as the head coach in Canada and so that is the off-field
stuff plus you have all of the developments in the business side and
the release of the plans that they're going to build a new training facility
which will be shared with the WNBA team that this ownership group has also been awarded, which will be the first
of its kind in North American sports to have that crossover in one facility.
And then on the field, three of the biggest legends in NWSL history, for sure in Portland
history have all stepped away at the same time.
We celebrated Christine Sinclair last year because we knew it was happening. We didn't know Becky Sauer-Brown was going
to be stepping away as well and then Megan Klingenberg leaving the team in her own right
at the end of all of this. Those are three gaping holes to fill and it feels like the
team's gone about it, Jordan, but it is like it's a tough test for this group in what we
already thought would be a rebuild year.
Yeah, it will be a tough test.
One, you just can't replace a player
like Christine Sinclair,
but I do think what Christine Sinclair added to the team,
I think they can fill in with different players
and just play slightly differently, right?
Because Sinclair was at the end of her career,
you're playing her two front or you're playing her as the nine
and a little bit less mobile.
I think now they can add some mobility to their front line.
They can think, there's a question for me.
Do they play a 3-5-2?
Because Rob Gale played a 3-5-2 last year
in the middle of season, but didn't really have a lot
of time to work on it.
So will we see a little bit of variety in what this team looks like when it comes to
how they line up?
But one of the things that they're going to be happy about is, I think, health.
Olivia Moultrie is still coming back, I think, from that injury and the surgery she had in
the offseason.
Hina Sagita will be available.
So if those players are available in your midfield,
you're already a little bit stronger, right?
Then you can add players up front like Turner, Wilson, Weaver,
who are healthy.
This is a strong team who I think really suffered last year
because there were so many injuries that now if,
which I don't know if they added a lot of depth to the
that first starting group that they have now. Right. But if they're healthy they're looking
pretty good. Yeah. They have added defensively as they had to because Becky Saravan retiring
and Kelly Hubley leaving. So they've added Donny Ani,
a Brazilian center back that we talked about from Flamengo when she signed as
well as Sam Hyatt, who I think is a starter in NWSL.
And so I think it's a really nice pickup to sort of go and to her,
I would assume the pitches and say like,
here's a chance to come and prove that you deserve to be a game in and game out
starter.
It was not going to happen for you at your last club because of all the big names and all of that, chance to come and prove that you deserve to be a game in and game out starter. It was not gonna happen for you at your last club
because of all the big names and all of that,
but like come and do that.
And I think we've seen that work at that position.
Bella Bixby coming back from maternity leave.
So she will now upgrade things as well, potentially in goal.
And they've signed a couple of college players as well.
And a couple I think they feel are pretty talented,
both defensively in Jayden Perry and then in of college players as well. And a couple I think they feel are pretty talented, both defensively in Jayden Perry
and then in the midfield as well.
The other name, which I have not mentioned yet,
and I don't know how it fits into all of this,
is Dainia Castellanos,
who didn't have the year she wanted with Bay.
It seemed like it was acknowledgement from both parties.
Like, let's just step away from this
rather than try and find a trade or a transfer or rather play through it and then she
ended up in Portland which was a bit of a surprise to me you talked about the
different formation ideas how do you think she fits into all of this is she a
locked-in starter from day one I don't think she's locked in starter from day
one the issue of Dana Castellanos in this league from what I saw last year is
she's gonna have to have a
more disciplined defensive work rate in order to
be
productive in this league and
You you don't really like other leagues in the world if you're a ten
You have a little freedom in the way that you're defending.
Because a lot of the times you're not playing teams
that are really challenging you that much defensively.
In this league, every single team will hurt you.
Houston beat Bay last year
and Houston had a really difficult season.
So can Dana Castellanos fill in a role
where the expectations are the same on the offense as they are on
the defensive side.
I think her speed of play needs to be a little bit more, but when she is on, she can be a
brilliant player on the ball in the way that she can navigate tight spaces, the way that
she can connect the midfield to the front line.
So if they're playing in a different formation, could she be one of the two up top, right?
Could you play her as a set of two up top where her and Sophia Smith are together and
Castellanos more drops off and Smith is finding the little channel to run into created from
that deception with the defender, that little space the defender makes when they drop off.
I just think that also these other players within this Portland
team make you think, okay, they could look really good in a 3-5-2 or even a 3-4-3 with
Kofi and Segeeta as the two. Because they have Reyes and Muller who, yes, they're good
outside backs, but they're good in the attack.
So could you get more from them?
Centrally, you have Dianne, Hyatt, and O'Basey,
who O'Base was good, I think it's O'Base,
O'Base was good last year in that center back position.
So you have those three to work with.
If that doesn't work out,
you can slide Reyes into one of those three
and she can be a little bit more narrow attacker
from that outside left position.
And then maybe you put Morgan Weaver as a wingback.
Well, that's what I was going to say.
Yeah.
Morgan Weaver as a wingback being able to cover, yeah, cover that full cover the ground,
crash at the far post as a goal scorer.
Because I wonder if you do go-
And space in front of her to run and like go 1v1, right?
Just some of the, one of the things she's really good at.
That girl thrives in 1v1.
She licks her chops.
I want to go at you 1v1 because I'm going to beat you.
And I love that about her.
Yeah.
But I do wonder if you go in that setup and you don't have her playing his wing back.
Do you lose a lot of that because whether it's a two up front or whatever it is,
she will probably be coming from central areas more often.
You also made the trade for Spanstra
and gave her the contract.
So like that's another wide player
that you've already sort of built into your team.
Maybe we see a little bit more of both.
Like we are not always gonna see,
I feel like in NWSL we see a lot more
of like teams play this way.
And as they get more sophisticated,
we might see different formations
or different utilization of players.
Maybe you start in the same formation,
but it morphs during the game.
And I think just from what we saw from Rob Gale last year
in his interim tag,
he isn't afraid to ask different things from players.
And now you have a full preseason
to work on these things.
I'm just curious, it clearly works in a 4-3-3 and it's going to work with those players,
but is there a wrinkle they can add in and be able to utilize some of the depth that
they brought in in center back and defender and those areas?
Yeah, there's a lot of different options for this group
because I do think the flip side would be,
I think Sam Coffey is probably in a class of her own
and her ability to cover ground and dominate
in central midfield.
And so if you add more numbers in there,
it's not that you won't be good in central midfield,
but do you take away an advantage you have,
which is, well, we have this person who can do
two roles at once and then push two a little higher and I think the hope would be for stretches of
this year it's probably Jesse Fleming as the second center mid because maybe it's Casalano
says the 10 above him or two forwards above them and then Fleming feels better stepping forward
or Moultrie gets healthy and can start in that role as well
And then it's a Gita. I think Sagita stands
You think Sagita is the starter out the gate and do you think Fleming's the start at the ten or Fleming's not a starter?
I think it depends on it what Moultrie where Moultrie's at right? Yeah, which is where the Castellanos
Edition was odd to me at this club because it feels like a position
that's a little log-in and I do wonder if the convo for them is a
False nine or a second phone and if it's a false nine, is it like Sophia Wilson starts on the wing?
You know that she's going to be central so often someone floating out of that space someone coming back in and that's sort of the
Optionality that you have it feels odd to me to think that Castellanos
would have left Bay and had the chance to talk
to a bunch of teams and not found one
where she would not be guaranteed minutes,
but sort of had it explained, like,
here's a space for you to be a starter early on
and where you fit in.
And so there's a lot of question marks
with this, Lauren's theme.
I think even with the loss of some legends
and what's happened, it feels more cohesive right now.
And it does feel like they've made the attempt
to fill the holes that they had last year.
And then you're always gonna have the limitation of like,
these are the stars we've landed on.
If they're injured, there's nothing we can do about it.
There's no team in NWSL that's going to really be able to cover for missing Sophia Wilson for half the year for a national team and
injury and all that type of stuff. And not having an Olympics is probably a help for this team with
some of the talent they lost and now sort of having consistency throughout and having them
for the full season and fingers crossed the Chelsea rumors around Sam Coffey are not real because that would be very unfortunate I think
both for the team the league and for all of us as a fan there's a lot to like
about this team I'm excited to see Moultrie if she's healthy this year I
think she took steps last year I think when on the field she looked more
consistent and so now it's physically can she get out there because if she can it feels like she is
Ready to carry an attack
Probably we talked about Ali sentin or probably not at that level yet
But you don't need to like that shouldn't be the case and this feels like a really good setup for her to sort of show
What she can do at her best. I agree. I think this this will be a big year for Moultrie
I agree. I think this will be a big year for Moultrie because we saw a lot of really good glimpses of how effective she can be last year. And we knew that, right? She's been
she's just been young and she's been growing at a really nice pace, I think. But to me,
what we saw from her last year, her ability to have for the final pass, have a really
good final pass to pick and choose
when she's gonna call her own number and take a shot
and try to beat a defender at the top of the box.
I think her decision making has elevated.
It is making me feel like this is gonna be a breakout year
for Olivia Moultrie.
With a caveat, I think it depends on who's around her
and the health of the players around her
because she cannot
Nor should she?
How old is she now 19 19? She'll play this full season as a yeah
Nor should she shouldn't have to carry the team
right, so if there's players around her if
You know weaver is now healthy for the full season
Wilson is healthy for the full season. Wilson is healthy for the full season. When you have players like that, it's so much easier to stay in your lane and to be really
elite instead of feeling like you have to cover and carry so much weight all the time.
So I'm very, I'm really looking forward to watching her this year and seeing how she
can progress and yeah, what the next step in her career is.
Yeah, that final pass last year was impressive to watch her timing, the way she sucks defenders we can progress in what the next step in her career is.
Yeah, that final pass last year was impressive to watch.
Her timing, the way she sucks defenders in,
was able to slide that ball through.
But then there wasn't a lot of time
when she was on the field where it felt
like she was too easy to play against, right?
Your idea is like, well, an 18-year-old
in central midfield, the other team's gonna boss that area
and there's not gonna be counter pressing
and it's gonna be too easy to play through
It didn't feel that way
It felt like she took huge steps when she was on the field now
It's just about getting on the field consistently and as you said having Weaver for a full year
Is a massive ad for a number of ten who's looking for weapons to play off of and looking for someone
Like let me hang it over here and go run after it like hello
There's yeah, there's always an outlet and there's always an option and railing to do things like that who has that same
Get behind the the front the back line attitude. So I do think she has good outlets
It's can they all find?
cohesion
Yep
Pacific Northwest has been the center of the league for long stretches so far
We were gonna do both teams, but it didn't feel like we had enough time to dig into both of them.
So we'll talk Seattle a little bit more probably next week.
They are two teams in very similar situations,
changes of ownership,
which I think has thrown off a few transfer windows,
some legends leaving.
For Seattle, there's obviously more consistency
from the coaching soccer structure down
than there is in Portland
But they're both sort of I think trying to readjust to the next end of yourself and the changes in the league the way
San Diego and a Washington has pushed things and and what Orlando has been able to follow up and do so far in Kansas City
I think now we're gonna see where the Pacific Northwest falls and all of this and And it's exciting. We are not that far away from the season.
We've got Chiba Leaves Cup around the corner.
I've already made Jordan nervous with this one.
So I will leave it at that.
Thank you to all of you for listening.
Thank you to all of you for watching live.
And we'll continue on here covering all things NWSL heading into the season.
We've got MLS coverage as well.
US women's national team, US men's national team, Canada, and everything else in between.
But the storm is showing if you're watching on YouTube. It's all US-ing. you