SoccerWise - NWSL Playoffs, Expansion & Awards w/Brianna Pinto

Episode Date: November 12, 2025

What a week to keep up with! We had the arguably the biggest upset in NWSL Playoff history, a PK shootout, three extra time games, AND a new expansion club. David is joined by Committee member Brianna Pinto to relive it all. First they dig into all the drama from round one of the playoffs. How Washington overcame a valiant Louisville, Portland's magical home experience, Gotham's dream upset & Marta willing her way on to the next round. Then they look forward to two monumental matchups coming up this weekend and what could decide those games. They talk about the big news coming out of the southeast as Atlanta is awarded the 17th club in NWSL. And finally with the finalists announced they give away their postseason awards.1:30 Brianna Pinto's NWSL Skills Challenge Debut5:08 Gotham's Historic Upset Of KC16:35 Washington Survive Against Louisville In Dramatic Fashion27:05 Thorns Extratime Winner30:55 Orlando Powered By Marta37:19 Preview Of Washington vs Portland45:45 Preview Of Orlando vs Gotham50:12 Atlanta NWSL Expansion58:55 NWSL Postseason Awards

All right, everybody, welcome back to soccer-wise, David Goss with you for a off-the-chain NWSL playoff recap. The NWSL playoffs are unhinged. We have a huge show. No one is safe. Kansas City upset by Gotham. Washington forced the penalty kicks after a 90-second minute goal. Portland a win in extra time and Orlando win their rematch. So we will go over everything that we saw.

We will analyze the matchups coming up for the next weekend. We have a new NWSL team in Atlanta. It wasn't even on the bingo card for this week. So we've got that. We've got some postseason award conversations to have as well. But no Jordan today. Jordan off in the ether doing something else. So we have with us, our committee member.

One of our favorites, Brianna Pinto back with us once again. Brianna, thanks for joining me. Thanks for having me. I feel like there's so much to cover. And the league has been so exciting over the last few weeks. So I'm looking forward to getting into it. This is like the prime week and the fact that they threw an expansion announcement in the middle of it just makes it even crazier. I apologize to anyone, by the way, if I am less entertaining to hear than normal, I lost my voice over the course of the last week.

so I have been working to rehab it. I haven't spoken out loud in the last three days. So this is my debut of my new voice, which I will try and hold together. And I will do so with a, I didn't know this until we got on to record, a member of the 2025 NWSL skills challenge competition, Brianna. I'm so excited to be a part of it.

I love attending championship weekend. Obviously, I'd love it if we could be playing in it. But I feel like this is the next best thing, because it's such a super fun weekend with talent from every team of the league. So just to be a part of that, I'm looking forward to it. So we know some of the skills, and I was there last year as an observer, and crossbar challenge is one of them, scoring into little goals is one of them.

It seems similar to what we saw last year. But are you someone who, like, at training has like a go-to thing where you, like, challenge people to? Or you're like, watch, I can trap this ball from 65 yards? every once in a while we'll like punt the ball up like 60 yards in the air and then try and trap it like we have the best of our ability sometimes we'll do a cross bar challenge i know we did that in preseason a little bit for content but i know that i will definitely be practicing in advance just to make sure that i'm on it because i want to win whoever's on my team so i think it'll be so much fun did you watch it last year and think like i have to do this or is this something where everyone knows about it and you're just kind of waiting to see who gets asked and who gets in involved. It kind of fell into my lap and I was like, oh, absolutely, I'd love to be a part of this because it's a great way to kick off the weekend. I think there's going to be so many different events celebrating women's soccer and the culmination of the season. So just the fact

that they're inviting so many talented players from across the league to be a part of the skills challenge and get eyes on the NWSL championship weekend, I think is going to be a huge win. It is going to be fun. The names we know of so far, Rachel Kudanjee, of course, who is a local for Bayfc and obviously one of the best players in the league. Delphine Cascarino who got a lot of MVP buzz on this show and I think on the field is like maybe the most skilled player in the league beating players one of you want now the question though is what of any of that translates to a skills challenge so we will see as that builds and we're excited to watch you go to work on all of it you mentioned the end of the season for yourself we

had fun watching North Carolina courage and the push towards the playoffs and unfortunate not to see you healthy for the end of this season but as you look back now? What do you make of sort of what the experience was like and then how wild everything finished on Decision Day? Yeah, I think it was a little bit unfortunate just for our team because I think we were capable of so much more than we showed. I think the last game was a great representation of what we were capable of beating Gotham 3 to 2. So, you know, just to miss out on it by a couple points or two, it really hurt because I think there were games earlier in the year that if we just closed out properly would have been the difference between being in playoffs and not.

But, you know, that's the game. You have to show up every weekend. And this is the most challenging league in the world. So, yeah, this is the fact that we could shake things up, at least at the end, making Gotham an eighth seed against Kansas City. I thought was pretty interesting as a spectator because I remember thinking when I was on the field towards the end of the game, I was like, well, why are they trying so hard? Like, aren't they like, it's right. Right. Right.

What do they have? Well, what do they have to lose? And then it dawned on me that there were like goal differential and points difference because Louisville was the other game. And they had obviously been the team they were playing against. So they jumped Gotham. And I don't know. I was like, what is going on? And then when I saw the table after the game, obviously devastated for my team, but seeing that they had KC, I was like, ooh, this is going to be interesting.

There were a few people who thought that. It changed even more so when we got the starting lineup. for this game after the injury news came out as we dig into these playoff games and that's where you have to start gotham knocked off kansas city two to one and i wrote down here on papers it the biggest upset in nwsl history i don't know if it's a fair question to ask one because the league has changed drastically every 16 months and two because the context is so necessary but on the surface it's an all-time points leader at home at an unbelievable home venue that has been a fortress for them, like, if you didn't watch the games and you just found out the

scores on Monday, let's say, I think it would have to pop across as the biggest upset that's ever happened in the league. Well, I think we talked about it just how difficult it is for Casey because they clinch so early, right? So if you clinch early, you have to think about how do you manage your players for the weeks leading up to playoffs, making sure that the load management is there, making sure you're still capitalizing on your game plan, things like that. that. Obviously, they suffered some major injuries to two of their key contributors in Temo Juenga and Michelle Cooper. So going into a playoff game with the home field advantage, yes, you think on paper you should win that. However, Gotham is a talented team. They've got so many

difference makers on the field. Obviously, they're missing their most prolific goal score in Esther, but they had a star-studded midfield that was able to create something out of nothing. And They did just that in the game versus Kansas City. So I don't personally feel that it was that shocking because I think Gotham kind of found their rhythm and was able to just grind through it and find a way to win. And I feel like that's a lot of their MO. And Kansas City, like they were the ones with everything to lose. So it's kind of like it kind of set them up for failure if that makes sense just because they had been so far. ahead of the rest of the pack and then you have to defend it heading into playoffs.

So one of the things that I was thinking this weekend while watching is like we I tried to remember last week how different playoffs are, like just the nature of the games. And I said it even when we talked about Washington where last year they went into the postseason explosive. They were playing open games. They were attacking. Then they get into the playoffs and the games are all tight and the games are all extra time or penalty kicks as we will talk about in a little bit.

And I was trying to remind myself of like that dichotomy and how it affects the game and what happens. And you mentioned Gotham and Orlando is the other one where it's like they've been playing playoff games for four months. Like it's just the nature of their game models is they keep the game tight. They don't want as many actions. They don't want an open game. And they are comfortable in these tight situations where can we see out a one goal lead or if we don't? Can we maintain the one one? can we find little ways to gain advantages where Kansas City was rolling over teams and it's a much

different experience and game model throughout the rest of the season and so they seem to be pretty comfortable in these moments and set up for these moments and of course Jordan finished the show last week by saying any team that has a healthy Roosevelt is not like a huge underdog like they have match winners in ways maybe an eighth seed in the past hasn't had a match winner or had that opportunity. But I can't get over, I think to me, how much of an effect Michelle Cooper and Tim Wishawinger's injuries were to this team and watching in the first half and talking to people on Blue Sky about the game and all that. You could just feel that for Kansas City, there wasn't that breakout option. And so as Gotham got more comfortable, they pinched the field.

They got higher and higher. And it was a half in which Kansas City didn't even really play in the attacking third. It was the one opportunity from Prince on a long strike. Otherwise, it was as dominated as Kansas City has been at home since that building opened. Well, what makes it so difficult to play against Kansas City when they have all their players is you have to respect everyone on the field. But when you have that stretch that Chowinga and Cooper provide, it keeps your defense honest. Because otherwise, without them, then the defenses are able to step into the midfield and put more pressure on Labanta and Hutton, who have arguably been exceptional this year. But I felt like the absence of those two players significantly stunted

their ability to control the midfield. And that's kind of where Gotham found their rhythm. They got Rose LaVille and Jaden Shaw on the ball and they were able to work magic. And I think when you have a team that's so, I'm hesitant to say reliant because I'm hesitant to say reliant, I think Kansas City has a number of talented players all over the field. But when the very fabric of their game plan relies on those two players, it truly impacts the way that they play the game. And obviously, no one could predict that Michelle Cooper would be unavailable for one of their most important games of the season.

So, yeah, I just think it's really unfortunate. It's one of those I, you know, afterwards I'm like, I get the drama of playoffs, but I also hate the reality of playoffs sometimes too of we don't know Michelle Cooper's injury we don't know what the situation is but like if it's the one week that she's out it's the one week that it happens and what I think really hurts Casey is they have shown their depth this year right

Vanessa Di Bernardo out for the season on maternity leave they bring in a Debenia into that space or they can slide Lola Bont to higher or they bring an Allie Centaur Michelle Cooper and Ten Wishfinger are the two that no one else really does what they do and, you know, and I think that's where I highlight Michelle Cooper's injury, which is Schoinga has been out the last few weeks, and yet Kansas City has still had verticality to their game because Cooper has that ability to break down, you know, break out in transition

and create chances and then come underneath and be a goal score and a game changer. It was still an underwhelming performance from KC and a strong performance from Gotham, even with those absences. Like the talent on the field is Prince is a Canadian international. Like you're still talking about a great team. And that's where with Gotham is. It really felt like it may have been the most complete performance from any team, maybe Orlando over the course of the weekend.

It may have been the most complete performance from them in a month or two. It really felt like it all clicked at the same time for them. And a big piece of it was Jaden Shaw. Like they've been trying to find ways to get pressure off Roosevelt, find ways to break out. No S there. You, of course, played with Jaden for the first half of the year. But what did you see from her in this performance and where she sort of fits in this team? She looked like she was at peace

Like she was able to get on the ball And do what she does so well Like I think the assist that she had Was a bit of individual flair and creativity That she's had a lot along So just the fact that she was in the midfield Was able to occupy like that half space Where she could get on the half turn

And then drive at the back line I think that's where she thrived So just the fact that she was given Like a lot of fluidity in her movement off the ball I think helped her Really a staff those connections with the player around her. And as you mentioned, it relieves a lot of pressure from Rose Lavelle.

And I think Rose Lavelle has actually had one of the best seasons she's had in her NWSL career. Obviously, with national team, there was times that she was gone for large stretches of games. But like, obviously being healthy is a huge thing. But she's at a point in her career where she's playing a lot of her best soccer, which is great. And it worked well for Gotham and has made them an completely dangerous team to face. And I think just the fact that that they were even considered an underdog was a little bit disrespectful because it's like, sure, they're an eight seed, but they've got the caliber of players on that team that they need to win. Which goes to the frustration, I think, from a lot of fans over the course of the year, which is this is what this team's capable of. And the way this season ended was you had long stretches of the year where they were the number three seed.

And it felt like early on and then late on, that's who they were. what you're going to see and then all of a sudden they fall into the eight seed on the final weekend but there was a moment where midge purse was running at um isy rodriguez in the game where you're like uh yeah two years ago i remember this like this is a gotham team that knows what it's like to be the low seed in the playoffs have nothing to lose and they've got veterans up the spine especially at centerback and at goalkeeper like they did last time and they've got unbelievable individual talent in the attacking third which is what you need on the road like you're not always going to dominate games it's not going to be easy and it feels like a lot of there's a lot of match

winners in this gotham team and if they're going to elevate all at the same time at the same moment i will like to tip a cap though to the goal from sharp bulls and like the heart of the champion stuff from kc like they weren't as much as they were off their game and it wasn't exactly the group that you'd expect to see out there you still saw what made them special over the course the last 18 months even two years if you combine the whole thing yeah i mean I mean, they're always going to try and find a way. And if they don't, then they're going to make it really, really difficult. And, you know, they're not a team that concedes many goals at all.

I think they had, like, 13 goals against or something crazy on the entire year. So the fact that Gotham was able to announce two of them was a huge credit to them. But, I mean, with Sharples, like, she has been a stalwart defensively for their team and then to go get that goal to help equalize. I did think it gave them a little bit of hope in an otherwise disappointing performance for their team. But I think honestly, it's really interesting seeing the discourse online when people talk about like the European model versus the U.S. model where, you know, playoffs is it doesn't really matter what you did in the regular season. Sure, they notched the shield, which is I think one of the most important awards and should be more highly respected. but the playoffs is like a start of another season

and they just did not benefit from the injuries that really came from that. And there's, you know, part of the conversation is like, well, what do you play for? You play for home field advantage. Three of the four home field teams want. So it stuck for everyone else besides Kansas City and Kansas City, you mentioned the goals against.

They set all these records, points, points per game, best defense, best home record, like all these things over the course. of the year. And I think the conversation has to be that that's valued separate from a championship. Like we have to walk away from a year saying Kansas City and whoever else are the two champions of the year. And I think if that happens and that's something that takes time and like conversation around it, I think then it's okay to say like we love playoffs. It's fun. It's exciting. But also from February 15th through November 12th, Kansas City was the best team

in NWSL and like that also should be valued in its own way but they won't be standing on the top of the podium at bay they won't be in bay for the final right now the favorite probably the Washington spirit at making a second straight final appearance they are able to hang on against Louisville it was a one one draw in dramatic fashion and then a PKK shootout let's go through the game a little bit. Washington comes out in a back five with Bernal in the middle and Rose Kawasi at wingback. And we talked about all the different options that Adrian Gonzalez has in this team in Louisville, very similar to how we've seen Bev Jannes set her team up over the last few months. The real option has often been the option that's set our forward, which is

the rookie Sarah Weber in this game. And I thought for Washington, you talk about like what do you have to play for late in the season? How sharp are you? Washington also, They lost at Utah on Decision Day. They had nothing to play for in that game. I thought they came out flying, and it was like the exact opposite, which was, you know Louisville are going to press and go high. And Washington said, we're just going to do it to them. And it got the crowd into it. And it felt like a really big atmosphere early on.

Yeah, they talk about rowdy, outy. And I feel like they really, like, rely on their fan base. And, you know, they had a great showing for a midday game. And Washington capitalized on that. And I think they've got so many different pieces on their team who can make an impact at any given moment. And I think the variety that they have, especially in their attack, makes them so dangerous. So the fact that they were able to write out a tough game with a one-to-one tie and then go to penalties as a credit to them. You know, we talked about earlier off the broadcast, but how Washington Spirit's been to every P.K. shootout in any of these, they'll playoff history.

And the fact that they are able to find a way to win is really, really special. And it shows that they pay a lot of attention to those make or break moments where you have to convert your penalty. And then obviously, I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge Aubrey Kingsbury and how special she's been in the net. And her PK save record has been incredible. It is. I didn't know that fact before we started this, that they've been to every shootout in NWSL playoff history. There's been three shootouts in NWSL play of history. Washington's been in all three.

Also, all five of their home games in their NWSL history have all gone to at least extra time. So two of them have finished an extra time. Three of them have gone to a shootout, which means if you are going to be attending this weekend, you should probably schedule in an extra 30 plus minutes as well as extra stress. And this one was like an all-timer in terms of that. And so Rose Kawasi sets up GIF Monday. For the goal in the 73rd minute, there was a goal called back in the first half, which was extremely confusing for 10 to 15 minutes until a additional view was brought out, which was that the offside occurred before the highlight that we had watched five times, in which Washington thought they had taken the lead, Giff Monday gets the goal, and then it is an equalizer for this Louisville team. I don't want to say out of nowhere.

I mean, obviously, they're losing, they're pushing, they're pressing numbers. The goal is very odd to me. It's a ball from Peterson and the channel that Fisher's running onto. It bounces twice in the box. And I can't tell if it's a miscommunication between Kingsbury and her backline or if it's just how well-placed the ball was. It's slightly off goal, and then Kingsbury comes and closes. And Fisher takes the contact, finishes through it, and puts it in for the equalizer. and I think maybe one of the most shocking things is then Washington recovers like I thought louisville was

very good in the extra time emissiers had two or three big chances it was she wasn't very good in or she wasn't really involved in regular game she is able to elevate an extra time there was a lot to like there but for this Washington team they weren't like staggering they gave up the goal and it felt like they immediately turned around and said how can we go and win this game yeah I think Washington spirit has been a team to watch um obviously they had an incredibly successful year just with their record alone. But they showed resilience because there have been times when they've been down and have learned from it and being able to execute on that in playoffs is really what it's all about.

All these regular season games contribute to being able to perform when it matters the most. And they did just that. And I also would like to recognize Louisville. I think they were an exceptional team. We'll talk about the awards later. but I think that Viennes has really created something special there, especially with the production from Emma Sears in the season that she's having. She's been so dangerous on that right side

and has really created opportunities for, especially on the cutback pass or going at players 1V1 and having a shot herself. But to your point in this game, they were largely lifeless because Washington Spirit did such a good job, just mitigating their attacking up. opportunities, but the fact that they even found one with Kayla Fisher and her hunting nature is a good way to describe it. I think you said that she just took the contact, but she's actually one of the most combative players in the league, and she kind of leans into that. But, you know,

credit to her for just finding a way to get a goal. Yeah, this thing was a battle. It was a war. Two players for Washington came off injured in the game. We have some updates on that, but we're still not sure how available they will be. And you mentioned MS Sears cutting in for those shots. She had a shot at literally the last kick of extra time, I believe it was? Or was it regulation? It was extra time. I think extra time.

Yeah, which I thought was it. Like it's what we've seen MS Sears do this year, which is her ball striking at pace. The ball just flies off her foot, whether it's a cross or a shot. And there's nothing Kingsbury can do about that if it's, what, two inches to the left? Well, I really like that you bring up something like that because, when you're in full stride to be able to kick it as hard as she does, a lot of other players will take a touch to the side to, like, get their hips prepared to shoot the ball, but the fact that she can run straight in full stride and then kick the

ball with the accuracy that she does is such a special gift. And it's one of those she has scored before. And if she scores that, I mean, it's the all-timer of the season and everything. And it's an unbelievable moment. But as you said, it was a great season for Louisville. I am reminded back again to last year where Bay made the run to get in the playoffs late and they lost an extra time at Washington

and they played and the thought coming out of that was okay they're going in the right direction now and wasn't the case this year and the hope is that that's not the case with Louisville it's been a year and a half now of this build this style this system and it feels like they have so many young players that have developed into it can they just bring a little more depth in like that's the big question for them next year

so that they can do this for the full season so that they're not a seven seat. Like if they played this way and they had enough people to be able to play deep lineups and rotate in throughout the season, it feels like we were looking at a four or five seat this season.

I think that should be the hope for this Louisville team going forward. But we mentioned the drama. Aubrey Kingsbury, one of the best now in NWSL history and this Washington team, one of the best in shootouts in NWSL history. You mentioned the little details,

the ability to get over it. It's also the practice, like we were talking about it before. Not a lot of players take a lot of penalty kicks in their life in a live game. And now all of these Washington players have done it at least twice. I mean, they're well prepared. And I think all of them, all of them had a confidence in each other. If you even looked at the players that were standing at half field arm and arm, you could feel the energy of when they converted on the penalty or when Kingsbury made a save,

they had belief and it showed even on the TV screen when I was watching. So there is research that is out there, which is the team that is off the midfield line more and stands closer to the goal, wins PK shootouts more often. I totally believe that. Yeah, this is one of those like, I don't know how perfect the research is, but I've had multiple coaches talk to me about, it is about that like aggressive body language or the confidence or like the togetherness whatever it is that connects people um it's the longest walk in the world from infield to the bk spot but the aggressive nature like think about the celebrations

from esme morgan and how hirsch felt i mean how they they were routing their team like let's go get this one because you know it really comes down to stepping up taking it with confidence and then doing your routine whatever that may be making sure that you executed on it just as you have practiced. And fortunately for Washington, they did that. The first shot, I have to say, too, and this is overarching, which is the two blocks from Rebecca Bernal, her ability to pass out of the back, the penalty kick. As a pure soccer player, she is one of the best in the world. And Washington didn't have her healthy the whole year, but she is like an unbelievable addition to this club. I actually had the chance to practice

with Rebecca Bernal when she was at Riatus. So there was a partnership with NC Courage. And me and Marisa Bovo went down there during our offseason and trained with their team. And we were just amazed by her professionalism, her strength, her leadership. Obviously, she's such a talented player and has been that for the Mexican national team

for many years. But when she signed with Washington Spirit, I knew she would be a great addition because of the versatility. She offers being able to play in the backline and also the midfield. just her range of passing, her defensive ability, and just the tenacity that she brings. So I think she's been a wonderful addition to their team.

Yeah, big piece for them and may have to be even bigger. Tara McKeon, one of the two players, Gabby Carl, that went off hurt, both defenders. They played out of a back five. They do have like for like replacements if they want to, but there are going to be question marks about this way this team sets up. But we'll talk about that when we get into the next round because two more games in the playoffs. and they were both as surprising and shocking as these Portland,

a 1-0 victory at home over San Diego, so it took them extra time as well to get the winner. And you, coming into this, wanted to talk about Olivia Moultrie, who's been one of the best players in the league, help pull the strings. Ryland Turner gets the goal in extra time for this team. And I would say extra time, similar to Louisville. I thought extra time was the best 30 minutes Portland played in this game. I thought they really struggled with San Diego's possession, with finding a way into the game.

And then once the energy ramped up in extra time, it felt like it was a whole different building, a whole different experience, and Portland was able to get over the line. Yeah, I think scoring that goal so early on in extra time did help them because even though San Diego committed numbers forward, they just didn't seem to like string enough passes together. They had a handful of chances, but I thought it was interesting when, Trudity Armstrong was on the front line, just trying to get anything and anyone near the goal. But, yeah, I think Olivia Moultrie has been a huge part of Portland's success, and she's really found her way within this team, especially in the absence of the most obvious

stars that we've seen in recent years with obviously Sophia Smith and Sinclair. They have been people who have probably taught her a lot about leadership within the team and taking the game by its reins and just the way she's delivered not only goals but also assists and then also her ability just to control the midfield and also she's also played in the wing at times too which has been great for Portland so she's really developed into a really great player and I think Portland is benefiting from having her on her team and that midfield three is the strength for this Portland group they were tested by San Diego right this is a San Diego group that can play between the lines if they want to there's a lot of play a lot of passes where you have

to make decisions who are you passing off what are you doing but we've seen this with san diego this season which is they are a new team and a young team it's a lot of pressure on players like a gea corley or a kimiskanio who just haven't been there before and i think this game was another one where you saw corley's got the right ideas wants to take players on gets in dangerous areas wants to force the game but it's a year you know full season of a team being reliant on you for special moments for a young player who's never had that before. And I think we continue to see San Diego sort of bump up against that wall of like, what are you capable of in year one as this new group? I think San Diego is definitely going to be a team to watch over the next couple years because they're starting to reestablish their core group. That's a younger talent, a lot of internationals as well. Gia Corley has been such a special player. I really like her engine and her work rate off the ball because she's able to find such dangerous spaces and then show the creativity, whether that's a final pass or going at someone on the dribble. But I think San Diego, San Diego can learn a lot from this and build for next year.

Because again, I do think they have all the pieces to be a really talented team. But to your point, if you haven't been in this moment before and haven't really been exposed to the pressure that playoff brings, it's hard to execute when you only get one chance because it's winner go home. so for this Portland group I think you can really feel the energy in the building as they similar have reestablished who they are they are they were a big unknown for this season with all of these you know huge names that had departed or were out for this season so a huge moment probably alone just to win a playoff game now they go into a somewhat winnable opportunity against Washington on the road which we'll talk about in just a second because the last game of the weekend was the first game of the weekend Orlando a two zero win over Seattle. Seattle, as we got official confirmation, staying in Orlando after Decision Day. So I think Jess Fishlock said it was like 12 days on the road to be a part of this game, but they felt like it put them in a more comfortable situation than having to go cross-country twice. And obviously a rematch from Decision Day. The big news for Orlando was Alley Watt out for the rest of the season, which is a huge loss for them, has stepped into the role for

Barbara Banda up top. And then the Seattle team, a couple of rotations. They remain with the five in the back. They bring Jordan Heitima in front of the starting lineup in place official in this one, which was a little bit of a surprise to me. But you looked at this game and you said, okay, decision day. We saw it, right? Tight, slow game, zero, zero. Orlando came out flying. Orlando came out with a pure intent that this game was going to be nothing like the previous game. It helped set up the goal from McCutcheon, which is unbelievable. She had four goals in her NWSL career coming into this year. She has four goals this season. But Rihanna, we kind of saw, especially so they lost Alley Watt in warmups last week. So there was no

game plan how to play without her. And it felt like there was more of an idea of, okay, can we pull centerbacks out and bring those runners in from central midfield? And it felt like Angelina and McCutcheon were up for the job. Yeah. And I think as a midfielder, you have to make those trailing runs, you have to be box to box. And when you've got such talented players on the flanks, creating one B one opportunities for those cut back passes or for an early ball across the box, those midfielders are going to have to be the ones beating the players that they're running against to the space in order to finish.

And McCutcheon has made a name for herself. I think she scored a lot of goals in a similar fashion where she's making the late run, finds a pocket of space and is able to place it in the goal with one touch. So, you know, what she's done for Orlando has really been special because she's controlled the midfield. She's been a calming presence for them. And, you know, adding four goals this season, especially this one at a critical point in this season, has been huge.

And it felt like for this Orlando team that they were flying in the second half, a couple big chances for Seattle, a big one, Sally Menti off the bench, hitting the upper 90 with a free kick, um, forced a couple big saves. And then I don't know if this like the greatest run in soccer history, but it felt like, it felt like Marciaun Lynch in a Seattle Seahawks game. Like Marta picks up the ball, runs 70 yards, gets fouled, but the whole run, you just see like fans lifting up as she runs up the field in what, the 92nd, 93rd minute, up one zero. And everyone's waving their scarves. Like they're like waving her on into the box. It was unbelievable.

No, like, that was one of the most incredible moments. I think of this season. I can't even lie to you because watching it as a fan of Marta's and now a competitor, I was inspired. I really was inspired because it was, I believe, in the 90 plus 7th minute, she has somehow has all her energy. She's playing like she's half her age. And just the drive she had and the will to find,

away for her team to close out this match on a positive note was truly so special to watch. And it reminded me of a game a couple weeks ago where she was fouled and then knocked the ball into the goal off of a corner kick. You could see like the rage on her face. Oh, yes. When she's dribbling, I can't remember who they're playing, but when she was dribbling this ball in the 90 plus seventh minute, you could see just the motivation. and she had her game these on.

And then as soon as she was fouled, she was like just totally like ecstatic, like motivated just to put this one away. And the fact that they gave it to Luana to score this goal in such an important time. And also just a marker of success and overcoming so much adversity. And it shows how close this Orlando team has been. I think that was a really, really beautiful thing just to see Marta passing the torch in a sense. And I think a lot of the people I know around this team have talked about the emotional experience they've all been through being alongside Luana as she has fought cancer and has come back into the team. And so like you said, that fitting moment, that fitting tribute, but Marta's on the ground after she gets foul just screaming. Like you said, like that is that is her vibe.

And she's still passionate about this. She still cares. We said it on the show a couple of weeks ago. Like the reality of where this team sits is they are still elite. defensively. Offensively, they can score goals. But like, if Marta carries them, they could go all the way. Is that something Marta's still going to do? We're not 100% short. And through week one of the playoffs, it seems like it is something that March is going to do. And it was like, as she made the run, I think it was Adamas who tried to sort of like close her off. It's one of those

I think everyone's sort of like, oh, well, we're all going like 80% because all of us are exhausted. And Marta's like, not me. I'm just going to keep pushing. Yeah. So if you're not going to come in 100% for this 50-50, I'm going to blow right by you. And the building was just electric for it. And as a four-seed going out of that game, the odds are you're not going to see your home building again. Like it's a neutral site championship. And you wouldn't need to play the eight seed for you to host another game. And that is what happened for Orlando.

Real quick, final salute to Lou Barnes, who retired after the season. And this was her final game coming off in the 60 or so. minute we talked about her and what she has meant to Seattle, what she has meant to the league, when she announced her retirement, a big sort of round of retirements that we have gone through in the league. And we are hoping Marta's not one of them, but at least we get to see her no matter what for another week. So let's talk about the next round. First we have on Saturday, Washington hosting Portland. So they played twice this year. The most recent game was in Washington on August third it was a two one win for the spirit trinity rodman with a 92nd minute winner so trinity

rodman was available for the game sat on the bench did not appear for the washington team the only update i can give is watching her sprint from the bench to aubrey kingsbury there's she's somewhat healthy she is somewhat available to be able to run um and then the other two injuries that we mentioned so adrian gonzalez at practice yesterday reporters said was very coy talking about Tara Mickeyone with an ankle and then Gabby Carl we saw the hamstring pulled up as she was sprinting from midfield to cover a ball and the quote was we need to see how the week goes with both players being held out of full training and on Trinity Rodman quote she I think she's on track is what Gonzalez said we don't know what that track is and we don't know what this means for

either of these players it felt like and this is like the lowest way to do this from the look faces of the two players coming off the field, it would be surprising to see them available this week. And that those are huge losses for this team, Brianna. Taryn McKeon's been one of the most versatile defenders in the league. And we had a conversation about Gabby Carl for Defender of the Year because of how big of a difference maker she is going both ways for this Washington team. And now they have to move on without them against a Portland team that has a lot of danger. Yeah. The thing that comes to mind is like obviously, I think, it's great when the league expands and we'll get into that in a moment.

But like the season is really, really long. So staying fit and healthy for 10 months out of the year is a really difficult thing to do. And Tara McKeown has played almost every minute of every game and has been such an important piece of the defense for Washington Spirons. Same with Gabby Carl, just how how she covers so much ground on the flank and offers a lot for them both attacking-wise and defensively. I think with Trinity Rodman, she's been, you know, such a special player in their league. And I think with MCL sprains are really tough. I've actually

had one of my own and obviously every injury is different, but they're painful. So if Washington can continue to advance, my prediction is that Trinity Rodman will come in whenever her name is called and it lighted up just like she did from her last injury. So I think, you know, just to your other points is that the absence of McKeown and Carl are probably likely given the way they departed the field. But I think if they can get Trinity back at a timely moment, they will be just fine. And, you know, it's, like you said, it's such a long season. It's so tough to be perfectly healthy at the right time. For Washington, this is like a little bit of deja vu. Last year, they were continuing to lose players week after week as they went through the playoff race.

but one of the things they do as well if not better than anyone is continuing to like depth deep in their team depth their team that's probably not the word they would you would use and last year rose coasi came in and was a difference maker for them now it's cantori now it's bernal now it's nurumi all the players that they have that like you look at this team you say they could put a really strong team out there and still play the way they want to play in this game even missing maybe all three of them i truly believe the team with the most depth is going to win this tournament just because it's so hard to sustain that level of play, the intensity and the number of minutes. Because, again, these players are tacking on an extra 30 minutes of play with all this extra time that they've been playing. So, you know, if they can remain resilient and stick to their game plan principles, I personally believe Washington is the favorite to win, especially with another game to host at home. um however portland is going to be a formidable side and they have a number of pieces that can change a game in reeland turner and olivia mulchry so um i think this is going to be such a fun game to watch more so than the other matchup yes it would seem like this one will have maybe a little more

soccer the other one will have a bit more playoffs to it um with the way these two teams are set up my guess would be that narumi comes into this team and that washington goes with a back four rather than trying to put a young international defender in SELA out there as a third centerback. And then I think it actually helps set you up against Portland because you want to close down Moultrie. You have to track coffee now as she comes out of midfield. And closing down Fleming is so key. So whether that's pushing Lacey Santos out wide or Corey Bethune out wide or calling it a 4-42, whatever you want to say, that would be my guess in the way Adrian Gonzalez goes about this and a few different options.

that left back but then is rose coasi a wingback is she a fullback is she a winger there are other questions that pop up for this washington team but they probably have depth like no one else does and that they have multiple answers where other teams if they were down the injuries they're down you would just say well there are no choices like you have to put out whatever you have available to them and there are still a ton of match winners in this team you know kroy batun looks fully back right now and i'm shocked she didn't get a goal last weekend and she could get one this weekend. Yeah. Adrian Gonzalez is on the short list for our coach of the year.

So we'll see if he can live up to that title because the other two in Bevinez and Blakow and Donovsky are currently out of the playoffs. So I think just seeing the tactical flexibility that he has with this team will be really, really interesting. I think to your point, bringing on Nerumi would be an excellent addition to the midfield because she does so well with her ball recoveries. and also just controlling the tempo. She rarely loses the ball and has been such an important player.

I'm very fortunate that I had the opportunity to play with her at The Courage. It is going to be obviously a huge event for this Washington team as the two seed and the depth they have, as you said, they are the favorites going forward. For Portland, I mentioned when we talked about the other game, like winning one playoff round, I think this year is a success. But it's single elimination. Why would you stop there? You don't have to for this Portland team.

Now they come into this next game. They're going to play against the ball. They had 40% possession in the last game at home to San Diego. And last time they played Washington, they had 40% possession. So like, is it weird to say, even though you go from a home game to an away game, that not that much changes for Portland except maybe the quality and experience of your opponent? I mean, perhaps. But if they're comfortable not being on the ball, they are obviously making the most of their time in

possession. And, you know, I think it's really going to come down to their difference makers in coffee, Turner, and Moultrie to create something at a nothing because Washington Spirit isn't going to give them many opportunities to find the goal. So they have to be clinical in and around the box. Yeah, it is going to be an interesting game. Moultrie scored in the last matchup. And it was like exactly how you think she gets lost between the lines. They cut against the grain. And then she shoots from distance and places it in a corner. Spancher's been getting the starts over the last few weeks. The one thing, and it's not going to change,

but one of the things that's interesting about this Portland team is they have relied on Daniel Castellanos up top as sort of like a moment of magic player. But I think you saw in the San Diego game, she is not a player who's going to stretch the field. So similar, what we talked about with Casey, they couldn't get out for large stretches against San Diego. They don't have that threat over the top unless Turner can get sort of a long, the top line and we know tordine can do that so it'll be interesting to see what rob gale goes with i say

that and saying 100% chance he starts castellanos he loves what she has brought to the team he talks about it every week he saw the hug he gave her when she came off the field so i say all of that and knowing that it won't change anything uh and none of that will matter but this is going to be a big game so this game on saturday at noon at rowdy um will be a big one and then on sunday 3 p.m eastern time Orlando hosts Gotham they faced each other twice both teams have won two zero on the road so that makes no sense

and that's not very helpful for us and as always the last game a little while ago it was August 29th there are huge injury concerns of course mainly for Gotham esther unavailable for the last game did dress but did not play they talked about the wind post game

saying like oh the conditions weren't great it feels like this is one amongst many of players put on the bench that probably were not available when the actual game was played and then Ellis Stevens was on the bench as well for Gotham has been out for the last two months and obviously is an individual game changer as well but you mentioned the excitement of watching the Washington Portland game I'm excited for this one as well but in a different way like this feels like it is going to be a dog fight of a game who do you think will win what are your predictions like because obviously on the road both teams have been successful so it just something coming out of friday felt like a

magic for orlando where we're you know it was a tough regular season for them like they were the hunted instead of the hunter band his injury was of course huge and we had haley carter on this show like they lost adriana at a late point of the off season when they were unprepared to replace her and there have been other small misses for them but emily sams we're not going to talk about might be the best of centerback in the league right they are still the same spine that they are capable of being and it just feels like that home advantage the way marta has played the runners coming out of midfield that have gotten confident it feels to me like something special is happening for i could definitely see that and i don't know like to your point with martha like i feel like

she's going to refuse to lose again she's going to like will her team forward even if she has to drag all 10 other players over the line. She's like, we're going this way, yeah. But I don't want to count out Gotham because I do think that like they're they could also find a way. I don't know. I think obviously they had a rough stretch like right before playoff started where they weren't winning as many games as they thought they would.

But again, they do have the pieces to make it happen. So I really could see this game going either. either way, to be quite honest. And I think that goes to what we've seen over the course of the season. Orlando is the second lowest goal scoring team in the playoffs. They have a plus six goal differential. So like across the whole year, they basically played even, which is where this game will say, I would not be shocked if 55 minutes into this game, it's like, Gotham has controlled

the tempo. Gotham has pushed the play. Like, that wouldn't shock me. And yet I could still see a world in which Orlando wins that game and comes out of here. and as I said, both these teams are teams that have played games like this so often this year that they'll be fairly comfortable

in that setup and I think you would say Gotham has more match winners like there are four or five players in this game that you could easily come in next week and say, yeah, it was a moment of brilliance from Portchillo, a moment of brilliance from Shaw, a moment of brilliance from Midge

Paris and they're moving on to the next round. Yeah, so it'll be fun. It'll be fun to see you. that's Sunday at 3 p.m. Yeah, so it's going to be a good game to close out the playoffs. And then we are back into the championship. As I said last week, it happens so fast. We build up all the year for the playoffs and then we're through it in a flash.

And there's a pretty good chance. It's Washington, Orlando again, which I did not even consider as, I don't know, once we got from May on. Like, it just didn't feel like that was where this season was going. And if that's the case, I think for both teams, we're going to have to look back on this span. right because for Orlando this feels like a down year for them like band it will be healthy a lot of the other pieces are going to be back and around for a while this could be their down year and if they make a championship even if they don't win it in the down year like that would just show I think the strength in the culture that the club has built that's a credit to sub hinds the look on his face

when martin drew the penalty of like I cannot believe she just did that it was absolutely amazing um all right we've got two other topics to hit and then we will get out of here and we start with a new team. We didn't know that. Atlanta has been named the 17th club in NWSL. Apparently, the bidding was open. We had Chris Long, part of the expansion committee and owner of Kansas City Current on our kickback committee show last week. We asked them about expansion. And his comment was, if the markets are good and the ownership groups are good, I don't see why there has to be a tight limit. And clearly someone else in his group agrees with that. So you can go listen to that show. Atlanta, of course, previously home to the Atlanta beat in the WUSA and then the WPS but have not had a pro team in the first division for over a decade now.

And Arthur Blank's AMB Sports Group will be the owner of this team. They will pay $165 million in an expansion fee for a team that will begin play in 2028 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. They, of course, are the owners of the stadium, Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United, Atlanta United's training ground, Atlanta Falcons training ground, and what we now understand will be also whatever NWSL Atlanta's team's name training ground as well. But on the surface, Brianna, you hear Atlanta, you hear another team coming in after Boston, after Denver. What was your reaction to this? I was thrilled.

I was honestly extremely thrilled. We actually have a, my family has a connection with the Blank family. My brother played soccer with the son, Josh. Oh, at Elon. Yeah. Yeah. So we've gotten to see the behind the scenes of all of their projects with Atlanta United and the Atlanta Falcons. And I think, honestly, what Mr. Blank is doing in the landscape of soccer is transformative.

Obviously, we've seen the commitment he made to U.S. soccer with building the National Training Center and making significant contributions there. But the fact that he is investing in women's soccer at. $165 million price tag is really, really exciting. I think it shows where the women's game is headed because just a few years ago, I believe like the buy-in was like $52 million or something like that. Or $10 million at one point, I think, as well. Yeah. So I think we're in such a special point in time for women's sports if a seasoned owner of an MLS team

and an NFL team sees the value in this league. So I think Atlanta will be an incredible market. I think the fan base will absolutely get behind it and be excited to support this team. I think it's an affordable place to live. And there's a lot of like culture there where you're going to see the intersection of sport and culture, which was what made Atlanta United so special when they came into the MLS. So I honestly could not be more thrilled with this addition to the NWS. So yeah, I was surprised because I didn't know that there was an availability for another team. Um, I've been lucky enough as well to cover Atlanta United a lot, especially in the early days.

I've been down there a ton for games. I've been there for regular season games for all stars, for championships and all of that. And it was a soccer market that I didn't know was possible in the US of like consistently selling 40 to 70,000 tickets a game for a soccer game. And the ownership group has invested every bit. behind that they have broken every record when it comes to transfer fees and investment in a team they've consistently gone out and spent 25 30 40 million dollars to bring in players alone that doesn't include scouting that doesn't include the 90 million dollar training facility that they built for Atlanta United and already are having the conversation coming out of this event in which

they promised that they would build a world class training ground specifically for this new club Arthur Blang said it's another reason we want to start early to get this franchise announced early to make sure we have time to do this correctly. We have the resources, but we want to have time be our friend, not our enemy. And so the feeling is like they will open a multi-million dollar world-class facility for this team before they even step on the field. They're going to rig the stadium a little so that it fits 28,000 comfortably for these games. But from what we know about them, like they're going to sell.

People are going to come. And it's going to be way bigger than that. and my main takeaway from this whole thing was like, yes, if Arthur Blank wants to invest and wants to be a part of it, whatever the timeline is, get him in because he is one of the best sports owners that I've been around. And as you said, he's building the training facility for the U.S. national team. That's a $50 million investment he's made just to help promote soccer and put Atlanta sort of in the center of all of it. And then you add that to what he's done with the MLS team. It's going to be huge. And it's a huge market. Like, it is a,

major metro area and if this is a big team it could be really really special for the league i also would say this because i got some responses from people who are like how much expansion is the right amount i kind of think there's not really a limit on like global soccer players and if you're willing to invest and do things right i don't know that there's a limit yes i wouldn't expand to 42 teams tomorrow but like the back the fact that it's coming on the back of denver in Boston, I don't think is that bad because as long as they're willing to put the investment out there to bring in good players from around the world who want to be a part of this, yeah, there's a little bit of strain on NWL experience players, but also how many games

do we watch where you're like, this player could be a starter? This player could be a starter. And it feels like there's enough spots for players to fill across all of these teams. I totally agree. I actually think there are not enough opportunities for, especially for young American players that are coming up in the league. There's a lot of talented players sitting on the bench. And, you know, this is such a special league because of its parity. But I know that this ownership group will push the envelope about what's possible in women's soccer, much like the Long family did with Kansas City. And they're going to hold every club to a standard of having a dedicated facility for their women's team with all the resources at their disposal. And

that will attract global talent for years to come. So I also think, another tidbit about this announcement that was cool was how the blanks will provide money to launch the end of his L. Foundation where they'll invest in researching innovation in women's sports. And I think it shows that they're invested in the whole athlete, not just like the game day experience or the branding. They want their athletes to be fully supported in terms of research and making sure that they have everything they need to be successful and have longevity in their careers. So I think that's a wonderful addition to this investment. And on top of that, they say that there will be a dedicated front office group for this.

Like they are not rolling this into Atlanta United or the Atlanta Falcons. And that is also the commitment and understanding of like, this is different. Working with athletes in the women's soccer world is different than working with athletes in the men's soccer world. And we're going to commit the resources we need to across both of them. And it's going to be, I think, really, really excited. Do we think Orlando or North Carolina for arrival? We did our 50 states. Didn't you say Georgia for North Carolina's arrival?

I believe I did say, I believe I did say Georgia. Yeah. So it feels pretty built in. I feel like, I think those are pretty built in. I think both teams on its side because they're in such close proximity. I mean, I remember years of driving down to Georgia or to Florida for, club games. So I think this is going to be a really, really unique addition to the southeast because I just don't think there's enough soccer in the southeast, in my opinion, at least.

So we should add all the teams in the southeast to the league. And then we could flood the whole thing. But yeah, it's going to be a special market. It's going to be a special city. So they are going to come into the league in 28. So Boston and Denver in 26, no one as we know of now in 27. and then Atlanta in 28. That will make 17 teams, which will make it an uneven league. If you're across two conferences, I think that means we're all watching now. We're trying to see, is there an 18th team that we could hear or come about? We know what Miami was in the running.

We know Cincinnati. We know Cleveland as well have been in the running, Minnesota. So it'll be interesting, and we'll keep our eyes out for this one. Okay, real quick, let's sock some postseason awards. And then we can let everyone go, and everyone can stop listening. my terrible voice and be done with this uh priana let's start with you uh we put these down so MVP is there any question besides temwa shuenga there is no question temwichuinga is without a doubt the most valuable player in the end of his cell i had the same as well we did the um finalist groups

that we expected uh coming into this and we talked for a long time about monocca one of your teammates who had an unbelievable year, who we will talk about on midfielder of the year, because that was your vote. That was my vote. I think Bonaca is an incredible player. I think just the quality of goals that she had. You could see the flare.

I think she had multiple goals where she would chip the goalkeeper from, I don't know, 20 yards out, which was super neat. But she's been an incredible player for the courage. And it's just sad that she didn't get to show what she could do in playoffs, but she definitely gets my vote for midfielder of the year

because of the contributions that she had, both with goals and assists. So I originally did not have this as my vote because I did it before I knew what the finalist groups were, and I had her in our shortlist for MVP was the conversation we had on

this show. So I was originally going to vote for Kenza Dolly because I thought Kenza Dolly is a pure midfielder was maybe the best I saw all year and what she did. But Monaca, I think, was a more impactful player. And if you're counting her as a midfielder fully, which I don't know if that's the case, but that is where we end up in this whole thing. Look, I got a ride for my girls. I don't just, but here's the thing. Monaca deserves an award from this year. And if there's not like a young player or a young

attacker or whatever, then it's going to be midfielder. I think that's completely fair for that one so that's two of the awards down let's go with defender of the year next uh and how excited were you for this vote excited i don't know we don't see a lot of fullbacks in these conversations and uh we we ended up with two on the list we ended up with avie patterson and izzie rodriguez Jordan Bug, Tara Mickeyone, and Kayla Sharples. And I like the idea of a fullback winning these awards. I like an idea of a fullback being part of the honor. But I find it hard to not vote for Kayla Sharples after the year Kansas City had

and her responsibility inside of that team. And this is not being affected by the goal she scored. It felt like she was the leader and heart of a group that went on to put maybe the best offensive performance across a full season out there. I can totally agree with that. I chose Izzy Rodriguez, just because I thought she offered even more going into the attack. Obviously, it's not an attacking ward. But I think she has been an important piece.

She's been such an important piece for their defense as well. But again, Kayla Sharples has had an exceptional year and they've given up so few goals. So I just think their team, Kansas City, has worked so well as a defensive unit. so honestly you could select any of them and i would yeah i agree with it also i realized when this came out and like looking at it like why are we isolating it to your defensive actions because it is every game model now is fully complete where you have requirements even if you're a centerback you have to break lines you have to build out of the back like we talk about passing for a centerback and i don't know

that we give enough credit uh we had izier Rodriguez on the show earlier this year and we absolutely love her on this show so we're always good uh for any of these players to get the award. Let's go to Rookie of the year. We finished as finalists with Maddie Deline, Lily Reel and Riley Tiernan and it feels hard not to vote for the person

who is one of the greatest goal scorers in rookie history, so I voted Riley Tiernan. I did as well. Yeah, I think Arangel City had something left to give in the end of the season. And Riley Tiernan, like, you know,

started off the year with a bang and really made a name for herself. I think the way she came into the league with having to, like, fight for a roster spot and then ended up being one of the most impressive rookies, if not the most impressive rookie, which is a testament to the way she handled the jump

and took her opportunities and made the most of them. Unbelievable season. Not an easy one with the responsibility on her shoulders, excited to see what she does next year, as well as this entire rookie class. Like, this is one of those awards where I think a lot lot of players, especially the first half of the year, had really special impacts. I think we saw

the value of no draft in players like choosing a place where they think they fit or the style fits or they'll be happy out the gate. And I think we saw a lot of players who are ready to have an impact. And I'm excited to see that again next year for the next rookie class as well as a lot of these people taking the next steps. I don't know why Maddie Deline doesn't get the start in a playoff game at Orlando. But that's another conversation that will have another day. That's a conversation that you would push to a coach as we get to our coach of the year. Oh, sorry, goalkeeper of the year before we do that one. Uh, goal could be the year with options were Berger, Dickie and Lorena, unbelievable year for Claudia Dickie, getting into the national

team conversation, uh, but I'm going to be boring and say Lorena again because of the success. I think honestly you could pick any three of them and it would not be heavily debated because I think they're all three exceptional goalkeepers. I personally chose, and Catchman Burger, just because I think been an exceptional goalkeeper has really laid the standard, has been consistent over time. Obviously, we saw her performance in the Euros too and was exceptional there.

So obviously that has no impact on this award, but I think she was the goalkeeper of the year for me. Yeah. I think most would say right now she's the best goalkeeper in the world. So it's not a bad person to give this award to. Now we are up to Coach of the Year. and the finalists were Flacco Ananovsky, Adrian Gonzalez, and Bev Yanez. When we did this conversation before Decision Day, we didn't know if Adrian Gonzalez would be eligible,

how do you value it, took over midway through the year, was an assistant, coached half of last year. I don't know if that's more of a compliment that he's been able to help the team through sort of an unknown with Yonatan Heraldez and actually not just maintained, but get better as the season has gone along. and then Vlako and Bev Yanez we've talked about their canon disease and this has been I think the hottest debated one since the finalists have come out I think again there's no wrong selection in all of these three but to be boring for the third time I don't know how you don't vote for Vlako or I don't know how I don't vote for Vlako like it's the greatest regular season in history and he was the coach of it there are other ways to break it down and go through it, but that kind of is the one that kept rattling through my head. I agree with you. Yeah, I mean, they blew everyone out of the water.

I did choose Bev Yanez because it feels like she helped put Louisville on the map, and they secured their first playoff berth. Yeah. I feel like she made something out of nothing. Yes. And the reason I say that is, I'm trying to think. of like creating a roster with the resources that each club has right it's harder to bring people to louisville as opposed to kansas city kansas city isn't like the greatest city ever but they

have the most resources of any club so it's like who wouldn't want to play in front of a sold out a sold out crowd um and you know be among some many of the best players in the league right so yeah can with that being considered i chose best of yanez because i feel like she created an identity for louisville um and help them get over the line and finish seventh but i think black co andinovsky did an exceptional job with this team and you know creating a monster with all the goals that they scored and so few that they conceded um so i think either would be fine yeah um any of them would be fine but yeah i i would lean towards Beva or Flacko in that,

I think what Adrian Gonzalez did is great. I think he'll have his chance to win this over the next few years with the Washington spirit. I don't know that I would choose it this year. I think it's a fair point to say Bevionette, like if the award was MVP as a coach, Bevianez would be the winner, aka she was like a match winner for her team

in a way that Flacco didn't have to be. For Vlaco, it's like if you keep the trains on the tracks running or trains on schedule, whatever the phrase is, they were so talented their home stadium is so overwhelming that they probably win the shield but that has not always been the case for every coach in history and he of course put a lot of this together so I don't think there's a wrong vote in either of those and I think it's really exciting the idea that they'll both be back with their clubs next year and like what's the progression for louisville and what's the progression for kansas city coming after this is going

to be really really exciting to see but neither of them will be in the the postseason so we will not learn if they're going to able to get a championship but we have four teams left and we're really really excited to cover that we will have our show back next week of course we'll be previewing the championship we'll have special coverage on kickback committee as well previewing that we are excited to watch you at the skills challenge and then we're all excited to watch the final together coming up in a week and a half after that we'll have our postseason end season reviews we will break down some offseason stuff there's a lot of big picture conversations to have but we are into the playoffs right now so we really want to be focused on all of that briana

thank you for taking the time to join us today thank you for having me i think this was such an exciting conversation because the league's in it's such a great place and there's so much to look out for over the next week and a half more soccer in the southeast who could be sad about that at all so thank you to all of you for listening and we'll talk to you again very nervous You know,