SoccerWise - Shock Blockbuster Trade In Portland, Gotham Turn It On + False Gold In Seattle

Episode Date: October 1, 2025

We thought silly season was over with the external NWSL transfer window closing. How wrong were we? Jordan and David wake up to the blockbuster move of Hina Sugita from Portland to Angel City. They talk about how this affects both clubs, and how Sugita & M.A Vignola can affect their new squads. Then they dig into the big moments of the weekend from Gotham & Washington's dominant wins, to Orlando breaking their winless streak in San Diego.5:45 Hina Sugita Trade21:43 Gotham Impressing30:00 Racing Louisville Close Out A Big Win34:20 Chloe Ricketts Trade & Free Agency Process In NWSL40:30 Washington’s Loaded Depth45:40 Orlando Pride Break Their Winless Streak50:55 North Carolina Slipping In Seattle & Reign’s Lack Of Attacking Play

What's up, everybody, welcome back to soccer wise, the one and only here to talk a little NWSL. It is a great week. It is a week that is a bit of a surprise to me. I did not think we'd be talking trades in October. of the NWSL season. I also think that I messed up the technology and that the show never actually pushed live to YouTube. But we can continue going here

and then I will figure that one out later. I saw that one coming a mile away and I realized that was going to happen. Jordan, trade season. Ooh, I guess so. Trade season is upon us. It's also holiday season for you. It is.

It is the high holy days is what we call it because we decided if it's going to do holidays. We do five in a three-week span. Yeah, that's a lot. That's a lot. It's a lot. So you're back at home celebrating with your family, which will be nice. Yeah, it will be great. We fast and atone for a sin, so it's not like fun. I wouldn't use that phrase, but. I said nice, didn't I? Yeah, yeah, it will be nice. That's actually a really good phrase that I've used. It'll be nice. Thank you. Yeah, so it's, it's, what do you guys say high holy days and also trade season? We'll things at the same time. It is and it makes a lot of sense. And there are potentially some

teams that have to atone for a lot of things. Feels that way right now. Because I think Portland fans are a little bit frustrated and upset. So that's one side of things. Then there's random other trades that I don't even fully understand for some of these teams. It feels like Houston's offering money if you want it. So we might try and reach out and see if we can get a loan deal. Maybe if we send Tom to Houston. I could start running again and play. Like, why not? I don't know You're an altitude person I don't want to send you to the heat

And the flatlands of Houston You also have called me out before That I won't play pickup So why would I You were the furthest one Yeah You were the furthest one For my mind that was going to do it

But Tom, I think if we go at him enough It'd be like ladybugs Yeah Yeah Great movie It is I don't have strong strong feeling It is a weird movie

Oh, do you know what? Remember we were, I was talking about Alicia Kramer being the legend of Colorado. She played, she was in those soccer scenes as like the really good dribbler when I forget the guys. Yeah, that was her. It's another thing that adds to her lore. Well, first of all, you should have led with that for more player. Why didn't I do that? Can we go back and re-record that one?

We got to go back. We're like four weeks behind. This week we are doing Kine. Connecticut, by the way, who is headlined by Christine Lilly. That's a great one. It's not a bad one. Is Tiffany Weimer in your mix? I do not know because I haven't fully organized it well.

Tom is going to take over for me on Yom Kippoor tomorrow and then I believe Susanna and Jill are going to close things out. But if you have other names, send them to me. Connecticut's a tough one because there's a lot of prep schools. Yeah. So a lot of people are like not born there. Obviously there's no pro team there. No one really plays college there. but in the middle a lot of people live there and it's hard to tell when they like where they're from and where they stand

but christine lilly seemed like an obvious one yeah very obvious to lead from lill uh we did in nebraska last week and we had page nielsen on the show so if you haven't listened to that go back last thursdays a page just grabbed her dog sat down and talked for like an hour gosh and i wasn't on it so i listened to it afterwards and it's like she is so good yeah she's like so interesting she talked about liking training more than games because she doesn't like that that her teammates don't get to play in the games and like first of all she said it in a way in which it's like well page always plays right like there's no it's not she being like i don't get to play or like you don't know if you're gonna play but she was like you know in training we're all together we're all working together like we're all a part of it and it's like that is a really cool thing to hear that is cool to hear different perspective yes um and one from a player who starts every single game for every program she plays for whether it's college or professional um And at the time was trending high for Houston, heading into a potential playoff spot that fell off a little bit more this week. So we will talk about the results from the weekend that are huge. The playoff spots keep moving.

The standings keep shifting. Orlando was able to stop the slide. They now are in a more comfortable position. North Carolina looked to be riding high. Then they get pegged back by Seattle late. So that shifts a ton. Louisville finally gets a victory. they are back in.

So we will talk about all those results and then we will preview the big ones coming up this week that could decide it. Basically, Louisville, North Carolina this week is a playoff game and then Gotham faces off against Seattle, which is three versus four. So a lot can be decided in terms of who will get home field advantage

in the first round as well as potential matchups going forward. I would assume if you looked at things right now, the sweet spot is being three because you get a home game and you avoid Kansas City. Yeah. Washington looks pretty dangerous again as well.

Also, if we ended up with Gotham, Washington in the second round of the playoffs again, that would be unreal. That would be, I mean. I hadn't even thought of that. That would make rivalry week that we put them in rivalry week and said, you must be rivals. Maybe they would actually be rivals if they get another one of those epic games. Yeah.

So we have all of that to look forward to. But let's start with our big breaking news of the week. So I think it was last night that this hit. Yeah, I saw it last night. And so I woke up to it this morning, completely out of left field, that Hina Sugita has been traded from the Portland Thorns to Angel City FC. The trade executed for 600,000 in intra-league transfer funds, as well as M.A. Vinaola going in the other direction and will now be playing for Portland. reminder, no player can be traded without their clearance anymore. So both of these players had to give the okay for this to happen. And we are through the external transfer deadline. So players

cannot come into NWSL anymore being signed. But the intra-league trades are still permissible through the roster freeze date of October 9th. So they got this thing in kind of like right under the deadline. And then the reason I am so surprised by this is It feels like with the external moves done, you can't do enough roster building anymore to shift things around that a major move wouldn't happen because everyone kind of is set with the teams that they built and the teams that they were meant for. And we've already seen most of the trades happen where a player has pre-signed a contract for next year. And so they were able to work out a deal so that player can go now a little bit earlier, right? We've seen Linnehan move. We've seen some other moves like that.

Allie Watt, of course, signing, getting loaned back to Orlando. and we have a deal with Chloe Ricketts sort of similar in a way like that that we will talk about coming up. But this is a groundbreaking trade. So 600,000 in intra-league transfer loans funds equals Ali-Sentnor for the second most in league history. And then Ali-Sentnor only came as a single transfer, not with a player alongside. So if you look at total compensation, this is arguably the second biggest trade in league history. and that's happening after the deadline for transfers globally has closed. Yeah.

So if I'm understanding the trade right, Portland get M.A. and the 600,000. And then L.A. or Angel City get Hina Sagita. Yes. Which says a lot about Hina Sagita. This is an excellent, excellent player and was not finding herself in the starting lineup as of late under Rob Gale in this Portland Thorns team who has to be a little. little bit grittier, I think, than we have been used to in Portland. And Sagita, Rob has called her a butterfly. Like, she floats around. And when she floats around, she can be one of the best creators in the league. Really a box-to-box midfielder, I would say. Because when she comes from a little

bit later and finds the final third as she's running into it, like she, she's so fun to watch. And now I'm thinking, okay, how does that work in Angel City? Well, if I'm Alex Strauss. I'm trying to think, okay, I want, think of his teams in the past, right? This Bayern Munich team, they have a lot of really good ball playing players, players that know football really well, who want to be on the ball and want to play through the lines. Well, I think Sagita fits that really well. I just, I think they struggle right now to keep the ball well enough. So can Sagita do that and also do the demands that Strauss has on them defensively? I think that's going to be the biggest question mark for me as she tries to fit into this Angel

City team. It is, yeah, I think all of that makes a lot of sense. I think part of this, you have to look one step up and remember that Mark Parsons is the person who recruited. True. He has a really good point. To NWSL originally at Portland. He then left Portland has now taken over in Angel City and I think I look at this team and the way in which they have really searched around for an identity and something to hold on to this season and say like this is our what we're doing going forward and I think if you look at this combined with the Neely Martin move now you're looking at an experienced veteran central midfielder you're coming at a double pivot that can play together if that's what you want you're potentially looking at a platform for

Kennedy Fuller to play off of, which I would assume coming out of the Alyssa Thompson move, you went to and said, we think you're the future, we think you're a major part of this club, and like, we want to build a lot of this around you. And you're looking at a team that right now is bottom five unexpected goals. Yeah. Bottom five and goals scored. And you're looking at a player who's one of the best passers and movers in the attacking third from her position in the league. But Gossam also, they have June Endo. Yeah. there's a lot of weird talent that doesn't fully make sense yeah so so do you play jutenendo as a winger and then almost it's you know it's a box and you're asking a lot then of um not hodge

who's the outside who's the outside back that plays on the left side why can't i think you're name like sure sure's i do that every time when i have angel city i get those two mixed up so i'm sorry the two rookies i'm sorry evelyn shores yes you have shores who is like an attacking-minded player used to be a central midfielder mostly and is playing at that left back spot. So you could shift and adapt, but then you've got Jan Stodder. So there is a nice balance to that if you can get Endo and Sagita in the game together. Yeah, I think it could make sense. Should we talk about the other side of things in Portland?

Yeah. Because I'm really curious. You're going out to get a player. And this Portland team has lost every, really every attacker that they've had this year, right? Smith is out on maternity leave. Kaya Hanks with an ACL, Dufour with an ACL, there's no,

oh my gosh, Morgan Weaver, there's no Morgan Weaver. You're losing all of these really good, wide attackers. And you bring in M.A. Vinaloa, who's awesome. But she's typically a left back. Raina Reyes has been a really solid left back for them this year. So are you bringing her in

just to play her as a winger? Is Emma Vignola only going to be a winger on this squad? like I'm it just feels like an odd person to bring in when you have such a solid foundation in that outside left back spot I would agree with you I think I mean now with trade you have to think about it from the players point of view and from the team's point of view I think for I think for Portland right now it's like a pure player like a depth play of like they are but she will start on this she'll she's going to start this weekend for sure she starts at left back no I think she starts as a winger right

because because she can play as a winger right because due force her they've already lost hanks like there this is a team that is struggling and I think Vignola has played there a little bit now with Angel City but also I think for Portland it's like can we can we keep our head above water to close out this season can we have someone who maybe has a little more experience around some of our young attackers which we've talked about right Moultrie being let down a little bit by the players around them. Turner having an awesome season, but it's a young player. You're late in the year. It's a lot of minutes on your body. It's a lot of pressure that's been put on you individually. And like, is this maybe a short-term move where on the

Angel City side, you can understand, like, fullbacks, maybe their strongest position. Right. They've invested heavily there. And so I think for Angel City, they're saying, this player's available if you want to make this move. And Vinala probably looks at as a chance to play. Yeah. and get more consistent playing time. So I don't know that this is like a long-term relationship with her and the team. It might be, okay, is this the right platform for four to five to six games for me to show the league like I can still play and be in a playoff race and then go forward. And when I look at the number of the 600,000 in comp to Allie Centaur, it kind of feels like a side part of this of like the deal was that. That was the hinge piece of the deal.

and then it was like what else can you throw in here but Portland are limping now and they've been limping for a little while and I think they're desperate for numbers we've seen we saw them go five in the back this week as well so maybe this is a situation where you think she could play as a wide center back or maybe you bring Reyes in and pull her inside a little more I mean I'm hoping they never do that again to be honest it did not go great it didn't go great for them I'm not going to lie they didn't have them in the first half and they didn't have them in the first half and they didn't have them in the second half they switched they switched at some point into they switched their formation but like i was just i understand why they did it but yes and maybe those are the thoughts right because then you have a left-footed center back left center back and a left-footed wing back but i don't know i think overall portland probably in my opinion portland got a really good deal out of this right to get 600 000 dollars and a player yeah that's a pretty good deal i just in and sagita wasn't playing right she just wasn't fitting in with the tenacious style that they had like they this is a young team who is naive in a lot

of different ways and i i think that sagita is an attacking-minded player lacks some of the defensive prince like defensive um what's the word i'm looking for like she doesn't always have the responsibilities defensively so you give her a place where maybe she can have a little bit more freedom with neely martin next to her and you get a player in emma vignola is going to help you defensively is going to have a good work right and has the pace to be a winger to get in behind the back line and the i don't know if it's luck convenience fortunate nature whatever of the moment feels very important here so this quote from jeff egos who is this reporting director for the Portland Thorns who said, quote, I don't know if there's any right time to

make a trade with someone like Hita, Hina, who's beloved here in Portland. She's been a really tremendous player and a person for this club. She's been a champion here. She's been a fan favorite and really somebody who embraced Portland from the first day. So it was very, very difficult decision to do, but we thought it was best for the club. Importantly, what was best for Hina. We made significant efforts to try to work toward an agreement and at a point where we felt there was an impasse and we couldn't get to an agreement. We felt it was important to find a solution that supported Hina's career and Hina's pathway and her arc and the club's both short and long-term coals and we think this deal we found both. This to me feels like the

contract negotiations aren't going well. She started 18 games this year, including this weekend, but that's the only of the last four games she has started. So it starts to fall out of the team as that's happening and Angel City reading the T leaves and saying we think this is possible right now. My guess would be, if you look, if we went into Angel City's boardroom and they showed us their plans seven months ago for the next four years, that Hinesigita's name was not on there. Like, I don't know that they would have thought this deal was possible. And I don't know still what we talked about if it fits perfectly with the exact personnel they put together. But they are outside the playoffs. They just sold Alyssa Thompson. Like,

they don't really know who they are. And this feels like, let's get her in while we can because it's possible move and then we'll figure the rest out in the off season of how she fits in and what's built around it. And the last two moves now for Angel City are both championship players, players that have won a championship.

So you bring in that experience because, you know, just talking to Alex Strauss and knowing what he has accomplished in other places, like he knows that that mentality has to be a part of this locker room. And that, you know, this is, one of the biggest markets in NWSL and they have to show that they are going to compete on a championship level. So to get a couple players in that have done that is a really big move for

them and maybe sets a foundation that is different than they've had before where now you're going into the next year with a couple of key pieces who know how to win in this league and hopefully they add a few more in the off season. And Jan's daughter feels like obviously not from this league but also was a veteran move. And this is all coming in light of, like, losing a lot of Kenny. Like, there's been a lot of up and down with this Angel City team. I think this is one of the oddest seasons quietly that we've seen in a while. They started the year with an interim manager.

Then they hired a full-time manager who joins in the middle of the season. They come into the season. They, I think, over-performed. Score a lot of goals at the beginning of the year. Over-performed early, looked really fun. Then they end up selling, maybe their two or three best players are losing them. but with no clear replacements in place and then they finish now

by making the second largest trade in league history after the window has closed. Like all of this is a little bit off and it feels like they're catching up time-wise of it took a while to get Parsons done. It's taken a while then to get Strauss done like all of this to try and figure it out. And the hope is that 2026 is like finally the year

that it all works. And I think if you're putting together a winning team, Hina Suita is a part of that. We'll be her age 29 season. next year when it starts so like in her prime someone who can carry a lot of the game take pressure off a lot of people in a position that they've kind of looked to fill in this way for a while zelem was a part of that like they've made moves in the past to try and find players like this and it feels like now that you know they finally have a brain to lead the whole thing and like a central force for all of them to play off of uh for both these teams it was a losing weekend let's start with portland we made mentioned it. The five in the back, they go on the road to Gotham in what was a huge game. Two teams not separated by much. And Portland didn't really come to play. And it got tough for them really, really quickly. Mitch Purr's first goal back from the injury is able to score getting the start for this team. And Jaden Shaw gets her first assist for Gotham. So now five unbeaten in a row for this Gotham team in NWSL play. They've had Concord Caft play as well. They actually play Washington's Spirit in Conca Calf tonight, so we won't be talking about that game because we don't know what happened unless you want to give a guess.

Ooh, Gotham Spirit? That's going to be a good game. I know. I don't know who's going to play. I know. It'll be rotated, so. But Lily Rial and Porchio did not start in the last game. Yeah.

I think Stengel came off the bench at halftime in place of Esther. Well, that's the thing with both of these teams. Their rotations are pretty good. Yeah. Yeah. So there are some of the best. options in there. Yeah. But it is a fascinating run here for this Gotham team. It kind of felt like I had, for one, left them for dead, I think, a few weeks ago. Like, just felt like it was never

going to click. Then they make the Shaw trade, which has been some of the impetus, but not all of it by itself. It feels like there has been more attacking play for them, more progressive play for them. They are third right now on 34 points. They're one point ahead of Seattle, who they will face off this weekend against what we'll talk about and there's six points behind Washington in league play. What have you seen from this Gotham team what has impressed you as they've gone on this run? A few different things. One, I think they've stabilized their back line, especially with Carter and Sonnet centrally. You know, it's not playing just Carter out wide, some games. It's just those two have been the two centerbacks. And I think that

really helps with the communication to Jalen Hall in front of them. Like, Halel has had one of the best seasons, well, her best season in NWSL, but it has to be up there when it comes to midfielder of the year, like in that conversation because she is everywhere. Winning the ballback has added to the attack, has a couple goals to her name, but I think by having two stable players behind you, you have more freedom to do that

because you trust the people behind you. And when they tell you to go do something, you know that that is the right play because you have built this relationship. So I think that the centerbacks have really helped them. But also it comes at this time, Goss where they've gotten healthy. You know, Rose comes back, midge purse comes back. With all of that comes competition.

So Sarah Shepansky isn't just starting games because you need her to play as a winger or as a 10. It's, okay, we'll play better than Roselle or play better than Porchillo and Perce and all these players that are playing in the wing, Jese. they have now the roster that we knew that they built is able to perform and compete and that has stepped them up a level then they bring in Shaw right so I think that it's not anything groundbreaking from this Gotham team they do a lot of the similar things that we've seen them do in years past but it feels it feels like last year they like assembled this like Avengers group and it was a little individual

individual. And now this group feels like with a lot of big names, it still feels like it feels more cohesive to me. So when they're going and they're pressing, they're together as a unit. When they when sonnet steps to win a ball, there's a nice balance that Hasbo can win the ball and it's two passes and they're behind the back line. And Roosevelt is scoring one of like the one of my favorite goals this year just because how how they pass the ball. So I think it's a accumulation of all those things that happened for the last couple of months because now there is that freedom back, right? There's a little bit of that fluidity in the way that they move forward because of the players that they have. Yeah. I fully agree with you. I think the pressing is where I see it

kind of the most of like it's one cohesive unit. Everyone's reading the next play quickly and they're closing so quickly. And then you look at, as you said, a little bit less of the churn, little bit more of the opportunity to play like um to play consistent back lines but especially i think jess card is like a cheat code as a centerback i do too as a fullback she's very very good i like her better as a center back me yeah because as a centerback i think she might be the most mobile center back in the league and so she can go out wide and mark one v one so if your fullback pushes high to press and it gets beat somehow she can close the door out wide in areas that a lot of centerbacks are uncomfortable. I think Terry McKeone does this very well as well because she's

comfortable in those spaces. And then, but she also organizes and is comfortable centrally. She's not a fullback playing centerback. When she's in there, she wins a lot of her one-v-one battles. And so I think that's like one of the big things, which is now they've gotten healthy. They can permanently slot her in there. You can do so alongside Sanaa as well, which makes things really, really easy because you've got elite talent in there. And then that creates the platform. for the rest of it. And Roosevelt's playing out of her mind. And it's, that one, there's nothing you can do about it.

If she's healthy for long enough and she's able to get a run in games, she's arguably the biggest game changer in the world. It's unfortunate that we don't get to see that as often as we'd like. And that was always a gamble with Gotham, because that's a gamble with any team that has any, I mean, obviously any person, but with her history, like, that's always going to be a gamble. And if it works, you're in a great spot. And I think Gotham did enough to have enough,

enough depth to cover for her when they didn't and keep their head above water enough and stay close to touching distance to the playoffs. And a lot of that's on just Esther being elite this year. And that's now an MVP conversation we have to have. She hasn't been as central purely to this run, but she's central to the season that the number three team is having and has still scored. They wouldn't be at number three if she wasn't consistent week in and week out. She stole them like seven to ten points alone in the first. half of the season that they don't get without her. And she still went to Euros.

Yeah. Right. And it was a golden boot at the Euros. Right. And it might be the golden boot in the league and everything else. So yeah, it's really, really impressive. I think this weekend to see Jaden Shaw get an assist, but play out wide. Yep.

And now you're like the first moment it happens, the lineup comes out, you're like, okay, didn't we just do this? Like, isn't this in North Carolina thing? We're doing this again? And isn't this part of like what we're not doing? I think it shows different styles. Like the game's more transitional. It's a little bit more north to south.

So there's more space to operate. There's chances to get one v one. And then I think there's more runners around her that you have to follow and track because the patterns of play are not as predictable as what is in North Carolina. That shock and that operate in that space and feel comfortable. And she's playing alongside Roosevelt and Esther, which makes life pretty good. So a huge win for Gotham. They will face Seattle this weekend so we can get into that one.

when we get there and then we have on the flip side Portland with the loss we talked about a little bit they're starting to fall apart here Jordan I don't know that the Vinola move saves that is this just the reality of this year for them like they're new as a group I remember coming into this season and we were thinking wow this Portland team like are they right when the news of Sophia Wilson dropped like we were like okay well and then it was Morgan we've aired there there was two ACLs for really good outside backs that they haven't been, you know, Mueller is an excellent outside back. I haven't been able to play a game this year.

And I remember us thinking this is not going to be a good season. Like we had them down at the bottom. They remember that. A lot of people did not give them credit this Portland team. And I think what has kept them in a lot of games is that, that belief in themselves, that they're starting something new, that they're acknowledging the dynasty of what Portland being a member of the port and thorns, but also trying to put their own spin on it. But they're young, they're naive in moments where they give up, they give up silly plays

because they just haven't had that type of experience. And I think that they have overperformed themselves in moments. And it's been really fun to watch, watch them, you know, come together as a unit. But I think that with all the injuries that they had, this end of the season is going to be difficult for them to string some results together because they just don't have the depth that they need, especially at this time of the year when you're tired. Yeah. Yeah. It's been a slow fall at times. And I think your key is like, how can you get to the end of the year and feel good about what happened? Knowing the jump next year will be big. and not putting your, the, like, culture in a way in which you're soured at the end of this season, I think is, like, one of the keys for this team.

And now they'll do so with a new player on their side. Angel City with the loss to Louisville, that was one of the big results of the weekend. Louisville, they fin, they end their slide. They currently sit in the playoffs. It feels like they have lost week after week, and somehow they went from top three all the way down the standing. And then I was shocked when I looked at it and saw that they were sitting in eighth place right now, one point ahead of North Carolina and just two points behind San Diego. Their first win in over five matches in this game. And a huge moment for this team because the whole ball game is making the playoffs.

And this is a big first step to getting there. And when you make the playoffs, you have to be able to close out games. And something was posted after the game of Bev Yanez saying, like, now everybody can stop talking about us, up late goals. Well, that's why we were talking about it, because you guys were giving up late goals. And you got to figure out a way to not do that. And so if this is the next step for Louisville, going up a goal, they had a couple of, you know, one goal called back. They almost had a penalty that ended up being a great challenge from Sarah Gordon in the end. So it got called back. But one to nothing was all they needed. It was at home. It stops a skid. It's the same,

same identity from Louisville. I feel like they've really honed that in. But if you're, if that's the way you're going to play, you have to be tough in the last 15 minutes of the game. And that is one thing that if they were going to get themselves out of this, you can't go into the playoffs thinking that you're going to lead goals at the end of the game. So I think that's good for them. I don't know. Is everyone just kind of rooting for Louisville to make it? I think so. You have to.

It's been so many years now in ninth, you know, of course you root for them because of everything that happened with Savannah Mello. She was a little bit of the heartbeat of this team and now going through the medical stuff. You know, there's just other, like, external things that you're just like, come on, we need you to make the playoffs, guys. Also, if you don't make the playoffs, don't finish ninth. Don't, please don't. Finish 10th. Finish 11. Yeah.

They have finished ninth every single season. Yeah. And it has been, at one time it was last in the league, and it has progressed now. Technically, it's gotten better in the standings every time they've finished ninth. But is it better? Because then you're just. You're still the one spot out of the playoffs. A piece of note out of Angel City besides the trade they made is that

Ali Riley announced that this will be the last season of her career and that she'll be retiring after one of the greats internationally was able to captain her country in New Zealand at a Home World Cup in 2023, which is a one-off that very few people will ever experience. And I think a real trendsetter for New Zealand players and what was capable. and then a great career in NWSL as well. And we doing what we do now as well with the media show with Sid. So I think someone who clearly won't go away and will be a huge part of the sport and the atmosphere around it.

But a great career for her on the field as well. Yeah, congrats to Ali Riley, someone I played against for a long time. Rivals at Stanford played there. Ended up beating me for rookie of the year back in WPS because she started every single game of the year. I will give her that as a rookie pretty good I did score a lot more goals than she did I had so I was trying to I was trying to push that media to give it to me but if I'm going to lose anyone it's going to be Ali Riley you didn't trust the media back then now now I do oh totally just trust everything they say and now for her to continue to play to go through some hardships here at the end of her career but to get back on the field and be able to call it herself just yeah it's really cool I know that she'll continue to do great things she is she is a character and will add a lot of um enthusiasm to this side of things so i hope she enjoys these last few games as a player played for some of the huge clubs in the world played byron munich chelzy rosengard um and then finishing out in nwsl uh the exact

number is 163 caps for new zealand that's pretty good too no it doesn't because new zealand doesn't play as much as the United States, right? They're not playing as many international games. But still, that's good for her. That's amazing. What a career. Shout out to Kutur in the chat, who says, Giselle Thompson is so good,

didn't notice before how much hat is in her game. She's a huge part of what Angel City is building. It's why they have filled those fullback positions so well. It's one of the deeper position pools in the league for any team, but especially for this team. Let's talk about the other trade that occurred, one that is bizarre to me and makes little sense. But Chloe Ricketts has been traded from the Washington Spirit to the Houston Dash for $15,000 in Interleague Transfer Funds, and then has announced that she has signed a pre-contract because her deal is up at the end of the season.

So you are allowed to sign a deal with the next team with Boston, one of the expansion teams coming into the league. So Washington gets some money for a player that they don't use that much. Houston gets the player. Then Boston will have her for the future. So it's not like Ali Watt where Houston is getting paid to have the player on loan. And there's like four games left in the season. This just seems like a weird move to me for the dash. Yeah, I'm guessing they, Washington wanted to loan her out for those games so she could

play or Boston did. I guess Boston wanted to loan around. And so worked with Washington to find a team right now who needed a player at the price point. Like I guess this whole this whole free agency in the middle of season. Does it happen in any other sport? No, because soccer is the only sport where you can sign these pre-contracts. And so I think what we see in global soccer, right? Let's take it outside the U.S. where there's not salary caps, things are a little different, you kind of don't let players get to the last year of their deal. That is like traditionally what I think most sporting directors try and do. So if you can't get an extension, you sell the player. The transfer window before the one year starts. So you're working on it either the January before, if you're in Europe

and that's what it is, blah, blah, blah, or whatever. And then I think if they're not going to stay, you try and transfer the player to the team they're going to go to kind of like the trade thing that's happening which is like okay you're going to North Carolina anyway like we'll trade you. The way it's working in NWSL right now is something I've

never seen but also it's a system that's never existed in it. Yeah right. You're pulling like five different sporting systems into one and you're figuring it out on the fly there have been times where players have signed pre-contracts with other teams that are officially announced and then just finish

the year with the team they play for, which is a bizarre circumstance to happen as well. Yeah, it's just kind of bizarre. I think I understand the idea of talking to a team to figure out what you're going to do the next year. But in your season, like, that happens, right? Like, just you could talk to them, but these getting announced and then the trades happening or the, you know, trade back happening. It just is a new thing that I got. I have to get my mind around. Yeah. Because it just feels. so bizarre in moments, but I feel like the winner in this has to be the spirit, right? Ricketts doesn't play very much. They get $15,000 for a player. I don't really,

Chloe Ricketts can play as a winger. She can play as a central midfielder. I'm just trying to see what she's going to add to this Houston team who, yeah, they probably need depth in like just pieces right now, somebody to come on. Like, to me, this is not a starting piece for them going in these last four games of the season. If anything, she comes in and adds a little spark to the end of a game, if they're in need of a goal or some creativity. But it's just, it's an interesting move. All of it is interesting.

Yeah, I agree. My sister's dog is making a lot more noise than I expected for one. I can't hear him. Oh, well, he's scratching himself and it keeps sounding like someone is banging on the door next to me. That's how loud he is. Shout out to Mamadu, who is my special. guest for this show. I agree with you. Listen, I didn't think about this until we started talking about it. If somehow 15,000 in allocation money finds its way from Boston to Houston

over the next six months, I wouldn't be shocked. That's probably the part we're missing. But Boston could just do this, which is they could give it to Washington, acquire her, and then loan her to Houston, which is what Denver has done to an extent in terms of that Ali Wattel. So I don't know why that would be the case. This is why I'm like, I feel like we just add another step in here that was like not a necessary step. Right. But it is, the whole thing is very bizarre. Now, in saying all of this, just on the overall sports side, I'm a huge basketball fan. So that's like the one I always go to with this stuff. Okay. Like Brianna Stewart and Courtney Vandersluz signed with the New York

Liberty the day free agency opened. I don't think they woke up that morning and they said, I think we'll move to New York. Right. And this is something that those leagues are chasing constantly, which is this quote unquote tampering. So if you take out the official part of it, it's all still happening. Yeah.

The players are still going to be talking. And I don't know that that's better. Maybe this system is better, which is like it's a little bit more above board. The players get to be at the place that has guaranteed them a future. And as a team, you get control of that player. Like, what if you sign a player for next year,

And the current team is like, well, this player's not going to be here. We're just going to keep rolling them out there. Or we're going to play them out of position because that's what we need. That's best for us. And it doesn't really work for the player. So I think this is something that will get tweaked as time goes along as we learn the new CBA and the way everything is built. And the expansion teams have thrown a weird wrench into this of like, we've got money. We're assigning players, but we have nothing to do right now.

And maybe that's made it even more bizarre. But it feels, it does feel odd the way it's all. been set up in the way it's all happened. And for Houston, it was an interesting one. I wonder if they went to Washington and they were like, post game, they were like, hey, does anyone want to come back with us? Like, does anyone want to

join our team? Because you guys are really good. The Spirit put on a show, 4-0 win over the dash. This was the big test that we talked about last week for a dash team that had cobbled together some good results. Yasmin Ryan was on this elite run. They were getting the one goal wins, the

2-1 wins. What could you do against one of the heavyweights in the league and I think we saw a little bit of that chasm chasm whatever in class the big moment that everyone's talking about is sophia cantore's back heel i have to go on a side sidebar here i played um youth soccer with a player uh for a summer whose father played for fc porto and won in champions league whoa and coached algeria and was the coach winsadon apparently was told he was too slow to play for them, which they did I ever happened. And he scored this goal in a Champions League final, which was like, you know, ball comes in from the side and you swipe through with your, it's basically a croif into the goal.

Yeah. And my friend used to call it his dad's name. Oh, I like that. So I call that goal a maj-h-h-h-h-h-h-what? Maj-Hare, like M-A-D-J-E-R and their L-J-R. Care. Okay. I'm the only person that I've ever met who calls it that. Maybe Porto fans do. And they would tell me that. So that goal, because people are calling it a back heel. I wouldn't call it a back heel. Because it's not, it's not your heel. No, she's just scooping it around her leg. Which is a match care. Yeah, it's a match care. Well, why don't we just call it that? And if we start doing it clearly, everybody else will. It's like your rookie of the year campaign. We're getting it off the ground now. A couple of years too late. But you never know what's going to really connect and what will go viral.

So I think you're right. But she has been an incredible addition. And I was talking to someone about this today. This is now year two of Washington announced an international signing that you're like, yeah, of course, it's the summer. Similar to what we just said, you have to get the deal done now because the player is available. But this is a future move. This isn't a now move.

And like Rose Coasi did last year for this team, there's a decent chance that Cantori fuels them to a final because she is the go-to center forward now for this team that we thought was a loaded position when they first announced her. But she gives me Ule-Sar vibes as well, because she likes to play off the line and she'll come and meet the ball. It really good timing, right? She's not typically like back to goal, which she can be, but like she wants to have those little sneaky runs through the back line. Like her, she doesn't end up scoring, but it's, it's Carl who has the ball on the right side. And Carl, like, whips a ball in that. scene between the backline and the goalkeeper, Abby Smith, and Kentori comes out of nowhere

on the blind side of a shoulder to come to the near post. And that was what we were seeing from Ula Sar. Like, this team likes to play in quick little transition moments. They have those margins down as where they're going to find space and, you know, even the margins that they found space on that contori, magi. I don't know how it's called. Whatever. Yeah. It's not the easiest one. It's hard to say. Wow. And I probably say it wrong. I think it's Madreir. Yeah. So they find those little margins really well because they move off the ball well. And I think especially under Adrian Gonzalez now, this is a team who can just hurt you in a lot of different ways. And Ken Toray adds, she's just been the cherry on top of this team who now has

wingers who can stretch you. They can beat you in the channel 1v1, outside backs who like to push forward, ball playing centerbacks, a midfield that has. playmakers and ball winners. I mean, where, where do they, they don't have a weakness. Yeah. They really don't have a weakness. And then you have a player like Giff Monday who scores, oh, she was almost a, it was almost a perfect hat trick. Yeah. Yeah. Because she has the header, but ends up having to push it back in because Abby Smith saves it. But she scores with her right foot, left foot. And then that, I think the, the second rebound off the header was her left foot again. But she's just so opportunistic. And I love that they get her in.

those advanced positions. She's good Arioli. This is just, this Washington team is, I think they, I think they could win the cup. Yeah, I think they could. I think they could win everything. They look better now than they did at this point last year. Because last year, the injuries had started to pile up at this point. Last year, they started hot and tailed. This year, they started slow. Opposite. And have grown. Croix looks back. Rodman looks back. So that's already dangerous for anyone involved. They have Nerumi if they need to for that depth and options in midfield. You talk about GIF Monday.

So now that's a true, legit goal score or winger, whatever you want in all of that. The only piece they're missing right now is Bernal, who if everyone is healthy, it's okay because they can cover. Bernal is the, it doesn't matter who gets hurt because she's the Swiss Army knife to fill in for all of them, right? So whether it's S. May Morgan and Casey Krueger. Imagine if they had Casey Krueger healthy too. Yeah, absolutely absurd. Yep. This team is loaded. And I think we saw that gap between them in Houston and that sort of shows where it stands right now. Let's talk about one more game from the weekend. And then we will get into the big ones coming up. Orlando, going to San Diego and knocking off San Diego. These are both teams that are struggling. But this is like a huge three points. And I think a lot of these games we've kind of gotten up for and we've gotten excited for. they've ended in these draws and you're like no one really helped themselves yeah uh and orlando was

going to be that way and orlando was able to i thought early you see the what ovae can bring with the goal the first 10 minutes the game's completely against orlando and it's a counterattacking moment and there is some mirror in what happens in one alley walk goes out into a position that's more comfortable for her out wide it also mimics a little on the flip side of of what Banda does at her best of I go to the channel, Marta comes inside or whoever at this point comes inside and then I am able to set them up and Ovae shows the quality to finish. And it felt like that moment was like, oh, whoa,

they don't have to chase in this game. They don't have to try and push numbers forward. And even though they conceded the lead, it felt like that set the tone for a different style of game culturally for them than what we've seen over the last month. Yeah, it felt like they had the right mentality in this, game, a belief in themselves that like, hey, we have to get a result here. Like this, especially with the week that they had, they went and played in Mexico City last

night, ended up losing and now stay on the road and go to Houston. It was a start of a really big three games. And they knew that they needed to start off well. It's the same energy I feel like Orlando gave after they gave up the goal or after they scored the goal as San Diego when they went on the road to Portland. I felt like it was just, like, I felt like San Diego was going to win that game. In this game, it had moments of back and forth. Like, these two teams are so similar, and they create a lot of, they get into really good spaces,

and then their shots aren't as challenging as they should be, or they don't have the final pass. And there was some frustrating moments because you're like, man, you're so close. Both these teams are so close. And if that pass was just two yards in the other direction or played a little bit, sooner whatever it may be or one of the runs had a little bit more depth to it like that's the difference between good and great that's the difference between being a washington spear right now and being orlando or san diego and hopefully for Orlando especially after they get that second goal which was a really good recognition that that was that was really the only time there was space

behind the san diego back line and they ended up just playing i wouldn't call it a hopeful ball i think Ovali, or excuse me, O'Yane sees Watt running in behind, but I don't know if she sees Pickett and has the wherewithal to be like, oh, I actually don't want this to hit Watt. I want it to go to the next player. But it works out so well because it also shows you, Orlando has had to face a lot of different systems this year. Teams have come to play them, just like teams are playing Kansas City now. Every time they've faced Orlando at the beginning of the year, they're giving them something different. So although Orlando is not winning a lot of games, they're probably learning a lot because they're like, okay, we prep for this team to be a four three three

and drop a like have this rotation, whatever it may be. Well, they're not playing like that. So how do we solve? And I think that moment when they score the second goal was a solving moment. Hey, they're facing behind. Let's go. Let's go try to score a goal. So yeah, impressed by Orlando going on the road at San Diego and getting a victory. So Orlando moves up to fifth in the standings because of this win. They are on 32 points. San Diego drops to 6th on this, on 31 points. They dropped to seventh on the sixth tiebreaker right now between them and Portland, which has Portland edging them on disciplinary points right now. 25 to 30 to drop San Diego all the way to 7th. It is all three games ahead of North Carolina, uh, who are sitting just outside the playoff.

Three points ahead. Three points ahead. Sorry that everyone is trying to stay alive above. Like this was as big a win as you could get if you are Orlando. As you mentioned, it doesn't get easier. They lost in Mexico. Um, and pretty much everything's a much must win for them. So coming up this weekend, they play Houston. I think if Orlando beats Houston, Houston's season might be done, assuming because North Carolina and Louisville ahead of them are playing each other. So one of them is going to pick up points. So if Houston loses, and even if it's a tie, they are now four points behind Louisville in eighth place, which is probably too much to make up with what's left in the season. And that is probably the biggest game of the weekend.

North Carolina hosting Louisville in, you know, for both of them, basically a playoff game. whoever wins this game will finish the weekend in the postseason or on a tie. Louisville would remain one point ahead. And I thought North Carolina was going to steal three points in Seattle. They score the goal. Steal. Yeah. They were the better team. And not just like, oh, North Carolina has possession.

That's what they do. They looked really comfortable and composed throughout this game. And it felt like Seattle's only answer was Zaline Speed. and like if she could create a moment of brilliance she would I do knock a little and I think it was said on the broadcast well of like as you watch Dahlene though be a danger where is the help?

Like if that is the number one threat where is the recognition throughout the game of like we got to get Williams help like there's no reason to be isolated one v one against the only player who seems capable right now of creating a moment and then you give up a goal that gets called back because of VAR, and you still don't bring that extra support.

And it feels like the margins are so thin for North Carolina that was a really tough thing for them to mess up in whatever way you want to phrase it. And Seattle steals the three points from them in North Carolina. This long trip, it's a tough experience. It sets you behind because of how late the game is for the next week. And you could have gotten everything out of it. Now you go home, Auntie handed. Yeah, you can see the disappointment, too, in North Carolina.

because somehow, and the game did change. I thought when the substitutes were made for both North Carolina, they'd bring off Monaca, they bring off Shinomi. I can't remember who was the other player that came off. But those players, I think without a Denise O'Sullivan, those players in their ball retention, in moments where they're under pressure, it's way more noticeable when they're not on the field.

And then at the same time, it's Seattle who's making moves. And I loved Gary Bailey on this call, because he kept saying, Emera Damos, Emery Adomas, Emery Adomas, and the substitutes that came in for Seattle made a huge difference. They got on the ball more. They were a little bit more forward thinking because this Seattle team is not the most fun to watch. They will sit back. They don't want to give up goals. They've been pretty good defensively because that was been the main focus for Laura Harvey after last year.

We can't give up 44 goals again. That's pretty too many. And it is too many. but then they lack the ability to go forward and have any kind of threat in front of the goal but they make the subs and they get a hold of the ball a little bit more and then it was just a couple of chances. So if you can score those few chances that you have,

you know you've got a good goalkeeper in the net. I think Claudia Dickey's expected goals against differential is the best in the league. Like she will make the big saves. She will keep you in games. So then you can sit in and defend. It shocks me, gosh. that this Seattle team is sitting in fourth place right now.

Yeah. Yeah. Now, in saying that, and let me get the underlying numbers up as I say this, but part of when you say that is the gold differential gap. The top three teams in the Kansas City blowing everyone away, plus 33 goal differential, Washington plus 10, Gotham plus 13. Seattle's is plus two, which is in line with all the teams. And I think even though the points don't say it, I think that's part of what's hard mentally is like Seattle or in fourth, which is ridiculous. But Seattle also three points away from being in seventh.

And that's, those are so close that if I told you Seattle right now is in sixth or seventh, you'd be a little less surprised by that. Right. And so I think that's part of it. I would be. Yeah. Less surprise. Messes with my head.

But I fully agree with you of like, They're tough to watch. I mean, North Carolina at home, that's a game where you should be taking a larger brunt of the possession, where you should be chance creating, where you should be an aggressor. And that's not the case at all. I think Menti's been really good. But like, Menti and Mesa and Central Midfield means it is protect first. Yeah.

It's ball retention second. And it's east to west. And I think there's these moments where Mesa wins it back and looks up field first, and there's just not an option to play. for and so then it has to be rotated back around and then they try and suck a team in and if not there's no moment where they try and break lines dangerously and push numbers higher up the field but it is working yeah it's working and it's a style and I think one of the things I've really enjoyed about NWSL this year gosh and it has over the last few years I think we've seen this

more and more but there are distinct styles teams have an identity and this is how they're going to play. You know what to expect from Seattle, which also makes what you said for North Carolina. Like, if that's the outlet, where's the help defense? Where's the player that is, you know, whether it's a holding midfield, they're coming to be that second defender, whatever it may be. You know what to expect from these teams. And so, yeah, you just would think, like, oh, gosh, North Carolina, that would have been, that would have set them up really well, the three points on the road, but they let it slip through their hands. So this is on FB. Ref. Okay. And I think there's a decent chance that I'm looking

at the wrong fit. I just like can't believe what I'm looking at. This is the expected goals difference. So it's, it would be your goal differential if you scored the expected goals you expected and conceded the ones you didn't. It has Orlando Pride and number two tied with the Washington spirit, which is really interesting. It has Seattle as third worst at negative 12, just ahead of Chicago and Utah, with a large gap to then Angel City in Houston and then a massive gap to San Diego and the teams above them. I don't know how to make the numbers. I'm not sure how reliable the data is.

Take it for what you will, but it talks about the underlying numbers of the amount of chances they give up, the pressure they can see. Send me that link because I need to see it because my brain can't compute what you just said. I'm a visual learner. Then you can send it to Jen Cooper, who will confirm whether I'm an idiot or not. And we'll be like, yeah, he's reading this wrong. Yeah, speaking of which, Jen Cooper just texted me.

Tell her that you have breaking news, which is that David's bad at math and doesn't understand how to read stats. Well, she did send me breaking news. So I just sent it to you to see if you want to chat about it. We're going to do breaking news on the show. Yeah, it looks like it. Interesting. San Diego Wave are suing former president Jill Ellis.

The club's owners are alleging that she misled them during last year's sale and her resignation two days after costing them $40 million in value. Whoa. Okay. Or is that a wowser? That might be a wowser. Yeah. Yikes.

It does feel like GLL has been skating past a couple things. And maybe this is it all coming to. a four. I think from the outside, everything was a bit murky when you saw it in, you know, obviously the way things ended. There was a lot happening last year with all of this. Yeah. There was lawsuits internally.

There was allegations internally. Externally, there were things that they got in trouble for, the things they weren't. And of course, the team was sold in the midst of all of that. And I assume that is what this is a part of. Yeah, it sounds like it. And so thanks for Jen Cooper. We bring her up. And then what do you know?

She's breaking news. It's like It's like what is it There's one of the magical things Where it's like if you say their name They appear Is it Beetlejuice? It might be Beetlejuice

Oh but you can't say it twice You can't say it three times Okay You're a bit more of an expert Yeah that was a great movie I was to watch that a lot growing up You can see it on Broadway now Oh interesting

We talked a long time about North Carolina We talked a bit about Louisville We talked about Seattle and Seattle is the other big game. They will play against Gotham, three versus four. So we broke down a lot of what's going on with those teams. For Gotham, it will be interesting how they handle the week. We have not seen the game that happens tonight.

So that will be something to watch out for is how do they rotate the roster. They move Porchio out of the starting lineup, JAS out of the starting lineup, and Lily Real, as we said. So there are options for them to move some things around and keep their momentum going. And this will be a place for Seattle to prove, like, can you really defend against the best? Because if you're going to make the playoffs, either of the teams that you're going to have to stop in this defensive formation that you've opted to go with. And I think this will be a really good indication if Seattle can stop Gotham. I think they're on the road.

I think it's at Gotham, correct? Yes, correct. If Seattle can do that, this might be a team who could win playoff games because that's what you're going to have to do, is rely on their defensive stance. structure, keeping everything in front of you, and maybe a Dahlene goal. One of the people we didn't talk about, we don't have to dig in long, but Hasbo's been a really good addition. I like her. Yeah.

Simple. And she brings a little bit different. It feels like she connects the attack to the defense a little more. And I don't know. We talked when they got Shaw of like, okay, that's now going to be Rose's position. And we've seen her play there. and I think she's done a really good job there but it's just a different style if you want to

where you can have her in there and push a rose higher or you can play Shaw and Rose together or you can play I don't know how well in that spot and see if you can find a Neely Martin replacement in the future and whatever it is but she's been a really good addition

there's some really good young central midfielder's Meza and Mente being two of them as well it's been a great season for some of these young players we're going to talk about that coming up because I'm very excited as always I'm literally wearing a kickback media t-shirt, which says play the kids on the back. I love it. Speaking of last week, we did our 50 states of soccer.

We did Nebraska. And I put Sarah Weber down. No questions asked. She is two-time Nebraska state player of the year. She's the all-time leading goal score in University of Nebraska history. She's scored over 40 goals in college. And I think she's been influential for Louisville this season in the way they, she leads the press, the way they pressure when they've had their moments of success.

But she hasn't had the goals all season. And that's kind of been one of the pushbacks when I've said to people, like, she's one of the best young players in the league. And people are like, well, she sent her forward that doesn't score. And that's not really a thing. And you're like, well, we did Nebraska. We talked about her and she scored. So hell yes.

Can I also just say that goal? I have asked on broadcast so many times, like for people to just throw their body out there. Like stick your leg out. And she's running back away from Sears when she wins the ball and then cuts her body and just like karate kicks her leg. Sometimes you just have to be a fox in the box, right? Opportunity to it's like, I'm going to be sneaky and do this. Or I'm going to dive for a header. I'm going to throw my body in front of this to get a shot on frame to maybe get a deflection.

I just think that that skill set of just trying to get something on it is not as appreciated. and I thought that goal she scored was, it's not an easy goal. I had to watch it. I'm watching it again now because I didn't really have the like in my head there, what's impressive about it. But this ball comes in at a weird height at a quick speed and she understands like, I don't need to generate the power. I just need to find the touch. Yeah. And it's a really good moment for this team. And it was a huge win for them as well. So enjoy the weekend, everyone. We've got a lot more to talk about coming up.

We've got our happy hour that will be coming up live on Thursday, which will be Susanna and Jill in person in Knoxville, Tennessee. We'll be back next week. Tom and Joe will have your U.S. Open Cup reaction tomorrow live around 4 o'clock in the afternoon, Eastern Time. And we've got a special interview that will be coming out on Friday as well from Sacramento Republic. So thank you, everyone. And we'll talk to you again very, very soon. Thank you.