SoccerWise - USWNT/NWSL Edition: SheBelieves Roster Breakdown + Bay FC Preview & College Stars

Episode Date: February 12, 2025

It seemed like a quiet week in Woso world until Emma Hayes dropped a massive roster on everyone. So Jordan & David are locked in bright and early to dig into the roster. What the key positions they are watching for? Who were the big surprises? And who do they wish had gotten called in? Then they dig into the Bay FC offseason adding a combined 6 All-American awards & how they add to the rebuild of Bay FC.4:00 SheBelieves Cup Roster Reactions10:00 Exciting Call-ups30:00 Key Positional Battles37:50 Roster Snubs47:15 Bay FC 2025 Expectations And Big College Signings Soccerwise Live 2pm ET Every Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday on Youtube/Twitch/Twitter

What's up everybody and welcome back to Soccer Lies. David Goss and Jordan Angeley with you. If you're watching live bright and early in the morning on the East Coast Jordan is in the best time zone once again and showing it with her excited dance moves. Jordan do you feel alive? Wow, I feel very alive. The East Coast time zone is just like, it'll just get you right up and at them. 8 a.m. start time, you know. This is the life over here.

You're really living it. I think I can see you from where I'm at. Hi, y'all. That's me, no, not the one on the left, the one in the middle. Right, oh, okay. That's where I was getting confused. We are, we're both Floridians right now Yeah, that's me. No, not the one on the left the one in the right. Yeah. Okay We are we're both Floridians right now for a little bit you are getting ready for the NWSL season getting ready to kick off

For some broadcast it is going to be an exciting season. It's like kind of in this blind spot right now It's right around the corner and yet it feels far away at the same time and that's been kind of confusing for me It is and I we come to this broadcast seminar. So I'm in Fort Lauderdale by our studio We come to this broadcast seminar every year and I kind of feel like this every year where I'm like Oh my gosh, the season is coming and I am NOT ready But it's still a month away. But also with everything that's happened glass I feel like I got some work to do because I don't, you know, you remember I went for like a month and just vacationed and did nothing. So I got some work to do before season starts but it's nice. It always kind of gets you jazzed up to get

going again and you see everybody and you're like, all right, here we go. It's time to boogie. It is weird that the knowledge you gained on sales and seals and trails around New Zealand and pastries in Australia is not going to be essential to the broadcast. Yeah, Flat Whites, the aficionado on Flat Whites is not gonna help me that much. Unless there's an Australian player. True, true.

So everyone signed Aussies as you can. Then I'll work that in somehow. I don't know. That's my job. That'll be your 90 minute goal for every one of those matches is to work that in. We will talk a little bit about Australia because they are going to be part of the She Believes Cup. Jordan went over, she negotiated the deal and brought everyone back. And we have officially a roster

for the US women's national team Emma Hayes dropping her first She Believes Cup roster. I don't even know if that's true. Was she the She Believes Cup coach last year? No, she took over after. No, that's true. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Okay. Wow. I said it with confidence and then got lost in the middle. So we've got a big roster to talk through, a ton of I think really interesting picks or non-picks that we will dig into as they get ready for this, which is at the end of February. So before the season kicks off, the US will play against Australia, Colombia and Japan

in the She Believes Cup. So a lot to talk about there. And then we're going to dig in on Bay FC a little bit. They made another college signing, another big college signing over the course of the last week. It is their second. And I think they're one of those teams

where they finished the year so different than they started that we're kind of have to reset on the expectations, on how this team is put together, and some players that are gonna be in that she believes cup conversation that we're gonna have So we're gonna have a chance to dig in on them a little bit and maybe do some news After that if there's anything big that we want to hit on But we start with the national team. It is the biggest story in women's soccer Whenever something happens around the US women's national team

We weren't totally sure what we wanted to dig in on today. And then boom, Emma Hayes in your face. Here's everything you need to talk about right up front. Let's start big picture. Her first she believes Cup roster. Overall, the concept of what she's trying to do, the group she's put together. What was your first reactions? What do you make of what this tournament will be? First reaction is Emma Hayes is true to her word. She wants to make this pool of players as wide as she can at the beginning and then narrow it down. And for me, the biggest thing that I see from this group is youth, players that are inexperienced. And I love this. I think that this is the exact time

where you bring these players in and you don't bring them in with a full roster. You bring them in with a handful of people with a lot of experience who can set the tone for what the standard is. But you say, all right, we're looking at you. Go ahead and go prove it. Don't just prove it in a friendly against Iceland. Prove it in a

competition where the United States has been very dominant over the years against three very good teams from three different continents and you say go, go figure out a way to win and show me that you deserve to be in this pool, not now, but but in the future Emma Hayes actually said in a press conference I loved that she said we brought six players in from the U-20 pool and I want to see them in a competitive environment I want to be bold in this selection because now is the time to take the risks building in a larger pool this year is about building and developing relationships and seeing what they can do under pressure it's it's perfect for this because there is pressure on this team to win.

She believes cup. I think that is evident, right? From what they've done year after year. And now you get to see how these players do because with this roster, they're going to play. I absolutely agree with you. Um, I love how much Emma has sort of recognized the calendar and said like, I've got a year and a half till the World Cup. I just won a gold medal. Now's my time. That was the point of the January camp was to explore possibilities, to create different combinations.

And then to continue it on here is great. And to continue to push young players into the camp and in a program that has very much at times gotten stale quickly. When you win something, everyone's spot has been guaranteed after that. And so that's been a huge problem for the U.S. women's national team. It's something that was specifically stated around the futures camp and sort of the gap that's been created at times in the women's national team program of next generations not being ready to push through. I'll just add to that. I don't feel like we've had this space, though, to bring in players like this, because when you're saying if you win, the next team is just like your automatic spots secured. That was due to the CBA.

And a lot of it had to do with these players had guaranteed contracts. And you could only bring a couple of players and sprinkle them in here and there and if they had too many Camps and they had to have a roster spot and you had to kick somebody out so I think having this new CBA where there is freedom to call players in and It's it's not a guarantee of the future what you've done in the past is not a guarantee of your future I think it's really beneficial to Emma Hayes and she's using it to her benefit and to her delight here in this camp to see what these players really have. Yeah, absolutely.

The CBA was a huge part, I think, of players becoming solidified as those national team players. All going all the way back into the national team paying club contracts for some players and therefore you couldn't bring players off those spots because they were who they were for the year. And it was, there's never been a situation as well, not that there ever will be in competitive, but like, oh, I'm gonna step away now. Or like, oh, I understand.

Maybe I shouldn't come to this camp. It was like, I have to be there. I have to be a part of this. And that has shifted a little, as you said, and Emma Hayes has taken advantage of it. Now I think there are a few interesting spots of whether I wouldn't call them her favorites, but there are projects that she is clearly invested in, where people are getting maybe more opportunity than other people will talk about that as we get into it.

But I completely agree with you of like, there's competition, there's opportunity here, there is some scouting being done by her in that there are pieces in this group that probably are not ready But she wants them to be ready. She likes the skill sets They have you think of a Giselle Thompson probably not one that I would have said. Yes national team in 2025 but you see the roadmap of what she can be and so I think you have some pieces like that and Michelle Cooper Maybe as well where Emma Hayes clearly wants their skill set in the national team pool wants players that can do what they do, likes what she's seen so far and sort of is giving them that boost here to say, I believe in you, you can do more. I'll bring you into this environment. It will push you. That will start your year

and maybe you're able to achieve higher in an NWSL situation. And then you've got some pieces in here that are solid pieces of the national team, which you need, right? It has to be mix and match. It can't be, there has to be leaders in the group. So you need the Sam Coffees, the Lindsay Heaps now, Tiana Davidson's like those players who are going to lead from the front and help the pieces who are coming in understand what the U S women's national team program is about. And not just everyone trying to figure it out on the fly under an MA. So I agree with you. I think this is a really good use of this camp. I also think and this isn't a hundred percent it, but like you still have the marketing material of like big names that are coming in that just want a gold medal to help sell tickets and get

fans excited because another part of this tournament is to bring the team to other parts of the country and let fans engage with the team even larger than what it would be in just a sendoff series every once in a while and stuff like that. So I think all of that really works out here. The competition is going to be good. Japan, Australia and Colombia, there are three teams very similar to what you should see at high level international and three teams that I think are in similar stages as the US right now of being on the verge of competing in 2027.

So sort of with eyes towards that same level of competition of trying to push to get into the later rounds there. Let's get into the roster and the names that pop out to you. I have a couple that I'm very excited about. Do you have anyone that you want to say first before I start yelling? I would say I'm really happy to see Katerina Macario back. I think that that for me with the longevity of the injury that she had and just coming back it's difficult and not every ACL is the same and the recovery isn't the same and

you don't always pop back to where you want to be at the spot you want to be at. And I think for her it's been really challenging right? She probably wanted to be at the spot you want to be at. And I think for her, it's been really challenging, right? She probably wanted to be on that Olympic roster, probably wanted to accomplish things that she felt like were, that was the time for it in her career. I'm excited to see her in this and I'm really, Emma Hayes knows her well,

so how does Emma Hayes utilize her? I think she's one of those interesting ones. So I think just for the, I don't know, those always pull at my heartstrings. I want those players to succeed when she is an excellent player and I think can really elevate this team. So that's who I'm excited for, but I think I'm going to be excited for who you're excited for. Let me ask you this first before we dig into my names.

Do you take anything from roster designations? And I ask this in saying, Roosevelt is injured, so not a part of this group. Jaden Shaw is listed as a midfielder and Caterina Macario is listed as a forward. Do you take anything from that in terms of if there is a 10 like Roosevelt played for much of the Olympics, which of those two could fill in in that role? Yes, and no, I think you read into it a little bit. But you also know the player profile of these players. I think I think you could put Crystal Dunn in there too, because yes, Crystal

Dunn could be an outside back. And there's very young outside backs in this in this roster. So maybe she's there as a, listed as a defender to help those defenders. But I think there is going to be one of the things that we've seen with Emma Hayes is she wants players who can play multiple positions. And I think that's pretty evident, like I have a lot of question marks with some of these players, like where are they gonna play. Yeah. But I think you could put Makario in as a nine and have some really fun So have some fun with what her positioning is like where she pops up who is playing behind her that can get in beyond her

Things like that. So yes and no, I think we could see her in the midfield. We could see her in the front line I have no idea goths But I think that that's part of part of the fun with some of these players on this roster is their fluidity and their mobility and some of their positioning. And we saw before Emma Hayes took over, Jayden Shaw playing that attacking midfield position for the US Women's National Team. It feels like she will play along the front line for North Carolina for the most part. So that will be one of the interesting things, which I still don't know what her best position is. And I think that's a great thing for her because she is so good and capable of so many things. But it was interesting to see that's the way the roster felt, especially in a camp in which you don't have Rose Lavelle available. The players I'm most excited about,

it starts with Claire Hutton. Thank God we got the call up for Claire Hutton. She is young and she has been a part of the U-20 national team in the last year. She was a part of the Futures Camp in January. I think she's almost been a victim of that, which is because she was eligible for those things. She was not called into the full national team when I think from play and statistics in NWSL,

she performed better than some of the players that have been called into camps since she started. And I get it, she's 20, there's years to come and you don't have to rush everything. But at some point you have to respect the talent and you have to respect the performances. She has been one of the best two-way midfielders in NWSL. She is one of the best tacklers in NWSL, stopping transition moments,

winning 50-50s, being physical in that central midfield area, and then being super composed and calm in possession. She also has played in really high leverage games already. Because Kansas City was, from the moment the season started, this must watch. Every home game she's played in has been an atmosphere at the level of a big international game. She has played in challenge cup games. She has played in playoff games. She has played in all of these big competitions that that gives you a more experience than a young player does. And I think she can really add something to this midfield. I think when you look at the group outside of Sam Coffey,

it was a lot of taking one aspect and giving one away. We want someone who's good in the tackle. We bring in someone in midfield. Emily Sonnet has played in there a little bit. Corbin Albert at times that then maybe you're not getting the progressive passing that you want and the possession that you want. And if you go the other way,

maybe you're a little light physically in midfield and the ability to protect your back line and make things easier for your defenders. And it feels like that's where Claire Hutton fits into this midfield. She is I am going back to the beginning of what you said, because I actually think it was kind of it was beneficial for her not to be called into the national team until now and not to have the camps on top of all the pressure. She was 18 her full rookie year and progressing really quickly getting thrown into this new

situation. I think that this is good timing because you're going into your second year, you feel a little bit more confident. I think her growth, remember at the beginning of the year, Goss, we were watching her play and you knew defensively that is her strength. Yeah. Like defensively, she would know the places

to funnel the ball, pick off the pass, but then it was what is she doing after she picks off the pass? Was she completing the pass? Was she finding that next, was it progressive or was it just let's just keep the ball? And I think as the year went on, she grew exponentially in that area of her game.

And so it was growth that I felt like didn't have pressure on her to be like, now I'm going into national team camp and now I have to make this roster. It was just like, okay, let me do well on this team. Let me lead on the under 20s team. And now when the timing is right and there is a competition at hand, because I think Emma Hayes is also smart, like put this girl in a competition because she is uber competitive. Now let's see how she performs. I think this is going to be really interesting and

in a great way for Claire Hutton. We're going to learn a lot about her at this next level. I love this. I think she is going to be on this team probably for a very long time because of all the qualities that you said and she just turned 19. Like she is she is a baby when it comes to what she can do with this national team. Yeah, super stoked for her. And I think some of this competition will be really good for her when it comes to decision making, when it comes to, okay, how is Japan playing against me?

And that's gonna be way different than how Columbia's midfield plays against me. How do I make these decisions? How is my communication with Lindsay Horan or Lily Yohannes in front of me? I think that is gonna be a really cool, you know, maybe the results are gonna come for the women's national team this camp,

and I hope they do with this young group. But I think we're gonna learn so much about the young players, and that is what this is going to be about. Whoa. A few months ago, we did an episode going into Olympics and I was like, I think the US could not win this tournament and have some really interesting findings that could be useful. And you go, that's not the US women's national team. It's about winning. But that's an Olympics. It's the Olympics. Gold medals are more important than she believes, Cup.

That's fair. I absolutely, I get your point 100%. And I think it's totally fair. And you know, it was so quick and we are in a new reality from the NWSL side of things with the U18 signing ability and like, how do you manage these players? And I think Olivia Moutre is one that will come up I think over the next few weeks as people talk about these rosters. I don't think we're far away from talking about Kennedy Fuller as well.

The year she could have with Angel City and I think it's it is fine to have that process and to have that set up. But and as we'll talk about with the rest of this roster, if a player is good and plays well, there should be the ability to win the spot. And I think we were approaching a spot here where if she doesn't get called into this camp and you go into the summer and she's just out playing other players in NWSL

head to head, then you have earned the spot no matter your age. But I think it's fair to say that to bring her along correctly and put her in a really good place and obviously playing for Vlaco, you have a clear understanding as US soccercer of where she stands, what she needs to work on and where she's at in her development and what she needs to get to the next level, which Vlako has very clear understanding of.

I'm ecstatic to see her in this camp because I think she's the future. I think she's the future of this position because of what I said, which is her two-way ability. And so she can pair with a lot of different pieces, which is something that I think is going to be key as you go forward and you have injuries and you have, you know, absences and you have players maybe that aren't in form. You don't know always what that midfield will look like. Um, and I think it's a skillset that doesn't totally exist in the camp.

Now that's something we'll, we have to talk about as well, because there are some pieces maybe in that position that haven't got called in. But I want to do one more, which is Tara McKeown. I think she is a huge piece in the future. And I think if you're Emma Hayes, you have to look at Washington and say, if I want to play soccer like Jonathan Giralde wants to play soccer, then I need to be watching the players on that roster to see how they handle some of his tactical ideas. The big one being your ability to play out of the back and play through pressure. And I think we know Mickey Yon physically can hang up, can hold up. She's got the speed to cover over the top. She can win her 1v1 battles as a defender. And as that background as an attacker and that comfort in possession,

as Washington becomes a more progressive team, I think this year, because Giraldez has the defender and as that background as an attacker and that comfort in possession as Washington becomes a more progressive team I think this year because her aldis has the full offseason This is a player that you can look at and say this can be a ball playing centerback And I think even with the gold medal win when Davidson got hurt you saw the gap For the US and their comfort in playing out of the back I think Mickey Young can step in and be a huge part of that. This is a good shout, Goss. I love this call up for Mickey Young

and that she gets to play in games. This is a player that not only all the things that you just said, but she's only played center back for two years. Yeah, it's wild. She is a sponge. And that's why I think this is important because she is willing to go into situations and say

Teach me everything I need to learn. I am going to take that information and implement it implement it as quickly as possible. I let that's the attitude you have to have and this for for a player like Tara McKeown who has all of the technique and the physical capabilities, tactically there are just still places that she can get better. And I think she is going to leave this camp after these three games, and I hope she gets at least one full game in this camp.

That is really the hope, that she gets one full 90 minutes, that she can say, all right, I need to work a little bit on my footwork in these defensive situations, my cover, whatever it may be. But I think she has a really bright future and it's gonna be a competitive spot there at that right center back spot,

which it looks pretty competitive across the back line. I think she's gonna really thrive in that and learn from the players around her. I'm really pumped. She had a great year and she should be rewarded rewarded for that year, especially in a place where you can like go and perform and say, yes, it is about training, but like, what am I doing in the game? How can I make this team better? And she seems like she just wants to be a player that makes the team better. And another player where these are high stakes games and you're wondering, okay, how will

she react? Well, she faced off against Martin and Barbara Banda in an NWSL Cup not that long ago. So like you have been in big moments. She obviously had the goal in the playoffs earlier on, but like all of those are high leverage games, sold out crowds, big atmospheres, big pressure. And there's a lot of responsibility on that back line on her shoulders specifically with the way those fullbacks in Washington attack. So she has shown at least that she will hang on and she's a gamer and like you're going to get a pretty high floor from her in performance at this point of her career. And then the question, as you said, of what you can add is, is the ceiling going forward? Claude Copeland in the chat says,

excited to see more from Lily Johannes as well. I think that was the big name that popped to people when this roster came out. She finally picked the US women's national team over the Netherlands a few months ago, didn't get called into that late camp in 2024. And now gets the opportunity in 2025 to get on the field and in a spot where it feels like there are some openings. So if it is what I said, filling in for Rose Lavelle as that 10 is it if it is playing as more of an eight, alongside some of these other pieces, I think there's real opportunity of an eight alongside some of these other pieces. I think there's real opportunity for Lili Johannes to step in here and I think there should be a ton of excitement. Like she is, like these other pieces, one for the future and the future is very bright. Like this is a young

roster but yet one where all of these players are legitimate pieces for the teams they play for every day. Yeah, absolutely. And I think the combinations of the players in the midfield is what I am intrigued about what happens with Emma Hayes. Like, how does she combine Corbin, Lindsay, Lily, Sam, Claire? What does that look like? Is Jayden Shaw in there? Is Katarina Macario in there? I'm not quite sure what that's gonna look like,

but I think that that's what this is about. Can we see, is it these three that really work well together? Is it these three with Shaw on the wing and she tucks in and they create a box and that is the side that they try to advance the fullback. I don't know what that's gonna look like, but when I see this roster with these players, the creativity, the good ball-playing center midfielders, I'm very intrigued about what

the makeup of the midfield is going to be from game to game. And with these opponents, it can be very different and still be productive. So yeah, there's a lot of things to like. So I already asked the position on the release, which let's step away from that. But you've got Ali Centenor in this team and you've got Yasmin Ryan, who we interviewed last week on the show and we talked about, are you going to wear the number 10? So you've got a lot of pieces in this team that are tens on their club. They all can't play there with this group. What do you make of sort of the idea of, okay, I'm going to take the best players and then move them out maybe to other positions. Obviously for Yasmin Ryan, it's not

that unorthodox for her to get moved around. But this was something I think in the past we saw maybe too much of with the U. the US women's national team was like these are the 23 best players and then we'll put them on a team and then we'll figure it out and Everyone was a center forward in a 10 trying to play out on the wings and trying to play in deeper midfield positions And all of that and I think that has been a problem for the US in the past What do you make of sort of the alignment of this group and whether or not going forward that is a problem or not? It's a good question because I think that there are a lot of players on this team who play in multiple positions, right?

You're talking about a winger and a 10 right now and Shaw, Setonor, I even think Macario can play in three different positions. She can play as a nine, a winger or a ten. That. I am I want the best footballers on the field. And I think if you in in a way, Emma Hayes has talked about this, too, when she's describing players, she's like, they see the game really well. They understand where the space is coming. And if you're a player who, during the game,

you're playing chess and you're like, okay, actually this chess piece, I can move centrally to create space for a midfielder. And if the players around you see the game similarly, there is gonna be a fluidity about the way that you play that is very difficult to defend. I think it's more like that. Can Ali Centenor, I think she's going to play as a winger. I don't think she's going to play as a 10. Can she be productive in the channel and

productive in the pocket? And can she find and decide the times where the channel is the place to be and to create space for other players and maybe she doesn't even get the ball? But you're playing the game and you're making these decisions and I think Emma Hayes wants players to have the autonomy, is that the right word? The ability to make these decisions on the field. Like I'm gonna give you a template but you're gonna make the decisions. To me that feels like how Emma Hayes wants to coach. Where these players are decision makers.

So I don't, in other roles with other coaches, I don't know if that's the case, right? It's like play here and these are the three things we want you to do. And if those aren't working out, it feels to me like players feel like, but I'm not doing what the coach wants me to do. And then you're in your head so much that you can't play freely. Yeah. It's, I think that's totally fair.

I also like that you asked me if that's the word when I asked you how to spell believes before we started here. So like, I have zero idea. So like, I'm the expert in all of this. We're such good communicators. Yeah, why we have a pod. Exactly. We, we love the English language. We love what we do. I don't know, I put it up in all three spots. And I don't know which one's right and which one's wrong. I think that's completely fair. Yeah, I would just say and let's talk about some of the position battles that are interesting. I think that's completely fair. I would just say, and let's talk about some of the position battles that are interesting, I think this comes up in left back. This is like the biggest spot, which is I do think having a specialist has value. Being an expert

at a thing has value. Sometimes being an expert at being a left back, a defensive midfielder is like you 100% know that role. You may not be the best soccer player, but you 100% know that role. You know how to do your job inside of that role. And there is value in those moments. Left back is one of those positions. It has long been an issue for the US women's national team. We've often see converted players in there. Crystal Dunn gets called in.

Crystal Dunn has not played since the Olympics basically. She has now signed with PSG and left Gotham. I think we got that news right as we were finishing the show. Last signed with PSG and left Gotham. I think we got that news right as we were finishing the show last week Emily Fox has left Gotham to go join Arsenal as well and then you'd assume Giselle Thompson is the third sort of option at this position that naturally plays there coming into this camp so that is... Jenna Niswonger correct? Yeah I said Jenna Niswonger. Oh you did? Yeah yeah. I thought you said Emily Fox Oh, maybe I did because of Arsenal. So Jenna nice longer is the left back. Emily Fox will be the right back Yeah

So you have a player in Crystal Dawn who hasn't played since the gold medal you have a player in Jenna nice wonger who lost her starting spot and then went over and is now trying to establish herself and then Giselle Thompson who's Probably the most prospect pick in this roster of probably not there today to play for the national team. And one of the issues for Jenna Niswonger getting into this is that she's not a left back. Like she hadn't played that in her career. So she's learning the position.

The thing she does well, she does elite because she's a winger. And so she's able to create chances and push forward. Struggles to defend. Didn't start at the Olympics, got some opportunities off the bench in the European friendlies and all of that and then lost her spot with her club team and is now trying to reestablish herself. I think this is one of the positions to watch who gets the minutes and how do they look. But it's also one of the ones where it gets a little muddled

for me in terms of what the plan is at this spot and what Emma Hayes is looking for. Do you think that this is why she brought all three of them in? I think this is why Giselle Thompson gets a call, a player like her at this position, rather than someone in a similar situation, rather than Olivia Moutre, right?

She's not getting called in, even if you say her distance from the national team is similar to Giselle Thompson's, because there's no space in that position. But I think there are veterans, I mean, look at the championship, Casey Krueger and Cariabello. Both are Americans and both are left backs.

Krueger, I don't know, I'm just guessing. It feels like there is like a let her get a breath. She went straight from the championship to those European friendlies. And so like, fine, you know who she is, you know what you're going to get from her. But I think Abbello is an odd one to miss here. I think Ellie Wheeler is ahead of Gisele Thompson today as a soccer player, but still has potential to get better in the future. And I think Alyssa Mallinson is one that she got called into that January camp.

So Emma Hayes has seen her in person and we can't we weren't there. So we don't know what she saw. But I think those are players where you look at and say today they're closer to being starters for this group than some of the pieces you've brought it. Yeah that's a good point. I think with Malinson she's seen her play in a couple now that she has a couple of caps. Maybe she's like okay well I've seen her play now I want to see Gisele Thompson play and maybe you bring Gisele Thompson into a camp that is competitive

like this one with her sister just to give her like some comfort level into something very new. I'm not saying those other games wouldn't have been that same thing but I don't I don't know why. I think Gisele Thompson for me is the one that I'm most curious about. That has to be more reliant on what happened at youth level, right, at the 20s and how her performance there showed Emma Hayes something that she can play in these situations and be effective. Now can she do it with the national team? Because as you would expect, she was a little up and down this last year. And one of the things that Giselle Thompson is going

to have to work on, just as Alyssa Thompson had to work on after her rookie year is can she play for 90 minutes? Yeah. Is you're going to be a left back you have to play for 90 minutes. I think that those players got called in one I think we talked about why Crystal maybe is in that role because of her experience and the World Cups that she's won, the Olympics that she's won, can you help mentor these players? But now I kind of feel like it's an added for her because now Crystal has not been playing that much. And now she's on a new team

and now can you reestablish yourself as the left back in this team, which she did in 2019 and said, hey, I could play anywhere but I'm gonna be the left back for this squad. It's interesting to me, this left back situation and who was chosen and who wasn't chosen. I think, you know, you were mentioning this as a snub, and so I'll just throw it out there.

Like, I think Cariabello had a great season and probably should have deserved to be called into this over a player like Giselle Thompson. But are you gonna go with an 18 year old or are you gonna go with a 25 year old? At this camp right now maybe you're saying I'm gonna bring all these youth players in to see how they perform because if they're not ready in two and a half years to play in the World Cup they're gonna have the next cycle. Maybe Cariabello comes in the next camp because you're like, okay, now we kind of see

where those players are at. Now we gotta evaluate where a player is who maybe their lifetime with the national team is a little shorter and we gotta see if, hey, can she play here right now? It's interesting. It's a really interesting idea about this camp and how she's utilizing it

and the players that were called in and weren't. Because I think what we're seeing too is there's a lot of players who are performing well and could be in this group. Which is what you want and it's always going to be the case. What you're talking about in terms of how you're using the camps is part of why they had the January camp, I think, right? To have the futures camp, to have a January camp outside of the national team games, to get other players called in. And it's where you want to see a lot of those players called in. And obviously there were some findings there that we didn't get to see. So yeah, but it's hard when you don't have a competitive game. Right. Right. Because that's the part you're judging someone on is like you're understanding what they're like in training and

their personality, but to see, okay, how are you going to scrap? is like you're understanding what they're like in training and their personality but To see okay. How are you gonna scrap? How are you gonna make performances happen stuff like that? And that's too from me who I was called into camps without games and i'm like, well, let me just play in a game, you know like How are you gonna? That's frustrating as a player too. Like you're very happy about it. But if at the end of the day You're going to be on this team because you win or lose games and you're not playing a game it's it's like man I want to be I want to be in these camps where something is on the line it matters it

will it would be interesting we haven't done this conversation yet so we should probably start asking people but January camp was obviously new for the US Women's National Team it's common on the US Men's National Team side. I am curious how early players understood it was happening therefore what type of shape they were able to keep themselves in or get in because I think for some players I know on the men's side like they get conversations being like well we know January Camp's happening I'm in this pool so I'm gonna make sure I'm there at that stage. Yeah I don't know if it's like I think the concept of it being players like it was this year where it's like up-and-coming players I think that concept is new but I went into a January

camp without you know that was in 2010, 2011 you know I think that that was always just a camp that then that happened but because this this is again, CBA stuff, because of the CBA, you couldn't call all those players. Yeah. So it is a new concept in that regard. And yeah, you're like coming off a season need rest, but then you're like, oh, also I have to prepare to be at a national team camp. Like you can't scale you can't scale too far back on your physical conditioning, but you also have to scale back to an extent so you don't get hurt for the next year and manage that.

I think it's a great idea. I love the camp. I love the futures part of it because clearly a lot of those pieces playing against whether it was in training or just watching them, they have been able to earn spots into this group and that's, I think, where you get the trust from Emma Hayes to say, yeah, I can trust these U-20 players, because I have seen them, I've been around them, and all of that. And a huge part of that is going to be,

I think, one of the other big battles, which is Central Midfield. Corbin Albert's gotten a lot of opportunities in this group. It worked out in the Olympics. I think from the Olympics through, and you add the last few friendlies in, she's been fine But not a floor razor for this team

And so now you reach the point where you bring a Claire Hutton into this group you get an opportunity there Obviously Sam Coffey will get to start and then it's is there a 10 and is Lindsay heaps going to be the second eight or is Lindsay playing in the attacking to be the second eight or is Lindsay playing in the attacking positions and then you have to find someone else to play in central midfield. I think that's another huge sort of battle spot in this team that I'm watching out for and I think we're going to learn a lot about over the course of this window. Let's finish off with some of the snubs I think we talked about left back. I think that's one of the big positions where you talk about that partially because it is such an open position but I think central midfield is another spot I think Hal Hartsfeld and

Taylor Flint are two that should be really frustrated that they're not in this team and maybe we'll learn a little bit more on how Hartsfeld side of things because she has been around the camp that maybe there was something an injury or something about it that she wasn't available but she seems like a piece that could come in and fill these roles. A two way central midfielder once again can play a little bit more of a six if you need to with some support or can be the eight that pushes forward and covers ground. And Taylor Flint was maybe the best defensive midfielder in NWSL. Obviously Sam Coffey was in and out with national team so didn't have as many games

This year, but I think what I saw at Louisville, especially the ability to play Through balls from a deep position you talk about the national team and like the options you're gonna have on the end of that It feels like a really clean fit for her. I Agree with you with how and I think part of my brain was like, okay Well, there's not really actually Washington players on this team. Yeah, then Tara McKeown is on the team. So you're like, okay Well, maybe I don't know that that was my big thing Like maybe they just weren't coming because we assumed Trini Rodman injury So wasn't gonna come to this as many of the as none of the triple espresso is. Yeah, yeah.

I think we know enough about how Hirsch felt to know why she should be on this list and maybe there's a reason, right, that she is not on this roster. Taylor Flint was phenomenal in Louisville this year and it wasn't, it was a new position for her. She has played as an advanced, like she is a six foot Ten yeah, she plays the number ten

But now they utilize bevionez was like actually like all these skills you have are gonna be so well They're gonna fit so well as a six and and maybe It's just gonna take a little bit more time to see her at a six for Emma Hayes to be like, all right, can you compete in this group? Because you can't, I mean, I don't know, maybe bring her as a training player, but is it beneficial for her to be as a training player in this environment when she's a leader

on the Louisville team who kinda need her? And I don't know, I don't know what conversations were had or if she was a part of that preliminary list, but I think Taylor Flint, as you said, an awesome ball playing six, but she led the league in tackles and blocks and in blocking passes into the front line. She was so good in the defensive role as a six in the league. That's a big snub, but I would like to know who is being talked to on the, you know,

is she, is there talk with her? I just do think that this is, she has finally found her position, which for her means maybe there's only up from here, right? She's only gonna get better at this. But those two, it's interesting that they're not in the mix. Yeah, it is, because they're also both in a weird spot of like how Hersfeld's a young player,

but with her college experience, not on the same timeline as the young pieces in this team. And then Flint, you talk about being young at her position. And so again, in a weird timeline in a team where it feels like it's locked in veterans slash really, really young pieces. I think Ashley Sanchez goes into that same conversation of you've seen a lot of her and you don't know what the ceiling is there at a national team level. I think playing with Jayden Shaw week in and week out is going to be really big for her

chance to make the national team. Because if that's a connection that exists the way I think it will Like that's something you can't ignore if you're on MA staff Agree, I think Ashley Sanchez is a phenomenal talent what I think that she needs to prove over the next few months is last year She had a role with North Carolina that actually demanded a lot more defensively out of her than we've ever seen and she had to perform that. Like she had to do those defensive responsibilities. I think she just still needs growth in that. And this is, if you're playing on the national team,

you have to attack with the same mentality that you defend with and vice versa. And I think that as she improves her defensive side, it's only going to allow her to be more effective on the attacking side, which is going to in the end, she's going to flourish. Because attacking is her. That is what she is awesome at. I think she is a snub, but I feel like her growth in her

defensive side is going to put her in a spot where if she just continues to focus on that, things on the attacking side will work and she'll be in this mix. That's my point of view. Yeah. I think that's completely fair. I think it makes sense as well to say like, let's see a little bit more from you in North Carolina and let's see where year two goes. And so I think that's completely reasonable as well as she is probably going to be a player who is affected by

okay who is injured, who is out. Like it's just it's the deepest position. It's one of the deepest positions. There's a lot of options so I think the makeup of each camp is going to pop up. One of the other names that popped in my head Ella Stevens, I think she has a chance this year as a full-time starter for Gotham to earn the spot. It's tough to sort of break through at that role when last year she was electric when she was on the field. She wasn't always on the field. She was obviously part of the January camp. So Emma Hayes got to see her in person,

but didn't feel like she was ready to break through into this group. And I think that's reasonable and fair. Again, one with a weird timeline of she's now breaking through as a starter, but she's 27 and some of these players are 20 and 21. She's in a similar spot as them, but maybe doesn't have the same future long-term for the national team.

Last one I will bring up and it will bring us into our next topic is Abby Dahlkemper. Abby Dahlkemper changed Bay FC when she got there as a center back as an organizer, as a leader, as a ball winner. Like for her, it's been injuries a lot over the last few years. And so you are hoping that she stays healthy. Do you think she is on the road to getting back into this convo? Or is it one of those situations where we do look back at players careers and say the national team window closed and it just always stayed closed? I never say never because you just don't know right but it does seem to me with the

amount of quality centerbacks that are coming up through NWSL that it's going to be difficult for Abbe D Dal Kemper to get herself back in this mix because of what you just said like unfortunately she's on the older side unfortunately she's dealt with a few injuries and the more demand you put on a player who is injury prone the more likelihood is that you get injured right so I think now you see a player like Tara McKeown have her opportunity because Abby Dalkemper is, you know, performing great and you could still be a great player and not be in the national team next.

100%. And I agree with you. I thought she was, we finally saw Abby Dalkemper back at 100% after that back injury when she got to Bay and it felt like she was playing free and she could have her she had her voice and didn't really have to play in Gurma's shadow a little bit and could be the leader of the back line which is nothing to do like you know no no slight on Gurma it's it's just it is what is. And so I think she performed really well. I would just say, I would rather personally see

what Emily Sam's could do, what, what Tara McKeown can do, because you kind of have a good mix of Davidson and Gurma that are your go-to players. Now can you get a couple younger players in that mix who start to push and say, all right, I'm coming for that spot? That would be my look. But performance-wise, Abby Dalcomber did well. And I think you can rightfully call her a snub if this conversation comes up. But I think in the mentality of Emma Hayes, I understand why that was not utilized, why she

wasn't utilized. Yeah, absolutely. It is the hardest team in the world to get into. As many times as I can write soccer wise in our in our little bottom lines. It's the hardest team in the world to get into for a reason. Gold medal champions at this point. This is all in the road to 2027. It feels and I think we should state this and you did at the beginning. And I'm going to restate at the end is Emma Hayes is giving a lot of people opportunities. There are a lot of camps. She is a very clear understanding of the calendar and the timeline. So I don't think a single player we talked about in this wasn't in the

conversation and won't be back in the conversation if they perform well enough. And it's hard right now because you come off An NWSL season and most of these players haven't played since then so it's hard to move up the rankings When you're not on the field and you're not performing Let's dig into Bay FC and one of the reasons that Abby Dahlkemper comes up is from the moment She arrived this team became a defensive force So for a team that was opening up games and four three3 and 3-3 and everything like that and didn't have a tie for the first half of the season, you go into September, you go to Portland, you give up one goal and a 3-1 win. You then

beat Louisville 1-0, you tie North Carolina 1-1, you lose to Orlando 1-0, you beat Seattle 1-0. That was the run they went on in the middle of the season to push themselves into a playoff spot. They then went on a run at the end of the year in which they only conceded more than one goal one time. And then they go to Washington and they take the lead and they end up not being able to hold on in the postseason. They was maybe the team that finished the year different than they started. And they probably are one that wished the season went 12 months Instead of what it ended up being but they were a fascinating story in their first year Jordan It's hard to think that that was their expansion year. Like the name has been around for a while

It's obviously such a soccer rich area. There was so much excitement going into the season But they finally found it felt like their identity and stabilized as the year went along. It's hard to be an expansion team in this league because you have to hit the ground running and you have to build properly. You have to get the right mixture of veterans with new players and flashy players. And when we saw Bay build, it was the emphasis, yes was on some veterans in the league to stabilize the back line but it was all about who is going forward and the big signings were

tens and a winger in Kundanandji and Oshawa and is that always translating? I it didn't right it was at the beginning of the year very difficult for this Bay team to be Prominent in the attack but also to keep goals out of the back of their net like those were seven goal games at the beginning of the year I think How they built was interesting being So focused on the attack at the beginning then changing into the middle of the season and saying now We're so focused on defense and then they weren't scoring goals. And then they were like, okay, now

let's find the happy medium. The happy medium came because they found Abby Dahlkemper as well. And the vocal veteran presence in the back line alongside Emily Menges, it worked. Those two were so solid in what they did. So I think for Bay as they progress this year, some of the things they're gonna try to do is be more like the team that I think Albertine Montoya wants them to be. They were so good in transition last year.

That is where they really excelled. I think that's not how they want to play. If I know anything about Albert Tumantoya, he wants the ball, he wants to play through his midfield, he wants to utilize every channel of the field and attacks. Will there be times where it's quick and you can go to that quick transition? Yes, of course, but he wants to play football. He wants to have the ball more than the other team and have a really nice possession style. For me, from the first year to the second year, that's probably the biggest thing I would imagine Bay is focusing on.

Since they finally got the defensive responsibility piece right towards the end of the year, now they can say, okay, now that we're solid here, how can we build and be better in possession in the way that we attack our style of play? Yeah, what you talk about the first half of the year or most of the year was reactive. It was, can we have moments where we pop out in transition but we don't create those moments? We sort of try and take advantage when they come

and then sitting a little deeper in a block again is reactive. The other team's gonna set the tone of the game. Can we hang on and survive? And not survival because clean lines, like you can go out and win a ton of games. Sitting in a block, but if you want that control, you need to be able to play a little bit more expansive. And that feels like the next step for Bay FC.

We had a party catcher on the show and she talked about Rachel Kununanji at Media Day and said she was the star of Media Day, but also talked about her transition, her experience into this league and how much more comfortable she feels now. And I think we saw that at the end of the year. And that was an aspect that was missing in that

teams didn't have that fear factor the way you expected based off the transfer fees paid for the two players up top. And it didn't open up the space for teammates as much as you'd hope. And it feels like this year that's gonna be back or that's going to be an element. And so teams are gonna have to leave an extra number

to that side of the field or they're gonna have to sit a little bit deeper. They're not gonna push their full back into the attack as much like all of these things that a player at that level can affect in Oshawa as well, being a part of that attacking front. And then you move into central midfield where the two big additions for them

have been out of college, no draft anymore. We've talked about it over and over again. And so it allows teams that maybe finish in the playoffs to still go out and get game changers that maybe they wouldn't be available to them in a draft. And the two players picked up Taylor Huff from Florida State, three time All-American, more of an attacking midfielder,

but a central player who can take advantage of possession, make it hurt other teams, also kill teams in transition out of that central area. And then Hannah Baerbar out of that central area and then Hannah Bebar out of Duke who is 23 years old called into the full national team for that January camp as a replacement for I think it was Lin Biendolo who got injured early in that camp and so brought in as one of the numbers the only college player brought into the full national team camp not the futures camp so you're adding those two pieces to a central midfield.

That was the weakest part of this team last year. And part of that was Casalano's not fitting in. Part of that was injuries to Larea. So all of a sudden this weakness could become a strength for this team. And it feels like it fits more into the style that this club wants to play. Yeah, it really does. And it provides, you know, you also trade Alex Sueta. So Alex Sueta, who's one of the best sixes in this league coming back from an ACL, she

gets traded to Utah. You create some space in the midfield for these two players, especially B bar, who's going to challenge Kiki Pickett, right? Kiki Pickett did great? Kiki Pickett did great. Jumping in as a six, like this is a girl who knows the game and can understand defensive spaces and how to mitigate attacks from the other team. But now you're adding competition in that spot at a really high level.

And I think Huff is a player that can help you progress the ball to get Tess Bodie a little bit more included in the game and can round out a midfield where now you have bite you have a player that is good on the dribble with penetrating passes and you have just a real creative Tess Bodie type who likes to float and find spaces that midfield could be really dominant and also I do want to add they added Carly Lima too who played for Cal. And this is a young player who had 16 goals last year. And it just in the fall in one season, 16 goals,

Pacey can penetrate. Now is there balance on this team where you say, okay, Kuna Nanji is over here. And as you just mentioned, maybe the outside back on the right side stays back because they know Rachel Kununanji is coming down the left side. But now you have Lima who gives you that same exact thing

on the other side. And this is a player that Albertine Montoya has known for a long time. Grew up in MVLA, his club in the Bay Area. He has seen her progress. He probably knows exactly how she trains, exactly her mentality, what he can get out of her. So this isn't just like she scored 16 goals. This is a player that he knows can be useful in this squad now. And that tells me like, okay, Bay is

thinking about still being pretty quick in the way that they progress. But is the nines roll a little different is maybe that test Bodhi playing at the nine to be a little bit more of a false nine in situations to allow those players a little bit more space. I would throw out by the way, a reminder that Penelope Hawking traded in the middle of the year and then signed to a full extension. Yes.

And Penelope Hawking is a really interesting piece to add to that mix as well. I'm interested college players coming into NWSL has not always been a home run. You can look at Bay last year they they pick Maya Doms I think the eighth pick in the draft she barely played for them and heavy King and Savvy King who they ended up trading to Angel City I I Think these players could have an impact But I think I'm also curious you bring these players in and you're signing all three of them to three-year deal. Yeah, gosh

That is That's the new That's the new reality. To me that's really interesting because you have no idea how they're gonna play in this situation. Where as before you would get drafted, you'd go into preseason, typically you play a little bit, they'd see how you are in the camp and then you would sign your contract. Like this feels to me like a lot of these players are, and maybe that is the case. I'm not in these preseason so I don't know how much they have or

have not played, but I think there's a lot of risk being put on these young college players and they're giving them these big contracts and this is not just Bay, this is all over the league. I am curious how that is going to work out or if there is really like, hey we are committed to you for three years so for three years we're going to do everything we can to make you a starter on this team. I don't know, I'm really I'm interested in the the I guess the soccer building the team building side of this thing too because we've seen hit or miss college players so that was a side tangent and it just happened to be about Bay but I think it's true in the league right now where when you have guaranteed

contracts is that gonna work out for every single player that you sign coming out of college on a three-year deal? I don't know. And it's part of the new CBA is the power of the player. And so therefore the influence from the club has to come with guarantees, whether it's years, whether it's money, whether it's opportunity, whether it's training facilities, you know, off the field stuff that you can give to make a player more comfortable, whatever it is, that's sort of now the debate or

that's the challenge for teams to try and get ahead. I don't think specifically Hannah Bambar has been with the group. I think she's finishing her master's. Yeah, she is in college. Yeah, so she's not even going to be, I think, fully part of preseason. So that is like a signing, but 23-year-old. So when you look at the players you've seen and then obviously the opportunity with the national team, but like your hope is she is more on the Hal Hirschfeld side of things, which is sort of ready to step in because of your experience. And obviously it's tough to bring up Washington in this conversation because they hit a home run last year with the last year of the draft.

And I'll just say again, I'm not speaking specifically to these for sure eight players. I'm speaking in general, I don't know how this is going to work out. And I, I think we're all learning at the same time. Yeah, like, is this the move? Do you sign college players to long year deals? Or do you sign college players to one year deals with an option year? And I don't know, I just I don't know are option years even included really anymore because it has to be mutual. I'm not I know they are but like it just is interesting to me

on the roster building side of things the longevity of these contracts for young players. It's going to be I think a huge learning process for front offices, for coaches, for agents, for players of what works and what doesn't. And I do think it's one of those things. We were asked this question every single show from the moment the CBA happened on, which was with no draft, how are smaller markets going to compete? That is probably the gap that will be created is if I am Gotham or Orlando or Washington, and my option to sign a central midfielder is ex-international currently or college player,

I'm probably not going to guarantee as much to a college player. And then if you are a Louisville or a Utah, although Utah has signed 30,000 international center mids, you can go in and say, listen, we have opportunity here and we will invest in you. We will give you a two or three year deal when they would only offer you a one year deal.

That's probably the breakdown that you get to. And the hope is that your scouting is good enough that you're picking the right pieces and the right pieces to fit your system. I think that's my exciting part of NoDraft is like, if you're a player who's like, ah, this is the soccer that makes me feel most comfortable. This is what I wanna play in.

You can go and find that club if that few feeling is mutual and I think that's what we're seeing in the North Carolina players going out to Seattle and then USC players going out to North Carolina is like this is not regional or comfort This is we are trying to find the soccer team that we want to be a part of whether it's from a culture or a style point of view and the hope is that they have hit on this here because I do think the one thing is signing three players like this with the way the team finished because they had some of the least turnover of any team. We talked about the biggest players leaving were all players that didn't play last year, whether it was for injuries or for, you know, lack of comfort and fitting in. So all of these players are a bonus. And if anyone hits quickly, that's probably all they need to take the next step

to be a consistent top 16 this year or into a top five, top four conversation. So it's a really good place to be in for this club. And I think part of it goes down to the money they spent last year to bring in some of the biggest names in the attack who have finally found the comfort and then obviously the doll Kemper move in and the moves they've made around the margins to find some pieces that

can be consistent. I think Kiki Pickett now you look at and say she's an option at three or four positions. If you can find someone who can consistently play in center mid, she's your first option at outside fullback. She can fill in any of the central midfield roles. So it makes this team so much deeper while just adding potentially one starter to this group. Yeah, no, it's good points. And I think that the comfort level of the players that were the big signings is going to be the big thing. You know, Dana Castellanos is now in Portland. So you're thinking more about Kununanji and Oshawa. This team could be very dangerous,

one just with Rachel Kununanji and what she can do and how on fire she was. But I am most curious about how Asisa Oshawa is gonna be this year. Because if she clicks and she becomes, you know, the goal scorer that she has always been in every team that she is with, and then you add all those pieces in that can help feed her the ball better, that's a scary team to play against. Yeah.

Yeah. It is, I guess we should have said that's the real ceiling. The ceiling pushes two of the biggest signings's the real ceiling the ceiling push is Two of the biggest signings in the history of the world and two of the best players in the history of the world Performing at their level and I think that's what we started to see Towards the end of last year and in the playoffs was not just Performance but like a comfort with the game and the way it was played and then you start to see their best right? As Kunda Nanji decided, I'm gonna wait for defenders to come in so that I can then go and beat them

rather than trying to play early. All of a sudden you saw the best of her. And I think Oshuwala starting to read her teammates a little bit more and decide where her early runs were gonna be and which center back she was gonna pull out of position. Then you start to see like, oh, this is why you spend all that money.

I thought you were gonna say, is Kunda Nanji gonna wait to see if defenders are gonna come and why you spend all that money. I thought you were going to say is Koonanandji going to wait to see if defenders are going to come and just stand on the ball? Yeah, I know. That's a level of comfort. That is a level of comfort to have on a professional field that very few human beings will ever have in their entire life. All right. That's all for us here on this episode. We were going to potentially dig into Gotham for the 300th time as another

thing comes out about what's going on there. But luckily enough, we can save that for next week as we had a lot of national team conversation to talk about. I hope you all enjoyed it. Thank you to all of you for joining us live. Thank you to all of you for listening via podcast. Remember, get into the Discord, send us all your messages on your thoughts. We'll continue to talk about all of it as we head towards the 2025 NWSL season.

Thanks for listening everyone, and we'll talk to you again very, very soon.