SoccerWise - Who's No. 1? NWSL Power Rankings & Midseason Awards

Episode Date: June 2, 2026

The NWSL heads into the World Cup break, and it's the perfect time to take stock of the league. David Gass and Jordan Angeli break down the biggest takeaways from the weekend, including where teams like Washington, Orlando, Utah, Portland and North Carolina stand as the season reaches its midway point. The duo also discusses the latest league news, from the NWSL Championship heading to Washington, D.C., to the USWNT goalkeeper picture. Then it's time for the latest NWSL Power Rankings and a look at the players and coaches making their case for midseason awards.0:00 Intro & Weekend Overview4:30 Jordan at Audi Field & Washington's Big Weekend9:17 Washington vs. Seattle Breakdown15:31 Orlando Wins, But Banda Concerns Loom20:26 Utah's Rise Continues26:19 Portland's Path to Contention30:16 The 8-Second Rule and NWSL Rule Debates35:48 North Carolina's Win at Angel City42:02 USWNT Goalkeepers & NWSL Championship Heads to D.C.48:18 Who's No. 1? NWSL Power Rankings1:03:23 Midseason Award Races

Welcome back, everybody, to SoccerWise with David Goss and Jordan, Angeley, coming at you from the final weekend of the NWSL season until July kicks off. We have a lot to go over. We have a lot to recap. We have a lot to level set as we head into this little bit of a layoff, but we don't take a layoff here at SoccerWise. So we've got some big interviews coming up for you. We're going to talk to Jimmy Coonratt in two weeks.

As the teams are out on break, we will talk to Yal Averbush, the GM of Gotham, as well as we head into the NWSL Challenge Cup at the end of June. And of course, the U.S. is heading down to Brazil to face off against Marta at home. I'm hearing some of the games are already sold out. So we've got a lot to talk about over the next few weeks. We're going to go through our power rankings once again. And this is going to be the last one for a little while because we won't have any games to change stuff off of. Although maybe when signings are made, we'll move some teams around.

But we'll talk about that. We'll talk about some midseason awards. And of course, the weekend that was. Jordan, it was a good one for you. Like 15 cities, five different games, all over the place, and you were all over my TV. I know. I was like, how much surface area can I cover this one weekend? I think I had seven flights and three different cities.

But yeah, it was great. And to also do it over my birthday weekend, I was like, what's... Oh, yes. Happy birthday. What's as a year older than we're... working so hard on your birthday, right? The highlight, I would assume, was you were at Audi Field. You did a full day of studio coverage, technically, for Ion from the field, which we haven't seen before, which was really cool.

And then, of course, you were at the game for the sellout, Rowdy, Audi, and the 2-1 win over Seattle. But, like, what was the experience of posting up at a stadium for 12 hours and hanging out? Gosh, I just love being at the field, covering the game. Just you see so much more, you feel so much more. I thought one of my favorite things about being there, Goss, was I felt like our interviews with players and people that were there. Like Haley Carter came over and chatted with us. Our conversation with Trinity was excellent.

Post game with Hal with Trin and Tara Rudd. Just when you have those human interactions and you're like right next to the person, you even get like, you know how this goes. You get that little bit before. even start the interview where like, oh, I wasn't even thinking about that. Now I'm going to include that in what I'm doing or they're just more willing to stay and have like a true conversation with you. I hope Ion does that a couple more times because I thought our content was some of the best that they've been able to do. And it just was so fun. I, you know, from being a former Washington

spirit player, every time I get to go there and see how much this club has grown. And and how much the community has stuck beside them because there have been some people who have supported them for a long time, but all these new people that they brought into, it just makes me so proud of this club and where they have come and how they built. And it is rowdy-outy.

It's like the ups and downs of the fans and how they interact with the game is really top tier. So it was a great experience to be there. and I was trying to keep the energy high and using the crowd to do that the whole time. You're a bit of a canary in the cold mind with Routy-O-Dy because it's like when you're there, it is, but is it that you're there because, right?

You've been to there for finals. You obviously were there for big playoff games and now here again. So it's hard to tell. Is it because of Jordan or does Jordan go when it happened? You know, that's better for me at Routy because when I'm in Orlando, it's always raining. and I always look like a wet rat.

So I'd rather not be the wet rat in Orlando and be like the energy bringer for this rowdy-outy. But no, they were awesome. And this spirit team, I didn't think played their best and we'll talk about it, but found a way to win. And the fans were very appreciative of that. What did you get from sort of the interactions with, especially I think Haley Carter, who obviously was a big move for her.

Like she left a team that went to back-to-mack, semifinals won the double she set a transfer record with her buy and then comes over to watching what do you make of like how she settled in and what she thinks of it she seems like she really loves it and the challenge with this is it's it's global right and i think that's one of the things that haley carter has really liked is this idea i think we saw it in orlando is how she started to build the team in orlando with more a global perspective she brings in players like band i believe she was there still with OVA. Yeah, she was there with Ovae. She has this concept of like, nothing is too big for women's soccer in general. Like, let's push the boundaries. And she's done that in her life. I think that's one of the cool things we talked to her about. She was a Marine. She was, she's a lawyer. She was a professional soccer player in this league for the Houston Dash. All the things that have kind of created this common thread. And she said, just as me, how do I, how do I interact with people? And my relationships. I think that's what drives her. And you can see that is how she has helped this

team kind of move forward is how do we treat the players? How do we make this the place that everybody wants to play? And they're getting that and they're doing that. I she seems to really like it. And it feels like in a way, Goss, it kind of feels like the spirit are just scratching the surface of what they can do in the long run with the ownership that they have and some of the pieces that they put in place. Yeah, I think one of the things. One of the things, they've done now and I guess as the season goes along we'll figure out how to like put it in perspective is the length of success for them is going to be a big conversation in a salary cap league where I think the obvious thing Orlando last year Casey this year is teams are going to bounce up and down and

you know Gotham in their bad years wins cups and then as good years and then as bad years so Washington sustained success even without maybe the trophies being there getting finishing second and losing in finals but the ability to do that if they can continue this for three, four, five years. I think that's going to be a challenge on its own. And it's something that I think that's where you look at a Haley Cardin and say, this is someone who really understands the league and how to build and how to inspire people and keep people engage.

The other thing is like the Claudio Martinez signing. And everyone will say, yeah, well, you know, we want to spend big money. It is like nerve-wracking to do it, though, because you're committed. Like you and this is not a known. Yeah, you don't know that. I mean, you can see that her qualities against teams in Paraguay, but like. There's no scale for that previously. Yeah.

Yeah. And so I think having someone like Haley Carter who's like, no, I trust my eye. I, you know, she has talked. She came on this show last year and talked about the talent across Africa and the Caribbean that's unearthed and people aren't really looking to and giving opportunity to. I think Haley Carter believes in talent. more than anyone. And she knows that it's then their job to build a structure that those people can come into and be supported in the way they need to to get the best out of them.

For this player to hit this quickly, coming from the background of like the NWS cells at different level, the structure, the stadiums, the trainings, like all of it is so different. I think shows like a lot of the success of what this club can be. And as you said,

that's sort of the like, okay, this is the scratching of surface of, it's not going to be at the transfer fee number, but we can, make more signings like this to continue to fill in talent behind the big names we know that are going to be here. That's my hope as the league demands more from the players is the rosters get deeper.

You look at all the different tournaments that the teams are now playing. And even just think about a couple years ago, we go from 24 games to now there's 30 games. That's six more games for these players. And really the same amount of time. Right. You've added a quarter of the season. Right. I could do that math, so I just wanted to do it. I'm really good. I'm proud of you.

Sixes are a good one for me. They run through my. Yeah, okay. All right. I'll remember that. they have to increase the number of players on a team. And so those types of signings are going to be important because you're creating depth from youth players who can learn under, you know, we talked about Martinez, but like who can learn under Hal Herschfeld, who can learn under Tara Red. How do you start to build the depth of this team? So no matter who's starting, like an Arsenal, a Chelsea, a Barcelona, the depths of those teams are there. And anybody can start at any time because they have. have 30, 32 deep rosters.

Okay. The ended up being a two one win for Washington. As you said, didn't play their best game. This is a Seattle team that is stout defensively and that is their identity. And so it's going to make things hard for everyone. The own goal is their biggest issue, which is they can't score. So getting an own goal kind of helps Seattle stay in the game a little bit more. And then Hal Herschfeld ends up with the winner, which felt very reminiscent of, I think,

two years ago, where it was like these dramatic late winners where you could tell teams came in and said, we just want to survive against Washington, that's fine. And then Washington has to take the risks and find sort of these special match winners late in the game. But what did you make seeing these two teams in person and sort of what you saw? It was interesting because Seattle really was expending a lot of energy.

And on the field, it did feel like in moments Seattle was able to just step the tempo of how the game was going to be played. I, overall, what I take away, from this game, especially from Washington's standpoint, is this is a team who I think can control the temple of the game that can control possession, that can control transition moments really well on both sides of the field. But the days that that's not going right for them, they still can win. And that felt like what this game was. I don't think that they handled playing through the pressure

at times through Seattle's pressure very well. I don't. But then there were moments of brilliance for them in transition that they made it difficult for Seattle. So the best teams in this league, the ones that end up making it really far are the teams that can win on days where they're not their best. To me, that felt like this in this game. Because despite Seattle's record right now and how they've played in these last few games, I thought that that was the most cohesive we've seen them in. I know the win against Boston, but I do think that they just looked.

They look like they can be a competitive team. Even though they're sitting at the bottom of the table, they can still compete with Washington. And that is what is wild about this league. And the way they play, they're not out of games. So it's not one of those where you're coming. The best was good, the numbers that they got, the way that they would funnel.

I thought they won the ball back in really good situations. It's just we thought me official was the answer. I don't, she's not acclimated. There's too much pressure on her. I don't know what it is. Yeah. But they need better pieces in the ball. I mean, there's no support.

The game is not played around her. And it is these individual moments. And that's, I think, what you play Mercado, because Mercado is everywhere. She's so speedy. She is a terror on defense. And then she creates turnovers, which is what you need if you are not going to,

if you're not going to be able to build through to create, well, you have to turn over and then have speed that can stay. up with that front line. And at that, their front line, they started with just speed, speed, speed. Yeah. Okay, I don't want to do the whole show about this game, but I want to ask one more question than we'll go.

Because you got to see Tara Rudd in person. I have in a little while, and she's one where we're going to talk about her with the U.S. I think she has a huge place to play in that group. What do you make of her development where she stands and sort of what she is now, what, three, four years into being a centerback? She's just like slowly taken little steps, I think, that has allowed her to become one of the best centerbacks. I don't know what that group looks like in NWSL, but I would say probably top four in NWSL when it comes to consistency.

I thought in this game in particular, she handled the times to like D on the heels of Mercado really well. She handled the times when to cover the space and behind. Her possession out of indecision making out of the back line is continued to. progress and she does it because she has the pace it feels like when she's on the ball or like in i would say on offense or defense there's a calmness about the way that she plays and it's kind of her personality too like when you speak with her she's very she's just a sweet person and like has this like calming demeanor about her and she brings that onto the field and if you're a player in front of her or even our goalkeeper, that, like, that energy exudes to other people and it

kind of translates to other people. So I think even that of like how she handles high pressure moments and with such a calmness, you can't really teach that. Yeah. She just has to be innate and she has that. So what a transformation to go from a center forward to one of the best Skyrocks in the league now trying to be one of the best in the world. They've played 13 games, I think, over the course of the last three months, NWSL plus the two champions. She'd play 90 minutes in every single one of them. I think she's just underratedly one of the most impactful players. Wow.

Yeah, she has played 990 minutes in NWSL in 11 games, 11 starts. I just think she is underratedly. She is one of the reasons Washington holds on over the last three years in down moments, right? Andy Sullivan, you lose for a segment of time. You lose Hal Harsfeld for segments of time. The Esmey Morgan gets moved around. Bernal comes in but wasn't there the first year. Rodman, obviously, like all these things have happened.

Now your goalkeeper. And she is the consistent. And I think when we get to U.S. stuff over the next two weeks while they're down in Brazil, I think she has to be inserted into the centerback conversation. To me, if everyone's healthy, I get it. She's probably third. Yeah. But, like, all the things she talked about in possession, her comfort, the way she set pieces, all this stuff, she can affect the game on both sides.

Like, if that's the issue, who's going to play with Naomi Germa or whatever, that part concerns me less than some of the other players who maybe struggle if they're forced onto their left foot too much and stuff like that. I'd like to see Tierna and her together. That would be a good combination. Yeah, would be awesome. Okay, let's dig through some of these other games and then we'll get into our power rankings and our, mid-season conversation. We're going to start here with Orlando, not the biggest game of the weekend, but two wins in a week for them, a bounce back, Barbara Banda with a double, Oviah looks good, and then Barbara Banda goes off with an injury at the end. So a 3-1 win for Orlando over Bay on

Friday night, and it was the good and the bad. I think, I think Seb Hines has talked over the last two weeks of like they're not panicking as a group, and I think you see that in the performances, is, but if there is any limitations on Barbara Banda for the rest of the season or whatever it is, it is a completely different reality for this team. Yeah, and because this game without those Banda goals was a snooze fest. It was, I left the game thinking, how were there four goals in that game? Yeah. It just, the goals came out of really nothing.

I think the XG total at the end of the game was between both teams was like 1.6. Yes. Like there wasn't very much creation. And that has been the issue with Orlando and it still is the issue with Orlando. And if Banda is not able to play, because not only did she get two goals got us, but she got the assist on the third goal. So she has been, everything has flowed through her. Without her, we're so unknown. And I don't know what Orlando will do when they will talk about what, because now there's this break.

So I don't know if they're obligated to say anything at a certain time. So we might not know for a while what's going on with Barbara Banda, seeing that they told us she was off SCI the day before the first in of the season. Yeah. Just loan it out there. It's a good point. That was the timing of that. So it might be a while until we see.

But I'm just speaking, this is just me speaking off of my own experiences. I felt like she knew something bad happened. I've been in that spot and the way that she reacted makes me concerned. For her and her health, first and foremost, because I never want to see anybody who are injured. But this Orlando team, maybe it's good. Maybe Goss, it's good timing because now they haven't a month to figure it out without her. But if that's the case, they're going to have to add something because their chancreation without her is, right we need a microchrome to see it yeah she is everything for this team and they have only leaned further into that as the season's gone on and as she's gotten more fit and healthier and all that type of stuff and that's where i think for us it goes here because this is this is biggest conversation there is like this is probably the MVP of the league um for a team that's an eighth place that just shows her individual value to her team as well as i would argue one of the two or three best ones

players on the planet right now. And so it's going to be huge, as you said, over the break, to understand where she's at and how long it'll be. And then what Orlando has to do, because you can't give up on the season. And unfortunately, you just haven't had Oviah and her at the same time at all. You had Ovae come in. Banda got hurt last year. Then Banda comes back. Oviéi has been hurt for a large stretch of this first half the season. Now ready to come back. And like, that was the whole game plan. So you probably. need to go out and find something like for like at that center forward position at a minimum just to help OVA like fit in and feel like a part of it, which is someone has to be making

hard near post run. Someone has to be an option in the box. And I don't know if that's something they can find in NWSL or something where they'd have to go outside. And then what is the amount of resources you can put to that one position where then the team is strong enough around it and probably had ideas about other pieces they wanted to bring in, whether it was a separate winger or maybe support in central midfield like i think for the most right the backline has the depth even without seven elites our backs that they've had in the past but they have options at fullback they can move on a round both sides all of that my guess is that they were looking at some big additions cross from ovae or centrally into help the attacking phase i didn't mean we brought them

up as a puteus team last week because there's a clear ad there of like they need a tent they need someone who creates. And you probably don't have the space to do that if you also have to fill the spot for Banda for the season. So we'll keep an eye out for that. As I said, we're going to keep coming to you with these shows. We've got the next one reviewing all the U.S. games in Brazil. And then we've got some special episodes coming up. And we will have all your coverage around NWSL Challenge Cup as well as NWSL returns coming off the Men's World Cup break. So we will cover it as we go along. But the opposite of a snoozer was Utah or Orlando. It was, I think, the big game we had keyed for the weekend for a reason. Utah finishes with the draw. So they remain ahead of

Portland coming out of the, coming into the break. They do not remain in first place as the San Diego wave jumped them with the victory, but Utah has played less games than San Diego in Portland. So on points per game, they are the best team in the league on 24 points per game. They came into Portland and I was super impressed. They came in. They played high energy. They pushed the game to start. They made a brutal mistake, like three mistakes in one play that lead to a goal. And the reaction was, let's just go get the goal. And they came back from that and they fought and they pushed. And you get a goal from Palacio. So that's what, two and two and two in back to back games, which is massive for them because that's sort of the big hole for this

group is like who is a true finisher at that position and then they push on in the second half they get the lead and then a little bit of devastation laid on to not hold the victory we'll talk about the events there in a little but let's start with the game like answered all the questions for me for utah which is they knew the stakes they knew the crowd against them like everything in this was okay we're going to get a view of if this seems for real or fake and they proved everything to me that they have commitment to their style, they have belief in their team, there is enough talent in this to carry them through tough moments. And it was, I thought, overall, a great performance.

They just keep adding little, like, feathers to their cap, like, to help them continue to feel confident. Utah, going into this game at Portland, they, since they've come back into the league, have not lost at Portland. They've won twice. So I think going in there, they were able to have the confidence to say, we know, we actually know what it's like to win here. We know what it's like to silence the crowd, which is rare. And they almost did it again and stop this undefeated streak for Portland at home. So I believe the

confidence, confidence is such a slippery thing, right? When you have it, you are like feeling you're never going to lose it. But the moment you let some of it slip away, like all you're trying to do is grasp it back. And this Utah team is flying with confidence right now. And I think it allows them to play with the freedom of just their movement off their ball, the way that they press, the when they get the second goal, they're pressing high in the corner, which is excellent from them to just be on the front foot. And then because of that, they've got their two best players in really good situations right in front of the goal to create the goal. Just think line to line. You look at line to line on this team, and we've said this for a long time, they just haven't been

healthy. When they're healthy, line for line, this is a solid. solid group. And the way that Jimmy has continued to say, okay, this is how we want to play. We want to be aggressive. We want to go after teams, throw numbers forward. It was going to pay off when they had the health and the players that fit those positions and the roles well. And we're seeing that come to life. They're just fun to watch. I'll miss watching them for a month. I absolutely agree. You just tuned into this game. And this is one where, where I kind of build the weekends around, oh, we're going to watch these games and whatnot.

And my wife's there with me, and I'm like, oh, this is going to be a good. And very often when I say that, it's not. I know. And but like the tempo immediately out the gate of this game where Tanaka's coming back. She's finding the ball. So Naurumi's starting to push a little higher to change the shape a bit. And Tanaka starts poking and prodding. And then you get the fullbacks involved.

And there's just, there's a lot of questions that Utah can ask of you. and to score a goal off the high press while also being dangerous in possession just shows similar what you talked about with Washington of like they can win in different ways and that's what keeps you on a streak like this and allows you to maintain performances

and be a true contender and I think that's really exciting. You say it line, line. I mean, national team and goal, I'd argue one of the best centerback pairings in the league. I think Kate Delphama is pressing into national totally. Totally. And I don't know for her the timing is tough. Like what's the breaking point to get in?

Because this is the Ashley Sanchez Convo we had. Like, you had your shot the last year and a half. And I think that's less on Kate Elfava and more on the group around her. But that's going to be a tough one. But totally agree with you. Then you go into midfield. You're talking about two Japanese international players. And I think in Taada, one of the best ball players in the league. And then it goes to the front line where there's more questions. But the nice part, I think, for them is like they're all. all on confidence. Like everyone, Mexican, Canadian, international. Like, it is pretty good. And like,

the way Chloe Lacoste finishes the chance, it's like, you can tell she's playing on confidence right now. And she believes in what she's doing. And I think Palacios starting to read the team better as she gets involved, and that's a great addition. And we'll have the Jimmy Coonerat's conversation coming,

but said her, like, physical numbers are off the charts. Like, they're so impressed with her ability to continue to do high speed runs, altitude and she's only going to get better there as she gets more adapted to living there and being a part of this team so there's a lot to like a lot of you know a lot about this group i have no idea what happened on the goal it's one of the most bizarre things i've ever seen like it was as if i guess in theory what i'd everyone thought someone else was dealing with it in their own box but

it's like the final stop where you're like who did anyone call something here like it made no sense and Portland gets the goal. And now let's talk about Portland a little, which is games with them or against them, they are going to have arguably the two or three most dangerous players on the field. And so Portland, a lot of the underlying numbers say that it's going to fall off for them. And that's going to be a combo we'll have about what did they do this summer. But it's still, whether it's Sof or Torrdeen or like they,

any time you make a mistake, they can make you bet. Yeah. The thing that I hope Portland comes out of this break with is I get that you have a lot of good centerbacks. But because you're rotating so much at center back, it's nobody has been consistently playing or playing as a pair. And as a, you know, I played center back a little bit. Oh, really? Yeah. Could you do your favor?

I want to pull up. Can you actually mention that on this show? Because I'd love for you to mention that. Yeah. I played center back. You want to know what other positions I play at Gus? No, I think we're good for now. That relationship with your centerback pairing has to be instinctual.

You have to know the strengths and weaknesses of them, and you have to be able to cover their weaknesses in a split second. And I think that there is just a little too much rotation right now. And so the confidence between the two is not there. And then the confidence with the people in front of them and how they manage those moments. I just don't think it's there. And so for Portland, yes, they can hurt you in any moment because of who they have. And the relationship with Torden and Wilson is excellent. I really like the way they are playing together.

Then you add Moultry back in after the injury. Those three can, they're team beaters. They'll beat any team in this league. But I think to me it's what's going on with the sixes, what's going on with the centerbacks. There needs to be an upgrade in that position to just carry the game a little bit more for this Portland team, to have a little bit more of those players that are going to control the tempo, slow the temple, because, yes, plumbing has been doing well. But I feel like, I don't know, it feels like that area I want more stability or something.

So I agree with you. And I guess we'll do the Portland Convo now for the break. No, we're doing it right now. Let's do it. Sorry. I totally agree with you. To me, you're never going to replace Sam Coffee. I think Fleming has replaced Sam Coffee in terms of importance and control.

Yeah, agree. She doesn't have a partner. And some of the things coffee does, Fleming doesn't do. And that's the whole to me. And I think one side you can try and convince me like, Borgary's young, we want to give her a shot. We think she's that player. I guess what I will learn from this group this summer in this break is, do you think you have a shot this? this year. Because if you think you can make a championship run or you want to, you have to

upgrade in that position now. If you think we're young, this is a three-year build and we don't want to get out over our skis and get locked into a big contract and we want to see where else we can add to this group, then you leave things in central midfield the way they are. And I think that to me is going to be sort of like the weather vein of all of this of which way did they think they're facing because it's not bad, but it's not elite. And their lack of consistent chance creation, a lot of it comes from individual moments which are to come out of nowhere, as well as some of the weaknesses along the backline. That to me is like the big upgrade spot where if you go and get the right piece, you could

turn around and say, well, we actually have the best midfield in this league. And like we can take, because I really do believe in what I've seen from Jesse Fleming as a leader in that group. It's just coffee did it alongside Fleming last year. And now Fleming doesn't have another piece alongside her to help elevate. Can we, before we move on, because we're, shocker, we're talking a lot about these, these games. Can we talk about a little bit of controversy?

Yeah. Because I think it should be, it should be noted. One, eight second rule. Eight, right? It's eight, yes. It has been called in, in this league before. for. People are saying it hasn't been called. It has been called this year in some games. Not very often. Yeah. But it was eight seconds. And that's the rule. And like, boo-hoo, get on with it, right?

This is a whole convo now because FIFA just put out for the Men's World Cup, all the rules. And it's like throw-ins and this and that, none of them are new rules. It's just refs don't enforce them. So now they've been more prescriptive about the way they are. And it's like, everyone is taken 35 seconds for a throw-in. And, oh, I didn't know it was up here when they knew it was up there. And it's like, but. The problem is when you pick and choose where you put it, where you actually do it, the players don't actually know. Yeah, that's true. I will just say, McGlynn had other options in that moment. Punt it all the way down to the field to go out for a throw-in. Easy option, right? I know you're trying to give your team some rest at the end of the game.

I understand all of the things. Waste time, but that's the rule. Okay. But the thing, you just mentioned it earlier, Utah, it was like a mistake after mistake after mistake for the first goal. Same thing here. It was two mistakes in a row. Yeah.

And that usually typically leads to a goal. Like that's one of the things that we've noticed about goals in NWSEL. I think the controversy here is, why is there not a rule in NWSL where if you're on loan for a team, you can just not play against the team that you're on loan from. I think it puts Alex Spanstra in a really difficult place because as a player, if that team loaned me out, I would want nothing more to then to be the. the person who beats that team. Oftentimes, that puts you at a position where you're doing things a little extra. You're doing a little bit more. You're just trying more. And we see it, we see it in

cards, red cards. Here we see it in a foul that leads to an old old. Like, oftentimes doesn't go in the other direction. It goes in a poor direction. So you put Spencer in a bad place. But also at the same time, Gus, like she's on loan from Portland. She just fouled Portland for Utah, gave a penalty up at the end of the game and two points away from Utah and gave Portland a point. That is wild to me. And any other league in this world, that would be spoke about like, and I am not saying this is what it is because I don't think there was malice in this at all. But they would be talking about mat trigging.

I mean, her, her loan ends July. So her next game will be for the Portland thorns. It is wild to me that that happened. I didn't even think of it until we got ready to get on and you brought this up for the first time. We haven't really talked about it. It didn't even cross my mind. So you're absolutely right, one, that it has to be a conversation. I think having not played at the level you did and been in these situations, to me, it seems a little bit less like, well, everyone's just a professional and they're going to do their job.

I think having that angle on it is really, really helpful. This is one of those things to me where it's like, you need a rule set that there is. is no option because. Just protects everybody. Yes. There should be no situation where Jimmy Kurnanath has to ask and then says, oh, she, you know, I believe in the play. Like, I would, if the reason you create a rule like this, which at times will be

controversial because it will be like, oh, my God, it's October 1st. This player's been playing for nine months. They are a central part of the team. How can you not let them play? And we've seen that in, because I, this is not a set rule for everything. It is normally put into loans. Yes. So often it's, and I know this.

just mainly from like F-A Cups in England where it's like- And M-LOS had it as well. Yeah, but like, well, MLS has it where you can't, but like Manchester you and I will loan a player to a load of it. And it will just say in it like they can't play against us. And now it's like, well, our best player can't play in this game. But it's like, okay, then sign the player. Like if you want them on loan, this is kind of part of it.

And I think it is completely fair to say that there should just be a blanket rule inside the league. And you don't ever put any player or coach or anyone else in this situation. Yeah. And it is bizarre. I mean, it's bizarre on multiple fronts too. She scores in this game and wins it three, too. Great. Like you said, great scenario. So what? Her next, literally her next game is on the other team. And it's like, well, you knew you like. I don't think it puts her in a bad spot because the expectation is she does her best job possible. And if she does, I'm not saying, well, she's at fault for the foul. But like, there's nothing behind it that's saying like I don't believe. I don't believe. It's just it's just a bad spot. to put someone in and it's unnecessary and I think having a blanket rule makes a ton of sense and as the league gets bigger I think we're going to get more loans right because there's just we're going to keep adding roster players and the league expands and with injuries and stuff like that and I mean super league contracting so there's less places there I just I think this is going to become even more common than it is and I think it makes sense to have something set up like that

so it ends up to two two on this one which keeps Portland with that home and defeated streak as you said, and then keeps them in third place in the standings going into the break just ahead of the Washington spirit. Utah remains in second, as I said, but first in points per game, and San Diego remains in first. Okay, let's jump over real quick to North Carolina, who closed out the weekend, a really good performance for them out in L.A. Angel City is not the team. I think, I thought they were in those opening three games. and you see again in this one, they react to the goal well,

but North Carolina just, they looked like the team with more ideas. Yeah. Considering they were the one on the road. Both of their goals are like top goals in probably this season, just the way that they utilize every line of the field, they play through. And Mackland has said to us from the beginning,

they want to be a team that is obsessed with scoring goals. They want to play through the line, quicker. And I think these were both really good examples of that of how efficiently and effectively they can do it with the players that they have. And Monaca is amazing. I just obsessed with her in so many different ways. But for Angel City, it kind of feels like what we're talking about Orlando too. Like they lack ideas and how to break teams down, which is wild to me. Because at the beginning of the year, yes, it was Yon's daughter, but it's also Giselle Thompson picking and choosing the channel that she plays in. Is it outside? Is she coming inside? I don't know. Is there no buy-in for this team about how they want to play? It feels like they have, they do have better pieces than they've ever had. It's hard for me to pinpoint what the issue is with Angel City. And I think that's confusing me and frustrating me.

I feel completely the same because I'd say I watched 20, 30 minutes of this game and you're like, there is a decent amount of movement. There is prodding. You know, I think a lot of. of it's on the dribble when you get players into position, which maybe has become predictable now that you know it's coming. And the second option isn't there to help as quickly, you know, as you get the wing backs isolated or the fullback's isolated or you get the wingers isolated. And like even the goal comes from endo driving. It's closed off, but Evelyn Shore is right there.

The quick layoff now the dink ball where I think too often it feels like endo and Giselle or whoever it is, they're driving and there's no support. There is one v1, which is, is the matchup you want, but you're only going to win them X amount of times. And the kind of the whole game falls onto that. And I think what we felt like we saw over those first three, four games is, well, then there's secondary options. Now you've got the midfield coming to be that piece. Yon's daughter making runs off the centerbacks into the channel, like all that stuff, which it just felt like hasn't been around as much. And then the goals you can see it on the flip side, Kenny Fuller gets exposed in midfield. Like it's going to happen against Asty Sanchez,

specifically, it's going to happen. And it's a gorgeous goal from North Carolina there. And it is like one of those where you're like, yeah, I said Banda and Schoinger are the best players in the world, but maybe the best player in the league is on North Carolina. Like it's just, she's so fun to watch. And if she plays that ball back to Sanchez, it's a goal. And it's a goal we've all seen before. And yet there's a second idea in her brain that I don't even see on TV.

Even when I watch it as a replay, I still don't really. really see it. Like I almost thought it wasn't mistaken past to Sanchez that ends up on someone else's, but it's the weight on that pass is just unbelievable. Is that the EJ? Yes. EJ. Goel, yeah. The thing that we saw, we've seen over the past couple years, Monaca's brilliance. And it's only going to, in my mind, look more important this year because she's going to have a little bit more space because actually Sanchez is playing so well. Yeah. And they have a center forward who scores goals.

And they have Riley Jackson who finds her in the right spots. This North Carolina team is found a way to, I would say, build last year and this year with the right ideas with the coaching staff, just a little tweak in some of the things that they do. And Sanchez playing out of her mind, actually won't even say that. Sanchez playing like she can play. Yeah, like up to her level. This is where.

This is actually just her. And when she feels like herself, you can see how brilliant it is. It's adding, it's, you know, a rising tide raises all boats. And these, they're just flying. And the goals they score are top notch. Yeah, it was a gorgeous start. And then credit to Angel City, right, the response right after they get the goal, what, two minutes later or whatever it was.

And as I sort of described through it, and then North Carolina, though, comes out. They get the win. So it's back-to-back road wins. for this North Carolina team, they move into, for the break at least. They move into seventh place. It has not been an easy start for them, even with the hot streak for Sanchez,

like no one else really stepped up early. It's three straight wins, back-to-back road wins, and to jump into seventh is, I think, a huge accomplishment for them. There are three points off fourth place going into the break, and I believe they have a game in hand

on like half the teams in front of them. So I think for Matt, You have to say it was mission accomplished for the first half of this season. 100%. He's going to be happy with how quickly they're adopting to what he's asking of them. And I wouldn't be surprised if they add just like, well, I think Weatherhelt is done well as a left back. And Rao can play there as well. But does feel like if they can add another piece in that left back that then gives you Weatherhole back in the center mid, just to abuse her flexibility a little bit more.

Yeah, I think that they could add a couple of pieces too. I, my hope will be that I think EJ was an obvious ad because McLean knew and Wiccanouser was an obvious ad. And now that he's been around, he can be involved and say, yeah, this is the type of player we need. This is the pieces we need and they can be a little bit active because I think one of the issues for North Carolina is they've been very fit. And long seasons, they start to drag as the season goes along. they don't have the additional pieces to keep it up. And I think that's the big ads that you need for this group. Before we get into their pair rankings, their midseason convo, two huge pieces of news.

The first, Fallon Tulles Joyce registering an injury. I don't know if it happened in World Sevens or not. I know she played in it for Manchester United. So she is replaced on the U.S. women's national team roster for this camp by Jane Campbell, who we talked in preseason about being a part of this group. And she was able to get a call up at the last camp. she gets called back in to this camp. And I think maybe I just feel differently from watching some of these players for the last two years,

I think when Alyssaire retired and people were sort of fighting for the spot, it didn't feel like a good answer was coming. And now I just don't worry about the depth. Like I think there are, I mean, we talked about Jordan Silkowitz. I think there are four to five options where I would feel fine if they start a big game for the U.S. I agree with you. This might be the first World Cup, though, that we go into where a goalkeeper doesn't have that many caps.

Yeah. Which is interesting. No one is separated themselves. But I think Silkowitz could have very well been that player instead of Campbell. I know Silkowitz is going with the 23s and they're also going to Brazil. So you have the ability to, you know, train together, I think, in moments or watch a close eye on Jordan Silkowitz. But this is the right move bringing Campbell in.

She's been great. I think just how brave she was in that moment where she slings. her head open with the contact. She's going to do anything for this team. She's proven that great shot stopper. So good replacement there. And there is so much depth in this group. And I will say a little preview on the convo with Jimmy Coonrat's talking about Mandy

McLean. He said, like, when I came in, she didn't do the things she does now. And she said she wanted to. And so I think she will continue to get better as she does these things. and I think Claudia Dickey for sure right now is the number one. I worry that we get over compensate, which is like she plays on a defensive team, so she doesn't give up a ton of goals.

But we had Jill on preseason with us. You've gone into some of these numbers. You know, a lot of people have talked about it. She is still performing at a really high level with the things that she's asked to do. And so I think that's where some of that confidence comes from. The other piece of breaking news happened like right now. So I could make a breaking news.

give me a breaking news sound effect there it is uh jordan i'm actually giving this report live uh meg linohan is reporting from the athletic that washington spirit are going to be the host of the 2026 nwsl championship game so it'll be the first time uh that it comes back to the east coast over the last three years we had kansas city uh we had san diego and of course we had uh san oz or Bay on the most recent championship. Before that, it was the Washington Spirit who hosted the 2022 championship game. So I think a little surprising in that they don't own the building, but also they just hosted and you'd think you'd want to spread it around.

But my guess is they're the ones who applied and they're the ones who pushed for it. And I think everything Michelle Kang has done probably equals out to wants to have big events like this. And I would just say if you look across, I think Orlando would be a great host site. I think New York or Gotham would be a good host site. But those two teams don't even come close to selling out their building ever. Yeah. And my thing is, if you're Orlando, though, do something like this. Bring people into the building for a big event. Create a week where you're like, this is this league, this is the entertainment. And we are a factor in this. We won the championship. I mean, let's be real where we stand right now, and this is not part of this.

They're probably not going to be in the final. But you could, right? When the application for this stuff went in, there was a chance you would be, or you'd be in a semifinals and you get close. And it's just, to me, that's been the no-brainer one sitting there. And I don't, and I say own the building of like, they own the facility. So I think one of Gotham's issues is like, well, what are the dates? Is it available?

What are the other events that go on in that building? I think that's the huge frustration for me that Orlando hasn't made a serious. push to host this. Yeah. Well, we're going to D.C. We're going to D.C. Love that. Yeah. I got family in D.C., so I love going to D.C. It's also a great place. The championship game, again, Washington was in, was not relevant the year they hosted the championship. I thought the crowd was great. I think the atmosphere is great. Obviously, it's an easy place to get to for high density amount of people in the Northeast. If the courage get there, right, that's an easy trip for them. So there's a lot of teams sort of around.

and in that area. And I think nice to switch it a little bit and get it from the West Coast to the East Coast. So I don't have to fly as far. And people can be cold. I like when people are cold in a championship game. I was trying to see, I assume the time window is already locked in.

So my assumption is this is going to be a pretty late game. I was trying to read the piece really quick while we did this. But knowing the CBS time windows that they end up getting, those are locked a year in advance. And so my assumption is this will be a pretty late local time kick, which I don't mind. I think it kind of makes it like a day, which I think is fun rather than the noon kickoff and then it's over and you don't get the buildup as much in the event. And pretty good chance that there's a home team.

Yeah. Like for Washington, if they can, so if they can finish second, they know they play at home the whole way because they don't need, you know, they just need to host a semi-final. So that's pretty big for them And obviously would be a huge part of a playoff situation And just gives another leg up to a team And that's where it's like, it feels like this is a club That does all the things to give their team the best advantages

And oh, we've lost two finals What can we do to make it a little bit more? You know what is it nice for them to just announce this A couple of days ago when we were in Washington And we could have talked to the president on national television But okay, whatever. Nice. It would also be nice to just announce this like a year

or two in advance. Like, you could plan things in advance. It's actually technically allowed. Okay, let's go into our power rankings. Let's start at the top. And I will say, I think for me, obviously, this is going to be about results. But I think it also will be about who has the best outlook of coming out of the break. And I know the transfer window doesn't open until after the break ends and games come back.

But I still think it's part of the conversation of like, really what the power rankings are, what I perceive as the future of this season and stuff like that. I would put Utah number one. Yeah. Okay. Even with San Diego actually sitting on top, we feel good about that? For what we said, I just think the momentum, the, they're undefeated in 10. Yeah.

Now, they're a game back of everybody. they went to, you know, they're going to be disappointed that they dropped two points, but I think just their momentum, their feel right now, I'm going to put Utah one. San Diego gets the win against Chicago to put them back into first place. But I just, right now I'm feeling, I'm going Utah. I'm going to talk. Okay. So we both have Utah won.

Can I convince you that San Diego is not two? Could I pitch you that Portland or Washington deserves to be number two, even though San Diego sits in first place? So the Chicago win, it should have been over way earlier. They had a ton of chances earlier in the game. They should have put it away. Fine. Chicago is kind of in their Achilles heel. And that's where the Orlando loss, the Houston tie, even all the way back to the Washington win, it just feels like the two Achilles Seals.

One is goalkeeper, which you have noted on very often and still continues to be a factor. And the other is the finishing. I don't know that there's a fix coming. And I don't know that I trust some of that. And like, I would pick San Diego first if I have to sit down and watch a game every day of the week. And I'm here for it. Obviously, I'm in the bag for Ken Zadali. Anything she does, I'm obsessed with.

She's the best person on the planet. But I think that I have more belief in Portland and Washington right now. and I'm even more impressed with some of the last few results, even with Portland going and losing at KC and even with Washington having lost at San Diego. Who are you pitching me then? Are you pitching me second is Washington or second as Portland? I would probably pitch you second as Washington when I get traction there.

I mean, this Washington team is a little confusing because they are, I think they're the best team. they're not up there right now. I mean, they are right, fourth, I believe. Yeah. They're fourth. They have, because of Concaf, they have two games in hand on Portland, three points behind, and a game in hand on Utah, three points behind, and two games in hand on San Diego.

I'll take debate. Okay. I think Washington. All right. So we're going to go Washington second, and then San Diego third or Portland third? I'm going to go, who, right now. I think you go San Diego, Portland. Okay.

I agree with you with Portland of how you're trying to get them above San Diego as well, but I do just think... To be clear, I had San Diego above Portland, too. Okay. I was just asking questions as the host, you know? All right. I thought Leah Godfrey was really good in the last game. I think she brings a frenetic energy to the attack that on top of Kenza Dali

that I think when she's not in is lacking. I think it becomes a little more predictable of Dujina on this side, Luchmila on this side, or Porchio on this side. They're going to go one v.1 when they get in, like, I think Godfrey moves the game around the final third more, and I think Ken Zadali does that as well. And I like her addition. So I think coming out of the break, that's probably the midfield three for me. And then obviously, give me this guy can do no wrong.

So we always have to have her in. We'll be back. We hope so. That is the big fingers crossed. And that would be obviously a big change, but I don't know that that's one we can believe in. Okay, so that gives us the top four currently already out. So then let's go down a step where into the Gotham,

Casey, North Carolina, Orlando sort of conversation. Last week, we had Gotham second in the league on our last one. So they were in the top five for us. Then we had Casey 6th, Orlando 7th, and North Carolina 8th. Here is the note for you. Gotham has conceded five goals in its first 11 games in league play. They conceded like eight in Mexico in two days. Yeah.

But that's a different conversation. And Kansas City, 23 straight unbeaten at home, 10 home wins in a row. So those are two nuggets and notes. Now, I will say on the KC side, they feel back. It's really, really exciting to watch. It's really fun. that stat almost hurts them in that winning home games for them doesn't prove things to me because it's almost expected, which isn't fair because those points count in the standings and it's going to get them somewhere and they're going to push up. And I think overall, obviously Gotham has had some really impressive performances. I would probably lean Gotham five. And I would probably be open to a conversation after that. What do you think? Yeah, I think Gotham, even though, gosh, this team, although we almost saw a stair bicycle kick, which would have been, you know, just put everything, no way it would be talking about anything else, but that, they, I just can't believe they won that game only one to nothing. Like, there is no ruthlessness to them in the attack. And they haven't scored a goal in the last 30 minutes of games. So they get this one to nothing lead. And then they're like, cool, we're good.

Yeah. Or two to me. I don't know. I think some of that also is like with Lavel's injury, they don't have the. Yeah. I think we thought Dudley would be an impact player off the bench. And that would change games. She's had to start.

I don't know. I'll watch you. She's so good. No, I totally agree with you. I guess when you have purse and yeah, yeah, yeah. Right. But if Dudley was starting and Rose Lavel was healthy, then you'd have Shepansky coming off the bench. You'd have Mitch Purse coming off the bench, right?

You'd be sliding Jaden Shaw around. Or Esther doesn't have to play the 90 minutes and now you get energy. I just think that's a little. A little bit of a lack for them. I'm good with Gotham in that next spot, though. But I will say this, and this is where I've landed, and we talked about this a little bit last week. I don't think Juan Carlos Omaros's teams show consistent improvement in style

and the way they dictate games, and therefore they always end up in these. We do enough to win, but we don't have these rampaging runs like a Utah's on, where it's just like we don't even know who we're playing because it doesn't matter. We're the only team on the field. And I don't think Gotham builds that. I think it helps for knockout competitions. I think it makes them more dangerous in playoffs. I think it hurts for regular seasons. So I'm fine if we're not sold on them, but it feels like they probably have been more consistent. I'm pretty sold on North Carolina right now, so you could talk me into them at six or Casey and Orlando with the other two we sort of had in that space. Yeah, I would say Gotham,

Kansas City, North Carolina, which is a giant jump for them. We had them at 1st. We had them at 8th last time. But before, oh, we had them at 9th. They've slowly been working up. We had them in 14th three weeks ago.

So they went from 14th to 9th. Yeah, okay. I was looking at the wrong one. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, I would, what I just say, Gotham, Kansas City, North Carolina.

Yeah. And then Orlando. So the issue is one injury with Orlando and two. I might go Denver then Orlando. Is the Denver piece tied to the addition of Lindsay Heaps? They've won three of the last four? Or what are they? Yes, three of four.

Three or four, I can look into it. What, they've only played four home games of the? Three home games of the 11 matches they've played. So they'll go home heavy. so the second half of the season. If we put Orlando in front of them, Orlando would be seventh and Denver would still be eighth? Yeah. No, Orlando would be eighth.

Eight. Okay. I think I'd put Denver higher. I think Denver, so let's go through it. Abby Smith's been phenomenal. Yeah. Like probably in a goalkeeper of your conversation already. The back line is believable and repeatable, especially through the centerback position and the defensive midfield position.

So like, I don't think it falls off for Denver anytime soon because I think the floor is high. And the ceiling now is they get to work together in this break because the players will get off for 10 days. They will then train for weeks for a club that had never played together, which I think is huge for them. They get a bulk of home games coming up. And at a minimum, they're adding the captain of the U.S. women's national team who just played in the Champions League final and then won a French league the week after. and potentially more with the rumors around Sam Cairn, whatever else, and what now. On the flip side for Orlando, I think it's also contingent on, where we rank them is contingent on we are concerned about this bandit injury.

Yeah. So I'm good with that. Okay. Okay. Okay. Cool. And then we have, so after that, what we had last week was Houston, Seattle. So that's a pretty big jump for us for Denver.

We haven't put Angel City in. They were sixth. So. No, you're on the wrong week. No, I'm not. Yeah. Last week we had Angel City at 12th, 529. I am on the wrong week.

Yeah. You want to put this back in for you? No, it's good. Okay. So last week we had we had Houston, 9th, Seattle, 10th. We had Denver 11th, so that's a big jump for Denver, and it drops down Orlando.

That's sort of the big switch for us. So we have Houston, Seattle in that space. Angel City, we had at 12th. 12th, so right behind that. And that's kind of that stretch there of results have not been there. Performances have at times. Which of them do we believe in? Which of them are we more impressed by?

In that, in this three, those three, I would say Houston, Angel City, Seattle would be my. Is the Seattle side, and I don't disagree with it because I kind of felt the same. is the Seattle side a level of both, is it like disappointment? Like you expect more. And that maybe gives them a ding where for Houston there was low expectations and so it's been impressive. And they have been injured for a team

that doesn't have a ton of depth with young pieces. You know, Van Santin's been out for a little while now. And so I think for Houston like- I just also expect Houston to score and I don't watch Seattle and expect them to score. 100%. Which I think is totally fair. Okay.

So that takes us into the final few spots. We have Bay, Chicago, Boston, and Louisville in those places, I believe. So of those teams, Chicago won two weeks ago, obviously with the red cards. Otherwise, combined, they have one win over the last four weeks. And I think you could kind of go any way. Bay is probably the best defensive team. Like nobody's made a case. for them to move up or down in those, do you?

I would say on performance of these four, I think Boston has been the best team over the last four weeks. Okay. I think on... What? Boston played Kansas City this weekend. That was who they played. Yeah, they lost one zero.

Yeah, that's true. Okay, I would agree with that. But they also went to Seattle and lost, too, which isn't talking to do. But I do, I do... I do think Bay, you know, they get the two red cards a game before. I thought they were actually pretty good in that game regardless of being down to two players, but they were also playing in Chicago. I think I just once goals start coming for those two teams,

like they are creating chances. I would say Bay and Boston are both creating chances. They're not more than the other two teams. Are you frustrated by the production behind you at BayFC as you try and finish goals as the starting center forward for the Italian national? team in Baye Fsing? I am. Look at me. I am Jarelli, and of course I am freshly. The thing with Bay is, and we got a lot of those comments over the last few weeks because

you've been on some of their games. The thing about Bay is if we were going to open up and say, okay, well, who's going to add players, whatever? I think it's most likely that Bay makes a big investment, right? The Putaea has thing, like, it's, feels like it could happen where I don't know that I mean I don't know what Boston's doing it's actually amazing to me I realized after their GM domes from Barcelona we never even brought them up we never even connected them to a player that he has known for 15 or 16 years and I think we could be wrong there right Boston's new like we don't actually know but the fact that Sam Kerr hasn't been connected when obviously chrissey is from the area and like it feels like a clear one yeah kind of

shows the sign of like this is not the game they want to play and they're not going out to be in these convos and so bay's the only team in here that could possibly add a player like that in saying that mal swanson is that player and has come back and now we'll have what a month and a half playing with the u.s and training to be that so i would go 14 bay 15 chicago six 16 Louisville, probably. Okay, I'm good with that. Okay. All right, we've got our final pair rankings for this first half of the season.

There's obviously going to be a lot more to change. I've talked about Katie McKee over and over. She just went to Chelsea, so that's not going to happen. I don't know, should I throw some Bunny Shaw rumors out there? Like, who knows? She resigned. Oh, did she resign officially? Yeah, she announced it at their trophy presentation.

Nice. Congratulations to the, on the FAA. up win to all of them. Okay, let's do a couple of these quick, and then we'll get out of here. We were going to do some mid-season award check-ins. Let's start with Coach of the Year. Actually, let's do this. We had biggest surprise and biggest disappointment.

I think that will set the stage for much of this conversation. Is there anyone besides Utah in biggest surprise? No. Okay. Portland would be the other one. Maybe San Diego, I don't know. Yeah, but I don't even think they're up there with like. Yeah.

What Utah's done. So then coming out of that, we have down Coach of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year, Defender of the Year, Rookie of the Year MVP. Okay. I think Utah has a claim in a lot of these and will be in a lot of these conversations. Yeah. Coach of the Year, I assume is Jimmy Coonratz right now. I'm all in. Okay.

Yeah. Who would be your second? Right now, maybe MacLand. Oh, interesting. thing. With the trajectory of North Carolina and they feel like they're on the up and I like teams with momentum. It feels like that might be mine. Okay. I think Villahom would be in there. Yeah. Yeah. It's hard to sort of put your finger on the pulse. I'm like, well, he arrived late. That's like the challenge, but also like, well, then does he get credit? But he coaches the team. And I'd of all, I think

for me, they play the best soccer and a lot of that stems from him and even the interview with Kenzo of like, what I'd have all the way he pushes players and all that stuff and the opportunity they give young players I think that would probably be my that was my top three before you brought up macklin which I'd fully appreciate and if they can stay on this trajectory to any extent I think he will definitely be a finalist for for defender of the year Kate elfava in the convo at least yeah and then I Kristen McNabb okay yeah she's awesome yeah awesome for San Diego. I actually was watching them and I'm like, I wish I had this San Diego team right now because she plays so many line breaking passes that start San Diego's attacks.

I just wanted to clip it and show the world how good she is. So I think she's in there. All right. We're going to have to get some clipping going so that we can get on top of that because I would love to see these highlights. Oh my gosh. So one of the issues for her would be in an award thing is Kenny Wesley's also been phenomenal and is a great defender and obviously he's getting the national team callups and so I think for them in general like both of them is why the team is so good makes it hard to maybe win an award um Kate Delphava as I mentioned will be in there and should be uh I think Tara Rudd would be in there and should be um I think those are probably the ones I would lean on right now uh goalkeeper of the year.

As I said, for me, I think Abby Smith, an obvious one. I think then Claudia Dickey would be the other one in my mind. Yeah. I'm trying to think of who would be second for me because I do think Abby Smith has been excellent. I'd have to go and look at like some of the, honestly, like some of the numbers, like shots that they've faced. I think Kalin Sheridan is a big reason why North Carolina is looking better as well. so she would most likely, in my mind, be at least in that conversation. Yeah, Sheridan feels like the big one for gameplay style.

Yeah. Have her line in possession, helps them press high, helps them get into the attack, which I think is valuable. I think people will say because of Gothen's run, AKB should be in that conversation with the shutouts, but I don't think she's done very much, which is predicted to the Falkham team. And I think at her standard, I think so far this is the worst she's played in NWS. She has been, in my mind, the best goalkeeper on the planet since she joined NWSL.

So like that sort of the scale. We could go with that right now and say that she's the leader. Okay, cool. That brings us to, I believe, rookie of the year and MVP. So let's start with rookie of the year. It seems to me at this point, because of how some of the Houston players have dropped off as it's gone along, that it's between Godfrey and Dudley. Yeah.

I don't know if there's another big name that I'm missing. Although I think you could put. Rader in there. I think Raiders should be in there. Yeah. I do think probably Godfrey with the impact with more minutes. She also has, she leads, tied lead for rookie goal score. I think she's actually in league because she has more assists.

Dudley's paying a big role on Gotham. Raiders playing a big role. his four goals. Who else? Devin Lynch was the other one. I think, Kevin Lynch could be in that as well. I mean, I think, here, let me go, look, I'm pretty sure she's played, as she played every minute of the season as a rookie.

Yeah, 900, 9003 minutes in 11th. She subbed out once, I think. Yeah. So that's pretty impressive. Yeah. For that group as well. I think those are the four big ones that stand out. I do think it's a really good class of players.

I wouldn't be surprised if other people insert themselves into this conversation in the second half of the season, like, whether it's a couple goals or just, like, becomes a lockdown starter for their team. I think Orlando has a couple options there if they end up needing that support in the attack. So I think there's a few different players. And then we get to MVP, which is always a tough one to have. And it's subjective and all these different things.

I think showing is on her way to being a factor. It's like that weird thing where it's almost because she was hurt. Does that actually show more? I couldn't give her that right now. because she hasn't played enough games and, like, hasn't been around at all. So I would say so far this year I mentioned Banda, and I think Dugina, those are, well, sorry, and Tanaka. Those are my three. Yeah.

I'll just say, like, I mean, it really just depends, again, with the momentum thing, like, if the momentum keeps going in favor of North Carolina, Sanchez will be in that, like, she probably right now is on the periphery just because North Carolina is not top of the table. but playing an MVP caliber. But yeah, Tanaka, you said Dugenia and Banda. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, the other big shouts, Moultrie, I think, has a legitimate conversation to be in here.

Yeah. You could convince me on a different San Diego player. Probably would be Dali. Yeah, I was going to say, it's hard for me not to just put her in that conversation because she's just excellent. Yeah. But she won't ever win that award because she won't have the goals. She won't have the assists.

But she'll pretty much have everything else. Right. And I think if they win a shield, there's a chance that it would be obvious to people. I would love that. I would love the day that a player like Ken Zadali wins MVP of this league. Now we're talking. All right. This is why we created Soccer Wise.

This is why we have Soccer Wise. Woso on Instagram. This is what we do. This is what we're here for. And then I will say, Monaca will have a show. If North Carolina finishes five or seven, I mean, you know, you don't come out of what she did last year and the conversation you were in, continue to play the way you play with all of the Japanese players, it's tough because of the Asian Cup. They miss some games, took some time, all that.

But I actually think after thinking through it, I probably land on Tanaka right now. Yeah. I mean, the central piece and like the heartbeat and the DNA of the best team. I like that. And it's all built around. Okay. Well, there's our awards. That's where they sit right now. A lot will change. So we'll talk about it as the teams continue to play. What do you mean? We're going to be right in every single thing that we said.

Yeah, for sure. Have you looked at your preseason stuff at all? Yeah, I have it on my billboard. I look at it a lot. The one thing I feel pretty good about was I think up until that, I think my band is showing a break was correct. I think I banned a golden boot and shawinga MVP. heat. So I think I felt pretty good about that one. I mean, showing them might win both. I think I tried to forget them because I don't feel good about any of them. Yeah. I don't think I feel good about any of the rest of them either. I know I don't feel good about the standings. I think like my last three teams are the top three teams in the league.

But that's why this league is fun, parody and everything else that's possible. So we love covering it here. As I said, we'll have a bunch more coverage coming up. We also will have a daily World Cup show on the men's side. So if you are getting excited about that, if you want to be a part of it. I think we have the voices that have the best conversations about soccer. I think it'll be informative. I think it'll be fun. And I think it's the right place to be. So every day at 9.30 a.m. Eastern Time will be live on YouTube. And then the show will be out as a podcast within 15, 20 minutes of us finishing. We'll have USM&T coverage. We'll have previews a few days before every single game. We're going to do post game shows as well like we did for the Senegal game.

And then we're going to add in some other special stuff, whether it's some big interviews, some Canada coverage, Mexico coverage, whatever else we can figure out. We're going to be living and breathing this thing for six to seven weeks and I could not be more excited. There's a lot of bullshit around it and I understand the frustration. I'm going to a couple of games. Like I understand all of that. But in the end, there's three to four soccer games a day that the whole world is going to tune in for for a stretch of time and there's just nothing else like that. And I think that's going to be really cool. So I am excited for that. Please tune in. Please share it with people if you know who are like, oh, I'm going to get into this. How do I do it?

Please send them to us. Whatever form it is, it'll be both on our soccer-wise and our first touch feeds. Okay. Well, that's all for us. For now, we'll be back next week. We'll recap everything we saw with the U.S.-Brazil games, as well as the other stuff around the FIFA windows. Maybe some more reports or rumors around some signings,

as obviously a lot's happening in Europe, which takes some big-name players off the board, but also keep some still out there, Micah Putea. So thank you to all of you for listening. Thank you, of course, to you, Jordan, for being here, We'll talk to you all again very, very soon.