Casual FC

ANGELA: Hey everyone.

Welcome to Casual fc, an Angel
City Match preview and Footy

therapy Pod featuring two count
'EM two certified footy therapists.

I'm your incredibly forgetful
and slightly spacey.

Host Angela Morales with my fantastically
forgiving and wonderful co-host, Mr.

Mario Salazar

like Q Applause, and we're here

MARIO: Yes.

We're here.

we are here.

That is a thing.

ANGELA: by the skin of our teeth.

We are here talk about the upcoming
match against the Houston Dash on

Sunday, October 12th at BMO at 2:00 PM.

MARIO: Yep.

ANGELA: In the daytime, the sun is

MARIO: Yep.

It's going to be a brunch game.

yeah.

brunch, brunch, breakfast, tailgate.

yeah.

And that's gonna be.

ANGELA: be, or go ahead.

MARIO: I was just gonna say that's
the same thing for the next match too.

It's gonna be a 2:00 PM brunch match,

ANGELA: games.

MARIO: yeah.

ANGELA: 2:00 PM kickoff fan fest starts
at 10:00 AM at BMO at Christmas Tree Lane.

Come hang out with the homies.

I'll probably be there
for some part of it.

I never go early anymore 'cause
I can't eat, so I have to like

you can't eat at the stadium
or the food trucks or anything.

Food allergies are stupid you guys.

But if you can't make it to the game.

Watch it on ESPN.

If you can't watch it on TV or
whatever device, up the iHeartRadio

app and listen to Isaac and Tracy.

Just search Angel City FC and it'll
come up and then you get to hear

them hoot and holler all game.

MARIO: Yep.

ANGELA: And then it's also gonna
be on KFWB as everybody knows.

I still think it's a news
station, but it's not.

It's Spanish radio and you
should listen to it if you wanna

listen to the game in Spanish.

MARIO: Yep.

ANGELA: And then it's also
Native American Heritage Night.

So it's, I'm sorry for the butchering that
I'm about to do, but it's presented by

the Yuhaaviatam of the San Manuel Nation,
which I wanna know what this means.

So I will be Googling post this because
of some things that happened tonight,

which we cannot wait to tell you about.

But we're gonna talk about some stuff
that happened over the weekend and

then get into the upcoming match.

Mario, tell us about some things.

MARIO: Yeah.

okay, so next match is native commer,
native American heritage night.

this past weekend was
Hispanic heritage night,

ANGELA: Woo.

MARIO: and there was a beautiful

ANGELA: It

MARIO: Mosaic tifo that.

Of Frida Kalo, right?

Yes.

that went up is it looked amazing.

Bravo to all of the sgs that were a
part of it, all of the volunteers.

I know at one point, I know at one point
I put out the call on our Instagram

about look, even if you're not.

Part of an sg but you've always wanted
to be part of one of these events.

Reach out to them like they're
looking for volunteers.

it's a big community
event, community thing.

And really, it looked beautiful.

It was amazing.

ANGELA: started to unveil it.

So it came up and the top of it said,

look at me.

I can speak Spanish tonight.

So that's at the top and
then it starts to pull up.

And you just see more and more of it.

You see the flower crown of that
quintessential Frida kalo self portrait.

I think the entirety
of the stadium gasped.

'cause it full on You just hear it.

Hear it.

You just heard this like from everyone.

And then this eruption of just ritos,
clapping, yelling like everything.

It was beautiful.

Good

MARIO: Yeah.

ANGELA: I'm

MARIO: Yes.

ANGELA: proud to know you.

So proud to be associated
with you guys like it.

It genuinely brought tears to my eyes is
doing it again now because it was like

the ultimate like gut punch of the culture
and the best way of just yeah, we're here

MARIO: Yeah.

ANGELA: we didn't even
it was funny because, It.

So it says, up top.

then, what was it?

What is it?

I have it on my phone 'cause obviously
I took a thousand billion pictures.

RA

fea down at the bottom.

And the funny thing is this is I had
to translate it for somebody and I

have the word tattooed on my leg.

And I was like, it means,

MARIO: It means leg.

ANGELA: it means our, and
I'm like, it's strength.

It's our strength.

Like it, Vero, who sits in front
of me, 'cause that's who I was

explaining, is explaining it to her mom.

'cause you know how like things
don't directly translate.

MARIO: Yeah.

Yeah.

ANGELA: one of them.

And so I'm like, it means like our
culture, our identity, our race.

It's like a all encompassing word.

She's oh, okay.

And now it's like our culture, our
collect in this case, because it's

like Hispanic heritage tonight.

It's all of us.

So it's like our people in
that sense, our strength.

And then she goes, you finally
figured out what that word meant.

And I was like, thanks, sorry.

And now we're like good friends too.

So she like, she ribs me a
little bit sometimes and I'm

like, oh, we've eclipsed it.

hi Melissa.

But it was really funny 'cause
I'm sitting there like, why can't

I think of what this word is?

And I'm like, it's on my body,
like permanently inked my body.

Good job Angela.

I've been having a great 24 hours.

MARIO: I will, I do wanna.

ANGELA: beautiful.

MARIO: I also want to call out or
shout out, listener of the pod.

Jenny.

Jenny was the, community, I forget
what the title, volunteer impact.

She was being honored and
recognized, for her contributions.

and so she was out on
field, before the game.

There was hootin, there was hollering.

We promised.

ANGELA: in as

MARIO: Woohoo in.

Yeah.

we promise.

Not by the same person.

We kept it as requested

ANGELA: Yes.

MARIO: Hootin Anne Hollering did.

ANGELA: you could holler, you could
Yahoo, you could wahoo, but you

couldn't do both at the same time.

MARIO: Yeah.

ANGELA: was the her stipulation to us.

MARIO: but big congratulations
for the recognition to,

listener of the pod, Jenny.

It's, it's fun.

It's fun to be like, Hey,
we know these people.

They're.

ANGELA: and

MARIO: They're our friends.

ANGELA: to find out how long she's
been volunteering at the center

and with the LGBT community.

I could just text her and ask
her, but why would I do that?

I will wait until She'll listens or
until her husband Dustin listens.

MARIO (2): Okay, so this is probably gonna
be a really harsh cut because I don't

know where the mic started flipping out.

ANGELA (2): mic freaked out guys.

So sorry for the weird edit.

But Jenny, overall thank you for
the work you do for the LGBTQ oh

my LGBTQIA plus community so that
we can continue to survive in

this weird ass world we live in.

MARIO (2): Yeah.

Yeah.

as you can tell, this is
definitely a Shena episode.

ANGELA (2): it's my fault.

MARIO (2): we've been skipping
the Chaos Award for the last

couple weeks, mainly because.

Yeah, there's so many
things going on right now.

I think all of us are hyper-focused on
what's going on with Angel City and the

kind of small chances that we've had here
and there that also some weekends we have

time to watch all the matches and figure
out a chaos thing, and sometimes we don't.

but this week we have a chaos award.

We have a chaos award that was awarded.

Not 20 minutes ago.

I am sitting in my kitchen waiting.

it was okay 'cause I was having
a bowl of cereal, sitting in my

kitchen and then I was like, shredded
wheats, frosted shredded wheats.

ANGELA (2): you are?

I got, I get it, but like I was
really hoping for CIN Toast Crunch.

Or

MARIO (2): was fr it was frosted
shredded wheats with, rice Krispies.

I'm a weirdo.

I like mixing my cereals.

ANGELA (2): Oh no.

If you mix Lucky Charms and CTC,
that's the best combination there is.

MARIO (2): CTC.

Oh, okay.

ANGELA (2): Yeah.

MARIO (2): I'm not up on that.

Ling on the cereal lingo then.

ANGELA (2): I can't have it anymore, so
I just make other people eat it for me.

So tell everybody

MARIO (2): yes, so I text Angela because I
haven't heard from her in a bit and we're

getting up to the time and I thought I
was late because all of a sudden I'm like,

oh, I haven't, usually I'll text Angela
to say, Hey, I'm heading to the back.

I'll start getting set
up to record whatever.

And and then, she was like,
oh, I'm already ready to go.

I'm waiting for you, or whatever.

Or oh, I'll be there too.

I'm gonna set up, I text her.

The text that I get back, let's
go verbatim here, is, oh my God.

And then I completely
forgot, gimme five minutes,

Jesus fucking Christ.

And then a picture of her going oh, no,

ANGELA (2): Just this

normally.

Okay, so normally

MARIO (2): no.

ANGELA (2): or Tuesday after I
get off work, I come home, I get

my notes together, Eva and I like
meld our brains and dig deep into

the Lord to get the good stuff.

This is for those of you who are LIS or
who are watching on YouTube or whatever.

I'm, and those of you who are listening,
I'm currently gonna show my list of

things that I wrote down at work that I
needed to do after work when I got home.

Okay.

So there's like a checklist.

Do you notice how nothing is checked off?

Especially the prep for recording.

My pen got weird, so it
looks like a weird box.

I literally did nothing.

I came home.

Eva had rehearsal, so
she wasn't even here.

I came home from work and
I just sat on the couch.

I didn't turn the TV on.

I sat here in silence until the sun went
down and then I was like, oh, it's dark.

I should probably get up.

Then my mom texted me and was
like, Hey, can you come here

to like to the front house?

I said, sure, and then
I was there for an hour.

Then Eva got home and we ate
dinner and I'm like, oh, hey,

like I no joke, like two.

Milliseconds before I got the alert
on my phone that Mario had texted me,

I was about to look at Eva and say,
do you wanna just migrate and just go

rot in bed before we both fall asleep.

It's nine 30 and then I look at my phone
and I think I levitated off the couch.

I scared the bejesus outta her.

She's are you okay?

I was like, oh my God.

I forgot I have to record.

She started laughing so hard.

She like couldn't breathe.

She started wheezing.

Both of us just sat here for
a hot minute, what do we do?

I realize I have not charged my iPad.

MARIO (2): No, that was,

ANGELA (2): 3%.

MARIO (2): I was gonna say, the
text message continues with, I

gotta get my iPad to power on
because the battery is dead.

And I'm like, oh no.

She said, I'm a mess.

It's literally at 1%.

ANGELA (2): So we're gonna
go, I'm gonna be going off the

dome and, talking about things.

So I'm sorry for whatever is incorrect.

Whatever is weird.

Actually, I'm not sorry
for the weird shit.

You should be fine

MARIO (2): yeah,

ANGELA (2): Hello.

MARIO (2): thank you for
being here and yes, hello.

ANGELA (2): you.

hello.

but yeah, I also, this is really random.

It's not really chaos, but I was part
of a card break with Jillian last week

and I bought in on the Orlando cards,
so I got a whole stack of cool shit.

She, they did a whole case of hanger
boxes, which are the ones you can

get like target or card shops or
whatever, and I wound up with a

five out of five rookie signature.

So

MARIO (2): Ooh.

ANGELA (2): I might sell it.

Who knows?

But

yeah.

MARIO (2): All right.

So all of that chaos behind us, we
are here, we are ready to record.

I don't know why.

ANGELA (2): in

MARIO (2): Ready?

I was one more, one more tangent
to add to everything else.

last week life got.

Life did life things, and we just
couldn't record at our normal time.

We usually record Tuesday and release
on Wednesday, so we pushed it by a day.

We recorded on Wednesday,
released on Thursday.

And then I was, when Jen's oh, are
you gonna go out to record tonight?

And I'm like, oh no,
we're gonna skip tonight.

We're gonna push it for a day.

She's oh, okay.

That sounds cool.

I'm like, yeah.

And then I told her, I went and I
posted up like in our Instagram,

Hey guys, no episode today.

Felt like I needed to say something.

She's oh yeah, why don't you just
move your recording days then?

And I'm like, no.

We've established Wednesday already.

I, we can't change this.

It's been every single Wednesday.

ANGELA (2): For two years.

Three years.

MARIO (2): I don't know anymore.

It's fun.

It's been fun times, fun years.

It's what it is.

All right, let's quickly go over
the scores around the league.

we were the last match of the weekend,
which actually went Friday to Monday.

let's see.

Houston and Orlando Tide won one racing
beat, North Carolina three to one.

Portland, beat Bay two to one Washington.

Spirit beat, the wave two to one.

Chicago and Utah, tied two to two
and so did Gotham and Seattle.

They tied zero zero and then we
got to our match on Monday against

the number one Kansas City current.

suffice to say that we went into this
match knowing what was going to happen.

But hopeful with some of the things
that were happening, like the squad

being rotated for Kansas City.

our lineup when it came out looked great.

so break it down.

You were at the game.

It was a school night.

I couldn't make it there.

so I got to see everything vicariously
through Instagram posts and through

videos of the tifo and all of that stuff.

But yeah.

ANGELA (2): so we lost one.

Nothing in the second half is
when Michelle Cooper scored.

I had to like literally pull it up
right now on my phone to see who

they actually credited the goal to.

'cause it was credited to three
different people during the

game in the stadium, on the app.

The Angel City app on

and then like Blue Sky and everything, it
was credited to three different players

and then, oh no, it's this person.

Oh no, it's this person.

'cause they all collided, it was
eventually credited to Michelle Cooper.

I will say, for the amount
of and the amount of change.

That Angel City has experienced
over the last two or three months.

really proud of how
cohesive the defense was.

And that's one thing we haven't lost.

there's lapses, whatever.

Sure that's gonna happen on any team, no
matter how solid, but we hung in there for

three quarters of the game, essentially.

MARIO (2): I feel from the, it was.

It was a school night.

Things were a little bit off for
me at home, so a lot of what I was

watching was in spurts, basically
as I kept walking by the tv.

but all the bits that I
saw, there was good things.

There was potential, there was growth.

ANGELA (2): you.

The Hena June mbi Triangle of Goodness.

I cannot wait.

I cannot wait for this to grow and
develop even more and also foreshadowing

to the Olympics in the World Cup.

Japan is a problem

MARIO (2): Yeah.

ANGELA (2): best way and.

Ugh.

The three of them on the pitch
at the same time was insane.

It was so easy, it was so fluid, and
like we will get more goals out of

the three of them they're all on this.

Like they already have it.

They've already locked in.

It's, I'm so excited
to watch this develop.

MARIO (2): It was, there was a lot
of really fluid plays, a lot of

linking plays, which was great.

One downside that I did notice in the few
times that I just kept glancing at the

tv, we kept passing back to the keeper.

We kept.

ANGELA (2): that was either by, from
what I could tell, it was either by

design or to stretch out something.

Because a lot of times when we were
doing that, everything was really

crowded and you couldn't get a good
look in, so they had to redirect.

whatever, and that's gonna happen.

You're never always gonna
have forward passing.

You

MARIO (2): No.

ANGELA (2): sometimes.

And that's essentially like getting
it back to your point guard after

the ball's been in the post or like
pushing the ball around so that

you have more room to move around.

'cause they were, Kansas City is
really good at defensive direction

and like pushing the opposing team
to where Kansas City wants them

to be, not where they wanna be.

And that's what was happening a lot.

And I think we also
get in our heads a lot.

like our strikers spends Riley,
like they're still young and

it's still like hot and cold.

And with the way things have changed and
the way lineups have changed and the way

the environment and the team has changed,
like they're all thinking too much.

And I think a lot of that, I think I
said it in the discord, I think a lot

of it comes from what happens when
you get, you're learning a new system.

so focused on doing the right thing
in that play or in that direction

that you forget to go with your gut.

And like you have to have
the balance between the two.

Like you have the general idea of this
is what we're doing as a team, but if

you have an open shot, take the shot.

don't overthink that part.

That's the instinct.

And that's where I think everything's
a little mucky and cloudy because

so much has been stirred up.

you know when you go to the beach and.

is still and clear and it's like you
can see it and you can around a little

bit, but then all of a sudden if you
shuffle around your feet too much, the

sand kicks up and it gets all muddy.

That's where we're at right now.

We just need everything to settle
back in and once we have a solid

lineup and people aren't moving, what
feels every two weeks, we'll be okay.

MARIO (2): Yeah.

Yeah.

it was a very well fought out game.

it was unfortunate, like the, the goal
that happened with it happened so quick.

It was from like that
throw in it just like I.

ANGELA (2): Halftime
starts 15 minutes later,

volt Co makes subs.

He brings in.

Reto Michelle Cooper.

And when that happened, I said,
shit, and then play starts.

And then I went, damn it.

And that's when she, like it was
immediate coop just had the ball and

it was in, and it was like this weird
shuffle in the box, like it was it was.

But it was one of those where
I'm like, damn, that was fast.

But I'm also very proud of

MARIO (2): Yeah.

ANGELA (2): Angel City because we did not.

Let up any other goals.

It happened.

They bounced back and they locked the
defense down again and we had some really

good shots towards the end of the game.

I think it was just a little it.

Our cohesion hit too late in the game.

I think if it had hit like 10, 15
minutes sooner, we would've been able

to equalize, which would've been insane.

MARIO (2): Yeah.

Yeah, I think it, I think this was
really one of those games where, there

is no, there's no doubting Kansas City.

there.

Dominant season has been very clear
and they've, the few draws that they've

had have been like seemingly flukes
or there's been like, reasons why.

And then, yeah.

So with, I will say you're welcome.

Kansas City.

We helped you in achieving

ANGELA (2): make history.

MARIO (2): make history.

now you can go ahead and make history
with the next team because, You are,

what is it, one point away from breaking
the most points in a single season.

So a Gira will get you tied and
a win will break the record.

So go do that with someone else.

We helped you with one record.

Someone else can help
you with another one.

ANGELA (2): It's just so much, but
overall, after the game, Mario posted

up footy therapy, time off by this much.

I'm grateful for this new emoji.

They're like itty bitty one.

So Ethan came in quickly because as we
found out on Sunday, he has an alarm

set to remind him to ride a haiku.

And he freaked out because he's

MARIO (2): He couldn't remember the game.

ANGELA (2): And then was like, oh no.

But the best part was that
he dmd me before the game.

Is this you?

And it's like a picture of
me and my mom in the corner

because nobody was in 2 27 yet.

Absolutely no one.

We were there by ourselves for 10 minutes.

We're like, hello.

But, it was very funny.

So we were just like being weird and
sending each other pictures back and forth

from four sections away from each other.

But Ethan said, fuller put in work in
all caps, shores, endo, pushing ball up.

Hena Agita, which yeah, Heina
Sida is going to be bonkers.

And Max came in.

The angels played well against
Kansas City defensively.

Solid midfield looked very good.

Heena, yeah, she's gonna
work magic with this team.

Kennedy Fuller kid continues to ball,
which, yeah, and I knew Heena Sida coming

in was gonna be a big game changer for us.

But seeing it with my own eyeballs, like I
get, I would get frustrated when we play.

Portland because Henas so good.

And I'm just like, ugh.

Hena hive.

Can I please become a member?

We are gonna be putting out merch.

We already talked about it earlier
today, before I completely forgot

that this whole thing existed.

Hena Hive, please.

I would like to be a participant
because she her, and it, It's so good.

I'm so glad I don't have to be
frustrated about he aita anymore.

I can just be excited that she's
on my team, hopefully for a while.

MARIO (2): yeah.

So then we had Joel coming
in with and he's not wrong.

Looking forward to enjoying the
next three games of pre preseason.

Hopefully they can figure out how
to avoid the few defenses lapses,

defensive lapses, game at this point.

ANGELA (2): Yeah,

MARIO (2): but yeah.

TJ also said, the most
frustrating moment was watching

ANGELA (2): Yep.

MARIO (2): aa, AA direct the
defenders to cover the exact

spot where Cooper scored from.

ANGELA (2): Yep.

It was on a throw in or a free
kick or something like that.

And she's like pointing like right there.

And then it was just like, dang.

that got,

but yeah, it was a decent game.

MARIO (2): yeah.

ANGELA (2): Yeah.

I think Cassandra brought the best
point of gave ourselves more to

be proud of and we narrowed on
narrowed down our to work on list.

So it's like there's like we've
mentioned over the last couple

weeks of everything is changing.

Stuff doesn't make any sense sometimes,
but you see the flashes in the pan and

those flashes get a little brighter.

They burn a little longer and
they're starting to connect.

But again,

Heena, June, endo, me,
Abby, all day, every day.

MARIO (2): Yeah.

ANGELA (2): of them on that side.

Our left side is like left
side strong side for sure.

But we need to develop the right
side Giselle was wide open.

That was another thing.

And Vera pointed it out too, like
Giselle's just standing there hello, hi.

I am here.

And I think if we can develop
that our right side a little

bit we will be a bigger threat

MARIO (2): Yeah.

ANGELA (2): because it's harder to
guard everywhere than it is one side.

MARIO (2): Yeah.

yeah.

So that's what it, the
game is what it was.

I, a friend, actually, I gave my friend,
the tickets to the game and he text me.

He's he had a blast.

ANGELA (2): Good.

MARIO (2): he thought it was a fun game.

too bad they didn't win, him, him and
his brother-in-law and sister-in-law

went and, they had a great time.

yeah, I'm glad to see,
the steps moving forward.

And we've all been seeing it little
by little, and I know that it can

get frustrating at times when we're
like, we wanna see big changes and

ANGELA (2): Yeah.

MARIO (2): I think at some
point there was like a, a.

Again, there was like a Reddit post of are
we done with, I'm like, he just got here.

What are you talking about?

ANGELA (2): It is

MARIO (2): we can't be done.

ANGELA (2): Yeah,

MARIO (2): We can't be done.

No.

so honestly, we're seeing all
those little increments we set.

We were keeping our hopes high for
something to happen this season.

Knowing that was our hopes being put
high and a harsh reality might be

like, no, that's not gonna happen.

And you know what, we're landing
right in the middle of that.

Like we're progressing really well.

We're not bottom of the table.

He's kept us in the area.

ANGELA (2): honestly.

MARIO (2): Yeah.

And yes, there have been losses, but
there's been progress and I think.

I think that's the silver lining
we can take from all of this.

so with all of that, let's
check out our standings.

We are still in 11th place.

none of the other teams did us any
favors, last week, and we didn't.

we tried, but we could not
do ourselves a favor there.

so really.

Again, the only option is if we win,
we can possibly, we can move up to

10th place because we are playing
the team that's in 10th place.

So that's it.

we'd flip flop.

unfortunately there are a couple
more scenarios of how we can get

eliminated this week at this point.

versus rather than us jumping
up and leapfrogging a couple.

the one that will.

Just definitely no matter what happens the
rest of the weekend, if we have a draw or

a loss, we are out and we are going down
solo, dash will be safe for another week.

So it is that's just the reality of that.

but if we wanna take down Dash with us.

like you're going down the ship with us.

we could win.

And if the wave win and racing
either at very least, gets a draw,

ANGELA (2): Then

MARIO (2): we.

ANGELA (2): out.

MARIO (2): Then we're both out.

Yeah, we take them down with us
like we're, eh, it is what it is.

new teams playoff bound for
this week would be the thorns.

The thorns can make it into the playoffs,
with a wave loss and a pride loss.

Or Gotham can make it into the playoffs
with a win and then a wave draw.

We're rooting for Gotham here
and their result, because

their result means we stay up

ANGELA (2): Yeah, that part.

MARIO (2): that part.

again, elimination station, the
dash will go down if again, the wave

and the racing result goes their
way and we go down with them too.

there is, when I was.

Fooling around with all the little
buttons and dropdowns and everything.

There is a doomsday scenario.

I'm calling it the doomsday scenario,
just because it, yeah, it would

basically, it takes everyone, yeah.

A win from racing, from the
spirit, from the wave, and from us.

Plus, at the very least,
a draw for the pride.

Nobody clinches this week.

Nobody clinches a new playoff spot,
but everybody else from ninth all

the way down have been eliminated.

ANGELA (2): Jesus.

MARIO (2): so the playoffs will be
set as in like the top eight, but

all of their positions beyond the
first two will be, up for grabs.

ANGELA (2): crazy.

MARIO (2): So that means we will be
eliminated along with the dash and

the courage all in one fell swoop.

we again, are the last match of the
weekend, so we will know by Saturday

evening what our fate will be.

ANGELA (2): Yeah, pretty much.

MARIO (2): So that's what's going on.

a Angel City fans are gonna be reluctant
Utah and Chicago fans this weekend because

that they're the ones that need help us.

ANGELA (2): they've been
spoiling people, so who knows?

MARIO (2): Yeah.

And like I said, in order for us to go
down, first of all, we just need a win

right against the dash and come on.

Yeah, but second, we just
need the other teams to draw.

we don't need them to beat the way.

We don't need them to beat racing.

We just need you to draw
them and we'll be good.

ANGELA (2): yeah, absolutely.

MARIO (2): But all of that is leads
up to who we're actually playing

ANGELA (2): who were

MARIO (2): the return of Paige.

ANGELA (2): And because I didn't
write any notes, like I said,

we're flying off the cuff.

I'm going off what's in my brain,

who knows right now if it's worth
anything, but we'll find out.

So

the dash is in this weird semi
similar to Angel City Space.

They.

MARIO (2): they've actually
jumped up 'cause they were bottom

of the table at the beginning
of the season, like first half.

Yeah.

And then coming into this, they've
been on a pretty good run that has

brought them up and has kept them in
that possible playoff conversation.

So

ANGELA (2): Absolutely.

So

MARIO (2): you can't discount them.

Yeah.

ANGELA (2): I'm literally pulling up
the roster right now 'cause I don't

wanna get names wrong 'cause I have
people in my head that I wanna talk

about, but I don't wanna screw it up.

And normally I'm very prepared
and I'm very sorry, but this

is hysterical at the same time.

who do I want?

Who is it?

Who is it?

Who is it?

There it is.

Okay.

So I'm gonna first, normally
I'd be like Michelle Paige, no.

We're gonna talk about some other
people tonight because that's more fun.

I'm gonna start with talking about Avery
Patterson, and I think I mentioned her in

the last episode when we played them in.

She's become this New superstar a little
bit for them and for the national team.

She's a forward, she's in
Incre, incredibly young.

Oh my God.

I don't even wanna talk
about how young she is.

but she's become this, she's a younger
player who's incredibly mature.

She's 23, I guess she's not like
super young, but like still,

I feel like that's a child.

I, if I was a teen mom,
I could be her mom.

Like it.

That's the part that I hear in my
head that's whoa, and I figure it out.

MARIO (2): if I was a teen mom.

ANGELA (2): It's true.

I'm, I wasn't, I do not, I did
not partake in teen mom hood, but

she is.

She's just consistent.

She scores some nasty goals, both
for Houston and the national team.

She's persistent.

She's incredibly aggressive on the
ball in a really cool way, and she's

really fun to watch, genuinely.

And I feel like players Paige on the
team who are like these older veteran

players who have played internationally,
but not like within their, their

country system like Paige played in.

Whole different, I can't even remember
what country she's played in right now,

but she's played in multiple different
countries before she got into the NWSL

and it, her story is fantastic, but like
you have, when you have younger players

who can learn from people who've played.

of the US and like understanding soccer
culture internationally, not just at like

national tournaments, but in different
leagues and in different environments.

It gives those younger
players such a gift.

'cause that's not always an
opportunity that they get.

Or they might end up in the yes,
I'm biased because the NWSL has

the most parody is one of the
better leagues in the world.

if you start here, it's lot different.

And You, there's only a few other
leagues you'd wanna go play in to stay

at that caliber versus you starting
off in a smaller league, like in like

Nordic There's smaller countries as it
is, like in Iceland, there's a lot of

people there, but there's not half as
many as there are in the United States.

You know what I mean?

it's the population is smaller.

You're not actively, like
that's where I want to go play.

Unless you do, there's always
that caveat, no, I just wanna stay

and play professionally at home.

By all means, do that no shade.

But when you are somebody like
Avery Patterson, Alyssa Thompson,

like you start in one of the most
competitive, if not the most competitive

league in the world for women.

Your ability to go to other places
gets smaller and smaller because are

you gonna find that somewhere else?

That's all.

I think Avery Patterson's great and
she's a threat and we need to mark her.

And I hate the fact that
just came outta my mouth.

'cause every time I say it, that's
the person who scores on us.

Alexander Strauss, if you're listening,
please like somebody with the team, please

just make sure nobody gets her the ball.

Messiah Bright is also there,
and I don't know if she has

played too much this season.

I have not watched a lot of Houston games.

They've either been when I couldn't watch
games or they were on at a different

time, but this team is really good.

And similarly, like in the way that.

I say angel City's been good
on paper for four years.

We've just not had the right
pieces in the right place with the

right people to lead the charge.

Same thing with Houston.

They have not been dealt that make
sense wise, coaching wise, front office

wise, ownership wise, like it's just
been like shuffling of the deck and

there's a lot of parallels and now.

Angela Hug Magno is now their
gm, so she went from us to them.

So that's another thing.

And she's, think, had a lot more
freedom than she did here to build

a team because she has made some
fantastic trades to get people there.

Yasmine Ryan, who I believe I talked
about her the first time too, like

Yasmine Ryan, Messiah, Bright, and
one other player on the team who, I

don't remember who it is, all played in
college together and that connection.

Is wonderful.

But I think really for Houston
overall, they have veteran

experience to lead the charge, to
lead what they're doing right now.

they just needed better coaching,
front office support, and I think with

the dynamo and the dash separating
themselves from each other a little

bit, it's allowing the dash to have
more of an identity on the pitch.

head coach, what's his first name?

fabric.

who's Mo?

Bryan's husband.

So if women's national team, soccer
obrien is a phenom who was, has

had an injury plagued career.

She just recently retired from the
league, is finishing essentially

her career overseas, which I
dunno, but they're still married.

So she's mo tro.

in my head she's still Mo Bryan.

And I think for most of us she is.

'cause I was like, who is this?

Another, like

MARIO (2): No nuptial kit for that one.

ANGELA (2): a nuptial kit for sure.

But she is a fantastic player and
I think he is a very good coach.

I'm just curious to see if he stays
with the team after the season,

given that MO'S playing overseas.

So I'm curious what happens with
that and with the end of her

career and his coaching career.

But I really like genuinely
in the same way that I hope.

We in Angel City can figure it out.

hope Houston can because they like, I just
want this team to be full of insanely good

teams because we are, there's just weird
little caveats that teams like Angel City

and Houston have been dealing with over
the last few seasons of just I don't know.

We've got investments sometimes and
not others in weird places and it's

growing pains of the league, of
teams, of expansion, all of that.

Like I said, this episode
is wonky and feel free to DM

me anytime before the game.

If you want more information,
I'll actually give it to you.

So overall, like Houston is good and they
will surprise you and I, this is another

one of those teams similar to racing where
it doesn't make sense why they aren't

higher up in the standings, where it's,
there's certain teams where you just look

at it and you're like, I don't get it.

What is happening?

And then.

get beat at the death with a
goal, then you're like, oh, does

MARIO (2): yeah.

So we've got an uphill
battle, so do the dash.

they're in the same boat that we are.

yeah.

Yeah.

ANGELA (2): outcome

MARIO (2): So we.

They're gonna be playing

to win, to survive.

We are gonna be playing to win, to
survive, or to take them down with us.

ANGELA (2): Essentially, we
just need to play to win and

leave it at that standings be

MARIO (2): and leave and Exactly.

and like we said, we
are the last match of.

The weekend, which means we will know
if our win will take them down with

us and make them play even harder,
because without, without a result for

them, like it's over for both of us.

so that being said again, match
is going to be Sunday, October

12th against the Houston Dash.

It's at BMO at 2:00 PM so
it's gonna be a brunch match.

Tailgating's gonna start, at 10:00 AM
Fan Fest is gonna start at 10:00 AM.

It's gonna be streaming on ESPN and if
you can't watch it and you can't be at

the stadium, you can always listen to
it on iHeartRadio with Isaac and Tracy.

And on KFWB for the Spanish broadcast,
it's Native American Heritage Afternoon.

They can't really say night.

yeah, they'll, it's, it'll be a fun, it'll
be a fun night, afternoon, day of soccer.

Wear your sunscreen.

It's a 2:00 PM match.

All of you on the east side of the
stadium are gonna burn, that everybody

in the north and in the supporters in LA
FORTELEZA you guys are gonna burn too.

So please drink water.

get your sunblock, sunscreen
on and, enjoy the match.

so yeah, if you like what you
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ANGELA (2): There's

MARIO (2): check out the,

ANGELA (2): and dogs.

We just met a new, a new
puppy friend who looks like a

MARIO (2): yes.

ANGELA (2): dog, and
he's so frigging cute.

MARIO (2): It just looks like
a big old Hable pretend dog.

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ANGELA (2): man, this, I'm so sorry.

Like genuinely, I'm so sorry.

I can't, like I've been thinking
about this all day, like you

have to get home and write your
notes and what did I do rotted?

MARIO (2): we all have those days.

It's totally fine.

go grab some merch at shop.casualfc.com.

Who knows?

There's definitely going to have to
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ANGELA (2): We gotta figure

MARIO (2): next year.

Yeah.

Yeah.

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with that, have a great week
everybody, and we'll see you on Sunday.

We'll, we'll know what our
fate will be by then, so bye.