Casual FC

Angela: Yeah.

I feel that

also, sorry if you can hear my
dishwasher everyone, it's, running.

Okay, cool.

Probably gonna,

oh,

Mario: Oh, it's that time of night.

Welcome to Casual fc, an Angel City Match
preview and Footie Therapy Pod, featuring

three podcast certified footy therapists.

Today, I'm your host, Mario Salazar, with
my Always Forever co-host Angela Morales.

And our special guest that you
can see if you are watching

us on the YouTubes already

is Casey, sorry, I was gonna fuck up
the, your last name already, Hutlen,

Casey: oh, you reversed it too.

It's halted.

I know.

I always, my last names
like a dyslexic nightmare.

Mario: There's a reason why Angela's
the one that does the pronunciations.

Angela: If you listen
to any episode, no joke.

I do every international pronunciation.

Casey: It's so hard the amount of
time that I spend googling, like, how

to say this, and sometimes it's very
basic stuff, just because I wanna

try to get it right and then I'll
still mess it up and it's like it's,

Mario: Yeah.

Angela: yeah,

Mario: I was going to cut and go
back, but I think that's perfect.

that's really where we're at this season.

Angela: There's been worse things.

Don't worry about it like

Mario: Yeah.

Casey: it's all good.

Mario: All right.

Angela: late.

We're all tired.

Who even,

Mario: Yeah, exactly.

Today.

Angela: time?

Mario: Today was a day,
it was a long day today.

Angela: yes.

It was.

Mario: it was one of those days where
like I look up and I was like, I, oh, I

didn't eat lunch and I'm about to go home.

Yeah.

It's dark outside.

Angela: at work went out
at 10 30 this morning,

Mario: I

Angela: I worked from home for off
two iPads for the majority of the day.

never happened before, but yeah.

This is our end of season recap, guys.

We get to talk about all the things and
try to stay relatively on track with this.

All the things to talk about.

Mario: relatively.

Angela: Yeah.

The season happened, it occurred.

It started, and it ended.

It did not go way could have anticipated,

it did not go in a way that made sense.

It just happened.

Mario: Yeah, it did.

I mean, Casey did what?

What did you think when we,

Angela: Yeah, based on our last, the last
time we saw you in real life preseason.

Casey: Yeah, so the interesting
part is I wasn't super optimistic

for the season in general.

Once they announced like, Hey, we
still are like just now starting

our coaching search in January.

I was like, ah, that's not a good sign.

So that was fine.

But then we had hope for certain parts,
remember when we were randomly in fourth?

Angela: Yeah.

Mario: yeah.

Angela: That

Casey: That was crazy.

Angela: Yeah.

Casey: That was not expected.

And then it just got worse.

and I don't think at any point I
expected to have almost none of

the same players still on the team.

That was a surprise.

Angela: I think for me,
once, like the mid-season.

Exodus happened.

I was like, oh cool.

I have no feelings about
the season anymore.

It's just gonna go the way it goes.

There was so many changes that
impacted the greater, status of the

team and like where they could be.

'cause when you have it, essentially,
like you said, a whole new team middle

of the season, it's like don't have a
preseason, you don't have like time for

teams to gel and teammates to know where
someone else is gonna be on the pitch.

Nothing.

So it's like they just kinda
played and I'm proud of them

for getting through the season.

It was weird.

Mario: Yeah, we, there were
definitely, weird hopeful points

throughout the season where we were
like, we're the best team ever.

Five, five in the back,
two in the front, let's go.

And then the next game we're just
like, all Yeah, that's, yeah.

Angela: that's the, yeah.

Mario: it became a verb, right?

Like we pulled an angel city, like that's.

I, I think it got, it really got
solidified this year of like, uh, yeah.

Angela: Yeah.

Mario: But the live
experience is still fun.

My kids had fun at the live games.

when we did end up going
it, was still a fun season.

The record might not reflect that, but

Casey: Yeah, and I'm curious about the fun
that, because obviously I get down there a

little bit less than y'all do, just being
up here, but I, I watch the attendance

numbers drop and that's interesting.

So I was curious if it's still fun.

I'm sure like the folks who are there
are still fun 'cause it's the real ones,

Angela: There's also like ice.

Mario: yeah.

Angela: big portion of
the population can't

Casey: yeah,

Angela: so America.

Casey: yeah.

Mario: Yeah.

Casey: That does take the numbers down.

Mario: they, that there was, was
that, there was the fires, at the

beginning of the year, there was

Angela: been

Mario: this year,

Casey: It been awful.

I,

Mario: this is an

Casey: this

Angela: Yeah, same like the other day
I was like, wait, that wasn't, I was

talking to one of my coworkers because
we just hired a new person who's

fantastic and I was like, oh yeah.

'cause last year when the fires hit
and I was like, that was in January.

That happened

Mario: This calendar year.

Yeah,

Angela: Oh.

oh my God.

Yeah.

So we were able to put together some
fun Angel City superlatives awards,

I dunno what you wanna call them.

We just, threw some things together.

'cause they're fun.

Mario: yeah.

Angela: Yeah.

Mario: Let's just get
through the normal things.

like the settings where we finished,

Casey: we don't have.

Angela: We don't, no, it
wasn't where anyone wanted.

Yeah.

Like nobody.

Yeah.

fine.

Fine.

Go ahead.

Mario: Fine.

all right.

Finished in 11th place.

seven, six and 13 record.

which crazy enough is the exact
same record we had last year.

And then it took me way too long
to remember the reason why we had

more points this year versus last
year with the exact same record.

I was like, did points change?

did like something change?

Oh yeah.

We got a three point deduction
last year because we wanted to

take care of players', kids, yeah.

Casey: Assholes.

Mario: seriously, how dare
the team be compassionate?

all right.

And then, so there, as.

Not uncommon in her recent
history, there was a split season.

So pre Straus, we had, a 4, 2, 4 record.

So Laity had, eh, n not too crazy.

but then, Straus came in and we're like,
yay, you guy turned the team around and

we ended up with the 3, 4, 9 record.

Angela: whole new team.

Casey: Yeah.

And do you wanna break that
off from when Alyssa left?

'cause that's the other
sad part that you can do.

That record is awful.

so if you think of it less like Laity
and more pre and post Alyssa and to

some extent pre and post Savvy King,
and her medical leave, not to give,

I'm not trying to justify stress, I am
just trying to, I am actually because I

would like to have hope for next season.

So I'm really trying to
not make everybody big sad

Mario: yeah.

Casey: they look at that number
and try to hire Sam Laity.

Back because I don't think that
was great either or really at all.

I have hope for Straus, so I
wanna defend him a little bit.

Mario: Yeah.

Angela: and I'm right there with
you where it's like hope is a

dangerous drug, but I have it still.

Because when it worked.

And you could tell it would start
working and then player movement

happened and then it would get weird
again, and then it would start working,

and then player movement would happen.

So we'll see.

Mario: I didn't end up,

Angela: went through a lot this season.

Mario: I didn't end up doing the, what
I did last year, which was I, 'cause I

was so frustrated last year, With the,
with what we were expecting or wanting

from Tweed and then how it didn't
come out the way we were thinking.

and then I went through and I like.

In a little Excel copy pasted
like the lineup for every game and

figured out that there was like no
consistency whatsoever in that lineup.

I'm guessing if I did that
for the second half of the

season, it'd be the same thing.

Yeah.

So it is what it is, 27 points.

we ended up with a negative 10
goal differential, so better

than last year getting better.

we did score, a whole bunch of goals,
actually no, only two extra ourselves,

but I think it felt like we had a
better kind of consistent scoring.

eh, it is what it is.

we've, we all know our kind of highs
and lows throughout the season of like.

Winds that kind of got us over the hump,
making us feel like we were going to

do better the next one, and then all
of a sudden crashing back down again.

savvy Alyssa, other players
who will never be named again.

and all that

we take the seasons in
the highs and lows, right?

Like we're no fair weather fans
here, but we are casuals enough.

Some, or some of us are casuals
enough where we're like, yeah.

it,

Casey: I'm not casual about anything

Mario: no.

Angela: no,

Casey: in my entire life.

No one's

Angela: Yeah.

Casey: super casual.

Casey over there.

Very casual.

Angela: My clothes are
casual and that's it like.

Casey: Yeah, that's.

Angela: Yeah, my clothes are casual.

No other part of me in
any world is casual.

Mario: I'm just hoping the casual fans
out there that we've been talking to

are, they're invested enough now to
be like, look, I may not know every

single player like the way I am.

I may not know every single
player that's in this league.

I'm still learning them, but I'm
still here for the next season.

bring it on.

so that's what it was.

Let's get to the fun stuff.

why don't you start off, start
us off with our casual awards

Angela: All right, so we almost
had iron players this season in

Sarah Gorden and Riley Tiernan.

They were subbed off a couple times,
like obviously Sarah, pass the arm

band to Ali Riley in her last game.

Kennedy Fuller played every game,
but she didn't start all of them so

she didn't get full-time minutes.

But I don't think anybody's mad at that.

Riley's, in the

Mario: all.

Angela: of the Year, and I'm excited to
see her in the Skills challenge on Friday,

which if you're not gonna be there,
you get to watch next weekend, whatever

Casey: days later, it's
this I Why just air it?

Just air it live.

I don't even care if you
put it on free stream.

Air it live.

Angela: Eric live, if there's one
thing the WNBA does, is like All

Star Weekend is skills challenge
One night game the next night, and

it is a fricking party in between.

It is

Casey: Yeah,

Angela: the funnest
weekend you will ever have.

Highly

Casey: I'm going next year.

I'm so excited.

Angela: well, fingers
crossed, there's a season.

Casey: Oh, no, I thought they're good.

They're, it sounds good.

I saw some like leak details.

Good.

Angela: They're, there's a lot
aside from salary cap, but that's,

Casey: I know that's the whole thing
where they start like trying to leak it

to get the people going and, all this

Angela: big dissent in the league.

Casey: and stuff.

Angela: Yeah.

if you are in Chicago, I will most likely
be in Chicago too for that weekend.

I'm so excited.

'cause we didn't go to Indy this year
because who's going to Indianapolis?

Casey: No, Chicago's the best.

I'll go to Chicago in the
middle of winter, like

Angela: Chicago.

I'm with you.

Casey: I don't care.

Angela: if All Star Weekend lands
it should in the summer, we might

end up being able to go to a Stars
game too and we can have a meetup.

Yeah.

Big Women's Sports Weekend.

But as I was saying, RI Tiernan
in the running for Rookie of the

year, she had the most goals.

She's our Golden Boot this
season, which is fantastic.

with eight goals and as
a rookie, that's a lot.

as anybody.

That's a lot.

Not everyone is Tema Chewa
with 9,000 goals every year.

I'll take eight from a
single player any day.

Mario: I will say that our
goal distribution was a lot

more, a lot better this year.

I don't have it in front of me, but we
had more goals from more players year

than we have in almost any other year.

I think.

Angela: Yeah.

speaking of goals, with
goals come assists.

And Giselle was our big assist leader
with five assists, one of those being

to her sister, which was amazing.

we have the biggest
shit stir in Macy Hodge.

Essentially.

She had six yellows, was on
card accumulation, suspension.

I love it.

And honestly, I think she's gonna be
a really fantastic midfielder in the

league as she matures because she's
gonna ideally get that under control

a little bit and then like level out
as she plays, and it'll be great.

We should have highlighted these.

I am like, I'll just read 'em.

I'll just, yeah, I'll just go.

the missing persons on the team,
the first half of the season was

Bree Norris, who was a backup
keeper until Hannah Seabert came in.

and then also Hannah Stombaugh,
but I don't expect to see

backup keepers mostly like ever.

we rotated a little bit between Angelina
and, Hannah Seabert when Angelina was

hurt for a couple games, but that's it.

We also, we have a list
of snubs this season.

lost M.A.

which I'm so grateful we
have Hena, I love M.A.

so much and I'm will be
forever be upset about that.

I think.

Alyssa obviously to Chelsea,
which is a whole thing.

And then Alanna Kennedy and Katie Zel
to London City and then Julie Dufour to

Portland and then tragically to an SEI,
the very next game, which was devastating

'cause she scored a banger of a goal.

But there was a lot of players lost in
transition what feels like a of playing

time mismanagement or I don't know.

I think people were brought here under
certain circumstances and then not given

the opportunity to either play or things
were not what they seemed, I don't know.

It is what it is,

but.

I'm and sad.

I didn't get an Alanna Kennedy jersey
the way I wanted to because I didn't.

Now I don't have a kit with a player who
played only half a season, but also I miss

Alanna Kennedy in the league in general.

Mario: Hey, Alanna got us a listener
from Australia, and she's stuck

with us, so she is still listening.

Angela: yeah.

And Alanna Kennedy also bought
a shit ton of merch from us

because she's a wonderful human.

Casey: she seems great.

She seems really great.

it's a bummer that didn't work out,
but London City doing well though.

Doing relatively well,

Angela: Also in a rebuilding year with a

Casey: yeah.

Angela: of money.

Casey: Yeah.

But it's a different kind of building
'cause it's not even a rebuild.

It's like an initial, it's a build.

Like

Angela: a

Casey: you still think that the
building's gonna stay up the first

time and you don't have to start over.

It's like a different level of optimism.

Angela: oh, look at this.

This is new.

Casey: They got such sweet kids too.

So still got the,

Angela: God.

Their kits are amazing.

I might honestly just buy an Alanna
Kennedy LCL kit 'cause they're gorgeous.

Casey: yeah.

Angela: Yeah.

Mario: have a thing about you,
my position about kits, but a

kit that's not my home team.

Yeah, sure.

It's

Casey: I don't buy kits with names
on 'em if it's my own team, because

that person's gone the minute.

The minute I click purchase,

Mario: Yeah.

Casey: a whole cursed kits collection.

I just don't.

No.

And then sometimes people know
this, so sometimes somebody will

db me and be like, Hey, have you
considered getting this player's kit?

Angela: can you please buy this?

Like

for the love of the rest of us?

Yeah.

Casey: Alright.

Most improved.

here's the deal.

I agree with this a hundred percent.

I don't, she's not coming back
apparently Which I was very

surprised by, given her usage.

and they haven't done a
full, unless I missed it.

They haven't expressly a
thank you for your time.

Angela: Yeah.

Casey: Part, did we say part of
our history with Angel City too?

I know LA FFC does it like a whole
meme, but so they're all part of our

Mario: you.

Casey: Yeah,

Mario: the thank you.

Casey: thank you.

but they did.

Angela: second this goes live, the
announcement will be posted a hundred

Casey: Oh, I'm sure.

I'm sure.

But they had done that weird thing
where they were like, free agency and

then they didn't say that they were
pursuing negotiations with anybody.

So the framing of that
was, did not seem good.

But again, I was very surprised
given how much we're using her.

So I'm hoping it was just somebody in
calms like putting something out and maybe

a right hand, not talking to left thing.

But, that surprised me.

Angela: Yeah.

'cause she had that own goal and then
immediately was a different person.

Casey: yeah.

Angela: Like she just righted
the ship herself and was

like, I got this, don't worry.

And then

Casey: Yeah.

Yeah.

So it, we're gonna see from that, okay.

Back from the triage.

So everybody's back finally.

So Ali Riley, of course, was back for
all of two seconds, unfortunately.

But I have to say, killing it
on the commentary stuff Now,

Angela: Yeah,

Casey: if y'all have
gotten to watch her at all.

Very strong.

very strong.

I, painful a little bit.

It's a little don't talk
about Arsenal like that.

We don't need to.

Angela: Stop

Casey: it's,

Angela: so much about soccer.

stop

Casey: I'm like, you could not, but, I'm
happy to see that career arc for her.

and I'm just bummed that the
last, year and a half of her

career ended up being what it was.

But obviously, she's talked about that
injury is something that would impact her

ability to like really be in gen pop even.

Angela: Yeah.

Casey: yeah.

Yeah.

Angela: who experienced an injury like
that at 20 and didn't come back, I

have a very special place in my heart
for the fact that she was able to

be on the pitch for 10 more minutes.

it's such a big deal.

Nerve and hip issues will haunt
you for the rest of your life.

don't screw up your hips.

Casey: Yeah,

Mario: You need your hips.

Angela: You need your hips, you need your

Casey: you do?

Angela: don't mess with those things.

Yeah.

Casey: no.

also back from triage June Endo,

Angela: Woo.

Casey: thrilled.

Angela: I

Casey: immediate difference maker.

No, I know.

She's just she's the best
and also like very good.

I'm excited for her to
be back next season.

And I like, I don't even wanna
say this though, I'm excited

for her to be back next season.

Traded.

Angela: Honestly, everything is just Nope.

Nope.

So

Casey: No.

we don't make predictions on here anymore.

We don't even like
compliment people anymore.

Angela: No, never again

Casey: No.

No.

welcome back.

Savvy King.

Angela: that alone.

Like that game.

There's a, then there's another thing
on this list that happened that same

game, that was very positive thing,
that the whole situation was savvy.

I'm just so happy she's okay.

And that they were able to essentially
save her, fix what was going on

and that she can back to the game.

Because surviving is one thing.

Getting back to what you know
of yourself is another, and

I'm just happy to see her ing.

Casey: agreed.

alright.

Gayest moment.

I, so you gave it a time, but I
really think it's gotta be Macy Hodge.

Good morning lesbians.

Angela: But

Casey: think it's, I
don't think this is a tie.

I.

Angela: it's not a, it's
two different things.

very different because you have the Good
morning lesbians, but then you have,

did you see the Ali Riley, Megan Reid

Casey: No, I don't even know what that is.

That's why I was like, there's no way.

Angela: Oh my God.

No, it's this.

So Megan Reid, we don't know.

It doesn't matter.

It's just amazing because she made
Ali blush and it's that whole TikTok,

Casey: See, okay, this is how you
know I'm straight is because I

only saw good morning lesbians.

I didn't see this.

And I'm like, okay, this is in
some lore that like, I didn't

get this to be by my algorithm.

Angela: month ago.

Mario: I haven't seen this either.

Angela: was

Casey: Yeah.

See, but I get, I, I felt like I'm in on
it because I get like the Kelly Clarkson,

when she did the Kelly Karaoke and the

Angela: Oh, yeah.

Casey: the outfield song where she winked
and everybody like lost their shit.

Angela: yeah.

Casey: like, okay, I think I like get the
good stuff now, but apparently I didn't.

So sorry.

Tell us what happened.

Angela: As a resident, LGBT
member of this or LGBTQ plus

I, IA plus, I can't talk today.

member of this podcast.

So there was the whole trend.

I can't think of what song it is right
now because I'm so tired, but it's

where there's it had been two women a
lot of the times, at least the ones I

saw where it was like song is playing
and they're walking next to each other,

and then one scoops the other one up
to pick them up and walk with them is

like they jumped in the other's arms.

I can't, oh shit.

I gotta find it.

Mario: Okay.

Okay.

Angela: Hold on.

Pause.

Pause.

Casey: think this is like a
niche thing at this point.

I don't even know this trend.

Angela: on the Angel City, like Instagram.

Mario: All right.

I'm going to, I'm gonna download
both videos and I'm gonna play

them side by side, and I'm just
gonna have everybody comment.

Angela: they're not,
it's not really a tie.

It's just different.

But they're both so good.

Okay.

Here, hold on.

I found it so fast.

It's the one-handed pickup.

And like Megan Reid, as someone
said to me, Megan Reid is lesbian

hot, where it's a different kind of
hot and it's that it's the strong.

Casey: Yeah.

Angela: those, and Ali, like blushes
in the video, it's very cute.

It's like completely like benign.

It's just silly, but it's, there
was a lot of, oh my god, and sweaty

emojis in the comments from a lot of
people both on TikTok and Instagram.

So that's what that was.

But good morning, lesbians
is forever the lore.

We have

Casey: It was just great.

It was just like really, I
think everybody was just like,

yeah, like good morning lesbian.

Angela: pride,

Casey: all right.

Loudest positive moment.

okay, we have a couple, Christen
Press goal, I think that's gotta

be very loud for obvious reasons.

and talk about somebody, I'm also sad
didn't get to play more this season, and

it felt very much what are you doing?

Saving her for a special occasion,

Angela: Yeah.

It, she felt like China in the cabinet,

Casey: yeah.

Angela: your great grandma's China.

That's never been used because it's
been waiting for a special occasion.

But I'm like, no.

They used to use this all the time,

Casey: Yeah.

Or like that bottle of wine
that you bought that was like

too expensive and, And then

Angela: too scared to drink it now.

Casey: no, literally, and it turns
out the right time to drink that

bottle of wine is whatever it
is that you end up drinking it,

Angela: Yep.

Casey: right?

So it's let's just get her
out there but too late.

that's a bummer.

Savvy's first time back at BMO, I think
everybody, again, just like happy to see

her, able to be there and now, gonna be.

Mario: if I don't remember if I
was, no, I was not at that game,

but I remember everyone in the
comments being like, oh, it was loud.

it was

Angela: crazy part is that goal was
scored and then savvy went down, and

then it was a different day altogether.

It was a Mother's Day game.

you were at that game,

Mario: at that one.

no, because I was giving commentary.

it Mother's Day, like I wasn't,

Angela: I know.

I forgot.

Mario: yeah.

Angela: mom, my, it was Mother's Day.

My mom was there.

I made her come with us.

But yeah, that it was, we had
like really high highs and

really low lows this season.

Casey: This was a brutal season, man.

There's just, I don't, and it's
as we're doing this, recap or

postmortem or whatever you wanna
call it, because it does feel a bit

more like an autopsy at this point.

Angela: bit.

Casey: it, I feel less bad about the
way it all went, because like when you

look at all the things that this team
has actually gone through, it's like,

what did you think was gonna happen?

really, because I was at the first game.

post the Saudi King, like when I was at,
BFC, and I remember, I still felt good.

I was like, ah, they're all bad.

It's gonna be good.

And then they just looked
like they were exhausted.

And then in hindsight I'm
like, yeah, no, they, were they

Angela: Yeah.

Casey: something horrifically traumatic?

Like, why did you ever think this was
gonna be a good outcome for them today?

Angela: yeah.

Casey: so anyway about that,
loudest negative moment, the

last home game refuse suck.

Angela: Yeah.

Casey: I'll let you all explain that one.

Angela: This isn't even because I'm
an Angel City game, a Angel City fan.

I have not seen a worse officiated game.

Like it was one of those where
you're like, oh, we're like that.

And we were joking.

That M.A.

must have been like, oh my God,
this is what it feels like.

To be on the other side of that.

For once in my career, in the end
of a USL, were multiple, like a

full on shove in the back that
wasn't called, things like that.

So it was one of those really everyone
just wanted to have a good time.

It was already emotional because we knew
it was Ally and Kristen's last game.

It was already like the end of the season.

It had been a season from hell for
literally the entire city of la.

So please just let us have one nice thing.

And then it was bad officiating, like

Mario: I,

Angela: bad for

Mario: was bad.

Angela: for both teams, but it was
worse 'cause it was a home game for us.

Mario: It was bad.

the.

The refuse.

Shan has become a common thing
now in the stadium this season,

which is not the greatest.

and I will say that every single time that
it started, it has not been unjustified.

It, I, and I wonder if, Casey, you
watching at home for most of them, if you

got that feeling of everybody complains
about the reffing in any sport, but

it just felt like bad and then it just
also felt particularly bad for us, like

Casey: Yeah.

Yeah.

Mario: the rest in la, the
ones that got assigned to la.

Maybe had they, they flew in and were
just like, this is a really nice weather.

I'm gonna go out the night before.

Casey: just not caring that much.

Mario: Not,

Angela: Yeah.

Mario: and so

Casey: yeah.

Mario: it was just bad.

And and especially that
last game was horrendous

Casey: Yeah.

Mario: it

Casey: It's more,

Mario: and it was hurt on tv.

it was loud.

Angela: Yeah.

Casey: yeah, it's, it's interesting
'cause when you're off with the

friend that's home and you have
friends that are in the stadium, I

get the texts like, was that bad?

was it, was that rides?

what happened there?

Should that have been this?

So I get a lot of that.

and then a fun fact about me is
that I was like a youth referee.

So in theory I have this
knowledge, in practice.

It's been a long time since I did this.

so yeah, it's always interesting.

And yeah, usually your instinct in there
is probably correct when we see it back.

And sometimes I'm just like, no man.

Angela: yeah.

Casey: chill out.

Angela: and I think those
are the ones where it's like,

people are like, oh my God.

And then you see the replay
and you're like, oh, nevermind.

But when it's always interesting to me
too, like watching games on TV where

you're like, Ooh, they missed that call.

Versus when you're in the stadium
and it feels like the most egregious

thing in the whole wide world.

Casey: Yeah.

Angela: Yeah.

Casey: Yeah.

And that's the hard part.

And then, I don't know, I always
go back to the referee stuff.

It's hard a problem with
getting referees in the game

Angela: Yeah.

Casey: wants this job.

Who wants,

Angela: this job?

They, and they don't pay you enough.

Like the whole system
of pro refs is so bad.

one of my friends is a referee,
and I'm like, are you okay?

are you good?

Casey: they're all weirdos.

I'm sorry.

Anybody who makes it that far.

The super weird people.

Like objectively weird people.

Angela: type of dedication to the game.

Casey: Yeah.

yeah.

Alright, I guess that brings us
to most inadvertent head injuries.

Angela: yeah.

she

Casey: Number one, mer.

Angela: Yeah.

If we got the Alanna Kennedy
Black Eye and a header goal, so

maybe that's what it was, where
she's oh, I checked all the boxes

Casey: She was here for a time,

Angela: exactly.

But she did immediately pass the torch
to Macy and like we just split, there was

also a lot of head injuries from other
teams that happened playing Angel City.

I know Ksi had a bandage
and it just kept bleeding.

I was like, take her out at
that point, just stop it.

Just literally stop the

Mario: they had to give, they had to
give her a new kick 'cause she bled

onto it to the point where they're like.

Angela: head wraps and
I'm like, just give it up.

Casey: Yeah.

Angela: gonna win.

Mario: It's hey, we wanna
keep our PG 13 rating.

There's only so much blood we can show

Casey: yeah.

Mario: Or it's like WWE roles where like
they're gonna go black and white because

there's too much blood on the screen.

Angela: Insane.

But we also had biggest heartstrings
moment and obviously it's Ali Riley's

return with a close second of.

Claire's announcement with her
ultrasound and like being pregnant

and then her being in the stadium very
like but also very hysterically, half

flashing the camera, her belly bump.

Like just being like, oops.

And it was adorable.

But yeah, I don't think
many things could beat Ali.

Riley's return to the
pitch for her last game.

I can't even talk about, I like was
telling even, and I were talking

about this earlier and I was like,
cool, I'm just gonna cry right now.

She's get it out now's suit.

Not when you record.

Don't be weird.

I was like, okay, cool.

And then the biggest foot in the mouth
moment, we talked about this after

it happened on the episode, so have
someone in the podcast like listener

family whose partner has a spreadsheet
of all of the referees and like a

graded spreadsheet too is fantastic.

Casey: Wow.

Angela: everyone knows
the head ref's name.

At the start of the game.

So like in, in our section too, people
are now like, Angela, who's that?

I'm like, oh, that's Brad.

Oh, that's Trevor.

And they're like, damnit, not
the, oh, here we go again.

There was a game, I don't
remember which one it was.

And the head ref's name was Christian and
there was a really bad mis call, like very

Mario: Multiple.

There's another bad ref game.

I.

Angela: not thinking of
where to place words.

Eva says, what are you, what are
your values, Christian, not And like

immediately just goes, oh my God.

And the people in front of us that
were now friends with turned around

and lost it, like full on in tears.

They're like, oh my God.

And she's like, why did I say that loud?

what happened?

It was fantastic.

it was the most accidental.

It was so bad.

Yeah, we still talk about it.

It's still a good time in this household.

And she's I could have said
literally anything else.

Like would those, yeah.

Casey: But what are values Christian?

Mario: yeah,

Angela: it was pertinent for this season,

Mario: I, that's

Angela: not be

Mario: the downside of knowing
the ref's name you can, could

have just left it at ref.

that, and I will also say that, in
Angela's section, they're on the, they're

on the second, the upper part of the bowl.

They're under a, seemingly directly
under a speaker, so it gets

pretty loud, so you get louder.

And I don't doubt there's times
where it's where you do the whole,

there's been moments where there's
like the record scratch and then all

of a sudden it's like quiet around
you and you just go really loud.

Angela: That when that was said, silence.

Just like the music had
stopped for a second.

No.

In stadium announcements and she just
yells, what are your values, Christian?

everyone heard it and it was great.

That's my fiance, everybody.

That's what's up.

Mario: All right.

Casey, do you have any other on the
off the cuff, superlative awards you'd

like to, you'd like to award to anyone?

Casey: I've got one for you.

Mario: Okay.

Casey: Best player that plays a
bit like a 12-year-old who just

learned the cutback that goes to
Ri Tiernan because, I'm sorry.

We do have to talk about the fact that
it genuinely appeared the midway through

the season she learned how to cut the
ball back did it with the same vigor

and excitement that I did at 11 when I
learned it, where it was like, come back.

It's great.

It's going well.

But it was very funny.

I was just like, you
didn't have this move.

The first three games.

Angela: learned a new skill and we're all
so excited about it, and I love this for

Casey: It was great, but it was very like
when you're 11 or 12, when you learned

that move, I, whenever you learned it
around new move to your repertoire.

But that's why superlative for her.

Okay.

Sorry.

Go back to what we were doing.

Mario: I will say that the other one
that I would say is, having the best

cartilage awards, go to both the
Thompson Sisters and Riley also 'cause

and also, the super glue on foot award.

'cause they would run with that
ball and just say no, it's mine.

And come hell or high water,
they are trying to push

through that entire back line.

Sometimes it worked.

It was perfect.

Chef's kiss more often than not though.

What,

Angela: sometimes it just didn't.

Mario: more often than not, it just
didn't end where it was just like,

you, we, we're doing a good thing where
we have other players up with you.

Yeah.

Angela: just bink.

Yeah.

Casey: But instead.

Mario: Yeah.

do we also get an award for, not passing
back to the goalie as much this year?

reduced passback goalies kick.

Casey: We did not play
on the back that much.

Not as much.

Mario: Yeah.

Casey: Good job.

Less warnings for that.

Less shirts sold the Back City Edition

Mario: okay.

So at the beginning we did our season
preview, I was excited 'cause I like

my stupid little, things that I'm
like, Hey, this will be a fun idea.

And I think we were all
into it, a little bit.

We,

Angela: fun.

Mario: and I was,

Casey: when we were goofy because
we knew we gonna have a good season.

Angela: Yeah, and like we
were let's just have fun.

Mario: yeah.

Yeah.

I was calling it the trifecta draft.

'cause we were gonna pick
three metrics and just give

ourselves some points from there.

first metric was most minutes played
and picked Sarah Gorden, which being

our almost iron woman here, with 2000,
over 2000 minutes, has been amazing.

Casey went lawyer on us and
went, you didn't exclude this.

So I'm gonna pick goalie.

Which, which surprisingly
enough still wasn't enough,

was a total of 1800 minutes.

for the time that, Angelina was on.

her sub pick, if that wasn't going
to be allowed was Katie Zeum.

And then another,

Casey: Couldn't worse there.

Angela: Nope.

Mario: All our picks were way off.

Angela: in one way or another.

Casey: Yeah.

Mario: and I was like, you know
what, I'm all in on Claire Emslie.

She is going to have a season.

She had a total of 519 minutes due to her
upper leg injury for the longest time,

Angela: Yep.

But hey, she's pregnant.

Mario: but yes.

Angela: don't know if you saw Angel
City or she posted, last week or

two weeks ago, she was measured at
running at 80% of her maximum velocity

Casey: Yeah, I saw that.

Angela: 30 some weeks pregnant.

that she ran at 81%.

And I'm like, how are you more pregnant?

And also faster?

that's, women are cool, man.

that's insane.

Yeah.

Claire.

Mario: yeah.

So go upper leg.

okay.

Casey: Do you wanna just skip
this one, this next category?

Angela: I

Mario: Yeah, basically we all,
we got a big zero on most goals.

Angela: goals

Mario: yeah, we

Casey: That's actually like miraculous
that we did that, that we managed

to all pick people that did not
score a single goal this season.

Angela: Or like who barely played
due to a variety of reasons.

Like

Casey: Yeah.

Angela: Zero.

Mario: no.

the category that we were surprised,
I was a little surprised on that.

Like we didn't get the right ones.

'cause yeah.

that was the most yellows.

I picked Sarah Gorden, which I
did win the category with three.

Angela went in with Madison Hammond,
with, one, and then Casey picked

Megan Reid, who only had one.

We all did not pick who the enforcer
was going to be for this season.

Angela: she been signed,

Casey: Yes, she had,

Angela: she

Casey: and then she had that reputation.

She got signed very early, but like she
wasn't, I mean she, she didn't have a

great Coachella and I think we all had
came in with like real Coachella bias and

then, because I just straight up didn't
think she was gonna play that much,

Angela: did

Casey: my thing.

I knew she could rack them up.

I didn't think she was gonna
see that many minutes that fast,

based on how Coachella had gone.

there you go.

Now we know.

I like now at this point I'm
like, maybe she only comes off

the bench once every four games.

I would still take her as
most yellows next season.

Don't care.

could get traded, could be pregnant.

Any number of things could end up
not playing for part of the season.

And I would still be like, yeah,
no, I'm gonna bet on Macy Hodge

Angela: Most yellows for sure.

Yeah.

Casey: great.

Angela: season she gets zero.

Like just none.

She's

Casey: No, there's no chance.

Angela: anymore.

Casey: The only reason she gets zero is
if she is knock on wood, not playing.

For some reason that is hopefully her own
choice and nothing to do with her health.

but honestly, 'cause she could probably
still manage to get one from the sideline.

Like I could see her just kind.

Angela: Somebody who like fell down.

Yeah.

Mario: So

Angela: falls and she's warming
up and she just body checks him.

yeah.

Mario: she's just gonna, she's
gonna be like, look, I haven't

gotten a yellow in a long time.

Lemme just talk smack to
the ref from the sidelines.

Angela: yeah, what if I just
cuss somebody out right now?

Still here.

Mario: all right, our trifecta draft
ended up as a tie in true soccer fashion.

Angela and I both with five points.

Casey got four.

we'll call it a wash.

We.

Casey: Okay.

It okay.

Angela: What a wild season.

Honest to God.

Mario: All right, with all of that, I
think really the last thing we really

have is let's look on the brighter
side of things and what do we have,

looking towards for the off season.

don't really want to go into next
season 'cause based on our trifecta

draft, we are completely off.

But,

Angela: I.

Mario: I'm gonna start off with Casey.

What do you feel like you're
looking on for this off season?

trades, incoming players that we
might, or positions that we might need?

what would be like your big kind
of Hey, this is really giving

me hope for the next season.

or what would really fuck
up and derail everything?

Casey: Yeah, so I mean.

Sugita I'm like,

Angela: I know.

Casey: yay, she's so good.

so that's been something
to get excited about.

I like the building we're
doing in the midfield.

I think that there might
be more to come there.

things that I'm also excited about.

I really like what Kennedy Fuller was
doing toward the end of the season.

Like I, I thought, it's, so much
of progress is non-linear, but what

she was really starting to get at
the end, I think was really special.

And I think she's gonna
have just a breakout.

True breakout year.

I'm, we said we weren't next
season, but I'm gonna next season.

Angela: Yeah.

Casey: True.

Next season.

Angela: Yes.

for her to

Casey: I'm not,

Angela: No.

Oh, I'm a hundred
percent on this with you.

Please

Casey: yeah.

Angela: get hurt.

Please be healthy.

I just want the best for you.

Casey: Remember when we thought Lily.

Angela: bro.

Oh,

Mario: We.

Angela: The Coachella High was high.

Casey: We were, yeah, we, the really,
the biggest lesson from the season

in terms of predictions is do not
get too high on the two Coachella

preseason games that you watch.

Angela: Don't

Casey: do it.

Angela: Don't

Casey: too much into that.

Angela: No.

Casey: the other thing I'm really curious
about, I, I'm really interested to see

what happens with Casey Phair, who's
been, on loan in Sweden in, has not

really been getting minutes over there.

And I think for me, I've expressed
this concern multiple times.

I wanna see young players get
minutes, and I think she's so

special and she needs to get minutes.

So I would like to see
them extend her loan.

I don't wanna see her coming back
here unless she's gonna get minutes.

Angela: Yeah,

Casey: or send her somewhere else.

Just get her minutes, please.

and I'm,

Angela: of the Swedish
League though, don't you?

Yes.

No.

Casey: yeah, so I follow a good amount.

It's, how much you actually get to watch.

can I watch all the matches?

No, but it's because it's
still, it's over there.

But I can watch a decent amount.

So I like she should be playing there.

But here's the bright spot is I bet you
Riley Tiernan has so much time to learn

other moves and she can sit there and
watch tape on some of the positioning

stuff that she's been getting better at.

I think Riley Tiernan also going to
have potentially a massive off season.

Angela: Yeah.

Casey: I would've also dreamed the
dream of, Lana Obf getting signed

here, but obviously injured now, so
I can't dream that dream anymore.

Mario: we are, we have been,

Angela: it.

Mario: yeah, and we have been known as
Rehab fc, so we can make them better.

Casey: Sure.

Angela: can fix them.

Yeah.

I'm really curious for what additional
trades or signings or what happens

our attack in the off season.

I feel like our defense and our
midfield is like really solidifying.

I'm just very curious about

although we didn't get to see it
replacing somebody like Christen

Press and then we don't know if Claire
will be back from maternity leave.

I'm hoping she will be, but I also
don't wanna be the person putting

pressure on a new mom to be like,
you have to go back to work.

no girl, be with your baby.

Casey: Yeah, I, I echo that.

I'm also like she's out here
showing off how good she can.

Angela: I know.

She's I will have this child and three
weeks later be back on the pitch.

I'm good.

Don't worry.

Mario: Yeah,

Angela: Oh, I know.

Mario: not to, I was not the
one that had the baby, but

Casey: share your experience, Mario.

Angela: Yeah.

Mario: when the babies did
come, we were both tired for

Angela: Yeah.

Mario: at least three to

Casey: yeah.

Mario: months.

Where it's like

Angela: But were you

Mario: the.

Angela: an elite athlete at that time?

Casey: Were you running
at 81% of your capacity?

Angela: Yeah,

Mario: I don't know if I'm running
at like 10% of my capacity right now.

ever since my health scare.

I'm just like, I've been hesitant to
do anything, and I'm just like, okay,

now I'm just sitting here getting
fatter and going to the doctor every,

Angela: sir.

Mario: yeah.

And I haven't been doing that, because
now I've gotten back to work and now I'm

just sitting in front of a screen all day.

so yeah.

But, no, it, she might be doing the
running at 80%, but as soon as the baby's

out, that's a whole nother level of tired.

so I just hope that Angel City keeps doing
what they were doing and got in trouble

for, and the players as best they can.

Angela: it'll curious how the WNBA new
CBA impacts the NWSL new CBA that's

what happened in reverse last time.

Casey: Yeah.

Angela: n Yeah.

The NWSL CBA influenced the Ws.

It like flip flops as they renegotiate.

So it'll be really interesting
to see updates for both leagues

in the next couple years.

Casey: Yeah.

it's not, they ought do something
faster here on both fronts.

I have a feeling we're going to find out
real quick, it's gonna, this is gonna be

in the next three weeks, we're gonna find
out what's happening with the salary cap.

Angela: Yeah, absolutely.

Casey: Yeah.

Angela: Yeah, I'm excited for a full
off season with Strauss to lock it in

the first, like before Coachella even
of just oh, we're all playing on the

same system, not different systems that
are being duct taped together, ideally.

Casey: and the players
seemed to like him like that.

That seemed to, that came
through to me anyway, that the

players seemed to like him.

So hopefully the vibes stay strong.

We all drink the Coachella Kool-Aid again.

Angela: Yeah.

We'll see what

Mario: so a little warning for, the future
Denver fans that might be listening to

or seeing a clip of our thing, on TikTok
is take Coachella with a grain of salt.

'cause they'll be there
and they might look good.

And then you never know what
will happen in the season.

Angela: Yeah, and Angel City
fans are probably gonna be

mad at you for a hot minute.

of Megan Reid.

'cause there's mixed
feelings about Megan Reid.

But I just really enjoyed
having her as even a backup.

I feel like she was incredibly sturdy.

Like she was the person to show up in the
back line when we weren't really sure who

would be who would fill that position.

And she seemingly came outta nowhere.

So Denver please treat her.

I will say I saw the post on Instagram
immediately copied it into our

discord and just booed for 10 minutes.

Just boo constantly and yeah,
but take care of our girl.

That's all we ask.

Mario: do you guys know if the NWSL
does expansion the way MLS does?

Where like e each team has
a certain number of players.

I can't remember if that's a thing

Casey: the expansion draft.

So all of that been, all of it's gone.

All of it's completely gone with the,
last rate, the last version of the

CBA because it, it required player
choice to agree to go anywhere.

they no longer do that.

Mario: Okay.

Casey: the expansion team's basically got
extra money and that's even that, it's

interesting 'cause that's gonna phase out.

So like the 2028 clubs, when you're
talking about Atlanta and whoever

the additional club is, I have
to assume you're going to one of

the Ohio cities that have been
sitting here, please come to Ohio.

And it's like getting awkward
that you're not going to Ohio

Angela: It's real weird.

Casey: starting to get awkward.

Like I think you got to go to Ohio.

But, won't be me going to Ohio.

I'm like, I won't go to any games
there, but you guys have fun.

so I'm just kidding.

I've heard good things.

but anyway, we'll see how that shakes
out at that point, because you do

have to, I think, give a new team
some kind of advantage in some way

that's like completely starting out.

with free agency and player choice
and then you hopefully go and build

something that players want to go
to, that's, I think all you can do.

Angela: Here's a really random question.

With Atlanta being announced,
do you think Sonic goes back to

Georgia because she's from Georgia.

Casey: She's still playing in 2028.

Angela: She's only, she's
in her early thirties.

Casey: Yeah.

Yeah.

Like maybe a victory lap.

I have, I saw her making the 2027
roster, so I don't know that she

wouldn't be playing in the league then,

Angela: because

Casey: yeah, maybe

Angela: I think she's 32.

Casey: like younger than you think she is.

Angela: Yeah, because she's been in the
league for eight years, I think it is.

Casey: Yeah.

I wanna say she's 31.

Angela: She's 31.

Casey: Yeah.

Angela: A couple days after your birthday.

Casey: Okay.

Oh, my fellow Sagittarius,

she, I don't know why that,
obviously she's a Sagittarius.

I don't know why we
even have, look that up.

Big Sagittarius Energy.

Angela: The attitude
alone, the, what is this?

This is our ball.

Yep.

But yeah,

Casey: She's the one to
watch this weekend for me.

Sorry.

to dera She's the one to watch.

Angela: Oh, for sure.

Casey: Yeah.

Angela: she's one of my
longtime favorite players.

I don't care where she plays.

I will follow Emily Sonnet.

So I am very excited for
the antics that will occur.

She just has a extremely expressive face,

Casey: Yeah.

Angela: so it's it might not
even be a big deal, but her

eyebrows are like in the sky.

There is something like what?

The, just, there's something happening.

Casey: Yeah,

Angela: That it is.

Alright.

So I think that kind of closes us out.

We, this was absolutely a
postmortem of an autopsy.

thank you everyone for listening this
season and for following Casey because

she's fantastic and a great friend
of the pod and friend in general.

So if you like what you heard on this.

A little bit of a shena, so
make sure you hit the subscribe

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FC pod.

you to every single person who has thrown
a couple extra bucks our way over the last

couple years, and I totaled it up and you
people are crazy and I am so appreciative

of everything that you've donated our way.

we're probably gonna have a planning
meeting in the off season and have

a nice, fancy lunch or dinner.

So thanks guys.

tell a friend about the pod.

We hear it brings good luck.

This season was a little dicey, I think
we were just all trying to survive.

So next season we'll start banking the
luck now and make sure the team gets it.

But other than that, we'll be
back in a couple weeks or so

for some retirement episodes.

Thanks for joining us, Casey.

Bye everybody.

Mario: Bye.