3/21 Portland Thorns Match Preview
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
A hundred acre Woods.
Not forest,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Oh, I was going Sherwood Forest.
Like, like Robin Hood,
not a hundred acre woods.
Like, um,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: the Poh.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Winnie the Pooh,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Okay.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
my bad.
Hey everyone, and welcome to Casual fc,
an Angel City match preview and footy
therapy pod featuring your two favorite
podcast certified footy therapist.
I'm your host Angel Morales with my,
uh, dad of the year, Mario Salazar,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: nice.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
The guy on the other side of this podcast
who is a super dad, has two sick kids,
still made it to the home opener, has like
the best wife in the whole wide world.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yes,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
forever just like hype up Jen.
She literally has saved our ass
so many times at this podcast.
Um, she is our merchandise czar
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yeah.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154: I
don't, I don't know, she just kind of,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Uh, she actually, um, I
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154: oh,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
her, she prefers, uh, Vizier,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154: ooh.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
the merchandise grand er.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154: Ooh.
Yes.
I love this.
I love this so much.
Yeah, she, she lets me steal her
husband and go run off and get
media passes and do silly things.
She lets me steal time
when time is precious.
So, thanks Jen.
This is the, uh, I love Jen podcast.
She's my favorite.
Um,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
appreciate that.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
good, good, good, good.
Alright everyone, so this is our
match preview second of the year.
I'm so freaking pumped to NWSL is back.
We're already into chaos.
We're already into the
shenanigans of the league.
It's just, it's just great.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yep.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Like, this was honestly
the best kickoff weekend.
We'll get to it in a second, but
it was, it, it was effing great.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: was,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
So match preview On Friday, March 21st,
we are facing the Portland Thorns in
Portland, at Providence Park at 7:00 PM
it will be streaming on Amazon Prime.
I am struggling with this one 'cause I
really wanna cancel my prime membership
and like be big boycott, but at the
same time I'm like, oh, sports because
no, but like women's sports is hard
to find and sometimes I, it's stupid.
But here we are.
Um, I will be watching if you need,
I will, uh, text live updates, put
'em in the discord, whatever we need.
But Amazon Prime.
It will also be on iHeartRadio
with our besties, Isaac and Tracy.
There is going to be an Angel
City sponsored watch party
at Grand Central Market,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yep.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
which bless your hearts if you're going,
because this is gonna be a commitment.
So
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yeah.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Grand Central Market is located at
three 17 South Broadway in downtown la.
Take the metro, get off at Persian Square.
It's way easier.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Oh
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Um, you can also go to the last
bookstore while you're down there.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: because
the parking situation at Grand
Central, those parking spaces have
not been changed since probably 1930.
The, they're
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
there the size of shoes.
Like,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: and the aisle
way is so tiny that you have to have the
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
it's so stressful.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: with
the best turning radius to get
into any one of those spots,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Take the metro or park in a different
lot, like just, I don't know if
you're gonna go more power to you.
It's starting at 11 because Angel City
is gonna have a little celebration
popup shop that opens at 11.
You can get your new kit, the party's
gonna start at five and the match is
kicking off at 7:00 PM There'll be photo
ops, giveaways, all kinds of cool stuff.
Every Angel City watch party I
have ever been to is just dope.
It's so much fun.
Everybody's like so pumped.
And even if it's not a team sponsored
watch party, it's a fricking
blast wherever you, wherever.
If you're at 33 taps,
if you're at, watch me.
If you're at your local bar and you
bring your friends, like whatever.
It's just, we're good people.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: any
one of the SGS might be doing
a watch party near you, so,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah, we post 'em whenever we
see 'em, so send them our way.
If you're hosting.
We love to celebrate watch parties
because they're the best and
it's supporting local businesses.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: The
main thing I'm trying to think of
is knowing Grand Central, where the
heck are they gonna be showing this?
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
I know.
I'm trying to figure that out too.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
unless they do it at like.
Horse Thief, which is the
outdoor area, and then they
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: on the inside.
'cause Horse Thief has a couple of TVs
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
that little patio.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: patio, but
then it's like everybody's gonna be
crowded around like two little TVs.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
I don't know.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
We'll see what they do.
I'm, it's gonna be an official thing
and they're doing a pop-up shop, so
I don't doubt that they would like
maybe bring a big screen or maybe
there is a projector somewhere in the
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
There might be like a private
space or something upstairs that
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: I
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
I don't know.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: if you
go let us know, um, it sounds like
it would be a really great thing.
so yeah, I, well, it feels good to be back
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
does.
It does.
It does.
It does.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: I
did not, honestly, did not watch
everything, but my partner here did,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
I can't say everything.
We missed a game and a half because
there were other games on, but
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: and a
half out of like the entire weekend.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
yeah.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: I did catch
up on all the news and, and read up
on, on what happened, things like that.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
So much shenanigans.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: life,
whatever, you didn't have time.
Um, but it was a crazy week.
Like, I wanna say it, it felt
like one of the best opening
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
Yep.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Really?
Like, there was just shenanigans, there
was craziness, there was controversy.
There was, um, so much fun and excitement.
It feels like, it feels like the level of
excitement from everybody is like up to 11
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
And part of it too is that like
we went from the end of the
season, Orlando ran the table.
Just like we said beyond.
It was perfect.
It was wonderful.
It was great.
Also, caveat, if you see me using
my hand a lot, I'm try, I'm in a
steps challenge and I'm cheating.
I don't care.
Um, but they had the challenge cup
game against the spirit last week.
Okay.
They lost whatever.
It really felt like Orlando treated
that as like their last preseason warmup
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yeah,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
to kick off the season
with a six, nothing run.
Like a six.
A six.
Oh.
Just swamping of the
stars, the red stars, like,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: so they,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154: uh,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
the season breaking records.
They start this season setting
a new record of six to nothing,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
yeah.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: the most goals
scored by a single team on opening day.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Mm-hmm.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
I don't like, when are you
gonna get another six goal game
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Next season when they do it again,
because here's the thing, like they
had very little player changeover, they
had very little off season movement.
Everybody just re-upped and
said, let's run it back and Okay.
Like,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: is, which
is surprising usually, and okay,
granted, I don't know, haven't dug
into the, uh, the rules that far,
but I know one of the reasons in the
MLS that keeps, you know, it's same,
almost the same kind of system, right?
It's all about parody.
It's all about, um, salary caps.
It's a
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
yeah.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: league.
So that's what keeps everybody
kind of on an even footing.
reason there aren't like dynasties in,
in MLS is because of those salary caps,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: is
that when you win as a champion,
you players have bonuses in their
contract for when they reach.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Mm-hmm.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Conference finals and
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: the finals,
all of those bonuses that get paid
out affect your following seasons.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
That's trash.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yeah.
And so that's the reason, that's the
reason that in the MLS there will be
a massive sell off from those teams
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
so stupid.
Genuinely, that's such a dumb concept,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yeah.
But like,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154: no,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: and, and you
know, just, just to kind of like bring
that out, like that's currently right
now, um, the Galaxy won, but then they
had to sell off everybody they had and
they are now tagged as like the, having
the worst start ever by any champion team
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154: wow.
That's, that's so
detrimental to like morale.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: it
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
office, in a locker
room, like that's so bad.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: but
I mean, and, and so like, I'm
just trying to think of like.
different here in, in the NWSL, I do know
that, well, one, they've increased the
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: cap.
Um, two, it would really kind of
suck if like everybody's pay was
like that low or like, even if they
did pay bonuses, they were like,
we're still under the salary cap.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
I know.
I mean, which is probable
in a lot of cases, but
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
do, they do have a lot of
uh, international players that
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
yeah.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: how they,
how they're not, how they're not
going over their international slots.
I don't know.
Okay.
We're getting into the weeds either
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yes.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
It was an amazing
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Insane.
It was so great.
It, it was such a fun weekend of soccer.
Even I like cleared our schedule.
Like we were like, I
don't wanna do anything.
I just wanna watch soccer all weekend.
There was basketball.
We watched the basketball
and the soccer like.
From this weekend until middle of April.
Don't ask me about anything about, but
sports, women's sports specifically,
like unrivaled, just ended last night.
Um, March Madness kicks off this
weekend, like by, my coworkers are like,
oh, what are you doing this weekend?
I'm like, I'm going to the museum
with my, with one of them and his
girlfriend, and then I'm going
home and watching basketball.
I don't care.
Leave me alone.
Like, don't talk to me.
They're like, what?
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
This is a sacred month.
Like don't,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Like, honestly, like even my little
fancy thing looks like a bracket.
This is like a big wall behind this.
My best friend sent me a video.
He's like, just make a bracket
on the wall with blue tape.
And I was like, mm bet.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Just
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154: But
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: up.
Every episode,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
yeah, just, just move them in.
It's, it's fine.
But yeah, it's, it was a
fantastic weekend of soccer.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: uh,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
think this season is going to be.
Insane.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yeah.
Yeah.
And then among the other things that
were shenanigans and chaos Award worthy
were, was Casey in Portland's match,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
So I still don't really
know what happened.
At the beginning of the match ball
was put in the middle of the field.
It was kicked, ref went, tutu started
over, everybody goes let, it was also
really windy, so like they would put the
ball in, it would roll, and then they put
the ball and it would roll the other way.
And it was just like, what?
What is going on?
It was so silly.
And then that game very
quickly went off the rails.
It was really weird.
There was a lot of weird vibes
in, in a couple of these games.
Some, some weird, weird vibes.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: yeah.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yep.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: but in other,
really we've, we've mentioned this,
if you saw our Instagram, you saw it.
But we're media now we're, we got
media passes to this game, which was.
A really great surprise, as in
to get that email to say, Hey
guys, you've been approved.
Um,
to say we weren't crazy ass nervous.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
I barely slept.
Like I was so stressed that we were going
to like do something in our sleep to
get the passes revoked, like, thank you.
Big shout out to Angel City Media
and the whole media team because
you're all great and helpful
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: I drank, I
drank two water bottles before kickoff.
Like,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
in the press box, just so nervous,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Um, but it was fun.
We got some great shots.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
the Enos in the press box were great.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: yeah.
Um, Angela got to go to
the presser afterwards.
Like it's, it was great.
So we ever get to do it again,
it'll be even that much better.
Like, we'll be vets by
that and we'll know what to
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Well, nowhere to go.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: We won't
have to keep asking everybody which
elevator are we supposed to use.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
but it was, it was really fun.
So thank you to the, the ACFC
media team, um, for, you know,
including us in all of this.
And
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
absolutely.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
yeah, it was great.
And, um, one last little bit of
chaos shenanigans for this week
are in stadium
Uh, very much first day of school.
Um, someone in our discord mentioned
it as like, like first day of
school jitters type things, but
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Make sure you delete your old
files before the season starts.
That's all I'm gonna say.
I feel horrible for the rookies that
started and did not get their moment.
We will make sure that it is redone
and re-upped on the 30th at home.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: yeah.
'cause the announcer.
Had the correct list.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: team
did not delete their old files.
So, or no, no.
I'm not even gonna make the excuse.
I didn't have enough
time to shoot a new one.
Like, no, you
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
It was, it was, yeah, it was made.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Um, if you
weren't in the stadium, or even if you
were, but you just didn't quite catch it.
we were doing the player intros,
the, on the video screen, we showed
some players that were not playing
or not even on the team anymore,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
One who had retired, one
who is playing in Canada.
Like I,
I'm sorry, I was real,
I was big mad about it.
I'm like, guys, uh, but like I said,
they'll make up for it the next
home game and the fans will too.
'cause that's what we do.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Are they better?
'cause I mean that's, that's
just one of those things like
I.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
That's it.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yeah.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
There's not much to
say about it, but Dang.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: But dang.
Yeah, that's, that, that really won
the, the Chaos Award for the week.
'cause it kind of sucks to
do that at your own home.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Um, all
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Oh, also shout out to a very beautiful
tifo that, uh, kind of made me cry.
I held it together 'cause I was
in the video box and I didn't
wanna be weird, but, um, shout out
to the sgs for a beautiful tifo.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: the
largest TiVo that Angel City has
ever done, um, that thing was huge.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
It was,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: it
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154: it
almost got swept away in the wind, like
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: It
almost got swept away in the wind.
Yet when they, when the fireworks
went off and they were singing
the national anthem, there was no
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
there was no wind.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: And
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
just stayed in the bowl.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154: Ugh.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: alright,
well, real quick, Roundup on
the, uh, from around the league,
we have the current beating.
Uh, the thorns that we
talked about, uh, three.
One we have, uh, the Bay FC, and
the, uh, royals tied with one, one
The spirit beat the dash two to
one, the pride trounced six to zero.
uh, rain and Gotham, both, uh,
drew and then Louisville and the
North Carolina courage also drew.
So that, what happened in our last, uh,
match, our first match of the season,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah, so we, we drew
with San Diego won one.
It was a very interesting first game,
big nervous first time on the pitch
as a professional jitters for like
half our starters, which that said
they settled in and they settled in
so well and they recovered so well.
San Diego went up first at the
five minute mark with like.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
That was a wimpy
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
It was so like, oh, that happened.
Like we were sitting there and
another um, media person from another
outlet was like, did they just score?
Like, did that just happen?
What?
Like we were all just like,
did the ball even go in?
'cause you couldn't really
see it from where we worked.
There's so many people in
front of the, the goal.
But yeah, it was very like, huh.
And a lot of that is just our
back line needing to settle in.
Genuinely.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: It
was the type of goal where like,
if that's what the scoreline
was, it fit stayed one to zero.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
I've been so mad.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: that
one, we, we would've been really mad.
And two, that's what you would call, like,
just that's, that's just an ugly win.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Mm-hmm.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: like,
you know, at times we all know.
Three points is three points.
A win is a win.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: it's pretty
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
But winds are ugly sometimes.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
winds are ugly sometimes.
And that one would've been one where
it was just like, there would, it felt
like there was on, even in the replay.
It's like was no real effort.
It
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah, it was a happy accident.
Honestly.
Our, our defense got a little scrambled.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
and, but either way, I mean, at
five minutes they scored and it
stayed that way for a really long
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
And it, it was interesting because
we, we kind of settled in after
that, and in the post game presser,
Sarah Gorden talked about it.
She goes, that first 20 minutes, all
of us wanna forget that everybody, she
said, everybody on the team was like,
yeah, no, we're not doing that again.
And they, they, there was a stoppage
for a cramp or somebody went down and
I, that's really when you saw our entire
defense regroup, our offense come together
and everybody just kind of like took a
deep breath, like, okay, we're in it.
The scary part's over the game is
started now we just have to go with it.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yeah.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
halftime still one nothing in San Diego.
54th minute and we had
chances in the first half.
I wanna make sure, like it wasn't,
it wasn't as wor as like stressful
and forced as last season was.
It was, it was exactly that.
Progressively better at had
a chance that she was mad.
She didn't take, Riley Tiernan had a
chance that like, I think she got nervous
of just like, oh my God, I have the ball.
And, um, it, it didn't work out the
right, you know, like there was the,
the, uh, like the buildup, the almost
there and then the fallback and
it's like, okay, but it, it wasn't
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: of the crowd.
That just kind of went like, oh,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
And it wasn't one of those
where it's like, oh, oh.
And like, okay, well we're not, we're not
scoring, we're nothing's gonna happen.
It was like, okay, we're,
we're knocking at the door.
We're getting closer,
we're getting closer.
And in the second half at
just did what she does, she.
The goal was a banger
and it, it was so great.
She ran over to the sidelines, she said
in the post game that she ran over to
Casey Phair because during halftime,
Casey was just hyping her up the
whole time of just like, don't worry.
You've got this.
Like, you know how to do this, don't trip.
Like very much being that teammate
who's like, I know what this feels
like as a striker, as somebody who's
played at the same level as you have.
Like, I understand this.
Don't stop thinking about it so much.
Just, just play.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yeah.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
there was a lot of just play moments
where you could tell, people started
thinking about it too much, and
then things would get weird and
they'd be like, whoa, whoa, whoa.
Back it up.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: And was
this a, was this a fuller assist?
I think this was like.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
I don't know.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: I
think Ken, someone, I, I wanna
say it was Kennedy Fuller.
I could be wrong about this, but whoever
the ball beautifully turned it and just
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: it because
they saw that she had the room.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
She had the step Yeah.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: It was one
of those plays where like, like you're,
you're thinking that like three, four
steps ahead because you're not passing
it to the player, you're passing it
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
To where they're going to be.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: where they're
going to be or where they need to be.
And then just all out breakout run,
she's quick little, quick little Thompson
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Mm-hmm.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: got there
and it was a beautiful cold, so.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154: I,
I genuinely think we're gonna shake out.
Okay.
There's a lot to work on still,
but the team knows that the
team is ready to work on that.
Sarah Gorden talked about how
her and Savvy King as Center
Backs are still trying to figure
themselves out as a pairing.
Um, she said they'd had like a
scrimmage and a half together before
the game, so like they're still,
they're still managing like, okay,
who's doing what, how are we doing this?
That kind of thing.
So.
I, I honestly, I have a question about
somebody in the midfield, but we'll just
see, and that might just be adjusting
from college to professional level.
Um, but yeah, I, I feel okay.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: I, yeah,
I'm not, I'm, I'm hap, I'm okay.
I'm happy with the results.
I'm happy with the way it played.
Um, you know, it could
have, have been better.
Sure.
It could always be better,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Right.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
but it wasn't bad.
I don't
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154: No,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: bad.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
we recovered after going down a goal
in the first five minutes of the game.
We were covered and we equalized and
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: we've
always said like, there's good ties.
There's like really exciting fun
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
yeah,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: games,
and then there's like snoozers,
and this was not a snoozer.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
no, not at all.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: was a
lot of really good buildup of really
good chances and stuff like that.
Um, I will say that, uh, when our
media passes, were on the corner, so we
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Mm-hmm.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: by
the flag and we got to like, take
pictures and, and like do stuff.
Um, from there it was like a
photography pass or whatever.
Um, in the second half we were
defending on that side, which meant M.A.
was right there.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yay.
Our girl.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: I, I just, I
tried, I, there was so much I had to do
to like not yell out and be professional
about like, Hey, we got these media press.
We're not, we're not here
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
You have to be a lot more
neutral when you are wearing the
little media, um, vest thingy.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
there's, there's a rule in the
press box for sure, that the press
box is supposed to stay, neutral.
You're not supposed to be cheering or, or
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Mm-hmm.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: from up there.
And granted that is because
people that are in the press
box, they are doing their job,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Like, they're
not there as fans to watch the game.
They're there to do their job,
whether it's broadcast radio,
whether it's, um, updating sports
websites, like whatever it may
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
And same thing for the people who are
down on the field shooting the game.
Like that's, this is work.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: This is
work, this is where a lot of them will
like, do what they're allowed to do.
And then if they're actually being cut
off, they're like, all right, peace out.
I'm out.
You know,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Mm-hmm.
They just go home.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: you
only get paid to do so much.
So there's a level of
neutrality and professionalism
that you have to have there.
And there's been a couple times
that we were like, we were about
to like, you know, do the fan, like
what the, and then had to go, oh.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
And then I was like, Mario, don't
forget there's a microphone right
on the other side of this wall.
But no, it was, it was wonderful.
And again, thank you to everybody at
Angel City who helped make that happen.
And I mean, we applied for
it, but they approved it.
That's really what matters.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: I mean we
applied last year and we didn't get it.
So
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
That's true.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: this year.
So,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
That's true.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Um, alright.
Well after this game, as we always do
on our, uh, Instagram, which is really
the only place that, I mean, I guess
we can do it on Blue Sky now too, but
Instagram, uh, we posted up a, uh,
a little bit of phototherapy prompt
and see what people wanted to say.
And we also did it on discord.
And Discord does not limit you on what
you have to say, although, you know,
there's people like Jeff that like,
screw your rules Instagram, I'm going to
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
I will send a dm.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Um, so
with that, the prompt was we went
down, came back up to get that point.
was your opening day?
So we got a couple people coming in.
Jordan came in so thrilling,
especially in the final five minutes.
I have a good feeling about this
season and I think we do too.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: think
it's, it's, it's just looking up.
Um, MNA came in with just great, with
an exclamation point, of course, missing
Sid and impressed with Alana Kennedy.
And then question of why no CP sub.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
We will get to that.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: okay.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
I have insight
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Ooh,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
from the presser
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: And then,
uh, got a message from, uh, Joanna
and she following the pod, um, from
wherever she got the link or, or saw
us, or you know, however, she, she just
recently started following the pod.
Um, she messaged us.
She was going to her very first NWSL game
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
and it was ours.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
and it was ours.
And I, I don't know if she now lives
here or she's, or she's from Texas.
Um.
Either way.
Either way.
Very first NWSL game.
And it was ours.
Um, so happy that she got to be there.
She was in the, um, supportive
section 'cause she was like messaging
us, um, during the game, whatever.
her response was freaking amazing.
My first NWSL game ever.
And I know that she had a blast 'cause
we were messaging back and forth.
So Joanna, so happy you got that,
uh, that, that experience and,
you know, keep, keep coming back
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah, here's to many more.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: and,
you know, go check out, uh, uh,
some of the other teams too.
If you're, if you're traveling around,
it's always, it's always great time.
and then Trenton, uh, was the
last person on Instagram to come
with, but like, Waldo, AKA CP 23.
Did you want to
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
I can, uh, yeah, I was gonna mention a
little bit later, but in the presser,
uh, Sam lady who is our interim
head coach mentioned that she's
still in her comeback trajectory.
And when you're, and I say this as
like somebody who's come back from
serious injury too, like it takes
longer than most people think.
And depending on the type of
environment you're gonna be subbed
into, sometimes it's not the right one.
And that's pretty much what Sam said
is they had agreed upon different
scenarios of like, okay, this is
when you come in, this is, you
know, the game's going this way.
This is what we're gonna
do, game's going that way.
No, and that's kind of how it happened.
And like, yeah, it sucks
because everybody wants to see
Christen Press on opening day.
We haven't had a CP opening day, uh,
like we haven't had her Gracie, in our
presence on opening day on the pitch
in a long time since that first season.
But she'll be there like you have when
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: we haven't had
her starting in a long time, but I mean
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154: you.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: if you
think about it, really the last
season when she did come in, it was
only for the last like 10 minutes.
It
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
She started the last, the last game.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: oh, she did.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
But she, she subbed at
it at halftime, I think.
But still, like, I hope that
we can get it to where we're
seeing her play for a full half
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yeah.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
and that's, that has to be enough.
And I think people really need to start
shifting their mindset about Kristen.
Like we might get her for a half guys.
And that's something we need to be very
grateful for and very like, respectful
of, because bodies don't body at 36,
37 years old the way they did at 26.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yeah.
Um, and also I think, I think as
we've been talking about how it was
looking towards the end of the game,
there was a momentum building and
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: to,
you don't wanna stop that momentum
by just being like, let's make
the fans happy and put CP in.
Like
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
And it, it might not necessarily be
a good situation for her, and it was
also just starting to get chippy.
And you don't wanna risk
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: There was
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
getting hurt because there's
some chippiness happening.
There was so many cards in that game.
Oh my god,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: uh,
there was, I believe, a record.
Or close
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
for the weekend.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
20 for the whole weekend.
There
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: or two,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
too many.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: too many,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
There's also a red card,
which was insane because that
shouldn't have gotten a red card.
The call before that didn't get a card.
Should have had a red card, but
that's four different conversation.
Feel free to DM me on Instagram or the
Discord if you wanna scream about it too.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Um, all right.
So, uh, let's go over a
couple of discord messages.
Jan Anthony came up with
opening day was great.
Feels like all the good parts of, uh, of
the, sorry, your first day back to school.
Um, sublist was unPhair.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
P-H-A-I-R,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Uhhuh, they didn't get made
with pressing matters mind.
Gisele and King need to
talk to Alyssa and M.A.
and Gordon and Allie and learn how
to go full 90 without cramping.
I.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
they'll get there.
They're also in the point of the season
where they're switching nutrition plans.
Like that's just, you have a
different, um, hydration and
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
you eat what you get to eat.
And
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154: No,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: during this,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
that's not how that works.
Not for professionals.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
that's how I work.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
No, no.
And not for collegiate or for
most collegiate athletes anyway.
Um, no.
Like they're, they're in the
process of switching to that.
So hydration will get changed and updated
as needed, because exertion is different
in a real game than it is in a scrimmage.
No matter how much you prepare.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yeah.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Sorry, athlete Angela was
like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: whoa, whoa.
Although I think as someone in
our discord did also say like, oh,
how about some, uh, coconut water
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: for
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154: max.
No, honestly, coconut water is so good,
but, um, no, it'll, it'll get figured out.
And that's, they talked about that
too in the, in the pressor, like
asking about Giselle and Savvy
King being like, are they okay?
He's like, yeah, they were just cramping.
We just have to change hy, you
know, update their hydration plans
and get, you know, figure it out.
Oops.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: look,
I start cramping when I'm cleaning
out the garage, so I mean it good on
them for doing what they're doing.
Katie came in with, I
think this is a good start.
The ref was a bit of an Uno wild card.
Good game too.
I got enough time to go get a
drink and a bite before bedtime.
Yeah, it was, it was a, oh yeah,
the stupid three 50 start time.
Uh.
But it did give us a,
you know, Sunday match.
I do semi appreciate the early start
times, although when it gets later
into the season, a four o'clock start
time on a Sunday, it's just gonna
suck in the middle of the summer.
But we don't have good, good thing,
we don't have too many of these.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
It's true.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
so that's, that's a good thing
that the schedule got fixed.
Almost decision day, still a thing.
Okay.
And Ethan, our haiku king, shaky,
start, turn back Low hopes, but climb
and surpass first game with the noobs.
I just, I, now look,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
I look forward to Ethan SKUs.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: to these
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: and
I was waiting for him to respond
and I got his, I was like, yes.
Um, we also have a haiku
bot on the Discord and it.
His goal was to write them in, in a
way where the Haiku bot also recognizes
them 'cause he's like, alright,
validated, um, 90% of the time.
And then Jeff, our ever loyal listener who
skirts the rules of, of and now has access
to discord and can give us a nice, long
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
I know.
It was also super nice to meet you.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yes.
Yes.
It was great meeting you too.
It was, it was.
We got to meet some people during the
half and before the game, um, as we
were running around and it was great.
So, uh, Jeff the vs.
Were good.
You could just see by, uh, you could
just see so much joy in every fan
from Fan Fest to the game start.
I think everyone, uh, in the
stadium needed, uh, the season.
Just to start,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Honest to God, yes.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: I'll scratch
today's performance as one, uh, game One
Shenanigans felt like our inaugural I.
Game with a new coach,
uh, roster and play style.
Same with the wave, almost
mirroring our turnover.
Uh, this past season felt like both teams
were not only out each o out for each
other, but also to gel with each other.
But I did see progress in the
attack and defense as the game
went on and then he went on
things we need to work on.
Not a concern, but could be, if not
fixed first, uh, finishing chances.
Tiernan had a couple at, uh,
is gonna pitch herself on the
first chance, and Emily as well.
Ball watching instead of player marking
overcrowding our box, which led to a
goal and many more chances for San Diego
conditioning, especially on the back line.
But again, first game.
But M.A.
looked absolutely gassed by the
end and King and, uh, uh, Gisele
couldn't finish the game out.
Uh, no press, uh, was a choice.
And last little note.
team pulled on The Player
Angels was shocking.
Game one.
Um, we're already yelling.
Refuse suck.
Rev was a little too hard.
Happy, I dunno about other games, but
I'm not optimistic on better refereeing.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
be just, just don't be.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: and finally,
the store not being prepared for
the onslaught of customized jerseys.
Only two press machines working.
I bought my jersey to be printed about
30 minutes before the game started, and
they said it would be ready by the half.
Come by.
Halftime, they said, come
back by the end of the game.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Whoa.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: back after
with the store being open only 30.
After the final whistle, it was
clear it wasn't gonna be ready,
with probably 20 plus orders.
I got an IOU 'cause already
paid for it, but a big fumble.
Loved meeting and I loved meeting up
and saying hi at the half already.
Can't wait for the next weekend.
We're back baby.
added the baby.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah, the store was interesting.
They had very, like they, and granted
there was an LAFC game the night
before, but they were, when we got
there and we got there early, Eva,
my mom and I, um, we got there really
early 'cause we were worried about
parking, like stressed about, I was
stressed about literally everything.
Like I was nervous.
It's what happens.
Um, we went into the store and they
were still putting out merch and there
was like maybe four racks of merch
and I'm like, there's more than this.
What is happening right now.
Um, and then there was a,
we all know where I stand politically
on things on this podcast.
There was whatever the hell they
were listening to in the store, on
the radio or whatever station it
was, had an announcement that was
so vile towards immigrants and how
like, this administration is gonna
come for you and find you and hunt
you down and all this kind of shit.
Yeah.
My mom and I were in there and
she looked at me and I said, what
the hell is happening right now?
She literally went and found
someone from Angel City and was
like, uh, cut this shit out.
Whatever this is.
No, this isn't what happens here.
What is happening?
It was such a wild experience.
Even some of the employees were
like, what, what, what is this?
It, it was awful and.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: someone's
like free Spotify, where like it
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
I have no idea.
I like nothing else.
I heard nothing else until like, I heard
this and it was just like, uh, what
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: That's a bull.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
do I know and understand that
all these things are happening?
Do I hate it?
Yes.
I don't want this here.
Not in a, not in the world's game, not
at a stadium full of immigrants and
queer folks and people from all different
places and Valks of life, like bullshit.
No.
So I just had to get that off my chest.
Um, my mom complained about it.
I'm gonna do my post game survey.
Like, I, I never do
those because who cares?
But absolutely.
Like, I will not stand for that.
It, it was awful.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: That's,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
The store was whack, but I got my
tamagotchi and that's what matters.
And I got it signed by
the creator of Tamagotchi.
So.
Uh, shout out to our rebellion
friends for telling me she was there
and being completely excited with
me as we all got her autograph.
Um, we had a couple more
comments from Joe in the Discord.
Said great vi great vibes.
Just about died when Anderson lost
the ball and it slowly rolled out.
I think everybody did.
Um, king looks like she's got, she
has good instincts, but needs mass
and game time to level up more.
But she should be playing.
I absolutely agree.
Um, like Sarah Gorden said,
they've played a scrimmage and a
half together on the back line.
Expect her and Sarah to lock in
between now and Friday, and it's
gonna be a different back line.
I'm so excited.
And then my bestie Vero, who sits
right in front of me, texted me 'cause
she said, she texted me like a week
before the game and said, pick a type
of poem and I'm going to write a poem.
I said, Ooh, okay.
So we decided on a limerick.
So.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: In
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154: Um,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Patty's Day, I
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
yes, I guess, uh, she said
the team missed chances.
I'm starting to fret
no press on the pitch.
Don't ditch Sam yet.
Uh, they all need to shoot, not
pass and communicate in mass.
Alyssa will win the boot.
Wanna bet?
So we've got poems we like, we have
a, a array of poets apparently in
our little fan base we got here.
But
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
I'm liking this.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
I know.
Get creative, have fun.
We got essays, we've
got poetry, we got sas.
I'm here for it.
I'm here for it.
So lemme take a sip of water
and then we're gonna start
talking about what's coming up.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yes.
So we're gonna be previewing now
we're at our preview section.
We're gonna be previewing our
match versus the Portland thorns
in Portland at Providence Park.
And you know, we've got a couple of
things we gotta talk about for ourselves
before we talk about the players to watch.
So what are we looking at?
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154: So
it's gonna be really interesting to see
how Angel City rebounds after this draw.
Like, like I said, there was so
much good to see and so much to
be like, Ooh, that was exploited
that we should fix right now.
You know?
So we're looking at, at fine tuning still.
I'm so curious how Portland
responds after the Kansas City
game because they got worked.
Eva and I were watching a game like
they're gonna score because Kansas
City is still a little Swiss cheesy
in some ways, but it was not, it was
not a Becky Serbu and Megan Klienberg
defense up in Portland at all.
It was very much a, I don't
know who half your team is.
God bless Sam Coffee.
Like she should not have to carry the
whole team and she kind of is right now.
Um, but yeah, I'm really
curious to see how.
How they get on and, and how this
game goes because there's a lot of
unknowns between both of the teams.
We all know we're dealing with a lot
of rookies on the Angel City side.
A lot of young players
on the Portland side.
Portland is going through a huge,
huge, huge, like personality shift.
They have new owners, they have
new coaches, they have so many
new players, so many retirees,
like they, um, sink's not there.
Becky Sauron's not there.
Clings not there.
Um, I'm missing somebody else.
I can't think of it.
But like, so much change
in the off season.
It's crazy.
So it's,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: leadership,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
yeah, like,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: so,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
but that's, no, no shame.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Sophia,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Oh, thank you.
Yeah.
Sophia Wilson out on maternity leave.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: leave.
Yeah.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
So that's such a big shift.
They have plenty of talent.
It's not that there's like,
oh, you know, we've got like.
JV level players, that's
absolutely not it.
Um, it's just really curious to see how
they're going to respond, especially
because their new head coach was an
interim and then he got named head coach
in the middle of the season last year.
Rob Gale is gonna hopefully
lead them the whole season.
Ideally.
The cool thing I found out about him in
prepping for tonight was that he was,
he's zombie and born to English parents.
Like his family was living in Zombie,
so he is the first zombie and NWSL
coach, but he's like an English dude.
Like he's, so it's one of
those where you're like, what?
But, um, no, like, I, I'm curious
to see how this game goes.
Portland always shows up, especially
at home because their fan base,
like our fan base is amazing.
Portland's fan base has been through
hell and back for this team like.
They're so solid.
They have the dopest TiVos, like they
are established and they are secure and
they're, they're a fan base and supporter
groups that most other teams in the
league like look up to in the way they
organize, in the way they like, handle
things at Providence Park, all that.
So it'll be really interesting
to see the environment up there.
But also it's gonna be interesting
because next season, so next summer,
Portland is coming to the WNBA.
So I'm curious how the crossover of
women's basketball and women's soccer
happens because they're gonna share
a training facility too, because
their ownership group is the same.
And I'm really excited about
this, so I'm hoping I can do a
Portland basketball soccer weekend.
'cause I just love sports.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: that would be
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
It'd be so dope.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yeah.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
But no, there's, there's a lot I
could talk about Angel City forever.
We did that.
Last week pretty much.
So let's,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: if
they don't plan a Sparks Angel City
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
they have to, Kelsey Plum is here.
I will Riot.
Riot if she does not do
their three clap riot.
I know at least 10 different people
from different supporter groups
and also my friends and family.
We will riot.
I will pick it.
Like I'll wear a bring Kelsey to
Angel City shirt to a Sparks game.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: and
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
know people,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: we even went
back to the simple three clap, which, you
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
oh God bless Sam s Sam freaking s knew
what she, she, she righted the ship.
She gave us the true, pure
three clap of the national
team where this was taken from.
It was sharp, it was concise.
You knew what to do and when to do it.
There wasn't 800 steps.
Sams the president, please clip this.
Like I, Sams saved the day.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: there
was also a woo instead of a, uh,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
I, Sam, I don't feel like Sammy
Bananas is gonna, uh, she's gonna boo.
It's gonna be so good and I'm here for it.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: It was fun.
It was.
It was a nice,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
It was proper.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: yes.
All right, so who, who
do we gotta watch out?
Now that we know the players that
have left, retired, or on maternity
leave, that they've lost so much
veteran leadership the team?
Who do they got left and
what are we looking at?
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah, so a lot, uh, Bella Bixby is
coming back from maternity leave and
my biggest question is, is there a
chance that she comes back to win
the keeper spot from from Macca, from
Mackenzie Arnold, or is she just now
like the backup in her comeback season?
Which is totally fine.
I also dunno how long
Macca's, um, contract is.
So that could be dependent on Bella Bixby
future as Portland's keeper, but that's
just me stirring the pot 'cause it's fun.
There's been a lot of,
of defensive changeover.
Like I said, Kelly Hubley, ISS gone.
Kling is gone, Becky's gone.
So that back line is a
mystery to everyone including.
Portland, um, Kaitlyn Tope, who
is an Australian national team
member, is kind of stepping into
that role to lead as a veteran.
So she's gonna have a good chance
to really settle in and become
a rock for the team back there.
But who knows?
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Okay.
Well, I mean, Ellie
Solana has a national mate
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154: I
mean, Mackenzie Arnold is their keeper, so
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Okay, I didn't say that.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
there's a few Aussies in the league still.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: know
there are, but I mean, you literally
wrote players, so I was like, Hey.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
But yeah, Alana will have
folks to say hi to when she's
in Portland over the weekend.
Maybe they'll go get a
flat white somewhere.
Do you know what those are?
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: No,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Coffee.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: coffee.
The coffee.
The flat white coffee.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yes,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Jesus.
I was like, is this an Australian thing?
I'm supposed to
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154: yes.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: white coffee.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
But it's an Australian thing
you're supposed to know.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Uh, it's, it's just a thing.
just a coffee.
I didn't know it was Australian.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Well, the coffee isn't the drink is it?
It, it's just good regardless.
Um, we have Sam Coffee and Jesse
Fleming who are really stepping
into leadership roles for Portland.
Jesse Fleming plays for the Canadian
National team, Sam Coffey with her
beautiful scrunchie and tucked in
kit plays for our national team.
She is now the captain in
Portland, which I love this.
I think she's a fantastic leader.
I think she just, from her play,
like knows how to organize her team
and knows how to settle them down.
Um.
She's fantastic.
We've seen that in national play
altogether, and we're gonna see
that in a much bigger role this
season for her in Portland.
So I'm just very curious how all
this is gonna shake out for them.
I think it's gonna be kind of a rocky
season, but I also don't think it is
because it's Portland and they just
do what they do and then they make
the playoffs and it makes me mad.
But, you know, ifs,
the last person I'm gonna talk
about is Dana Castellanos.
She's coming to Portland from BFC.
There has been crazy hype around her since
she was in college and they kind of talked
about this a little bit on the broadcast
this weekend of like, it's not necessarily
that she hasn't lived up to it.
I don't think she's had the
opportunity to, in a lot of ways
everything with BFC was weird.
Um, I think she's it, at least if it, if
it were me, given the hype, knowing the
player she can be and the player she is.
She still has something to prove, like
there's a little chip on your shoulder.
Like even if it's internal of
just like, I don't like the way
people are talking about me.
Like I need to fix this.
Like I'm, I am who I am.
I'm that good.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yeah.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
she is always going to be a wild
card because she is that good.
It's just a matter of is that going
to end up translating into the NWSL?
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yeah.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
this style of play benefit her?
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: There was,
there was some weirdness with Bay FC
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
There's still some weirdness with BFC
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
there's still some weirdness.
I mean, we, um, who was our
player that went up there and then
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Scarlet
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Scarlet and
then Scarlet Can Barros and then shit
was just so weird in Bay FC that she
decided to go back to Mexico where she
was being harassed from the beginning.
And one of
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
and Stalked, which is why she came to
us and then she got further away and
then she said, nah, this is bad enough.
I'm gonna go back.
Like,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: I mean
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154: I
mean, I dunno if that's why, but yeah,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
aside, I hope, I hope everything
was resolved and she's safe
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
I hope she's safe.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: and
everything like that, but weird shit.
And BFC and with you saying that Dana, uh,
Castanos was supposed to have this hype
around her, but hasn't lived up to it.
You know, that's a lot of
times it's also just like,
you
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
If you're miserable, yeah.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
the right person, but.
If the group around you isn't
clicking or you're not clicking
with them, or there's just
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
If there's so much of a heavy
cloud over the team and you are
miserable, you will not perform
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yeah,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Psychologically, it breaks you apart,
whether that's at a regular nine to
five desk job on the pitch on the court.
It doesn't matter if the, it
is such a bad environment.
You break after a certain point and
everybody's threshold is different.
So I'm hoping that this is a
better environment for her,
better environment for everybody.
And she can play a great game,
but not score against us and
plays terribly against us and
great against everybody else.
Thanks.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
game is not the game to find
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
No, not at all.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
know, feel it out.
Feel it out One more time, and
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah, neither is the game.
When you, when you play us in la
like, don't do, just forget, like,
I don't know what a soccer ball is.
What, who knows?
But yeah, that's, that's my, uh,
recap on Portland and all the
things that are going on there.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yeah.
All right.
Well we've got some, also some
bright spots for ourselves
to, to look forward to also.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah, absolutely.
So Katie Zeum came in in the second half.
I wish she had been subbed in a
little sooner, but I think it's
also just feeling out the vibes and,
and who's working well with who.
But her veteran presence on the
pitch settled our midfield down
and locked them in so well.
I can't wait to see how this shifts
more as she, she subs in more or plays
more, whatever her role is gonna be.
I'm very curious.
Um, she ended up subbing in for Macy Hodge
who was kind of, we talked about this
with Casey, like kind of our wild card.
Like, we don't know really what
to expect, how she's doing.
I still kind of feel like that, I hope
she ends up kind of coming into her
own and, and adjusting that adjustment
period from college to professional
can be really difficult, especially if
the style of play is super different.
The environment, the training, whatever.
There's so many different factors that go
into that and sometimes it's just nerves.
It's, it's starting a new job is scary.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Playing in front of 20,000 people.
I mean,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
It's it's legit.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: it's,
it's diff it's different than
the, the training facility out
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Mm-hmm.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Oaks,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah, exactly.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
a hundred acre forest.
Um,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Forest and a Million
Oaks and all the things.
Um, but no, she, Katie Zell's
like leadership and how she
led the midfield really settled
us into the second half.
And that was when we scored, you know,
like that shift of we scored, we locked
down the midfield, our defense locked in.
Like everything kind of went like c clunk,
clunk, clunk at the same time to get in
line and really push the team forward.
So I'm happy that that
happened when she came in.
I would like to see more of that earlier
in the game, but we'll get there.
We'll get there.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: it's game one.
It's game one.
It's okay.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah, absolutely.
And I mentioned this earlier,
but Casey Phair hyped up Alyssa.
Crazy at the half.
And like they asked in the presser,
like, you know, how does your, how do
your teammates help you when, like,
stuff, when you miss that chance
that you miss in the first half.
And she's like, oh, Casey Phair
like, sat me down and was like,
you're the best person out there.
You're so great.
You're gonna do this.
Like, but that's the thing, like everybody
on a team has a different role and so I'm
really excited to see Alyssa take this.
'cause she was like, oh yeah,
I've already replayed that
chance like five times in my head
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yeah.
She knows what
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
she knows.
She's like, I shouldn't have done this.
I, I'm one, I won V one with a goalie.
I should score.
Like there's no reason I shouldn't,
so I'm not, I'm not stressed.
She didn't get lost in the
sauce from missing that chance.
She looked for others.
She very much has matured over the
last two years and it's so cool to see.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: mean,
we, we saw, we saw the change also
last year where like she wasn't quite
out, know, we kept saying that she
had the yips and, you know, other
people think different, but whatever.
It was, what it was, she
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
quite performing as the striker.
But you know, what she did do is she
pivoted and she became an amazing assist.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
you M.A.
you become a playmaker when the
plays aren't happening for you
and it, it unlocks a different
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: and yeah.
And so now she has both
of those in her pocket.
She has the striking ability and she
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
mm-hmm.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: the
ability to find the, the pockets
where other people need to be in.
And
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yep.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: I think
this just makes her even better,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
Way more dangerous too,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: yep.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
having somebody like Alyssa who
is willing to take the chance and
score or pass and get the assist
to somebody like Riley Tiernan,
I'm excited.
Ri Tiernan comes from a soccer family.
She had a fantastic showing.
Like it's the first game of the season.
Yeah,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yeah.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
yeah.
33.
Yeah.
Also, yeah, height helps.
But I was surprised to see her starting,
but then once I saw her play, I wasn't,
I was like, oh, that makes sense.
Apparently she had been
showing out at training.
She won her spot, essentially,
and I think it's fantastic because
she comes from a soccer family.
Eva was so excited to see
her last name come up.
She was like, that's super familiar.
I didn't know this.
Her older sister played for Sky Blue
back in the early days of the NWSL.
Before there was,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Gotham.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
yeah, pre Gotham when they
were still sky blue when it,
you were getting paid $10, so
I'm not gonna cry.
It's just so cool to see like in the same.
Um, essentially the same
generation of players.
'cause it's under a decade, I would
assume, between the two of them.
I didn't look it up because that felt
weird, but I don't wanna be a creep.
But like, if you have like a decade,
let's say, in between them eight to 10
years is probably the age difference.
If RI is 20 something coming outta
college and her sister was playing
almost 10 years ago, you know, there's,
there's a good gap between them.
But like, you go from playing on a team
that's like held together with duct
tape and a and a like old USB chord that
broke, like holding on for dear life in
a league that's holding on for dear life.
And then to see your little sister
shit, two for two, dude, uh, to see
like your little sister come into play
in front of almost 20,000 people in
one of the best programs in the league
with like the highest level of training
facilities, like all this new shit.
And you're like, yeah, that's,
that's what we did this for.
But yeah, progress.
It doesn't help that I was listening
to, or I was watching, uh, Sue
Bird and Megan Rapino a Touch More
podcast episode where they're talking
about Diana's, uh, retirement.
I was like mega emotional about it.
Uh, generational players,
man, they're important.
But yeah, I'm excited to see Ri
Tiernan grow both as, as a striker
for Angel City and in the league,
because like, there's promise.
I have no issue really with the game,
especially hearing Alyssa and Sarah
Gorden talk about it afterwards.
They were both like, yeah, there's
stuff we need to tighten up.
No shit.
It's the first game.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yeah.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
It, it was very like, yeah, we know.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yeah.
And we, we've mentioned this before,
I mean, uh, in a league where you
have playoffs, um, the first couple
games almost don't matter, like
they're your tuneup games because
your main goal is to make it into
those slots for the playoffs, right?
And you could afford to draw a
couple of these first matches.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: could
bite you in the ass later on.
But like,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
We know nothing about that.
As Angel City fans, nothing at all.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: but you
can afford to tinker around at the
beginning, try to find your stride.
Um, you know, the first
maybe four matches or so.
Um, you're still tinkering it,
eh, you know, it, it can, if it
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
You are way more chill about that
than I'm, I'm like, they gotta
lock it down this weekend, like.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
they, they do what?
Well, I, where I was going with this
is that like, if they're tinkering
and it's like the first, you know,
three, four matches and they're still
kind of figuring out their way and
maybe they lost one, maybe they tie
whatever, if the tinkering works,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: That's
the thing that we kept saying last
year was like, okay, we haven't
seen the same lineup twice.
You need to figure out your
tinkering or stop tinkering and
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
yeah,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
them just do what they're doing.
But once you figure it out, let it ride.
And there was that one match that like, we
were just like, all like, holy shit, and
then they completely lost the next one.
But it's like, does, you don't.
Don't throw the baby out with bath water.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
yeah.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
like, let it, you're
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Let it cook.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: for,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
cook for a bit.
And I know there's probably other things
we're not considering at the moment,
injuries, whatever, but you let it cook.
And so if they can figure it out
and they do some tinkering in the
first couple matches, and we don't
necessarily get results, but we
see the progress, then we're like,
I'm, I'm like, all right, let's go.
'cause that's gonna just, it's gonna
mean that we're gonna get into the
playoffs and not just squeak in,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: you know,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
I think if we can consistently,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
definitely gonna be like, if we
just squeak and it'll be great.
But right now we don't want to squeak in.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
no, I don't want us to squeak in at all.
I want us to be surely in the playoffs,
securely in the playoffs, especially
because we're starting this season
much more gently than last season.
I feel like last season, angel City
got shot out of a cannon in our,
like, who we faced and how much travel
there was and all kinds of stuff.
So
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yeah.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
think this season is a lot more generous
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yeah, we
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
that sense.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: then coming
back home, then an away game, like
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
And it's West Coast.
West Coast.
Like it's not, we're not going
Gotham La, Kansas City, la
Orlando, la and like, yeah.
Um, but no, we've, we've matched up
with Portland a lot because of the
Challenge Cup and all that kind of stuff.
Similar to San Diego, we've played
them roughly one bazillion times.
So as it stands right now, we
have three wins, three draws,
and four losses against Portland.
So let's make one of those other,
one of those three is a four, please.
Preferably the win column
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yeah.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
with a good fa, like a good goal
differential, like set us up, you
know, like everybody wants to score now
everybody wants to take those chances
and really, like, make something of them.
They know how to make them.
It's not forced.
They, they talked about it in, in
the post game of just like, we're
not forcing things this year.
This year it's there
and it's like, oh, okay.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yeah,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
They're just working out the kinks.
Um,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
because when you force it,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
you force it.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: you're
forcing it and it's not gelling.
Right.
You're, you're, it's, a bandaid.
It's not getting it working,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: you know,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
Absolutely.
And then one more thing
before we sign off.
Um, sending all the good vibes and
well wishes and good things to Sid
Larou who's stepping away from soccer
for a little bit to kind of right
the ship, get her stuff right, make
sure she's taking care of the kids.
There's obviously a lot going on in
the world, um, probably for her family.
So yeah, sending so much love to our girl.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Uh, lots of love to her.
Um, I, when I reposted her story, um,
and it's something that, that Jen and
I talk about all the time, is that, um,
you think about the, pre-flight, um,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Mm-hmm.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
that you get where it's like
you have to put your mask on
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
Especially as parents.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
else, especially as parents.
And that's something that we talk about
all the time is like, know, we have
to make sure that as crazy as shit
gets, you have to put your mask on
first to be able to help anybody else.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: you know,
I'm, I'm glad, you know, if she got
to the point where she's, she felt
like, Hey, this is the right thing to
do and I need to take care of what I
need to take care of, that's great.
Um, know, if it, if it
screws up my fantasy draft.
Um, she also did post like, and she
like commented in her own post saying
like, just squashing all the rumors.
Right now I'm not pregnant.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yep.
That's Sid like, and that's the thing.
She said she's gonna come back in the
most Sid manner, which means the second
she steps on the pitch, she's scoring a
fricking banger from like the other box.
Like,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: yeah,
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
be afraid.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: yeah.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Be afraid if you're an opposing team,
once Sidler is back on the pitch,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
I'm, I'm calling her right now.
If she makes it back on the pitch.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154: win.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: an,
it's going to, it's gonna be an M.A.
sid goal.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Oh, for sure.
Savvy M.A.
Sid into space.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Savvy's
gonna get the, the hockey assist.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Mm-hmm.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: All right.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah.
Yeah, she's going to, it's
just gonna be so good.
But yeah,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yeah.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
the good things to Sid
because she deserves them.
So do the kids.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: good stuff.
Yep.
all right, well that was our preview for
our upcoming match on Friday, the 21st
against Portland, up in Providence Park.
It's gonna be at 7:00 PM streaming on
Amazon Prime, or listen to it on, uh,
iHeartRadio and listen to Isaac and Tracy.
Uh, the two best radio answers that
we've ever had, and, you know, if
you happen to find an alternate
streaming, then and use a VPN and
can watch it that way then.
Good on you.
There will be a watch party if
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yes,
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
it on Amazon Prime.
and it's also going to be, uh,
it's gonna be at Grand Central,
uh, three 17 South Broadway.
Just look it up on, uh,
on the Angel City website.
The start time is listed at 11:00
AM and that's because at 11:00
AM there's going to be a popup.
They're gonna be selling,
uh, the new la um, kits.
They're gonna be doing giveaways, they're
gonna be doing all that fun stuff.
The kind of watch party festivities
will start about five o'clock
with the game start at seven.
So, you know, go have dinner
at, uh, grand Central.
There's a ton of
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
so much good food.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154:
so much good food.
So, um, yeah, and if you go, you
know, tag us in your photos, let
us know that you're there and, uh,
we'll live vicariously through you.
Okay.
And to close this out.
You guys know it, but if you don't
follow us because you probably like
what you hear, uh, hit that subscribe
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Uh, they're all there.
Um, our follow us on any one of
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so yeah, uh, you can find that link
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sketched out or half done.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
Yeah, they're gonna take a minute.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yeah.
and if you don't necessarily wanna
do that, uh, but you still want
to help us out, uh, you can always
help us out with buying us a coffee.
And you can do that at
buy me a coffee.com/casual
FC pod.
It's a way you can throw us, uh, a
buck or two or however many you feel.
There's also a new subscription
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figured out what that really means.
So at the moment it's just like,
maybe you wanna subscribe for like a
buck a month or something like that.
I don't know, something small.
Anything you guys send over
helps keep on the lights, helps
us keep doing what we're doing.
It helps us have fun with you.
And uh, one last thing.
Tell a friend about the
pod, it brings us good luck.
We bank that.
Good luck.
We send it on over.
And you know, honestly, I feel that
the good luck we sent over for the
first match was spent really well.
It was good vibes all around
the stadium had good vibes.
The, the, the game I think had good vibes.
We didn't let an early goal knock us down
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154: Yep.
marito_1_03-18-2025_215154: and, and we
just wanna keep more seeing more of that.
So, you know, tell a friend about
the pod, we'll bank that and we'll
send it up to Portland with the team.
So with that, thanks
for listening everyone.
angela--she-her-_1_03-18-2025_215154:
see you soon.
