6/20 Angel City FC at Kansas City Current
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
I'm your host, Angela Morales.
Do you not hear me?
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Yeah, I can hear you.
Sorry, I didn't mean to distract you.
I was like, I was trying to point
to like the two of us, but then I
don't remember which side we're on.
that's, I was gonna use,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
directing air traffic.
Hey everyone.
Welcome to Casual fc, an immigrant city FC
Preview and Footy Therapy Pod, featuring
two podcast certified footy therapists.
I'm your host, Angela Morales
with my co-host Mario Salazar.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Hey, everyone, uh,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: We're
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
LA We're here.
This last match was a, was a thing.
It happened, as did a
bunch of other things.
So I mean, we'll, we'll.
Dabble and talk about those things.
But this episode is our last episode
before the big, the big break
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Summer break, like the NWSL goes on
summer vacation, kinda like schools do.
Mario texted me yesterday and
was like, happy summer break.
And I was like, bro, I'm at work.
I'm jealous of you because you
have children who remind you
that we used to be able to rest.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
don't be jealous of me.
That means I have the reminder in my
house that I used to be able to rest.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
I just have capitalism
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
all right.
this is our match preview for Friday,
June 20th versus Kansas City Current.
It's going to be at the
Pizza Palace, CPKC Stadium.
CPCK Stadium
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
sounds like you're calling a cat.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030: Cat.
It's just cats will just come.
The game's gonna be
broadcast at 5:00 PM here.
in LA it's gonna be on Prime video.
It's also gonna be on the
radio with iHeartRadio.
Listen to Isaac and Tracy.
if you can't watch it and if you can't
be in Kansas City for it, there will
be two official watch parties by Angel
City, both of them starting at 4:00
PM Match starts at five, they're going
to be at Districto Catorce and Hi Tops
Los Feliz check out the website, check
out their socials for the addresses.
I didn't write them down and it's
not like you're gonna write, jot
down the address as I'm reading it.
So
we'll share the,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: you
know, this season of the podcast, like
this season of, of the team, and this
season of the podcast is efficiency.
Like, that's the, the theme of like
what's actually working, what's not.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
yeah,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
why do we need to give you an address
when you can just go on the internet?
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
yeah.
And knowing me, I'm probably
gonna mix up the numbers anyways
and give you the wrong address.
So.
So there you go.
so yeah, two watch parties,
both, uh, angel City.
They said prizes, giveaways, fun stuff.
Check them out.
And I'm sure possibly some of the
issues might have some, uh, we'll see.
I mean, everything, as we said last
episode and the last, you know,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: Your
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
two weeks.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
priority.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030: Yes.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
You put your, your oxygen mask on first.
Keep your, keep your asses safe.
That's it.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030: Yep.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
the team understands, we
understand, everybody understands,
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
You know what?
And join the discord for the virtual watch
party where it's more of a watch along.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
we'll have a, a voice channel going on.
If there's enough people, it, it's just
active and crazy during away games if
you need the community and you can't
effectively leave to go to the community.
We've got you.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Yeah.
yeah, so that's all good.
All right, so let's get into
our, uh, normal episode stuff.
Let's talk about the Chaos Award, which
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: So
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
I mean
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
happened in this weekend.
I'm just gonna say that LAPD gets a chaos
award for ruining everything per osh.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Yeah.
Yeah.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: if
you are still out protesting, if you are
still out there, putting yourself on the
line, please be safe as much as you can.
We love you.
We wish the best, best for you.
We want everyone in the city to go home
at night and or in the morning whenever
you get home normally, like that's
where you should be, nowhere else.
So keep your eyes alert, keep
your ears alert, and just, yeah.
If anybody needs anything,
community, friends, access
to resources, us, hit us up.
If we don't know, we'll find it.
We'll help you find it.
We'll get you to people who can find it.
what all this is about.
The only way we stay strong
through everything, honestly,
is to rest and recover.
And show up for each other.
So
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
yeah.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: talk
about soccer before I start crying again.
'cause it's late and I'm tired.
And when I'm tired, I cry easier and
I'm already emotional about other stuff.
So bear with me.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
I will say that along the lines of what
happened and what's been happening,
shout out to all the supporters
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Oh, hell yeah.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
banded together and, you know.
protested in stadium, like
we said, sport is political.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Soccer is political.
We use our voices and we use our platform
in whichever platform that we have.
Right.
And for a lot of us, the
stadium is the platform.
And for the sgs, the,
the ESA is the platform.
And so they brought out, you
know, the, the abolished ice,
the, a bunch of different
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Well, they couldn't have, they
couldn't have references to Ice
or Kings, which is hot trash.
'cause they could last week.
What changed?
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
which, you know, we have
this, this upsetting dichotomy
and it's happened before,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
where rules are kind of being done
at the whim of whoever's like there.
And it's, it's a little an, it's
very frustrating and kind of
antithetical to a lot of what.
The, the, the club is
supposed to stand for, right?
Or the, the what we're supposed to be
there for, whether it was the club,
whether it was the stadium BMO staff.
'cause they are separate entities.
You know, there are different, like
people like Angel City doesn't hire
the security guards that are there,
like they're part of the stadium.
So, um, they might be getting
direction from someone else who knows.
But, you know, we, the, the
supporters had this protest.
It was beautiful.
It was poignant, like people saw.
It was very clear.
some people might not have understood
why they weren't chanting, but they
kind of got it towards the end.
and I mean the, the banners were there.
but then we also started hearing from our
friends and things like that, that were
there, that banners were being taken away.
Banners were being
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
banner was made to be taken down
Juneteenth on the Juneteenth
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
on the Juneteenth night.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Like how, how big of a
pile of horse shit is that?
It's the
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030: that
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: game.
There's special merch, there's
stuff all over the stadium.
There's like a photo booth.
There's, there's different organizations.
There's all kinds of shit you can do.
And they can't, they can't have a sign.
What is that like?
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
that they, they sang, they sang the black
na national anthem, like the, the, you
know, like Lift Every Boys, like they,
it's this game.
I don't understand.
And, and this is what is super
frustrating for a lot of the fans and
a lot of the supporters that they're,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: off.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
they work their ass off for chanting,
for making the atmosphere, for
providing like a great time for
everybody else within that stadium.
And then you, you start pulling
super shit like this, right?
like just the, that's the one that
blows my mind the most where it's like,
look, this is the Juneteenth match.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: Yep.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
you're taking down the Juneteenth
banner, it doesn't like
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Make it make sense.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
make it make sense.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
sense?
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
there was another post that I saw where,
someone brought in a, what looked like
a Burger King crown that said No kings.
but those were confiscated
'cause No, like it,
and
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
I wanna
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
yeah,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
was the decision maker in that?
Was it BMO security?
Was it the team?
I don't know who it was, but think
about who, who your fans are, like
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
so, it's so stupid.
And then like, if you, like you, you
start cherry picking what you're gonna do.
I saw another, I saw another post.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
banners, are you no longer
having a Juneteenth night?
Are you no longer doing all
the different heritage nights?
Are you pulling some bullshit?
Are you the Dodgers?
And I say that as someone who
used to be a gigantic Dodger fan,
who's seriously reconsidering my
allegiance to a team who doesn't give
a single fuck about its community.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Y Yeah, they've been, their
silence has been loud.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
they're than loud because
it's It's egregiously violent.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
yeah.
there was even, I even saw a
post about, someone who was just
like, okay, this got confiscated.
But the guy in the MAGA hat is fine.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: Yep,
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
don't, don't cherry pick your shit.
Like, be consistent and look.
Yeah.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
point was already made.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
And look, I am, I'm going to be
talking to both the, the Angel City
front office and the BMO staff here.
Talk to each other.
Be clear about what you're fucking doing.
Figure it out.
I.
I know that there is communication
between the sgs and people from the
front office directly on game day
to be like, Hey, what's going on?
When you go silent, it doesn't help.
I don't know if you did,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: No,
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
but I'm just saying.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
the team was trying to figure
out what the hell was going on.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Yeah, but I'm, I'm saying like, this
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: Yeah,
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
is not the first occurrence of
this happening, so you can't
claim ignorance on like, we didn't
know they were gonna do this.
no, this has happened multiple times now.
So, you know, maybe have a little
pre-game meeting with the BMO staff.
Like, I, I don't know.
There's just, it's just frustrating,
especially with everything that's
going on that this has to happen
to, so our chaos award was about the
shit that's going on, not the NWSL.
There might have been a a, a
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: was a
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
fun NWSL chaos award.
You know what, just.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
shit together.
'cause there was some calls that
happened that just don't even,
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Yeah, there might've been other chaos,
award worthy things throughout the, the
weekend that did not have to do with
things that were happening at our match.
And if they were send us a DM comment
and let us know exactly what they
were because, there was, we just
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
We were a little
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030: to,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
here in la
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
we, and we also needed to
get this off our chest, but,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: Yeah.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
okay.
Beyond that, let's just get into it quick.
Roundabout of all the NWSL
scores for the weekend.
Uh, San Diego, beat, Houston three to two.
Gotham beat Utah, three to zero.
Orlando beat Bay, one to nothing.
Seattle and Chicago.
Tide.
Casey beat, uh, Louisville.
Fort two Portland beat
Washington two to zero.
And then our match
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Happened.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
against, against North Carolina.
Courage happened.
We lost.
With a two to one Scoreline,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
have a
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030: V.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
this, but a minute you give the
download of the game, I'll give the
download of the press conference.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Okay.
Yes.
So downloaded the game.
It, I, so I attended the game.
It was very much an audible, like I was,
I was 50 50 on if I could attend the game.
And I attended very last minute.
I got there and I was like, speed walking
to the stadium, got into the stadium,
heard the, an, the national, the,
the singers and everything like that.
Heard the, the pre-game festivities.
And I was like, Ooh, I got some time.
I'm gonna grab a beer.
I grab a beer, I'm in line.
I hear the whistle, I hear the start,
and then I see like the little picture
and picture thing in the, on the
screen and I see someone kicking.
I'm like, okay, cool, cool.
I don't hear anything going on.
So I'm like, okay, got my beer.
Went to go sit down.
Right?
Yeah.
Then at the 11th minute, Riley Tiernan,
our golden boot leader for our team
right now, scores a beautiful goal.
And then I'm all excited and I'm
like, all right, and then I gotta
go pick up that Chargers thing.
'cause I, you know, there's
a lot of stuff to do.
A lot of stuff's so busy.
As I'm walking away, I see
the score being one one, and
I'm like, what the hell I got?
I was so happy to, so sad.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Mario came and sat up in 2 27 with
Eva, my mom, Richie, and I, my coworker
was there, Vero, who's normally there,
couldn't be there, which is why my
coworker was sitting up with us.
But came up and he was like, you guys,
this is what just happened to me.
And all of us were like,
no, you were, oh, no.
Yeah, it was, it was fun.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Oh man.
All right.
Well, and then, you know, the
game stayed one to one for.
Another 80 minutes.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
of the game,
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
the, the majority theme.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
itself.
And
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030: Yes.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: yeah.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030: this
is one of those we've talked about, we've
talked about ties that feel like a win.
We've talked about ties that are just like
drawn out and like, just feel like a slog.
This was one of those where if
we would've tied, we would've
felt like this was just a slog.
This was just, again, we're, we
were talking about things not
quite connecting, not quite.
they inches off, right?
Inches forward or behind, just off.
Things weren't connecting.
Again.
We've mentioned the fact that he's,
stress has only been here for two weeks
now, a week and a half at that point.
so like, you know, we
understand all of that.
Yet it's really hard to be like,
oh, we've had such a crappy
seasons so far, and now we're.
We keep losing these things at
the, at the end and, in the 90
plus five in the stoppage time
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
death.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
at the death, we get, uh, North
Carolina gets a goal on us.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Like a
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030: And
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: Just
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
yeah, it was just,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
bink Bink.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030: and
we, that that's, that's all she wrote.
That's, that's what it was.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: Yeah.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
lost, I felt really bad.
I, I feel bad for the players when
they're, when they have to do the, like
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Player
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
we gotta, we player of the game.
'cause like Yeah.
'cause it's like we, there's a sponsor.
We have to do a player of the game.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
to do this.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
So M.A.
we feel, we feel for you.
We could,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: so
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
was so pissed.
She was so pissed that
she had to be on camera
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
and like, I
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
and that
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: I
would've been just as mad too because
she worked her ass off the goal
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030: I,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Save like
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
yeah.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Reid back there.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Yeah.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
discount MBI and Sarah
who came in for mbi?
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030: I,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
I don't
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
I don't know.
I don't know at this point, but,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
the, they held it down like it was.
was fantastic.
What, like, after the first 12 minutes
of the game, completely different team,
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
yeah, and she was, she was doing
her little post interview thing of
player of the match, and she's like,
she, you, you, you could tell she
was holding back some choice words
and like pointed out the fact that like,
like this was not enough and like, we
just keep losing these at the last minute.
So there was that.
our resident casual, expert
casual here, listens to the, to
the, to the post game pressors.
so give us, give us the insight.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
into the preview of, of
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030: Oh.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
upcoming match because
it, it leads into that.
So
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Okay.
Okay.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
recommend listening to the
unedited version too, because
you get some real good shit.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Yeah.
okay.
I mean, that's the gist of the game.
It is what it is.
It, it happened again,
we're very much at the beginning
of, uh, the Strauss era here, so
we, we gotta call it what it is.
It's just really early on into
something brand new into a
system that was not working.
So
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: Yeah.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
you, you can't just be like, Hey,
this needs to change on a dime.
It's not going to,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
three and a half years of things
aren't going to change in two weeks.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
yeah,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
thing we have to remember and keep our
own expectations, like tempered, low, just
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
yeah,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
like stuff takes time.
But again,
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
yeah.
Not, not lowering the bar.
We're just.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: no.
Just tempering your expectations and
being like, okay, they're not gonna just
go on OT tear beat every team by 25.
You know?
Like that's not, it's not realistic.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Yeah.
So, um, you know, our, the other
thing that happened, is that Angel
City as a giveaway walking in was
cousin, was very last minute, printed.
These shirts that were, uh, they
were very secret, ooh, secret,
secret, printed shirts that said
Immigrant City Football Club.
They changed the signage in the
stadium before the game to say,
instead of saying Angel City, it
said Immigrant City Football Club.
Uh, on the back it said, what did it say?
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
for everyone, both
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
There we go, both in English and Spanish,
but it also said for everyone for, and
then it was like kind of in, in very
inclusive language all the way down.
it was a beautiful shirt.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: Yeah.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Everybody loved it.
Everybody felt empowered.
Buy it.
Everybody was wearing their,
everybody just put them on right away.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
people were just changing
their shirts, like
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Yeah.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
as they're walking to their seats,
like people didn't even wait.
was one of those things
where like, oh hell yeah.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
I put mine right on top of
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
I was wearing.
I was so hot by the end of
it, but it, it was fine.
but so my, my posts for our footy
therapy after the game was really a
picture of the shirt and just saying
this, this is what's important.
The recognition that our team has
been able to give the community.
you know, there's, I think
there's, there's been a lot
of conversation recently about
the having teams make a statement.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: Yeah.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
having teams not make a statement.
I.
So far in the LA landscape of
sports, there's only been two teams
that have gone out and publicly
made statements about stuff.
Now this is one of these occasions.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: only
the NWSL PA and the W-N-B-A-P-A who have
really actually like said anything with
their chest supporter groups have, but
not teams, at least as far as I know.
Did LAFC say something?
Oh, LAFC did
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Yeah, yeah, they did.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
that's right.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
They did.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
like LAFC ACFC the, and the Women's PAs
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Yeah.
yeah.
And
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
hard pressed on
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030: I,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: the
minds of the, uh, many shit coalition,
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
the, the fact is that like, okay, I
understand, I understand the idea of.
Like empty platitudes.
Like empty, like, like, oh,
you're, you're saying this just to
kind of like, check off your box
of like, oh, we did this thing.
there's a difference though.
There's a difference when, when
Angel City and A-L-A-F-C have talked
about it from the team standpoint.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Of course, the supporters groups have
been very vocal about it, but them
acknowledging it and them giving voice
to it, and them giving, you know, we
talk like social media is, you know, a
lot of times you're, you're in a vacuum,
you're, you're yelling to the void and
it's all about the social web, right?
Those teams have way bigger reach.
And so for a situation and a, event
that we're going through right
now, them being part of that voice.
Is very important and it's very
strong and it's very telling when
all the other teams, which LA the
immigrant community of LA support
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: Yep.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
are completely deaf too.
It, it speaks words, right?
And so it's very, it's,
it's, it's very depressing.
And so with that, I really wanted,
I didn't wanna try to make any
type of like punny joke about
like, well fuck, we lost, right?
Because I, I had it planned already.
I wasn't, and this is 100%
honest, I wasn't going to do any
type of pun thing, win or loss.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: Yeah.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
once I found out that the immigrant,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
it, you know, like
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
yeah, once I found out that the
immigrant city thing was happening
and it was this team led thing.
That's what became important,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: yeah.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
right.
And us,
us sitting there at the
game up until two seven,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: Yep.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
see downtown through the keyhole,
and then middle of the game, you
start hearing the helicopters
because of curfew that's happening.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
they called unlawful assembly
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
well that too, I mean the, the, the
curfew thing was gonna happen any
at all, like that was there already.
And so the helicopters were gonna show up.
Helicopter showed up because
of the unlawful assembly thing.
That's a whole nother,
you know, ACFC camp thing.
But,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Also, really quick to, to fully derail
this, did you see the whole thing about
like friendly fire between LAPD and LA
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
yeah, yeah.
They were shooting at
each other fucking idiots.
Oh God.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Anyway.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
You guys are.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: I am
sorry, I'm just sitting here talking as
a girl who was an RA in college, who got
more deescalation training than a cop.
So
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Yeah.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
here we
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
okay.
So
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
back on
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
the, posted the immigrant city shirt with
this and we got a few, um, responses.
Ethan coming in with our haiku,
our backs, backs spread lateral,
elongated offense, help immigrant city.
And then we did get a
couple of other messages.
Vero, there are more important things
that football, we are immigrant.
Fc and then yesi came in with
like emotional welled up, teary
face and then full on crying and
what I think is a tissue box.
I'm not sure.
I've tried looking, I've
tried zooming into the emoji.
I can't really tell.
I think it's a tissue box, but either way.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
it's a tissue box because I, and I.
We're hanging out a little bit
before the game started and we met
up right as Becky G started talking.
And I am both sad that I didn't get
to see Eva's reaction 'cause Eva
loves Becky G, I got to see Yes,
he's reaction who also loves Becky G.
And as a girl from Inglewood where Becky
G is also from it was, it was so great.
Like it was so dope.
And, Yesi and I gave each other like
seven different hugs of just and she said
something to me that was so poignant.
She was like, I'm so happy I'm
here, but I'm still not happy.
Like, I'm not
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Yeah.
Yeah,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
to be in this community because
I know I'm okay right now.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
it was very depressing seeing
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: Yeah.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
stadium as empty as it was,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: Yeah.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030: and
a lot of that is directly attributed to.
The community that's
being affected, right?
Like it's,
it's the, the even laa was,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Oh, it was empty.
It was
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
empty, was way, way
thinner than it usually is.
Um, and it really is because of the
fact that people were scared, right?
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: yeah,
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
were afraid and.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
rightfully so.
It, it was very cute.
'cause my coworker Kenneth, who
also dropped us a little message,
he was like, is it usually this
full and evil was like, it's empty.
What are you talking about?
it was so sweet.
'cause he was like, wait, what?
And we're like, no.
He goes, I didn't even think about that.
Like, it was just like, he
hadn't put the two together of
there's usually more people here.
But he was like, oh, I just figured
like, you know, this is a big turnout
where like, they didn't even announce
the attendance because it probably
was like 10 thou, it was probably
half as much as it normally was.
You know, Yeah, it was, it was just a,
he's gonna laugh when he hears me say it.
Like, it was such a like weird realization
of what I've become accustomed to in
our attendance at Angel City Games.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
It is.
I mean, I mean, angel City, I,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
around, I'm like, there's
10 people here, know?
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
yeah,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: Yeah.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
I, I honestly, there's like, there's
like three or four teams out of all
of them that have like large enough
crowds where it's like, you're in,
you're in, you're in like 10,000,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
the 8,000, 9,000 plus.
Right.
And then every other team under that like.
you're, you're kind of getting
like lucky if you, if you pull
in the 5,000 on average, right?
Like, like I get it, you know?
but we're,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
We're spoiled.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
we spoiled?
would you call that spoiled by like Yeah.
by having that atmosphere and that
atmosphere is brought on by the entire
community that we have here, right?
So everything that affects the community
from, from like immigrant rights to
the, you know, to trans rights, to
LGBT, like to, to gay activism, to
all of this is this community, right?
And like you saying, like, keep
it outta here or don't bring it in
again, wrong podcast
and wrong,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
and then
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
wrong team.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
and then I'll be more
mad and then don't do it.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
You made me leak outta my eyes.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Nobody makes me bleed.
My own blood.
Sorry.
That's a dodge ball reference.
Okay, so we're just outside
the playoff picture.
Everything's a little shaky.
Everything's a little weird.
We get one more game before we get this.
Roughly a month long
break to recoup, to reset.
To really adjust
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
yeah.
I will say though, yeah, and I will
say that the o the other good thing
about it is like that this one
next game is, is the halfway point.
After this game, we're done.
We're halfway.
We've got a whole 13
other games to finish.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: yeah,
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030: we
can, we can get back, we can get back.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
So we're matching up
Againsts, Kansas City current.
They're having an FU season, like in
the best way because last season it was
our, this time of the year last year, I
was like, yeah, Orlando's got this shit.
whatever, gonna win.
I, I called it from now, I don't even
know what's going on with half the
league right now because it, there's been
so much happening here in Los Angeles
that I, I haven't been able to watch as
much soccer, watch as much basketball,
know, as I normally would be, but.
Kansas City is on a tear and
they're, on a, oh, you thought
it's very, the way they're,
they're winning is very assertive.
Like it's very not in your face of
like, oh, we're scoring 15 goals.
Last season they were notorious for
going up by like four, like four nothing.
And then a team would get
three, four goals back.
You know, like they didn't have the
defense there to finish out the game.
They had a lot more draws
than you would've thought.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Oh, okay.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
they gave up a lot of goals.
Like they scored a lot,
but they gave up a lot
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Kind of like us right now.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: Yeah.
yeah.
But they're coming out this season,
like you get one and that's it.
Like, it's like, nope, you
get one or you get nothing.
And it's very assertive, very commanding.
And it, I'm slightly
jealous, but we'll get there.
as we've said previously,
v Vko is their head coach.
If you're new to the league, new to
things, you may recognize him from
the national team and you might be
like, why are they so good then?
Because Vko is a club coach is terrifying.
He had won in the previous
iteration in Kansas City.
He, like, Becky Sorun
was a champion with him.
Like they, why so many of us
were so confused when he was
coaching the national team.
Very confusing situation.
But Kansas City is a hell of a team.
We'll talk about the players in a minute.
But the presser, and this is something
that I stayed up late listening
to, partially because I couldn't
sleep, partially because I was rap.
I was like enraptured by what Straus
was saying because they, they usually
have the players come on first.
And this case it was Sarah.
Sarah Gorden and Madison Hammond.
And Madison answered a lot of the
questions and it was really interesting
because they talked about like the
mentality and how there are things that
they're locked in on and there are other
things that they're not locked in on.
And the things that they're not locked
in on the things that people who don't
play soccer won't necessarily pick
up on, but it's the stuff they know.
And that's why everything is a little
bit off, a little bit weird, is they're
still trying to figure some stuff out.
And it was really nice to hear as fans,
because you know, they're locked in, like
they're professional athletes, like, duh.
And they even said it.
They're like, yeah, we're
professional athletes.
You can compartmentalize.
That's your job.
yes, there's shit going on,
literally five minutes from the
stadium, but we're here right now.
We have to be at work and we have to focus
and we have to show up for each other.
And that's what they did.
It was really cool because as that
conversation went on, both Sarah
and Madison were like, yeah, like
we're still figuring stuff out.
We just got a new coach.
Like they both were like, yeah,
the team's been through, I, I
don't know if you remember, team's
been through a lot this year.
Like interim coach, everything was savvy.
Like, I don't even wanna say it out loud,
like just what happened with Savvy, a new
coach coming in the city on I don't wanna
say the city on fire 'cause everybody's
having a fricking hissy face LA riots.
No, you do not know what
a riot is in Los Angeles.
Unless you were here in 92
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
No, no, no.
The, the, no, we had real fire.
That was devastating.
Not, this is not, this
is not the city on fire.
That was the city on fire.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
right now, like, please, if you're
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Yeah.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
find somebody who is, they'll tell
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030: No,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: out.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
I had, I was having a conversation
with, someone from San Diego and I
was just like, it's infuriating what's
going on, but it's also infuriating.
Like, what, what is being broadcast?
And I'm like, let me ask you, what are
you, what are you saying about this?
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
like over
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Yeah.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
and over.
There's, they're lighting cars on fire.
It's the same one.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Yeah, and like I was like, no.
I was like, I was like, but
that's not what's happening.
Like that happened on one block
in one section like two days ago,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: Yeah.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
and there's been plenty of
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
that the
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Protestants then.
Okay, sorry,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Anyway, that's okay.
So Strauss Strauss came in
and they asked like, you know,
what do you think about this?
What do you think?
He's like, listen, he basically
told everybody like chill.
And like I said earlier, stuff takes time.
You can't undo three and a half,
four years of habits overnight.
And the one thing.
He mentioned that
really, really struck me.
He said, no, we, over this
break especially, we need to
take advantage of the time.
He's like, I, I wanna open all
the closets, take everything
out, unpack it, throw it away.
You know, like really, really, really
tear everything apart just, you know, find
all the things, get rid of what we don't
need, take out what we actually do need.
That was hiding and figuring
out what we have on the table.
Because he said if somebody is
hiding something, if somebody
is hiding behind something, you
can't, you can't get better.
If you're keeping secrets from
yourself, from other people,
from whatever it's gonna be very
much lay it out all on the table,
shake it up, you know, like tie dye
it, change its colors, move it all
around, you know, rip the seams, sew
it back together, that kind of thing.
And I'm very excited because he talked
about the fact that, well, like North
Carolina, he, he goes, they are one of
the best teams in the league historically.
And we did, you know, we matched
them until that last little bit.
that's because there are bad habits.
If we fix those bad habits,
that doesn't happen.
So we need to take those away and build on
what we have because there's so much good.
he's really coming across as a
player first coach in the sense of
no, I wanna make sure everybody's
showing up and giving everything
they have because they can.
Because just since, like in the,
the first game I say it's like the
half game that he was a part of.
'cause he was only really
there for one training.
against Chicago.
You saw a team getting shaken up and then
last week you saw a very different team.
There were still mistakes, there
were still weird situations.
There were still things that are
a little off, but you saw so much
more cohesion at the same time.
We wouldn't have gotten a goal
line saved like that without that
kind of of hard work from the team.
So that's when I wanna say
they're not, not locked in.
Like they're not just bullshitting
their way through training.
They're like, yeah, this is the most
intense training that we've had.
You know, different players on
the team have said that publicly
of just this is different.
And we are like, they're
not just adjusting to a new
coach and coaching style.
It's a training style.
It's if film days, it's, you know,
the discussions are different.
Every single part of this is
different from the ground up.
And I think that's a thing that's a lot of
people have to understand is that it's not
just a play on the pitch during the game.
It's training, it's off days,
it's rehab, it's everything.
It's every little minute
detail is getting shifted.
Now I'm all congested 'cause I started
to cry and my allergy meds are going off.
Oh no.
but really we just need to hang in there.
It's been a week and a half,
truly like feels like forever.
we get, essentially get lucky we
get this break after this game.
I have no idea what's
gonna happen this weekend.
Like normally I have a vibe of like,
we'll win, we'll lose whatever.
Generally no idea.
Because this could be the
game where we just say, screw
it, like balls to the wall.
Not even, let's get weird.
Like let's get shit right.
And who knows?
Maybe we upset Kansas City.
I won't be upset.
I don't think anybody
would be upset, frankly.
I mean, Kansas City would be upset.
I don't care.
Like cool.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030: I,
yeah, playing them at home and playing
anybody at home, at their home is always
going to be a really tough location.
Kansas City and Yeah, they do.
And then Kansas City being the
team that they are right now.
I think, for my part, knowing,
knowing the, the steps they need and
the building blocks that they need
to develop and, and establish and
kind of really give them grace to get
the time to do it, and do it right.
I, it, I, I'm gonna go back to some stuff
that we said, like, maybe last season,
and then the season before around this
same time about middle of the season.
Um, yeah,
let's, let's, let's try,
let's try some shit.
Like you're, we find ourselves
again in this like mid-season
position where everything's
been turned upside down, right?
Whether it's a new coach, whether it's
massive injury that like, has completely
thrown the, the, the lineup to shit.
whatever, whatever thing that has
happened to the team where we've never
really had a, fully consistent good year.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
I think that's the other
thing people have to remember.
Like we've never had consistency
and that does a number on
your mentality as a player.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
yeah.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
How like we made it through one season
with a coach and that was season one.
'cause then Freya got let go season
two that's when Becky took over and
then Becky got let go season three.
And what, I guess we had
Becky all of season three.
I don't even remember.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
No, I don't.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
out and I think everybody is, but yeah,
consistency is gonna be really dope.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Yeah.
Yeah.
I think, I think this is gonna
be one of those where if we
see, if we see the glimpses
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Mm-hmm.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030: of
parts that are working that will, that
should instill a bit of confidence for us
and for the team going into that break.
Going into like, Hey, we found
some things that were gelling,
some things that we're working.
Let's build upon those.
Right.
So
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: Yeah,
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
hopefully we do.
And you know, if we get
a wind cherry on top,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Totally.
So players, there's a lot to talk about.
Kansas City has a ton of great players.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
geez.
The names just
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
I know
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
okay.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
looked at my notes and went, Ugh.
Okay.
So we're kind of go, gonna go in like the
order that feels right to me right now.
I was gonna come up with
some fancy name, but No.
So I wanna start with Vanessa de Bernardo
over this last weekend, she tied the
all time assist record for the league.
With her 31st assist.
She's been in the league since 2014,
so like she's been around and the
league is built on players like
her, stalwarts, those women who
have been through hell and back.
Kristen presses, the Sidney Larou, like
the, the names you know, from the national
team, but also the names you don't know.
There's so many players in this
league that have Whew, been
through it to, to put it lightly.
They've been through it.
but no, she's, she's absolutely fantastic.
So with that 31st assist, she's
now tied with Lynn Byiendolo,
Lynn Williams, Jess McDonald, and
Sophia Huerta with the most assist.
Jess McDonald is the only one of
those who is not currently active.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
So you're saying she can
potentially break the record?
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
she's not gonna break it this weekend.
She could break the
record this season though.
She will break the record this season.
Realistically.
But I'm just gonna say, nah, nah,
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030: Nah.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
I'm not giving the universe the option.
but she's, she's genuinely one of the
most consistently great midfielders
in the league every single season.
I think she was hurt two season,
last season or season before.
yeah, it, she's just great.
Eight.
We gotta, we gotta lock it down.
That's it.
Vanessa d Bernardo is, is
a fantastic player though.
And if you're in the Discord,
you'll probably hear us screaming
about it if we're on a live,
video or not video voice channel.
if not, I'll just be smashing my keyboard.
the next player, where we've all become
accustomed to over the last couple years.
Temwa Chawinga,
easily one of the most exciting
players I've ever seen play.
Probably the league has ever seen play.
She's so fast.
She's so crafty.
She gets abused on the field because the
referees do not know how to call things.
we've talked about this both previously
about with her and Barbara Banda
specifically and other players
from the African nations, which is
horse shit and they deserve better.
sometimes those heartfelt do
come because you're so damn good.
But there are others that are egregious.
Gregs, if you wanna be crazy with it.
is somebody who is so fun to watch, but
she can destroy all your hopes and dreams
with the coolest soccer because right now
she's currently tied for second place in
the boot race with Barbara Banda because
Esther is having, again, still Esther
is having a fricking insane season.
You've got Esther in first place.
In the boot race, Barbara Banda and Temwa
Chawinga tied for second with eight.
And then you have Riley
Tiernan in with seven.
excuse me, okay.
chia, ugh.
I hope she knows that we all
just love her, genuinely.
And if, if don't, I don't
give a shit about you.
Like are not appreciative of a fantastic
athlete, and that's you're bad and you're
missing out, and you probably like, I
don't know, probably eat your boogers too.
It's one thing to not like a player
because they're on the opposition.
You know, like, I don't like
Temwa Chawinga play her, because
I don't want her to score.
That does not mean that I'm discounting
her ability to be fantastic and her
ability to be a world class athlete.
That's how I'll put my soapbox away
for that and wipe my tears of re
my residual tears for a minute.
Before I start talking about the Lo'eau
LaBonta, I love Lo'eau LaBonta.
This is okay.
We've talked about it
plenty of times before.
Especially when I talk about
how much I love the WNBA.
It sometimes it gets really hard
to be a fan of a team because you
love so many different players.
I am still diehard Angel City.
Do not take that as if, as if I'm not.
it's really difficult to have a
podcast where like my team's the best
team, but also be like, but guys,
have you
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
But guys,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
other women?
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030: but
guys, this team also has the best player
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: Yeah.
Like this team is fantastic and
they all have such fantastic story.
Like the skill on the pitch is fantastic.
The story off the pitch are fantastic.
so I'm gonna first talk
about this thing because.
It rubs me the wrong way.
And then we'll get into
the other good stuff.
So Lo'eau LaBonta is finally coming
off first national team, call up
her first cap, all the good things.
is now on record as at 32, the oldest
player to receive their first cap.
I have no issue with this, with the
exception of her trajectory being so
similar to Sarah Gordon's in the sense
of scattered minutes and then just
steadily working their way up through
the league and then shot out of a
Canon and everybody knows their name,
it's just like workhorse, workhorse,
workhorse, just under the radar hustling.
And then all of a sudden has a
Lo'eau LaBonta jersey in Kansas City.
Everybody has a Sarah Gorden jersey.
Like somebody that's just like three
rows in front of me has a Sarah, a
Sarah Gorden jersey that got signed.
I'm like, yeah, yeah,
because it's Sarah Gorden.
Duh.
with that said, I'm just saying if
you're gonna call up a 3-year-old
midfielder, call up a 3-year-old
center back named Sarah Gorden
and also a younger left back name.
M.A.
Vignola.
But that's okay.
get there.
I, I love Lo'eau LaBonta.
I'm so happy for her, but genuinely, I
wish Sarah Gorden would just get an F
and call up and she's talked about it.
She understands things are different,
whatever, but like you can't use
age as a, disqualifier, the fire,
whatever, if you're gonna do that.
Also justice for Casey Krueger, whatever.
back to the good stuff for Lo'eau LaBonta.
She is,
and, and this is a common thread
for a lot of Kansas City's players.
They heard joy to watch play until
you have to play against them.
Like I love watching l Labon to play.
I love watching Temwa Chawinga play.
what's her name?
diBernardo and then it's Z something.
I can't think of her name right
now 'cause it's late, but there's
certain players on Kansas City.
I love watching play Love.
Not on Friday.
I don't want it.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
It's always tough.
It's always tough when
you're facing up the
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: Yeah,
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
strong teams and even, even, even the
teams that you might consider not as
strong, they still have star players,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: yeah,
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
right.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
This team is unmatched.
Yeah.
And it says so much about Lo'eau
LaBonta as a human that when she got
her call up exclusively Hell yeah.
From everybody you talk to.
Fans, players, coaches,
like Yeah, absolutely.
Absolutely.
Like just great from everything
I've learned, her story is great.
I'll probably talk about it
next time, but not tonight.
But she has, custom jerseys that have an
inscription inside more for that later.
Or you can just
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030: Huh?
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
talked about it a bunch.
her family, like she's just, just
wonderful and I'm happy for her,
but please don't score against she.
For those who don't know, she's the
one who torked against us and became
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
It became the, like, it became
like an NWSL meme because.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
players reenacted it.
It's fine.
Low, it's fine.
It'll never be fine, but whatever.
yeah.
So onto Angel City,
onto Immigrant City, fc.
Let's talk about it.
So
the players I'm gonna talk
about tonight, obviously,
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
There's a thread.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: to
one episode of this podcast, you will
understand who I am, how much I love
defense, how much it needs to be rewarded,
how much I love our defense specifically.
But yeah, so the first, I mentioned
her earlier, the Sarah Gorden.
She will most likely be tasked with trying
to like, manage and tamper down toga.
That's what
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
I think, yeah.
I think she did a great
job last season though.
She,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: last
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
she, yeah.
So I wouldn't,
I wouldn't say,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: I'm
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
yeah, I.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
I doubt it.
It is just going to be one of those
matchups that's like if you love
a sport and it's like a pitching
dual or you know, like it's, it,
a team is going shot for shot.
It's that kind of thing where it's
just, you have someone who's prolific of
offensively and someone who's prolific
defensively, and you get to see them
do their best against each other.
are a few things better than that.
it's the best of the best essentially.
Also, I'm so sorry.
I'm trying, I'm not actually crying now.
My eyes are watering.
I am a mess.
I, yeah, it's also late.
This is definitely my allergies too.
Yay.
But we get to see Sarah's soccer IQ
come out even higher than we normally
do when she's matched up against
Chawinga because she's using, using
both her speed, which she has a lot of.
We've talked about it before.
She ran the 400 hurdles in college, along
with playing soccer, along with having
Caden, like what she's, she's insane.
to be a hurdler, a 400 hurdler at that.
If you're a track kid, you know, to
be a 400 hurdler and also play soccer
as a center back where you're playing
the whole damn game every game.
Like you don't get days off.
you build up a different type of
IQ by, by seeing every part of it.
her soccer IQ is insane.
And it's so cool to watch her
match up against Temwa Chawinga
because her soccer IQ iss insane.
And it's basically what I said earlier,
it's the best of the best against
the best of the best and it's dope.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Can't wait.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: Yeah.
Very excited.
I hope that.
Sarah can be Sarah and really lock
it down because that's what she does.
She does that against everybody.
Like Sarah Gorden is a very intimidating
player because she carries herself
in a, in a very confident way.
Very sure-footed way of just
like, yeah, I am who I am.
Deal with it.
she's very surefooted and she's
very like, steady in the way.
I, I talked about Megan Reid
coming in after everything was
savvy and just like for everyone.
Same thing.
Sarah just studies the ship.
She can write the ship,
she can study the ship.
And no matter how good of a team you
are, when you know you're matching up
against a team or how good of an athlete
you are, when you know you're matching
up against a team, that's that good.
It's intimidating.
You can get in your head so easily.
So having a player like Sarah
to be like, it's all right guys.
I got this.
Like, we got this.
We all know what we're
doing is very important.
M.A.
Ola Megan Reid had killer
games last weekend.
line clearances, defensive plays, and
their steadiness and determination and
like the grit and the guts they both
bring out of each other are going to be
what really gives us a chance of winning.
And I think after the last couple
games, me, Abbi, and Giselle, and I
don't know if Giselle will be back.
This game are kind of
interchangeable in that fourth spot.
And it's kind of cool because
they're, they're both really good
and they both play very similarly.
We've also very differently,
so our back line is really
settling into the new normal.
I think that was really apparent.
That was one of those changes last
week and the week prior that was
very obvious, is the steadiness
of our back line of like, okay,
we're, we're settled, we're okay.
We're good.
So yeah.
And then last but not least,
I haven't talked too much
about Alana Kennedy, I think.
I don't remember, but I mean, we, we
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
I mean besides,
besides the preview and besides
dropping a brand new shirt that you
can check out@shop.casualfc.com.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
So Alana Kennedy is known for being a
center back and a defensive midfielder.
poor Eva came to the conclusion this
weekend that Alana Kennedy and I are like
the same height because in her head she
was like six something, like six three.
And I was like, I'm pretty sure
we're like the same height.
And she was like, no, I don't think so.
So then I looked it up and I was like,
we are like exactly the same height.
And she was like, oh,
like she was disappointed.
And I'm like, okay, she's still almost
a foot taller than you, but sure.
um, but her, her veteran experience,
her international experience
is aiding the team right now.
And also that steadiness of, of
riding the ship and, and making
sure that things are okay in the
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Yeah.
Yeah, her, her essentially
indestructible head like.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
An Alana Kennedy Black eye is like
notorious, like everybody knows either.
when she was playing in the uk when she,
you know, is playing for the Australia
national team with us, doesn't matter.
Like girl just gets black eyes.
She, her head is everywhere, but, and
this is what we call that on the t-shirt.
Her long balls are just getting
better and better and it's really
nice to have big boots the back.
You've got Sarah, you've got Angelina,
you've got Alana, like, you've got
Megan who can just move the ball
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Yeah, there's a difference.
When we say long ball, there's always
a difference between like just kicking
it and you know, basically a Hail Mary.
Like you're just kicking it
and hoping someone gets it.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: Yeah.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Or when you can kick it with a, with a
certain amount of precision where you're
like either gonna hit your target or
you're kicking it ahead, knowing that
your target's going to be right there.
You know, it's not just like, oh, I'm
glad, uh, I'm glad, you know, M.A.
got that one.
Uh, you know,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: ooh,
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
no, no, these are very like
precise passes, long passes.
So it, I've seen it.
I've been looking at it.
I've been, I've been noticing it more.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: Her
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
yeah, it's,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
that's, that's also things to be
said for the rest of the team and
that the accuracy of the team is
getting better, which is wonderful.
We want that.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030: I.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
but her height is crucial in set
pieces, and I think as our set pieces,
our offensive set pieces get better.
We will get, and I, it
will happen this season.
I feel it in my bones.
We will get in Alana Kennedy
header, which if you don't know.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
I mean, we've been close.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
been real close and just a little bonk,
like she's known for her black eyes.
She's also known for her header
goals, and I have no issue with that.
I mean, I don't want her to give
black eyes, but I like header goals.
They're fun.
but yeah, she's, she's such a fantastic
presence for us in the midfield.
And she's one of those players that
she kind of like Lil Labonte, kind of
like Vanessa d Bernardo, where you're
like, I hate you an, as a opponent.
don't, I don't like this right now.
This is terrible for me.
second she's on your team, hell yeah.
Yeah, so when we, when we scooped
Ilan and Kennedy, so happy and we
talked about that in the preseason,
just ha the amount of screams
happening in our household were a lot.
But overall, I think this
is gonna be a very defensive
forward matchup for Angel City.
So I think overall this is gonna be a
very defensively minded game for us.
Like our defense has to be on point.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030: Yes.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
game has to be defensive.
Like everything has to
be of defensive forward.
But at the same time, like if we have
the chance to score, score, put it
in the back of the net, just rack
'em up because City can rack 'em up.
Overall, I literally double checked
Mario's notes before, like earlier today.
'cause I did not believe
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
I was double checking it as you
were talking too, just because I
was like, I gotta double check.
I gotta,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
the teams.
I don't understand, I don't
know when this happened.
So against Kansas City, we've got
three wins, a draw and two losses.
I remember the two losses,
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
that's work being one of them.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
and then the four to two where
Rocky's goal got called back.
We never got a Rocky goal and we never
have an official Angel City Rocky goal.
And I'm still mad.
That was when Maddie Curry like, Ugh,
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
yeah.
Well, but apparently history wise we're up
on them, so let's just keep it that way.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
hate it.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Yeah.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
it four.
But that's pretty much it.
It's gonna be a hell of a game.
It's gonna be gritty, it's gonna
be fast paced, I wanna know how
fast everyone is running, like
the, when, when they're sprinting.
Like what are their top speeds?
I wish there was an
easy way to access that.
'cause like point, I know Lynn b
Dolo at one point, she could, she
was, oh no, it was Ali Krieger.
of them was like running
as fast as a horse.
Like it was insane how fast
they were running or how fast
like their top speed was.
And I want access to that number.
I know they all have them.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
We'll, we'll figure out a membership to
Opta, the, the analytics company there.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Like, hello.
Please can I just, I just need to
know this out of curiosity alone.
That's it.
No reason.
I just wanna
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
I don't need to do anything
with the information.
I just want to know.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
do anything with it.
I just wanna know it.
but yeah, that's it.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Yeah.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
I got.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Well, uh.
That's all we need.
and you know what, this,
this game's coming.
It's been a long first half of the season.
It feels like it's dragged on for so
long and so much has happened to the
city of LA in that time that, you
know what, this break might be good
for everyone, for the team, for the
fan base, for, for us, the podcast.
So with that, as a reminder, this is our
last match before the, uh, summer break.
The month long break that's
going to be happening.
it's a match against the
Kansas City current on Friday,
June 20th at CPCK Stadium.
I got it right.
It's gonna be at five, it's gonna be
at 5:00 PM here in la and it's gonna
be streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
It will also be on the radio with
iHeartRadio, Isaac and Tracy.
Always doing a great call
and a great play by play.
And there will be two official Angel
City Watch parties, both of 'em
starting at four o'clock, one at
and at high tops Los.
both of them.
Check out the socials, check
out the stuff that we repost.
It'll have the addresses on there.
Um, and yeah, so if you can
make it to a watch party, great.
but again, safety comes first.
If you just don't feel safe
for whatever reason it may be,
does not matter what it is.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: Yep.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030: you
know, you know where to, you know, where
to watch it and come join the Discord.
We, I mean, it, it'll be fun.
Uh, I, I'm pretty sure we'll get a,
if it's not a voice chat, it will be
a very, very active text chat thread.
so I can guarantee at least that,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: Yeah.
will say I will not be in a voice chat for
the majority of the game because my work,
we're having a barbecue on Friday, Eva
and I'll probably be like, I'm my iPad.
Like I'm,
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030: uh.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
will be charged.
Like it's gonna be one of those,
like there's a soccer game.
They'll understand maybe.
But like Mario said, this is
the last match before the break.
And we too will be taking some time
off during this mostly to rest.
And like Mario needs to spend time
with his kids and like enjoy their
summer vacation even though we
don't get one because we're grownups
with jobs and that kinda stuff.
We'll be doing a mid-season report
card check-in kind of thing.
Maybe a little mailbag episode.
So take, keep an eye on the
socials, keep an eye on the things.
if you guys have anything you want us
to talk about, any random stuff, Ooh, we
should do an a MA or something like that
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Yeah.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
have people ask us questions.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Yeah.
That could be the mailbag.
It can be anything.
It could be
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
a MA mailbag.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030: I,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
but we'll most likely also probably
pop in to talk about their friendlies
that angel city will be doing.
But mostly, yeah, we're gonna take some
downtime to kind of rest and recover.
It's getting hot.
We need to prepare for the heat.
with
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
yeah.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
if you going to be out in the sun
for any prolonged time, for whatever
reason, sunscreen water, if you
know you're going to be outside at,
or an event or something, prepare
your body by hydrating beforehand.
Liquid IV drip, drop water, fruit
foods with water and lettuce.
do yourself a favor and prepare
sunscreen, hydration, and food
because without those, your body
will not withstand things as much.
I do believe this is going to
be a very active summer in the
city for a, a variety of reasons.
None of us want, things we do.
So
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Yeah.
Yeah.
So
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
See you on the flip side guys.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030: if
you like what you hear, hit the subscribe
button wherever you're listening.
Uh, check out casual fc.com
for all the pod links.
Follow us on social at casual FC
Pod on Instagram Threads, TikTok.
And we're at casual fc.com
on Blue Sky.
As we've been saying this entire
episode, come join the Discord.
The, uh, invite link is on our socials.
If not, just DM us and we
will send it to you directly.
You know.
I sometimes can't be bothered
to look for a link either.
Like it's,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030: guys.
I
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
especially when there's multiple
links, you have to like click
and click and yeah, I get it.
Just DM us best ways to support
the pod share, like, comment
on any one of our posts.
Um, it's all about engagement.
leave a review on whatever you're
listening to and, you know, let other
people find, uh, the pod organically.
Best way it'll, it'll happen.
grab some merch@shop.ca
c.com.
Yeah, lemme say that one more time.
Grab some merch@shop.casualsea.com.
It, we did have a two new things
that we dropped this weekend.
a Riley Tiernan shirt and
a Alana Kennedy shirt.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
that Alana Kennedy, she
just flying off the shelves.
Multiple people have ordered it.
And I literally thought it up at
the, the game against Chicago,
'cause she launched a ball.
And I was like, oh, Lonnie's
long balls is really funny.
And even goes, why would you say that?
And I was like, like, imagine
like a meatball sandwich.
Like long, a long sandwich.
People love it.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Go check it out.
Go check it out.
It's fun.
also if you feel so inclined, help
support the pod by buying us a coffee.
You can check out our link on our socials
or just go to buy me a coffee.com/casual
sea pod.
And it's an easy way to throw us
a book or two, to help support,
you know, the stuff that we're
making and the rents that we go on.
Um, and all of that good stuff.
And last but not least,
tell a friend about the pod.
It brings us good luck and we
package all that and we try to
send it and, you know, good luck.
It, it fills all the cracks and crevices.
So eventually we're gonna like,
get it all nice and full and
they're all gonna be, uh, having
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
it's like the
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
of good luck.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
that you put down before you redo a floor
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Yeah,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
things are a little weird and you
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
yeah,
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
where it's uneven.
It just does it.
It does a fort you.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030:
yeah, yeah.
It's like the putty you put in for the
nail holes in the wall and you're like,
you know, you gotta even that out.
So all of that good stuff.
But with that, stay safe everyone.
and we will catch you on the next episode.
angela-guest973_1_06-17-2025_220030:
Okay, love you.
Bye.
squadcaster-5a6e_1_06-17-2025_220030: Bye.
