Angela: everyone.
Welcome to Casual FC, an Angel City
Match preview and Footy Therapy Pod.
Featuring two podcast
certified footy therapist.
I'm your host, Angela Morales with my
ever patient and forgiving co-host, Mr.
Mario Salazar.
(airhorns).
Mario: We will, we'll, we'll talk
about the forgiving part in a bit.
Angela: this is our match preview
episode for our upcoming match against
Bay FC up in San Jose at PayPal Park
this Saturday, March 21st at 5:45 PM
I don't know.
Why not six?
Why not five 30?
Whatever.
I don't care.
It's gonna be on eye on tv, which
is gonna be the last match of
the triple header on Saturday.
And then on iHeart, you can always
listen to Isaac and Tracey, my
Mario: Our,
Angela: friends, well, not new best
friends, but like bestie besties now.
Mario: we are their number one
fans and we will always say
to listen to Isaac and Tracey.
Angela: Absolutely.
Mario: sometimes it's even
fun just syncing Isaac and
Tracey with the broadcast.
Angela: Yep.
Mario: Or they're always there for
you on, road trips if you're out.
yeah, that's, it's gonna be awesome.
there's also a watch party, that I didn't
get time to put into our script, but
there is a watch party at, Tarantula Hill
Brewing, which is out in Thousand Oaks.
go onto the Angel City website
'cause I don't have the
information with me at the moment.
I just know it's out there.
Angela: Yes.
Someone dropped it in the Discord
and was like, Hey guys, who's going?
And so far everyone's been like, that's
too far, except for like three people.
But hey, that's good.
Mario: It is close to me.
Angela: it's close to you.
It's close to a couple other folks.
Mario: Well closer.
It's still about a half
hour away, but yeah.
Angela: we are going to a comedy
show for somebody my mom likes.
I don't know.
so we will be watching on our
phones in the car on the way
to la very excited nonetheless.
Mario: Yeah, well, with all
of that, we are facing Bay FC,
Angela: Yep.
Mario: here comes my four times
a year promo of the San Andreas
Cup, which is fan made, pod made.
Angela: It's a,
Mario: If you're wondering where
it came from, it came from an ear
Angela: he's slowly wearing me down, but
Mario has been trying to make this happen.
For a few years, and it's silly and it's
fun, and we have a little website and
I don't know, maybe we make a sticker.
For whom?
Just Mario, I
Mario: for me.
Look, this thing has
nothing on it right now.
It's a brand new one.
Angela: it's in a cup holder.
Mario: Yes, it does.
It has the little, the little thin one.
so yes, all of that, go check
out san andreas cup.com.
It's gonna keep track of all
the matches, that we have
against, bay FC, and San Diego.
So follow along with me and have fun.
It's silly.
join the Discord if you wanna
keep the silliness going too.
Angela: We've had a lot of really
fun activity in the Discord this
week, and it's been really fun.
will get into a little bit more, but
again, I thank everybody on Sunday
for just hanging out and having fun.
Mario: The,
Angela: I'm so grateful.
Mario: it was so active all weekend.
So we have, we have, match
banter, like match day banter,
threads every game, whether you're
in Stadium or you're at home.
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: Even people, even while we're
sitting in stadium, we're still
bantering and chatting on there.
you know, and like people that
aren't in the stadium get to
participate and it's really fun.
especially for away games
'cause we're all on it.
Occasionally we jump on the,
the voice little meeting
chat thing function on there.
which was fun, one time,
especially because.
Everybody's stream is slightly off.
So we all,
Angela: It is a good time
though, and it's just, so fun.
Mario: but along, along with, along
with our match day thread, we also
have a general, every other game match
day thread, and it's opening weekend.
It was off, it was going,
everybody was talking from Friday
all the way through our game.
Angela: I was able to watch every
single game because as I said last
week, I was in the press box and.
They headed up on the screens.
And then Orlando, Seattle gets a
weather delay that was like three hours.
So their game finished like almost the
same time ours did, which was insane.
But, the person next to me had it on
their screen, so I got to watch both.
And I was like, I did it.
I watched every game,
Mario: That should be
like a badge or something.
Angela: honestly.
Watched all 9 million
soccer games in one weekend.
It's,
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: like World Cup, The, what is it
called when they're in the group rounds?
Mario: Oh, when you're like
trying to watch every single
game in the group rounds.
Yeah.
Angela: And then I have to
go to work and I'm like,
Mario: but yeah, I think it, the,
the weekend vibes were amazing.
I think it, it was what
a lot of people needed.
just the community, just
everybody being there, right?
There was, all the sgs had
their, their tents set up.
There was so many people.
I got to actually go semi early with
my daughter and we got to hang out.
the fan fest was going on, you know,
the number one thing my daughter
zeroes in on is the face paint.
And We get in line for that.
but there was like, you know, there's
all the vendors, all the stuff.
There was a dj, the music
was going, food trucks.
It was, it was just great, great times
all around, just before the match.
now the part we're
talking about forgiveness.
It is not really forgiveness.
I'm gonna say it's not a forgiveness
thing 'cause there's no reason
Angela: nobody's mad, mad.
Mario: nobody's mad.
Mad.
Angela: fomo.
Mario: Definitely fomo and definitely
a little, a little jealousy.
I get, I get there and I text,
Angela and, Hey guys, I'm here.
Maddie and I are here.
just letting you know, I get
a message back from Angela.
Hey, I'm in the press box already.
I was like, okay.
Usually Angela does, by the time I get
to the Stadium, Angela's already inside,
so that's already a, a, a thing like us.
Angela: it's because we don't hang
out at fan Fest because it's too
loud years old and overstimulated.
Mario: yeah.
So most of the time, by the time I
get there, she's already inside, Cool.
All right.
Oh, cool.
You're in the press box.
Like I said, Maddie
beeline to the face paint.
We're waiting in line.
Angela: What'd
Mario: get a message, huh?
She got, she got a pink, Angel on one
cheek and a black Angel on the other.
And then the artist put
little flare on it too.
So it was really cute.
Angela: I love that
Mario: and then I get a text right
after that saying, Hey, don't be mad.
And then I'm like, what?
Angela: I got kicked out.
No.
Mario: I just met Tracey and
I was like, I heard Tracey.
Yeah.
Oh.
Angela: And the thing is,
is that interviewed Tracey.
We're talking on social media
all the time, but we'd never been
able to meet up over the last four
and a half years in real life.
Mario: We haven't, and even the last
time, last year when we got, when we
both had press passes and we got to
go into the, into the press box and
stuff like that, by the time we were
there, you know, they, they're running
a show, they're doing the broadcast
like they prep and they're getting
ready ahead of time and all of that.
So also.
Like everybody that's there,
we were excited being there.
but there was, there's,
it's a, it's a job.
Everybody that's there is doing a job.
So it's still, yeah, it's, it's not it's
not the time to go hunt, you know, Isaac
and Tracey down and be like, we're here.
We, you know, Of course, you
know, we leave him alone and, and
whatnot, but never got to see him.
and you know, like Angela mentioned,
we've, we've messaged with Tracey
a a few times and we're always
like, oh, we just missed you.
We just crossed path, you know something.
Angela: and we've, it's
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: within minutes sometimes of
just being like, oh, they left, we left.
Something happened.
Yeah.
Mario: Yeah.
So I get the message that she
met Tracey in person IRL, and
I was just like, oh, okay.
All right.
I'm, I'm definitely signing.
We're, I'm, we're definitely applying
for another pass and I'm gonna go early,
you know, And then not even like 10
minutes later, I'm still in the line.
I have not gone up to the face paint yet.
I get another message
saying, don't be mad.
And I was like, what now?
And she's I also met Isaac.
I was like, you got, you got the
brace, you got the brace of the iHeart,
Angela: The
Mario: the and then.
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: That that was, that was bad enough.
And then she adds icing on
that, which was, how did Isaac
Angela: Oh,
Mario: find you?
Angela: the, I'm sitting
at my like assigned
Mario: I.
Angela: and I'm just kind of
getting my iPad set up, drinks, you
know, like how do I want this all?
What am I gonna do with this right now?
I'm sitting there just
minding my own business.
I had kind of zoned out
for a little bit because.
I'd also where, where my seat
was in the press box was directly
above where my seats actually are.
So you know, where we sit,
like literally just straight
up in the corner was my spot.
But speaker that I hate when I'm in my
seat was directly pointed, like feels like
it's directly pointed at me in my seats.
But no, this one was actually
directly pointed into the press box.
I'm sitting there with my earplugs
in just trying to not get a
headache 'cause it was so loud and.
I hear somebody walk in and there's like a
little bit of a commotion, oh, hi, hi, hi.
You know, people saying hi, and
then all of a sudden it gets quiet
and I'm just kinda again, in my
own little world, I hear almost as
if it was like over a loudspeaker.
That's what it felt like.
I felt like it was gonna
be paged in like a target.
And I hear, excuse me, I'm looking
for a certified footy therapist.
Does anybody know anyone?
And I'm like, it was.
I told my mom I was I was
caught so far off guard.
I got embarrassed.
Like it was like, oh my God,
there's a tension on me.
Like I felt like I was 16, but
it was so, it was so funny.
Isaac came down, we had
a great conversation.
We both complimented, like
we just complimented each
other a million times each.
And such a great guy.
He got to, I was able to show
him the picture of Maddie being.
Ready for the game at 10:00 AM because
he showed me a picture of his kid who
was ready at nine 30, like ready to
Mario: Yeah.
Yeah.
Angela: it was, it's just so cool.
And I know I talk a lot about
the community around this team,
but they're included in that for
me they've helped us so much.
They're part of our intro we've
Tracey And the funny thing is that
a family I grew up with grew up with
Tracey and like they, they know.
Tr the Bailey family knows my
family, friends, one of my old
teammates and like her older sister.
And it's really, it's really
crazy how it all intertwined.
So yeah, it was, it was a great time.
Had a good old time in the press box
Mario: So I am, you know,
Angela: quiet and very
calm the whole game.
Mario: that, oh, so I, I will
say, the, the penance of, of
Angela: Yeah.
Yeah.
Mario: getting to meet,
Isaac and Tracey is that.
In the press box, there is a decorum.
There is a neutrality
that needs to be upheld.
So you're not there to cheer for
the team, you're there to report,
to observe, to do your job.
Angela: of a game to be in the press box.
Let me tell you.
Mario: and so Angela, with what
we're about to go through right now,
had to stay quiet and professional.
Angela: Yeah, and I was taking
notes during the game and like
kind of figuring out what to talk
about for this episode as well, and
like other things to come up with.
I, I was keyboard mashing in the most,
like high level millennial way, like
keyboard, mashing, texting Eva, just
literally like across the keyboard.
Here's some capital letters.
I was like monitoring the discord
and we did some traction on game days
at BMO, but since most of us are in
Stadium, there's like maybe two or
three people chatting here and there.
Everyone was like it.
Mario: Everybody was in it.
It was active.
Angela: it was also very funny because
a lot of people knew I was going
to be up in the press box, so me.
Those of our listeners
and friends who sit.
In different parts, like across the
Stadium for where we normally sit.
phone was blowing up with
pictures of me sitting there.
I was like, oh my God.
And was wearing my, my Sid Leroux shirt
that we made a couple seasons ago.
So just sitting there and my phone would
go off and it's a picture of me just zoned
out because it was all before the game.
And I'm like, oh my God,
this is, what did I do?
But no, I thank you to Angel City.
Thank you to the PR team.
Thank you for the hospitality.
It's, it's so fun and getting to
know people in the press box and
other media outlets is so great.
I connected with somebody who
I know through an organization
that I'm part of, and so like
you know, she followed the show.
She followed me and now we're
in contact and she had a
great, sticker on her laptop.
It was a little jar vix.
And it
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: like it just on the label, and I
was like, I need the sticker immediately.
Mario: Yeah.
So
Angela: yeah.
Mario: the
Angela has taken notes
about the game, right?
very much in the, the name of
the show, the casual in me.
I'm enjoying it.
I am seeing what's going on.
The few things that might stick
into my head is what I kind
of talk about when we're here.
Also, I've got my family and my kids
and you know, it's dad brain's going,
Angela: responsibilities than I do.
Mario: Exactly, and Angela has
taken notes, has has done things.
These are the most insane notes
we've seen in a long time.
If you did not see it,
she posted up as a story.
Just a quick flick through
her notes from her phone.
I'm, I'm guessing on her iPad
it was a little bit different,
but like on her phone.
Just flick through it and it
was just this long, like you can
pause to read a couple of them.
Some people even messaged us
that they did, Jamie, but,
and I will say I did too.
I was, I even paused it to read it,
Angela: me, I would've shared.
Mario: but I, yeah, I think it was all
those notes were warranted because we won.
Angela: Yeah,
Mario: won, guys.
just a little heads up on, on,
just, I know we're already like, you
know, 20 minutes into this thing.
we are trying to figure out
how to streamline the show
a little bit, so we'll.
Certain games, you know, when we
either the, the, the footy therapy.
Footy therapy is always going to be
there on the discord and on social.
we're always gonna be there
to, to hear and talk about
everything that just happened.
when we do it on the show, you know,
it's usually going to be a really
good game or a really bad game.
if we're not gonna do that, we're probably
just gonna do a quick match recap.
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: I think this one, everybody will
forgive us for not doing the footy therapy
because we all had the same reaction.
We all had the same basically ah,
Angela: Yeah.
Is
Mario: we're winning.
Angela: like what's going on?
Yeah.
Everybody's
Mario: Everything they said is happening.
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: We're gonna go over the, the
match, recap and, yeah, but I encourage
all the footage therapy still send it in.
Even better yet, send us a quick
video or send us a, a audio message.
I think that'd be awesome to start
including more of those, in, in the show.
So let's go.
all right.
All right.
I'm just gonna start off with the
first couple of points and then
I'm gonna just let Angela Cook.
All right.
Four to nothing.
Most assertive win that
we've had in history.
Honestly, it felt different.
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: the first half felt you know,
we were, we were figuring things out.
We were, you know, it's first game,
first time in the stadium, back in the
stadium with the crowd, with everything.
New players we, you know, kind
of warming up, warming up.
It kind of was a little slow.
And then as soon as
Kennedy Fuller hit that.
Hit that goal in the
33rd minute, it exploded.
Angela: Mm-hmm.
Mario: It went off.
And then, then you felt how
close we were every single time.
I mean, we were, we were so good
that, like my daughter looks up at
the, the board at the scoreboard
and, it, you know, it's keeping
track of the shots, shots on goal.
She's what does the six mean?
And it was only, it was, it was
right before Fuller's goal and it
was like six shots on goal already.
Right.
And, and it was only like 15
minutes into the game and I'm like,
yeah, that's, we are different.
Like it's happening.
So amazingness.
Angela: goal, it was awesome.
'cause like when you're in it and
you're in the crowd and you're
in that level of excitement, it
is such a beautiful experience.
But to be another like 50 feet up,
it felt like to watch the whole
Stadium just elevate, it felt know,
when you're in an elevator as like
a teenager and everybody like jumps
and so you get the like feeling.
That's what it felt like.
It was this like.
The bottom fell out, but at
the same time you're flying.
And it was like, oh my
God, this is amazing.
And as Mario said, my penance was
to be quiet, which is like not, I
am not a quiet person at a game.
If you have ever been around me,
especially when I was in college, no.
Mario: conversations were about how
she's having a hard time being quiet.
and because of those conversations, I
even went to the Discord and I'm like,
everybody pour one out for Angela?
She's being, she's being
respectful in the press box.
but it, you know, it went insane.
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: there was only the one, you know,
it was one to nothing at, at the half.
And like I said, it still felt like
things were, things were warming up.
Things were very solid.
Passes were solid.
Defense was solid.
The movement was solid.
It felt different.
We got the goal, it exploded.
it still felt that there was more
though, and that was exciting.
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: And then the second half starts,
and then I'll let you take it from there.
Angela: The first half definitely
felt like, oh, right, we play soccer.
and, and it, that goes for both teams
of just we haven't done this, we've had
some preseason games, but this is the
first open up a brand new can of tennis
balls kind of thing of oh right, this is
how we do this at this stage with almost
20,000 people in the stands screaming.
so we had.
The lead one.
Nothing coming outta the
half, a few minutes later.
'cause there was a few minutes of
stop stoppage time in the first half.
I can't talk today at all.
It was happening at work.
It was very, it was a problem.
But here we are.
So in the 53rd minute Evelyn
Shores converts off a corner.
just, Angel City Football
Club converted off a corner.
me, I don't, people feel the same way
that I do about that goal, because
it wasn't just that it was great.
She's five nine, she's
a target in the box.
This is what should happen.
But we don't do that.
who is that?
I don't know who that is.
but the, I think the greater thing across
all of sport and just about every outlet,
every team recap, every, everything from
across the league that I saw was the
most important moment of the weekend.
In the 63rd minute Savvy
King came back on the pitch
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: and I'm gathering my thoughts
so that I do not shed a tear because I
have not cried on this show this season.
Did I cry on the Discord?
Yes, but not, not
Mario: to be on the, it
has to be on the show.
Angela: No tears have fallen.
Mario: she came on and it looked,
it, it just looked like she didn't
miss a step, like she, like this
was, you know, it felt oh, she maybe
got injured the, the match before
and now she's back and like nothing.
Not that she had a freaking heart.
Cardiac arrest situation and then
has gone through rehab for that.
Angela: The
Mario: but.
Angela: thing is, is in the post game
press conference, coach Strauss said.
When she like woke up from
surgery, she's okay, how can I
get back to a starting position?
there was like, okay, cool, let's go.
It's time to work.
And already ahead of her
projected like timeline.
She's already like the, what happened like
with Emily Sam's, she's not completely
90 ready yet because she suffered an
injury in the January National team
camp and has been rehabbing that.
Savvy obviously isn't 90 ready yet.
But she's also this like limbo of.
We need to build you back up.
And so the two of them trading off, it
works out really well, but it's a lot.
But it, what a moment.
And, I, there's no words for it, truly,
because if you, this is gonna make me cry.
If you were at that game,
you were just as impacted.
Being in the Stadium when
savvy went down was horrendous.
Just as much as it was for her, for the
team, for the family, for, for the fans.
It was, it was terrifying.
You know, you're watching a kid
essentially do things nobody should
do at that age, and to see her come
back in such high spirits in such,
with such joy, it was so important.
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: the best part is that Angel
City is nothing if not dramatic.
In the best way, because a couple
minutes later, Ari Borges, who we were
all like, do we like this signing?
Do we not like this signing?
yes, no, I don't know.
There's feelings, there's
questions, but she comes in and
I'll explain it in a little bit.
But the Chicago defense is suffering
right now, not just because of Angel
City, but because of decisions.
And Alyssa NA made a mistake, which
We capitalized on it, but like Alyssa
Nayer making a mistake, those words
in a sentence don't make sense to me.
She goes to pass the ball instead of
make a longer kick and just kind of
like start the offense from the back.
And Ari said, bet and just took
the ball and, you know, scored the
goal, has a beautiful cellie because
her and her wife just, announced
their pregnancy and, excuse me.
And it was just like
this wonderful moment.
transition Chicago's on offense.
Ari gets slapped in the face
with the ball, goes down, and I'm
like, scores gets a concussion.
there's nothing.
Angel City has nothing.
Not dramatic.
Mario: So little, little
side note about all of that.
Maddie was having a blast.
Angela: Good.
Mario: The score was.
two, you know, two to two to nothing.
she wanted to take a picture of the score
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: I mean, she's also eight,
so her attention span to the
game isn't fully there, right?
So she's oh, let me, but she was
still within the soccer sphere,
the, you know, in the moment.
She was in the moment.
But what she wanted to do, one,
she likes drawing with the, with
the like annotation features.
And she wanted to really
text, Jen what was happening.
And she wanted to show her,
look, it's two to nothing.
So she's spending time doing
this little thing and then Ari
scores and she's like, she's no.
Angela: my picture.
Mario: So she saves that one and we take
another picture real quick 'cause it's
three to nothing, and she starts drawing.
And then guess what happens?
Angela: Okay.
We have played out of the back.
The entirety of Angel
City, it's been successful.
Sometimes there's been reasons
I guess this, this was the most
concentrated, most beautiful effort.
The ball goes from Angelina to Sarah
Gorden, who like rifles this and
threads the needle down the pitch.
It goes through three
defenders to spend this.
So that's a long, long pass.
Veis picks it up, draws four
defenders, can still see
other people, running through.
And then, M.A.
Anu is, is trailing s spinus passes
the ball over for a hell of a goal.
And it was just like this, what
that easily my favorite play.
And she got a assist of the week
today, which was well deserved.
Mario: Well deserved.
I,
Angela: the whole lead up to that,
like deserves an award for that.
Spend this my, like everybody was just
exactly where you wanted them to be.
as a teammate and a fan.
Mario: everybody, everybody
deserves flowers for this game.
'cause yes, we got four scores.
You know, like it a, a team is way
more dangerous when you have multiple
people that have that strike, right?
if you rely on like your one superstar to
be your only goal scorer or your majority
goal scorer, then things get tough.
'cause the other team just goes,
whoop, let me surround them,
and then they can't do anything.
The fact that we had, the.
Wherewithal of what was going on and
to have four different people score.
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: And then yes, we're focusing on
the people who scored, but all the support
and the assist and the hockey assist
of you know, the assist, assist, all of
that was just happening so beautifully.
Angela: Yeah,
Mario: This is the.
Angela: like in the first half
when things were still a little
clunky, you still understood why
those passes were being made.
You know, everybody's
figuring out okay, yeah.
I need to put more on the ball
or oh, that was too long, or we
were, you know, she was two steps
back from where I thought she was.
And that calibration.
Like we, we talked a lot the last
couple seasons of just need to fine
tune things and just turn the dial
a little bit, not crank it to 11.
That's what happened in halftime.
It was like, okay, the nerves
are gone, the jitters are out.
It's the first day of school
and everybody's excited
and you could see the plan.
And that there was a, a mission and
a through line in that, like everyone
was connected on the pitch they
said, I wa I rewatched on Monday.
'cause as we said, I did not go to work.
It was hot.
I ended up at three grocery
stores, but whatever.
it looked like we were playing
in like a 2 3, 3, 2, not like a.
Like it just, the
configuration was so malleable.
It was, it was beautiful to watch from
so high up like we defended as a team.
We progressed offensively as a team.
There was one play where Venice was
like all the way back in the, Chicago
attacking third at one point they
were going towards the south goal.
Like suspends came all the way back to
guard somebody and stay on the ball.
There was nobody who was
just kind of doing nothing.
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: had a mark.
Everybody knew what they
were supposed to do.
There was no it, like we've played
plenty of games where maybe we were
in the lead, but it always felt like
the other team could always tie it up.
Mario: Yes,
Angela: There was no question.
I think for the majority of
people in the Stadium what
Mario: No.
Angela: and we haven't
felt like that maybe ever.
Mario: Yeah.
you know, this was, I, granted this was
a, slightly disorganized Chicago team.
Angela: Yeah,
Mario: does not take away at all from the
gelling and the smoothness and the great
things that we saw being put together.
So ultimately, I think
we are in a great spot.
And
Angela: Mm-hmm.
Mario: honestly, I, I'm, I'm, it's,
we were already pumped for the season.
This is just like extra,
extra sauce on it.
And you know what?
I, you come to casual FC,
you're gonna get the, the extra
sauce, excitement all the time.
So
Angela: Totally.
The, the interesting thing, my last
little bit of the game, Chicago's
gonna have a really curious season.
If they can figure
Mario: I.
Angela: defense, I think they'll
actually be better than everyone is now.
Put them, you know, better than the
trajectory that they are now on.
But there were very interesting decisions
made to their, of their back line.
Two of their defenders suffered either s
seis or were injured for this game and.
Instead of putting Savvy's best
friend who's the center back
in the starting lineup, she did
not make the game day roster.
So you, they were testing out
two new players at Center Back.
I don't know, I have questions,
but I hope, I hope for.
Chicago sick.
They also had picked up Jordan Heidema
like three days before the game, you know,
she'd been there for less than a week.
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: they were working on that.
But thankfully Julia Grosso and
Heidema play on the Canadian
national team together.
They're very good friends,
so like they know each other.
But
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: I feel for Chicago fans right
now, I feel for the Chicago players.
I specifically feel for a listener
because she does not deserve this.
She does not deserve to be in
the twilight of her career being.
As frustrated as she was on Sunday.
I don't mind that it was against us, but
I don't want a whole other season like
this for her 'cause that's not fair.
Mario: Yeah.
Yeah.
Angela: But we
Mario: all right.
Angela: Haiku of the year.
Mario: At First Haiku of
the Year, so thank you.
Ethan.
Transcended all Outlook,
Fuller's House Shore.
Superb work.
What a first statement.
I love that.
This is a thing that
Angela: I know.
It's like no matter what
happens, we must have haiku.
Mario: yes.
Angela: said it, we were talking the
other day and she's are you guys doing,
I know you guys are changing things up.
Like you're not, you're not
gonna not read Ethan's haikus.
And I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa.
Chill out.
Mario: So big thank you to Ethan for
providing the haikus every single match.
it's, it's, it's started on Instagram
where he was sending us haikus and it
continues on discord, which is great.
great.
Real quick, We're going to go
through a couple scores that
happened throughout the opening
weekend, which was a crazy weekend.
And then, you know, we'll
start getting into, the match
preview that we got going on.
we started the weekend with,
the Spirit and Portland match.
Portland winning went to zero.
Then we had, the Boston Honkers,
in their inaugural match, hosting
a Gotham and lost, one to zero.
Angela: What a game that was.
Mario: That.
Yeah.
And, and I can I even say that
from watching it on my phone, like
at, you know, like out and about
like I was watching it on a small
screen, but it was a great game.
then we have Casey beating Utah
two to one Bay beat, Denver.
And their, first match
two to one North Carolina.
Beat racing two to one.
Also, the wave lost to Houston.
won to nothing.
Orlando lost to the rain two to
one, and then we ended the weekend
with a four to nothing smash.
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: It was a crazy weekend.
It's, it was an amazing
opening weekend for the NWSL.
I think It was just all around amazing
matches, all around, good play.
And then of course we
got, we have our chaos.
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: NWSL loves chaos too.
Angela: Oh, does it?
NWSL is synonymous with
chaos at this point.
Mario: and none of these were after dark.
Angela: No, it, the whole weekend
felt as if it were an NWSL after
dark game, and yet the majority of
them were played at daytime times.
Mario: Yeah, yeah,
Angela: actually in the dark out here.
Mario: yeah.
So we had both expansion
teams with a red card.
We were, wait,
Angela: half,
Mario: yeah,
Angela: was insane.
Mario: we were waiting for the
possibility of red card in our match.
We were like, is there gonna be a
third one for the opening weekend?
and honorable mention, if
you watched the Boston match,
Angela: Mm-hmm.
Mario: at one point the camera panned
over to the, to the crowd and there was
this woman just, it's cold, but she's
enjoying some footy with a crochet hook
in her mouth doing something with her.
Angela: yarn out.
Mario: Getting her yarn out, doing fixing
something, and she was about to just keep
crocheting while she was watching it.
It was just awesome.
I love it.
I love that energy.
It's, it's amazing.
Angela: it was.
It was so good.
But the best news, best news out of the
whole weekend, we are in first place.
And we have a positive goal differential.
We were the only game that had
more than one goal, like one goal
difference between winning and losing.
Mario: Yes.
Yeah.
Angela: know what this means.
I'm not trying, I'm not gonna
Mario: You know what we're, you know what?
It's not a jinx.
It's not a jinx.
It's us celebrating.
In the moment.
We are gonna hold onto this.
At this moment, things are gonna change.
It's a long season.
Angela: Yes.
Mario: We don't expect.
Angela: this high.
Mario: We don't expect to hold
the best gold differential, in the
league, but we have it right now.
Angela: Right.
And
Mario: And you can't take that away.
Angela: yeah,
Mario: Not until, not until the weekend.
Angela: All right.
So we'll be making the
ride up to PayPal Park.
We be, and the team, not Mario and
I, as much as I think both of us
would like to go at this point.
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: bay had a great showing
against Denver and they are very.
I don't wanna say a new team
because they're not new.
Obviously they've been around for a
couple seasons now, but there was a
lot of off season changes and even
some during the season last year.
But most notably is their acquisition
of Claire Hutton from Kansas City.
is an up and coming essentially superstar.
I, I would like to propose.
I love the way she plays.
super fluid on the ball.
She's an incredibly dangerous attacker.
She.
In similar fashion to Kennedy
Fuller, left high school a year
early, came, you know, did all the
things trialed with different teams.
Settled on Kansas City.
Now she's in, the Bay, but she's gonna be
a very interesting acquisition for them
as they get things kind of figured out.
Taylor Huff as well.
She, I don't remember what outlet it
was, I wanna say the Athletic, but
she's on the list as a like one to
watch of thing of up and coming players
that are really, really showing out.
The Bay has a wonderfully crafted attack.
Midfield.
Their attack is wonderful.
The biggest question for the Bay is.
Their defense because Caprice, Didas,
Abby, do Kemper and Emily Menez
are all out on maternity leave.
The interesting thing that I heard
this weekend, during their broad, the
broadcast of their game, three of them
combined have over 600 games, played
like over 600 games of experience,
Mario: Talk about soccer IQ
that is gonna be missing.
Angela: Championships.
Abby D was on the national team.
there's big experience in those
three women like pillars of teams.
And then with the players that are
currently stepping in to fill those
roles, there's roughly it was like
115 or 112 games, 120, something
like that, significantly less.
It doesn't necessarily mean that
they're like terrible by any,
they're not by any means, but.
That is a big difference when
you are playing against players.
You know, you've got games between
four people, so it's like roughly
30 games at this level each.
That is very different when you have
that many like 120 games under one
striker's belt, one midfielder's belt.
like, oh, that's, that's.
Easy.
No big deal.
I've
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: spades.
So that's what I'm really curious on
how our offense and how our attack
is going to match up exploit that.
Mario: Mm-hmm.
Angela: that's the thing is that
you're matching up against the defense,
but you're also looking to find its
weaknesses to exploit those weaknesses.
And that's what we were able
to do in Chicago because you
had inexperienced defenders.
You had defensive midfielders playing
very important pillar positions
on the pitch and we were able to
exploit that and run through it.
So I'm very, very curious
how that's gonna go.
That's my biggest like point
Mario: Mm-hmm.
Angela: about this game is offense,
because our offense is relatively new
and young, but our midfield like isn't.
But it is, you know, like our back
line is big and strong and we've
been here, our midfield is especially
as of today, we get the unfortunate
news that Hena is out on a SEI.
Mario: Yeah,
Angela: Forever.
Hashtag Band Knees acls.
We were getting ready to drop
a new shirt for Hena Hive.
If you're watching on
video, Mario just showed it.
Or on audio.
Mario just showed it.
He's wearing it, but we're still gonna
put it up because we all need it.
Mario: It is the LA chapter.
Angela: chapter of Henas Hive.
best of wishes for swift and,
and good healing and not a lot
of bumps along the way, but.
We still have Ari Borges,
we still have Neely Martin.
We, you know, we have these player, we
have Kennedy Fuller who's been playing at
such a high level since she was like 15.
she's 19 now and it still feels
crazy 'cause she like what?
Mario: There's still a teen in there.
Angela: Yeah, there's still a teen.
There's still a teen, but she is a
fantastic leader in the midfield.
She plays so mature and she's actually
who we're gonna talk about as an
important factor for this game, because
I think her relationship with Ari in
the midfield is gonna be very fun.
Our midfield in general, like even
without Hena, is fun with Myra noose
with with Kennedy, with Ari, We have
transitional players that are just,
oh, it's just it's so fun to watch.
But when we're talking about
Kennedy Fuller, she's number 17.
She's in the midfield.
She is our like small wonder,
you know, Just as a little bit of
backup, she's from South Lake, Texas.
She did a whole bunch of stuff in high
school before, being a trialist and
everything for a few different teams.
She signed with Angel City in 2024
with the under 18 entry mechanism.
And it's this whole thing of making
sure teenagers can come into the
league without getting run over
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: overwhelmed.
they sign a three year deal with a
team with an option for a fourth year
to So they're not bouncing around.
It's hard enough when you're
adult, but when you have to
travel with a parent, that's wild.
You don't do, don't go
to seven different teams.
no.
So she signed with us then she made her
debut in the home opener that season.
She had 19 appearances overall
in 2024 and then in, and she
scored her first goal in 2024.
2025.
She logged her first professional
assist in the home opener.
And then we've rewind a little bit.
2022, she made her debut for the
U 15 Women's National Team for
a set of friendlies where she
scored three goals in two games.
also like broken scoring
records in high school.
She graduated a year early, just crazy.
she was captain of the U 15 team in
the CONCACAF Championship where she
scored nine goals, won the Golden boot.
She's still the, the U 17 or not U 17 now
U 20 captain, but in 2024 for the Conka
calf U 17 World Cup, we fi, she like led
the team to a third place finish, which
was the best result since 2008, which
also shows the shift in how US Soccer is
using the younger teams to develop talent.
A lot of times it was like,
oh yeah, it was whatever.
We're just waiting for the
opportunity to get the call up.
Now it's oh no.
We are developing players and, and
partners in that and there's a lot
more development, active development
Mario: Yeah.
I mean, more recently, right
when the, when the camps were
Angela: Mm-hmm.
Mario: a lot of the camps were happening
in the same place at the same time.
Angela: same time.
Mario: you got the youth, you know,
the U twenties, the u is 23 or are,
Angela: U 20 U 17.
U 15.
Yeah.
Mario: yeah.
You have all of them training in the same
area, so they're training, near or with
the senior members, you know, so you,
that's invaluable experience right there.
just being able to, learn from, from
your peers that, you know, have the
experience and, or just being in that
environment is always, a, a big uplift.
So I think the, I think
the national team also has.
You know, has a shift coming with
how they're doing everything,
Angela: yeah,
Mario: at least on the women's side.
Angela: yeah.
The women said we're, we're cruising.
We're kind of, you're just
developing players, keeping things
Mario: Hmm.
Angela: just figuring out who,
who's actually gonna be on the team.
I don't know what happens
on the men's side because.
I've said it many times, I forget
that men play sports sometimes.
Mostly soccer, because I, I know we
share a Stadium with a team, but okay,
that's nice.
but with Kennedy Fuller, she was
also nominated for us soccer's
young female player of the year.
Along with, Trinity Arm, Armstrong,
and another player that I can't
remember off the top of my head because
why would I have written them down?
and then she's just been
such a pillar of, of calm, of
steadiness at such a young age.
And even in the post-game press
conference, she's so sure, she's so
confident in how she's talking about
soccer, how she's talking about the game.
it's one of those where I'm
like, can you just download what,
ha, I want to hear your inner.
Mario: Your inner monologue.
Angela: Yeah.
I need to hear it because I understand
it, you know, I understand that.
oh no, this had a purpose because X,
Y, Z and we did this because this,
and like they were talking, her and
Ari Borges, Borges were talking about,
the celebrations after the goal.
And Ari said, yeah.
is I gotta get them listening
to more Brazilian music.
You know, me and M.A.
like we're trying to get everybody on it.
Kennedy's already there, but
like other people gotta catch up.
We need to have fun.
we've said it before when
a team is having fun,
good luck because the more fun you're
having, the looser you're playing.
You're not as in your head.
And if we can continue that run,
we are gonna have the best season.
Mario: If we learn anything from the
Mighty Ducks movies, it's when ducks fly
together and when you start having fun.
You start winning, right?
you know.
Angela: that's the rules.
That's, you know, the WBC ended tonight
and that is very much why a team
one, other team in the championship
didn't win, is that every other
team was having a fricking blast.
There's music, there's songs, there's
a cap or a coffee maker, espresso,
espresso maker in the dugout.
And then one other team was
just very serious and they lost.
And ha ha, I feel very good about it,
but when it comes to Kennedy, I will
not be surprised when she has an armband
for, she already has it for the national
team, but like we've got Sarah as
captain now, Angelina's vice captain.
The day we get the announcement that
Kennedy Fuller is now vice captain to
Angelina, surprised, or Emily Sams, you
know, that like Angelina to Emily Sams
to Kennedy Fuller, whatever it is, I
will not be surprised in the slightest.
Mario: Yeah, yeah.
The potential is definitely there.
Angela: yeah, I'm just really
excited for this matchup.
Honestly, the way they played last
weekend, was really assertive and
granted, they were, they were up a player.
Because of the red card in the
23rd minute or something like that.
So for a young team to kind of
lock in and hold it down and
end up winning good on 'em.
I just have a feeling we're
gonna play better, that's all.
Mario: Yeah.
Yeah.
yeah, I think with all
of that, we have history
Angela: Mm-hmm.
Mario: the Bay.
It's not in our favor.
we've won once and we've lost th rice.
No draws, especially because
Bay had that, they, they just
didn't draw for the longest time.
so yeah, I think I, I think
this is gonna be exciting.
It's gonna be fun.
It's gonna be a fun match.
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: watch it wherever you
can listen to Isaac and Tracey.
it's gonna be exciting to, to
keep the high going and hopefully,
hopefully they can keep it.
Going for themselves too.
Angela: Yeah, I'm excited.
Very excited for the season.
Mario: All right, well if
you've gotten this far, hit the,
you know, do congratulations.
You know what to do.
You know what I'm about to say.
So do it.
Please, subscribe to the show.
do the follow, do whatever.
They changed it.
'cause I think Apple Podcast now changed
it to follow instead of subscribe.
So whatever.
Angela: just do the thing.
Press
Mario: Do do the thing so that we
get to you automatically every week.
Check out casual fc.com
for all of the links of where
to get us, downloaded from
and all of the social, links.
you know, check it out.
We're also on YouTube, so check out,
casual FC on YouTube and you'll find
us come join the Discord as we've been
talking about this entire episode.
It's been a fun, really fun place to.
Just catch the banter to
learn about what's happening.
It's not like we get any breaking news,
but someone will hear it first before
anybody else and like it's already
there and we're talking about it.
So it's the quickest breaking news
that you'll get nothing exclusive, but
Angela: At least not yet.
Maybe
Mario: least not yet.
One day when we, when we start
breaking like signings and
being like, we got insiders.
Angela: I know that'd be dope.
Mario: Best ways to support the pod share,
like a comment on any one of the, episode
posts or, wherever you're listening to.
It's all about the engagement and it
helps other people find the, the pod.
Grab some merch, at shop dot casual c.com.
we have cool stuff going up all
the time and hopefully I just sent.
I mean, I just sent Angela a sketch
of something and she's excited for it.
you know, we, we ideate all the
time and if you feel so inclined
and you want to help support the
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It's the way to throw us a couple bucks.
it's to help us keep
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check out our link on our social shows
or go to buy me a coffee.com/casual
FC pod.
And the best thing you can do,
tell a friend about the pod.
It brings us good luck.
We package that up, we send it along.
Angela: It is the best chain mail ever.
Thank you to every single
person who reposted that video.
We have gotten so many new followers,
new friends in the Discord.
Everyone is laughing about the
fact that we were like, this isn't
an MLM, this IST pyramid scheme.
It's more like a chain email.
Just forward it to 15 friends and
we'll all have good luck for 15
years, and God knows we need it.
Mario: yes, thank you to everybody
who, that was one of our better
performing videos over the weekend.
So yes, thank you to everyone.
have fun.
Good luck to the team, and
we'll see you guys next time.
Angela: Yeah, see you next week.
Mario: Bye.