Angela: Let's rock and roll.
cool, and I have my
ballot and I can do like
Mario: Look, it's a real thing.
They're here
Angela: They're here
Mario: Welcome to Casual FC, an Angel City
match preview when we do have a match,
but we don't this week, so either way,
footy therapy pod, a little bit, featuring
two podcast-certified footy therapists.
I'm your host, Mario Salazar, with
my, trying to keep cool in her
house and supporting her mom coming
back there, co-host, Angela Morales
Angela: Yep.
As you guys know, my
mom and I have a duplex.
She's in one house, I'm in the other.
We've redone the one I'm in,
so I have a mini split that I'm
currently sitting immediately under.
She does not have AC in her house,
so I'm like, "Please, even our,
you're not gonna die in there.
Get your ass back here.
Mario: Yeah
Angela: Cool off."
And she's like, "Can I bring the cat?"
I'm like, "Yes."
Nobody dies on our watch.
Heatstroke, no, not in my family
Mario: No, no, no, no, no.
yeah.
So today's episode is not a match preview.
We are on the international break.
Angela: Yeah
Mario: wanna know how I know that?
Because Angela had to tell me when
I was like, "Hey, I'm so busy, I
don't know if I can record tonight."
Angela: And I was like, "That's fine.
We don't have a match coming up.
Do you want to just do a recap?"
And he was like, "We don't have a match?"
Literally, the text was just,
"We don't have a match?"
And I'm like, "Where have you been?"
Mario: Oh man, yeah, I've been running
Angela: of this machine.
I just talk.
Mario: I've been running a million miles
an hour for, the last week and a half.
So I'm like,
Angela: Yeah
Mario: I'm lucky enough to
catch up to what I need to do.
Does, doesâ¦
Is anything getting done on time?
Maybe not, but
Angela: But it's
Mario: getting done.
Angela: Yeah
Mario: so that was on, that was
in my virtual mental to-do list,
was like, "Oh, I gotta get the
thing set up for our episode."
And lo and behold, didn't need to.
So today is, we're just
gonna somewhat wing it.
We have a couple things to talk about.
It's the international break.
We'll be back for a
full episode next week.
our next matchup is going to be
our last road match up in Denver.
so we'll get down to the nitty-gritty
on that in the next episode.
first important thing we wanted
to talk to everyone about is
Angela: Very
Mario: elections are coming up.
Angela: Civic responsibility.
Mario: And it's not too
late, to register online.
the California, online registration
is, mail ballots are already out.
So if you don't have one,
maybe you're not registered.
If you doâ¦
If you don't have one,
check your registration.
Maybe you are registered, it's
just an, an old registration
Angela: And make-- if you're, if you
haven't gotten your mail-in ballot
this week, make sure you check
your registration status 'cause
they're fucking with shit, and I
wanna make sure you're registered.
And to check your registration, make
sure you go to your state's website
to check it and not one of the other
ones because some of them are run
by really shitty, terrible people.
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: Don't give them your information.
Mario: Nope
Angela: already have it, but
don't give it to 'em more.
I know everything feels abysmal
and feels uncontrollable, but not
only do we need to vote on a larger
scale, state, national votes.
Your school boards need election--
like you need to pay attention to your
school boards, your water districts.
attention to where the money is funneling
from knows where into your city.
Who's behind the candidates?
Who's behind the propositions
or the measures or whatever?
If you have questions, if you
have concerns, if you don't know
where to get information, please,
I cannot stress this enough,
Mario: Messages
Angela: me.
I love voting.
I love civic responsibility.
I love the ability to change the
trajectory of things in my neighborhood.
I have-- oh, just in case anybody's
like, "Angela, why are you crazy?"
I've registered probably now at this
point close to 1,000 people to vote.
In college, my RA partner and I, for the
2008 election, we registered over 500
people to vote their very first election.
I take this incredibly seriously.
It is thankfully a right, but
it is also a duty at that point.
we have to show up in droves
in order to make sure that we
cannot be swayed as a people.
We have far more power than it
feels like right now and in order to
assert that power, we have to show up
Mario: And again, this is a, all
voting opportunities are important.
This is a midterm election, which usually
has a lower turnout, which means l-
a lot of local issues get solved by
Angela: much.
Mario: So even more so with this type
of election in, a mid-cycle election.
register to vote.
The, online registration deadline
for California is October
19th, so you still have time.
You're not, you're not out of luck yet.
You can online register and, you should
be getting a mail-in ballot by then.
Or either way, you can
always go to a polling place.
you can always register in person
Angela: Yep.
Mario: November 3rd.
You can do day-of registrations, yes.
early voting has started now and
goes through, goes through Election
Day, the day before Election Day
Angela: it's the day before is n-
like the end of early voting because
then election day is day of voting.
But
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: like if you have your
mail-in ballot, just fill it
out and go drop it at a dropbox.
There's big concerns obviously nationally
with issues with the post office because
that is also under siege by these people.
but in Los Angeles County, LA City,
there are dropboxes libraries,
Mario: Yeah.
Check your local library.
Check around, like
Angela: public places and they're just
there, and they pick 'em up every day.
I know, like I said, I know
it feels futile, but our
voting systems are so secure.
Like w- having worked at an
election, worked a polling place,
they-- that shit's serious.
Like there's so many rules you
have to follow as a poll worker.
There's so manyâ¦
Like you have to take, cl- a class
to understand how things work.
You have a test.
Like there's-- it's a big process.
There's a lot that happens.
There's a lot of people involved in it.
Every single person that's
involved wants your vote to matter
and wants your vote to count.
Don't underestimate like the power of
good people because, we see polling
places and it's always like old ladies.
It's always the caretakers of
the communities who are putting
in so m- you get paid like $10.
Like you, get
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: getting paid for jury duty
where you get like, $15 for the day.
It's like, ooh, I think I made 50 bucks.
Like cool.
care.
Like I would rather spend my day in an
election polling site than waste it.
And like I said, let me know if
you have questions, if you don't
understand a ballot, if you don't
understand the complexity of something.
I will happily do research with you
and for you get the information to you.
I'm
Mario: And so
Angela: it if I'm not careful
Mario: and if, like we were mentioning,
if you don't have a ballot but you
think you're supposed to have a
ballot, check your registration.
It might just be mislabeled.
You might, you maybe you
moved, maybe whatever happened.
ah, damn, I gotta add the cr-
I gotta add the counter now.
Angela: I just re- it's
really fucking important
Mario: if you're already registered
and you don't have one, you
still have till October 27th to
request a mail-in ballot, online.
you can also request one in person,
and then you can get a take-home
one and then send it back in.
if you do it through the post office,
again, there's fuckery about, so get
it in as early as you can, right?
just I justâ¦
I would probably end up misspeaking
about the whole postmark thing, so
just get it in as early as you can.
Or alternatively, look for the boxes.
The boxes are picked up daily,
and, it's not the post office.
It's, local election.
It'sâ¦
yeah, so do it that way.
it'll count.
even when you do register to
vote, do the, tracking, the
vote-by-mail tracking, right?
You get a text, when
it's been, scanned in.
You get a text when it's been counted,
all of that good stuff, you know
that it got to where it needed to go.
so with all of that, we'll probably
post something up within our socials
probably weekly till, election day.
And, again, DM us if you have any,
questions or anything like that.
She will be the base resource that I'm
probably gonna be going off of also.
Angela: Yeah
Mario: and, do, do your little civic duty.
And, I- it sounds weird to
say, do your research, right?
But,
Angela: But like genuinely,
Mario: but generally do.
Angela: you get
Mario: take-
Angela: sample ballot then
you're like, "Oh, what's this?"
You can go to Ballotpedia and
look up who's funding things and
"Do I agree with this and do I
understand really what it is?"
You can go to, like Parent- P- Planned
Parenthood puts out a voter guide.
bunch of different organizations
Mario: The LA- the LAist,
puts out a voter guide,
Angela: Taco does.
There's so many different voter guides
and like that's who they suggest you
vote for, but still like double-check.
Even I like w- don't do
this, but but also do it.
have political conversations
with your family, with your
friends, with your partner.
to say "Oh, you have to vote this way,"
but understand their point of view.
The more conversations we have about
civic issues, state issues, national
issues, the better things get because
now you understand people's standpoints.
And like we go through the sample
ballot, like the last, the primaries,
we had my phone, my iPad, her computer,
her phone, and we're like, "Okay, this
proposition," like we're looking up four
different things at a time, or we had
four different voter guides plus tab
with the breakdown of the ballot because
both of us take it that seriously.
And it feels dumb, it feels very old
school, but show up for your community.
It's the easiest way to do it.
It's free.
gotta do a little research, but like
it takes maybe an hour if you're
like a nutso like I am and you
want to like really understand the
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: something.
But
Mario: I will say that Jen and I have
done it in the past where we do sit
down and we talk about it, and we
both are on our phones or on an iPad
and looking up, the propositions.
There's times where we don't agree
Angela: Yeah
Mario: a proposi- and that's, one,
healthy to have the conversation.
Angela: Yes
Mario: you can disagree.
There's certain things you can't disagree
on 'cause then that's just like a,
Angela: That's a
Mario: a hard line.
Angela: relationship.
Yeah.
Mario: But if it's, a funding
disagreement of, look, I, I feel
my vote for spending is better over
here than over there, whatever.
You have the conversations.
You d- you don't have to copy each other.
if you wanna copy each other,
that's your prerogative, right?
You wanna cheat off your
partner's test, cool.
But do it, right?
just do it.
that's the whole point of it.
Angela: So many of us were raised in,
we don't talk politics and religion and
money, and those are the three things
we need to be talking about more often
Mario: Yeah.
yeah
Angela: that important.
They impact in this world in some way.
And I-- if you tell me that you don't do
politics, I laugh 'cause politics does
you, the government will fuck you over
if you are not actively involved in it.
And it'll fuck you over if
you are actively involved
in it 'cause look at us now.
Mario: Exactly.
And
Angela: more
Mario: said it before.
Angela: the more people who show up,
the more it is undeniable what happens.
Mario: We've said it before, don't hide
behind sport isn't political, soccer
isn't political, just play the game.
That's not true.
As we know, as Immigrant City
knows, as, you know if you
haven't been hiding under a rock.
so
Angela: Every single thing is political
Mario: Go do it.
Or don't, right?
You are you.
You can do what you want, but go do it.
Don't ⦠Yeah.
because we had an international
break and we had some more space
to talk about, there you go.
We, like we said, we'll be talking about
it every single week up until then.
And, but we had a hell of
a match against the Bats.
we were out in New Jersey, possibly
for the last time in the Sports
Illustrated stadium, right?
They should be moving
into ⦠Oh, one more year.
Okay.
Angela: Yeah, one more year
Mario: Okay.
so yeah.
this was another match where
due to scheduling and stuff, I
listened to most of the match.
Actually no, pretty much the
whole thing, on the radio, and
following through the Discord.
it,
Angela: shit was stressful
Mario: yeah.
This was very stressful.
But we got it.
Angela: lot.
We did
Mario: we saved it.
We didn't do what we normally do, or
what we ⦠I won't even say normally
anymore because we have changed so
much in these, in this second half,
last third of the season or whatever.
we've changed so much.
The team has, right?
And-
Beginning of the season team going
nil-nil and then getting scored on late
in the game all falls apart, shuts down.
Things- they start pushing a
little too hard where things
start becoming unraveled, and
it becomes a shit show, right?
Right now, completely different team.
They lock down.
They-- There were so many chances.
I, I-- after the game, after all the
craziness on Discord, I went back and
I saw the NWSL highlights, on YouTube,
and there were so many chances.
so close.
Yes
Angela: it was just like crossbar,
just wide, a save, off the other
post, out just over the top.
it was so much and So in the f- in the
first matchup we had against Gotham
when we were at home, we were the first
team to keep them scoreless in the
first half all season up to that point.
did it again.
We got scram- it was scrambled eggs.
we wereâ¦
It was stressful.
It was a lot.
We did not look like ourselves,
which is totally normal
because Gotham is like that.
And remember
Mario: Also, the weather was bad
Angela: Yeah, it's raining again.
they-- We just looked really stressed,
but we didn't look so scrambled
that we couldn't figure it out.
We were just out of position a lot,
but everyone was, like, covering,
so there was constant coverage.
It just wasn't always the matchup
you were hoping it was gonna be.
it was
Mario: It was a grind
Angela: It was a gr- yeah,
Mario: It was a grind
Angela: it was so good.
we came out in the second half,
we looked a little bit better.
There was some slip ups and, I
interrupted myself when I was trying
to say this, but Gotham has a get the
ball back within six seconds, culture.
That's like the, that's the goal.
If you are dispossessed, you
get it back within six seconds.
That was apparent 'cause
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: just like
Mario: Yeah
Angela: constantly
Mario: It'sâ¦
Angela: to get the ball back
Mario: And even listening to
Isaac and Tracy with the second
half, like it, it sounded like
we were a lot more on top of it.
And he was like, you can hear it
in his voice, he was just get- he
was preparing for the goal call,
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: because there's times where
like he goes so loud that when
the mic has to regulate, like
it cuts off because he's like
Angela: it's
Mario: topping out too much
Angela: Yeah, and you could feel
the buildup of the Gotham goal.
Even I was sitting here
"Shit, it's coming."
it, we were like, minute it's coming.
In the 66th minute it was like a bink
bonk, everybody touches this ball into the
goal for Jaden Shaw, and we looked a lot
better how we came together after that.
Subbed in our usual post-halftime
Maiara and Taylor Suarez.
Neely came in, we had a little
bit, and granted, like part of
that is because of the weather.
you have to get fresh legs
when you're waterlogged.
You're just like, I'm just soaked.
I'm a, I'm a sponge right now.
and then like Taylor never-say-die Suarez
comes in and is like, "Don't forget."
In my opinion, I'm gonna say
this with my whole ass chest,
Rookie of the Year candidate
Along with Karina, both of
them, because Karina, the
Mario: I'm mad.
Angela: came in.
Taylor had the ability to start earlier
in the season because of injury and
other issues, made that adjustment
from college to professional so well.
It wasn't seamless by any means, but
it was, "Oh, I have the opportunity."
But Karina, same thing, the second she was
healthy, I have the opportunity, cool."
And we equalized in the
death, in the 90th plus two
and it, the look on Tierna Davidson's
face was just like, "Again?"
Gotham right now is like going through
it with the injury to Sonnet, I think
it was a bigger issue to their back
line than they really understood.
Sonnet gets a lot of flack for being
dramatic, because she is, but she
gets a lot of "What does she even do?"
And I'm like, "That's the good defenders."
Because you're like, "Why, what
are you even doing out there?
You're just like chilling."
But she's shift- like quiet defenders
are this scary good class of defenders.
Sarah Gorden also fits into that, but
she's just always the one saving our ass.
it's different.
Goal line save's very different.
for those of you who in the
championship last year, Sonnet had
a goal line save that was insane
and took a equalizer away fromâ¦
Or no, they would've been up 1-0 at
that point, away from Croy and the
Spirit, and then Rose went on to score.
So Sonnet is very similar.
She's just not as flashy as Sarah.
Sarah's gonna stop traffic
wearing a hoodie and sweatpants
and you don't even know.
like, "Oh, what's up?
I play soccer."
like it's a very different personality,
Mario: Yeah.
Yeah
Angela: a, a solid defender like
that will show up in every big
moment, and I don't think theyâ¦
Not understood, 'cause you understand
your players, you understand your
personnel, but not having somebody
like her on the pitch I think was
a bigger shift that they needed to
Mario: It's
Angela: theyâ¦
Like it, it took more than they realized
Mario: When you have a key,
a keystone player, right?
It's yes, you can sub them off
and you might be okay for, the 30
minutes or 45 minutes that you've
subbed them off or whatever.
but it's one of those players where they
direct things so much pitch that like
once they're gone, there is a little
bit of a missing a missing oversight.
and you justâ¦
It's not that you're falling
apart, and it's not that you're
not good at what you're doing.
It's just there was that little bit of,
that little bit of glue that was like
helping you and directing you and things
like that has not, i- is no longer there,
and you're just too used to that system.
And now a new system has to be developed.
And, if someone like that is out,
whether it's injury or, or, for
whatever reason, it tends to show.
And yeah, it might not seem like
it's the biggest deal, until it
starts becoming a big deal, right?
Until it's like match after
match, you start to notice
Angela: Yep.
Mario: what's the common denominator
on all of these things, right?
Angela: Yeah, it was wild, but
Footy Therapy essentially was
like, "All right, guys, steady.
We're holding sixth place."
A s- few of the other matches
didn't go how we needed them to go.
We wanted to win, we drew instead, but
we hold the line, we hold sixth place.
What?
Three seasons ago, that would've been the
playoff line, and now we're solidly in it.
Mario: Yeah, yeah
Angela: pow.
Yeah, but,
Mario: There--
Angela: Or go ahead.
Mario: I was just gonna say there was
a lot of ah, because of the equalizer,
because we didn't give up, right?
So yeah
Angela: this team is very like
Goonies never say die kind of thing.
they do not quit, and it's evident.
You can see it in their stature on the
pitch and how they carry themselves.
There'sâ¦
It's a very different feeling.
But with Footy Therapy, Cass said, "Two
ties against Gotham, along with the away
wins and no losses streak, we're adding
to our confidence that we can play with
anyone in the league, and they believe it.
If we aren't all wearing socks as
headbands by the final game," about toâ¦
I cannot wear a headband to save my life.
I'm about to find out.
We're gonna, we're gonna do it.
yeah, there was a lot of
"Oh my God, I love it here."
never say die, hold the line, another,
another draw that felt like a win.
So many are like, "Oh my
God, I need a stiff drink.
I need a massage.
Iâ¦
Please help."
we're so stressed.
Mario: But stressed in a good way.
Angela: feel comfortable as
Mario: No.
No.
We never will.
I think we've been conditioned
to, And that's a good thing.
We've been conditioned to,
look, we have our ups and downs.
We haven't been the most
solid, consistent team, right?
so
Angela: haven't had any consistency
Mario: yeah, exactly.
Angela: to be consistent.
Mario: So with all of that, we've had, the
amazing run with Becky, and then we've had
the not so amazing run with Becky, right?
We had this long slide with Straus,
but even with that one, I think
Hindsight 20/20, I see why.
I see the longer numbers.
The stats weren't going the right way.
We have other thoughts, too.
But there was alsoâ¦
Angela: the team was injured
Mario: It's ex- I know the, the job of
the coach is to figure out what you can
do with what you have, but when what
you have is literally have, is pieces
of what the idea was supposed to be,
Angela: Yes
Mario: you're shit out of luck, right?
so unfortunately Straus,
we had the slide with him.
We have the new manager bounce again.
basically the same thing that's
happening now is what happened with
Becky when we got her as interim
and that kind of bounce from there.
So hopefully this is still going.
We're still sticking with, if, if
Leaf, stays, just keep him as interim.
Don't change his title.
Angela: Don't
Mario: give him a title change.
Tell HR not to change his title and
just, just pay him what he needs to
be paid, but don't change his title.
Angela: Like I want a, a big plaque.
Wanna see it.
Mario: The most winningest
interim coach ever
Angela: ever, forever.
He's like a six-year, like a ex-
contract extended interim head coach.
At least, be in the, be
in on the joke with us.
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: please
Mario: yeah.
All right.
with all that being said, like
we mentioned, not everything that
we wanted to go our way broke our
way, but, we're holding steady.
roundabout scores for the league.
we had, the Wave beating out Orlando 2-1.
We had, the Courage beating
out Seattle 1 to nothing.
A draw 1-1 between Utah and Racing.
KC with a 5-1 blowout against Bay.
That
Angela: that happened.
Debinha had a hat trick in the
Mario: In the second half.
It was all in the, theâ¦
Angela: player to do it
Mario: It was like four goals all, the
four extra goals all in the second half.
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: yeah.
Angela: Right
Mario: Boston ended up
beating Portland, four to two
Angela: Can I justâ¦
This w- this game is the chaos award.
Sophia Wil- I said Sophia Smith.
Sophia Wilson, red card in,
the 12th minute some shit,
Mario: Yeah, for a hair pull.
Angela: She gets sent off, they score,
Gutierrez has a brace, and then it justâ¦
It was weird.
The game, the vibes were weird.
But weâ¦
I ta- I was talking to people and it
was their first time at Providence
Park, and they're like, game was
weird, but this place is cool."
100%.
Mario: Yeah
Angela: and I were already like, "So we
gotta go to Portland next year, right?"
And I was like, "Yeah, but
if we go to Portland, what if
we could also go to Seattle?"
And it was like, "Okay, how many NWSL
out-of-state games can we go to?"
Mario: Just start saving up now
Angela: Yeah, there's aâ¦
We're gonna be in New Jersey next
year, and so we're like, "Okay, how
many different games can we go to?"
'Cause we go to Gotham,
Yankees, the Mets, the Phillies.
Like, how many stadiums can we check off?
And we're like, "Oh, no.
those people."
Mario: yeah.
then we had our draw, against Gotham.
the Denver Summit beat out, the
Stars Chicago three to nothing.
And then, the last match was
the Spirit versus Houston with
the Spirit winning three to two
Angela: Just barely.
Like Houston, Houston came
to play and all I was hoping
Mario: So this is in the NWSL
playoff chaos that we get
at this point of the season.
I also, one, we know that anything
can happen at any point in this.
it doesn't matter if you're number
one or last place, like they can
beat you as we can see with Houston.
Houston already been, a-
already have been eliminated.
They're still notâ¦
They don't care.
they'll come and ruin your party.
"I'm gonna come and smash your
cake," and then be like, "What?"
Angela: Why'd you do that?
It's like the stop hitting yourself.
that's what it is.
Mario: okay, so a quick standings
check with, all of that.
Unfortunately, with our draw,
Gotham clinched top four, so
they are now guaranteed home,
home field advantage, in theirâ¦
They're most likely gonna win
first place and lock it up.
But as of right now, the numbers do not
have them locked up just yet, but they
have locked top four home field advantage.
The Wave ended up locking in
their cl- they ended up clinching,
the playoffs this past weekend.
And, Houston ended up, getting
eliminated mainly because of other
outcomes and everything like that.
the crazy thing about all
of this is between third and
10th, it's only 11 points.
Between third and eighth in,
in the whole, in the playoff
bucket, it's only six points.
There's a six-point spread
between third and eighth place.
and we're in the mix in there.
Angela: Yeah
Mario: there's three more
games left of the season.
yeah, it's gonna get crazy.
So I'll recap this again in our next
episode, but just for everybody to
know who's in and who's out potentially
in this next match week, which is
going to be, the following week.
Gotham can actually clinch
Supporter Shield next week.
they have to win and North Carolina
has to win, and they clinch Supporters.
All right?
So that's their possibility.
the Wave and the Spirit can both clinch
home field advantage, but there areâ¦
the Wave can field, can get home
field with just a straight win, a
draw, plus a bunch of other outcomes.
Washington Spirit needs a win plus
a bunch of other outcomes to jump
all the way straight to home field.
They can just clinch it by just winning.
So just the win automatically clinches
them, but if the other outcomes, if,
Utah wins or draws, s- Denver wins
or draws, and Bay wins or draws,
they move up to home field advantage.
into the clinched playoff category,
Kansas City Current and Utah are
in the running, but there's way too
many outcomes to list right now.
So go check out the website.
They're all listed there, but,
as the this, it's too much.
Denver Summit is on the hot seat.
They can be eliminated
this next match week.
So can the Orlando Pride.
So
Angela: Fingers crossed,
'cause that means we win.
Mario: Yes.
Yeah.
those are the things that will
move into, locked positions.
We ourselves are not quite there just
yet, but there are three matches.
Our magic number to clinch the
playoffs right now is seven points.
So we need seven points out of the last
three matches, and that seven points
is not just straight seven points.
we don't need to, win two and tie one.
it's any combination that leads up
to us gaining seven points, right?
So if other teams lose,
that help us, right?
All of that big math, stuff.
But big important thing to know is three
matches left in the season, and our
next match against the Denver Summit,
straight up win, straight up moving
into fifth place, bumping up one.
So no contingencies.
Yeah, no contingencies.
Let's do that one.
that's the one.
It's gonna be hard in, Denver, in Mile
High, but still, let's do that one.
Angela: Let's do that one
Mario: we can still end up in fifth if we
draw with a whole bunch of, contingencies,
Utah winning, North Carolina
drawing, and then Bay winning also.
So that's the long shot.
thankfully, no matter what happens
without, with any outcomes, win, lose,
draw, and anybody else playing, the
lowest we can go is eighth place.
But let's not do that.
Let's,
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: let's keep it going.
Angela: just stay where we are or
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: place.
Mario: Yes, exactly.
all right.
and then the reason we are not talking
more about the summit, match today is
because we're on international break
Angela: Yeah, so it's essentially
fall break for the NWSL while
what, like half the league goes
to report to international camps.
The US Women's National Team will
be playing against Spain on Saturday
the 10th Washington, DC at Rowdie
Outie, and then the 11th, 12- Tuesday?
That's
Mario: Tuesday, I think.
Yeah
Angela: yes, Tuesday the 13th,
versus Spain at Subaru Park
in Chester, Pennsylvania.
Both matches will be on TBS and HBO
Max in English, and then on Telemundo
Universo and Peacock in Español.
Reminder for the newer soccer fans,
yes, we are approaching the World Cup.
No, this is not that roster.
This is the, we're trying to figure
out and finalize the World Cup roster.
This is still a trial run.
We got Ashley Sanchez back in the mix.
You've got Evelyn Shores.
there's a bunch of new people
in the mix to try and figure out
who's gonna settle at the end of
the day, who's gonna to feelâ¦
Emily Son is injured.
We don't know if she's gonna be back
for the World Cup or if she'll be in
condition for the World Cup 'cause
you play a million minutes, and a
patellar tendon rupture is a big deal.
But now it's figuring out who's gonna
refill injury spots, who are the
new call-ups and what changes, what
other changes have been made, who's
now no longer getting called up that
needs to be replaced, and this is
a big part of the larger long-term
strategy of making sure we have the
best team come Brazil World Cup.
Mario: Yeah.
And,
Angela: Don't freak out.
Mario: yeah.
And the, the other thing about all of
this too is that the way Emma has been
running all of these international
matches and breaks is that she's
calling up the entire squad of senior
team, U23s, U20, like whatever,
Angela: Yeah.
Everybody who's on the
Mario: levels, yeah, whatever levels, are
available to be called up at the moment,
they all get called up, and they're
all part of a, the training camp, and
they're training before these matches.
And so she not only gets visibility with
the senior team, the quote-unquote senior
team, she's also keeping an eye on the
U23s and the U20s, and so we have, we
have a couple players that called up, g-
got called up for the national team U23s.
there's
Like, like Angela mentioned, it's all
about, finding the best pot that we can
pull from to build up that national team.
And yes, some of the names, some of the
bigger names that you might have heard
of from before aren't necessarily there.
That could be through a bunch
of different reasons, right?
Injury, recovery, schedule,
whatever it mightâ¦
Angela: Yeah
Mario: Yeah.
Whatever that happens, again, does
not mean that what on the field will
be what on the field come, Brazil.
So there's going to be
plenty of other, matches.
There's the match against
El Salvador in November.
There's another two,
friendly matches in November.
so again, this is all about finding
the right mix of everything.
National teams don't get to train
the way a club team does, you have
limited time to really hone in, who
can play with who and how to play.
So yeah, but check those matches out.
We don't have a match.
NWSL doesn't have any matches, so
check out the matches, on, this
weekend and, early next week.
Angela: Yep.
then in the meantime, if you got this
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We're so happy to have you here.
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Just kidding.
No.
it's normally "Oh my God, that's so cool."
send us ideas for, backpasses episodes.
There's so much to talk about,
and we are more than happy to
keep our very long list getting
Mario: Even growing
Angela: Yeah, ever-growing.
That's what it is.
also come join us in the Discord.
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Mario: Yep.
Angela: Bye, everybody.
Mario: Bye