Mario: Welcome to Casual fc,
an Angel City Match Preview and
Footy Therapy Pod, featuring two
podcast certified footy therapists.
I'm your host Mario Salazar, with
my Tiffany Esan hair going on today.
Kelly Kapowski, co-host Angela Morales.
Angela: Hi.
I don't know what this
is, but I don't hate it.
Like
Mario: I
if you're, if you're watching or
listening on audio, I've got a deep
millennial side part going and a
big Kelly kapowski hair like woosie
Yeah.
Angela: top of my head.
And this will never last.
It won't, it won't hold till
tomorrow morning, but I don't care.
I have it now and that's what matters.
Mario: Yep.
And it's on video, so
Angela: Yep.
It has been captured for
the first time in my life.
A good hair day is captured.
Mario: All right.
So we are, we've been back for a
couple episodes, but this is our
first episode kicking off the season.
Angela: back to school night guys like.
Mario: woo.
All right.
We have, our first match, first home
match, and we're gonna be opening
it, up for the season, Sunday, March
15th against the Chicago Stars.
Chicago Stars fc.
at BMO Stadium, it's gonna
be a 4:00 PM kickoff.
broadcast, if you're not
gonna be able to be there.
It's going to be on the new streaming
platform, Victory+, I do believe
it's still going to be on iHeartRadio
with possibly Isaac and Tracy.
We always have this fear at the beginning
of the season where like, it's never been,
it hasn't been fully announced, just of
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: It might get announced
tomorrow and totally be fine.
But at the moment, if you look at their
website, there's no radio information.
But if you look on the how to
watch and listen, iHeartRadio is
still on listed there, so hopefully
it will be, I don't see why not.
and being the very first home
game and the very opening weekend
of the NWSL 26th season, it is
going to be definitely a fan fest.
So.
Get there early.
If you love tailgating, all
the sgs are gonna be out there,
Angela: It's going to
be a million degrees.
Just a reminder.
This weekend is supposed
to be disgustingly hot.
Just just keep that.
Please wear sunscreen.
Mario: Yes.
Angela: please wear sunscreen.
Mario: Drink water in between
your alcohol if you need to.
Just hydrate, you know, be safe.
Angela: don't make the
emergency medical folks work.
Mario: The sgs are gonna be out
there, most likely starting somewhere
around 10 o'clock or whatever.
There is an official fan fest, being held
by the team, and that will start at noon.
And there is a giveaway.
They're probably, they're giving
away the kind of rally flags that
they have been the last couple years.
And a schedule man magnet, which honestly.
Super useful, slap that onto
my fridge, and it's there,
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: the entire time.
those are listed for the
first 15,000 people coming in.
usually with those kind of items
though, like they overprint stuff.
So you, we probably be
Angela: You'll likely
get them if you show up.
Yeah.
Mario: Yeah.
And just remember the stadium always
opens 90 minutes before kickoff.
You can always go inside,
chill, get some food.
Usually there's deals in the, pregame.
I don't know.
You always gotta check every new
season what they're doing, and they
Angela: Yeah,
Mario: anything.
with that being said, how are we feeling?
Angela: I'm so freaking excited.
I think I mentioned this before, I
literally took Monday off work because
I'm like, I'm not dealing with that.
I'm not, I'm riding that high through
Monday, like I'm not gonna go to
opening weekend, live my life, have
the best day, and then have to get up
at like five o'clock in the morning.
Absolutely not, no.
That's, this is what person,
this is what PTO is for.
FYI guys use it
Mario: Use it.
Use it.
You earned it.
Angela: Exactly.
Mario: it.
Angela: Oh.
if you see me on the concourse at
fan fest in my seats, I will have
trading cards to trade to give away.
For both Angel City and the Red
Stars, I'll be doing this all season.
I have bags and boxes like I
have cards to my left, cards to
my right cards in front of me.
There's so many trading
cards in this house.
Please, please, please come find
me, find Eva if you don't see me.
Like we'll both have
cards on us most likely.
But yeah, trading cards are fun guys.
As, as our good friend Jillian, who
is also a season ticket holder, says
we're, we're just big kids trading
pieces of cardboard with picture pretty
pictures of our favorite players on them.
Like, it's so silly, but
it's so fun and it's so dope.
So yeah, make sure you, you find
me throughout the season if you're
looking for specific cards, if
you are in the card community and
you want to become part of like.
The Angel City crew, let me know.
I can introduce you people.
All the good stuff.
It's just a bunch of fun
weirdos, and it's a good time.
Mario: Yeah.
And most likely, if you see either
one of us, we'll have stickers.
Angela: Oh yeah.
Mario: for the pod.
We just got a whole bunch
of the logo printed out.
we still have a few of our stickers from
last year of like, what, what did we have?
We
Angela: We have iron casual left.
We have the RU stickers.
I don't know where they're,
they're somewhere on my couch.
we have, don't make the mom like,
don't, don't piss off the moms.
We've got, a couple more
of the pride stickers.
Like, we're we still a ton of stickers?
Come find us.
We have them.
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: Yeah.
Okay.
Mario: And if, and if there's
anything you'd like to see,
we're always all ears open.
so yeah, I think I am, I'm excited.
I am.
This, this is the, I.
You don't, I I don't, you know,
the whole seasonal, like seasonal
blues doesn't necessarily happen.
It's more the off season blues
Angela: Mm-hmm.
Mario: 'cause
Angela: It's like, oh dang, I don't
get to see my friends every week.
I don't get to like,
Mario: It is, it's a whole community every
Angela: yeah.
Mario: you get to see people or, at least
on the Discord, come join the Discord.
We, even though we don't see each
other on away days, then we still
banter and we still talk and we,
like, there's prob, there's pretty
active chat during away day games.
so like at least you have that like
every weekend kind of look forward to.
So it's, it's always fun.
I think this is a really fun community
that has built up over, over,
you know, the last couple years.
You know, both for us, but like for
Angel City and, the fans in general.
So, yeah, I'm super excited and I, at one
point I, I kind of realized my poor wife,
will have to deal with soccer year round,
Angela: Oh yeah.
Once the MLS switches their schedule.
Mario: yeah, when they switched
to the winter schedule, which
it's the same amount of time.
Time-wise, it's just now shifted.
So there's going to be brosso through
season of the NWSL, and then the NW
is gonna start, it's gonna be year
round, and she's gonna be like not the
most happiest of campers because of
Angela: And listen, Mario's wife, Jen is
the coolest person ever and I will not be
on her bad side, so we'll figure it out.
We'll find a way.
I'll come up there and help
her with the kids like.
Mario: yeah, no, no.
That's, it's all, you know, it's, it's
the main reason why I don't necessarily go
to the tailgates all the time is 'cause,
like if I am going to a game by myself.
Gotta take care of family first, and that
means I get to the game closer to kickoff.
and when we do go as a family, it's
like, you know, we, we can get there
on time and, and be there to have some
fun with the pre, pre festival stuff.
But, yeah.
it's gonna be interesting.
But I am, I am ready to go.
This is going to
Angela: I'm so excited.
Mario: really fun.
I'm just, Excited that, and, and
we're starting to get little trickles
of information from Angel City.
they announced the, there's
gonna be a halftime performance.
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: which again, it's one of
those things where like when you
start going into like the traditional
soccer, there's no halftime
show, blah, blah, blah, whatever.
There could be one.
you
Angela: Why are we doing
things traditionally?
Why are we doing things like the men?
Who cares?
There's no rules.
We don't have to follow them.
I don't want it.
Mario: No.
No.
I just, I just hope, like I know in the
previous years when they've tried doing
something like that, always like so loud
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: hear anything.
Announced or, and then all of a sudden
there's just music and everybody, half
the people just think it's just music
Angela: For fun.
Yeah.
Mario: there's a performance.
so I think it'll be fun.
I think there's always a really
fun, opening day atmosphere whenever
this, happens and, you know, we're
gonna get a lot of good daylight,
daylight savings, time happens.
So now it's gonna
Angela: It sure did.
Mario: longer.
Angela: feel like all of us are
getting our butts kicked by it.
For those who might remember, the halftime
show is an artist named Tia P, and she
was the one who collabed with the like
capital THE, the Britney Howard from
Alabama shakes slash her own solo career
slash musical genius to write and sing
and then perform at our very inaugural
opening day, running with the Angels
as the team came out on the field.
And it was like a moment.
I cried.
Of course I did.
but yeah, very excited to
see what that is going to be.
Mario: yeah, yeah.
Like can already hear the audio cues.
Angela: Mm-hmm.
Mario: when running with the angel starts
when, here comes, the queen starts when,
Angela: Yeah.
Like what is this year gonna be?
I'm so excited, and the
players are excited.
The front office is excited,
like, everybody's just like ready.
It feels different this
year, and I hope we're right.
Mario: Yeah.
Yes.
I hope we're right too.
I mean, keep, keep it,
keep it on the high.
Let's keep going.
Angela: Absolutely
Mario: so this weekend it's gonna
be amazing and for everyone who
is a soccer crazy, that is going
to just ingest all of it at
Angela: me.
Mario: company, present, company included.
We are the blast match
Angela: I know the pressure.
Mario: Yes.
So, the opening weekend
officially kicks off on Friday.
It's going to be the spirit versus
the thorns, and that's going to
be a, broadcast on prime, video.
So Amazon Prime.
And, Saturday basically all day,
like, there's gonna be footy,
there's gonna be NWSL footy from
nine in the morning till like
Angela: Cannot wait.
Mario: the very first game is
actually going to be a nationally
broadcast, a, ABC match, the,
balls fc, Boston versus, Gotham.
It's gonna be so.
I don't necessarily know if
you're gonna be able to go watch
it at a bar at 9:00 AM Right.
Angela: Place is open,
Mario: some places are
Angela: untamed, and watch me might
be open 'cause it's opening weekend.
Who knows?
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: But it's on ABC
you can like stream it.
Mario: Yeah, it's on ABC it's gonna start
at around around nine 30, I believe.
and then there's a triple header on ion.
It's gonna be Kansas City, versus Utah Bay
versus, Denver, the wave versus the dash.
And then, around the time the
wave in the dash game goes off, on
NWSL plus North Carolina courage,
versus racing is gonna happen.
Yeah,
Angela: I'm so excited.
That's literally gonna be, I mean,
I have so much stuff to do on
Saturday to prep for Sunday and
also like, do stuff at my house.
I, I will do as much
of it inside as I can.
Mario: be, be a responsible adult
Angela: Whatever.
Mario: of
Angela: I'm, do everything on Friday.
Mario: and then when we get to Sunday,
when we get to our day, Victory+ the brand
new streaming platform that is partnered
with the NWSL is going to be taking on
the double header of Orlando, Seattle,
Orlando, Seattle, and Angel City, Chicago.
So
it's, I think I'm just gonna hand out like
little, Like spinny wheels to be like,
what are you gonna watch it on this time?
'cause like it's everywhere.
So I mean, good thing that it's
everywhere so that various people can
find it, if that's the thing they watch.
sucks for everybody else who's
just like, now I have to subscribe
to a billion different things.
yeah.
You know, they haven't fully cracked
down on password sharing, so.
Angela: Not yet.
Not everybody.
Mario: Not everybody.
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: do what you gotta do.
it's there.
remember, ION is free,
Angela: Mm-hmm.
Mario: I think the Tubi app,
if you download that one,
ion is free on that one.
Angela: Yeah,
Mario: so
Angela: if you have a Roku tv,
the Ion app is free on there.
Like it has its own like standalone.
Mario: app.
Yeah.
Okay.
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: the Apple tv, so I use the Tubi
app and it's Ion is free on that one.
Angela: Nice.
Mario: so yeah.
Crazy ass weekend.
Angela: I'm so excited you guys
like, I'm like, it's Tuesday night.
I have three more days of work.
And it, I just want it to be Friday.
Like I want it to be Friday because
one, obviously it's the weekend
two, it's payday three, it's kickoff
weekend, but like, let's go, let's go.
Let's have a good time.
Mario: Yeah,
Angela: to see all my
friends in one place.
Mario: it's gonna be awesome.
All right.
Who are we gonna see when
we see all our friends?
Angela: Okay, so first
matchup of the season.
We're playing Chicago AB BMO.
I will be referring to them, a lot as
the Chicago Red Stars, because I hate
the rebrand and I will never get over it
because the red stars, like the actual
red stars on the flag are important
to Chicago and I think it's rude that
it was taken outta the name, whatever.
okay, so here's the thing
with Chicago, we don't know.
It's not one of those things where
it's like Gotham or Kansas City or the
Spirit, or even Portland, where you're
like, yeah, they have a solid team.
Chicago has been like rebuilding,
but in a really, it almost
feels clunky kind of way.
Like it's been in chunks and in pieces.
Like MAL is still out on maternity leave.
M.A.
Swanson.
She has not been reactivated as
of this recording at 10 18 on
Mar on Mario Day on March 10th.
so we don't know if she'll
be activated for opening day.
I don't think so.
She's not even six months postpartum yet.
Like, give it a minute.
it's just, it's gonna
be really interesting.
They've picked up a lot of
players, like defending wise,
they have Sam Staab, who's insane.
They've picked up Michelle Alozie
from, Houston, which is a big get.
Big, big, big get.
they have a very international
midfield in Julia Grosso.
Manaka Hayashi.
And Maitane.
They also have Lilian, excuse me,
Leilani Nesbeth and Brianna Pinto.
They picked up from North Carolina.
Like there's a lot of movement
scoring wise, like they're
attacking t like I say, team 'cause
it's like a special team almost.
They lost Ludmilla.
Like hat trick.
Queen Lam is now in San Diego, which
I'm not looking forward to in what, two
weeks or whatever when they're here.
But like, okay.
They still have Jameese Josephs who
just had a call up, like she's gotten
a few call up to the national team.
She's had a couple caps she
scored in the Carson game.
Jenna bike is a threat always.
Ryan Gareis too.
Like they have a lot of big pieces, but I
don't know how they're gonna fit together.
I didn't get to see any
of their preseason games.
And they also have a new
coach, like everything is new.
Even for the returning players.
Mario: There's, there's
too many new pieces
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: to say that there's
a solid way or the other.
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: likely.
likely, there's going to be a, like,
growing pains at the beginning, right?
Because
Angela: Yeah,
Mario: you, you,
Angela: has them.
Mario: yeah.
Everybody has them.
You, If you had the same core team
and then you grab the new coach,
then you get the, then you get the
benefit of the new coach bounce.
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: But when, when half the team is
new with, along with the coach, it's like,
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: it's like first day of summer
camp where you have to like do
the little intro and be like, I,
Angela: Yeah, like two truths and a lie.
Like they had some team building in
the off seasons, some icebreakers.
Everyone was mad, but they had fun like
Mario: Yeah, so the, so, you know,
and then, as, as we've always said,
practice can only take you so far
Angela: mm-hmm.
Mario: real game minutes.
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: minutes are crucial to how you're
going to gel as a team, how you're
gonna perform individually, right?
We have, we've had players that.
We're on the roster, we're practicing,
you know, day in, day out with the
entirety of the team, but they just
weren't making, you know, the final,
Angela: game day roster.
Yeah.
Mario: Yeah, the game day roster.
They weren't getting dressed for the game.
and it's just, it's just a matter of
one, there's probably no room at the
time or two, they're just not quite
performing where they need to be.
and a lot of times they benefit
from those loans or from those,
trades where like, okay, maybe you.
It can get playing time somewhere
else, or we can loan you somewhere
and make sure that you get that
in-game, experience, right?
Like the adrenaline is different, the
Angela: Mm-hmm.
Mario: different.
Angela: Playing a BMO is different.
Like it's not like you're playing.
Mario: yourselves
Angela: Yeah, exactly.
Exactly.
But like Chicago over the last couple
seasons has been doing some weird stuff.
The team was sold, like ownership changed.
where their plane has
changed a couple times.
Like there's still, there's so much.
One big thing, I'm just gonna say
this right now, I'm gonna just
rip the bandaid off for everybody.
Chicago signed Katie Lund,
who is a fantastic keeper.
She was out last season with a, a hip
injury that led to an SEI, But this to
me is like, I don't wanna say our red
flag, but it just makes me so sad because
this is like the, the like little,
like notification or like the little
update that we all as a group as wo.
So fans need to prepare, especially
if you have been a fan in the
last 10 years, like for the last.
Oh wow.
Honestly, closer to 15 years now, because
Mario: Okay.
Angela: up a, a solid keeper like
Katie Lund means that we have to
start preparing for the handoff
from Alyssa Naeher to Katie Lund,
Mario: Okay.
Angela: you don't bring in a high
level keeper when you have a listen
there on your team if you are
not preparing for a transition.
And I was writing these notes
and it just made me really sad.
But the Alyssa Naeher era
has to eventually end.
Like she has said it, like I, you
know, we're just going one year
at a time, seeing how we feel.
She deserves to ride off into the sunset
with like sparklers and everything.
She's gonna hate it.
She's gonna hate the attention, but
she deserves every little bit of it.
Similar to the way that Christen
convinced Tobin, like, no, you
need to announce your retirement.
You need to be like.
Showered with love and happiness and
stories and all the things like Alyssa,
there's the reason why we won so much.
Like, well, the five times that
she actually like had to defend the
goal across her like 15 year career.
The national team, we it.
She's such a good keeper and she like
never got to show that off, or not
never but rarely, which is a good thing.
But
Mario: thing.
I mean, that
Angela: yeah.
Mario: your team is working
the way they're supposed to be
Angela: Exactly, exactly.
But just as a group, take a deep breath.
Know that having Katie Lund on the bench
means we're officially in the transition
of that and nobody wants to talk about it.
And I just need to say it 'cause
I'm not gonna say it again.
We're gonna be okay.
but no, overall team wise.
I think Angel City needs
to come in with our A game.
We're ahead of Chicago in that
transition, in the sense that
Coach Strauss came in last season.
Yeah.
Like we've been getting the,
we've been transitioning players
through the, the season last year.
They've had a full off season together, so
that gives us, like, I would hope anyway,
that gives us an advantage to having like.
You know, like you're peeling
off the stickers still of like
the new players and like knew
this, knew that, knew everything.
yeah.
I just, I really, I want us to win.
Nobody has game film.
Nobody can really, truly, analyze
the teams and that's okay.
Like, you're not supposed to at this
point, but I know we've got the juice.
I know we've got the stuff,
the team knows we've got it.
I, we've talked to them.
They've said, oh no,
we're like, ready, ready?
I'm pumped, I'm excited.
Mario: I.
Angela: but to, to kind of
give folks a little bit of
background on Chicago's new coach.
His name is Martin.
This is, okay.
This is really funny 'cause I
texted Casey, who, Casey Casey's
on the case, like talk soccer.
She is Swedish.
She played in Sweden,
like she speaks Swedish.
So I was like, Hey, how do
you say the coach's name?
Is it like.
Sjogren.
Is it Rin?
She said it's Sjogren like chagrin.
But she sent me an audio message
and I have permission to play this.
So here you go, everybody.
So the s and the J together
in Swedish make a sound that
doesn't exist in English.
It's like where you kinda like rub
your lip and your teeth together.
It's weird.
So it's, but like if you say
chagrin, you're pretty good.
Yeah, I, I told her, I was like, I'm
just, can I play this clip on the podcast?
She's like, you have my permission.
So, yeah, it's one of those things
that English doesn't have and yeah.
He's got an interesting background.
He coached the Norwegian
national team from 2016 to 2022.
He had mediocre success.
His goal was to get them to the Olympics.
They did not, he got them out of
the groups in the 2019 World Cup.
They lost in the quarters to
England, and then he resigned
after failing to make it out of the
groups in the 2022 UFA tournament.
So I'm really curious how he was gonna do.
I have no like.
Maybe this system just
wasn't working for Norway.
I don't know.
I'm, I hope like it's,
I say this all the time.
I hope there's success.
I just hope there's
not success against us.
Mario: Yeah.
Yeah.
I mean, f figure your stuff out,
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: Get your, get your minutes
in and you know, by like game
three or four, you'll, you'll
be, you'll be set on game one.
Angela: well it's game one, so guess what?
We know who we're dealing with, like,
yeah.
So I'm very curious how
Chicago's gonna come out.
I wish 'em the best of
season, but not on Sunday.
So we do a featured player players
for Angel City, like for Chicago.
Usually I would highlight players,
but right now I have no clue.
I could talk at length about half
that team, but I, I don't know.
You know, it's so much.
And we've talked, if you go back
to, to older episodes, I think I've
talked about half of those players.
At least I know, Michelle,
ER and Brianna Pinto.
But they, they have fantastic players.
They just hope they put it together at
least a little bit to like make it through
the season without like hobbling along.
'cause that sucks.
And that's kind of been the last couple
years for them, which is strange.
But speaking of Chicago, we have our own
Chicagoland citizen in the Sarah Gorden.
Everyone who has ever listened
to this podcast knows how
much I love Sarah Gorden.
There is no like, there's no
plane it, there's no one else.
Like, who am I gonna spotlight?
One is against Chicago.
We gotta talk about the Chicago girl.
Two, it's Sarah Gorden, she's our captain.
We're gonna start there.
I have a, I have a system.
This season, we're gonna do
things a little bit differently.
We're shaking it up.
So as most people know,
Sarah Gorden is our captain.
She heads up our defense.
She's the center back, she's number 11.
She's wonderful.
She's great.
To give you some background, if you
don't know, she played her first
five seasons in the NWSL in Chicago.
She went from barely getting like
garbage time to starting in Chicago.
I played with Christen Press, Alyssa Na,
like any big name that's come out of the
Chicago system, she's played with them.
She, like I said, she's from Chicago.
Both of her parents went to DePaul
and were were student athletes there.
She followed in their
footsteps, went to DePaul.
She was a two sport athlete
until she got pregnant.
She ran the 400 hurdles, which
if you've literally listened to
any other episode, I'm just like,
and then she runs like a hurdler.
It's dope if you see it and you know,
you know, but when she got pregnant with
everybody's favorite soccer kid, it's
Kayden, she got pregnant with Kayden.
When she came back, she just
continued with soccer 'cause
hurtling will mess you up.
the cool thing was in that season, the
2014 season, she came back, led the team
to a conference title in the Big East.
Made it to the NCAA tournament.
They allowed the fewest goals in the
biggest Big East conference and she was
also part of the team that set the school
record of a 20 game unbeaten streak.
20 games is a lot.
That's like almost all season.
Yeah, it's crazy.
So in 2014 she was named,
second All Big East team.
In 2015 she was first team.
And then in 2016 she was drafted
22nd overall, which seems crazy like
the Sarah Gorden we know and love.
Now, to have her drafted in the third
round, like 22nd overall feels bonkers
in she played, and this is also the
era of her when she was modeling,
when she was working a regular job.
Like this is the $5,000
a season era of the NWSL.
And she had a kid like.
Nothing.
and just, just crazy.
So in the 2021 season, she's the very
first Iron Woman for Chicago in her
fifth season, which ended up being
her last season because she signed a
two year extension in January of 2021.
But then they traded her rights
to us in December of 2021, and
all has been right since then.
Everything has, has been better in
the world, mostly in the soccer world.
as we know, she tore her ACL in
the 2022 preseason, so she missed
our whole inaugural season.
But she has recovered and
has been wreaking havoc on,
attackers, literally since then.
She was an Iron Woman in 2023 for us.
She was named to the best 11 and
nominated for Defender of the Year.
No big deal.
And that's her comeback year.
So
Mario: back from a tear.
Angela: yeah, coming back from
ACL tear, she's like, bet.
And then just like go, says, okay,
I'll pick up where I left off.
Ahead of the 2024 season, she was
named vice captain with Ali Riley
being our captain with Ali's, SEI
and her hip injury and everything.
Sarah just stepped into the
role of captain on the field.
Allie was kind of like the locker room.
Social captain Sarah handled
the team and it was really
cool to watch that transition.
She had her hundredth NWSL cap in, or
on April 21st, 2024, which feels crazy
given how many games we play, but remember
Mario: How many games we play now?
Angela: how it's, it's now.
It's now there's 14 teams or 16 teams.
Mario: 16 this season?
Angela: 16 this season when she
was playing there was eight.
So like it took a little
longer to accumulate things.
but just a reminder, in case anybody
is unaware, she is that girl.
She is that woman.
Like she is exactly who you think she is.
She plays her heart out.
She plays with so much like Grace.
I don't know how to explain it.
She's so fluid on the pitch, but
will take you out in a heartbeat.
There's like this strength through.
Mario: She,
Angela: Like, I don't know.
Mario: she has a.
She has the amount of confidence
that is strong and has a presence
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: and with just a tinge of cockiness.
But like you have a tinge
of cockiness and you know
Angela: You know why.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Mario: right yes.
If you go beyond that tinge, then
you're just an an asshole, right?
Angela: And yeah, and it's one of those
things like when you know you're that
good, you, it, the, the confidence
comes off differently and her confidence
comes off very cool, very, very steady.
She could just be like crazy anxiety
brain, like half of us are internally,
but like, it doesn't show in that,
in that, moment on the pitch.
It's just very cool, very calm.
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: and just as a, a caveat.
I am not gonna cry.
This is our first episode.
It's so embarrassing.
Over the last year and a half, Sarah
Gorden has stepped the F up for LA through
the fires, ice raids, everything else.
She put a call out in June, like, how do I
help, how do I use this platform for good?
I was DMing with her.
I know our, our supporter
groups were talking to her.
All she wanted to do was amplify.
Be like, I have this
platform, let me use it.
And she has a, and I don't
know if it's still active.
I'm not crying.
This eye has been leaking
the whole episode.
Just FYI.
My left eye is, my allergies
have been really bad this week.
That's honest to God.
She had a nonprofit in Chicago and I
dunno if I, I've seen like little clips
but I don't know how active it still is.
But she has solidified herself as part of
the, the community here in Los Angeles.
And it's just, it's dope
as hell and I'm just really
excited 'cause Sarah Gorden and
Mario: Yeah,
Angela: she's just great.
That's all.
And she's really nice and like it,
I think it's funny 'cause when you
see her at events and you talk to
her, she's just like shocked still.
That there's the 300 people in
line waiting to be like, oh my
God, Sarah, I love you so much.
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: She's so genuinely
excited to like talk to people.
Mario: yeah, I didn't get to to
her at the, at the launch event.
unfortunately, my daughter and
I were running around trying
to get other stuff, done.
I know you, I know you were able
to go talk to her, and then the
one moment where we were like, oh,
let's go, let's go try to get her.
Angela: I know,
Mario: it was right when they
cut the line and we're like, oh,
Angela: I know you missed
it by like two minutes.
Mario: Yeah.
so, It sucked.
I, I think it would've
been cool for Maddie to,
Angela: Yeah,
Mario: to like, meet her and talk to
her and then just kind of learn that
might've become her new favorite player.
I don't know.
Angela: I know.
Mario: she's still learning about all
the players and right now the only reason
I think she really remembers June is
because of the, the bright pink hair.
and so it's, it, it.
but seeing her interaction with everybody,
'cause like I was in line in front of her,
Angela: Mm-hmm.
Mario: for a good while, 'cause
the line was going really slow
until someone told us that there
was no line outside for the merch.
her, the way she was taking the
time with all the, all the fans,
everybody that was talking, with
her, I think, I think was great.
I think it's, it's being able to get
that kind of face time with, with.
Players and with essentially
celebrities, right?
They're sports celebrities too.
You know, to us they are
more than normal right,
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: what we do.
So, it, it's just a amazing for
fans to get that one-on-one time.
And I think she was just awesome.
And I mean, all of the, all of the style,
the styling that was done at the, at the
kid event was done by Sarah Gorden, like,
Angela: And, and I was talking to
someone in the front office about
that later in the day after you
left, and they were like, oh, no.
She showed up an hour before she was
supposed to be there, like helped.
Dress, the mannequin, steamed clothes.
Like she was so committed
to her responsibility.
Like they said the, the couple days
before she said, okay, like, you know,
because it was a partnership with like
PacSun, the team and somebody else.
I don't remember, but she was like,
okay, I'm gonna take these home.
I'm gonna like, some of
that stuff was her clothes.
It was, it was like a a, yeah.
It, she was like, ah, we don't have this.
Oh, you know what?
I have it at home.
I'll put it with this outfit.
Like very much like she took
so much ownership in that.
And it's so neat because that's the
kind of person she is, the ownership
she has for the team, for the, the
effort, the, the Captain C Captainship,
whatever the role as captain.
she just shows up.
Mario: Yeah.
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: As, as Angela likes
to say, whole ass or no ass,
Angela: Yep.
Mario: you know, you
Angela: You show up or you don't.
Exactly.
but just as like a quick recap against
Chicago, we're almost like even, so
three wins, three losses, two draws.
Who knows?
Because the teams are so different
this season, I hope we win.
I have confidence in the fact that
we will, But yeah, I'm excited.
I'm, I'm just so fricking excited.
I'm excited to be back in BMO.
I'm excited to hoot and holler and cheer.
We may end up in the press box.
Who knows?
Mario: Who knows all that good stuff.
Angela: Yeah.
Mario: okay, well it's our first episode.
We didn't have all the other
things that we usually talk about.
Right.
Our recap, our footy therapy.
but as we're going throughout the season,
we are going to be modifying, how we
Angela: Yeah,
Mario: just a tad bit.
Not, we're still gonna bring
everything that we have always brought.
We've brought the footy therapy,
we've brought the, the haikus.
Ethan
Angela: season five.
We're grown up now.
Mario: Oh yeah.
but, you know, we wanna get it to you
in a, in a better, tighter package.
I mean, we're, we're professionals
Angela: We're seasoned veterans.
We have over a hundred episodes.
We should know what we're doing by now.
Mario: so with all of that, I think
we're, we're excited for this season.
I mean, and we've always wanted to.
Not be with you guys,
in those down periods.
So that's the reason
we started back passes.
and that is going to be, filler episodes
is the wrong term, but essentially it's
Angela: They're going to
just fill gaps when there's.
Mario: gaps.
Yes.
Angela: or there's, a whole
month off because of men.
Mario: Yeah.
So.
I, we, we just want to be able
to bring you the fun things
that we have in our head, right?
And, spans the wide gamut of stuff,
of the casual that I have and the
knowledge vault that, Angela has.
So, yeah, I think this
season's gonna be, amazing.
Please.
Let us know what you think
throughout the season.
I mean, we're all ears.
We respond to most of what
we see, as long as we see it.
so yeah.
if you got this far, you know, subscribe
to the show wherever you're listening.
Check out casual fc.com
for all the pod links, the social links.
we're also on YouTube.
You can find all of those
things from casual c.com.
So just go there, join us on the Discord.
check out our socials
for the invite links.
I should probably add that to
the website too, but we'll see.
and then best ways to support the
pod is share, like, comment on, on an
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whether it's on Instagram, on
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It's all about the engagement.
It helps other people find stuff.
go leave a comment on Spotify or,
apple Podcasts wherever you listen.
Grab some merch@shop.casualc.com.
We do have a couple of things that
we're gonna be doling out throughout
the season as we keep cleaning them up.
So check back regularly or we'll
probably be talking about it on
the pod whenever they do come out.
So, there's always that.
And if you feel so inclined and
you wanna help support the pod
by buying us a coffee, check out.
Our link in our socials or go
to buy me a coffee.com/casual
fc pod.
You guys don't know how
much it, means to us.
Whenever you send us anything,
like we've gotten like one, $2,
as like a, you made me laugh,
Angela: Yeah,
Mario: to like, someone gave
us like 40 bucks once and it's,
Angela: I cry about it every time.
I think it's crazy that people
like to listen to us Yap.
On the internet about
soccer and it's amazing.
Mario: and I wanna let you guys
know that all of that money
is put to good use for us.
It's being put to good use in
paying for the, the stuff that we
have to do, the hosting, the just
Angela: Yep.
Mario: going, all of that stuff.
So it's, it's keeping this
kind of going for us, right?
Like we don't make any money off of this.
And it wasn't necessarily, not yet, it
Angela: Oh.
Mario: priority number one.
So.
Angela: Really quick before we sign
off, we will be doing more of these
throughout the season, but big shout out.
Big, big, big, big, big, huge mega.
Thank you.
Big shout out to Chris who
is working with Yerba Madre.
We chatted up at the Jersey event and on
Sunday, Mario doesn't have any of this
yet because it's Tuesday, but on Sunday.
I got three dozen cans of Yerba
Madre delivered to my house.
So big shout out to Chris for the hookup.
We will be posting videos with how
much this stuff fuels us through the
season, through the next couple months.
if it were up to me, I wouldn't share
with Mario because I love it that much and
this would be gone in like two weeks, but
I'm rationing it and I'm a good friend.
Mario: Yes, I will eventually
get my, I'll trade you.
I'll trade you the cans that I
need for your Girl Scout cookies.
Angela: Oh, perfect.
Mario: Yeah.
And, as always, tell a friend about the
pod, it bring, we like to say it brings
us good luck and we bank that and we send
it off to the team for every match day.
And, you know, it helps everybody find
out, I mean, let's go, let's go full.
you know, tell, tell three
friends, tell three friends, and
like, you know, we'll eventually
Angela: no,
Mario: The, the good
Angela: we're not a pyramid ski.
Mario: You don't have to do anything
with it, you just gotta tell someone.
Angela: Just tell somebody about the pod.
Mario: letter.
Let's go nineties
Angela: Yes.
Yes.
Yeah.
15 years.
Good luck to Angel City.
If you tell somebody about the podcast
this season, that's what it is.
Mario: There we
Angela: rock and roll guys.
Mario: All right, let's
have fun this season.
we're excited.
We hope you're excited too.
And we'll see you at BMO.
Angela: See you on Sunday.
Bye.
Mario: Bye.