Casual FC

Welcome to Casual fc, an Angel City Match
preview and footie therapy Pod featuring

three certified footy therapists.

I'm your host, Mario Salazar, and as
you can see, I am pre-recording this.

Because life is crazy, y'all.

Schedules got a little weird.

I had to do what I gotta do.

but you guys are in great hands, for
my special, co-host Angela Morales

and our very special guest for the
third time in a row, Eva Friedman.

And it's gonna be amazing.

This is chapter three, part
trés, trois of our Retirement.

Retrospective.

It's been really great to do these
episodes, especially for me getting to

know the lore and getting to know the
history on a lot of these players that

I may have only seen for a few years,
um, or been aware of for a couple years.

And, you know, kind of
that's the, the casual of me.

So there you go.

I've said this before and.

I think this is really going to keep
going as an annual series, as all of

our favorite players that we've grown
up watching, are growing up with us and

they are now getting to those points
where they're thinking of their next

things in their careers, in their lives.

and it's been totally amazing to see
how some of them have transitioned

into what is the next part.

So, and.

It's been great to see the youth,
come through and really pick up the

baton from a lot of these players.

There's no denying that there is a
tremendous amount of soccer knowledge

that we are losing with some of
these players, putting up the, boots.

and it.

Like I said, it's been an amazing
part of my kind of WoSo journey to

learn about all these amazing players.

You are in great hands and I'm now
handing you over to the "Wide World

of Women's Sports" Angela Morales
and the self-proclaimed "Human

Junk Drawer of Soccer Knowledge".

Eva Friedman.

Angela: All right, so lots
of people are retiring.

It's depressing and I hate it, but
we're gonna talk about some big

heavy hitters because they're super
important to the history of the league.

Super important to
women's soccer as a whole.

And we love them.

Even though we're Angel City fans.

I can like players on other teams.

But as a reminder, Ali Riley, Christen
Press, this is the only mention of them in

this episode because they get their own.

They're that dope.

So retiring from international play,
but not the NWSL or League play

is the Welsh queen of them all.

Jess Fishlock, she is.

An icon.

I would legend say legend.

A legend.

A legend.

Legend, legend.

Icon

Eva: dreamboat,

Angela: super dreamboat.

Eva: said with respect, not creep.

Angela: Yeah.

Yeah.

Eva: Just very backstreet boy adjacent.

Yeah.

And

Angela: it's awesome.

Little top, not I, it, I love it.

Just the

Eva: whole thing.

Rocks.

Angela: Uh, just lock is cool.

Like I, I don't know how to express.

Somebody is cool like that where
they're just are like they've got a

vibe and she has it and it's amazing.

But to talk about her illustrious soccer
career with the Welsh national team,

which is like Wales is like this big,
it's so small, it's pro, I know it's

smaller than LA County, the size of yours.

It really is the size
of my, my garlic knot.

Jess Fishlock is the all time cap
leader as of her retirement in

June, 2025 with 162 appearances
for the Welsh national team.

Eva: Men's and women's?

Yes.

Like just overall, generally speaking,

Angela: the Welsh National Soccer Program
is owned and operated by Jess Fishlock.

I, yes, like I, I don't know.

I have such respect for players.

Who come from smaller, like smaller
countries or smaller federations

of soccer and just do prolific
things throughout their career.

On top of being the all time cap
leader, I'm already getting emotional.

Good God.

Yeah.

Really it's because I'm tired.

I looked over and.

I was like, what did I do?

I just got excited.

Okay, so Jess Fishlock is also the
all time scoring leader for the Welsh

national team with 47 goals across her
career and the coolest, and I think like

best way to close out your career is
to do something really fricking cool.

And like no big deal.

She just let helped lead the Welsh
Women's National team to their first major

tournament and then proceeded to score
their first goal in their first major

international tournament this last summer.

And.

I hate to say this, she's also the
oldest gold goal scorer in women's euros.

Eva: I don't hate to say it, it rocks.

Well, I mean, yeah, but
like, no, but like it,

Angela: I just hate that we keep
talking about how old everybody.

Well,

Eva: yeah, but like, I, 'cause
they're younger than me, but

like, no, no, no, no, no.

But I like, I love it because
like, I specifically love Yeah.

That fact because it, I think it.

Shows respect for the grind.

Angela: Yeah.

Eva: And for what she has
spent her entire career doing.

Mm-hmm.

Like to close out her and her time
with the Welsh team, with that

accolade, like all of it's super dope.

Yeah.

Like I, it's just fitting and like Yeah.

Like, I, I just think she earned it.

Mm-hmm.

Quite honestly, like, I think
that she deserves to be the

person who scored that first goal.

Angela: Yeah.

And the cool thing, like this last
summer was such a wonderful like,

parade of love for Jess Fishlock
across Wales, across Seattle.

Like big, big Fishlock fan as most people
know, except for the fact that she comes

to BMO and scores against Angel City
and I don't like that, but, but there

Eva: is a mural of her in Cardiff.

Yeah.

I don't know how that.

That was where I going.

It's a segue from her scoring
at BMO, but yeah, it's true.

And

Angela: it's, it's not
even like a regular mural.

It's a mural.

It's on a pitch.

Like it's so cool.

They've done such a wonderful job
honoring her and I can't wait to

see the honors she receives when
she eventually retires in Seattle.

Like, 'cause that's gonna be just as
big and I'm gonna cry just as much, but.

Thankfully we still have her for
at least another season in Seattle,

Eva: and I think there's a
strong chance that we keep her

around the game as a coach.

Ooh.

Afterward.

So I don't A coach.

Yeah.

If you, if you were not watching, the
recap, like player interviews that

they were doing during the World Cup,
watch the go back and watch the episode

that Tobin did with Jess Fishlock.

Angela: Yes.

I forgot about that.

The

Eva: conversation that they have.

On that episode is like just

Angela: big soccer brain.

Eva: Yeah.

Like on a whole other level.

And so I think that we're really
lucky that like things kind of, and

she was a player coach in Australia.

Yeah.

So like I think things are
kind of like leading to that.

Mm-hmm.

And I think that the next generation
of players are really lucky that they

still get to learn from her and like.

Angela: Get

Eva: to

Angela: be

Eva: a

Angela: part of her story.

Absolutely.

And I know I talked briefly about
her scoring in BMO, but one of my

favorite moments was her celly.

Yeah, I think it was two seasons ago.

Yeah.

'cause it was Pinos last year.

She scored, ran over to the corner and
did like the chicken dance and was like

flapping her, her arms like a chicken.

But come to find out she did it
for her nephew 'cause they had been

doing it together that weekend.

And he was like, if when you score
your next goal you should do that.

And she said, fine, I will.

And then they did.

And I, I hate, love it.

But thank you to just Fishlock
for being everything amazing.

We'll talk about you more
this season, I'm sure,

Eva: and more when you
retire from league play

Angela: eventually, which
we're not gonna, hopefully

Eva: not soon.

Yeah, no, not soon at all.

Angela: And then speaking
of the Seattle Reign, yes.

We had two big retirements this season.

we're gonna start with Veronica Latsko.

Eva: Yeah.

Angela: Because she's retiring.

To go get her master's and to
become like a lawyer to then

work in sports management.

Like, she's like, oh, I'm gonna, I'm good.

I'm good with my career.

I'm gonna retire and go do
cool stuff to then come back to

the game to make it better and

Eva: do more cool stuff and do

Angela: more cool stuff.

Yeah.

Like, yeah.

Eva: Absolutely

Angela: wonderful.

Eva: Yeah.

When she, she was drafted originally
by the Houston Dash, they brought her

in, they drafted her alongside Hailey
McCutchen, who now plays for Orlando.

And this was a couple years before
Houston won the Challenge Cup.

And so they had Rachel
Dailey, they had Kayle.

And you just like, you were
confused that they couldn't like.

Get it going and everything.

And when they drafted the two of
them, they would just come off

the bench and score and they were
like Houston's bright future.

and then she comes to Seattle and has
an unbelievable 2023 postseason mm-hmm.

Scores in the quarterfinals
and then the semifinals.

And I think that that was like such
a cool wake up call moment of like.

Hey, I'm still here.

Don't forget me.

Yeah.

Don't forget my name.

And I think that she is one of the
more underrated attackers mm-hmm.

And goal scorers in the
league as several are.

but I, I think that there's,
I think it's a big loss Yeah.

For

Angela: the game.

I'm gonna And the big leadership loss too.

Eva: Yeah.

And like I was watching, I went
back to watch some highlights.

There were some goals, like
some passes and stuff that were

just like, dude, like how, how?

you know, I, I think that we were lucky
to have her, and similarly to like what

we were saying about Jess Fishlock and
everything, I think we're lucky that

she's still gonna be part of the game.

Angela: Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

And then you get to talk about
Lou Barnes because I will not.

Okay.

I will just weep.

I'll probably just cry anyway.

I'll just quiet cry.

Eva: So, so the rain's big three,
Pino Megan Rapino, in case you

don't know, um, well, you might not.

I know.

Jess Fishlock and Lauren Barnes, um,
they all started with the rain in

their inaugural season of the NWSL.

And they have all played all of
their NWSL games for the rain.

I think it's wild that they
never wanna ring together.

Angela: Yeah.

Eva: that's like hard to believe.

Like, it kind of feels like if like
Shohei Roki and Yoshi never wanna

ring together, you'd be like, what?

What do you We don't
have to worry about that.

I know, I know.

Yeah.

It's like, if, I don't know Aaron Judge
Garrett Cole and Jean Carlos Stanton

never wanna ring together, you know?

anyway, but if, if you have heard me
on this podcast before, or if you have

just spoken to me in everyday life,
a really big thing for me is keeping

alive the stories and the names of the
players who the league was built on.

you have to remember that for
years and years and years, the

NWSL was not an adhering to fifa,
like international breaks, so.

The national team players would go off and
there would still be NWSL games going on.

A whole entire league just playing.

And first of all, I kind of miss it
'cause those games were fun as hell.

'cause you just had, I mean, in
this league you never have a clue

what's gonna happen, but like
you really had no clue what was

gonna happen, you know, back then.

But you know, you're not
making national team money.

You are.

You're just grinding.

And an early

Angela: NWSL is like legit $10.

Yeah.

It's, I think Sarah Gorden said her first
season she was making like five grand.

Eva: Yeah, it's five.

It's upsetting.

Yeah.

And it's sad.

and again, that's a whole other story,
but you know, this league doesn't

exist without players still being there
when the national team players mm-hmm.

Were away and.

You know, you think about
again, like how little money,

how small the accolades were.

And for a long time, like people would
know about the national team, but they

didn't know that we had a domestic league.

And so you like, I hate getting into
the whole like women's soccer is pure

because it's not for the money Yeah.

And everything, but like there is
something special to knowing like

players were here 'cause they loved it.

They pushed through a lot of terrible
bullshit, whether it be money coaching

situations, front office situations.

Yeah, front offices,
facilities, you know, whatever.

They, they stuck around and
fought 'cause they love this game.

And to watch Lauren Barnes come in
game after game, you know, again,

like I just said for let's go, I
was watching highlights and like.

So many goal line clearances and so many
just like a devastating ender of chances.

Mm-hmm.

Like, you know, like you watch
and like you feel the goal is like

about to happen before it happens.

And there were multiple times that
you would feel that and then she

would step in and it was over.

And there aren't a ton of defenders
that you can say that about.

She was, I think the thing that really
puts it in perspective, for me at least,

is that she was the first person in
the league to win Defender of the Year.

That was not Becky Sauerbrunn.

Angela: And we all know how both
of us feel about Becky Sauerbrunn.

Yeah.

So

Eva: like in context, like
that's a pretty big deal.

And you know, again, that trio in Seattle,
Seattle has always been one of the more.

Beloved franchises in the early
days of the league, and it's in

huge part because of that trio of
Lou Barns, Jess Fishlock, and Pino.

They loved the city, they loved the team,
and they just injected like so much of

the rivalry of Cascadia Clash is like on
Seattle's side in part because of them.

And I think that her.

Lauren Barnes' contributions
as a defender are like

priceless.

Like in unquantifiable?

Yeah.

Like just do yourself a favor.

And Google, like Lauren Barnes soccer
highlights some of these, like, she

just like sticks a foot out sometimes.

Mm-hmm.

Like she just kind of pokes her leg out
and the ball is gone from whoever had it.

And it's like, it's brutal and
it's simple, but it's not easy.

Yeah.

And I think like watching her career
for the past, you know, decade

plus, yeah, it, it's been special.

And I think that a lot of the players
like her, or like a Sarah Gorden, a

Paige Nielsen, a Dani Weatherholt, like
they kind of, I say them specifically

partially because Angel City, but you
know, we kind of take them for granted.

Because they're just in
the league or whatever.

And I think we're getting to
a point where like, that's not

as much of a thing anymore.

Mm-hmm.

But it's really important that we don't
lose sight of, you know, the day ones.

And you know, you think about what's
happening in some other leagues where,

where maybe someone shows up and people
crown them the savior and it's like.

You're erasing years of history.

Mm-hmm.

And so when you think about the NWSL
and how far it's come and what has

happened over the years, especially
pre CBA, you know, Lauren Barnes is

a hero of the league, in my opinion.

Yeah.

And yeah, it's, it's, we're we're
sad to see her go, but she's had.

A really beautiful career and
I'm happy that I got to watch it.

Angela: Yeah, and to kind of put it
into perspective, as of right now,

she has played the most games in NWSL
history at 232 and the most minutes.

So 21,104 minutes.

That's a really long time.

That's

Eva: so long.

That's so long.

At least it's not consecutive.

Angela: Yeah.

Well, I mean

Eva: a

Angela: lot of it was

Eva: no, but I'm saying Oh, like all 2000
minutes consecutively would be a lot.

Angela: That's true.

She was also named, like Eva said,
defender of the Year in 2016.

Uh, dethroning, Becky Sauerbrunn for
the first time in league history, she

was part of the NWSL Best 11 in 2015
and 2016 and won the shield three times

with Seattle in 20 14, 20 15, and 2022.

So, thanks, Lou.

Eva: Yeah.

I mean, she played on baseball fields.

Yeah.

She played in games that
were 106 degrees in Houston.

Yeah.

Where players, a player passed out,
passed out at the end of the game.

She has been through the
thick of the NWSL and, and now

Angela: Seattle has an
award named after her.

Eva: Yeah.

And they should.

Yeah.

Um, and I'm excited to hopefully
see her Jersey get retired.

Angela: It should.

I think.

I'm sure it will think.

Eva: Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Angela: Hammy, hammy, hammy.

All right.

So Kristen Hamilton, another
starboard of the league.

Has like a wildly, at least
especially out here mm-hmm.

A wildly like dismissed career.

And I think a lot of it was because in
the last couple seasons, and this goes

for honestly all these players, there's
a lot of injuries towards the end of

their, their careers, which makes sense
because that's what happens as you age,

and then as you have miles and miles
and miles on your body, stuff happens.

But Kristen Hamilton.

Her career is Bongers.

Eva: She's, she's had an amazing career.

Angela: She is a three time shield
winner and has won the NWSL Championship

with Western New York Flash, who then,

Eva: who then became, became the

Angela: courage,

Eva: so, so one with Western New
York, two with North Carolina.

Yeah.

And in the dynasty.

So the dynasty era, like Yeah.

Overlapping with Lynn Williams.

Mm-hmm.

They were on all of the same teams.

So like Lynn Williams has four
and is considered already.

And absolutely correctly, like one
maybe the best NWSL career Yeah.

Of all time and like the most,

Angela: like the winningest
career essentially.

Yeah.

The one, just an

Eva: insane career.

And, Kristen Hamilton I think gets
overlooked, but she had like just

this really unbelievable run in
2019 that really put her on the map.

And that kind of scared everyone who
wasn't a North Carolina coach fan.

Angela: So in 2019, across 22
games, she scored nine goals.

And at the time, like remember
as of 20, I think it's 2019,

every season has gotten longer.

Eva: Yeah,

Angela: through, through the NWSL.

We've added teams every year.

So 22 games.

She had a hat trick against
Orlando in June, and then she

had, what do they call it?

A hole, four goals
against Houston in July.

That's, that's insane.

Seven

Eva: goals in two months.

So two, seven and seven goals
in two games, like, yeah.

Angela: And that tied her with Sam
Kerr and Alex Morgan for the most

goals in a single, single NWSL game.

Yeah, so just some small,

Eva: which some small names that
you probably haven't heard of.

Look 'em up later.

You know, homework, we'll
do a pop quiz later.

And

Angela: Alyssa Thomas
to wait, which Alyssa?

I'm in basketball brain.

Alyssa Thompson.

Alyssa Thompson has now joined that,
that trio of four, four goals in game.

Was that a

Eva: regular season though?

Angela: Oh, that's a good point.

Or was it Challenge Cup or
whatever they're calling it?

Eva: That was against, um,

Angela: Dees.

No, not Dees.

Maybe, maybe.

Eva: But anyway, anyway,

Angela: it's a hall.

That's what four goals in a game is.

It's a weird name and I
don't like it, but it's fine.

Eva: Yeah.

When and in that run, like
it, she was inevitable.

Mm-hmm.

Like, like honestly, when I read the stat
of Nine Goals, I was like, that was it.

Like, it felt like she was just like.

You could have told me that she put up
a brace every game that season and I

would've believed you like, like she just,
no matter what, like she found a way and

it was so fun to watch, despite hating the
team at the time, but, and like despite

it being against your team at the time.

But like, she had such a special
season that year and, Again, like

as you were saying, like her career
winded down into like some injuries and

everything, but I think that like she
kind of goes a little bit unnoticed as

like she's a three time championship.

Winner.

Yeah.

Winner there.

There are only, that's like a quarter of.

The champ of the rings that
you can win in the league.

Like she's won 25% of the championships.

Like what?

And she's played a, like, a part
in all of those seasons and all

of those, like postseasons mm-hmm.

And championship games, whether it be
off the bench or, you know, whatever.

Um, and yeah, I, I think we kind of like,
we kind of forgot about her a little bit.

A little bit.

And I think part of that was

Angela: the trade.

Or free agency movement to Kansas City.

Because with Kansas City
there were coaching changes.

It's like a new team,
but it's an old team.

It's a whole thing.

But then as Eva said, she's
kind of inevitable when,

when everything's clicking.

So she actually scored the
first hat trick in Kansas City.

Current history?

Like this current?

Eva: The current current.

The

Angela: current.

Current, yeah.

So this, this.

Eva: Current team, current

Angela: iteration of Kansas City.

Shut up.

she scored the First Hat Trick in
team history and also in challenge cup

history, which is really freaking dope.

And I think.

I hope like, I mean, we're
gonna say this with everyone.

I hope she comes back to the
game in some way or another.

but obviously take time off.

Go sit down.

Eva: Yeah, like ice your, you,
you've done, you've done good Ice.

Your feet get a pedicure where you let
them remove the calluses, like, yeah.

Just like those, those feet have
put a, put a lot of balls in.

A lot of nets.

Yeah.

So put 'em up, ice 'em,
rest 'em you, you've earned.

And then

Angela: so we have a quick little one
because neither one of us realized.

Eva: Yeah.

Angela: About iffy.

Iffy Onumonu.

I talked about during World Cup, I
talked about during the Olympics.

Amazing, amazing career.

She Super falcon Stalwart.

Legend.

If you know how much I love African
soccer, especially the Super Falcons,

because it's literally the coolest
name in the whole wide world.

They

Eva: always have the best Jersey.

They have the

Angela: best kits.

Yeah.

So Nigerians national team,
they're called the Super Falcons.

It's dope shit.

32 caps for them.

And.

Actually retired from
international soccer last season.

Yes.

And then at the end of
this season, retired.

And there's a lot to be said.

She was part of an actually
unreal draft class in 2017.

Like it'll, it breaks your brain.

Mm-hmm.

Draft class, like, look it up.

We're gonna be talking about that draft
class separately in a, where are they now?

Look back on things in a something.

In a something

Eva: maybe

Angela: so.

Definitely take that into mind, but
again, a little bit overlooked in the NWSL

because of team transitions, injuries,
especially towards the end of her career.

But she's going to do amazing things.

Eva: Yeah.

She finished her career in France.

Mm-hmm.

Um, which good for her.

Yeah.

Um, I hope she enjoyed it after

Angela: Utah.

So, and

Eva: yeah, just an all
time blast to watch.

Mm-hmm.

Um, again, I feel really
lucky to have seen Yeah.

Her play and I mean, she was my
introduction to, uh, African Women's

Soccer and the Super Falcon specifically.

I.

I would like stay up to catch those games.

'cause I wanted to see her play.

Yeah.

And then I got to learn about
everyone else on the team.

And then I got into the other, you
know, the other teams and everything.

But I think I, we, she's a
name that we shouldn't forget.

Yes.

When we think about, this kind of like
big moment that like African players

are having in the league, She, I, I
think she's a part of like bridging.

Mm-hmm.

She's, she's kind of one of the
players that's a bridge for that.

Yeah, absolutely.

And yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Angela: She rocks.

She, she just is awesome.

She's insane.

and then I guess briefly, yeah,
briefly, we'll mention Tobin.

There's so much to talk about with Tobin

Eva: most creative
player who will ever Yes.

Play the sport.

Men's, women's, maybe in all of sports.

Angela: Yeah.

Eva: And the pride of New
Jersey as second to me.

Well, no, no, no.

First it's JR Smith.

No, then it's me, then it's Tobin.

Then it's Heather O'Reilly.

Then it's Riley Tiernan.

Then it's Carly Lloyd,

Angela: and well, no.

Then it's Riley Tiernan,
then Madison Tiernan.

Then

Eva: John Bon

Angela: Jovi, John Bon
Jovi, and then Carly Lloyd.

No, no, no big names from
New Jersey ever at all.

But I joke with my best friend that
his son wears 17 because of Tobin.

He just doesn't know it yet.

He's like, I like this
player, blah, blah, blah.

We're not talking about this player
because it's a man and I don't care.

Is he, is he a great soccer player?

Yes.

Is he a terrible person also?

Yes.

But.

Eva: Tobin's.

Not a terrible person, not a, he's a
great soccer player, so like her, instead

Angela: I get to teach my nephew about
the Tobin Heath and her illustrious

career with both the Women's national
team, the Portland Thorns arsenal.

Eva: Yeah.

Angela: Um, every, I feel like

Eva: any Did she play for Arsenal

Angela: or did she just,
does she just love Arsenal?

I think she

Eva: just loves Arsenal.

No,

Angela: I think she played for Arsenal.

Eva: She played for, I know
she played for PSG and.

Angela: We gotta look it up now because
it's late and I'm so, so sorry If

Eva: you're right.

And I just derailed us.

I know that because I know that
Heather O'Reilly, when she went to

play for Arsenal War 17, because
Tobin's favorite team was Arsenal.

I know that.

And then,

Angela: hang on, hang on.

Boom.

2021 to

Eva: 2022.

I missed that.

Yeah, I'm sorry.

Well, I, I'm wrong.

Don't ever listen to
anything I have to say.

She played with

Angela: Manu, with Kristen.

She played in

Eva: and Katie Zelem.

Angela: Oh, yeah.

And Katie Zelem, like, there's so much
wonderful soccer that Tobin has played

at so many different levels and so

Eva: incredibly important to Portland
and again, to the Cascadia Clash.

Angela: Yeah.

Which is wild because she spent
her last year with Seattle.

Scandal list.

No one's all that coming.

Yeah.

but Tobin Heath, like actual total utter
legend of the game across gender in

sport as well, scored in the 2015 final.

Mm-hmm.

She just, and the same way we talk about
Kristen being inevitable and Pino and Abby

Wombach, like Tobin's right there with it.

It's.

It's even craftier.

It's, it's more dancey.

Dancey on the ball.

And you never

Eva: knew what she was gonna do.

Angela: Yeah.

And we're bringing up Tobin because
while she played her last match in 2022,

she officially announced her retirement
this year in 2025, and then immediately

got inducted to the soccer hall of
fame, which is absolutely wonderful.

Of course, yeah.

And well deserved course
because duh, it's Tobin Heath.

Um.

A lot.

There's a lot to talk about.

And we will, again, there's, there's
some secret stuff we're working on.

We'll talk about Tobin, don't worry,
but just wanted to make sure she gets an

appropriate shout out because she did not
have a farewell to her as she deserved.

Eva: As she should have.

Angela: Yeah.

Eva: But we'll give it to her now.

Angela: Absolutely.

And then.

Last but not least, the, the Imani
Dorsey, which is again, not a player.

A lot of people I think like understood
how good on and off the pitch she was and

what she was doing and what she was a part
of and like there, there's so much to say.

Eva: Yeah,

Angela: because she was so technically
sound like in 2018, she was named

the Rookie of the year playing
with sky blue, which at the time.

Sky blue, which she

Eva: sky blue turned into Gotham.

Yes.

Angela: And at the time,
sky blue was a mess.

There was the league was a mess.

Let's be honest.

But the amazing thing is she
became a founding member of the

Black Women's Player Coalition,
or Collective, excuse me, and then

was on the bargaining committee for
the players association's first.

CBA committee like for the first CBA
for this team or for this league.

And that alone, like I don't really
think people understand that's a

full-time job in its own right.

Yeah, because it's so much, there's
meetings, there's conference calls,

there's negotiations, there's,
you know, votes for things like,

there's so much happening while.

You're still playing soccer all season
and training in the off season and

all this other stuff, and like it's a
different type of stress in the same

way that players were battling US soccer
for equal pay at the national level,

which has now starting to really trickle
down and influence soccer at all levels

in the US women's sports on all levels
in the US and internationally like.

It has such a big, repercussion

Eva: impact.

Angela: An impact.

Yeah.

Like repercussion kind of makes
it sound bad, but it's like

Eva: it's a great domino effect.

Yeah.

Angela: And it, it really, like you
see those ripples throughout all

sport, and so that alone, like bonkers.

But really quick, I talked over
myself and forgot this insane

statistic in that 2018 rookie season.

She had a 74.4%

passing accuracy out of 332 passes.

Which is wild because like you get a 74%
on a test and you're like, sick, I passed.

I'm

Eva: scared to tell my mom.

Angela: Yeah, I'm scared to tell my mom.

But then you're playing sports
and like 30% is a like a plus.

Plus plus.

Yeah.

So 74% accuracy in literally
anything in sports is insane.

Any, any sport, football, basketball,
baseball, soccer, I don't know,

lacrosse, like anything where
you're playing with other people

to be that accurate is bonkers.

Eva: Yeah.

Angela: And then most importantly,
this last part that we're gonna, that

Eva's gonna talk about is big time.

Eva: Yeah.

So, so, um.

Obviously we wanna remember players for
what they do on the pitch, but with Imani

Dorsey, I think it might be more important
to remember her for off the pitch.

Yeah.

as a legacy of always standing up for
what's right, um, again, founding member

of the black women, uh, black Women's
Player collective, part of the, you know,

initial bargaining committee for the CBA.

And notable lgbtq plus Ally.

in 2022, she won.

She was honored at the Athlete
Ally, uh, 2022 Action Awards.

in 2019, she wrote, you know, an op-ed
or a personal essay, whatever you want

to call it, titled, becoming the Norm.

I would highly, highly recommend and
implore that everyone go read this.

Um, she talks a lot about what it
was like growing up as a female

athlete, as a black female athlete.

you know, the, the weight of that and,
you know, the, like, well, you're a girl.

You beat all the boys, you must
have cheated and everything.

And you know, the, the weight
that excellence holds, But I'm

going to read verbatim the last
two paragraphs of that essay.

because she, she just kind of nails it
and I think it sums up what she means to

the game and how we should remember her.

And, um, yeah.

So I'm going to read verbatim
those final two paragraphs.

Trans female athletes deserve
to celebrate their womanhood

alongside other women in sport.

As a cisgender athlete, I welcome trans
females to women's soccer at all levels.

You will be our teammates.

You will broaden our worldview
and change our perspectives.

You'll help us understand all the
different ways we identify as females and

how our athleticism and femininity doesn't
make us the exception, but the norm.

For a long time, I was not comfortable
celebrating and embracing who

I am and what makes me special.

Therefore, as a cisgender
athlete, I can only imagine what

a young trans female must feel.

Women's soccer gave me an opportunity
to experience life, learn and grow

with and from young women like me.

All women, including trans women,
should be able to have this

incredible opportunity and be able
to celebrate who they are and all

they bring to the sport they love.

at a time where for no reason at all,
we're talking a lot about, players

who are really holding it down.

again, that was 2019.

not a lot of players are saying it with
their chest, whether yeah, whether,

whether they believe it or not.

for whatever reason they may have and.

Especially in the context
of that whole essay.

It's really, really powerful.

And there really haven't been, you
know, there have been several who

have said, you know, we, you know,
trans women are women and everything.

There haven't been as many who have
just opened up their arms and said

like, no, trans women are welcome
and I want to play with them.

she, she said it with her chest and
I think that's really important.

And again, I admittedly didn't do the
research into it as much, but like.

She was honored at the
Action Awards for allies.

We are not in the business
of giving Allies cookies for

saying they love gay people.

So what that means is action.

She takes action and she
says it with her chest.

No matter what she is talking about,
she is on the right side of things.

She is speaking for people
who need an extra voice.

Yep.

So again, remember her for
what she does on the pitch.

This kind of sounds
like I'm eulogizing her.

She's alive and well.

Um, she is so alive and well, but yeah.

if you are not familiar with who
she is without a ball at her feet,

she is really worth spending some
time reading about and looking into.

Again, incredibly important to this
sport and a, a really wonderful ally

at a time when we really need them.

Yeah,

Angela: and with that, that's
our retirement class of 2025.

Bye.

Wow, that was some
amazing soccer knowledge.

Did you hear everything that they said?

Oh, amazing.

That one moment where Eva and
Angela were talking about that

funny thing that happened.

Woo.

That is adding to the lore.

All right, well, big thanks to Eva
for helping us out on this episode.

Also, big thanks to,
Angela for handling, what.

Could have been a long delay in
what we've been doing, so keeping it

short and sweet in the off season.

Visit casual fc.com.

Find your favorite platform to subscribe.

Check out our socials.

Check out our merch.

Come hang out with us in the discord.

And, if you feel so inclined, throw us a
buck or two on, buy me a coffee.com/casual

cpod.

And we'll see you next
season, if not sooner.

Bye everybody.