Casual FC

Angela: Hey, everyone.

Welcome to Casual FC, an Angel City match
preview and footy therapy pod, featuring

two podcast certified footy therapists.

But today, today, this is your 200
level soccer position refresher

class, easily the longest name
of a class I've ever taken.

I'm your host, Angela Morales with my
Girl Scout cookies selling co host.

Given that tis the season, Mario Salazar,
and we have a very special guest like

big air horns, big confetti cannons, a t
shirt cannon, if you will, Bridie O'Toole

from the YouTube channel, Busy Watching
Women's Soccer, who have also seen on

TikTok, and Yeah, like I'm so excited
for this episode for a million reasons.

but just excited to get to know you
excited to talk soccer positions and

what means what to help our listeners
kind of figure out who does what

and why we say things the way we do.

But as I kind of mentioned, this
is the second episode of our

updated little soccer explainer.

It's for the newbies, the casuals,
or for your friends that you just

decided to bring to a game and they're
like, what the heck am I going to?

So Welcome and let's have fun.

So remember to share this with
your friends, your co workers,

anybody who might need it.

This applies to soccer in general,
so not just Angel City, and

it is useful around the world.

So, Bridie, again, thank
you so much for being here.

Um, tell us about yourself.

Give us all the, all
the dirt, all the deets.

Bridie: little old me, think, probably
the most interesting thing, and I think

most people usually are interested
to know where I'm from, half British,

half Irish, but I grew up mostly in
Singapore, of a weird combination, but

you know, that's where my dad worked
and, you know, family grew up over there.

I went back to the UK for college,
and while I was there, I went to Texas

for one vacation, and I saw the bluest
sky I have ever seen in my life.

I was like, this is it, I'm moving.

Angela: Wow,

Bridie: S.

for 10 years now, and
I just, I love it here.

Mario: Nice.

Have you been in Texas the
entire time or have you been like

moving around the country too?

Bridie: It was really just Texas,
but I moved last year to San

Diego, so I am, I'm a little

Mario: Oh,

Angela: West Coaster.

Mario: Yeah,

Bridie: different, but I, I love it.

It's just a change that I needed.

Angela: Can I ask what
part of Texas you were in?

I have family in like the DFW area in
Austin, so, and Houston actually, so.

Bridie: Okay, yeah, I, I was in Dallas,

Angela: Oh, nice.

Bridie: small town.

Where, where they at?

Angela: they're outs, like outside
of Dallas proper, more towards

Fort Worth in like Watauga and
Bedford, that area, Southlake.

Bridie: all right, where the horses are?

Angela: Yeah.

Bridie: Yeah,

Mario: You mean, I mean,
to me, Texas is all horses.

That's just, it's just,

everybody gets a horse.

Yeah.

Everybody gets a horse
when you move there.

Like it's just

Bridie: Horsehat boots.

Angela: Yeah, I mean,

Mario: your starter pack.

but that's, yeah,

Angela: yeah, what got you into soccer?

Did you play?

I mean, assuming given your background,
it was kind of ingrained, just

stereotypically, but aside from that,

had you,

Bridie: a classic story of, you
know, wanting father's approval and

father likes soccer and off we go.

so he really got me into it, but
I just, I completely fell in love.

I just had a ball attached to
my foot every minute of my life.

I went semi pro at 16 in Singapore.

I played semi pro in what was
the second division in England.

Angela: oh, wow, mm

Bridie: And I decided I needed a real job.

And it's, I'm kicking myself now because
it's, some people actually put the

work in to turn it into a real job.

Angela: hmm, yeah,

Mario: yeah, The, the unfortunate.

The unfortunate reality of

women's sports of you know, especially
the people that were there early

on of do I feed myself or do I

keep playing?

Angela: yeah,

Bridie: it's a crazy predicament to have,
but, you know, I'm, lots of great players

out there that have gone and done the work
so that we have this fantastic product to

watch, and I'm just, you know, so happy
to have found my love for the game again,

and since I have, I've just, it's been
non stop, I just can't stop watching.

Angela: I love that.

It's very, I mean, I come from not
a soccer background, but a sports

background, and it's very difficult to
get yourself back there, to like, find

the love for it again after you've left,
because even if you leave on good terms

where it's like, I'm done, this is good,
this is easy, like, it's my time to walk

away, coming back to it is a different
type of relationship, and finding that

goodness about it can be incredibly hard.

So I'm so happy for you.

Bridie: yeah,

Mario: I

Bridie: too, thank you.

Mario: mean, I mean,
that's, that's impressive.

I mean, the fact that you went, to
that level anywhere in the world

is like a feat on its own, right?

It's just, it's, it means.

You were good enough to be part
of that league, part of that

experience, part of those players.

You were up in that like
echelon, which is always amazing.

We've, we've talked to people
and then just seemingly randomly,

they're just like, Oh yeah, I used
to play here in whatever division.

And we're just like, what?

Really, it, that's a huge
you should have started with.

Bridie: Yeah, there's just, there's
so many good players out there with

stories of, you know, I walked away
at this age and haven't touched a

ball since, and I would encourage
everybody to play rec soccer.

Anybody of any ability, it is
just going to make you happy.

It is just a fun sport.

Mario: so, I tried when I moved out to
the Valley, I tried looking, and then the

only thing I could find was, like, an over
40 league, and at the time I wasn't, so,

I'm like, oh, well, I can't play just yet,
I'm too young to play into that, but I'm,

like, too old to play with, The young'uns,
because everybody else was like young'uns

with good knees and I wasn't gonna
carry my 200 pound ass around the field.

it's, I tried it once and I, I hurt things
that I didn't know were there and yeah.

Maybe I'll get back to it.

Bridie: leagues and 30, they're
made to protect you, so.

You know, if you're not doing
that, you're not doing your job.

Angela: Yeah.

That's fair.

Mario: I need to join one
that like is very much on the

rec side of the rec league.

yeah.

Yeah.

Angela: Yeah.

For as much coordination as I
have like hand eye coordination.

Hand, well, hand foot coordination
I have, but like being able to

dribble a ball, I don't understand.

I dribble a ball with my hands.

I play basketball dribbling with my feet.

I'm like, no thanks.

I don't, I cannot figure it out.

So I, I have the utmost respect for folks
who, who can kick the ball and control it.

I can kick it far, but that's like,
I could honestly probably be a keeper

at, at best, which that's fine for me.

Bridie: It's a tough job.

Angela: Yeah.

Bridie: kick it but not control it.

It's yeah, this is half the battle.

We can all kick it.

So, there's something.

Angela: Yeah, that's very true.

Very true.

So rumor has it that you have a funny
streak and you used to do stand up,

which coming from LA, like everybody
I know to some degree has done stand

up, but outside of this microcosm
of a city, it's not as common.

So like, how'd you get there?

What's, what's the deal?

Bridie: So, I mean, the real start of
this story and kind of like my love

for soccer and honestly everything
is I got pretty sick in 2020.

And It was just kind of this moment.

I think, you know, when you get better,
a lot of people talk about this.

what am I doing with my life?

Like, why am I scared of stuff?

Angela: Yes.

Yep.

Bridie: had this huge list of things
where I was like, I just want to try

it and at least know if I like it.

And so I just started signing up
for the most random things and some

of them I would just do for a week.

But comedy, I really, really enjoyed.

It was just, you know, Just a lot
of fun getting up on stage, telling

jokes, and I think like, when you get
that genuine reaction from someone,

you can see that oh man, you know,
they are falling over laughing.

It's just such a good feeling.

Angela: That's, that's awesome.

What's your, like, what's your favorite
joke or like, what's a joke that's like,

the one that gets people every time?

Bridie: One that I really like to work
into my sets, kind of like around my

background, is because I think, you
know, people can tell that you know, I've

moved around a lot and probably didn't
have a lot of structure growing up,

like my parents are kind of hippies and,
you know, just very different kind of

childhood, but I really think I actually
had a lot of structure growing up.

I would sit down at a dining table with
my parents, five o'clock, every single

day, no matter what, to drop acid.

Angela: I thought I knew
where you were going.

I definitely, yeah, so good.

Mario: Yeah.

Bridie: Sorry,

Mario: Alright.

Yeah.

Bridie: that?

Is that,

Angela: Yes, yeah.

Mario: Yeah.

Yeah.

This, this podcast has not shied away
from language, I have to mark the thing

on YouTube that says it's not for kids,
all the time and I leave the explicit

content rating on our feed no matter what.

Even if we have a very clean, wholesome

episode, like it's going to be marked
explicit just because, you know, it is

what it is.

Haha, no, no.

Bridie: time.

I'm like, I didn't know.

Mario: No, no, we're going
to get mad about some stuff.

So it's not for kids,

Angela: Yeah.

Definitely.

Mario: wants to listen, Hey, if
they're mature enough, yeah, sure.

Let's go.

Bridie: They had a great upbringing.

Mario: Okay.

So you have your YouTube page.

I came across it and.

Mainly because I was trying to
look for a breakdown of what I

was seeing on screen or in person.

And I think you started doing these
breakdowns, which were amazing.

I love even the, the like,
player position, like table.

It's, it made, visual learner
just makes it so much easier.

I did though.

I had to, I had to press the, about
and see more because it only gives

you like the first like half sentence.

But in your bio, you say, on 2 1 24,
Lindsey Horan personally insulted me

and the idea of this channel was born.

So we need the backstory on that.

Bridie: Okay, so this is a little snarky,
and I might have taken, you know, I might

have blown the situation up a little bit,
but, gosh, this was maybe a year or two

now when Lindsey Horan had the athletic
interview, and sure she didn't mean to

say it in that manner, but she just seems
to have a case of, foot in mouth disease,

Angela: Yeah.

Bridie: but so she essentially said
that, you know, American players don't

really have a good understanding of
the game in general, and, you know,

they're not educated soccer viewers.

I took that personally.

I feel like if it is true,
let's do something about it.

And it might not be true.

And so probably reality is
like somewhere in the middle.

Mario: Yeah.

Yeah.

I mean, thus our podcast was born

of of the casual fans, like both Angela
and I, day one supporters at Angel City.

We had our, we have our season tickets.

I'm coming from.

Being a fan of soccer and the MLS
and so, you know, watching the men's

side, super excited about the women's
team that was being developed here.

Honestly, before that was not
a huge, I didn't watch DNWSL

a ton or much at all, right?

And I've said that before, but
with it being in our own backyard,

it's a lot easier to root and
follow and be a part of something.

And so I got involved really early on.

Angela, on the other hand,
could care less about the men.

screw them.

they play, ooh,

Angela: about men's soccer.

I don't.

Like, to be very frank,

Mario: they play with the little ball over

Angela: I'm just like,
that's good for you.

Congratulations.

Like, neat.

And honestly, with the exception of.

Basketball sometimes and baseball.

I really don't watch men's sports
anymore because I'm like, Oh cool.

We've evolved enough now where you let
us have leagues and that's what I wanted.

So that's what you get.

Like, that's what I watch.

Mario: Yeah, yeah.

So,

Angela: Yeah.

Mario: I mean, and it totally brings
me up to date with what's going on.

Angela and her fiance Eva
are like treasure troves.

of knowledge so a lot of times i'm like
doing my research and writing these

scripts and she'll come in at a left field
with something i'm just like god damn

it i didn't even know that was a thing

and then and then she

Angela: and this tweet from September
22nd, 2002, like, you know, that

kind of stuff of just random lore.

So I think finding.

Mario: i will say that she throws
those things out and then i'm

the one that needs to go figure

out like where that tweet

Angela: I'm like, I don't know when this
was, it was sometime a long time ago.

But I think finding that middle ground,
like you said, of it's somewhere in

the middle because we have knowledge
of things, but we don't have like the

deep seated knowledge or maybe the,
the desire to get that knowledge is

easily forgotten or not necessarily
forgotten, but You get distracted while

you're Googling something, you know,
so it's like you start down one rabbit

hole, you end up down another, but
finding the, the empty pockets to fill.

It sounds like what you're doing is
similar to what we're doing, where

it's like I have all this knowledge
of the lore and the history and why

things are important and Mario's
like, yeah, but I have the questions.

So finding that middle ground to
bring people in is the goal, I

think, for all of us in this sense.

Bridie: I love it.

Yeah, I mean, that is, that is it.

A hundred percent.

And I like, the questions
is a big part of it as well.

I think you have to sort of like allow
yourself to have those questions.

And, and that's where you figure out
okay, what is, what is the empty space?

What is

Angela: Mm hmm.

Bridie: in?

Mario: yeah

Angela: Yeah, that was pretty
much the conversation he and I had

when we were developing the idea.

It's like, what are we
going to talk about?

Like, I don't want to talk by myself,
you know, I don't want to do this alone.

So then I, I wrangled him into doing
this and it's been really fun because

I've been forced to learn more to be
able to explain it differently and,

and bring it, you know, I can basically
make anything a sports analogy.

So.

helps.

I can relate one sport to another,
positions to other positions.

So it's, it's really fun to be able
to kind of bridge that gap as well for

those who are coming over from the W or
from baseball or what have you to, to

really, enjoy soccer and enjoy the sport.

So it's a lot of fun.

Bridie: I love

Angela: Like,

Mario: people that come on is what is
your favorite soccer memory, right?

It can be from either side.

And then you have the extra of you
have some crazy personal experience,

so it could be like a personal or
one from being a spectator on any

of, any and all, anything under
the sun, but what's your favorite

memory when it comes to the sport?

Bridie: I think, on the pitch,
favorite memory is just, like,

whenever you kind of, pre plan
something and you can get away with it.

I can think of specific games where
I pulled off specific moves and I

didn't need to, I just wanted to.

So, those are in my head of, oh yeah,
I really like that time I was able

to kind of, Pull off like a trendspin
or something like that, you know, you

kind of set yourself a goal before
a match and you can accomplish it.

So as a player, those are the
things I always really enjoyed.

But as a fan, I think by far my
favorite memory has to be a Gold

Cup final at Snapdragon Stadium.

It was just really awesome after
having moved to Southern California

to feel like I was really part of
this environment and atmosphere.

The game was incredible.

And, weirdly enough, I got tickets
really, really last minute, and it was

in a section that they just opened up,
and I sat down in my seats, and the

first thing I did, I said to my wife,
I said, I just looked at the roster,

this is no good, you know, here are
my notes, and she looks at me, and she

goes, And every single player's family,
Is in this row next to us, behind us,

like the entire section was family.

We were the only two people
in the section that weren't.

So we were very quiet the whole game.

Like

Angela: this is

great, super, everybody's
doing wonderful, 10 like,

Bridie: Exactly.

Angela: that's so cool.

That's very, very cool.

What position did you play?

Also, I forgot to ask earlier.

Oh yeah,

Bridie: out where to put me on the
pitch now, so, I'm open to ideas.

Mario: that's awesome.

now we can get into our, what we're
calling our Soccer 201 course, right?

first one, 101, was all the basics,
basics that you needed to know, where

we played, basics of the formation
and, what the positions are, basics of

What are things happening on the field?

What does that little card mean?

All of those fun things.

If, you didn't know.

And like we said, this is the
perfect little things you give your

friends to be like, here, watch this.

It's not that long.

You'll be ready somewhat for the game.

And then we can teach
you more as we're there.

This is 201.

This is we're going to, I'm, I know I'm
going to learn something, some stuff.

So we're talking, Strategy, tactics,
positions, stuff that I've literally

only heard by being around the sport,
like the number nine and the number 10.

And I'm like, I pretend I know what
I, what those are, but I don't.

So we're all gonna learn.

We're all gonna learn.

So please take it away.

It's all you.

Bridie (2): Okay, so I this is an

Angel City deal but

Track 1: I

Bridie (2): had to put the ghost of Naomi
Girma here watch over us, because I'm

very sad, so, so excuse me for that.

Angela (2): I, you know, I think
the league as a whole is Girma

across the board are sad

at this point.

Mario (2): there was, there was a
big, I, I, I even felt it as like,

know, the, the casual of all of this,
I was just like, Oh, this is huge.

This is like a big,

Angela (2): This

Mario (2): big deal that she's leaving.

Also, I mean, get that bag, but still.

Bridie (2): My thing is, I feel
like she's left early enough in her

career that she has to come back, so

Angela (2): Yes.

Bridie (2): thankful for that.

Angela (2): Yeah.

I completely

Mario (2): So real quick, before we
get started with all of this though,

how, cause we've talked about this
and we're also a little bit more

biased on that whole NWSL being.

The American League and thinking that
we have the better product here versus

Europe, although, I mean, they're getting
a lot better mainly because they can

pay the best players to come around.

do you think we're, we're at with that?

Bridie (2): it's so hard to say,
because it's, they're just offering

two different things, I think, as a
player, you're, you're just choosing

between two really different experiences.

I think.

talk about the consistency in the NWSL and
how, you know, every match is competitive.

And that is a really big deal.

I know Naomi Girma going to

people probably don't realize for, you

part of her game management
now is understanding, like,

self management in her games

ang--she-her-_2_02-11-2025_211124: around

Bridie (2): risk taking and
judgment when she's playing teams

that are maybe not at the level
that she would typically play at.

How do you operate consistently in
that match and not have it impact

your decision making when you go
into Champions League matches.

Like it's not that easy
to moderate your play.

so I, I, I think there's a
different challenge in that as well.

So different things.

I don't know.

NWSL right now.

It's just, there's so much
momentum in the league.

Angela (2): That's, that's
kind of where we landed.

Because it is like load management
when you're playing a team that

isn't I feel like most, regardless
of roster situations, like most

teams in the NWSL are pretty,
that's why everything's so tight.

The parity is so good.

You know, you have superstars in every
team, you have, I don't even want to say

regular players, but you have They're
all professionals, like they're all

super good, but it's like you have the
players that kind of float under the

radar either because of their position
or because they aren't flashy in

the way they play, things like that.

But In other leagues, essentially just
not the NWSL, you have the Chelsea's, the

Arsenal's, the Barcelona's, the teams that
have the money, like just Monopoly, Mr.

Moneybags running around.

And then you have the teams, the
haves and the have nots essentially.

And I think, thankfully, I think the
NWSL is pushing the rest of international

soccer to kind of like get it together
because I don't like, I don't think

it's fair to the players to You know,
you're getting pulled to other countries

because you can't play at home.

I mean, that's essentially why
the NWSL started up was because

people just want to play at home.

You don't, I mean, traveling is
amazing and so cool, but there's such

a big sacrifice that comes with that.

Yeah, yeah, we could,

Bridie (2): thought of the
other, the other leagues being

pushed along by the NWSL.

I hadn't really thought about that much,
but I, it's a very, very valid point.

It's you know, the, the parody that
they offer becomes competitive for sure.

Yeah,

Angela (2): And how that influences,
that's, that's the, the trade

off is salary caps or parody.

Bridie (2): it's not a
great decision, is it?

Angela (2): No, not at all.

Mario (2): right.

All right.

All

right.

Let's get to class.

Bridie (2): welcome.

I have our White Dots, which is the, the
Angel City roster being, being built and

kind of developed right now, in preseason.

So we're set up in a, a 4 3 3,
and I feel like that's what I

saw Angel City in most of the

Mario (2): Yep.

Yeah.

Angela (2): Yeah?

Bridie (2): good deal.

So,

Angela (2): Very rarely
did we, take chances.

Mario (2): although,

Bridie (2): How did it
work out 22 chances?

Angela (2): there chances taken?

We don't know.

Mario (2): okay.

I did do that analysis.

So, we did the 4 3 3 for the
majority of the season last year.

With, uh, did that.

problem with that though, is that
it was never the same lineup.

We, the entire season, I
believe we only had six games.

That had the same lineup continue, and in
those six games, each of them were paired.

So there was three different
lineups within those six games.

And then from there on, every
single game the rest of the

season was a different lineup.

Every single game.

one game that we did change
the formation, and then we all

went This is the new formation!

Let's do this!

Let's go!

We did, uh, was it?

Like We did.

The

Angela (2): It was a 5 1 game.

Mario (2): No, but what was the formation?

It was like five

Angela (2): Oh, it was,

Mario (2): five in the back in there.

No, no, no, it was

Angela (2): no, 5 in the

Mario (2): Oh, yeah, it
was five in the front.

Angela (2): Yeah, it was, it was the last
game, the last home game, or no, last game

of the 2022 season, which essentially got
us like over the hump to the playoffs.

We made up goal differential.

We won.

Five to one against Portland.

So it's we made up the goal
differential we needed.

We won the game.

We, they lost.

It was just like, every single
thing that needed to happen

happened, but we never saw

Mario (2): Oh, well, but

Angela (2): That was the game that Syd
had her bicycle kick and went down in

Mario (2): Yeah, but when we did
actually do it again, though,

it just completely fell apart.

Like, we We just like to think
that we've never done it again.

yes, 433 has been 433 has
been our main, uh, to.

Bridie (2): Well, I was gonna harp on
y'all about the lack of consistency of

a roster, but I guess I don't need it

Mario (2): We're very aware.

Angela (2): Some of that is, was
due to injury and, international

stints, but the majority of that
was due to we don't know what.

Just because.

Bridie (2): for fun.

It's

Angela (2): Yeah.

Bridie (2): things.

Angela (2): Actually, yeah, sure.

Mario (2): And now you've got Becki
down there, down, down in San Diego.

So I mean, there you go.

Maybe you guys will have
a nice chaotic season.

Bridie (2): I was about
to say we've had one.

I'm prepared for another at this point.

I'm all here for the chaos.

Angela (2): is a very chaotic
league, that's for sure.

Mario (2): All right, so we've got Player
numbers and positions, sometimes they

make sense, sometimes they don't, and I
will let you do what you want to do on how

you want to teach this, but I think the
main ones, it's, how about the number 9?

What does the number 9 do?

Bridie (2): Alright, so our
number 9 is our striker.

in this 4 3 3, they're a really
important person because they are just

that one, player up there on their own.

I think for Angel City, this has mostly
been, Sydney Leroux, and I really, really

like the style of striker that she is,
because I think she offers so much,

kind of range, to me a good striker is
somebody strong, physical, all these

other people could do all the difficult
work of, you know, moving the ball up the

pitch, and then this person is just there
to it in the net, bang it home, finish.

And know, there's a lot of goals where
you watch her and she's, she's real

sneaky and patient out here and times her
moves really well so that all of a sudden

when the ball is here, she's just, she's
just there and she makes it look super

simple or she's doing a bicycle kick.

And I don't really understand her
goals are bicycle kicks or tap ins,

but that's a good player to me.

Mario (2): I mean, there's been times
where she's just like dove out of

nowhere, like you just, you're looking
at the play, the play, and then all

of a sudden there's like a person
flying across the goal and it's Syd,

Angela (2): Yeah.

Yeah.

And she's been like that her whole
career, like even in college, like

she, that's just, she's just gritty.

She's creative.

And like you said, she's just
a strong presence in the box.

Yeah.

Yeah.

She's going for it every time.

If the ball is within five
feet of her, she'll find it.

And it's, it's so cool.

Bridie (2): She is a joy to watch.

So, I mean, you are, you are amazing.

Angel City is solid, solid up here.

I think, you know, I think Messiah
Bright offered a lot of similar things

and that's probably why she's moved on.

It's, you know, how could you pick
Messiah Bright over Sydney Leroux

when you have the added benefit
of the bicycle kicks, right?

So,

Mario (2): So, what, what are the
other two numbers that would be

considered the forward positions?

Bridie (2): So the other two forwards
are your left wing and your right wing.

Your right wing is normally going
to be the number 7, usually a

very competitive jersey number.

And your left wing is
going to be your number 11.

you've had a couple different players
playing in both of these positions,

but I think towards the end of the
season, what I was seeing on film

was Alyssa Thompson here on the left

and Claire Emslie on the right

And that was working out
pretty good most of the time.

Mario (2): Yeah.

I mean, we were really excited at the
beginning of last season because Emslie

was, was in the Golden Boot race.

was in the top five for a good
portion, I would say a good portion

of the beginning of the season.

Angela (2): Honestly,
The first, half before

Mario (2): And then it, and
then it all went downhill.

So like, everything, everything
went downhill, but yeah,

we were, we were really

Angela (2): it also went downhill
because Temwa Chawinga decided to

score against every single team.

Like

Mario (2): Yeah.

Angela (2): It's kind of blew everybody
out of the water in that sense.

With the, with the wingers, is there a
reason why you play one side or the other?

Or is it like, just
whatever floats your boat?

What are the, the
strengths of those sides?

Bridie (2): I think typically footedness
is what kind of decides where you play.

so if you're, if you're right footed and
you're on the right wing here, it becomes

much easier for you to cross the ball in.

But you haven't really got, you're
right footed, much of a lane to shoot.

what's very popular in, in a lot
of football right now is what's

called the inverted winger.

And so that's a strategy where
you bring a player more inside.

And what that does is it gives them
more room net to shoot, but typically

when you have this inverted winger,
you'll, you'll switch them so that,

you, it should be a left footed player.

And because of that, you can
see how there's a lot more, shot

on goal, a lot better angle.

So one thing that I think
worked out really, really well

is kind of having almost one

Inverted one more winger.

You know, Emslie is doing

a lot of the work to sort of run the ball
up the line, run the Cross the ball in,

float these really pretty balls, and then
Alyssa Thompson is getting inside more.

And I think, you know, at Angel City,
I've seen her play on the left, I've

seen her play on the right, but every
single goal she had this last season

came from playing on the left wing,
and she's, she's very good on both

feet, but I think she is right footed,
and so that's, that's really helped

her, just open up the goal and, score.

Angela (2): Yeah, it's, that
was, the second half of the

season for Alyssa was fantastic.

It was really nice to see her get her
audacity back and that's, I feel like

what a lot of didn't know was missing.

And then once, I don't remember
who said it, but somebody was

like, yeah, she found the audacity.

And I was like, that's, that's
exactly, she lost that edge that

she came in into the league with.

So it was really nice
to see her get it back.

And it's basically what the
team ended up saying too.

Like she said it, players said it,
they're like, no, she, she just

Mario (2): Yeah.

Angela (2): That's all.

It was like, oh, dang.

Bridie (2): Yeah, she's got
a bit more fight in her.

And got that She Believes call up, right?

Angela (2): Yeah.

Bridie (2): well deserved because she's
been playing great with the national team.

So, really, really, I love watching her.

I really enjoy watching her.

I'm really looking forward to next season.

Mario (2): So with those three players,
also have another forward in June Endo

and that's my daughter's favorite player.

where would she technically
fit in something like this?

Bridie (2): I am a humongous,
humongous June Endo fan.

I was, I kind of saw the writing on the
wall for last season with her going down

and McCaskill leaving because they, they
both play very long balls, a lot of like

really good distribution from both of
them and I think that was one of the

pieces that was maybe missing a bit.

I am really curious to see how that
plays out because I think June Endo is

so good in this area of the pitch and
obviously Alyssa Thompson is as well.

So I.

I don't know, that's one where it's
like it's way above my pay grade.

I don't know how you solve that
problem, but they both have

to be on the pitch somehow.

Angela (2): Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

It's like, how do we make it so that all
of the pieces we need don't necessarily

have to sub out for each other?

They could just all play at the same time.

Yeah,

Bridie (2): I don't know, maybe we're
going to have a June Endo inverted winger.

Maybe she's going to
become a goal scorer, maybe

Angela (2): Ooh,

Bridie (2): move.

Who knows?

Oh

Mario (2): I mean, we're, we're all
for some Jun Endo goals especially

since she was like, we'll talk about
it later when we get to the VAR, but

like, we have, we have history with

Angela (2): was

Yeah, June

Mario (2): and Jun Endo so

Alright, so now we've talked about those.

The other big number that you
always hear is the number 10.

the number 10 apparently is not any
one of the first three at the front.

So

Bridie (2): This person right here is
going to be your number 10, I have no

idea why they're called the number 10,
but they do such an important job because

they are really like the connection
point between the back here and the

front here, so to do a lot of the

of making sure

they're the

towards and getting the ball
moving in that direction

goal requires a lot of creativity,
quick thinking, you got to be really,

really confident in your decisions.

This is also an area of the pitch I
personally hated playing in because,

very, very comfortable over here
with this sideline to protect you.

You have no idea what's going on, 50
percent of your, your coverage area here

is very stressful, so super important job.

I think I saw Kennedy Fuller.

playing this role most throughout the
season, which, you know, for a young

kid to do and actually do a pretty
serviceable job at, I, I was very

impressed with what I saw from her.

Angela (2): I'm very excited to
see her as she grows into the

league, as she matures as a player.

she was very, very fun to
watch this first season.

Bridie (2): like quick

just it's beautiful the way she plays,

and

Mario (2): yeah And uh know, It looks like
the Fuller family is another one of the

kind of like the Thompson family where
they just build them all the same way.

I believe her sister is also like right

yeah, yeah, right behind her and

Angela (2): she's got a younger

Mario (2): but like her younger sister
also is hitting a bunch of accolades

and a bunch of performing really well.

So I, you know, wouldn't be
surprised if her younger sister

eventually makes it to the NWSL also.

Bridie (2): Yeah, I read this book,
gosh, I'm going to have to dig it up

to give you guys the actual name, but
it was about kind of like, for parents

and kids and kind of how to help
their Kids that want to be athletes.

But one of the biggest, studies that that
book cited was a study where, younger

sibling in siblings that play sports
almost always go on to be more successful

because they're just pushed in the

Mario (2): Alright,

Bridie (2): so has a
younger sibling that plays.

I'm like frothing in the mouth like, Oh
my God, how could somebody be better?

Angela (2): Yep.

Yeah, that's always the fun thing,
and that's what it was when we found

out about Gisele having, being on the
practice squad and already being in

the team culture before she even got
signed, so it was like, oh, perfect,

we've got, we've got one in the wings.

Bridie (2): Love it.

Mario (2): and then we've got two
more down there, but I would say in

your 4 3 3 formation, the next two
are tied with that number 10, right?

So the,

Bridie (2): set these up as both
sixes, defensive midfielders.

we also have this number eight position,
which you would call like a central

midfielder, but, I mean, you would never
really stack three people like that.

You might have a number eight if you're
going to have them more flat like that.

I think I saw y'all play with, with
mostly two defensive midfielders, and

especially once you had, you know,
someone like Zellum come in, that's a role

that she's really quite specialized in.

I think that made up for Henri,
leaving, because that was

quite a big, big departure.

It's a bitter point.

Angela (2): it was one of those
where, in the same way where I feel

like we wasted a season for Rocky,
we did the same thing for, for Mandy.

she made the decision to come
back to the NWSL, and for what?

You know,

Mario (2): yeah, and then to be
like traded in like one of the

last, don't get to say whatever
you want to say type of trades,

Angela (2): yeah.

There were a lot of questions that
happened at the trade deadline last year,

Mario (2): A

Angela (2): to

Mario (2): lot of head
scratching, a lot of, yeah, yeah.

Bridie (2): often wonder that.

I'm like, what is the conversation
happening in the building?

Because I'm like, things have
to be so different from what

you're seeing on film to get

Angela (2): Yeah.

Bridie (2): that we're at.

But, I mean, you never know.

Angela (2): Yeah, there's always like
that missing piece of information.

It's like they say there's two sides
to every story and then the third, like

the act of the real thing that happened.

But like I feel like in sports, there's
the real thing, the two sides and then

like the front office where it's like a
completely different nobody is related

to the other the other parts of this.

Bridie (2): Great analogy
from a front office.

Mario (2): then, we've got the backline.

okay, before we move on to the backline,
the six in a position, you say you

have them as like sixes, really?

What is the point of having the two sixes?

Or are they like, you know, are they
limited within their field reach?

Cause like, now, I think you have them
displayed really cool, where they're like,

flowing all the way up the field, right?

and, so you really see that the number
nine, the one that's all the way at

the striker, at the very top, They're
going to be right next to that goal.

then we have the sixes and the
number 10 just kind of hovering

around the center circle.

there a reason we want
to keep those back there?

they tend to move up
past the center circle?

are we doing with those?

Bridie (2): I think all teams are pretty
different in how they approach this.

And the one thing I would always say about
the formations is, you know, whatever

the lineup is and the formation is that
you see, you know, at the start of a

game on the screen, really just something
that's been drawn up by the network.

Angela (2): hmm.

Bridie (2): what the coach
is actually doing is, is

usually often quite different.

And usually the formation
is really a base for.

an offensive look and a defensive look.

So what you'll tend to see when you're
in a double pivot is these players will

usually offset from each other a bit.

They're not usually side
by side during play.

And the reason for that is it allows
players to kind of have one, maybe a

little bit more offensive focused, one
a bit more defensive focused, or you

can have it so that one is in charge
of this side of the pitch and one is

in charge of that side of the pitch.

you go with two attacking and
one defensive, it just becomes a

lot of work for this one person
and it's, it's just a different,

not as structured of a game plan.

I mean, you can almost
see where the holes are

Angela (2): Mm hmm.

Bridie (2): and it's, this is
not a fun area to defend at all.

Yeah, no,

Mario (2): right.

Well, let's talk about defense then.

the great quote of like, know, Goals are,
goals are fun, but defenders win games.

let's talk about that defense.

Are we gonna start in the
middle or on the outside?

Bridie (2): we'll start in the middle
and thing I will say about these four

is When you pick a formation that has
a back four, you're usually going to

stick with that through the whole season.

So when we talked a little
bit earlier about, you know,

did they change the formation?

And you said, oh, I think
they went to back five.

That shocked me because I was
like, why would you do that?

That's so stressful.

But, changes up here are
pretty easy to handle.

You just do not want changes back here.

It's, it's a lot of coordination.

And so we have the two center backs here.

usually one of these center backs is going
to be in charge of calling the defense.

So they basically coordinate
with the goalie and they will

probably coordinate with one of the
defensive midfielders to basically

set the depth of the entire line.

So when they step, everybody
is supposed to step with them.

Same thing when they go back you know,
they may be giving instructions around

what the, the pivot players are supposed
to be doing and where they're moving

to help with moving up the pitch.

So, these players, least one
of them, is always going to be

incredibly, incredibly important.

And, you just don't want to sub them out.

So, I think one of your,
one of your superstars last

year was definitely Gorden.

who did most of her work in that area.

And just, you know, you absolutely
need her to, to organize.

Angela (2): The captain, the
queen, the, embodiment of

everything cool is Sarah Gordon.

Mario (2): but

Bridie (2): I think a lot of us
would kill to be Sarah Gorden.

She just like naturally.

Effortless when she plays,

Mario (2): Sarah Gordon.

Angela (2): It's do I want to know her?

Do I want to be her?

do I, you know, what is it?

Mario (2): Sarah Gordon was the person
you guys ran into, or at least Eva ran

into, like at a coffee shop, right?

Angela (2): Yeah, there is a local
coffee place that has since closed and

it's depressing that it's closed because
it's such a wonderful community space.

But, she was there, she's a musician, so
she was there meeting someone to figure

out something for a gig and she has
loved Sarah Gordon like her whole career.

When she was in Chicago, like
everything just loved Sarah Gordon.

She, both of us love defense.

And It was right after she
had signed with Angel City.

She was telling me, you don't
understand, Sarah Gordon is it.

I'm gonna get a jersey, my first
jersey's gonna be a Sarah Gordon jersey.

We ordered the jersey, and the next day,
she got hurt, and we were like, cursed!

oh no!

But that day You know, she's
texting me like, do I go?

I was like, you go say
hi to her right now.

nobody in the city knows who she is yet.

please just make her day.

So she's, she texted me.

She's can I call you?

And I'm at work.

So I go outside and she's I talked
to her and she was so excited

and did not, was like not ready
for someone to recognize her.

She was just like, you know,
are you, are you Sarah Gordon?

And she was like, yeah.

She's I'm so happy you're with Angel City.

I'm so happy you're going to be with
a team that like respects you and has

what you need and is like there for you.

And And Kaden, gives her this
whole thing and she's Sarah, teary

eyed, was like, thank you so much.

oh my gosh, what a welcome to the city.

And I was like, yeah, you know, just
cheering her on because it's one of

those things where, I mean, you know,
as, as athletes growing up in this world,

there wasn't a place for us most times.

And then as you moved up those ranks, a
lot, a lot more sacrifice came with that.

And, and, There wasn't a lot
of payoff in that same way that

there is for a lot of people now.

So it's like a lot of
thankless work was done.

And I think for, for someone like some
random person at a coffee shop in North

Hollywood to be like, are, are you

Mario (2): Are you

it?

Are you her?

Angela (2): player who should have
been called up to the national team

90 million times, but whatever,
we're not going to talk about it.

who has the respect of the whole
city of LA, you know, like it's one

of those, it's like, are you her?

And she was like, yeah, it's you
gave her the moment that she's

deserved for God knows how long.

So hooray.

Yeah, we're, we're a big Sarah
Gordon household over here.

Bridie (2): That's a
great story, I love that.

That's just so nice to don't know,
it's just funny how stuff works out.

I'm always, I'm just a
big believer in you know,

Angela (2): Yeah.

Bridie (2): people for reasons
and make connections, and it's

just all one big connected web, so

Angela (2): Oh, absolutely.

Community, community, community.

Always.

Mario (2): And then, well, I do see that
in your note, you mentioned Alana Kennedy.

So Kennedy

and I, Kennedy is going
to be brand new to me.

So where, where does she fit in here?

Is this going to be like a, like a battle
for the center back position or is this

something where they can like coexist?

Next.

Bridie (2): because I think Sarah Gordon
was pretty consistent in starting at

center back, but your other center back
position seemed to go through a lot of

rotation, which I know you don't want,
so I think she's gonna, I think she's

gonna get in there and lock up that spot.

I think What is interesting is
she, to me, is you know, such a

long time, well respected player.

a real veteran and a lot of what
she does for her teams is that

organizing and communication.

And so are they going to be stepping on
each other's toes there a little bit?

You know, it might be a different
role for her just kind of Gordon's in

charge now and you listen to her lead,
but curious to see how that plays out.

But I would put money on.

You know, 90 percent of the matches are
going to be those two there, I think.

Mario (2): Nice.

Alright.

Angela (2): I'm curious to see how it
plays out with, with Alana Kennedy,

because she can play defensive mid,
she can kind of get a little flexible

that way, but I'm curious if she's
gonna take the spot from Megan

Reid, or they're gonna flip flop,
or they move her into the midfield.

I don't know, I have a lot of questions
in general for Angel City this season.

Bridie (2): You know, it's, I actually
think that's a really, I hadn't

considered that at all, having her as a
defensive mid, more so because I think

the need at center back is greater.

Angela (2): Same.

Bridie (2): something I saw last
year from Gotham, and I think they

only did it for a few games, but
they had, Maitane, who was their,

Angela (2): Mm hmm.

Bridie (2): backs, they had her move up
to defensive midfielder and she is also

very tall and I hadn't really seen like
in the women's game that version of that

very tall defensive midfielder but I
do think it kind of adds like a little

Angela (2): Yeah.

Bridie (2): and I think the size alone can
be kind of an attribute of that position.

I think this is just kind of like
maybe like a new sort of like

tactical wrinkle on the women's side
that we might start to see more of.

So, that'd be cool.

Angela (2): Yeah, I think we started to
see it with Taylor Korniak or now Taylor

Flint, but it was one of those like a,
a flash in the pan where you saw it and

then nobody knew what to do with it.

So we stopped doing it at the
national level and in the NWSL.

Like it was one of those Oh cool.

Oh no.

what do we do as opposing teams?

And even the team she's played on don't
always know how to manage that very well.

I think they did a great job with
it when she was in Orlando, but San

Diego, it was just kind of like.

Questionable, but I know she was
also injured a lot during that time.

So we'll see.

I'm, I'm curious to see
where Alana Kennedy lands.

I'm just very excited for it because
she is, she is also fantastic.

Yeah.

Mario (2): alright, and now we get
to the outside defenders, which it

will be the one position where I'm
like, okay, I am a little bit more

familiar just because we're big M.

A.

fans here and having her be this defender
that can just run up the pitch most of

the time, has been super exciting for us.

Is that a typical thing?

I have no clue, but she can do it.

But what are we doing with
those outside defenders?

I

Bridie (2): they want to, you know,
have more freedom to run up the pitch.

And so I think for y'all that was M.

A.

over here on the left.

And it makes a lot of sense because this
is where you've got Alyssa Thompson, so

now you've got a lot of speed from M.

A.,

from Alyssa, and it just
gives you more options.

so I think that has
worked out really well.

there's been a little bit of
inconsistency, at the right back position.

so I, I mean, maybe this is
more of a question for y'all

is can Gisele play there?

Cause I feel like I've seen her
do it for the under 20 team.

And I, I don't really know why it
hasn't happened for Angel City.

Angela (2): Yeah.

So she, She's a fullback.

Like she, that's her regular position.

When she came in, I think it was the game
that Maddie Curry busted her head open.

She came in later in the game and just
stepped in for Maddie in that sense.

And it was like a revelation.

Not to say that, I mean, Maddie Curry
stepping into that was a revelation,

but then, you know, RIP to the Reign.

Like it just went, that trade made me so
sad, but I hope she has a great career

and that she eventually comes back.

But

Bridie (2): That might
be wishful thinking.

Angela (2): Oh, it definitely is.

But, you know, to have a player so
robust, fill those shoes very quickly.

I think both Alyssa and Gisele are wise.

And Kennedy Fuller, actually, are kind
of wise beyond their years on the pitch.

they've got a very high soccer IQ.

So I think M.

A.

and Gisele on the outside is going to be a
lot of fun because they're both very fast.

The sister sister connection and then M.

A.

to literally anybody is, is

Mario (2): mean, there was a
couple, there was a couple M.

A.

to Syd connections that were

Angela (2): M.

A.

to Chris Impress.

Those, those connections
are going to make BMO just.

Explode.

but I, I hope we get to see
Ali Riley back there at some

point in the season or whenever.

Cap is she's just great and
she deserves to play at least,

at least a little bit more.

But yeah, I'm curious to see how our
new signings come in and fill those

roles as well and, and backups and
injuries and how the season plays out.

I'm just like itching.

I'm ready to go.

Bridie (2): Yeah, yeah, I hear you.

It's every time I see like a new
player pop up, I'm like, that's

great, but where is Bethel?

I haven't

Angela (2): Yeah.

Bridie (2): to look at.

Angela (2): Absolutely.

Mario (2): Right now, March
16th can't come soon enough.

Like We're just, it's like, you
know, the MLS starts in February, why

don't you just start in February now?

let's, keep it going.

Angela (2): The, I may or may
not have requested off St.

Patrick's Day from work and I know
like half my co workers are going to

be like, Oh, Angela, you're going out?

No, I'm going to a soccer
game the day before.

I'm going to be there all day
and I'm gonna be really tired.

I may go to work.

I may, you know, I may end up being one
of those Oh, I'm going to show up anyway.

But.

I don't want to go.

yeah, just in case.

Opening day is a big deal.

Yeah,

definitely.

Oh, how do you, how do you think, and this
is also because I'm not so, well versed on

her game, but Miyaba Moriya, how do you,
where do you see her fitting in into this?

Bridie (2): I did some light
googling because I wasn't familiar

with the name, but it looks like
she plays as an outside back.

And then the other signing was Savvy King,

Angela (2): Mm hmm.

Bridie (2): also mostly
plays as an outside back.

I kind of feel like you've maybe gone
from feeling like, oh gosh, we don't

have enough options outside back to,

Mario (2): Too many?

Bridie (2): overwhelming now.

Yeah, how many?

to me that's a sign that like
tactically, something with the

outside backs is important.

Angela (2): Yeah.

Bridie (2): if this position has been
coming up, has clearly been working for

them and this is something they want to
continue doing and they want to make sure

that they have the depth to do that if M.

A.

's not able to.

Or maybe they're really looking
to, to be able to do the same

thing super consistently, super
evenly on both sides of the pitch.

all I know is they're, they are very
focused on fixing the back line and if

I was, if I was front office, that's
where I would have spent my time as well.

So I'm, I think this is hopefully going
to be a very positive result for y'all.

I

Angela (2): Yeah.

Yeah.

Mario (2): not to say that we don't
have great, but we have amazing players.

It's just also, it wasn't deep enough
to handle the injuries that happened.

And so we're, I mean, we're going to, the,
the, the, the only player to talk about

now is the keeper, but Angelina Anderson.

We were psyched for, we were excited,
but because of those injuries in the

back line, it was Swiss cheese back
there, and we got, the first three

games were, were bombs, and Angelina
lost her spot, and she lost her spot

for the rest of the season, and it was
just like, but that wasn't her fault.

shh.

Angela (2): And it didn't help that we
played Kansas City, Orlando and Gotham

in the first three or four games.

right.

You

Mario (2): Oh, Bay, it

Angela (2): like, oh,

Mario (2): It was Bay of C, Kansas, and,

Angela (2): Kansas

Mario (2): Orlando,
yeah, yeah, and we just.

Angela (2): And it's, it was
before the fall off of Bay FC.

So it was just like, oh, great.

Great.

Great.

Cool.

Welcome to the league.

Bridie (2): think those games are super
frustrating because You know, we talk

about every game mattering, and it's
so hard, I think, to conceptualize

that with the team like, Orlando,

that

Angela (2): Yeah.

Bridie (2): season, I just, I like,
I'm sure nobody gave them the respect

they deserved that early on, and then,
you know, poor Angelina Anderson,

you look back, you know, with rose
colored glasses, and you're like,

oh, actually that result was pretty
close, we weren't all that far off,

Angela (2): Yeah.

Yeah, like I didn't actually do so
bad given that they won the table,

you know, they ran the table.

They won the championship
like, oh, okay, cool.

Bridie (2): yeah.

Angela (2): gets a little
less painful at that point.

Yeah,

Bridie (2): you haven't figured
out anything at that point.

Mario (2): Yeah.

will, I'll, I'll kind of go off with
what, Cooligans end up saying usually

at the beginning of every season,
whenever we start, MLS and we're

talking about like the first, they're
like, look, we're in America and we

play in, we have a playoff system.

Which means the first, like,
games really don't matter.

The first five games are really
like an extension of preseason.

because you can make those, you can
make those first couple of games up.

Right?

But if you don't find your rhythm,
if you don't gel the way you're

supposed to, which we did not,
then you can't make up those five.

Those five become crucial.

But for most teams, you know, eh.

Yeah.

Yeah, you get a couple ties
in the beginning, you know,

maybe one or two losses.

Like, you can make that up.

especially with, well, I mean, it's
more of a half joke in the MLS sense.

Like, only have to be, have
to be in the top 70 percent in

order to make it to the playoffs.

It's so stupid.

Angela (2): have a million teams

Mario (2): It's, it's the dumbest thing.

I, it's the stupidest thing ever.

But okay, I digress.

goalie.

Goalie is number one.

So, I mean, if you want to, if we're
keeping up with all the numbers, The

goalie is going to be number one.

And we have two because DeeDee has moved
down South to San Diego with you guys.

so we have Angelina Anderson in our
back line, which we're excited for.

Bridie (2): Do you really only have
two goalkeepers on the roster right

Mario (2): Yes.

Angela (2): Right now we have
a an NRI at preseason, but we

haven't signed a third keeper.

It's, it's Angelina and Hannah.

Stombaugh from Japan.

Yeah.

Bridie (2): And you feel pretty
good it's going to be Angelina?

Mario (2): Yes.

Bridie (2): Yeah.

Mario (2): don't sound as confident.

Bridie (2): I, no, I, I will be totally
honest and I just, I haven't seen the

games that she played in, so it's,
it's I feel like I've heard the story.

And It sounds like she
should be playing, so I

Mario (2): She, we, we were
excited for her, because she had

such a great, had a great showing
the previous season, the end.

had a great showing.

We were, we were also kind of expecting
Deedee to take like a, like a backseat,

this last season because, was a lot
of injuries that she was getting.

Um, it was, it was more about will
her body last the entire season and

like, she be doing the smart thing
of like taking a backseat, like.

know, don't, don't kill
yourself out there and, and

Angela (2): Mm-hmm

Mario (2): along the
knowledge and whatnot.

Didi is an amazing keeper.

so we had this, these high hopes
and then Angelina did so well.

And then preseason was looking promising.

And then those first three games
just killed, killed the momentum.

And then like, didn't get
to do much after that.

And, but during the, the, It
was the season before, right?

The Challenge Cup.

So,

Angela (2): Yeah, the Challenge

Mario (2): did amazing in
every single one of those.

So, like

Angela (2): Yeah, and coming out
of college, she was one of the top

ranked keepers coming out of Cal.

she won, I think it was like
Pac 12 Player of the Year.

it was one of those where just
accolades everywhere out of college.

She holds records at Cal now, so I have
a feeling it was just really, you know,

The schedule was not helpful to her
cause last season, and I have a feeling

she's just going to come out there, and
in the same way that, Kaelin Sheridan,

the goal gets smaller when she's in it,
or like a listener, I have a feeling

that's going to be Angie, and from
one big Ang to another, I'm so here.

I'm so here for it.

I'm so excited.

she's an inch or two taller than me.

Our wingspans are probably close
to the same because mine's extra

long and I'm like, let's go!

Yeah.

I, I'm thinking of maybe getting
a keeper kit and which, who knows?

Who knows?

We'll see.

We'll see what these kits
look like this season.

Bridie (2): could not now
after that, glowing review.

it's, it's done deal.

Angela (2): Yeah, she, and, and
that's no shade on, on Hannah.

She's just a little bit younger.

You know, it's just, she has
the international experience.

I don't know if either of you saw June
Endo posted on her Instagram yesterday,

today, I think it was yesterday, that she.

Hannah and Miyabi played in junior high
or like their version of junior high,

high school and now professionally
together and internationally.

Like they've been at every
level together on the same team.

So I'm like, Oh, this connection,
like once June is back,

this is going to be so cool.

There's so much overlap between so many
of our players that it's, it's going to

be special once it's all put together.

Bridie (2): That was so cool.

Yeah, I really like that as well, you
know, being an expat myself, I think it's

really, helps a lot, right, when those

Angela (2): Yeah.

Bridie (2): are already there.

So gosh, how much easier is it to sign
a player when you're just asking them to

come play with their childhood friend?

Mario (2): Yeah.

Angela (2): hmm.

I mean, that's essentially how Marta
built the Orlando Brazil connection.

Mario (2): over there?

Angela (2): Brazilambia.

Yeah, oh, Marta calls you, says,
hey, come play in the NWSL.

who's gonna say no?

Nobody.

Yeah, it's, it's just really cool to
see international players come and

essentially just bring their friends,
where it's no, come, this is great.

we're having a good time.

Mm

Bridie (2): great, what a great
sign for your team and your city

Angela (2): hmm.

Bridie (2): somebody saying
my, my life is great and I

think you would enjoy this too.

What?

Angela (2): Yeah.

Bridie (2): that.

I think that's awesome.

Angela (2): Yeah, I
think it's really cool.

Really cool when that happens.

Mario (2): Alright, well,
thank you for the breakdown.

I Honestly, I just love the board.

I want to buy my own board now.

I want,

Angela (2): Yeah, I have no
real use for it and I want it.

Bridie (2): It's fine.

Angela (2): You keep
yours, we'll get ours.

Bridie (2): Okay.

Angela (2): And then we'll have,
we'll like FaceTime and have

a little soccer board party.

Bridie (2): like it.

It came from Etsy.

They are available for purchase.

Angela (2): that's

Mario (2): Yeah, yeah.

Alright, and, moving on, we have one
last thing that we were going to talk

about today, this kind of advanced
class of soccer knowledge, and it is

everybody's kind of hated thing, VAR.

Angela (2): least Angel
City's biggest hated thing.

Mario (2): Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Um, All

right.

going to be talking about everybody's
favorite and most hated thing ever,

and it's called VAR, which stands for
the Video Video Assistant Referee.

Which, why do we have it?

Nobody freaking knows.

It doesn't, they, like, nobody knows
how to implement it the right way.

they should not,

Angela (2): It's not a very
consistent, application, I think is

everybody's

Mario (2): it's not.

Angela (2): VAR in theory, fantastic.

It's just essentially like replay
cams and being able to make sure

you're making the right call.

VAR in practice is very impractical.

It

takes

a

Mario (2): especially in a game
when you decidedly do not stop

the clock to keep the game moving

and use VAR for like minutes.

Like, no,

Angela (2): Mmhmm.

Mario (2): so I think the, and we'll talk
about it, the main thing about VAR is

the idea of a clear and obvious error.

Like, what it needs, that's the threshold.

In order to, initiate,
referee to review something.

That is the most
inconsistent thing about it.

Because clear and obvious means
something so different to everybody.

Every single ref that's there
that, it, it causes just chaos.

The June Endo goal that I was
referring to earlier, and, and she

was robbed, was a beautiful banger
from basically half the field.

And it was the first instance
of VAR in the NWSL being used,

and they took away the goal.

Which I still to this
day don't understand.

Angela (2): Yep.

Mario (2): Okay.

Bridie (2): It was too
beautiful to take away.

I did not know that that was

Mario (2): Yeah.

Bridie (2): VAR outcome though.

That is so unfortunate that it

was

Angela (2): Yep.

Bridie (2): A majestic,
beautiful, sometimes I feel

like if the goal is that good,

can

we

Angela (2): just,

yeah.

Bridie (2): fraction of an inch,
like just leave it for the beauty,

for the

Mario (2): I think, I think they
need to add in their criteria of

like, reviewable things, like vibes.

if, if, if it was just a beautiful goal
and it hit the vibe, just leave it alone.

Yeah.

Angela (2): like just it's a

banger.

You

Mario (2): Yeah, yeah.

So, video, uh, assistant referee
or VAR, uh, basically the fifth

official on the field, right?

We have the center ref, we have the
two, lines, uh, refs which are, uh,

playing on, you know, the lines and
making sure that the ball is in or

out and, uh, offsides and whatnot.

And then we have the fourth official on
the side keeping track of time and the

one that, Says how much stoppage time
there is, uh, the match, after the half.

And then we have the fifth
official, which would be this VAR.

is actually a group of four referees.

There's, like, video referee,
there's the assistant video referee,

there's the assistant video per Yeah.

There's too many people.

That's why it doesn't work.

They're looking for clear and obvious
errors, which again, we've just

said is a very, very vague topic or
vague way of talking about what you

need to actually be looking for.

So it tends to lead to a lot of problems,
but they do try to write what the

criteria is to, of what can be reviewed,
things that can be reviewed anytime

there is a goal that's where the, the
VAR just automatically starts checking.

They check every single goal.

If anything was, offside, if there was
a penalty, anything that would have

prevented that goal that to be taken back.

there is a foul within the penalty
area that would cause a penalty, or

when there is a call for a penalty,
They're reviewing, is this a valid one?

Do we take it back?

When a direct red card, so in our
previous 101 class, we talked about

the difference between the two yellow
red card or the direct red card.

If you can, if you get a direct red
card, VAR is reviewing the incident

that led to that direct red card.

The big difference here is that the
two yellow red card is not reviewable.

So when you get that second yellow.

That is not reviewable.

No yellow cards are reviewable.

If the ref gives a yellow
card, that's what it is.

then they also are there if they
need to tell the center ref that

there was a mistaken identity.

If they gave the card to the wrong
person, know, they're going down, or

they'll, they'll be in the ear and say,
hey, you need to review this again.

You gave it to the wrong person.

It should be number 15, not number 10.

those are the.

Angela (2): Those are always the fun
calls because you've got somebody

who's losing their Ever loving mind.

They're like Yosemite Sam from Looney
Tunes, just like spitting, like, oh,

just like steam coming out of their
head, and then they're like, correction,

the foul's on so and so, and you
see them like, oh my god, thank you,

like, how dare you, and then they're
just mad the whole rest of the game.

Mario (2): So I mean, those are the, those
are the main ways that, uh, VAR and those

are the only ways that are reviewable.

So there's times when things happen on
the field, you'll hear a lot of people

yelling for VAR, you'll see a lot of
this symbol going on in the stands.

And, you know, it's, it's on a whim.

Honestly, who knows
what, what really it is.

I gave you this list.

I mean, am I 100 percent sure that
that list is really what they're using?

I don't know.

but, uh, go through real quick.

How does it work?

really the way it comes down is
the ref makes a call on field that

qualifies in one of those categories.

Or there was a goal.

And if there was a goal, like I said,
it's automatically being reviewed.

VAR begins their video replay check.

and the annoying part is that VAR can ask
for more time while they're reviewing.

Like I said, if it's not clear and
obvious, you don't need more time.

If you, if the clear and obvious
doesn't happen within the first 30

seconds, you don't need more time.

You know?

So if there's no error, play on.

But if there is an error, BAR will
ask the center ref, who has the

final word on all calls, to go
review something at the monitor.

And then they walk over to a
little monitor, and they like,

Angela (2): To

the

TV

Mario (2): yeah, TV in a
cooler, or the little shroud.

I think at one point they did
have like a shroud, like a little

old timey camera where they had
like the blanket over their head.

go over, they take a look,
they'll be talking to the video

operators to like, slow it down.

Again, if it's not clear and
obvious, why do you need to watch

something at a quarter speed?

no.

S Stupid.

Angela (2): yeah,

Bridie (2): banned.

Mario (2): Okay, but they are there

reviewing.

Angela (2): a whole team of people
reviewing it and then they're telling,

hey, you messed up, guess what?

You messed up.

Like, that's it.

You don't need to, you don't get
to then say, no, you're wrong.

But, what do we know?

Mario (2): Alright, so the center ref
has the final decision, they're allowed

to rescind the call that they made on
the field, or they can stick with it.

I'm gonna say, 80 percent of the
time they just stick with it, then

the times that they don't, they get
it wrong and everybody else gets

mad, so, you know, what the hell.

And then you move on and you play on.

Honestly, to me, VAR has
caused the most chaos.

And I think VAR was the reason that
we started our chaos award in our

podcast

Angela (2): Mm hmm.

Mario (2): was because that

was,

Angela (2): Every week when we record,
we give a Chaos Award like, for three

weeks in a row it was VAR because
it was when, in that weird period of

the season last year, where, Every
game had like a VAR review and an

extra 15 minutes added to each half
and you're just like, everybody's

playing 20 hours of soccer every day.

Like, stop it.

What is happening?

We're all here for six hours.

I'm hungry.

I just want to go to Like, you know,
is that that part of the season?

Yeah, it was, it

was

rough.

Mario (2): it, it honestly
just creates, chaos.

So, round table real quick.

What do you think about VAR and
what role would you implement

that would improve VAR?

Bye.

you

Bridie (2): My, see, I just, the
thing I don't love about VAR is I feel

like it sets the expectation that a
match should be perfectly officiated.

And I think pre VAR, you know,
every player had some story of,

I would have won the World Cup
if there wasn't a bad call there.

Angela (2): Mm hmm.

Bridie (2): of them.

But then all of a sudden we have VAR and
we're still having debates around this

call was wrong, that call was wrong.

I think, You need to expect
that referees are human.

They will

make

Angela (2): Mm hmm.

Bridie (2): There's

no perfect players.

There's no perfect referees.

It's just part of a game.

And I think I just don't like setting
that expectation of perfection.

I think it's unrealistic.

So my change would be take it away.

I don't like

Mario (2): Get rid of the whole

Angela (2): I, mine would be that it
needs to be refined a little more before

we really implement it because I see
the use for it, especially for like

penalties, like if a ref blinks and they
miss a penalty, It's not their fault

because their eyes needed to lubricate,
that's just being human, so that's why

you have something like that, but I think
there needs to be, like, a time limit on

the reviews, something to speed up that
process, because when you're sitting there

for six or seven minutes, as fans, as
players, it's disrupting the players mind.

It's disrupting the players momentum.

It's disrupting the players body recovery
and like in game Like, there's so

much that gets disrupted by the game.

Just stopping for five minutes.

Like, for injury or for
VAR, doesn't matter.

It's the same kind of thing.

We don't need more of that.

I don't think the players like it as much.

So, you know what I mean?

Where I get it.

I understand it.

But if it's not egregious or
it's not so obvious, just keep it

Mario (2): Yeah.

Angela (2): You know, there's, there's
been penalties that, you know, you're

watching the replay on the big screen.

You're like, yes, that's a pen.

And they VAR it for 10
minutes and then they

don't

call it.

And

Mario (2): Yeah, I would,

Angela (2): what, what is happening?

Like just.

Yeah, I think there needs to be, in
general, a time limit and also less vague,

regulations around Like, they need to be
like, is it this or this or this or this?

And then maybe once we've behaved well
and earned our privileges back, then

we can broaden those restrictions.

Mario (2): yeah.

Yeah.

Uh,

Angela (2): Like, VAR is grounded.

Like, that's how I feel.

Yeah.

Mario (2): I've already stated, I
think that the, it takes too long.

So like the, like honestly the,
the clear and obvious just needs

to be defined a little bit more of
do you mean by clear and obvious?

'cause apparently nobody
agrees on what that is.

kind of would like to go.

The, the baseball route of, of coaches
having, one reviewable, play, basically,

like, one challenge, like, there's
times where coaches are just like,

what the hell just went on, like, was
a foul, like, blah, blah, blah, and,

granted, Positioning in the stadium
is going to skew everything, right?

So if you, you know, throw up your like,
hey, I want to challenge that, that that

should have been a penalty or whatever
it may be, and have them force a review.

And if you get your review, if you win it,
then cool, you you keep your challenge.

But if you lose it, and you're
like, well, you got to shut

up for the rest of the game.

Right?

And.

I think that might be one of the only
ways that I see it really kind of

working in that, now you're not just
kind of Putting it through by chance.

You're just saying like, you got
to pick and choose your battles.

really it's like up to you, up to the
team to be like, Hey, something went off.

Of course, if there is something clear and
obvious, again, define the stupid term.

VAR can kick in whenever it needs
to, but there's times where everybody

in the, in the stadium, like, Yo,
she just got punched in the face.

Why didn't, why isn't there a card there?

Angela (2): like, you see the
bottom of somebody's boots.

It just cleats up everywhere.

And they're like, I didn't see anything.

What are you talking about?

You

know?

Mario (2): So

Angela (2): definitely.

Mario (2): it is what it is.

you'll see that if you're going to
a game, apparently they're supposed

to, which I didn't really see last
year, but apparently they're supposed

to be making announcements in the
stadium whenever VAR is happening.

It's supposed to go up on the screens
that say, VAR review for penalty

check, VAR review for blah blah blah.

then they're supposed
to make an announcement.

I honestly don't remember any of
that happening last year, but they

did.

Angela (2): It just took a long time.

Everything just took forever.

It's like VAR is forever,

Mario (2): Yes.

Yes.

Angela (2): All right, so that was
our 201 deep dive into positions and

what the heck VAR is and whether or
not we all believe it should exist.

So thank you so much
for listening this far.

Bridie, where can folks find you?

Like what are your handles?

Where, where are you on the internet?

Give us all the details.

Bridie (2): Ah, I am busy watching women's
soccer on YouTube, Patreon, and TikTok.

Angela (2): Nice.

So if you haven't already.

Been Googling where to find Bridie's
show, by all means, do it as soon as

this podcast ends, because it's worth it.

It's so cool.

You'll learn so much.

You'll get to watch so much cool film.

Like if you're, if you're like me and
you want to just go back and watch film

and learn, like, deep dive and nerd
out over every game, this is the place.

It's, it's so much fun.

You do such a great job
and I'm so excited we

got

to do

Mario (2): And, and if you're like
me and you just want to be like,

Hey, something happened this weekend.

And what the hell was

that?

Angela (2): yeah,

Mario (2): Most likely
it's going to get covered.

So,

Angela (2): Absolutely, absolutely.

Um, again, thank you
so much for listening.

If you like what you heard,
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that's my internet provider.

Wild.

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