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Ope, another win - Ep. 35
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It wasn’t the prettiest of matches but a win is a win. This week we discuss the Reign’s trip to Louisville, giving high praises to both Sam Meza and Maddie Dahlien, who connected on the match’s lone goal to secure all three points. We also answer some community questions and go over other woso news, including Claudia Dickey’s chance at her first USWNT cap.
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Show produced by Coop
Theme song by Alex Juarez
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The Cooler Guild Est. 2024
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Transcript
Introduction and Episode Setup
00:00:20
Speaker
Hello, hello, hello, and welcome to episode 35 The Cooler Guild. I am Coop Cooper, and joined with me as always is my co-host, Van Crisp. Hello, hello. We're recording on Tuesday, May 20th, 2025. That is the correct day, double-checked.
Reigns Game Recap and Analysis
00:00:33
Speaker
um On today's episode, we'll be going over Reigns' road win in Louisville, checking in with other NWCLE results and some other WOSO news, and then finishing things off with a quick preview for the Reigns' next match. But first, some housekeeping.
00:00:44
Speaker
The Cooler Guild is part of the Sounder at Heart podcast network. You can either listen to us on our public feed or if you're Sounder at Heart subscriber on the private unified feed with the other podcasts on the network. If you'd like to become a subscriber, just visit our page at sounderatheart.com forward slash the Cooler Guild.
00:00:57
Speaker
New subscribers get 10% off the normal rate and you'll support everything we're doing. How's that? Yeah. How was your game? Good. Good. Yeah. We'll go over some of the USL scores, but yeah, my USLW team had their opening game this week, weekend on Sunday.
00:01:12
Speaker
Nice. It was good. The new field is nice. I saw some pictures of like the area. It looks good. Yeah, it's cute little place. it's It's a lot better than the kind of cold high school stadium that I used to play in.
00:01:23
Speaker
Yeah. When we played last year. Yeah. But yeah, it's always stressful. It's always a lot of ned things going on. Yeah. But yeah, I had a massage the day before. Best 90 minutes of my life.
00:01:36
Speaker
90 minutes is like is a good length for massage. Well, my mom got it for me for watching the horses while they are gone next week. That's nice. Yeah. So that was rad. I feel like a million dollars until yesterday I was out walking the prairie field, bringing my cat in and I rolled the crap out of my ankle. Oh no. And it's like the size of a softball right now. So it's probably broken, but you know, just let it be.
00:02:00
Speaker
Was it right or left? My left. so Okay. Well, he can drive. Yeah. i've already broken it twice.
Player Focus and Game Strategies
00:02:05
Speaker
It's just probably little avulsion fracture from the ligaments on the saw outside, but the lateral ligaments.
00:02:10
Speaker
Yeah. Anyway, enough about me. How was your week? Oh, not, you know, it was fine. I, uh, since I finished all my knitting projects, I'm starting to new knitting project. mean, this is, I'm sure people love hearing about my knitting updates.
00:02:22
Speaker
I don't, that sweater looks cool. Yeah. I'm working on a different sweater now. I i had bought, there was like a yarn company that I really, really enjoyed their yarn from and they were going out, they're going out of business. They're at least not selling their yarn anymore. They're just doing patterns.
00:02:36
Speaker
And so they had these like giant cones, I guess they call them. I've never bought any cones. I'm like kind of new to knitting. i haven't always knit, right? So I bought this giant cone of yarn that's like three pounds of yarn. Jeez.
00:02:51
Speaker
And it's like a really nice color. I got it so that like, you know, I could make different projects with it and stuff. So I started a new, I got like a knitting pattern book from a friend who like knows somebody that releases patterns and whatever. So am doing a sweater from that book and it's like themed after like, I don't know if it's camping's kind of the theme, like outdoors and camping.
00:03:10
Speaker
So they're kind of just like... Hippie chic? I wouldn't say hippie chic, but like... They're, I don't know, like everything's kind of like simple and like just has like, they play with like textures a lot.
00:03:22
Speaker
Oh, nice. So yeah, I've never done like a sweater with this kind of texture pattern into it. I usually play with colors and this is kind of more of a different thing that I've done. So nice. I haven't had to restart it twice now because I don't ever do gauge swatches, but but I don't have time for that. And I'd rather just restart the project.
00:03:41
Speaker
Anyways. Fun. Yeah. ah So the rain played a game and it was super great. I mean, the game itself was ah or maybe not fun to watch.
00:03:54
Speaker
It was a game. It was a game and it was a win. So yeah we're not really even going to do a match recap. No, I don't. It was windy. It was delayed. it was a big defensive effort.
00:04:08
Speaker
And it was like Cooler Guild goal as well with a the Meza and Darlene connection. So what else is there to say about match recap? they're Really not anything.
00:04:20
Speaker
um general notes the match was rescheduled as i said from friday night to saturday afternoon because of some weather situation which was still lingering into the game yeah it was swirling everywhere i was ready to watch on friday night and then it got rescheduled to 10 a.m m and guess what time my 90 minute massage was 10 a.m yeah That's always how it goes, isn't it? So i tried to go, do not disturb. I was texting Coop, like, tell me when the game's over so that I can, like, go on and watch the replay.
00:04:49
Speaker
and And then they still had the live picture up and it ruined it because it had the score. You know, i was going to warn you because I have had this happen to me enough times that I know how, like, where to strategically place my hand my screen. Yeah.
00:05:02
Speaker
And ni you always have to mute it You got to mute it. You got to put your hand like around the screen. You kind of got like do like kind of blurry vision too. That helps a lot. Do a little bit of eye squinty blurry vision as you're trying to pull it up.
00:05:14
Speaker
and Because I mean, yeah, it'll get ruined for you real easy. Well, now I know. But yeah, the weather was crazy. The last time I looked, I think... um I would say 20 dead in Kentucky after the deadly storms.
00:05:29
Speaker
Yeah. Just crazy. That's terrible and terrifying. Yeah. So understood player safety comes first sometimes in this league. So I was like, this is probably the first time they've actually postponed it with the like appropriate, like people were not the game already kind of thing. Yeah. Yeah.
00:05:48
Speaker
Like, because the past, I would say that they've definitely waited too long and they were, you know, i guess bare minimum they could have done with this. Yeah. And it was this was one of the chartered flights ah team that the team took.
00:05:59
Speaker
So they were on their private jet, chartered jet. And so it was added, i feel like, a lot more flexibility for them. Yeah. yeah um notable stats we got for this game it was ended up being the third clean sheet for dickie this season um and then louisville this is another one that i thought was kind of funny louisville had uh 20 shots one on target and that was the one on target that they counted the one that hit the post in the very last play of the game i don't think i think there was another one okay wasn't because they were trying to pick it out there was that save from haidema
00:06:33
Speaker
Oh, okay. On the goal line, right? Yeah, that's right. I think that was the one they're probably counting. um And then there because there were so many shots from Louisville, the rain had made 32 clearances.
00:06:46
Speaker
and Eight of those were from Lou Barnes, seven from were from Bug, and this the rest of them were from the rest of the team combined. But um yeah, I mean, hey, you know, Harvey was like, we got to get better. at Just get the ball out of the box when you need to. And it was effective, guess.
00:07:04
Speaker
Back into the what what what made it a cooler guild type game. Finally got Sam Meza into an assist into part of the attack.
00:07:15
Speaker
Great shot or great shot from Darlene when she got it, but they were connecting a lot a lot of the game, which was really nice to see. Yeah. Yeah. I think Darlene was, uh, don't know the game, the game didn't go, it wasn't pleasing to watch, but Darlene was definitely getting more involved in the attack. Go figure. She maybe needs to play higher up top.
00:07:35
Speaker
Um, you've been saying that we've been saying that for a week. I've been so frustrated with it. and i was like, unleash the beast, man. This is like, we've been missing this threat of like the, with their speed and everything else. And like,
00:07:49
Speaker
i yeah I think I'm frustrated about it because like she's she's a rookie right so like it's gonna take her adjustment anyways to like get up to the speed with the league and everything like that and she was kind of hitting that stride before she got pushed back a little bit but and then it's like we've lost ah maybe a little bit of that momentum but um she gets the one start up higher up top and guess what she's back.
00:08:14
Speaker
I didn't look up the stat, but I heard it on the broadcast at some point that out of all, she is in the top two for shots this season. I think is' she's the third. She's behind Banda.
00:08:27
Speaker
I can't remember who the other one was. I thought it was just her and Barbara Banda, but it was something like she all of her shots are on goal. It was Esther was the other one. Except for a couple.
00:08:38
Speaker
Yeah. yeah and like a few those games she wasn't even playing as high up of as she could yeah possibly play so um the fact that she's keeping up with it was as it was definitely a stare i think she was third and a stare and banda were ahead of her so the fact that she's keeping up with um those two players is pretty crazy And then there's also the, there's another stat I saw or like thing that was like, she's the first rookie to have scored or like out in somebody's shots off
Game Challenges and Scheduling Impact
00:09:09
Speaker
since like Sophia Wilson. And i think Trini Rodman was the other one. So she's putting her name in these different kind of random stats and some pretty elite with some other elite names from, ah from the league. So glad we have her.
00:09:23
Speaker
Absolutely. That's, Another the positive that I wrote in here was Hyde of his head. She's just rolling with it. You know, she had a couple of clearances in the 18.
00:09:34
Speaker
She was bodying players. It's essential that we have her in those in those spaces. And it sucks that she's not producing on the attacking end.
00:09:45
Speaker
I think that might just take a little bit more time. But she is putting in enough defensive work and it's an important part of the team that I don't think it's it it gives me the gall to say, just be patient. It's like we've been saying that for a while.
00:10:03
Speaker
ah but she she wasn't this She wasn't this helpful of a teammate. No. were saying that before. yeah, yeah. i yeah I agree with that. And she did get that save on the line, which like of all the people, I was like, okay.
00:10:17
Speaker
yeah i mean, she she is tall and she knows how to use her head. So like, I guess, yeah, she got back and did, you know, did what she needed to do. Yeah, she's putting in the work. so Positive I had written down, and we got the win, even though it was ugly as fuck.
00:10:30
Speaker
I mean, that was like... That game was not fun to watch by the second half. I mean... Well, was a rescheduled game. Players were cramping. It was a whole...
00:10:41
Speaker
whole thing and they they were prepared to play friday night and then you gotta recalibrate your body for the next morning yeah and there's sports scientists and everybody that they're working with that's a problem or i guess it's a challenge yeah so i think on both ends it made sense why the game looked like that And it's not like, i don't know, Baviana is a good coach. So she's very good at adjusting and making tactical changes. And she's also played under Laura Harvey. You know, they've had coaching battles as well in her short career as a coach so far.
00:11:20
Speaker
So I don't know. I think it's just a, it was a tough matchup. and I mean, we know it was made tough matchup even before all these things kind of changed, but the team adjusted and they did what they needed to do and held on to the end and got the win. So yeah. Slogged it out defensively.
00:11:34
Speaker
Yeah. um And then I am starting to now make note of the announcers. and Oh yeah. Jordan Angeli and Eric Krakauer. Yeah, ah they got Maddie Darlene's name correct, which is great.
00:11:46
Speaker
um And then the part that annoyed me is Eric, he didn't get Meza's name right. the But the problem to me was that like there was a whole thing about Sam Meza by like at the beginning the beginning the match. They were just like going on this huge tangent about Sam Meza.
00:12:03
Speaker
um It was ah Jordan was going on a tangent about her and she's like saying Meza over and over and over again. And then and then Eric's like, yeah, that's great for Meza.
00:12:13
Speaker
And I'm just like, oh, my God. He goes on the next time he says her name. He says it correctly. He didn't most of the game. but I know. But then he started saying it wrong. And i again, was just like, you said it right one time.
00:12:24
Speaker
Did he, though? I thought it was just yeah one time. One time. Well, OK. Yeah. And room for improvement, but certainly not as bad as the ah prior week. Oh, boy. I will say on the positives for announcers, um there was a point that I noticed in the first half where they were having a side conversation. Uh-huh.
00:12:41
Speaker
And Jordan Angeli said, hold on a minute. Or like, let's table that because Seattle was going on the offensive. Yeah, I enjoyed her. I actually didn't think they were that bad. I thought they were both really good together. ah They weren't yelling at me. they They stopped.
00:12:56
Speaker
Yeah. And they were taking breaks and they were
Player Performance and Team Dynamics
00:12:58
Speaker
calling out names and who was playing the ball. um Jordan Angeli at one point, like, exclaimed during during the broadcast. Like, I think Darlene almost got the ball off the goalkeeper's foot and she was like, oh, yeah.
00:13:12
Speaker
and i was like yeah they're watching the game yeah they are cool yeah yeah i appreciated them um i didn't really have anything else for positives did you no i mean i'll give it to the defense like they did what they did the job but it was it was something i you know hope we don't have to eke out one zero wins like this all the time yeah that's my first negative another game only scoring one goal And I didn't really see a whole lot offensively super threatening either. There was like an early chance from Curry that actually looked really good.
00:13:47
Speaker
Yeah, she smacked that and it deflected, but they didn't call corner. Okay, weird. I've been wanting to see more of her and I think this is like a good ah good showing for her. But yeah, we need to get some games with more than one goal for us.
00:14:00
Speaker
please please i also did you notice louisville's socks no i didn't the i feel like the picture was kind of weird on the broadcast it was like art dark and weird don't i could see it but they've got like because you know they have kind of that argyle yeah jersey they've got patterned like three-dimensional argyle on their socks they're white but they've got it's like a texture okay i was into that have to go check that out We also only had 38% possession.
00:14:34
Speaker
And i was like, oh, maybe like second half really skewed this. No, it was bad both halves. Yeah. And I mean, like, that's not good, but Taylor Flint has been really good. So like, I don't know. We didn't give up any goals.
00:14:49
Speaker
Yeah, I guess I would have been in another positive. They were able to kind of make her a non-issue. She's been really good. I went and looked at her like numbers for the league and stuff, and she's like having a really good season so far.
00:15:00
Speaker
Well, on set pieces, they had Jordan Heidema on her. Oh, go figure. So that's another reason why she was kind of a non-issue. Um, the other, the last thing I kind of wanted to point out for negatives was there was, I don't know if it was because of the wind or if it was because of all of the stuff that came up and the delay and stuff like that, but there was moments where seemed like Shay Holmes was just like really not on the same page with her teammates.
00:15:24
Speaker
There was like that weird arm locking thing. Where like she was like locked arms with Hidema and Hidema was like trying to like pull her arm out of it. And then there's like another kind of almost blunder in front of goal with Holmes and Dickie.
00:15:41
Speaker
And then i mean... Nothing resulted in a goal, so I guess she did exactly enough, um but i there were some times where it seemed like her lack of speed was almost going to bite us in the ass um as well. Yeah, and there was a couple on those balls out out wide and the the attacking player was able to beat her.
00:16:01
Speaker
Yeah, I've seen Shea Holmes have a good game, a few good games this season before she had her face injury and stuff. So I'm willing to kind of like given all the weird circumstances that happened before this, give her a little bit of grace on that.
00:16:14
Speaker
And like, I'd rather have her back there trying to kind of work into the team again and then dolly and hire up. I'll take that. Yeah, for sure. um But that was kind of the one spot that I was like, I don't know if this is totally working for me right now.
00:16:29
Speaker
yeah it's fine though it's we will live i we won i can't be mad yeah it's one of those games where it's like it was kind of a mess but it worked out our favor so yeah yeah Post-match presser, Laura Harvey ah kind of, I don't know. There wasn't honestly like a lot to go over.
00:16:50
Speaker
um She praised the team, thought they made it difficult for Louisville. I think that goes it kind of goes back into Taylor. Like I was saying, um i always want to call her corniac, like every time. But Taylor Flint, despite having like a million shots, it felt like only one of them was on goal. And that's because the Reigns defense is just getting so good at dealing with pressure in the box.
00:17:11
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah.
Game Delays and Player Insights
00:17:12
Speaker
The defense made it hard for them to have a quality chance. Yeah. Which is what they did against KC as well. Which is what they did against. Orlando. What they did against Houston, but they got one and they scored.
00:17:22
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. But they're, I mean, they're doing good. The defense is doing good. Yeah. They're getting the credit too. Yeah. um She also talked about playing a back five again. They were worried about the wind because it was whipping in, whipping in.
00:17:35
Speaker
And, and they were knew there were going to be lots of crosses. So. Yeah, they they they knew it was happening. and They weren't surprised. No, but they were surprised that they found out 40 about 45 minutes before that they were supposed to play on Friday.
00:17:47
Speaker
it was before they left. of for That's what I meant. Yeah. Before they left to go to the stadium. Yeah. Friday game that ah they were going to be delayed till the next day. Yeah, which like in the past, like last year in WSL timeline, I'm sure they were it would be 45 minutes before they were going play. Yeah. ah So, yeah. But they were prepared for, they and they were preparing for the game in West Coast time, so that made it even more difficult for them.
00:18:11
Speaker
Yeah. But they still were able to make it to the Kendrick Lamar concert. I know. I was like, priorities are correct, though. Yeah, they're all in their like they're all in their travel sweats sitting in the suite. Yeah, so they took their charter flight to Louisville. I think the flights to get to Louisville out of seat there, there's like hardly any flights. So they always oh almost always use a charter flight to get to that match.
00:18:35
Speaker
But yeah, they took the the but it like Laura Harvey was a little upset about how early the game was next day. But like they had to get to the Candle Lamar concert. they had to yeah if they have like a suite for that that's like that's the whole that's ah a perk of being a professional athlete so yeah exactly they got back they got the win so whatever yeah party it up then they had uh mezza and doline on the a player presser what do you what'd you take from that well i i guess i didn't really think about it but i didn't realize about me mezza and doline playing together at unc and then i was like oh god
00:19:11
Speaker
wait a second wait second yeah i was like wait a second we could be like cooking with some real chemistry maybe this is like why we've been seeing darlene playing i mean i think darlene's clearly meant to be a pro and she's got the skill set to be a pro in this league yeah but like seeing the connection with her and mezza i think it's like this is this is gonna continue and i think we have a lot to look forward to with that that's kind of what i was getting out of it Yeah. And I mean, Maddie Darlene seems to be a total team player.
00:19:42
Speaker
Just talking about what she'll do and play whatever position she needs to have help the team. Even if I'm bitter about it. Yeah. Even if Coop's mad. um just like she's a forward.
00:19:54
Speaker
Players of Horde. yeah but and her speed is a total asset but it can also be an asset defensively so i know i understand harvey's kind of mindset there i guess but if we want to score goals it's not doing us a ton of favors well yeah i don't know don't know do you want to roll into cooler player of the match before we do community questions Yeah, let's do that.
00:20:18
Speaker
Cool. Cooler Play of the Match is brought to you by The Doctor's Office, a great little 12-seat bar on Capitol Hill. The owner is a big fan of the rain and proud to be our very first sponsor. um I know everyone is on the edge of their seats and no one knows who this might go to.
00:20:35
Speaker
knows. No one knows. Who we would give this player of the match to. Cooler Play of the Match this week goes to Meza. but my See, this felt right. This felt right last week. I couldn't do it this this week. It felt right.
00:20:50
Speaker
Yeah, it does feel right this week. Yeah. Which if I went, I looked, I updated, and don't know, he's update the cooler player of the match hall of fame document. um
00:21:01
Speaker
But it's official now. She's the, she's got three this season so far. So who else is on there for the season? Shea Holmes got the first one. Yeah. James Turner. This one's a good one. AMC's acting skills.
00:21:16
Speaker
You got like Claudia Dickey in there and then a couple that
Sponsors and Community Interaction
00:21:19
Speaker
aren't players. But yeah, I think this week I was like, yeah, I'm going to give it to Sam Eza. This is this the week. I was debating between her and Darlene, but i think just because there was so much pressure in how she got the ball back to get that goal that it just made sense.
00:21:38
Speaker
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00:21:55
Speaker
Mezcal green onion, MSG recommended with a Modelo Especial. Check out their Instagram at TDO Seattle or better yet go with drink there in person. Cheers. Cheers. Nice. Yeah. Time that up, right? I think I can open my water bottle.
00:22:13
Speaker
What's that water bottle called? My O'Walla. Okay. That's what thought. This is my. Her adult bottle. Her adult baby bottle. My adult baby bottle. I'm on what? Four, eight, 12, 16.
00:22:26
Speaker
I'm almost at 200 ounces today. Okay. I have chocolate milk in the mil morning now with protein powder. So. Oh, I also drink chocolate milk in the morning. But do you like the protein powder with it? Yeah.
00:22:38
Speaker
With like the peanut butter powder? hmm. Oh, it's so good. Yeah. I get the PB stuff from Costco. Oh, I didn't realize I had Costco. It's just straight peanut butter. Yes. The peanut butter powder. Yeah. I started of getting it for after for my recovery stuff because i need more protein. Yeah. And now I just drink it every morning because it's fucking delicious.
00:22:55
Speaker
yeah it's good it's so good put it in my waffle mix the other day oh yummy yeah pretty neat anyway uh we got a lot of stuff to go over the first yeah that's why we're trying to fly through the rain game also because it was kind of a rough watch yeah um other results from the nw cell do you want to go into community questions oh shit my bad yeah community questions we got a few of those too quite a few Rick asked this week, since we just did a cooler player of the match, Rick asked this week, how unfair is it ah for the other players to have to compete with Meza for player of the match each week?
00:23:30
Speaker
I mean, i don't think it's unfair. No, she's balling out. Everyone knows she's that good. She deserves the credit. Mesomania. hu ah She deserves it. And I think that her for her consistency and her performances, you know, after that first match, and I guess just disregarding the first match she started um her consistency and her ability just to ball out every match ah should make other players work harder.
00:23:58
Speaker
and it does like that's why we keep and it's only three times all right but like that's why we keep giving it to her yeah you you know or like at least feel confused about possibly giving it to her every week she's setting an example work rate everything yeah so i don't think it's unfair i think it's great i think it's really good for the team yeah And if anyone's upset about it from the team, well, channel your Mezzamania. Mm-hmm.
00:24:25
Speaker
All right. I want to see like a like a shirt celebration, shirt ripping celebration and pointing to Mezza as like a, I'll get cool. We play the match this week.
00:24:36
Speaker
Anyways, ah next one we have from Matthew. Did y'all see the very LOL heat map of the Louisville game? Hysterical Harvey Ball defies the stat nerds.
00:24:48
Speaker
I love defying the stat nerds. Me too. Like, I love to read XG because sometimes it's just so flip-flopped. Yeah. you know i don't think it was like that crazy for this game but yeah our whole like everything was just defense for us yeah i know i don't think we were like hunkered down barely and don't think we were in our attacking third on the map really just the one one boy is really funny yeah mongolia bbq asks emery adamez
00:25:19
Speaker
Where is she? I'm not seeing what G or AMC are doing that are keeping Adames on the bench, other than being veterans with national team status. I 100% agree. Ooh.
00:25:31
Speaker
And I worry... that she's falling into that same Allie Watt situation where she is a good player that deserves playing time, but they can't figure out how to get her integrated properly. Yeah. And I don't want to see her go. i think that she is incredible and needs game time to really become the player that I think she probably can be.
00:25:59
Speaker
And if we can't give that to her, she's going to go somewhere else. Yeah, I don't and don't disagree with any of that. I think my only argument to it has been that um the the team in a lot of these games, recently at least, they've had to been so focused on the defense.
00:26:18
Speaker
that bringing her on at times maybe hasn't made a ton of sense um you could also make the argument that bringing her on maybe gives you a possibilities to score a goal right but i don't i don't know i mean yeah i think the talent's there and she's hopefully hungry enough that like if she's not getting those minutes she's gonna have to i don't know step up her defensive abilities or something like that because maybe that's what harvey's not comfortable with her yet is her yeah ability to get back on the defense and that's something she could definitely improve in training and and then get on the field a little bit more but yeah i don't want to see the ring give up on her but i would understand her frustration with not getting minutes right now exactly yep steve vote asks would you prefer your team to grind out low scoring games or have every match bp chaos with six plus goals scored all gas no breaks i don't want that
00:27:15
Speaker
first i Number one, that won't happen with us because we have Claudia Dickey. And Laura Harvey. And Laura Harvey and the team that we have. ah I guess on a if we're not talking this rain team and I'm talking like any team that I follow, I would say Peak Chaos.
00:27:34
Speaker
If it was a team that I followed that I wasn't this invested in. Yeah. I'd be like, yeah, rack it up. That's I feel about it like when I watch Orlando. I'm not invested in the team significantly at all, but I would love to see lots of goals go in. I also think it's kind of peak chaos when you're only winning by one goal.
00:27:52
Speaker
to some extent yeah and you score it in like what the what did Darlene score that uh goal against Casey in one minute or no not the Casey game sorry I meant Portland game let me see because then you're back trying to hold off a team that wants to score a goal for ah most of the game and that's chaotic the goal for Darlene was in the fourth minute fourth minute yeah ah yeah I yeah don't I just want the team to score more goals yeah I don't want it at the cost of the the defense, though.
Future Game Strategies and Expectations
00:28:24
Speaker
Yeah. I don't want us to get scored on more. I want us to score more goals. Yeah. Yeah. No. So, Steve, I'm not sure if that answers your question, but...
00:28:34
Speaker
I was like, don't really know. I mean, I don't want peak chaos. Unless it's one of those games where like we're just peppering in a bunch goals ourselves. Yeah. And there's nothing anyone can do to stop it.
00:28:46
Speaker
Yeah. Peak chaos with six plus goals scored. Yes. All for us. Yes, please. um I experienced that this weekend. Thank you. um Anyway. Susie asks, if just fish luck is fully healthy this week, what kind of starting lineup are you going with?
00:29:01
Speaker
mezza honestly yeah mezza james turner i think fish lucky bring her off the bench right like i don't think you start her anyways right now no especially just coming back from injury and she's got just got called up for whales too which is the last time she got injured yeah as much as i love jess it's we don't know where she's at um and i don't know team's clicking and that at least in that spot of the field so don't mess with it right but also mezza will probably need a break I don't know, man. She is. Maybe not. She's something else, dude. I don't know.
00:29:35
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Susie also asks, ah how are you feeling about the 3-5-2 versus the four two three one Do we think Harvey will rotate through both lineups depending on the opponent?
00:29:46
Speaker
I think that they'll probably change it for the next game. After seeing the Washington result, because we play the Spirit next, huh and seeing the peak chaos result from that match, I think you're going to want to come out hot offensively and keep that high press.
00:30:03
Speaker
So I would i would bet $1 that Laura Harvey ah changes the formation and doesn't go with the five back for the next game.
00:30:16
Speaker
and yeah because the spirit are vulnerable yeah they got three scored against them they're also scary though right and that's the other thing they've got gift monday who's really fast that's what i'm saying i feel like they're gonna maybe roll out the same thing because that's what they roll out darlene in the back again hey Yeah. like How how like much on the offensive, it it depends on how much on the offensive she wants to go, wants to go, or how much she wants to deal with the attack that Washington's going to bring.
00:30:46
Speaker
And how do you find that middle ground that gives you the advantage? It's tough to say. so I don't know. I think if we roll out with the five back, we're kind of just ah asking for pressure.
00:30:58
Speaker
If she goes, if she goes in ah any other direction, whatever that may be, but not the five back and having players higher up the pitch. um I think that that signals that we're going to try and come out and we're going to try and score more than one goal.
00:31:12
Speaker
Yeah. What do you think about the rotation, too, that we might get? what do you mean In the lineup. Do you think we'll see rotation as well? Um, I don't know.
00:31:22
Speaker
Like, did you see anybody come off the bench from this last game that you were like, I want to see them start? Not especially. No. Did you? Mercado always brings a bit of us say a spark, and it so that would be the only one I would kind of...
00:31:36
Speaker
ah Yeah, I would say Mercado as well. I think that's probably my one. I would maybe throw McCammon in there as well. yeah i think McCammon looks really promising in that I... And, like, I think...
00:31:47
Speaker
I don't know Harvey's seen in training and all that stuff, but I feel like from what I've seen her come on for and if they are looking to rotate, especially with like the weird travel and everything that happened, I think this might be a ah good game to give her a start.
00:31:59
Speaker
Or at least, I don't know, give maybe give her a few more minutes. Yeah. So she came in on the 85th minute last time, so I wouldn't mind to see a 70-minute sub. Maybe even 60, depending on the game's going.
00:32:10
Speaker
Yeah, who knows?
Podcast Closing and NWSL Highlights
00:32:11
Speaker
All right. Well, thanks for the questions. We appreciate it.
00:32:16
Speaker
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00:32:29
Speaker
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00:32:42
Speaker
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00:32:58
Speaker
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00:33:08
Speaker
I think we can now roll into the other NWSL results. Yep. Gotham still on fraud watch. Yeah. So Gotham played San Diego and San Diego beat Gotham one to zero.
00:33:22
Speaker
Ascanio scored her third goal in the last four games. Killing it. Yeah, it was great goal. ah Orlando KC. This was probably the match most people were curious about for the weekend.
00:33:33
Speaker
It was in Orlando. KC got the 1-0 win over them. Just a side note, the teal versus purple combination on the field was very pleasing to my eyes. Yeah, it was kind of giving Easter, spring. i don't know what it was. liked it. liked it a lot.
00:33:48
Speaker
Yeah, was But there was a make a mistake from Orlando's defense that kind of allowed Schwinga to get in and punish them. it it was a massive mistake. I don't know if she was trying to play it back and just hospital balled it or what. She didn't seem to like under, so I don't know. she i think maybe she forgot Schwinga was on the field.
00:34:05
Speaker
Because like, just like, oh god, like, don't know, like the way she like, I don't know, it was very weird. um The kind of the thing to be mindful of, I think after this game, those KC, Dabinia, Cook and Shoeinga all got subbed out with injuries.
00:34:22
Speaker
Yeah, it'll be curious to see their injury report for this yeah their upcoming game. I mean, Shuingo was getting like... ah She was like kind of laughing and like it getting like... I don't know.
00:34:33
Speaker
La Bonta was like helping her in like a funny way. Oh, yeah. saw that. I don't know how serious... it We'll see what happens, but definitely losing... three of your key starters not a good thing for that um houston versus portland portland put four up on them houston got one rob gale was dressed like a groomsman i put on the notes i didn't see him it was not good it was like a silver vest i don't know it was bad uh portland still uh on on track with their falling over in the box yeah got another penalty
00:35:09
Speaker
Yeah, I'm also mad that we like couldn't fucking do anything and against Houston after seeing this. Yeah, it's kind of infuriating. um North Carolina played Chicago. North Carolina one two to zero Again, the air. Shaw, pregame fit.
00:35:26
Speaker
ah jane shaw pregame fit Incredible. Yeah, it was nice. It was her homage to AAPI. look it up. um And Alyssa Nair was the only reason this game wasn't a total blowout.
00:35:40
Speaker
She made like at least two goal saving saves. Have we talked about how Mel Swanson is officially out for them too for the season? I don't know if we've talked about on here. i don't think we've talked about it, but yeah, I don't think I don't see things getting better for Chicago this year.
00:35:57
Speaker
Mal Swanson is pregnant and on maternity leave, so. It's going to be hard for them. um There was a penalty call in this match. ah Murphy came out two on a 1v1 and the player took a touch to the side and Murphy put her leg out and swiped the player's legs.
00:36:16
Speaker
h And the on-field call was penalty. She didn't get any of the ball. who And I don't know why, but they took it to VAR, took it to the monitor, and they and Murphy was given a yellow card as well.
00:36:29
Speaker
Weird. The yellow card foul, took her legs out, went to the monitor, came back, no penalty, resend the yellow card. It was in the box? Yeah. Weird. It, wild. I just wrote wild in all caps.
00:36:43
Speaker
Yeah, the refs have been doing a very good job on penalties. No. Well, if you're Portland, they've been doing great. True. um Washington Spirit, who we play next, this Friday, tied Utah Utah, impressive from Utah. Yeah.
00:36:56
Speaker
impressive performance from utah I watched the end of this match and it was ah it was wild. I really thought Utah was going to hang on. And then, i mean, they were just getting like rained on with like, I don't know. they did I was like, there' i don't I think they're going to pull it out. I like i really thought were going to pull it out but Yeah, I mean, Maddie McGlynn even saved a penalty.
00:37:16
Speaker
Was it this game? Yeah, it was this game. Yeah, Maddie McGlynn saved a penalty. Okay, so yeah, I think I mean... ah they should be happy with what they got yeah um this was this was the funniest part about that game to me was the xg thing i was talking about spirit had 4.05 xg to utah's 0.87 and utah still got three goals so know, can't get too greedy, Utah.
00:37:42
Speaker
Yeah, but good for them to get a point out of that match. um Bay, ah Angel City, Bay 1-2-0. I watched the like extended highlights, and I just didn't see a lot from Angel City.
00:37:55
Speaker
One of the bagels was pretty much a banger, though, so. Yeah, I don't know what to make of Angel City. think they have moments of, like, they're a really great team, but so do we. but So that was it for this weekend's
USLW and USWNT Updates
00:38:06
Speaker
games. ah We are, at least I'm going to be also giving you an update on our USLW Northwest division results.
00:38:15
Speaker
ah So you can keep up with that. So this weekend was the first, first weekend of games for us, for my team. um Tacoma played Bigfoot and Tacoma 1-1-0. Salmon Bay, the much lauded sister of Ballard FC, played West Seattle Roadies.
00:38:32
Speaker
Go Roadies. I'm gonna be Renny's fan. Why not? Really?
00:38:40
Speaker
Anyway, they tied zero zero Did you watch it? No. Oh. I've been busy. Same. And then my team, fc Olympia, played Lane United, the one Oregon team. They're out of Eugene.
00:38:53
Speaker
And ah we won the six to zero So get on that train if you want to hop on. Also, fun fact, ah today the power rankings came out for the entire league, which is nationwide.
00:39:05
Speaker
And FC Olympia is ranked twelve Oh, that's really good. In the, our first, after our first match in the power rankings. Yep. Wow. Congrats. I mean, it's just a power ranking, but congrats. Thank you.
00:39:18
Speaker
I played really hard. ah yeah Just kidding. um I sat on the sideline and uploaded the roster. Anyway, we do have some exciting U.S. Women's National Team updates as ah their latest roster just dropped for the call-ups.
00:39:37
Speaker
I guess their latest camp call-ups just came up. who Who from the rain? Hey, check it out. We've got U.S. Women's National Team players this year. Got two, baby. Two! mean, one needs a cap still, but she'll get there.
00:39:49
Speaker
I think she'll get it. Yeah, I think she's going to get it. She's going get her cap. wait If it's all up in the air, the goalkeeper situation. So, like, why wouldn't she get her chance? Anyways, Claudia Dickey and Lynn Biandolo called up.
00:40:01
Speaker
Pretty neat ah for Claudia to to get this recognition. They've been... Laura Harvey's been kind of just, like... the campaign manager has the propaganda has like been going on for a while this season about her um um so yeah yeah great i love it i love that she's getting the recognition she's gonna get the chance to maybe get a start yeah i i think she will i think she'll get a game yeah her and fallon i think will be the two players well how many games do they have three games or is it just two i guess just two okay
00:40:32
Speaker
Yeah, I think Fallon's kind of up there with that's what I think the top choice for most people. These fans seem to think she'll kind of be the top person. But I think, yeah, I think Claudia is leading the league.
00:40:45
Speaker
OptiJack had posted on Blue Sky. Claudia Dickey's 5.1 goals prevented is nearly double any other goalkeeper in the NWSL this season. The second is Mackenzie Arnold with 2.6.
00:40:58
Speaker
Is this like 5.1 goals prevented overall this season or per match? I think it's overall. feel like it was. It can't be per match. We haven't had 5.1 per match.
00:41:08
Speaker
No. Okay. So that's got to be per season. So or for the season so far. And Mackenzie Arnold is like not been around. So yeah she's only played a couple games. So really Claudia Dickey is just blowing everyone out the water on that.
00:41:20
Speaker
Yeah. uh another i think i think this will change the entire morale of the usm's team camp for sure gets her first call up at the ripe age of 32 i think it is yep good for fucking her i like her she's so great she's great uh she is the second native hawaiian player to be called up uh by the u.s musashical team um only second to natasha kai i have not heard that name in so long that is like a throwback you you know kira yeah she was like obviously really into her but yeah that's just it's i think that was like my first like when i realized i was gay that was like well i was like oh who's this
00:42:06
Speaker
If you don't know who Natasha Kai is, ah she was a player for the U.S. Women's National Team back in the, what was that, like early, Early early two thousand Yeah, I think it was even before I got into women's soccer.
00:42:18
Speaker
But she was heavily tattooed. Yeah. And just cool to see. Yeah. That on the pitch. um The U23 roster drops tomorrow, which is Wednesday.
00:42:29
Speaker
um So that by the time this episode comes out, we will have that announced. So hopefully we'll get some rain players ah called up to that. It's more experience, more confidence. old is Sam Eza?
00:42:41
Speaker
Let me pull this up. sam meza is 23 years old damn it well it's 23 and under isn't it i think it's 23 and under okay anyway yeah but won't you i don't feel like she should get called up to the first team she asked me yeah she should be not yet yeah especially over freaking giselle thompson Oh, anyway, um they also dropped in the last couple of weeks, New Jersey's.
00:43:07
Speaker
What do you think of these? um Well, someone kind of ruined the white one for me. Why? Because they had the picture of Alexi Lawless in the original one. Yeah. I mean, it's nice. You know what? Reclaim this.
00:43:18
Speaker
i know. um Yeah. I like I like both of them a lot. I feel like it's been a very, very long time since I've enjoyed one kit a lot let alone both kits at the same time yeah because the blue ones i really like too yeah the blue ones are kind of subtle with like the little pinstripes little different colored pinstripes on the navy so into that Yeah, they look good. I'm eager to see them on the field. Those white ones, I'm curious shorts they're going wear with them too, but yeah.
00:43:45
Speaker
This was a fun conversation happening ah yesterday. but They also rebranded the name of the team, right? Yes. so ah Business innovator in women's soccer extraordinaire who no one gave a shit about women's soccer until she finally came along.
00:44:05
Speaker
Michelle King's Owell, Leonaise, the Lioness, Lions, Lionesses, Lionesses. lioness is leoas it's a bit much okay so that she rebranded it got a new crest for it as well go look it up if you haven't seen the crest for it it fucking sucks ass it's atrocious it's so ugly i thought our rebrand was bad and people when we went to ol yeah i didn't i didn't hate our but rebrand i was like whatever just word associated with them now so i don't give us your money we'll take it i didn't really care i was like upset about losing our other crest but we're all worked out in the end um yeah that that rebrand it's so fucking bad it looks like it was like gonna be a dragon head and but then it turns into a lioness head and then they have this like bullshit about like
00:44:52
Speaker
lionesses work harder than male lions in the wild in africa and michelle king was inspired by her trip to africa on her safari and like oh god that would go on a safari i was like okay this is this is soccer though don't really don't know this is the kind of shit that like goes through corporate and then they come out with this ad campaign and you're like who did they test this on Yeah, I have no idea. Because it's also like, just design-wise, it's also so strange. Because it's like three, there's like outlines to the lion, like kind of like ah shadowing each other. but it's in three different colors. So you've got like the lion and and like the red and the gold or whatever the fuck you want to call it. And then the way that the word of the team goes into it's also fucking ugly. Go
Match Outlook and Player Appearances
00:45:39
Speaker
look it up. It's terrible.
00:45:40
Speaker
um But, you know, i welcome Michelle King to have terrible looking things. So...
00:45:46
Speaker
Whatever. I can be bitter. On brand. Okay. Anyway, ah our next match. Lorraine's next match. I don't play on the team. It is not us. ah Speaking of Michelle Kang, I'm going to eat my words next week.
00:45:58
Speaker
ah We're playing the Spirit, Washington Spirit. ah Oh, shit. I just opened the wrong window. Washington Spirit, we're playing... this i think Susie said this is the last game in Seattle until like August because of all of the shit going on. Play again... August Yeah, so there's a break between June and August So go it's it's at Lumen Field this Friday, 7 p.m.
00:46:26
Speaker
Get your tickets if you haven't yet Apparently you can also get tickets in the general admission area for like $12.50 right now. There's a link on Blue Sky that I reposted. um Spirit, position-wise, they're one above us in the standings. um They're tied with like two other teams with that one. They're at the bottom of the three.
00:46:41
Speaker
um And Rainer's sitting there with 14 points. So if they win this game, in theory, they could take over Spirit, which is kind of exciting. Yeah. Yeah, if Washington loses, Portland loses, and Orlando loses, we would be, and San Diego loses, we would be tied for second place.
00:47:02
Speaker
And I don't know if any of those teams are playing each other, but... Yeah. Things we want to watch, see, or watch for. think I put down, i want to see big players step up in the attack.
00:47:15
Speaker
Yeah, we got to figure out how to unleash Biandolo. Yeah, I was like, mace basically I'm saying and I need to see Biandolo involved in a goal or two, hopefully at least two. Yeah, she's got to kind of break out and figure out where where she's going to be dangerous and how to get her into that position. um And that was another thing I put, score more than one goal. Can we do it?
00:47:37
Speaker
I'd also like to keep it keep a clean sheet again. Against the Spirit might be tricky, but... Yes. That should be the goal. Yeah, because they are coming off that three to three draw to Utah. How are you feeling about the game? Are you feeling optimistic?
00:47:48
Speaker
um I am. I am. don't think the Spirit are the kind of behemoth that if you would asked me at the beginning of season... but Yeah. Yeah. yeah You know how I felt about it? Because this is such this season has been so up and down for each team.
00:48:03
Speaker
It wasn't you're not seeing like we're fighting for, you know, to climb up in the standings and we're one away from the spirit right now, which incredible. So I'm optimistic about this game and going to stay optimistic until...
00:48:20
Speaker
Something happens. and That's your MO. I'm like a little bit more pessimistic, but that's fine. I'm hoping for a good match. um It's going to be a crazy game, I think. But I'm here for it. So I will be there. Great. Unrelated rain news on the back of all of our other Michelle gang stuff. Yeah. Some people were speculating maybe that where to might stick around.
00:48:42
Speaker
Not after that rebrand. no And they also like are losing a ton of like historic players for that club. So yeah. Where to set her goodbyes. Leon said their goodbyes to her on social media.
00:48:53
Speaker
So Werta should be coming back to the rain, i think August, because she's getting married. That's great news. Very excited about that. It's definitely a player we could use. See where her forms out after all of that off time and everything. But Laura can get her integrated. Yeah. I think that's pretty much it for for stuff.
00:49:11
Speaker
Soccer stuff. Yeah, Woso. Although this is kind of Woso adjacent. um For shout outs for the week. You're so obsessed with me. um i i'm a rupaul's drag race watcher obviously um because that's where the intro comes from that i do if you didn't know i was watching rupaul's drag race this week and it's like the all-star season all-star season 10 i think it is um it's kind of weird the way they're doing it this season i mean have you watched it at all no i'm waiting to binge it okay so there's like i think you could binge these few first few episodes because they're doing three different brackets
00:49:45
Speaker
Oh, okay. So, because they switched up the full format. So there's three brackets and there's like so many queens in each one and they have to get so many points to get out of the bracket and then next week will be the next bracket of queens.
00:49:56
Speaker
Gotcha. Anyways, so this this past week they had for the mini challenge, well, it wasn't the mini challenge, they had a mini challenge and then that led into the Regular challenge, but they did makeover challenge this week and they like were introducing these women's college basketball players and it was like Abby Prohaska.
00:50:14
Speaker
And I was like, that's not a last name that's common. Is that like Maddie Prohaska's sister? Turns out it is. And her sister. like her so our goalkeeper our backup goalkeeper on the rain and currently she's the second goalkeeper because we've got an injury um so manny's sister abby got a makeover on rupaul's drag race and she fucking killed it too she like i did see the clip you sent me the clip of people being like i don't know i thought it was kind of nuts because the queen she was matched with was like do you mind give me
00:50:47
Speaker
shave your eyebrows shave your eyebrows and she was like yeah totally but she's she's like so redheaded though that like you can't really see her eyebrows no to begin with but she was like totally game for like everything that they threw at her she was like so excited she probably had like the best energy and like attitude out of all of the people that i saw from like the beginning like it seemed like she was genuinely so excited to be there Not that everyone else wasn't, but like her energy was just like radiating from her.
00:51:12
Speaker
um But yes, I just wanted to shout her out because I, haveve you know, I didn't expect wasn't turning on RuPaul's Drag Race expecting to see a ring connection for the week.
Final Remarks and Social Media Shoutouts
00:51:22
Speaker
Yeah, that's really funny. Yeah, super random, but really great.
00:51:26
Speaker
Oh, yeah. And then her drag race name, because they all have to come up with their own names, was Sophie Rocious.
00:51:36
Speaker
don I don't know who came up with the name, but it's a good name. It's a really good name. I didn't get it. Just reading it. Yeah. When you said that, i was like, oh, okay, i got it. and That's a good name.
00:51:48
Speaker
Sophie Rocious. and Anyway, shout out to her. Um, I just wanted to give a quick shout out, um, to Jada Evans. She, uh, writes for the Seattle times about soccer and she wrote a article, um, about mostly salmon Bay, but about USLW and,
00:52:05
Speaker
that's good article civic northwest so yeah it's a great article so shout out jada thanks for thanks for covering the the league and and the work that we put in so i was like yeah van was also in the article i was you know good for you i'm anyway important okay yeah i've heard I've read, at least.
00:52:29
Speaker
Anyways, I think that's going to do it for our show this week. um Thanks again to our sponsor, The Doctor's Office. And um as always, you can follow us on social media. We're on Blue Sky and Instagram at Cooler Guild Pod. You can also send us an email. We love an email at thecoolerguild at gmail.com. You can also visit us at sounderatheart.com forward slash thecoolerguild.
00:52:49
Speaker
We're also on YouTube. Most episodes are up there on video, youtube.com forward slash at the cooler guild. Um, and wherever you're listening, please go rate five stars. Um, uh, till next time. Yeah.
00:53:04
Speaker
Stay cool. Y'all stay cool. Y'all.
00:53:23
Speaker
so I don't know what the... What's going on this summer with the national team? Isn't there, like, some tournament? Coop, we gotta look this up beforehand. Well, I forgot.