Transcript
Speaker: Hello, hello, hello. Welcome to episode 81 of the Cooler Guild. Might as well be called the Loser Guild these days. Stop. I am Coop Cooper and joined with me as always is my co-host, Van Crisp. Hello. We are you' recording on Tuesday, October 6th, 2026. On today's show, we're going to get into the Reigns' recent loss. They've had a series of those, not maybe completely in a row, but not it's been not a good series recently. ah They're lost to North Carolina at home um for Lumen Field. We'll go over the NWCell results as usual and, ah you know, whatever else comes up.
Speaker: Preview next game, all that. ah But before we get into everything, we've got some housekeeping to take care of. 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 a 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 soundertheart.com forward slash thecoolerguild. New subscribers get 10% off the normal rate, and you'll help support everything we're doing. Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah. Uh, what you been up to? went to the game on Friday and then I picked Bailey up from the airport on Saturday and I got um a visitor pass to the airport. Oh that's a new thing, huh? Yeah. So I surprised her at the gate when she got off the plane. That's fun. Yeah.
Speaker: Pretty neat. Yeah. It's weird to go into the airport, not going anywhere, but going through security. Yeah. I mean, that hasn't been done since pre 9-11, right? No. Crazy.
Speaker: But it was pretty easy process, so. Is it just like you get like a window that you get are allowed to be in there or something? ah Yeah, it's like, what is it, like 8 a.m. m to 10 p.m. or something? Oh, so you could like have lunch there if you really wanted to or something. Yeah. i don't know why you'd want to pay. well People have been going to the Chili's. because there's no other chilies do you know if this is just a sea tack thing it probably is a sea tack thing yeah okay because like portland it's kind of sweet because the price is inside the airport are the same yeah as outside that's like a you know portland airport's pretty great but would be cool seattle implemented those prices inside the airport although it's really but expensive in seattle anyway so i don't know that it'd make a huge difference Yeah, but is it, yeah, you just apply online um and then you bring your ID, like flyable ID. So I just had my enhanced driver's license hu and they like scan the QR code at the TSA desk. Fascinating. And check your ID and you take your picture and you go right through. Cool. Well, that's good to know. So I was the weirdo with flowers sitting at the right gate.
Speaker: You should just pretended that no one showed up and walked away. would have been funny. That would have funny. No, it wouldn't have been. That would have been sad. But yeah, I went to this hell of a game. Hell of a shit show a game, I will say. What about you? Have been up to anything?
Speaker: oh I finally ran my half marathon in Portland on Sunday. So I was kind of like prepping for that, hanging out. Went to Portland on Saturday night and like she'd at my friend's house. i mean like I ended up waking up like 4.30 in the morning, the you know, day day of the race and stuff. But yeah. Yeah, it went it went well. so Nice.
Speaker: I had never done one before, so i wasn't sure how my body was going to feel and everything. think like mile eight or nine, it started to feel like pretty terrible. But I just took some more like free nourishments they hand out and stuff. The funny thing is like it's fucking Portland, right? So like there's like a hill kind of near the end run where it's a little difficult. It's pretty flat out overall, though. But like people in their houses are set up with like they like little hot dogs and like... beer shots and I was like all right I'm just gonna take whatever i can get right now but i I don't know I had a lot of juice at the end which was like I wasn't sure if I would and I was like totally fine so yeah it was good I I like that it kept me kind of active over the summer it was I guess fun but I wish it wasn't Portland just's just not a lot to see there yeah it's not very scenic people might hate me for saying that but it's it's just not like amazing no
Speaker: ah Anyways, I did watch the rain game on Friday and that was ah extremely frustrating. um ah What an annoying result, mostly because of the Etsy witch thing has stopped. We've we've officially ended that. that we're not so We didn't score a goal, but also the goal that we conceded was so annoying. It was so dumb. Yeah.
Speaker: But that's what happens when you give players room to shoot in the 18. Yeah. Weird shit happens. Yeah. And we couldn't figure out way to do that. What? What? Okay. I guess general notes for this game. We talked about it last week, but there was the fish lock bobblehead night it was kind of like a fish lock. I don't know. Focus match or whatever. Didn't seem like the attendance was that great.
Speaker: It was awful. What's with It was a 7 p.m. game on a Friday. Yeah. And there were less than 7,000 people there. I don't know what the hell a marketing team's doing because this doesn't feel like anyone's fault, but people who've been hyping it up. I will say, though, that ah the bobblehead seemed not great in terms of quality check.
Speaker: It's been very hit or miss, I feel like. i kind of I mean, that's kind of how bobbleheads go in my experience anyways. Yeah. When you mass produce anything like that, you're going to have yeah weird stuff coming out. But the the crappy thing was is they charged so much for these tickets. hu Like they only had them in like the club section and then the lower stand sections.
Speaker: So you couldn't even like get a GA ticket and get a bobblehead. I mean, like if you want people to come out, just make it open everybody. then just let it be the first however many people I get in the gate. But they have leftovers now and they're going to be giving them out at the next game. Yeah, at the Orlando game. So... And they're doing the cheaper ticket option for that game.
Speaker: Someone screwed up. I don't know. Anyway, it was an atrocious attendance. I wish people would come out to these games. It makes it so much more fun when the crowd is active. And big. And big. Yeah. um Notable stats to come out of the game. it was the 50th regular season NWSL appearances for Jordan Bug and Madison Curry.
Speaker: I forget that Madison Curry hasn't been around that long. Feels like Jordan Bug's been here forever, but. Yeah, Curry, I mean, Curry does play like a veteran at times, so that is surprising. It's not like higher, I don't know.
Speaker: ah With the goal that North Carolina scored, ah the home shutout streak ended and totaled 515 consecutive minutes, which is the fifth longest home shutout streak in NWSL history.
Speaker: Wow. That's nice while it lasted. so So was the Etsy, which the scoring streak ended at 17 matches. I only asked for one goal. Did you pay for the protection spell?
Speaker: No.
Speaker: All right. So I know who to blame. Me? can't do everything right i know it's definitely you and nothing else uh all right just just let's just get into it it's it's this is not ah a fun this was not a fun watch for me uh i don't think it was fun watch for most rain fans uh what what worked for you in this game did anything work for you initially initially wrote nothing that seemed a little harsh but the one shining moment in the mess of a game was sam eza she's just so good
Speaker: Yeah, I could like, I honestly could just cut, cut like all of our conversations almost about Sam as over the season and just input like insert it into another episode because she's so consistent and so consistently so a standout.
Speaker: And when the subs were being made in the second half, 71st minute, Menti came on for ainley McCammon. Uh-huh. Ainsley was on a yellow, an early yellow. Super early. So getting her off was smart.
Speaker: But putting Menti on basically left Sam Meza the last 20 minutes on her own in the defensive midfield. She looked gassed, but didn't play like she was gassed. They didn't look great. But I also like you look at the bench and it wasn't like, here's all of our options that we can have to pull us out of this or find a way out. And I think that's what's so frustrating to me. Some of our, some of the bench players have, I mean, been okay.
Speaker: But when you look at who we subbed in you've got Montessier in the 61st minute, who she actually played okay. Madison Curry came on fine. Menti came on, I think added a little bit into the midfield. Ratcliffe didn't really get involved at all.
Speaker: And Adames looked a little too eager. Do you think those subs, some of those subs should happen sooner? I thought the attacking subs should have happened sooner. Yeah. ah Because the last 10 minutes of the game or so, 10, 15 minutes of the game, they seem to be possibly knocking on the door. i feel like they kind of seem like they were knocking on the door a lot of the match, to be honest. Like, I thought they were moving the ball pretty well. It just, like, wasn't getting exactly where it needed to be. Well, the problem was, is I'll say something positive before I move on there, but I thought that Sofia Warta had a good game as well.
Speaker: She was getting in the mix, really good defensively and on the press. But overall, the fundamentals were just lacking. I know we harp on the quality thing and so does Laura Harvey, but really bad first touches, passes not two feet or out of bounds.
Speaker: Maddie Darlene struggled this game to really connect anything. And it was just incredibly frustrating to watch them not be able to do the simple things well. The schedule lately has been really packed.
Speaker: I don't think that's an excuse when you're playing at home and the way they've been performing at home and with what's been what's on the line with this game, right? You have the the team right below you in the playoffs and you just lost to them and now they've jumped you and now you're out of the playoffs.
Speaker: On a dinky goal, too. Yeah. Like, if the team had shown quality, could have taken a point out of this. When that goal happened, you know, if this was early in the season, I would have completely not had any hope of them getting back into it. But I did believe that this team knows how to get back into this type of game now.
Speaker: I think they've come a long way. So I think that is what's extra disappointing, is they know how to do that and they weren't able to do that at all. Not even get one goal back.
Speaker: yeah like you We're heading into the like the the playoffs, potentially. i mean it we're out We're looking at outside now from it. um But if you can't you can't figure out it at home when this much is on the line, like I had so much optimism about this team being able to pull out something crazy, but they seem to not be able to step up when they're presented these these opportunities.
Speaker: And it seemed to me that they had a really hard time figuring out how to get quality chances against North Carolina's back four. yeah And I'll credit in North Carolina's defense. Totally. They were great. And so I don't know how much of it was a lack of...
Speaker: creativity and quality and how much of it was North Carolina's defense just being outstanding this game. I mean, the rain was struggled against good defenses. And we have, if if we're getting into what didn't work already, i think I've said this before, maybe a few times, but...
Speaker: ah Like had they signed a world-class player over the summer who knows how to kind of unlock the best out of everybody or just even that one extra pass um that can open up somebody because they just have that skill set.
Speaker: I think this game is different. I think we're somewhere else in the standings. I think we're not just hanging on barely and then getting knocked out from just a dinky goal, like you said. Yeah. And it just that that that bothers me so much that we didn't sign anybody and it will continue to bother me. it Yeah, I try not to harp on it too much because that's not the reality we're living in. But I agree completely.
Speaker: It's just like these players deserve to have that on the team. Yeah, because they're that close, you know, from from, you know, two extra results. And they're they're in a very comfortable position. But no, that's not us.
Speaker: Not us, no. I will add something that was a bit of a nice thing that came out of this game was that Ashley Sanchez did not break the scoring record. It's close for a second.
Speaker: Really close for a second. There was a guy with a steadicam on the sideline just with the camera on her the entire game. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, yeah, yeah, I was on that waiting. Yeah, that was success. had asked at least for that.
Speaker: I just think North Carolina wanted it more. And the fact that we were at least able to to not let her get that record on our field is feels nice. Yeah, I would have really felt so much worse.
Speaker: Loss was bad enough as far as the table goes, but having to watch that no over and over and over again forever. I would have. Yeah. No, thanks. No, thanks. Ooh.
Speaker: yeah I did like that Claudia Dickey kept coming out, though. so yeah She's like, uh-huh. No.
Speaker: This is bad. This is really bad. and when your best chance of the match comes from your center back. What's going on there, you know? Would I have loved Phoebe McLaren to score her first NWSL goal?
Speaker: Sure. On a weird breakaway? Yeah, I would have. Do I expect her? Not really. And what an odd, like what an odd place for her to end up of all players. But that was unfortunate. What like what what do you think happened here that it just didn't work? Is it a mental thing? Was it preparation?
Speaker: Was substitutions not being used soon enough? Or is it just simply that north North Carolina has a really good defense? And and theory I think they have as an organization, they've been there, done that.
Speaker: Granted, it's been a while. But like, what do you think is is what led to this kind of loss? I mean, the easy answer is ah combination of things.
Speaker: But I think North Carolina played like they wanted to win and Seattle looked frustrated and defeated. I'm not saying the effort wasn't there because the players played their butts off. It just wasn't working.
Speaker: It seemed that the preparation, as far as what Laura Harvey said, was on point. So it just was a bad day. And I think that they they were up against a team that knew the outcome had consequences and their defense was impenetrable. I might add to that that we, and this might give me a little PTSD while I say it, but I think North Carolina just has that extra bit of quality.
Speaker: We talked about in the the last episode when we were previewing this game that they had two players on this team, on North Carolina that have scored, what was it, 30 goals or something crazy? It's like 33 or something, yeah. Yeah, thirty and our entire team hasn't scored that combined.
Speaker: Yeah. So... i had I had high hopes and expectations that they would pull out a win at home, but you break it down and the reality is that North Carolina is is a team with more quality.
Speaker: And to me, that's kind of what won over. Yeah, I mean, I wouldn't necessarily say more quality as a whole, but on this night, yeah. Yeah. They showed out. Yeah. And Seattle didn't. It's a bummer. What did you get out of post-match pressers? ah Laura stormed in first.
Speaker: Stormed in? Pretty much. Yeah, i mean, she just said like they lacked quality. They were bad on the basics, which we've mentioned. Darlene made a switch to the right-hand side from the left side. because she was going up against Ryan Williams.
Speaker: And Ryan Williams is probably one of the only other players in the league that can keep up with her. And Darlene was having no success. So switched her and that changed things a little bit when Emery came on. say There was not enough rhythm in the game. I'm talking about why Emery Adames came on. She said she'd had a good couple of weeks of training after coming back from the World Cup.
Speaker: So that's good. But yeah, she said North Carolina was exactly what they expected. They talked about it all week and they played into their hands too much and tried to force the ball. That was pretty much it from Laura. And then she went away. um And then it was Phoebe and Sam Meza in the player presser.
Speaker: Phoebe called it gutting. And losing on a goal like that is obviously going to hurt. They said they don't feel defeated by the loss. It's just another opportunity to get back up, you know, being positive about it. But they also said when you don't do the basic things correctly, things like that goal that happened are going to happen.
Speaker: Makes sense. It was super unlucky, though. Yeah, but they seemed excited for a short break to reset. Totally. And they go to Chicago and get three points. But they talked about the team's mentality. They think it's good and that they can be honest with themselves when they evaluate their performances.
Speaker: Phoebe said on her opportunity, somebody asked about her opportunity um in the fifth minute when she could have slotted the goal. And she said, I need to put that away. Yeah. Girl. But everyone else also need to put their stuff away who are actual forwards. So they seemed upset about it, but not like they said defeated, which is good. You don't want to be going into the last three games thinking that you have no chance. Yeah. I mean, it's really tight.
Speaker: So only two, was it two spots are locked up right now? Yeah. Three, two, two or three. I think it's three because San Diego locked one. Yeah. Which we, you know, we beat San Diego twice. Oh, it's two. i think Yeah. I think it's San Diego and Gotham.
Speaker: I mean, it's annoying that we've beaten the second team right now twice. Yeah. And this is where we are. And we were ahead against the first team and then broke down. Do you want to add anything else on to this match? I mean, things are tight. We got to keep I mean, things are moving fast, but we do have a break. ah So let's, I guess, get into cooler player of the match. ah The cooler player of the match is brought to you by the doctor's office. A great little 12 seat bar on Capitol Hill.
Speaker: The owner is a big fan of the rain and is proud to be our very first sponsor. This is a pretty quick deliberation. So who are you going to this week? Sam Meza. Yep. The team MVP, in my opinion. Yeah. she had had 13 recoveries, three blocks, seven tackles, and was eight for eight on ground duels one.
Speaker: The way she tackles and just gets up immediately and finds a pass is ridiculous. it's She has like the profile of a player that you bre rarely see. Yeah.
Speaker: Did you see um somebody asked Allie Krieger who she thinks the most underrated player in the league is? Uh-uh, I didn't see that. And she said Sam Meza. Yeah. I mean, Seattle tends to fly under the radar. Everyone knows that.
Speaker: But if you watch even one rain game, you'll you'll see how damn good Sam Mesa is. Yeah, incredible. So congrats, Sam. You did it again. Sorry you didn't come with a win because... She was the top rated player player on FOTMOP even though they lost. Really? Yeah. Damn. She had 8.3 and the next closest player was Sofia Huerta at 8.0.
Speaker: Just that fluke fluky goal, right? Like, yeah it's a fucking bummer. I mean, don't think a point's good enough in this game, but what a brutal way to lose. Yeah, it sucks. Thanks again to the doctor's office. The doctor's office is the best place to grab drink before or after a rain match. Make an appointment today and go try one of their limited edition cocktails. I looked this up, how to pronounce it, as usual.
Speaker: Let me pull it up once again. There's two pronunciations. I assume, and maybe it's but bad to assume, but I think Matt was probably referencing the pole.
Speaker: It's a volcano, I think, in Martinique. ah The pole paradiso. Toasted coconut, ripe banana, warm Caribbean spice, and dark chocolate anchored by grassy rum agricole. Is it agricole or agricole?
Speaker: I don't have a pulled up. i don't know. Great. um I love me. i mean, this sounds like like a pina colada almost. But like. If you like pina colada. Some chocolate in there. You'll probably like this drink at the doctor's office.
Speaker: Wow, you're such a musician. um Anyways, go try it today. Get a little bit of summer, you know, vibes going before it's totally darkness at 4 p.m. Make an appointment today. Go check them out. They're on Instagram, TDO Seattle. Better yet, go drink their person. Cheers. Cheers.
Speaker: ah What happened in the NWC? I know one thing that happened in the NWC because it was everywhere and the Portland game. Yeah. But let's let's start at the top. What happened? Orlando lost to San Diego 2-1.
Speaker: Barbara Banda scored a penalty, ah but San Diego got two from Godfrey and Corley. Louisville tied Utah. This was a heartbreaker for Louisville. Katie O'Kane scored a penalty for Louisville in the 42nd minute. And then Mozingo scored in the last minute of added time in 90 plus six.
Speaker: Yeesh. KC beat Bay 5-1. Yikes. Hilarious because Bay actually scored in the fourth minute. So they were up 1-0 and then they let 5 in. ah The most hilarious part too, Dabinia scored two header goals.
Speaker: She's I was going to say, she's like my height. Yeah, I looked it up. She's five foot too Yeah. ah But she ended up with a hat trick and KC is now the first NWSL club to score hat tricks in back-to-back games. Then, yeah in the dramatic game of the weekend...
Speaker: Horace to Portland got blown out by Boston. Yikes. No goals. And then Sophia Wilson got a red card in the 22nd minute for a blatant hair pull.
Speaker: What the fuck, man? i don't... What is happening this season? It seemed like an aggression thing based on a play that had happened in the couple minutes before. Okay. But like... There's no reason to pull somebody's hair as you're like 1v1 trying to get to a breakaway ball. That also gives you minimum a two game suspension. Yeah.
Speaker: So that's like what? Two, two game suspensions. Sophia Wilson's gone last like three seasons. Yeah. For just care. I don't know. That other thing. Cause the other red card she got was when she hid the ball under the, under the bench. yeah I mean, she, yeah, she claims she wasn't doing that, but I don't know. There's video evidence.
Speaker: Looks weird. Whatever. um Portland also got a penalty in this game. h It was actually a penalty though. Yeah. But ah yeah. And then Amanda Gutierrez.
Speaker: I swear to God, this woman comes on late in games and it just goes, I'm gonna score a couple. Scored the 88th minute and then 90 plus three. wish I knew what that was like. We've had one person do it.
Speaker: Just the one. Not often either. ah Gotham thought they ran away with a win um on a Jaden Shaw goal in the 66th minute. But then angelel City came back and Suarez scored a 90 plus one.
Speaker: So that game ended one to one. Not a great result for us. Nope. Oh, Chicago. Chicago lost to Denver 3-0. Goals from Sonis and Heaps. Heaps had two. And then Houston lost to the Spirit three to two Well, I don't think there's any super shocking results. I don't know that results really went our way super well besides maybe the Portland game.
Speaker: Yeah, not a lot tos go in our way right now. No. Including our own games. Yeah. i don't like it. I'm not enjoying this this week. It's feeling so good.
Speaker: ah The goal was always just make the playoffs though. We need to remind ourselves. Yes. All right. So Reigns next match. What do we what do we got? ah They're going to play Chicago. So big opportunity to come back from this short break and just roll out with a statement win. Just go destroy Chicago.
Speaker: Set yourself up. To win out. um This game is Sunday, October 18th at 4 p.m. our time on the West Coast. ah And it'll be on the Roku Sports Channel.
Speaker: It's on like, you can find it not, you don't have to have a Roku to find that though. From what I've heard, right? Yeah, I guess. ah you I think there's a Roku app you can get. Okay. i was like, there's some way to, yeah, I think that sounds right.
Speaker: So besides the statement win, what do you want to see from the rain in this? i mean it's got to be ah some sort of blowout. Yeah, everyone's been scoring basically thousands of goals this season on Chicago.
Speaker: Pretty much. But they they need to at least score two. The yeah the the differential the goal differential needs to at least be two. I would love for it to be a shutout, but they need to win by two or more. Chicago's given up.
Speaker: so It's ridiculous. 63 goals.
Speaker: It's so bad. Their goal differential is negative 48. oh no It's so sad Don't make me regret my laughter right now. They have to win this and they have to win it by a lot. Yeah.
Speaker: I'm going to shout out Mia Fischl. I think she needs to do something. Do something big. fucking make ah Be in the headlines, you know? I need to see you.
Speaker: I need to see that $2 million dollars we spent. I need to feel like that was worth it. No wonder they're not signing anybody else because this isn't even going well now. I'm just going to say it. It's not, though. i'm so I'm frustrated, man. It's been like weeks of this happening. And and I just I it was kind of a gamble when we signed her.
Speaker: And maybe it'll still turn out next year. That would be awesome because I have when she's I think she needs supporting cast. Yeah. Yeah. Her hold of play is great. She does really well, except for the final finishing part, which is kind of what you need out of her. So I get why you're frustrated. But I also think she needs help and she's not getting it.
Speaker: No, she could be a part of like a really, really dynamic duo. Exactly. ah That doesn't exist for us right now, though. And ah but I do feel like she's capable of kind of i mean, maybe she's not. I just feel like she should be capable of like taking a game, making it hers. Yeah. And I'm just I'm still waiting. Well, this could be it. Do it against Chicago, at least.
Speaker: I mean, if you're going to do it against anyone. I mean, and honestly, perfect game for um Sally Menti. Yeah. She plays really well against crappy teams. She does. She gets saucy. I'm ready for some sauciness. Ready to see some, you know, tearing up some midfield.
Speaker: They got to do it. I don't want to see any. I just, they need to destroy them. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. And you've got ah but they've got a break. So the only player we're losing to the, at least the senior team is Claudia Dickey. they've They're going to that new facility out in Atlanta too. Yeah, saw that today. It's fancy. So hopefully the other players get some needed rest and some studying. I guess. Practice and studying.
Speaker: And there's a big opportunity to climb back up into the playoff line because North Carolina plays San Diego next. We play Chicago. And Portland's been Yeah.
Speaker: yeah Like really bad. And then one win in their last five. Yeah. And they're probably not going to have Sophia Wilson for the next two games. At least one game. I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be two games. That's that was a really big mistake on her part.
Speaker: I don't know what she was thinking. I don't know. She should leave Portland. Maybe that's the idea. Yeah. There's definitely opportunities still. It's not all over. All is not lost.
Speaker: But they yeah they've got to take care of their own games. Yeah, you can only control what you do. I mean, they're literally below the playoff line right now. So if they don't win games, that's that that there's no playoffs for you. Yeah, at this point, you pretty much have to win out. Yeah.
Speaker: Starts here. Yeah, it starts starts in the next game. Starts at the Chicago game. So go out and just fucking kill them. Kill them. Scare the next team that you're playing. Kill them. and then come win your last game at home against Orlando. It's not so bad. No, easy.
Speaker: Yeah, definitely. ah all right Super easy. Super easy. Do you have anything else you want to add on to the show? No, I think that's it for this week. Okay. We're trying to keep it tight because, don't know, man, it was a bummer.
Speaker: It was a bummer. It's a break. So go enjoy yourselves. Go watch the USM's national team and see what happens against Spain. Twice. Ooh. I don't have a lot of confidence.
Speaker: I don't know if I disagree. ah i might i might agree. So, ah cool. Well, thanks again. Give me a shout-out? No. Okay. Thanks to our sponsor, The Doctor's Office. do You go follow us Instagram and Blue Sky at Cooler Guild Pod. Send us an email. We love an email. Send that to thecoolerguild at gmail.com. You can also find us on our main page, which is soundairheart.com forward slash thecoolerguild.
Speaker: Yeah, send us some emails if you got any a hot takes or something in this next break and maybe we can talk about on the next show. See what happens after Chicago. ah Wherever you're listening, please go rate five stars. Till next time, I'm Coop. I'm Van. Stay cool, y'all. Stay cool.
