Hello, Kate, Welcome to It's a channel podcast primer about women's football.

I'm your host, Dean of the Suspicious.

And as always, I'm joined by my coast, Mr.

Grant Angle.

What is up man?

Buddy, I'm feeling fantastic.

We were treated to another friendly game of football between USA and Portugal and I thought it was quite entertaining and I think people are starting to take take some things from these two games versus our European pals.

Yep, I mean, I I took some things got a whole long list of things that I took that I want to talk to you about.

So I was glad that the the USA got a little redemption, little redemption Sunday before selection Sunday or decision Sunday, whatever the actual official name of this, but redemption was had very excited about that.

Mister Grand Eagle.

Where should we get started?

Only one place to start, my good man.

USA three Portugal, one USA versus Portugal.

Part 2 more USA versus Portugal.

I don't know what you name.

I don't know what you name the sequel to this movie.

Less.

Friendly.

Yeah, significantly less friendly.

I think the I think the overarching conversation point here is that midfield sure look different, huh?

Big difference in that midfield was happy to see it.

I think my first take away from the well, first of all, I'm I'm super parched.

You know, we're we're we're running late on Sunday.

I mean, a lot of sports today, a lot of happenings in the household, a lot of dad stuff.

I'm just going to have to just pre empt it get this thing correct.

Just make it happen.

Cheers to you, cheers to the football.

Cheers to you, cheers to the football, cheers to everybody hanging out who hopefully enjoyed that football.

Let's go.

A great day.

A wonderful day.

You brought up the midfield.

I want to talk about one player in particular that was very excited about.

And then I want to talk a little bit about, I want to play a little game.

I want to, I want to play a little, well, I've got my Sharpie, so that's a little spoiler.

I want to play the Sharpie game, right.

So we're less, we're less than 24 months from the 2027 World Cup.

We don't have to actually sharpie any of these names in here.

We don't have to make any selections.

But I think we could have a little fun and say, OK, watching these couple of matches versus Portugal, were there any players that you would say based on these performances, based on what we know to date This player, I think if I had to make this decision today, 20, you know, 20 ish months early, I would sharpie this player in now.

I set the, I set the rule at

4:00.

So I've got 4.

I wanted you to get 4.

I think you've got your four.

And I want to talk about this game through that lens.

So hopefully we can highlight, maybe we highlight the same four players, maybe we highlight eight players.

Who knows?

That'd be a lot of fun.

Either way, I want to play that game with you.

OK fair enough.

I I stuck to the premise I only selected 4.

Can I ask though, do you have the list handy of who you considered?

Yes I do.

I got I had AI had a list, I had a long list of 10.

OK, there we go.

I had 12.

Let's go.

See, you're always good for a little, you know, at least 20% extra for you to prep and research than me.

That's why that's why, you know, you feel that's a very important seat.

I appreciate that I'm also good for just like skewing somewhat away from the premise sometimes like a total dope.

And so that's why I end up with extra sometimes.

So I appreciate you being patient with me there.

Now let's go.

I want to talk about one player in the midfield, particularly this player didn't make my four.

I'm very curious if they made your 4 because it was the first thing.

Yeah, they didn't make my 4, but I want to.

I want to mention them briefly.

This was the one of my this was on my longer list.

Jaden Shaw, who I thought you talked about that midfield.

We found a really nice spot, right and and a couple players that can really unlock.

You know that that not not quite 9 1/2 Jaden Shaw with 9 3/4 Jaden Shaw or a little little deeper, but still a threat.

And then turns out was able to be a threat all over the all over the park.

And with all the movement and all of the like, the emphasis on trying to extend these possessions, trying to pass, move the ball kind of like make Portugal work a little bit more.

I thought Jaden Shaw was probably 1 of the biggest recipients of that change in strategy.

Couldn't agree more When she is on the field with players who know how to take advantage of her speed and her twitchiness and frankly her really good instincts to like be speedy and twitchy to get into dangerous areas.

And you have players who can kind of like work with her and read with read that she's going to make those smart moves.

She's dangerous.

Dude.

I I just totally agree, like that part of my notes was Shaw in this mix of players is a different Shaw than what we've been seeing for the past few months.

Yeah, it's a great point.

I mean, you know, you're you're allowing Shaw to run, to move, to occupy space, to distribute and shoot if she gets a look like it's like the perfect mix.

And to your point, players that can get her the ball and I think the passing in this one was a pretty stark difference from the first match up.

You know, the first match up was like, right, we retained possession.

Let's kick a, let's kick a lowish probability pass up ahead in this one.

There's a lot of lateral passes, some back passes, resets, recycle this way, cycle it back the other way.

And, you know, just a lot more patience, you know, and then I think even on the first goal, you know, Lily puts the ball in and I think Molchi puts the ball in before, you know, it finds its way back to her.

And these are like kind of aerial dink type, you know, kind of like Sweden type balls, you know, which just provide a different angle and a different like, you know, like a different thing to think about.

You know, if you're, if you're the defender, it's not just balls whizzing forward.

And then if it's like, all right, well, if you, if you stop that one forward whizzing ball, the, the chance is over.

Like, you know, the US really made Portugal defend a lot of, you know, like basically almost like in 4 dimensions.

100% and they needed the combination of players who are confident enough to even try to play into that like 4th dimension, if you will, like over the top or just like little chips or like long, long aerial passes across the the width of the field at times.

Like there's just like a level of creativity that was in the midfield today and that that Shaw benefits from and that I I want to you touched on it too, but I want to be clear about it, is that Shaw, she gets into those dangerous areas and of course, she's a threat to score.

Super willing passer too though she will give up a good shot for a better shot.

Yeah, no super player and like I I think it's going to be you know what, what we've been waiting for, kind of like the the re the redefinition of Jaden Shaw as U.S.

Open national team player.

Looks like that's start to take some effect, which is super exciting.

Jaden Shaw didn't make my final four, though did make my list of 10 player that I'm like, OK, now, now we're we're we're back, you know, with the the arrow pointing way, way back up for Jaden Shaw.

But I want to kick it to you top 4 sharpie.

I don't know.

Do you want to go one to four?

Should we go 4 to 1 and build up some drama?

How do you want to do this?

I think we should probably do

1:00 to 4:00 because if you like, if you think about you're filling out a team sheet or you're filling out a roster, you you do start with your kind of like, OK, these are my these are my Sharpie players, Like I'm putting them in there.

The auto start in the fantasy sports, you know, comparison, whatever, whatever you want to it.

So if you're comfortable with that, I think that's where I'd like to go.

All right, let's go.

You're up.

Lily Johannes number one with a bullet for me.

I just the the passing the intelligence.

She so Emma Hayes in the post match press conference, like when talk when talking about Lily Johannes did say she needs to get better as a defender, which I just kind of I just kind of smirked and was like, love that coach talk love it because she does.

And that's that's totally fair.

Like there are other, there are plenty of areas, you know, that this teenager needs to get better in, but she's already such a smart defender, man.

She, she has an instinct and frankly an intelligence where there's so many plays where you can just see or compute it, where she's like 01 step to my right, one step to my left, one step back and to the right.

And I'll cut off this other passing lane.

And like you could see the computer working in her brain.

There was a moment early in the, I think it might have been middle of the first half where there's a Portuguese attacking attacker going in and Johannes just takes a step over and the attacker is just like, I think it might have been Silva.

He's just like, whoop, got to turn out of here and she turns and passes it back and it ends up at a turnover.

And it's just because Johannes said, oh, I'm going to stand over here.

And her, you know, her great size and her physicality out there already at her young age.

I mean, she's the total package man.

And I, I just talked all these say all these nice things about her defense.

Her passing is out of this world.

Passings out of this world for sure vision out of this world, you know, just just the decisions that she makes are usually pretty on point, even if like the the ball looks audacious, like it's usually it's less risky when she like kind of like uncorks here, just like, oh, that ended up being the right play.

Just was was two players away or three players away.

And I kind of do agree.

I agree with both of you.

I agree with you in the sense that Lily's a really good defender and shows really good defensive chops a lot.

But I also agree with Emma Hayes in that, you know, I think the engagement level in this one defensively, not just Lily, but I think there was a lot of players when when the break was on the other way, it was kind of like a little slow to react a little, you know, kind of like some, I think somebody else will step in there, you know, and I think for for for a player like Lily that's so smart.

Sometimes it's not just getting in the lane when you know you can win the ball back.

Sometimes it's just getting in the lane to say, no, you're not going this way.

You're going to have to go the other way.

Like, you know, so it's almost like the game within the game, like knowing, all right, I, I'm not I'm we're not going to take it back here.

But I have to occupy this piece.

I have to cut off this lane and also have like this, this the secondary lane halfway covered right, You know, just just to make sure that we're we're we're keeping this pressure on.

I love the Johannes pick.

Obviously Lily was in my top four too.

I had her in the second thought though, because there's one player that you know, and, and you had, you had asked me before if we were doing any caveat, caveats between players that did or did not appear in the 2023 World Cup.

This player for me did appear in the 2023 World Cup and that's Alyssa Thompson.

I think what Alyssa Thompson is able to do, you know, kind of like with her speed, you know, and her runs, her, her, her pressure, her willingness to kind of like just go.

And to your point, the distributors, you know, now if you're thinking about Jaden Shaw as a distributor too, in addition to like Lily and Claire HUD and the neighbor Patterson and all that, and all the players like to keep the the ball moving.

Alyssa Thompson as a recipient of that passing with her skills and and her angles.

I think that's a player that that has to be on that has to be on this roster.

This it was the first name that I wrote down.

I was like, you know, didn't, didn't blow, you know, blow us away, you know, with the scoring and the assists.

But like, damn, that's a player that you really have to defend, you know, and now you're, you know, playing at Chelsea, like, you know, there's we're already seeing like really, really encouraging flashes there.

So I had Alyssa in my number one spot.

I like it.

I did not include Alyssa Thompson.

This is what I said at the beginning.

This is me being a dope.

And was just like, Oh yeah, I'm gonna probably the spirit of this is to also pick players who weren't on the 23 roster.

So but it's a great pick.

We're still playing the same game though, So I'm totally with you.

Like when she cuts it in when she is like, you know, on the on the wing and she cuts the ball in to get it on to like a right foot.

And frankly, she could shoot with her with her left foot too.

But when, whenever that when you see defenders watching that happen, it's a 5 alarm fire of everybody just being like somebody get in the way of the shot because they're terrified that she's going to drill it in the upper 90.

Yeah.

And she's so fast and like she could change directions so quickly that she could change the angle too.

Like she could cut across and and she could also kind of like, yeah, the equivalent of a fadeaway, you know, like, like I kind of bend the run the run back the other way, find like a runner kind of back door coming, you know, coming right to left, you know, if she's coming left to right.

So there's so much that she's able to do.

And I think with, you know, with Sophie Wilson, Mel Swanson, you know, the whole triple espresso kind of up in the air, you know, I think a player that is still years, you know, from her prime, athletically off the charts, you know, and like game is pretty much it's there Like she, you know, she's super productive and super scary.

I think that's a player that that I really liked in that spot.

Who did you have #2?

#2 I have Jordan bug, yes too too smart man.

Like there was there was a moment where Portugal was driving the ball down the field.

I don't know if I can call it up in my notes exactly.

You know, we don't need to give everybody the exact play by play, but just great wheels from bug and you know it on top of her ability to usually be standing in the right place, she's just able she's able to recover so quickly.

She has a good, you know, a long stride can play physical, but often times doesn't need to play physical.

You see, like teams are scared to like really aggressively press her because she's so calm on the ball already that she will just she will just turn, you know, 1-2 passes, little short passes createspace with with the the attacking players who are pressing.

And I just think, I mean, look, conceive a Naomi Germa Jordan Bug center back pairing, I think that's something like you can't pass it up.

I think it where we would as we watch the way Jordan Bug played this season and what we've seen her do in her limited time in the national team.

I just think that pairing is too good to pass up.

I love it.

Yeah, I mean, and sealing off the charts too for bug and you could already see this.

It's a player that's effective like right now, very smart.

The the footwork is like a great call out too, because it's so clean and you know, she's so efficient in being able to like turn go up or go up field or change direction.

Not a lot of wasted steps.

I love that you you went with the center back.

I also had a center back in my third spot.

That's Tara McKeon.

I think she's got I think I think she's got a case for maybe the best center back in the NWSL this season.

You know, I think like she's right up there playing really, really great.

I love her skills.

And I think, you know, we've seen the US in these tournaments really benefit from bringing along players that were versatile, could fill different spots and just do different things.

And I think Mikhail is just so rock solid.

You know, Emily's on it.

Obviously ITC Hall of Famer, you know, you know what the resume is, you can see the IQ every time son steps on the pitch, but you also see some spots where you know, like you have to pair son, you have to pair Sonic with the right partner, You know, like because there there are some limitations.

There are going to be some matchup problems.

I don't think going into this Portugal matchup, I don't think, but either of these matchups, I don't think anybody was saying, oh, those Portugal attackers, we're going to have to what's the plan there?

You know, like, and and I think you look at it and they they take home three goals over two matches.

You know, these are both played on home soil.

So defensively, a lot of stuff to sort out.

Terry McKeown, I think is like, I mean, I, I sharpen his like the third, the third player that I'm like, I think has to be there in 27.

You know, we, we'd love to see Germa back in full strength and like the whole center back room, like all the way, you know, fully, fully stocked.

But McEwan, I think it's a player that you know, you just you just kind of count on feels like a very like sturdy, durable player with a, with a bunch of different skills, I think would be super valuable.

Love it.

Yeah.

I mean, we've been admirers of Tara Mckeon's game for a while.

Obviously, everybody, I feel like every broadcast, everybody talks about the attacker background that she that she brings to her style.

Just a level of toughness that I think is great.

I McKeon actually didn't even make my 12, which is shameful behavior by me as a guy who's.

Oh my goodness, who's?

Who's lauded her several times I just.

Put it on the bullet with bulletin board Terra.

There it is.

I I humbly apologize off the bat, but you can still call me a sucker like that's totally fine.

I, I get it.

I do want to do a quick shout out one other player who was not on my list, but I I just kept I took a note on her.

There is like a break in the action, something for a throw in and you could see onto the bench.

Emily Sam's.

I just want to like the perpetual shout out to like, yeah, she she didn't get in either of these first two matches, but she's just the kind of player that, you know, Emma Hayes wants to have in camp because she's a floor raiser.

Like she's a culture.

Like she's not like going to be the culture setter, right, Because you have so many of like veteran national team players on there.

But she fits into the culture.

She reinforces the culture.

And just what she did last year, you know, particularly, and she remains a good player.

And so I just kind of saw her on the bench.

I was just like, shout to her, man, because she, you know, she's a good player to have in camp.

Yeah, no doubt.

And I mean, obviously last year's end to be so defender of the year.

And if you're Emma Hayes and you know, you're trying to bring Jordan Bug along, you know what I mean?

That's a great player to be like, right Jordan, you know, this is the player that it, it might come down to U2 for that, for that one, you know, 4th or 5th centre back spot 2 years from now.

So like let's let's start the process.

So shout out to Emma Hayes for for not messing around and assembling this team.

Did you?

Did you name your third?

I gave one and two.

I think you gave one and three because I think when I gave a center back you I had Lily 20.

OK.

Oh, OK.

Yeah, I had a list of 1 Lily 2 Tara Mccune three got you.

Thank you.

I'm desperately trying to follow along in the game.

So I am going.

I'm hanging in there man, trying to make it through sleepy boys podcast.

I am going with another defensive minded midfielder, Claire Hutton.

She plays with too much sauce.

She is Emma Hayes.

I think Emma Hayes said at least once, possibly twice during the post match press conference.

Johannes and Hutton play well beyond their years and you could just see it.

There were moments where Portugal was trying to put the press on.

And those two, just one twos find the outlet, don't give up possession, don't just punt it up field and give away possession.

You know, don't get squeezed.

Like, you know, we we've seen Hutton contributing to A to a shield winning team, not just contributing being a major factor in a shield winning team that's going to challenge for the NWSL championship.

I just, I couldn't be higher on those two as double sixes moving forward for this team.

Yeah, I thought Hutton was really good.

And it's not just finding the outlets.

You know, a lot of it was like moving the offense along, even if it's not kicking the ball up field.

It's like, I think that's the big unlock is like the offense seems like it was moving in the first half of this one.

And I think, you know, talking about the match real quick.

Obviously Moultrie scores the first one, you know, and it was kind of good and kind of bad because like 33 seconds score the first, you know, the royal scores in, in the first match.

This one was like 4647 seconds roughly.

And then you're kind of like, you know, I kind of wish that there was a little bit more, you know, back and forth here in this one.

And then I, I had the thought to myself, I'm like, I want to see what the US does here, You know, if they if if like they're able to kind of like really sink into this game and, and keep hold of it, you know, and then they, they give up the goal a few minutes later, Jessica Silva.

But to their credit, they come right back and, and go back up to 1.

You know, they there weren't, there weren't a ton of shots on target in this match.

It was a little bit cageier, 23 shots total the first match, fourteen in the second one.

So it was a little bit closer to the vest.

But again, shout out to the US, who I think controlled a lot more, you know, were very purposeful, you know, rather than hopeful, like everything felt like it was for a reason, Like, you know, even if when we're recycling it.

And that's just great to see.

And that honestly starts from those two players, like it starts from Lily and Claire Hutton, you know, in that defensive midfield, you know, making good decisions and not just, like you said, just unworking it.

And then you have players like Alyssa Thompson or Avery Patterson on the other side that were patient and willing to make those backside runs, you know, to to provide an outlet for those two players that you know, can hit that long pass.

And then if you're Portugal, it's it's just two more things you have to worry about in real time.

You know, like we made it so easy on Portugal that first time around.

And and they had Portugal defensively had to do so much more work.

Tonight Yeah, I think that's that's a key thing to point out and that this younger team that we fielded today was also seemed much more willing to be like oh OK, we're we're going to play physical football today.

Sure yeah, let's go like we'll we'll bang right up against you too.

Not going to be a problem for us.

And they they very clearly like I have to imagine it didn't feel great leaving Chester, PA the way they did.

And I'm going to guess one of the old, and I mean, you know how athletes are, but I'm sure they were some of it just kind of looking at each other like, OK, they thought they could push us around.

Let's let's go ahead and show them like how this is going to go this time.

Yeah, no.

And and that was made clear very early.

Nothing, nothing too friendly about this one for sure.

You're in my 4th spot.

You've done you've you've done 3, right?

Yes.

I I keep asking, I keep losing track.

I should've just wrote your wrote written yours down and make my life a lot easier in my 4th spot.

I, I struggled with this one because the player that had player of the match today, but maybe potentially Olivia Moultrie with two big goals was like right on the doorstep of of grabbing that fourth spot on my on my very dumb list.

I think Moultrie real quick before we kind of like before I get into my fourth player, I think Moultrie has an NWSLMVP ceiling in her, but I think she could do everything the the the player comp that I that I came up with Detroit Pistons, Isaiah Thomas, you know, can pass, can score big moments, doesn't matter, plays bigger in big moments, wants all of it.

Can, you know, can kind of like engage defensively when needed and just there's there's nothing, nothing too big for that player, you know, can like just kind of come out.

And then also the reason I, I kind of like Hark in the name Isaiah Thomas can play with anybody, you know, like has a game that like you could just put any player around them.

And Olivia Mutcher will find a way to be effective to be able to distribute, to get to the right spots to just through her movement without even touching the ball, open up opportunities for other players.

I just think she's incredible, had an incredible game.

I'm not going to mention how young she is because I was I was very tired of hearing how many teens and 20s and 19 and 21.

And it's like, OK, we get it.

A lot of young players.

We're very excited.

But Olivia Moultrie, forget about how her age, an incredible player and just, you know, shown off the screen in in such a huge way in this match.

Maybe it's an easy comp.

I was trying to come up with with other international players that we could compare her to and I was, you know, looking at her stats this year, I think she has eight goals in the end of the SL.

You know, she's around like a 70 ish pass completion percentage.

I think she's like somewhere around like 800 passes on the year.

And I'm just like trying to think like, OK, who who compares who's a midfielder with good speed, who you are fine with them, you know, ripping shots pretty much anywhere around the area.

How does like a, a Sarah Dobratz sound like?

Is that, is that kind of close?

Like I, I think I see some of that in her game.

I was thinking like, and no, obviously no disrespect to this other player, but is she a better Jesse Fleming, which is maybe like a little bit of an easy comparison to make because they both play for Portland Thorns like.

I kind of when, when you were bringing up the, the Europe comparisons, the 1st and this is not the same, doesn't play the same position, but I think this player could play these two players don't kind of play anywhere, right?

And I think like the player that I thought about that multi's game reminds me a little bit of Sandy Baltimore, you know, can like just take dart in, can shoot, can pass, can see.

That's, you know, the vision.

It goes so like overlooked so often when you have a player that can see everything, everything's available to them, you know, assuming they can, they have the skill to like place the ball.

Like, you know, if you're Johannes or Moultrie or some of these other super skilled players, some of the Barcelona midfielders, take your pick if you can see it and you can get the ball there, Like literally the entire pitch is at your disposal.

And there's so many players that that don't have that don't have that, you know, in in their arsenal.

But Moultrie, I think is that kind of player.

And Baltimore, I think is the same.

Like, and it's not just I can pass the ball there.

I can run there.

Like I can get past this player and inside that player, get there and then that opens up something else somewhere else.

Or I'll just fire a fucking laser and nobody's going to stop that either.

Like, I mean, Moultrie's weren't, you know, totally tattooed tonight, but like, you know, she, she got it done.

She walks away with two goals and ends up being the difference in the match.

Yeah, the Baltimore comparison is is really interesting.

I like that.

Let me throw one more at you.

Kind of based on stats, kind of just some some general feel.

I, I don't think Moultrie Moultrie is not as good of a passer, but how about a little bit of Manuela Giuliano in her game, a little bit of like a little bit of a mean streak to like, you know, kick.

I love that take the free kicks can shoot from distance, will foul the shit out of you if you, especially if she's frustrated in a spot.

It's like, I think I think Giuliano had like 12 goals last season or something like that.

And Moultrie's sitting on a obviously she's not, I mean, unless she's just really uncorks in this last match, she's not going to get to 12.

But yeah, I just a lot of a lot of good players who kind of I'm trying to like think of.

So that's probably fairly flattering to, to Moultrie.

But some of those good players too, like I said, like is she a better version version than Jesse Fleming, which would be a pretty damn good player And I I think she is.

I mean, just just talk about because the players we're considering here, it's like, is she Fleming?

Is she Dabritz?

Is she Baltimore?

Is she Giuliano?

This is like fucking crazy.

Anyway, Moultrie a tremendous game.

Again, I think you know, her ceiling.

I really do think she has an MVP ceiling in the league.

I think she could get she could get there and she's in the right kind of organization, you know, to be able to do it.

And I think she has that could be the heartbeat of that team, you know, just because she's just such a badass.

But the fourth player that I put on my list of players that that have to be there, and I've got a player comparison for this player as well.

Gibby, Avery Patterson, I think was involved in everything was all over the pitch.

You know, you talked about like the chippiness, mixing it up, making them feel us.

Like I think she, she kind of like was making some great triangles on the right hand side with Lily and Claire Hutton and like just was like a, a good outlet for them to be able to just move the ball up the field together and could just fly up or just kind of hang back a little bit and was just involved in everything.

She's like mixing it up everywhere.

It's like I, I love players like that and is an absolute tank.

Like I, I wrote down, I think Avery Patterson could be EU s s version of like Amira Ramirez.

Like, OK, you can see where she's coming from.

You can see where she's trying to go, but it doesn't mean anything.

You can't stop her.

She's too big, she's too strong.

Like, it doesn't matter if you she can tell you where she's going.

Doesn't matter.

Like, and I think Avery Patterson has that kind of profile.

She has the striking, you know, in her background.

I think you know, from from her, from her college career and she just knows the game and physically she's she's an absolute handful.

So I just I love that player profile, you know, and I know the US kind of struggled with with players on the outside, you know, opposite that Emily Fox spot and Patterson can play on both sides.

So I think she's she's a no brainer for me too.

I think would love that.

I mean, I broke the sharpie out my four spot.

I gave it to Patterson.

I think if, if people vote on the four, I think Patterson is what, what gets you the victory, My good man.

And you know, I've, I've, I've purchased a lot of Patterson stock, especially over this NWSL season.

And I, I don't know, he got me second guessing myself because I think I, I think I overthought it.

I didn't put her at #4 but the, the players I was considering for for were Patterson, the player I have obviously, and Ally Centnor, but I ultimately went with and she did not appear today, but I went with Michelle Cooper.

Oh, nice.

And that it and that is because you, I mean, you talked about kind of how the how triple espresso is going to evolve.

You know, obviously Sophie Wilson and Trinity Rodman are coming back.

It's been a while since Mel Swanson has played competitive football and we're talking we're still talking about two years from now.

I think there are some questions to be answered.

I think there will be time, you know, for her to get back.

But I think, you know, you Alyssa Thompson is going to be 100% in that mix.

And I think on the other side, you just need somebody to reliably spell Trinity Rodman and just, you know, talking about passing at speed, playing super physical, bringing kind of like that change up to Rodman's game a little bit.

I think Cooper has all those, all those abilities and I just like her doggedness out there to also be a very willing defender.

I just, you know, I could I, and we've even talked about it like Cooper is a step down from Rodman.

And who isn't to step down from Rodman other than like, as we've said, CGH, maybe a couple other players, wingers, But I think Cooper's got to be on the roster because you need you need to have another super reliable striker.

And I think Cooper is that.

Yeah, no doubt love Cooper's game.

I think I I kind of struggled too because I was like, you know, I I do think Rodman is will be back and probably as close as you know, is not in the same, you know, maternal, you know, situations as the rest of the espresso.

So I think we'll see we'll see Rodman back.

So I think it kind of made Cooper a little bit less expendable for this exercise.

One hit a couple players that we didn't get to mention yet.

Actually, we've talked about all these players that made my longer list except 21 Emily Fox.

I think it's got to be there.

You know, it's kind of like it kind of felt like a cheat to put her in because I just feel like she's already she's already pre sharpened in before this before the stretch and is in good health.

PTJ, Fallon, Sellers, Joyce.

All I mean was at the top of my longer list because I'm like, I think nice, you know, seeing the performance and seeing what she's been doing for united in big matchups.

I I, I just I like her game and I think she's kind of like grabbing that spot is like the number one option.

I think the the the more windows that come and go.

She just stretched that lead a little bit, you know, further each time out.

And then the last one that didn't get mentioned yet.

Sam Coffey, I think tremendous player.

She's going to make that.

It's going to make the midfield really interesting.

Kind of made me think, you know, could we go to like a Portland style, you know, midfield diamond of our own where they had Fleming.

You know, they have they trade Sugita, but Fleming Sugita, you know, coffee and Moultrie were there for for for a minute there at least for a couple matches of season.

But I think coffee's got to be there.

It's going to be really interesting to see how that you know, like who ends up starting those matchups.

I know it's two years from now, but I mean, I don't know who who do you sit in that instance?

At that point, you might just be looking at the chemistry.

And to your point, maybe Lily and and Claire have that, have that chemistry kind of sewn up by then.

But I mean, coffee's not going to give up that spot.

I mean, it's going to be an absolute dog, dog fight for her to kind of like, you know, you know, hand that spot over.

So we'll, we'll, we'll be locked.

Into that for sure and no matter how surprised she acts every time she scores a goal, Sam, you know you're good.

We know you're good.

I I'd still I love the celly.

I think we I've mentioned before he's kind of got like those Bret Hart vibes when he just want to put his hands up like who am I?

What do you think?

I like, yeah, I mean the touch that Coffee put on that corner kick, obviously right off the the training ground at Centenor that plays it in.

And it's just like the Portuguese players are like, oh, Sam like, yeah, we'll let Sam Coffee kind of make that run in at that at that area of the box.

And she's just clever and talented enough to to keep it low and put it in.

I think the other, just the other players that we didn't mention, I mentioned Centenor, obviously Lily real, she just drop her in.

She can play huh, Smart calm can pass real clever can play physical.

You just drop her in the line up and I'm just like, OK, I guess she somehow fits perfectly with this group already.

She's a really good player like so it's like, you know, a player that it's weird when you watch her play in the it'll be so you know, for, you know, for Gotham, it's like some players just have AUS possession team type game, you know, like where they've they've got the versatility.

They can they're active in different parts of the pitch, like they're they're kind of patrol, like they have the discipline to kind of own a lane and and an area.

But it's always like at the right moments, you know, they just make the right movements to kind of deviate from that.

And Lily Rose like that kind of player for sure.

I love watching her play.

I mean, I love watching the Defenders and she she just has like a great, she plays a great brand of defense that I think fits this club really, really well.

Yeah, no doubt.

And then just two more honorable mentions real quick.

I just, I had to put Yasmine Ryan and Emma Sears on there because I had to at least think about it.

I mean Sears, I know we've talked about it before Aly Sentinor plays bigger than she is, but there was a a free kick late in the match where and it was pretty far out for Portugal.

But the two person wall was Sears and Sentinor and I was just like Sears has really good size.

Like I think, I think Sentinor might be in like the five

5:00-ish range, but I mean, with Sentinors speed and skill or pardon me, with, with Sears's speed and skill plus her size, I mean, she's, you know, she's a beast out there too.

So I think they're, they're all in consideration.

I think this, this entire exercise shows that it's going to be, it's going to be incredibly tricky to pick 23.

Yeah, it's going to be brutal.

I mean, there's going to be some good players that don't that don't get through.

All right, man.

Well, I was I was pumped with the result.

Anything I just went to hit before we got any other players that that deserve like a like a mention, anybody that played well over these couple of matches before we before we hit the episode calendar.

I just want to say Portugal, I think they're good.

Like I know in their last, in their last five, pardon me, in their last five, if you look at the group stage of the Euro, they are one win, one draw, 3 losses.

They lost to Spain.

They obviously lost to USA TODAY.

And then I think they lost to maybe I think Belgium was in their group and they have a win over USA and they have a draw against Italy in that group stage of the EUR.

And you know, Italy obviously went on to make the semi final and I know like they were getting cracked in the Nations League, like leading up to the Euros, but that that team is good man.

Like, you know, obviously Carol Costa is getting like toward the end of her career.

What is she 35 years old?

But you know, they dropped Costa in that back line and you have Fonseca Costa, Gomez Alves.

That's a good back line.

And like they, you know, in the in the match before, instead of Costa, they had Corea.

Yeah.

And yeah, and they had a motto in in the in the starting lineup before.

So, you know, they had they had moved some a couple players around.

But yeah, as soon as a motto came back into this match, you saw how good she she was once again for Portugal.

She's 26.

So I don't think this bigger was obviously it's a win.

It's a flip to result, but like 3 to 1 score line.

I nothing really happened to that match to make me doubt my Portugal is still a good squad take and like and I know like like I said, they're getting cracked in the in the nations league.

Didn't win a match, but they were in a group with Italy and and Spain in the EUR tough draw.

And then they come to the USA and play matches like so you can't you cannot accuse Portugal of you ain't played nobody.

They've played plenty of good teams.

You know, I mean, you just kind of wonder because obviously the the US doesn't look, you know, markedly worse than they did the last time we saw them in major competition, let's say the Olympics last year.

You know, like they look about at the level some stuff moving around and working some stuff out.

But Portugal, they look way better than they did in 23 and they look better than they did in the EUR.

And I think I think you were right to call it out when you said, OK, well, Kika's, you know, not having Kika's going to like derail any team, but it's really, really good to rather this Portugal team.

But Kika back in the mix, you know, very much a hub of their offense.

This team looks like, I mean, a team that has has gone up maybe 2 levels.

You know, to be honest, I think like, and you just wonder, you know, what, what is the nation's league doing to kind of like, you know, iron sharpens iron kind of thing with those European teams or the Euros where, you know, that that competition, the EUR group stage was a was an absolute bloodbath.

Like there were great, great teams falling left and right.

And we're just like, Oh my God, like this team's going to go.

And then you see a team like Italy, like really come into their own.

And then and then Juventus carries that into the Champions League, like, and they're just like, oh, like it, it just feel, it feels different.

And I think Portugal definitely falls into that category of teams that feel different.

2 years.

I mean, this is, this is just, you know, it's, it's tough to say this, this shouldn't be a team hanging with the US because they, they clearly are, they clearly are a team that is in, you know, like, like they're just in the conversation like this.

I don't know what, where, where would you put them?

Are they like a top 12 team?

I mean, like, I think they, they kept saying that this is a 23rd ranked team.

This is not the 23rd best team in the in the world.

So So they they, they they are are ranked ranked #23 #23 ahead ahead of of them them in in the the FIFA FIFA rankings rankings as as we we sit sit here here today today, Finland Finland is is 22 22, Korea Korea is is 21 21, Belgium Belgium is is 20 20, Austria Austria 19 19, Columbia Columbia 18 18, just just to to kind kind of of give give you you an an idea idea of of, of of the the company company they're they're keeping keeping right right behind behind them them.

another one that I think is real tricky Switzerland is 24 I don't I don't think switzerland's the 24th best team I think they're they're probably up there a little bit but that might be some forward-looking stuff for me I think when I was kind of looking at this.

So like I mentioned, they had that draw versus Italy in the EUR Italy is ranked 12th, Norway is 13th, Denmark is 14th, Australia is 15th.

If you had two legs, Portugal versus any of those teams, Italy, Norway, Denmark, Australia, are you like shocked which which team of those would you be shocked if Portugal advanced?

I think the only one would be Italy because the the run that Italy has been on recently, every other team Norway did like all those other teams.

I mean, totally get a blow.

I mean, Portugal just came to the US and and and beat them 21 like, you know, and this is a team that is still on the ascent, still has a lot of young players.

Like I think, you know, you look at Italy, whether it's like Giselli or Bonancia, you know, there's a lot of, you know, Leonardi, there's like a lot of players that are like Giuliano we mentioned at the top of the show players, these are players that are, you know, not, not probably like post prime, you know, if we want to be kind of like gentle about it.

So Portugal, definitely a team that, I mean, come 27, they're going to be an absolute problem.

Yeah, I think that's totally fair.

I think I would be pretty surprised if they got through two legs with Norway just 'cause I think there's a, there's a talent disparity on the attacking side there.

But yeah, I'm, I'm with, I'm largely with you there.

You're gonna be shocked though, right?

Like, I'm not shocked.

I think 1.

One and one nil, then you know, and start the other luge.

You know, it's like, there we go.

Yeah, and you can't be, you know, look.

Shout out to all our pals in Norway.

You can't be totally shocked if Norway gives one away either, right?

And Portugal is the type of side they'd be like, oh, you're going to give that to us, OK.

We're snatching it like they're not the team that's, you know, some the worst teams to root for are the ones that when their opponent tries to give them the game and they're like, oh, no, thanks.

Well, you, you take that one like it's just the worst.

And I don't think I don't see Portugal as that kind of team right now.

So yeah.

And I, and I think there's something to be said like, you know, Canada is ranked 9th.

I wouldn't, I wouldn't be super shocked if Portugal could get past them over 2 legs.

Like I wouldn't be super shocked.

I would be surprised.

Maybe I'm doing degrees on this thing, but I look at Portugal, look at Portugal's toughness.

I don't know how much of that does Canada have right now.

Who else I got?

I got almost two years it sorted out.

Any who you won't have to wait two years for our next couple episodes.

Next week into the NW Cell returns.

We're going to talk some playoff matchups.

We're going to have end of season award show.

We got more Champs League coverage coming your way as well.

If you missed the Jordan Soko itinerary, definitely go back and check that out.

We did a great Champs League match Day 2 recap that's in the books.

And then maybe in a day or so, we're going to have our decision day machination show.

We're going to, we're going to, we're going to breakdown all the stakes associated with this weekend of football in the end of Busal as the league prepares for the playoff stretch run.

All right, man, I think we did it.

Did it.

Anything else you want to hit before we get out of here?

I think that's it.

I'm going to continue to put the internal pressure on myself just to let everybody know I am efforting to get an absolutely legendary guest on this program.

I'm going to make it happen.

I'm going to I'm going to close, I'm going to close this interview.

I'm going to make sure it gets scheduled.

We'll get the legend on the on the on the podcast.

I will not say it will not reveal who that is just yet, but I'm, I'm not underselling it.

I'm trying to get a legend on this show with us.

So I'm putting the pressure on myself.

Cosign in the legend, you know, label absolutely all right man, this has been another episode into the channel.

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