Hello, OK, welcome to Into the Channel podcast primarily about women's football.

I'm your host Dean of Desuspitas, and as always I'm joined by my Co host Mr.

Grant Angle.

What is up man?

I'm feeling fantastic, buddy.

I'm feeling more than fantastic.

the Champions League is back.

The UEFA Women's Champions League specifically is back.

I don't even I don't even want to waste any time.

Can we just get to a beverage and start getting into this episode?

I'm.

I'm ready.

Oh my God.

Cheers to the Champions League.

Cheers to the football, to the Champions League, to everybody who enjoys the Champions League with us.

You know, I've said it once, I've said it a million times, the UEFA Women's Champions League is a celebration of life.

Absolutely.

I'm just so happy that it's back.

I, I can't believe it's back and we're all the way back.

You know, I'm fighting off some, maybe some germs around here.

So I'm hoping that that this beer does a little extra work for your boy on this Sunday eve.

But yeah, man, match day one in the books came and went.

I mean 9 big time matchups and match day 2 right around the corner.

Cannot wait to start breaking those down.

Previewing, we got a nice mixed bag of of some pretty fun match ups.

I don't know if it's as good as match day one, but some I mean still some juicy ones.

Match day 2.

Where do you want to get started?

Well, let me just say it's a great question by you because we had some heavyweight matchups, you know, big names in on match day one, but match day 2, we get so many more of the this country versus this country.

I don't even know if it's more actually.

I just like, it's just a, all we did is just shake the snow globe.

I mean, that's the best part about the Champions League is that now we get to see the other teams play each other.

So let's focus on that.

You asked me where I want to get started.

I mean, let's start with Roma versus Barcelona match Day 2.

I think there's a lot of intrigue in this one, while kind of not being a ton of intrigue in this one, if that makes sense.

Yeah, there's definitely, there's, there are definitely storylines here, obviously.

So I mean, you know, Barcelona, where, where do we start with them?

I think the revenge tour, we joked about Vlad Code this, I mean, this is making Vlad Code's revenge tour look like, you know, I don't know, a second grade dance recital like Barcelona is not messing around 8 matches a season.

How how's 44 goals for, two against for this side and they're just whipping everybody.

I mean, they, they took on the Champions of Germany.

And just, I mean, what do we do with that result?

Like just the disparity, the scoreline and then what we saw in the field, because what we saw in the field wasn't particularly close either.

Well, that's the crazy part.

And you and I were texting about it a little bit.

Obviously, you know, we had this one circled 2 pretty good, pretty big clubs between Barcelona and Bayern Munich if you pay attention to international football.

And I thought you said it, you said it really well over text.

I don't even think Bayern Munich played that poorly.

And Barcelona was a mile ahead of them.

They looked terrifying out there.

I mean only two point OXG for Barcelona but 281 touches in Byron's half, 53 touches in the box for Barcelona.

Imagine playing Barcelona and they get 53 touches in the box.

They connect on 90% of their passes.

So Barcelona day Big chances 4, Big chances missed 0.

That's pretty much something.

There you go.

And I, I, I also loved like you get a brace from Claudia Pina, you get a, a brace for Eva Pajor.

They're they've got 12 goals combined in Liga F, There's just three Liga F teams better than just those two players if you're not counting Barcelona.

So they would rank 4th in terms of like top scorers.

But in this one, two players with a brace and then you have Alexia with a goal and two assists, and then you have Esme Brooks with a goal and two assists.

Like like the numbers were just astronomical.

I mean the counting stats, you know, through the roof.

I, I'm glad you talk about Emma Payor and that brace, that goal, she scores the, the second goal of the match.

I think it was in the 12th minute where the the rebound kind of bounces up and she's able to just kind of do that spinning aerial sidekick to just blast it perfectly.

She has to time it perfectly.

She doesn't want to wait for the ball to come all the way down to her foot.

She wants to hit it kind of like waist level.

We call and we'll talk about Elba Redondo for Real Madrid later.

We love to call Elba Redondo a professional goal scorer.

There are tears of professional goal scores and I think I would argue that Eva Pyor is the top tier of that kind of professional goalscorer where it's I'm in the danger area and I just figure out a way to score.

I think she might be best in the world at it.

Yeah, I mean, I got to think I got to give Astaire a little nod just because.

I mean.

Way up I'm.

Just as scared if Astaire's got the ball, you know, and necessary doing with a little bit less less service there.

But payor obviously unbelievable Claudia Pina unbelievable.

I I I cackled at that moment when Vicki Lopez takes the ball up the pitch just dazzling dancing and they're going two on four.

She gets the ball to Pina, whose penis I just penis smashes it in and I wrote down the four that they're going against Magdalena Erickson, Glottis Figas Doltier, Francesca KET and the goalkeeper and Mutovich.

And it's like they made us for just look like the JV like no shot.

Whatever we want, we're going to take it.

And then the goal was just an embarrassment of britches usually see the dazzling play and then you know, it doesn't get capped off.

This one capped off with with some icing on it.

Yeah, I mean they Barcelona found a way and you know, you watch them play in League F2, like you said, they're mashing everybody they and then especially this last weekend against Atleti, we'll talk about them later as well.

Just the their execution in the final third is bonkers at times.

Like it's just like the ball is going in the net and they are just getting themselves in these positions where they are sprinting at the back line defenders and the defenders just have no chance.

So I mean, all of this spells bad news for AS Roma.

I have, I have to be honest with you.

And so, you know, it's like, what kind of measuring stick can it be?

If you're up against the absolute, you know, arguably the best club in the world?

I, you know, I Roma will, will learn some things about themselves, but also have to kind of look in the mirror and say, OK, well, we weren't going to really compete that well against this team.

They weren't, but I mean, you know, if you're Roma, obviously Roma gets worked by Real Madrid.

62 loss there in a in a game where they were pretty competitive.

You know, it went back and forth.

That first half was was fireworks and a ton of fun.

But you know, you look at this team that's lost defensively, Elena Lenari to London City, Lionesses, Moyka Minami to Brighton.

They've also lost Saki Kumagai, Valentino Giacinti to Galatasaray.

So some of those like staple Roma players that kind of had logged a ton of Champions League minutes for this side out the door and defensively, you just kind of saw that it was just a little bit tricky.

So they gave up 88% pass completion to Real Madrid, 25 shots, 14 on target, 20 shots from inside the box.

You give up and that's to Real Madrid.

I mean, what are we looking at?

40 shots from inside the box?

But if it's bar.

So I mean, I think we're almost going to have to figure out how to change things up and and really just try to kind of stop the bleeding because this is a club that could find their way, you know, into that top 12.

You know, I don't think they they're hanging it up in any way, shape or form.

These are two rough matches to start and they still have to go.

I think they have to go at Chelsea, But I mean, this team not out of it by any stretch, but they can't they can't really kind of like get another bad goal differential number hung on them this week and and hope to kind of stay, stay alive.

Just going to be a little bit behind the 8 ball at that point.

Well, I don't know if they're going to have a say in that matter.

I think this might be another bad goal differential match.

And that's why I think the, the, you know, losing 6 to 2 to Real Madrid was so soul crushing for them.

I I do want to ask the question, can you have a good match as a goalkeeper and still give up six goals?

I think depends.

Yeah, I think usually not though, right?

Yeah, usually no, usually no.

But that's what's crazy is that I didn't hate Baldy's effort in goal for for Roma.

And that's why I think that it just makes it doubly heartbreaking to lose by 4 because you just don't stand much of a chance against against Barcelona.

I mean, I, I think they have a they made it about as difficult as they could make it on themselves for the rest of this league phase.

And so they're just going to have to claw them back and, you know, can Roma keep it within four in this match?

I think is the magic, is the magic number.

Yeah, so looking at Roma after this, they've they're going to host Velaranga, they go to Louvin, Belgium and then they've also got a date with St.

Zen Bolton match these six.

So, you know, it's not not all doom and gloom, but they really got to turn it around here, try to make something happen.

I thought a live Pilgrim who we got to know this summer playing for Switzerland, really good showing.

I think she got I thought she got I think she had an assist.

And then there was a really fun Evan Navarro versus Emily Bosshardt, Javi Battle that resulted in a couple goals each way and some some real some real iciness, you know which, which we love.

And you know, just no group of life, obviously no group stage, but good to see a lot of life pumping through the league phase.

But with that said, I think we both expect big score line, big number from Barcelona, less big number from Roma.

But let's move ahead to another possibly lopsided matchup, Lyon against aforementioned Zang Poulton.

What are you going to be looking for in this?

One, you know, I think Lyon at every phase of the game and every part of the pitch is a dominant team.

Obviously I'm not breaking any news there, but you know, Arsenal, I I, I'm going to try not to look at this too much through an Arsenal lens because we'll talk about them later, obviously.

But like Leon didn't even for the two goals.

They didn't even have to really super force Arsenal into those like the first, the the first giveaway that du Mornay just kind of hops on and scores.

You know, it was it was an unforced error.

But that's the thing with with Leona is that you you just have a tiny margin for error.

And then you have Endler back there who's able to make massive saves at important time.

She had a great save versus Cal Dente shot, I want to say near the end of the first half maybe, or maybe it was near the beginning of the second-half.

Yeah.

I think it was early 2nd because they were going back that same way.

Word military scored.

And so, like, you know, Leon has everything that you need.

They want to be on a bit of a revenge tour themselves.

And while, you know, Barcelona drubbing Bayern Munich sends a message, I think Leon stepping onto the pitch and beating the holders sends its own kind of message.

I definitely agree with that.

It was really fun seeing, you know, this, you know, Geraldo's team, you know, kind of like how they were trying to attack, you know, really interesting to see Ingrid Ingen obviously in the starting lineup.

You know, you should she's definitely going to be pushing for starting, but starting at center back, you know, and and I think that's where Hidal does kind of like found, you know, found a great place for Barcelona.

So you've got Ingen alongside Randy Renar and then on the outside you got Silva Bosch on one side and Tarziani on the other.

And, you know, they're flying up and down and, you know, Tarziani wants to get near the goal, right?

And she wants to use her height and her length and what better player to kind of like get the ball there on the other from the other side than than Selma Basha, who had a really, really good game.

She won 12 of 14 duels in this one.

She drew 2 fouls, 11 defensive recoveries.

Melchi Dumornet also 11 defensive recoveries.

Dumornet a real, you know, the tip of this.

I really love that Hidalgo said, all right, Melchi Dumornet, you are a #10 with, I mean, this should have been like locked in.

Well, well, you know, like like going back a good ways.

Lindsay Heaps sit a little deeper, get a little bit more defensive.

Heaps was awesome.

I think in this game, you know, I think really, really made herself felt against Arsenal.

But Duvernay was incredible.

You know, couple, you know, couple barely looks the finishes off the charts.

Like what do you nothing really you can do with that.

And that's a player that can do everything from that spot on the field, you know, can like really drive, can shoot, can distribute.

And was the absolute difference in this one on the road in a tough spot revenge match, you know, to kind of set the tone, like you said, against the holders.

I mean, it was a bloodbath when they got knocked out of last year's tournament by Arsenal.

It was a just a disastrous performance at home for Lyon last year when they when they ended up, you know, just getting smashed in that second leg of the semi final.

Yeah, I thought I thought Heaps bounced back nicely.

She got cooked a little bit by Beth Mead on on Russo's opener.

But I think you're right.

I think overall Heaps had a had a good game to kind of bounce back from that.

But just having the be the combination of Du Mornay kind of setting things up, like you said, and then DNA, Katoto Chewinga all running at your defense.

It's a tall order for anybody to stop and it will be throughout this tournament.

So, I mean, you know, there's there's not a lot to dislike about Leon and their chances in this tournament, but what else is new?

I think they will need, you know, to go to kind of go deeper.

I think they will need a little bit more production.

You know, I thought DNA was super active, like more active using like I think her legs a little bit more than we're used to.

Just kind of like trying to stretch the Arsenal defense.

But I definitely want to see, you know, more from Kototo in terms of finishing DNE as well and kind of Chewinga.

They brought you LeBron in this one.

And like, I think Bron is still working to kind of way into that that attack.

They're obviously loaded.

The talent's there.

But you know, this was a Melchi Duany game, you know, and they they they there were some chances the other way.

Good competition, good defense on the other side.

And you probably want to see just a little bit more from that Leon attack.

But again, competition was tough.

And then this is just match day one.

Zeng Poulton on the other side, anything we need to do anything we need to know.

I got a couple.

Let me hit you with a couple key, key stats here.

Obviously very poor showing versus Atleti.

They were out box touched 52 to 6 outshot 31 to four shots from inside the box, a 21 to 1 disparity there.

A very, I'll say a very poor showing from a team that I think we had a we were expecting a little bit more from considering their recent experience in this in this tournament.

To quote our old pal and UEFA Women's Champions League winner Leanne Sanderson.

Got to do better there, to be fair, I think.

Yeah, we absolutely expected more from STP in this one.

It was a disastrous showing.

They looked slow compared to that Letty in their match up.

I mean, and we know like we've talked about it, that Letty will run at you on the wings and create great opportunities for themselves.

And St.

St.

Bolton just didn't have an answer for it.

And I will say my one thing that kind of struck a memory in in the old banks here when I saw Leon playing STPI was like, I have seen this before.

And in the into the Channel's maiden voyage into the UEFA Women's Champions League in the 2324 season.

We, you know, we don't exactly have a deep catalog of experience, but that was our first tournament covering, that was our first time covering this tournament.

SDP.

They only lost two nil at Lyon in the first on match day 2 of that group stage.

Unfortunately for them, they had to play Lyon a second time, even though it was in Austria.

They lost that match 7 to nothing.

And I remember talking about it, well they just got their doors blown off even more.

It 7 to nothing maybe was not an accurate review of how comprehensive that victory was.

So I don't like St.

PS chances.

You lose 6 nil to Athletico, you might be on pace for another 7 to nil loss to Lyon.

And it will be getting late, real early for our Austrian pals if that happens.

Yeah, I think so.

I think we might we might get a busy Karina Schluter game in this one.

So we'll keep an eye out for that.

But you know, Zane Bolton, I think we could see some kind of a little bit, a little bit better, more energy.

I I guess we'll say that's probably would be my hope this this going to Leon's going to be a tough, tough task for sure.

But you know, we'll see maybe maybe it's a conditioning thing and maybe we'll see some some sort of bounce back.

But I want to shift gears here to a couple teams that looked a little bit flat match day one.

Chelsea Football Club Perry FCI think both underwhelmed match day one for different reasons.

Each team leaves match day one with a with a single point, but I think a disappointing point.

What do you what do you think for me?

Where do you want to start with these suicides?

No doubt a disappointing, a disappointing point for Chelsea.

I mean, there's just no two ways around it.

Like they are in this tournament to win it.

I believe the announcer very smartly it said like maybe the 10th time is a charm for Chelsea, You know, coming into this.

They had to probably not, though.

I mean, yeah, Yeah, he did.

He stopped short of saying that, but I think both you and I are on the same page here.

Yeah, I, you know, against Twente, you know, they had some like pretty good opportunities, but it just felt like it was a lot of we have the ball, we'll get some shots on target.

I just never felt like that many of them were ever going in.

Like there were a couple that I was like, OK, that that that could have worked.

They just couldn't land the haymaker.

I know you'll have some some boxing parlance.

So there.

I'm in a weird space with Chelsea where I do not expect, I expect them to finish top four.

I'll say that I do not expect them to win the tournament, but I do think there's a world where they could win the tournament.

Can I?

Can I have all three of those thoughts at the same time?

I think so.

I think the the the one that I find probably like the most egregious is they have a chance to win the tournament because I think to me this team does not really have a chance to win the tournament.

I have no.

Chance.

You know, if I mean, if, if we're, if we're simulating it tomorrow, like if you know, if this is what Chelsea is going to look like, let me rephrase.

If this is what Chelsea is going to look like down the stretch and this is who's playing, they can't win.

No way.

Like, you know, if you look at they, they start the season 4 wins the WSL season, their last three matches combined WSL and Champions League 2 draws and A1 no win over Tottenham.

Today I looked at some of the numbers for those 3 matchups.

The shot disparity.

You know, very Chelsea like 27 to 10 over Tottenham, 20 to 9 / 2019 to 15 against United, but the shots on target 4-6 and six from so that's what, 1216 out of 4716 out of 66.

You know, that's that's not very good.

Probably not going to get it done in each of these matchups.

I don't think they scored more than a single goal in the XG 2.462.92.86.

So they're way underperforming.

You know, you look at those, you know those those you know that that front, that attacking unit and they're just not cashing in as much as they need to be considering the positions they're getting into, the talent.

You know, they have the talent disparity playing at home.

You know, like this team's going to need a lot more.

And I think the other key issues defensively, you know, I think, you know, we saw Berman in this one.

I think prior to that we saw Millie Bright.

Now that Natalie Bjorn pairing, this team needs a Naomi Garma.

Like I I've talked about it, that that center, that central channel where Millie Bright's there, Kyra Walsh is in, is in front of her.

I think it's very kind of problematic defensively.

Like a lot of teams in this tournament are going to be able to take advantage of that and not just the Barcelonas and Leones.

I think there's mid mid table teams.

I think it could hurt them if that's who's starting.

So I think it it starts there for Chelsea.

I think they've got a kind of like locked down a little bit more defensively.

They got to cash in, you know, with with these chances which they are earning to their credit.

Yeah, I think that's totally fair.

I mean, you know, they pay the goal scores to get it done.

It's just those numbers you talked about in terms of shots on target, absolutely abysmal.

You have to do you have to be way more efficient than that.

So and again, like you said, like if they play like this, obviously they're drawing dead, but I don't think they will.

I think they'll I think they'll continue to mesh.

The players are too good.

Let me ask you this.

Go ahead.

So where, what could they do?

Like what, what's out there that you think could work?

What is there a pairing?

Is there a move or a a unit that's probably like, what do you think could be the recipe for, you know, some kind of leap?

You know, I'm a Micah Homano believer.

I think, you know, a step up from her, you know, with kind of Thompson, right?

And ABJ, where are we on where we, where are we on Myra Ramirez's injury status?

Do we know if she's coming back?

I can.

I can.

I can.

Do a little digging.

I know we got some Sam Sam Kerr minutes.

I was going to say, we got here, right?

And so we got some Sam Kerr minutes.

Obviously she's going to come back.

That's why I'm just like so hesitant to judge.

And there's probably some emotional hedging here too, is that I don't want to just come on this podcast and be like, Chelsea's done, get him out of here because I don't want to have to hear about it from Chelsea supporters.

With me being a big old Manchester City supporter and a big Chelsea hater, I can imagine you're in a similar boat as an Arsenal supporter.

But like, yeah, I, I think they're absolute ceiling, to be honest with you, is they could make the final.

I, I like, I don't, I don't doubt that like with the with the, the players they have, it's just it has to progress over the long, over the long season, if you will.

Yeah, I think, you know, that's one thing that I've learned kind of like covering the sport, you know, for for the years that we've been doing it is that the teams look so different at the end.

Like, you know, Arsenal last year getting a Nile, you know, the Jonas ID of all LED Arsenal opening the championing season at Bayern and just getting their ass kicked, you know, going from that to then beating Barcelona in the final 6-7 months later.

I mean, it's impossible to predict.

So, you know, I think my caveat this team, you know, is, is it's a little bit of a cheat to say this team looking as it does cannot do it because no team that's going to win is going to look like they do now, you know, at the final, they're going to look, there's going to be a lot of evolution, a lot of growth.

Even Barcelona, you know, if they if they win, it's going to be a different look.

It'll be a more, which is scary.

It'll be a more evolved Barcelona if they if they're the ones actually kind of lift the trophy at the end.

But I want to talk a little Perry FC, another disappointing showing.

I mean, I think we got the Clara Mateo show in the first half.

You know, we got busy, but was maybe their only offensive option.

I think, you know, once once Luvin figured that out, you know, got a little trickier and, you know, they were able to kind of like erase that two goal, you know, deficit and take home a huge point.

But I want I want to talk Perry FC here and maybe, you know, a little bit of a disappoint, A disappointing start for sure.

You're looking at like that opponent and kind of being like, oh wait, you know, we're playing that team at home that that's that's the way to kick this off and didn't didn't kind of go that way.

Buddy, if you are a Perry FC supporter, then I think that should have set off some alarm bells because, you know, we've talked about some of the talent that they have lost.

We've talked about some of the talent that Perry's enchement has lost.

We'll talk about them later.

They're not good enough to only have one thing that works to your earlier Clara Mateo point and they're not good enough to let their foot off the gas against, OH Louvin from Belgium.

So you know, when you when the rubber meets the road against some of the larger Champions League opponents that they're going to have to play.

I don't know how they might be able to keep pace in some of those matches.

I there is one thing I just want to say real quick.

My El Garbino almost had though the front runner for goal of the tournament.

I think it was like right around the 80th minute the cross comes in and she just hits that like little flick back heel with her right foot and it almost chips in.

Dude, I, you know, I'm I'm I'm relatively neutral in a lot of these matches.

I wish that went in.

No, you know, no hate to any of our Belgian pals.

I'm not rooting against Lubin, but if that goes in, it's an unreal goal.

I mean, that's that's kind of why we're watching though, to kind of like catch these moments and we, you know, they're coming because they're so close.

It's like the it's like the tournament itself is calibrating, which is always super fun.

But you know, I we'll we'll talk, we'll talk about Lou when we get there, But this that's a super fun team.

But to your point, pre FC, you know, you know, lackluster, you know, opener to the tournament doesn't mean that they're going to go to Chelsea.

And you know, I'm not sure the transitive property, you know, essentially applies here.

I, I could see Perry FC putting up a good performance, especially, I guess Chelsea looked a little bit flat.

But this is 1 where I can see it going every way except for a big Perry FC win.

I can see Chelsea winning big.

I can see Chelsea winning close.

I can see a draw.

I can see Perry FC scratching out, you know, the kind of a miracle kind of three points.

But I don't know, I kind of want to see how these teams bounce back because I think they're both looking at this match sort of the same.

It's like, all right, let's shake it off match day one and let's make sure that we're here for for a little bit of the long haul, especially Chelsea.

I know we joke sometimes about you know that you can you can swing wildly.

I think that's mostly about the teams that you really root for.

I think I'm going to swing a little wildly on this one.

I think this man Perry FC didn't give me a lot of confidence.

I think this is a four nil Chelsea win.

I think they like, I think they absolutely dominate.

I could see it, I could see it probably got a good number on that.

Let's go ahead though.

Valarenga Wolfsburg, another Wolfsburg, another team that I'm not sure what we do.

They get the huge win over PSG match day one and then they get beat at home this weekend in a big in a a massive, massive matchup versus Bayern Munich, 3 to one that one scoreline a little bit deceiving.

Byron scores I think at 90 + 5 Alaris Hitler, you know, makes it three.

One was close most of the match, but you know, you still lose to your big rival in in a year that's kind of supposed to be your year.

And you're also coming off a massive 4 nil win over PSG, which was also somewhat of a deceptive scoreline.

PSG was kind of hung in a lot of those key stats shots, shots on target, you know, possession, a lot of it was still very much in the same ballpark.

PSG, it had the advantage actually in a couple of those as well.

But a weird game, a weird score line, which what?

What'd you see from that PSG Wolfsburg match up?

I will start with I think you're right that it was a little closer than the score line would indicate.

I also didn't get a lot.

I got more confidence from Wolfsburg than I did from PSG.

Kind of keeping it close.

Like I like, I don't know, I'm, and maybe it's just 'cause, you know, these recent results, I'm really down on every Flint French club not named Leon right now.

Like I, I don't, I think it might get kind of ugly for those two teams.

And so for Wolfsburg to, you know, they forced the own goal.

It's it's pretty unlucky by for Jackie Gronen, a player that I think both of us like, you know, but Wolfsburg kind of forces him into it.

I will say, you know, Alex, Alex Pop still has a nose for the goal.

Retired internationally, not retired for her club side, still playing pretty well, still knows how to score, you know, plays the full 90 at least I yeah, I don't think she came off the pitch.

Plays the full 90.

Nods in the header near there near the end for the dagger or pretty much at the death.

I will.

I will also say, sorry I get a little jumbled here.

Steena, Johannes in goal.

Did make some important set, did make some important saves I thought.

And I, I will go out on a limb here.

Absolutely my second favorite Johannes in this tournament.

Love that.

Yeah.

Cosign Steena, Johannes, another 2023 Champions League throwback, the old Eintracht Frankfurt goalkeeper.

So you know, Stina and the ITC go way back.

Yep, 6 up, 6 down, six shots on target, 6 big saves for Johannes.

I really liked what Wolfsburg did, you know, kind of like on the attack.

And then also, you know, defensively there were some there were some lanes there, you know, I think PSG got some shots off Kanjinda that definitely had some chances, some some definitely gimmies.

I mean ends up being 4 Nils.

So I don't think it would have mattered either way, but I was really encouraged.

Lynette Berenstain, you already know what time it is.

That's like just money in the bank.

You know, she's going to be put pressure on defenses.

Alex Pop, I thought her energy, you know, and her, you know, kind of like intensity, her her drive to kind of like get to those balls and earn chances that other players just don't earn, you know, even if she's not able to finish them off, I think it really kind of sets the tone for the rest of that team.

And just one of my favorite players are like what what an amazing player to kind of play alongside.

You know, you, you would just imagine that you'd be fearless if you look up and you see pop up there just kind of making trouble.

And then the last kind of player I want to mention, Ella Pettimores, the 23 year old Dutch midfielder for Wolfsburg is a play.

This is her second season of Wolfberg.

She spent seven seasons at 20 prior to that broke through there at the age of 16.

She had a golden assists last year for Wolfsburg already two goals this season, big jump in shot on target percentage going from 20% to 56% and shots on target per 90 going from 0.3 to 1.14.

So Pettimore is very much involved in the attack there.

I really like that switch and I think Wolfsburg Speaking of teams that are going to grow in, you know, to to who they're going to be, I think Willsburg definitely fits that bill.

This team's going to continue to evolve, continue to improve, and I think it's going to get a little bit scarier as we head down the.

Stretch, love it.

I mean, obviously A-Team, a club with great pedigree, A2 time champions of the tournament, I believe, you know, and maybe this is just one of those situations.

I know what's happened to you and I several times I talked about the Wolfsburg Revenge Tour a lot last tournament.

Could I have been right?

But just a year early.

So we'll have to see about that.

But yeah, I I'm with you.

They're deep.

They have a lot of talent.

Beer and Stein and pop are just an absolute nightmare up there.

You know, they they can play tough in spots.

It's just I think, you know, especially thinking about match day 2 of this tournament.

And and I know like me and you are just absolutely drunk off excitement for this tournament, just as I mean, it's such a great everything about it is so great.

Mm Hmm.

But I have I have really been thinking about the the tears of who these teams are and who these clubs maybe should in some cases think they are, maybe who some of these clubs want to be or where they think they are currently, but not quite be.

There's just going to be a lot of jockeying for position.

And I think the league phase going into the knockout phase is going to really kind of show us like what these like what the tiers really are in the European, you know, side of the of this wonderful sport.

I'm I'm really glad you brought this up because in my notes, big disparity between League F and WSL.

If you're just looking at the vacuum that is match day one, you know, you obviously get Barcelona 7 to one over the Champions of Germany, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid six to two over Roma, not the chambers of Italy and then Atleti 6 nil over Zing Bolton.

And then what do you do when Bayern loses 7 to 1 and then beats Wolfsburg 3 to one who beat PSG 4 nil, You know, so it's like, so was this buyer does Barcelona beat PSG 30 to, you know, like, what are we what are we talking about?

So it's like, you know, we're going to continue to learn a lot, but might be fair to say then obviously Barcelona beats at 36 nil, you know, to just jumble things even further.

Six different goal scores in that one, not including the ball and door winner.

So go figure.

But we're going to just learn a lot about, I think I, I, we might learn that League F is not really, you know, sort of like the jokey joke league that we kind of like have been making it out to be.

And you know, it, it, it, it does follow that a team like Barcelona is so good and sets the, the pace in such a intense way that chasing them could, could really kind of like lift the water level.

Because for some of these other teams, because, you know, the WSL teams kind of showed up in this tournament.

You know, Chelsea won one, Arsenal loses 2 to one and United, you know, kind of like claws out A1 nil victory over the other side of the, the, the squad that we're talking about now.

Valarenga, What, what was your take real quick?

Like, you know, did?

Is that is that a quick snap overreaction that maybe Lee F might be a little bit more serious or, you know, is it, is it too early to tell?

I got it.

I mean, that's that's why you're the best in the game, buddy, because I think that's I think this might be we're talking about the revenge tours, possibly for Wolfsburg.

What if this is Liga F saying, you know what, you ain't played nobody.

Like I maybe maybe the Liga F teams are like, hey, put some respect on our names.

Like it's not our fault that we have to play against Barcelona twice a year and then get smashed by them in Copa de la Arena and all, you know, whatever other domestic tournaments we have to play in, you know, hey, you, you play Barcelona.

Let us know how that goes for you in a lot of different situations.

So I, I mean, I am extremely psyched because I just, it's the best part about this tournament is that now we get to just do all the jockeying.

And you know, I've, I've, I've done it several times.

When we compare it to college football, it's all just a means to an end for one group of people to say, hey, actually, This is why you suck.

You're not as good as us.

Your league, your league is crap compared to our league.

And we're just going to draw huge sweeping conclusions from week to week.

And that's what's is so much fun.

Yeah, man, no arguments there.

Very exciting stuff.

I mean, I don't know, I kind of want to Fast forward, but I'm just enjoying so much of this and I love that like the league phase is so truncated.

We mentioned it's only 10 weeks where we're going to get these 54 league phase matchups, A ton of football.

I'm just, I cannot wait.

So, so exciting Valeranga, a team that I feel like we kind of like, right.

Like, you know, I, I had high hopes for them.

I wasn't sure if this was a good performance.

Imagine it didn't look like a good performance for Manchester United.

Look, it looked more like an underwhelming kind of poor kind of, you know, risk averse, you know, performance from from a side that I think we had we had higher hopes for.

I think that's fair.

I think that they knew they had to be a little bit on guard versus Valeriega.

I think that's that's probably not fair to say.

Well, Oh well.

Oh, sorry, I thought you were talking about United's performance against Valarenga was underwhelming.

Sorry.

I.

Think we're talking, We're talking you there.

My bad.

We're talking Valarenga, Wolfsburg.

So, Valarenga, what do you think of Valarenga?

OK, so yeah, I thought Manchester United felt like they had to guard against potential danger from Valarenga.

That's what I was trying to spit out there.

And that's why I think, you know, all of Tibetan could have scored in the first half.

Now, the only unfortunate part of that was that was their only shot on target in the entire match.

So divestit needed to be extremely efficient and score that one to really have a chance and and unite.

They kind of they kind of got pushed out of any other real chances by united for the rest of that match.

So when you go from that, and yes, Valeranga will be playing in Norway at home versus Wolfsburg, that kind of, you know, we're going to take only a little bit of the ball and we're going to try to play defense and then try to maximize their chances.

That's not going to work against United and it's not going to work against Wolfsburg.

So they're just going to have to figure out some kind of way to look a little more dangerous on the counter, I have to think.

I think it's got to be on the counter.

You look at, you know, like against United, 6 box, 6 box touches in the whole match, Elizabeth Turley had 10 like and you know, you mentioned along TWED 10.

Karina Shevic too.

Like I think is the other player that you're looking for.

You know, these are players that are at the very top of top serial and both the the gold category and assists category.

You're absolutely cooking and you just need, you know, not a constant attack, but they need to be some kind of threat.

And neither player was a threat.

Savic couldn't not just shot in this one.

So we'll see.

I mean, it's a it's going to be a tough task, but playing at home I think has to matter.

And Tavola Ranga's credit, you know, you go to Manchester United, you know, if I don't want to say would they have taken A1 nil loss, you know, like on the front end.

But A1 nil loss -1 goal differential, not the worst outcome, right?

Nope.

Not at all, Not at all when other teams are getting absolutely mashed, especially if you think about some of the teams that they might be competing with for that one of those top 8 spots.

You love to see them get blown out by 5456 goals in some of those cases.

So yeah, I don't think you're I don't think you're off base at all.

And I would be remiss if I did not mention, just real quick before we get out of this Valeringa Wolfsburg preview, Valeringa coming off a loss to let's just call it what it is.

Let's just call a spade a spade, a vastly superior club and a vastly superior fan base.

No disrespect to anybody from to, you know, Valeringa supporters, but SK Brown did defeat them four to two on the very day that we're recording this podcast.

And so, you know, I mean, I have just got to mention that about top Syrian.

I I don't know what happened.

That kind of clinches top Syrian right?

Is that is that now over in Valeria?

Could just focus on?

Am I crazy for that?

I mean, what they're, they're seven points back.

This is a wrap.

There's there's a there's a little ways to go, I think.

But I yeah, Speaking of SK Bron, I don't know what.

I don't know what happened in the Europa Cup.

Don't tell me I'm not.

I'm not familiar with what might have happened in their match versus Hammerbee.

It's not important.

This is a UEFA Women's Champions League episode.

Fair enough.

All right, moving on, one more Wednesday match up to hit and then I think we might have to break this up into two parters because we are, you know, no shocker doing poorly on time.

But that's all right.

What we appreciate, we appreciate everybody rocking with us.

Louvin.

OH, Newvin, they're going to

host FC Twente Wednesday, 12:00 PM Pacific Time.

I want to talk a little Twente because this is a team that's stout, poised and got a got a really, really nice result against Chelsea, a team that roughed them up a couple times last year in the group stage.

And just, I mean, you know, they didn't blow the doors off the game, but exactly what you would want probably if you're if you're 20 to kind of open up this tournament.

What?

What'd you see in that one versus Chelsea?

I like them.

They're tough, man.

I mean, we got our first look at them.

I mean, again, like I, I'd say we got our first look at them.

We've done this and for this is now our third Champions League season.

But so they didn't make it in the 2324 tournament.

Now they were in the 2425 UEFA Women's Champions League and now we get to see them again.

They look better.

Like obviously, you know, we talked about Jill Riord coming over there to play Champions League football back with the club.

I, I think she started at Tuente, if I remember correctly, the the Dutch legend Jill Riord, who we know is going to get some shots on target.

We know she's going to create some chances as well.

Well, she might not get some, she'll get some shots.

Not all of them will be on target.

Sometimes, not many of them will be on target, but she'll hit him 100 mph.

Shots in your target?

Let's go.

Exactly.

And I I liked Twente's attitude in that match versus Chelsea and I, I'm curious your opinion on this.

I wasn't totally surprised when Van Ginkgo scored.

I wasn't I no, I definitely wasn't either because again, like they they hung in the match physically.

I I just love how they play like, you know, they weren't usually when you see, I don't want to, you know, and Twente's 20 is a smaller club than Chelsea.

There's no, I have no issue saying that.

But when when you see teams that go up, like you'll sometimes see like a team like 1020 on the back foot a little bit, a little bit more conservative and maybe not for the whole game, but in spots.

And 20 was like, no, we're going to play you straight up.

Every chance we get, we're going to go at you when we have chances, we're going to and, and they're just a team of professionals.

Like this isn't a team of like 20 and 21, you know, and like, oh young upstart, like these are players that are really good at a really good point in their career, used to winning stuff in that league.

Gio Royd, who you mentioned, an absolute assist machine, 90 minutes, she draws 3 fouls.

I think she gets an assist in this.

18 passes into the final third for Roared.

And just like a really good player to kind of like settle things down.

I really, I just like this Twente side led by Karina Decker, you know, and just I think on on a really good track.

So don't be surprised if you see this FC Twente side in the Elite 8.

Oh my God, I couldn't love that pick anymore, my good man.

I mean, now think about it like, you know, we're talking about goal differential for some of these teams right now.

You think about who Twente we we were talking about the tears of who you know is who in this tournament Tuente gets they have to start against Chelsea.

You get that notification from UEFA.

OK, great.

Our first match is against Chelsea Football Club.

You come out of that with a draw and then your second match is against the debutantes from Belgium.

Now again, I'll say it like no disrespect to Louvin.

I think you and I both like the way they played, but that is that is absolutely a dream for Twente.

If you would have told them, hey, you're going to get a point off Chelsea and then play Louvin, you say, OK, let let's start booking the flights for the knockout phase because we're going to get we're going to.

Find a way to get there.

Match day three, they go to Benfica.

Match day four they host Adleti.

That's winnable.

They go to Arsenal, you know, that's going to be tough and then they host Real Madrid.

So I mean there's there's tough matchups, but you know, if let's say they do string together three wins at Louvin, at Benfica as a stretch at Lethy, not impossible.

That's I mean they're sitting at 10 points like that's they're absolutely cooking.

They can kind of rest them as the players against, you know, a little bit little pie in the sky.

But I wouldn't I wouldn't put it past this team to, you know, put together a string like that.

I think they're they're on that level.

I think they absolutely could be.

And you know, even if you like, even if you get a draw versus Benfica, like think about what it what other teams are are going to be doing in that case.

So I think they're super live.

I like the way they look.

Like you said, they're going to play a physical style.

They're going to do some total football stuff, Dutch style.

And I, I mean, I'll pass the ball back to you.

I think this matchup versus Louvin, I think it's going to be really interesting.

Slightly sneaky candidate for match of the day for me, like I think this this one, you know, if you if you're if you're 1 to enjoy these like one nil 112232 you know, like if you if you're into those, which you know I am that that could this could be that kind of match.

I think it could kind of be be back and forth.

Louvin offensively, they're they're capable of some stuff.

I thought Sarah Bushtai, really interesting player.

You know, they, they, this is another side that's used, used to winning.

I know they, they usually kind of like come second to, to Anderlecht in their home league, But a, a, a side that, you know, they had to grow a little bit, had to kind of evolve a bunch, you know, to kind of get to this point.

And now they're kind of like, we don't want to go home.

Like I think we, we feel good.

We feel sharp.

We feel like we are on the level and that performance at pre FC going going into halftime down to nil, you don't usually see a debutant type club come back and do that, you know, like in their first, you know, 90 minutes in the tournament of all time.

Like, you know, a really, really incredible kind of monumental accomplishment.

And it does feel like we're going to see this team is not going to finish with one point.

I'll say that Lumen will not finish the league phase with one point.

I I feel pretty confident saying that.

I think they're going to get somebody else.

It wouldn't be shocked if they grab a win versus somebody just a fun team and A and a team that's not really afraid of of anybody they're lining up against.

Totally.

I'm totally with you.

I think the thing that jumped out to me, I want to make sure I get this right, is that they were fine with having way less possession against Perry FC in the second-half compared to the first half.

So they had 49% of the ball in the first half and they only had 34% of the ball in the second-half.

But they had more shots, they had more shots on target and they had bigger chances in the second-half.

And they just kind of had like this little bit of a chameleon sense to them where they're like, OK, maybe this is the best way for us to attack Perry.

FCI think they seized on Perry FC maybe getting a little LAX and kind of like, you know, being like, oh, OK, we're clearly the better team here.

And I think they're it's twofold here.

And I don't think it's, you know, disrespectful to hold both these thoughts is I don't think Perry FC is as good as they think they are.

And I think Louvin is almost as good as they think they are like, like because they they very clearly in the second-half were like, we can win this thing, let alone get it back level.

Yeah, no doubt.

I mean they're going to be a super, super fun team to watch in this match up where they're hosting, They're hosting, right?

Yeah, they're hosting Twente.

So this will be their home opener that I.

Think he could be a banger?

I think you're right.

I think Match of the Day potential, no doubt.

Yeah, I mean, let's go.

Cannot wait.

All right, like we said, we're going to break this one up into two parts.

There's still four more Thursday matchups Thursday, right?

Yeah, Thursday matchups that we're going to preview.

But hopefully you had fun rocking with us.

We took a look at the at the Wednesday 5 absolutely loaded slate.

And yeah, cannot wait, man.

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

Before we get out of this Part 1 here.

I think we've done it.

I mean, it's like we could, we just couldn't possibly in any conceivable way be more back.

And the Champions League is so great, man.

How how do you not love this?

And I will say early returns, I'm OK with how CBS and Paramount Plus has handled the broadcasts.

I mean, you know, no Chris Sharples, you're on my shit list.

Not Chris Sharples, CBS and Paramount Plus, you're on my shit list.

It like give Chris a call.

He needs to be calling some of these matches, you know, obviously his schedule permitting.

But I thought the, you know, the streaming was good.

I was watching them after the fact, but you know, the matches were available.

I could watch them, which in America it says a lot, you know, compared to some of some other stuff that we're trying to watch.

So good job CBS and Paramount.

I got some issues with a lot of other things going on over there, but it seems like he did OK this first.

Go round.

Yeah, yeah, no doubt.

I mean, you know, Cam Pope's out there.

Jackie Lee's out there.

Our guy James Durga, he's out.

He's probably out there.

Yo, yeah, we need to get James Thurgood, James Thurgood the Destroyer.

We need to get him on on more on more matches, no doubt.

Go shout out to James.

All right, man, I think we did it this one of the episode Part 1 with Into the Channel match Day 2 preview.

Thank you for rocking with us.

Thank you for hanging out.

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We've been thinking, Michael says well, Mr.

Grant angle for I mean, celebration of life.

Nobody I'd be I'd rather be celebrating life with well, maybe some some members of my family, but you're right up there, right, right.

You know, right in that second tier of the people I don't want to celebrate life with.

I appreciate you bro.

Dude, if I'm making it to the knockout phase, that's absolutely fantastic.

That's pretty much all I'm looking for.

And you know, and to Dino's point, the merch, it's it's unbelievably comfortable.

I mean, I'm basically swimming in a sea of soft down feathers wearing this beautiful ITC hooded sweatshirt.

So if you guys are into that kind of thing, please check it out on the merch store.

Thank you all for rocking with us and we will see you all for Part 2.