The first leg of the UEFA Women's Champions League Quarterfinals is in the books, and they were a magical group of fixtures.

We start, where else, in Bergen, Norway -- where SK Brann gave everything they had in a 2-1 loss to the most talented side in the world: Barcelona. We dive deep into this one, covering the brave effort from Aurora Mikalsen, the toughness of Karoline Haughland (The Terminator), Signe Gaupset, and of course, Cecilie Redisch Kvamme.

After that, we talk about Chelsea's convincing 3-0 victory over Ajax in Amsterdam, and how a couple of bounces could have sent this match in a different direction.

Next, we head to Lisbon to talk about Benfica's heartbreaking, valiant effort vs. Lyon. There's no wondering about this match: There was definitely a key moment that could have changed the result.

Finally, we talk about the styles-make-fightsiest matchup of the QF, and we make a stop in frosty Gothenburg, Sweden to discuss PSG's hard-fought 2-1 victory over BK Häcken.

Before we end the show, we take a swing at which underdog has the best chance at overcoming their deficit and advancing to the Semifinal.

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What else can we say? The UEFA WOMEN'S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE IS BACK.

Dino and Grant talk about all the matchups ahead of the games, and give some thought into how the matches might play out. We got into:

- Ajax vs. Chelsea

- Benfica vs. Lyon

- BK Häcken vs. PSG

- SK Brann vs. Barcelona (a very calm and neutral preview)

Around the 45:45 mark, we switch gears and talk about what jumped out at us from the NWSL opening weekend, with a primary focus on Grant's attendance at Seattle Reign's 1-0 victory over the Washington Spirit.

There is so much great football in the world. Please hit us up and share what's happening in your neck of the woods, and don't be shy about letting us know if we got something wrong about your local club.

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Friend of the program Cam Pope, the freelance broadcast journalist who's done excellent work calling the UEFA Women's Champions League for DAZN, returned to the show to chat about Brann-Barcelona.

But before that, we took a brief detour to ask Cam about his work at Manchester United TV, where he was on the call for Sunday's epic (men's) FA Cup Quarterfinal at Old Trafford between United and Liverpool. (If you didn't see what happened, do yourself a favor and find the replay or the highlights.)

With that out of the way, Cam gave us great insight into how Barcelona is coping with a series of injuries, how the squad is still finding a way to put up 7-goal performances, and what they're doing to patch together a defense with all-world defender Mapi Leon sidelined with her knee injury.

Then we get into the good stuff: Dino and Grant let their Brann colors show and try to ask Cam leading questions about how Brann can win. (He's too good of a professional to take us seriously, but he still provided great info.)

We discussed what jumped out to him in his early scouting of Brann and the Brann Battalion, Signe Gaupset's poise and power for a young player, and why Marit Lund is a player to watch vs. Barcelona.

Please make sure you give Cam a follow on twitter (@campopesport), and keep an eye out for his work.

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Into the Channel will continue to stay LOCKED IN on the UEFA Women's Champions League, but you know your boys can't get enough football, so we're talking about the upcoming NWSL season in this episode.

With Dino in Orlando and Grant in Seattle, we now consider ourselves the world's premier Orlando Pride/Seattle Reign podcast. We start with our hometown clubs, then we talk a little about every other club in this incredible league.

If we overlooked something major, or if there's something sneaky you think we should watch on your favorite club, leave us a review, leave us a comment (do people comment on shows on Spotify?), and put us on game.

0:00 - Intro

2:45 - Seattle Reign FC

8:55 - Orlando Pride SC

14:05 - Gotham FC

16:55 - San Diego Wave FC

20:25 - Portland Thorns FC

24:05 - Kansas City Current

26:00 - Washington Spirit

30:05 - North Carolina Courage

33:25 Houston Dash

36:20 - Utah Royals FC

38:20 - Shout to Chris from soccerdossier.com

39:40 - Chicago Red Stars

44:30 - Angel City FC

48:30 - Bay FC

52:40 - Racing Louisville FC

55:10 - NWSL Shield; NWSL Final; NWSL Champion predictions!

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Lindsey Horan scored the winner as the USWNT managed to stifle Brazil's talented attack en route to winning the first-ever CONCACAF W Gold Cup.

In this recap, we discuss the great contributions from players on nearly every part of the pitch, including the ironclad defensive duo of Naomi Girma and Tierna Davidson; holding midfielder extraordinaire Sam Coffey; and total footballer Trinity Rodman.

We make sure to credit the incredibly talented Brazilian squad, including Duda Sampaio and her free kick attempt that Arthur Elias definitely thought was a goal; Gabi Nunes' speed and decisiveness; and Gabi Portilho's ability to create pressure on defenders.

To finish the show, we take a look ahead at what's next for the USWNT and how winning this trophy could propel them back to the top of the women's game.

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USWNT is going to face Brazil in the CONCACAF W Gold Cup Final.

USWNT defeated Canada in dangerous conditions, but we try not to harp too much on the obvious stupidity of playing football on an unplayable pitch.

Brazil defeated Mexico in a match where they looked like the better team, but a (semi-questionable?) red card colored some's view of the match.

And even with those caveats, football is great, and everyone should love it.

We then preview what USWNT-Brazil could look like and whether or not we'd start the final with a group of younger players or vets.

After that (around 51:00), we go "Into the News" to discuss:

- UEFA's outrageous fine of SK Brann for a fan chant

- Ajax defeats FC Twente 3-0 in league play

- Kika Nazareth is a wizard

- Barbra Banda signs with Orlando Pride: Dino rejoices

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We kickoff this episode by discussing USWNT's promising 3-0 victory over Colombia. There was some great skill, some wild shithousery, good subs, and maybe some not-so-good game-planning.

After that, we talk about Brazil's 5-1 drubbing of Argentina and why that rivalry match looked so one-sided.

Then we talk about Mexico-Paraguay, where Mexico was in control, then it was slightly in doubt, then they were back in control, then it was in doubt again, and then... yeah, you get the picture. We also discussed why Lizbeth Ovalle is a certified STAR and generally continued singing the praises of Mexico. (Lots of love for Paraguay, too!)

We wrapped the quarterfinal recap by discussing the rockfight between Canada and Costa Rica, and talked about what we expect to see when USWNT battles its neighbors to the north.

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Spain took home the UEFA Women's Nations League title with a 2-0 victory over France with a dominant defensive performance.

Dino and Grant talk about how Spain didn't allow any of France's world-class attackers to get going, then marvel at the sheer volume of battle-tested players younger than 25 La Roja have on its roster.

It wouldn't be an episode of ITC without a good hypothetical, so Dino challenged Grant to come up with a World 11 that could beat Spain.

After that, we discuss Germany notching a win over the Netherlands in the UWNL third-place match to secure a spot in the 2024 Olympics.

Germany isn't lacking young talent themselves, so the hosts talk about the difficult proposition it will be to win the Euros and just compete on that side of the pond in national team play.

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Mexico scored a decisive 2-0 victory over the USWNT on Monday in the CONCACAF W Gold Cup.

But was it poor form, bad strategy, or the wrong 11 for the stars and stripes? Or how about some other options: Was Mexico just as physical and prepared? Does La Tri just have excellent players who showcased their skill in a huge spot?

We tackle those questions and send our apologies (in two languages) to Mexico for overlooking them.

After that, we chat about USA drawing Linda Caicedo, Catalina Usme, and a solid Colombia side in the Quarterfinals.

Will the boys dare to put their faith in the USWNT again?

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The US Women's National Team looked great against Argentina!

***Editorial note: This episode was recorded after the USWNT beat Argentina 4-0, but before the USA lost 2-0 to Mexico. We'll be talking about USA-Mexico on the next episode***

In this episode, we talk about Jaedyn Shaw's incredible performance and USWNT's willingness to try different combinations of players on the pitch. Surely that will be a strength throughout this tournament!

Dino and Grant then move on to discuss Spain's continued run of dominance and wonder aloud if this team is primed to go on a "generational run."

Lastly, the boys discuss the possibility of France upending Spain's potential generational run after the French beat Germany in a match the Germans absolutely had to have.

Subscribe now to catch all of our women's football talk, including our ongoing 2023-24 UEFA Women's Champions League #UWCL coverage. 

Check us out:

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YouTube: www.youtube.com/@intothechannelpod