Into the Channel ⚽️ A Podcast Primarily About Women's Football

"Beef" has been a popular topic of conversation the past few weeks.

While we won't get into the dynamics of the current rap beef that's consuming social media, we scribbled in our notepads and put together the latest edition of the NWSL tiers.

We placed all 14 teams on tiers based on their current vibes, the way they played this last week, the way they've played over the course of the first few weeks, and more!

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:

X/Twitter: @itc_pod 

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@intothechannelpod

Hello, friends.

The USWNT won the SheBelieves Cup with victories over Japan and Canada. We talked about our beloved 4-2-3-1 formation, the terrifying sight of a potential Naomi Girma injury (she is day-to-day, based on the last report), the Shaw-Horan combo in midfield, and many other things from those two matches. Make room in the trophy case, USWNT.

After that, we worked together to build an Olympic roster the only way two bros who love traditional sports media can: DRAFT STYLE.

We took turns picking players to build the team, and on a tight roster of 16 non-goalkeeper spots, tough decisions had to be made.

Later, we discussed the 2025 Women's Euro qualifiers, where 28 teams compete to be part of the 16-team tournament. We talked a little about Norway (of course), and then we covered what we saw in the Sweden-France match that featured a couple of red cards and a Wendie Renard goal.

Finally, we discussed the Super Falcons of Nigeria and the Copper Queens of Zambia qualifying for the Olympics and filling out a phenomenal pool of teams in the Summer Games.

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:

X/Twitter: @itc_pod 

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@intothechannelpod

The NWSL table is easy to find. You can go to the NWSL's website. You can go to our pals at FotMob (online or the mobile app). Or you can visit our other friends at FBRef.

But sometimes football fans need a little more info, and that's why we created the ITC NWSL Tiers (the official name is a work-in-progress).

In this episode, Dino and Grant place all 14 clubs across five tiers, with the goal of factoring in current form, potential future form, vibes, and other characteristics to create an accurate depiction of where each team is in this young season.

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:

X/Twitter: @itc_pod 

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@intothechannelpod

The quarterfinals of the UEFA Women's Champions League is complete, and while we're excited to watch four incredible clubs compete in the semifinals, we spend a good chunk of this episode memorializing the four incredible clubs who've been eliminated.

We start, where else, in Bergen, Norway. We honor the club and the Brann Battalion, but please remember, this isn't "goodbye;" it's merely a "see ya later."

Then, we discuss Ajax's elimination after a 1-1 draw in London. With a combination of young players and a historic club, we know we'll be seeing them again soon.

Benfica, Benfica, Benfica -- you brought us such joy. From Kika Magic to incredible neck tattoos, to hard-nosed defense, we're looking forward to watching this squad continue to progress.

Speaking of hard-nosed defense, we spent some time discussing BK Häcken's incredible back line and goalkeeper Jennifer Falk. From the great atmosphere in Gothenburg, to the pair of dynamic 20-year-old attackers, this squad is setup for long-term success.

We also sprinkled in talk about the upcoming slugfests between Barcelona-Chelsea and Lyon-PSG. Stay tuned, as we'll have a full, proper preview of the semifinals before those kickoff.

Lastly, we head Into the News to talk about the devastating news of Midge Purce's ACL injury. Get well soon, Midge. We got your back!

We then transitioned into discussing the roster for the SheBelieves Cup, which includes ITC-favorite Lily Yohannes. (Remember, the SBC is not a FIFA-sanctioned tournament, so Yohannes playing in these matches doesn't mean she's officially a USWNT player -- but it's still GREAT.)

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:

X/Twitter: @itc_pod 

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@intothechannelpod

We saw another wild week in the NWSL, as the "Chaos League" marches on in this young season. In this episode, we cover:

- Chicago Red Stars reach the top of the table with a win over the Seattle Reign

- Orlando Pride find a draw vs. Angel City on the strength of Marta's left boot

- KC Current are level on points with Chicago after another win and impressive showing from Temwa Chawinga

After that, we dive into El Clásico, where Caroline Graham Hansen put on a dominant performance en route to a 3-0 victory for Barcelona over Real Madrid.

Finally, we go Into the News, where we cover:

- Manchester City beats Manchester United

- NWSL - Liga MX Femenil announce the Summer Cup

- Seattle's Reign's sale is nearly complete

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:

X/Twitter: @itc_pod 

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@intothechannelpod

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.

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:

X/Twitter: @itc_pod 

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@intothechannelpod

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.

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:

X/Twitter: @itc_pod 

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@intothechannelpod

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.

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:

X/Twitter: @itc_pod 

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@intothechannelpod

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!

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:

X/Twitter: @itc_pod 

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@intothechannelpod

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.

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:

X/Twitter: @itc_pod 

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@intothechannelpod