Seattle Reign head coach Laura Harvey joins Soccerish to talk about leadership, burnout, and the boldest tactical experiment in the NWSL: asking ChatGPT what formation to play—then actually using it.

Hosts Christina Unkel and Lori Lindsey draw out Harvey’s trademark mix of honesty and humor: therapy sessions, karaoke misfires, and even enduring The Summer I Turned Pretty just to bond with her Gen Z squad.

This is Laura Harvey unfiltered—funny, reflective, and redefining what modern coaching looks like.

Highlights include:

• 🧠 “I asked ChatGPT what formation to play… and it worked.”
• 💬 Authenticity, leadership, and therapy off the field
• 🎤 Karaoke choices and TikTok dances
• 🍿 “I want my time back.” — on The Summer I Turned Pretty
• ⚔️ Why the Portland–Seattle rivalry is the real deal
• 🕳️ The viral “ghost goal” and lessons in honesty

00:00 Cold open — delayed flights, MLS playoffs & chaos

01:03 Karaoke talk — Adele, Bieber & mic control

02:28 Rolling start — “Wait, are we actually recording?”

02:45 Welcome — Christina & Lori re-introduce Laura Harvey

03:45 Season grind — 12 straight weeks, coast-to-coast travel

05:15 Performance fatigue — introverts in an extrovert job

06:36 Self-care shift — therapy, leadership coaching, boundaries

09:45 Authenticity — “Be you, or players see through it”

13:34 Coaching advice — women, authority & finding your people

16:34 Generation gap — The Summer I Turned Pretty & evolving

18:09 Tactics — ChatGPT formation experiment (and it worked)

21:47 Deception by design — unpredictable systems & open coaching

24:30 Future of NWSL — expansion, youth movement & loyalty

27:02 Team identity — shifting focus from stars to clubs

28:46 Rivalries — Portland-Seattle, “true hatred with respect”

31:44 Outro — laughter, joy & “best job in the world”

32:19 Post-interview — rivalries, storylines & club culture

36:54 U.S. rivalries — geography, coaching personalities & fan energy

37:17 Ghost Goal clip — Doxa FCW vs. Lansdowne Yonkers

38:37 Law 5 debate — no VAR, no replay, pure chaos

40:33 Ethics — should players admit it wasn’t a goal?

41:25 Ref accountability — zip ties, field checks & fairness

47:55 U.S. bid — Women’s World Cup 2031 & CONCACAF vision

49:09 Summer of Soccer — the U.S. decade ahead

50:24 Wrap — gratitude, growth & watch on YouTube

• All episodes on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@SoccerishPodcast

• Show notes & clips (Substack) → https://www.soccerishpodcast.com/

• Shorts playlist → https://www.youtube.com/@SoccerishPodcast/shorts

• IG/TikTok/YouTube → @SoccerishPodcast

• Audio podcast → https://pod.link/1786871720

Christina Unkel (CBS/ITV rules analyst; FIFA referee) &

Lori Lindsey (CBS/Amazon/Apple analyst; former USWNT)

📧 [email protected]

🎬 Red Card Productions

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