This week on Soccerish, Christina and Lori are joined by former USMNT striker, CBS analyst, and “Call It What You Want” podcast host Charlie Davies for a fast, honest look at a pivotal moment in American soccer.

They preview the NWSL Championship between Gotham and Washington — two very different teams with clear strengths and real questions. Can Gotham handle Washington’s physicality? Will Ann-Katrin Berger steal the spotlight again? And is Trinity Rodman healthy enough to change the match on her own?

Charlie also breaks down the USMNT’s evolving identity and why the real tests come in March against Portugal and Belgium, not in November friendlies.

And they dig into the seismic changes reshaping the domestic game:

• MLS preparing to shift to a fall–spring calendar

• USL pushing ahead with promotion and relegation

• Why these moves finally put U.S. soccer in step with the global game

Plus: the origin of Lori’s “Shut Up, Steve,” and a brief detour into her Tony Meola hair era.

Soccerish at full speed — big matches, big changes, and a national program growing up in real time.

New episodes every Thursday.

Chapters (mm:ss)

00:00 Cold open — Christina and Charlie bond over North Andover and ice cream spots

00:43 Welcome — “1-2-3 go vs 3-2-1 go” and show preview

01:32 NWSL semis — Lori on Gotham/Washington momentum and the Yellow Brick Wall

02:39 VAR chat — the razor-tight offside in Washington’s match

03:24 Gotham’s heroics — Ann-Katrin Berger’s “matrix save”

07:12 Travel panic — Christina freaks out about flights; everyone is flying into SFO

09:01 Picks — Christina leans Washington for the NWSL Championship

10:31 Gotham case — defensive strength vs. season-long inconsistency

10:56 Charlie arrives — “I finally made it to Soccerish!”

11:22 Coaching life — freezing practice, kids’ tournaments

12:11 Career intro — USMNT, Olympics, MLS clubs

14:25 Broadcasting — working with Jimmy Conrad & Tony Meola

14:57 Meola mullet lore — Lori modeled her hair after Tony

15:36 USMNT Paraguay recap — transition into Uruguay preview

16:27 Identity shift — Pochettino’s system, wide-player spacing, Balogun support

18:17 Summer 2026 — belief, injuries, and what’s needed for a run

19:25 Mentality — Charlie on the 2010 underdog mindset

20:10 Confederations Cup — Egypt win, beating Spain, belief they could win a World Cup

22:53 The belief — “We can beat the very best.”

23:11 Statement wins — why Mexico wasn’t enough

23:47 Uruguay — is it a statement win or not?

24:11 Portugal & Belgium — March matches as the real tests

25:25 Shut Up Steve — the Wake Forest backstory and what the USMNT needs

26:28 The brawl — fighting for each other as maturity

27:10 MLS shift — calendar vote and domestic impact

28:26 MLS realignment — why it finally makes sense

31:05 Weather reality — cold markets and scheduling

31:55 Right timing — MLS couldn’t do this before

32:24 Stadium economics — moving beyond NFL dependency

33:42 Fans vs cold — growth vs comfort

34:18 USL pro/rel — intent and pathways for players

36:42 Development — advice for young players and parents

38:00 Coaching kids — foundational ages 6–12

39:10 Writing — how Charlie joined The Athletic

40:20 The book — paused but coming

42:11 Topics — what he writes and why

43:05 Suggestion box — how listeners can pitch ideas

44:31 Final Q — Who wins the NWSL Championship?

45:00 Charlie’s pick — Gotham

46:18 Wrap — US vs Uruguay preview and sign-off

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Everyone wants to stop Messi. Danny Higginbotham says that’s the first mistake.

This week on Soccerish, the former Stoke City captain and current MLS Season Pass analyst joins Christina Unkel and Lori Lindsey to explain why obsessing over Messi breaks teams before kickoff — and what the real tactical challenge actually is. It’s not about stopping one genius and the game's "greatest player". It’s about denying rhythm, space, and identity to the entire team.

Danny also unpacks the myth of the “cold, rainy night in Stoke,” takes us inside Tony Pulis’s infamous training sessions, and explains why long throws and set-piece chaos are suddenly back in fashion.

Plus: what he misses most as a player, how hypnosis helped him conquer a fear of flying, and what he’s seeing in the MLS Playoffs.

It’s tactics, toughness, and a touch of therapy — Soccerish style.

00:00 Welcome — Christina introduces Danny Higginbotham, former Premier League defender & MLS analyst

02:27 Backstory — Lori recalls their delayed flight from Miami and Danny’s fear of flying

03:30 Hypnosis — how Danny beat flight anxiety and what it taught him about control

04:37 Home base — the basement games room, framed shirts & two floods

06:00 Ref chat — VAR controversy from Cincinnati vs Columbus and what analysts see differently

09:20 Pulis era — 6 a.m. bike rides, grind culture & learning to suffer for fitness

10:10 Stoke style — the long throw, set-piece chaos & why old-school weapons are back

23:45 Messi myth — “Teams try to solve the problem that is Messi… you’re wasting your time.”

25:10 Defending the unstoppable — discipline, distance & structure over fear

44:42 Game evolution — why slower tempo is bringing back box-to-box midfielders

46:20 MLS trends — set pieces, transitions & the return of the gritty team

1:08:20 Hypnosis revisited — panic, respect for anxiety & mental resilience

1:08:43 Airport habits — Christina confesses she arrives 30 minutes before take-off

1:09:22 Playoff preview — Philadelphia vs NYCFC and what to watch for

1:09:39 The joy of live sport — unpredictability and why he still loves the game

1:11:14 Final question — “Which team is the MLS Stoke City?”

1:11:30 Danny’s answer — “Philadelphia Union and Minnesota United.”

1:12:00 Wrap-up — Christina & Lori thank Danny and close with next-week’s tease

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This one hits different.

When Ann-Katrin Berger talks about signing “I love you” to her deaf sister before a match, everything stops — even Christina and Lori. The Gotham FC and Germany keeper opens up about what drives her: surviving thyroid cancer twice, staying calm when the world’s on fire, and why she listens to heartbreak songs before kick-off.

She’s, funny, self-aware, and disarmingly honest — from her tattoos to that one-handed save at the Euros that made the world gasp.

🎙 Hosts: Christina Unkel & Lori Lindsey

🏆 Guest: Ann-Katrin Berger — Gotham FC & Germany NT

New episodes of Soccerish every Thursday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and soccerishpodcast.com.

#Soccerish #AnnKatrinBerger #Goalkeeper #Germany #WomensFootball #Inspiration #SignLanguage #DeafCommunity

00:00 Cold open — signing “I love you” & the story behind it

01:03 Welcome — Christina introduces Germany & Gotham FC’s No. 1

02:11 Home base — Stuttgart, Mercedes & Porsche pride

02:52 Car chat — “Get her that dealership deal!”

03:55 Match prep — calm, music & pre-game rituals

05:08 Playoff mindset — Adele, Bieber & heartbreak songs

06:13 Euro 2025 save — “It felt like The Matrix”

08:45 Why the Euros hit different — pride, pressure & depth

09:43 Speed vs. space — adapting to NWSL tempo

11:19 Lori joins — U.S. style, youth systems & boxed potatoes

13:15 Adapting across leagues — Germany, France, England, U.S.

16:57 The modern keeper — footwork, risk & composure

18:03 Advice for young goalies — “Play out of goal as long as you can”

20:55 Positioning — stopping attacks before they start

21:36 The save revisited — instinct, defiance & disbelief

24:37 Off-field life — family, sister & sign language

25:03 Growing up together — learning to connect beyond sound

27:40 Empathy — “Who decides what’s normal?”

28:17 Teaching Christina & Lori — how to sign I love you 🤟

31:19 Cancer & courage — speaking out and helping others

35:08 Tattoos — compass, tree & “All we have is now”

38:15 Reflection — resilience, humor & life perspective

39:27 Playoff focus — facing Kansas City next

41:31 Knockout mindset — “You have to beat them anyway”

41:55 Closing — gratitude, humor & no beer in Germany

43:26 Wrap-up — Lori & Christina debrief, viral week recap

47:22 Weekend plans — playoff calls & Racing Louisville shout-out

47:37 Outro — follow, subscribe & thank-yous

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the NWSL playoff race hits its two-game sprint, we revisit Bev Yanez—head coach of Racing Louisville and the only current NWSL coach who also played in the league. Her philosophy is clear: work rate, honesty, and sustained commitment to the group. From a coaching awakening in Japan’s brain-bending rondos to a midseason reset after a 4–1 home loss, Yanez explains how those moments shaped her leadership—and why Racing now carries her identity for 90-plus minutes.

Inside the episode

• How Racing built a hard-working team identity

• Why Japan “broke” her (and made her better)

• Leading a staff of former head coaches

• Trust, growth, and ownership in the locker room

• The (hypothetical) swear jar — and what it says about authenticity

On the record: Christina Unkel makes a bold call — Bev Yanez as a future USWNT head coach. Do you agree?

Chapters (mm:ss)

00:00 Cold open — proper English weather & hello again

00:40 Welcome — Christina & Lori re-introduce Bev

02:05 Fun fact — only NWSL HC who also played

03:38 Path to coaching — visibility, licenses, Japan spark

05:51 First months as HC — what you don’t see in the chair

07:49 Identity thread — work rate from player to coach

10:17 Box-to-box — effort as a throughline

15:07 Japan — the rondo shock

23:34 Playoff push — the 4–1 reset & principles

25:31 Calling card — “we work for 90-plus minutes”

27:33 Swear jar — authenticity with a bleep

32:49 Christina’s call — USWNT future

42:50 Outro — thanks & sign-off

Watch, listen, subscribe and follow

• 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

Hosts

Christina Unkel (CBS/ITV rules analyst; FIFA referee) & Lori Lindsey (CBS/Amazon/Apple analyst; former USWNT)

Contact / bookings

[email protected] | Red Card Productions

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pablo Bayona Sapag is the founder of Club Eleven, a media company dedicated to telling the stories of American soccer—from grassroots clubs to national team stars.

In 2025, Club Eleven turned a 1998 school bus named Woody into a rolling newsroom and museum and drove it 9,000 miles across the country, chasing the U.S. Open Cup and collecting stories you won’t find in a press release.

Along the way:

• A tire blowout outside a funeral home
• A block party in Brooklyn with Tim Weah and Allen Lazard
• A USL2 final in Vermont with 5,000 fans—half outside the stadium
• A jersey handed over with flare burns still fresh
• A Bayern Munich event at Rockefeller Center
• And a reminder that soccer in the U.S. isn’t a brand—it’s a habit

Christina Unkel and Lori Lindsey dig in with Pablo on what’s growing, and what actually matters heading into World Cup year 2026. It’s grassroots over glossy. It’s the messy, funny, stubborn version of U.S. soccer you won’t get from a press release. Plus how Neil Armstrong took an Argentinean soccer club pennant to the moon.

Watch. Argue. Believe.

00:00 Cold open — rubber, debris, and the birth of a soccer bus

00:40 Welcome — Christina & Lori introduce Pablo and Club Eleven

02:05 What is Club Eleven — from match-day stories to a bus museum

05:10 The Open Cup thread — choosing a roadmap for the year

06:40 Meeting Christina — the print mag interview in Austin

08:20 Background — Peru → U.S., DC United, and starting Club Eleven

12:45 MLS, regional fandom, and missing stories

15:20 On the road — Nashville oil leak at a funeral home

18:50 Tire blowout — New England detour and making Red Bulls on time

21:40 Manhattan stop — Bayern pop-up; Icarus Cup to Vermont in a day

24:50 Vermont final — 2,500 in, 2,500 on the hill; flare-burn jersey

28:40 “America is a soccer country” — Asheville kids and optimism

33:10 The crew — five friends, one bus, 9,000 miles

35:20 Funding & vision — the “blank check” bus ideas

38:40 Naming the bus — why Woody (and the Neil Armstrong pennant)

40:10 Tally — 9,000 miles, 11 Open Cup games, 17–18 total stops

42:10 Tuesdays in the lot — Open Cup community and first-timers

44:10 Best bars — Phoenix Landing and the Premier League list

46:10 Wrap — gratitude, next plans, and sign-off

Watch & follow

• 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

Hosts

Christina Unkel (CBS/ITV rules analyst; FIFA referee) & Lori Lindsey (CBS/Amazon/Apple analyst; former USWNT).

Contact / bookings

[email protected] | Red Card Productions

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kansas City Current assistant coach Freya Coombe joins Christina Unkel and Lori Lindsey to unpack the culture, detail, and day-to-day standards behind KC’s runaway NWSL Shield season. Freya also shares the now-legendary story of the Rolling Stones concert that almost derailed an early coaching opportunity—and what that taught her about preparation and accountability. We dig into why moving from head coach to assistant changed player dynamics (“they hate me less now”), and we answer a listener’s question on soccer’s “mysterious numbers”: what a 6/8/9/10 actually do, with KC examples.

What you’ll hear

• KC Current’s blueprint: culture > clarity > ruthless game management
• “Standards don’t sleep”: work, don’t whine—and double down after you win
• The assistant’s lens: relationships, selection pressure, and set-piece/defensive detail
• Positions explainer: clear, simple breakdown of 6 / 8 / 9 / 10 (no jargon)

Chapters (mm:ss)

00:00 Cold open — Stones night, dawn flight, and a first-impression test

02:00 Stakes — KC’s Shield in September; why this season is different

05:20 Origin beat — the MetLife concert story and what it changed

10:10 Why KC win — standards, rotation, and game-state control

17:10 Inside the staff — defensive detail under Vlatko; clean-sheet mentality

19:30 “They hate me less now” — assistant vs. head coach dynamics

33:20 Culture rules — train like champs; work, don’t whine

36:57 After the Shield — “now is when we double down”

41:40 Listener letter — what a 6/8/9/10 actually do (KC examples)

47:50 Wrap — playoff look-ahead + where to find more

Guest

Freya Coombe — Assistant Coach, Kansas City Current; former head coach at Gotham FC (Sky Blue) and Angel City FC.

Watch & follow

• 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

Hosts

Christina Unkel (CBS/ITV rules analyst; FIFA referee) & Lori Lindsey (CBS/Amazon/Apple analyst; former USWNT).

Contact / bookings

[email protected] | Red Card Productions

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sam Coffey joins Soccerish in the thick of the NWSL playoff race to talk pressure, parity, and her past life as a barista. With Lori Lindsey and Christina Unkel, she gets into how to thrive in perhaps the most competitive league in sports: ignore the playoff math, win the day in front of you, and embrace a league where “you lose one game, you’re in 12th.”

What’s inside

• Servant leadership, not ego. Set others up to win; power to do, not power over.
• Unsung heroes. From Willie (Thorns) to Sophie (USWNT): equipment managers, comms, ops, medical—the backbone. Give them their flowers.
• The Emma Hayes effect. Intentionality, women’s health, purpose → performance.
• Parity without panic. Stop doom-scrolling the table; be great today.
• New episodes every Thursday with Christina Unkel & Lori Lindsey.

⏱️ Episode 6 – Sam Coffey | Timecodes

00:00 – Cold open: chaos, tradition vs. “our way” 🎙️

00:48 – Christina + Lori introduce Sam Coffey; pressure of club & country ⚽️

01:25 – Sam arrives (traffic!); first impressions and podcast format 🚦

02:15 – Growing up in a sportswriting family; dinner-table sports talk 📰

04:20 – Family still sports-obsessed; Portland visit stories 🌲

05:30 – Mom’s tennis background; Yankees loyalty 🎾

06:12 – Why Coffey majored in journalism; her sister’s feature writing ✍️

08:28 – “Coffey’s Corner” idea → storytelling beyond soccer 💡

10:36 – Unsung heroes: equipment managers, support staff, behind-the-scenes impact 🧰

12:53 – Gratitude for staff at club and USWNT; “they run the team” 🙌

14:38 – Coffey on leadership style → servant leadership, setting others up 🌟

18:29 – Christina reframes: “It’s power to do something” 🔋

19:05 – Emma Hayes’ influence: female lens, menstrual cycle research, joy in play 🇺🇸

21:40 – Biggest changes in USWNT environment: clarity, intentionality, unity 🧭

24:35 – Barista in camp? Yes → professionalism and comfort ☕️

27:09 – Why details (like coffee!) matter when you play 11 months/year 🔄

28:10 – Pressure of playing while also “building the movement” 🏗️

29:19 – Life after soccer; financial + emotional pressure 💰

30:12 – NWSL playoff race: tight table, mindset of one day at a time 🗓️

33:44 – “Whoever picked us last doesn’t get Portland culture” 🌲

34:27 – Dream guest question: Sam chooses Mikel Arteta (and Declan Rice shoutout) 🔴⚪️

37:15 – Lori’s pick: Megan Rapinoe in a “Gary Neville walk & talk” 🚶‍♀️

37:59 – Wrapping up: NWSL parity, Gotham match preview 🆚

38:32 – Outro: follow Soccerish on YouTube + socials 🔗

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christina Unkel and Lori Lindsey sit down with Shaw Brown. He’s the person who decides what gets elevated, corrected, or cut—what to zoom in on and what to leave on the floor. Here's the conversation headlines and talking points.

• USWNT, no spin: Why he believes they’re the world’s best team—and where the goals come from next.
• USMNT reality check: Will the team be World Cup ready? What it takes to light up casual fans (hint: reaching the knockout rounds), plus Shaw’s “perfect World Cup” recipe.
• Ref-cam debate: Cool POV vs clunky hardware—why it helps the fan.
• Naomi Girma: Why he calls her the world’s best defender.
• When you’re wrong on air: Fix it next show. Simple as that.
• Breaking into TV: Work,and coachability, plus the 15-second test that launched Christina's TV career.
• Classic Soccerish chaos: CBS calls mid-record; Lori takes the wheel; Christina pops back in like nothing happened.

If you care about the USWNT/USMNT—and want an insider’s take and how TV frames the game—this one’s for you.

00:00 – Cold open: Champions League day chaos; Christina sets the tone ⚽️

00:37 – Shaw: “I would be shocked if they did not win the ’27 World Cup.” 🇺🇸

01:02 – Lori: “I want to do Champions League games… I need to get in touch with somebody in Europe.” ✨

01:59 – Christina: “I love that you’re eating something. What is it that you’re eating?”

02:07 – Lori: “I’m eating tuna… was engulfed in Champions League… let’s eat some tuna.” 🐟

02:22 – “Is it okay? How do you eat tuna?” → mayo + mustard + “everything”

03:02 – Microwave fish & boxed mash confession 🤢

04:23 – Spaghetti with sour cream (and black beans) — childhood favorite → adult regret

05:23 – “Friend… would eat raw ground beef with salt & pepper.”

06:04 – Christina: “By any chance do you see the guest, Lori?”

06:10 – “Who let this guy in?” → Shaw arrives; “legendary” entrance 🙌

08:09 – “You’re going to have to jump in, Lori…” → Lori takes the wheel while Christina handles CBS 🎛️

09:36 – USWNT under Emma Hayes: depth, direction, expectations

10:18 – “Start seeing real squads… blowing some teams up pretty quickly.”

12:43 – Shaw’s origin story: Ipswich to internships to World Cups 🌍

16:24 – “There’s never been depth like this” (USWNT)

18:48 – Naomi Girma praise + repeat: “I’d be shocked if they did not win the ’27 World Cup.” 🛡️

20:36 – Why U.S. players in Europe matters (keepers, CBs, attackers)

23:56 – USMNT state: roster churn, friendlies vs Ecuador, Australia, Paraguay, Uruguay

26:44 – Christina returns: Real Madrid handball — “It’s not the bracing arm.” 🖐️

32:00 – If you’re wrong on air, fix it next show; “the goal is to be correct.” ✅

34:18 – World Cup résumé: seven men’s, seven women’s

35:37 – Keeping 2026 momentum in the U.S.

36:36 – World Cup “recipe”: USMNT knockouts + a Cinderella + Messi’s last run; ticketing gripe 🎟️

41:12 – Stars sell; MLS = weekly chaos and fun (not always “the best,” always entertaining)

45:39 – Ref-cam: “monstrous” vs why Shaw still likes the POV 🎥

47:57 – Breaking into TV: reps, coachability, honest feedback; Christina’s 15-second test

51:26 – Sign-off: gratitude, “pushing the envelope,” see you next week 👋

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Soccerish, Christina Unkel and Lori Lindsey are joined by Susannah Collins.

• Kickback & Career: Susannah takes us inside the launch of Kickback Soccer Media, her time at MLS and CBS, and what it’s like living the USL League One “WAG life” while her husband coaches.
• Breaking News Hits: Mid-recording, the Suárez MLS suspension drops. Susannah reacts, sparking a debate on whether MLS needs villains and why Zlatan was the “good” kind.
• Life Beyond Soccer: Susannah opens up about her breast cancer diagnosis, why she chose to share it publicly, and the support she’s found in the soccer community.
• Scoreline Chaos: The crew close with predictions for the USMNT vs Japan—none of which aged well—before Christina’s power cuts out and Lori wraps the show solo.

It’s Soccerish at its best: human, sharp, funny, unflinching, and unfiltered

.⏱️ Time-Coded Highlights

00:00 – Cold open: Would you rather be punched in the face or spit on? 🤔

00:53 – Christina introduces surprise guest Susannah Collins 🎙️

02:26 – Kickback Soccer Media: why Susannah launched it ahead of 2026

05:03 – From CBS mornings to Kickback nights: life after 4 a.m. alarms

09:19 – The Call Up origins: hotel-bar conversations that became a podcast 🍸

13:26 – Breaking news: Luis Suárez suspended mid-recording

14:55 – Susannah on villains in MLS: “I’d rather be punched than spat on” 🥊

21:12 – Zlatan vs Suárez: what makes a good villain

23:17 – Susannah’s path into soccer media (and a DM that changed everything)

26:45 – Life in USL League One: Susannah on being a “WAG” and her husband’s red card 🚩

29:20 – Susannah shares her breast cancer diagnosis and why she went public ❤️

36:31 – The power of community: how soccer rallied around her

38:55 – Shaving her head: family support, laughter, and hidden gray hair ✂️😳

40:21 – The wig reality: “Good Lord, they’re expensive” 💸

40:55 – Charlie Davies’ advice: “Don’t let cancer win” 💪

42:25 – Christina on wanting Storm’s white hair ⚡

43:04 – Susannah: “Lori Lindsey’s my hair inspiration” ✨

43:29 – USMNT vs Japan predictions (none of which aged well) 🇯🇵🇺🇸

45:36 – Christina’s power cut → Lori closes the show solo ⚡

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.