AFC Toronto and Canadian National Team forward Kaylee Hunter sits down to discuss life in the Northern Super League!

The clinical attacker and rising star joins the podcast, in a special episode being released just days before Team Canada and her first match at the U-20 Women's World Cup, to share insider insights on AFC Toronto's 2026 season and the Canadian National Team ahead of the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

She shares what it meant to earn her first senior international cap, her experience debuting against Argentina at the SheBelieves Cup, what representing that badge meant to her personally, and how those milestones shape her perspective as she guides Canada into the 2027 cycle.

Kaylee also talks about her iconic 2025 rookie season where she garnered league-wide recognition after scoring 14 remarkable goals and placed second in the Northern Super League golden boot race! She takes us into the attacker's mindset behind her personal "bad day, go play soccer" mantra, the role of compartmentalizing pressure as a teenager thrust into a core role at a brand-new club, and the unique attributes that make an elite forward so devastating on the pitch.

Kaylee shares why the Northern Super League project and making the move to AFC Toronto for her first professional club was appealing to her, how the chance to help set a historic club culture factored into her decision, and how she evaluated her future options before inking a massive new contract extension through 2027 with a 2028 club option.

Lastly, she shares how she reflects on the high-pressure 2025 NSL final against Vancouver Rise, her advice to her younger self on handling outside noise, what it means to have the opportunity to play professional club football and begin her professional career at home in Canada after years of players advocating for a league the NSL, her vision board for her short and long-term career goals, and so much more!

This is the second part of our three-part series in collaboration with AFC Toronto! Listen to part one with AFC + Nigerian international forward Esther Okoronkwo here and part two with AFC + Canadian international goalkeeper Sabrina D'Angelo here.

Thank you all for listening! Remember to follow us wherever you get your podcasts, on Instagram (@the_womens_soccer_podcast) and Bluesky (@thewomenssoccerpod.bsky.social). In addition, leave a 5-star review and tell all your friends about our show!

Linköping FC head coach Charlie Mitchell sits down to discuss his path to the touchline and dominating the tactics board!

In this exclusive feature, head coach Charlie Mitchell joins the show to detail his data-driven model for long-term player development and building a sustainable culture. Recorded just prior to his departure from Sweden for personal family reasons, this conversation offers a comprehensive look at his footballing philosophy and tactical vision.

. He shares what it meant to transition from elite, analytics-centered roles, like serving as the Head of Analysis for the Wales National Team and Performance Analyst for Trinidad & Tobago, to being the man in charge of making final structural decisions on the touchline, and what it took to trust his coaching intuition over raw data in high-pressure moments!

Charlie also talks about his foundational coaching career at Bristol City, cultivating elite player development with the Women's U-21 team, and his seamless transition into the pros where he took over Sweden's historic powerhouse following a shocking relegation!

He takes us into the locker room to share the mindset shift he made when joining the Elitettan, the vital steps he and his staff implemented to address the club's 2025 drop, and how he managed the outside media noise as the youngest head coach in the league!

Charlie shares why the Linköping FC project and the challenge of the league was so intriguing to him, the logistics behind a massive squad overhaul featuring 16 player departures and only 5 returning veterans, and some of his favorite behind-the-scenes moments collaborating to build this brand-new roster from scratch!

Lastly, he shares what excited him about Linköping FC throughout their stellar 2026 campaign, what it took to lead a team under strict first-place-or-failure fan expectations, his long and short term career goals, and so much more!

Thank you all for listening! Remember to follow us wherever you get your podcasts, on Instagram (@the_womens_soccer_podcast) and Bluesky (@thewomenssoccerpod.bsky.social). In addition, leave a 5-star review and tell all your friends about our show!

This is the second part of our three-part series in collaboration with Linköping FC! Listen to part one with Linköping + Swedish international legend Jonna Andersson here!

San Diego Wave FC midfielder Lia Godfrey sits down to discuss her path to the NWSL and dominating the NWSL!

Four-time All-American and lethal midfield dynamo Lia Godfrey joins the podcast to share insider insights on her explosive breakout season with the San Diego Wave and making history on the global stage.

She shares what it meant to receive her historic first call-up to a U.S. Youth National Team at just 14 years old, making global headlines as the youngest player in USWNT youth national team history to suit up for a youth team World Cup, and what she took from that and her other national team experiences to college and as she joined the professional ranks!

Lia also talks about her legendary collegiate career at Virginia, dominating the ACC for six seasons, and her seamless transition into the pros where she locked down NWSL Rookie of the Month honors after scoring three jaw-dropping goals in her first four professional matches, all in the span of one week!

She takes us into the locker room to share the mindset shift she's made since joining the NWSL, the words of encouragement manager Jonas Eidevall told her, and she shares how her immediate game-winning impact ranks for her personally in her career (it is quite high on the list!) Lia shares why the San Diego Wave FC project and the growth of the NWSL as a whole was intriguing to her, the transition from college (and being an East Coast. person) to living on the West Coast, and why she loves playing in front of the Wave faithful at Snapdragon Stadium!

Lastly, she shares what excites her about this current San Diego group as they continue their stellar 2026 campaign, what she believes it will take for the team to achieve its goals this season, her long and short term goals, and so much more!

Thank you all for listening! Remember to follow us wherever you get your podcasts, on Instagram (@the_womens_soccer_podcast) and Bluesky (@thewomenssoccerpod.bsky.social). In addition, leave a 5-star review and tell all your friends about our show!

Should FIFA mandate NWSL player releases for the youth World Cup tournaments? Why is this current system of informal negotiation over player release so detrimental for all parties involved? Is it possible to create a system that doesn't hurt players, coaches, club and national teams?

In this episode, LDG tries to answer those questions that he has been pondering since the US women's national team dropped their U-20 World Cup roster, with a lot of recognizable names, but with some of the biggest names in the age group and talking points being those who were left off the roster entirely.

He breaks down why the growing tug-of-war between club obligations and international development is creating a massive structural gap across women's football. LDG gets at the Youth World Cup release rules for clubs, what power the clubs hold in discussion and how these discussions are the byproduct and cost of the packed football calendar.

He walks through the contrasting realities first: on the U.S. side, the 21 USWNT U-20 World Cup roster spots lack the plethora of skilled, eligible NWSL talent, with Claire Hutton, Lily Yohannes, Melanie Barcenas, Jordyn Bugg and Kimmi Ascanio all left off the squad due to their clubs not releasing them.

LDG examines why several U20 players were left out of the US roster, and why the issue is bigger than one tournament. The discussion connects youth development, NWSL club leverage, FIFA release rules, and the growing tension between club and country as the game keeps expanding, and he discusses how Emma Hayes, US Soccer, and clubs all have competing incentives, why youth tournaments are different from senior international windows, and why the player is the one who often loses out when calendars collide.

He contrasts that directly with the England side, where North Carolina Courage teammates Erica Meg Parkinson and Lauryn Thompson secured a partial-release compromise to stay with the Courage and miss the Lionesses' prep camp but play in the actual tournament, showing how collaboration is possible.

He argues that this same league producing two completely different outcomes within weeks of each other is proof of a system currently running on informal negotiation rather than enforceable rules.

From there, LDG gets into the policy routes to fix this chaos, dissecting Emma Hayes's ask for the youth World Cups to be included in the overall FIFA calendar that includes the senior competitions and implement all-encompassing mandates on player release, unilateral NWSL CBA adjustments, and the realistic necessity of a FIFA-backed insurance load-management backstop. He also doesn't shy away from the flaws in each path, showing how a domestic-only rule leaves European-based Americans untouched and fails to address the strongest club objections.

He ends by proposing what he believes is the best solution to this dilemma.

Thank you all for listening! Remember to follow us wherever you get your podcasts, on Instagram (@the_womens_soccer_podcast) and Bluesky (@thewomenssoccerpod.bsky.social). In addition, leave a 5-star review and tell all your friends about our show!

Werder Bremen and German national team striker Lena Petermann sit down to discuss life in the Frauen-Bundesliga!

Frauen-Bundesliga star and elite finisher Lena Petermann joins the podcast to share insider insights on SV Werder Bremen's current season and her extensive career across Europe and North America. She shares what it meant to receive her first senior call-up to the German women's national team, her experience playing at her first-ever senior World Cup in 2015, what she took from those international tournaments as she returned to Germany last season, and so much more!

Lena also talks about the iconic U-20 World Cup final that Germany had in 2014, as she scored the dramatic tournament-winning goal in extra time against Nigeria to capture the trophy! She takes us back to that monumental tournament to share the mindset shift that happened as her career trajectory altered in real-time, and she shared how that specific goal and championship rank for her personally in her career!

Lena shares why the SV Werder Bremen project and the vastly improved Frauen-Bundesliga infrastructure as a whole was intriguing to her, her decision to return to German soil after a five-year stint playing in France and England, and why she loves the internal setup and philosophy at Werder! Lastly, she shares what excites her about advising the younger generation of German players on the NCAA college route, the state of the club as they look toward the future, what she believes it takes to build a lasting culture in the locker room, what making those historic World Cup rosters meant to her, her long and short term goals, and so much more!

Thank you all for listening! Remember to follow us wherever you get your podcasts, on Instagram (@the_womens_soccer_podcast) and Bluesky (@thewomenssoccerpod.bsky.social). In addition, leave a 5-star review and tell all your friends about our show!

Sweden women's national football team legend and Linköping FC star Jonna Andersson sits down to discuss her historic professional soccer career!

Olympic medalist (with 2 silver medals) and world-class left back Jonna Andersson joins the podcast to share insider insights on her journey from Mjölby to the global stage and her long-term vision for women's soccer in Sweden.

She shares what it meant to receive her first senior call up to the Swedish national team, her experience playing across multiple FIFA Women's World Cups and Olympic Games tournaments, what she took from training under Emma Hayes at Chelsea FC Women, and so much more!

Jonna also talks about her unforgettable club debut in England's Women's Super League during a tense London Derby against Arsenal, where her renowned crossing abilities immediately forced an own goal to seal a dramatic 3-2 victory for Chelsea!

She takes us into the locker room to share how top female athletes channel the intense pressure of elite international competition, the mental health advice she would give to her younger self, and how she stayed resilient early in her career when her path to becoming an undisputed starter in the Damallsvenskan wasn't linear.

Jonna shares why the Chelsea football project was initially so appealing, her emotional return to Swedish club football with Hammarby and Linköping, and her recent decision to show incredible loyalty by extending her contract through 2030 to lead her home club through a rebuilding phase following their relegation.

Lastly, she shares what her football legacy means to her following her early 2026 retirement from international soccer with 112 caps, her transition into coaching after earning her UEFA B license, her long and short term career goals, and so much more!

Thank you all for listening! Remember to follow us wherever you get your podcasts, on Instagram (@the_womens_soccer_podcast) and Bluesky (@thewomenssoccerpod.bsky.social). In addition, leave a 5-star review and tell all your friends about our show!

AFC Toronto and Canadian National Team goalkeeper Sabrina D'Angelo sits down to discuss life in the Northern Super League!

Olympic Medalist and fearless shot-stopper joins the podcast ahead her first match in the U-20 Women's World Cup to share insider insights on AFC Toronto's 2026 season and the Canadian National Team ahead of the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

She shares what it meant to earn her first international cap, her experience winning a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, what standing on that podium meant to her personally, and where that accomplishment ranks among her career milestones as she guides Canada into the 2027 cycle with her seniority and leadership.

Sabrina also talks about the iconic 2016 NWSL Championship final where she won Finals MVP with the Western New York Flash after making three massive penalty saves in the shootout! She takes us into the goalkeeper's mindset ahead of each kick, the role of preparation and scouting the opposition's top shooters, and the unique attributes that make a top goalkeeper so incredible at stopping penalties.

Sabrina shares why the Arsenal project and making the move to the WSL from Sweden's Damallsvenskan was appealing to her, how the chance to compete in the Champions League factored into her decision, and how she maintained her confidence through major career obstacles, including playing through a broken wrist for the Flash and bouncing back from a devastating 2020 ACL tear.

Lastly, she shares how she reflects on the high-pressure 2024 Paris Olympics, her advice to her younger self on handling outside noise, what it means to finally play club football at home in Canada after years of national team advocacy for the NSL, her vision board for her short and long-term career goals, and so much more!

This is the second part of our three-part series in collaboration with AFC Toronto! Listen to part one with AFC + Nigerian forward Esther Okoronkwo here!

Thank you all for listening! Remember to follow us wherever you get your podcasts, on Instagram (@the_womens_soccer_podcast) and Bluesky (@thewomenssoccerpod.bsky.social). In addition, leave a 5-star review and tell all your friends about our show!

WAFCON's quarterfinals just delivered the craziest week in the tournament's history, and the results prove it: ten-time champion and defending champion Nigeria were knocked out and Malawi, playing in just their first-ever WAFCON, qualified for their first-ever World Cup as the lowest-ranked nation to ever do it.

In this episode, LDG breaks down all four quarterfinal matches before making the case that the World Cup slot allocation hasn't caught up to what African women's football has become.

He lays out the numbers first: CAF and UEFA have almost identical membership, 54 nations to 55, yet UEFA gets eleven direct World Cup slots to CAF's four. This year's WAFCON proves how badly that decision missed the mark and why this current framework is detrimental to the growth of the women's game.

He backs it up with what just happened on the pitch, a 16-team WAFCON field for the first time ever with two debutant nations reaching the tournament and a group so tight that CAF had to separate Malawi, Nigeria, and Zambia on a rarely-used head-to-head tiebreaker.

From there, LDG gets into the storylines carrying the tournament into its final week, including KC Current forward Temwa Chawinga's goal against Ghana that kept Malawi's run alive, and what it means for an NWSL name to be at the center of an African qualifying story.

He previews Wednesday's semifinals, Morocco hosting Cameroon in Rabat and Malawi facing Algeria in Casablanca, and closes on the four teams still fighting for a way into Brazil: Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, and Ivory Coast all play an extra round on August 13 for a single remaining spot in the FIFA inter-confederation playoff, with two former champions now needing one more result just to stay alive.

As mentioned in the episode, if you are looking to more WAFCON content, listen to our interview with Nigerian forward Esther Okoronkwo here, which we released on the day of their first 2026 WAFCON match!

Thank you all for listening! Remember to follow us wherever you get your podcasts, on Instagram (@the_womens_soccer_podcast) and Bluesky (@thewomenssoccerpod.bsky.social). In addition, leave a 5-star review and tell all your friends about our show!

Kansas City Current II attacker Avery Clark sits down to discuss beginning her professional career in KC and her non-traditional path to the pros!

Rising star and lethal goalscorer Avery Clark joins the podcast to share insider insights on her incredible breakout year with KC Current II and making her debut with the senior squad.

She shares what it meant to establish herself as a premier attacking threat for the Texas Longhorns, winning titles in both the Big 12 and SEC, and what she took from that elite environment as she prepared for the physical and psychological demands of professional soccer. Avery also talks about her iconic professional debut with the first team, coming off the bench as a second-half substitute to score a spectacular 82nd-minute header game-winning goal against Corinthians SC!

She takes us into that moment to share the emotions running through her head, the single most vivid image she remembers, and how it felt to share that massive stage alongside her fellow Current II teammates. Avery shares why her story is a little bit different than others, pulling back the curtain on the up and down chapters of her journey and how she maintained her conviction when the next step seemed unclear.

She opens up about the groundbreaking importance of NWSL second teams in player development, navigating the transition between the youth/college game to the pros, and how dominating unique modalities like the 3v3 Target Score Time format at TST has sharpened her adaptability.

Beyond the pitch, Avery discusses her strong commitment to growing the game off the field, detailing what the mainstream media still gets wrong about the daily reality of women's soccer players and her mission to change that narrative through her content creation and digital ambassadorship with ByUs Media.

Lastly, she shares the specific technical and physical parts of her game she is sharpening to ensure her next senior team call-up is even more dominant, what is currently on her short and long-term soccer vision board, her answers to our rapid-fire questions, and so much more!

Thank you all for listening! Remember to follow us wherever you get your podcasts, on Instagram (@the_womens_soccer_podcast) and Bluesky (@thewomenssoccerpod.bsky.social). In addition, leave a 5-star review and tell all your friends about our show!

AFC Toronto and Super Falcons attacker Esther Okoronkwo sit down to discuss life in the Northern Super League!

WAFCON Champion and lethal goalscorer Esther Okoronkwo joins the podcast to share insider insights on AFC Toronto's first two seasons and the Super Falcons ahead of the upcoming WAFCON competition.

She shares what it meant to receive her first call up to the Nigerian women's national team, her experience playing at her first-ever World Cup in 2023, what she took from that match and her other national team experiences as she joined AFC Toronto, and so much more!

Esther also talks about the iconic comeback that the Super Falcons had in the 2025 Women's African Cup of Nations final, as they were down 2-0 at halftime against Morocco, but Esther scoring a penalty, assisted the second goal, and then assisted the third goal off a free kick to help help team to a 3-2 comeback victory! She takes us into the locker room to share the mindset shift that happened at halftime and the words of encouragement that were exchanged, and she shared how that match ranked for her personally in her career (it was quite high on the list!)

Esther shares why the AFC Toronto project and Northern Super League as a whole was intriguing to her, her decision to re-sign with the team after their inaugural season and why she loves playing in the NSL!

Lastly, she shares what excites her about this current Super Falcons group, the state of the team as they approach WAFCON, what she believes it will take for Nigeria to achieve its goals at the tournament, what it meant to officially secure a place on this roster, what making the 2027 World Cup roster would mean to her, her long and short term goals, and so much more!

Thank you all for listening! Remember to follow us wherever you get your podcasts, on Instagram (@the_womens_soccer_podcast) and Bluesky (@thewomenssoccerpod.bsky.social). In addition, leave a 5-star review and tell all your friends about our show!