November 14, 2025 • 37 mins
Gotham FC goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger joins Sarah to talk about her squad’s stunning upset of the top-seeded Kansas City Current, prepping to face Marta and the defending champs this weekend, what she learned from her battles with thyroid cancer, and how teammate Jess Carter became a roommate turned girlfriend turned fiancé. Plus, a pair of peak performances, standing in the way of a double-double, and do you know the way to San Jose?
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to good game of Sarah Spain where we feel
like we're talking to a brick wall.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Oh, it's just a Katrin Berger.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
It's Friday, November fourteenth, and on today's show, Yes, we'll
be talking to Gotham FC goalkeeper and Katrin Berger about
her team's unbelievable upset of the top seed at Kansas City, Current,
her prep for this weekend's NWSL semifinals, falling in love
with your teammates and more, plus a pair of peak
performances standing in the way of a double double, And
with our sincerest apologies to Dion Warwick.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Do you know the way to San Jose?
Speaker 1 (00:34):
It's all covered up right after this Welcome back slices,
Happy Friday. Here's what you need to know today. Let's
start with the NWSL and this weekend's semi final matchups
a spot in the NWSL Championship in San Jose on
(00:55):
the line. On Saturday, the two seed Washington Spirit hosts
the three seed Portland Thorns. That's a twelve pm Eastern
kickoff at Rowdy Audi. The game sold out sixty four
hours after it was announced, breaking the club record for
quickest sellout, and home field will be an advantage. The
Spirit are unbeaten in every home playoff match in club history.
A win Saturday would send them to their second straight
(01:17):
NWSL championship and fourth all time. Meantime, this is the
thorns tenth trip to the semi finals. They've advanced to
the semis more times than any other club has even
made the playoffs. In their thirty all time meetings with Portland,
Washington has won just five times, playing to nine draws
and sixteen losses in the other twenty five contests. But
two of those five Spirit wins came in the last
(01:39):
three matchups. Will Portland Sam Coffee, the midfield maestro, dictate
and control tempo or will Washington's Kroy Bethune, the midfield
mad woman, create chaos an opportunity for the Spirit and
perhaps the biggest question, will Trinity Rodman be healthy.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Enough to go?
Speaker 1 (01:55):
The second semi final will see the eight seed Gotham
FC visit the defending champs, the four seed or Lando Pride.
That's a three pm Eastern kickoff on Sunday at Interncos Stadium.
The Pride are looking to become just the third team
in NWSL history to win back to back championships. And
the first to do it since the North Carolina Courage
did it in twenty nineteen. As for Gotham, this will
be the third straight semi finals for them, who came
(02:17):
out of the bottom of the bracket to win it
all in twenty twenty three and are trying to find
that same magic this year out of the eighth spot.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Will they come in.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Confident after one of the biggest upsets in league history,
were drained by the hype and excitement of last weekend's win.
Will leading goalscorer Astere Gonzales be healthy enough to take
the pitch after playing spectator in the opening round, and
will and Katrin Berger play hero once again in net
On the other side, Marta, last week I asked WWMD,
(02:44):
what will Marta do?
Speaker 3 (02:46):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Just a casual seventy five yard solo run in the
ninety fifth minute to draw a penalty and sender teammate
Luana to the line to score first NWSL goal just
one month into returning to play after Hodgkins' loll foma treatment.
Stop it, Marta, We're running out of superlatives and space
in the book of low Or. Winners of the two
semi finals are set to meet in San Jose on
November twenty second more ONWSL. On Thursday, the league announce
(03:08):
the names of the participants who will compete at the
Skills Challenge during Championship Weekend. They'll be split into two
teams competing in a series of contests with a thirty
thousand dollars team prize on the line. It'll be Angel
City's Riley Tiernan, the Orlando Pride Carson Pickett, BFC's Rachel Kundananji,
Chicago Stars Ali Schlegel, North Carolina Courages Breonna Pinto, San
Diego Waves Delphine Cascarino, and the Washington Spirits Croy bethun.
(03:31):
Of course, any players from teams that advance to the
title Game will not participate.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Speaking of that, Championship Weekend.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Producer Alex and I will be out West next week
for the title Game and all the fun leading up
to it. NWSL Awards Skills Challenge Radio Row a live
show with BFC's Brandy Chesstain and Penelope Hawking, and of
course lots of parties looking forward to bringing you all
the fun from San Jose. A little more soccer news,
Denver Summitt FC has announced the signing of center back
(03:59):
Kaylee Kurtz, an iron woman for the last four seasons
for the North Carolina Courage, with whom she spent her
entire NWSL career. Since twenty eighteen, She's helped the Courage
to two NWSL Championships, two Shields, and two Challenge Cups,
and as the Summit expanded their team, NWSL Commissioner Jessica
Berman has once again vocalized her desire to expand the league.
(04:20):
While officially announcing Atlanta as the NWSL's seventeenth market on Wednesday,
Berman said, quote, it is our intention to admit team
eighteen and we are targeting at.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Twenty twenty eight launch end quote.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Finally, one more big piece of soccer news, the legendary
Tobin Heath has been voted into the National Soccer Hall
of Fame on the Player's ballot in her first year
of eligibility. Winner of two World Cups, two Olympic Golds,
and an Olympic Bronze, three championships at UNC and multiple
NWSL titles, she was a one of a kind player.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Listen to the moment.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Heath's wife, Kristin Press, got to break the news to
her on their podcast, The recap show press is pretending
to read a quote unquote listener question from Sindy from
New Jersey. You'll hear a lot of Kristen giggling as
the real Cindy from New Jersey. Tobin's mom walks in
with a big bouquet of flowers.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Cindy from New Jersey asks that, my mom, how does
it feel to be inducted into the Hall of Fame
on your first year of eligibility?
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Wait?
Speaker 1 (05:18):
What?
Speaker 4 (05:23):
What?
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Too cute? Joining Heath in the Hall of Fame will
be a UNC teammate.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Heather O'Reilly, also a first ballot inductee. She got the
news from former college coach Anson Dornce back on campus
at UNC. She thought she was there for a video
walk down memory Lane, but midway through the fake taping,
she was surprised with the news.
Speaker 4 (05:50):
Take a listen, So come on down and so, yeah,
obviously you've been a part of just this incredible legacy
that was creative here. So I am so proud of that.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
So go on in.
Speaker 5 (06:09):
What So you're probably wondering why, my gosh.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
But I'm guessing you've seen the signs.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
Bet.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Congratulations Heather, You're being inducted into the twenty twenty six
National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Speaker 6 (06:29):
Guys, Oh my goodness, like Keith O'Reilly is a winner,
a three time Olympic gold medalist, World Cup champion, winner
of multiple NWSL championships and collegiate titles.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
The line on O'Reilly is wherever she went, she won.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
We'll have lots more on Heather O'Reilly and Tobinheath ahead
of their induction next May in Frisco, Texas to college
hoops and before we can get to this weekend's matchups,
I got a shout out to masterful performances on Wednesday night.
First a flu game from number sixteen Iowa States, Audie Crooks,
throwing up pregame, blowing up midgame. Crooks didn't want to
(07:10):
sit out, so she didn't tell her coaching team she
was sick. She just went out and dropped forty three
points in twenty minutes of action in the Cyclones ninety
seven to fifty.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Route of Valparaiso.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Forty three is a program record, and Crook's seventy one
straight games scoring in double figures is not just a
cyclonees mark, but the longest active streak in NCUBA women's
basketball too. Wednesday was a big night for Notre Dames
Hannah Hidalgo as well. Remember when I said I had
questions about this Irish team because Hidalgo can't do it alone.
I don't know, maybe she can't, cause forty four points,
(07:41):
had sixteen steals in her team's eighty five to fifty
eight win over Akron.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
The forty four points are a school record.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
The sixteen steals an NC double, a record, breaking the
previous record of fourteen held by several players, including Old
Dominion and WNBA standout Tisha Penicero. Hidalgo also added nine
rebus and four assists, made sixteen of twenty five shots,
three of six three pointers, and nine eleven free throws
in just twenty eight minutes on the court. Again, sixteen steals,
(08:10):
forty four points in twenty eight minutes insane.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Who's going to be the third? These things always happen
in threes.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
It could be South Carolina's Joyce Edwards, she's putting up
over eighteen points a game, or USC's Jazzy Davidson or
London Jones. Both of them are averaging seventeen and a
half points a game, and those folks are about to
face off Edward's on the number two game. Cocks take
on Davidson Jones and the number eight Trojans on Saturday.
That's a nine pm Eastern tip off on Fox and yeah,
I said, number eight Trojans.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
More on that in a minute.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Also on Saturday, Hadalgo and the Irish look to stay
hot against number fourteen Michigan. That's a four pm Eastern
tip off on NBC one Top twenty matchup. On Sunday,
that's number ten NC State hosted number seventeen TCU at
one Eastern on ESPN. And a fun fact about the
ranked unranked matchups so far this season, no unranked upsets.
(09:00):
Shout out to her Hoopstats and the newsletter Tullan's Treasures
for this stat. Heading into Thursday Night's action, ranked teams
were sixty three to zero against unranked teams, with an
average margin of victory of forty two.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
Point nine points.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
The big dogs are eating, y'all. Speaking of rankings, a
lot of movement this week. Not at the top yukon
stage number one, but USC jumped up ten spots to
number eight and Baylor jumped nine to number seven, in
part because of their win over Duke, which dropped eight
spots to number fifteen. We'll link to the full rankings
(09:34):
and the weekend schedule in the show notes to Hockey
and Earlier this week, the Hockey Hall of Fame ceremony,
which saw the induction of two Olympic standouts. US Olympic
star Wisconsin Great, gold medalist and two times silver medallist
Brianna Decker was inducted, as well as Team Canada Olympic
star Harvard Great, three time gold medalist and one time
silver medalist Jennifer Botterill. Longtime Team Canada coach Danielle so
(09:57):
Vajo became the first woman inducted in the Builders categor gray.
That's for folks who have helped grow and managed the game. Decker,
who's an assistant coach for the Minnesota Frost, was back
with her team quickly for their first preseason game Thursday
against the New York Sirens. The two teams are set
to meet again for another exhibition outing today at twelve Eastern.
We'll link to the full schedule of PWHL preseason matchups
this weekend and Monday ahead of opening night next Friday,
(10:19):
the twenty first to the Track, and even though we're
more than two years out from the twenty twenty eight
LA Games, I'm already pissed. LA twenty eight has released
the schedule for track and field, and organizers are bragging
about putting women first by scheduling the women's not men's
one hundred meter dash final on opening night.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Great.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
It's a move, by the way, that will require all
three rounds of the women's one hundred to be competed
on the same day for the first time ever.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
But Okay, while they're.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
Busy patting themselves on the back for that, they better
get that hand back around out front to block the
incoming barrage of rotten fruit, because the current schedule all
but ensures that Sidney McLauchlin Lavroni can't try to do
the four hundred four hundred meter hurdle double. She's one
of the biggest names in the world, the greatest of
all time at the four.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Hundred meter hurdles.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
She's won global gold in both events, but has never
competed in both at the same Olympics or World Championships.
Doing the double in LA felt like everything she's been
working towards. Skipping the hurdles at this year's World Championships
to focus on the flat, but in order to do
both in LA she would have to run the four
hundred flat and four hundred hurdles on the same day
twice July eighteenth and twentieth, and that second day run
(11:25):
both in the same session.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
McLauchlin Laarvoni's coach Bobby.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
Cursey told the Orange County Register, quote, We're a sport
fighting for attention, so why do you make this decision.
This shows the weakness of our sport. We've got the stars,
but we don't get any help from the top end.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
Quote.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
We are literally years away, so plenty of time to
get this shit fixed.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
LA twenty eight.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
Finally, don't forget. There's a lot going on this weekend.
The ANICA LPGA tournament continues today. Round one of the
NCAA Soccer Tournament kicks off this afternoon, and the official
first round of the NCAA Field Hockey Tournament gets going
today too, with second round games on Sunday. We got
to take a quick break when we come back. She's
a battie. It's a Katrin Berger next.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
Joining us now.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
She's the goalkeeper for Gotham FC and the German national team.
She earned her first call up to the German team
in twenty eighteen, made her national team debut in twenty
twenty and helped Germany to a bronze medal at the
Paris Games. After playing for clubs abroad, including Paris, sanger
Man and Chelsea, she joined got Them in April twenty
twenty four and recently extended her contract there through twenty
twenty six. NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year in her debut
(12:36):
NWSL season last year. Her SoC game is elite. It's
an Katrin Berger. Hi, An Katrine.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Hey, guys, do.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
Your friends call you the full name An Katrine?
Speaker 3 (12:46):
No, just my mom. If I'm in trouble, okay, is
it akb?
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Is it Anne?
Speaker 3 (12:52):
Most of the time, it's just Anne.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Okay, I'm sticking with Ann and take us to pregame
last Sunday.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
Your eight seed Gotham team is readying to play the
top seeded Kansas City Current.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
They're a buzz.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
They had insane regular season, so few people are giving you,
or really any team a chance to beat them in
the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
What is the vibe in the locker room?
Speaker 5 (13:12):
I would say, obviously it's good because we won and
nobody expected it from us, and I think that's always
the case. It doesn't matter if you're going to playoff
games or in general, just knock out games. I think
that's where do you never know what happens because it's
one off game, and whoever wakes up and turns up
(13:37):
in the right way, then that's the team who most
of the time wins. So and that's why I absolutely
love a good playoff or knockout games because you never
know what happens.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
Oh, you get up for the big ones. Okay, I
kind of like that shirt. I think you need to
make that shirt. Wake up, turn up win. That's a
good mantra. Was anybody given good pregame speeches? Do you
remember anybody in particular being superficety before that one?
Speaker 5 (14:05):
No, not really, because we just turned up as a
team and we maybe put less pressure on us because
nobody is expecting us. So I think we knew that,
especially because the last game of the season was not
the way we wanted to end it, and obviously we
didn't want to end up on eighth place and play
(14:28):
against the biggest team in the for that season. But
at the end of the day, I think you always
have to play against everyone to win, So it doesn't
matter if you do it at the beginning or at
the end. And I think with that kind of mentality,
we just went into that game.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
In the US, we say to be the best, you
got to beat the best? Do you have that saying
in Germany? Uh?
Speaker 3 (14:50):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (14:51):
How does it go? In German?
Speaker 3 (14:53):
And spitzed the problem was best slang?
Speaker 2 (14:56):
Okay, all I got was schlang clang.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
Yeah, schlag is like to fight against the bigger team.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
Okay, okay.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
So it's ninety sixth minute of that game, your team
is up one nil.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
You could taste the.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Semi finals and Ellie Wheeler scores. How do you stay
positive and focused after giving up the equalizer so that
you can then go on to make those insane crucial
saves that you made in extra time?
Speaker 5 (15:22):
I think I was very disappointed in myself, not the team.
For me, it never matters what happens before if I
had to do one save or ten saves or anything.
But I know I should have saved that ball, and
I misjudged it or like I thought someone else was
(15:43):
in the perfect position. So I can go maybe a
little bit more over. So that's why for me it
was a huge disappointment because on a normal day it
wouldn't gone in otherwise I would have been even more disappointed.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
So that's why, And I know.
Speaker 5 (16:02):
That my team was like working really really hard throughout
the whole game and continuing a goal like that, Yeah,
it's hard, especially because it was like only one minute
left maybe, but after that we just had to like
we just had to step up, and we I think
(16:23):
personally and we quite dominated the game, like we most
of the time one hour battles. Maybe the chances were
a little bit fifty to fifty, but like I think
we had more control of the game.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
That's how it felt.
Speaker 5 (16:39):
And we just had to get their attitude back again
because obviously the last ten minutes we just s tried
to defend and to get back to this organization and
like willingness to play again football. It is tough, but
I think we managed that really really well.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
As a keeper, you have to have a short memory.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
You're going to get credit occasionally for the big, flashy saves,
but most of the time you just don't want to
be talked about, which means that things went pretty well.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
But when you have a moment like that, do you have.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
A mantra you say in your head, do you have
any sort of tools from sports psychologists or otherwise to
get you back into Okay, I'm disappointed, but forget about it.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
Moving forward to got to get back in the right headspace.
Speaker 5 (17:23):
Not really like I I always tell myself, Okay, I
will do the analysis after the game, okay.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
Because right now it doesn't matter.
Speaker 5 (17:34):
Maybe when the book goes from my goal than to
the halfway line, maybe I will think about it really quick.
Could have done something different or why did they go in?
But it's like really just split seconds. And then after
that I just have to move on and then trying
(17:54):
to do if it's a mistake of mine, maybe passing
or anything that I will then keep the first three
to five balls very simple, and then I go again.
That's how I get my confidence and make sure that
I'm in the right space, and just like emphasize that
a little bit more.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
That makes sense.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
I get back in your body a little bit with
just some easy touches and get in the motion back.
How much did you all allow yourselves to celebrate before
thinking about what was next.
Speaker 5 (18:24):
Honestly, we celebrated because I think if not then something
would have been wrong with us, especially because after such
a huge game. But I think there was like one
comment that I saw then that what got filmed that
Rose said in the huddle, like we can celebrate now,
(18:45):
but then tomorrow is a next game, and we all
know that because we can celebrate in the moment, and
as soon as we travel home or travel again.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
The next day, then that's a new fresh start.
Speaker 5 (19:01):
Like we can't just stay happy and stay like, oh,
we already won everything because we beat the favorite. So
that's why I think it was a nice saying, and
I absolutely love it because you have to. You have
to celebrate everyone because otherwise, at some point you would
(19:21):
take it for granted, and that's the worst scenario that
could happen.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
Yeah, and also, only one team every year gets to
celebrate the last one. So if you're not celebrating along
the way, you're depriving yourself of all those moments of accomplishment.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
Enjoyed the chat with your teammates.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
Along the way, tell us about the game day sucks
last weekend.
Speaker 5 (19:41):
I'm a huge home alone friand I absolutely loved that
movie since I was a little child, really, and yeah,
I absolutely love the saying underneath my socks because it
felt like it was perfect. Maybe not like the chunk
of food or like I'm eating rubbish, but like if
(20:05):
you want me to stop, then come and get me.
And as soon as Christmas time as well, so it
was like a perfect match.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Wait, so tell us what your socks said specifically, I.
Speaker 5 (20:15):
Think down the line it was I'm I'm watching.
Speaker 2 (20:21):
I think it's like that I'm eating junk and watching rubbish.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
Coming stopish or something like that.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
Yeah, okay, you.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
Like the message in general, maybe not the eating rubbish,
but you got to stop me was the part that
spoke to you.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
How do you pick your socks for every game? Is
it just vibes?
Speaker 3 (20:37):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (20:37):
Most of the time, it's just how I feel and
what I think is perfect, maybe for the area or
like sometimes just like for the outfit and how I
how I feel myself if it's a business kind of day,
or if it's like a fun day or just any mess.
(21:01):
But I have to think about something new now because
I'm running out of socks and getting more expensive now.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
So well, if you put that out there, I get
the feeling some fans will send you some if you
say that you're running low. I think the Gotham fans
will show up. You've been playing club soccer since the
age of four. Did you love it from day one?
Speaker 3 (21:24):
Yeah, absolutely loved it.
Speaker 5 (21:26):
I fall in love with soccer when I watched the
first time my dad playing with soccer. So he played
for like a really rubbish team, like a Sunday League team.
But then when my mom and me we went to
his game, the first time, I run on the pitch
even the game was like still playing and everything because
(21:47):
I just wanted to play. And ever since then, Yeah,
my parents were really surprised that I really liked it
that much. And I was always like falling asleep with
a ball or like I had to I had to
clean my ball to take it to bed, and yeah,
and then ever then I just couldn't stop having a
(22:09):
ball around me.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
Really, you've played just about every position before you had
a growth spurt and it pushed you into net. How
do you think that experience playing other spots on the
field has helped you as a keeper?
Speaker 4 (22:21):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (22:21):
Mentally, I think I really I would advise every single one,
every single goalkeeper to play outfield first as long as possible,
maybe not as late now as sixteen, but like do
a good age till like thirteen fourteen. I've really advised
(22:42):
people doing that because it just gives you, like the
knowledge of every single position, Like this is how you
then play the ball to like a center back, because
I know how it feels like if that kind of pass,
I give how that makes it or give them comfort
or not or anything like that. But then like playing
(23:03):
out or playing forward and going to like long going
to a strike or what do they need? And you
just like can put yourself in that position because you
already played in that position. It doesn't matter if it
was as a kid or anything. Football is still the
same most of the time. That ten in front of
(23:24):
you will score, hopefully your striker, because that's the best
one to score goals. But besides that, like you and
then you also be more tidy and understanding that you
could prevent so much more before the ball actually ends
up in your eighteen yard box.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
And I'm a big believer in that.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Yeah, you devoted your life to this game since you
were four years old, and in twenty seventeen you get
diagnosed with thyroid cancer. You went into remission, and then
it came back in twenty twenty two. Was there ever
a time the first diagnosis or second where you believed
you wouldn't be able to keep playing so and you
wouldn't be able to stay out on the pitch.
Speaker 5 (24:03):
The only time where I stopped believe in it was
when I got the first time the diagnosis, because that's
the only time, but I didn't know what to expect.
But then after that, the doctors made it very very
clear that you can keep doing what you do, do your.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
Work as normal.
Speaker 5 (24:24):
Maybe you have like a little bit of like trouble
sometimes because of your the thyroid levels or anything, but
besides that, there's literally nothing that can hold you back.
And that for me, that message was for me then
clear that the first time I came back, then even
the second time. Yes, it's annoying because it doesn't happen
(24:47):
maybe as often, but besides that, like I've never doubted
that I can't play soccer, and because it's a big
part of me, that's why I wouldn't let my illness
taking away my passion what I had for over so
many years.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
Yeah, did your diagnosis help you change your perspective on
life and even maybe help you in net?
Speaker 5 (25:13):
I have to say on the pitch for sure, because
for me, soccer was everything literally like when I was
when I played, and I did mistakes, so anything like
it dragged me down quite a lot. But after my illness,
I started to realize there's so many bigger things than football,
(25:36):
and for me, that's why I put everything in perspective.
Speaker 3 (25:40):
And I think that also gave me the freedom.
Speaker 5 (25:42):
A little bit to play how I want to play,
and if there's a goal, yes I will be disappointed,
but like my life still goes on. Yeah, And I
think that was the biggest lesson I've learned from all
of it. And then not off the pitch as well,
Like I always thought people who are a little bit
(26:06):
more out there, they are untouchable because you always see
like the great things, but never like the weaknesses.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
And that's why sometimes.
Speaker 5 (26:19):
Maybe I've got a little bit naive, people would call
it maybe also like I just thought, yeah, nothing can
happen to me besides injury based.
Speaker 3 (26:30):
So that's why I think that was also.
Speaker 5 (26:34):
In a weird way, a good way to keep me
a bit little bit also grounded.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
I'm not that special.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Humbled you a little bit, you realized you're human. Yeah, Well,
one of the things off the pitch that brings you
a lot of joy that's worth going home to even
when you make a mistake.
Speaker 2 (26:51):
Is your fiance Jess Carter.
Speaker 1 (26:53):
You guys met back in twenty sixteen playing for Birmingham
City FC. Across the pond. You moved in together as
play Tonic roommates. I love this story so much. Jess
thought she was straight, but you had other plans. Tell
me about getting up the nerve to first ask her
out on a date that she didn't realize it was
a date, and then eventually have to say, I guess
(27:14):
I'm gonna have to just try to kiss her and
see if I can make it a little more clear
that I want to be more than roommates.
Speaker 5 (27:19):
Yeah, it was just I didn't even see her in
that way. So it was just like probably like I
over the years, I fall in love in a person.
So for me that was most of the time the
most important thing. And a lot of people know now
(27:39):
we probably didn't even like each other at the beginning,
because she had her besties and yeah, and that's why
after a while a friend of ours, she just liked
the birthday party at home, and that's why then we
started talking. And even then we were just and the end.
(28:01):
Then at some point something changed and a friend of
mine she just told me, maybe you should just take
her out. And then I was a little bit blass
about it, because yeah, I don't make a big deal
of a lot of things. So maybe the signs were
not as big, but like they were still big.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
I think I think you thought it was clear it
was a date, but she didn't get it.
Speaker 3 (28:23):
Yeah, so that's why.
Speaker 5 (28:26):
Yeah, And then from there, I just like that we
became friends and then a little bit more than friends.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
And now you're engaged.
Speaker 1 (28:34):
Gotham is the third stop for YouTube Playing together. How
is it sharing life and the pitch with your partner?
Speaker 5 (28:40):
For us, there's always every time when we go to
training or to games, it is not my partner as
my teammate, and we always are separated. That and maybe
it also has that I'm in a completely different position
than her because goalkeepers have a different routine than our
(29:02):
fear players, and that's why we were always Yeah, after
every training session we literally went to the car and said, like,
how was your day? Even though we maybe worked together,
but we don't see each other as much or we're
just hanging out with other people. And then Yeah, we're
just then trying to be as normal as possible and
(29:25):
it's just a job. And then at home that's where
we can be us. And yeah, it was very clear
from the beginning that.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
It would work out.
Speaker 5 (29:36):
Yeah, and also that we separated, we were on the
same page as well.
Speaker 1 (29:41):
Yeah, it's for Norman's. It's like we work in different departments.
It's fine of the same company. What about when you're
not teammates though, just playing for England, you playing for Germany.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
How's that going to go?
Speaker 5 (29:54):
I think it only happens twice, I think, And yeah,
it's fine. It's literally like work is. Yes, at the
end of the day, if someone wins and someone loses,
then we're just like happy for each other. But besides that,
(30:15):
I think we're very chilled people and we're not like
taking it in home. And I was like, oh, do
you remember that I did this to your teammate or
anything like that. So we're not that kind of people.
And I think that's why it works really well with
separating the private life with our work life. And sometimes
(30:38):
this is funny as well because we know our strength
and weaknesses. So if that will ever happen, and I
hope not, because I don't see the reason why that
we play against each other and she will pop up
in the eighteen yard books, then I'm very concerned for
the other team because that's where she shouldn't be as
(31:00):
a defender.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
Very true, very true.
Speaker 1 (31:03):
Uh, you got engaged last year. Do you have a
wedding date on the books yet?
Speaker 3 (31:07):
No?
Speaker 5 (31:08):
Not really, like we Yeah, we're just taking our time
and we're just just wait to see. And because obviously
the football plans are always like different, That's why hard.
It's very very hard to plan them because now we
get more and more competition getting in and I think
that's where it's it's quite tough too, and especially because
(31:32):
we are out here as well, it's quite tough to
then would plan in a wedding or anything like that.
From right from the other side of the punt.
Speaker 1 (31:42):
You got three countries involved. You got England, you got Jermaney,
you got the US and then all your.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
Teammates from everywhere else too.
Speaker 4 (31:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:49):
So this weekend you got last year's champions, Orlando Pride.
How do you start to prepare for someone like Marta.
Speaker 5 (31:57):
I think it's it's the same as Kansas individual players.
They're brilliant and sometimes you can't stop then individual. And
I think that's where I absolutely love my team, because
I think it's about the team performance. It's not about
and if everyone if Marta with her brilliance like just
(32:25):
trick someone out and get past someone, then we know
there's a second one that would then try to stop her.
And I think that's what we always try to do
as a as a team, as a collective, to stop
these kind of players. And yeah, but also we don't
have to be as afraid because we have also very
(32:47):
very good players and because now maybe people are taking
us a little bit more serious because we stop cancers
who nobody expected. I think that's why we then also
can take that a little bit respect into that game
as well. Yeah, because at the end of the day,
(33:08):
you always have to respect your opponent because otherwise you,
from my experience, you underestimate them.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
New socks for this weekend we haven't picked.
Speaker 5 (33:17):
Out yet, no, and we're actually traveling tomorrow, so yeah,
I'm a little bit stressed with that, but I have
to see why I still have left and then we
go from there.
Speaker 2 (33:28):
All right, go find your socks.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
You know, last time Gotham FC won it all was
out of the final playoff spot, so I imagine there's
a lot of confidence for another run from the bottom
of the bracket this year.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
And you already got past the number one team. So
good luck. God's beeed on finding the socks. And thanks
for the time.
Speaker 1 (33:43):
Thank you very much, Thanks again to a Catrick for
taking the time. We have to take another break when
we come back, staring up into the darkness cursing our fate.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
Welcome back, slices.
Speaker 1 (33:59):
We love that you're listening, but we want you to
get in the game every day too, So here's our
good gameplay of the day. Watch the NWSL semifinals, and hey,
if you live close by or you got some cash
to burn, consider flying out to San Jose for Championship weekend.
Any slice I see in Good Game with Sarah Spain
Merch gets a high five and a good Game sticker.
Speaking of the holidays are coming, What better gift than
(34:22):
a T shirt that says good game, good game, fuck you,
perfect for your whole family to wear for the.
Speaker 2 (34:26):
Annual Turkey Bowl.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
How about and ask me about women's sports T shirt
to wear to dinner with your uncle Carl, who actually
does think that fouling Caitlin Clark is a hate crime,
and that Wall Street Journal op ed made some good points.
Let everyone know you're the one to ask, not Uncle Carl,
and you can never go wrong with the T shirt
that says un withable or I'm a slice. You can
find them all at breakintea dot com, slash spain That's
(34:51):
Breaking Tea dot com slash Spain.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
We always love to hear from you.
Speaker 1 (34:55):
Hit us up on email, good game at Wondermedia network
dot com or leave us a voicemail at eight seven
to two two seventy and don't forget to subscribe, rate
and review.
Speaker 2 (35:04):
I tell you every day, and it's just so easy.
Speaker 1 (35:06):
Watch everyone and their dogs seeing the Aurora borealis and
me striking out again rating zero out of zero Northern
Lights Review for the fifty eleventh time. This year, the
Aurora Borealis graced my neck of the woods with her presence,
and my social media timeline filled up with photos from
friends who witnessed the magic of nature's fireworks, green and
(35:28):
pink hues splashed across the sky.
Speaker 2 (35:31):
Beautiful.
Speaker 1 (35:32):
After spying all those photos on Tuesday night, everyone I've
ever met seemed to have bathed in their magical glow.
I decided to drive all the way to the beach
on Wednesday, to multiple different spots. In fact, I sat
in traffic like it was a goddamn Saturday afternoon of
the air.
Speaker 2 (35:45):
And water show.
Speaker 1 (35:46):
Everywhere you looked, people had driven to get out in
their pjs and coats, stumbling along the beach, staring up
at the sky. Really, the perfect romcom meet cute waiting
to happen, A brisk fall evening, leaves crunching under your
feet giving way to sand as you get closer to
the lapping waves of Lake Michigan. Peaceful, quiet, romantic. Really,
if I had seen the goddamn lights. But no, once again,
(36:11):
no Raura Bori Alice for me.
Speaker 2 (36:12):
I'm gonna have to fly to Iceland to see this shit.
Goddamn it. Now it's your turn, rate and review. Thanks
for listening.
Speaker 1 (36:20):
See you next week when we chat with WNBA legend
Elena Beard about all things Project B. Good Game Man, Katrine,
Good Game, Hall of Fame inductees, you la twenty eight
schedulers trying to keep us from having nice things. Good
Game with Sarah Spain is an iHeart women's sports production
(36:40):
in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You could
find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts.
Speaker 2 (36:45):
Or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (36:47):
Production by Wonder Media Network, our producers are alex Azie,
Grace Lynch, Taylor Williamson, and Lucy Jones. Our executive producers
are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan and Emily Rudder.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
Our editors are Emily R. Dughterer, Britney Martinez and Gianna Palmer.
Speaker 1 (37:02):
Production assistants from Avery Loftus and I'm Your Host Sarah
Spain
Welcome to good game of Sarah Spain where we feel
like we're talking to a brick wall.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Oh, it's just a Katrin Berger.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
It's Friday, November fourteenth, and on today's show, Yes, we'll
be talking to Gotham FC goalkeeper and Katrin Berger about
her team's unbelievable upset of the top seed at Kansas City, Current,
her prep for this weekend's NWSL semifinals, falling in love
with your teammates and more, plus a pair of peak
performances standing in the way of a double double, And
with our sincerest apologies to Dion Warwick.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Do you know the way to San Jose?
Speaker 1 (00:34):
It's all covered up right after this Welcome back slices,
Happy Friday. Here's what you need to know today. Let's
start with the NWSL and this weekend's semi final matchups
a spot in the NWSL Championship in San Jose on
(00:55):
the line. On Saturday, the two seed Washington Spirit hosts
the three seed Portland Thorns. That's a twelve pm Eastern
kickoff at Rowdy Audi. The game sold out sixty four
hours after it was announced, breaking the club record for
quickest sellout, and home field will be an advantage. The
Spirit are unbeaten in every home playoff match in club history.
A win Saturday would send them to their second straight
(01:17):
NWSL championship and fourth all time. Meantime, this is the
thorns tenth trip to the semi finals. They've advanced to
the semis more times than any other club has even
made the playoffs. In their thirty all time meetings with Portland,
Washington has won just five times, playing to nine draws
and sixteen losses in the other twenty five contests. But
two of those five Spirit wins came in the last
(01:39):
three matchups. Will Portland Sam Coffee, the midfield maestro, dictate
and control tempo or will Washington's Kroy Bethune, the midfield
mad woman, create chaos an opportunity for the Spirit and
perhaps the biggest question, will Trinity Rodman be healthy.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Enough to go?
Speaker 1 (01:55):
The second semi final will see the eight seed Gotham
FC visit the defending champs, the four seed or Lando Pride.
That's a three pm Eastern kickoff on Sunday at Interncos Stadium.
The Pride are looking to become just the third team
in NWSL history to win back to back championships. And
the first to do it since the North Carolina Courage
did it in twenty nineteen. As for Gotham, this will
be the third straight semi finals for them, who came
(02:17):
out of the bottom of the bracket to win it
all in twenty twenty three and are trying to find
that same magic this year out of the eighth spot.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Will they come in.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Confident after one of the biggest upsets in league history,
were drained by the hype and excitement of last weekend's win.
Will leading goalscorer Astere Gonzales be healthy enough to take
the pitch after playing spectator in the opening round, and
will and Katrin Berger play hero once again in net
On the other side, Marta, last week I asked WWMD,
(02:44):
what will Marta do?
Speaker 3 (02:46):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Just a casual seventy five yard solo run in the
ninety fifth minute to draw a penalty and sender teammate
Luana to the line to score first NWSL goal just
one month into returning to play after Hodgkins' loll foma treatment.
Stop it, Marta, We're running out of superlatives and space
in the book of low Or. Winners of the two
semi finals are set to meet in San Jose on
November twenty second more ONWSL. On Thursday, the league announce
(03:08):
the names of the participants who will compete at the
Skills Challenge during Championship Weekend. They'll be split into two
teams competing in a series of contests with a thirty
thousand dollars team prize on the line. It'll be Angel
City's Riley Tiernan, the Orlando Pride Carson Pickett, BFC's Rachel Kundananji,
Chicago Stars Ali Schlegel, North Carolina Courages Breonna Pinto, San
Diego Waves Delphine Cascarino, and the Washington Spirits Croy bethun.
(03:31):
Of course, any players from teams that advance to the
title Game will not participate.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Speaking of that, Championship Weekend.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Producer Alex and I will be out West next week
for the title Game and all the fun leading up
to it. NWSL Awards Skills Challenge Radio Row a live
show with BFC's Brandy Chesstain and Penelope Hawking, and of
course lots of parties looking forward to bringing you all
the fun from San Jose. A little more soccer news,
Denver Summitt FC has announced the signing of center back
(03:59):
Kaylee Kurtz, an iron woman for the last four seasons
for the North Carolina Courage, with whom she spent her
entire NWSL career. Since twenty eighteen, She's helped the Courage
to two NWSL Championships, two Shields, and two Challenge Cups,
and as the Summit expanded their team, NWSL Commissioner Jessica
Berman has once again vocalized her desire to expand the league.
(04:20):
While officially announcing Atlanta as the NWSL's seventeenth market on Wednesday,
Berman said, quote, it is our intention to admit team
eighteen and we are targeting at.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Twenty twenty eight launch end quote.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Finally, one more big piece of soccer news, the legendary
Tobin Heath has been voted into the National Soccer Hall
of Fame on the Player's ballot in her first year
of eligibility. Winner of two World Cups, two Olympic Golds,
and an Olympic Bronze, three championships at UNC and multiple
NWSL titles, she was a one of a kind player.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Listen to the moment.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Heath's wife, Kristin Press, got to break the news to
her on their podcast, The recap show press is pretending
to read a quote unquote listener question from Sindy from
New Jersey. You'll hear a lot of Kristen giggling as
the real Cindy from New Jersey. Tobin's mom walks in
with a big bouquet of flowers.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Cindy from New Jersey asks that, my mom, how does
it feel to be inducted into the Hall of Fame
on your first year of eligibility?
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Wait?
Speaker 1 (05:18):
What?
Speaker 4 (05:23):
What?
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Too cute? Joining Heath in the Hall of Fame will
be a UNC teammate.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Heather O'Reilly, also a first ballot inductee. She got the
news from former college coach Anson Dornce back on campus
at UNC. She thought she was there for a video
walk down memory Lane, but midway through the fake taping,
she was surprised with the news.
Speaker 4 (05:50):
Take a listen, So come on down and so, yeah,
obviously you've been a part of just this incredible legacy
that was creative here. So I am so proud of that.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
So go on in.
Speaker 5 (06:09):
What So you're probably wondering why, my gosh.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
But I'm guessing you've seen the signs.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
Bet.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Congratulations Heather, You're being inducted into the twenty twenty six
National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Speaker 6 (06:29):
Guys, Oh my goodness, like Keith O'Reilly is a winner,
a three time Olympic gold medalist, World Cup champion, winner
of multiple NWSL championships and collegiate titles.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
The line on O'Reilly is wherever she went, she won.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
We'll have lots more on Heather O'Reilly and Tobinheath ahead
of their induction next May in Frisco, Texas to college
hoops and before we can get to this weekend's matchups,
I got a shout out to masterful performances on Wednesday night.
First a flu game from number sixteen Iowa States, Audie Crooks,
throwing up pregame, blowing up midgame. Crooks didn't want to
(07:10):
sit out, so she didn't tell her coaching team she
was sick. She just went out and dropped forty three
points in twenty minutes of action in the Cyclones ninety
seven to fifty.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Route of Valparaiso.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Forty three is a program record, and Crook's seventy one
straight games scoring in double figures is not just a
cyclonees mark, but the longest active streak in NCUBA women's
basketball too. Wednesday was a big night for Notre Dames
Hannah Hidalgo as well. Remember when I said I had
questions about this Irish team because Hidalgo can't do it alone.
I don't know, maybe she can't, cause forty four points,
(07:41):
had sixteen steals in her team's eighty five to fifty
eight win over Akron.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
The forty four points are a school record.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
The sixteen steals an NC double, a record, breaking the
previous record of fourteen held by several players, including Old
Dominion and WNBA standout Tisha Penicero. Hidalgo also added nine
rebus and four assists, made sixteen of twenty five shots,
three of six three pointers, and nine eleven free throws
in just twenty eight minutes on the court. Again, sixteen steals,
(08:10):
forty four points in twenty eight minutes insane.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Who's going to be the third? These things always happen
in threes.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
It could be South Carolina's Joyce Edwards, she's putting up
over eighteen points a game, or USC's Jazzy Davidson or
London Jones. Both of them are averaging seventeen and a
half points a game, and those folks are about to
face off Edward's on the number two game. Cocks take
on Davidson Jones and the number eight Trojans on Saturday.
That's a nine pm Eastern tip off on Fox and yeah,
I said, number eight Trojans.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
More on that in a minute.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Also on Saturday, Hadalgo and the Irish look to stay
hot against number fourteen Michigan. That's a four pm Eastern
tip off on NBC one Top twenty matchup. On Sunday,
that's number ten NC State hosted number seventeen TCU at
one Eastern on ESPN. And a fun fact about the
ranked unranked matchups so far this season, no unranked upsets.
(09:00):
Shout out to her Hoopstats and the newsletter Tullan's Treasures
for this stat. Heading into Thursday Night's action, ranked teams
were sixty three to zero against unranked teams, with an
average margin of victory of forty two.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
Point nine points.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
The big dogs are eating, y'all. Speaking of rankings, a
lot of movement this week. Not at the top yukon
stage number one, but USC jumped up ten spots to
number eight and Baylor jumped nine to number seven, in
part because of their win over Duke, which dropped eight
spots to number fifteen. We'll link to the full rankings
(09:34):
and the weekend schedule in the show notes to Hockey
and Earlier this week, the Hockey Hall of Fame ceremony,
which saw the induction of two Olympic standouts. US Olympic
star Wisconsin Great, gold medalist and two times silver medallist
Brianna Decker was inducted, as well as Team Canada Olympic
star Harvard Great, three time gold medalist and one time
silver medalist Jennifer Botterill. Longtime Team Canada coach Danielle so
(09:57):
Vajo became the first woman inducted in the Builders categor gray.
That's for folks who have helped grow and managed the game. Decker,
who's an assistant coach for the Minnesota Frost, was back
with her team quickly for their first preseason game Thursday
against the New York Sirens. The two teams are set
to meet again for another exhibition outing today at twelve Eastern.
We'll link to the full schedule of PWHL preseason matchups
this weekend and Monday ahead of opening night next Friday,
(10:19):
the twenty first to the Track, and even though we're
more than two years out from the twenty twenty eight
LA Games, I'm already pissed. LA twenty eight has released
the schedule for track and field, and organizers are bragging
about putting women first by scheduling the women's not men's
one hundred meter dash final on opening night.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Great.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
It's a move, by the way, that will require all
three rounds of the women's one hundred to be competed
on the same day for the first time ever.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
But Okay, while they're.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
Busy patting themselves on the back for that, they better
get that hand back around out front to block the
incoming barrage of rotten fruit, because the current schedule all
but ensures that Sidney McLauchlin Lavroni can't try to do
the four hundred four hundred meter hurdle double. She's one
of the biggest names in the world, the greatest of
all time at the four.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Hundred meter hurdles.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
She's won global gold in both events, but has never
competed in both at the same Olympics or World Championships.
Doing the double in LA felt like everything she's been
working towards. Skipping the hurdles at this year's World Championships
to focus on the flat, but in order to do
both in LA she would have to run the four
hundred flat and four hundred hurdles on the same day
twice July eighteenth and twentieth, and that second day run
(11:25):
both in the same session.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
McLauchlin Laarvoni's coach Bobby.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
Cursey told the Orange County Register, quote, We're a sport
fighting for attention, so why do you make this decision.
This shows the weakness of our sport. We've got the stars,
but we don't get any help from the top end.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
Quote.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
We are literally years away, so plenty of time to
get this shit fixed.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
LA twenty eight.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
Finally, don't forget. There's a lot going on this weekend.
The ANICA LPGA tournament continues today. Round one of the
NCAA Soccer Tournament kicks off this afternoon, and the official
first round of the NCAA Field Hockey Tournament gets going
today too, with second round games on Sunday. We got
to take a quick break when we come back. She's
a battie. It's a Katrin Berger next.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
Joining us now.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
She's the goalkeeper for Gotham FC and the German national team.
She earned her first call up to the German team
in twenty eighteen, made her national team debut in twenty
twenty and helped Germany to a bronze medal at the
Paris Games. After playing for clubs abroad, including Paris, sanger
Man and Chelsea, she joined got Them in April twenty
twenty four and recently extended her contract there through twenty
twenty six. NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year in her debut
(12:36):
NWSL season last year. Her SoC game is elite. It's
an Katrin Berger. Hi, An Katrine.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Hey, guys, do.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
Your friends call you the full name An Katrine?
Speaker 3 (12:46):
No, just my mom. If I'm in trouble, okay, is
it akb?
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Is it Anne?
Speaker 3 (12:52):
Most of the time, it's just Anne.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Okay, I'm sticking with Ann and take us to pregame
last Sunday.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
Your eight seed Gotham team is readying to play the
top seeded Kansas City Current.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
They're a buzz.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
They had insane regular season, so few people are giving you,
or really any team a chance to beat them in
the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
What is the vibe in the locker room?
Speaker 5 (13:12):
I would say, obviously it's good because we won and
nobody expected it from us, and I think that's always
the case. It doesn't matter if you're going to playoff
games or in general, just knock out games. I think
that's where do you never know what happens because it's
one off game, and whoever wakes up and turns up
(13:37):
in the right way, then that's the team who most
of the time wins. So and that's why I absolutely
love a good playoff or knockout games because you never
know what happens.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
Oh, you get up for the big ones. Okay, I
kind of like that shirt. I think you need to
make that shirt. Wake up, turn up win. That's a
good mantra. Was anybody given good pregame speeches? Do you
remember anybody in particular being superficety before that one?
Speaker 5 (14:05):
No, not really, because we just turned up as a
team and we maybe put less pressure on us because
nobody is expecting us. So I think we knew that,
especially because the last game of the season was not
the way we wanted to end it, and obviously we
didn't want to end up on eighth place and play
(14:28):
against the biggest team in the for that season. But
at the end of the day, I think you always
have to play against everyone to win, So it doesn't
matter if you do it at the beginning or at
the end. And I think with that kind of mentality,
we just went into that game.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
In the US, we say to be the best, you
got to beat the best? Do you have that saying
in Germany? Uh?
Speaker 3 (14:50):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (14:51):
How does it go? In German?
Speaker 3 (14:53):
And spitzed the problem was best slang?
Speaker 2 (14:56):
Okay, all I got was schlang clang.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
Yeah, schlag is like to fight against the bigger team.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
Okay, okay.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
So it's ninety sixth minute of that game, your team
is up one nil.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
You could taste the.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Semi finals and Ellie Wheeler scores. How do you stay
positive and focused after giving up the equalizer so that
you can then go on to make those insane crucial
saves that you made in extra time?
Speaker 5 (15:22):
I think I was very disappointed in myself, not the team.
For me, it never matters what happens before if I
had to do one save or ten saves or anything.
But I know I should have saved that ball, and
I misjudged it or like I thought someone else was
(15:43):
in the perfect position. So I can go maybe a
little bit more over. So that's why for me it
was a huge disappointment because on a normal day it
wouldn't gone in otherwise I would have been even more disappointed.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
So that's why, And I know.
Speaker 5 (16:02):
That my team was like working really really hard throughout
the whole game and continuing a goal like that, Yeah,
it's hard, especially because it was like only one minute
left maybe, but after that we just had to like
we just had to step up, and we I think
(16:23):
personally and we quite dominated the game, like we most
of the time one hour battles. Maybe the chances were
a little bit fifty to fifty, but like I think
we had more control of the game.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
That's how it felt.
Speaker 5 (16:39):
And we just had to get their attitude back again
because obviously the last ten minutes we just s tried
to defend and to get back to this organization and
like willingness to play again football. It is tough, but
I think we managed that really really well.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
As a keeper, you have to have a short memory.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
You're going to get credit occasionally for the big, flashy saves,
but most of the time you just don't want to
be talked about, which means that things went pretty well.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
But when you have a moment like that, do you have.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
A mantra you say in your head, do you have
any sort of tools from sports psychologists or otherwise to
get you back into Okay, I'm disappointed, but forget about it.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
Moving forward to got to get back in the right headspace.
Speaker 5 (17:23):
Not really like I I always tell myself, Okay, I
will do the analysis after the game, okay.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
Because right now it doesn't matter.
Speaker 5 (17:34):
Maybe when the book goes from my goal than to
the halfway line, maybe I will think about it really quick.
Could have done something different or why did they go in?
But it's like really just split seconds. And then after
that I just have to move on and then trying
(17:54):
to do if it's a mistake of mine, maybe passing
or anything that I will then keep the first three
to five balls very simple, and then I go again.
That's how I get my confidence and make sure that
I'm in the right space, and just like emphasize that
a little bit more.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
That makes sense.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
I get back in your body a little bit with
just some easy touches and get in the motion back.
How much did you all allow yourselves to celebrate before
thinking about what was next.
Speaker 5 (18:24):
Honestly, we celebrated because I think if not then something
would have been wrong with us, especially because after such
a huge game. But I think there was like one
comment that I saw then that what got filmed that
Rose said in the huddle, like we can celebrate now,
(18:45):
but then tomorrow is a next game, and we all
know that because we can celebrate in the moment, and
as soon as we travel home or travel again.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
The next day, then that's a new fresh start.
Speaker 5 (19:01):
Like we can't just stay happy and stay like, oh,
we already won everything because we beat the favorite. So
that's why I think it was a nice saying, and
I absolutely love it because you have to. You have
to celebrate everyone because otherwise, at some point you would
(19:21):
take it for granted, and that's the worst scenario that
could happen.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
Yeah, and also, only one team every year gets to
celebrate the last one. So if you're not celebrating along
the way, you're depriving yourself of all those moments of accomplishment.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
Enjoyed the chat with your teammates.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
Along the way, tell us about the game day sucks
last weekend.
Speaker 5 (19:41):
I'm a huge home alone friand I absolutely loved that
movie since I was a little child, really, and yeah,
I absolutely love the saying underneath my socks because it
felt like it was perfect. Maybe not like the chunk
of food or like I'm eating rubbish, but like if
(20:05):
you want me to stop, then come and get me.
And as soon as Christmas time as well, so it
was like a perfect match.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Wait, so tell us what your socks said specifically, I.
Speaker 5 (20:15):
Think down the line it was I'm I'm watching.
Speaker 2 (20:21):
I think it's like that I'm eating junk and watching rubbish.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
Coming stopish or something like that.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
Yeah, okay, you.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
Like the message in general, maybe not the eating rubbish,
but you got to stop me was the part that
spoke to you.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
How do you pick your socks for every game? Is
it just vibes?
Speaker 3 (20:37):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (20:37):
Most of the time, it's just how I feel and
what I think is perfect, maybe for the area or
like sometimes just like for the outfit and how I
how I feel myself if it's a business kind of day,
or if it's like a fun day or just any mess.
(21:01):
But I have to think about something new now because
I'm running out of socks and getting more expensive now.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
So well, if you put that out there, I get
the feeling some fans will send you some if you
say that you're running low. I think the Gotham fans
will show up. You've been playing club soccer since the
age of four. Did you love it from day one?
Speaker 3 (21:24):
Yeah, absolutely loved it.
Speaker 5 (21:26):
I fall in love with soccer when I watched the
first time my dad playing with soccer. So he played
for like a really rubbish team, like a Sunday League team.
But then when my mom and me we went to
his game, the first time, I run on the pitch
even the game was like still playing and everything because
(21:47):
I just wanted to play. And ever since then, Yeah,
my parents were really surprised that I really liked it
that much. And I was always like falling asleep with
a ball or like I had to I had to
clean my ball to take it to bed, and yeah,
and then ever then I just couldn't stop having a
(22:09):
ball around me.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
Really, you've played just about every position before you had
a growth spurt and it pushed you into net. How
do you think that experience playing other spots on the
field has helped you as a keeper?
Speaker 4 (22:21):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (22:21):
Mentally, I think I really I would advise every single one,
every single goalkeeper to play outfield first as long as possible,
maybe not as late now as sixteen, but like do
a good age till like thirteen fourteen. I've really advised
(22:42):
people doing that because it just gives you, like the
knowledge of every single position, Like this is how you
then play the ball to like a center back, because
I know how it feels like if that kind of pass,
I give how that makes it or give them comfort
or not or anything like that. But then like playing
(23:03):
out or playing forward and going to like long going
to a strike or what do they need? And you
just like can put yourself in that position because you
already played in that position. It doesn't matter if it
was as a kid or anything. Football is still the
same most of the time. That ten in front of
(23:24):
you will score, hopefully your striker, because that's the best
one to score goals. But besides that, like you and
then you also be more tidy and understanding that you
could prevent so much more before the ball actually ends
up in your eighteen yard box.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
And I'm a big believer in that.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Yeah, you devoted your life to this game since you
were four years old, and in twenty seventeen you get
diagnosed with thyroid cancer. You went into remission, and then
it came back in twenty twenty two. Was there ever
a time the first diagnosis or second where you believed
you wouldn't be able to keep playing so and you
wouldn't be able to stay out on the pitch.
Speaker 5 (24:03):
The only time where I stopped believe in it was
when I got the first time the diagnosis, because that's
the only time, but I didn't know what to expect.
But then after that, the doctors made it very very
clear that you can keep doing what you do, do your.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
Work as normal.
Speaker 5 (24:24):
Maybe you have like a little bit of like trouble
sometimes because of your the thyroid levels or anything, but
besides that, there's literally nothing that can hold you back.
And that for me, that message was for me then
clear that the first time I came back, then even
the second time. Yes, it's annoying because it doesn't happen
(24:47):
maybe as often, but besides that, like I've never doubted
that I can't play soccer, and because it's a big
part of me, that's why I wouldn't let my illness
taking away my passion what I had for over so
many years.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
Yeah, did your diagnosis help you change your perspective on
life and even maybe help you in net?
Speaker 5 (25:13):
I have to say on the pitch for sure, because
for me, soccer was everything literally like when I was
when I played, and I did mistakes, so anything like
it dragged me down quite a lot. But after my illness,
I started to realize there's so many bigger things than football,
(25:36):
and for me, that's why I put everything in perspective.
Speaker 3 (25:40):
And I think that also gave me the freedom.
Speaker 5 (25:42):
A little bit to play how I want to play,
and if there's a goal, yes I will be disappointed,
but like my life still goes on. Yeah, And I
think that was the biggest lesson I've learned from all
of it. And then not off the pitch as well,
Like I always thought people who are a little bit
(26:06):
more out there, they are untouchable because you always see
like the great things, but never like the weaknesses.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
And that's why sometimes.
Speaker 5 (26:19):
Maybe I've got a little bit naive, people would call
it maybe also like I just thought, yeah, nothing can
happen to me besides injury based.
Speaker 3 (26:30):
So that's why I think that was also.
Speaker 5 (26:34):
In a weird way, a good way to keep me
a bit little bit also grounded.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
I'm not that special.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Humbled you a little bit, you realized you're human. Yeah, Well,
one of the things off the pitch that brings you
a lot of joy that's worth going home to even
when you make a mistake.
Speaker 2 (26:51):
Is your fiance Jess Carter.
Speaker 1 (26:53):
You guys met back in twenty sixteen playing for Birmingham
City FC. Across the pond. You moved in together as
play Tonic roommates. I love this story so much. Jess
thought she was straight, but you had other plans. Tell
me about getting up the nerve to first ask her
out on a date that she didn't realize it was
a date, and then eventually have to say, I guess
(27:14):
I'm gonna have to just try to kiss her and
see if I can make it a little more clear
that I want to be more than roommates.
Speaker 5 (27:19):
Yeah, it was just I didn't even see her in
that way. So it was just like probably like I
over the years, I fall in love in a person.
So for me that was most of the time the
most important thing. And a lot of people know now
(27:39):
we probably didn't even like each other at the beginning,
because she had her besties and yeah, and that's why
after a while a friend of ours, she just liked
the birthday party at home, and that's why then we
started talking. And even then we were just and the end.
(28:01):
Then at some point something changed and a friend of
mine she just told me, maybe you should just take
her out. And then I was a little bit blass
about it, because yeah, I don't make a big deal
of a lot of things. So maybe the signs were
not as big, but like they were still big.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
I think I think you thought it was clear it
was a date, but she didn't get it.
Speaker 3 (28:23):
Yeah, so that's why.
Speaker 5 (28:26):
Yeah, And then from there, I just like that we
became friends and then a little bit more than friends.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
And now you're engaged.
Speaker 1 (28:34):
Gotham is the third stop for YouTube Playing together. How
is it sharing life and the pitch with your partner?
Speaker 5 (28:40):
For us, there's always every time when we go to
training or to games, it is not my partner as
my teammate, and we always are separated. That and maybe
it also has that I'm in a completely different position
than her because goalkeepers have a different routine than our
(29:02):
fear players, and that's why we were always Yeah, after
every training session we literally went to the car and said, like,
how was your day? Even though we maybe worked together,
but we don't see each other as much or we're
just hanging out with other people. And then Yeah, we're
just then trying to be as normal as possible and
(29:25):
it's just a job. And then at home that's where
we can be us. And yeah, it was very clear
from the beginning that.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
It would work out.
Speaker 5 (29:36):
Yeah, and also that we separated, we were on the
same page as well.
Speaker 1 (29:41):
Yeah, it's for Norman's. It's like we work in different departments.
It's fine of the same company. What about when you're
not teammates though, just playing for England, you playing for Germany.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
How's that going to go?
Speaker 5 (29:54):
I think it only happens twice, I think, And yeah,
it's fine. It's literally like work is. Yes, at the
end of the day, if someone wins and someone loses,
then we're just like happy for each other. But besides that,
(30:15):
I think we're very chilled people and we're not like
taking it in home. And I was like, oh, do
you remember that I did this to your teammate or
anything like that. So we're not that kind of people.
And I think that's why it works really well with
separating the private life with our work life. And sometimes
(30:38):
this is funny as well because we know our strength
and weaknesses. So if that will ever happen, and I
hope not, because I don't see the reason why that
we play against each other and she will pop up
in the eighteen yard books, then I'm very concerned for
the other team because that's where she shouldn't be as
(31:00):
a defender.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
Very true, very true.
Speaker 1 (31:03):
Uh, you got engaged last year. Do you have a
wedding date on the books yet?
Speaker 3 (31:07):
No?
Speaker 5 (31:08):
Not really, like we Yeah, we're just taking our time
and we're just just wait to see. And because obviously
the football plans are always like different, That's why hard.
It's very very hard to plan them because now we
get more and more competition getting in and I think
that's where it's it's quite tough too, and especially because
(31:32):
we are out here as well, it's quite tough to
then would plan in a wedding or anything like that.
From right from the other side of the punt.
Speaker 1 (31:42):
You got three countries involved. You got England, you got Jermaney,
you got the US and then all your.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
Teammates from everywhere else too.
Speaker 4 (31:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:49):
So this weekend you got last year's champions, Orlando Pride.
How do you start to prepare for someone like Marta.
Speaker 5 (31:57):
I think it's it's the same as Kansas individual players.
They're brilliant and sometimes you can't stop then individual. And
I think that's where I absolutely love my team, because
I think it's about the team performance. It's not about
and if everyone if Marta with her brilliance like just
(32:25):
trick someone out and get past someone, then we know
there's a second one that would then try to stop her.
And I think that's what we always try to do
as a as a team, as a collective, to stop
these kind of players. And yeah, but also we don't
have to be as afraid because we have also very
(32:47):
very good players and because now maybe people are taking
us a little bit more serious because we stop cancers
who nobody expected. I think that's why we then also
can take that a little bit respect into that game
as well. Yeah, because at the end of the day,
(33:08):
you always have to respect your opponent because otherwise you,
from my experience, you underestimate them.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
New socks for this weekend we haven't picked.
Speaker 5 (33:17):
Out yet, no, and we're actually traveling tomorrow, so yeah,
I'm a little bit stressed with that, but I have
to see why I still have left and then we
go from there.
Speaker 2 (33:28):
All right, go find your socks.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
You know, last time Gotham FC won it all was
out of the final playoff spot, so I imagine there's
a lot of confidence for another run from the bottom
of the bracket this year.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
And you already got past the number one team. So
good luck. God's beeed on finding the socks. And thanks
for the time.
Speaker 1 (33:43):
Thank you very much, Thanks again to a Catrick for
taking the time. We have to take another break when
we come back, staring up into the darkness cursing our fate.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
Welcome back, slices.
Speaker 1 (33:59):
We love that you're listening, but we want you to
get in the game every day too, So here's our
good gameplay of the day. Watch the NWSL semifinals, and hey,
if you live close by or you got some cash
to burn, consider flying out to San Jose for Championship weekend.
Any slice I see in Good Game with Sarah Spain
Merch gets a high five and a good Game sticker.
Speaking of the holidays are coming, What better gift than
(34:22):
a T shirt that says good game, good game, fuck you,
perfect for your whole family to wear for the.
Speaker 2 (34:26):
Annual Turkey Bowl.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
How about and ask me about women's sports T shirt
to wear to dinner with your uncle Carl, who actually
does think that fouling Caitlin Clark is a hate crime,
and that Wall Street Journal op ed made some good points.
Let everyone know you're the one to ask, not Uncle Carl,
and you can never go wrong with the T shirt
that says un withable or I'm a slice. You can
find them all at breakintea dot com, slash spain That's
(34:51):
Breaking Tea dot com slash Spain.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
We always love to hear from you.
Speaker 1 (34:55):
Hit us up on email, good game at Wondermedia network
dot com or leave us a voicemail at eight seven
to two two seventy and don't forget to subscribe, rate
and review.
Speaker 2 (35:04):
I tell you every day, and it's just so easy.
Speaker 1 (35:06):
Watch everyone and their dogs seeing the Aurora borealis and
me striking out again rating zero out of zero Northern
Lights Review for the fifty eleventh time. This year, the
Aurora Borealis graced my neck of the woods with her presence,
and my social media timeline filled up with photos from
friends who witnessed the magic of nature's fireworks, green and
(35:28):
pink hues splashed across the sky.
Speaker 2 (35:31):
Beautiful.
Speaker 1 (35:32):
After spying all those photos on Tuesday night, everyone I've
ever met seemed to have bathed in their magical glow.
I decided to drive all the way to the beach
on Wednesday, to multiple different spots. In fact, I sat
in traffic like it was a goddamn Saturday afternoon of
the air.
Speaker 2 (35:45):
And water show.
Speaker 1 (35:46):
Everywhere you looked, people had driven to get out in
their pjs and coats, stumbling along the beach, staring up
at the sky. Really, the perfect romcom meet cute waiting
to happen, A brisk fall evening, leaves crunching under your
feet giving way to sand as you get closer to
the lapping waves of Lake Michigan. Peaceful, quiet, romantic. Really,
if I had seen the goddamn lights. But no, once again,
(36:11):
no Raura Bori Alice for me.
Speaker 2 (36:12):
I'm gonna have to fly to Iceland to see this shit.
Goddamn it. Now it's your turn, rate and review. Thanks
for listening.
Speaker 1 (36:20):
See you next week when we chat with WNBA legend
Elena Beard about all things Project B. Good Game Man, Katrine,
Good Game, Hall of Fame inductees, you la twenty eight
schedulers trying to keep us from having nice things. Good
Game with Sarah Spain is an iHeart women's sports production
(36:40):
in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You could
find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts.
Speaker 2 (36:45):
Or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (36:47):
Production by Wonder Media Network, our producers are alex Azie,
Grace Lynch, Taylor Williamson, and Lucy Jones. Our executive producers
are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan and Emily Rudder.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
Our editors are Emily R. Dughterer, Britney Martinez and Gianna Palmer.
Speaker 1 (37:02):
Production assistants from Avery Loftus and I'm Your Host Sarah
Spain
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Sarah Spain
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