June 2, 2025 • 10 mins
The United States Women's National Team (USWNT) dominated China to kick off a series of matches in this May and June FIFA window.
Melissa Ortiz was there covering it all and gives us all the behind-the-scenes details after speaking with Catarina Macario and Michelle Cooper after the game. Plus, Meli shares how special it was to see her fellow teammate, Isabella Echeverri, on the pitch also covering the game. From having played alongside one another as part of the Colombian national team, to fighting for equal pay together, to now both being sideline reporters covering soccer was a full circle moment for Meli.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
What is up everyone, And welcome back to Asta AHA
podcast And this is extra time with me for the
next five weeks. I am traveling like Corey Cray and
I kicked off this past weekend with the US women's
national team game. They took on China here in Minneapolis, Minnesota,
(00:22):
from where I'm recording this podcast from, and this was
it was. I'm going to give you a game recap first,
and then I'm going to tell you why this was
one of the most special moments of my career, of
my broadcasting career. So about the game. The US women's
won three zero against China, a very very dominating performance
by the US. It took a little bit for them
(00:44):
to get, you know, to be able to break through
the defensive lines of China. China had a really high line,
meaning that when I say that their defensive line their
back line, they held it high, which is actually really surprising.
We thought that they would maybe put a low block,
because when you do a low blog, you're really protecting
the goal more closer to the goal and it's harder
(01:04):
for the team to break through such a compact team.
But they didn't do that, which was pretty surprising. And
minute twenty eight Catardina Marcadio, who is Brazilian American. She
scored for the USA. She plays for Chelsea, and then
Sam Coffee scored in the thirty fifth minute. A banger
of a goal, y'all, in a really great play. I
love the passing combination that led to that goal. You
(01:26):
need to check out the highlights. Sam Coffee's goal was
just so good. And then Lindsay Heaves scored the last
goal to make it three nil. Again a dominating performance
and I really enjoyed watching Naomi Germa back in action.
She has been dealing with the calf injury over the
past few months after of course signing one of the
(01:47):
biggest or the biggest deal in women's soccer history one
point one million dollar deal to play for Chelsea, but
soonly after moving to England to London. She's been dealing
with this with this in and it was great to
see her back on the pitch now, finally a few
months after. She is one of the leaders veterans and
Emma Hayes, head coach of the US women's Aashal team,
(02:08):
has called her one of the best defenders that she's
ever seen, and it's true. She is. She's just so
much flair, she has so much grace, she has so
much confidence and security on the ball, and it's just
the way that she defends. It's just top class and
that's why she is was the most expensive transfer in
the history of women's football, but yeah, it was. It
was really impressive performance. I got to interview after the
(02:30):
game Michelle Cooper, who played yesterday. She's a more of
a newcomer on the team. She's only been on this
US women's full team for the past few months, but
she's been a really great addition. Emma Hayes has shared
that she's been doing really good in camp, honestly, and
she says like, if she had to make a team
tomorrow for you know, an next big tournament, she'd make
(02:52):
the squad because that's how good she's been doing. And
I got to interview her, like I said, after the
match yesterday, and she was really happy to be able
to have an assist on the game, to make an
impact on the game, and to be continuing to grow
and continue under the instructions of Emma Hayes. Now Katerina Marcadio,
I got to interview her yesterday as well. After the game.
(03:15):
It didn't get to air on TV unfortunately because the
postgame show was only thirty minutes long. But she mentioned
to me that she actually wasn't happy with her performance yesterday.
And that is crazy to say that because you're she
scored a goal and had to assist, well, she hadn't
insist you speak to the athlete after and like she
wasn't content at all, which I respect her her honesty honestly,
(03:38):
and I know how it is like when you're an
elite athlete, you already self you know, you already self
reflect You're already you already know what what your top
game is and you compare it, you know, your your
exact performance to that. And it was right after the
whistleblow that I that I spoke to her, and you know,
she she congratulated the team on the wind who was
(03:59):
proud of the win. You know, it was obviously a
tea performance, but her individual performance, she says, she wasn't
happy with it. So I'm interested to see what comes
in the next game against Jamaica. They play against Jamaica
on Tuesday, and Katarina already said like, I just can't
wait for this next game on Tuesday because as athletes,
it's like you want to shake off this that performance.
(04:20):
If you, of course think that you had a bad performance,
you want to try to treat that a short term
memory and you want to switch the page already to
the next one and work for the next game to
like try to just prove yourself again. I want to
talk to you about a really suffer moment, like I mentioned,
like it's just full circle. So I played soccer on
(04:44):
the Columbia national team with one of my best friends
in the world, my former teammate is and we have
been through so much together, whether it was on the
pitch playing for the national team to fighting the Colombian
Federation together and fighting for women's rights and fighting for
(05:05):
support of women's sports and women's soccer in Colombia and
in South America and the world. Want to say we
also at that point untapped just crazy secrets, unfortunate secrets
of sexual harassment within the federation, within a coaching staff
of the youth national team and young players of the
youth national team, and by speaking out, by just lifting
(05:30):
our voices and using our platforms, we untapped all of
this and really created what is now just more support,
what is more coverage. What is more not equality unfortunately,
but at least at least progress in women's soccer, specifically
in Colombia. So Easa and I have an incredible friendship.
(05:53):
She's a sister son, and we even have a tattoo
together after after doing what we did in twenty nineteen,
which was fighting against the federation, because it was just
so impactful what we did for our country, but also
for us in our personal lives. Like we say, it
was a before and after of who we are as people,
as women. So where I'm getting with this is that
(06:15):
she works for Telemundo, and Telemundo has the Spanish rights,
the Spanish rights of the US soccer games, so US
women's and US men's games, and I work for TNT
and TNT has the rights of the same thing, US
men's and US women's national team games. And what is
so just like incredible is that she was given the
(06:40):
opportunity to be a sideline reporter for Telemundo covering the
game yesterday, the US women's national team game, the same
game that I am covering. So all of a sudden,
our lives, our lives are doing three sixties. Like not
only were we best friends, of teammates on the pitch,
then we're fighting off the pitch. Were like experiencing incredible moments.
(07:01):
She was there when I when I introduced Messi to
the MLS and TETA Miami, and then all of a sudden,
we're sitting next to each other, working, working covering the
US women's national team both in English and the Spanish
on two separate networks. But it's like, yo, it's like
two Latinas just like paving our waves, paving our ways
(07:23):
through this, through this, through through women's sports, through sports
in general in this country. When once a federation try
to silence us, now we are the voices of soccer
here in this country. Like, yeah, I had to share
this with you because honestly, coma Latina yesterday, you know,
we're in the mix of everything. We're working so much,
(07:46):
or we're on the clock prepping for the game, and
then like we're in the game, and you have to
be obviously on point because you're covering live television in
a live sports game, but it's like you have to
sit back for a moment and just like just be like, wow,
we did this. We're here together, Like this isn't common
that two former national team players are covering a US
(08:08):
soccer game, especially as women, and so I'm almost getting
emotional right now, honestly, just thinking about how special it
was for us, honestly, and I keep saying also because
I have no other words to say, and I'm tearing.
Uh and yeah, So just taking a moment right now
because it was it was, it was awesome and coming up,
I know, I spoke about is Ri and our incredible
(08:32):
moment together on the pitch, off the pitch now kind
of working alongside of each other. But just to teaser,
we will have her on the podcast just soon in
a few weeks, and we also will be having a
podcast soon an interview. Exclusive interview with Diana Ordonez. She
plays for the Mexican women's national team. Born and raised
(08:54):
the United States, she played for MC Courage, played for
the Houston Dash, and at the time of the recording
of our podcast, she was still playing for the Dash,
which was like literally yesterday, but she just got signed
to DEGNIS. So congratulations Dana. Shout out Diana. She was
awesome to chat with. This girl is crushing. She's such
a baller. New episodes of All Hole drop every Tuesday, y'all,
(09:18):
so subscribe to our podcast you check out our social
media handles all as well. Kami also brings in the
latest and greatest drops of music recommendations and we are
bringing into good Vibe. Sam think we're not doing on
me with us, Okay, So thank y'all for joining in.
I hope that this extra time with me just gave
(09:41):
you a little bit of happiness, maybe a little bit
of happy tears like I had today. But oh wait.
I'm Babbos is an iHeart women's sports production and partnership
with See Blue Sports and Entertainment. For more podcasts, listen
to the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
listen to your favorite shows.
What is up everyone, And welcome back to Asta AHA
podcast And this is extra time with me for the
next five weeks. I am traveling like Corey Cray and
I kicked off this past weekend with the US women's
national team game. They took on China here in Minneapolis, Minnesota,
(00:22):
from where I'm recording this podcast from, and this was
it was. I'm going to give you a game recap first,
and then I'm going to tell you why this was
one of the most special moments of my career, of
my broadcasting career. So about the game. The US women's
won three zero against China, a very very dominating performance
by the US. It took a little bit for them
(00:44):
to get, you know, to be able to break through
the defensive lines of China. China had a really high line,
meaning that when I say that their defensive line their
back line, they held it high, which is actually really surprising.
We thought that they would maybe put a low block,
because when you do a low blog, you're really protecting
the goal more closer to the goal and it's harder
(01:04):
for the team to break through such a compact team.
But they didn't do that, which was pretty surprising. And
minute twenty eight Catardina Marcadio, who is Brazilian American. She
scored for the USA. She plays for Chelsea, and then
Sam Coffee scored in the thirty fifth minute. A banger
of a goal, y'all, in a really great play. I
love the passing combination that led to that goal. You
(01:26):
need to check out the highlights. Sam Coffee's goal was
just so good. And then Lindsay Heaves scored the last
goal to make it three nil. Again a dominating performance
and I really enjoyed watching Naomi Germa back in action.
She has been dealing with the calf injury over the
past few months after of course signing one of the
(01:47):
biggest or the biggest deal in women's soccer history one
point one million dollar deal to play for Chelsea, but
soonly after moving to England to London. She's been dealing
with this with this in and it was great to
see her back on the pitch now, finally a few
months after. She is one of the leaders veterans and
Emma Hayes, head coach of the US women's Aashal team,
(02:08):
has called her one of the best defenders that she's
ever seen, and it's true. She is. She's just so
much flair, she has so much grace, she has so
much confidence and security on the ball, and it's just
the way that she defends. It's just top class and
that's why she is was the most expensive transfer in
the history of women's football, but yeah, it was. It
was really impressive performance. I got to interview after the
(02:30):
game Michelle Cooper, who played yesterday. She's a more of
a newcomer on the team. She's only been on this
US women's full team for the past few months, but
she's been a really great addition. Emma Hayes has shared
that she's been doing really good in camp, honestly, and
she says like, if she had to make a team
tomorrow for you know, an next big tournament, she'd make
(02:52):
the squad because that's how good she's been doing. And
I got to interview her, like I said, after the
match yesterday, and she was really happy to be able
to have an assist on the game, to make an
impact on the game, and to be continuing to grow
and continue under the instructions of Emma Hayes. Now Katerina Marcadio,
I got to interview her yesterday as well. After the game.
(03:15):
It didn't get to air on TV unfortunately because the
postgame show was only thirty minutes long. But she mentioned
to me that she actually wasn't happy with her performance yesterday.
And that is crazy to say that because you're she
scored a goal and had to assist, well, she hadn't
insist you speak to the athlete after and like she
wasn't content at all, which I respect her her honesty honestly,
(03:38):
and I know how it is like when you're an
elite athlete, you already self you know, you already self
reflect You're already you already know what what your top
game is and you compare it, you know, your your
exact performance to that. And it was right after the
whistleblow that I that I spoke to her, and you know,
she she congratulated the team on the wind who was
(03:59):
proud of the win. You know, it was obviously a
tea performance, but her individual performance, she says, she wasn't
happy with it. So I'm interested to see what comes
in the next game against Jamaica. They play against Jamaica
on Tuesday, and Katarina already said like, I just can't
wait for this next game on Tuesday because as athletes,
it's like you want to shake off this that performance.
(04:20):
If you, of course think that you had a bad performance,
you want to try to treat that a short term
memory and you want to switch the page already to
the next one and work for the next game to
like try to just prove yourself again. I want to
talk to you about a really suffer moment, like I mentioned,
like it's just full circle. So I played soccer on
(04:44):
the Columbia national team with one of my best friends
in the world, my former teammate is and we have
been through so much together, whether it was on the
pitch playing for the national team to fighting the Colombian
Federation together and fighting for women's rights and fighting for
(05:05):
support of women's sports and women's soccer in Colombia and
in South America and the world. Want to say we
also at that point untapped just crazy secrets, unfortunate secrets
of sexual harassment within the federation, within a coaching staff
of the youth national team and young players of the
youth national team, and by speaking out, by just lifting
(05:30):
our voices and using our platforms, we untapped all of
this and really created what is now just more support,
what is more coverage. What is more not equality unfortunately,
but at least at least progress in women's soccer, specifically
in Colombia. So Easa and I have an incredible friendship.
(05:53):
She's a sister son, and we even have a tattoo
together after after doing what we did in twenty nineteen,
which was fighting against the federation, because it was just
so impactful what we did for our country, but also
for us in our personal lives. Like we say, it
was a before and after of who we are as people,
as women. So where I'm getting with this is that
(06:15):
she works for Telemundo, and Telemundo has the Spanish rights,
the Spanish rights of the US soccer games, so US
women's and US men's games, and I work for TNT
and TNT has the rights of the same thing, US
men's and US women's national team games. And what is
so just like incredible is that she was given the
(06:40):
opportunity to be a sideline reporter for Telemundo covering the
game yesterday, the US women's national team game, the same
game that I am covering. So all of a sudden,
our lives, our lives are doing three sixties. Like not
only were we best friends, of teammates on the pitch,
then we're fighting off the pitch. Were like experiencing incredible moments.
(07:01):
She was there when I when I introduced Messi to
the MLS and TETA Miami, and then all of a sudden,
we're sitting next to each other, working, working covering the
US women's national team both in English and the Spanish
on two separate networks. But it's like, yo, it's like
two Latinas just like paving our waves, paving our ways
(07:23):
through this, through this, through through women's sports, through sports
in general in this country. When once a federation try
to silence us, now we are the voices of soccer
here in this country. Like, yeah, I had to share
this with you because honestly, coma Latina yesterday, you know,
we're in the mix of everything. We're working so much,
(07:46):
or we're on the clock prepping for the game, and
then like we're in the game, and you have to
be obviously on point because you're covering live television in
a live sports game, but it's like you have to
sit back for a moment and just like just be like, wow,
we did this. We're here together, Like this isn't common
that two former national team players are covering a US
(08:08):
soccer game, especially as women, and so I'm almost getting
emotional right now, honestly, just thinking about how special it
was for us, honestly, and I keep saying also because
I have no other words to say, and I'm tearing.
Uh and yeah, So just taking a moment right now
because it was it was, it was awesome and coming up,
I know, I spoke about is Ri and our incredible
(08:32):
moment together on the pitch, off the pitch now kind
of working alongside of each other. But just to teaser,
we will have her on the podcast just soon in
a few weeks, and we also will be having a
podcast soon an interview. Exclusive interview with Diana Ordonez. She
plays for the Mexican women's national team. Born and raised
(08:54):
the United States, she played for MC Courage, played for
the Houston Dash, and at the time of the recording
of our podcast, she was still playing for the Dash,
which was like literally yesterday, but she just got signed
to DEGNIS. So congratulations Dana. Shout out Diana. She was
awesome to chat with. This girl is crushing. She's such
a baller. New episodes of All Hole drop every Tuesday, y'all,
(09:18):
so subscribe to our podcast you check out our social
media handles all as well. Kami also brings in the
latest and greatest drops of music recommendations and we are
bringing into good Vibe. Sam think we're not doing on
me with us, Okay, So thank y'all for joining in.
I hope that this extra time with me just gave
(09:41):
you a little bit of happiness, maybe a little bit
of happy tears like I had today. But oh wait.
I'm Babbos is an iHeart women's sports production and partnership
with See Blue Sports and Entertainment. For more podcasts, listen
to the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
listen to your favorite shows.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.