The Women's Soccer Podcast

Racing Louisville FC cornerstone and all-time appearance leader Lauren Milliet joins the podcast to unpack what it takes to build a club's legacy from the ground up. As the only remaining original player from Racing Louisville's inception, Lauren pulls back the curtain on her early days in the league, talking about her journey from her draft-day experience directly into a star-studded rookie season with the North Carolina Courage. She details what it was like to find her footing in the pros while training day in and day out alongside world-class players like Sam Mewis, Crystal Dunn, and Debinha, and how that experience molded her into the leader she is today. She takes us behind the scenes of the 2020 NWSL bubble, sharing how she navigated the unprecedented demands of the Challenge Cup, setting the stage for her sudden transition to Kentucky next season via the expansion draft. She talks about going through the expansion draft process and how over her time with Racing, Louisville has become such a special place to her. The right-back gets incredibly candid about the relentless day-to-day physical and mental preparation required to make league history as the first player in NWSL history to play 100 consecutive regular-season matches for a single club. Beyond the iron-woman streaks, she breaks down the immense psychological resilience needed to bounce back from injury setbacks, including a broken collarbone suffered in Brazil that cut a dominant personal campaign short, and the brutal lessons those grueling rehabilitation periods taught her about confidence and longevity in professional sports. Lauren walks through the emotional high of finally breaking through to secure Racing's historic first-ever playoff appearance, reliving their grueling, 120-minute postseason battle against the Washington Spirit and sharing the lessons she learned from it. Finally, she opens up about her impact off the field as Louisville's nominee for the Lauren Holiday Impact Award supporting TreesLouisville, her decision to re-sign with the club, and the legacy she hopes to leave behind in the Racing locker room. Thank you all for listening! Remember to follow us wherever you get your podcasts, on Instagram (@the_womens_soccer_podcast) and Bluesky (@thewomenssoccerpod.bsky.social). In addition, leave a 5-star review and tell all your friends about our show! I'd love to hear your thoughts or questions! Leave me a voice message on our RSS.com voicemail page, and we might include it on the show!

LDG executes a complete post-mortem on the chaotic results, diving straight into the USWNT's two-game slate against Spain to unpack exactly what went wrong, who stood out, and how Emma Hayes is handling a glaring tactical reality check ahead of World Cup qualifying. LDG emphasizes the importance of youth development and the need for the team to adapt quickly to high-pressure situations without having the safety net of getting another opportunity to take on a top side after a tough result in the first game. He dives deep into the 2-0 loss at Audi Field and the 2–2 comeback draw, proving that the USWNT is still at its most lethal when playing directly in a high-press transition rather than forcing a slow, methodical build. As he says, you cannot out-Spain Spain. LDG delves into their defensive struggles without Girma anchoring the backline, which conceded four first-half goals across two matches, the impact of key player absences, and discusses individual player performances in the stock up, stock down segment, highlighting Ashley Sanchez's return and the midfield's challenges against Spain. He isolates the massive contrast between NWSL Golden Boot leader Ashley Sanchez’s incredible return to the USWNT pool after 2 years and the captain Lindsey Heaps, who struggled against Spain's world-class midfield, raising questions for LDG on whether she should be a member of the USWNT’s starting lineup. Plus, he looks toward the goalkeeper race after Phallon Tullis-Joyce's elite shot-stopping was marred by a costly distributional error that directly led to Spain’s second goal, and the inconclusiveness this window provided on who will be the number 1 goalkeeper next summer. Looking ahead to the high-stakes CONCACAF W Championship qualifiers in Texas, he predicts the upcoming 23-player roster, separating the locks from the bubble players, explicitly breaking down the tactical adjustments needed to crack El Salvador's inevitable low block, explaining why creators comfortable playing in the pocket spaces like Ally Sentnor and Jaedyn Shaw are needed. Finally, LDG examines how the USWNT's rivals' performed over the window, and looks at the results of their World Cup and World Cup Qualifying competitors. Thank you all for listening! Remember to follow us wherever you get your podcasts, on Instagram (@the_womens_soccer_podcast) and Bluesky (@thewomenssoccerpod.bsky.social). In addition, leave a 5-star review and tell all your friends about our show! I'd love to hear your thoughts or questions! Leave me a voice message on our RSS.com voicemail page, and we might include it on the show!

Dynamic Nigerian forward Gift Monday joins the podcast to share insider insights on the future of the Super Falcons, adjusting to the unique physical demands of the NWSL, and reflecting on her time with the Spirit. Recorded mere days before, and published right after, her blockbuster trade to Boston Legacy FC from the Washington Spirit, this deep-dive interview covers her footballing journey from her earliest soccer memories into a prolific career that has spanned across multiple continents. Gift bridges her formative youth international experiences, specifically looking back at what she absorbed during the 2018 U-20 Women’s World Cup alongside current senior stars, and how navigating those early global tournaments directly prepared her to step onto the pitch during Nigeria's historic 2023 senior World Cup run. She pulls back the curtain on why she initially wanted to stay back with the U-17s despite her gratitude for receiving a U-20 call-up. She then talks about her development in the NWFL, detailing how winning a domestic title and finishing as the league's top scorer with the Bayelsa Queens prepared her to compete in elite environments like Spain’s Liga F with UD Tenerife, and ultimately the NWSL. The prolific attacker gets incredibly candid about the emotional high of earning her first-ever senior call-up to represent the Super Falcons crest and stepping onto the pitch at the senior Women's World Cup. She breaks down the psychological pivot required to channel the disappointment of not making the 2025 WAFCON roster into incredible club form for the Spirit, eventually forcing her way back onto the international squad. She takes us inside her transition to the NWSL, walking through the behind-the-scenes reality of her seamless adaptation to the league, including the exact shift in career trajectory she felt when she made league history by scoring the fastest-ever hat-trick from kickoff against the Houston Dash, and her ambitions for the rest of the season. Finally, Gift breaks down the structural changes needed to help the national team regroup after recent continental heartbreak, the mindset of the locker room heading into the 2028 Olympic qualifiers, and the goals pinned to her soccer vision board. Thank you all for listening! Remember to follow us wherever you get your podcasts, on Instagram (@the_womens_soccer_podcast) and Bluesky (@thewomenssoccerpod.bsky.social). In addition, leave a 5-star review and tell all your friends about our show! I'd love to hear your thoughts or questions! Leave me a voice message on our RSS.com voicemail page, and we might include it on the show!

Bay FC goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz sits down to discuss her rise to the international stage and anchoring the defensive foundation of Bay FC in the NWSL. Joining the podcast just days before the USWNT’s highly anticipated October window versus Spain, the rising star shares insider insights on her historic journey as the first Iowa State player ever drafted into the league, why the Bay FC project was the perfect step for her, and stepping into the undisputed number-one goalkeeper role. Jordan dives into her spectacular personal form this season, reflecting on her trade to Bay FC, leading the league in goals prevented, and setting a historic penalty-saving record. She takes us into the locker room to discuss the delicate balance of stepping into a vital leadership role while still developing as a young pro, navigating a grueling NWSL schedule alongside entering the senior international environment after receiving her first senior USWNT call-up ahead of friendlies against Italy, and more! Jordan shares the profound pieces of coaching advice that altered how she views the game, including how goalkeeper coach Daniel Ball helped her rediscover her joy for soccer at a time when she seriously questioned whether she wanted to keep playing. She walks us through the importance of the U-23 national team program as a fundamental international entry point, detailing what was going through her head when she achieved the "I will get called into a USWNT camp" flashcard inside her locker. Lastly, she shares what excites her about the club's new direction under head coach Emma Coates, the short and long term goals on her career vision board, and so much more! Thank you all for listening! Remember to follow us wherever you get your podcasts, on Instagram (@the_womens_soccer_podcast) and Bluesky (@thewomenssoccerpod.bsky.social). In addition, leave a 5-star review and tell all your friends about our show! I'd love to hear your thoughts or questions! Leave me a voice message on our RSS.com voicemail page, and we might include it on the show!

What are the key storylines to watch as the USWNT prepares for its upcoming friendlies against Spain? How will roster changes, injuries, and selection questions shape the U.S. squad ahead of this defining stretch ahead of Women's World Cup qualifying and the 2027 World Cup in Brazil? LDG takes a deep dive into this high-stakes international window to break down how a sudden wave of injuries has completely disrupted the U.S. roster and forced Emma Hayes to test the program's depth against top-tier European opposition. LDG unpacks how injuries have dramatically reshaped the U.S. roster, explaining how the sudden absences of established key players have forced Emma Hayes to test the program's depth, and explores how these newly-opened slots have created major opportunities for newer and uncapped faces, including Kate Del Fava, Pietra Tordin, Evelyn Shores, and Trinity Byars. He analyzes the sudden influx of fresh, uncapped talent breaking into the camp, exploring what she sees in these rising stars and why she chose to break her previous selection trends right now. Plus, LDG maps out the biggest unsettled positional battles on the pitch and what Ashley Sanchez's highly anticipated return means for the midfield dynamic. On the Spain side, LDG examines notable absences, the world-class depth still available in its midfield and attack, and why this matchup should be a strict tactical test rather than a purely physical contest. He walks through the strategic adjustments required from the U.S., detailing how they must deploy their pressing game to manage Spain’s possession, wide progression, and ability to play through pressure while simultaneously testing new defensive backline combinations. Finally, LDG wraps up with a comprehensive global scouting guide, highlighting five other must-watch international fixtures during this window and the specific tactical storylines you need to track across the globe. Hear our full interviews with Avery Patterson and Kaylee Hunter, as spoken about in the episode, they are two players to watch this upcoming international window! Thank you all for listening! Remember to follow us wherever you get your podcasts, on Instagram (@the_womens_soccer_podcast) and Bluesky (@thewomenssoccerpod.bsky.social). In addition, leave a 5-star review and tell all your friends about our show! I'd love to hear your thoughts or questions! Leave me a voice message on our RSS.com voicemail page, and we might include it on the show!