Welcome back to another episode of Rain Weekly. Killy Donning here with Laura Shott and our new sideline reporter for Radio here on ninety three point three KGr FM, Kwame Apia reminder, we're.
Back on radio on the tenth.
Curious for you, Kwame, you finally did your first sideline reporting I think it was your first sideline reporting ever.
Was that your your sideline reporter debut?
Yeah, that was my sideline reporting debut.
Yes, all right, let's uh, how was it?
Give us a day in the life or an evening in the life of a sideline reporter in the NWSL.
It was super cool.
I'll say, I feel like I have the best seats in the house, you know, getting to kind of just hang out on that sideline view everything as it's being played, see what's really going on. You hear all the grunts, the contact like it makes you feel like you're part of the game, and so I feel like it added such a major element to understanding what's going on.
I have noticed that sideline reporting in general has kind of been one of those positions that seems to be disappearing, and as a producer, I think that's such a miss. It's such an often I don't want to say like
a forgotten position, but it's such an important position. It's like you said, Kwame, you have an entirely different vantage point and you're feeling the vibes and you're being able to see exactly what's going on on the bench, and I mean you are like right next to Laura Harvey who's sitting on her yetti.
Yeah, you see everything.
You see every reaction, you see every single time the coaches look at each other, they think, like, what just happened there? What should we do? Why is that player out of position? Or is that player in the you know, in the right place, or they're making the right moves.
So it makes you feel so connected. And I think if you can take the almost the feeling of what you have down there and share it with the rest of the world and everyone who's tuning in, I think that that's such an important advantage to viewing the game.
I love that, Laura, you've done every single position. I believe you've been an analyst, you've been color commentary, You've done it all. What's your favorite position on the broadcast team? Just out of curiousity. Honestly, for me, I love sideline. I mean, Kame, you're just killing it down there. You're so perfect for that.
Obviously killing Stone some of that Khila You've done that. You guys have been outstanding.
I mean something that stands out was Ball of the Face game, where you just took it and then you just kept going as though, like the professional you are, it didn't even phase you.
You're just like next next thing.
I honestly think that for me, it's it's what I'm doing currently, and it's color. I just love being able to be a bit of it dips into coaching a little bit. I think, you know, live TV feels a little bit the same feelings. Is like getting ready for a game. You're either making the call correctly or you know, sometimes you miss some and then you got to move on and you got to make the next call as best you can and represent the team.
And it's fun to talk about the players.
It's you know, I love the group that we're working with, true professionals, and so I'm going to go with coleenr.
Although they're all fun.
I like the shout that you said about coaching and color commentary. I actually feel like the best color commentators that I worked for or worked.
With having coaches. Shout out to coach Pete viewing.
Shout out to Steve zach Wanni who coached high school for a bunch of a couple of years there. And Brad Evans who also coached girls. I think he actually still might be coaching. I have to talk to him about that, but he was coaching girls high school, which is awesome.
Yeah.
For me, it just feels like, you know, a lot of the thoughts that you have during the game as a coach, you just start to say them out loud, and then you know, you try to paint the picture for everybody viewing and give them a little insight as to you know, substitutions, rotations, changes of formation, you know why things are happening game within the game moments. It's just fun to talk with strategy. I love it well.
In kwame, your debut was unfortunate match for sure.
We won't go into that match again.
Three no laws at Utah obviously, but you were on the sideline when Jess Fishlock went down, which is you know, trial by fire if there ever is one first sideline reporter.
Yeah, I mean that was a you know, for lack of a better way, to present it. That was a Murphy's Log game. You know, anything bad that could happen happened. But I think, you know, like you said, it's a child by fire moment. I think for it was for us and also for the team, right, I think you know, they were coming back into Luman for the first time
in quite a while. I think it was all about just like recentering understanding that hey, like we are pretty top of the table, but we you know, we have to keep striving to make sure we stay there and every moment counts, and I think like that's a big
part of just the game. Like you know, looking at the EPL games over the weekend, you know, a title race that was decided, your English Premier League title race that was decided by one bad back pass, right, And so it's moments like that where I feel like child by fire. Yeah, Like the team noticed like, hey, if we're playing in the back, we've got to be tidy, We've got to make sure we're making the right connections
and the right decisions. And hey, if it gets the point where we don't know what to do, we'd have the opportunity to clear it or put it in an open space and so yeah, it was.
It was a good tild By fire moment for all of us.
All Right, Jess fish Lot going down, who is going to take over in the ten?
You guys.
Try fire question right there?
Yeah, I mean put us on.
I think the great thing about the rain right now and the midfield and the rotations, even Mercado coming down from the nine to the ten playing in midfield, really she could take I think the.
Ten or the eight.
I think the best thing in a situation that obviously isn't the best and nobody wants, is that there's there's options. You know, you have Mentee coming back in this game, you can rotate. I mean, Maza is doing a great job in the six, but you have a lot of players that are playing in midfield that are showing really well.
I got to shout out Mcammon two. She's been solid again. A number of.
Young players that are stepping into roles, whether it's the six or the eight or the ten, there's there's a lot of players that can play each of those positions and play them quite well. So I think it's an
exciting moment. Although again we didn't none of us wanted to see it to see who steps into those roles because obviously, you know, unfortunately in twenty twenty five, j just Fishlock similar not same, but similar situation, and that in the first half of the season she went down and she missed most of it, hoping that she's back for a lot of the second part. I don't know any timeline. I'm not aware of what her timeline is, but obviously we all want her back for as much
of this season as possible. But she did something to this effect last year, and she came back and she was on fire. And given it's her her final year and she's announced that, I think she's gonna come back into this rotation and do great. But in the meantime, there some outstanding players that will will step in and do well.
I don't want to be overly optimistic.
This was just me reading vibes from Laura Harvey and her press conference talking about Jess Fishlock, and she was in very good spirits about it, which Laura's many things. Poker face, I don't think she really has one. I mean, her face and her tone. You know what she's thinking and you know how she's really feeling about things. So that was encouraging, just you know, reading body language and all of that fun stuff. Milestone, Dania. Oh, go ahead, Kwame, go ahead.
You know I was gonna say, I think there's a lot of ways to look at it, you know.
I think when Jess went down, I think Manda Sire.
Actually moved to the ten for a little bit, which you know, typically pacy down the wing player, but also probably one of our best players on the ball. So do you think maybe we just put her in the tent spot and just see what she can start creating.
I think there's a possibility there. There's also maybe putting someone else in a deeper role and then maybe pushing Sam Mizza up because is great with the turn and release, and so maybe you get a bit more you know, deep line passes, a bit more quick in that tense spot, quick movement, quick passes down the line, quick breaking ball. So there's a lot of options here, I think, and obviously we don't we were in a position where we have to take those options.
We didn't want to have to.
But I think that, you know, I'm with you in the sense that I do feel optimistic about our options there.
Laura follow up on that, that was some good stuff.
No, it's great I mean between what I had mentioned and what Kalme's mentioning there, I think that the through line is that there are a lot of options. There's not you know, like one player that can step in and play the ten. There's great rotation. I love that
shout out to Cocona. I mean, I don't necessarily want to see somebody that was scoring so many goals in preseason and in Coachella and you know it started off the season very well necessarily moving back and we all know that we need the scoring power.
But I'm with Kwalme. She can do the job.
I'm really high on her and I think that if she is in that spot, she would do just fine.
You know, as we're having this discussion, it's sort of coming to mind how versatile a lot of these players are that we have currently on the Rain and how you know, they can play multiple positions and there's a lot of flexibility, which is a huge bonus and a
huge advantage for this Rain team. And it gives Laura Harvey tons of options when she puts out her eleven every single match, because, as you know, she is very matchup based on her starting eleven, so tons of options she must love that milestone Mania this weekend, Laura Harvey is about to hit three hundred and WOSL games coach across all competitions. On the twenty six, she hit two fifty with the Rain. Now she's gonna be hitting three hundred two forty two with the rain.
And if I can do.
Math correctly, the rest and I'm not even gonna try, the rest of them were with Utah Royals.
I mean, when you think about WUSL.
I mean, she's got to be on the Mount Rushmore at this point, Like there's just no question she's the coach of the NWSL, Like, let's put her, Let's let's put her silhouette on the you know at this point, like just her sitting.
On a Yetti or a Gatorade cooler, Like.
I guess you could, right if the league symbol was Laura Harvey on a YETI I mean, amazing.
We need to at least make those two. Actually, I think those T shirts might exist.
I hope that they do. Merch April on our merch team. Hello, let's let's let's make those happen. But Laura Harvey, I mean, what a career. She's about to hit three hundred nl result games coached across all competitions, hopefully better result than number two fifty.
With rain E FC. But I mean she's a legend. She's literally just a legend.
Yeah, big time. I think you just think about the progress that NWSAW has made from the beginning, and when you are one of those major pioneers, if you think about the players, the fact that Jess is, you know, one of the last players out there, you think about how much you know, how long it's been and so paving the way in terms of on the field and off the field. You have two very incredibly pivotal pieces
to the whole history of the NWSL. So yeah, I mean it's it's really cool to see it and really cool to kind of witness the growth and like how impactful Laura has been this whole time.
I think what's really impressive to me about her is her ability to coach anyone and everyone. There's not a profile of oh this is a Laura Harvey player. I feel like she can coach and mentor and be effective, and she knows how to put any type of player in the right position, which just makes her an ego list coach in my mind. That you know, it's not about Okay, this is my you know, mastermind tactics, and you're gonna all fit into my game plan.
She takes the game for what it is.
She takes the players for who they are, whether they're young, younger players or veterans. She's done an incredible job coaching the Ogs, and now she's doing an amazing job coaching all these young up and comers. I mean, we had a production call where she just saying AINSLEYE. Mccammon's praises and talked about how that young player who is she even twenty yet is one of the leaders on the team and is on the leadership team and is being built up as a potential leader eventually in her career.
And I mean typically you hear coaches, you know, they're either really good with, you know, a Megan Rappino type of player, or they're really good with a EMERYA Domis type of player, or they're really good with a you know me official type. But she's incredible with everybody. So that is a credit to her as a leader. And Laura, we look forward to seeing you in many more production meetings during training. So get ready, I know I'm bringing a bunch more media.
Members your way.
Appreciate you. Hopefully you're listening and are hearing me say thank you, so thank you. Any more thoughts on Laura Harvey guys before we.
Move on, I mean, she's an the n WSL gout all right.
I think that was a mic draw moment. Well said you, guys.
A couple more milestones before we go to the break. Emria Damas is about to hit fifty regular season appearance with her next appearance, and Claudia Dickey is three saves away from reaching two hundred regular season saves. She will be the thirteenth NWSL player to reach that mark with one club Legendary team, one of the og clubs in NWSL.
Too many milestones to account.
I think that this is a category that we have every episode.
When we come back.
Recap of a hard fought draw versus Houston and our preview against Washington Spirit.
Welcome back to Rain Weekly.
Killy Dunning here with Laura Shott and Kwamea Pia, our new sideline reporter for nine fifty KGr AM.
We will be back on.
Radio for the match coming up this weekend, also on Victory Plus. If anyone is looking to stream the match, but tickets are still available rainfc dot com slash tickets. All right, guys, before we move on to the next match, let's do a quick recap of our May first draw at Houston dash pouring rain torrential downpour. By the way, shout out to all the fans who were actually in the stands during that match.
That's commitment.
Shout out to Houston fans because that.
Is some serious, serious commitment.
And watching it. They didn't even have Parkson or raincoats.
They're just taking it. They're taking it.
What was it?
Okay, So okay, this is just and Kwame will go to you really quickly. But this was just a really funny reference. We were in the broadcast truck like watching as everyone's getting ready dah da da da, and just watching the feed and they're showing these drummers and they're like drumming but it's pouring rain, and our graphics operator Larry just goes it's like the Blue Man Group.
They're playing like the.
I thought that was pretty funny, and it was. It was like the Blueman Group.
Uh, Kwame playing in rain?
What is that like?
And not just rain? Torrential downpouring rain.
And fifty degrees.
Yeah, you know, it's really funny when it's light rain and it's a little nice outside.
There was this quote that I heard a while back.
Whoever thought sunshine was happiness has never played soccer in the rain, right, when it's very light rain and the ball moves and it skips a little differently. For me, it's like a striker's dream. You just hit the ball low and you hope for it. But when it's torrential,
it's a whole different story. And I think one thing that needs to be factored in as well is like rain in Seattle if it's torential, rain in like Houston if it's crential, different, Like the thickness in the air is different, and so like it's a whole new environment to play in. And so when I think about like the likelihood to you know, commit errors or mistakes, it goes.
It just skews up significantly, And so overall, I honestly think a point is good in this circumstance, especially considering the two teams aren't far apart, right, so it's like two teams battling it out. Ultimately is just like one team trying to make sure that nobody makes a mistake and then all you know, it comes down to the point I gotta say, we got to take that.
We're happy with it, you know what I mean, based on the circumstance.
Yeah, zero zero draw In this instance, I feel like that was actually a very As Phoebe mclarnan and Matty Mercado after the match, they were the postgame press conference, they said, you know, it was a really gritty, hard fought result and the team is actually very very happy with it. And as I said before, Laura Harvey has no poker face and she was smiling in her postgame press conference. So that's always a good sign, but does not take away from the fact that this rain team
needs goals. Three hundred and nineteen minutes without a goal, three consecutive matches without a goal. March twenty eighth versus Racing Louisville, Coco's goal was the last goal scored by Rain FC. We haven't scored in four of seven matches. Chicago leads this stat with five scoreless matches this season. But it sort of doesn't really make sense because there's so many attacking threats on this team, and the eye test has shown us that they're moving the ball, they're
creating chances. Laura Harvey and the postgame press conference and said, we would be worried if we weren't creating chances, but we clearly are Official clear had the sitter. I don't even want to call it a sitter because it was playing in the rain and it was just crazy. And coach Laura Harvey actually did a shout out to me Official on this season that she's had great hold up play and she's been phenomenally defensively.
I'm just looking at our attacking core Emery Coco.
Matty Dullen, Britney Radcliffe, Me Official, Matti Mercado.
It doesn't make sense to me that we've only.
That we're been scoreless in four or seven and watching the team, it hasn't looked like we've been held without a goal in four of seven of our matches.
What are your thoughts, you guys.
Yeah, I mean, from my perspective, I think there's a component of it that has to do with I think experience that I mean, there's there's a bit.
Of growth right that still needs to happen.
I think, you know, the team's still young, especially in the attacking corps midfield to attacking corps, and so, you know, I think it comes with getting a bit of experience, which helps gain a lot more composure. You know, it's it's really heavily underestimated how much composure helps in all circumstances, especially within that eighteen yard box.
Right.
We still had I think about eight shots in the box, right, And so it comes down to just the composure, getting fine with it, getting normal with it, feeling like, hey, this is just another day for me, And you have to put a few in the goal to start feeling like,
all right, it's just another day. If it's you know, circumstances like this where it's like teams really really fighting for that whole position and fighting for that goal opportunity, it becomes a very tense experience where it's like, oh my gosh, this might be the only chance I get, right, And so it's gonna come with a lot more chances created the normalcy of hey, I'm going to get another shot, so right now, I don't need to feel pressure.
I just need to do my best with this one.
So a little bit of experience, a few more opportunities put into the box, and I think we can really start settling into being comfortable and scored.
All right, coach Laura, what have you seen on the attack with the and how can they get some more goals in the back of the net.
You know, part of this is just and we've seen the lineups change quite a bit over the last couple of years. But I agree with Laura Harvey, no surprise there. Laura Harvey is brilliant. But my official starting that Orlando game, her hold up play was it.
Was a difference maker. Yeah, you could see the plan.
The team just right off the bat off of preseason looked a little bit more polished for the beginning of a season, even at the event at the end of twenty twenty five, me official and her hold up play in that game was a big part of that fluidity and players having time and to develop runs for the timing to be a little bit more crisp than it has been in the past. I loved seeing forwards run off of her. I loved seeing Jess Fishlock run off
of her. When she was able to hold the ball up and play that nine so well, It just opened up a lot of opportunity for the players around her. I think we saw glimpses of that with Houston, I think for various reasons.
I mean she's, you know, still coming back from.
Injury and all that. We saw her defensive presence and her work right there, that's big. But in this game it kind of came and went when she would hold up and it started to look good and you could see the runs develop and getting into the attacking third, and then at times we weren't.
Quite able to find her feet.
So and obviously without Jessin, that's that's a change, right, So the timing changes, the personnel changed a little bit, and then you have to get that chemistry back. So I definitely saw flashes of what we've seen in the prior games of you.
Know, scoring. And it's not that the Ryan haven't scored.
I mean, if we look back at the beginning of the season, whether it's Orlando or you know, all of those home away games that Spokane, there's been production.
Obviously a little.
Bit of scarcity right now, but for me, the positive is that we we are getting chances.
I mean, a Domos hit a post.
We could debate whether that was a cross or a shot, still an opportunity if that went in. We were not complaining there are opportunities talked about me official there's a crossbar as well, so the opportunities are coming. Those are just moments of inches and it's not going the rains way right now. So it's really about continuing to stay consistent. Having that number of shots inside the box is great. I honestly would like to see us take a few
more shots outside the box. We have players who are more than capable of catching a keeper off off their line, you know, element of surprise, specifically in a game like that where the field's a little bit unpredictable, just let them go. We didn't hit a whole lot of shots from outside the box. I think maybe we were at six or so. So I think that it's just a matter of getting back on track and getting some momentum, maybe against the team that's sitting second in the league
right now, against Washington Spirit. If we're able to start to create it there and create some momentum, get a goal or two right off then in that first half, that would be amazing. But right now, I mean, the upcoming games are gonna be challenging, so got to get get it back.
Together and get on the score sheet sooner than later.
Let's dive into this next match. On the tenth Mother's Day, a Mother's Day match, make sure to bring your queen out to lumin Field to watch rain EFC take on Trinity Rodman and the Washington Spirit. Speaking of Washington Spirits, Speaking of Trinity Rodman, she's been back. Her last match, actually last match from Washington Spirit four two win over Orlando Pride, and Trinity Rodman had two assists and a goal in that win. She has been touted as one of,
if not the best one v one attacker. However, we also have a top one B one defender in Madison Curry.
How do these teams match up? Guys?
A lot of I mean, of all the Mother's Day matches that we could have planned, this is gonna be epic, to be honest with you. The Rainer in such good form and Washington Spirit are one of the top teams in the league. What can everyone's moms and families expect when they come out to Lumen against Washington Spirit?
Oh? You take you want to start this one offl over, I can start.
I mean, stands up to me and I just pulled it up again.
I'm looking at it now. Thirteen goals scored for the Washington Spirit so far this year. Tony Robin's sitting on three, but you've got a couple others in Santos and Kenty sitting at three as well. You know, obviously Buttune lost her in the trade this last year, but you know
you've got Gift Monday. She's a player to me that you know, she's sitting on one goal right now, but she has been explosive and I think you can see, whether she's scoring or not that she has that potential and she pulls defenders out a position and is able to split their vision and make creative runs. So I mean, there's no shortage of players that are that have been going hard to goal for the Washington Spirit. I think back to, you know, late twenty twenty five again with
with the rain playing there tough game. I think that given when the Reins passed, usually when they have a tough game or a prior game with an opponent, the next game is usually pretty good. They bring that heat, they use that as motivation, and I think that that will be similar.
Hair coming up.
Yeah, I mean, I'm really excited for this one. I think it's gonna be a great opportunity for the Rain to you know, prove what they've got. You know, I think they're just a really solid team in terms of, you know, goals conceded. It's you know, one less goal conceded I think, or maybe actually one more goal conceded than the Spirit. And so defensively it's really similar, right,
But it just comes down to the attack. The Spirit have a lot of goals they like to score, but as you said, it comes from the right side a lot. Right get the ball to Trinity's feet. She's gonna do what Trinity does. She's gonna go hard at that defender cut if you put a few in the box and you know, hope somebody's on the end of that.
And so it comes to that one to one defending. But I also think it's.
Gonna be a little bit of maybe hopefully tucking a cen defensive midfielder along to help Madison as well. And if we can do that and just kind of like shut down Trinity just a little bit, I think we can take a point out of this one. And honestly, I think, like I said, defensively.
We're gonna be solid.
It comes back to us getting the ball into the box early and often, and if we can create enough opportunities to start feeling the confidence behind those opportunities, put one or two away, then we can lock them down.
So I feel good about it all.
Right, Guys, Sunday May tenth, Mother's Day Match, four o'clock pm Pacific time kickoff, and if you are in the car or watching from home, make sure to turn on the radio call nine fifty kr.
AM and Laura.
We will be back on Fox thirteen plus after the World Cup breaks. So exciting stuff. But you will still be on Rain Weekly with us every single week, so don't worry, everybody, you will not be deprived of Laura Shott. We will be back with Rain Weekly next week, hopefully recaving a awesome epic Mother's Day victory against one of the premier teams in the n w sall Washkin Spirit with Madison Curry completely dominating Tritany Rodman on that right side.
Thanks for listening, guys, and see you next week.