Utah Royals FC Show

Episode #69: You Can't Drink Cocaine

We had a great episode last week. Unfortunately, technical problems are going to technical problem. We talked about a lot, and so we try to recap as much as we can as quickly as possible. On the plus side, this may be our most ridiculous episode ever.

Utah Royals Reserves wrapped up their first season in a championship game in extra time. - A massive accomplishment for Amy LePeilbet and her team. While in the meantime, World Cup winners Sauerbrunn, O’Hara and Press got the keys to the city from Mayor Jackie Biskupski.

The game against Portland was a heck of a time. Sinclair opened up scoring early with an incredibly goal. Christen Press followed right before halftime with an equally impressive goal, and then the final minutes of play saw an own goal from Becky Sauerbrunn and then an equalizer for Rachel Corsie. Two centerback goals in the span of minutes - how about that huh?

This week saw the Royals take on the NC Courage, and it was.... Mostly more of the same. A strong start, an uninspiring middle of the game, and a good closing. Some people have even started calling for Harvey’s head, we don’t think so. Stay tuned for a bunch of tangents.

Episode #68: We Don’t Want to Be Negative. Not a Sky Blue, A Dark, Sad, Deflated and Disappointed Blue.

Let’s start if off with a championship!!! URFC Reserves won the central region of the Women’s Premier Soccer League after beating Fortuna Tulsa 2-1.

In terms of the game against Sky Blue, we don’t want to be critical, we love this club, but it’s time. The last few games have been dismal, traveling to New Jersey was a lack of energy, a lack of creativity, no motor. Even with USWNT players gone and other NT players missing, the World Cup stretch should have been better. This roster has every capability to be better. We know that you feel largely the same way, so the majority of this podcast is spent dissecting, you, the listeners thoughts.

Episode #67 - Winning the World Cup, Dreaming on a Rose, Thanks for Everything Sam

Sam Johnson. What a player, we’ve described her as a player in a an unwinnable position. Behind Rachel Corsie and Becky Sauerbrunn, those are big shoes to fill, but she filled them during the World Cup. To want to retire in pre-season but stick around to help out her teammates is incredible. Will have her on the podcast soon. The USWNT won the World Cup. It’s not the biggest surprise, but wow, wow wow. The words are hard to find. We have promised not to get political in the past, but... We’re proud of Kelley O’Hara, Megan Rapinoe and others for being themselves on the world’s biggest stage, and the fight for equal pay. So yeah, we get a bit political....

 

Episode #66 - World Cup, Thorns, Reign - Super Problematic Commentary and Super Convenient PKs

The intention was to split this episode into three 20 minute parts. We semi-accidentally talked about the World Cup for maybe a bit too long. From the problematic racial comments of the Nigeria game to Australian upset, we chat the first six games of the Round of 16. On the Utah Royals front there is a hard fought 0-0 draw to talk about as the Royals held Portland scoreless at home for the first time since 2016. We also preview the possibilities of a very unpredictable and dangerous Reign FC team

 

Episode #65 - World Cup Through 24 Games

Welcome to episode #65 of the Utah Royals FC Show! Wirtjo and RJ talk the World Cup. Specifically, global inequalities, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and Scotland. In addition to some of the other great storylines of the tournament such as Chile and Argentina.

Episode #64- Introducing the Brittany Ratcliffe Corner, Sky Blue Recap, Thorns Ahead.

It’s episode 64! Lots to talk about but the most exciting thing about this episode is that we’re ecstatic to announce that Brittany Ratcliffe is going to be playing a more routine part of our show coming in to give her thoughts on games.

Utah is back up to second in the table after a win against Sky Blue and frankly a screamer of a kick from Amy Rodriguez. While not a massive win, three points are three points and rookies continue to impress.

Upcoming we have the Portland Thorns, who the Royals have not been great against, but there is a great opportunity to pick up more points as they have arguably been the team most hurt by World Cup departures.

Episode #63 - World Cup Quickie

A quick episode of our predictions and picks. 

Episode #62 - Eat a Sock

Lots of news to talk about. It’s officially June which means that there a lot of awesome Prideraisers going around. The Court supporters group has an awesome one where you can donate X amount of money for each goal scored this month and that money will go towards a great cause with the Transgender Education Advocates of Utah. Additionally, through Playing for Pride players can choose to donate money to Athlete Ally for each appearance, goal, assist, clean sheet etc. Currently, the Royals are killing the donation list where with sixteen NWSL players currently playing for pride, nine of them represent Utah gold.

In other news we also have a radio broadcast, featuring friends of the show Carla Swensen-Haslam and Landon Southwick, that’s a positive step forward. The Royals have also signed Alexa Newfield, Melissa Lowder as national team replacement players. There was also a game, and a frustrating one at that, we’ll chat about that too.

Episode #61 - So this is what sitting at the top of the league table feels like.

Curse is broken! We landed two goals and moved up to the top of the league table. That’s four goals in four games for Amy Rodriguez, and Makenzy Doniak put the nail in the coffin late in the game to score on her first attempt after coming back from an ACL injury. We spend the majority of this one recapping our thoughts on the game as well as listing out your reactions to the Lo LaBonta swing. Our guy Ian who is a mastermind of the laws of the game and is currently working through the ranks to become a professional referee gives his thoughts on the situation as well.

There’s also definitely somethings to be said about the Washington Spirit team coming up next, who admittedly, are surprising a lot of people this year. While we picked up a 1-0 victory last time around as we opened up the season, a game on the road with a myriad of stars missing is sure to bring a different variety. It’s our last week before we turn our attention to the World Cup, so let’s get our Utah Royals kick while we can. We round out the podcast by sounding off your thoughts and answering questions.

Episode #60 - Reach out to our Contacts, Utah Royals Reserves, Carolina Recap, Pride on the Horizon

Hey everyone, Episode 60! I guess this means we are old now.

Utah Royals Reserves kicked off their opening season after transitioning from the former RSL Women. In two games they have two wins and are led by a coaching staff of Amy LePeilbet, Liz Bogus, Colette Smith, and Nicole Barnhart. The roster consists of 20 current college players and 6 former college players, including players part of the Utah Royals pre-season. We’re going to do our best to cover the squad moving forward, also check out the Reserves specialist and our incredible friend @sirveaux24 for his coverage.

In international news, after the NC Courage game Rachel Corsie departs for the World Cup. The United States Women’s National Team took on the New Zealand Football Ferns. While the final score was 5-0, Katie Bowen had a good showing. Becky Sauerbrunn and Kelley O’Hara started, and Press came off the bench for 18 solid minutes in which she dished off an assist.

The North Carolina game, was in a word anxiety provoking. Despite facing an onslaught of attack, with NC taking 18 shots and the Royals taking 2, most of the game seemed to be a matter of when, not if North Carolina would equalize, and sure enough they did in the final fifteen. That said there are positives to take away from this game, as well as plenty of concerns as defensively the squad is about to get much more inexperienced. The first 10 minutes of the game may have been the best cohesive phase of minutes we have seen all season, and the final 80 we looked to be hanging by a thread. The Royals have a tendency to be very, very good, and then once they score a goal, they take on the look of an entirely different team. We talk about this.

Thanks to all the wonderful folks who keep up with us on a weekly basis, and keep your questions coming. Don’t hesitate to rate and review, plus reach out to us at @URFCShow, @wirtjogets2yell, @meganrsl15, @lucaswmuller, @TheSoccerCritic, @cinderL9, and sirveaux24. For home games we are going to start using instagram a lot, so follow us there @URFCShow. You can also hit us up on Facebook or if email is your preferred method of communication, that also works: URFCshow@gmail.com.

Episode #59 - Make Sam Johnsons Hair Pink Again + Mallory Weber

It’s probably our shortest podcast ever. Episode 59!

We got some breaking news right before we hit record. Unfortunately, Taylor Lytle, who we have known has been on a scooter for a while, was officially announced as an addition to the season ending injury list. Given that, Harvey and the gang picked up Mallory Weber off the waiver wire. This is an interesting young singing. Not a super star, but someone who will add depth to a roster which is growing increasingly thin.

We also spend a significant portion of this episode recapping the game against Houston. It was hot, not the hottest home game we’ve been to, but it wasn’t pleasant. It wasn’t the best game we’ve been to either. Desiree Scott is one of the best in the world, and some of the lackluster movement in the midfield made that evident. It wasn’t a good game, it wasn’t a bad game. It was a grey game. Meh.

The last section of the podcast concludes with our thoughts about the game against the North Carolina Courage. It won’t be an easy game, but just like us the Courage are missing a plethora of players while still retaining some incredible talents such as McCall Zerboni, Lynn Williams, Jaelene Hinkle among others.

Episode #58 - USWNT, Red Star Recap, Eyes on Houston, Cindy agrees to eat a sock. AGAIN

If you’re familiar with the ‘Cindy eating a sock’ inside joke, then boy.... is this the episode for you.

We have a roster announcement. Jill Ellis has announced the 23 players she will take to France to represent the United States in the 2019 World Cup. We start off our show discussing our thoughts on the roster, well, not exactly, it takes a tangent on “how to properly do a cool roster announcement” first. - That’s not the only tangent in this episode. Trust us.

The next section of the podcast discusses the incredible defensive prowess we have seen so far from the Royals, especially that of Michelle Maemone followed by a discussion regarding the serious injury bug which has found its way into the lockeroom. Linked with this is a discussion of the game against Chicago. It wasn’t the prettiest of football, but a result is a result, and if we are sitting on top of the table, then pretty football doesn’t matter that much anyways. An attacking first half was capped off with a Katie Johnson red card, and contrary to normalcy the second half was characterized by the Chicago attack gaining plenty of steam despite being down a player. That said, ultimately the Royals would grind it out with an Amy Rodriguez winner in the final minutes of the game.

Finally we cap off the podcast with a quick discussion of the upcoming game against a seemingly revitalized Houston Dash team which if the pundits are to be believed, could play a role in deciding a tiebreaker playoff place if it comes to that.

Episode #57 - Brittany Ratcliffe

We were originally able to bring Brittany Ratcliffe onto the show for episode #25, it’s a new season with new challenges and here we are at episode #57, grateful to chat with Brittany again. However this time around things are a bit different, after unfortunately picking up an injury in pre-season, the fan favorite has been placed on the season ending injury list.

Despite the brutality of tearing an ACL and the physical and mental challenges of working through rehab, Brittany is the ever-optimist, the exemplary teammate, and in incredible spirits. Join us on episode #57 as we talk about her offseason, her injury, her upcoming rehab process, and answer listener questions.

Episode #56 - "We're winning. I can take all the time I want."

Amy Rodriguez trash talking is a national treasure. When we get what she says on gif, and it's this good. It's going to be the episode title. 

Two games into the season so far. Two goals, two wins, two cleansheets. Some good stuff. Orlando was a respectable performance, we saw some Christen Press magic and Nicole Barnhart was a wall getting her 43rd shutout and becoming the first NWSL keeper to play 10,000 minutes. While it’s a good start, Utah Royals FC faces their first strong test at home this Friday against the Chicago Red Stars. We’ll talk about all these things, include our guestimated lineup for when world cup training camps start, talk about what we like to snack on during games, answer listener questions and of course go on some tangents.

Episode #55 - Hungry for More: Washington Recap, Pride Preview

It's episode #55 of the Utah Royals FC Show. "Big Daddy" Lucas Muller and "Knows-Everything-About-NWSL" RJ Allen are back with Wirtjo. 

Soccer happened. NWSL happened. It was great, let’s talk about it. 18,015 people showed up. Friend of the podcast Lo’eau LaBonta banged in her first goal in gold. Christen Press had a beautiful assist. Kelley O’hara was on the bench. Mandy Laddish played her first game in over 950 days. Rookie Michelle Maemone shocked us all by making her debut.

Moreover, while the Orlando Pride haven’t been great this year and are missing some key players from last year, like Sydney Leroux, Monica and Christine Nairn, this is a matchup that Utah cannot underestimate. That said the Pride are in a run of poor form as they lost the last four games of the season last year and are winless in three games so far this season. We’ll see if the Utah Royals can capitalize on that.

It’s also important not to forget the elephant in the room. We have a TV broadcast! Did we tone down our salt on that enough? We tried our best.

Additionally, some of our favorites Rachel Corsie and Erika Tymrak launched a podcast of their own, thanks for the competition ;) Here's a link to that. https://www.rsl.com/post/2019/04/22/rethink-rachel-corsie-and-erika-tymrak

Episode #54 - Everything you need to know about the Washington Spirit

The season is one week away, and in thinking about that Megan and I brought on the best NWSL mind that we know, RJ Allen. - RJ is a member of NWSL Media, is the big burrito at backline soccer, hosts three different soccer podcasts and recently joined our soapbox staff. She is pretty rad.

Opening at home against the Washington Spirit who picked up at 2-0 win against Sky Blue last week, we preview everything that fans need to know about and expect from a Washington Spirit team that should be better than last year, although still not great. Transitioning from that we give our predictions for a royals lineup on opening day, what we think the Royals need to do to make the playoffs, and make predictions about how the standings will look come the end of the year. 

In addition to RSL Soapbox, you can find us on the Itunes Podcast App, Spotify, and Podbean. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us at @URFCShow, @wirtjogets2yell, @sirveaux24, @meganrsl15, and @cinderL9. For home games we are going to start using instagram a lot, so follow us there @URFCShow. You can also hit us up on Facebook or if email is your preferred method of communication, that also works: URFCshow@gmail.com.

Have a great week everybody!

Episode #53 - Hire Roscoe, International Duty, Pre-season

Wirtjo and Megan sit around and chat about the latest roster news that came out 10 minutes before we hit the record button, and what it means - so perfect timing. Like always, the discrepancy in equality between the men and women's game trickles its way in, although the majority of the podcast is spent discussing recent international results. Here's a monday night show for you folks. Have a great week. 

Episode #52 - Brittany Ratcliffe Fan Club w/Stockton Mair and Lucas Muller

With Megan and Wirtjo out this week, Cindy is joined by RSL Soapbox friends Stockton Mair and Lucas Muller. Lots of tangents, rants, and Brittany Ratcliffe appreciation. There is also plenty of discussion centered around a possible starting XI when players are gone for the world cup. 

Episode #51 - We've Moved, Training in So-Cal, Tech Problems.

Cindy and Wirtjo sit down and and recap the games against Cal State Long Beach and the University of Southern California. There's also a few tangents, and technology continues to not be our friend. 

Episode #50 - Empowerment and Passion. A Conversation About Equality in the Beautiful Game with Carla and Daniel Haslam

When we founded this podcast, from the get-go it was always going to be about equality and increasing the visibility and hopefully revenue of non-male athletes. It’s an absolute delight to have been able to do episode #50 with our dear friends Carla Swensen-Haslam, the former voice of Utah Royals FC and her partner in crime, the analyst master, Daniel Haslam.

Empowered womxn, empower womxn, and wonderful allies only accentuate that process of empowerment. To go along with International Women’s Day last Friday, March 8th, we hope that this podcast operates as a vehicle to help shed light on some of the gendered issues within soccer. Thanks for listening, keep sharing, keep supporting, this one means a lot.

Episode #49 - International Women's Day W/Carla Swenson Haslam

Incredibly grateful for Utah Royals FC, Incredibly grateful for female athletes, incredibly grateful for women. Here's to empowerment, thank you to our wonderful friend Carla Swensen-Haslam for spearheading our conversation on gender equality.

Full podcast Tuesday.

Episode #48 - First Day of Pre-Season 2019

First day of Utah Royals FC pre-season is in the books. A bit of a shorter episode this time around, but Wirtjo recaps some of the action, some news and notes, delves into what we need to know about the non-roster invitees to training camp, and rounds out the episode with some audio snippets of the media scrum with Veronica Boquete and Abby Smith.

Episode #47 - Schedule Release, also start a GoFundMe so Cindy can get a new sweatshirt.

Hey everyone! Been a bit, but some incredibly exciting things on the road ahead. We have a new logo and we are now on spotify, so be sure to check us out there. The Court had all their stuff stolen, so fundraisers to come.

The W League has ended, no Royals players made the final in which Sydney FC beat Perth Glory in a 4-2 thriller. In this episode we shortly recap the season, although we encourage you to check out the W League Recap article on RSL Soapbox from a few weeks ago for a more detailed read.

More specifically in this one and with our friend Lucas Muller joining us we talk about the latest news regarding the loss of LifeTime as a TV Sponsorship as well as everything you need to know about the schedule for the 2019 Utah Royals FC Season.

Episode #46 - Summarizing the 2019 Draft, NWSL Salary Caps are Still Too Low, and Sky Blue Sillyness

Cindy’s back! A draft happened, the Utah Royals selected three players. With the 23rd pick, Michelle Maemone from Pepperdine. The 27th pick, Maddie Nolf out of Penn State, and Alexandra Kimball from North Carolina as the 32nd pick. We talk a bit about these players and what we think they bring to the table. In terms of the draft, we finish with the winners and losers of the draft. More important than the draft itself, we talk about that while the league salary cap is at an all time high this year, the max salary cap is still lower than the MLS minimum. Additionally, we rant about some of the more recent drama from the Sky Blue catastrophe, the whole situation is ridiculous.

As always, subscribe to us on Itunes and Soundcloud, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at @RFCShow, @wirtjogets2yell, @sirveaux24, @meganrsl15, @cinderL9, or use the hashtag #RFCShow on Twitter. We are also now on Instagram: @URFCShow. You can also hit us up on Facebook or if email is your preferred method of communication, that also works: URFCshow@gmail.com.

Episode #45 - Be Royal W/Marcus Garner

Episode #44 - Tymrak Time, Erika Tymrak Returns to the Show

Erika Tymrak finally returns to the show. She has been around town in the offseason, just waiting for the NWSL season to start. She’s been exploring various dog parks, gotten engaged and done a lot of traveling since we talked with her last.

We said this was going to happen weeks (okay, maybe months) ago, but we just now got to it. It’s definitely worth the listen though. We talk about The Office (a lot), why couples who go vegan together stay together, how much of a gem Alex Arlitt is, and her adorable dog Chai. We also learn just who she would want alongside her in a bar fight.

Episode #43 - Welcome Vero, the Draft, Amy Rodriguez, and more.

Hi. Been a while, sorry. Preparing for finals turned into finals, which turned into recovery from finals which turned into the holidays but here we are. Plenty to talk about and we start off by answering some of the questions asked by listeners.

The Court Supporters Group is looking for new members to grab the reigns of leadership. It’s real easy and doesn’t require a ton of work. Apply here.

We signed a player! Verónica Boquete, an incredibly impressive resume and someone who will play a big role in connecting the midfield and front three. A solution to the key ingredient that we missed last year. We will talk a lot about her.

There’s also the NWSL draft coming up on the 10th. While Laura Harvey has never been one to rely heavily on the draft, we’ll still talk about some potential implications as Utah holds the 23rd and 32nd picks.

We also talk about the potential new federation allocation that will happen and a brief overview of Royals in the W League.

As always, subscribe to us on Itunes and Soundcloud, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at @RFCShow, @wirtjogets2yell, @sirveaux24, @meganrsl15, @cinderL9, or use the hashtag #RFCShow on Twitter. We are also now on Instagram: @URFCShow. You can also hit us up on Facebook or if email is your preferred method of communication, that also works: URFCshow@gmail.com.

Episode #42 - NWSL and W-League

Episode #41 - Rachel Corsie, Queen of Scots.

Rachel Corsie just came back from the national team and was just about to play her 2nd club road game in five days with Canberra United. Regardless, she was willing to chat with us a bit just hours before she kicked off against her Royals teammate Gunnhildur Jónsdóttir and Adelaide United.

We chat about recovering from injury, working with Laura Harvey again, the growth of Scottish Football, captaining a national team, how she moved from the midfield to centerback, moving to Australia, playing against teammates, and thoughts on haggis.

Episode #40 - Abby Smith, AGAIN!

We didn’t lose the audio file this time! We were blessed to have Abby Smith on again. One episode later release wise, 5 months later in time, Wirtjo, Megan, and Abby talk about a variety of new topics while also expanding upon what we talked about the last time we chatted with Abby.

We talk adorable dogs, injury recovery, some of the more nuanced things about being mentally and physically ready for games, concussions, working with Nicole Barnhart, being an educator, life in Utah, and taking coaching courses at the Real Salt Lake Academy High School.

Episode #39 - The Long Lost Abby Smith Interview

It’s the long lost file…

Sorta.

You see what happened was that I interview Abby Smith back in June, but then my dog ate the audio file. Thankfully, it was found and repaired, and so now we can move forth to release it on the latest Utah Royals FC Show.

If you did not believe that story? Props to you for not falling for my ridiculous excuse. The truth is...my schedule was busier than I expected it this summer, and I just never had the opportunity to write the article I wanted which then would have led to releasing the interview via the Royals FC Show. This is, perhaps, my greatest failure of my soccer writing career.

But, I believe, it is time to release the audio, even if I did not get around to write the article I wanted. In this one, we chat about how Smith started playing soccer, becoming a goalkeeper, coming to the NWSL, going to Boston, overcoming a knee injury (ruptured patella tendon), the Boston Breakers folding, being drafted by Utah in the Dispersal Draft, and playing with Nicole Barnhart and a solid defense. We also go through questions from the fans, including how much celebrating with the fans and meeting them is important to her. Smith was super kind and gracious, and I appreciated her time. I hope you enjoy listening to the interview.

Episode #38 - W-League and Lucas Muller

Hi.

Hello.

Did you miss us?

I missed us.

We do accents in this one, and that’s all you need to know.

Do I write like Matt now?

I like it...

Some things happened! The United States has qualified for the World Cup! So did Canada. While not surprising, we’re still stoked about it, plus it provides some interesting nuances come next season. Also, the W-League has started up and seven Royals from last season are in action. We talk about what the W-League is all about, and why you should support it, We recap some of the action, particularly that of Utah Royals FC players and how they did. Additionally, fellow writer, photographer, and all around awesome dude Lucas Muller joins the show.

Utah Royals FC Players on Loan

• Lo’eau Labonta - Western Sydney Wanderers
• Sydney Miramontez - Western Sydney Wanderers
• Rachel Corsie - Canberra United
• Gunny - Adelaide United
• Katie Stengel - Newcastle Jets
• Samantha Johnson - Melbourne Victory
• Katrina ‘Mini’ Gorry - Brisbane Roar

Episode #37 - Skyler Warrick and Roscoe Myrick

Photographers and videographers are overrated. So I thought. Perhaps it was because in high school every popular person immersed themselves in taking pictures of street lamps while I did my Advanced Placement homework in the library. Photographers and the folks who do that kind of stuff are cool. I learned this year that there’s a lot more to it than snapping a button.

It’s been our pleasure to have perhaps the most dynamic duo ever on the show this week. They are much more than the people who do the cool promo videos for the club and capture super awesome candid pictures of us in the stands. What a blast this one is. Thanks, Roscoe and Skyler.

We talk about life before photography, coming to Utah, freelance work, the value of practicing your craft, and how misunderstood the challenges of digital/recording work is.

We promise that you’re going to leave listening to this podcast a lot wiser than you were before. Also in a better mood because Skyler and Roscoe are funny.

Episode #36 - Interview with Alex Arlitt

This podcast was an absolute blast to do. While her future remains uncertain we had the pleasure of welcoming friend of the show Alex Arlitt on the podcast this week.

We chat about what it is like to play in the NWSL, life in Utah, studying accounting, The Office, riding in Uber’s, riding horses, and of course the toughest thing for any athlete to deal with...long term injury. Prepare yourself. There are a lot of laughs, and some exaggerated tears (maybe a few real ones, we get mushy).

As always don’t hesitate to reach out to us at @RFCShow, @wirtjogets2yell, @sirveaux24, @meganrsl15, @cinderL9, or use the hashtag #RFCShow on Twitter. We are also now on instagram @URFCShow. You can also hit us up on Facebook or if email is your preferred method of communication, that also works: URFCshow@gmail.com.

Episode #35 - Offseason Updates #1

Waiver Wire, USWNT, Tangents. Cindy, Ryan, and Megan have it all in episode #35 of the URFC Show.

Episode #34 - Interview with Assistant Coach Scott Parkinson + A Surprise Guest

This week we had the wonderful opportunity to sit down and talk to assistant head coach Scott Parkinson. Hailing from Liverpool and a devout Toffee fan Scott found his way to the United States through sport. After having a successful tenure at Rogers State University in Oklahoma he found himself on his way to Utah via a phone call from Laura Harvey. 
Ryan and I mostly let Scott tell his story, where we talk about his journey to Utah, how he enjoys his free time, his coaching goals, what it is like to coach a professional women’s soccer team, and much much more. Finally, we round out with another special and surprise guest. We are incredibly humbled and grateful to have been able to spend some time with some of the most caring and accessible coaches in the world. 
We round out the show with some details of the new happenings that will be going on surrounding the show and ways to reach out to us as well as some transfer news and a solemn farewell to the man whom epitomizes Real Salt Lake as an organization, Trey Fitz-Gerald. It’s an episode of the Utah Royals FC Show that you definitely do not want to miss.

NOTE: We are trying a new recording software that will make the process easier for guests while increasing the audio quality and simultaneously cutting down the weekly post-production for Wirtjo from about four hours to one. It was a bit of a rough go this time around, so bear with us. As always, thank you for all of the support.

Episode #33.5 - Roster Changes?

Part 2: 
We continue answering questions, and we specifically address what players we think we may, or may not lose in the upcoming offseason whether it be to an expansion draft or being waived. We then move into what listeners can expect from the show as we enter the offseason in terms of planning. Also tangents, lots of tangents. Most of all, thank you Utah Royals FC. A lot of groundbreaking things happened this year, thank you for making it happen. (Insert sentimental feelings here)

Episode #33 - The Stats, W-League

We’ve get two episodes this week everybody! Well, technically it’s one but we’ll split it into two.

Part 1: 
Regardless, it's the offseason now and it’s very sad, although what a journey it has been. That said, there’s some exciting stuff coming up. We still have the W League which is the Australian Women’s League. Multiple Royals players will be participating, as to whom exactly will be playing we don’t know yet but we know there will be at least four. Plus all the games are accessible on ESPN+. Yay! Also USWNT qualifiers are coming up. So still a lot of fun footy action coming up. To finish off Part 1 we answer some questions, rant about the heat of 1:30 games, give our playoff picks and more.

Episode #32 - Fan Poll Results and More!

Hey everyone, hope you enjoyed your labor day, we know we did. Lots of news and updates coming in this week. Hope you enjoy Wirtjo’s awkward monologue.

Rachel Corsie and Elise Thorsnes qualified for the World Cup in France next summer with their respective countries. Gunny and Iceland heartbreakingly missed out just barely, but put in plenty of viking level performances throughout the process.

Depending on the Sky Blue game Tuesday night, the home game on Saturday against the Chicago Red Stars could very well be the last game of an amazing debut season for us. So pack Rio Tinto. Lets finish the season strong.

Doing the fan poll was a lot of fun, be sure to check RSL Soapbox for a pie chart of that if my rambling get's boring.

Episode #31 - World Cup Qualifiers and Moments of the Season

We found a new home! Thanks for following us here. In this one we tackle the URFC playoff scenario, talk about the upcoming international break including some must win games for our girls from Scotland, Iceland and Norway. Also tangents, several, sorry. (Kinda)

We're trying to put together some end of the year awards chosen by you the listeners for our players. Stay tuned we'll launch that google form next week. Thanks for listening to the Royals FC Show and be sure to keep sharing with your friends and family.

Episode #30 - Contrary to the Message of Equality; Sky Blue Ownership

This could very well be the most important podcast we have done yet. We’re going to talk a little bit about the game this weekend but a good portion of this podcast is going to be dedicated to a team that isn’t even our own. We’re going to talk about the Sky Blue ownership situation, sexism in women’s football, and our opposition to the announcement to cancel the Utah Royals FC Broadcast program and what it implicates. Buckle up. At this time we as a show would also like to share our endorsement of Cloud 9 and the attempts and desires for administrative change and more professional working conditions in New Jersey. Please share this one with friends and family, as well as folks around the league. It’s more than just Utah Royals FC.

FYI Sky Blue Folks, our analysis starts at around the 55th minute.

Episode #29 - Is Cindy Dead? W/Megan Webb

We’re back, this time with our friend and fellow writer Megan Webb. We swear, Cindy isn’t dead. She’s not. Just extremely busy. We start the show introducing you all to Megan and hearing her RSL Story, we follow that up with quick recaps of the game against the Spirit and the Reign. We conclude by answering the questions you all sent us. Have a great week and don’t forget that Katie Stengel and Abby Smith are up for goal of the week and save of the week respectively.

Also, and importantly. We want to continue to make the best show possible for all of our listeners, so if you would be willing to follow this link and give us some additional feedback, that would be awesome. Talk to you next week!

Episode #28 - You Can’t Boo Her. She’s Not Ya Boo, She’s Ours.

What. A. Game. Going from being all but mathematically eliminated from the playoff picture to jumping a team in the standings within a matter of minutes. In this one Ryan and Wirtjo start off by breaking down their thoughts on the game against the Houston Dash. (Cindy’s not dead... we promise). The majority of episode is spent previewing the upcoming matches against the Washington Spirit and Seattle Reign. We also answer questions from the listeners, including addressing the common consensus which seems to be that the team should switch to a 4-4-2. This one also includes some unrelated soccer tangents. So buckle your seat belts.

Also, and importantly. We want to continue to make the best show possible for all of our listeners, so if you would be willing to follow this link and give us some additional feedback, that would be awesome. Talk to you next week!

Episode #27 - Tournament of Nations, ICC, RSL Women, and More!

It’s the international break for Utah Royals FC players, and for Wirtjo and Cindy too. Wirtjo got his wisdom teeth out, and Cindy is traveling. In their absence, Ryan takes on a full hour of talking about the Tournament of Nations, Women’s International Champions Cup, the RSL Women season and United Women’s Soccer end of season awards, and some talk about the end of the 2018 season for URFC.

There’s also some questions from the listeners at the end, and hopefully some decent audio quality as it was Ryan’s first time editing the show himself. It’s a very unique, and hopefully once-in-a-lifetime episode 27 of the Royals FC Show!

Episode #26 - Carla Swensen-Haslam

This is an incredible episode, and Cindy, Ryan and I are stoked to be able to bring it to you. You are already well-acquainted with her voice. Today’s special guest is Carla Swensen-Haslam, the Utah Royals FC Media Manager and color commentator for the team. We talk immigration, Colombian pride, soccer in refugee communities, being a role model, the transition from college soccer to professional broadcasting, the fine line that is public relations, the typical workday, player scouting, the NWSL draft, and much much more. 

As we talk about in the podcast, the Utah Royals FC Show highly encourages listeners to checkout refugeesoccer.com and support them in their efforts to support Balls for Borno in brining soccer to the youth of refugee camps in Nigeria. You can keep up with them on twitter @RefugeeSoccer.

Episode #25 - Interview with Brittany Ratcliffe

Episode twenty-five brought number twenty-five, the one, the only Brittany Ratcliffe.

In this one Brittany talks with Wirtjo about the incredible story behind her renowned orange bow, growing up in New Jersey, and leaving the college classroom mid-presentation to find out that she was going pro. Brittany additionally gives further insight into the 101 about herself including favorite vacation spots, childhood idols, being new to Utah, life on off-days, killing courage, being reunited with her college teammate/newest royal Makenzy Doniak, and much more including a special message for fans at the end. Many thanks to the UVA alum and fan favorite for spending some time with us. It’s an episode you definitely don’t want to miss.

Episode #24 - Righting the Ship

With Wirtjo playing hooky this week, Cindy and Ryan go “off script” and talk about whatever they feel like. We covered the two losses from last week, give some thoughts on what the team is going through right now, and preview the next match against the Courage.

We also do a little World Cup talk, including making sure people keep their fevers burning hot for the Women’s tournament that is less than a year away. We even kept the Dutch spirit alive by dropping a few WWC hot takes.

Episode #23 - Around the League and Playoff Push (It's Coming Home Lads)

The beginning section of the podcast is slightly different than what we normally do. We spend a substantial amount of time talking about and speculating about the potential problems at Sky Blue FC and the most recent comments made by Sam Kerr.

We want to avoid talking about Portland as much as possible if we are being honest. As a result, we do. Well, we talk about it a little bit. The gist being that you learn from it and move on. On the positive side, there is plenty of time left in the season, although a tightly contested playoff push looms ahead. With just over a third of the season left, Utah Royals FC sit in 6th place with only 5 points between positions 6th and 2nd. Nothing is said and done.

We end the show with a quick look ahead at the game against the Seattle Reign on Wednesday and answer some of your questions. As always, thank you for all the continued support of the Royals FC Show.

Episode #22 - Trey Fitz-Gerald and Trades

’s the longest episode of the Royals FC Show yet. The title is pretty self-explanatory. We were lucky to welcome the one and only Vice President of Broadcast and Public Relations for the club, Trey Fitz-Gerald. Trey gives us his RSL story about how a routine trip to Salt Lake City turned into launching a franchise and still being with the organization 14 years on. Trey also gives us insight into the daily workings of the Utah Royals Organization and the hecticness of its initial launch in addition to answering some questions you told us you wanted us to ask him regarding fan culture, the loyalty of Christen Press, life in the NWSL the trades of Sydney Leroux, Heather O’Reilly, and other subjects.

After cutting Trey loose, missing Cindy this week, Wirtjo and Ryan recap the games against the Seattle Reign and Sky Blue FC, talk more fan culture, including how important and influential fan atmosphere is to our players. It’s an episode of the URFC show you definitely don’t want to miss.

Episode #21 - Red Star Recap, Questions, (lots of them) and Fan Culture

Another week, another episode of the Royals FC Show, and we are now entering the 20’s with episode 21!

In this one, we recap the game at Chicago Red Stars, where the Royals lost 2-0. Huge bummer to talk about losses, but we had to do our jounalistic duty.

We also preview the upcoming midweek match at Rio Tinto against Seattle Reign FC - aka Laura Harvey’s former team. Utah versus Seattle could be our first chance to see Christen Press in gold! Does she start? Does she sub in?

And we wrap up with some questions from our listeners, which took us into talking about fan culture in soccer in the U.S., specifically in Utah, so thanks to all who submitted some questions!