Soccerish

Red Card Productions

Soccerish is where American soccer meets smart analysis, humor, and real-talk debate. Hosted by Christina Unkel and Lori Lindsey, it’s a weekly podcast breaking down the game with insider access, sharp opinions, and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Formerly The Soccer Podcast USA (Jan–Aug 2025), the show’s first season featured rule breakers, World Cup legends, and the viral Sports Bra episode. Season 2 continues the journey as Soccerish—leaner name, sharper focus, same mission: making soccer make sense in the States. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 12/04/2025

    Soccerish | Ep 16 | Season Finale — A Year Inside the Game Together

    From boat parades to Euro finals, Christina and Lori lived soccer at full speed this year. In our season finale, they reflect — not with a grand “state of the game,” but a personal one: the moments that surprised them, the stories that stuck, and what they learned from being inside soccer’s biggest stages. They share: calling the Euros and the NWSL Championshipthe rise of Bev Yanez — and why it matteredLaura Harvey’s infamous AI momentLori’s childhood mission to become Tony MeolaChristina’s whirlwind of boat parades, contracts, and financialswhy the MLS Cup not having a neutral site caught them off guardwhat fans quietly tell them about how (and why) they listenhow they navigated the blur of 2024where they hope Soccerish goes nextand yes, Lori reacts to Christina’s “Chilly Willy” triathlonPlus: a first look at our December/January special series — Goalkeepers - The Last Defender, Women Who Lead, Soccerish One-ish, and Lori Goes to Ref School. Chapters (mm:ss)00:00 Ish-ing around & Thanksgiving reset 01:30 World Cup draw + MLS Cup — Miami–Vancouver, Messi/Alba/Busquets, neutral-site debate 05:00 Personal reflections — Bev Yanez, Laura Harvey & AI, Tony Meola childhood, Rochester Rhinos confusion 08:30 Season recap & the future of Soccerish storytelling 11:00 Grassroots voices — Jenny Nguyen’s Sports Bra, Club Eleven on the road 13:00 Highlights — Euros, NWSL Championship, on-air chemistry 16:00 Life inside the game — boat parade, contracts, stress, boundaries, triathlon 23:30 A shifting year — calendars, parity, expansion across U.S. soccer 27:30 Listener habits & the power of untold stories 32:00 Looking ahead — 2026 plans, World 7, and our specials preview Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    39 min
  2. 11/27/2025

    Soccerish | Ep 15 |Thanksgiving Special: The Trinity Rodman Crossroads, NWSL Lessons, and Lori’s Vibes

    This Thanksgiving special opens with the biggest story in American women’s soccer: the Trinity Rodman decision. Christina explains the business realities — the salary cap, the DP conversation, and how league structures affect player movement — while Lori breaks down what it feels like to face a choice like this during a championship run. They also revisit the key tactical moment from the NWSL Final: Hal Hershfelt’s injury and the delayed substitution. Lori explains how Washington’s hesitation shifted momentum to Gotham and influenced the winning goal. From there, Christina and Lori look ahead to the MLS semifinals — San Diego’s stunning expansion-year surge, Inter Miami’s form, and what Messi’s output means at this stage of the season. They close with the USWNT’s upcoming camp under Emma Hayes and what she’ll prioritize in the final window of the year. And yes, it’s Thanksgiving — so Lori is “bringing the vibes,” Christina is grateful for finally getting her hair cut, and both hosts take a moment to reflect on gratitude, rest, and the massive three-year runway ahead: the Women’s World Cup, Men’s World Cup, and the LA Olympics. Happy Thanksgiving — and buckle up, buttercups. Chapters (mm:ss) 00:00 Cold open — “Millions of hats” and Christina’s first haircut in a year 00:34 Thanksgiving intro — What Christina and Lori are grateful for 01:44 “Illuminated year” — Lori on work, balance, and unstructured time 02:15 Friendsgiving plans — Lori brings “the vibes” 02:52 Vibes era — Women’s sports and CBS Championship atmosphere 03:46 Record breaker — Most-watched NWSL match ever 04:29 “We have arrived” — San Diego → KC → San Jose 05:29 The catwalk — Stadium setup and matchday design 05:55 Trinity Rodman — The crossroads 06:40 Player reality — Compartmentalizing during a championship run 07:34 “Generational talent” — Why Lori hopes Rodman stays 08:58 Equal pay to star power — How we got here 09:45 Super League vs NWSL — Parity and the DC Power offer 10:52 Should NWSL adopt a DP rule? 12:26 Salary cap realities 13:40 Locker room dynamics 15:00 Players Association — Protecting parity 17:19 The league is evolving 19:07 Wild West window — Prospects and overseas movement 20:10 Why internationals want to come 20:41 Melting pot future 21:04 Hal Hershfeld injury — The turning point 22:49 The delayed sub — Momentum shifts 23:48 The “gingerly step” — Goal sequence breakdown 24:27 Coaching lessons 24:54 MLS playoffs — Miami and Vancouver–San Diego 25:18 Expansion shock — San Diego hosting a semi 26:07 Messi in form 26:54 Rising expansions 27:08 USWNT — Emma Hayes’ final camp of the year 27:38 Roster management 28:50 Italy preview 29:32 Holiday sign-off — “Buckle up” 29:52 Thanksgiving close Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    31 min
  3. 11/20/2025

    Soccerish | Ep 14 | Charlie Davies on a Big Week for American Soccer

    This week on Soccerish, Christina and Lori are joined by former USMNT striker, CBS analyst, and “Call It What You Want” podcast host Charlie Davies for a fast, honest look at a pivotal moment in American soccer. They preview the NWSL Championship between Gotham and Washington — two very different teams with clear strengths and real questions. Can Gotham handle Washington’s physicality? Will Ann-Katrin Berger steal the spotlight again? And is Trinity Rodman healthy enough to change the match on her own? Charlie also breaks down the USMNT’s evolving identity and why the real tests come in March against Portugal and Belgium, not in November friendlies. And they dig into the seismic changes reshaping the domestic game: • MLS preparing to shift to a fall–spring calendar • USL pushing ahead with promotion and relegation • Why these moves finally put U.S. soccer in step with the global game Plus: the origin of Lori’s “Shut Up, Steve,” and a brief detour into her Tony Meola hair era. Soccerish at full speed — big matches, big changes, and a national program growing up in real time. New episodes every Thursday. Chapters (mm:ss) 00:00 Cold open — Christina and Charlie bond over North Andover and ice cream spots 00:43 Welcome — “1-2-3 go vs 3-2-1 go” and show preview 01:32 NWSL semis — Lori on Gotham/Washington momentum and the Yellow Brick Wall 02:39 VAR chat — the razor-tight offside in Washington’s match 03:24 Gotham’s heroics — Ann-Katrin Berger’s “matrix save” 07:12 Travel panic — Christina freaks out about flights; everyone is flying into SFO 09:01 Picks — Christina leans Washington for the NWSL Championship 10:31 Gotham case — defensive strength vs. season-long inconsistency 10:56 Charlie arrives — “I finally made it to Soccerish!” 11:22 Coaching life — freezing practice, kids’ tournaments 12:11 Career intro — USMNT, Olympics, MLS clubs 14:25 Broadcasting — working with Jimmy Conrad & Tony Meola 14:57 Meola mullet lore — Lori modeled her hair after Tony 15:36 USMNT Paraguay recap — transition into Uruguay preview 16:27 Identity shift — Pochettino’s system, wide-player spacing, Balogun support 18:17 Summer 2026 — belief, injuries, and what’s needed for a run 19:25 Mentality — Charlie on the 2010 underdog mindset 20:10 Confederations Cup — Egypt win, beating Spain, belief they could win a World Cup 22:53 The belief — “We can beat the very best.” 23:11 Statement wins — why Mexico wasn’t enough 23:47 Uruguay — is it a statement win or not? 24:11 Portugal & Belgium — March matches as the real tests 25:25 Shut Up Steve — the Wake Forest backstory and what the USMNT needs 26:28 The brawl — fighting for each other as maturity 27:10 MLS shift — calendar vote and domestic impact 28:26 MLS realignment — why it finally makes sense 31:05 Weather reality — cold markets and scheduling 31:55 Right timing — MLS couldn’t do this before 32:24 Stadium economics — moving beyond NFL dependency 33:42 Fans vs cold — growth vs comfort 34:18 USL pro/rel — intent and pathways for players 36:42 Development — advice for young players and parents 38:00 Coaching kids — foundational ages 6–12 39:10 Writing — how Charlie joined The Athletic 40:20 The book — paused but coming 42:11 Topics — what he writes and why 43:05 Suggestion box — how listeners can pitch ideas 44:31 Final Q — Who wins the NWSL Championship? 45:00 Charlie’s pick — Gotham 46:18 Wrap — US vs Uruguay preview and sign-off Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    47 min

Trailers

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Soccerish is where American soccer meets smart analysis, humor, and real-talk debate. Hosted by Christina Unkel and Lori Lindsey, it’s a weekly podcast breaking down the game with insider access, sharp opinions, and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Formerly The Soccer Podcast USA (Jan–Aug 2025), the show’s first season featured rule breakers, World Cup legends, and the viral Sports Bra episode. Season 2 continues the journey as Soccerish—leaner name, sharper focus, same mission: making soccer make sense in the States. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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