The Queen City Derby
Kara
0:08
And we. 10s Welcome back to another episode of The Queen's Pitch. I'm
Bridget
0:22
Kara and I'm Bridget, and we bring
Kara
0:25
you today the Queen City Derby recap where Charlotte meets Cincinnati. And we just want to clarify. Charlotte is the Queen city named after Queen Charlotte, right? Obvious. But Cincinnati is called the Queen of the West, which is called the city itself.
Bridget
0:43
Well, the West Loxley is better, so that's all that matters.
Kara
0:46
It's just talking about how it looks on the river. They called it a queen because it was so pretty on the river. We have a real person,
Bridget
0:55
right? Ours is Queen Charlotte. There we go. We are. The better. We're the Queen city. For real? I totally think that.
Kara
1:04
But. And on the pitch today for this match, it's a draw. So no Queen city wins. Unfortunately,
Bridget
1:13
although all city wins. But before the game, if someone would have said we would, we would end up in a draw. Everybody would have been like, oh, this is
Kara
1:20
awesome. Yeah, we would all taken it. And but then after watching it, this draw feels like a
Bridget
1:26
loss. Well, it's because it was after the 90th minute and the extra minutes and it just we have PTSD from last year. So for sure that PTSD came back real bad last night.
Kara
1:39
Yeah. The thing that we dreaded happened again this match. I would say the momentum happened all on Charlotte's side. Not all, not all, all, but for what we expected.
Bridget
1:52
Yeah, I think Ramla rigged this game for us to
Kara
1:56
hahahahahahahaha.
Bridget
1:58
I'm just kidding. 3s I tell you, six points against both Ohio teams would have been pretty amazing. But to get to 92 minutes and then finally go a goal down after so many attempts on goal and just wasn't where
Kara
2:15
you had a goal almost, you just shot it to the moon, which seemed to happen every time
Bridget
2:22
they had the actual refs back, the real ones we did. And so that was nice to see, to actually have real refs back. And it was warm and it wasn't cold as crap and the wind wasn't hurting you. So it was a really nice game other than the fact that we tied. Yeah,
Kara
2:39
we actually got to see some real soccer this time because it wasn't. Stop whistle stop whistle. Oh that's
Bridget
2:46
great. I was like, wait, we actually see the soccer game?
Kara
2:49
Actually, we missed a lot of it because there was a lot less whistles. Ha ha.
Bridget
2:54
I know right?
Kara
2:57
Oh, I don't
Bridget
2:58
know. I got to stay with Carroll during the first half. And then I said with Danny in the second half. So it was pretty. They both have different styles of watching the game. So it was it was definitely interesting for me. But altogether this game was a lot more pleasant than last than last week.
Kara
3:13
By far you're just saying that because you didn't sit with me?
Bridget
3:16
No, I like saying really? Do I have to share my love this year? I'm sharing it around. I can't, you know, just give it to one
Kara
3:23
person playing favorites. Well, it's not that, but it's probably just I don't want to ruin my opportunities to sit with people. So I know y'all can only take me for like, a little bit at a time. So, like, I'm hopping around.
Bridget
3:35
Let's be real. 1s So I guess we're all just waiting for the day that Bridget and I get into it, right? For either on the podcast or in the middle of the match.
Kara
3:46
It might be today. You never know.
Bridget
3:48
You never know what's coming. Bridget, what do you want
Kara
3:50
to go into this match? Favors or Ross first?
Bridget
3:54
I say that we just do the favors, and that way it's a positive thing. I'm like, I don't think the refs should be that long. Hopefully. So I think we should start off with the positives this time. All
Kara
4:04
right. Bridget, who was your first favorite? I'm not favorite is going to be the person that that was one of our first player interviews. I think he was our first player, but he's been one of my favorites for a long time. And he's a cutie patootie. And, um, my favorite goes to Andrew Pruitt. He just does such a good job, I think that. From the fact that he started, you know, that's not I mean, he was a midfielder. And then laddie put him in that slot last year and then he kept it. He's he's holding it down. He's doing he had to do it with. And he also goes like way forward. I think he had a shot attempt I think last night as well. Um, a shot on goal which we told him last year he's going to get a goal soon. So when he does we'll be there. He's just
Bridget
4:45
he just focused and he's there. And even when he makes mistakes, he learns from them and he's back up there a couple of times he saved. But I think last night there was a couple times that he liked playing it down, but there was some times that I think had it not been for him, we could have got scored on and he kept the Costa at bay. So you can't be mad about it.
Kara
5:03
I agree, I thought he had a he played an excellent game last night and as far as his attempt goes, yes, it was beginning of the game. You're a little excited. He skied it to the moon. But ultimately you can't come down hard on him because that's not the only person who did it. This match
Bridget
5:21
decided
Kara
5:23
how many opportunities I had to do that. So, you know, to me it's all about forgiveness and, well, you'll get it next time, right? That's what we got to hope. And not only that, but, you know, last week Westwood did that. It's just that he came turn around and came back and then got the goal the second time. But he didn't get that second chance. 1s No,
Bridget
5:41
I'd rather not get that chance and be back in the you know what I mean. Protecting the goal. So
Kara
5:45
yeah. Yeah
Bridget
5:47
I'm not mad, but I'm not mad that he didn't. But he I think he will get his shot. I really do think he's going to score soon, but he's a CV. So how many times does your CV score I don't know 33 Arthur we're sitting here talking about our backline scoring
Kara
6:01
I don't know. He certainly got forward more than I. I mean he got forward a lot last night. He generated some offensive passing and just threatening. Oh yeah. And he was as pretty blue shoes. It's private. After the game someone asked him like what did he think about his odds of being like the starting CB? Like did he think like that he would be continuing to start the CV with all the people and he would, he said, if he was honest, no. But he's worked really hard and he continues to work hard at it. So in that sense, he doesn't. He does expect it because he's putting in the effort and the time and he was making a play. So
Bridget
6:44
I just see good things from that guy. I really like him a lot. I hope we don't switch him out. He took bills like this. I
Kara
6:51
thought he had some excellent interceptions, tackles, clearances, you know, you name it. It just felt like he had a great night. And and there were so many opportunities where you were just like cheering for it because he was saving you from a threat by Cincinnati. Mhm. I want to see that continue. Go Andrew. Yeah. And not only that but he had some really nice balls up forward to, to uh Ojomoh or Kerwin. You know he had he had some great long balls that were good opportunities. They just didn't land. They will eventually. He's just a great player. But when he gets mad and he does a little foul, you get excited and get him going
Bridget
7:33
because he doesn't play like that. You know. Anyway, who's your favorite? Your first one.
Kara
7:38
Bridgette my first favor is going to go to Cristian Colina. Oh, lanta. I know, I know, you might have thought that was like. No, of course not. 1s But I feel like he deserves this match we played. You know, the top team in the East. Cincinnati is a threat. You know they've had some really awesome matches. They were supporters show winners last year. Like we know what they're capable of. Especially since Lucho Acosta dribbled through everyone last year. And it was that goal of the year that we never want to see again. That haunts our dreams. And I'm sure everyone watched before this match. Like making sure you're not sleeping on him. Just. We'll check again, watch it again. But you know, when it comes down to it, Cristian Colina is our final brick wall, right? And he had some really excellent saves this match. That was one of the like about the 25th minute. Now granted Cincinnati doesn't do some awesome attempts. You know they're not as tricky. Maybe they're not as talented forward yet as they will be later in the season. But it's there. And you know we also limited at times by Acosta. That's true too. But if we didn't have Colina for some of those high claims. Saves. He had one really good one, that 1 or 2 that he really did prevent just by a little bit. Maybe it would have gone off the woodwork or something, but I would say he finally had to work this match. What did
Bridget
9:06
you think he did? He was talking about how he didn't have to. In his press conference this week and that and since. And I was like, okay, whatever, we'll show you. I think that I was telling Danny in the second half still on him. I think this was in like the 85th minute and I think it was right after cleaning, made one of those saves where he did that one that was like really high up and he jumped and he hit it over the bar. So super excited about that. And I was like, if clean gets a clean sheet, I will get him a favor. And so I was super duper excited. So when I go to score, it kind of negated the fact that I could give him my favorite.
Kara
9:41
Sure, but I would. I mean, he he gets his mitt on it.
Bridget
9:45
He did, but they fell over. It's just that.
Kara
9:48
Correct. But again, he's already got one on it. He can't get up enough because they're all tangled in a in a dogpile. So
Bridget
9:56
with each other of our own team, it wasn't even a Cincinnati guy in the dogpile. It was just us on each other. Like I'm like, look, brothers, it's not that time. It's not that time yet. Get up.
Kara
10:08
And there's just leaving bit of a just there in the open. None of our midfielders come back to help. I mean, I think Christian Carlino was hung out to dry on that one. I don't really think he can get back up and get it. So I don't really blame him for that because he got he got a mid on the ball. Now, maybe he didn't call everybody off it to say hello. There's a threat here. Or something. Maybe the communication
Bridget
10:35
wasn't there and you're not wasting your time. I was really expecting them to get a yellow card at the end as well. I was counting on it. It didn't happen, but he did a really good job, though. I mean, he did have a bunch of saves that I was like, okay, good. He's he's doing what he's supposed to do. There's distribution. I don't know what I mean. I don't know if it's us or you know, I don't know what that is. And we just kick it and pray that it gets to our guys and it doesn't. We don't want those. I feel like, yeah, he he did his own and he had his own last night. And he looked cute in the little purple and blue outfit. Same with that one
Kara
11:09
here. Yeah. Although that that photo of him during the goal was not flattering while
Bridget
11:13
he was. And but I mean
Kara
11:15
he was getting all the wind knocked out of him
Bridget
11:17
and none of them look flat even. Yeah, right. Even. Yeah. I saw him down in the back when tripping over each other with privet. I mean, that's a think about it for a minute and Andrew and clean and a dogpile is not a bad dogpile to look at. But they all look crazy down there on that ground together. So what you're saying is when we post this episode, we should put dominoes falling. Yeah, right.
Kara
11:41
Oh,
Bridget
11:43
anyways, we
Kara
11:44
we really love them. We don't want dominoes falling. But, you know, we have to laugh at our mistakes so that we can move forward. Otherwise, we're
Bridget
11:52
mad because I'm telling you, when they scored, I lost all my happiness at the time.
Kara
11:56
I'm glad I wasn't sitting with Bridget
Bridget
11:58
then. And like they said afterwards, like, wow. Like we were still tired, but it was like, come the 65th, 70th minute, I don't know, 80th minute. Every time that Acosta got the ball, you're like, please, I don't like this. It was like the last 20 minutes. You're like, please don't, please don't let this happen. And then when it does, after the time in extra time, it's just distracting. So when it went in and I was like, man, it's just because we fell over each other. It's like we just gave it. Not that we gave up, but it was like we we had a colossal mistake where we could have saved it. That's. That's all I'm thinking about. I feel like that was one of those hero miracle shots that Cincinnati thinks it was. It wasn't. And it wasn't one of those miracle shots where the last couple times were like, well, no one could have stopped it because it was like one of those shots that wasn't. Yeah, that was just the thought. That was our blunder mistake. It was mistake a lot like they're technically our goal on them, which was them making the mistake for the penalty kick. Right, right.
Kara
12:57
Did we earn that goal any other way except Johnny scoring?
Bridget
13:02
No problem really. After then, you know, generating a foul. But again their mistake creating it. So yeah
Kara
13:12
that I guess is even. But yeah unhappily as I have to say.
Bridget
13:16
Yeah. So speaking of Johnny, that's going to be my second favor
Kara
13:21
because you said like his progressive passes were insane last week. I don't know what he did this week, but he was all over the ball, and I think he had a lot to do with holding back across the two. And I think one of the funniest things was after in his press conference afterwards, they they were like, what did you think about Acosta? And he said, I didn't realize he was that short. 3s And that was
Bridget
13:43
something I thought, that
Kara
13:45
is cute. You know, like that. That's that's I mean, we all don't realize how short that guy is that you see him. But then we were like, well, everybody's short, you know? But I guess he was super short. But that guys came in like, this is his third game and he's he's a superstar. He doesn't even understand English. He can't understand half the people out there on the field. But he's still somehow makes it work with the team chemistry and
Bridget
14:09
makes it. And then when I got time to like this peak, you know how we are now. We've missed two of the first two. So we're sitting there thinking about
Kara
14:16
pins and needles, right?
Bridget
14:18
We're like, who are they going to have to shoot this? And then we're like, okay, Westwood drops the ball. Well first Johnny got and then and then that's what got it and were like, okay, Westwood's going to take it. And then they were like, no, let's give it back to Johnny. And you're like, there's so much pressure on that kid, so much pressure on him. But then he went in and he took and he did what he he did what he gets paid to do, and he didn't airmail it. So props to him. 1s And on everyone else.
Kara
14:43
The airmail package. Right
Bridget
14:46
here. Right. So I'm going to give my props to my second favorite, Donny
Kara
14:52
Brill. Donny. Yeah. I think he's going to easily become a favorite. I mean, we're only three games in for him and we've already favored him twice. Right. So he's got a bright future,
Bridget
15:05
you know, especially
Kara
15:06
I can't wait to see what we're saying about him. We can't
Bridget
15:08
interview on that because we don't understand. Well, one of the things I really enjoy about Donny this this time, was that he had a lot of trying to dribble around their defenders. And, you know, not everybody is brave enough to take that on, I think. We definitely have been seeing it more from young and sometimes from Kerwin. But that's been a criticism of The Crown in the past, is that we're not being creative enough trying to take people on one on 1 or 1 on two sometimes. And Djibril, he's done that easily a few times. And not only that is he making offensive plays, but his tackling is excellent. But yes, going back to his progressive passes like he only had three matches in. So I think we need to give him a couple more times. But if you look at. Like last week, I wasn't quite on the nose. And thank you. Shout out to Brian from Top Inn who was helping me note that per 90. If you look at his progressive passing per 90, he is at five and he's only been on. You know, he's only had three games played full 93 times. So we have to give him a little bit longer to get into the statistic. But still it's an excellent statistic for him for only. Again this is his third match and he's still just making so much happen forward when in the past this was not a big thing. For us. And if you look at who he replaced, Derek Jones. That was not what Derek Jones did well at all. It helps that he also won the penalty like he got the foul and then generated that penalty. So it's nice that he took it. But also I think it was also nice that Ashley Westwood was protecting it because of the criticism and because of Cincinnati trying to, let's say, disrupt the competition.
Kara
17:00
Yeah. And, you know, trick them out. 2s But Djibril, just calm. Cool. Collected. But to the net. No
Bridget
17:09
problem. You said him and Ashley worked really well together. He said that he doesn't understand what he's saying, but they worked well on the field together.
Kara
17:16
So some. Some deeper level magic. Okay.
Bridget
17:19
Who's your favorite or second one?
Kara
17:21
I think this is very well this one. And maybe the next thing is where you and I might fight. Are you ready for this? Well, then my favorite goes to Brechtian here.
Bridget
17:31
Oh my God. Yeah, I was yelling for that guy to be taken off way before he was ever taken off.
Kara
17:36
So would you like to know
Bridget
17:37
why he's our ten? Yeah. Tell me why he is our ten. Please let us know why he's your favor before I disrupt the favor of yours.
Kara
17:47
You know, he's had a lot of criticism, I see it. Okay, but not all of it is warranted. And this one, you know, he doesn't play the full 90. He does get a bit, take a bit of a tackle and get a yellow card. So I would you know he
Bridget
18:02
was getting tired before them. He does get pulled off for good reason. But up until that point he is creative. He generates crosses some really excellent key passes into the final third, long balls that connect, gets fouled a few times, is tackled like to me he was just kind of all over the place. But still making things happen. One of the things that I also wanted to say, you know, we pointed out to Johnny for his progressive passing, but guess who's right underneath him? I think
Kara
18:33
he's got 4.5 progressive passes
Bridget
18:38
per 90. Why does it look like he's playing such as he saw her?
Kara
18:42
Because at the end of it, someone isn't putting that ball into the net because we're having issues. Well, you know, in that final third we're having issues with that final ball that's not on Brecht. It was last week. When was it? It was last week. But he was on the final ball. It was he wasn't progressive passing issue there, but he was the scoring issue there. But not this time. This time he's trying to really make it connect to his teammates and generate that ball into the net.
Bridget
19:11
This is a good thing that we don't record these and people can't see our faces because
Kara
19:15
we're just catching flies. Yeah.
Bridget
19:18
Mazda road so far back in my head when he was talking 1s about last. But no, I mean, I guess I'm gonna have to pay more attention to him because maybe I'm giving him my burn treatment from earlier last year or I don't know, I just didn't. I was yelling for him to get taken off before he was. So I was like, dude's tired not doing anything
Kara
19:38
I
Bridget
19:39
did. I tell you what I'm like, I don't know, maybe
Kara
19:42
it's created chances, he's creating chances, they're not all landing, and so he's not getting the assist on the other end, you know. But if he had at any rate, we need him. We need him creating those chances. Like that's that's what we need because someone at some point is going to get on the end of that ball and put it in, and then he'll get maybe he's due one day. I don't have to do anything like his team don't have their games. I'll have to go over there at halftime and I'll be like, I'll pay whoever scores to go $20. Because, you know, sometimes you can only motivate children with money. Sometimes you can only motivate any human with money. But
Bridget
20:20
I mean something I just really don't like my my way of doing it. But I said, you know, I went over there and I was like, I'll give whoever scores 20. You know, the kids are like, well, what if all of us scored? I'm like, okay, well then I'll have to have a go fund me. But for right now, let's just let's focus. And you know, I'd be darned if one of those kids didn't go out there and score. Okay, first of all, I was gonna, you know, I'm like, well, it worked, but, like, maybe we're gonna have to motivate these guys. Not. I mean, the fact that we're paying a millions of dollars don't really matter. I guess we're gonna have to say I'll get you a donut if you score a goal. Oh,
Kara
20:49
no. Well, you know, the back line is motivated by wine, right?
Bridget
20:52
So let's let's find out what these other dudes are motivated by. Let's go for it. Because, you know,
Kara
20:57
notwithstanding. Right.
Bridget
21:02
Oh, no, I mean, I know, I guess I just didn't see enough of practice and maybe I need to do better. If his stats say it, then I maybe I'm just not watching him. Well,
Kara
21:12
and he also gets a yellow tactically, but it doesn't bring him down much on an
Bridget
21:18
honorable mention Nathan Burn because he's a little burn and I don't really watch replays very much, but you have me watching some of it today, and I noticed when I was watching it, burn was like everywhere. But then he stopped a lot of stuff that could have went in to the box. And so you got to give a little arm momentum to little Bernie. Bernie and I'm blue shirt too, and he normally wears wags. I was excited that he had colored shoes on. I think Nathan Berg, the reason he's not getting more of these is because he's solid right now. Like he's just been consistent every match, a lot like Miranda. And there's some times where, okay, you just you're kind of waiting on stand out, stand on him to just come right above that extra bit. Right.
Kara
21:56
For that, you'd have to give it to the whole back line just
Bridget
21:59
because there is the same way. Like Gary, you can't not like Gary's scary.
Kara
22:03
But then again, we also had a goal against us this time. And so yeah. And you're
Bridget
22:08
right. And it was in the box and clean up. They all who knows what Milano was doing I mean
Kara
22:14
I think tracking the runner. One of them was tracking the
Bridget
22:16
runner. Okay, let's get the race now.
Kara
22:20
Sure. Let's go for race. Then we can do anything else we missed.
Bridget
22:22
Yes. Who are
Kara
22:24
you rapping this time? We're athletes. No one that you don't like me to Rath that I'm going to do it anyway. But I'm going to have to razz Vargas. Because when we talk about air mailing that kid air mailed, I don't know, like two or 3 or 4. I think I've stopped counting. I don't understand what's going on in his brain. I think he's just not. 1s They mean something's not like clicking for them like it was at the end of last year. He's just not got that confidence in me. Yeah, there was some crosses he did that were good. You know there's some stuff that everybody does that's good. But
Bridget
22:55
it's crucial that if he's going to be one of our starters and he's going to be one of the wingers, he's going to have to score and he's going to have to make things happen. And when he gets the foot on the ball, we can't expect him to air mouth like, that's just not what we want to happen. So there's nothing I can do to give him a wrap.
Kara
23:12
Poor Kerwin, poor Carolyn. No, I mean, I, I see your point because my my wrath kind of leads into yours. And it's related because it's that we had so many shots off target. And those are shots that again, get them on target. There were just too many to be for forgivable, I guess.
Bridget
23:36
Yeah. Nobody wanted them to shoot. And that was our whole thing was like, shoot.
Kara
23:40
And we certainly did that.
Bridget
23:41
We shot, but like none of them are on low. It's just like, dude is if we're going to do the finishing, we gotta make it like we can't just airmail it every time
Kara
23:51
I disagree. I'm not going to get him my wrath personally because I think multiple people airmail it. They all get them off target. AJ Vargas
Bridget
24:00
this one had one two. So it's not like
Kara
24:02
I think about I had one.
Bridget
24:05
Oh yeah, definitely had one. If he needed to make that
Kara
24:09
he had one. Petkovic had had one. And of course perfect. So we already mentioned like multiple of them had one. So to me it was it's enough. The
Bridget
24:19
care one had multiples.
Kara
24:20
He did. However Kerwin generated a lot of action in the final third. Yes. He didn't get any of them on target. He had a few of them blocked though. San Antonio blocked a few of them. Or the back line? One of the two. And he missed that big chance. But he was there. He was trying. It was almost, you know, it's going to land for him. He is so dynamic. And he was giving some really excellent crosses, key passes in the box. Like he was also spreading it around like we need that we need him. But we also yes, need him to get it on target more frequently. And he knows that. I mean, this is not news to him, and I'm sure that that's going to be something with as many people as did that when they rewatch this match. Hopefully that's the thing they're going to work on because there were so many. Well,
Bridget
25:18
we need him. You know, we need to be able to count on him. We do. It used to be where we only have Vargas, but now we got Abada and we got other guys that can come in and step in and play that like Tomasz, and we have Bartimaeus, but we have other people that can step in. So Vargas has to step up because there's people that can take his spot. If he does that. But Vargas quality is different than some of those, you know, obviously, because some of them are so young and so new. Like they don't have the same quality care when has. Right. It's early in the season though. And as you can see like Cincinnati great team. Tough to beat.
Kara
25:54
They had some air miles an off targets too. Oh
Bridget
25:57
yeah they didn't thank God.
Kara
25:59
And and Kerwin you know he was like he is so close that once he gets going once he starts getting goals I think he'll just be hot.
Bridget
26:10
My dad used to tell me clothes only counts and more shoes and hand grenades. I mean, I get it once he gets out of that mental headspace that he's in and just like, gets a goal and gets, like, shakes it. I think that we'll see the Vargas that we saw at the end of last year. I just don't know why it's taken so long to get
Kara
26:27
there. I know, but if it's a mental thing wrapping him,
Bridget
26:31
that's where it was. Not like he's going to listen to me rather than him first of all. So that's true. And to be honest, when he walked by us after the game last night, I said good job. Did I think that he did a good job? I don't think so, but I said it.
Kara
26:47
I also think he had some he had some unfair calls. Yeah. I mean, I think he did. Well, I'm not saying he didn't. I mean, he did a good job like he played very defensively. I don't know, it was I don't know if it's you or Carol or that I can't remember who I was at that point, but someone was like Carol was
Bridget
27:04
playing extremely defensive. And so he was doing a good job of that. He was I just need him, not Air Mallet when when he was opportunities to shoot and do it. Like do it. Do you just do it man. We know you got it and you do it 1s well. Oh, but I do want to bring up Caroline. Kind of ties into a little bit of a controversial issue in this match that maybe it would have been a difference maker at the end. Maybe not. But let's take a look at it. So in the seventh or eighth minute there is a challenge by Penza of Cincinnati, and he goes up against Kalina in the box, while Penza is correctly whistled for a foul. There is no yellow, but at the 90th minute or so Kerwin does the exact same thing. He goes up for a challenge. And I would. You know, I think Karin's challenge is actually better and not a foul at all, because he goes in between a defender from Cincinnati and he's up in the air trying to head the ball. So Antonio, the goalkeeper, is jumping also in the air. He's not really looking at Kerwin. He's looking at the ball to catch it. And Kerwin gets hit by the defender and then gets slammed tackled. It's almost like like Mortal Kombat style slammed by cell Antonio flattens him right across the ribs. Whole man to the rips. But Kerwin gets the oh why did Kerwin get the yellow at that point? First of all it's a 5050 challenge. That is not a yellow. No. That was
Kara
28:46
a legit attempt. He just doesn't get it because he is in the air getting tackled down by Cincinnati. And yet at the beginning of the match Ruby Panza does that to Kaleena. Does he get it? No, he does not get that yellow, which is actually significant because in the 88th minute. But Penza is the one that fouls Milan. De Miranda goes down right and then he shoves Milan on the ground. Sassanian of course, Mond is up right there and going to excuse me, sir.
Bridget
29:19
Man, just like what you saw in the me, bro. I'm bigger in here. Let's go. 2s And then the funniest thing about that is Milana jumps on. I was like, I'm bigger than you. Like, he's like a foot taller than Whoopi Head. And then Nathan Byrne, like, jumps up in the middle of them and I'm like, Nathan's shorter than me. It was just the funniest little thing ever. And you're like, oh my lanta, dude.
Kara
29:41
But then joke's on us because pence is the one who gets a golden goose. But if he'd had the yellow he should have had at the beginning ended up in a double
Bridget
29:50
yellow. If you look at that, like he legit, like, took his hip and not clean it down, what is hip? That
Kara
29:56
was absolutely on purpose. That was not a 5050 challenge to me when he had control over his body in that moment. Whereas Kerwin Kerwin is flying, he does not have control over his body. No. And especially not when the Cincinnati defender comes underneath him now and takes out his legs. He doesn't learn to fly,
Bridget
30:17
right. I mean, Caroline can fly, but we know that like we've seen it. But in a way it'll work out because the dude stopped him.
Kara
30:25
Oh, so incredibly frustrating. So this, this. So that to me, should have been a red card number one.
Bridget
30:31
That should have been red.
Kara
30:32
But Cincinnati to me also should have had a potential other red card. And that one comes at the 97th minute where he fouls Ashley Westwood and he's kicking at the ball. What's what is on the ground with the ball and he's kicking at the ball while Westwood is holding it. And if he kicked Westwood while the play was done, that's an automatic red. That's an automatic
Bridget
30:58
right. I think because he he it was over with. Yeah it was over with and he still was kicking on it actually. And then he kicked him in the shin. That's okay. I mean more form I don't know I thought that was totally red. I think Ashley was fighting for that red too. But he was at that point not trying to get, you know, another yellow because we did think I thought that was one point where actually, you know, last night and I was like, oh, please don't get another yellow because he's riding that line. He
Kara
31:24
didn't he didn't. Our captain to me, deserves an honorable mention for how well he played and how well he held held everything together. He did obviously the glue of the team and he's there to calm him down. But in the last few matches, you know, he's been the one arguing with refs. He doesn't get a card for it this time. Yay. So
Bridget
31:44
to me he's stand up for those players. And that's what I think is really cool about
Kara
31:48
it. Yeah. Especially in that moment because you knew he was hot and coming for you. Oh yeah. Obinna. Mhm. I think we're all going to come from. I didn't see it till the end, but
Bridget
31:59
I saw it and I was jumping, I was mad, I was about to run down there. I even messaged was is, was was wife. I was like, girl, I don't know how you didn't go down there on that field because I about made it down there. We'll get them back next time we're in Cincinnati. We're going back, I hope.
Kara
32:14
The other honorable mention, I think we should just say a small note for I think Petkovic he starts this match. I think he does a great job for starting and not having, you know, more minutes being able to be out there and and settle in essentially to the his role. He's only had a little bit. And to me, as long as he played he was creative. He tried. He did get, you know, some opportunity. It wasn't great. But again that's what we need. That's that's talent. That's him trying to take people on. He did that a time or two you know and and was it his best match. Of course not. But not every player is going to have that right still. Right I thought he did well for coming in and and you know he's going to get more minutes and then he'll get better. Right. That's what we have to hope
Bridget
33:05
I think so I mean
Kara
33:08
how do you think he did? I
Bridget
33:10
think that for the 30 minutes that he played, um, he did really well. I saw I like that first play he ever had the ball. And he was like just making, you know, like dressing up the field with it. I saw signs of what's to come with him. Like, he did have a shot that I think that he should have made and I got I told Danny I was like, he's only been here half a day, so we can't really be too mad, but, you know, you need to make those shots. And then I saw that his chemistry obviously is off. There was a shot where Enzo passed it to him. And like that, that glimpse that what you saw in those in that moment was like, these two DPS can work together. We can have a really good team. Sure. I think that he's very humble. I think that he was very humble, but I think he's also just still tentative. And I think when he was in the press conference after the game, I think he was to me, he was just a little bit nervous. I think maybe it's just because he doesn't know how we're going to react to him. But I think he went out there and did a great job for being literally with the team for half a day and practice, and he speaks English, so that's really nice.
Kara
34:14
Yeah. Agreed. I mean, I'm not even looking at the match that we had, but he already generated some xG and he's only played 30 minutes. We got to wait for him to do a little bit more. But you know for him trying to create goals. 1s He made something happen. He had some carries toward the box, and he had a really nice cross that, you know, I think Curwin tries that's one the one he tries to get on the end of. I can't wait to see what we see from him next week. Maybe he'll start.
Bridget
34:41
I think he'll start. And I think I think everybody needs to step their game up because I told my daughter earlier today, I'm like, we actually have a team, we have a team. We have a team that like, granted, could we use more? Another one? Yeah. But right now we have a team, we have players, and then we have players on the bench that can come in and perform. It's been a long time since we've had that, and we still have players that aren't healthy yet. They still need to get healthy, so it's just nice to see what our future season could be, especially with, I mean, I guess I just didn't know what it was like to have. I guess we had Camille and we had Carol and and maybe I just got used to them, but it's like fresh blood and, you know, on the team as I was, like, a little bit newer and energized and you're excited about it
Kara
35:27
and it's a completely different style of play. Like I think the going to the outside, going backward, which is what we constantly did last season, was predictable and more boring. Now there's actually things that go progress through the middle, there's through passing, and there's attempts into space to see who's going to run on that and then dribble toward the box. Like that wasn't happening as much last year. And now we're seeing it, but we're also seeing it from a variety of people. It's not just the same person that you expect all the time, where it's pretty predictable to your opposition. That's that's that creativity is not is not to be counted out. You know, I think for this side to. We see Cappelletti come back, we see Urso come back and both of them tried to make something happen when they were out there. I don't think the criticism right now for the entire team as a whole is warranted in comparison to last year. I think you should be hopeful. We just played two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. We knew that the Eastern Conference is going to be tough this year. We had a very tough last few matches. Toronto is is not last year's Toronto. There are a lot of tough teams in this conference on our side, and yet we're doing pretty well against some of the toughest ones now. Are they the best? Like are we all the top where we're going to be? No. Top potential. That's not there yet. And it wasn't there for Cincinnati either. And I knew the criticism from Cincinnati was kind of like, oh, who was the better side? We're the better side. Did you see the shots and opportunities that Charlotte had? We had a whole lot more than Cincinnati had. That's to the entire team as a whole. It's just they didn't land in the goal,
Bridget
37:20
did you? Really? Well. I'm impressed with us. I think we're doing better than what we thought we were. So do we play next week?
Kara
37:27
New England revolution.
Bridget
37:29
The revolution and New
Kara
37:31
England's at the bottom of the conference right now. They're the ones that were morons. And they're like throwing teas over the tea. Over the word from the supporter section. Oh, yeah. Oh, but we also have I mean, in the past, we haven't done well against New England. No. Like when we've gone head to head, we have. They've won three times. We've only won once.
Bridget
37:52
Well that's stupid. Maybe this year it'll be better.
Kara
37:55
Maybe we have to hope we'll see something more exciting this game. And maybe that'll give some confidence to those guys who really need it. And then we'll start landing some more goals.
Bridget
38:04
Exactly. Well, that's all I have to say about this game. Do you have anything else?
Kara
38:08
Did you want to address anything we noticed after the match? Oh, yeah. Okay, so Pat Noonan and Dean Smith got into a little skirmish during the game, I guess not really in the first half and the first half, and they got into a little disagreement, but it was because, you know, we asked Dino about it afterwards and he just said that he was protecting his players, that he thought that Pat Noonan was trying to persuade the refs in their favour. And he said if like if that was a
Bridget
38:36
dive. Dean says that if it's on his players, he'll address it with his players. But there's no need and Pat taking care of, you know, doing it. So I think that's awesome. Dean says he'll always take out for his players, and I like that about a coach that will stand up for his players. Absolutely. And and not only that, but if he's trying to advocate against influencing the ref in that case and saying that his players were doing something like address your own players or, you know, something that's happening. Right? And it's up to the captains to also be making that argument too. But I liked it that he thought the ref should be the one to. If there was a problem, address it and then bring that to Dean. And it's Dean's job to handle it like it's his family. He'll deal with a problem. I feel that as a parent.
Kara
39:28
Right. And then.
Bridget
39:30
I enjoy that when the coaches are feisty and defensive, and they definitely got a little feisty during this game, you could say and get a little worked up some and I like that,
Kara
39:40
but the future's. The future is bright. I hope we get some more points these next few games because I, you know, I want the last few tough, but I think we hopefully got a stretch here going into it that we'll get some more. And Patrick Ojomoh starting this match. You know you got to think. And those ADP that he would have come in had a little more time. But ahjumma he did well. He's had a lot more chances and and hopefully that he gets some more time. He doesn't just get pulled just for Enzo like he keeps making an argument for himself. Not nothing against Enzo by any means, but
Bridget
40:18
I do. But I definitely think that Orlando star. But
Kara
40:21
you got to hope for Pat too.
Bridget
40:22
I hope for Pat. I would like to see that. But you're paying a dude $2 million and you're paying a guy 70 grand. Then I think we're going to have to do this. Getting paid $2 million. Start. I'm looking at it from a financial side of it, I don't know. That's
Kara
40:35
true. But again, you gotta you gotta do your job. Gotta do your job when you come in. Right? So if you're gonna look at it
Bridget
40:41
like that, we gotta let if we're paying someone to do their job, then we gotta let them do their job. If they're going to do it. Now, if Enzo starts acting in full and can make things happen, then that's left to be discovered. But unfortunately, that's going to I mean, I think that should start over, Enzo. But we gotta look at it. We're in reality, you're 70 grand players not going to probably start over your DP.
Kara
41:04
Well, and they're both two different types of players. And those qualities are in a different style than Pat's. And that's when really exciting to see as well. So to me it's just what is your game need who that week is making an argument to come in and start and really pull some of that. Like if he pulls Pat into the end because he can just run at them all day and run through them and go into space and put some pressure, that's what it's called for. So, you know, but Enzo is that tank. He's got excellent hold up play, whereas Pat's hold up play is not the same as Enzo's. Like this last time I think he had like 4 or 5 people on him. Now granted the goal comes from it. He gets a tackle picked off of him. But you know that's going to happen. Certainly happened a lot to you know Carroll last year. But you to me you can't blame the goal on that. No. But his other hold up play like he held the ball. And then we had a couple of attempts like just because of him coming in it to me it just it just depends on what the game calls for. But I think they'll keep getting. Keep getting opportunities. I think Pat has made a really good argument for himself in the last three games. So with that, let's look forward to New England. And we're going to say
Bridget
42:16
we still feel like we're the real Queen city. But I hope you enjoyed our discussion of the Queen City Derby and hope you have a good week or league.
Kara
42:26
Bye bye bye.