The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
GOOD FOLLOW - Darian Jenkins on NWSL Playoffs, + Caitlin Clark Tees Off, & More
Mon, 18 Nov 2024
This week on Good Follow: Former NWSL forward and current analyst, Darian Jenkins returns to Good Follow to preview the NWSL semi-finals. Then, Megan and Logan convince you to hop on the NWSL bandwagon with a game of “Bandwagon Fans.” Finally, Megan shares her NWSL DraftKings picks of the week and her latest Good Follow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chapter 1: Who is Darian Jenkins and what insights does she offer about the NWSL?
Welcome to Good Follow, presented by DraftKings. I'm Megan Reyes. Joining me is Logan Hackett, and today's guest is former NWSL forward, current soccer analyst, and friend of the show, Darian Jenkins. Darian, it's so great to have you back on Good Follow.
Chapter 2: What are the key matchups in the NWSL semifinals?
Yeah, it's great to be back. I was hyped when I heard that you guys wanted me back on today to talk. The final that we thought was going to be the final, but it's actually the semifinal, and all of the things happening at NWSL, it's going to be a good chat.
Well, let's jump right into it. And I'm always excited to learn from you because as we know, the NWSL semifinals are set and taking place this weekend. So on one side of the bracket, we have Orlando taking on Casey Curran and Gotham taking on Washington Spirit. Winners of both meeting next week at the NWSL championship in Kansas City.
So you kind of mentioned it, Darian, but did we expect anything different than the top four teams making it to the semis? Slash, as you said, we have what we thought was a final happening in the semifinals.
No, not surprised at all. I think maybe could have been two months ago. People probably could have predicted that these were going to be the semifinal going into the final. Although I do wish we were seeing Orlando and Kansas City meet in the final. I think it's just going to be great getting this much excitement this early on before the NWSL championship is huge.
Kansas City hosting it, I think, is massive. But I like these teams matching up. It's been really fun games throughout the season watching both of these, both the brackets match up against each other. And I will say on attacking third, we made brackets. Mine has yet to be busted. So I'm on the right track. I hope, yeah.
If everything goes well this weekend, I'll have made it to the final with nothing going wrong. Knock on wood, famous last words. But I like this. I think especially even from the coaching perspective, these are really tactical technicians that almost play chess in the way that they play. So we're in for a good weekend of NWSL matches.
Okay, well, let's start with your former team, Orlando. They lost two of their final three regular season games, but they have looked really unstoppable, especially against Chicago last weekend, winning 4-1. Were those two losses the reset that you think the Pride may have needed heading into the playoffs?
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Chapter 3: How did Orlando prepare for the playoffs after a rocky finish?
I wouldn't even call it a reset. I think that they won the shield. They clinched a playoff spot, the number one seed. They nearly went undefeated through the season, which is so hard to do. I think that they rested their players that they needed to. They gave them a little bit of time to sit back. These losses didn't mean anything to Orlando, quite frankly. They have nothing to prove to anybody.
And I like that when they did lose, they were like, yeah, who cares? Who else is
got the shield we do so i think that they did it at the right time they let the star players take a little bit of a break they let other players who are also stars get minutes and look good i think it just added to maybe a little bit more of a chip on their shoulder going into playoffs to be like yeah that's why we let those two games slide but i don't think it reset them maybe it gave them an extra little little something to prove going into the playoffs
I liked on the broadcast how they shared that Seb Hines was like, listen, put the record and everything behind you. Like, we're here now in the moment. Like, we kind of start at zero. I think that says a lot about his coaching and also the players that are on the team. Logan, what stood out to you from Orlando last weekend?
They looked so good. I mean, we were just talking about the break. It did look like they kind of took a break, not so much reset, but they had other players having time. They kind of rested their star players and they look ready for playoffs. I mean, I don't know if the record really has anything to do with it.
But I'm really interested now to see how they play against KC because you have to think about Chicago. They came in with no momentum whatsoever. Three losses I think they were coming off of. I mean, it wasn't, it didn't even look like a mid-season Chicago team. It just kind of looked depleted, especially when you take how strong Orlando was playing.
So I guess the big kind of test is going to be this weekend. But based on what we saw last weekend, I think they have it in the bag in a sense. Yeah.
Well, question for you, Darian. So pre-Olympic break, Barbara Banda had 12 goals in 12 games. And since then, she has been sort of quiet, I guess you could say, depending on how you want to define it, with one goal in 10 games. But then last week, she became the only player in Pride history to have a brace in the playoffs with this goal. Watt.
Banda. A stride ahead again. Barbara!
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Chapter 4: What should we expect from Washington Spirit in their upcoming game?
There's not a team I've ever seen her play intimidated against or like she can't handle what's coming to her. especially when it's do or die as playoffs and the semifinals. And you could get to host at your home stadium if you win this match. I think that she'll be good. And if she's not, we're not going to know. I don't think she's going to show it at all.
Well, let's talk about the other side of the bracket with Spirit and Gotham matching up. In a kind of a big surprise, Washington were down 1-0 to Bay FC with five minutes left in regulation until this goal. Let's take a look.
They appeal for a handball. It's going to be checked by VAR. McKeon. Farmer forward. Scores! Left off and already field!
Ugh, okay, so... Despite the win, the Bay FC frustrated Washington defensively all the way to the end. Should Washington be concerned heading into this weekend's matchup? Logan, I'll start with you. What are your thoughts on Washington last week against Bay FC and what you think they need to do moving into this weekend?
I always go back to the peak Washington that we saw. And I feel like if we had that peak Washington kind of right before the Olympic break, I believe it was, or maybe just a little bit after, I think that game would have gone a lot different. Granted, Bay did play extremely well and they were fighting, fighting, fighting, but it is kind of a different team.
And I don't think that they've really, they've done well to get past the players that they've lost to injury and work together as a team. But I don't think they've done well enough to kind of get back to the caliber that they were at. So I think concern, no, because they're playing with what they're playing with and they have to deal with it.
But I think they could be better if it wasn't for injuries.
How much of a loss do you think it is for Spirit to not have Andy Sullivan? Oh, it's huge.
Andy is a player that is kind of the unsung hero every season. She's one of those players that She's not doing the flashiest of stuff, but you watch the way that Andy plays. And I know this from playing with her. She's constantly organizing, constantly setting you up to plug holes defensively.
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Chapter 5: What can Portland learn from their recent playoff experience?
Yeah, I completely agree with that. I mean, Gotham, I almost in a sense feel like they're hot and cold and it's hard to conceptualize them now because before, what did they have? Like a CONCACAF summer league game, I think, or something where they won...
yeah some crazy score like 14 either 14 one or six one I don't know which one that is but after that they came back and they started scoring consistently like beforehand it was like one or two goals a game and they started putting up like four and it was like well where is this coming from but they have their goal scoring activated and the best availability that they've had pretty much all season with that said it's like what type of Gotham is coming to play because even last week watching their games after they scored they get real kind of
bouncy and you'd see that spark in them and then it would slowly kind of fade away and Portland would get a run and then it it kind of went back and forth but if you get the bouncy Gotham that are like hungry for it I think then they are going to go to the finals with that said whatever team comes out of Casey and Orlando I just don't think that they can beat
So we mentioned that a little bit earlier, how Bay FC, you know, frustrated Washington defensively. How can Gotham do the same? I guess like on the other side of the ball, we know a little bit of their weakness with the back line, but on their forward line, how can they do the same to make sure that they get their goals against Spirit?
I mean, start one of their stars. I mean, you have Esther, who's brilliant at top. Ella Stephens had a great breakout season. I think Lynn Williams, you have Crystal Dunn, who could potentially play like Yasmeen Ryan. They have so many players that I think individually can cause chaos for Spirit's backline.
Now, when you put them all together and they're vibing, how quickly they transition and you have Rose Lavelle who can dribble past anybody, the way that they can break down spirit, I think, is relying on those 1v1 players and then their combination play to get in front of goal.
Because as soon as they are, as soon as they start heating up and they're bouncing the ball around quickly with their front maybe five players, I don't know if Spirit can stop them because we've seen even in their last match leading up to playoffs, they just look like they're in the zone. They feel it right now.
And I don't know if Spirit can handle that, especially with how many players they're missing.
Okay, well, before we go into break, we're going to do a quick official pick. So from both you and Logan, who do you have winning between Orlando and Casey? I'll go with you first, Darian. I have Orlando. I'm going to stick loyal to my bracket.
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Chapter 6: How did Bay FC's performance shape their playoff journey?
They lost a couple of players, like a Rocky Rodriguez, somebody that's a little more daring in the midfield. They had very similar profiles in their midfield three that didn't offer enough. And I think this team can get back to where they are. I mean, it's weird to think of NWSL playoffs without the Portland Thorns in them, which we almost had that case.
But they really need to acquire some players and have some stability with Rob Gale next year that can just make them the really dangerous team that isn't solely through Sophia Smith.
So obviously you mentioned the loss of Christine Sinclair is greatly impactful to the team and also to this women's game in general. But in addition to filling in those holes in Portland's midfield, who currently do they have that will need to step up for them next year?
I'm going to give a shout to my fellow Bruin UCLA, Jessie Fleming. She's a player that It's so dynamic and really dangerous in the attack. We've seen her do it for Canada. In college, she did it. For Chelsea, she did it. And I feel at Portland, she sat back so much more.
We didn't see her making those daring passes, these daring dribbles, the game-changing moments that we're used to having from Jesse Fleming. She's a player that I think they can build around, that they can growl around, they can rely on for that stability and to be a leader. But we need to see it on the pitch. I will say going from Chelsea to the NWSL, it's a huge adjustment.
It's a huge adjustment. Every single game feels like it could be a final. Every single game is much more physical and physically taxing. And everybody's faster than you. It's a huge adjustment. And I think she needed this year to have that. And hopefully next year, she can really grow into that role that we've seen her have with all of her other teams.
Logan, what are your thoughts on Portland?
I mean Jessie Fleming is basically kind of like Christine Sinclair because she's Canadian so it's our little she's kind of next in line if you think about it like especially with there's multiple players retiring um but I think when it comes to the NWSL she she is a huge impact but I feel like I haven't heard her name enough um but going back to somebody whose name I'm hearing more is actually Olivia Moultrie and I don't know how old she is right now maybe 18 19 she's
She came in when she was pretty young, but I feel like she's kind of finally settled into the league, settled into her role. It's no longer, well, look at this very young player who had to fight to play in the league playing. She's now making an impact. She's in the team and she is up there with a goal scorer.
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