As the NWSL playoff race hits its two-game sprint, we revisit Bev Yanez—head coach of Racing Louisville and the only current NWSL coach who also played in the league. Her philosophy is clear: work rate, honesty, and sustained commitment to the group. From a coaching awakening in Japan’s brain-bending rondos to a midseason reset after a 4–1 home loss, Yanez explains how those moments shaped her leadership—and why Racing now carries her identity for 90-plus minutes.
Inside the episode
• How Racing built a hard-working team identity
• Why Japan “broke” her (and made her better)
• Leading a staff of former head coaches
• Trust, growth, and ownership in the locker room
• The (hypothetical) swear jar — and what it says about authenticity
On the record: Christina Unkel makes a bold call — Bev Yanez as a future USWNT head coach. Do you agree?
Chapters (mm:ss)
00:00 Cold open — proper English weather & hello again
00:40 Welcome — Christina & Lori re-introduce Bev
02:05 Fun fact — only NWSL HC who also played
03:38 Path to coaching — visibility, licenses, Japan spark
05:51 First months as HC — what you don’t see in the chair
07:49 Identity thread — work rate from player to coach
10:17 Box-to-box — effort as a throughline
15:07 Japan — the rondo shock
23:34 Playoff push — the 4–1 reset & principles
25:31 Calling card — “we work for 90-plus minutes”
27:33 Swear jar — authenticity with a bleep
32:49 Christina’s call — USWNT future
42:50 Outro — thanks & sign-off
Watch, listen, subscribe and follow
• All episodes on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@SoccerishPodcast
• Show notes & clips (Substack) → https://www.soccerishpodcast.com/
• Shorts playlist → https://www.youtube.com/@SoccerishPodcast/shorts
• IG/TikTok/YouTube: @SoccerishPodcast
-Audio podcast https://pod.link/1786871720
Hosts
Christina Unkel (CBS/ITV rules analyst; FIFA referee) & Lori Lindsey (CBS/Amazon/Apple analyst; former USWNT)
Contact / bookings
info@thesoccerpodcastusa.com | Red Card Productions
","author_name":"Red Card Productions"}