Soccerish

Lori Goes to Ref School is a three-act deep dive into the decisions that shape matches — the ones fans debate, players argue, and TV analysts replay endlessly.Across Grade School → Junior High School → High School, Christina Unkel walks Lori Lindsey through real match scenarios, the laws behind them, and the gray areas where football and refereeing collide.Act I covers early-career lessons — including a Marta–Heather Mitts moment Christina never shared publicly until now.Act II breaks down deliberate handball, continuation fouls, and the ethics of a goal scored through broken nets.Act III goes all in on VAR: why some decisions take so long, what the officials are actually checking, how football understanding informs interpretation, and why referee development in the U.S. still requires patience.This is the referee classroom the audience has been asking for — honest, detailed, and rooted in what actually happens on the field and in the booth.

Christina and Lori pop back in with a holiday hello — same outfits, no Christmas sweaters, full honesty. They talk about holiday traditions (or not having them), Guatemalan vs. every-other-kind-of tamales, homemade rolls, red vines, and why Lori doesn’t own a single ugly sweater.They share:why Lori’s “tradition” is… not having oneChristina’s Noche Buena ritualthe great tamales debatefavorite holiday foods (yes, dessert counts)New Year’s resolutions (or “time sweeps”)Christina’s challenge: do one new thing every weeka reminder that Boxing Day football is the real holidayA short, festive drop-in from the Soccerish crew — Happy Holidays!

What makes someone choose the loneliest position on the field? In this Soccerish Special, we dive into The Goalkeeper’s Story — a journey from backyard dreams to the highest levels of the game.Tony Meola remembers the mullet era and how the role has transformed.Jill Loyden and Christina Unkel unpack the pressures young keepers face and the bravery the position demands.Jenny Nguyen brings humor and honesty about what it means to “dream big” in goal.Ann-Katrin Berger shares her philosophy on playing high, her iconic one-handed save at the Euros, and her fight through thyroid cancer — including the tattoos and sign language she uses to honor her sister.Danny Higginbotham explains how footwork has become as important as shot-stopping in today’s game.Across acts — Who’d Be a Goalkeeper, Look No Hands, and A Goalkeeper’s Story — this special weaves technical evolution with human resilience. It’s about gloves, grit, and the courage to stand in hard places.

Soccerish Presents | Women Who Lead is a special compilation featuring the voices of coaches who’ve shaped the NWSL at its highest levels.You’ll hear:Bev Yanez, 2025 Coach of the Year, on balancing leadership, family, and staff trust.Laura Harvey, a three-time Coach of the Year, reflecting on authenticity, therapy, evolving with her players — plus her unexpected admission about TikTok dancing and why The Summer I Turned Pretty absolutely does not pass the Harvey test.Freya Coombe, who’s lived both the highs of being hired as a head coach and the lows of being fired, sharing lessons in resilience and tactical growth.Together, they speak intimately to Christina Unkel and Lori Lindsey about hardship, coping, caring, bonding, and success. They reveal what the game means to them, how they manage the relentless demands of coaching, and how they lead with authenticity and vision.This special isn’t just about soccer — it’s about leadership, vulnerability, and the human side of the NWSL.

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 reset01:30 World Cup draw + MLS Cup — Miami–Vancouver, Messi/Alba/Busquets, neutral-site debate05:00 Personal reflections — Bev Yanez, Laura Harvey & AI, Tony Meola childhood, Rochester Rhinos confusion08:30 Season recap & the future of Soccerish storytelling11:00 Grassroots voices — Jenny Nguyen’s Sports Bra, Club Eleven on the road13:00 Highlights — Euros, NWSL Championship, on-air chemistry16:00 Life inside the game — boat parade, contracts, stress, boundaries, triathlon23:30 A shifting year — calendars, parity, expansion across U.S. soccer27:30 Listener habits & the power of untold stories32:00 Looking ahead — 2026 plans, World 7, and our specials preview

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