Utah Royals FC Show

Episode #69: You Can't Drink Cocaine

We had a great episode last week. Unfortunately, technical problems are going to technical problem. We talked about a lot, and so we try to recap as much as we can as quickly as possible. On the plus side, this may be our most ridiculous episode ever. Utah Royals Reserves wrapped up their first season in a championship game in extra time. - A massive accomplishment for Amy LePeilbet and her team. While in the meantime, World Cup winners Sauerbrunn, O’Hara and Press got the keys to the city ...

Episode #68: We Don’t Want to Be Negative. Not a Sky Blue, A Dark, Sad, Deflated and Disappointed Blue.

Let’s start if off with a championship!!! URFC Reserves won the central region of the Women’s Premier Soccer League after beating Fortuna Tulsa 2-1. In terms of the game against Sky Blue, we don’t want to be critical, we love this club, but it’s time. The last few games have been dismal, traveling to New Jersey was a lack of energy, a lack of creativity, no motor. Even with USWNT players gone and other NT players missing, the World Cup stretch should have been better. This roster has every ...

Episode #67 - Winning the World Cup, Dreaming on a Rose, Thanks for Everything Sam

Sam Johnson. What a player, we’ve described her as a player in a an unwinnable position. Behind Rachel Corsie and Becky Sauerbrunn, those are big shoes to fill, but she filled them during the World Cup. To want to retire in pre-season but stick around to help out her teammates is incredible. Will have her on the podcast soon. The USWNT won the World Cup. It’s not the biggest surprise, but wow, wow wow. The words are hard to find. We have promised not to get political in the past, but... We’r...

Episode #66 - World Cup, Thorns, Reign - Super Problematic Commentary and Super Convenient PKs

The intention was to split this episode into three 20 minute parts. We semi-accidentally talked about the World Cup for maybe a bit too long. From the problematic racial comments of the Nigeria game to Australian upset, we chat the first six games of the Round of 16. On the Utah Royals front there is a hard fought 0-0 draw to talk about as the Royals held Portland scoreless at home for the first time since 2016. We also preview the possibilities of a very unpredictable and dangerous Reign FC...

Episode #65 - World Cup Through 24 Games

Welcome to episode #65 of the Utah Royals FC Show! Wirtjo and RJ talk the World Cup. Specifically, global inequalities, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and Scotland. In addition to some of the other great storylines of the tournament such as Chile and Argentina.

Episode #64- Introducing the Brittany Ratcliffe Corner, Sky Blue Recap, Thorns Ahead.

It’s episode 64! Lots to talk about but the most exciting thing about this episode is that we’re ecstatic to announce that Brittany Ratcliffe is going to be playing a more routine part of our show coming in to give her thoughts on games. Utah is back up to second in the table after a win against Sky Blue and frankly a screamer of a kick from Amy Rodriguez. While not a massive win, three points are three points and rookies continue to impress. Upcoming we have the Portland Thorns, who the R...

Episode #63 - World Cup Quickie

A quick episode of our predictions and picks. 

Episode #62 - Eat a Sock

Lots of news to talk about. It’s officially June which means that there a lot of awesome Prideraisers going around. The Court supporters group has an awesome one where you can donate X amount of money for each goal scored this month and that money will go towards a great cause with the Transgender Education Advocates of Utah. Additionally, through Playing for Pride players can choose to donate money to Athlete Ally for each appearance, goal, assist, clean sheet etc. Currently, the Royals are...

Episode #61 - So this is what sitting at the top of the league table feels like.

Curse is broken! We landed two goals and moved up to the top of the league table. That’s four goals in four games for Amy Rodriguez, and Makenzy Doniak put the nail in the coffin late in the game to score on her first attempt after coming back from an ACL injury. We spend the majority of this one recapping our thoughts on the game as well as listing out your reactions to the Lo LaBonta swing. Our guy Ian who is a mastermind of the laws of the game and is currently working through the ranks t...

Episode #60 - Reach out to our Contacts, Utah Royals Reserves, Carolina Recap, Pride on the Horizon

Hey everyone, Episode 60! I guess this means we are old now. Utah Royals Reserves kicked off their opening season after transitioning from the former RSL Women. In two games they have two wins and are led by a coaching staff of Amy LePeilbet, Liz Bogus, Colette Smith, and Nicole Barnhart. The roster consists of 20 current college players and 6 former college players, including players part of the Utah Royals pre-season. We’re going to do our best to cover the squad moving forward, also chec...

Episode #59 - Make Sam Johnsons Hair Pink Again + Mallory Weber

It’s probably our shortest podcast ever. Episode 59! We got some breaking news right before we hit record. Unfortunately, Taylor Lytle, who we have known has been on a scooter for a while, was officially announced as an addition to the season ending injury list. Given that, Harvey and the gang picked up Mallory Weber off the waiver wire. This is an interesting young singing. Not a super star, but someone who will add depth to a roster which is growing increasingly thin. We also spend a sig...

Episode #58 - USWNT, Red Star Recap, Eyes on Houston, Cindy agrees to eat a sock. AGAIN

If you’re familiar with the ‘Cindy eating a sock’ inside joke, then boy.... is this the episode for you. We have a roster announcement. Jill Ellis has announced the 23 players she will take to France to represent the United States in the 2019 World Cup. We start off our show discussing our thoughts on the roster, well, not exactly, it takes a tangent on “how to properly do a cool roster announcement” first. - That’s not the only tangent in this episode. Trust us. The next section of the po...

Episode #57 - Brittany Ratcliffe

We were originally able to bring Brittany Ratcliffe onto the show for episode #25, it’s a new season with new challenges and here we are at episode #57, grateful to chat with Brittany again. However this time around things are a bit different, after unfortunately picking up an injury in pre-season, the fan favorite has been placed on the season ending injury list. Despite the brutality of tearing an ACL and the physical and mental challenges of working through rehab, Brittany is the ever-op...

Episode #56 - "We're winning. I can take all the time I want."

Amy Rodriguez trash talking is a national treasure. When we get what she says on gif, and it's this good. It's going to be the episode title.  Two games into the season so far. Two goals, two wins, two cleansheets. Some good stuff. Orlando was a respectable performance, we saw some Christen Press magic and Nicole Barnhart was a wall getting her 43rd shutout and becoming the first NWSL keeper to play 10,000 minutes. While it’s a good start, Utah Royals FC faces their first strong test at hom...

Episode #55 - Hungry for More: Washington Recap, Pride Preview

It's episode #55 of the Utah Royals FC Show. "Big Daddy" Lucas Muller and "Knows-Everything-About-NWSL" RJ Allen are back with Wirtjo.  Soccer happened. NWSL happened. It was great, let’s talk about it. 18,015 people showed up. Friend of the podcast Lo’eau LaBonta banged in her first goal in gold. Christen Press had a beautiful assist. Kelley O’hara was on the bench. Mandy Laddish played her first game in over 950 days. Rookie Michelle Maemone shocked us all by making her debut. Moreover, ...

Episode #54 - Everything you need to know about the Washington Spirit

The season is one week away, and in thinking about that Megan and I brought on the best NWSL mind that we know, RJ Allen. - RJ is a member of NWSL Media, is the big burrito at backline soccer, hosts three different soccer podcasts and recently joined our soapbox staff. She is pretty rad. Opening at home against the Washington Spirit who picked up at 2-0 win against Sky Blue last week, we preview everything that fans need to know about and expect from a Washington Spirit team that should be ...

Episode #53 - Hire Roscoe, International Duty, Pre-season

Wirtjo and Megan sit around and chat about the latest roster news that came out 10 minutes before we hit the record button, and what it means - so perfect timing. Like always, the discrepancy in equality between the men and women's game trickles its way in, although the majority of the podcast is spent discussing recent international results. Here's a monday night show for you folks. Have a great week. 

Episode #52 - Brittany Ratcliffe Fan Club w/Stockton Mair and Lucas Muller

With Megan and Wirtjo out this week, Cindy is joined by RSL Soapbox friends Stockton Mair and Lucas Muller. Lots of tangents, rants, and Brittany Ratcliffe appreciation. There is also plenty of discussion centered around a possible starting XI when players are gone for the world cup. 

Episode #51 - We've Moved, Training in So-Cal, Tech Problems.

Cindy and Wirtjo sit down and and recap the games against Cal State Long Beach and the University of Southern California. There's also a few tangents, and technology continues to not be our friend. 

Episode #50 - Empowerment and Passion. A Conversation About Equality in the Beautiful Game with Carla and Daniel Haslam

When we founded this podcast, from the get-go it was always going to be about equality and increasing the visibility and hopefully revenue of non-male athletes. It’s an absolute delight to have been able to do episode #50 with our dear friends Carla Swensen-Haslam, the former voice of Utah Royals FC and her partner in crime, the analyst master, Daniel Haslam. Empowered womxn, empower womxn, and wonderful allies only accentuate that process of empowerment. To go along with International Wome...

Episode #49 - International Women's Day W/Carla Swenson Haslam

Incredibly grateful for Utah Royals FC, Incredibly grateful for female athletes, incredibly grateful for women. Here's to empowerment, thank you to our wonderful friend Carla Swensen-Haslam for spearheading our conversation on gender equality. Full podcast Tuesday.

Episode #48 - First Day of Pre-Season 2019

First day of Utah Royals FC pre-season is in the books. A bit of a shorter episode this time around, but Wirtjo recaps some of the action, some news and notes, delves into what we need to know about the non-roster invitees to training camp, and rounds out the episode with some audio snippets of the media scrum with Veronica Boquete and Abby Smith.

Episode #47 - Schedule Release, also start a GoFundMe so Cindy can get a new sweatshirt.

Hey everyone! Been a bit, but some incredibly exciting things on the road ahead. We have a new logo and we are now on spotify, so be sure to check us out there. The Court had all their stuff stolen, so fundraisers to come. The W League has ended, no Royals players made the final in which Sydney FC beat Perth Glory in a 4-2 thriller. In this episode we shortly recap the season, although we encourage you to check out the W League Recap article on RSL Soapbox from a few weeks ago for a more de...

Episode #46 - Summarizing the 2019 Draft, NWSL Salary Caps are Still Too Low, and Sky Blue Sillyness

Cindy’s back! A draft happened, the Utah Royals selected three players. With the 23rd pick, Michelle Maemone from Pepperdine. The 27th pick, Maddie Nolf out of Penn State, and Alexandra Kimball from North Carolina as the 32nd pick. We talk a bit about these players and what we think they bring to the table. In terms of the draft, we finish with the winners and losers of the draft. More important than the draft itself, we talk about that while the league salary cap is at an all time high this...

Episode #45 - Be Royal W/Marcus Garner

Episode #44 - Tymrak Time, Erika Tymrak Returns to the Show

Erika Tymrak finally returns to the show. She has been around town in the offseason, just waiting for the NWSL season to start. She’s been exploring various dog parks, gotten engaged and done a lot of traveling since we talked with her last. We said this was going to happen weeks (okay, maybe months) ago, but we just now got to it. It’s definitely worth the listen though. We talk about The Office (a lot), why couples who go vegan together stay together, how much of a gem Alex Arlitt is, and...

Episode #43 - Welcome Vero, the Draft, Amy Rodriguez, and more.

Hi. Been a while, sorry. Preparing for finals turned into finals, which turned into recovery from finals which turned into the holidays but here we are. Plenty to talk about and we start off by answering some of the questions asked by listeners. The Court Supporters Group is looking for new members to grab the reigns of leadership. It’s real easy and doesn’t require a ton of work. Apply here. We signed a player! Verónica Boquete, an incredibly impressive resume and someone who will play a ...

Episode #42 - NWSL and W-League

Episode #41 - Rachel Corsie, Queen of Scots.

Rachel Corsie just came back from the national team and was just about to play her 2nd club road game in five days with Canberra United. Regardless, she was willing to chat with us a bit just hours before she kicked off against her Royals teammate Gunnhildur Jónsdóttir and Adelaide United. We chat about recovering from injury, working with Laura Harvey again, the growth of Scottish Football, captaining a national team, how she moved from the midfield to centerback, moving to Australia, play...

Episode #40 - Abby Smith, AGAIN!

We didn’t lose the audio file this time! We were blessed to have Abby Smith on again. One episode later release wise, 5 months later in time, Wirtjo, Megan, and Abby talk about a variety of new topics while also expanding upon what we talked about the last time we chatted with Abby. We talk adorable dogs, injury recovery, some of the more nuanced things about being mentally and physically ready for games, concussions, working with Nicole Barnhart, being an educator, life in Utah, and taking...

Episode #39 - The Long Lost Abby Smith Interview

It’s the long lost file… Sorta. You see what happened was that I interview Abby Smith back in June, but then my dog ate the audio file. Thankfully, it was found and repaired, and so now we can move forth to release it on the latest Utah Royals FC Show. If you did not believe that story? Props to you for not falling for my ridiculous excuse. The truth is...my schedule was busier than I expected it this summer, and I just never had the opportunity to write the article I wanted which then wo...

Episode #38 - W-League and Lucas Muller

Hi. Hello. Did you miss us? I missed us. We do accents in this one, and that’s all you need to know. Do I write like Matt now? I like it... Some things happened! The United States has qualified for the World Cup! So did Canada. While not surprising, we’re still stoked about it, plus it provides some interesting nuances come next season. Also, the W-League has started up and seven Royals from last season are in action. We talk about what the W-League is all about, and why you should su...

Episode #37 - Skyler Warrick and Roscoe Myrick

Photographers and videographers are overrated. So I thought. Perhaps it was because in high school every popular person immersed themselves in taking pictures of street lamps while I did my Advanced Placement homework in the library. Photographers and the folks who do that kind of stuff are cool. I learned this year that there’s a lot more to it than snapping a button. It’s been our pleasure to have perhaps the most dynamic duo ever on the show this week. They are much more than the people ...

Episode #36 - Interview with Alex Arlitt

This podcast was an absolute blast to do. While her future remains uncertain we had the pleasure of welcoming friend of the show Alex Arlitt on the podcast this week. We chat about what it is like to play in the NWSL, life in Utah, studying accounting, The Office, riding in Uber’s, riding horses, and of course the toughest thing for any athlete to deal with...long term injury. Prepare yourself. There are a lot of laughs, and some exaggerated tears (maybe a few real ones, we get mushy). As ...

Episode #35 - Offseason Updates #1

Waiver Wire, USWNT, Tangents. Cindy, Ryan, and Megan have it all in episode #35 of the URFC Show.

Episode #34 - Interview with Assistant Coach Scott Parkinson + A Surprise Guest

This week we had the wonderful opportunity to sit down and talk to assistant head coach Scott Parkinson. Hailing from Liverpool and a devout Toffee fan Scott found his way to the United States through sport. After having a successful tenure at Rogers State University in Oklahoma he found himself on his way to Utah via a phone call from Laura Harvey.  Ryan and I mostly let Scott tell his story, where we talk about his journey to Utah, how he enjoys his free time, his coaching goals, what it i...

Episode #33.5 - Roster Changes?

Part 2:  We continue answering questions, and we specifically address what players we think we may, or may not lose in the upcoming offseason whether it be to an expansion draft or being waived. We then move into what listeners can expect from the show as we enter the offseason in terms of planning. Also tangents, lots of tangents. Most of all, thank you Utah Royals FC. A lot of groundbreaking things happened this year, thank you for making it happen. (Insert sentimental feelings here)

Episode #33 - The Stats, W-League

We’ve get two episodes this week everybody! Well, technically it’s one but we’ll split it into two. Part 1:  Regardless, it's the offseason now and it’s very sad, although what a journey it has been. That said, there’s some exciting stuff coming up. We still have the W League which is the Australian Women’s League. Multiple Royals players will be participating, as to whom exactly will be playing we don’t know yet but we know there will be at least four. Plus all the games are accessible on ...

Episode #32 - Fan Poll Results and More!

Hey everyone, hope you enjoyed your labor day, we know we did. Lots of news and updates coming in this week. Hope you enjoy Wirtjo’s awkward monologue. Rachel Corsie and Elise Thorsnes qualified for the World Cup in France next summer with their respective countries. Gunny and Iceland heartbreakingly missed out just barely, but put in plenty of viking level performances throughout the process. Depending on the Sky Blue game Tuesday night, the home game on Saturday against the Chicago Red S...

Episode #31 - World Cup Qualifiers and Moments of the Season

We found a new home! Thanks for following us here. In this one we tackle the URFC playoff scenario, talk about the upcoming international break including some must win games for our girls from Scotland, Iceland and Norway. Also tangents, several, sorry. (Kinda) We're trying to put together some end of the year awards chosen by you the listeners for our players. Stay tuned we'll launch that google form next week. Thanks for listening to the Royals FC Show and be sure to keep sharing with you...

Episode #30 - Contrary to the Message of Equality; Sky Blue Ownership

This could very well be the most important podcast we have done yet. We’re going to talk a little bit about the game this weekend but a good portion of this podcast is going to be dedicated to a team that isn’t even our own. We’re going to talk about the Sky Blue ownership situation, sexism in women’s football, and our opposition to the announcement to cancel the Utah Royals FC Broadcast program and what it implicates. Buckle up. At this time we as a show would also like to share our endorse...

Episode #29 - Is Cindy Dead? W/Megan Webb

We’re back, this time with our friend and fellow writer Megan Webb. We swear, Cindy isn’t dead. She’s not. Just extremely busy. We start the show introducing you all to Megan and hearing her RSL Story, we follow that up with quick recaps of the game against the Spirit and the Reign. We conclude by answering the questions you all sent us. Have a great week and don’t forget that Katie Stengel and Abby Smith are up for goal of the week and save of the week respectively. Also, and importantly. ...

Episode #28 - You Can’t Boo Her. She’s Not Ya Boo, She’s Ours.

What. A. Game. Going from being all but mathematically eliminated from the playoff picture to jumping a team in the standings within a matter of minutes. In this one Ryan and Wirtjo start off by breaking down their thoughts on the game against the Houston Dash. (Cindy’s not dead... we promise). The majority of episode is spent previewing the upcoming matches against the Washington Spirit and Seattle Reign. We also answer questions from the listeners, including addressing the common consensus...

Episode #27 - Tournament of Nations, ICC, RSL Women, and More!

It’s the international break for Utah Royals FC players, and for Wirtjo and Cindy too. Wirtjo got his wisdom teeth out, and Cindy is traveling. In their absence, Ryan takes on a full hour of talking about the Tournament of Nations, Women’s International Champions Cup, the RSL Women season and United Women’s Soccer end of season awards, and some talk about the end of the 2018 season for URFC. There’s also some questions from the listeners at the end, and hopefully some decent audio quality a...

Episode #26 - Carla Swensen-Haslam

This is an incredible episode, and Cindy, Ryan and I are stoked to be able to bring it to you. You are already well-acquainted with her voice. Today’s special guest is Carla Swensen-Haslam, the Utah Royals FC Media Manager and color commentator for the team. We talk immigration, Colombian pride, soccer in refugee communities, being a role model, the transition from college soccer to professional broadcasting, the fine line that is public relations, the typical workday, player scouting, the N...

Episode #25 - Interview with Brittany Ratcliffe

Episode twenty-five brought number twenty-five, the one, the only Brittany Ratcliffe. In this one Brittany talks with Wirtjo about the incredible story behind her renowned orange bow, growing up in New Jersey, and leaving the college classroom mid-presentation to find out that she was going pro. Brittany additionally gives further insight into the 101 about herself including favorite vacation spots, childhood idols, being new to Utah, life on off-days, killing courage, being reunited with h...

Episode #24 - Righting the Ship

With Wirtjo playing hooky this week, Cindy and Ryan go “off script” and talk about whatever they feel like. We covered the two losses from last week, give some thoughts on what the team is going through right now, and preview the next match against the Courage. We also do a little World Cup talk, including making sure people keep their fevers burning hot for the Women’s tournament that is less than a year away. We even kept the Dutch spirit alive by dropping a few WWC hot takes.

Episode #23 - Around the League and Playoff Push (It's Coming Home Lads)

The beginning section of the podcast is slightly different than what we normally do. We spend a substantial amount of time talking about and speculating about the potential problems at Sky Blue FC and the most recent comments made by Sam Kerr. We want to avoid talking about Portland as much as possible if we are being honest. As a result, we do. Well, we talk about it a little bit. The gist being that you learn from it and move on. On the positive side, there is plenty of time left in the s...

Episode #22 - Trey Fitz-Gerald and Trades

’s the longest episode of the Royals FC Show yet. The title is pretty self-explanatory. We were lucky to welcome the one and only Vice President of Broadcast and Public Relations for the club, Trey Fitz-Gerald. Trey gives us his RSL story about how a routine trip to Salt Lake City turned into launching a franchise and still being with the organization 14 years on. Trey also gives us insight into the daily workings of the Utah Royals Organization and the hecticness of its initial launch in ad...

Episode #21 - Red Star Recap, Questions, (lots of them) and Fan Culture

Another week, another episode of the Royals FC Show, and we are now entering the 20’s with episode 21! In this one, we recap the game at Chicago Red Stars, where the Royals lost 2-0. Huge bummer to talk about losses, but we had to do our jounalistic duty. We also preview the upcoming midweek match at Rio Tinto against Seattle Reign FC - aka Laura Harvey’s former team. Utah versus Seattle could be our first chance to see Christen Press in gold! Does she start? Does she sub in? And we wrap ...