Stay ConnectedFull Time is The Athletic’s dedicated podcast for the U.S. women’s national team, the National Women’s Soccer League, and the larger world of international women’s soccer. Three times a week, join Meg Linehan, Tamerra Griffin and Jillian Sakovits as they tackle the culture, context, and conversations about the sport here in America and beyond, with help from fellow writers, guests and insiders from all corners of the game.
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Copyright: © 2020 - The Athletic
On this week's episode of Full Time Focus, host Jillian Sakovits is joined by Avery Patterson to go inside the Houston Dash’s impressive second half of the season and growth under head coach Fabrice Gautraut. In a a fascinating conversation, Patterson opens up about her journey to becoming a USWNT player, her athletic family genes and a broken DVD player that helped her along the way.
PLUS: Producer Theo has all the latest news from Matchday 1 of the UEFA Women's Champions League and get focused with Full Time's 1-2-3 of what to watch this NWSL weekend from a high-stakes playoff seeding battle in Orlando, to a potential Championship preview in Kansas City, and a loser goes home game in Los Angeles.
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Referenced on the show:
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HOST: Jillian Sakovits
GUEST: Avery Patterson
PRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes
VIDEO PRODUCER: Lia Griffin
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Emily Olsen
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Get in touch: fulltime@theathletic.com
Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltime
Subscribe to the Full Time newsletter here
Visit the Yahoo Women's Sports hub here
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
After several years of significant growth, NWSL attendances are decreasing. But why is this? And, by how much?
On this week's Full Time podcast, hosts Tamerra Griffin and Meg Linehan dive into the data behind the decrease in attendance and wrestle with the factors behind the trend. Which teams and cities are most affected? Should fans, the league and its teams be concerned?
To help further dig into the topic, fans from several NWSL teams called into the Full Time podcast to offer their opinions. Tamerra and Meg also caught up with Kay Bradley, CMO for Chicago Stars FC, and Laura Petro, VP of brand and fan experience Gotham FC, to hear what the teams are doing to spark interest and retain commitment from hardcore supporters.
Where is attendance in the NWSL heading? And, will this dip in attendance continue?
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HOSTS: Tamerra Griffin, Meg Linehan
GUESTS: Kay Bradley, Laura Petro
PRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes
VIDEO PRODUCER: Lia Griffin
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Emily Olsen
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Get in touch: fulltime@theathletic.com
Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltime
Subscribe to the Full Time newsletter here
Visit the Yahoo Women's Sports hub here
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The English Women's Super League traditional 'Big Four' all clashed this past weekend, but what did we learn from those two blockbuster matches?
On this week's Full Time Review, Jillian Sakovits is joined by The Athletic's Cerys Jones to analyze Manchester United getting its second-ever tie against Chelsea, Manchester City showing that it could yet return to being a title contender, and Arsenal beginning to unravel in the WSL.
PLUS: The UEFA Women's Champions League returns this week! Jillian and Cerys breakdown everything you need to know, from the established elite to the dark horses. Is this the year that Chelsea end its European curse? Why is big-spending Lyon so fancied? And, what is the UWCL's new competition format?
Jill also breaks down the latest headlines from the NWSL, from Rosemounde Kouassi's buzzer-beater at 'Rowdy' Audi Field, to the playoff picture that is heating up.
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HOST: Jillian Sakovits
GUEST: Cerys Jones
PRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes
VIDEO PRODUCER: Lia Griffin
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Emily Olsen
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Get in touch: fulltime@theathletic.com
Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltime
Subscribe to the Full Time newsletter here
Visit the Yahoo Women's Sports hub here
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In 2023, Riley Jackson turned down an athletic scholarship at Duke University to turn professional with the North Carolina Courage in the NWSL. Two years later, she's a starter on the team and being called up to the USWNT futures camp by Emma Hayes. At the same time, Jackson is also studying for a college degree and working with Duke as a media intern.
On this week's episode of Full Time Focus, host Jillian Sakovits sits down with Jackson to hear all about her breakout season in the NWSL, career paths off the pitch, what it was like to see her best friend and former teammate Jaedyn Shaw depart the Courage, and what her USWNT aspirations are.
PLUS: Get focused with Full Time's 1-2-3 of what to watch this weekend from the big playoff bubble showdown in North Carolina, to the 'Big Four' all going head-to-head in the English Women's Super League.
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Referenced on the show:
Hina Sugita joins Angel City from Portland Thorns in $600,000 plus M.A. Vignola trade
Angel City, New Zealand captain Ali Riley to retire after 2025 NWSL season
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HOST: Jillian Sakovits
GUEST: Riley Jackson
PRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes
VIDEO PRODUCER: Lia Griffin
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Emily Olsen
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Get in touch: fulltime@theathletic.com
Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltime
Subscribe to the Full Time newsletter here
Visit the Yahoo Women's Sports hub here
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Last week, Aitana Bonmati won her third consecutive Ballon d’Or – essentially crowning her as the best player in the world for a third consecutive season. Understandably, that got the whole world talking about how we judge individual awards in soccer and what it means to be at the top of that list? The Full Time podcast included.
So, on this week's Full Time podcast, hosts Tamerra Griffin and Meg Linehan are joined by esteemed panel of guests, including Ballon d'Or voters Annie Peterson and Soph Downey, and The Guardian Top 100 Women's Footballers coordinator Rich Laverty, to try and figure out whether we can fix women's soccer awards voting.
What issues currently exist in the voting format? How are biases exposed in the voting and the awards themselves? Is is it even possible to be objective? And, what role does accessibility and national team performance in determining which players get their flowers?
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Referenced on the show
Ballon d’Or voting: Dembele’s dominance, how Bonmati won and other key takeaways
Aitana Bonmati’s third consecutive Ballon d’Or exposes voting flaws
How Ousmane Dembele and Aitana Bonmati won top 2025 Ballon d’Or awards at Paris ceremony
The Ballon d’Or and why football has become so obsessed with individual awards
What it’s like to vote for Ballon d’Or Feminin: The Athletic’s Steph Yang shares some insight
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HOSTS: Tamerra Griffin, Meg Linehan
GUESTS: Annie Peterson, Soph Downey, Rich Laverty
PRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes
VIDEO PRODUCER: Lia Griffin
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Emily Olsen
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Get in touch: fulltime@theathletic.com
Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltime
Subscribe to the Full Time newsletter here
Visit the Yahoo Women's Sports hub here
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
One month ago, NJ/NY Gotham FC was sitting eighth in the NWSL standings and questions were mounting about their playoff credentials and who would be scoring goals behind leading scorer Esther Gonzalez.
Now, Juan Carlos Amoros' team is up to third place with Rose Lavelle in the form of her NWSL career collaborating brilliantly with blockbuster new signing Jaedyn Shaw.
On this week's Full Time Review, Jillian Sakovits is joined by The Athletic's Melanie Anzidei to reflect on Gotham's 3-0 win over the Portland Thorns last weekend, and the burgeoning relationship on the pitch between Lavelle and Shaw. What makes Gotham so good in the second half of seasons? And, how do they matchup against the second place Washington Spirit?
Speaking of the Spirit, the East coast rivals are also playing their best soccer of the season. Jillian and Melanie also get into two teams' upcoming Concacaf W Champions Cup fixture and the record-breaking forward Gift Monday.
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Articles mentioned on the show:
Nigerian striker Gift Monday scores fastest NWSL hat trick, helping Spirit clinch playoff spot
USWNT’s Korbin Shrader hat trick, Lindsey Heaps’ goal help OL Lyonnes surge past PSG 6-1
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HOST: Jillian Sakovits
GUEST: Melanie Anzidei
PRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes
VIDEO PRODUCER: Lia Griffin
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Emily Olsen
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Get in touch: fulltime@theathletic.com
Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltime
Subscribe to the Full Time newsletter here
Visit the Yahoo Women's Sports hub here
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Bay FC invited The Athletic to join them on this road trip to Orlando, Florida, to get a closer look at the culture it is building. It was a whirlwind, an inside look on the unique operation that is elite professional sports. Hotels and high-performance.
On this week's episode of Full Time Focus, host Jillian Sakovits is joined by Tamerra Griffin, fresh her weekend as a member of Bay FC's traveling party, to talk about what it is like to spend 39 hours on the road with an NWSL team. From the tarmac of a chartered flight from San Jose on 8:20 a.m. on a Friday morning, to the that same spot 11:00 p.m. the next night, and everything in-between.
PLUS: Get focused with Full Time's 1-2-3 of what to watch this weekend from the a sneaky spicy revenge match in New Jersey, to a 'get right' game for two of the NWSL's recent strugglers, and a big opportunity for the Houston Dash at Audi Field.
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Referenced on the show:
Two cross-country flights and a game all inside 39 hours. What it’s like on a Bay FC road trip
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HOST: Jillian Sakovits
GUEST: Tamerra Griffin
PRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes
VIDEO PRODUCER: Lia Griffin
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Emily Olsen
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Get in touch: fulltime@theathletic.com
Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltime
Subscribe to the Full Time newsletter here
Visit the Yahoo Women's Sports hub here
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In 2025, the Kansas City Current has dominated the NWSL and shattered records. So, after topping the standings in the regular season, and lifting the NWSL Shield trophy with a record five games to spare, it's time to go inside the club and find out what has come together to make this team so remarkable this season.
On this week's Full Time podcast, hosts Tamerra Griffin and Meg Linehan are joined by captain Lo LaBonta, reigning MVP Temwa Chawinga, general maanger Caitlin Carducci, and team owners Angie and Chris Long to take the listener inside the KC Current and their incredible year blazing a trail atop the NWSL. From what it means to be a Current player and how to gel in the relentless out-of-possession system, to why the team's disappointing end to 2024 sparked new levels of commitment and energy, and to how the club sees itself as a global women's soccer powerhouse on and off the pitch.
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Referenced on the show
Kansas City Current clinch NWSL playoff spot with 8 weeks to spare
After her first USWNT call-up at 32, Lo’eau LaBonta expects nothing, ‘willing to give everything’
KC Current owners Angie and Chris Long expand to multi-club model, purchasing Danish club HB Koge
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HOSTS: Tamerra Griffin, Meg Linehan
GUESTS: Lo LaBonta, Temwa Chawinga, Caitlin Carducci, Angie Long, Chris Long
PRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes
VIDEO PRODUCER: Lia Griffin
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Emily Olsen
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Get in touch: fulltime@theathletic.com
Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltime
Subscribe to the Full Time newsletter here
Visit the Yahoo Women's Sports hub here
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On Saturday, soccer lost one of its most beloved coaches. This weekend's devastating news that former Liverpool women head coach Matt Beard had died at the age of 47 sent shockwaves across the English Women's Super League and the National Women's Soccer League.
On this week's Full Time Review, Jillian Sakovits is joined by The Athletic's Charlotte Harpur to remember Matt Beard, and look over the tributes that poured in over the weekend. How he cared so much for players, past and present. The ways he invested in women's soccer before many in England did. And why he was one of the great connectors amongst coaches across the globe. Wherever Beard went he brought smile and warmth.
After that, soccer reporter for the Kansa City Star, Daniel Sperry, comes on the podcast to talk about the KC Current winning its first major trophy on Saturday night, clinching the NWSL Shield with five games to spare. The conversation takes you inside the nerves and jubilation at CPKC Stadium, as well as Vlatko Andonovski's close connection with star striker Temwa Chawinga.
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Articles mentioned on the show:
Matt Beard was a ‘special’ man who helped transform English women’s football
Former Liverpool women head coach Matt Beard dies aged 47
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HOST: Jillian Sakovits
GUESTS: Charlotte Harpur, Daniel Sperry
PRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes
VIDEO PRODUCER: Lia Griffin
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Emily Olsen
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Get in touch: fulltime@theathletic.com
Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltime
Subscribe to the Full Time newsletter here
Visit the Yahoo Women's Sports hub here
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
It was a big week of NWSL news, with plenty of updates and glimpses into the league's future plans. So, on this week's Full Time Focus, host Jillian Sakovits dives into what we learned from the NWSL’s Autumn press conference, where commissioner Jess Berman answered lots of questions regarding the salary cap, player safety, expansion and her future plans to stay on. Alongside Jillian is Melanie Anzidei and Asli Pelit, who were at the league headquarters in New York City covering the press conference for The Athletic.
After that, Megan Feringa alsocomes on the show to join Melanie and Asli for a round table discussing the 2025 women's Ballon d'Or, the biggest talking points and who deserves to take home the crown on Monday night.
PLUS: Get focused with Full Time's 1-2-3 of what to watch this weekend from the Houston Dash's NWSL playoff dreams needing a jolt, an early NWSL playoff 'get-right' game in the Rose City, and a top four clash in the English Women's Super League.
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Referenced on the show:
NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman says she ‘intends to be around’ as 4-year contract nears end
NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman talks expansion, salary cap and player safety
NWSL to launch pair of combines to help identify prospective players
Reign defeat Racing in resumed match after Savannah DeMelo’s medical emergency
Inside Alyssa Thompson’s move to Chelsea: Tearful goodbyes, late nights and customary pizza
Who should win the women’s Ballon d’Or: Aitana Bonmati, Alessia Russo, Chloe Kelly?
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HOST: Jillian Sakovits
GUESTS: Melanie Anzidei, Asli Pelit, Megan Feringa
PRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes
VIDEO PRODUCER: Lia Griffin
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Emily Olsen
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Get in touch: fulltime@theathletic.com
Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltime
Subscribe to the Full Time newsletter here
Visit the Yahoo Women's Sports hub here
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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