Southside Trap Podcast

Well, a lot has happened since we last recorded! Chicago dropped a roster, completed a trade, and played a game against the Washington Spirit - which went not badly, in our estimation. We sat down to talk rosters, formations, good things, and less good things (cards and suspensions) as Chicago worked its way through its first game in the Fall Series.

This upcoming Saturday, the Chicago Red Stars are going to take on the Washington Spirit in their first Fall Series and we had a lot to say! First we broke down Yuki Nagasato's historic loan to Hayabusa Eleven, and talked through who we want to see shine on Saturday. Then we joined Jason Anderson of Plex Weather to talk through big concepts and smaller comparisons between the Red Stars and the Spirit.

The Fall Series is quickly approaching and folks, it's time to get into it. Sandra and Claire sat down with Scott Parkinson on Thursday night to talk through the Challenge Cup Final, coming back to Chicago, how to give back to the community, who exactly plays for the Chicago Red Stars, and what the team is looking for in their upcoming games against Sky Blue and the Washington Spirit. Link to donate to Sarah Gorden's Hoodspace: https://www.gofundme.com/f/hoodspace-chi-start-up?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1

There are going to be women's soccer games in Chicago again this year. We don't know when, exactly, or who might be playing in them, but Sandra and Claire sat down this weekend anyway, to  first speak what's on their hearts and minds during a monumental week in American sports. They also discuss Chicago's 'Northeast' division/pod, and what we have to look forward to in the month of September.

Happy Leo/Virgo cusp babes - it's time to make this a weekly ritual again. It's been almost a month since the NWSL successfully wrapped up the 2020 Challenge Cup, and Sandra and Claire sat down to see how everyone's been doing. They talk WNBA, important television, transfers, loans, the state of the NWSL at large and what that all means for the Chicago Red Stars, both in the long and short-term. It feels good to be back.

The Chicago Red Stars went through a lot this month, and Southside Trap is here to go long about it. Sandra and Claire start with the Challenge Cup Final, which didn't go the way Chicago wanted, but also left both with hope for the future. They also talk the disconnect of experiencing that game online in a pandemic, expectations, narrative, the privilege of making it this far, and what we hope everyone can carry into an uncertain offseason.

You know we had to do it to 'em. The Chicago Red Stars are back in an NWSL final, and we needed to talk to some Red Stars about it. First off, we sat down with Katie Johnson and Vanessa DiBernardo to talk the mentality needed for the long haul, bubble life, playing every other team in the tournament, growth, and a season in fast forward. Then we talked to Julianne Sitch and Scott Parkinson about many of the same things, including how they found their way to the Red Stars coaching staff, how squad integration worked in quarantine, how they've kept everybody going in the bubble, and how they feel they can bring home the hardware on Sunday

Chicago is back in an NWSL final!  And...it's a vibe. Sandra and Claire recap the semifinal and discuss the goals, injury reports, playing well, playing poorly, and what the upcoming game on Sunday is going to mean, for everybody. Chicago Red Stars face off against Houston Dash for the cup on Sunday, July 26.

The game of soccer is defined as one where two teams compete for 90 minutes and then Chicago qualifies for a semifinal And qualify Chicago did, though it took 90 scoreless minutes and a few well-sunk penalties. Claire and Sandra talk through the Red Stars early tactics, what did and did not work, who stepped up and who stepped wide, while also celebrating new Chicago history and a semifinal matchup against Sky Blue FC

Talking! to! Red! Stars! This week, Claire and Sandra catch up with Hannah Davison and Kayla Sharples to talk about smashing watermelons, week four in the bubble, doing the work, playoff soccer, team chemistry, and also: Chicago

We have a winner! The Red Stars got their first victory of 2020 this weekend, taking down the Utah Royals on a slam dunk of a Casey Short header. Sandra and Claire break down mental and physical fatigue, a rough first half, going direct, figuring it out, and not getting eighth. Enjoy!

We really love talking to Red Stars. This week, we caught up with Bianca St. Georges and Ella Stevens, two young Chicago prospects that have gotten a chance to see some real playing time for the Red Stars in their group stage matches. We chat quarantine, first starts, team bonding, turf burn, community, and much much more.

""And now, the Chicago Red Stars, missing star striker Sam Kerr, took on the North Carolina Courage in an attempt to overcome the demons of the 2019 NWSL Final.."" ..just kidding, that's not really what happened at all. But what we did get was a tactical chess match, wonderful individual performances, Julie Ertz???, an unfortunate moment of blown coverage and perhaps a reason for some expectations for Chicago's final group stage match against Utah. Sandra and Claire are enjoying the soccer.

Are we having fun yet?? Sandra and Claire are now, we think, and so are the Red Stars. Wednesday's game provided a spark the Chicago needed, and we discussed what we thought about that 0-0 draw against Portland in length. We talk new kids, Scamgangery, the necessity of vocal roles and what we think might happen next against North Carolina.

Chicago played a soccer game, and we're going to talk about it! Sandra and Claire discuss the honest emotion on display on Saturday night, the Washington Spirit, new kids, good things, bad things, goofs and good goals. They also set the stage for Chicago's second group game against Portland on Wednesday, July 1st.

It has been quite the week! And we're here at Southside Trap to explain what exactly the hell is going on! We talk Chicago's Challenge Cup Roster, why we didn't get it Monday, what changes Chicago has to their schedule, who they're playing first (it's not the Orlando Pride), and we also checked in with head coach Rory Dames to ask his thoughts on his roster, as well as how to adapt to a tournament that seems to be changing with every new hour. We also briefly preview Chicago's debut against the Washington Spirit, and why we're actually kind of stoked about it.

Friends, Romans, Colleagues, Chicagoans Welcome to the last episode of Days of Red Stars Past. It's been a journey, but we're getting to the point where we need a little bit more history to happen before we can look back on it again. So! We discussed: the 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and (briefly) 2019 post-season, and wrapped everything up with a hopeful look to the future. We also wanted to highlight the good work of the Brave Space Alliance, and we'll be trying to continue to amplify the people doing the work in our fair city. Enjoy y'all, and here's to brighter days.

Hope you all are staying safe, as well as you can. Here's part two of our conversation about Christen Press, Chicago Red Star. We discuss captaincy, change, growth, jobs, loyalties, and much more. I've also spent some time this weekend compiling together as many resources as possible to help make it easy to find funds that need support in this moment. Check that out, and give if you can, and take care of yourselves Resistance Funds and Legal Help: https://bit.ly/ResistFunds

It's never a bad day to talk about Christen Press, but whew, the timing on this one. We sat down on Friday night to talk about a Chicago legend, goal scorer, and captain, but we also talked about what is happening in America right now, the intersectionality of sports and life, and how important it is to support the black community every day in both. This is the second to last topic in our Days of Red Stars Past series, but it also felt weirdly essential this week. We hope you guys enjoy. Sandra and I also made some donations this week, funded by this Patreon. We encourage you to seek out ways to support in the coming days, and throughout the rest of time. Black Lives Matter Chicago: https://www.blacklivesmatterchicago.com/ Brave Space Alliance: https://www.bravespacealliance.org/ Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation: http://www.soulinchicago.org/ Chicago Community Bond Fund: https://chicagobond.org/ Minnesota Freedom Fund: https://minnesotafreedomfund.org/donate Columbus Freedom Fund: https://www.pa

Whew, how are we doing this week, friends. Sandra and I have hit a little bit of a wall emotionally, which was why this conversation about FC Kansas City felt so cathartic. We talk greats of the game, wins, losses, regional rivals, collapse, and how stars rise and stars fall. The future is uncertain, the past is set, great things come and go. But we're still here to talk about it. We also (!!!) maybe (!!!) have an exciting announcement for our patrons tucked into this episode. Enjoy! Follow Southside Trap! Twitter | FB | IG - @southsidetrapod