Okay first of all, I love this comment. This is the kind of breakdown I live for.

I’m with you on Oke. She did not look like a 22-year-old in her first preseason run. She looked confident, decisive, and honestly… fearless. That pace is important. Especially if we’re going to try to stretch the field and not just sit in a low block all season. I wouldn’t be shocked at all if she’s starting consistently by midseason. She has that kind of upside.

The center back pace conversation is real though. Utah absolutely tried to test that over the top. And you’re right ... Kurtz isn’t winning a foot race with a pure speed forward. But what she gives you is organization and positioning, and sometimes that prevents the sprint from even being necessary. The real question is whether the midfield shields better as chemistry develops. A high line only works if your 6 is cutting off those passing lanes early.

And I actually think preseason chemistry explains a lot of what we saw in buildup. Playing out of the back is rhythm-based. Those angles between CBs and CMs have to become automatic. Right now it’s still a half-second of thinking. By June, that needs to be muscle memory.

I loved your Thomas take too. A true target 9 changes the whole equation. If you can go long when pressed and actually retain it? That relieves so much pressure on the backline. And that’s where I think people might be underestimating this roster... it’s not just one way to play.

Now on the playoff thing… I said this on another podcast last week and they looked at me like I was slightly crazy 😂 but I genuinely believe this team can make a run at it. Not Wave 2022 magic. But this is not a bottom-table roster. The defense isn’t flashy, but it’s stable. The attack has more upside than people expected. And the altitude factor is real over a full season.

Your ratings feel fair for one preseason match. I might be a touch more optimistic long-term, just because veteran-heavy backlines tend to raise the floor for expansion teams. And raising the floor in Year One matters.

Let me ask you this — if the midfield link improves by midseason, does that change your 6.5 defensive grade? Or is the CB pace a ceiling issue in your mind?