Squad Depth

Nothing quite like hanging out -- in podcast form -- with one your favourite women's soccer journalists, is there? Well, in the first Squad Depth of 2025, the special guest is writer and podcaster Andre Carlisle. Theo asks Andre about his football journey, from entering the world of soccer blogs to becoming a renowned podcaster, newsletter writer, and his spicy skeets. The two chat about the origin of the terrific Diaspora United podcast, the magic of good soccer metrics, and what's behind his trademark irreverent style of writing and analysis. - - - - - Alongside the podcast, check out and subscribe to the Squad Depth newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.squaddepth.com/ If you have feelings about the show leave a review or send in your feedback. We'd love to hear from ya or feel free to spread the word. Or if you just have feelings, and want to keep them inside, then that's cool too. Follow Theo on social media: @theolloydhughes (.bsky.social)

These days, I find myself wondering what doesn't Jill Loyden do? This week, Squad Depth sat down with Loyden to get to know the former USA goalkeeper turned broadcaster, turned teacher, coach, and skill-builder, a bit better. In addition to commentating on matches for ESPN, ION, and CBS, Loyden founded the Keeper Institute in her home state of New Jersey. For the past 10 years, the place has been a hub for local soccer and national goalkeepers to develop. In the conversation, Loyden traces the highs and lows of her career. The lessons she learned along the way, and a moment of inspiration when being front row at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. - - - - - Alongside the podcast, check out and subscribe to the Squad Depth newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.squaddepth.com/ If you have feelings about the show leave a review or send in your feedback. We'd love to hear from ya or feel free to spread the word. Or if you just have feelings, and want to keep them inside, then that's cool too. Follow Theo on social media: @theolloydhughes (.bsky.social)

Where were you when you were 17? Vesna Milivojević was becoming a professional footballer for her hometown club, Western Sydney Wanderers. Walking out onto a pitch ten minutes away from where she grew up. The first steps in a profession she has been laser-focused on since she was a small child. Milivojević, now 22, is also a key player for the Serbian national team. She decided to play for the country of her parents in 2021 having not been called up to any Aussie youth national squads. Listen to a story of food, family, and focus, believing in yourself from a young age, and taking your game all over the world. Follow Vesna Milivojević ⁠here. - - - - - Alongside the podcast, check out and subscribe to the Squad Depth newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.squaddepth.com/⁠ If you have feelings about the show leave a review or send in your feedback. We'd love to hear from ya or feel free to spread the word. Or if you just have feelings, and want to keep them inside, then that's cool too. Follow Theo on social media: @theolloydhughes

At just 24, footballer Madelyn Desiano has experienced a lot. Life-shattering knee injuries, national championships, raw emotions on draft night, living out your goals, becoming a professional, and crossing the Atlantic to keep the dream alive. Speaking to host Theo Lloyd-Hughes on the Squad Depth podcast, Desiano tells her story from Southern California to Odense, Denmark. Stories from her enthralling five years at UCLA. The trials and tribulations of her rookie season with the Houston Dash in the NWSL. And, why she is now turning to a foreign league in Northern Europe. A story of grace, maturity, ups, and downs. This is Squad Depth with Madelyn Desiano. Follow Madelyn Desiano ⁠here. - - - - - Alongside the podcast, check out and subscribe to the Squad Depth newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.squaddepth.com/⁠ If you have feelings about the show leave a review or send in your feedback. We'd love to hear from ya or feel free to spread the word. Or if you just have feelings, and want to keep them inside, then that's cool too. Follow Theo on social media: @theolloydhughes

We're turning our focus back off the pitch, and the people helping grow the beautiful game. So, this week the founder of Women Kick Balls, Jackie Gutierrez, hung out on the podcast to talk about her journey. Jackie is a tireless dynamo, doing just about everything one can do in the footy space. As a freelancer, she writes her own newsletter, captures her photos, publishes magazines, roasts coffee, and provides stories for Forbes and other outlets. On the pod, Jackie talks about growing up as a soccer player in Southern California but having an awakening to the USWNT when her father and brother watched the 2011 World Cup. The discussion digs deep into how you can follow your dream to tell stories about the game when you don't automatically see a space to do so. At the end of the show, host Theo Lloyd-Hughes and Jackie talk about what they're looking forward to in the second half of the 2024 NWSL season. Check out Women Kick Balls here. - - - - - Alongside the podcast, check out and subscribe to the Squad Depth newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.squaddepth.com/ If you have feelings about the show leave a review or send in your feedback. We'd love to hear from ya or feel free to spread the word. Or if you just have feelings, and want to keep them inside, then that's cool too. Follow Theo on social media: @theolloydhughes

Welcome back to Squad Depth with Theo Lloyd-Hughes. This week, it's all about the NWSL moment. And more specifically the struggling Utah Royals. Theo sat down with Kelly Cousins, the general manager of the 2024 expansion club, to get a better idea of what is going on behind the scenes in Salt Lake City. After 10 matches, the Royals are bottom of the NWSL table with only one win. Over the past couple of months, the team has also lost two assistant coaches. Head coach Amy Rodriguez is learning a lot in her first-ever season as a head coach even if it is coming the hard way. Having spent a decade as a head coach in the English Women's leagues with Reading FC, Cousins gives insight into how she evaluates and guides Rodriguez through this difficult debut year. We look to answer questions about what are the Royals' targets and growth points for this season. How are they trying to improve? And, what changes might we see? - - - - - Alongside the podcast, check out and subscribe to the Squad Depth newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.squaddepth.com/ If you have feelings about the show leave a review or send in your feedback. We'd love to hear from ya or feel free to spread the word. Or if you just have feelings, and want to keep them inside, then that's cool too. Follow Theo on social media: @theolloydhughes

Welcome back to Squad Depth with Theo Lloyd-Hughes. It's time to go behind the lens with photographer Georgia Soares. Having grown up in São Paulo, Brazil, she now resides in Philadelphia, PA. Get to know more about Georgia's journey into sport photography, how she's changed since she first picked up a camera, and what inspires her, both then and now. What was it like to shoot at the record-breaking 2023 World Cup? Stick around for some insight into Brazilian footy culture and what the expectations are for the wildly talented Selecao team making some noise at the 2024 W Gold Cup. Georgia also reveals her favourite photos that she's taken and stadiums that she's worked in. - - - - - Alongside the podcast, check out and subscribe to the Squad Depth newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.squaddepth.com/ If you have feelings about the show leave a review or send in your feedback. We'd love to hear from ya or feel free to spread the word. Or if you just have feelings, and want to keep them inside, then that's cool too. Follow Theo on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/theolloydhughes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Georgia on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/georgiasoaresphoto/ Follow Georgia on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GeorgiaSoares Visit Georgia's website: https://www.georgiasoares.com/ Follow Squad Depth on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/SquadDepth⁠⁠ Intro music by ⁠⁠Gov't Name || Audio commentary courtesy of FOX Sports and Paramount Plus

Welcome back to Squad Depth with Theo Lloyd-Hughes. This week, it's a sit-down with Amy Andrews. The Englishwoman completed five impressive years in the NCAA with Western Illinois, before then having an outstanding season in the inaugural USL-W league in 2022, where she scored 16 goals in 10 games and won the league title with Georgia Tormenta FC. In August 2023, she signed her first professional contract with Durham FC in the English Women's Championship. The 24-year-old Andrews opened up about her unique journey to becoming a pro, making decisions to enjoy her football as a youth player, before then facing rejection after going undrafted by the NWSL after university. All the while fighting to grow, be seen, and do it her way. The feisty forward also opened up about why she has a penchant for late match-winning and match-drawing goals. And dug into why her goal celebrations are a big part of her game and her agenda in general for the women's game. - - - - - Alongside the podcast, check out and subscribe to the Squad Depth substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://squaddepth.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you have feelings about the show leave a review or send in your feedback. We'd love to hear from ya or feel free to spread the word. Or if you just have feelings, and want to keep them inside, then that's cool too. Follow Theo on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/theolloydhughes⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Amy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amyjandrews_ Follow Amy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/amyandrews_x Follow Squad Depth on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/SquadDepth⁠ Intro music by ⁠Gov't Name

Welcome back to Squad Depth with Theo Lloyd-Hughes. This week, we're catching up with Juana Plata. This is the first feature that will shed a spotlight on the upcoming 2024 W Gold Cup. After five years playing NCAA with Lamar University and Texas State the Houstonite recently signed her first professional contract with Club de Futbol Monterrey in LigaMX Femenil. Since 2021, the left-footed American has played for the El Salvadorian women's national team. In that time the fledging program has come on leaps and bounds, dominating preliminary qualifying tournaments in the CONCACAF region. Plata is wise beyond her years and opens up about her story of joining Rayadas and joining LigaMX Femenil. Why she had to back herself and take risks to try and follow her dreams? While also making sure she is living in the moment and not looking too far ahead. - - - - - Alongside the podcast, check out and subscribe to the Squad Depth substack: ⁠⁠⁠https://squaddepth.substack.com⁠⁠⁠ If you have feelings about the show leave a review or send in your feedback. We'd love to hear from ya or feel free to spread the word. Or if you just have feelings, and want to keep them inside, then that's cool too. Follow Theo on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/theolloydhughes⁠⁠⁠ Follow Juana on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/juanaplata/?hl=en Follow Squad Depth on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/SquadDepth Intro music by Gov't Name

Welcome back to Squad Depth with Theo Lloyd-Hughes. This week, we're looking ahead to the 2024 NWSL Draft. To do that, University of Pittsburgh forward Amanda West joined the podcast to talk about her footy journey. The 22-year-old from Ontario, Canada, has had an exceptional 5 years in the Steel City. When she enrolled, in 2019, the soccer program was ranked nearly 200th in the country. As she graduates, Randy Waldrum's team is currently ranked sixth in the NCAA. The calm and collected West opens up about growing up in a house of hockey players, why her dog has a special link to Pittsburgh, and her special connection on the pitch with teammate Landy Mertz, who is also a prospect for the NWSL. - - - - - Alongside the podcast, check out and subscribe to the Squad Depth substack: ⁠⁠https://squaddepth.substack.com⁠⁠ If you have feelings about the show leave a review or send in your feedback. We'd love to hear from ya or feel free to spread the word. Or if you just have feelings, and want to keep them inside, then that's cool too. Follow Theo on Twitter: ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/theolloydhughes⁠⁠ Follow Amanda on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_amandawest/ Follow Squad Depth on Twitter: ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/SquadDepth