Welcome to another edition of Wral Triangle in Two. I'm Mark Bergen. He's Luis Fernandez Lewis. I am very, very jealous of you. Some people might think there's not a lot of sports going on. We get two teams from the United Kingdom in our backyard in Chapel Hill and you get to be boots on the ground this week when Chelsea takes on Wrexham in Chapel Hill. Yeah, I, I'm pretty pumped. I'm gonna be, uh I'm gonna be there on Wednesday. Uh Also we're, we're doing some uh coverage of uh the training uh that they have opened to the media on Tuesday as well for both Chel Chelsea and Wrexham. So, um yeah, it's gonna be fun. I mean, it's, it's, it's really, I think rare uh that a place like Chapel Hill gets an opportunity to host two clubs like this. So I'm, I'm pumped. Should be, should be some good football before actual football starts happening. Uh Later on this, this season, one thing I wanted to ask you, Lewis, you are a UN C alum. Did you ever have anything like this? Whether it was at Keenan Stadium or elsewhere to say, uh A sporting event in a nontraditional setting during your undergraduate years at UN C you know, I'm trying to think. Um and I, I don't think so. Like, truly, I, I feel like this was one of the, like, this is, this is a very rare occurrence. I mean, there, there are plenty of things that kind of get thrown into the mix um from events perspectives, right? Like concerts and things like that. But um no, this, this feels, this feels a bit rare. So it's, it's, it's very exciting for the whole, you know, triangle area because it's, uh it's close enough. Um And I'm sure there are gonna be a lot of people who are coming from, um outside of North Carolina to watch uh some of their teams like, you know, Chelsea and Wrexham both going on this, this US tour essentially getting some different teams and, and this is the beginning of this tour for both Chelsea and Wrexham. So it's, it's, you know, gonna be bang, get, get this thing started. Well, uh in K Stadium, I am a, I am in a favor, Lewis of sporting events in non-traditional settings. We saw the stadium series in Raleigh at Carter Finley Stadium with the Carolina Hurricanes and Hockey. I know with the tar heels back in the day they played Michigan State in hoops on an aircraft carrier. So sign me up for more of those kind of events to help just get the casual fan involved in like, at least with Chelsea, a team that plays in the English Premier League, a lot of turnover on Chelsea's roster, which we'll get to in a second. But Chelsea is accustomed to competing for the top of the English Premier League with the Manchester United's of the world, world, the main cities of the world. Uh, traditionally, now Chelsea's had a lot of turnover on the roster, but that's the caliber of talent that you could potentially see this Wednesday again, right in our backyard. And how exciting is that? Yeah. No, I, I think it's gonna be interesting to see, uh, Chelsea, at least from what I've told, said, seen so far here and this is, you know, Monday, July 17th, right afternoon. Uh, they haven't announced what their, uh, roster is gonna look like, uh, for this tour. We'll see what ends up being there. Um, but it, it's gonna be exciting because, I mean, yeah, Chelsea is one of those teams that normally competes, um, you know, at the top of the table, but they found themselves at the bottom of the EPL, um, or near the bottom of the EPL this past season. Uh, and, you know, Wrexham is, you know, in different divisions, right? This just like on paper, you're like, ok, Chelsea should be able to take care of Wrexham here. It's a friendly, it's not like, you know, supposed to be that serious of, of a match, but at the same time, it's fun because, because of the popularity we've seen with Wrexham, especially in the States, with the documentary that came out, Ryan Reynolds and co you know, what they've been able to do in taking that, you know, what's been a proud uh program and essentially kind of turn them around so quickly. It, it's gonna be fun. I mean, you know, I, I think Chelsea, even if it's not their, a team, I think Chelsea should be able to take care of business against Wrexham. But, you know, hopefully you just see exciting football that I think that's all anyone who's, who's going to the game, uh hopes to see. And I think that's what, you know, the whole reason why this got set up in the first place I think was uh the, the opportunity just to get some different events involved. Kind of similar, like you said to the, the uh stadium series with the NHL in Raleigh uh earlier this year, you mentioned the actor Ryan Reynolds who's in the front office, one of the owners of Wrexham, let me manifest this. Now, Lewis, whether it's top of the hill or if you have another favorite Chapel Hill establishment, I think we see him in Chapel Hill. I'm gonna manifest this. Now. We're recording this Monday, July the 17th, but choose your venue. We see Ryan Reynolds an, a list movie star in our backyard here, Lewis. Um Well, so, so this is actually funny. Um that we, we've, this has been the speculation. Right. Oh, man. Um, what's Rob? Um, from all we study in Philadelphia. He, his co-owner. Um, Rob. Uh mm, how you say his last name? M um Right. You just say it quickly. You just say it, but the, the movie star, the actor from Always Sunny and Phil, um, him and uh Ryan Reynolds do the, the, I think the hope has been that they'll be here. No idea if they will listen, you do have the writer strike going on in Hollywood right now. Um I know. So my, my understanding is that um the uh Ryan Reynolds was filming for Deadpool Three. I saw a um uh one of those like little screenshots come out, um him and Wolverine and kind of like the uh the classic get up. Um But that was stopped filming was stopped for that. He needs something to do, he needs something to do. Um All I'm saying swing by, come on down. Uh I wanna mention Chelsea's roster really quickly, Lewis and we will move on. Uh So looking at the roster, uh Thiago Silva, the center back plays on the Brazilian National team. And then Christian Polisi, who American soccer fans might know probably the best player on the US men's national team if they're out there on Wednesday, keep an eye on both of those players. Again, we're not sure if they'll actually play, but the, the possibility of them playing and what I would say to this as well when you're playing in the premier league, the backups on these clubs are like, better than pretty much any team in the MLS. So, even if it is the backups for Chelsea, a team that has some turnover, you might not know who these players are now, but give it a few years and it's like, oh, wow. Yeah, they were, they were right here and you had the opportunity to see them. But those are the two that stick out to me on Chelsea's roster. It's, it's Chelsea, right. It, it's an, an EPL known commodity for, you know, long, long time. And so you're gonna get talented players no matter what talented footballers out there on the pitch. Uh I, I'm, I'm just curious to see kind of how it, it all like change the changes they make, how it's all set up and everything. I think it's gonna be a really fun environment. Um, at Keenan, I do not. Do you know if the game is sold out right now? I'm not sure. I don't know if I know if it is or not, but I'd imagine I'd imagine that it is. Uh Lewis again, this will be Wednesday at 7 30 as well. Uh It's gonna be a hot ticket in town, no doubt about that. No doubt about that. Um Really quickly I wanna show you. I had the opportunity to tour Stamford Bridge about a decade ago, Lewis and they weren't in season, but this is where Chelsea plays in the London. And I, I've just never seen anything quite like it. We got to tour the locker room, got to see star player did a Dr Buzz locker room. He was the star striker for Chelsea back in the day and, uh, look at your boy here, you know, at the podium. It's wonderful time Lewis, they were not in season, which is why we toured, uh Stanford Bridge. But fond, fond memories of being across the pond and soccer as they call it football in Europe, it, it's like religion there. I, I think what I'm gonna do this, um, how, how old were you in this picture, by the way? Oh, I, I'm a young man here. I think I'm 18 years old. Wow. Look at that. Um, that's, that's funny. I, um, I, I think what I'm gonna try and do this college football season, uh, and, and really just NFL football season and all that stuff is try and sink in, like sneak in, um, soccer slash football terms in there. Um, like I, I'm, I'm gonna, I'm gonna try, I'm gonna try and call like some different NFL and college players like footballers throughout the course of the year and to see what people think. Um, so some of the terminology is great, not gonna lie. Um, but, uh it's, it's, it's cool to see um, you know, just having, uh, these, um, uh, different brands coming to Keenan Stadium. Um, it, it's not as big of a deal personally, uh, as it would be for like the stadium series, like locally and how it all is intertwined, but it's July, it's gonna be July 19th when the match actually happens. Not a whole lot going on at that time. And so it's just, I think it's a really fun, cool opportunity for sports in the triangle. All right, let's keep it with soccer. We got the World Cup starting this week. So tournament getting underway on the 20th. The US women's national team starts, uh, on the 21st against Vietnam. Uh, the women, the US women's national team having won the previous two World Cups, Lewis. Where do you want to start with this? Because there's a lot to unpack with, uh, a lot of excitement with the US women's national team. But where do you want to start here? And we'll go from there because there's, there's a lot of different angles you wanna go to? Let's start with the, the women's national team in general and then we can move into like the more local ties if you will. Ok. Um, let me start here. Um, I know a lot's going to be made of Megan Ra Pino's final Cup World Cup with the team. Uh, both she, Alex Morgan, Kelly o'hara. They're gonna be playing in their fourth World Cup with a lot of experience there. Um, for Julie Ertz and Alyssa, not her, it'll be their third World Cup. So a lot of experience with this roster, but what I want to focus on Lewis, Alyssa Thompson at 18 years old, just the fourth teenager to be named to the United States World Cup team, first teenager and the youngest women's soccer player in the tournament since 1995. She was the top overall pick in the NWSL draft. We're talking about the next generation of star soccer players for our country. Alyssa Thompson, keep an eye on her and I can't wait to see what she can do on the pitch again. At 18 years old, Trinity Rodman too, Dennis Rodman daughter, um, is gonna be, uh really cool to see 21 years old. Um, you know, she, her, her, she's someone who has already been in is, is incredibly talented and has shown that ability in the NWSL. I'm, I'm excited to see what Trinity Rodman can do as well on the national team. Um, in the World Cup. I I it's gonna be, there's definitely a bit of a youth movement. Some of that I think is because of injuries that have occurred over the past few months. I mean, even someone like Julie coming back who I believe it was like nine months ago that she had a child. And so, you know, be able to come back that quickly from it. Unbelievable. I mean, it's, it's ridiculous and so because of those injuries, I think we're gonna see, uh, a lot more of youth with the, um, women's national team in the World Cup in general. And it, it's what that does is the, you mean, the US has won the past two women's world cups. Um, so a huge target on their back, obviously. And the rest of the world is getting better in terms of women's soccer and with injuries and things, I think it just kind of tightens the gap a little bit and puts the women's national team in just a little bit more of a precarious situation. Um, but that's just, I mean, when you win the past two, like you're gonna have a lot of pressure on you, you're gonna have a lot of expectations. Um, so it's gonna be exciting. I love the men's World Cup, the women's World Cup, both are just phenomenal sporting products and I can't wait for things to get started, uh, later this week. Yes. Yes. And so another mom I want to talk about on this team too with local ties, Crystal Dunn who played at North Carolina. She just gave birth to her son 14 months ago. And so it's like one thing to be like, ok, yeah, she's playing soccer again. She's playing for the national, the national team. And so she's one of three players with local ties, Lewis. Uh, the other two being Emily Fox. Who also played at UN C and then North Carolina courage goalkeeper Casey Murphy as well. So we got some local ties, three of the 23 women here to where it's just like women you've seen play here in the triangle in our backyard if you will. Uh So you see yet again where I know we had the soccer tournament earlier this year, this week, we've got, uh, Chelsea versus Rex King Memorial Stadium just showing the importance of soccer in the state of North Carolina. Well, I mean, you know what, uh Dean Smith said way back in the day. UN C is not a basketball school school. It is a women's soccer school. Um, and, um, you know, UN C has not won a national title in women's soccer in quite some time, but they still have that, you know, massive lead in terms of title. Um, you know, and, and Crystal Dunn and Emily Fox are prime examples of, um, some of the best of the best that UN C has. Uh, the two of them are probably gonna be playing together a lot, which is gonna be fascinating to watch. Um Casey Murphy with the uh NC courage is gonna be the back goal goaltender, um, goalkeeper for uh the US women's national team. So cool to see um, her get involved as well. So you got some of those major, um uh US women's national team ties, right? But there are also local players who are playing for different teams in general. Right. Denise o'sullivan who is the NC Courage's captain. Um She is a, a part of the Irish team making their first women's World Cup appearance ever. Keep an eye out for her because it's a one Irish team, like I said, it's their first women's World Cup appearance ever. They are playing uh Australia. So one of the host countries because it's Australia and New Zealand. They playing Australia on July 20th, like one of the first, if not the first matches in the entire women's World Cup. And then she actually got hurt in a friendly, uh it was a warm up match between uh Ireland and Colombia that got called off after like 20 some odd minutes because it was apparently too rough, essentially. Um There was concern that she had broken her shin or fractured her shin in some way. She was taken to the hospital. Uh And fortunately, it's been determined that she would, had, did not fracture after x-rays and CT scans. It was determined that she did not fracture her shin, which is good, but her availability is still a little bit up in the air. She would be a massive piece uh for the Irish national team. So keep an eye out for her. Um And then, uh we, we got a viewer email pointing this out to us. Um Sophia Harrison, uh she played at um uh Stony Brook, no Slippery rock excuse me, um Slippery rock uh in college. Uh She apparently lives in Fukui now and is a member of the Philippines National team. Um And then you also have the, the courage is Caroline. Uh She is a member of the Brazilian National team. Uh And she's been incredibly impressive as well. So it's, it's fun because, right, I mean, I know you and I are not, you know, the world's biggest soccer experts or anything like that, but it's, we are now, we are now because it's, it's fun to see, uh, how this area kind of can shape shift a bit when needed. Uh, and just a reminder of, you know, having a NWSL team in the area A US L team, uh, the, uh, continuing continuing growth of the, uh, youth soccer, um, dynamic in the area as well. You have Charlotte FC obviously with MLS up over in Charlotte. I don't know, it's, it's fun, especially when you get a chance to kind of mix it up a little bit and see, um, you know, all the incredibly talented women's soccer players that are from, uh, North Carolina and from this area that Charlotte atmosphere, Lewis just looks like a raucous atmosphere in the best way, the best way. Uh, so the women's World Cup gets started Thursday, you can watch on Fox 50 Us women's national team, they get underway Friday. So again against Vietnam, they'll open the tournament. Uh, Lewis, this is gonna be awesome. Awesome to watch and it provides a great void for us as well as we wait between now and the start of football season, uh American football if you will. But uh keeping in non-traditional sports, Lewis Wimbledon this weekend was fantastic. Like it was wonderful. Uh Sunday wrapping up, uh Alcaraz taking care of Djokovic in the final, uh Alcaraz 20 years old signaling of a new era in tennis because the Joker, uh Rafael Nadal and um help me out here, uh Roger Federer kind of signaling a new era. I did not realize Novak Djokovic, 36 years old, he hadn't lost in center court at Wimbledon in more than a decade. Lewis. So quite a run. It's been for the Joker. Um but Alcaraz being able to rally back uh after losing that first set and then for me again, as a casual fan, I knew that the stakes of this was, uh in that fifth set, the Novak Djokovic racket smash in the fifth set. The fury of it. It's just like it showed the level of intensity uh on Sunday and what capped off what's been a terrific, terrific Wimbledon tournament, both men's and women's. Yeah, I mean, when I think it too, it's, it's like the, the context of, uh Djokovic's grand slam totals. Uh and, and the, the history involved with him and, and Federer and all of that. Uh And then you finally, you, you have this kind of changing of the guard a bit. Not, not entirely like, I mean, Djokovic had a quote earlier in the tournament that he said, you know, he feels like 36 is the new 26. Like Novak Djokovic is not going anywhere. Like, you have to make that entirely clear. But, you know, it's, I, I saw the, the graphic where it was, um, I think in however many years it's been the, it's the past four, only four men have won the men's Wimbledon, um, you know, grand slam and it was Federer, Nadal Djokovic and Eddie Murray and, and so to have someone new, someone so young coming in is awesome. Uh Nike uh did not like miss, they, they were ready to go with the ads already to make sure talking about like, you know, don't, don't be a part of an old era, create a new era, all this stuff where like I'm scrolling Instagram and I see the ads and, oh man, that's so cool. That's how I need to play tennis. Um So now like that's just, I mean, that's what, that's what Nike does. Um, you know, it's, it's fantastic to see, uh the changing of the guard a bit to see new players coming in and making the case for why they deserve to be, uh, considered amongst the best in the world. Sunday's final. Lewis came down to that second set where Djokovic wins the first set and it's like, ok, is he gonna do it yet again? He has 23 grand slam titles and it's an 85 minute second set and Alcaraz rallying back and that, to me, it like something changed there at that moment in the match on Sunday. But like, I mean, I was texting my and it's just like, it's like, listen, if you haven't already flip on the Wimbledon final and thank me later. Right. Yeah, exactly. Um, but yeah, well, I want to see if he continues the success because last year Alcaraz is winning the US Open. So, is it a changing of the guard? How long can Djokovic hold off again? Someone who's not 20 years old? Uh, but Djokovic hasn't really had that, like, like I think about it, I guess from this standpoint, Federer and Nadal had each other. How many, uh, grand slams do they prevent each other from winning? And the rivalry those two had Djokovic now has this young gun to deal with to where I hope this isn't the last time we see them compete against one another, let alone in a final one versus two in the world. Uh I can't wait to see where this goes. Now, from the women's standpoint too, Marchetta Vendress sova of the Czech Republic was not ranked, uh, she was a heavy, heavy underdog, uh, on Saturday and wins consecutive set 6464. And, uh, a leftist who was 24 years old, someone who has a long career ahead of her in her own. Right, as well. Lewis. Yes. And, and it's, um, yeah, it's, it's just, it was for so long we've seen tennis dominated by the same players, um, and Arena Federer, Nadal. I mean, it's just like they're, they're, it's, it's really, and then like, here and there you get players that win it. But it's like by and large they're the ones sharing all the grand slams. So sorry, I'm sorry, continue. But no, no, I mean, that's exactly, that's, that's exactly what it is. It's, you know, you've seen, got these generational talents come through and so whenever you see generational talents come through and then they, they come and go, you have like the players like Serena, you have the players like Nadal who are like Federer who are, you know, they've done their thing and now they're, they're done. Um The question is always who's gonna fill the gap? Who, what, what's that sport gonna even look like? And obviously Djokovic is, you know, one of those generational people and he's not, he's not going anywhere anytime soon. Um, but it's still, uh, it's exciting, it's exciting to watch a new, uh class of, of players come through. Uh, the tennis world Lewis. I think we did it. We're gonna wrap up here on WRL Triangle Two, talking about sports that are a little bit more nontraditional for us. Enjoy Wednesday. Uh I want to tease ahead uh to the women's World Cup. I will have a long form piece coming out of WRL sports fan dot com. Everything you need to know how to watch players to watch again. Get into more detail about Megan Rapino final tournament at the age of 38 years old. A lot of different angles for the US women's national team. So that'll be out later this week uh on WRL sports fan dot com. Is there anything else you need to plug before we, we wrap up here? We'll have, we'll have training, um, coverage on Tuesday for that Chelsea Wrexham match. Um And then on, on Wednesday, the WRL sports team will, will have you covered in terms of uh, coverage of the actual friendly itself. So, um, yeah, stay tuned for all of that. We'll have that up on, uh TV, as well as up online on WL sports fan dot com for Luis Fernandez. I'm Mark Bergen. Thanks so much for watching WRL Triangle and two. We'll see you next week until then take care so long. Everybody.