Andrés Martinez, the author of the new book “The Great Game: A Tale of Two Footballs And America’s Quest to Conquer Global Sport,” joins Sarah to discuss what it took for the U.S. to finally speak the language of soccer, FIFA finally reaching stateside audiences in the most ironic way, the surprising root of the term “soccer mom,” and how women’s soccer is a U.S. export despite the sport itself being an import. Plus, a last-minute battle to choose-your-own-adventure, cleared for the Storm, and what’s that I see? Way more airtime.


The NWSL schedule can be found here


Read Jeff Kassouf’s reporting for ESPN on how the NWSL could flip schedules here and here


Check out the WNBA preseason broadcast schedule here and the regular season broadcast schedule here


Read Alexa Philippou’s story with details on Dominique Malonga’s FIBA clearance here


Buy a copy of Andrés Martinez’s new book “The Great Game” here 


Donate to the Hear the Cheers campaign here


Listen to Pablo Torre’s podcast episode on The Onion buying InfoWars here


You can now WATCH Sarah’s interviews! Subscribe to @iHeartWomensSports on YouTube and check out the Good Game playlist here


Leave us a voicemail at 872-204-5070 or send us a note at goodgame@wondermedianetwork.com 


Follow Sarah on social! Bluesky: @sarahspain.com Instagram: @Spain2323


Follow producer Alex Azzi! Bluesky: @byalexazzi.bsky.social Instagram: @AzziArtwork 


Follow producer Bianca Hillier! Bluesky: @biancahillier.bsky.social

Andr&eacute;s Martinez, the author of the new book &ldquo;The Great Game: A Tale of Two Footballs And America&rsquo;s Quest to Conquer Global Sport,&rdquo; joins Sarah to discuss what it took for the U.S. to finally speak the language of soccer, FIFA finally reaching stateside audiences in the most ironic way, the surprising root of the term &ldquo;soccer mom,&rdquo; and how women&rsquo;s soccer is a U.S. export despite the sport itself being an import. Plus, a last-minute battle to choose-your-own-adventure, cleared for the Storm, and what&rsquo;s that I see? Way more airtime.
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The NWSL schedule can be found <a href="https://www.nwslsoccer.com/schedule/regular-season" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nwslsoccer.com/schedule/regular-season&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1777079867903000&amp;usg=AOvVaw28RiprrxUBoMrwWuXeOKIP">here</a>
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Read Jeff Kassouf&rsquo;s reporting for ESPN on how the NWSL could flip schedules <a href="https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/48516363/nwsl-players-calendar-flip-womens-soccer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/48516363/nwsl-players-calendar-flip-womens-soccer&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1777079867903000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2JzlK8MPZvjvwYDMOYY9f3">here</a> and <a href="https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/48508613/nwsl-expected-vote-calendar-shift-month" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/48508613/nwsl-expected-vote-calendar-shift-month&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1777079867903000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0c1oPmm0u4JP_3MEOnuBvD">here</a>
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Check out the WNBA preseason broadcast schedule <a href="https://www.wnba.com/news/free-streaming-2026-preseason-games" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wnba.com/news/free-streaming-2026-preseason-games&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1777079867903000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2b_4pJ1AtOIcebV9JBx1_F">here</a> and the regular season broadcast schedule <a href="https://www.wnba.com/news/broadcast-schedule-release-2026" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wnba.com/news/broadcast-schedule-release-2026&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1777079867903000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1H42U-TbHtndH_k5qFaCUD">here</a>
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Read Alexa Philippou&rsquo;s story with details on Dominique Malonga&rsquo;s FIBA clearance <a href="https://www.espn.ph/wnba/story/_/id/48566703/dominique-malonga-gets-letter-clearance-fiba-play-seattle-season" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.espn.ph/wnba/story/_/id/48566703/dominique-malonga-gets-letter-clearance-fiba-play-seattle-season&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1777079867903000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0DNsxpSSZIZHUnqxwFUh8D">here</a>
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Buy a copy of Andr&eacute;s Martinez&rsquo;s new book &ldquo;The Great Game&rdquo; <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-great-game-a-tale-of-two-footballs-and-america-s-quest-to-conquer-global-sport-andr-s-martinez/4c9956c613519b5b?ean=9798881801823&amp;next=t" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-great-game-a-tale-of-two-footballs-and-america-s-quest-to-conquer-global-sport-andr-s-martinez/4c9956c613519b5b?ean%3D9798881801823%26next%3Dt&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1777079867903000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3eOHUUO5HT7zw50Gvaptz_">here</a>&nbsp;
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Donate to the Hear the Cheers campaign <a href="https://chicagohearingsociety.org/donate-to-hear-the-cheers/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://chicagohearingsociety.org/donate-to-hear-the-cheers/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1777079867903000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1JXWKUJdhGYXihNILm7S7G">here</a>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
Listen to Pablo Torre&rsquo;s podcast episode on The Onion buying InfoWars <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC7cZU5_hsU" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v%3DjC7cZU5_hsU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1777079867903000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2NUfTFuxYIMddqqLygTkrH">here</a>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
You can now WATCH Sarah&rsquo;s interviews! Subscribe to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@iHeartWomensSports" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.youtube.com/@iHeartWomensSports&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1777079867903000&amp;usg=AOvVaw33qjUaMETsrTyZ3vg6bztZ">@iHeartWomensSports</a> on YouTube and check out the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4OH9pWO2GjqQmx_dTNOqMES7gaB3CUEf" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list%3DPL4OH9pWO2GjqQmx_dTNOqMES7gaB3CUEf&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1777079867903000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3NWCSwNQUkvEs2l3XnlAzn">Good Game playlist here</a>
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Leave us a voicemail at 872-204-5070 or send us a note at <a href="mailto:goodgame@wondermedianetwork.com">goodgame@wondermedianetwork.com</a>&nbsp;
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
Follow Sarah on social! Bluesky: <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/sarahspain.com" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://bsky.app/profile/sarahspain.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1777079867903000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0cdvrbxBrmjV02phkv4oJI">@sarahspain.com</a> Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/spain2323" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.instagram.com/spain2323&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1777079867903000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3iZO4UfSlJ2S5W0lMuGbLB">@Spain2323</a>
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Follow producer Alex Azzi! Bluesky: <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/byalexazzi.bsky.social" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://bsky.app/profile/byalexazzi.bsky.social&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1777079867903000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3PAbJNtFj3QpFxKYnJDwsO">@byalexazzi.bsky.social</a> Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/azziartwork/?hl=en" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.instagram.com/azziartwork/?hl%3Den&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1777079867903000&amp;usg=AOvVaw20JJX9ohK23qOmvJ9fCje-">@AzziArtwork</a>&nbsp;
</li>
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Follow producer Bianca Hillier! Bluesky: <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/biancahillier.bsky.social" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://bsky.app/profile/biancahillier.bsky.social&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1777079867903000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1r03ANSnN95F49L5dsQ9kS">@biancahillier.bsky.social</a>
</li>
</ul>

Good Game is your one-stop shop for the biggest stories in women’s sports. Every day, host Sarah Spain gives you the stories, stakes, stars and stats to keep up with your favorite women’s teams, leagues and athletes. Through thoughtful insight, witty banter, and an all around good time, Sarah and friends break down the latest news, talk about the games you can’t miss, and debate the issues of the day. Don’t miss interviews with the people of the moment, whether they be athletes, coaches, reporters, or celebrity fans. 

Good Game is your one-stop shop for the biggest stories in women’s sports. Every day, host Sarah Spain gives you the stories, stakes, stars and stats to keep up with your favorite women’s teams, leagues and athletes. Through thoughtful insight, witty banter, and an all around good time, Sarah and friends break down the latest news, talk about the games you can’t miss, and debate the issues of the day. Don’t miss interviews with the people of the moment, whether they be athletes, coaches, reporters, or celebrity fans.

Good Game with Sarah Spain

Andrés Martinez, the author of the new book “The Great Game: A Tale of Two Footballs And America’s Quest to Conquer Global Sport,” joins Sarah to discuss what it took for the U.S. to finally speak the language of soccer, FIFA finally reaching stateside audiences in the most ironic way, the surprising root of the term “soccer mom,” and how women’s soccer is a U.S. export despite the sport itself being an import. Plus, a last-minute battle to choose-your-own-adventure, cleared for the Storm, and what’s that I see? Way more airtime.

A Very Conscious Uncoupling with Andrés Martinez

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/fcdc61f4-5189-4529-b18b-b4360015b533/transcript