The Captain with Lindsey Heaps: Denver Summit’s Playoff Push, USWNT Lessons From Spain & Ballon d’Or Reactions

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

The one question I get most after all that football memory making we experienced across America this summer is, how do I keep the magic going? I'd start by saying, articulate what you love the most and then build on it. First step, find the team that will most probably break your heart, and then add all the supporting necessities to build your weekend tradition, the key to so many of mine. It's Walmart, the place that has it all, the snacks, the coffee, the pies. You can also get the TV at Walmart, the hoodie to wear on your couch. Get the couch if you need it, and wait, it gets better. Because their express delivery can get it right to your door so you're all set for kickoff. Whatever your matchday needs are, you can find them at walmart.com/soccer.

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Sam Mewis (0:51)

You're listening to the MIB Media Network, and this is The Women's Game. For the record, like desperate for her to break the NWBCL single-season goalscoring record.

SPEAKER_1 (0:59)

No, no, no, not now.

Sam Mewis (1:00)

I know, oh my god, you're playing her. I can't, you know what, maybe, I can't even, I can't even get into that right now. If she just gets a goal, I don't care what else happens. I do just-

Lindsey Heaps (1:10)

She can have a goal as long as we have two.

Sam Mewis (1:12)

Okay, I'll leave it at that.

Lindsey Heaps (1:23)

I'm Lindsey Heaps, and this is the captain with my friend, Sarmie Mewis.

Sam Mewis (1:30)

I'm Sarmie, and as she said, this is the captain, the show is brought to you by The Women's Game. We're getting inside access to the captain of the US Women's National Team, everybody. We are getting ready for the 2027 Women's World Cup, and we have a lot to discuss today about the Denver Summit, who, news flash, are still in the playoff push. Still in it. Still in it, and you know what, even I maybe discounted you guys a little bit too early, so we're going to get to that a little bit later in the show.

Also, a little bit later in the show, we're going to answer your questions that you have sent in for Lindsey. So in the future, if you want a question answered, write to us and ask Lindsey whatever you want at Women's Game MIB at meninblazers.com. Lindsey, I feel like you've had the busiest couple of weeks. You had an international break. You are in the midst of Denver's heroic playoff push. I want to jump straight in with the national team. I know you were all together for the first time in over 100 days, which was so long, way too long. And you had two friendlies against reigning world champions, Spain.

Long story short, the first game we lost two to nothing. The second game we tied two to two. I know this was a few weeks ago now. So I just want to get into some takeaways from camp, starting with your overall impressions of the team. What did these results against Spain mean? Is it OK that we didn't get a win? Just take us into your thoughts as captain of the team on the results.

Lindsey Heaps (2:44)

It's not OK, but it's OK that we didn't get the win.

I think when you look at that first game, I'm more proud of the way we played, the way we created chances, the opportunities that we created, and how the game could have gone. Obviously, it did not go our way, and we took a lot going into that next game.

But I think we all reflected in the two days that we had prior to the second game, and we were just like, we were able to do this against probably the best team in the world. I know we can all sit there and say, they were missing five or six of their top players. We were missing top players as well. But I also look at Spain, and I say this a lot, how they play, their system, their structure, everything is the same. Maybe some individual qualities coming into the structure is when you have a Bonmati in there, when you have a Pina coming in, it's obviously different in individual qualities, but they play the same way. It doesn't change their system of playing. It doesn't change their style. That is their methodology. That's what makes them so special and makes them so freaking good.

I was like, this is going to be such a tough game, tough two games. We were playing against Spain, we were playing against the best team in the world, the reigning champions. And our output in the attacking third was incredible. So I felt very confident going into that next game. And then obviously the takeaway is there is like, you don't want to go down to zero again like that.