Janine Sonis has played soccer all over the world. She has won an Olympic Gold medal with Canada. But there was nothing quite like when the opportunity arose to come home and launch the NWSL in Denver, especially with one of the most important coaches of her career.

On this episode of Full Time, Jillian Sakovits is joined by Sonis to talk about why she made the move to join the Denver Summit in their inaugural NWSL season and what it has been like to finally be playing soccer at home. The interview also touches on Sonis’s love of coffee, her high expectations for the team in year one, and why she is having her best-ever goalscoring season despite playing as a defender.

PLUS: Ashley Sanchez breaks more records as she extends her lead in the race for the NWSL’s Golden Boot.

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HOST: Jillian Sakovits

GUEST: Janine Sonis

PRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes

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Referenced on the show:

NWSL Golden Boot race: Can anyone overtake Temwa Chawinga or Barbra Banda?

From Janine Sonis to Sam Kerr: Taking stock of NWSL’s over and underperforming goal scorers

Co-captain Janine Sonis is the ‘heart and soul’ of Denver Summit in a crucial expansion year

For Courage midfielder Ashley Sanchez, another USWNT call-up should be a matter of ‘when, not if’

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Get in touch: ⁠⁠fulltime@theathletic.com⁠⁠

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Subscribe to the Full Time newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠

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On this week’s Full Time, hosts Jillian Sakovits, Meg Linehan, and Tamerra Griffin are talking all things Portland, the importance of infrastructure, and the future of women’s sports.

Last week, the Bhathal family, owners of both the NWSL’s Portland Thorns and the WNBA’s Portland Fire, opened a new first-of-its-kind training center that will house both teams. Coinciding with that grand opening was a conference called Epicenter that brought together some of the biggest names in women’s sports.

So, what do all these big infrastructure moves mean, what makes the Rose City such a special place for women’s sports, and can this unique ownership model and special community reimagine women’s sports?

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HOSTS: Jillian Sakovits, Meg Linehan, Tamerra Griffin

GUESTS: Lindsay Schnell, Annie Peterson

PRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes

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Reference on the show:

Building the future of women’s sports, literally

Inside the Thorns and Fire’s new home, Portland’s first joint women’s sports facility

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Get in touch: ⁠⁠fulltime@theathletic.com⁠⁠

Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltime

Subscribe to our Youtube channel: here

Subscribe to the Full Time newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠

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Marie-Louise Eta made waves when she became the first woman to lead a men’s soccer team in Europe’s top 5 leagues, after she took charge of Union Berlin in Germany’s Bundesliga as an interim first in 2024 and then again for an extended period of time in 2026. Now, she has been tasked with leading the women’s team in their second-ever Frauen-Bundesliga season.

Host Jillian Sakovits is joined by The Athletic’s Megan Feringa, fresh from four days in Berlin with Eta and Union, where she learned all about the club, their unique history, and why the plan all along was to put Eta at the helm of the women’s side despite her interim stint as head coach of the men’s team last April.

PLUS: All the top moments from the NWSL weekend, including Mal Swanson’s best performance of 2026.

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HOST: Jillian Sakovits

GUEST: Megan Feringa

PRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes

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Referenced on the show:

The Bundesliga’s first female coach has taken over the women’s team. Her club gave her many reasons to

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Get in touch: ⁠⁠fulltime@theathletic.com⁠⁠

Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltime

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: here

Subscribe to the Full Time newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Full Time Focus, we’re talking about the USA roster for the upcoming 2026 U-20 World Cup in Poland, which was released this week.

Host Jillian Sakovits sat down with Bay FC midfielder Kennedy Fuller to talk about what it means for her to be selected, what her role on the team is, her love of learning under Bay head coach Emma Coates, and how she is learning to let go of the pressure.

PLUS: Tamerra Griffin joined the show to go deeper into this USA roster, the future stars to know, the players who didn’t make the cut on Vicky Jepson’s roster, and what the expectations are for the USA as they go in search of a fourth U-20 World Cup trophy, and their first since 2012.

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HOSTS: Jillian Sakovits, Tamerra Griffin

GUEST: Kennedy Fuller

PRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes

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Referenced on the show:

U-20 World Cup roster set after NWSL, college teams grant releases

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Get in touch: ⁠⁠fulltime@theathletic.com⁠⁠

Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltime

Subscribe to our Youtube channel: here

Subscribe to the Full Time newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s Full Time, hosts Jillian Sakovits, Meg Linehan, and Tamerra Griffin unpack the past, present, and future of relocation in the NWSL.

A lot of this conversation has been sparked by noise around Racing Louisville and how owners across the league have to keep up with rising expansion fees, revenues, and operating costs. How has being an owner in the NWSL changed in a short space of time? Asli Pelit joins the panel to add her expertise from the financial side of soccer and her candid conversations with owners in the league.

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HOSTS: Jillian Sakovits, Meg Linehan, Tamerra Griffin

PANEL: Asli Pelit

PRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes

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Reference on the show:

Expansion or relocation? How the NWSL ecosystem makes it hard to keep up with the price of winning

Racing Louisville owner seeks new investment, says relocation not off the table

An accidental NWSL owner in Louisville: The Suite Level with John Neace

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Get in touch: ⁠⁠fulltime@theathletic.com⁠⁠

Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltime

Subscribe to our Youtube channel: here

Subscribe to the Full Time newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 2026 Women’s African Cup of Nations is in the books. On Sunday night, Cameroon defeated Malawi 3-0 in the final in Rabat, Morocco, to lift their first-ever continental trophy.

While the finale proved one game too many for the Chawinga sisters' Cinderella Story, this WAFCON felt different. How has Temwa Chawinga helped to bring more Americans to WAFCON? And what does it mean to have the forward risen to elite sporting superstar status in Kansas City?

Host Jillian Sakovits is joined by PJ Green of the KC Star to break down ‘The Temwa Effect’ and the special scenes in Kansas City for WAFCON and beyond. The Athletic’s Tamerra Griffin also joins the show to break down what happened in the final.

PLUS: All the best moments from the NWSL weekend, including some major stars returning from extended periods the sidelines.

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HOST: Jillian Sakovits

GUESTS: Tamerra Griffin, PJ Green

PRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes

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Referenced on the show:

Cameroon crowned WAFCON champions for first time with emphatic 3-0 win over Malawi

Soccer in Malawi: How the superstar Chawinga sisters are cultivating a nation’s legacy on Africa’s biggest stage

WAFCON 2026: Cameroon shocks Nigeria, Algeria and Malawi qualify for first Women’s World Cup

NWSL stars at WAFCON feel a responsibility to elevate teammates to similar opportunities

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Get in touch: ⁠⁠fulltime@theathletic.com⁠⁠

Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltime

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: here

Subscribe to the Full Time newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠

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Ashley Sanchez has been one of the best players of the 2026 NWSL season. In a career year for the 27-year-old North Carolina Courage attacker, the conversation is turning to whether it is time for a return to the U.S. women’s national team.

On this episode of Full Time, Jillian Sakovits is joined by Sanchez to talk all about her incredible 2026. From what new head coach Mak Lind has brought to North Carolina, to how she has refined her game on the pitch, and enjoyed major life changes off of it. She also unpacks what it would mean to win a first-ever NWSL Golden Boot trophy and the latest on whether USWNT head coach Emma Hayes has been in touch.

PLUS: The news that the Chicago Stars have parted ways with head coach Martin Sjögren after just 18 matches in charge.

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HOST: Jillian Sakovits

GUEST: Ashley Sanchez

PRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes

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Referenced on the show:

NWSL Golden Boot race: Can anyone overtake Temwa Chawinga or Barbra Banda?

Chicago Stars fire Martin Sjögren, name Karina Báez interim head coach

_______________

Get in touch: ⁠⁠fulltime@theathletic.com⁠⁠

Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltime

Subscribe to our Youtube channel: here

Subscribe to the Full Time newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠

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On this week’s Full Time, hosts Jillian Sakovits, Meg Linehan, and Tamerra Griffin dive into the emerging world of web-based women’s soccer mini-games. The pod talks to the people behind viral soccer mini-games ‘Road to 75’, ‘Immaculate Footy', as well as someone who helped develop Fantasy NWSL.

What does it take to launch a mini-game? How do they work, and in what ways do they educate fans on women’s soccer data and history? Can these games shape the culture and the fandom of the sport?

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HOSTS: Jillian Sakovits, Meg Linehan, Tamerra Griffin

GUESTS: Kieran Doyle, Emily Anderson, Izzy Duddy

PRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes

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Get in touch: ⁠⁠fulltime@theathletic.com⁠⁠

Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltime

Subscribe to our Youtube channel: here

Subscribe to the Full Time newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠

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