Lori Goes to Ref School is a three-act deep dive into the decisions that shape matches — the ones fans debate, players argue, and TV analysts replay endlessly.

Across Grade School → Junior High School → High School, Christina Unkel walks Lori Lindsey through real match scenarios, the laws behind them, and the gray areas where football and refereeing collide.

Act I covers early-career lessons — including a Marta–Heather Mitts moment Christina never shared publicly until now.

Act II breaks down deliberate handball, continuation fouls, and the ethics of a goal scored through broken nets.

Act III goes all in on VAR: why some decisions take so long, what the officials are actually checking, how football understanding informs interpretation, and why referee development in the U.S. still requires patience.

This is the referee classroom the audience has been asking for — honest, detailed, and rooted in what actually happens on the field and in the booth.

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

Christina and Lori pop back in with a holiday hello — same outfits, no Christmas sweaters, full honesty. They talk about holiday traditions (or not having them), Guatemalan vs. every-other-kind-of tamales, homemade rolls, red vines, and why Lori doesn’t own a single ugly sweater.

They share:

• why Lori’s “tradition” is… not having one
• Christina’s Noche Buena ritual
• the great tamales debate
• favorite holiday foods (yes, dessert counts)
• New Year’s resolutions (or “time sweeps”)
• Christina’s challenge: do one new thing every week
• a reminder that Boxing Day football is the real holiday

A short, festive drop-in from the Soccerish crew — Happy Holidays!

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

What makes someone choose the loneliest position on the field? In this Soccerish Special, we dive into The Goalkeeper’s Story — a journey from backyard dreams to the highest levels of the game.

• Tony Meola remembers the mullet era and how the role has transformed.
• Jill Loyden and Christina Unkel unpack the pressures young keepers face and the bravery the position demands.
• Jenny Nguyen brings humor and honesty about what it means to “dream big” in goal.
• Ann-Katrin Berger shares her philosophy on playing high, her iconic one-handed save at the Euros, and her fight through thyroid cancer — including the tattoos and sign language she uses to honor her sister.
• Danny Higginbotham explains how footwork has become as important as shot-stopping in today’s game.

Across acts — Who’d Be a Goalkeeper, Look No Hands, and A Goalkeeper’s Story — this special weaves technical evolution with human resilience. It’s about gloves, grit, and the courage to stand in hard places.

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