Hello and welcome back to full-time with Meg Linnehan.

I'm your host, Meg Linnehan, but you already got that from the title of the show.

Very packed episode for you today. First up, Kristen Press and Tobin Heath are checking in to discuss what they've been up to in quarantine, a new mentorship program they're involved in, and we've got plenty of bigger picture stuff about women's soccer.

Then Andre Carlisle hops on to talk all things

NWSell Challenge Cup. We're recording most of this episode on Tuesday, July 14th, though I

spoke to Kristen and Tobin on Monday, but we wanted to make sure we would have plenty of

knockout round content for you to listen to ahead of Friday and Saturday's games. Of course,

after the final preliminary round matches, the quarterfinals

are set. The North Carolina Courage will face off against Portland Thorns FC in the early game

on Friday, followed by a matchup between fourth seed Houston Dash and fifth seed Utah Royals FC.

On the other side of the bracket, the Washington Spirit are up against Sky Blue FC on Saturday at 1230

Eastern, before the

final quarterfinal at 10 Eastern between O.L. Rain and the Chicago Red Stars. Now, I wrote about

this in my Challenge Cup column on Tuesday as well, but I do think it's worth taking the extra beat here

to acknowledge the effort that players have put in through the preliminary round and also the

physical and mental toll that the

games have had for these athletes. After Houston's last preliminary stage match, head coach James

Clarkson addressed these pressures with the media. I think you've got to appreciate the pressure

that these players have been under through the whole of the buildup and being in the tournament.

Everything that's going on socially in the world at the moment, our players are very active

and they understand what's going on and dealing with those things away from football.

Then the pressures of being here, making the squad, performing, trying to get into the starting

...