Hello, everybody, and welcome to the total soccer show. I'm your host Taylor Rockwell.

Daryl Grove was actually with me in studio right now. He's just shown up. He's drinking water. He didn't know he'd be on mic, but Daryl's here.

Am I supposed to be involved? No. Hello.

Today I'm going to be talking to my water. Yeah. Today I'm going to be talking to Caitlin Murray about the U.S. Women's National Team and the World Cup Final against the Netherlands. Daryl thoughts?

Okay, anyway. So Caitlin and I and the World Cup Final against the Netherlands. Darrell thoughts? Okay, anyway.

So, Caitlin and I are getting into how long Caitlin has been in France. It's been a difficult time in the sense that she's been away for like a month. Being on the road, living out of a suitcase can be challenging. But when you're covering the Women's World Cup and the U.S. national team, it can be very fun, right, Darrell? So anyway. that's what you get for sitting in front of the mic when I do the introduction. But we also get into sort of some lineup conundrums, maybe

Jill Ellis will be facing, some fitness issues or maybe lack thereof in the U.S.'s case, which is

always a positive thing. And then just overall, Caitlin's impressions on what she's expecting from the World Cup final and beyond. So, with all that said, I will turn it over to me talking to Caitlin Murray, unless Darrell has anything else to add? No. Daryl says no. So here's me, talking to Caitlin. With me now, I've got Caitlin Murray. He's been covering the World Cup for The Guardian. Caitlin, thank you very much for taking the time to come back on the show.

Of course, anytime.

Well, we do appreciate it.

I know you've been in France for like almost a month now.

I'm assuming you've reached the point where you're ready to be home.

Is that about right?

Yeah, I mean, France is a beautiful country.

It's been a fun adventure, going to all these different cities, following the team, being part of this tournament, which has turned out to be really exciting.

But I would like to go somewhere where I can read the menus as a vegetarian in France. They don't really cater to that at all.

I didn't think about that. And yeah, I miss

Portland. I miss being in the same time zone as everybody. So, and I miss having like clean

clothes and not living out of a suitcase. But I'm not complaining. It's very fun. We're sort of at

the finish line. And yeah, I'm really excited for the final. I imagine that must be, like, almost, like, emotionally draining that, like, because I have never covered a tournament for that long, certainly not on the ground for that long. But I have traveled for a good bit of time. And, yeah, it reaches that point where it's like, I know I should be really, really enjoying this. and it's like a once in a lifetime opportunity, but I'm ready to like sleep in my own bed.

I get that feeling.

So I also imagine from what it sounds like, the, uh, the temperature hasn't necessarily made it

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