Washington Spirit International Friendlies Press Conference | August 23, 2024

e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e [Music] hello hello everybody and good afternoon and uh welcome to the uh press conference for the spirit first annual Spirit international friendlies my name is Brandon Clark I'm vice president of marketing and Communications for the Spirit uh this uh Sunday represents the second leg of the spirit international friendlies with the first leg being this past Sunday and the match between spirit and Arsenal in which uh the crowd of over 15,000 uh marked a nwsl record for a friendly event and we're excited to announce that we've already surpassed that for Sunday and are trending to have a near Full House so we're excited for this event and all that it can be to get started we're going to ask um Spirit CEO Kim Stone to come up and say brief words on the spirit international friendlies its progress in its first year kind of vision and where it's trending for the future thank you Brandon and and first I just want to say thank you to to you the the media who are here it's an exciting turnout it really shines a light on these worldclass athletes and what we're doing here and so you all play a critical role as we look to grow and develop women's sports so thank you thank you for being here and and thank you for covering this so the the most important thing to that we are bringing is international competition and great International competition and so we really strive to um embody Michelle Kang's Vision to bring to life the best that there is and to bring it to DC and to have the Washington Spirit host some of the best in the world and so it's like a global Titans showcase so we look forward and we appreciate you all coming we appreciate what this means and we're super excited for our fans to see what we saw on Sunday was already a great example of the excitement and the enthusiasm for the game and for the international reach of the game and so for us it has been really a wonderful Testament to the opportunities that this uh presents for us so I just on behalf of Michelle Kang on behalf of this uh Washington Spirit want to say welcome and thank you all very much for your teams and the travel you're it has been an exciting opportunity for us and I will now turn it back over to Brandon thanks Kim we're GNA get started with some opening statements by each respective head coach we'll begin with Arsenal J side of all and move over to son store of Chelsea and finish with Jonah haral lives from the spirit um first of all we want to thank um Washington spirit for inviting us over here uh to being able to a play a really exciting match here last Sunday uh to being able to connect with so many football supporters here in uh in Washington and now being able to to progress and being able to play Chelsea here next Sunday uh so thank you very much for this great opportunity we are truly enjoying it yes same for us I would say we are really happy to be here and I want to thank Washington Freedom Michelle Kang I know her quite well uh yeah we are really excited to play the game on Sunday against Arsenal and also to have the opportunity to watch the game before uh Washington against Kansas so I think that's a big highlight on the very good um football games and uh we are really excited and happy to join and be here my time okay thank you everyone for being here today um covering this event uh first of all it's a big pleasure to host England teams and Jonas and Sonia good luck for your season being your first chapter your first season in in Chelsea I hope you enjoy in a beautiful leag on England and um I think being here today the last friendly gamees I know is not the best moment in the season because they are preparing right now the beginning of the of the season but for me sh this kind of opportunity for prepare our second part of the season and the same time prepare for them uh the first part of the season they will try to qualify for for the Champions League too so I think it's a it's a big pleasure for me be part of it and uh being around with the supporters I think it's a good new we have to keep moving forward and um wish them the best for the for the season for sure thank you thank you we'll be moving on to Q&A right now questions there is a microphone right here so please raise your hand we'll also be taking some virtual questions as well from those that are in in attendance online if you would mind ining yourself yeah uh Jake ROM DC news now uh this is for all three of you guys um Kim kind of mentioned bringing together the best talent of women's soccer no matter where it is how great is it to be a part of something like this here in DC Washington Spirit you got Arsenal and Chelsea all kind of coming together and showcasing in one spot how great and how much talent there is in women's soccer whoever wants to go first maybe I'll start um yeah I think it's a privilege for us to be part of this event having the chance to uh be the coaches for such great teams with a lot of talent as you just said uh having a players who are one of the most important players in the world the best ones in the world I think it's always a great opportunity the players love that they are looking for that and has coaches I think that's a great experience for her as well so we are I feel like really lucky to be part of this event and yeah I'm thankful for that I want to say too um if if we speak about soccer uh coming from Europe I have my experience in my past um I think it's not the same play against European teams and USA teams so for us it's a good opportunity at the same time to put in practice many many things uh when you had to face against very good uh players and many good team I think it's a it's a good opportunity to show your potential especially when you have not the ball possession you know I think here they like a lot to run physically they are stronger but European teams they like to you know and they have their Vision about possession phase and uh for me it's a privilege be be part of it and in the end uh I think the most important thing when you can show that to the supporters and spend time in family enjoying what is happening in terms of soccer I think that's all we will be a good new yeah I also think it's very exciting to um ex sorry I think it's very exciting to come up and and play against a team in the nwsl because no doubt about it the the growth of nwsl has been tremendous uh and the quality is really increasing from season to season both for coaches I have a coach like Jonathan here or players that are currently signing for for the league as well so to coming here and to get a good idea about how different styles are but also how how the levels are very even uh I think between the the two leagues it's it's very exciting and hopefully we will see more of these games in the future Chad Ricardo with Fox 5 DC I wanted to ask you all for a matchup of this magnitude two matches of this magnitude what does it mean to you all to be playing this not only here in the States but specifically here in in the nation's capital of Washington DC yeah I mean it's my first time here in in Washington I I have to say I I really really like the the city uh I think it's such nice people here a beautiful city um the The Monuments and it really feels special and historic um being here and I think all of the three teams are probably here with a little bit different recents to be here while Washington you guys are restarting your league and obviously go into the competitive phase we're looking to get a really fast start to the season because like Jonathan mentioned we're we're going to try and qualify for the Champions League so we're going to start playing competitive games quite early uh for an English Club and of course you guys you have a little bit more luxury of of having some some time um so um but but there I think like we we will all have different things that we want to get out uh of here I don't think necessarily the results is the is the important thing of of these matches but the performances is and to be able to play against really high level opposition and to be able to showcase our football to the supporters here that's the important part of it we have a question online from Jonathan tannin Wald with the Philadelphia Inquirer this one's for Sonia uh along with the time you've spent at work well over here you got to go to a New York Liberty basketball game a few days ago the WNBA was around when you were a player in Washington so of course it's not new but what was it like to be at that game and see how it's not just women's football that's growing among women's sports in the United States yeah I feel we were really lucky to be part of that game last um couple of nights um I think uh yeah it's like I just feel uh now being the manager for Chelsea Chelsea is such a big brand in us and I think it's um being able to share these moments in the field but also outside of the field and being part of that kind of events it's like help everyone to grow the game so yeah it was really good for us to see how it goes here in us I know how much Sports it's important here in us and uh yeah being able to go to a basketball game uh women's basketball game was something really special um coming from France we know basketball is a very big sport but in England I know it's not that big sport so for some players and some members of Staff it was for them the opportunity to see how much basketball is big in us and I think it was really nice to have these kind of moments in the pitch but also outside of the pitch and we really enjoyed and we felt uh yeah welcoming from people over there and yeah it was such a great moment to share with everyone hi Steph Young from the athletic it's a question for any or all three of you um we're seeing increasing movement in the women's Global transfer market uh not just within Europe but obviously between Europe the United States and other countries I'm just wondering as that transfer market continues to increase and increase do you find events like this will become more important in staying competitive or keeping track of Trends or do you think that you know that'll be taken care of with scouting review that sort of thing I think both things are important important uh when you have when you have a salary C you have to be smart in terms of decision how much you have to pay you know to find the best possible player and make a good balance um we know other teams are investing a lot um for me it's a good new because um in the end when you compare the squads uh in the end we are speaking about players and the players are the most important thing so what you have time when you can prepare um and you can all like your roster know and you can decide what do you need in terms of uh increasing the budget for the next comme I think will be the next step for the future for sure because uh I think people are enjoying you know when you come to the stadium the tendance every game is is Viger so that is a good new um in the end what we have to do yes or yes is H give reasons to the supporters to go every single game to the stadium uh in my past I had big privilege to be part of uh important attendance in Spotify can know and I think it's very very interesting gives reasons to the supporters to go to the stadium every single game and when you have the options to sign good players and you have to pay a little more is it's normal it's part of the process because in the end if we want to give reason to the supporter to be back every single game you need um you need to keep that way so in the future let's see but I think the step that we are making in terms of football uh and soccer around the world is the steps that I think we need Jos Mana wtp this is for Jonah we saw Gabby and Lacy play last match uh what's their availability for this up for tomorrow's match and what is the status for any other players that have been out whether for Olympics or injury yeah they played uh both players played the last game so they're going to be available uh for sure to play against Kansas let's see the decision but in terms of availability they they're going to be there and the other ones we have the full team now um everyone is training normal we have no big uh surprise about um injuries so feeling is okay because right now we have the whole team together working together I miss that we were working around I don't know five six weeks just a few players and right now everyone together ready to compete against one of the best teams right now in the league as Kansas is very important and I want to ask all the supporters go to the stadium giving us support because we we need we need the the player number 12 um for sure it will be an important game and everyone is available to play everyone yeah from Mund this question is for you Sonia I know I'm gonna ask you one question after Jonathan um there is a lot of love for Chelsea here um a few weeks H there is there were a summer cup here for the children and everybody were excited to be part of the Chelsea here in Washington DC um I have faith of that because my twin doubters went to that camp and how do you feeling do you knew that we you going expecting that that love from Washington DC uh towards Chelsea or this is something everything is new for you I mean I'm like in my answer in between because when I had the opportunity toh talk with um the sporting directors and uh the direction of Chelsea I knew from the beginning it was such a great club and the big club in the world so uh this badge and the Chelsea brand is so big in the world and I knew that from the beginning um I was not really surprised because I know how much the US persons are able to support the teams and uh from the game we had the last um couple of nights in goam uh the Chelsea crowd were so loud and we could feel like almost playing at home so I'm expecting that the same kind of the same on the game on Sunday and I'm so happy because yeah you can feel the love from them and this is something as Jon and that said um our job is to make sure we just when we play of course it's about getting the good result and winning the game but it's also making sure the fans enjoy the way we play and we want to have an attacking style of playing you know just to make sure the yeah fans are enjoying and they want to come so yeah I'm expecting to have a crowd who are chering for us and I can't wait to see that also another question especially for the Latino Community uh we were we were confused a little bit what's happening with Myra Ramirez is is she in the team she's has a injury what's what's what's happening with Myra Ramirez no Mya is is fine completely fine and I'm so happy to have her in my squad uh it's just like at the this time we are managing her more because she just coming back from Olympics and I think she played lot of games and we still are in preseason we need to manage her to make sure she goes through all the season because we will need her need her for the important games during the season okay Jonathan today washing [Music] for for we have a question online from Roy Hadar from scripts news this is uh for both Jonas and Sonia uh both Arsenal and Chelsea have grown big fan bases for their men's teams premier league is quite popular here and nwsl is growing how much do you think trips like this can do to grow the fan base for European women's football and the women's Super League in the United States um yeah yeah I can start I I didn't quite understand the question where with uh because it was some relation to that the men's team have grown a big fan base uh yes I believe uh and was that some kind of done suggesting that the women's team have not uh the question was uh how much do you think uh trips to the United States like this can do to help grow the the Chelsea women fan base in the United States and the Arsenal women fan base um no I think it's really important to to grow on already big F base um and we saw that when we went to Australia um last May uh and we um we sold five or 6,000 tickets to our open training session over there and we see that now again here in Washington that we're a global football club and we have a lot of supporters over here in in North America and it's great to connect with them and of course making it available for them to see us play live and to meet the play and so on of course that strengthens the bonds and I think that bond between the team and the supporters is really important so uh yeah of course that's going to help us same I would say yeah this this is an opportunity for us to share with the funds in us and uh which is good thanks hi uh Tim Stillman asked plog news so my question is goingon to be for yonas um I wanted to ask about lesie Russo yonas who's on really really good goal scoring run at the moment and I know we talked about this a lot the end of last season but not just the goals but the type of goals she scores last weekend and has been scoring a lot those number nine goals um how confident are you that she can push really push her goal scoring numbers this year and get more towards the bunny Shores and the Sam K it feels such like a jinx question uh t that's that's Arsenal support to ask a question like that in public uh to be honest and what's important I'm so pleased with how Alesia is developing as a player and what kind of goal scoring position she um increasingly finds herself in and uh I really think as a forward that that should be your your aim all the time to be in the right positions and um because if you are then goals will come as a consequence of that and I said that early on when Alesia signed for us I think her finishing ability is the best that I've ever worked with so she's getting enough of scoring opportunities goals will for sure come from them and I think you can see during this summer and with the lionesses as well um that that she really finds those positions more often and more frequently now and and I think it's going to be important both for for us but also for for England we'll make that our last question uh to conclude the press conference we wanted to have uh have a photo opportunity with all three coaches right here we'd welcome any photogra photographers or camera people to capture that at um at their convenience um we're going to move the the table here to clear it for the photo thank you you than yes thank you everybody e e e