Malia Berkely On Recent Performances, Martial Arts Influence & Bay FC Match | Attacking Third

North Carolina can punish you and one of the ways they can is Malia Berkeley Berkeley on this corner through the air header it's in North Carolina tall this is a picture perfect ball into the mix another header for North Carolina my goodness and this service from Berkeley is in the mix really good work from her slips through St George has a chance and she takes advantage three goals for North Carolina in the first half weaving through the Midfield and then dipping the ball in St George really good work from Malia Berkeley the assist Legend herself North Carolina Defender Malia Berkeley joins the show Malia welcome in thanks for joining us hi thanks for having me this weekend you got your first assist congratulations but I have to say it again congratulations congratulations because you had three in the span of 45 minutes becoming the first nwsl player to record three assists in one half congratulations you led North Carolina to a 4-1 win over San Diego you just got to watch those three assists back and you were smiling I was watching you in studio what were you thinking about rewatching those honestly just really happy for my teammates you know we've struggled a bit on the road and I think that this was a really big turning point for us and haly what a great header that was and fely being in the right spot getting up and then Bianca just slotting it away I just I'm really proud of my teammates and happy for all of us so aside from now being a history maker something else that's going really well is your partnership with Kaylee kurts can you tell us a little bit about how that's come together the chemistry there how impactful your combo has been I think KK has helped me in every possible way on the field off the field we have such a great relationship and it I think it's been translating and you know we we do film together we send Clips back and forth after games we're talking through every situation to try and make sure we're always on the same page and obviously she's such a great defender so I have so much to learn from her and I'm really thankful for Mia I wanted to ask you because typically we've seen you as a six and scor ing some goals and being really dynamic in the middle of pitch but now in the backline with KK at Center back how has maybe elements of your game as a typical midfielder and sha nahas helped you in becoming sort of a special Dynamic Center back now I definitely think that in my past being in the Midfield I I like to be technical I I like to do moves I like going forward getting forward so um Sean's given me a bit of the freedom to do that and I think think that because we're such a possession oriented team that the way that we keep the ball and move the ball allows me opportunities to go forward it allows a lot of our um Defenders to go forward and get the opportunities we defend as a team and attack as a team congratulations again on such a massive game against San Diego but the timing of this on the road the road record for the courage has been a talking point this season and with this being the playoff push how massive is it to have this sort of performance and maybe kind of smash a little bit of that narrative moving forward as a team kind of continues to jockey for position in the playoff picture I think it's very important uh obviously as every team has we've been dealing with injuries not having everybody here but we stay together as a whole team we work for each other well we don't try to let any excuses into our play and we try to stay true to how we're playing and I think that that's finally been translating and you know we don't get on each other in a bad way but we do because we know that we need to be better especially away from home with as good as we are at home so I think this is a really good turning point for us Malia home or away watching in person watching on TV I can always find you with that white scrunchie that you wear is there a story behind it why do you wear the white scrunchie um I started wearing a white scrunchie in the beginning of college so that my parents could find me easier on the field um and yeah it just kind of stuck and now I no matter what size scrunchie I do like a bigger white scrunchie but I always have to have the white scrunchie for a game well I like it shout out to your parents for that idea and the bigger the better for me that way I can find you too you know maybe you should show up in a white scrunchie on Monday for Malia I'll do it for Malia of course uh Malia we also heard that you are multi-talented and you have a black belt in martial arts absolutely so cool to hear that how does the skills and the training that you do for martial arts translate to soccer well I think martial arts in itself is a discipline so I think that it's really helped me kind of take that mindset into soccer um obviously from going College to Pro every player will tell you it's it's a big difference the the style of play is faster you have to be more fit and I think that the discipline of martial arts and knowing like you have to be completely bought in in everything that you're doing in a sort of fighting situation is the same as for soccer if you're not giving your 100% then you're not only letting down yourself but your team and so that's something that I don't want to do for my team so I I try to give my all in everything that I do I have a little bit of a a two- part of here kind of just with what you're talking about with the martial arts and it's maybe related to your teammates you talked a lot about discipline but I know with martial arts like flexibility coordination matters and all that if you had to look at it across your roster of teammates would you think would maybe be a good candidate if they wanted to take up martial arts all of them especially Keepers they're flexible they got to be able to reach for everything to make those kinds of saves that they do which shout out to them because they do make some pretty amazing saves um but yeah honestly just the competiveness within the team I don't think anybody would want to not be good at it so I think every do it they're all another teammate question because I we also learned that you were a big Star Wars fan so I was like I definitely have to get in a Star Wars question or two here when you're looking across your roster of teammates who's giving more light side energy or dark side energy oh wow um I would definitely say that Sully has a bit of dark side energy just that's our fearless Captain our fearless leader she's got to have that bite to her and Light Side definitely roomy which I think is perfect because their relationship and friendship as you know is it's seen everywhere and I think it's perfect balance for each other in the six ISM there oh I love that Malia I want to ask now because sha nah house gives me so much stick on this show about anything I say regarding North Carolina why is he Darth Vader he's Darth Vader I'm definitely gonna say we're the Clones we gotta get behind our fearless leader for that too so great answer great answer for this weekend upcoming you guys take on Bay FC with the playoff push and so much still to come for this season and for North Carolina what's the number one Focus against Bay just to keep being ourselves playing our style and we're at home we want to get the result obviously we want to get the result on the road as well but at home this is our territory and we got to defend the Fortress I love that the Fortress the look she's a real Star Wars fan she knows she knows what's up okay Malia we at attacking third are curating a playlist attacking third playlist we listen to a pre- studio and we're getting everyone's favorite song So this season right now now what is the number one song on your Pregame playlist that we need to add to ours oh my goodness honestly it depends on the day what kind of mood I'm in if I need to settle some nerves or if I'm trying to Hype myself up but um oh goodness it's like I'm blanking on every song ever now um it happens we understand it happens if is there a genre you can give us of Music um I like R&B music oh yeah all right who's your who's your go-to artist for R&B go-to artist I like old school kid ink to be honest okay taking it back to college yeah kid in Dr love it okay we're adding it Darien I got you great thank you so much Mia thank you so much we appreciate it and good luck this we this weekend and the rest of the way thank you guys so much