u/mjLA23

Giulia Domenichetti — former Italian futsal pro and Serie A Femminile futsal coach — is now leading San Marino’s first‑ever senior women’s national football team. In this clip, she talks about how surprising the role is (the team didn’t exist before), how the players are still getting to know each other, and how the staff is evaluating younger athletes while building a methodology from scratch.

A lot of people are still overlooking African teams in the World Cup 2026 — but that might be a mistake.

In this short clip from a World Cup discussion, Manny Otiko and Sha G. talk about why Morocco, Senegal, Ghana, and Ivory Coast all have the talent to make serious runs.

Such a good interview with Philippines NT player Ariana Markey! She is such a confident player.

Saw this part of an interview with Filipinas player Ariana Markey and thought it was interesting — especially her path to where she is now.

She talked about some of the sacrifices she made while playing for the national team:

• Missed prom
• Didn’t graduate with her class
• Was doing school remotely while competing internationally

Instead, she described it like this: “My high school experience was traveling around the world.”

She also mentioned that she never really thought of herself as “good enough,” but instead relied on the work she put in and feeling prepared every time she stepped on the field.

“I always felt prepared out there.”

She also went into her recruitment process (UCLA, USC, Michigan State, etc.) and why she chose Pepperdine — mainly because of the environment and how it pushes players to grow and take risks.

Philippines National Team and Pepperdine player Ariana Markey talked about why she likes playing left back and how she approaches the role:

• Likes playing wide and taking people on
• Comfortable inverting into midfield/attacking spaces
• Describes the position as giving her freedom to be “unpredictable”

She also emphasized the balance: “When you play a defender, you have to remember your first role is to be a defender.”

She also mentioned she doesn’t see herself as an aggressive player, but once she’s on the field.

“I’m not going to slow down.”

Thought it was an interesting look at how younger players are thinking about the modern fullback role, especially with how much more attacking responsibility is expected now.

Came across an interview with Philippines NT player Ariana Markey and thought this part was interesting.

She talked about wanting to face teams like Spain, Brazil, and Australia at the next World Cup just to see how she matches up against that level.

“It would be really fun… to see where I matchup against some of the best players.”

She also mentioned a moment from the Asian Cup where she went up against Ellie Carpenter (someone she models her game after) and ended up making a tackle near goal:

“I don’t even know what urged me to go for that tackle"

Beyond that, she said she wants to contribute more offensively (even from the backline) and become more of a consistent threat.

Thought it was a cool mix of confidence and self-awareness from a younger player coming up in the national team.

Came across an interview with Julia Quiñonez (Mexican-American player at Pepperdine) and thought this part was interesting given how many dual-national players are in the pipeline.

Came across an interview with Philippines Women’s National Team player and Pepperdine standout Ariana Markey and thought this part was interesting.

She talked about her mentality as a defender and how she actually enjoys the role:

• “I want to be annoying and bothersome… I really enjoy shutting down players.”
• Doesn’t really focus on who she’s marking — just sees it as another challenge
• Sees losses as opportunities to grow and “rise to the occasion”
• Emphasized that playing at a high level is about holding yourself to a standard

She also mentioned pushing herself to the limit with the national team and believing she can compete with top players.

Thought it was a good look at the mindset behind defending and competing at that level.

Love the way she celebrates her scores!

Came across an interview with Julia Quinonez (Pepperdine) — she’s Mexican-American and has been in both U.S. and Mexico youth national team environments.

She talked about what it’s like navigating that decision and representing both sides, plus her development through college soccer.

Thought it was interesting given how many dual-national players Mexico is looking at right now.

Hi everyone — wanted to share a clip from Filipinas player Ariana Markey's Cleats & Sneaks interview that I thought was pretty powerful.

She talked about taking a penalty in the SEA Games gold medal shootout vs Vietnam and basically said:

“Absolutely, I want to take this PK. It was about stepping up in the moment.”

She also mentioned using self-talk before the kick and even referenced a Bible verse she carries with her:

“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

Thought it was interesting hearing how players mentally approach those pressure moments!

Hi everyone — I wanted to share Part 1 of an interview Cleats & Sneaks did with Ariana Markey, a Pepperdine player and member of the Philippines Women’s National Team (Filipinas).

She had some really strong insights about her mindset and playing for the national team:

• “I’m hungry to score all the time” — even when playing defense
• “You go out there to win, not trying not to lose”
• “I bet on myself”

She also talked about facing Japan in World Cup qualification and how playing against top teams like that is helping prepare her — and the Filipinas — for the 2027 World Cup.

Thought it was a great look at the mentality behind players representing the Philippines at a high level!

In Part 6 of Julia Quinonez's interview with Cleats & Sneaks, the Pepperdine forward breaks down what really separates a “footballer” from a “soccer player” — the crafty details: one-twos, clean side-foot touches, and playing with feel.
Then, she gets specific about her go-to goal-scoring moves: “jab and go” or a big touch and just run — because (thankfully) she’s fast and can blaze past defenders in space.
When it comes to her favorite performance from last season? Julia highlights Pepperdine’s 3–0 win over Arizona — a game where she didn’t start, was furious, and responded the best way possible: a goal and an assist. “I was furious… I needed that goal.” Julia doesn’t mind playing angry — she channels it.
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Pepperdine soccer star Julia Quinonez talks about how Team USA and Team Mexico U20 camps boosted her confidence and shaped her as a player.

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