This week we sit down with Phil West - whose been writing about soccer since the test of time (MLS, Daily Dot, prosoccerusa.com, to name a few).

He's also a professor at UTSA and a published author! You can find his books, "I Believe That We Will Win: The Path to a U.S. Men's World Cup Victory" and "The United States of Soccer: Major League Soccer and the Rise of American Fandom" by clicking here: https://www.amazon.com/Believe-That-We-Will-Win/dp/1468315196

and here:

https://www.amazon.com/United-States-Soccer-American-Fandom/dp/1468315544/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+united+states+of+soccer&qid=1577122667&s=books&sr=1-1

We talk about a whole lot this episode: the announcement of Austin FC's new training facility, eMLS coming SXSW and of course, Claudio Reyna named Austin FC's new and first ever Sporting Director.

We also sit down with Austin FC's Vice President of public relations and broadcast. Listen to his story of coming to the states, his experience with Manchester United and a little "breaking news" of his own in his personal life.

In the middle of the hectic Premier League Mornings Live fan fest weekend, Chris sat down with NBC Sports analyst Kyle Martino to talk about the work he's done off camera, creating more places to play soccer in urban areas.

The interview tied nicely with some news last week about one new soccer facility in East Austin and some older ones that are getting updates, with help from Austin FC. The whole crew is back to talk about our own experiences with pick-up soccer growing up and some final thoughts on the inaugural Austin Bold season.

Over Under Initiative: https://overunderinitiative.com/

The Goalpher in action: https://vimeo.com/313925973

Yael Averbuch, the executive director of the NWSL Players Association and founder of Techne Futbol, talks with Michelle in this week's episode. They discuss Averbuch's playing career in the NWSL and her diagnosis that led her to retire, her leadership of the NWSL Players Association, the future of the women's league and how she founded Techne Futbol, a soccer training app, to provide weekly futbol drills rooted in the fundamentals.

For more info: https://www.technefutbol.com

Michelle, Chris and Luis also discuss the Bold's dramatic playoff match in Phoenix that ended in penalties, and they shared their thoughts on the inaugural season, NBC Sports Premier League Mornings Live Fan Fest weekend stories, and the MLS Cup playoffs!

We're covering a lot of ground this week as we shift to putting out a show every 2 weeks. With Michelle out, Chris and Luis start the first segment by talking about the tragic death of Austin Bold forward Promise Isaac. then break down the Bold's 1-1 draw at El Paso Locomotive FC (5:55).

Our interview (19:35) is with Kris Tyrpak, the Austin Bold forward and Dripping Springs native who's made his homecoming in 2019 with eight goals and counting.

Our last segment (48:35) is all about MLS. Chris and Luis take a look at the MLS allocation list — one of the ways Austin FC could acquire players between now and 2021: https://www.mlssoccer.com/allocation. Then we share our picks for the MLS Cup Playoffs (1:00:30). Which opening-round matches are ripe for upset? Who are we taking to win it all? Listen to our picks and then make your own by joining our Bracket Challenge group: https://bracket.mlssoccer.com/#league/standings/1768?code=FJ7EAE6Z

Music by Midcentury: http://www.midcenturyband.com/

We all know the soccer community in Austin is growing. But many have told us in the past -- there is not enough space to simply play. We sit down with Christie Ciccarello, the founder of the non-profit, BuildSoccer, which is working to build a $5 million soccer complex in South Austin.

We also highlight Austin FC's U-14 Academy team's big win over the Houston Dynamo, discuss the Texas Longhorns kickoff to SEC conference play and more.

Take a look (or listen) through the lens of Matt Braford and his journey with photography. He's captured the images of Austin's USL team, Austin Bold FC, on and off the pitch all season long.

Also, set your alarm clocks and get the coffee brewin' because we have some big news for you! NBC Sports is bringing the "Premier League Mornings Live" fan festival to Austin in October.

Nobody in Austin soccer has a resumé like Angela Kelly. From playing in college with Mia Hamm and Kristine Lilly, to representing Canada in the 1995 Women's World Cup, to two decades coaching, we touch it all with the head coach of the Texas Longhorns. Hear her thoughts on the 2019 season, Austin FC coming to town and the potential for NWSL to build on what Texas has done for women's soccer in the region.

We also recap the groundbreaking of Austin FC's stadium and discuss the chances for Austin Bold as they enter the tail end of the regular season.

(*Near the end, Chris incorrectly reported the score of the Austin FC Academy match. The U-14s lost 4-2 to FC Dallas after trailing 3-0 at halftime. Noah Calvillo and Misael Rangel scored the goals for Austin FC.)

Music — http://www.midcenturyband.com/

This week we welcome one of Upper Ninety's head coach Pepe Rangel. The California native talks about his soccer experience in Austin, how he ended up playing for Campbell University, and most importantly, how you can participate in the #DareToCreate event fundraiser that will take place at Native Bar & Kitchen’s Grand Ballroom on Saturday, October 19 from 5-8 p.m. To find out more or become a volunteer, visit https://www.upperninety.org/dare-to-create.

We also prepare and briefly discuss Austin FC’s stadium groundbreaking event on Monday, the Bold’s on-the-road tie against Colorado Springs Switchbacks, USA vs Mexico friendly match which is never really a “friendly”, and Texas Women’s Soccer team!

Music: "Molly" by MidCentury — www.midcenturyband.com/

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This week, we take you inside a hidden gem of the Austin soccer community as Dave Brett Wasser welcomes us into his “Tomb of Soccer History.” Wasser has been collecting recordings of soccer matches since the early 1990s, and had the most complete collection of NASL and U.S. men’s and women’s national team matches in the world.

Also, Chris is back from Ohio and he shares the Austin moments that happened during the Hell is Real match between Columbus and Cincinnati. We’ve also got updates on the Austin Bold lifting their first trophy in franchise history (Copa Tejas!) and how the Texas Longhorns fared in Colorado.

"Molly" by MidCentury — http://www.midcenturyband.com/