Season 8 Premiere: $7M Striker, New Co-Host & The Post-Benteke EraSeason 8 Premiere: $7M Striker, New Co-Host & The Post-Benteke EraEpisode Summary
We are back for Season 8 of the DCUK Podcast! After a mixed bag in 2025, we’re kicking off 2026 with fresh energy, a new studio setup, and a brand new co-host, Ryan. In this episode, James and Ryan break down the massive offseason overhaul, including a club-record transfer, the departure of Christian Benteke to Qatar, and our honest predictions for the upcoming campaign.
In This Episode:
- Welcome Ryan: We introduce our new co-host, Ryan, a D.C. United diehard since the RFK days (circa 2008).
- MLS History Quiz: A fun game guessing the top 10 Major League Soccer teams by total points in history (some surprises in there!).
- The "Real" Transfer News (Outgoings):
- Christian Benteke: Why his move to Qatar makes sense for everyone involved.
- Squad Clearing: Thoughts on losing Barraza, McDonald, Ruan, and the controversial Jeahze.
- Young Guns: Reaction to Kristian Fletcher’s move to FC Cincinnati.
- The New Era (Incomings):
- Tai Baribo: Analyzing the new striker arriving from Philadelphia Union.
- Louis Munteanu: Deep dive into the $7 million club-record signing from CFR Cluj.
- Sean Johnson: How the veteran goalkeeper stabilizes the backline.
- Depth Pieces: Shawn Niklaw, Keisuke Kurokawa, and Gabriel Segal.
- 2026 Lookahead:
- Pre-season at the Coachella Valley Invitational.
- Key fixtures: Austin (Away), Inter Miami, and the new schedule format.
- Fan Q&A: We answer your questions on "ball-playing" center-backs and which new signing gives us the most hope.
Listen to the Podcast:
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
- YouTube
Make sure you subscribe/follow to be kept up to date:
- All things DCUK: https://bio.link/dcunitedkingdom
- Membership: http://www.dcunitedkingdom.com/membership
- Merchandise: https://www.dcunitedkingdom.com/dcukstore
Follow us on Social Media:
- Instagram: @dcukfc
- X (Twitter): @dcunitedkingdom
- Threads: @dcukfc
- Bluesky: @dcunitedkingdom.com