Defenders of the Banc - The LAFC Podcast

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As we near ever closer to the 100th episode, we begin to think about those bucket list items that we would like to achieve. While we haven’t scaled Mt. Kilimanjaro or learned Swedish yet, Episode 98 is one of those bucket list moments for Filly and the Scarf.

While he rose to fame as a model in Italy in his early 20’s, Max Bretos has made a splash on the world of sports for several decades now. His illuminating work on the world of paintball as a co-host of “Splatter Factor” sent waves through the sport. His months at WWE helped to push the bar ever higher in sports entertainment. He left his mark on Sky Sports, Fox Sports, and the ESPN family of networks before the career and, dare we say, life-altering decision to move to Los Angeles and take up the mantle of the Black and Gold on all of its platforms.

You have heard his countless trademark catchphrases: “Jumanji”, “one bite at the cherry”, “back… back in black!”, and the unforgettable “Carliiiiiitoooooooooos!” Now, you get the chance to hear him tell his story as only he can, with Filly, the Scarf, and his son, Maxi, interrupting him at every turn! The voice of LAFC joins Defenders of the Banc for a very special episode, featuring over an hour of stories about calling eMLS matches, Florida State basketball in the 90’s, how he became the Soccer OG, interviewing Yasiel Puig, and seeing Iron Maiden at the Banc. Oh, and we also talk about LAFC. We promise!

A very special thank you to Max Bretos for joining us on Episode 98, and a huge thank YOU to our listeners who help make this so much fun! See you next time for Episode 99! 

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We may not have been able to go nuts at the Banc watching our boys beat Carson, or rally Remi to a virtual victory in the eMLS tournament, or even actually see the game going on inside Dave Denholm’s head, but the boys at Defenders of the Banc are here to re-cap every LAFC-filled event going on this past week. It’s time for Episode 97!

In the next of the soon-to-be-short lived series of uniform numbers, we give props to hockey’s “J.R.”, while Scarf takes us down his 11-year old childhood memory lane and a short trip to Dodger Stadium. Don’t worry, Scarf takes it full circle back to Episode 95 as the segment ends with Deep Thoughts with Filly. 

How does Serie A have the money (or the desire) to lure Brian Rodriguez to Italy? (It doesn’t) When will players be able to pass a ball to each other at the Training Center? (Soon, we hope) When is the next Blood Drive at the Banc? (May 28th) And finally, why are the boys’ respective Bundesliga teams so terrible? (We are gluttons for punishment)

We recap the imaginary football match held inside the twisted mind of Dave Denholm, dubbed “Faux Trafico”. Why didn’t Denholm announce the height of each player, and just young Nick Depuy? How did Dave build the drama after the 90th minute? And, really, was there any doubt how it would all end?

Unfortunately, Remi’s run in the eMLS tournament came to an end, but not without an amazing effort and goal from Dio… by Dio! Our “Great One” #99 backed up all the smack talk with his 2-1 leg win. 

Finally, on this episode we talk about a man’s calves, we try our hand at a few impressions, and we look forward to the final 2 episodes of “The Last Dance”. Just your normal, everyday episode of Defenders of the Banc! Thank you all for listening!

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Episode 96 – Practice! We’re Talking About Practice!

Finally! Live players. On a real pitch. Wearing those beautiful grey LAFC practice kits! It’s Episode 96, and, after about 8 weeks, we finally get to talk about… practice! 

It may only be a few players at a time, and they may not be able to share a ball or a bottle of water, let alone the workout room, but this week, LAFC’s Training Facility opened for the first time in two months. Trickling through the parking lot was Carlos Vela, Diego Rossi, and even a healthy Bradley Wright-Phillips. As Mohamed El-Munir so rightly put it, “This is better than nothing."

In addition to practice, Episode 96 naturally got us thinking about the year that was ’96. Jordan’s Bulls, GoldenEye on N64, Bill Clinton elected president, and… the Macarena? History will judge us harshly for that one. We ask the question, “What if Kobe went to his hometown Sixers in the 1996 NBA Draft and not to L.A.?”

The Defenders also cover the Mark-Anthony Kaye vs. Lee Nguyen FIFA20 “friendly”, though nobody told Lee to play nice. A 6-1 thrashing by the USMNT over MAK’s Canada set the tone for a rough 3-game outing for our beloved Canadian midfielder. We miss you, Lee, but we’ve got nothing but love for Kaye!

Filly and the Scarf are keeping a close eye on the Bundesliga and the KBO, hoping beyond hope that these first tests of the “new normal” go off without a hitch. While we would have loved to have taken over San Jose today, seeing our Black and Gold friends healthy and safe takes precedence.

Episode 96 has a little bit of everything and everyone. Why are we following a team in K-League soccer? What’s Scarf’s favorite Bundesliga team? What are Filly’s words of wisdom at the end of the episode? Did the boys really find a way to bring up the Canadian Tuxedo yet again? And what the heck is the “Wooden Spoon Award”? You’ll have to listen to the entire episode to find out! And for the first time, stick around AFTER the boys sign off for a bit of behind the scenes banter between Scarf and Panda. Poor, poor Filly. Somewhere, Chris Kirkpatrick is smiling… with his soul patch.

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Take a journey down the 95 with Filly and The Scarf! Just 5 episodes away from triple digits, the Defenders break down yet another virtual victory for RemiMartinn, this time over SKC’s eMLS representative, Alekzandur, Alexander Betancourt. With a surprising amount of LAFC-related news to tackle, and the occasional rant with Filly, sit back and enjoy Episode 95!

With MLS set to open for individual training on May 6th, how will this affect the Black and Gold? What about Los Angeles’s Stay At Home order? How do you train without sharing a ball? Who gets the best parking space at the training facility? With so many questions, Filly and the Scarf explore what practices could look like in the face of COVID-19. 

Also on the pod, Alicia Rodriguez solicits fans’ opinions on the best player kits and keeper kits in LAFC’s history. Which black kit won? Interesting results on the keeper kit front, as well! Please make sure to sign up for the Blood Drive at Banc of California Stadium, to be held May 8th, in partnership with the Red Cross. As someone who needs medicine from blood products to survive, Scarf certainly appreciates your donations!

Is Gareth Bale coming to LAFC? Who brought up the pig races at the LA County Fair? Why did Tyler Miller sub HIMSELF out of goal? And what is the Memory Banc? All these questions and more are answered on this episode of Defenders of the Banc. Enjoy!

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The headline is almost becoming redundant: “RemiMartinn Wins Again”, and we couldn’t be happier! The Crusading Champion of the Controllers, Martin Oregel, takes to Twitch once again in another installment of the LAFC Gaming Charity FIFA Challenge, this time against Chicago’s BITW7. It’s time for Episode 94 and more victorious exploits from our eMLS gamer. 

 RemiMartinn absolutely dismantles Chicago’s eMLS gamer, BITW7, in the best-of-three series in the name of the LAFC Foundation. Virtual Vela, Rossi, and a moment of glory for Jordan Harvey are all part of another big weekend for Remi. You can hear the entire recap of Remi’s rout right here on Defenders of the Banc. 

 Lots of news and notes abound in this episode! Filly and the Scarf take a trip around the other major soccer leagues, bringing you news about the Bundesliga, Serie A, La Liga, the EPL, and the Eredivisie. Back home, Alicia Rodriguez is up to more good things over at Angels on Parade, this time chronicling the whereabouts of LAFC players of yore. The moratorium on training has been extended, but it hasn’t killed Steven Beitashour’s desire to get back on a roster in MLS. Will Ferrell joins the fight against COVID-19 as part of the All-In Challenge. Where does Carlos Vela stack up in the pantheon of Los Angeles’ athletes? And what about LAFC? You’ll have to listen to find out!

 Also on this episode, Filly learns the word “demoralizing” while Scarf does a decent job at pronouncing Monchengladbach. And yes, that was a Nico Czornomaz sighting on the podcast! Thank you all for participating in #Haturday, especially on one of the hottest days of the year so far! We can’t wait to unveil next week’s fun, and to celebrate LAFC Day with all of you on the 27th! See you next week for Episode 95!

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It might be hard to keep track of the days of the week, but at least the boys at Defenders of the Banc are keeping track of their episode numbers. It’s time for 93!

 Since the quarantine, it’s been the RemiMartinn show, and he has provided us with plenty of entertainment. This weekend marks the kickoff of the eMLS Tournament Special, a new 32-player tournament featuring one active MLS player and their eMLS teammate from 16 MLS squads. The tournament has a fair amount of star power from the league: USMNT players Sean Johnson (NYCFC), Paul Arriola (DC), and Aaron Long (NYRB), former Manchester United stars Nani (Orlando City) and Chicharito (Carson), and the newest starting keeper for Minnesota, Tyler Miller. 

 LAFC has a duo in the tournament as well, led by 5th ranked eMLS gamer RemiMartinn and rounded out by our Great One himself, #99, Adama Diomande. Our first-round matchup in the tournament? Of course. Bring on “e-Trafico”! The first match pitted Dio vs. Chicha, and it was a close, tight affair. Dio came away the victor, 1-0, handing Remi a one goal aggregate advantage. Remi fell down 1-0 early off a bad giveaway but stormed back with three unanswered goals to close out Carson, 4-1 on aggregate. 

 Next up were the owners of the worst crest in MLS history, the Chicago Fire, architects of the upset win over FC Cincinnati (is any win against Cincy really an upset?) and current #1 ranked eMLS player “Fiddle”. Dio absolutely dominated his matchup, 4-0, while Remi took his game going away, 2-1, for a 6-1 aggregate win and a spot in the semi-finals. We’ll have to wait four weeks to see Remi in action again in the tournament. 

 Also on this episode, the Defenders discuss the disappearance of promotion/relegation in Liga MX, the disappearance of the US Soccer Development Academy, and the disappearance of Schmitty McMittens’ litter box from Filimonster Studios! Filly rants on the Berhalter family again while Scarf runs down This Day in LAFC History. We’ve absolutely loved all the Black and Gold (and white, and yellow, and navy, and camo) kits in our #ShowUsYourKits weekend, and can’t wait until next weekend, where every day is #Haturday!

 While we work through this strange journey, thanks so much for taking the time to listen to Defenders of the Banc. Stay healthy, everyone!

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On Episode 92, the 5th episode in our social distancing series, the boys may finally be losing it. Scarf sings The Police (not well), Filly busts a blood vessel as Filly Savage, and the mere mention of one of Saskatchewan’s most beautiful cities, Regina, makes them crack up like the middle schoolers Scarf teaches. 

 
Don’t worry! The Defenders actually spend most of the episode on LAFC and soccer-related news and happenings, even in these crazy, confined times. With so much great content released by and about LAFC each day, it’s hard not to! Our friend Kevin Baxter over at the LA Times has two great articles up right now, including one about the amazing work done by Will Walsh, Director, Digital and Content for LAFC. Walsh brought together LA’s finest, along with participation from Anaheim and Carson, on a great PSA about preventing the spread of coronavirus. Please make sure you check out the video!

RemiMartinn battles a teenager in Virtual Vancouver, and the result is a tie. The three-match series ends dramatically, as Exraa nets a goal in stoppage time to bring an end to the action at 6-6, with each game ending 2-2. Incredible symmetry from two of the best in eMLS. 

This Day in LAFC History highlights the birth of two of our favorite people, Larry Freedman and Max Bretos! Born just one day apart, it has us thinking, “What would LAFC be like without these two?!” Also on the episode, Al Raitt kills it with LAFC trivia, Mark-Anthony Kaye teaches us how to make incredible coffee cake banana bread (bread), while Bob Bradley has a surprising answer for the best player he has ever coached. Finally, the boys inch closer to Defenders: The Website, Defenders: The YouTube Channel, and Defenders: The Bingo Game! “Muy-chan-di-sing!” (We love Spaceballs. Perhaps too much…)

Here’s to staying home together and to getting back to the Banc as soon as it’s safe to do so. Shooeys for everyone!

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With the Coronavirus quarantine in full effect and the Belarusian Premier League having finished for the day, the good people over at LAFC Gaming knew just how to get 17,600 members of the Black and Gold faithful hyped for soccer: RemiMartinn.

 eMLS’s number 5 ranked competitor was set to take the sticks against FC Dallas’s gamer, i9ibbs, in the second FIFA20 Charity Challenge. Still riding the euphoric wave of his epic defeat of Carson last week, Remi showed up and showed out yet again, taking down Dallas in the second match, 4-0, en route to a 1-2-0 showing and a 7-3 aggregate thrashing of i9ibbs. No dramatics needed from Carlos Vela in this one, though he did notch another hat trick. Goals by Dio and Blessing bookended a beautiful chip by Diego Rossi, and Remi bagged another series victory. 

 Great commentary from Max and Rogo and excellent production value made for a very enjoyable time, but it left the boys asking one question: Where is Gigi? 

 Episode 91 also asks the question, “What were you doing in ‘91?” Were you watching Jordan’s Bulls take home their first chip? Cheering Leeds United as they won the last championship before the start of the Premier League? Doing the wave at Dodger Stadium as Darryl Strawberry took the field for the Boys in Blue? Heck, Major League Soccer was still 5 years away!

 The Defenders also talk about the rumor mill, as the familiar names of Rossi and Atuesta make their rounds on the gossip circuit. And what about our #1 spot on the Allocation Rankings List? Could someone the caliber of Alphonso Davies, Deandre Yedlin, or Sebastian Giovinco really be heading to LAFC? No, but it’s fun to look at the list! 

 The boys enjoy their usual banter as Filly laments his Knicks, Scarf beams over Bryce Duke getting his homework in on time, and the two continue to work on their website. (It’s coming soon, we promise!) Happy birthday, Devo! 

Just nine episodes from hitting triple digits, and we start to wonder, will the quarantine be over in time to celebrate #100 with the millions (and millions) of Defenders fans? We hope so, but just in case it isn’t, we will still be here offering you a bit of a distraction in these trying times. We love you all! Now go wash your hands and #StayHome!

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There's no need to look for Polish MMA or Hungarian soccer! Here on Episode 90 of Defenders of the Banc, we've got all the details on the domination of the "Digital Derby" in our first episode covering eMLS!

While physical sports are on hold for now, leave it to our good friend Alex Sale and everyone at LAFC and LAFC Gaming to keep the competitive juices flowing. Martin "RemiMartinn" Oregel, LAFC's first eMLS competitor, and Giuseppe "The Godfather" Guastella, Carson's eMLS representative got together for a wonderful cause during these tough times: The LA Charity FIFA Challenge. 

What's better than one "e-Trafico" match? How about four?! RemiMartinn dominated the first game, 3-0, but Giuseppe answered with a 1-0 win in the second match. It came down to a third match to decide a winner, and after 86', things looked grim for our Black and Gold Defender of Twitch. Leave it to the MVP, Carlos Vela, to find more magic with that digital left foot and net the equalizer with just 3 virtual minutes remaining. What a goal!

Just like that, what was supposed to be a best-of-three quickly became a best-of-four. RemiMartinn saved his best performance for last, a dominating 3-0 win behind a hat trick for, of course, Carlos Vela, and just like that, the Digital Derby was ours!

It wasn't just a win ON the pitch. LAFC's fans on Twitch, which at one point numbered over 16,000 (!), raised over $5200 to support the LAFC Foundation and aid in the fight to defeat COVID-19. Wow! We love our Black and Gold family!

There are the usual suspects on the episode: This Day in LAFC History, LAFC News and Notes, and some pretty good banter between the boys. Which MLS superstar called Vela the best player in CONCACAF? Who is on LAFC's Mount Rushmore? Is Filly really GQ Mexico's newest subscriber? And why does Scarf want to be on the cover of Highlights? You'll have to tune in to Episode 90 to find out!

As always, thank you so much for listening to Defenders of the Banc! We've got some spectacular content coming, and we really appreciate your support!

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Cruz Azul at home? Postponed. A trip to Estadio Azteca? Grounded. Turning the Timbers into toothpicks? Delayed. But it's going to take more than a worldwide pandemic to keep Filly and the Scarf from recording our latest episode!

Welcome to Episode 89, Podcasting While Social Distancing. Keeping a standard 6-city distance away from each other, Scarf is home in Lawndale while Filly sets up shop at world-famous Filimonster Studios to record our first episode since COVID-19 reshaped our collective reality. You may hear a few minor audio issues while we work out the kinks of recording remotely.

There's still plenty of LAFC-related talk to be had! Did an MLS defender throw all the other MLS defenders under the bus while also talking smack to Carlos Vela? Did Marco Ureña really sign with a newly promoted K-League side? And what part does Niko Hämäläinen play in this episode?

Filly and the Scarf also take a second to remember Jeffrey Ghazarian, a member of the Black and Gold family who lost his life to COVID-19. 

Finally, on this episode, you'll hear some of our opinions on this strange new normal that we are all facing in light of the coronavirus pandemic. We may be two outspoken, goofy, shooey-consuming podcast hosts, but we also understand how important it is that we all come together in these extremely trying times. We can only hope that by sharing our thoughts with all of you, we can weather all of this together. One big Black and Gold family. 

We'll be back to Defending the Banc soon enough, but until then, stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, and thanks for listening to Defenders of the Banc!

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