Defenders of the Banc - The LAFC Podcast

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Hello Defenders! It's been over 10 days since you've heard from us. Yes, part of the time was spent nursing our wounds (and hangovers) from the defeat at the Banc in the Western Conference Finals, but we have also been anticipating the MLS Cup Final between our new least favorite team in the league, Seattle, and our former captain's current home, Toronto. 

Joining us for a fun, sometimes off the rails, and Theraflu-infused episode are Nina and Panda of the Center Mid Chicks podcast and a friend to the Defenders of the Banc (and Filly's co-worker), Byron Paredes. 

Our day started with a heavy dose of EPL, as we took in the Liverpool vs. Manchester City match with our friend Al Raitt. After a bit of grilling (and a beverage or two), it was time for the MLS Final, where, for the third time in four years, it was Seattle vs. Toronto. Seattle takes the crown in 2019, 3-1, behind another playoff goal for Raul Ruidiaz, some help from Toronto to get on the board first, and the eventual winner by Cup Final MVP Victor Rodriguez. A late goal from superstar substitute Jozy Altidore wouldn't be enough, as Toronto fell in Seattle in front of almost 70,000 fans. 

Also on this episode, our apologies to the Hanna family, as Filly prematurely announces the death of beloved animal caretaker Jack Hanna. Scarf knew you were very much alive and well! Hear Nina reminisce somewhat poorly about the times she rejected Scarf's dating advances several times! Hear Scarf cough, choke and struggle to breathe as he waits for the Theraflu to kick in! What a show!

With the end of the season comes the start of the madness, as a small trade window, contract extension deadlines, and the expansion draft all loom on the horizon. Rest easy friends, as Filly and The Scarf will have another episode for you in about a week, discussing all the dates, moves, and possibilities. Until then, thank you for your support, and, from a very grateful podcast team, Happy Veterans Day to all our servicemen and women, especially Panda and Papa Scarf. We thank you all for your service. 

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Episode 67 is here, and, unfortunately, with it comes the end of the 2019 season, with two less wins and one fewer game than we had hoped. Apparently, it’s time to wake up from the dream season that was 2019.

In an episode we are calling Yellow and Green Make LAFC Blue, Filly and The Scarf recap the ugly defeat at the hands of the Seattle Sounders. While it’s hard enough to play against the 11 on the other side, the yellow team did us no favors tonight either. Beyond blatant handballs, flagrant fouls, and a lack of awareness of what was happening on the pitch led LAFC to fight an uphill battle all night, even while opening the game’s scoring in the 17th minute. A wonder strike from Eduard Atuesta gave us an early lead, but the front line of Nico Lodeiro, Jordan Morris, and the debut game against the Black and Gold for Raul Ruidiaz proved too much for LAFC. 

The 3-1 defeat doesn’t take away any of our accomplishments during this historic season, but it does give the feeling of unfinished business. We have so much to be thankful for, while still being left wanting so much more. Congratulations to LAFC on a wonderful sophomore season. We at Defenders of the Banc cannot wait to see what 2020 has in store. 

Thank you for all of your support throughout this second season of Defenders of the Banc! Look out for new episodes, more fundraisers, and fun interviews this offseason as we look to do something other than drink out of a shoe until the first match at The Banc next season.   

We Love you ALL,

Filly and The Scarf

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It took six tries, but when it mattered most, when we needed it most, when we wanted it most, history FINALLY happened at Banc of California Stadium. Los Angeles Football Club defeats the Carson Galaxy, 5-3, in a loser-goes-home Western Conference Semifinal playoff match. 

Welcome to Episode 66, and to paraphrase Dave Chapelle as the late, great Rick James: "It's a celebration, Defenders!" What an incredible night at the Banc. Led by our MVP, Carlos Vela, the return of Adama Diomande, and some incredible saves by Tyler Miller, LAFC check off a lot of boxes. First playoff win? Check. First win over our hated rivals? Check. One step closer to winning MLS Cup? Check!

Hear a full game recap from Filly and The Scarf, as well as a few thoughts on the upcoming match against Seattle, a small sermon in the beginning from Scarf, and some emotional moments from Filly towards the end of the episode. Defenders, what a night. Enjoy the episode!

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Round 1 of the 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs is in the books, and what an amazing set of 6 games it was! Episode 65 from Defenders of the Banc serves as a recap of the round and, of course, sets the table for the Battle of Los Angeles, Round 6. 

The theme for Round 1 of the MLS Cup Playoffs could be Extra Time, as half the games went more than the usual 90'. The Conference Semifinals are set: In the East, it's Atlanta vs. Philly in the ATL while Toronto heads to the home of the Metropolitans, Citi Field, to take on NYCFC. In the West, RSL and Seattle survive and advance to a date in the Pacific Northwest. The other game in the West...?

Don Garber, you're welcome. It's the best derby in MLS, and for the second year in a row, we are going to play three times. This one is easily the most significant game in the history of the rivalry and in the history of our club. LAFC is set to take on Carson at the Banc on Thursday, October 24th.

Filly and The Scarf provide their thoughts on the lineup for the Black and Gold, the team from down the 110 in Carson, and final score predictions. This is it! This is the big one. Hopefully after listening to Episode 65 (with a new intro provided by our friends at All Good Things!), you'll be as hyped as we are heading into the Battle at the Banc! Dale Black and Gold!

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The first week of MLS Cup Playoffs is upon us. For LAFC, that means a little bit of rest, as the boys in Black and Gold secured a bye in the first round. For Filly and The Scarf, it means we get to release an interview that we recorded during the summer and earlier this season with LAFC's Director of Match Day Presentation, Al Raitt. 

Al has been with the club since the beginning, and he has one of the more unique and fascinating jobs at LAFC. We had a great time sitting down with Al talking about everything from his tough upbringing in Irvine, California to the many, many things that go into getting the Banc ready to roll for home games, concerts, and other events. 

Hear all about Al's first gig with the Angels, his journey through the Southern California sports scene with the Angels, Clippers, Kings, Reign, and even Carson, with a small pit stop in Seattle, and, of course, the "Mic D" controversy at the Banc. Al was an incredible guest to have at Filimonster Studios, and we hope you enjoy listening to the interview as much as we had recording it!

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Episode 63 is here, and it’s the final episode of the 2019 regular season. Could LAFC and Carlos Vela provide more history in what has been the most incredible season in MLS history? Get your left shoes ready!

34 weeks of an MLS season, and it all came down to the final day of the year. LAFC needed a win to set a new points record. Carlos Vela needed one more goal to be able to call the single season MLS record his own, all while attempting to outrun a lion in Carson. And perhaps most importantly, the Black and Gold needed to find their form at home leading up to playoffs, all while sending out USMNT legend Tim Howard. 

The atmosphere was electric, and The 3252 somehow came out louder and more energetic than normal. Everyone wanted to see history. LAFC dominated possession for the first 20-25 minutes. However, it wasn’t until Latif found our MVP in the 28’ that the first bit of history was made. Carlos Vela was now sitting on 32 goals, the new MLS record. That record stood for a whole 3 minutes, when a bicycle kick by Vela made it 2-0, and more importantly, 33 goals to the recently scored 30th by Zlatan. As the second half kicked off, Tristan Blackmon found Vela yet again for his second assist of the match, and the HAT TRICK for Charlie Candle. 

LAFC closed out the match 3-1, and with that result, tied the record for most goals in a season, broke the points record of 71 to get to 72, and ended their regular season on a high note. Oh, what a night!

The boys will be back later next week with a few interview episodes, and before you know it, it’ll be time to kick off the playoffs! We hope you enjoy this episode of Defenders of the Banc!

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Welcome back, Defenders, to another episode of Defenders of the Banc with your hosts, Christian "Filly" Filimon and "The Scarf" J.R. Lebert. Episode 62 awaits, recapping our Black and Gold's travels to a beautiful stadium with an awful pitch, Minnesota United FC's Allianz Field. 

Game 33 of the season comes with a large slice of history, as Carlos Vela lit the candle for the 31st time of the year, tying Josef Martinez's one-year old record of goals in a season. It was another wonder strike from the best left foot in MLS! Unfortunately, just 5 minutes later, Diego Palacios, making his LAFC debut, kept Michael Boxall onside as he took a free kick for a wide open header and the equalizing goal, knotting the score at 1. If not for a few great saves by San Pablo, the starting keeper in both games this season against the Loons, the result could have been much worse. 

Also on this episode, the #KickChildhoodCancer fundraiser comes to a close with a rather fantastic dollar amount being donated to the cause. Thank you for ALL your support throughout this month. 

So many things to learn in this episode: Find out why The Wonderwall, Minnesota's supporter section adopted Oasis' hit from 1995 as their own, find out what a Loon is, and find out which player on MNUFC reminds Filly of vodka. Hear a prediction from Scarfstrodamus about our final game of the season another moment of This Day In LAFC History. And why are the boys singing Chumbawumba?!

We look forward to one more regular season home match at the Banc next weekend, October 6th, in what will be Tim Howard's swan song. Until then, Defend the Banc!

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It's Episode 61 of Defenders of the Banc, and it's the episode we have been looking forward to all season! No, not the return of Christian Ramirez... (but that did happen!) LAFC entered the mid-week matchup against the human highlighters from Houston with a chance to lock up the coveted Supporters Shield, our club's first piece of hardware, and in front of 22,000 screaming fans, history was made! WE WON THE SUPPORTERS SHIELD!

In what was the most significant step in an incredible 2-year journey, the Black and Gold are able to lift the shield in front of their home fans, and in convincing fashion. This wasn't backing our way in to the shield, or waiting for a result from another team. This was the LAFC we have grown accustomed to. Future MVP Carlos Vela slotted home a PK earned by Brian Rodriguez's wonderful effort to become the second player to ever net 30 goals in an MLS season, and keep his distance on the Golden Boot race at 2. Tyler Miller scored an own goal just 6 minutes later, and we enter the half tied at 1. Heroics from Lee Nguyen kept Houston off the scoreboard in the second half as Diego Rossi and Eduard Atuesta each put one in, and the celebration was on! 3-1 LAFC is your final, and the shield was ours. Stop us if we have said this already: WE WON THE SUPPORTERS SHIELD! 

Also on this episode is This Day in LAFC History, our "Wait, What?!" moment (it's shield-related!), and further info about Oktoberfest at The Fields on Saturday, September 28th. You'll hear Scarf's awful Jeff Goldblum impersonation and Filly sing a little Oasis! You'll find out how you can still contribute to Defenders' Kick Childhood Cancer Fundraiser! And you'll... OMG WE WON THE SUPPORTERS SHIELD!

Enjoy the episode!

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On our latest episode of Defenders of the Banc, we hit the big 6-0! 60 episodes of Defenders, and this one is special for the Bradley family. Our intrepid leader, Bob, matches wits against Toronto FC and their midfielder, his son, Michael, for the first time at Banc of California Stadium. With history in our sights and the playoffs inching (or as Filly says on this episode, millimetering) closer, we recap the 1-1 tie with Toronto. 

For what seemed like the seventh or eighth time in a row, LAFC falls behind early. A deflection in the box fell to the feet of USMNT stalwart Jozy Altidore. His pass to Endoh led to a goal from a tough angle, and just like that, it's 1-0 Toronto after 20 minutes. However, that would be the end of the Toronto offense, as LAFC did not give up a single shot on goal for the remainder of the night!

LAFC certainly rallied in the second half, looking a little smoother on offense, generating many more chances, and allowing the large foul disparity in the first half to even itself. However, it seemed like the FC Dallas game all over again, for despite plenty of chances, the score still stood at 1-0. Laurent Ciman, formerly of the Black and Gold, subbed on in the 76' to firmly park the bus and shore up a road win for Toronto. However, our game MVP, Latif Blessing, doesn't know when or how to quit, and his effort right before the death netted LAFC a much-deserved penalty kick. Carlos Vela stepped up and buried it right before the final whistle to move closer to the Golden Boot and the single season goal scoring record. 

Also on Episode 60, both Filly and Scarf address the rumors surrounding Adama Diomande and his leave from the team. Spoiler alert: We support you, Dio. The boys also recap LAFC's chase of individual and team records and the Supporters Shield race, share another event from This Day in LAFC History, and give a shout-out to the Black and Gold Running Club one episode later than they had planned.

Find out how Scarf's Topps MLS card sale fundraiser for the Children's Oncology Group Foundation went! Find out which kit Filly received in his latest shipment from Away Days! Learn a little about the Southern California Seahorses! And maybe, just maybe, we can put the hashtag #BlameFilly to bed. 

The Shield is just one win away, Defenders! We'll be back in just a few days as the reunion tour continues. Houston, led by former striker(-ish) and local product Christian Ramirez, will be at the Banc on Wednesday just in time for us to celebrate the Black and Gold taking home our first piece of hardware. See you then!

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For the first time, the boys in Black and Gold travel to the City of Brotherly Love to take on the Philadelphia Union. Another game means a new episode of Defenders of the Banc, with newly plant-based Christian "Filly" Filimon and, as Christian called him on tonight's episode, the "Sultan of the Scarves", J.R. Lebert.

Before getting into the match recap, Filly and The Scarf wax poetic on all things Iron Maiden, as the metal-rock legends stopped by Banc of California Stadium on their Legacy of the Beast Tour for a face-melting experience.

The game in Philly wasn't as nearly a face-melting time. It took just three minutes for the home team to strike, and LAFC looked to be in for a long night after a series of near-misses and second chances for the home side, who could have put one or two more home before the halftime whistle. However, just before the half, more history for LAFC as the presumptive favorite for the MVP, Carlos Vela, found the back of the net for his 28th goal of the year, a total only achieved once before in MLS history. What made this goal even more remarkable was that it was scored with his RIGHT food, not the left! 

It was back and forth for the remainder, but nothing came of the efforts on either side, and LAFC heads home winless in their last 4 but still comfortably ahead in the Supporters Shield race. 

Also on this episode, both Filly and The Scarf drop some Latin and Greek knowledge on you! Find out why Filly decided to sing "Black and Yellow" (it's for a good cause!) and why Scarf referenced Will Smith in Men In Black (Mario Mandzukic is NOT coming). With a week until Toronto comes to the Banc, we express our fondness for our former captain, unless he scores, of course. Lastly, the Defenders invite everyone to their tailgate and Childhood Cancer Fundraiser as well as to Oktoberfest, both in late September!

Please give Episode 59 a listen, and don't forget to hashtag all your posts this month with #KickChildhoodCancer! 

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