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Season 5 is almost upon us, and we here at Defenders Nation, preachers of the Black and Gold gospel, absolutely cannot wait! With our new vestments freshly unpacked, the "5 Years Strong" kit, we are indeed feeling stronger than ever. But while the kit may be new, and the coach may be new, and many of the players may be new, the goal remains the same: win the whole damn thing!
 
 Here on Episode 180, it's a solo Scarf endeavor, as Filly takes a short break from the pod to continue to kill it over in MASL-land. Not to worry, however, as Scarf takes you through all the happenings in pre-season. 
 
 Out in Windio, LAFC gains their wings with a 6-1 drubbing of the Red Bulls after a no-show against DC, and the performance by Rayito has Scarf right back on the bandwagon. LAFC wasn't done "tweaking" the roster, or the front office! Marco Antonio Garces comes over from Pachuca in what feels like a huge move for the FO. Ryan Hollingshead and Doneil Henry give the Defenders of the Banc two new defenders to support, and we welcome the Mayor's staff to the sidelines, including one coach who stayed, one who returned, and one who will coach our keepers. 
 
 We spotlight players of the past, including updates on Eduard Atuesta and Diego Rossi, players of the present, as Eddie Segura and Ismael Tajouri-Shradi recover from injury, and players of the future, as Nathan Ordaz and Marvin Gamez headline the next budding young crop of talent. Wait until you hear about all the LAFC Academy talent and girls from LAFC SoCal Youth called into US national youth camps! 
 
 What happened during the Academy's Open Cup qualifying run? What's the South Korean connection between Kim Moon-Hwan and Canadian Doneil Henry? Is it Furman College or Furman University? To get the answers to these, and all your other Black and Gold queries, please enjoy Episode 180 of Defenders of the Banc! Is it Opening Day yet?!