Extratime

MLS Cup is just days away, and the guys are on the ground in Toronto to soak in the championship atmosphere. To help set the stage, former Seattle Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid brings his inside knowledge to the table for a championship preview you won’t want to miss. First up, which club and which city has more on the line with a first-ever MLS Cup at stake? What’s MLS Cup week like for coaches, players and fans? What did Greg Vanney and Brian Schmetzer do to get their squad rolling?

In the second segment, the guys dive into a tactical breakdown that’ll get you up to speed on what’ll go down between the lines at BMO Field. How should the Sounders deploy Nicolas Lodeiro? How can Toronto FC get the best from Sebastian Giovinco, who didn’t look like himself against Montreal? Who will come out on top between Jozy Altidore, Chad Marshall and Roman Torres in what promises to be a battle of the titans? What does Michael Bradley need to do to keep the Reds rolling? 

Predictions come first up in the mailbag, with the crew split as Schmid goes with his heart. Then there’s the requisite Landon Donovan MVP discussion and a call for more young American playmakers as the guys wrap it up and prepare for Saturday.

We've been at this for 11 months, through preseason, opening day, the dog days of summer, the playoff push and more than a month of postseason action. After all that, the 2016 Major League Soccer season comes down to two teams without a championship to their name: Toronto FC and the Seattle Sounders. MLS Cup at BMO Field will be lit, as the kids say, but will it be as incredible as the Eastern Conference Championship? The guys aren't so sure after TFC and the Montreal Impact played out a playoff series for the ages, culminating in a wild, back-and-forth, heart-attack inducing second leg that had the guys gasping for air. How'd the Reds come back after another early blow from their norther rivals? Why didn't the Impact mark (like, at all) on set pieces? Is Sebastian Giovinco alright or is there an injury issue to watch the rest of the way? Who has the edge on Dec. 10 when the Sounders travel to Ontario hoping to spoil the party?

In the second segment, buckle in for half an hour of new US national team head coach Bruce Arena, who joined Andrew and David for an exclusive interview that you can also watch above. Arena explains how the transition from Jurgen Klinsmann went down from his perspective, lays out the immediate future of the program, evaluates the player pool and task at hand and even manages to reveal a few new nuggets along the way, like which European team offered him a job in the wake of the 2006 World Cup.

In the mailbag, Matt gives his take on MLS Coach of the Year, won by FC Dallas manager Oscar Pareja, and listeners give their take on the playoffs so far and the MLS Cup matchup to come.

Finally! After eight years of trying, the Seattle Sounders are in MLS Cup after long last. Wait, finally? Long last? David is happy for the Cascadians, but he’s not sure why they’re being made out to be the Chicago Cubs of MLS. Jordan Morris may have some common ground with Michael Jordan, however, after his Flu Game performance helped take the club he grew up supporting to the brink of a title. Morris calls in to give an update on his stomach bug, describe the celebrations in the locker room and at the airport and look ahead to the biggest game of his life on Dec. 10. Plus, are the Rapids set up to compete for years to come or was this a flash in the pan?

Who will the Sounders play in MLS Cup? We know it will be a Canadian team, with Toronto hosting Montreal on Wednesday (7 pm ET; FS1 in the US, TSN/RDS in Canada) facing a 3-2 aggregate deficit. Should Greg Vanney start Will Johnson and Tosaint Ricketts? Is Didier Drogba on the brink of a Flu Game himself? The guys dive in full steam, then hit up TFC defender Justin Morrow for the lowdown on the paint fiasco in Montreal, the genius of Giovinco and the opportunity to host MLS Cup at BMO Field.

In the mailbag, big news in Los Angeles as the Galaxy name a new general manager and give some hints about their future head coach. Plus, US national team, Designated Player and Cascadia chatter.

Soccer doesn’t take a break for the holidays, and neither do Andrew and Dave in the wake of the first leg of the Conference Championships. With Matt off eating brisket in Texas somewhere, the guys celebrate Thanksgiving in the broom closet by breaking down the return of the 2016 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs on Tuesday night.

 First up, the measurement snafu at Olympic Stadium that delayed the game for half an hour, but has David making Copa Libertadores comparisons. Let’s just say it was memorable. The delay didn’t effect the Impact, who jumped out to a 3-0 lead that had Toronto FC fans thinking déjà vu following last season’s playoff disappointment. Only it wasn’t to be, as the Reds stormed back to grab two away goals. In the late game, it was a similar tale. Colorado scored first, but Seattle quickly found their feet and ended up with a 2-1 win at home that sets up a tantalizing second leg on Sunday afternoon.

Sounders right back Tyrone Mears could make the difference in that game, and he calls in to chat with the guys about the playoff atmosphere in Seattle, the team’s up-and-down 2016 campaign, Nicolas Lodeiro’s class, Jordan Morris’ future, Roman Torres’ dance moves and an international career that took some strange turns. Then Dave and Andrew offer their takes on Bruce Arena’s new/old post with the US national team and Celtic’s rumored interest in Darlington Nagbe.

In the mailbag, it’s time to give thanks. For the soccer community, for MLS, for everything that makes the beautiful game unique in the United States and Canada.

In the wake of Jurgen Klinsmann's dismissal as US national team head coach and technical director, Andrew Wiebe, Matt Doyle and Ben Baer react to the news and look ahead. Could Bruce Arena be the next head coach? Who will benefit from the change atop the USMNT?

In the first segment the guys break down both conference finals first legs. In front of two packed stadiums who will be the X-factors that will swing the series. Kurt Larson calls in from Olympic stadium in Montreal to discuss Giovinco vs Piatti, and the home field advantages Montreal will try to use.

In the second segments the guys sit down just minutes after US Soccer announces they will be moving on from Jurgen Klinsmann as Head Coach and Technical Director. Also check out a separate special episode of ETR reacting to the US news in your podcast feed and on mlssoccer.com

In the mailbag how would Bruce Arena's appointment to the US job affect the LA Galaxy, and when will a Technical Director be hired.

Welp, that was a bad week for the US national team. After a 4-0 loss to Costa Rica in San Jose, it's crisis time in the Hexagonal for one of the favorites. Jurgen Klinsmann is understandably under pressure, and the guys ponder what went wrong (again) and what it means for the future of the program. ESPN's Jeff Carlisle joins to give his two cents on the German's job security as well as rumors that LA Galaxy boss Bruce Arena could be waiting in the wings.

The offseason hot stove is starting to heat up in MLS. First up, rumors (Carlos Tevez? Please tell us it is true) and a first-ever home jersey in Atlanta, then FiftyFiveOne's Wes Burdine calls in from Minnesota to provide perspective on reports that Adrian Heath will be the club's first MLS head coach as well as provide news (or lack thereof) on the player front. Also, Benny Feilhaber's new deal in Kansas City, D.C. splash cash on Luciano Acosta, a former MVP's son signs for FC Dallas and award season rolls on.

In the mailbag, a debate about Designated Players that revolves around Tim Howard's injury, #Bielsa4USMNT, questions about the MLS Cup Playoffs schedule and Soccer Thanksgiving requests.