Extratime

MLS Cup reaction from Columbus and so much more.

MLS Cup is set! Columbus and Portland took care of business on the road, which means the Red Bulls and FC Dallas have to wait until next year while MAPFRE Stadium hosts the big game. Crew SC hero Kei Kamara finally gets his studio invite and gives the guys the lowdown on post-game celebrations, expectations for the final, his in-game lovefest with Tony Tchani and much more.

Not to be forgotten, the Portland Timbers continued their torrid road form in 2015 to clinch their first MLS Western Conference championship. Matt, David and Andrew weigh in on how the Timbers got it done, and ask what lies ahead for RBNY and FC Dallas.

In the mailbag, the MLS Best XI debate rages on, and fans ask whether this the best/most exciting MLS Cup Playoffs ever?

Thanksgiving is here, and Andrew, Matt and David are giving #ThanksToSoccer the only way they know how, with a full hour to get you through holiday travels.

First up, a massive game for the Red Bulls, who have a mountain to climb after last Sunday's 2-0 loss in Columbus. Crew SC should be feeling good...but not that good considering New York's home form. Then FC Dallas defender Zach Loyd pauses daddy duty to explain why the Western Conference's best regular-season team feels confident they're primed for a good performance in the second leg of their Conference Championship.

Portland's Nat Borchers, meanwhile, will do everything in his power to take the Timbers where they've never been before. MLS Cup, to be specific. He also gives his Thanksgiving meal preferences and shares a special off-the-field story from the first leg at Providence Park.

In the mailbag, the guys share what they are thankful for in North American soccer this year.

The Chicago Fire are making moves, and general manager Nelson Rodriguez joins Andrew and David to talk about the latest hire: Veljko Paunovic as the club’s next head coach.

As you make your way to visit friends or family on Thanksgiving, get the lowdown on the situation in Chicago, including Rodriguez’s philosophy on Designated Players and a USL team in the Windy City.

With long drives and flights ahead as you connect with friends and family on Thanksgiving, the guys at ExtraTime Radio knew you'd need something to occupy your time.

With that in mind, Andrew invited Philadelphia Union midfield Michael Lahoud to join him in the studio for a wide-ranging interview that reveals the hidden details that govern player life in MLS, the bizarro world of Chivas USA, international soccer in Africa and Schools for Salone and the Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone.

Three games remain in the 2015 MLS season, and the guys gather to break down how we got to this point after Sunday’s Conference Championship first legs. Up first, the Western Conference, where the Timbers put on a show without Diego Valeri and ran out 3-1 winners at home. Fox Sports pundit Alexi Lalas was at Providence Park and says Dallas still has plenty of room to muscle in on an MLS Cup experience.

Out East, Justin Meram threw a sucker punch heard from Columbus to New York then Kei Kamara did what he does best to make it 2-0 and give the Red Bulls a mountain to climb at home. What happened on the defensive breakdowns? Did Crew SC out Red Bull the Red Bulls? What’s the tactical landscape look like for the second leg?

In the mailbag, a Mexican legend is linked with the open Chicago Fire coaching job. David and Matt say it would be a good hire. What do you think? We have Fire swag for the best emails and tweets!

The international break (and the wait for Audi MLS Cup Playoffs soccer) is over. We’re on the verge of the Conference Championships, which means Andrew’s on his way to MAPFRE Stadium for the first leg of the Columbus Crew SC-New York Red Bulls series. But before he left, the guys got on the phone with Kei Kamara, the most potent goalscorer left in the playoff race, to talk shop. Bad news for Red Bull fans: Andrew reminded Kei that he hasn’t scored against New York yet this season. David and Matt hold down the fort in studio and break down the upcoming (Sunday 5 pm ET on ESPN and ESPN Deportes) matchup and the clash of soccer styles.

Out West, two of the most exciting young players in MLS prepare to lead their squads into a winner-take-all clash. Can the Timbers’ Darlington Nagbe continue to carry Portland to heights they’ve never hit before? Or will FC Dallas’ Mauro Diaz prove he is the most talented player in MLS, and make Doyle eat his words?

In the mailbag, the news never stops in MLS as Seattle and Chicago make big coaching announcements. Plus, the guys give a quick NCAA tournament primer, and look back at the World Cup qualifying results in CONCACAF.

The United States national team flattened St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Friday night, but there are still plenty of questions to be answered. Who starts and in what formation when the Nats take the field in Port of Spain to take on Trinidad & Tobago in what will be their toughest test in CONCACAF’s Fourth Round? Andrew wonders whether Bobby Wood should be a shoo-in starter, and Matt praises Darlington Nagbe’s effect on the team. Not to be forgotten is the monumental victory up north by Canada against one-time boogieman Honduras. The guys look ahead to the CanMNT’s next match in San Salvador and the nation’s odds of qualifying for the Hex.

World Cup Qualifiers hum along, but don’t forget we are less than a week away from more Audi MLS Cup Playoffs action. Four teams enter the conference championships with their MLS Cup dreams intact. The guys look back on the offseason moves and regular-season performances got the Red Bulls, Crew SC, Timbers and FC Dallas to this point.

In the mailbag, the guys dive back into the ETR Book Club discussion as Matt weighs in on Das Reboot and explains what the US can borrow from World champion Germany. Plus, why aren’t there more Germans in MLS?

The ExtraTime Radio Book Club is back with a wide-ranging interview with Raphael Honigstein, the author of Das Reboot: How German Soccer Reinvented Itself and Conquered the World.

Honigstein joins Andrew and David to explain how a critical eye and investment in youth development (and Jurgen Klinsmann) helped spark the revolution that took German soccer from doomsday to a World Cup victory.

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