Here and Abroad

The USMNT has now played two of their three group stage matches in the Gold Cup. Last night, they beat Saint Kitts and Nevis 6-0. On today’s show, we’ll talk through that match, look ahead to their final group stage match against Trinidad and Tobago, and talk about a few of the other teams that have stood out so far in this Gold Cup.

To help me today, I’ve invited Jon Arnold to join the show. Jon is the creator of Getting CONCACAFed, a newsletter featuring reported stories, features, and opinion on soccer in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. He’s covered Concacaf for around a decade. You can find Jon on Twitter at: @ArnoldcommaJon

On today's show, we are going to preview the Gold Cup which runs from June 24 until July 16. The U.S. plays their first match this Saturday night against Jamaica.

To help me preview the Gold Cup, I’ve invited Arch Bell to join the show. Arch is a Senior Writer and Editor for Concacaf.com. You can also find his work on ESPNFC.com and MLSSoccer.com. You can follow him on Twitter at: @ArchBell

On today’s show, we are previewing the USMNT vs Mexico Nations League semifinal which kicks off this Thursday, June 15 in Las Vegas. Whoever wins will play either Canada or Panama in the final on Sunday, June 18.

To help me preview the match, I’ve invited Larry Henry Jr to join the show. Larry is the Managing Editor and USMNT Writer at SBI Soccer. He’s also a contributor for MLS NEXT Pro. You can find Larry on Twitter at: @lhenry019

The European summer transfer window is nearly here! Each of the top five leagues will open their window sometime in mid-June or early July. On today’s show, we are going to talk about which USMNT players to keep an eye on during this summer transfer window.

To help me do that, I’ve invited Meg Swanick to join the show. Meg is a journalist who covers U.S. soccer at all levels. Her work appears in various publications including The Guardian, MLSsoccer.com, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and Bleacher Report. She runs a substack and podcast called “The Swan Dive with Meg Swanick”. She also does script writing for Men In Blazers. You can follow her on Twitter at: @Meg_Swanick

Leeds United lost to West Ham on Sunday which left them in the relegation zone with one more match to play.  They’re currently two points from safety which means if they want to avoid relegation, they’ll need a win and some help in the final matchday this Sunday.

Of course, there is a lot of American interest in Leeds this season. An American, Jesse Marsch, started the season as their manager but was fired in February. Three American players - Weston McKennie, Brenden Aaronson, and Tyler Adams - have logged significant minutes with the team this season. I’ve been curious what the folks in Leeds think about this American contingent and the impact they’ve had on the team.

So I reached out to Joe Donnohue and invited him to join the show today. Joe is a Leeds United journalist with the Yorkshire Evening Post, a daily newspaper out of Leeds. He’s also the host of The Scouted Football Podcast which focuses on Under-23 football. You can follow Joe on Twitter at: @JoeDonnohue

On today’s show, we are going to preview the U20 World Cup which starts this Saturday, May 20. The U.S. plays their first match against Ecuador on Saturday afternoon and then play their two other group stage matches against Fiji on May 23 and Slovakia on May 26.

To help me with this U20 World Cup preview, I’ve invited Brian Sciaretta to join the show. Brian is a writer at American Soccer Now. His work also appears in various newspapers across the country and he’s a frequent guest on Talksport & SiriusXM. You can follow Brian on Twitter at: @BrianSciaretta

We also spend the last part of the show discussing Folarin Balogun's switch from England to the United States and the impact this will have on the USMNT.

On today’s show, we are going to take an early look at what the USMNT roster might look like for the Nations League Finals which start on June 15. The final roster should be announced around June 5. So why are we looking at the roster so far ahead of time? I thought it would be fun to identify the players who are on the bubble of making this roster so that we know which position battles to watch more closely over these next 30 days.

To help me this week, I’ve invited Sanjay Sujanthakumar to join the show. Sanjay is a freelance soccer journalist. His work has appeared on Backheeled, The Scuffed Podcast, The Yanks Are Coming, and The Striker News. You can follow Sanjay on Twitter at: @tha_Real_Kumar

This week, Matt Crocker was officially announced as the new Sporting Director for U.S. Soccer. He comes from Southampton FC where he’s been their Director of Football Operations since 2020.

Since the announcement, I’ve been trying to read all I can about who he is, what he’s done, and what he might do with the USMNT. I’ve read some good things but one piece that’s been missing for me is: What do they think about him in Southampton? He’s been working there for the past three years in a role similar to the one that U.S. Soccer just hired him for. So what do folks around Southampton think about the job he’s done?

To help me answer that question, I’ve invited Jacob Tanswell to join the show. Jacob is a football reporter covering Southampton FC for The Athletic. Previously, he spent three years writing on south coast football, working as a sports journalist for Reach PLC and Dorset Live. In 2021, he was awarded the Football Writers' Association Student Football Writer of the year. He is also a regular guest on the Total Saints Podcast. You can follow Jacob on Twitter at: @J_Tanswell

On today’s show, we’re previewing the USMNT’s upcoming match against Mexico in the first edition of The Allstate Continental Clásico. The match is this Wednesday night, April 19 in Glendale, Arizona.

To help me preview the match, I’ve invited Larry Henry Jr to join the show. Larry is the Managing Editor and USMNT Writer at SBI Soccer. He’s also a contributor for MLS NEXT Pro. You can follow Larry on Twitter at: @lhenry019

Tim Weah missed the USMNT’s recent Nations League window due to an injury. But I have good news! He was back on the field this past Sunday where he started and played 81 minutes in Lille’s 3-1 win against Lorient.

Weah has been getting a lot of minutes for Lille over the last few months but not at the normal right winger position that USMNT fans are accustomed to. At Lille, he has been playing fullback. On Sunday, he started at right back for the third match in a row. Before then, he had been starting at left back since early February.

So why is Tim Weah playing at fullback, how has he been performing in the role, and what does it mean for his future? To help me dig into this, I’ve invited Ryan Tolmich to join the show. Ryan is the American Soccer Correspondent for GOAL. You can follow him on Twitter at: @RyanTolmich