This week the Top 3 focuses on a topic no one can avoid:  Kit design discourse.  We address the concept and move on to on-field topics, including, SKC signed a center back(technically), and Uri Rosell finds a home in LA.  Hopefully it's not boring for him like his Spanish teammate.

Tactical Corner focuses on philosophies for defending counterattacks.  This is a poignant topic given SKC's opponent this weekend and their goals as well as the way their possession system can struggle with containing them at times.  

We also spend some time talking about the issues in the USWNT midfield.  With the World Cup looming, there is still work to do for Vlatko Andonovski and his staff and we have some concerns that pragmatic changes haven't and aren't likely to be made at this point.

And a quick discussion on newcomers and how effectively they can integrate into the team given the first league match of the season arrives on Saturday.

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A quick convo about the Chiefs 2nd SB win in 4 years, and why KC is the best sports town in the country.

Why can't Kortne Ford catch a break?  How does the team recover from this?  PV mentions a signing is coming, but what reasonably can we expect from this player?

Tactical Corner focuses on tactical flexibility and rigidity, and the reasons for both, along with the pros and cons of each philosophy.  

We also spend a moment talking about absurd MLS playoff formats and kit designs.

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We once again spend too much time discussing pre-season friendlies(scrimmages), a quick discussion on Big Willy vs. Dom Dwyer, and what reasonably can be ascertained from Vermes' preseason midfield choices.

Tactical corner focuses on a topic we reference often:  Positional Play.  What is it?  How does it work?  What are its dependencies?  Why is it so popular with a number of world class coaches?  How does SKC use it and why is that actually kind of cool?

The KC current are signing everyone.  I need to check to see if they signed us.  But seriously, the framework the Longs have built has created an insane team in its third season after making the Cup Final last year.  This team is shaping up to be an epic one to watch.

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This week Drew and Cody spend way too much time talking about irrelevant preseason friendly performances and what they mean, and why we tend to do so every year.

Apple TV's MLS platform is live.  What can we take from it so far?  How useful will it be at driving interest in the league?  Is Apple the right partner for MLS to go forward with?

Automatisms in the world game, what are they?  Why are they used?  How do SKC use them as a basis of structure and what their value is.

A deep dive into the somewhat anemic SKC homegrown situation.  Why does it exist?  Is the Academy working?  Is SKC losing a competitive advantage by not properly taking advantage of their value?

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We back and we back and we back!  After a brief hiatus, Drew and Cody make a Lazarus-like return to your ears for a full breakdown of the current state of SKC with a new pod format and structure.  

We discuss the Top 3 stories surrounding the team, which given the pre-season timing of the pod, mostly focuses on roster makeup.  The embarrassment of riches at LB, the complete lack of them at CB, and the overall depth chart and how it looks going into the season as is.

A deep dive into the 3-1-6 possession shape, how it is used in the world game, how SKC employed it last year and why we think it will return, albeit with potentially different responsibilities and results.

And finally, a word about New Jersey(i.e. The Berhalters and Reynas)

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We're back!  After a brief hiatus and 3 World Cup group stage games, we have returned to give our thoughts on the USMNT as they have advanced to the knockout rounds and have played perhaps their best soccer in the Berhalter era.  The midfield trio of Adams, Musah and McKennie have been the talk of the tournament, and rightfully so.  We discuss their performances and those of the team, as well as the structures Gregg Berhalter has employed and how they have worked, along with the execution of the team.  There are some concerns relating to depth as well as Gregg's subsititution decisions(sound familiar?), and we get into it all.

We also have a brief discussion on SKC's roster decisions that happened not long after the last pod and our thoughts(mainly how to get Khiry Shelton's agent to  negotiate our personal employment).

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We've been whining about it all year, and SKC finally signed a #6.  We discuss the addition of Nemanja Radoja, what we really know about him, and what reasonable expectations are for his addition to the team.  

The Current's run finally came to an end, and honestly they were outplayed by the Thorns.  That said, there is plenty to look forward to with that team both on and off the field.

MLS Playoffs may be increasing in game quantity in 2023, which may or may not be a good idea.  It is definitely tied to the new Apple TV deal, and we discuss what that deal could mean for the league and what we hope to see from it.

MLS Cup final is coming to LA, but you better have a bus pass if you want to go!

Finally we dig into a number of injuries piling up for USMNT players and hopefuls.  We will have a full breakdown of the roster next week after it launches.

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The MLSPA made their bi-annual roster dump just in time for us to evaluate the SKC roster, salary cap situation, and identify priorities for next year, along with discussing who should potentially stay or go?  Obviously there a many dependencies on how certain players effect the required tactics, their fit with their potential teammates, and how they effect the club's ceiling.  We try to address it all in one podcast, and as a result, its a long one!

Also a quick convo on the KC Current, who have a playoff semifinal this Sunday against OL Reign.  We feel like we are honing in on their tactical strategy, and regardless if we are right or not, they are an endlessly entertaining team to watch.

MLS Playoffs have also begun, and we discuss a few key topics at play both in the matches last weekend, and those upcoming this week.  We might also devolve into a conversation about how all good teams have a good DM/#6, which is a familiar topic to regular listeners of the pod :)

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SKC Closed out a fairly forgettable season with a somewhat forgettable result, but we tell you why you shouldn't forget it!  It's a stark reminder of some structural issues that need to be addressed, and we go through them all(sign a defensive midfielder pls, Fontas still is a liabililty, and should you build your posession structure around a 36yo RB?).  

We also discuss a couple fairly lackluster pair of friendlies for the USWNT, and finish with a discussion around the systemic issues that persist within Women's Professional Soccer in the US, and how important journalism has been in bringing them to light and holding those in power accountable.

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