We are back after two weeks off, and it seems all that has happened is people got more mad at MLS over its reticence to prop up the Open Cup and the referee lockout. We discuss how important these issues really are to anyone than other than the most plugged in fan and whether parsing them to the nth degree is valuable in any way.

The SKC roster situation is fairly boring. All of the roster additions were in what could be considered bench positions and it appears the open Designated Player slot will stay that way for a bit. There is reason for some level of malaise regarding the beginning of a season where not much new is happening with the team, but there are rational reasons for it and it may not be the worst thing to hold form for a couple months, even if fans don't want to hear it.

A discussion around whether Peter Vermes is evolving, or evolving at the rate that we think is necessary. We agree that he is willing to admit areas of opportunity and address them, but is he too reactive? Also, does he have too much on his plate? Is the team effectively using analytics and modern scouting techniques? There are a number of areas that seem from the outside to be less than optimized and could use further investment.

Finally a quick discussion on the tactical update with the USWNT and a preview of the season opener vs. Houston.

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Sporting KC have made it through the first phase of their preseason in Miami, and we try to make something of what has happened there over the past few weeks. There is some instructive information regarding the depth chart, and apparently a few players have made positive strides. One player who has not, Marinos Tzionis, has made us question both the philosophy and execution of the club's player acquisition strategy

SKC traded two international roster spots for a cache of General Allocation Money, in a transaction you can only find in MLS. We will break down what it may be telling us regarding SKC's player acquisition strategy going forward especially in regards on one player the team has been linked with.

Tactical corner focuses on how to create high quality chances(those with higher percentage chance of creating a goal), and how the most recent tactical strategy has been a bugaboo for allowing that to happen with the regularity we would all like to see.

Finally, some discussion around the manufactured parity in MLS and how your finishing position in the league often defines your offseason.

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Barely more than a week after a fairly uncomfortable press conference was convened to announce Gavin Wilkinson's hiring as Sporting KC's new Sporting Director, Principal Owner Michael Illig released a written statement on the SKC website stating that they have mutually parted ways. This was in response to consistent pressure from fans, business partners and key stakeholders. While it was good to see club leadership relent and fix an obvious hiring mistake, some questions remain on how we even got here in the first place.

Kellyn Acosta has been one of the bigger names in MLS Free Agency this season and he is yet to sign with a team. Reporting via Tom Bogert with The Athletic has him linked with SKC as a possible destination along with the Chicago Fire and Colorado Rapids. We discuss his potential fit in KC and what the impacts could potentially be for bringing him aboard.

MLS Referees are embroiled in a labor dispute with PRO Referees, the MLS funded organization that employs them. A work stoppage would undoubtedly be a bad look for a league making a lot of strides in global relevance and candidly, the league refs make peanuts compared to the vast majority of the players they are meant to adjudicate.

Finally a round robin of topics including the end of Camp Cupcake and what can be taken from the friendly match that concluded it, along with some more head scratching decision making by the Current in how they manage movement of players on and off their roster.

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We aren't doing this podcast or the fans of the club justice if we do not talk about the extremely questionable decision of Sporting Kansas City to hire Gavin Wilkinson as its new Sporting Director.

We do our best to cover the most important details of this decision, the history of Wilkinson as a front office leader, and his culpability in multiple instances of women being mistreated.

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We are back after a several week hiatus after Sporting KC dropped the bombshell that the home match against Inter Miami would be moved to Arrowhead. This obviously sent shockwaves through the SKC community, and we try to break down all the various perspectives on the move and the potential it holds for the club long term.

Gadi Kinda officially left SKC for Maccabi Haifa, and the announcement video was patently absurd.

MLS tried to say nah to the US Open Cup, but was rebuffed. We discuss the decision, and the rather putrid following the tournament has for most fans and how to improve that.

Camp Cupcake is in full swing, and we are struggling to find the excitement. Hopefully some fun players make an impact here, but it is hard to predict who that will be, if anyone.

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Drew and Cody bring out their exam results and discuss the season grades for players on all 3 lines as well as the technical staff. There were highs and lows, and opportunities for improvement, and we cover them all.

It seems increasingly likely that Gadi Kinda's time in KC is over. We discuss the big picture reasons for that change happening as well as how SKC could move forward.

Finally MLS hot stove is in full gear, and we will learn a lot in the next couple weeks how KC will go into the 2024 season roster construction-wise.

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We tried to prepare ourselves last week, but the finality of the decisions to move on from Graham Zusi and Roger Espinoza have us feeling some kind of way. We spend some time memorializing their impact and discuss how things may move forward from here.

Speaking of moving forward, the roster decisions allowed Drew to do his annual nerdy spreadsheet work and talk through multiple ways SKC could potentially strengthen their roster this winter or perhaps in the summer. Things are far more positive than in years past while still having a good base of a team to work with.

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Sporting KC were unceremoniously eliminated from the MLS Cup playoffs Sunday night in Houston. The team maintained their 4-4-2 mid block/low-pressure setup meant to create counterattacking opportunities that worked so well against St Louis, but it was ineffective against Houston.

We discuss the tactical plan, whether it was the most appropriate choice, and the struggles the team had in getting quality goal scoring chances from the transition events they created.

There was of course a dubious non-call that blanketed much of the conversation of this game, so we give it the appropriate coverage, while also considering the mistakes outside the referees and how, while unlucky, it shouldn't be the primary focus of fans' ire.

Graham Zusi and Roger Espinoza may have played their last minutes for Sporting KC, we discuss their impact at the club, and how the club still struggles to replace their influence. We will know Friday if one or both are sticking around, along with a number of other players. Next week will include a much deeper dive into roster construction going into 2024.

A quick MLS Cup final prediction to close things out.

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Because there is nothing else going on, it seems everyone is focused on being MLS scheduling professionals. We discuss the three week break and how much it really matters, as well as how avoidable it really was.

We dive deep into the upcoming match against Houston, how they like to progress the ball, and how SKC might negate it.

Tactical Corner is a deeper dive into Alan Pulido and what makes him good, and why it's hard to see if you only look at trailing indicators. Also, how he lets Salloi be the player he can be.

The USMNT qualified for Copa America and the Nations League semifinals but certainly left a lot on the table for the discourse.

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SKC unceremoniously sent St Louis back across the state to start their offseason after a fairly comprehensive 2-1 scoreline that honestly flattered their opponent. It was a competitive affair for about 20 minutes until SKC settled in and fairly significantly controlled the match the rest of the way.

Logan Ndenbe cemented his status as "Playoff Logan" right before rupturing his ACL and somehow playing for another 40+ minutes on it. It was an insane display and a heartbreaking injury for a player that was in great form.

Tactical Corner focuses on the differences we will see with Tim Leibold on the field in Ndenbe's stead, and whether that will actually potentially be a positive given SKC's potential future opponents, as well as what that means for the depth chart at the position going forward.

Potpourri covers a number of news topics of the week like the 3-game 1st round MLS Playoff format, the use of VAR, the USWNT hiring a coach, and what the USMNT will look like in upcoming Nations League matches and the upcoming Olympics as they attempt to build depth in the roster looking towards the 2026 World Cup.

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