Joining Susannah for this week’s Gathering of The Committee is TacticsFreeZone writer and Kickback member Matt Doyle!

00:12 - Opening and May The 4th Be With You, Matt Doyle. With the day here, Matt gives some thoughts on Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Steven Speilberg.

05:01 - Sooz has thoughts and feelings about the slate of announcers hired by Fox for their 2026 World Cup coverage and its lack of American voices.

18:48 - Checking in with Doyle on his independent career, how’s it’s going for him and some advice he leaves for others in the same work space. Doyle also leaves his thoughts on the MLS season so far and his biggest surprises on a team and league level

30:51 - We get BREAKING NEWS as Kei Kamara’s retirement is announced, mid-recording (Thanks, Tommy Scoops!). We celebrate Kamara’s career and success story in life.

35:04 - At the ripe age of 74, Bruce Arena is leading his 5th MLS club into a Supporters Shield contender. We look at his remarkable career and parse the broader coaching tree formed from working in american soccer for over four decades, including current coaches like B.J. Callaghan and Pat Noonan.

49:06 - Previewing UEFA and CONCACAF Champions League & Cup with both competitions in their 2nd legs of the semifinals. The ethical case on why Arsenal should lose this competition. The issues on why MLS teams in the modern era struggle to win CONCACAF constantly and prior missed opportunities.

01:02:56 - Reality TV Recap which is Today, The Other Sports Recap. Sooz and Doyle watched the Kentucky Derby and the former talks about her appreciation and desire to wear one of those giant hats. Doyle talks about his Celtics losing Game 7 of their first round series vs. the Sixers. Doyle also talks about what drink he would be having right now as spring settles in.

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See our First Touch ’26 Preview page for breakdowns on all 48 teams competing this summer: First Touch 26' World Cup Preview

Susannah is joined by co-founder of the Stadio Football podcast Ryan Hunn for this week’s edition of Committee Open Mic!

01:18 - Intro

03:18 - Finding out Susannah’s mother in-law, Leslie, is a big Stadio fan and introduced Sooz to the words of Ryan and Musa

06:27 - Sooz asks how Ryan and Musa met and formed Stadio together

12:58 - How did Ryan and Musa figure out what worked for this show?

17:11 - Ryan’s reaction the first time he heard Musa laugh

18:17 - Favorite episodes that he’s recorded over the years

24:51 - The connection Stadio has forged with Vermont Green FC

31:51 - Sooz and Ryan talk about how One Knox was brought to Stadio’s attention (Hi again Leslie!)

34:23 - Ryan compares USL’s various leagues to MLS and Europe and praises the community aspects at the lower leagues

39:14 - Ryan talks about attending his first USL game in-person at Vermont Green vs. Portland Hearts of Pine

42:34 - Sooz’s mother-in-law Leslie praises Ryan and asks about the effect of pro/rel in the USL and what can be learned from the issues older leagues have faced, including bridging better gaps

56:47 - Ryan’s complex feelings on the incoming World Cup

01:06:10 - Storylines Ryan is excited to follow

01:07:45 - Impressions of the USMNT

01:13:33 - Ryan’s thoughts on the England MNT

01:16:16 - How is Ryan consuming this World Cup?

01:18:09 - Quick Fire Question Round

01:23:32 - Close

Stadio Football: linktr.ee/stadiofootball

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See our First Touch ’26 Preview page for breakdowns on all 48 teams competing this summer: First Touch 26' World Cup Preview

Susannah is joined by NO CO-HOST THIS TIME. She’s not alone though! Guesting on today’s Committee gathering are her husband and One Knox Head Coach Ian Fuller along with former USMNT and New England Revolution forward Charlie Davies!

03:17 - Sooz chats with Ian about the Cupset Victory over D.C. United, the impact of the victory on the club, going from a baseball field to a soccer-specific stadium and preparing for their next match against the Columbus Crew to continue the Cinderella journey. A sprinkle of Premier League talk and Ian’s fandom of Newcastle before we transition to our second guest of the hour.

24:45 - Charlie Davies joins the show to talk about his fandom of Arsenal, the current situation in their chase of the league title against Manchester City, gauging Arteta’s standing with fans, the thin line between a potential Arsenal cup double or nothing at season’s end.

48:38 - Charlie talks the state of the New England Revolution under Marko Mitrović with their game against Orlando City in the U.S. Open Cup awaiting. He also gives his flowers to One Knox and Ian’s work to pull off the Cupset.

55:58 - Reality TV Recap with Sooz talking about her experience working the Baller League broadcasts. Working with figures like iShowSpeed, Marlon, XQC (Ian has no idea who these people are) before going into the latest on Survivor this week and season at large.

Baller League: ballerleague.us/en

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See our First Touch ’26 Preview page for breakdowns on all 48 teams competing this summer: First Touch 26' World Cup Preview

Susannah is joined by Chicago Stars midfielder Brianna Pinto for today’s Committee gathering!

03:45 - The news of Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird’s divorce has shocked the wider sports world. Sooz in particular has a hard time grappling with the news.

07:48 - NWSL announces Columbus, OH as the next NWSL expansion city.

10:12 - The Columbus news leads to a bigger discussion about the NWSL possibly switching the current league calendar to a Fall-Spring season to align with Europe. Brianna has MANY THOUGHTS about this possibility. Points of contention include team infrastructure and player health & safety.

18:07 - Check-in with Brianna and her Chicago Stars season so far. Brianna talks patience as they build the team up and figure out their identity. Brianna also mentions what team has surprised her so far in the NWSL season.

26:31 - The duo talk the recent USWNT vs. Japan matches. Who had a great camp, who raised their stock, who struggled and what can be taken from this camp as we inch closer to the 2027 Women’s World Cup.

37:22 - We continue the ranking game fun this week by having Brianna blind rank 12 iconic men’s World Cup kits spanning decades from Soccer.com’s Top 10 Kits in World Cup History list. (Link at the bottom of this description to follow along for podcast listeners, podcasting is a visual medium)

01:02:16 - Brianna talks her excitement for the 2026 World Cup and discusses her role in bringing this Cup to the US when she spoke at the 68th FIFA Congress in 2018 with Alfonso Davies and Diego Lainez while she was playing with a USWNT U-20 Team (and overcoming some public speaking fears she had!)

01:08:38 - Reality TV Recap and Close. Brianna just started Netflix’s “Beef” series. Sooz is watching Top Chef: Carolinas which spurs a discussion about Carolina BBQ.

Soccer.com’s Top 10 Kits in FIFA Men’s World Cup History: https://www.soccer.com/guide/top-10-world-cup-kits

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See our First Touch ’26 Preview page for breakdowns on all 48 teams competing this summer: First Touch 26' World Cup Preview

Susannah welcomes ESPN NFL writer, host of “The Bill Barnwell Show” and contributor to NFL Live, Bill Barnwell to today’s episode of Kickback Committee: Open Mic!

03:00 - Sooz and Bill recap their days at SB Nation together and not realizing their respective soccer fandoms.

07:00 - Bill explains how he became a soccer fan, a supporter of Leicester City FC and the club formerly known as the NY/NJ Metrostars, now the New York Red Bulls, going back to 1996.

12:48 - Sooz asks Bill who are his Leicester City legends. We also get to see Bill’s shiny soccer ball autographed by Kasey Keller. The football phone that is normally in place in Bill’s background, we learn hasn’t worked in 25 years.

17:37 - Bill’s best AND worst in-person soccer experience ever.

22:15 - Career pivot to Soccer writing at any point? Future Liverpool supporter Graham Barnwell? And Bill’s thoughts on Liverpool’s future ahead.

33:41 - Musings on Leicester City’s future, facing back to back relegations and how to manage expectations.

36:49 - Bill’s feelings on the upcoming 2026 World Cup and expectations for the USMNT in the face of trying to cultivate a new identity for themselves.

45:54 - From someone who covers the most popular U.S. sport, how can soccer use this opportunity for growth in the US? (featuring Bill picking on England because it’s fun to do)

50:54 - Bill’s 2nd Team to root for in the World Cup and thoughts on the New York Red Bulls in 2026

54:52 - Fast Fire Question Round

01:00:03 - Close

Bill Barnwell: Bluesky

The Bill Barnwell Show: Apple Podcasts Spotify

ESPN Work: Contributions

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See our First Touch ’26 Preview page for breakdowns on all 48 teams competing this summer: First Touch 26' World Cup Preview

Today’s Committee gathering is with Susannah Fuller and Toronto FC and USMNT defender, Walker Zimmerman!

00:42 - Walker gives us some positive life updates with his third child on the way, his thoughts on Toronto FC’s recent 1-1 draw vs. FC Cincinnati and his game winner vs. the Columbus Crew.

07:08 - Marie-Louise Eta is appointed interim manager of Union Berlin in the Bundesliga, becoming the first woman to take charge of a top flight european men’s club. The crew discuss the impact of this appointment.

15:20 - The MLS Coaching Carousel gets rolling ahead with the firing of Marco Donadel by CF Montreal in MLS. Walker gives some insight on being in a locker room when a coach gets let go.

24:18 - Sooz chats with One Knox SC owner Drew McKenna on the eve of One Knox’s first match in club history against an MLS opponent, D.C. United, in the U.S. Open Cup. Drew talks about their chaotic victory over Asheville City SC, the landmark trip to Washington, D.C. and their hopes for a Cupset victory.

42:00 - Walker talks his experience playing in the U.S. Open Cup from the MLS player POV and gives advice to the One Knox players coming in as the underdog.

44:54 - The second legs of the UEFA Champions League Quarterfinals are on deck this week. Sooz and Walker try to predict how all matchups are going to end purely from the vibes across all teams. Sooz vents a bit more about the state of Liverpool in 2026.

53:08 - HAIRSTYLES! It’s 58 days until the 2026 World Cup which means we ask Walker to blind rank 10 famous hairstyles from prior men’s World Cups. This list includes Carlos Valderrama and Rodrigo Palacio for Very Different Reasons. We also walk down memory lane and review Walker’s past haircuts in his own career.

01:09:54 - The Reality TV Round Up which becomes The Survivor Recap with Walker Zimmerman. The failure of The Billie Eilish Boomerang idol, Blood Moon Triple Elimination, the double edged sword of contestants giving feedback on social media after a show airing and their shared hate of contestants Coach and Emily.

01:23:08 - Close

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See our First Touch ’26 Preview page for breakdowns on all 48 teams competing this summer: First Touch 26' World Cup Preview

It’s Susannah Fuller and Jordan Angeli coming to you for this week’s Committee gathering!

05:26 - Susannah address some recent changes with her hair on-camera.

08:16 - Reports confirm that Patrick Agyemang has torn his achilles and effectively ends his World Cup hopes.

11:16 - Sooz airs some grievances over Liverpool’s recent performances and Szoboslai blasting fans for leaving Anfield early mid-match.

16:13 - Jordan talks about experiencing the Denver Summit inaugural home game with over 63,000 fans at Empower Field. Producer Doug, who made the trip, joins to talk about the day from his POV. Shoutout to Jordan’s cousin with the pizza oven at the tailgate.

34:29 - The crew discuss the latest USWNT roster release and preview the upcoming matches vs. Japan. The returns of Sophia Wilson and Tierna Davidson marks a major boost for the team.

45:53 - Sooz talks about her trip to Asheville, NC for One Knox’s US Open Cup game vs. Asheville City SC, better known as The Smokey Boot Rivalry, including the sights and sounds of SCREAMING CHILDREN IN HER FACE. Other USOC matches incoming the week of April 14-15 including One Knox vs. D.C. United

57:44 - The Committee continues building the 2nd Team Rooting Guide for the 2026 World Cup and we get Jordan’s answer on what variable she considers to pick a 2nd team.

01:02:40 - What is normally the Reality TV Recap is swapped to talk about The Reality TV-esque drama with Christian Pulisic and Alexa Melton.

01:09:59 - Close

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See our First Touch ’26 Preview page for breakdowns on all 48 teams competing this summer: First Touch 26' World Cup Preview

A dramatic finish to the final international window before the World Cup, including U.S. disappointment, PKs deciding final qualifiers, Italy despondence, and Bosnia glory from checks notes…a Wisconsin native? Gass is joined by Chicago Stars midfielder Brianna Pinto and MLS Reporter Michele Giannone to dive into the formation, lineup choices and performance by USMNT against Portugal and how fans should feel heading into the World Cup. Then they discuss the crazy endings for the last few qualifying games including Italy failing to qualify for their third straight World Cup, best things from the last week, and how to pick a secondary team to root on this summer.

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3:13 Breaking Down the USMNT Performance

15:36 What Does Success Look Like for the U.S. this World Cup?

30:06 Italy Fails to Qualify Again for the World Cup

41:38 Best Things We've Seen this Week

52:47 Run Down of the Qualifiers

57:51 Picking Your 2nd World Cup Team

01:10:05 - Check-In with Brianna and Close

Susannah is joined by TacticsFreeZone writer and Committee member Matt Doyle on today’s gathering of the Committee! Matt gives an update to his new life as a freelancer since his last appearance on the show. We look at results over the weekend including victories for Committee members Brianna Pinto and Walker Zimmerman. Many blowouts across MLS and Matt dives into the phenomenon. Antoine Griezmann's reported move to Orlando City is finally happening. UEFA playoffs for the final World Cup spots are on the horizon. Reactions to the latest USMNT rosters and what we can take from the upcoming friendlies. Matt talks about his two favorite World Cup memories that he holds close to his heart. Sooz continues fleshing out the 2nd Team Rooting Guide and Matt gives us two items to consider when following a 2nd team. The show closes out with a Reality TV recap and March Madness chat, with Sooz and Matt’s respective Illinois Fighting Illini and UConn Huskies making noise in the Men’s March Madness tournament.

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02:18 - Check-In with Doyle

06:58 - Notable Results from The Weekend

29:18 - UEFA Playoffs

39:10 - USMNT Roster Reaction and Preview

47:56 - Doyle’s Favorite World Cup Moments

52:01 - 2nd Team Rooting Guide

58:33 - Reality TV and March Madness Recap

Susannah is joined by Toronto FC and USMNT defender Walker Zimmerman for his debut as a member of Kickback Committee! The two look back on when they first met in 2018 before diving into recent events in the soccer world over the past week. Walker talks about his move to Toronto FC, the impact on his family, his community in Nashville and adjusting to life in a colder-climate city. Sooz and Walker react to your voicemails! With the World Cup incoming, we help decide what factors should be considered for picking a 2nd team to root for. The Reality TV recap returns with Walker’s love and fandom of Survivor and The Traitors becoming a perfect fit for Kickback Committee.

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01:51 - when Sooz met Walker

06:24 - News in the Soccer World

19:47 - Walker’s love-hate relationship with the US Open Cup

25:34 - Catching up with Walker Zimmerman

35:24 - Voicemails

49:47 - Favorite World Cup Memory and Helping Pick a 2nd World Cup Team

58:41 - Reality TV Recap: Survivor and The Traitors

01:05:55 - Closer