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Are England and other big sides getting beneficial treatment from referees? Between questionable no-calls, Jude Bellingham remaining on the pitch after covering his mouth, and a possible missed red card against Lionel Messi, there have been a lot of reasons to think there is a slant in favor of big nations at the World Cup.
Today is also the start of the final round of group stage games. The next four days will be loaded with fateful matches and dead rubbers. Is the volume of non-important games a problem with the new tiebreaking procedure of using head-to-head instead of goal differential?
We then welcome Tom McCabe and Kirk Rudell from the An American Game podcast to discuss the USA’s history at the World Cup. We step into the Way Back Machine and travel to 1930 to talk about the first American soccer song, the first World Cup hat trick, and more.
Finally, New Orleans is renovating a minor league baseball stadium to make way for a professional soccer team that hasn’t been announced.
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The U.S. Men’s National Team are group winners with a match to spare, just like we all predicted before the tournament. All that stress about Christian Pulisic’s health, the Australian defense clogging up what was a free-flowing side against Paraguay, and general USMNT pessimism proved ultimately irrelevant in the 2-0 win over the Socceroos.
The guys deliver their thoughts on not only the win, but also the group sing-a-long of John Denver’s Take Me Home, Country Roads after the victory. Is this American chant culture delivering a moment of beauty or is this evidence that American fans lack creativity when it comes to singing in the stands?
Also, are there any shocks at the bottom of the pile in the World Cup? Tunisia and Turkiye are really out already? Cabo Verde could advance beyond the group stage?
Finally, we take a look at the Oakland Roots and their quest to find a permanent place to play in the East Bay?
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It’s USMNT Matchday! The Socceroos of Australia are in Seattle to do battle with the Americans and there’s apparently beef coming from the Land Down Under. There are so many questions surrounding the match that we don’t know where to begin. Is the Aussie beef legit? Will Christian Pulisic play? What happens if he doesn’t?
We then get into the highlights and lowlights of the tournament so far. We’ve seen great goals, shocking upsets, and even a brewing media war if certain sources are to be believed.
We also break down the popularity of soccer against the popularity of UFC. Why does the less watched bloodsport command so much more discussion in this country than the beautiful game?
Finally, we #DotTheMap with our newest members.
https://www.youtube.com/@MorningKickaround
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Morning Kickaround is here to help get your head around a thrilling first weekend of the World Cup. From the U.S. Men’s National Team and their dream start to Tunisia getting smoked by Sweden, the first weekend seemingly had everything we needed from it. There was surely a lot to like from the USMNT. Folarin Balogun was stellar, Gio Reyna got a much needed goal, and hopefully Christian Pulisic is okay after coming off at halftime.
Elsewhere in the World Cup, Cape Verde, Curacao, Uzbekistan, DR Congo, Haiti, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, Ivory Coast and South Africa wrote a joint statement in protest of UEFA President Alexander Ceferin calling many games “uninteresting’ due to the expanded format.
Finally, we get a live MK Ultra appearance to look at Group J of the World Cup.
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The World Cup is here!
After years of waiting and sifting through corruption, late-stage capitalism, and other cringey details, the actual soccer and global unity of the World Cup is upon us. With that in mind, we have our MK Ultra’s reports on the first few groups of the tournament. Today, we dig into the soccer, culinary, political, and cultural backgrounds of the nations playing in groups A, B, and C.
Also, we have to talk about the U.S. Men’s National Team opening their campaign against Paraguay tonight. What do we expect from this one and what can we learn about Paraguay and their soccer culture?
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World Cup Week is upon us!
The USMNT had their final tune-up match this weekend in Chicago. The 2-1 loss to Germany was filled with both positives and negatives. The atmosphere was festive, Jedi Robinson scored a banger, but they ultimately fell to the Germans.
Also, the USL Super League is abandoning its fall-spring calendar to better align with the NWSL. What does this mean for the league as a whole? What was behind their original calendar to begin with? What does this mean for the USL overall? So many questions.
Finally, Robert and Jason take part in the time honored American tradition of complaining about things. They have more than a few grievances to aiur when it comes to this global soccer circus, so the guys are going to get it all out now so they can enjoy the soccer when it kicks off at the Azteca on Thursday afternoon.
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We are at T-minus six days until the World Cup and T-minus seven days until the USMNT kicks off their run against Paraguay. The signs are there that the United States is ramping up for the hoopla. Where does the hype level stand for the MK Ultras and the country and world at large? What about the expectations for the USMNT?
Also, Greenville Triumph opened their new stadium to a sell out crowd and a victory. How does the new venue compare to one of the more talked about renderings in MK history?
Simon Evans then joins the show to discuss the state of lower league American soccer after private equity investment first got involved. He also touches on the MLS Next Pro vs. USL model of lower league soccer, what needs to be done to get teams to stick around, and more.
Finally, we #DotTheMap with our newest MK Ultras.
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Happy Monday! Holy cow there’s only ten days until the World Cup. With that in mind, we have another World Cup heavy show today.
The U.S. Men’s National Team started their pre-tournament friendlies with a 3-2 win over Senegal, complete with a fantastic performance from Christian Pulisic. How do we feel after this match and are we any more confident in Mauricio Pochettino's squad?
Also, with hydration breaks mandatory in this World Cup, will more teams treat them like a “basketball timeout” like Poch did in the Senegal match? Is that even allowed? Do we want mid-half tactical conversations?
We then check in on some of the more unique watch parties going down for the World Cup, including a floating shindig in Seattle.
Finally, we set the World Cup aside. Soccer Under Construction takes us to Dallas where Atletico Dallas has plans for the Cotton Bowl to make the seating capacity more realistic and we dig into MLS’s ratings on AppleTV.
https://www.youtube.com/@MorningKickaround
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Happy Friday from Morning Kickaround! We bring you a World Cup heavy show to launch you into the weekend.
World Cup officials in Foxborough are telling people without tickets not to show up to the stadium. Kraft Sports Group CEO Jim Nolan has a blunt message for anyone thinking about coming to the stadium without a ticket.
There’s some soccer under construction news to go in there as well. Sacramento is pushing the sale of expensive luxury suites at their new stadium. What does this say about their ambitions as a club? Is USL Premier really their top aim?
Also, Dalton, Georgia is claiming to be Soccer Town USA. Is this a legitimate claim or are there better places out there?
But it’s back to the World Cup as TravelFootballFan joins the show to update us on the latest with ticket prices. Is a price crash coming as demand slows down?
Check out the show live Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9:30 AM ET on YouTube where you can join the channel and become an MK Ultra. Perks include access to our community Discord, early access to bonus video, priority commenting on the live show and much more.
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Welcome back from the holiday weekend! Morning Kickaround is here for the final countdown to the World Cup!
We open the show with the USMNT roster. What do we think of this 26 player squad that will take on the world? What about the details behind how the roster was revealed and media “leaking” the roster? Lots to discuss over there.
Also, FIFA quietly moved FIFA+ content over to DAZN. Is there a fear that content that was once free will soon become hidden behind a paywall?
Author Todd Smith then joins the show to discuss his new book Relegated: One American’s Pints & Pies Journey from the Top to the Bottom of English Football. His book details his travels throughout the lower levels of the English football pyramid and how it’s vastly different from the spectacle of the Premier League and other large outfits throughout the world.
Finally, we digest the discussion with Todd and what it means for community style clubs in the United States. It may not be possible to truly replicate that ecosystem, but what can be done to connect more American clubs to their local communities?
Check out the show live Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9:30 AM ET on YouTube where you can join the channel and become an MK Ultra. Perks include access to our community Discord, early access to bonus video, priority commenting on the live show and much more.
https://www.youtube.com/@MorningKickaround
You can now support the show on Ko-Fi!
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