Antino Lopez's story highlights the power of staying true to your grind, embracing the process, and trusting that perseverance pays off.

Tino made some noise with a remarkable goal line clearance to keep a clean sheet in a recent match against the San Jose Earthquakes. He was a last-minute call up and his efforts this season and over the last two years earned him a contract with the first team. His grind, humility and hunger for more have us cheering him on.

We get into:

• The growth of GA Cup
• USMNT casting doubt
• Tino Lopez goal line clearance against San Jose
• Getting signed to the first team
• A Vegas underdog story
• FLOWERS: DeJuan Jones & All Families at GA Cup

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If you want real conversations from inside MLS and all things global footy, follow New Ground and SHARE this episode with someone who lives and breathes the game.

Hosts Allen Hopins Jr. and Jalil Anibaba talk about USMNT March camp as they prepare for friendlies against Belgium and Portugal. With so few matches before the World Cup on home soil, everyone will see where this team stands against tough opponents.

We Get Into:

• The State of USMNT ahead of friendlies with Belgium and Portugal
• Balancing communication with Players
• Arsenal's Loss Ends their bid for "Quadruple"
• Nashville SC's Sam Surridge MLS Player of the Month
• Impact of Antoine Griezmann to Orlando City SC
• "Rich Motzkin" calls Jalil about coming out of retirement for TST
• FLOWERS: Oakland Roots and Nashville SC Goalkeeper Brian Schwake

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If you want real conversations from inside MLS and all things global footy, follow New Ground and SHARE this episode with someone who lives and breathes the game.

Can you wrap your head around scoring 900 goals as a professional footballer?

On this episode of New Ground, Allen Hopkins Jr. and Jalil Anibaba look at Lionel Messi's latest achievement during Inter Miami CF's latest match against growing rival Nashville SC – unfortunately his efforts weren't enough to push his team through the next round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Allen and Jalil discuss his effortless magic that elevates his teammates and what makes him unlike Cristiano Ronaldo who represent the best of their era.

Also, as the March Madness heats up, Allen talks about his personal relationship with the Legendary Coach John. Wooden. .

We get into:

• Fixing College Soccer and Build Their Own Yearly Tournament
• Messi Scores 900th Goal
• Nashville eliminates Inter Miami CF
• Allen On His Relationship with Legendary Coach John Wooden
• USMNT Rosters are Shaping Up
• Taking US Open Cup Seriously
• The Importance of Veterans Supporting Young Players
• FLOWERS: College Student Athletes & Academy Players

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If you want real conversations from inside MLS and all things global footy, follow New Ground and SHARE this episode with someone who lives and breathes the game.

Unravel the magic of the Champions League, where legends are born and every match is a clash of titans.

Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo just dropped 83-points in an NBA game and hosts Allen Hopkins Jr. and Jalil Anibaba explore what would be the equivalent achievement in the world of soccer. Hours after Bam's game, Real Madrid's Federico Valverde dropped a first half hat-trick during a round of 16 Champions League clash against Manchester City. But are those two things the same?

We also get a wild story about the time Jalil volunteered - yes, he asked for it - to play Goalkeeper as a member of the Houston Dynamo.

We get into:

• Soccer's Equivalent to 83 points in the NBA
• Champions League is Like a Yearly World Cup
• Who Was Elite at Neutralizing a Bad Ball
• Jalil Subs In for Goalkeeper?!
• Oscar Pareja's Out in Orlando City
• Nashville / Inter Miami Rivalry
• The Rise of LAFC's David Martinez
• Philadelphia Union Winless without Key Players
• FLOWERS: Brooklyn FC's HC Marlon LeBlanc & New England Revolution II's HC Pablo Moreira

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If you want real conversations from inside MLS and all things global footy, follow New Ground and SHARE this episode with someone who lives and breathes the game.

With Arsenal FC having a lead in the Premier League, we encourage supporters around the globe to hold on tight.

On this episode of New Ground, Allen Hopkins Jr. and Jalil Anibaba talk about the Prem, the US National Teams and the top stories in Major League Soccer.

We get into:

• Allen and Jalil discuss all-time favorite boots
• Hold your breath Arsenal fans
• Naomi Girma shows out back with USWNT
• Swag don't lag with Rose Lavelle
• Weston McKennie extended through 2030
• Messi bags a brace or Inter Miami CF
• NY Red Bulls values their youth
• Chicago Fire reestablishing themselves a destination
• DC United flipping the script from '25?
• Does MLS need LIGA MX for All-Star Game?
• Flowers: Giselle Thompson and Community Service

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If you want real conversations from inside MLS and all things global footy, follow New Ground and SHARE this episode with someone who lives and breathes the game.

Is LAFC the 2026 MLS frontrunner after beating defending champs Inter Miami CF in front of 75,000 fans at the LA Memorial Coliseum?

On this episode of New Ground, Allen Hopkins Jr. and Jalil Anibaba talk about what was revealed to them after Matchday 1 of the 2026 MLS campaign.

We get into:

• LAFC's Son and Bouanga attacking with venom
• New York Red Bulls' starting 3 teenagers under Matt Bradley
• Nashville SC's 3 Headed Monster with Surridge, Mukhtar, and Espinoza
• Keep on dancing Vini Jr.
• USMNT Player Pool finding their form at the right time
• MLS Matchday 2 Preview
• Flowers; Ray Gaddis and MLS Referees (Tori Penso, Kathryn Nesbitt, Meghan Mullen)

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If you want real conversations from inside MLS and all things global footy, follow New Ground and SHARE this episode with someone who lives and breathes the game.

It's wrong to center Vinícius Júnior in the most recent incident of racial abuse - all attention needs to be on Gianluca Prestianni and the history of abuse on the pitch.

On this episode of New Ground, Allen Hopkins Jr. and Jalil Anibaba talk about the on-field incident during a UEFA Champions League match between Real Madrid and Benfica.

We get into:

• Gianluca Prestianni's Role in the Incident
• Jose Mourinho Gaslighting Comments
• USMNT Strikers Finding their Form
• 10 Questions Leading Into MLS Season 31
• Flowers: Savy King (Angel City FC) & CBS Champions League Broadcast Team

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If you want real conversations from inside MLS and all things global footy, follow New Ground and SHARE this episode with someone who lives and breathes the game.

Thank goodness for Bad Bunny because that Super Bowl was not a fun watch.

On this episode of New Ground, Allen Hopkins Jr. and Jalil Anibaba talk about the week that was where all eyes were on Super Bowl LX.

We get into:

• Bad Bunny Living His Best Life at the Super Bowl
• Coaching and Managing People
• KC Current Makes Move to Get Croix Bethune
• Does the Super Bowl compare to the World Cup Final?
• Jalil Played for the Kraft Family, but Not Invested in the Patriots
• Preference for How to Lose
• Flowers: DeJuan Jones (San Jose Earthquakes) & Justine Emmanwori

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If you want real conversations from inside MLS and all things global footy, follow New Ground and SHARE this episode with someone who lives and breathes the game.

Who would you put on your Family Feud team?

Allen challenges Jalil to draft his MLS "family feud" squad—sharing not just who he'd pick but the secret qualities that make these players unforgettable. From calmness under pressure to relentless professionalism, these insights reveal what truly elevates a player beyond the pitch.

We get into:

• Jalil's MLS Family Feud Team
• Bad Bunny living his best life
• Alex Freeman to Villarreal FC (La Liga)
• Obed Vargas to Atlético Madrid (La Liga)
• Patrick Agyemang to Derby County (EFL Championship)
• Young Talent in the USMNT Player Pool
• Flowers: Oguchi Onyewu, Amir Lowery, & Nashville Workers Aiding in Storm Recovery

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If you want real conversations from inside MLS and all things global footy, follow New Ground and SHARE this episode with someone who lives and breathes the game.

What's the difference between "Doing too much" and "Doing the Most" – which one are you?

On this episode of New Ground, Allen Hopkins Jr. and Jalil Anibaba talk about the ins and outs of MLS Preseason experience and debate what are the important takeaways as organizations ramp up.

We get into:

• MLS Preseason Grind
• Which Things are Actually Important in Preseason?
• CONCACAF Impact to Preseason Ramp Up
• Flowers: Cobi Jones and Andrei Chirilă (FC Cincinnati) and Academy/2nd team players

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If you want real conversations from inside MLS and all things global footy, follow New Ground and SHARE this episode with someone who lives and breathes the game.