The Athletic's Pablo Maurer joins Roche to discuss the D.C. United ownership group, whether they are malicious or inept (and which is "better"), how the rest of the club has to manage with this type of owner, and the Audi Field experience.

Then, the guys chop it up over career transitioning, covering soccer in the USA and the challenges that come with it. 

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There's been a lot of conversation around a recent report stating that D.C. United's Academy is no longer free. 

MLSsoccer.com's Charles Boehm joins Roche to help clarify the situation as well as discuss DCU's transfer plans for the summer, the club's roster profile, and, why  Gavin Turner hasn't debuted with the first team yet.

Read Charlie's excellent piece on the Philadelphia Union Academy here.

Follow Charlie on Bluesky...and skeet him there. 

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With D.C. United's season slowly going off the rails, this is a good time to see how their off the field year is going.

Washington Post journo, Steven Goff, joins the show to discuss the "weird time" the club is going through, the likelihood of on field reinforcements before the end of the season (and when to expect them), and if the owners are aware of the restlessness of the fanbase. 

Then, Roche and Steven reminisce about the early days of D.C. United and the joy Steven still gets from telling the human stories at the club.

Follow Steven on Bluesky and read his work on The Washington Post. 

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After a solid (but not spectacular) start, D.C. United stumbled badly in their first big test of the season. 

What went wrong? 

Can it be corrected? 

Does this team have the talent to make the playoffs?

To get some answers, DCU head coach Troy Lesesne joins Roche to discuss the state of the team, why "win now" has to be the mantra, why the club switched player models during the preseason, and how bought in ownership is. 

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Eight years ago, David Schnegg was 19, a full time construction worker, and a part time soccer player in a semi-pro league. 

Today, he is the starting left back for D.C. United and someone who is being counted on to return the club to glory. 

He joins Roche to discuss his unusual path to professional soccer, how he fits into Troy Lesesne's system, why he's always wanted to play in the United States, what Liechtenstein is like, and how he still doesn't understand what a credit score is. 

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Roche kicks off the show with a player by player recap of D.C. United's season opening draw against Toronto FC at Buzzard Point. He was in the house for the match and gives his thoughts on the new fan experiences at Audi Field. 

Then, Pro Soccer Wire's Jason Anderson joins the show to break down the new wrinkles in DCU's tactics. What worked, what didn't, what needs more time, and what's Troy Lesesne's intent behind his tactical decisions. 

Here's a link to Marc Machado's fantastic breakdown of DC's tactics.

Follow Jason on Bluesky.

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D.C. United's regular season kicks off Saturday against Toronto FC and, to set the stage, it's very special episode of Pitch Pass...a crossover event with the Soccerwise podcast!

Roche and David Gass review the Black and Red's offseason, who came, who went, what to expect from the club this year, as well as some of the more interesting storylines heading into the season.

Then, Matt Doyle checks in with his thoughts on the upcoming year for DCU and everyone gives their predictions for the season.

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D.C. United is keeping things under wrap this preseason, including what Academy players have joined the first team in Florida. After some digging, we have a rough idea of what two youth players are there. Travis Clark of Top Drawer Soccer joins the show to discuss those players as well as a few Academy players who are not there and why?

Travis also breaks down the pros and cons of college vs MLSNext Pro, the value of winning at the youth level, and the DCU Academy outlook for 2025.

Follow Travis on Bluesky and X and Top Drawer Soccer on X. 

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Keeping track of MLS' roster building mechanism is HARD! To help make sense of it all and to get a break down of D.C. United's salary cap situation, Roche brings Marc Machado on the first Pitch Pass of 2025.

Marc has made MLS roster building his main focus and gives Roche an idea of DCU's current GAM numbers as well as what they can add over the next few months He also gives an overview of the latest rule changes announced by MLS on Tuesday.

What is the state of DCU's finances?
What kind of players can DCU add and when can/should they add players?
What being "responsible" means to the club?
How much does the club have to spend?

These are just some of the questions Marc addresses on the show.

 Let's roll up our sleeves and get into the weeds!
 
Follow Marc on Bluesky and X and read his work on Substack.

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In a departure from years past, D.C. United announced their end of season roster decision in October rather than November/December.

There were some surprises.

Charles Boehm joins the show to discuss the surprises, the timing of the roster announcement, and what it says about Ally Mackay's vision.

Plus,  Troy Lesesne's growth as a coach, possible free agent options, and more.

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