Play By Players

This week Bobby sits down with Nashville SC's Sean Davis. They discuss Sean's upbringing in New Jersey, his time at Duke University, and his MLS career with New York Red Bulls and Nashville SC - including the role free agency played in his career. Sean also discusses the importance of his Asian heritage and how Japanese culture has influenced his life on and off the pitch. As well as what it's like having a TikTok star in the family!

Sean Franklin grew up in a large athletic family where all sports were accounted for, except soccer. That changed when the two-time MLS All Star picked soccer over basketball and discovered his natural passion for the game as a result. Franklin recalls high school as some of his best memories playing soccer while basking in a competitive high school rivalry, but it wasn’t until he was called up to the U-20 Men’s National Team camp that he realized he had the potential to play professionally. Tune in this week to hear more about Franklin’s soccer journey where he received various accolades and played over 300 professional games in MLS. Bobby Boswell and his former D.C. United teammate, Franklin, also touch upon a variety of key soccer topics including the importance of team coercion, coming back from injury, and addressing racial inequality both on and off the field. 

This week, Bobby Boswell sits down with St. Louis City SC’s multifaceted right-back Jake Nerwinski to talk about his soccer journey. Coming from a big soccer family, Nerwinski talks about the natural love he found for the game while playing under the same coach his father had growing up, Tab Ramos. Before getting drafted by Vancouver Whitecaps FC, it wasn’t until Nerwinski’s senior year at The University of Connecticut (UCONN), that he considered playing professionally. Between injuries and working to improve his game over the years, Nerwinski describes how shocked he was to be selected 7th overall in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft. Once drafted, he reminisces on how quickly his MLS career began and how Vancouver will always feel like home to both him and his wife.

Spoiler Alert: Stay for the incredible COVID wedding story! 

It’s showtime for Play By Players Season 3, and your host Bobby Boswell is kicking it off with FC Dallas defender Sebastien Ibeagha. Beginning his soccer journey back home in Nigeria as part of an exceptionally athletic family, Ibeagha came to the United States at a young age and continued his soccer career there. Ibeagha has played over 200 professional games and received various accolades throughout his college, USL and MLS career.

In this week’s episode, the two sit down and discuss the mental and emotional aspects that play into an athlete’s ability to perform while Ibeagha pinpoints the common thread of feeling as though you need to prove your worth in the league. Listeners will get a candid look into Sebastian Ibeagha’s life prior to his MLS debut and where it stands now in addition to how Ibeagha motivates himself to break down barriers and deliver his best performance.

Play By Players brings Sporting KC defensive midfielder Uri Rosell, to the podcast this week!  Uri and Bobby talk about the influence of his childhood in Catalonia, adapting to the different culture in MLS and finding your role in the soccer world. 

Born and raised in a small province in Spain, Puig-Reig, Catalonia, Rosell grew up playing soccer in school and realized his love for the game early on. As Bobby shifts the conversation in and out of MLS, listeners will learn how Rosell’s culture, childhood, and experiences have led him to versatility and prosperity as a player. Off the field, Rosell spends time running camps back home in Catalonia for young aspiring players. Additionally, he was recently elected as the first international player on the MLSPA Executive Board, marking a substantial milestone for the MLSPA. 

This week, Bobby and Play By Players bring Orlando City SC and Canada Men’s National Team forward Tesho Akindele to the podcast. Akindele boasts over 280 games played throughout his Major League Soccer career, 19 Canadian International Team representations, and two Open Cup championships. Listen in to hear more as Tesho sheds light on his life off the field, including the importance of education, exploring other interests as a professional athlete, and athletes using their voice for greater change.

Akindele grew up in Canada and then moved to Colorado where he spent most of his adolescent years. Brought up with a large family influence, his father guided him to find his passion for soccer while both his parents taught him to maintain discipline through both his athletic and academic career. With an emphasis on academia, Akindele describes to viewers how pursuing a degree allowed him to mature and build as a player and seek his full potential in the league. This episode, listeners will have the chance to see Akindele’s interests on and off the field including his active real estate investor status and efforts towards providing affordable housing through the “Yes in my back yard” movement.

On this week’s episode, Cristian Roldan of Seattle Sounders FC and the U.S. Men’s National Team talks with Bobby Boswell about the driving forces behind his midfield domination over 250 professional games, two MLS Cup Championships, and MLS All-Star status. 

Cristian spent much of his youth in Pico, California learning what it meant to build yourself from the ground up and remain loyal to family, community, and teammates. Playing soccer with his brothers at a young age, Roldan has never been a stranger to competition. While reiterating the importance of fan and community devotion as a professional athlete, viewers get to see how he fulfills his “rinse and repeat” lifestyle and how this translates to his role in the league. 

Bobby Boswell sits down with FC Cincinnati’s dynamic forward Brandon Vazquez, to talk about his unique and ‘meteoric rise’ to MLS. Growing up in Chula Vista, California, Vazquez spent many days of his week crossing the border from the U.S. to Mexico where he played for Club Tijuana. 

From playing across the country on dirt fields and training long hours every day, Vazquez worked his way up to his leading role on FC Cincinnati with no plans to stop there. Through the lens of Vazquez, listeners will be able to see how perseverance, family, and frustration come into play while navigating the MLS.

*Recorded September 1, 2022