Sam's Army

Support the pod and join our beautiful soccer community: https://www.patreon.com/samsarmy

On the eve of the MLS playoffs, two of SamFam's finest -- Tim Parker of New York Red Bulls and Alex Bono of New England Revolution -- join to discuss everything that is worth knowing about this season's fight for MLS Cup.

Support the pod and join our beautiful soccer community: https://www.patreon.com/samsarmy

PREMIER LEAGUE: Tyler admits that Liverpool's loss to United exposed serious problems at Anfield (and potentially in his wedding plans). Forest's ill-fated Ange experiment blows up even earlier than predicted. Bournemouth and Palace high-quality slugfest. Villa drops two absolute WORLDIES right on Tottenham's face. And a preview of the weekend f/t Arsenal vs Palace (strong vs strong) and Bournemouth vs Forest (strong vs calamitous).

HALFTIME: reaction to US Soccer's plan to reshape NCAA soccer into a world class U23 league that could involve regional promotion and relegation, though questions and concerns are myriad

ROUND THE WORLD: extra brief MLS Hit-It-N-Quit-It Minute and Champions League preview

STOPPAGE TIME: Ivan Toney's Best Bets and GOAWs

Support the pod and join our beautiful soccer community: https://www.patreon.com/samsarmy

Connor Tobin, head of the USL Players Association and one-time captain of Forward Madison, sits down with Tommy and Sam to discuss where things stand in the ridiculously complicated three-way negotiations in which the players, clubs and league are trying to hammer out a new collective bargaining agreement as the December 31st deadline begins to loom larger and larger (in hopes of avoiding a possible work stoppage)

Support the pod and join our beautiful soccer community: https://www.patreon.com/samsarmy

ROUND THE WORLD: What did we learn from USMNT's 1-1 draw with Ecuador and 2-1 win over Australia? Whose stock is up/down? Grade for Poch? Do we have a striker controversy brewing?

HALFTIME: Mikey's incredible promo suddenly goes off the rails and Tyler has thots on "halftime" occurring more than halfway through the program

PREMIER LEAGUE: what games are must-watch this weekend f/t a hot take prediction about how Liverpool vs United is about to go down

STOPPAGE TIME: Ivan Toney's Best Bets and GOAWs

Support the pod and join our beautiful soccer community: https://www.patreon.com/samsarmy

PREMIER LEAGUE: What we learned from Chelsea's win over suddenly-luckless Liverpool and what Arne Slot needs to do to get the train back on the tracks. Thomas Frank is just what Doctor Tottenham needed. Never mind Christmas, Ange may not make it to Halloween. Drama-free United?!?

HALFTIME: Hot Topic - what we can and should take issue with most about FIFA's World Cup 2026 ticket sales strategy, which (hint) isn't necessarily the astronomically high prices

ROUND THE WORLD: MLS Hit-It-N-Quit-It MLS Minute plus thots on Poch's "most serious" USMNT roster yet for this month's friendlies vs Ecuador and Australia

STOPPAGE TIME: Ivan Toney's Best Bets and GOAWs

Support the pod and join our beautiful soccer community: https://www.patreon.com/samsarmy

PREMIER LEAGUE: Late goals for Palace (vs Liverpool) and Arsenal (vs Newcastle) reshape title race. Sam angers the Tweedles and chat with a hot take on Arsenal and Liverpool. Legit-O-Meter: Palace, Bournemouth and Sunderland. The freak injury that may have just saved Aston Villa's season.

HALFTIME: FIFA's Gianni Infantino is up to his old tricks again teasing a 64-team World Cup 2030 despite the fact we have yet to see of/how an expanded 48-team tournament is going to work

ROUND THE WORLD: must-watch games in Champions League this week plus a special Hit-It-N-Quit-It MLS Moment (shorter and less pleasurable than our usual MLS Minute)

STOPPAGE TIME: Ivan Toney's Best Bets and GOAWs

Support the pod and join our beautiful soccer community: https://www.patreon.com/samsarmy

PREMIER LEAGUE: people are saying Pep tacitly admitted City don't got the juice this year with his approach to Arsenal match. Amorin receives a red-carded aided stay of execution. Unai Emery may not be so lucky. Another tough matchup (in an underwhelming weekend) coming up for Arteta's lads on Sunday.

HALFTIME: Mykhailo Mudryk-related Weekly What If

ROUND THE WORLD: Thoughts on Ballon d'Or jumping the shark and MLS Hit-It-N-Quit-it Minute

STOPPAGE TIME: Ivan Toney's Best Bets and GOAWs

Support the pod and join our beautiful soccer community: https://www.patreon.com/samsarmy

PREMIER LEAGUE: Manchester Daerby postmortem, is Liverpool good or nah, Ange's first test at Forest does not go well, which club is mashing the "Panic" button hardest, what 4 managers may be gone by Christmas, Arsenal/City and Merseyside previews plus why this weekend's Chelsea game may be do-or-die for Ruben Amorim

HALFTIME: MLS Cup 2025 pop quiz

ROUND THE WORLD: MLS Hit-It-N-Quit-it Minute and what Champions League games are must-watch this week

STOPPAGE TIME: Ivan Toney's Best Bets and GOAWs

Support the pod and join our beautiful soccer community: https://www.patreon.com/samsarmy

PREMIER LEAGUE: grading Daniel Levy's performance at Tottenham; Ange replaces Nuno after the latter fell out with Forest owner Marinakis and weekend preview f/t Manchester Daerby (with bonus LOCK prediction on the result)

HALFTIME: World Cup 2026 pop quiz

ROUND THE WORLD: News and notes from World Cup qualifying in Europe, South America and Africa

STOPPAGE TIME: Ivan Toney's Best Bets and GOAWs

Support the pod and join our beautiful soccer community: https://www.patreon.com/samsarmy

USMNT: Instant reaction to "big" win over Japan (B), thoughts on the shambolic 0-2 loss to Good Korea, and where the program goes from here (starting with what to watch for from next month's far-more-important international window with games vs Ecuador and Australia)