On today's episode, with the MLS season kicking off this weekend, Graham and Taylor take a long look at the league's expansion history. What did they get wrong early and how they turned it around, what factors have been most important when determining potential new markets, and what the future looks like for the league AKA does more expansion necessitate promotion and relegation?

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The Soccer 101 theme, and plenty of other excellent music, can be found right here: https://aerialist.bandcamp.com.

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Five years ago, Antonio Conte, Arsene Wenger, and many more notable figures were worried about the looming giant wading into the world of football: China.

Chinese investors were buying into European clubs and Chinese teams were spending astronomical amounts to bring medium-to-big name players to the Chinese Super League. But today, things are drastically different. What happened to all that money, how did it work out for the development of the Chinese domestic game, and where do they go from here? Graham, Ryan, and Taylor are here with some answers!

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The Soccer 101 theme, and plenty of other excellent music, can be found right here: https://aerialist.bandcamp.com.

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On this episode of Soccer 101, Ryan Bailey, Graham Ruthven and Joe Lowery look at the British cultural phenomenon of Boxing Day soccer: its origins, its importance in the calendar, and the traditions that surround it.  

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The Soccer 101 theme, and plenty of other excellent music, can be found right here: https://aerialist.bandcamp.com.

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This podcast usually looks at what happens during soccer games, but for today’s episode, we look at the times when soccer does not happen!

In light of the recent spate of Premier League games that have been called off, Ryan Bailey, Taylor Rockwell, Graham Ruthven and Joe Lowery look at game cancelations, abandonments and postponements.

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The Soccer 101 theme, and plenty of other excellent music, can be found right here: https://aerialist.bandcamp.com.

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On this episode of Soccer 101, Ryan Bailey, Taylor Rockwell, Graham Ruthven and Joe Lowery take a look at the showpiece event of the Major League Soccer season: MLS Cup. We delve into its format, its history, its popularity, and much more!

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The Soccer 101 theme, and plenty of other excellent music, can be found right here: https://aerialist.bandcamp.com.

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On this episode of Soccer 101, Graham, Joe, Ryan and Taylor get into a timely topic: The Ballon d'Or! We attempt to explain the following:

1) What is the Ballon d'Or and what's the history behind it?

2) How is it awarded?

3) The best and least known winners

4) Controversies surrounding its awarding

5) Should anyone actually care that much about it?

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The Soccer 101 theme, and plenty of other excellent music, can be found right here: https://aerialist.bandcamp.com.

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On this episode of Soccer 101, Ryan Bailey, Graham Ruthven and Joe Lowery go deep on playoffs: their history, their usage around the world, and some of the greatest moments they have inspired.  

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The Soccer 101 theme, and plenty of other excellent music, can be found right here: https://aerialist.bandcamp.com.

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On this episode, Ryan is joined by Graham and Joe to learn from history and reminisce about spectacular moments as they go deep on the origins of the terms "brace" and "hat-trick" as well as the best/most favorite examples of each.

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The Soccer 101 theme, and plenty of other excellent music, can be found right here: https://aerialist.bandcamp.com.

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This week, our friends over at Can I Kick It are chatting with Cobi Jones about his life and legacy. So, we're airing their original bio episode of the USMNT legend in our feed to honor their efforts.

Can I Kick it FC is a podcast built on telling the stories of Black athletes, coaches, and owners that have impacted the game of soccer on and off the pitch. Check them out wherever you get your podcasts!

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On this week's episode, it's semi-strange topic for Graham and Ryan and a more relatable topic for Joe and Taylor: how do I choose a club to support? We discuss how we each came to support the teams we do, the things to consider when trying to decide who to support, the importance (or unimportance, depending on your perspective), and much much more!

Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by Shopify! Go to Shopify.com/soccer101 for a FREE fourteen day trial and get access to their entire suite of features.

The Soccer 101 theme, and plenty of other excellent music, can be found right here: https://aerialist.bandcamp.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.