Soccerwise | U.S. Soccer, MLS, NWSL

Back in Columbus after two years with Bournemouth’s multi-club owners, Tim Bezbatchenko knows where MLS already holds its own against European clubs, and where it doesn’t. Gass, Tom and Doyle ask him how the league’s roster rules should change, and he takes them inside the room where the Crew set the budget for a star signing.

Now overseeing the Columbus Crew and the city’s new NWSL team, he weighs promotion and relegation and whether more spending leaves a pathway for homegrown and college prospects. He also covers their new NWSL training ground, how much the sport has changed since he watched the Crew as a teenager, and what would make MLS the first choice for players.

0:00 Tim Bezbatchenko’s Road Back to Columbus

3:09 MLS Measuring Up Against Europe?

6:06 Pro/Rel and the U.S. Soccer Pyramid

7:25 Simpler, Looser Roster Rules?

10:00 Homegrown Pathways Meet Bigger Payrolls

14:33 How Much is a Star Worth?

19:06 NWSL Facility Planned for Player Care

21:32 Soccer in America, Then and Now

23:46 Expansion Club, World-Class NWSL Goals

26:27 Making MLS a Destination

Soccerwise is your home for the sharpest coverage of American soccer, covering MLS, NWSL and U.S. Soccer.

Watch, listen and follow everywhere: https://linktr.ee/soccerwisehq

Subscribe on YouTube and comment, or follow on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and leave a rating or review. It helps more fans find the show.

Two games left, Decision Day next weekend, and New York and Seattle are in must-win mode as a jumble of clubs fight for the last postseason spots. Gass, Tom and Doyle, fresh off a wild midweek, debate which clubs hold their nerve and whether anyone outside of Nashville is truly good.

Red Bull New York and the Columbus Crew chase FC Cincinnati and Orlando City in the East, while Real Salt Lake, the LA Galaxy and the Colorado Rapids crowd the Seattle Sounders in the West. Along the way, they dig into MLS’ new Sprint Season and size up the New England Revolution as an MLS Cup contender, heartbreaks and all.

0:00 Tom’s Men’s League & Open Mic Preview

7:36 Sprint Season: Single-Elimination Format

11:58 Standalone Slots Could Fix MLS Schedule

16:00 Nightly First Round: Value or Devalue?

18:28 Record Goals and Sporting KC’s Defense

22:26 Atlanta: Is Tata Martino Safe?

25:43 D.C. United’s Seven-Year Drought

28:54 Cup Hangover Hits St. Louis

36:08 Portland’s False Nine Experiment

39:55 Chicago Fire: Do We Still Believe?

44:38 Nashville, Vancouver Pull Away

47:44 FC Dallas: Smash-and-Grab or Contender?

53:38 Columbus Chases Cincinnati, Orlando

59:36 Red Bull and Toronto: Must-Win Games

1:07:26 Seattle Sweats as RSL, Galaxy Close In

1:15:11 New England’s MLS Cup Heartbreaks

1:24:50 Revs Now: Turner, Gil, Academy Talent

Soccerwise is your home for the sharpest coverage of American soccer, covering MLS, NWSL and U.S. Soccer.

Watch, listen and follow everywhere: https://linktr.ee/soccerwisehq

Subscribe on YouTube and comment, or follow on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and leave a rating or review. It helps more fans find the show.

Where does the USMNT pool stand now that so many U.S. players have reached Europe’s top leagues? David Gass and Charlie Boehm dig into how far it has come and what Mauricio Pochettino weighs ahead of his November roster.

Joe Scally at Borussia Mönchengladbach and Johnny Cardoso at Atlético Madrid start regularly in Europe, yet neither has a settled USMNT role, a question also hangs over Timothy Weah at Marseille and Alejandro Zendejas in Liga MX. Plus, The Subs Bench takes on the Ballon d’Or, Emma Hayes’ USWNT, “Camp Cupcake” and dual nationals.

0:00 USMNT and USWNT: The Road Ahead

3:47 Subs Bench: Ballon d’Or Overlooks NWSL?

8:15 Emma Hayes’ Depth-Chemistry Conundrum

11:39 Camp Cupcake’s December Trade-Offs

16:26 Pochettino’s Dual-National Question

20:34 Best Uncapped USMNT Player?

25:29 Charlie Boehm: U.S. Players Then vs. Now

30:09 Christian Pulisic and a Deeper Pool

34:45 Pepi, Gozo in Search of the Right Fit

39:03 Joe Scally’s Case for a USMNT Return

44:29 Johnny Cardoso and the Midfield Puzzle

48:16 Timothy Weah’s Rise at Marseille

53:01 MLS-Grown Captains at West Brom, Venezia

54:56 Alejandro Zendejas: Liga MX Underrated?

59:35 DeMarcus Beasley and the Latino Gap

Soccerwise is your home for the sharpest coverage of American soccer, covering MLS, NWSL and U.S. Soccer.

Watch, listen and follow everywhere: https://linktr.ee/soccerwisehq

Subscribe on YouTube and comment, or follow on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and leave a rating or review. It helps more fans find the show.

The Shield is Gotham’s to lose and San Diego’s to steal, three teams for the last spot and the final seeding all to be decided on NWSL Decision Day. David Gass and Jordan Angeli are back together again to break down the best final day in the NWSL in recent memory.

Utah Royals FC and Bay FC can ruin dreams with the Shield in play, while Seattle Reign FC, the North Carolina Courage and Denver Summit FC fight for the last playoff spot and the Orlando Pride get a say. Plus, the HIP rule, ESPN’s GM survey, Ballon d’Or voting and a chat with Columbus’ new GM Lucy Rushton.

0:00 Back Together With the Shield at Stake

5:16 HIP Rule Is About Paying the Best

11:14 ESPN’s Anonymous GM Survey

17:22 Ballon d’Or Voting: Skewed?

24:23 Shield, Last Spot and Seeding Explained

29:49 Utah at Gotham: Spoil the Clinch?

35:52 San Diego’s Patience vs. Bay FC

41:30 Gotham or San Diego for the Shield?

43:05 Orlando Could Cost Seattle Its Spot

49:27 North Carolina vs. Denver: Who Gets In?

57:43 Seeding Race and Angel City’s Late Run

1:04:39 Lucy Rushton: Why Columbus?

1:08:14 Starting an Expansion Club from Scratch

1:11:37 NWSL Culture Shock and What Wins There

1:14:32 Columbus’ Training Center Plans

1:17:50 Bay FC Lessons and Roster Timeline

1:24:22 Redefining Expansion Alongside Atlanta

Soccerwise is your home for the sharpest coverage of American soccer, covering MLS, NWSL and U.S. Soccer.

Watch, listen and follow everywhere: https://linktr.ee/soccerwisehq

Subscribe on YouTube and comment, or follow on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and leave a rating or review. It helps more fans find the show.

Nashville SC ran away with the Supporters’ Shield, and David Gass, Matt Doyle and Tom Bogert can’t say enough good things about how the club got there. And with the awards season approaching, they weigh who is leading the way for some of the biggest awards.

The guys break down the roster plan and coaching behind Nashville’s dominant season, whether the club passes the all-time points record, B.J. Callaghan or Yoann Damet for Coach of the Year and Lionel Messi’s MVP case. Plus, CF Montreal’s cup final where does the club go from here, and a playoff race in both conferences that is headed down to the wire.

0:00 Fantasy Football, Then Nashville

5:40 How Good is This Nashville Team?

15:20 Record Chase and Sustained Success

20:53 Coach of the Year: Callaghan or Damet

29:45 Messi and the MVP Ballot

33:26 Defender and Goalkeeper of the Year

37:35 El Trafico and the Galaxy’s Struggles

42:58 New England Beats Philly

44:47 Montreal’s Cup Final and What’s Next

49:37 Should Saputo Sell the Club?

55:17 Racing for the East’s Final Spots

1:04:32 Orlando’s Defense and the NYCFC Penalty

1:09:55 West Race: Galaxy, RSL and Portland

1:16:28 Staggered Kickoffs and the Apple TV Era

Soccerwise is your home for the sharpest coverage of American soccer, covering MLS, NWSL and U.S. Soccer.

Watch, listen and follow everywhere: https://linktr.ee/soccerwisehq

Subscribe on YouTube and comment, or follow on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and leave a rating or review. It helps more fans find the show.

Jen Beattie was diagnosed with breast cancer on a Thursday and scored for Arsenal that weekend. She and host Susannah Fuller, both survivors, talk about how little she knew going in, early detection, and what she would tell someone newly diagnosed.

Beattie, a former Scotland international and now CBS analyst, remembers being diagnosed alone in Covid, then the lumpectomy and radio therapy that followed. Between two women in a club neither chose to join, the talks turns to whether the survivor label firsts and whether the fear around follow-up scans ever fades.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and early detection is the message both women come back to. Jen partners with Breast Cancer now and Novartis UK on self-checks and getting to know your body, and you can find them on Instagram.

Breast Cancer Now:

https://www.instagram.com/breastcancernow/

Novartis UK:

https://www.instagram.com/novartisuk/

0:00 Jen Beattie and the Survivor Label

6:31 Diagnosis at Arsenal During COVID

11:49 What Surprised Jen About Breast Cancer?

14:19 Self-Checks and Why She Speaks Up

16:41 Her Team Hears the News and Shows Up

19:36 Finding Joy During Treatment

23:29 Guilt and Avoidance With Loved Ones

25:59 Therapy for Spiraling Thoughts

31:14 How Much Football Did She Miss?

33:17 Scanxiety and Trusting Your Body Again

40:00 Life After Cancer

44:25 From Playing to Broadcasting at CBS

47:31 Advice for Someone Facing Breast Cancer

49:38 Early Detection and Her Partnerships

Soccerwise is your home for the sharpest coverage of American soccer, covering MLS, NWSL and U.S. Soccer.

Watch, listen and follow everywhere: https://linktr.ee/soccerwisehq

Subscribe on YouTube and comment, or follow on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and leave a rating or review. It helps more fans find the show.

What did St. Louis CITY SC have that the Columbus Crew didn’t in the Open Cup final? David Gass and Matt Doyle work it out from inside the stadium, and look back at where both clubs go from here.

The guys break down the roster blueprint behind St. Louis’ historic run, how their defensive grit slowed the Crew’s attack, and whether this trophy changes how elite players view the club. Plus, they look ahead to the high-stakes weekend matches as the MLS playoff race is coming down to the wire.

Soccerwise is your home for the sharpest coverage of American soccer, covering MLS, NWSL and U.S. Soccer. Watch, listen and follow everywhere: https://linktr.ee/soccerwisehq. Subscribe on YouTube and comment, or follow Apple Podcasts and Spotify and leave a rating or review. Its helps more fans find the show.

0:00 American Soccer Has Come a Long Way

5:33 Open Cup Legacy & Traveling Fans

11:40 St. Louis Grinded To A Trophy Without Its Stars

17:08 Courtois Too Cautious in the Final?

19:40 Crew Needs a Center Back, Midfielder

21:31 Front Office Behind St. Louis’ Run

25:48 Will Players Want to Join St. Louis?

28:48 Division Rivalries: Fun or Overkill?

30:55 War Stories from Open Cup Finals Past

36:05 The Playoff Line, Columbus Letdown Risk

43:43 Inner Circle: Where St. Louis Fits

51:53 Cavan Sullivan Starts vs. Mexico?

The USMNT depth chart list taking shape, but who can be trusted in a must-win game? David Gass and Brian Dunseth assess the current player pool, weighing form against potential and established options versus rising talent. Some choices are clear, but who earns the final spots? Then David and Kacey White build a projected USWNT 26-player roster for the 2027 World Cup, assuming the tournament started tomorrow. With qualifying ahead, injuries and tough decisions across the squad raise the stakes. Who makes the cut and who gets left out?

For the sharpest coverage of American soccer, we’ve got you covered:

https://linktr.ee/soccerwisehq

The NWSL Shield race enters its final stretch with three teams in contention and two matches remaining. Jordan Angeli and guest host Jessica Charman break down the Washington Spirit’s win over Gotham FC, San Diego Wave FC’s opportunity to close the gap, and what lies ahead of the Shield contenders.

With playoff spots still up for grabs, Angel City’s comeback against Denver Summit FC and Seattle Reign FC’s push for a postseason place take center stage alongside predictions for the final eight. Plus, Columbus hires Lucy Rushton to be their general manager, Atlanta City FC’s new branding and Richard Gunney’s appointment as chief soccer officer, and the new Crest Cup before looking ahead to the penultimate weekend.

0:00 Welcome Jessica Charman

3:17 Crest Cup Announcement

7:07 Atlanta City FC Branding & Richard Gunney Hire

12:32 Columbus Tabs Lucy Rushton as GM

15:55 Gift Monday’s New Contract with Boston

17:52 Maddie Dahlien Out for the Season

19:37 Orlando Eliminated

24:26 Angel City’s Comeback against Denver

27:40 Washington Denies Gotham the Shield

31:03 Seattle Keeps Playoff Hopes Alive

33:03 San Diego Knocks off North Carolina

34:58 Three-Team Shield Race

39:23 Predicting the Final Eight

44:40 The Penultimate NWSL Weekend

For the sharpest coverage of American soccer, we’ve got you covered:

https://linktr.ee/soccerwisehq

Toronto FC’s seven-point week has put them back in the Eastern Conference playoff fight, while Columbus’ win in Hell Is Real leaves FC Cincinnati under pressure heading into the final stretch. Tom and Gass break down the shifting playoff picture before previewing Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup final between the Columbus Crew and St. Louis CITY SC.

0:00 Intro

6:54 Toronto’s Late Playoff Push

15:41 Hell Is Real: Columbus Downs Cincinnati

21:12 Cincinnati’s Troubles & Evander’s Slump

32:42 Orlando, Miami & the Eastern Conference Picture

41:40 Vancouver Rises as the West Shifts

46:01 Western Conference Six-Pointer Draws

51:35 The Copa Tejas Stoppage-Time Chaos

54:47 San Jose Back in the Playoffs

58:05 What the Open Cup Final Means

1:05:21 St. Louis’ Lineup Questions

1:09:01 How Columbus & St. Louis Match Up

For the sharpest coverage of American soccer, we’ve got you covered:

https://linktr.ee/soccerwisehq