Sons of a Pitch: An American Soccer Podcast

Hello soccer fans! Welcome back to another episode of The Sons of a Pitch: An American Soccer Podcast. In this episode, Nick and Mike cast their votes for Major League Soccer's 2019 All-Star Game. Here are their picks, which they've based on production, who they like to watch, and who deserves more recognition:

Goalkeeper

Sean Johnson (NYCFC)

Honorable mention

Brad Guzan (Atlanta)

Defenders

Walker Zimmerman (LAFC)

Matt Hedges (Dallas)

Romain Metanire (Minnesota)

Honorable Mention

Ali Adnan (Vancouver)

Auston Trusty and Jack Elliot (Philly)

Midfielders

Alejandro Pozuelo (Toronto)

Nani (Orlando)

Nico Lodeiro (Seattle)

Eduard Atuesta (LAFC)

Honorable Mentions

Cristan Roldan (Seattle)

Jona dos Santos (LA)

Forwards

Carlos Vela (LAFC)

Josef Martinez (Atlanta)

Mauro Manotas (Houston)

Honorable Mentions

Johnny Russell (Sporting KC)

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (LA)

Coach

Jim Curtain (Philly)

Honorable Mention - Bob Bradley (LAFC)

After another week's worth of MLS action, here are the trends from around the league:

Teams on the Rise

* San Jose - Wondo now has 6 goals in 2 games, and the Quakes are just 1 point below the playoff line.

* Portland - Despite the lack of home games, the Timbers have slowly crept up the standings. New DP signing Fernandez has wasted no time in padding the score sheet.

* Colorado - Time to show some love to the Rapids! After a historically bad start, Colorado has 2 straight wins.

Teams on the Fall

* Columbus - Nothing is working for the Crew. Time to blow it all up and start fresh the way manager Caleb Porter wants.

* Toronto - The Reds have no scoring threat, and the defense has been spotty. Bono has relinquished starting duties.

* Montreal - In the month of May, the Impact have 3 losses, 1 win, and 1 draw.

Thanks for listening, and be sure to join the conversation in the comments below or on twitter @SOPSoccer.

Hello ladies, gentleman, and soccer fans of all ages! Welcome back to The Sons of a Pitch: An American Soccer Podcast. This week's episode covers a variety of topics, and we kick things off with questions from you, the listeners.

First, we discuss which cities would be great for expanding the MLS to 30 teams (Thanks to @whoiswholio for the question!). In our last episode, Nick suggested Milwaukee and St. Louis, while this week Mike added New Orleans to the list. Next, @TheFreshPrintz asked us to comment on the general declining of attendance across the league. While early numbers aren't indicative of the entire season, there has been a noticeable drop in attendance over the last two seasons.

It has been a historic week in Major League Soccer, with Chris Wondolowski breaking Landon Donovan's record for all-time leading MLS goal scorer. Wondo did it in amazing fashion, netting 4 vs. Chicago to jump to 148 all-time, 2 ahead of Donovan. Listen in to our hosts discuss Wondo's impact on the league and where he stands among the all-time greats. Finally, Nick and Mike break-down all the games from this week, and look at who is on the rise and fall in a league where margins of error are paper thin.

 

Thanks for listening and for all your support! Please follow us on twitter, facebook, or leave a comment below to join in the conversation.

Hello soccer fans! Welcome back to a special episode of The Sons of a Pitch: An American Soccer Podcast. In this episode we review the mid-week action around MLS and welcome for the first time Dr. Vanessa, a physical therapist. She talks about proper training, common injuries, and how to best prevent them. Here are a few highlights:

* Toronto FC make history with the most shots without a goal

* Timbers new DP Fernandez scores and salvages a point for his new team

* Atlanta gets another win, it wasn't pretty, but it's a win

* Sounders keep winning, Orlando needs to settle on a lineup

* LAFC continue to dominate the results, make Dallas feel like the rest in the West

In our interview with Dr. Vanessa: Physical Therapist, we learn about the education required of certified therapists and how they go about their business. Dr. Vanessa highlights how she develops exercises for her patients (including a modern pentathlete!). She discusses dynamic warm-ups, integrating game actions into training, and emphasizes practicing how you play. By doing this, you can minimize the risk of the most common sports injuries: ACL tears and ankle sprains.

A big thanks to Dr. Vanessa for taking the time to speak with us. Let us know of any questions for Dr. Vanessa or for the show at [email protected] or on twitter @SOPSoccer. Have a great night!

Hello again, soccer fans! And welcome back to the Sons of a Pitch: An American Soccer Podcast. Thank you for joining us again as we look at all the moves from around Major League Soccer (MLS) and roundup the slew of games from Week 12.

But first, we want to wish all the soccer moms out there a Happy Mother's Day! Thank you for waking up early, driving your kids to games and practices, and being their biggest supporters as they grow and learn the game. Without soccer moms, there is simply no soccer.

Transfers

* Columbus Crew acquire David Accam and extend Gyasi Zardes, giving him a DP contract. Lalas Abubaker loaned to Colorado Rapids.

* New York City transfers USMNT forward Jonathan Lewis to Colorado Rapids.

* Sporting KC bring Benny Feilhaber back to shore up depleted defense.

* Joevin Jones back in Seattle, in his prime, and ready to light up the stat sheet.

Firings

* Hudson out at Colorado

* Koch out at Cincinnati

* Freidel out at New England

* New England also fire GM Michael Burns

Teams on the Rise

* Eastern Conference Regulars: Fire playing up to their talent, Atlanta win 3 straight, NYCFC found their offense.

* LAFC: Points per game average is near record levels

Teams on the Fall

* Toronto FC: No Jozy, no offense.

* Colorado: It can't get much worse. (And don't tell me if it can.)

* FC Cincinnati: What's their identity and does it score goals?

Hello again, soccer fans! Welcome back to the Sons of a Pitch: An American Soccer Podcast. This week, we review the latest slate of Major League Soccer (MLS) games and talk about a surprising team on top of the Eastern Conference - Philadelphia Union, and a surprising team near the bottom of the Western Conference - Sporting KC.

The hosts also discuss the latest moves from around the league:

* Chicago Fire acquire Francisco Calvo from Minnesota United

* Portland Timbers sign Brian Fernandez from Necaxa

* FC Cincinnati fire coach Alan Koch

* Justin Meram traded from Columbus Crew to Atlanta United

Finally, Nick and Mike review new IFAB rules that are forthcoming. While not a major impact in any one area of the game, they will make a noticeable difference. The rules are:

* Any goal scored by the hand/arm is disallowed (even if accidental)

* Attacking players can't be within 1 meter of the wall

* Ball need not exit the goal box on a goal kick before being touched

* Substituting player must exit at the nearest touchline

* Goalkeeper need only keep one foot on the goal line before a penalty kick

Thanks for listening, and be sure to follow along on twitter @SOPSoccer, on facebook, or join the conversation in the comments below.

Welcome back, soccer fans! Thanks for returning to the Sons of a Pitch: An American Soccer Podcast for all your Major League Soccer news. In this episode, the hosts recap Week 11 and all the goals, drama, and story-lines that accompanied it. Tune in for:

* Houston and Dallas keep taking points

* LAFC - Seattle rematch not live up to the hype

* Zlatan's talking trash and the league is letting him

The hosts also discuss what's going on in the Eastern Conference. With no team looking like a favorite, the conference is up for grabs. Listen to Nick and Mike break down how:

* Columbus is slumping, Chicago is under-performing

* Atlanta is the most talented team, but only on paper

* DC can't string together wins

* Is TFC the favorite? Based on PPG, they sure are

And to round out the discussion, we take a glimpse at the newly formed Canadian Premier League (CPL). With seven teams in Canada's top flight, Mike discusses the influence of Toronto on the league and the league's focus on developing young, Canadian talent. Nick is optimistic about the experience coaches, organizations, and owners will get and how they can apply that to the future of soccer in North America.

Finally, the hosts gives some early US Open Cup picks. The US Open Cup gets underway next week, and while MLS teams are favored to win (Mike likes Seattle, Nick likes Houston or Sporting KC), don't be surprised is USL Championship sides like Louisville City or Saint Louis FC make a run.

 

Thanks again for listening, and be sure to join the conversation on twitter @SOPSoccer or in the comments below!

Hello soccer fans! And welcome back to the Sons of a Pitch: An American Soccer Podcast.

Midweek games are in full swing, and every game surprised:

* NYCFC get another win over the under-performing Chicago Fire

* DC United gets back to winning at the expense of the Crew, who are in a free fall

* Montreal nets three against the Revs

* Zlatan and the Galaxy can't score vs. MNUFC

* Surprising and surging San Jose salvage a draw vs. Seattle

In a special segment, Nick gives a basic legal analysis to whether the fan that was struck in the face by Kaku's stray kick has any legal recourse. Learn about basic legal negligence, intentional conduct, and the comparison case law from baseball.

Thanks again for tuning in and supporting the show! Please join the conversation on twitter @SOPSoccer, via email at [email protected], or in the comments below.

Greetings soccer fans! Welcome back to the Sons of a Pitch: An American Soccer Podcast. In this episode, we take a twitter question asking us to pick-a-player who our favorite team could reasonably attain. Thanks to FC Cincinnati fan Eric Turner (@eric_turner7) for his question:

Keeping focused on a real, attainable player, Mike thinks Toronto FC could benefit from signing Omar Gonzalez in the allocation order. Nick wants young, European talent to make its way to teams like Sporting KC and Chicago in an effort to change up some of the styles of play the teams have been known for. Also, the hosts give their take on the Tim Howard Instagram rant against a fan critical of his performance in the Rapids' 4-1 defeat at Chicago.

Finally, in the league roundup, our hosts recap all the Week 8 action. Out west, LAFC and the LA Galaxy continue to dominate headlines and stat sheets. Here are some quick takes on the current status of the teams:

Teams on the Rise

* LAFC - A disinterested LAFC lost 1-0 at Vancouver, only to beat Seattle 4-1 a few days later. Vela doing Vela things.

* LA Galaxy - 2nd in the West, conceding only 1 goal per game. And they have Zlatan.

* Philadelphia Union - Won 2 of 3, and 4 of 5. When scoring 2 goals, they haven't lost.

* Toronto FC - Can Pozuelo keep up his amazing form (4 goals, 5 assists in 4 games) now that Jozy picked up an injury?

* San Jose Quakes - Goals and wins and points!

Teams on the Decline

* DC United - Dropping points after being poised to separate from the rest of the conference.

* Columbus Crew - See DC United.

* Sporting KC - Losses, goals conceded, and injuries the likes KC hasn't seen in a long time.

* Minnesota United - Maybe that rebuilt defense wasn't so rebuilt.

Thanks for listening! Please join the conversation on twitter @SOPSoccer or via email at [email protected].

Hello once again, soccer fans! Thanks for returning to the Sons of a Pitch: An American Soccer Podcast. In this episode, the hosts explore the draw for the Gold Cup, recap all the Week 7 MLS action, and even make a case for a fan's possible lawsuit vs. RBNY and Kaku.

As for the Gold Cup, the four groups are drawn, and the United States Men's National Team will face Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, and Panama. If you like story lines, this is the group for you! As you know T&T knocked the USMNT out of World Cup qualifying in 2018, and the USMNT has already faced Panama in a January friendly. How will these teams come out during the Gold Cup tournament? The US needs to be prepared for anything.

In Week 7 of Major League Soccer, we saw some movement in the Eastern Conference while the top teams in the Western Conference continued their domination. Here's how things stack up at the top of the table:

Eastern Conference

* DC United - Regaining its form, DC is once again top of the conference. Can anyone knock it down?

* Columbus Crew - Despite the loss, the Crew remain a contender. Their margin for error is very slim, but so far have been able to overcome it.

* Montreal Impact - Montreal in 3rd place!? Enjoy it while it lasts, as this team has the tendency to yo-yo up and down the standings.

* Toronto FC - Even after their loss to Seattle, TFC have the best points per game in the conference, suggesting last year was a fluke. Watch out for the men in red.

Western Conference

* LAFC - Best team, best player, best coach. LAFC have a goal differential of +16 over 7 games, and they still are improving.

* Seattle Sounders - Finally, a strong start. Can they sustain it throughout the entire season? They way Jordan Morris is playing, Seattle just might.

* LA Galaxy - Zlatan keeps scoring, the Galaxy keep winning. Just imagine how good they could be when their role players start thriving.

* Houston Dynamo - As Nick put it, Houston is "The other contender in the West." They haven't lost, have a talented attack, and have a coach who has been around the league. Houston could surprise come playoff time.

 

Thanks for listening! Join the conversation in the comments below, on twitter @SOPSoccer, on facebook, or via email: [email protected].

Thank you to our sponsors: Donovan Food Brokerage and Nice! Pure Icelandic Spring Water.

Greetings soccer fans! Welcome back to The Sons of a Pitch: An American Soccer Podcast. Thanks for checking out the website and for listening in.

In this episode we welcome Kei Kamara to the Top 5 All Time MLS Goal Scorers list. This striker has played for 7 MLS teams and 2 English Championship teams, and has consistently scored goals at every stop. Congrats to Kei!  Around the league, the hosts recap all the action and give their takes on the teams going forward.

TEAMS ON THE RISE

* LAFC - Can't get any higher than the top.

* Philadelphia Union - 3 straight wins, 4th in the East.

* Chicago Fire - Draw vs. a surging TFC, and we've yet to see Gaitan at his best

* San Jose Quakes - Technically, when you win your're first game of the season, you're on the rise.

* Orlando City - Goals are coming, and so are points!

TEAMS ON THE FALL

* DC United - Rooney sees red in a blowout loss to LAFC, and a draw to Montreal have people scratching heads.

* Sporting KC - Tired legs and a 5-0 thumping in Concacaf Champions League.

* Portland Timbers - Has the championship window closed?

* Red Bulls New York - 3 straight losses. This hasn't happened since May 2017.

Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe to the podcast, follow us on twitter and facebook, and join the conversation in the comments below.