Sons of a Pitch: An American Soccer Podcast

Hello soccer fans, and welcome back to the Sons of a Pitch!

In this episode, we recap Week 32 in Major League Soccer, including game recaps, highlights, and headlines. LAFC continue pushing for 1st place in the West, DC United earn a tough win against FC Dallas, and Orlando City can't buy a goal. In other headlines, Victor Vasquez of Toronto FC undergoes season-ending arthroscopic knee surgery and Puebla striker (and Canadian national) Lucas Cavallini starts talk of a move to TFC. The hosts also touch on Dom Dwyer's struggles in Orlando and the team's all too common struggles.

In perhaps the biggest league news, #SavetheCrew has become #SaveDtheCrew. With the lawsuit against current ownership going forward, and the required shopping window open, all signs point to a new ownership group purchasing the Columbus Crew from Precourt Sports Venture. If you'd like more legal analysis, let us know in the comments, and our resident legal expert will put together a comprehensive analysis. In the meantime, the staff at Massive Report have you covered.

The show wraps up with a discussion on the CONCACAF Nations League, the newest tournament to feature the national teams from North America. The hosts break down the format, qualifying, and whether the increased competition will encourage or hinder the development of soccer in the United States and the other member nations of the confederation.

 

Enjoy the show, and leave your comments below! Don't forget to follow us on twitter.

Greetings soccer fans, and welcome back to Sons of a Pitch!

In this episode, the hosts review the latest slate of MLS games and story lines coming out of Week 31. Chief among them:

* Is Jozy's time at TFC over?

* Is Almiron's injury fatal to Atlanta's title hopes?

* Can LAFC shock the world and win as an expansion team?

* Who's in and out of the playoffs?

San Jose hires Miguel Almeyda as their new coach. The Argentinian has a great playing and coaching pedigree, most notably winning the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League with Chivas Guadalajara. Is this a shift in thinking for the Quakes? Is this a shift in coaching talent for the MLS? Tune in for the hosts' input.

On October 11, 2018, the USMNT faces Colombia in an international friendly played in Tampa, Florida. Nick will be looking closely at the defenders selected and how they work together and with the goalkeeper.  Mike is excited to see the continued development of young talent and how the live, in-game experiences they'll gain.

 

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below!

Mike is solo this week, ranting to himself and you our passionate listeners for 30 plus minutes!  In this episode, Mike recaps the US Open Cup Final with some thoughts on how our predictions were wrong again and if Houston can make some magic happen with a run in the 2019 CCL.  A standard run down of all of the MLS Regular Season Week 30 action with some interesting thoughts on the MLS Cup Playoff picture and maybe a new game for our listeners to see if their predictions are better than ours! Not a tough ask!

Also, some thoughts on transfer news, contract signings and some information around the USMNT and Canadian National Team rosters that were just released for the upcoming October friendlies!

Greetings soccer fans! Welcome back to the Sons of a Pitch Podcast.

Tonight we recap Week 29 of Major League Soccer, including all the scores and story lines around the league.

In Vancouver, Carl Robinson is out as head coach. The Whitecaps parted ways with the 3rd longest tenured MLS head coach, along with his entire coaching staff. The hosts discuss Robinson's tenure, his future, and what the Whitecaps need to do to compete with rivals Seattle, Portland, and Toronto.

Next, Nick and Mike both pick the Philadelphia Union to defeat the Houston Dynamo 2-1 in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final. Both think the game will be tight and defense oriented, but Philly's recent run of form should put them over the top. DOOP! DOOP! DOOP!

As the episode wraps up, the hosts discuss teams' records against playoff-bound teams. No surprise that Atlanta United and Red Bulls New York have 8 wins each against playoff-bound teams, but Sporting KC has only defeated 3 teams currently in the playoffs. Does that bode well for SKC and the others? Tune in to find out.

 

Thanks for listening, and leave a comment below with your thoughts and all things MLS and US Soccer.

Hello soccer fans, and welcome back to Sons of a Pitch!

We thank you for listening, and we are happy to present our Week 28 Major League Soccer recap. In what was one of the highest scoring weeks in MLS history, very little change occurred regarding playoff positioning. Atlanta, Red Bulls, and NYCFC remain solidly atop the East, while Sporting KC, FC Dallas, and LAFC still control the West. Can DC United, Vancouver, and the LA Galaxy make a push? Tune in for the hosts' analysis.

Also, Toronto FC host Liga MX powerhouse Tigres in the inaugural Campeones Cup, the matchup between the defending MLS champions and the reigning Mexican club. These two teams have some recent history from the Concacaf Champions League, and both will be eager to add a trophy during their less than stellar seasons. Nick and Mike expect a high scoring affair, with both teams looking to play up-tempo. What do you expect to see?

Finally, San Jose has fired their coach ... a move we all knew was coming. The future of the club is at stake, but will anything change without a revamped roster?

 

Thanks for listening, and join the conversation in the comments below.

Welcome back to SOP Soccer and our special USMNT live recording!

In this special episode, Nick and Mike recorded their conversations during the broadcast of the US Men's National Team vs. Mexico. Listen to their reactions, analysis, and Nick's #soccerracist rants. Join the conversations on twitter @SOPSoccer and in the comments below.

Also, the halftime thoughts include the news of Sigi Schmid stepping down as LA Galaxy head coach, the direction of US Soccer in their coaching search, and the future of the US vs. Mexico rivalry.

It's a longer, free-flowing type of episode, so get comfy and get ready to be entertained.

The United States Men's National Team has some big games coming up, and the roster has been released. Big names are making way for developing talent, and we break down the pool of players selected for each position. For a full roster listing, check out US Soccer.

* Who would you rather see starting as goalkeeper: Bono or Steffan or Horvath?

* Is a European based back-line better situated to compete internationally?

* Should Bobby Wood get another chance?

These questions and more are answered by our hosts. Thanks for tuning in!

 

And apologies to Andrija Novakovich for mis-pronouncing his name ... badly.

Welcome back, soccer fans!

In this episode, we review all the scores and highlights from Week 27 of Major League Soccer. Notably, the top three teams from the Eastern Conference (New York Red Bulls, Atlanta United, and New York City FC) all suffered losses. Should the teams be worried as they head for the playoffs, or is this an opportunity for them to re-focus and finish the season strong?

Meanwhile out West, Real Salt Lake continues its scoring blitz, defeating the LA Galaxy 6-2. The hosts talk in depth about RSL's scoring pair of Rusnak and Kreilach, the strong wing play of Plata, and the confidence of Coach Petke. If RSL can keep scoring, the hosts know they can keep winning. In fact, when scoring 2 goals, RSL has 11W, 1L, and 1D. When scoring 1 or less goals, they fall to 2W, 9L, 4D.

Finally, the hosts take a hard look at the LA Galaxy and come to some hard truths: the Dos Santos brothers were a flop, David Bingham is an average goalie at best with a defense that continually lets him down, and Sigi Schmid might have to hang up his whistle. But at least they have Zlatan, right ... ?

Let us know your thoughts on all things MLS in the comments below, or find us on twitter @SOPSoccer. Thanks for listening!

Welcome back to the Sons of a Pitch!

In this episode, the hosts break down Rivalry Week matchups from Major League Soccer and how they impacted the playoff race. New York went purple, TFC got back to scoring, and Seattle has pulled themselves up from the basement and become the West's hottest team. SKC similarly has gone on a 4 game unbeaten streak, without conceding a goal during that time. (Another Goalkeeper of the Year trophy for Tim Melia?)

Mike gives you his candid thoughts on Jozy Altidore's additional game suspension handed out by the Disciplinary Committee. Specifically, how the timing and consistency of the decision are sparking conspiracy theories. Finally, LAFC stalwart and Belgian international Laurent Ciman has been transferred to French Ligue 1 team Dijon FCO for a cool $500,000 fee. How will LAFC respond? Tune in to find out!

In an effort to educate and inform the soccer loving public, the Sons of a Pitch have put together a brief introduction to Major League Soccer's newest expansion franchise: FC Cincinnati ("FCC"). FCC will be the 24th team in the current league, and will most likely join the Eastern Conference. Coming off two very respectable years in the United Soccer League ("USL"), FCC found its greatest success as a semi-finalist in 2017's Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. There, they defeated the Columbus Crew and Chicago Fire before suffering defeat to the Red Bulls of New York. Combining that historic run with regularly selling-out home games, FCC were selected as the next expansion franchise.

Join the hosts as they give a brief overview of the history, management, and roster of FCC. For more in depth reading, see the links below. We intend to keep us with expansion teams more regularly, so let us know if you like the segment and what more we can do to improve your knowledge of the league. In the meantime, welcome again to FCC!

MLS to Cincy

FC Cincinnati

FC Cincinnati Wikipedia

Cincinnati Soccer Talk

SB Nation - USL