Stone by Stone

Andrew welcomes the author Kareem Rai, founder and CEO of One Soccer Nation, to discuss soccer in America, the uniqueness of USL, and how politics affects those involved in the sport.

In this episode of Stone by Stone, host Lauren gets an update from GM and club co-founder Andrew Swanson on the state of the club ahead of our USL debuts.

Andrew is joined by none other than avian op-ed columnist Chad the Bird to discuss Chicago, pinball and Malort!

Andrew is joined by Joel Nash, SVP of USL's pre-professional leagues, talking the growth of the leagues, Joel's role in building up USL League Two and USL W League, and more!

Andrew is joined by CJ Brown, a legend in the local soccer space in Chicago, playing for Chicago Fire FC for 13 years, and now coaching and focusing on youth development. The two talk about iconic Chicago soccer moments, as well as CJ's journey to the top.

This week, Andrew is joined by Mike Magee, former MLS MVP, and former Chicago Fire FC player. The two discuss Mike's path to professional soccer, being a household name in MLS, playing against Wayne Rooney, and more!

Lauren Hall is joined by Will Quam, an architecture photographer based in Chicago, who founded Brick of Chicago, an increasingly-popular Instagram account that highlights Chicago architecture. The two discuss Will's growth as a photographer, his love of architecture, and increasing knowledge of the sport of soccer.

Andrew sits down with Chris Mueller, Chicago native and Chicago Fire FC player. The two talk about Mueller's upbringing and what led him down the path of professional soccer, what being a Chicago native means to him, and more!

Lauren Hall is joined by Emma Woodley, head coach of Edgewater Castle FC's USL W League side. The two talk about Woodley's upbringing in soccer in Colorado, what brought her to Chicago, and her experience with Edgewater Castle FC so far.

Part-owner, Kellyn Acosta, is joined by Dan Polyak, graphic artist and Chicago native, to discuss all things football and fashion. The two talk about Dan's involvement in ECFC and designing Edgewater Castle FC's 2026 Lotto kits.