With the US Open Cup in full swing, teams from the US's top three leagues are taking each other head on. We know MLS is the top league, but how big is the gap to the NASL and USL? We gathered players with experience in all three leagues to give their take on the differences between the levels. Michael Stephens spent seven years with the LA Galaxy and Chicago Fire before landing with the San Francisco Deltas of the NASL. Ryan Richter played for TFC and the Philadelphia Union in MLS, then moved to the Bethlehem Steel in USL, and now plays defender for the NY Cosmos in NASL. They join host Bobby Warshaw to talk about their experiences. What's the difference in quality on the field? How many players from USL and NASL could play in MLS? Why are some players in USL/NASL while others are in MLS?
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The differences between MLS, USL, and NASL

Field-level commentary from people who have been there. Hosted by MLS and European veteran, Bobby Warshaw.

Sports

The Play is making friends and we want to show them off. This week's episode is a sample from a similar soccer podcast, This Football Life, designed to take fans into the (real) life of people around professional soccer. Just as fans tune into The Play to learn about behind-the-scenes info, This Football Life digs into questions and topics few other shows consider.  This week's guest is British footballer, Adebayo Akinfenwa. If you Google him, you'll know exactly who we are talking about from the first picture that comes up.
You can find out more about This Football Life at www.tifofootball.com/podcast.
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Podcast Excerpt: This Football Life

Bobby Warshaw answers questions from listeners about his book, When the Dream Became Reality. He is joined by 11-year MLS veteran, Stephen Keel, to get help on the questions and to provide a different perspective. Bobby and Stephen talk about the role of vanity in becoming a pro player, their regrets when they look back on their careers, the development of sexuality in a male locker room, and some thoughts on grooming children to be both talented players and good people. 
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Answering questions on WtDBR, life as a pro player, youth development, regret, and sexuality

Bobby Warshaw is joined by Michael Stephens, eight-year professional veteran, to dissect Columbus' second goal in the first leg of their playoff matchup with NYCFC. Bobby and Mike also talk about how a team deals with going down a man after a red card; the importance of leadership on the field; a potential difference between domestic and international players; and how a group of players (ie. Columbus) might handle being told they are moving cities. 
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How it went down: a giveaway, a counter, and a big playoff goal

In our finale episode (for now?), we just hang out and talk. Host Bobby Warshaw is hanging up the mic. For his last show, he is joined by friends and fellow former MLSers Michael Stephens and Cole Grossman. They meander around to different topics, from the growth of MLS over their careers, to the role of agents in their lives, to the thought process around retiring.
Thank you to everyone who has listened over the last two years. It's been fun. Hopefully you've enjoyed listening to The Play as much as we have making it.
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It's been real

Ever wonder what it's like to date a professional athlete? Or how a pro player - always moving from team to team, city to city - holds a boyfriend or girlfriend? To put it simply, it's not easy. There are dynamics to a professional player's life that make having a partner difficult. Some make it work, while others don't. Host Bobby Warshaw bumbled (no pun intended) through relationships throughout his career. On the flip side, Chris Seitz, GK for FC Dallas, and Jeb Brovsky, six year veteran of MLS and NASL, are in healthy, loving marriages. They join Bobby to talk about making a relationship work, and even teach him a few lessons. What did they do that Bobby couldn't? How does a professional player make a relationship survive? 
There are some topics of sports rarely hear about honestly from professional athletes. This is one of them. And this show is the anecdote. Thanks to Chris and Jeb for being so open about their lives. 
This topic is taken from Bobby's book, When the Dream Became Reality, now available on Amazon. 
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The differences between MLS, USL, and NASL

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