USA Soccercast

The United States Men’s National Team is set to take on the Netherlands tomorrow in the World Cup Round of 16, and we preview everything on Episode 85 of the SSFC Podcast. In this episode, we analyze what to watch for tomorrow against the Dutch and we examine the World Cup from the fan experience perspective. The Round of 16 is set, so we go over the bracket quickly to see what the road to the World Cup trophy is for the teams remaining.

The USMNT have some injury questions answered, namely the health of winger Christian Pulisic. Josh Sargent’s injury is more of a question mark, and he’s likely doubtful for tomorrow. We discuss from the USMNT’s perspective what they need to do in order to get a victory and advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002. That includes being assertive in creating the attack, keeping the Dutch forwards in front of them, and embracing the moment of being in the knockout stage, where anything can happen.

After the break, we get into the discussion of what it was like being at the World Cup. From a fan perspective, there were some good things about being at the World Cup, some unique moments that fans could take advantage of while they were there. There have obviously been some incredible matches during the World Cup, and fans were able to experience many of them. However, there was also the bad and the ugly from this World Cup, from inconsistent security to detention for allowed items. We briefly discuss those bad and ugly things as well.

We’ll be back towards the end of the weekend to recap the Round of 16. Any questions or topic suggestions, send them to SSFC Podcast at Gmail dot com.

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The United States Men’s National Team are in the Round of 16, and we recap the group stage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup on Episode 84 of the SSFC Podcast.

The USMNT entered the World Cup with many questions, but they have played inspired soccer on their way to 2 draws and a win during the group stage. We recap the team’s performances against Wales, England, and Iran that helped propel them to the knockout stage. We also discuss some key players who have had standout performances for the USMNT during those matches.

After the break, we discuss the rest of the World Cup field, as half of the Round of 16 is complete. The USMNT is currently carrying Concacaf on its back, with Mexico and Canada already eliminated and Costa Rica needing a win against Germany to move to the knockout stage. We discuss some of the other teams that have made it to the knockout stage, including a team that makes it out of the group for only the second time in their history.

The next episode of the SSFC Podcast will be coming in the next couple of days, as we preview the USMNT’s Round of 16 matchup with the Netherlands and we discuss what it was like to be at the World Cup in Doha...the good, the bad, and the ugly. If you have questions or topic suggestions about the World Cup, drop a line to SSFC Podcast at Gmail dot com.

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The 2022 World Cup kicks off in just 3 days, and while it feels like we’re all still getting ready for it in many aspects, we’re here to give a quick breakdown of everything on Episode 83 of the Stars & Stripes FC Podcast.

There are 32 teams that will compete for the World Cup trophy, including the United States Men’s National Team. We first begin with a broad overview of the groups, breaking down who the favorites are to win the whole thing and some other contenders that could sneak their way to the trophy. We even discuss the other Concacaf teams (Mexico, Costa Rica, and Canada) and their tough chances to advance out of the group stage.

After the break, we put the focus squarely on the USMNT, starting with listing the roster that will represent us at the World Cup. We break down who made the roster and some surprise inclusions and omissions. Then, we get into the group stage and even potential knockout stage opponents for the USMNT and determine what success could mean for the youngest team in the field of 32.

Finally, to end, we discuss our coverage of the World Cup amidst all the controversy and just overall awful surrounding the tournament, from the way it was obtained to the thousands of lives lost building the stadiums that will host the games. There will be a lot to discuss in the SSFC community as the tournament begins, and we will be here to provide coverage of the USMNT and the rest of the World Cup, but we completely support all the ways people may choose to watch or not watch this tournament.

If you have questions or topic suggestions, send them to SSFC Podcast at Gmail dot com. There will be more episodes coming as we go through the tournament!

World Cup rooting guide

We know that most of you already have a rooting interest in the World Cup. But that’s probably just habit. SB Nation has devised a quiz based on your style of sports fandom that will scientifically* decide which team you really should be rooting for. Take it here!

*no actual science was used, your mileage may vary

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The United States Women’s National Team released its roster earlier Monday for the September international window, and on Episode 82 we welcome back Skye & Sylvs from the Shea Butter FC Podcast to break down the roster in detail!

The 23-player roster is the same as from the Concacaf W Championship:

GOALKEEPERS (3): Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)

DEFENDERS (6): Alana Cook (OL Reign), Emily Fox (Racing Louisville FC), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC), Sofia Huerta (OL Reign), Kelley O’Hara (Washington Spirit), Becky Sauerbrunn (Portland Thorns FC)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC); Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon), Taylor Kornieck (San Diego Wave FC), Rose Lavelle (OL Reign), Kristie Mewis (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit)

FORWARDS (7): Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit), Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave FC), Mallory Pugh (Chicago Red Stars), Midge Purce (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC)

However, there was a notable omission from the roster in Mia Fishel, and Skye & Sylvs go into detail on fan confusion over the standards by which players are selected for the USWNT. As we approach friendlies, USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski opted to continue with the roster he already had rather than bring in new talent for evaluation.

There’s also a frank discussion on whether the USWNT can stack up against teams like England, who they will play in London on October 7th before a sold out Wembley Stadium. In what will be a major test, will this USWNT roster be the one that can pass that test? We discuss tactics, player selection, how the USWNT matches up against Nigeria and England, and a whole lot more!

Give the Shea Butter FC Podcast a follow on social media, as well as Skye & Sylvs for all the women’s soccer analysis from an incredibly unique and needed perspective. And, continue to subscribe to the SSFC Podcast wherever you get your podcasts! We’re also looking for topic suggestions and questions to answer on future shows. Send those to SSFC Podcast at Gmail dot com.

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The SSFC Podcast is back, and Episode 81 is ready for your weekend consumption after a lengthy but rewarding summer break!

With so much going on, there was one big topic that got the podcast back in the booth: the 2022 U.S. Soccer jerseys.

They have been the talk of the USMNT and USWNT fanbase all week, and not because they’ve been universally loved. We are a month away from their release, and fans are upset at the result of these designs.

We dive into the jerseys, from their design elements to what people don’t like about them. We also get into the design process and how it generally works, and how a jersey goes from drawing board to the soccer field. As we approach the World Cup, we give our thoughts on the jersey designs, and how U.S. Soccer and Nike can bring several parties into the process in order to develop a jersey identity that we can be proud to have, and spoiler alert: we’re talking about the Waldos.

If you have questions that we can answer on future shows, topic suggestions, or even proposed guests, drop us a line at SSFC Podcast at Gmail dot com.

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American soccer has several questions that have been the source of debates over the past few weeks, and on Episode 80, it’s time to sit down and address some of them head on! We asked for your questions on the USMNT, USWNT, or just the general state of American soccer. And, we received some amazing questions that we had to discuss.

Who’s going to pair with Walker Zimmerman at centerback when the USMNT heads to Qatar for the World Cup? Where would be the best destination for Christian Pulisic this summer? Is riding the bench in Europe really better than playing regularly in Major League Soccer? Why does California never get any “important” matches? These are some of the topics that have caused debates all over the country, and we take the time to give our take as well.

These questions will surely continue throughout the summer, so don’t wait for another episode to get your question in! Send them to SSFC Podcast at Gmail dot com, and we will answer them on a future show.

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An article earlier this week by Steven Goff of the Washington Post had some incredible nuggets of information about the United States Men’s National Team, and we discuss some of that info on Episode 79! The USMNT only have a double international window in June and a September window before the 2022 World Cup, and Goff gives us some information from Gregg Berhalter about how those windows could shape up.

We begin with the June double window, which sees the USMNT have 4 matches: 2 friendlies and 2 Concacaf Nations League group stage matches. Berhalter gives a glimpse of who we could see included on the roster for those matches, as well as who may miss the cut either due to injury or other reasons.

We then move to the September window, in which we learn that Spain and Germany are the potential places where we could play matches against teams from Asia. Who could those teams be? What stadiums are under consideration? Some research is done to give some educated guesses.

After the break, the USMNT and USWNT will have new jerseys this fall, and while it was discussed initially on Episode 67, we once again discuss how plain they look. The United States needs a jersey identity, but these aren’t it. We’ve opined on this before, but we’ll say it again: just bring back the Waldos. Everyone wants them back, so make it so!

Next week, we will do a mailbag episode, so get those questions in! Send them to SSFC Podcast at Gmail dot com.

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The USMNT are in the World Cup, and we recap the final World Cup qualifying window on Episode 77 of the SSFC Podcast!

There’s a lot of ground to cover on this episode. The USMNT secure their World Cup spot, there was a World Cup draw, a Concacaf Nations League draw, and we react to all of it, beginning with the recap of the last international window for the USMNT. We go through the draw at Azteca, the win over Panama, and the loss to Costa Rica, probably the best loss in USMNT history. That loss was enough to give the USMNT 3rd place in the Octagonal and a spot in the World Cup.

The World Cup draw was just a few days later, and Donald was in the building in Doha to watch it all go down. The USMNT draw England, Iran, and the Wales/Scotland/Ukraine playoff winner in Group B, and it’s a group that the U.S. can manage if they play at full strength. Still, there will be a lot of questions to answer between now and November.

After the break, the Nations League draw also took place earlier this week in Miami, and the USMNT drew El Salvador and Grenada in Group D. We look at the schedule and what it means for the United States.

Finally, there are rumors circulating that the United States is pushing to host the 2024 Copa America. We dispel those rumors for now and discuss the fact that the USMNT need to test themselves more on the road.

Don’t forget to like, subscribe, rate, and review the show. And give us your questions and topic suggestions! Send an email to SSFC Podcast at Gmail dot com.

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The United States Men’s National Team have a very important window coming up next week, and we discuss the newest roster on Episode 76 of the SSFC Podcast.

The USMNT have the last World Cup qualifying window approaching, with an away match at Estadio Azteca against Mexico next Thursday, a home match against Panama on March 27th, and another road qualifier against Costa Rica on March 30th. Today, Gregg Berhalter released his 27-man roster for the window, and we begin by breaking down who made the roster and some players that didn’t. There are some injuries that kept some key players off the roster like Matt Turner and Weston McKennie, and we reveal some of the players who could be called in should Sergiño Dest be deemed out due to the injury he suffered. We also bring up John Brooks once again being left off the roster and the statement he made to fans on his plans to continue to fight for his place on the team.

After the break, U.S Soccer has a new media rights deal with TurnerSports, and there’s a discussion on what that means for the USMNT and the USWNT. Get ready to have TNT, TBS, and HBO Max readily available for U.S. Soccer matches starting in 2023.

We’ll be back after this important window, but Stars & Stripes FC will have all the coverage during these important World Cup qualifiers. If you have topic suggestions or questions, send them to SSFC Podcast at Gmail dot com.

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