Five teams made it to the conference semifinals on shootouts, and in the MLS playoffs, there’s always the possibility of more. So ahead of this weekend’s matches, Offside takes a deeper look at this game within the game, what some consider the most cerebral part of soccer: the penalty kick. Taylor speaks with two-time MLS Cup winner and goalkeeping legend Nick Rimando, who has the most PK saves in league history, to learn about his secret to stopping penalties. Dániel Gazdag of the...

Taylor responds to Offside listeners’ reactions to the wild upsets during Round One of the MLS Cup Playoffs, including Atlanta’s electric win over Messi and Miami.  Now that the GOAT is out, what happens in the next round is anyone’s guess.  Offside With Taylor Twellman is a Major League Soccer podcast, produced by Apple TV and Rain Delay Media. Follow and listen on Apple Podcasts. Want to talk to Taylor? Call (646) 571-8496 or email [email protected] with...

The second weekend of MLS Cup Playoffs couldn’t have been more exciting: defending champs Columbus getting knocked out, the Galaxy sending a message to the rest of the West, and Atlanta stunning Miami in stoppage time.  The Athletic’s Felipe Cardenas was at Mercedes-Benz Stadium to watch Atlanta tie the series, and he joins Taylor to reminisce about the incredible night and speculate what might happen next—in Miami on Saturday and throughout the rest of the postseason.  Plus, Taylor...

This time last year, the Galaxy were watching the playoffs from the sidelines. For the third time in four years, the most decorated team in MLS history hadn’t qualified.  But head coach Greg Vanney vowed that this season would be different—and he was right. LA have been around the top of the standings all year, and they stormed into the playoffs with a 5-0 win over the Colorado Rapids.  On today’s episode, Taylor sits down with Greg, a former Galaxy player who coached Toronto FC to...

D.C. United’s Christian Benteke grew up playing soccer in the streets of Belgium—where a nutmeg is worth more than a goal.  As he got older, he refined a blend of skill and physicality that helped him net 23 regular-season goals this year, beating out Bouanga, Messi, and Suárez to capture the 2024 MLS Golden Boot. Although D.C. barely missed out on a playoff spot, they were in contention thanks to Benteke—who contributed to almost 60% of the club’s goals this season.  On today’s...

There’s only one regular-season matchday left in 2024. Time flies when you’re chasing Messi across the country—or is that just Taylor?  To celebrate the end of the season, Taylor sits down with two friends of the show—his broadcast partner Jake Zivin and MLS Season Pass analyst Sacha Kljestan. The three of them try to get each other into hot water while playing a game of true or false, including a debate over whether Messi should win MLS MVP.  Offside With Taylor Twellman is a Major...

Benjamin Cremaschi grew up playing for local soccer clubs in the Miami area. Now playing for Inter Miami CF at age 19 with Lionel Messi, Benja says his life “doesn’t feel real.”  On today’s episode, Taylor sits down with Cremaschi to talk about his surreal life, why he chose soccer over his father’s sport (rugby), and his recent talk with Tony Cherchi of MLS Season Pass for a #TodayAtApple event in Miami.  Offside With Taylor Twellman is a Major League Soccer podcast, produced by...

In soccer, 10 isn’t just a number—it’s a position. And arguably, it’s the game’s most storied position. The 10 is a team’s creative force, the playmaker, the one who draws the crowds with goals, assists, and a little bit of magic. Messi, Pelé, Zidane, Marta, Maradona—all 10s.  Around the world, the 10 is dying out, replaced with tactical systems made to grind out results. But there’s at least one place where the 10 still thrives and thrills: Major League Soccer.  On today’s episode,...

How did the USMNT go from crisis mode after crashing out of the group stage at Copa América to landing one of the most respected managers in the game?  On today’s episode, Taylor sits down with US Soccer CEO JT Batson to get the inside story on how he helped convince Mauricio Pochettino, who has coached notable European clubs like Chelsea, PSG, and Tottenham, to come to the States. Hint: It involves an assist from one of his friends, new USWNT head coach Emma Hayes, who recently led her...

It’s been a busy summer of soccer: Leagues Cup, Copa América, the Euros, the Olympics, and nonstop MLS action. So before we get into the final push of the season, the team at Offside has a special treat for our listeners: the Roast of Taylor Twellman.  Late last year, Offside executive producer Peter Moses gathered the best and brightest in soccer comedy—Christian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros of The Cooligans, Travis Helwig and Darren Miller of Happy Foot Sad Foot—and gave them free rein...

Tim Ream started his pro career with New York Red Bulls in 2010. Just two years later, the Premier League came calling. Now after 12 years, two teams, and stints with the U.S. national team that included a trip to the 2022 World Cup, Tim returns to the league where it all started. On this week’s episode, Taylor sits down with Charlotte FC’s new star to talk about his first MLS match since 2011, how the league has changed over the past decade, and how his time in England shaped him as a...

As Leagues Cup draws to a close, it’s time to take stock of all the news around soccer in the States.  Taylor sits down with Paul Tenorio, senior reporter for The Athletic, to talk about the MLS transfer window, roster strategies for the rest of the season, and the prospect of Mauricio Pochettino being named head coach of the U.S. men’s national team.  Plus, Taylor breaks down the Colorado Rapids’ Leagues Cup run.  Offside With Taylor Twellman is a Major League Soccer podcast,...

Leagues Cup is nonstop action—not only for the viewers, but for the players as well.  This week, Offside goes behind the scenes with defender Julian Gressel, who recorded a series of audio diaries as Miami traveled to Houston to play Tigres before hosting Toronto in the Round of 32. Between the matches, Julian sat down with Taylor to talk about what it’s like preparing, traveling, and recovering, then doing it all over again.  Offside With Taylor Twellman is a Major League Soccer...

Leagues Cup started with a bang, and we’re already into the knockout round. Expected clubs—like defending champs Miami and LIGA MX greats Club América—are there, but so are some surprises, like the San Jose Earthquakes.  This week’s episode goes right to the center of the action. Immediately after calling the Tigres-Miami match on Saturday, Taylor sat down with fellow broadcaster Jake Zivin and with Diego Valeri, Spanish-language analyst for MLS Season Pass, to talk about the game and...

Actor, host, and comedian Drew Carey joins Taylor to look back on a career that has woven 40 years in the entertainment industry with his love of soccer and team ownership. Drew tells Taylor about how his move to LA to host The Price Is Right led him to become an MLS fan, his secret life as a soccer photographer, buying into the Seattle expansion in 2007, and how a prop mishap on set almost derailed his Sounders connection. Plus, Taylor shares his thoughts on Leagues Cup so...

Hang on tight—MLS fans are in for a wild ride the rest of the summer.  On today’s episode, Taylor sits down with fellow MLS Season Pass analyst Sacha Kljestan, who participated in the All-Star Skills Challenge on Tuesday night. The two break down everything you need to know about Wednesday’s All-Star Game in Columbus between the best of MLS and LIGA MX. Then they look ahead to what’s sure to be an exciting Leagues Cup—which starts Friday, July 26.  Plus, Taylor shares a...

Larry Nance Jr. has been in the NBA for almost a decade. But his true love isn’t basketball. It’s soccer.  On this week’s episode, Taylor sits down with Larry, a forward for the Atlanta Hawks, to learn what sparked his passion for the beautiful game. The first pro soccer match Larry attended was a Galaxy game when he was a rookie with the Lakers, and last year he became a part owner of Leeds United in England’s Championship division.  Larry also shares what it was like playing with...

Last year’s El Tráfico at the Rose Bowl was the United States’ most attended sports game of 2023, and the derby is one of the most exciting and bitterly contested rivalries in MLS. But it’s also one of the league’s newest. So how did El Tráfico reach these heights?  To tell the full story, we have to go back to a graffiti duel between fans waged on the streets of Los Angeles, before the LA Galaxy and LAFC ever played a game. We hear from Geoff Gouveia, whose mural for LAFC was defaced by...

Angel City FC, the LA-based National Women’s Soccer League club, was recently named the most valuable franchise in the league.  ACFC joined the NWSL as an expansion team in 2022 and shares BMO Stadium with LAFC. From the beginning, the club made headlines with a star-studded ownership group, which includes Natalie Portman, Eva Longoria, Serena Williams, and Billie Jean King. On today’s episode, Taylor speaks with Kara Nortman, venture capitalist and co-founder of ACFC, and Julie...

When Tim Bezbatchenko realized he wasn’t going to be a Major League Soccer player, he knew he still wanted to be around the sport—so after attending law school (while playing on a USL team), he got a job at MLS headquarters.  That led to successful stints as president and general manager of Toronto FC, which hoisted an MLS Cup during his tenure, and his hometown club, Columbus Crew, which won two league championships under his leadership.  Now he’s taking all that knowledge to a new...

Haji Wright’s introduction to international soccer when he scored the lone goal for the United States against Holland in the 2022 World Cup’s Round of 16. Since then, the 26-year-old winger, who has played all over Europe, signed with Coventry City of the English Championship, where he just had his best season yet with 19 goals—seven of them match winners.  Haji joins Taylor to talk about his early days playing soccer, his friendships with fellow USMNT players, and the goal that got...

Real Salt Lake is off to their best-ever franchise start, leading the West and just three points off from leading the Supporters’ Shield race — four years after finishing near the bottom of the league.  One of the key figures behind this turnaround is head coach Pablo Mastroeni.  On this week’s episode, Taylor sits down with Pablo to talk about his coaching philosophy, why he thinks stats can take a manager only so far, and why he thinks this RSL team can go all the way. Plus, the two...

The Crew aim to be the fourth MLS side to win the Concacaf Champions Cup when they travel to face storied Liga MX club Pachuca this weekend.  There’s more than continental bragging rights on the line: The winner gets an automatic bid to the next year’s FIFA Club World Cup, which will take place in the U.S. So far, Seattle are the only MLS team to qualify, through their own Concacaf win in ’22.  For this week’s episode, Taylor breaks down what to expect with Sammy Sadovnik,...

Filip Forsberg is an NHL All-Star from Sweden, the Nashville Predators’ all-time leading goal scorer, and—since last spring—a minority owner of Nashville SC.  Taylor sits down with Filip to talk about his soccer roots, why he loves Swedish superstar Zlatan Ibrahimović, and how he got to experience Nashville SC’s incredible Leagues Cup run last year, which collided with Messi Mania and Inter Miami CF in the final.  Offside With Taylor Twellman is a Major League Soccer podcast, produced...