Episodes
Greg and Belz do a more general and less timeliney discussion of the last two games. Timeline items on the goals, then ~10 (mostly positive) takeaways from the window.
Published 11/01/24
Tim Weah scores and Wes gets two assists in an epic edition of the Derby D'Italia. Pepi gets a brace, Tillman scores and continues to deputize at the 6, while Vince believes Cardoso's performance was the most moving by an American in club play in at least two years.
Published 10/28/24
Thompson and Shaw show out, Smith does too. We only grow stronger each day. Greg and Belz recap the action from Austin on Thursday.
Published 10/25/24
Watke, Tara, Salerno and Belz blaze through some of the midweek action.
Published 10/24/24
Who will partner with Girma in the back? Who’s gonna be the Dunn replacement? Will Sanchez make a mark in this window? Who’s gonna shine in the midfield? Lots to mull over ahead of a two-pack of friendlies with Iceland and then Argentina in Louisville on Wednesday.
Published 10/23/24
Gotta show for the ball with energy and intelligence if you want to beat a good or even committed pressing team. We didn't do it. Soccer 101 eludes several of our national team players when they get a chance to impress the new coach in a game against our biggest rival. Greg and Belz ruefully recap a barren evening in Guadalajara.
Published 10/17/24
The Pochettino era begins in Austin, Texas, with our new coach leading a largely second-choice squad into battle with Panama. Greg and Belz recap it and try to suss out the differences in the way the team played.
Published 10/14/24
Tara and Belz talk in some detail about the European contingent's latest action as Champions League draws near, Emma Hayes' recent comments on "futures," an NWSL run-down and general lookahead to the next two international windows.
Published 10/04/24
Greg joins Watke and Belz for the Monday Review. Rundown of the key action from the weekend, plus each panelist offers a surprise inclusion and a surprise exclusion in Poch's first roster, likely out later this week.
Published 09/30/24
Journalist Evan Ratliff joins Belz to talk about his fascinating new podcast, Shell Game, which has some poignant USMNT-related moments in it. He also expresses his affinity for 2011 Brek Shea, talks about going incognito to a WC qualifier in Salt Lake City when he was doing the famous WIRED vanishing act, and explains how he thinks the USMNT is in need of a couple Clint Mathis or Jermaine Jones-style characters.
Published 09/25/24
Tara and Belz talk through the USA's performance at the U20 Women's World Cup, and discuss briefly who's playing well in NWSL ahead of the three friendlies at the end of next month.
Published 09/19/24
Belz, Watke and Tara go through several key clips from the press conference with Mauricio Pochettino, his first public appearance as coach of the USMNT. And they react to them. It's a great time to be alive.
Published 09/13/24
Greg and Belz on the Mauricio Pochettino hiring, and then a recap of the mostly dreary affair in Cincinnati on Tuesday night.
Published 09/11/24
It's a joint Greg, Belz, Vince and Watke review of the demoralizing loss to Canada.
Published 09/09/24
Vince and Sanjay interview USA left back/left wingback/winger Caleb Wiley in Kansas City ahead of the USA-Canada match. He talks about growing up in Atlanta, his dad's pizza, playing in the Olympics, the move to Chelsea and loan to play for young, hungry Strasbourg, and much more. Clearly a conversation enjoyed by everyone involved.
Published 09/06/24
Greg and Belz quickly discuss Alex Morgan's retirement announcement, talk about the Gio injury, the increasing imminence of Poch and Mikey Varas's comments, and then dive in on U6 soccer coaching, which is Belz's obsession for the fall.
Published 09/06/24
Vince, Tara and Belz talk through the most exciting U.S. players kicking off against Spain at the U20 World Cup this weekend, plus the landmark collective bargaining agreement negotiated by the players with the NWSL.
Published 08/30/24
A good old fashioned roster projection chat with Greg and Belz.
Published 08/28/24
Will made the mistake of tweeting about taking on the job of coaching his son's U8 rec soccer team, so Belz pounced, and they talked briefly about the experience of watching 15-year-old Christian Pulisic play back in the day, what makes a prospect succeed, and ways we can improve coaching in rec soccer, which is foundational to the future of the game in America.
Published 08/20/24
Tara and Vince take it away and revel in the USWNT's return to the top.
Published 08/14/24
Tara, Watke and Belz talk through who's moved, who needs to move, who should stay and why, as we're about halfway through the transfer window.
Published 08/13/24
Full recap of the final in Paris from Greg and Belz.
Published 08/12/24
It's the Monday Review. Vince, Watke and Belz talk through the latest on the coaching search, why it seems so difficult for USSF to find a good MNT coach, why it's been possible for global men's basketball to close the gap with American basketball faster than American men's soccer has been able to close the gap with global men's soccer, Tyler Adams' comments about what's needed from a new coach, the Championship and Eredivisie kick off and Belz gets to talk about Ledezma, plus much more.
Published 08/12/24