The Set Piece

This was supposed to be Pep Guardiola's coronation. A dominant display in the league was going to be capped with Champions League glory, all he had to do was get past a Chelsea squad, fresh after looking like also rans against Aston Villa. Pat, TV pundits and oddsmakers were more concerned with how many goals City would ring up but Pep decided to make it interesting. He left Fenandinho and Rodri off the pitch in an attempt at running Chelsea out of the building and it led to an extremely open first half. But the goals didn't come, until the Blues struck.And with that goal, Thomas Tuchel, who had already earned credibility based on the club's second half turnaround, earned a contract extension while exorcising last year's demons. We discuss what this Champions League win means for the future of both clubs and try to predict what panic buy City makes to improve a squad with no visible holes.While taking in the festive atmosphere of watching Europe push towards "normalcy", the guys noticed a jarring new fashion accessory among British hooligans and its not mini bats, chains or flares. With Euros around the corner, will the purse replace the windbreaker or pocket knife as the primary accessory for angry men who need human contact so much that a punch in the face will suffice? Only time will tell.All that and we give the USMNT some love after their exciting win against Mexico on this installment of The Set Piece

Pat, Mario and Devon had to assemble to give their take on the Billionaire Soft Coup that was last week's Super League announcement and the subsequent spineless about face within 48 hours. The boys provide a day by day breakdown of the news, protests and cheeky social media posts on a week rife with heroes, villains and everything in between. Tottenham, continued their banner week by sneakily parting ways with Jose Mourinho in the midst of trying to sexually assault the sanctity of football, days before the Spurs' only chance at silverware. This leaves Tottenham with an unknown future on the horizon, will this be the summer of the rebuild? The guys also check in with the bookies on Jose's next landing spot. All that and the crowning of the first Dickhead of the Match winner on an extremely nationalistic edition of The Set Piece

For most millennial football fans, Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi are synonymous with the Champions League. For a decade plus, it felt like one was lifting the trophy in the final while the other was snatching the souls of world class athletes at the highest stage. But as the round of 16 came to a close, they were on the outside looking in with Juventus losing on away goals and Barcelona looking like a shell of their former self. With both clubs at a crossroads, Pat, Mario and Devon speculate how they get back to the pinnacle of the sport and if they need to shed their once in a generation talent to do so. The boys also discuss the marquee matchups from the Champions and Europa League draw, the fallout from the heated Rangers v. Slavia Prague match as well as the factors that have made this year's Europa League more exciting than usual. They also check in on what David Beckham is up to in Miami, provide an update on the Colleen Rooney WAG drama and discuss Memphis Depay's latest musical exploit. All that plus the return of Sassy Mourinho on The Set Piece

Pat, Mario and Devon were provided a homework assignment. To look back on the shit year that was 2020 and find one Soccer story that made them say "What the Fuck?". Shock and awe is hard to come by these days, now that we live in a world where you can successfully convince an adult that you can buy a child off Wayfair using rudimentary knowledge of Photoshop. Or that a person will decline a vaccine fearful of surveillance but won't leave home without their cellphone in their pocket, trigger finger on the Facebook live button. The soccer landscape has also changed dramatically as International tournaments were postponed, live fans were replaced with cardboard cutouts and elbow bumps replaced post game handshakes. But the one story that united the boys in audible what the fucks is a tale as old as time...Man buys sex. Kyle Walker breaking his pandemic quarantine to have an escort sex party is a reminder that even when faced with a global catastrophe, footballers will stay the same. The 2020-21 Premier League season has been just as odd as the year, with no clear number one team and surprise upsets every week, Pat and the boys discuss if parity in the Prem is the norm moving forward. They also pour out a half gallon of ale for Super Frank Lampard, recently sacked by Chelsea and predict the future for his replacement, Thomas Tuchel. Big Sam returns to the Prem, the crew elect Europe's toughest players with a notable face in goal and more on The Set Piece.

Let's be honest, 2020 has been a dumpster fire on top of a shitshow. It's revealed that uniting against a common enemy for the greater good is an adage that no longer applies to large swaths of the country. Unless that enemy is racial equality, democracy, police accountability or science. But at least we have sports, sure we'll pump some canned audio to help you forget fans aren't allowed because 3,000 people died today. Let's forget about Keyontae Johnson collapsing on the floor or Journey Brown being forced to retire due to myocarditis because we need March Madness and Ohio State v. Michigan. Or the fact that you have to forgo a rapid COVID test because Matt Stafford and his family are using them all. On November 25th, a cherry shaped meteor crashed to top this dumpster fire of a year as the football world lost a real one. Diego Maradona, passed at 60 due to a heart attack in his condo while recovering from brain surgery. Pat, Mario and Devon do their best to explain why this diminutive man had such a gargantuan effect on the soccer world, take a trip down memory lane and add even more respect to the moments that made him legend. Good bad or otherwise. You can expect all that and a little fan racism with a splash of John Madden on this installment of The Set Piece.

Mesut Özil once had the world in the palm of his hand. He was a World Cup winner and the talisman for Arsene Wenger's dynamic but underachieving Arsenal squad, making 350,000 a week with a skillset expected to age well. Now, two years later, he's been exiled after the club spent months trying to offload him. The guys discuss his quick fall from the pinnacle of the sport and if he has a shot at coming close to the level he was before. Since joining Liverpool in a January transfer, Virgil Van Dijk solidified his status as a world class defender and was an integral part in the Reds outrageous run of wins and trophies the past couple years. But after leaving the Merseyside Derby early due to an extremely bad challenge from Jordan Pickford, Liverpool fans spent the remaining 70 minutes of the match holding their breath and when he left the stadium in crutches it was hard not expect the worst. The announcement that Van Dijk suffered ACL damage and would be out for the foreseeable future was a gut punch no one was prepared for. Pat, Mario and Devon discuss the fallout and what this means for a team who's success depends on the familial like chemistry and bro hugs. We also discuss the scores from the first week of the Champions League and how CBS is broadcasting one of the greatest competitions in the world. A progress report on Gonzalo Higuain's MLS journey, Pele turns 80, Covid mucks up the Milan derby and more on The Set Piece.

As we sit in Europe's first international break and watch players jetset all over the world without the 14 day quarantine, the Premier League table looks a little different. New look Everton and their dynamic front three sit atop while the Manchester clubs both sit in the bottom half while they sort themselves out. Match day 4 was the week of the ass kicking where multiple teams had video game scorelines put up on them. The defending champs were not immune from a beating as they suffered a 7-2 drubbing from Aston Villa, a club that just survived relegation a few weeks prior. Manchester United welcomed back former manager, Jose Mourinho, who's Tottenham Hotspurs have definitely been paying attention in his Dark Arts class. 45 minutes and a Lamela bitch move later, Ole and his boys were heading into the dressing room losing 4-1 and a man down. The boys break down the two losses and discuss whether they were just a bad day at the office or signs of trouble ahead. The fall transfer window has come to a close but it wasn't without some last day excitement. Pat, Mario and Devon cover all the notable moves from a period that saw the Premier League spend a billion dollars during a pandemic. The USMNT celebrate a Barcelona milestone, an Israeli club finds out why you don't taunt Harry Kane, Cocaine D takes PPE to infinity and beyond and more on The Set Piece

In France, domestic club football has returned after a long vacation due to the pandemic but Paris St. Germain, fresh off falling short of Champions League glory, are hungover. Maybe they didn't have enough time off, they are still nursing their wounds or still recovering from a wave of Covid infections but they are not lighting the league on fire at the moment. Which makes this a perfect time for Le Classique, a fiery rivalry between Marseille, a club that lacks the talent to match PSG on the pitch but make up for it with an abundance of assholery. The game lacked goals but made up for it with the best scrape you'll see in any of the major European leagues. 5 Red Cards, spit and a racism claim later, Neymar was suspended for two games and Marseille got all 3 points at the Parc des Princes for the first time in nine years. The Premier League is also underway and Jose Mourinho's resting bitch face is already in peak form. He seems underwhelmed despite the investment in new talent and could already be losing the locker room. The guys take a look at the Maturing Bros and try to predict when the inevitable implosion begins. They also look at the rest of the league after the first few matches and determine which clubs are forreal at the top half of the table. Gareth Bale, fresh off of an excellent year of golfing and hair maintenance in Madrid has returned to the Premier League. Back to Tottenham on a season long loan, the club where he became a superstar not so long ago. The Spurs hope that this move propels them back to the top of the league while Bale gets to put the drama with him and Real Madrid behind and get back to balling. With his return from injury in the coming days we'll all find out if this was genius move by the Spurs brass or if this is the beginning of the end for Bale and Jose. Elsewhere, Covid 19 is still undefeated as it claims the USMNT friendlies and the Ginger Zombie. Luis Suarez proves he's the ultimate scumbag by trying to cheat on the Italian citizenship test, Neymar spurns Nike for Puma and Mario finds an early favorite for Golazo of the year, on The Set Piece.

As soon as Leo Messi sent the burofax with his intentions to leave Barcelona, the media was in a frenzy, using all of their cache to burrow into his entourage so they can get an answer.  Does he genuinely want to leave?  Is he trying to force leadership change?  Is his family influencing this decision?  We all were expecting a LeBron's "Decision" style interview and we got one thanks to Goal and Ruben Uria.  The guys start by dissecting the 20 minute sit-down and discuss whether he came across as a spoiled athlete or an example of the power clubs hold over players, even the best in a generation.  The Premier League kicked off this weekend in empty stadiums across the UK even though the country has covid under better control than ours, allowing mouth breathing hillbilly patriots to trickle into venues all across the United States.  Pat, Mario and Devon provide a casual breakdown of the new faces, clubs and European contenders in what should be a wild, spicy ride complete with extremely early relegation and top four predictions.  The crew also trade in their sweats for scrubs to discuss why some of the best players in the world decided that contracting covid was how they wanted to spend their summer vacation.  Erling Haaland gets kicked out of a nightclub and receives the most Norwegian punishment ever while Phil Foden causes an international incident in Iceland and more on The Set Piece.

When we last left, the boys just finished watching PSG's dramatic Champions League win against Atalanta. In between Thomas Tuchel's primal screams, we were getting our popcorn ready to watch the assumed Manchester City v. Bayern Munich semifinal. Bayern took care of business by disrespectfully dispatching Barcelona, a beatdown which led to a tidal wave of sadness, liquor and spice. Pep Guardiola's cautious tactics, some poor luck and a plucky Lyon squad came through and fucked that dream match all the way up. After predictable semifinal wins we had the Parisian superclub versus the formidable, jacked ,Bavarians. The first 45 minutes of the final was a back and forth affair with each team having numerous chances to go up but the halftime break caused the tightening of some PSG buttholes and that was enough for Kingsley Coman, the former Paris youth player, to put Bayern up 1. That lone goal, Bayern's constant pressure and possession was enough to ensure Champions League victory and a few pictures to add to your Neymar crying collage. Barcelona fans thought a reckoning was coming after the Bayern beatdown but I don't think they expected this, Papa Messi sent burofax to the club asking to leave....for free. The crew breaks down what led to this impasse, the legitimacy of his desire to leave and landing places for the 33 year old legend. The guys also give a tip of the cap to Chelsea who appear to be all in on the Super Frank redemption project and keep up with all the transfer pickups and rumors. Ronaldinho puts his legal troubles behind him while Harry Maguire's has just begun, Aubameyang's guady car collection makes it to TMZ and more on this week's installment of The Set Piece

In order to cram in the 2020 Champions and Europa league, UEFA, decided to get rid of home and away ties and go single elimination. That choice has turned both competitions into August Madness, with the matches coming so fast and furiously, you're just wrapping your head around Juventus being sent home and PSG is down 1-0. The boys recap the quarterfinals best moments and preview the semifinals in both competitions. Recorded prior to Barcelona v Bayern and Manchester City v Lyon, there's some foreshadowing Barca's troubles and a glimmer of hope for the French club who finished 7th in their league. Willian's move to Arsenal, a check in on how Covid's affecting the beautiful game, we see what Gareth Bale was up to during Real Madrid's Champions League loss and more on this week's installment of The Set Piece

It's been quite a while since you've last heard from the Set Piece and the world feels a bit different right now. But after a long training camp filled with intense intrasquad matches and a few friendlies, the boys are back! We haven't been saying much but we've been watching it all, from the first awkwardly silent, rusty matches in Germany to the empty stadium trophy celebrations and we have some thoughts. After a rough start, the Premier League's restart kicked into high gear. Liverpool went into the quarantine with their first PL Championship in 30 years all be sewn up and Norwich City was well on their way to being the first club relegated. With their fates confirmed weeks ago, we went into Championship Sunday with several open spots for the Champions League and three clubs that could end up relegated. The boys discuss the final standings and if they were surprised with who ended up in the Champions/Europa League spots and also pour a little something out for Bournemouth and Watford, who's successful runs at the top flight came to an end. They also touch on Leeds and West Bromich's successful promotion from the English Football Championship, Crissy and Sergio Ramos lifting trophies and perform a welfare check on Kylian Mbappe's ankle. All that and a Champions League preview on the long awaited return of The Set Piece.

Jermaine Jones is one of the USMNT's most revered players. A dual national from Germany with European football experience, he was an integral piece during the Klinsmann era. He brought athleticism, technique and supplied the bit of crazy that every team needs to be successful. Sports Illustrated was lucky enough to catch the retiree during a taco break and he gave us all the spice. Coaching, his divorce, AR 15's... Nothing was off limits.  In England, we check Liverpool, who's dipping performances culminated in a 3-0 defeat at Watford and a loss to Chelsea in the FA Cup. The crew discuss this rough patch and if the Reds can get it together in time for Atletico Madrid. While one British superclub struggles, Manchester City is peaking in Champions League play after a ferocious fifteen minutes period leads to a 2-1 win at Bernabeu and second leg without Sergio Ramos. Can Pep and the boys keep this momentum in the midst of their beef with UEFA? Arsenal is eliminated from the Europa League and find out they're broke in the same week, John Bond is loving solitary confinement, we check out all the new Adidas kits from the MLS and more on a packed installment of The Set Piece

Manchester City Football Club has been the top story in the world of European Football for the last week and it had nothing to do with Pep Guardiola, Kevin De Bruyne or anything that's taken place this season. It takes a considerable amount of investment to become one of the best clubs in world , especially when you live in the shadow of Old Trafford and UEFA allege that City made that possible by misrepresenting funds. Thanks to Der Spiegel Magazine's exposes on corruption in the sport and a hard partying Portuguese hacker we know and love as John Bond, Manchester City has been fined millions and banned from European Cup competition for the next two years. The guys discuss what this means for City in long and short term if the charge sticks and what it means for Premier League teams just outside the Top 4. Champions League football is back and the first week of the knockout rounds had plenty of juicy matchups. Liverpool went to Spain and once more head home needing make up ground after an Atletico Madrid win behind a vintage Diego Simeone performance of physical team defense with a splash of the dark arts while Mature Ney's return to the pitch was spoiled by a young, large Norwegian. In Merica, the USMNT's Players Union release a response in support of USWNT's fight for equal pay that will go in the Ally Hall of Fame, Chicharito makes his LA Galaxy debut and FC Cincinnati lose a manager/racist. Jurgen Klinsmann makes his Hertha Berlin debut as manager, spends a shit ton of money in the January transfer market and quits, all before the boys notice he's coaching in the Bundesliga and a man in France almost gets his dick bitten off for the love of the Beautiful Game on this installment of The Set Piece

The transfer period has closed and the last week was anything but quiet.  Manchester United finally got their newest Portuguese import in Bruno Fernandes.  His ability to create scoring opportunities will be put to the test, while getting used to a more competitive league with a United squad lacking goals and still dealing with injuries in key positions.  But while United got their white whale, Sheffield United broke their transfer record again to strengthen their squad in order to hold steady in the top 8.  Newcastle brought in another highly player on loan and Everton let the world know they aren't a selling club, no matter who comes calling with $100 million.  There are quite a few interesting nuggets as the Premier League heads into its first winter break.  While the players head to Dubai for R and R, Pat, Mario and Devon take a look at what's in store for the Carabao Cup Final, the 5th round of the FA Cup and Liverpool's run at the invincibles in the league.  It's transfer period for the MLS as well and a couple teams head to Europe for goal scorers who aren't on retirement tours.  The USWNT run rampant in the CONCACAF Cup and MNT fringe player Antonee Robinson almost ends up with AC Milan. Messi gets messy on Instagram, we check up on Mature Ney, Jose claims another player's soul, Alfredo Morelos needs to leave Scotland and more on The Set Piece

The Premier league was a bit different 25 years ago.  The league wasn't flush with money, only a handful of teams had the lion's share of talent.  Goons were littered across middle and backlines of the less fortunate squads and hard fouls were just as much a strategy as parking the bus.  But against Crystal Palace, Eric Cantona, Manchester United's wild card, had enough. After being sent off and triggered by a fans comment, he took justice into his own right foot and launched a Kung Fu kick that sent shockwaves through European football.  The guys look back at the event, media coverage and fallout that almost landed Eric the Great in jail. Pat, Mario and Devon also check the temperature on the most recent transfer period rumors and guess which ones are likely to go down before the end of the month. Inter Milan's winter looks eerily close to Antonio Conte's Chelsea wishlist during his tenure with the club. Will he be able to build a squad to compete for a Scudetto? Manchester United continue to look like lost club and this looks like a lost season with the death of Marcus Rashford's back. But reports are that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer‘s job couldn't be safer, even after following up the loss at Anfield with a Old Trafford drubbing by Burnley.  Needless to say, it looks like United may be fucked for the foreseeable future.  Elsewhere, LA Galaxy find a new way to sell the most jerseys in the MLS, PSG may be getting a more mature Neymar and Mario Balotelli's homecoming isn't getting any better. All that and a check in on Delonte West on The Set Piece.

The Set Piece is back from holiday break and excited to enter a new decade.  Before they head full bore into 2020, the crew looks back of their favorite managers, moments and players from the past ten years.   They even spend a couple seconds on things they did not like.  Liverpool treated December like 2019's victory lap, winning everything in site and taking home team and individual honors. They've even been able to start strong in January, a month they historically struggle in.  The guys recap this impressive run while also trying to figure out what American sports counterpart most resembles Klopp and the boys. Pat, Mario and Devon also look back on all of the spicy bits from English football's jam packed festive season, that claimed the same amount of hamstrings as goals and provided us our first true Jose Mourinho moment as Tottenham's manager.   Elsewhere, a prison "friendly" match goes horribly wrong in Mexico, a Spanish manager has a Winnie the Pooh moment, we check in on Zlatan's statue and much more on The Set Piece. 

There was a 3 day stretch where we were able to enjoy the beautiful game without thinking about racism. Everton and Arsenal made managerial decisions that sent shockwaves through the Football world. Carlo Ancelotti, fresh off a successful run at Napoli that ended tumultuously is now in charge at Everton. Is this proof that Everton has the ownership and talent in place to make waves or could this be a signal that Carlo no longer cuts the mustard as a world class manager? Arsenal brought back a familiar face in former Captain Mikel Arteta. No one knows what to expect from the 37 year old manager, but expectations are high after an unsuccessful run under Unai Emery. The guys trade takes on these decisions and if this puts Arsenal and Everton back on track. The boys spend the rest of their time watching Stone Cold Steve Austin videos because white men are extremely upset that people of color are better at a sport than they are. Racism in football is intergenerational, young and old alike are getting in on the fun. Serie A once again proves they are the most tone deaf with their “We're all Monkeys” campaign, while Antonio Rudiger receives racist taunts in the North London Derby, in front of the fan section known as “The White Wall”...cute. For Paul Pogba the best cure for illness is dancing his ass off at a wedding, Hope Solo will soon be a mama bear, a drunk John Stones really likes Peaky Blinders and more on a Spicy Holiday portion of The Set Piece.

Its been a nerve wracking couple days for Premier League managers. In the course of a week 3 managers were handed a bottle of liquor, a box and well wishes. Arsenal, Watford and Everton decided to send their managers packing just before the hectic holiday fixture list. The crew discuss which jobs are the most desirable and check in on Jose's first week with Tottenham which happened to include an awkward visit to Old Trafford. It was also a big week in France, as all your favorite players past and present, get tuxed up, find out who the world's best player is and hope Eric Catona doesn't crash the party. Everyone wanted to know if Virgil Van Dijk's year of dominance and dunks would beat out Papa Leo's league title and disrespectful free kicks. But, in the end. it'd be Leo winning his sixth Ballon D'Or over the Dutchman by a slim margin. For the Women, Megan Rapinoe put an exclamation point on her career year by winning the Ballon D'Or. In WTF Bro, Ross Barkley parties shirtless in Dubai, Malmo fans really dislike Zlatan's business choices and racist fuckery continues. All that and Brescia lets us know that being black is an Italian term for anger but has absolutely nothing to do with race at all, they swear, in another installment of The Set Piece.

It's been 11 long months since Jose Mourinho was unceremoniously dumped by Manchester United. He spent the whole time off telling anyone who listened that he was fine, he traveled, learned German and ate up hours of screen time on Sky and Bein Sports respectively. But he wanted a job, but not just any one. He wanted a job that gave him power, clout and the chance to play under the lights midweek. Luckily for him, Mauricio Pochettino could no longer keep his frustration in check. Tottenham's run to the Champions League final couldn't hide the fact that he was growing tired of his owner and how he dealt with transfers and contract extensions. With the Spurs sitting 14th in table, desperate to make a splash in their new stadium and salvage the most talented squad in their history, Levy grabbed his phone late Monday morning and made a move. 12 hours after firing Poch, Jose was moving in his things and addressing the media. The boys spend the bulk of this installment welcoming Jose back to London in the league he loves so dearly. Cocaine D's breakup with Gimnasia, Zlatan leaving MLS with an impressive photoshop, a Sadio Mane doppleganger and more bookend this week's Mourinho installment of The Set Piece

A month ago Christian Pulisic was in Canada, unceremoniously subbed off by Gregg Berhalter after an hour.  At Chelsea, he languished on the sidelines while other, less expensive wunderkinds were making their presence felt.  Then it all changed.  A late assist to best Ajax in the Champions League led to a ruthless hat trick vs Burnley and a goal vs lowly Watford.  The TSP boys discuss his run of form and if he can keep hold of his position for the long run. In Merica, Zlatan waves goodbye to the MLS and banishes them back to edge of the internet, the USWNT find their replacement for Jill Ellis and it's not Hope Solo.  Sergino Dest decides that when it comes to picking which country to represent, international appearances are more important than the quality of the team and Atlanta United win the only MLS title that matters.  Elsewhere, Arsenal are a messy trainwreck, Cristiano Ronaldo's hairdresser meets his maker under mysterious circumstances and Italy continues to be racist on The Set Piece.

We've been away for a bit but the boys are back! In Europe, Wives and Girlfriends of the biggest players or WAGs have been at the forefront since the turn of the century. Reality TV and the internet has amplified the world's need for messy drama and WAGs, with their vast wealth and free time provide an endless well of spice. For months, Coleen Rooney, quintessential WAG of her time, spent months investigating, making small talk and essentially entrapping a fellow WAG all with the intention of blowing up the internet for a few days. Pat, Mario and Devon discuss Coleen's the ins and outs of the case against Rebekah Vardy and the unlikely winner of Coleen's Nancy Drew moment. HBO was amazing enough to bless us with the wide release of Asif Kapadia's most recent documentary on TSP favorite, Diego Maradona, which profiled his tenure at Napoli which saw him ascend to god level status in Argentina and his adopted home in Italy. Only to see it come crashing down under the weight of cocaine, organized crime, steroids and side children. The boys talk about their favorite moments and check in on his current spell at Gimnasia. The Premier League is well underway and the table looks familiar at the top 2 but a little wonky below. In the TSP Status check, we looked at the League from top to bottom and separated the squads that look top 6 ready from the paper Tigers. Jamie Carragher gives a lame apology for racism ten years ago, Iranian women are able to enjoy a game without the threat of arrest, Petr Cech shows up in goal for a hockey team and more on The Set Piece.

This week, the boys have lots to say about Champions League Match Day #2 and most of it has to do with Tottenham Hotspur.  When you lose to Bayern the way the bros did, haters come out of the woodwork, relishing the embarrassment of dropping points at home in such embarrassing fashion.  Devon is one of those haters.  Can Poch and the crew survive this poor run, or is this the beginning of the end as players and coach angle for greener pastures?   Pat, Mario and Devon also premiere a new segment discussing the Football world's most punchable faces, Mario's results may surprise you.  In Merica, we check out WWE style rules in the NWSL and a tackles that ends one Liga MX player's night with a hole in his leg.  A drink driving accident ends Richard Keogh's season, Bernardo Silva's really sorry about that one racist tweet and Chris Wondolowski is mentioned twice on a savory installment of The Set Piece.

Across the pond, Elton John incredulously looked at his television and let out an exasperated  “Fuck!”  Last week Manchester City were handed an L by a feisty Norwich squad and spent a considerable amount of time this week letting everyone know that the race to the Premier League title isn't decided in September and they were going to make an example of their next opponent to prove their point.   Watford has a lot of things going for them, they've been able to strengthen their squad substantially the past few years, went to a FA Cup final and have a superstar owner to boot.  Unfortunately, this season has not been kind to them, they are at the bottom of the table with a newish manager but worst of all, Manchester City has a strong dislike towards the Hornets.  Matchups between the two usually end poorly for Watford and this one was the worst of them.  After Kevin De Bruyne stood in the penalty area, Creed style to celebrate his goal 87 minutes in, the score was 8-0 and it could've been worse.  Match Day 6 also gave us the 2nd Set Piece Derby of the year, pitting Super Frank's Young Guns and Jurg's Love and Friendship 2020 Tour in a very appealing 90 minutes of football.  Klopp's boys were able to grab all three points despite a feisty outing from Chelsea, N'Golo Kante's return and weary legs.  Elsewhere, Arsenal were able to battle back against Aston Villa with only 10 men and Uncle Ole suffered a beatdown from West Ham and Count Pelligrini. Stateside, the MLS decides to leave the Iron Front alone…for the rest of the year.   Megan Rapinoe and the USWNT racked up big time at the FIFA Best of awards and in a shocking development, didn't stick to sports.  In WTF Bro, we find out that you can't be racist if you're a sweet man who speaks 4 languages and find out which English team had the most arrests last season.  All that and official confirmation on the ethnicity of Santa Claus on this installment of The Set Piece

This week, Champions League Football has started, marking the official kickoff of the European season and it didn't start with a whimper.  Day 1 gave us a first half hat trick by a 19 year old, the defending champions starting off with a big fat L  and Ross Barkley wishing he could head to Raffles to cry in his Michelob Ultra.  PSG beating the tight pants of Zidane coupled with a draw in Thrust Off 2 provided entertainment on Day 2.  For those too busy earning a living to watch midday matches, the TSP boys have watched most of the games and all of the Youtube links to fill you in. Match Day 5 in the Premier League has “trap week” written all over it.  Wedged in the middle of international break and the first week of European group play, its easy to forget about the task at hand and focus on starting strong in Europe.  While Liverpool was able to withstand an early goal to come back and dominate Newcastle,  Manchester City wasn't as lucky.   They headed to Carrow Road against a lively Norwich City team, depleted by injury but oozing in the confidence youth provides.  Spunk, John Stones and Nico Otamendi performances left Pep Guardiola congratulating the Reds on their title victory five games in.   In WTF Bro, we check in on the NCAA student athlete scandal that allowed a Canadian student to attend UCLA on a Soccer scholarship, track down the baby racist attending NWSL matches yelling slurs at a Portland Thorns player and find out how much jail time you get for firing a gun in a Turkish hospital.   All that and an 80 year old Italian racist's thoughts on how Banana's are vital to curbing Romelu Lukaku's brilliance on The Set Piece

Gregg and USMNT were defiant after their 3-0 defeat to Mexico. more satisfied with this performance than the Gold Cup, they were able to save face against Uruguay thanks to the most American goal ever by Jordan Morris, but was that enough to appease the TSP boys?  We find out this week as they grade Gregg and the USMNT project, is it headed in the right direction?  Or should we start to divert some of their funds to pay the women? This fall, Danny Drinkwater was loaned out to Burnley, to return to form and become the man who bossed midfield at Leicester while having the cleanest facial hair in the game.  It hasn't started well, so poor in fact that he ended up on The Therapists couch.  Can we get him back on track or is he doomed to play the lead in the Mean Machine reboot? Elsewhere, a coach leaves his post due to boredom, Cocaine D leaves Dorados for a gig in his hometown and Wayne Rooney holds court at a DC area piano bar and more on The Set Piece. 

The past week treated us the annual UEFA Awards, where the best from past, present and future dress nicely and try to stay awake in between victory speeches and draws.  TSP favorite, Eric Cantona wins a lifetime achievement award and delivers an acceptance speech that left quite a few audience members frazzled.  The boys decode his words line by line in an attempt to reach a higher consciousness. In WTF Bro, we hear from a willing female participant in Wayne Rooney's Wild Night that Never Happened in Vancouver, check out the release of new kits for all you hypebeasts and learn about the LGTBQ agenda to take over major sports from Ex NFLer,  full time private investigator Larry Johnson. A strong showing by Union Berlin, Ansu Fati breaking more records in Barcelona, Italian racists from Inter tell Inter's Romelu Lukaku that racism doesn't exist in Italy and more on a spicy, slightly less antifascist installment of The Set Piece

It's Rivalry Week in the MLS!  Yay.  We're also a week out from the league deciding to provide a safe gameday experience for fascists and their families.  In response to that tone deaf but Merican decision, fan groups from the Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders engaged in a form of protest that was organized, intelligent and didn't harm one hair on the head of a precious child fascist. That didn't stop the owner's son, ally when convenient, Merritt Paulson, from blaming the Timbers loss, white genocide and The Office leaving Netflix on their nonviolent protest.  Wayne Rooney's Great American Odyssey is on its last legs and the British media will have you believe he's up to his old party boy antics again.  The Sun captured him and a few teammates relaxing prior to their 12 hour Commerical flight that could be done in 6, at a Vancouver night spot. Wayne was enjoying conversation with a few coed MLS fans, catching a limo with them and having a conversation in his hotel lobby, near an elevator door. The boys have seen enough and its time to help.  In our new segment The Therapists, Mario, Pat and Devon walk through Wayne's most recent transgressions and try to provide some words of wisdom for Wayne, Coleen and the health of their relationships.  In England Mauricio Pochettino is a bit frustrated.  They lost to Newcastle in front of the White Wall, the media are questioning him about team selection and they are already looking up at Manchester City and Liverpool.  Match day 3 also blessed us with Mo Salah turning David Luiz into gazpacho and two goals by young Brits so impressive Boris Johnson needed to suspend Parliament.  In WTF Bro, Wesley Sneijder retired from professional Football two weeks ago and he's already gotten himself into Merican shape.  Red Star Belgrade brings a tank to a tailgate, Vincent Kompany's struggling back home and we do our best to keep Marysville as white as possible on another installment of The Set Piece

The MLS has decided to remove fans from their stadiums for the crime of bringing in the signage promoting controversial stances like Anti-Fascism, Anti-Racism and Gun Violence.  Ensuring a fun time is had for all, including the racist, gun violence loving family of four who purchased those San Jose Earthquakes tickets with their Freedom Bucks.  The TSP crew discuss this rule and try to remember the last time a sign was powerful enough to end Racism or Gun Violence.  In England, the Premier League is on the cusp of its 3rdweek of matches with this weekend's highlight match pitting Liverpool v Arsenal.  There were some solid displays of spectacular Football but the new VAR rules in the box played a major factor in a game each week.    The transfer window is still open and some big names were able to find new homes now that September 2nd  is in sight.  Phil Coutinho, Mario Balotelli and Daniel Sturridge found interesting landing spots while Neymar is still in Paris sulking.  Only time will tell if Barcelona can put together a deal to appease PSG or if a larger club provides a lifeline for our brooding, oft injured superstar.  Jose Mourinho wishes he was still working, Carlos Cordeiro still doesn't understand how equal pay works, Alexi Lalas is asked to partake in a flexibility challenge and more on a confrontational installment of The Set Piece.    Please be advised, there may be some audio issues on the show clips.

The crew at The Set Piece are celebrating the move to our own feed by uploading our entire library, warts and all. 

The crew at The Set Piece are celebrating the move to our own feed by uploading our entire library, warts and all. 

The crew at The Set Piece are celebrating the move to our own feed by uploading our entire library, warts and all. 

The crew at The Set Piece are celebrating the move to our own feed by uploading our entire library, warts and all. 

The crew at The Set Piece are celebrating the move to our own feed by uploading our entire library, warts and all. 

The crew at The Set Piece are celebrating the move to our own feed by uploading our entire library, warts and all. 

The crew at The Set Piece are celebrating the move to our own feed by uploading our entire library, warts and all. 

The crew at The Set Piece are celebrating the move to our own feed by uploading our entire library, warts and all. 

The crew at The Set Piece are celebrating the move to our own feed by uploading our entire library, warts and all. 

The crew at The Set Piece are celebrating the move to our own feed by uploading our entire library, warts and all. 

The crew at The Set Piece are celebrating the move to our own feed by uploading our entire library, warts and all. 

The crew at The Set Piece are celebrating the move to our own feed by uploading our entire library, warts and all. 

The crew at The Set Piece are celebrating the move to our own feed by uploading our entire library, warts and all. 

The crew at The Set Piece are celebrating the move to our own feed by uploading our entire library, warts and all. 

The crew at The Set Piece are celebrating the move to our own feed by uploading our entire library, warts and all. 

The crew at The Set Piece are celebrating the move to our own feed by uploading our entire library, warts and all. 

The crew at The Set Piece are celebrating the move to our own feed by uploading our entire library, warts and all. 

The crew at The Set Piece are celebrating the move to our own feed by uploading our entire library, warts and all. 

The crew at The Set Piece are celebrating the move to our own feed by uploading our entire library, warts and all. 

The crew at The Set Piece are celebrating the move to our own feed by uploading our entire library, warts and all. 

The crew at The Set Piece are celebrating the move to our own feed by uploading our entire library, warts and all. 

The crew at The Set Piece are celebrating the move to our own feed by uploading our entire library, warts and all.