A new USL podcast from The Striker Texas, focusing on the four Texas-based USL-Championship clubs.
With two weeks down in the USL Championship season, Roberto Silva, Jonathan Check, Joe Rodriguez and Edson Ochoa discuss what they've learned about the Texas teams so far. On the agenda: Why El Paso Locomotive FC keeps coming up short in the same spots What's going better for Rio Grande Valley FC even amid finishing and fitness struggles Whether San Antonio FC can keep extending their famous unbeaten run as injuries mount Is it time for anyone to panic?
The USL Championship season is finally underway with the three Texas teams getting three different results to start. Edson Ochoa, Jonathan Check, and Joe Rodriguez get together to reflect on this first week, including: San Antonio FC is picking up where it left off, with an unlikely hero grabbing the headlines. El Paso Locomotive FC is continuing its tradition of failing to win season openers, though there were positive signs. Rio Grande Valley FC is getting off to a slow start, but recovering, only for a veteran to make a rookie mistake. Are we content with the way our teams look after one match? What tests are on the horizon for our teams and how do we expect they'll do?
With the 2023 USL Championship season on the horizon, The Striker Tejas crew returns from a longer-than-expected layoff as Roberto Silva, Jonathan Check, Joe Rodriguez, and Edson Ochoa discuss: San Antonio FC is keeping most of its core and trying to keep the championship-winning standard high through a secluded preseason El Paso Locomotive FC has another new coach, and he's looking to be flexible and help the team avoid the pitfalls of 2022 Rio Grande Valley FC made lots of moves ahead of time as it hopes to be consistent and finally put together a complete season Predictions for the first week and the busy start to the season
In the first episode of 2023, Roberto Silva, Edson Ochoa, Joe Rodriguez, and Jonathan Check are happily reunited to discuss what has happened with the United Soccer League and their teams over the last two months, including: Rio Grande Valley FC actually had a decent number of signings two months before the start of the season El Paso Locomotive FC has a new head coach for the second season in a row, again thinking outside the box Reigning champion San Antonio FC is conducting business as usual, gradually making signings and unveiling a new jersey The USL hasn't reached an agreement yet with PRO or ESPN for referees or a broadcast/streaming partner, respectively, and isn't ready to talk about it...should we be worried?
The whole crew is in attendance for the last planned show of the year to talk about the end of the USL Championship season, which ended very well for one of the Texas teams, and the beginning of the offseason, which is suddenly quite complicated for a different Texas team. Roberto Silva leads discussions with Edson Ochoa, Joe Rodriguez, and Jonathan Check about: Edson going all-out to cosplay as a NASCAR driver San Antonio FC winning the USL Championship Final over Louisville City FC in style to cap off a dominant season Marcina-to-MLS 2.0: Seriously, is anybody even looking outside the MLS family for new coaches!? John Hutchinson steps away from El Paso Locomotive FC after just one season after juggling too many difficulties All is quiet on the southern front with Rio Grande Valley FC
For the first time in USL Championship history, we have a Texas team in the final! Roberto Silva breaks down all the big talking points and a little bit of other news with Joe Rodriguez, Edson Ochoa and Jonathan Check, including: How San Antonio FC won a very physical Western Conference Championship match Whether Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC are right to complain about the referees, and if so are they using the right platform? The preparations for SAFC's first championship match, and how the crowd can make a difference Updates on how the offseason for Rio Grande Valley FC and El Paso Locomotive FC
Lacking one member but not depth of thought, The Striker Tejas crew reunites with Roberto Silva, Jonathan Check and Joe Rodriguez coming together to discuss: The weather in San Antonio, El Paso, and various parts of Brazil El Paso Locomotive FC already adding new players, even with the 2022 USL Championship season still going San Antonio FC sticking to its trademark style to advance in the playoffs and face Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC for the third time this year What's different about SAFC being in the Western Conference Final this year compared to last year Whether or not SAFC head coach Alen Marcina would deserve a shot at a better coaching job if he wins the championship Follow on Twitter: @TheStrikerNews Get 20% Off and Free Shipping with the code MLS at Manscaped.com. Subscribe to Inside the Hexagon Podcast: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Roberto Silva leads a full panel this week with Edson Ochoa, Joe Rodriguez and Jonathan Check to discuss the start of the USL Championship playoffs and — for those already eliminated — the start of the offseason. On the agenda: How San Diego Loyal SC imploded, and what players think of head coach Landon Donovan's priorities What went oh-so-wrong for Rio Grande Valley FC in its first playoff match? How San Antonio FC is feeling carrying the Texas torch after its bye week El Paso Locomotive FC's offseason is well underway, for better or worse
For the first time in a few weeks, a month, maybe two ... the whole squad is back together! Roberto Silva leads Jonathan Check, Joe Rodriguez, and Edson Ochoa through the latest news about the USL Championship teams in Texas, including these storylines. San Antonio FC used different players to get the same result on the road, beating Birmingham Legion FC 2-1 Rio Grande Valley FC controls its destiny after a 2-1 win over Phoenix Rising FC ... so how should the Toros approach their final match to secure a playoff spot? After a 3-1 loss away to the Tampa Bay Rowdies ended its playoff hopes, what derailed El Paso Locomotive FC this year, and what were the positives? What matters most to SAFC as Orange County SC comes to town? Also, there's breaking news in the Borderland!
Reporters Edson Ochoa, Joe Rodriguez, and Jonathan Check somehow survive without Roberto Silva (again!) to reconvene for another episode of The Striker Tejas. The hot topics: How SAFC turned it on late to beat Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC and secure the USL Championship's best record. Should the league switch to two-legged playoff rounds? What Rio Grande Valley FC learned from playing against Louisville City FC's high pressure in a home defeat. How the Toros then left it late to rescue a draw at Memphis 901 FC. Why John Hutchinson isn't freaking out after El Paso Locomotive FC gets crushed on the counter. What's on the line for every Texas team with two weeks left in the season?
Roberto Silva, complete with an invisible and silent drumset, once again helms The Striker Tejas podcast alongside a delighted Edson Ochoa and a sneezy Jonathan Check to discuss the latest news for the USL Championship and its Texan teams, including; How the Tampa Bay Rowdies and El Paso Locomotive FC postponed a match because they couldn't handle a slight breeze and a bit of drizzle Rio Grande Valley FC having some travel troubles but luring the Charleston Battery into its trap for yet another win San Antonio FC doing enough for the win, getting results even without putting in a completely convincing performance The difficulties of imbalanced schedules and playing inter-conference matches, one of Roberto's least favorite things, something that makes Roberto's blood boil
Roberto Silva returns to the pod alongside regulars Edson Ochoa and Jonathan Check to discuss another interesting week for the USL Championship teams in Texas. Edson and Jonathan help Roberto get up to speed on: Rio Grande Valley FC's sudden uptick in form, aided by rotation and new arrivals — Wilmer Cabrera stayed calm and figured it out San Antonio FC inching closer to clinching first place in the Western Conference and the entire league, even if the performances haven't been the most convincing There are no easy games, but some certainly appear easier than others... how well will the Texas teams do this weekend? Orange County SC and Diego Luna can keep representing the USL Championship well
Hosted once again by Edson Ochoa, the team survives another week without Roberto Silva, just like Joe Rodriguez survived a weekend without El Paso Locomotive soccer ... but will Jonathan Check survive a podcast recording without having to engage a fly in mortal combat? The clock is ticking for him as the team covers a range of topics including: San Antonio FC came up big in key moments to come out on top of San Diego Loyal SC and extend its lead atop the Western Conference Rio Grande Valley FC starting to click and make a late-season surge for the second year in a row after a comeback win over New Mexico United How El Paso feels after a week off, going into the final stretch of the season All three teams are back in action for a busy few days, where the Toros keep softening teams up for SAFC
And we are back! The team has to go on without Roberto Silva this week, but no worries, as Edson Ochoa, Jonathan Check, and Joe Rodriguez take charge and dive right into everything that went down in the USL league, including: Reactions to Sacramento Republic FC representing the USL Championship in the US Open Cup final San Antonio FC steadying the ship with a complete performance in Oakland El Paso Locomotive getting a historic win away to archrival New Mexico United in style Rio Grande Valley FC getting a historic win of its own in El Paso ... did Wilmer Cabrera outsmart John Hutchinson? The City of Irvine is ghosting Orange County SC about Championship Soccer Stadium
And we are back! Jonathan Check accompanied Copa Tejas on tour — and was Edson Ochoa hatless!? Meanwhile, Roberto Silva joined the duo to dig into a little bit of everything that happened in the games, while Joe Rodriguez left us to go on vacation. In this episode, we discuss: San Antonio FC loses away to Indy Eleven as the slump continues ... what's going wrong? El Paso Locomotive beat Phoenix Rising, but Rio Grande Valley FC can't do the same The importance of Jonas Fjeldberg to RGV FC, exemplified by the big win over Las Vegas Lights It's a double derby week for El Paso, while SAFC take a trip to face a tough Oakland Roots side
And we are back! This week's episode of The Striker Tejas features Jonathan Check doing Jonathan things, Edson Ochoa's many hats, Roberto Silva giving his take, and Joe Rodriguez's janky Windows update. In this episode: El Paso goes toe-to-toe with San Diego but falls short, with little room left for error Mixed emotions on both sides of the South Texas Derby as both teams made mistakes The panel looks to this weekend's upcoming matches: Indy Eleven vs San Antonio FC, El Paso Locomotive hosts Phoenix Rising, RGV Toros travels to Sin City to face Las Vegas Lights. Looking ahead to an "easy" game and "six-pointers" – if either is a real thing
And we are back! While Roberto Silva is back after his MLS All-Star adventure, Jonathan Check, Joe Rodriguez, and Edson Ochoa, break down some of the USL highlights; RGV has a bye week, they didn't get any points, but did they lose points? How realistic are their chances of making the playoffs? San Antonio goes on about its business against Loudoun United and Las Vegas Lights. Jonathan Check reports The panel discussed the USL's “Golden Children” The Striker Tejas takes a deep dive talking about the 4-4 match between Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC & El Paso Locomotive FC A Wilmer Cabrera quote that we could not ignore
And we are back! While Roberto Silva is off covering the MLS All-Star, Edson Ochoa, Jonathan Check, and Joe Rodriguez discuss what's going on in the USL. LA Galaxy wants to pull the stadium out from under Orange County SC El Paso's rough run continues in fourth straight loss without a goal SAFC dealt rare loss as it can't outlast high-scoring San Diego on the road RGV FC still gets a result but needs more as the season winds down
And we are back! In this episode, Roberta Silva, Edson Ochoa, Jonathan Check, and Joe Rodriguez discuss several topics. What's going on with San Antonio's winning streak El Paso Locomotive FC is trying to get a stride going Rio Grande Valley FC Toros, is suffering a goal drought What else is going on with the USL
In this episode, Edson Ochoa, Roberta Silva,Jonathan Check, and Joe Rodriguez discuss what's next for the teams; - SAFC clinches Copa Tejas, the first trophy in club history - Rough patch for El Paso on and off the field - RGV FC still struggling but making moves to spark the offense - Best Copa Tejas-winning team over the years?
In another episode, Edson Ochoa, Jonathan Check, Joe Rodriguez, and Roberto Silva is finally back! Important questions are answered. Is RGV in trouble? and who will take Copa Tejas?
And we are back! In this episode, Edson Ochoa, Jonathan Check and Joe Rodriguez talk about the last matches, piñas coladas and what to expect to the next matches. 02:08 - RGV Toros last two matches against New Mexico United, 1 point out of 6 possible 11:30 - El Paso Locomotive won against Colorado Springs by 1 nil 16:40 - Two red cards on that game 20:40 - The piña colada episode 21:37 - San Antonio FC x Atlanta United: what should we expect 26:24 - El Paso Locomotive travels to match against Oakland Roots, the king of draws 30:30 - RGV Toros against Las Vegas Lights 34:30 - Point Predictions for this week
In this episode Edson Ochoa, Jonathan Check and Joe Rodriguez talk about the last matches and what to expect to the week ahead. 02:12 - New Mexico United match against RGV Toros is postponed 07:35 - El Paso Locomotives goes through Baby Bulls by 5 nil 12:00 - El Paso's goalkeeper Evan Newton, after a rough start, lives a new moment 14:10 - San Antonio FC wins Colorado Springs (at their home) by 1 nil 22:15 - El Paso Loco x RGV Toros: what should we expect 29:43 - San Antonio FC tough week against FC Tulsa and Charleston Battery 33:12 - El Paso goes to Atlanta looking for the 3 points 34:50 - Point Predictions for this week
Roberto Silva, Edson Ochoa, Jonathan Check and Joe Rodriguez hop on for another episode of The Striker Tejas! 5:17 - RGV Toros gets a big win against Pittsburgh Riverhounds in 1-0, but can they keep this level for the rest of the season? 10:00 - El Paso Loco had a great opportunity to show their strength in national television in a draw in 1-1 agains Detroit City 13:25 - San Antonio ties at home with Oakland in 1-1 game 18:25 - Tough games ahead this week! RGV against New Mexico United at their home and it's a big challenge 24:30 - Does El Paso has an easy game this week against NY Red Bulls? No one is expecting surprises here 26:45 - The major game for this week: San Antonio FC meets Colorado at their home: what we should expect? 31:40 - Point Predictions
Roberto Silva, Edson Ochoa, Jonathan Check and Joe Rodriguez hop on for another episode of The Striker Tejas! 7:35 - RGV Toros draws in 2-2 game against Oakland Roots 14:52 - El Paso Locos win against Pheonix Rising in 0-1 game, but was it merited? 21:56 - San Antonio triumphs over Monterey Bay 24:23 - Previewing El Paso Locos vs Detroit City 28:37 - Previewing RGV Toros vs Pittsburg Riverhounds 30:40 - Previewing SAFC vs Oakland Roots 32:37 - Point predictions!
On this special edition of The Striker Tejas: game breakdowns, point predictions and coach report cards. Which coaches passed and which ones flunked? Roberto Silva, Edson Ochoa, Jonathan Check and Joe Rodriguez decide! 4:58 - RGV Toros wins 1-0 against LA Galaxy II, but Toros is still struggling with shots on target 9:12 - El Paso Locomotive draws in 1-1 game against Hartford Athletic 16:29 - SAFC inevitably lost to Sacramento Republic in 1-0 away game 20:02 - Previewing SAFC vs Monterey Bay 21:56 - Previewing RGV vs Oakland Roots 23:47 - Previewing El Paso vs Pheonix Rising 27:21 - Point predictions 29:03 - Rating coaches and grading their performances
Welcome back to another episode of your favorite USL podcast. Roberto Silva hops on the mic and rejoins writers Edson Ochoa, Jonathan Check and Joe Rodriguez for this edition of The Striker Tejas. 3:33 - San Antonio wins 3-2 in derby match against RGV Toros 6:55 - RGV allowed 3 goals in derby match, but their defense looked solid 12:36 - El Paso Locomotive flies to Vegas and comes home with an exhilarating 1-0 win 18:33 - On Texas teams' standings in the Western Conference 21:19 - Previewing RGV Toros games against Atlanta United 2 and LA Galaxy 2 24:10 - Previewing El Paso Locomotive vs Hartford Athletic 27:16 - Previewing SAFC vs Sacramento Republic 30:30 - Who is the best player so far this season?
Join us for another episode of The Striker Tejas with writers Edson Ochoa, Jonathan Check and Joe Rodriguez. Rio Grande Valley Toros secured a 2-1 win against San Diego Loyal, even with goalkeeper Colin Miller injured in the first half. San Antonio vs Colorado Springs Switchbacks game is postponed due to COVID. El Paso Locomotive and Orange County locked horns in a 2-2 draw.
Roberto Silva, Edson Ochoa, Joe Rodriguez and Jonathan Check cover all the latest USL developments in this episode of The Striker Tejas. Plus: all the delicious food the crew ate this past weekend. 2:58 - El Paso Locos falls short in 0-1 game against Pittsburgh Riverhounds 7:20 - Things kept going wrong in RGV Toros game against Monterey Bay, but Toros came out on top 12:01 - SAFC ended a brutal and busy week with a 2-0 win against Miami FC 16:15 - Previewing El Paso's upcoming games against Sacramento Republic and Orange County 19:15 - Previewing RGV Toros vs San Diego Loyal 20:42 - Point predictions! 23:48 - On all the amazing food The Striker Tejas crew ate this past week
Roberto re-joins the team for another episode of The Striker Tejas along with writers Edson Ochoa, Jonathan Check and Joe Rodriguez. 2:41 - 10 points in 3 games, the air in El Paso is filled with good energy as Locos win their third game in a row 7:13 - Rio Grande Valley Toros loses 3-2 against Colorado Springs 9:56 - RGV picked up the pace in the second half, what can the team learn from this great comeback? 13:40 - Jonathan goes to Arizona for San Antonio's game against Pheonix Rising FC 15:13 - SAFC needs to bury every chance it gets, especially coming out of this 3-0 loss 22:21 - Previewing SAFC vs Houston Dynamo 27:10 - Previewing SAFC vs Miami FC 28:28 - Previewing RGV Toros vs Monterey Bay 31:02 - Previewing El Paso Locos vs Pittsburgh Riverhounds Point predictions for the week: Roberto - 5 points Edson - 5 points Joe - 2 points Jonathan - 2 points
Join us in another Roberto-free edition of The Striker Tejas! Roberto may be out of the country, but Texas soccer news never stops. Join this week's episode as Edson Ochoa, Jonathan Check and Joe Rodriguez cover all the latest games. El Paso Locomotive has a smashing 1-3 win against Loudoun United. San Antonio FC massacres Monterey Bay in a brutal 6-0 win. Rio Grande Valley Toros lets defense slip and loses 1-2 against Orange County.
A week filled with surprises for Edson Ochoa, Jonathan Check and Joe Rodriguez from The Striker Tejas. 2:03 - RGV FC Toros loses 1-2 to Houston Dynamo 11:13 - Alen Marcina sat back and watched as San Antonio did what they had to do to win against Austin FC in 2-1 game 14:06 - On Austin's goalkeeper takes heat from fans 18:46 - SAFC wins 1-0 against New Mexico United 24:24 - On 1-1 draw between El Paso Locomotive vs Oakland Roots 28:48 - RGV wins 2-1 game against Sacramento Republic 34:39 - Previewing SAFC vs Monterey Bay 35: 48 - Previewing El Paso vs Loudoun United 37:51 - Previewing RGV vs Orange County 38:56 - Point predictions!
Roberto Silva, Edson Ochoa, Jonathan Check and Joe Rodriguez from The Striker Tejas panel break down an eventful week and a post-game conference with Wilmer Cabrera, coach of Rio Grande Valley FC Toros. El Paso Locomotive FC and San Antonio FC rise to the challenge with incredible wins, but RGV Toros fumbles and drops the ball. 4:30 - El Paso breaks personal records with its largest margin of victory ever in a 5-0 game against Monterey Bay 8:55 - SAFC went in with a vengeance against Orange County and won 1-0 12:29 - RGV Toros had 63% possession and took 14 shots, only 3 were on target — will shooting accuracy be their downfall? 15:49 - On Cabrera's post-game conference: Some Toros players are waiting on immigration documents and others are out on injuries — who is to blame for Toros' "late start"? 24:25 - Previewing RGV Toros vs NY Red Bulls II 25:50 - Previewing SAFC vs El Paso Locos, the first official Copa Tejas derby 31:57 - The Striker Tejas panel makes point predictions for the upcoming week
Roberto Silva, Edson Ochoa and Jonathan Check are rejoined by Joe Rodriguez for this week's episode of The Striker Tejas. Rio Grande Valley Toros and San Antonio FC win their games earlier this week, but El Paso Locomotive lags behind... again. 3:35 - RGV Toros vs North Carolina FC's first half is a snooze fest, but RGV wins 2-1 9:04 - SAFC wins 3-1 against D'Feeters Kicks with a chaotic second half 12:56 - El Paso Locomotive plays a disappointing game against Central Valley Fuego, losing 1-4 16:41 - Locos needs a significant, strategic change to fix its vulnerable defensive line 21:07 - Locos don't have a Sporting Director - a behind the scenes analysis on what this means for the team and their gameplay 26:19 - Previewing RGV Toros vs Indy Eleven 28:47 - Previewing SAFC vs Orange County + is SAFC seeking revenge? 31:44 - Previewing El Paso Locos vs Monterey Bay 36:50 - Point prediction updates for the upcoming weekend
Roberto Silva, Edson Ochoa and Jonathan Check hop on for another episode of The Striker Tejas! San Antonio FC and El Paso Locomotive FC lose their games, and Rio Grande Valley FC Toros takes a much-needed break. 3:22 - What is Open Cup? 7:20 - Open Cup game schedule for SAFC, RGV Toros and El Paso Locomotive 13:22 - SAFC has cracks in its gameplay, what went wrong against Pheonix? 18:19 - Javier "Yuma" Monsálvez Carazo allowed three goals scored against El Paso, does the team lack defensive cohesion? 25:30 - Previewing RGV Toros vs Indy Valley FC 27:40 - Previewing SAFC vs Orange County SC 29:57 - Point predictions!
Roberto Silva, Edson Ochoa and Jonathan Check chat about the ups and downs so far this season. Joe Rodriguez gives us his insight in a clip from earlier this week. San Antonio FC brings home a third win in a row while Rio Grande Valley FC Toros and El Paso Locomotive FC lag behind. 2:03 - El Paso Locomotive vs Las Vegas Lights ends in a tense 4-5 score 3:35 - What started as a scoreless draw leads to three goals in three minutes against El Paso in the second half, Joe gives his thoughts on the thrilling game 11:12 - This is El Paso's third loss in a row, could their game against San Diego flip things around? 14:35 - Mixed feelings on SAFC's success this season 17:03 - SAFC coach Alen Marcina knows exactly how to apply pressure, but is it enough to get them through the season? 19:36 - On RGV Toros' 1-2 loss to SAFC 23:23 - Previewing SAFC vs Phoenix Rising FC 25:57 - Roberto, Edson and Jonathan make point predictions and discuss upcoming games
Roberto Silva is back hosting the show, joined by Edson Ochoa, Joe Rodriguez and Jonathan Check. San Antonio brings home another win, El Paso Locomotive loses a second time against New Mexico United and RGV Toros takes its first loss. 1:08 - Catching up after the weekend, wild Texas weather and Roberto's unfortunate nap 4:45 - El Paso Locomotive dominates the first two games of the season, but what can the team do better? 7:45 - A stale second half left El Paso playing into New Mexico's hands 12:03 - RGV Toros takes eight shots and only lands one against Orange County, is this the same team from last season? 16:53 - It never hurts to start the season with two wins, but San Antonio hasn't been perfect 20:07 - Previewing El Paso Locomotive vs Las Vegas Lights 24:41 - Previewing RGV Toros vs LA Galaxy II 28:27 - Previewing RGV Toros vs San Antonio 31:07 - Roberto, Edson, Joe and Jonathan make point predictions for upcoming games
Edson Ochoa, Joe Rodriguez and Jonathan Check from The Striker Tejas panel break down an eventful week in Texas USL. San Antonio FC and Rio Grande Valley Toros win their home openers. El Paso Locomotive puts up a good fight in a high-risk, high-reward game against Sacramento Republic FC. 2:12 - On San Antonio FC winning 1-0 against Detroit City FC and action on/off the field 6:50 - Edson, Joe and Jonathan discuss SAFC's unreadable and impractical Blackout kits 14:43 - RGV Toros took a 1-0 win in their home opener against Oakland Roots 18:02 - On El Paso Locomotive's "Fast and Furious" game against Sacramento Republic FC 27:30 - Looking towards the upcoming weekend's matchups 34:13 - Point predictions and previews
Roberto Silva, Edson Ochoa, Joe Rodriguez and Jonathan Check make predictions about the 2022 USL Championship and launch a new season of The Striker Tejas. 1:29 - On launching a new season of The Striker Tejas and how to find authentic tacos 4:16 - Edson digs into letting go of important players 9:25 - Is Kekuta Manneh the best signing of the off-season? If not, who is? 20:18 - Games schedule for the upcoming weekend 28:15 - Roberto, Edson, Joe and Jonathan make predictions for the 2022 season 31:17 - What can we expect going forward?
On Thursday afternoon, the El Paso Locomotive FC front office named John Hutchinson as the club's new head coach and technical director. Hutchinson is only the second person to hold this title with the young club after Mark Lowry left the team shortly after the Locomotive were eliminated from the 2021 USL-Championship playoffs. The native Australian is a former player himself and has coached at the professional level since 2015. Hutchinson comes to El Paso from Japan where he was most recently an assistant with Yokohama F. Marinos. He has six years of technical staff experience in five different leagues, including MLS and USL with the Seattle Sounders and Tacoma Defiance. He had two separate stints at the Sounders, most recently in 2020 as head of development before taking a position in Japan's J League-1.
After a week break, host Ross Fisher was joined by Joe Rodriguez and Jonathan Check to reminisce about San Antonio and El Paso's drastically different season. They also discussed end of the year awards, the USL-C final and got nostalgic about recording the last episode of the 2021 season. 4:00 - Breaking down San Antonio FC's loss to Orange County in the semifinal, and reflecting on SAFC's 2021 season 11:45 - Pontificating El Paso's surprise exit in the playoffs 19:00 - Talking individual awards 30:50 - Breaking down the USL-C final 35:00 - Discussing favorite moments from recording the podcast
Another week, another playoff triumph, another playoff casualty. San Antonio FC beat RGV Toros FC 3-1, to secure a spot in the semifinals of the playoffs. Also, El Paso Locomotive FC announced head coach Mark Lowry is leaving the club, and he will be joining Indy Eleven. 4:20 - Explaining the Roberto curse 6:40 - Mark Lowry leaves El Paso to join Indy Eleven 13:30 - Breaking down SAFC's 3-1 win over RGV Toros in the quarterfinals 23:00 - Previewing SAFC's semifinal encounter with Orange County
Roberto Silva hosts this week, joined by an uncharacteristically bullish Edson Ochoa, a humbled Joe Rodriguez and, as usual, a level-headed, wise Jonathan Check. The panel breaks down an insane three playoff matches, which featured two No. 1 seeds being upset by a No. 4 seed. 3:00 - Mountain Division No. 4-seed RGV upsets Pacific Division No. 1-seed Phoenix Rising, one of the biggest upsets in USL playoff history 6:20 - Mountain Division No. 1-seed El Paso fell to Pacific Division No. 4-seed Oakland Roots 14:00 - El Paso is at risk of losing head coach Mike Lowry 20:00 - More on RGV's first round triumph and late-season turnaround 30:00 - SAFC defeated the “Fighting Landon Donovans” a.k.a. SD Loyal 37:45 - Previewing RGV vs San Antonio, plus Jonas Fjeldberg ineligible to represent RGV in the playoffs
Ross Fisher is back hosting the show, joined by Edson Ochoa, Joe Rodriguez and Jonathan Check. Edson can't stop smiling after RGV took 9 points from its last 3 games to just barely qualify for the playoffs. 3:40 - A resurgent RGV wins three-straight to sneak into the playoffs in that fourth spot in the Mountain Division. The Toros beat El Paso 4-1 to secure qualification 12:30 - Why did El Paso try out a different formation ahead of the playoffs? 16:10 - SAFC secured home field advantage with a statement 3-0 win over Colorado Springs 18:00 - Austin Bold drew 1-1 with Charlotte Independence in club's last-ever game 21:30 - Previewing SAFC's playoff match with San Diego Loyal a.k.a. “The Fighting Landon Donovans” 24:10 - The Locomotive will welcome the Oakland Roots in the first round 29:00 - RGV will be massive underdogs against Phoenix Rising, can the Toros upset the No. 1 seed?
It's all happening in the final episode of the regular season! Roberto Silva broke the news that Bold owner Bobby Epstein informed the team the club will be departing for Fort Worth. Then, RGV Toros won right before the episode was recorded, setting up an electric three-horse race for the fourth playoff spot in the Mountain Division. 2:30 - RGV keeps playoff hopes alive with Real Monarchs, after winning 3-1 6:30 - Bold news 8:30 - El Paso potential first round matchups, and chance of having the No. 1 seed 13:30 - SAFC are in the driver's seat to earn home field advantage over Colorado 16:45 - RGV's playoff chances are good, but not great 18:20 - Bold's playoff chances 25:00 - Playoff predictions
This week the full Striker Tejas panel joins the show to break down a dramatic week in Texas USL. 5:00 - LA Galaxy II 5-0 El Paso / El Paso 3-2 Colorado Springs Switchbacks 12:00 - Colorado Springs Switchbacks 1-0 RGV FC 16:15 - SAFC 1-1 Tulsa 20:40 - What's going to stop RGV FC and Austin Bold making the playoffs? 23:50 - Real Monarchs 4-3 Austin Bold 24:50 - What happened with Real Monarchs' goalkeeper filing a police report? 27:30 - Previewing the upcoming Texas USL matches
This week the full Striker Tejas panel joins the show to break down a ton of goals. Roberto Silva sheds some insight on how the USL makes its schedule and how it is one of the only professional sports leagues where teams have such a big say in schedule-making decisions. 5:50 - SAFC 4-2 Memphis 9:00 - El Paso 3-3 SAFC 11:00 - El Paso 2-1 Tulsa 12:40 - RGV 1-1 NMU 17:00 - Bold 1-0 Tacoma, Bold 1-1 OKC 20:00 - Roberto Silva gives listeners a look behind the curtain as to how the USL makes its scheduling decisions, and what teams consider when doing so.
Mark Bay hosts this week, joined by Jonathan Check, Edson Ochoa and Joe Rodriguez. The guys discuss this week's matches, next week's matches, as well as predict who will finish in that fourth playoff spot. 2:30 - Locomotive scrape by Real Monarchs 1-0, courtesy of an own goal 3:50 - RGV lose 2-0 to NMU, a crushing blow in the Toros' race for fourth 6:30 - RGV beat Real Monarchs 3-0, a huge bounce back win 10:25 - SAFC edge out OKC 1-0, putting themselves six points clear in the third spot 13:00 - Which team makes that fourth spot of the playoffs? 22:00 - Should USL reconsider its scheduling format? 25:41 - Previewing next week's matches
The Striker Tejas pals are back to break down an all-over-the-place week of USL soccer in what was an all-over-the-place episode! Roberto and Ross played soccer with Mark, George and Bils at Bold Stadium after they drew El Paso and Diego Luna scored a screamer. RGV snapped its eight-game winless streak and Jonathan rants about SAFC. 1:00 - What everybody got up to this week. Ross and Roberto played at Bold Stadium with Mark Bay, George Murray, Chris Bils and friends, while Edson was in Monterrey watching Tigres for his birthday. 8:30 - Austin Bold drew 2-2 with El Paso with Sonny G scoring the equalizer on his return for the Bold 13:30 - Can the 18-year old phenom Diego Luna kick on in MLS and with the USMNT? 21:00 - RGV snapped its eight-game winless streak with a win over ATL UTD 2 24:30 - Austin Bold lost 3-1 in Colorado Springs, perhaps signaling the end of the new manager bounce under Ryan Thompson 26:40 - Jonathan vents about SAFC's disappointing loss to NMU 31:40 - Jonathan previews SAFC's game with OKC 33:15 - RGV has a must-win game away at NMU, then takes on the Monarchs 35:45 - The Locomotive will look to get back in the win column against Colorado and the Monarchs
San Antonio FC emerged from a tough stretch of travel with six points, RGV is still winless after eight games, and Austin Bold win three in a row for the first time in club history. 4:40 - Edson laments RGV's eight-game winless run 9:30 - RGV lost 2-1 to Colorado Springs 14:00 - SAFC gets wins on each cost, beating NYRBII 1-0, and Sacramento Republic 2-0 20:00 - El Paso drew 0-0 with Colorado 23:00 - Looking ahead to next week
Jonathan Check, Edson Ochoa, Ross Fisher and Joe Rodriguez join the show this week. Every team got a win except RGV, who got a decent point on the road in Colorado, setting up a spicy regular-season final stretch. 3:30 - SAFC finessed a 1-0 win over Real Monarchs, courtesy of a 80' minute Marcus Epps goal. 6:30 - The runaway Locomotive won 2-0 over Sacramento Republic 9:40 - RGV got a decent point away to Colorado, but are now winless in seven 14:00 - Edson laments RGV's poor run of form 18:00 - Austin Bold realized back-to-back wins under new head coach Ryan Thompson, beat NMU 1-0 19:00 - RGV is set for a rematch with Colorado on Saturday 22:00 - It was No. 1 vs. No. 2 in the mountain division, as El Paso took on Colorado Springs (Finished 0-0) 24:30 - Bizarre week of travel for SAFC, who traveled to NY where they beat NYRBII 2-1, then they will travel to Sacramento to take on the Republic after just a three-day turnaround. The panel plays "Are you smarter than a fifth-grader: Copa Tejas Edition."