Podcasts about backheeled

Welcome back to This League!, our show covering the USL Championship's biggest stories, characters, and on-field action. Every week, the Backheeled crew runs the Championship's gauntlet to provide fresh observations from around the league. This week, Peyton, John and Ryan present their midseason Best XI choices.Want to watch this episode instead? Click here. You'll get to see smiling faces and neat graphics.If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a rating and subscribe to Backheeled.com for more American soccer coverage! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to This League!, our show covering the USL Championship's biggest stories, characters, and on-field action. Every week, the Backheeled crew runs the Championship's gauntlet to provide fresh observations from around the league. This week, expert John Morrissey makes his case for his Backheeled.com USL Championship Power Rankings, dissecting No. 1 down to No. 25.Want to watch this episode instead? Click here. You'll get to see smiling faces and neat graphics.If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a rating and subscribe to Backheeled.com for more American soccer coverage! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the Glory KC is back with the 183rd episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City made news this week, despite being on their extended World Cup break. The Athletic reported that Sporting KC are interested in future Ivory Coast and current Toulouse winger, Yann Gboho. The French club is asking for $20 million for the left winger. We grind tape (for real this time) and learn more about Gboho. Plus, get into the newfound ambition of Sporting KC under new majority owner Peter Mallouk who confirmed the team is "doing everything [they] possible can during the break."Most of the rest of the podcast is dedicated to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. From the United States Men's National Team and their outstanding performance against Paraguay to all things Kansas City and the World Cup. We went to the Fan Fest, the Plaza, Crown Center, Union Station and a Netherlands watch party.The short version: go out and experience it! There is so much to do and see, even beyond the games. Make some new soccer friends! It was all beautifully run and organized.We also get into our play-by-play of the Kansas City World Cup Fan Fest. We have some tips for travel and to stay hydrated (for free), as well as other things you can do for cheap or free to take in this experience.In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:The KC Current are looking to expand their stadiumHB Køge Women win another trophymore World Cup fever!Here is a rundown of sections and start times:Intro, World Cup and Meeting Listeners - 0:00Sporting KC - 13:04USMNT - 30:02Kansas City and the World Cup - 49:51Digital Crawl - 1:29:33Upcoming GamesArgentina vs. Algeria, TUE, June 16 at 8:00PM CST (in KC)England vs. Croatia, WED, Jun 17 at 3:00PMUSMNT vs Australia, FRI, June 19 at 2:00PMScotland vs. Morocco, FRI, June 19 at 5:00PMNetherlands vs. Sweden, SAT, June 20 at 12:00PMEcuador vs. Curacao, SAT, June 20 at 7:00PM (in KC)Full World Cup ScheduleAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled.com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron. 

For the Glory KC is back with the 182nd episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City and the KC Current didn't play matches this week because of the World Cup break, but we're doing something new for us. We interviewed Nate Bukaty on this week's podcast! It's our first ever interview and Nate was a great first ever guest.He was on to promote his new book that he co-authored with Rustin Dodd, "Perfect Pitch: How Kansas City became the Heart of American Soccer and Landed the World Cup."Nate was a delightful interview as we learned about how he got to the job he has today. He talked about the 70+ interviews he did and how he has caught the bug of writing and wants to keep writing. It sounds like he has the material for 10 books considering the folks he interviewed that didn't make it in.I got the chance to talk to Nate about being friends with a bunch of Sporting KC legends and future legends like Matt Besler, Benny Feilhaber, Graham Zusi (aka Uncle Graham - you've gotta listen to get that story), Roger Espinoza and more!We learned about Kansas City nearly as much as we learned about soccer. Go follow Nate on Twitter and Instagram. He's also on a mission to find everyone on the cover of his book and give out a copy, so if you recognize anyone above hit us or Nate up!Speaking of free copies of the book, we're going to give away a copy here in the coming weeks if you aren't lucky enough to be able to buy one on your own. Otherwise, hit up your local bookstore or anywhere books are sold and buy "Perfect Pitch" today! Or join the waitlist at the library!Here is a rundown of sections and start times:Intro - 0:00Nate Bukaty Interview - 2:55After Dark Nonsense - 50:00Upcoming GamesThe World Cup starts Thursday! (Full Schedule)As a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled.com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron. 

Welcome back to This League!, our show covering the USL Championship's biggest stories, characters, and on-field action. Every week, the Backheeled crew runs the Championship's gauntlet to provide fresh observations from around the league. Peyton and John look back at Week 13 in the USL Championship, playing show and tell with an exciting slate of gamesWant to watch this episode instead? Click here. You'll get to see smiling faces and neat graphics.If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a rating and subscribe to Backheeled.com for more American soccer coverage! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the Glory KC is back with the 181st episode of the show!Before we got to the regularly scheduled podcast content, we had to talk about the KC Soccer Journal's collab with the Olathe Indian Creek Library. That also led into Sheena's impromptu review of Nate Bukaty's new book, "Perfect Pitch" about Kansas City bidding and getting the World Cup in 2026. Nate will be a guest on a future For the Glory KC!But before then, back to our regularly scheduled content.Sporting Kansas City aren't playing matches since it's the World Cup break, but that doesn't mean there wasn't news. David Lee made waves with rumors of "four to seven, starter-level" additions being his goal for the secondary transfer window. Not only did Lee weigh in, but new majority owner Peter Mallouk chimed in as well.We talk about our thoughts on their statements then where the additions should be made. According to reports, Lee said three defenders, three attackers and a midfielder. I tried to get specific with my needs and pushed my co-host to do the same. There are so many possibilities, despite the uptick in results recently. Sporting KC are still only one spot up from the bottom of the whole league, so almost no position is safe.Beyond the roster, there was plenty of international call-up news, including the unfortunate news that no Sporting KC players made a World Cup roster. Also, SKC II won again, in a wild one against the Real Monarchs.The KC Current did play soccer this week and gutted out at 1-0 win over expansion side Boston Legacy FC. It wasn't always pretty and it was downright violent, but Kansas City found a way. Not without some injuries along the way. We talked about Kayla Sharples and Ally Sentnor's injuries, some up and down performances and of course, Temwa Chawinga's game winning goal that had plenty of players (Bethune, LaBonta, Izzy) pitching in.In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:The USMNT's win over Senegal in a World Cup tune-upand the arrival of Argentina in Kansas CityHere is a rundown of sections and start times:Intro, Our Library Event and a Book Review - 0:00Sporting KC - 18:56KC Current - 52:17Digital Crawl - 1:10:38Upcoming GamesUSMNT vs Germany - SAT, June 6th @ 1:30PM CSTSKC II vs. MNUFC2 - MON, June 8th @ 7:00PMAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled.com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron. 

Rhode Island FC hit the road to take on the Indy Eleven on the weekend in their first collision this season. Will RIFC be able to find fourth gear and pass this team to find victory lane or will Sean McAuley and company have other plans in store for the amber and blue? John Morrissey of USL Tactics, The USL Show, and Backheeled's This League! joins us.

Welcome back to This League!, our show covering the USL Championship's biggest stories, characters, and on-field action. Every week, the Backheeled crew runs the Championship's gauntlet to provide fresh observations from around the league. Peyton and John look back at Week 12 in the USL Championship, playing show and tell with an exciting slate of gamesWant to watch this episode instead? Click here. You'll get to see smiling faces and neat graphics.If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a rating and subscribe to Backheeled.com for more American soccer coverage! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the Glory KC is back with the 180th episode of the show!Before we get to the podcast, the KC Soccer Journal is having a free event at the Indian Creek Library in Olathe. Tickets are free and you can get them here!Sporting Kansas City couldn't string together three wins in a row for the first time since 2022. Perhaps after MLS returns from the 2026 FIFA World Cup break. Sporting KC nearly pulled off the comeback after a slow start against Red Bull New York on Saturday night.It was Star Wars night at Sporting Park and Sheena and I talk our off the field escapades, in addition to what happened on the pitch. After New York's quick start, Sporting KC generated numerous opportunities and nearly doubled RBNY's expected goal (xG) output, according to Fotmob (1.69 to 0.88).Though they had the greater chances, they failed to finish too consistently. Additionally, their mistakes were punished more readily. That doesn't even account for all the chances that didn't lead to a shot when a player took one too many touches or made a poor pass to kill an attack. Despite that, Kansas City remained in the game until the dying minutes. A welcome change after 5-0 and 6-0 blowouts just a few weeks back.We talk through all the highs and lows, as well as time spent on Capita, Berg Johnsen, Manu Garcia, Taylor Calheira, Shapi, Jake Davis and others. Sheena even breaks out a top-ranking list for SKC and the Current.In addition to the game, we talk through Austin FC firing their coach and Sporting Director after losing to Sporting KC, Or Blorian leaving his last club on a high, Zorhan Bassong's shot at a World Cup roster and Zamir Loyo Reynaga scoring in his latest international endeavor.The KC Current were up and down this week. They ended the week on a high, beating the then first place Portland Thorns. But their midweek road loss to Angel City FC soured the week a bit. Temwa Chawinga continued her Golden Boot climb and the ongoing Ally Sentnor/Haley Hopkins debate gets another chapter.In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:SKC II resultsMessi injured?USMNT roster for the World Cup!Here is a rundown of sections and start times:Intro - 0:00Sporting KC - 1:59KC Current - 54:18Digital Crawl - 1:14:41Upcoming GamesSKC II @ Real Monarchs, FRI, May 29th at 9:00PM CSTKC Current vs Boston Legacy, SAT, May 30th at 12:30PM As a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled.com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron. 

For the Glory KC is back with the 179th episode of the show!Before we get to the podcast, the KC Soccer Journal is having a free event at the Indian Creek Library in Olathe. Tickets are free and you can get them here!Sporting Kansas City went from one of their worst performances ever to an incredible bounce-back week. After losing to the Portland Timbers last weekend by an abysmal 6-0 scoreline, Sporting KC put together back-to-back MLS wins for the first time since the summer of 2024! First, they hosted the LA Galaxy and beat them 3-1 in a relatively dominant performance. Sheena was in attendance for the first time this season, so clearly, she and her friends are good luck. Or was it the atrocious media game I played in? Either way, the Galaxy are, for one reason or another, terrible against SKC. That was the second time they've played and at the time SKC's 2nd win of the season. We talk through all the events around the game, the media game and of course, the main event of Sporting KC putting up three for the first time this year and winning at home for the first time this year. Then, KC did the unlikely and won again three days later on the road against Austin FC. They were the better team for most of the game. Despite going down late in the first half, they fought back to tie and eventually win the game and break Austin's verde hearts. Overall, four players scored their first goal of the season this week. Sporting KC had their first comeback win of the season. And things generally went really well over that jam-packed week.Sheena and I also had to discuss the Sporting KC salary release from this week, including all the new player wages and salary changes. I also had to knock down some of those rants from folks I respect around the team when it came to how low the payroll is. The KC Current had an amazing couple of weeks too, with two, 3-0 wins. First over a pretty awful Chicago Stars team that had somehow managed to beat KC once and then against a Houston Dash side that made a series of gaffs early to let KC run away with things. In the process Temwa Chawinga went from zero goals to five in two games and moved into second in the Golden Boot race. Watch out Barbara Banda!In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:SKC II resultsMLS Next Pro schedule changesUS Soccer's new competition between NWSL, USL SL and WPSL ProHere is a rundown of sections and start times:Intro - 0:00Sporting KC - 1:24KC Current - 1:27:04Digital Crawl - 1:34:24Upcoming GamesKC Current @ Angel City FC - WED, May 20th at 9:00PM CSTSKC II vs. Austin FC II - FRI, May 22nd at 7:00PMSporting KC vs. NY Red Bulls - SAT, May 23rd at 7:30PM KC Current vs. Portland Thorns - SUN, May 24th at Noon As a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled.com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron. 

Welcome back to This League!, our show covering the USL Championship's biggest stories, characters, and on-field action. Every week, the Backheeled crew runs the Championship's gauntlet to provide fresh observations from around the league. Peyton and Ryan look back at Week Two in the USL Championship, playing show and tell with an exciting slate of gamesWant to watch this episode instead? Click here. You'll get to see smiling faces and neat graphics.If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a rating and subscribe to Backheeled.com for more American soccer coverage! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Gass, Tom Bogert and Joe Lowery of Backheeled and Total Soccer Show dive into Concacaf Champions Cup, sprinkle in some MLS chatter. Then Gass welcomes Matt Doyle for the latest on the USMNT, player form and Paraguay, the Americans' first World Cup opponent.0:00 Intro4:20 Mexico Camp Controversy10:05 LAFC-Toluca Leg 218:26 Tigres Past Nashville22:25 Does MLS Care About Concacaf?27:35 Toronto FC & Inter Miami35:03 Clash at the Top West39:25 Save the Caps Latest42:55 Yapi, D.C. United & Nashville47:00 USMNT with Doyle1:02:40 Talkin' Paraguay

For the Glory KC is back with the 178th episode of the show!Before we get to the podcast, the KC Soccer Journal is having a free event at the Indian Creek Library in Olathe. Tickets are free and you can get them here!Sporting Kansas City showed signs of life this past weekend. After dropping six straight results and falling to a .500 team historically for the first time in years, they surprised everyone and battled back for a draw against the Seattle Sounders. It's a sliver of the progress we've all been waiting for this season after a string of very bad results.There was lots to like but also lots to still improve on in the game. One of the biggest changes was Stefan Cleveland at goalkeeper, a job he'll apparently have for the foreseeable future. Sheena and I weigh in on Cleveland and what was differ and Sheena copes with John Pulskamp heading to the bench.We also talk through the other moments from the game, including other changes, Dejan Joveljic's clutch goal, Shapi Suleymanov's performance and more. We also chime in on the retirements of Kei Kamara and Krisztian Nemeth as well as some good news for former Sporting KC Homegrown, Gianluca Busio.The KC Current did one better and went ahead and won their game over the North Carolina Courage. It was an uneven performance against a team on short rest but there were a lot of 2026 firsts. It was the first time the KC Current didn't allow the first goal. And more importantly, it was their first road win of the season.In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:SKC II resultsLas Vegas trying to steal the Vancouver Whitecaps (#SaveTheCaps)MLS Next Pro may be relocating and rebranding teamsUSL and the USLPA may have found labor peaceHere is a rundown of sections and start times:Intro & a Free Library KC Soccer Journal event - 0:00Sporting KC - 6:45KC Current - 45:10Digital Crawl - 58:27Upcoming GamesSKC II vs. Ventura County, WED, May 6th at 7:00PM CSTSporting KC @ Portland Timbers, SAT, May 9th at 9:30PMKC Current vs. Chicago Stars, SUN, May 10th at 11:30AM (Mother's Day)SKC II @ Rapids 2, SUN, May 10th at 7:00PMAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled.com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron. 

Welcome back to This League!, our show covering the USL Championship's biggest stories, characters, and on-field action. Every week, the Backheeled crew runs the Championship's gauntlet to provide fresh observations from around the league. Peyton and Ryan look back at Week Two in the USL Championship, playing show and tell with an exciting slate of gamesWant to watch this episode instead? Click here. You'll get to see smiling faces and neat graphics.If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a rating and subscribe to Backheeled.com for more American soccer coverage! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to This League!, our show covering the USL Championship's biggest stories, characters, and on-field action. Every week, the Backheeled crew runs the Championship's gauntlet to provide fresh observations from around the league. This week, expert John Morrissey makes his case for his Backheeled.com USL Championship Power Rankings, dissecting No. 1 down to No. 25.Want to watch this episode instead? Click here. You'll get to see smiling faces and neat graphics.If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a rating and subscribe to Backheeled.com for more American soccer coverage! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the Glory KC is back with the 177th episode of the show! And it's an after dark special. Nothing too spicy, though Sheena does some mild cursing, but it's mainly that we recorded in the middle of the night.Sporting Kansas City showed a half of something to build on before the floor fell out from beneath them. After making it to halftime with a 0-0 score against the Chicago Fire, a first for the season in not giving up a first half goal, the second half was off the rails.It started with a penalty call that head coach Rapha Wicky said seemed "harsh." We break down the entire sequence, but we also have videos, gifs and stills if you need to watch it.That moment certainly changed the game. But who is to say it wouldn't have gone badly anyways? Most of the season has. In addition to the spiral, Sheena and I discuss Capita, some post-game quotes from Wicky and Jake Davis, the lineup, tactical choices and much more.The KC Current did nothing to lift KC soccer fan's hearts up with a brutal defeat of their own. They fell 4-0 to the Washington Spirit on Friday night in a game that showed early promise. Kansas City missed some chances, and the Spirit absolutely didn't miss most of theirs.Lorena had a particularly off night and had us wondering if she's hurt, which coach Chris Armas dispelled that rumor. What Armas wasn't able to quell was the calls for his job. With the team already having allowed as many goals as all of last season and having lost more games in far less tries, the outcry from the fans continues to grow. Armas said he isn't spending any energy on it though.We talk about our thoughts on that as well as another rant from me on Ally Sentnor as this team's starting striker.In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:SKC II winningSheena Remembers to do her Hair TakesUSWNT friendliesNWSL expanding to ColumbusHere is a rundown of sections and start times:Intro & Early Hair Commentary - 0:00Sporting KC - 3:18KC Current (w/ SKC mixed in) - 54:01Digital Crawl - 1:44:43Upcoming GamesSKC II vs. Houston Dynamo 2, SUN, April 26th at 1:00PM CTSporting KC vs. Seattle Sounders, SAT, May 2nd at 1:30PM KC Current @ North Carolina Courage, SAT, May 2nd at 5:30PMSKC II vs. Tacoma Defiance, SUN, May 3rd at 7:00PMAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled.com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron. 

Welcome back to This League!, our show covering the USL Championship's biggest stories, characters, and on-field action. Every week, the Backheeled crew runs the Championship's gauntlet to provide fresh observations from around the league. This week, expert John Morrissey makes his case for his Backheeled.com USL Championship Power Rankings, dissecting No. 1 down to No. 25.Want to watch this episode instead? Click here. You'll get to see smiling faces and neat graphics.If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a rating and subscribe to Backheeled.com for more American soccer coverage! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the Glory KC is back with the 176th episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City had what was potentially the lowest moment on the field in club history. At the very least, in recent memory. So, a week after talking about expectations, Sheena and I are trying to align on the state of the team. Fans are rightfully upset with the performances of the week, particularly the showing in the US Open Cup against the Colorado Springs Switchbacks.Fans are calling for Raphel Wicky's job, David Lee's job, Peter Mallouk to (already) sell the team, and for the release or purge of almost every player on the roster. What is rational and what is irrational? We try to break it all down.Plus, we weave through the moments in the USOC game as well as the loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps on Friday night. We knew this season would start slow and have some lows, but I'm not sure anyone thought it would be quite this low. We also talk about quite the remarkable stat when it comes to losing and SKC in recent seasons and where it sits in history. Outside of the events on the field, there were also a couple notable moments off the field. Cavan Sullivan was apparently inquired about by Lee and Alan Pulido is out at Chivas.The KC Current lifted up the week with their Teal Rising Cup win last weekend over Palmeiras, but that feels like an eternity ago. We briefly relive that game, and I talk about Haley Hopkins ascent up the roster and perhaps into the starting lineup in an NWSL game.In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:World Cup Fan Fest Lineup, Parking and BusesUSWNT resultsNWSL calendar flip -- Fall to Spring?Javier Mascherano out in MiamiHere is a rundown of sections and start times:Intro & World Cup Trophy - 0:00Sporting KC - 6:30KC Current - 1:08:08Digital Crawl - 1:14:04Upcoming GamesKC Current @ Washington Spirit, FRI, April 24th at 7:00PM CSTSporting KC @ Chicago Fire, SAT, April 25th at 7:30PMSKC II vs. Houston Dynamo 2, SUN, April 26th at 7:00PMAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled.com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron. 

Welcome back to This League!, our show covering the USL Championship's biggest stories, characters, and on-field action. Every week, the Backheeled crew runs the Championship's gauntlet to provide fresh observations from around the league. Peyton, John and Ryan look back at Week Two in the USL Championship, playing show and tell with an exciting slate of gamesWant to watch this episode instead? Click here. You'll get to see smiling faces and neat graphics.If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a rating and subscribe to Backheeled.com for more American soccer coverage! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the Glory KC is back with the 175th episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City have climbed to a three-game losing streak after their 3-1 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday night. And that's after being up 1-0 early in the game off of Jacob Bartlett's first career goal.The joy on his face of scoring was quickly replaced with disappointed looks as Sporting were on the back foot for much of the last 15+ minutes of the half before finally conceding. But really, what should Sporting KC and their fans expect from this team?Sheena and I debate all the reasons things may be the way they are. From roster building to youthful inexperience and down to specific players and of course coaching and the front office.We also get into a few other SKC related stories, including Zorhan Bassong's new/old injury, Matt Besler and Cliff Illig being honored (and a Heart and Goal Podcast side conversation), SKC Academy news and the announcement of the "Soccer Capital Summer" watch parties at Sporting Park. Plus, I make the case Sporting KC should go for it with the US Open Cup on Tuesday.The KC Current are on an extended international break, but that just means it's Teal Rising Week. The Current attempted to defend the Teal Rising Cup with a victory over Corinthians to earn a spot in the finals. We also got an injury update on Lorena and Rocky Rodriguez earned another call-up and went ahead and scored a hat trick in the process.In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:KC Comets playoffs endUSWNT winKansas City World Cup 2026 news and financialsNeymar to FC Cincinnati?CF Montreal has already fired another coachHere is a rundown of sections and start times:Sporting KC - 8:10KC Current - 1:00:40Digital Crawl - 1:03:23Upcoming GamesSporting KC @ Colorado Springs Switchbacks, TUES, April 14 @ 7:00PM CTUSWNT vs. Japan, TUES, April 14 @ 9:00PMUSWNT vs. Japan, FRI, April 17 @ 8:00PMSporting KC @ Vancouver Whitecaps, FRI, April 17 @ 9:30PMSporting KC II vs. Whitecaps 2, SUN, April 19th at 7:00PMAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled.com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

Welcome back to This League!, our show covering the USL Championship's biggest stories, characters, and on-field action. Every week, the Backheeled crew runs the Championship's gauntlet to provide fresh observations from around the league. Peyton, John and Ryan look back at Week Two in the USL Championship, playing show and tell with an exciting slate of gamesWant to watch this episode instead? Click here. You'll get to see smiling faces and neat graphics.If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a rating and subscribe to Backheeled.com for more American soccer coverage! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the Glory KC is back with the 174th episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City had another down week after coming off the international break. They travelled to the elevation of Salt Lake City, where they consistently struggle, and they did not look good against Real Salt Lake. Sheena and I worked through the moments of the game, the lineup choices and changes, the goals (and that freakin' golazo from Gozo) and what Wicky may need to do as guys get healthy or continue to join the team.We also talked about Capita Capemba officially arriving, Zorhan Bassong's extension and the sudden departure of Mike Burns as Sporting Director. We reflect on his brief time with the team and if it can be deemed a success.The KC Current rescued the KC soccer weekend by looking more like the team we remember from that dominant 2025 season. They got a tiny bit of revenge on NJ/NY Gotham FC after they eliminated them from the playoffs last year. Temwa Chawinga returned and had an instant impact and Croix Bethune moved to a new position and immediately showed her quality.We also talk about the news from the Keeping Current podcast where KC Soccer Journal Editor, Thad Bell, shared some pretty interesting thoughts about Vlatko Andonovski's involvement (or lack thereof) in some recent roster moves.In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:USMNT losing to PortugalSKC II fall to North Texas SCWorld Cup updates on Turkiye, Italy and ticket pricesHere is a rundown of sections and start times:Sporting KC - 6:02KC Current - 40:31Digital Crawl - 1:07:38Upcoming GamesKC Comets vs. St. Louis Ambush, MON, April 6 @ 7:00PM CTKC Comets @ St. Louis Ambush, WED, April 8 @ 7:05PMKC Current vs Corinthians SC, THUR, April 9 @ 8:00PM (Teal Rising Cup - ION)SKC II @ North Texas, FRI, April 10 @ 7:30PMUSWNT vs. Japan, SAT, April 11 @ 4:30PMUSA U-20s vs. Brazil U-20s, SAT, April 11 @ 6:30PM (CPKC Stadium)Sporting KC vs. San Jose Earthquakes, SAT, April 11 @ 7:30PM KC Current in the 3rd place or 1st place Teal Rising Game (depending on results Thursday)As a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled.com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

John & Danny react to Dean Smith's comments about Charlotte not being sexy enough to attract top players in Europe. GM Zoran Krneta echoed that statement in an interview with Backheeled. It's matchweek 6 and struggling Philadelphia Union is coming to the Queen City. Plus, the USMNT is in action over the international break! Will Patruck Agyemang make the final roster?

Welcome back to This League!, our show covering the USL Championship's biggest stories, characters, and on-field action. Every week, the Backheeled crew runs the Championship's gauntlet to provide fresh observations from around the league. Peyton and John look back at Week Two in the USL Championship, playing show and tell with an exciting slate of gamesWant to watch this episode instead? Click here. You'll get to see smiling faces and neat graphics.If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a rating and subscribe to Backheeled.com for more American soccer coverage! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the Glory KC is back with the 173rd episode of the show!Before we get to the Kansas City Current and the safety (or lack thereof) of Chris Armas' job, there is a little bit of other KC soccer news to handle.Sporting Kansas City had the week off, but new owner Peter Mallouk kept them in the headlines with a response that he plays to spend "a lot" on the SKC roster. We delve into that. We also have to talk about the rough 5-2 loss the United States Men's National Team experienced against Belgium. Is it a wakeup call or a sign of things to come at the 2026 World Cup?Then we get to the main event of this week's podcast. While Sporting KC were resting, the KC Current had no rest and one of their worst weeks in recent memory. They piled up two more losses, bringing their total to three in four tries. Their third loss came on March 28th this season, when it took until October 18th in 2025. That's almost a seven-month swing!I brought in guest host and regular KC Soccer Journal contributor, Xander Kennedy, to help me break down what the heck is going wrong with the Current. Sure, they are a little banged up and missing back-to-back NWSL MVP in Temwa Chawinga, but the roster is still absolutely loaded with talent.We have to ask, is Chris Armas on the hot seat?We delve into what we know about how the team is performing and try to discern what is coaching versus what is on the players, the NWSL schedule makers, etc. That means we have to analyze the two brutal losses to the Seattle Reign and the Portland Thorns from this past week.Xander and I also try to answer a few extra questions I have about the team:Is Ally Sentnor a bad fit for KC?Is Armas misusing Croix Bethune?In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:KC Comets come up short on the ShieldSKC II drop another resultDenver Summit are breaking recordsHere is a rundown of sections and start times:Sporting KC - 1:57USMNT/Belgium - 17:03KC Current - 27:16Digital Crawl - 1:35:15Upcoming GamesKosovo vs. Turkiye - TUES, March 31st @ 2:45PM CTUSMNT vs Portugal - TUES, March 31st @ 6:00PM KC Current vs. Gotham - SAT, April 4th @ 3:00PMSporting KC @ Real Salt Lake - SAT, April 4th @ 3:30PMAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled.com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

Welcome back to This League!, our show covering the USL Championship's biggest stories, characters, and on-field action. Every week, the Backheeled crew runs the Championship's gauntlet to provide fresh observations from around the league. Peyton, John and Ryan look back at Week Two in the USL Championship, playing show and tell with an exciting slate of gamesWant to watch this episode instead? Click here. You'll get to see smiling faces and neat graphics.If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a rating and subscribe to Backheeled.com for more American soccer coverage! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the Glory KC is back with the 172nd episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City returned home and right back down to earth after picking up a win last week in Los Angeles. The Colorado Rapids, who lost to Sporting KC in both meetings last year, crushed KC in a 4-1 outcome at Sporting Park. The internet was aflame with John Pulskamp slander, so we get into how much was him and how much was others (after all, there is plenty of blame to go around).We also talked about the lineup changes (and if they were the right ones), the rash of injuries on the team and of course -- the brutal night of officiating from Fotis Bazakos.After the game, Jake Davis pulled me aside in the locker room with a message for the fans, so Sheena and I talk through our thoughts on his words.Outside of the game, Sporting KC had other things going on in the week, including the addition of Brazilian center back Diego Borges as their newest (and David Lee's first) U22 Initiative signing. Plus, there was a spattering of other news around the team, including their games being aired for free over the air on tape delay.To make matters worse, the KC Current also lost this weekend. That's something that only happened three times during the entire 2025 NWSL regular season and it's already happened just two games into the 2026 season. To make matters worse, it was against the Mallory Swanson-less Chicago Stars, who had just gotten shellacked 4-0 the week prior. I break down what I saw from that game.In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:KC Comets making the playoffs!SKC II win a shootout but then lose the next gameMLS 2026 playoffs and 2027 schedule formats revealedAnd Antoine Griezman and Catarina Macaro are coming to MLS and NWSL respectivelyHere is a rundown of sections and start times:Sporting KC - 10:06KC Current - 1:01:46Digital Crawl - 1:15:09Upcoming GamesKC Current @ Seattle Reign - WED, March 25 at 8:00PM CTSKC II vs. St. Louis City 2 - SAT, March 28 at 2:00PMUSMNT vs Belgium - SAT, March 28 at 2:30PMKC Current @ Portland Thorns - SAT, March 28 at 3:00PM As a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled.com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

Welcome back to This League!, our show covering the USL Championship's biggest stories, characters, and on-field action. Every week, the Backheeled crew runs the Championship's gauntlet to provide fresh observations from around the league. Peyton and John look back at Week Two in the USL Championship, playing show and tell with an exciting slate of gamesWant to watch this episode instead? Click here. You'll get to see smiling faces and neat graphics.If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a rating and subscribe to Backheeled.com for more American soccer coverage! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the Glory KC is back with the 171st episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City did what it took much longer to do in the prior three seasons. They won a game. Sporting KC earned a 2-1 win over the LA Galaxy on the road last night in California. And they did it on the back of their superstar striker Dejan Joveljic and their newest players, Lasse Berg Johnsen.Dejan was the first on the scoreboard, after missing a golden chance to assist Calvin Harris on a goal just minutes earlier. On the game winning goal in the second half, Dejan was also involved. He first found Stephen Afrifa on a nice pace and then had eyes in the back of his head to dummy the ball to Berg Johnsen for the game winner.Lasse was making his debut, cleaned up a lot of the midfield and found a way to score. It was a quality start for a player looked at to be a big addition to the roster.Sheena and I talk through those moments, the 5-2-3 shape the team was in with Shapi Suleymanov at left wingback (!!!) and the other positions changes needed to make that move work. We also talk culture, Rapha Wicky, and the team starting to believe.We also discuss Sporting KC signing Capita Capemba and David Lee's promise to add at least one more player in the transfer window.The KC Current started the 2026 season with something they rarely had to do in 2025; come from behind. They pulled off a 2-1 victory as well, but they needed a comeback to pull it off. It also took a debut goal from Croix Bethune and Ally Sentnor scoring for the first time in KC Current colors.In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:SKC II with an inauspicious start to the seasonNWSL's 18th team expected this yearHere is a rundown of topics and start times:Sheena's CPKC Experience - 1:11Sporting KC - 13:17KC Current - 52:12Digital Crawl - 1:07:31Upcoming GamesSporting KC vs Colorado Rapids, Saturday, March 21st at 7:30PM CTKC Current @ Chicago Stars, Sunday, March 22nd at 1:00PMSKC II vs. MNUFC2, Sunday, March 22nd at 7:00PM As a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled.com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

Welcome back to This League!, our show covering the USL Championship's biggest stories, characters, and on-field action. Every week, the Backheeled crew runs the Championship's gauntlet to provide fresh observations from around the league. Peyton, John and Ryan look back at Week One in the USL Championship, playing show and tell with an exciting opening slate of gamesWant to watch this episode instead? Click here. You'll get to see smiling faces and neat graphics. If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a rating and subscribe to Backheeled.com for more American soccer coverage! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the Glory KC is back with the 170th episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City came up short against San Diego FC on Saturday, but it was a game full of promise. Sheena and I break down the beats of the game that stood out to us, starting with the stellar goalkeeping of John Pulskamp.We also went over the lineup (Jansen Miller was the only change with Ian James popping up on the injury report), including the loans from SKC II (that thankfully didn't prevent those guys from playing against the Real Monarchs on Sunday).We also talked about the chippy, card-heavy nature of the game. San Diego were flopping like dead fish, and the ref was buying everything. However, it was SD that got the most cards though they did keep all 11 guys on the field despite a dicey foul against Manu Garcia that had Dejan Joveljic coming to his aid.We also did SKC tidbits on the Capita transfer rumors, Johnny Russell's new landing spot and the immense amount of GAM in Sporting KC's coffers.The KC Current made news this week with an unfortunate update on the health of Lo LaBonta, the team adding two players on short-term deals and being the 2nd most valuable NWSL team in the league according to Sportico.In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:KS AstrasUSWNT Win the SheBelieves CupColumbus NWSL ExpansionSophia Wilson returnsHere is a rundown of topics and start times:Sporting KC -KC Current -Digital Crawl -Upcoming Games:KC Current vs. Utah Royals, SAT March 14 at 4:00PM CTSporting KC @ LA Galaxy, SAT March 14 at 9:30PM CTAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled.com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

Another season and another road loss at Real Salt Lake. Aaron and Jeremiah do a bit of a debrief on this latest loss down at what was formerly known as Rio Tinto stadium. The guys also dive into the remaining games on this roadtrip as well as figuring out how many points we need for this stretch to keep at least one foot out of doom. In the second segment as part of a crossover event with Lobbing Scorchers Jeremiah talks to John Morrissey of Backheeled about the convergence of USL, MLS and MLS NextPro.Follow John Morrissey on Backheeled.Sponsor

Welcome back to This League!, our show covering the USL Championship's biggest stories, characters, and on-field action. Every week, the Backheeled crew runs the Championship's gauntlet to provide fresh observations from around the league. This week, Host Peyton Gallaher plays 20 questions with the crew. Everything ranging from the best kit this upcoming season to what the most popular tactical idea will be as Peyton, Ryan Sykora and John Morrissey preview the upcoming 2026 USL-Championship season. USL Championship broadcaster Joe Malfa joins.Want to watch this episode instead? Click here. You'll get to see smiling faces and neat graphics. To read John's team-by-team previews click here. 30,000 words on all 25 teams.If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a rating and subscribe to Backheeled.com for more American soccer coverage! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to This League!, our show covering the USL Championship's biggest stories, characters, and on-field action. Every week, the Backheeled crew runs the Championship's gauntlet to provide fresh observations from around the league. This week, Host Peyton Gallaher plays 20 questions with the crew. Everything ranging from the best kit this upcoming season to what the most popular tactical idea will be as Peyton, Ryan Sykora and John Morrissey preview the upcoming 2026 USL-Championship season. Want to watch this episode instead? Click here. You'll get to see smiling faces and neat graphics. To read John's team-by-team previews click here. 30,000 words on all 25 teams.If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a rating and subscribe to Backheeled.com for more American soccer coverage! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another season and another road loss at Real Salt Lake. Aaron and Jeremiah do a bit of a debrief on this latest loss down at what was formerly known as Rio Tinto stadium. The guys also dive into the remaining games on this roadtrip as well as figuring out how many points we need for this stretch to keep at least one foot out of doom. In the second segment as part of a crossover event with Lobbing Scorchers Jeremiah talks to John Morrissey of Backheeled about the convergence of USL, MLS and MLS NextPro.Follow John Morrissey on Backheeled.Sponsor

For the Glory KC is back with the 169th episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City nearly sell out their home opener in a fun game with the Columbus Crew. Sheena and I give our thoughts on the game including thoughts of the goals and formations. Rapha Wicky keeps setting the team up different and other teams don't know what to expect. We're not even sure what that formation was, or where certain players were playing. So how would opponents know?We talk about John Pulskamp's mistake in goal that cost a, and his draw saving penalty save. Dejan dominates with a brace and many other standout moments from the game.We also talked through some other Sporting KC news like this week's media day, David Lee and Rapha Wicky spoke, we talked to many players, and we learned the team has three captains: Dejan, Manu Garcia and Zohran Bassong. We give our opinions on those choices.SKC signed a CB, Or Blorian this week, SKC II lost their season opener and news around another SKC rumor.The KC Current unveiled a new kit, and the team opened a new training center and second stadium.In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:KS AstrasUSWNT WinCleveland NWSL ExpansionAntoine Griezmann to Orlando CityHere is a rundown of topics and start times:Sporting KC - 5:15KC Current - 46:21Digital Crawl - 54:50As a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled dot com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

Welcome back to This League!, our show covering the USL Championship's biggest stories, characters, and on-field action. Every week, the Backheeled crew runs the Championship's gauntlet to provide fresh observations from around the league. This week, Host Peyton Gallaher brings 12 If/Then Mad-Lib-esque statements to the table in an attempt to predict the future for six USL Championship teams.Want to watch this episode instead? Click here. You'll get to see smiling faces and neat graphics.If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a rating and subscribe to Backheeled.com for more American soccer coverage! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the Glory KC is back with the 168th episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City kicked off the 2026 Major League Soccer season and for 38 minute it was going pretty well.Then Justin Reynolds went down with a "soft tissue" injury, and everything had to be shuffled around and the team collapsed. While the team put out, and the broadcast mimicked, that it was a 4-3-3, the team was definitely in their 4-4-2 defensive shape we talked about earlier this week. Jake Davis took the Daniel Salloi role and played quite well until he was forced to move to right back.We talk through all the beats of the game and what stood out to us. And the gif of the season.Speaking of Salloi, we discussed that trade and the additions to the team since our last episode of the podcast. We also get into David Lee's press conference promising "three to six" additions to the roster before the primary transfer window closes on March 26th.The KC Current basically were radio silent this week. We did sneak in some former players appearance at the SKC/SJ game into the podcast.In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:Toronto FC's splash transfer of Josh SargentSheena wants to handle the Messi update?!?Here is a rundown of topics and start times:Former KC Current Player Sightings - 5:39Sporting KC trade Salloi and add two signings - 8:25SKC versus San Jose - 28:25David Lee presser and SKC round-up - 59:21Coachella Valley Invitational - 1:20:24Digital Crawl - 1:31:25As a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled dot com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

John sits down with Tim and Joseph Lowery of Backheeled.com to kick off the 2026 campaign as the Fire travel to Houston to open the season on Saturday. Omari Glasgow is loaned to Monterey Bay FC in the USL. The Fire release their new home kit that maintains the classic look of the club. Then, the guys preview the 2026 Chicago Fire season.https://www.backheeled.com/author/joseph-lowery/

For the Glory KC is back with the 167th episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City finally did it! They made a signing that everyone expects to be a starter. Lasse Berg Johnsen joins from Malmo in Sweden and should immediately be penciled into the defensive midfielder role when his P-1 visa arrives. We break down the signing and how he'll fit next to Manu Garcia.The majority of this week's episode is focused on the two big preseason wins for Sporting KC. They finished 3-3-0 in preseason, a three game and five goal improvement over the 2025 preseason. Sure, against NYCFC it was a win over backups, but that Austin FC game was a starting lineup that got beaten on before some late red cards let the game get out of hand. Rapha Wicky seemed none too happy with Austin's violent fouls that led to cards either.The results of the games made it look like Wicky's system just needed a little more time to take hold (or maybe they just needed to not be playing Minnesota United). Regardless, there were plenty of positives to take away and I even took a shot at predicting who should start this weekend against the Quakes.In this episode I also spent time on the multiple rumors for Sporting KC this past week, SKC adding to their front office, Forbes' MLS valuations, Nemanja Radoja's new landing spot, SKC II signings and some former KC player updates.The KC Current made big headlines this week too. Some for good reasons and others that weren't quite so good. The team traded Claire Hutton, one of the best young players in the world. Then they immediately added another young star in Croix Bethune. That, plus the 1-1 draw against San Diego in preseason.In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:KS Astras keep winningCatarina Macario to the San Diego Wave?Here is a rundown of topics and start times:Sporting KC - 0:00KC Current - 33:44Digital Crawl - 41:57As a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled dot com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

Welcome back to This League!, our show covering the USL Championship's biggest stories, characters, and on-field action. Every week, the Backheeled crew runs the Championship's gauntlet to provide fresh observations from around the league. This week, Host Peyton Gallaher brings 12 If/Then Mad-Lib-esque statements to the table in an attempt to predict the future for six USL Championship teams.Want to watch this episode instead? Click here. You'll get to see smiling faces and neat graphics.If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a rating and subscribe to Backheeled.com for more American soccer coverage! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to This League!, our show covering the USL Championship's biggest stories, characters, and on-field action. Every week, the Backheeled crew runs the Championship's gauntlet to provide fresh observations from around the league. This week, Host Peyton Gallaher brings 12 If/Then Mad-Lib-esque statements to the table in an attempt to predict the future for six USL Championship teams.Want to watch this episode instead? Click here. You'll get to see smiling faces and neat graphics.If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a rating and subscribe to Backheeled.com for more American soccer coverage! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the Glory KC is back with the 166th episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City actually made signings this week, the problem is they are signings we essentially knew about already. Jayden Reid and Wyatt Meyer formally signed, with Ethan Bartlow remaining on trial for the second leg of preseason. Sporting KC II also made a notable signing, bringing in 15-year-old Zamir Loyo Reynaga, who moves to the first team next season.Those moves still leave Sporting KC precariously thin at nearly every position on the roster and the media had a chance to ask Raphael Wicky about that. He mostly said all the things he's supposed to say, so we try to dive into those topics.That naturally led us to the 3-0 beating Sporting KC took at the hands of Minnesota United in their fourth preseason game of 2026. We look at the formation, the way the teams played and how tough the season looks to be, at least at the beginning.Sheena and I also dive into number changes, Sporting KC's theme nights and the new SKC II coaching staff.The KC Current made some more news this week. First, they re-signed Bailey Feist in a move that certainly bolsters their midfield depth. They also announced Teal Rising Week, with a new Teal Rising Cup schedule, youth tournaments and a pair of games between USWNT U-20s and the Brazil's U-20s. The Long's also opened an academy in Brazil.In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:KS Astras win!Argentina officially doing base camp at Sporting KC's facilities2028 Olympic Soccer hostsJames Rodriguez to Minnesota UnitedHere is a rundown of topics and start times:Sporting KC signings, preseason and Wicky press availability - 5:11KC Current round-up - 49:19Digital Crawl - 55:05As a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled dot com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

Well the ice cream shop is closed for a little (sorta) with Tom on dad duty. So Joe Lowery joins David for a big show. They revel in the addition of the Boy Star James Rodriguez to Minnesota United and figure out WHAT IS GOING ON! Then they dig through all the biggest moves since last show. They compliment Seattles development of Obed Vargas, weigh the improvements or lack there of Red Bulls, and what is going on with these failed medicals. Finally they go over Joe's favorites additions of the offseason so far.8:30 San Diego's Dominant CONCACAF Debut16:14 James Rodriguez Joining Minnesota26:47 Obed Vargas Development & Transfer To Atleti35:09 Red Bull Attacking DP Addition39:45 Carles Gil Extends His Time In New England42:15 Orlando CB Signing & NYCFC DP Fail Transfer Medicals45:45 Whitecaps Retool49:55 Crew Rotated CFs With JRR Sale & Thiare Trade52:45 Stephen Eustaqio's Potential Fit In LA & Bounga Transfers56:00 Joe's Favorite Offseason Moves Mamadou Fall, Robin Lod, Erik Thommy & Timo Werner

Welcome back to This League!, our show covering the USL Championship's biggest stories, characters, and on-field action. Every week, the Backheeled crew runs the Championship's gauntlet to provide fresh observations from around the league. This week, Host Peyton Gallaher brings 14(!!) If/Then Mad-Lib-esque statements to the table in an attempt to predict the future for seven USL Championship teams.Want to watch this episode instead? Click here. You'll get to see smiling faces and neat graphics.If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a rating and subscribe to Backheeled.com for more American soccer coverage! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the Glory KC is back with the 165th episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City had another quiet week where they didn't make any more signings. They added just one player during the month of January.Sheena and I worked through the lack of news and the state of the roster with just 20 days to go until the first MLS game kicks off. There was the rumor of signing Israeli CB, Or Blorian and the news that Rapha Wicky got his P-1 visa and coached the preseason game over the weekend.We also probably looked a little too closely at who played and who didn't in that 1-0 loss to Charlotte FC. Calvin Harris started over Shapi Suleymanov, maybe implying there is at least competition at one position in the starting lineup. The team is still without a single left back on the roster and Zorhan Bassong didn't play, so we don't know if he maybe would get those minutes if he was available or if they are going to sign Jayden Reid, who is on trial. Stephen Afrifa also sat out this latest preseason game. Sheena and I take a stab at who may have earned a spot in the first phase of preseason with the limited info we have. There are three preseason games to go, which may be streamed for the Coachella Valley Invitational.At the end of the Sporting KC segment, we also talked about Erik Thommy signing with the LA Galaxy, Willy Agada and Joaquin Fernandez finding homes in the Spanish second division and Zoran Savic suing SKC.The KC Current had a pretty quiet week too. They played a scrimmage against Denver Summit, but neither team said who played or who won. We do know Kyra Carusa scored for Kansas City. She isn't on their roster and is listed as "non-rostered training player" on their preseason announcement. We also got injury updates on Temwa Chawinga and Michelle Cooper and the exciting news that Vanessa DiBernardo had her baby.In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:Kansas Astras win again!The World Cup trophy is coming to KC (and a lot of other places)Here is a rundown of topics and start times:Round-up of Sporting KC news - 5:32A tiny bit of KC Current news - 46:04Digital Crawl - 53:24As a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled dot com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

Welcome back to This League!, our show covering the USL Championship's biggest stories, characters, and on-field action. Every week, the Backheeled crew runs the Championship's gauntlet to provide fresh observations from around the league. This week, expert John Morrissey makes his case for his Backheeled.com USL Preseason Power Rankings, dissecting No. 1 down to No. 25. Want to watch this episode instead? Click here. You'll get to see smiling faces and neat graphics.If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a rating and subscribe to Backheeled.com for more American soccer coverage! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the Glory KC is back with the 164th episode of the show!Trigger warning, we get mildly political in the opening three minutes. Skip ahead or stop listening if it's too much for you. Time stamps, as always, towards the bottom of these show notes.Sporting Kansas City had almost nothing officially happen this week. That said, unofficially, there was still a lot going on. First, the rumor from Marca.com is that Robert Lewendowski, one of the greatest strikers in the world, may have interest from Sporting KC. Sure, the story says that the Chicago Fire are in the lead (and the article uses a Fire II graphic in error), but it is still something at least worth talking about. Along with the Fire and SKC, LAFC are mentioned as a possible destination.With new owner Peter Mallouk, all things are possible. That said, this one seems unlikely.Sheena and I break down that rumor, the ongoing Cesar Inga rumors (which appears to finally be dead), the preseason loss to the Fire, and the actual news of a new coaching staff for Sporting KC. But we have to discuss the rumored Footy Headlines kit leak from Sporting KC for their new secondary jersey.It says, "recreated" right on the image, but is it a recreation of a real leak? It does have a variation on the argyle/diamond thing that SKC have been doing. Also, Sporting KC updated their profile pic to neon right after the leak and posted this little video.This may not be the exact kit, but I bet it's pretty close and I like the bold choice. It's a secondary kit, have fun with it! Before we finish with the Sporting KC news, Sheena does a bio of SKC's newest signing, Calvin Harris.The KC Current didn't have much this week, but they did have all four of their USWNT players start in the 6-0 win over Paraguay and announced a couple more preseason games:Sat. JAN 31 - Denver SummitSat. FEB 7 - Angel City FCIn the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:Four countries doing their basecamp in KC: Argentina, Netherlands, England and AlgeriaMLS rule changesTrinity Rodman's record deal to stay in the NWSLA weird LA Galaxy/St. Louis City trade rumorHere is a rundown of topics and start times:Sporting KC rumors and a coaching staff announcement - 7:42KC Current update - 50:47Digital Crawl - 56:19As a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled dot com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

For the Glory KC is back with the 163rd episode of the show and the second show of 2026!Sporting Kansas City had a pretty big week. No, they didn't do much to fill out their miniscule roster, but it's almost certainly bigger than that. On Friday, news broke that Sporting KC minority owner Peter Mallouk was taking over as majority owner, holding an estimated 80 percent of the team. Sheena and I get into what this means for the team this season and beyond. Sam McDowell from the KC Star got an interview with Mallouk and we discussed several of his big quotes:“What you're going to see next season is a big, big financial commitment,” he said, “to do whatever it takes to build upon what we're building upon this season. ""I really would say 99.5% of the metric I'm going to care about is winning. And 0.5% will be everything else.”“The fans are incredible,” Mallouk said. “They deserve a competitor all the time.”There was actual movement on the roster with the signing of Calvin Harris. We got an inside take from the Burgundy Wave's Matt Pollard who has covered the Colorado Rapids for years. Sheena and I discuss the rumor that Cesar Inga is on his way to Kansas City. And we can't leave out the weird and wild Rogers Mato story. It doesn't stop there though, as SKC won their first preseason game and we have updates on Roger Espinoza, Willy Agada, Robert Voloder, Mason Toye, Paulo Nagamura, Alenis Vargas and Ramiz Hamouda.The KC Current also had a fairly big week with the announcement of their schedule, the trade of Nichelle Prince and some unfortunate injury new for Michelle Cooper and Temwa Chawinga.In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:England, Netherlands and Argentina are all rumored to want to do World Cup base camp in KCLindsey Heaps is coming to the NWSLKC Comets pick up two big winsHere is a rundown of topics and start times:Sporting KC sold! - 9:14SKC Sign a Player and lots of other stories - 25:11KC Current Schedule, Prince trade and more - 54:16Digital Crawl - 1:11:58As a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled dot com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

We are joined by Joe Lowery, of Backheeled and Total Soccer Show fame, to discuss the offseason that was and the changes on their way. We dig into the most recent news that we'll have a new head coach on the touchline this year after yet another departure. And we take a look at the preseason schedule that has the team sleeping in hotels more than in their own beds the next six weeks.   BlueSky: @loonybinpodcast.bsky.social Dan Elias (@oyvey2you.bsky.social) Matt Leaf (@mnloonlet.bsky.social) Email: theloonybinpod@gmail.com Website: theloonybinpod.com Insta: instagram.com/theloonybinpod YouTube: youtube.com/@loonybinpodcast