Podcasts about backheeled

On today's show, Joe Lowery dives into the New England Revolution's decision to fire head coach Caleb Porter. What went wrong? And what comes next for the Revs? Answers to those questions -- and so much more -- on the show.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 146th episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City really wasted our time this weekend. Sure, the game was close, only losing 2-1 to Real Salt Lake. But any idiot could see this lineup wasn't going to work. A midfield three of Nemanja Radoja, Jacob Bartlett and Jake Davis. Where is the offense coming from? Why is Radoja playing the 8? He has a single position, being a defensive midfielder in a single pivot. A role he's spent almost no time playing in 2025. Which is fine, let Barlett get those minutes. Or even better, let Davis and Zorhan Bassong play in a double pivot (Bassong was suspended for this game).And why is Joaquin Fernandez playing any minutes for this team? He has shown he hasn't done enough to earn a new contract. His deal runs out at the end of 2025 and his exorbitant salary has not been earned. Ian James picked up a concussion, so he wasn't available. But new loanee Alan Montes is. See if he has enough talent to keep around beyond the expiration of his loan this season. They have a purchase option. I have a dream formation he'd fit right into.Worst of all, the game was so conservative, and Kerry Zavagnin didn't go offensive until the team was down 2-0. It felt like a wasted game. We'll get into that, and other thoughts from the RSL game before moving on to other topics like the KC Cauldron "Hot Seat," an injury update for SKC and England possibly coming to KC for the World Cup.Finally, the KC Current couldn't pull off yet another win. They played to a 0-0 draw with the Washington Spirit without the injured Temwa Chawinga. Temwa should be fine according to Vlatko Andonovski.The game was another hot one, featured a red card and the Spirit showed why they are the 2nd place team in the NWSL.In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:USMNT bounce back versus JapanSt. Louis City owners battle with their supportersWooden Spoon race updateHere is a rundown of topics and start times:Sporting KC waste a week of our lives against RSL - 10:04SKC injury news and Cauldron Hot Seat - 34:08No Temwa, no winning for the Current - 43:06Digital Crawl - 57:23Upcoming GamesSKC II @ North Texas SC, Sun. Sept 14th at 7:30PMSKC II vs. Whitecaps 2, Fri, Sept 19th at 6:00PM CDTKC Current vs. Seattle Reign, Sat. Sept 20th at 6:30PM Sporting KC vs. Vancouver, Sat. Sept 20th at 7:30PMAs 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.

With the U.S. men's national team's pair of September friendlies in the rearview mirror, Joe Lowery dives into a handful of things we learned along the way. From tactical approaches to players who raised their stock in the eyes of Mauricio Pochettino, there's plenty of ground to cover.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.

On today's show, Joe Lowery looks back at the USMNT's 2-0 loss to South Korea and looks ahead to their meeting with Japan later today. Which players have a big opportunity to show out? And what should Mauricio Pochettino's lineup look like? All that -- and more -- on the show.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 145th episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City failed once again to do what they haven't been able to do all season. String together back-to-back wins. That leaves them all but eliminated from the 2025 playoffs, simply seeking to avoid a slide that puts them at the bottom of the table. We spend just a little time on the Austin FC game (but we still had a few thoughts) and move to more pressing matters.Both of our next conversations were triggered by a simple tweet from Andrew Weibe.First, we talk through that Chief Soccer Officer (CSO) search update, including that it'll happen before the season is over, they are in final interviews, and the move will come from outside the organization (so no Mike Burns as CSO).Then the last paragraph sparked a bit of a discussion online."CSO could make wholesale changes. Seventeen players out of contract. Two of three DP spots could be opened, all three U22."First, the two DPs Sporting KC have, cannot be bought down. So, the implication is that Dejan Joveljic or Manu Garcia could be sold, and Weibe went on to confirm that's what he meant. So, should Joveljic be sold? If so, how much will that cost a team to pry him away? He's just 26-years-old. He's at 17 goals and counting this year. Sheena and I get into the discussion and the fan reaction around that idea. I try to break down why it might financially make some sense, but also assess the risk involved in such a move.Finally, the KC Current continued their winning ways with their 12th straight game without a loss, including only a single draw. The game was their 9th road win of the season, an NWSL record. With the Washington Spirit also winning, they remain only 14 points clear of second place. That won't allow next weekend to end in them winning the shield, but if they beat the Spirit, it'll all but lock up the trophy.In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:Sounders and Miami's wild Leagues Cup finalMLS launching 'ref cam'Alyssa Thompson leaves NWSL for ChelseaJaedyn Shaw getting traded during the podcastUSMNT losing to South KoreaHere is a rundown of topics and start times:KC Cauldron Town Hall this Thursday!! - 4:00Sporting KC blow a lead Against Austin FC - 4:41A big update on the CSO hiring process - 29:26Should Sporting KC Sell Dejan for the Right Price? - 33:00Former SKC Player Movement - 44:35KC Current inch closer to the Shield - 46:16Digital Crawl - 59:05Upcoming GamesUSMNT vs. Japan, Tues. Sept 9th at 6:30PM CDTKC Current vs. Washington Spirit, Sat. Sept 13th at 6:30PMSporting KC @ Real Salt Lake, Sat. Sept 13th at 8:30PMSKC II @ North Texas SC, Sun. Sept 14th at 7:30PMAs 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.

With the U.S. men's national team just days away from kicking off their September window with a friendly against South Korea, Joe Lowery dives into a list of things to watch for from Mauricio Pochettino's team this month. From newcomers to a potential center back battle to Tyler Adams' midfield partner, there's plenty to discuss.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.

On today's show, Joe Lowery dives into a trio of the biggest games from the weekend, starting with the Seattle Sounders' 3-0 win over Inter Miami in the Leagues Cup final and then taking stock of the Philadelphia Union and San Diego FC after their crucial regular season victories.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 144th episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City broke a nearly two-month winless streak on Saturday night against the Colorado Rapids. The streak went back to their last win, also against the Rapids, on July 4th in Commerce City. And while "winless" is technically right, it was worse than that. Between victories over Colorado, Sporting KC were 0-5-1, with just a single draw against NYCFC.The defense was still flawed, and defense often starts further up the field, so there is blame to go around. Colorado should have scored far more than the two goals they put in, if not for outstanding individual efforts from John Pulskamp, Robert Voloder and Ian James. But it was something else that stood out on Saturday.With Manu Garcia still unavailable due to injury, Kerry Zavagnin finally used Santiago Munoz as a straight up #10. You could call it a second striker, but he was floating all over creating opportunities. He was involved in so many attacking sequences and seemed to unlock Sporting KC's creativity. Not every sequence ended with a shot, but there was so much promise.Another move I've been asking for is not starting all three strikers together. It leaves no impact subs on the bench to play forward. With Mason Toye starting on the bench, it was a combination of him subbing on and Santi unlocking the midfield that led to the game winning goal. Munoz played a perfect ball to Toye to finished with precision to push SKC over the line for their seventh win of the season.Of course, Sheena and I talked about a lot more Sporting KC happenings in this episode, including:Our favorite goal of the night (there were so many good candidates)Pulskamp heroicsThat James save off the line!Daniel Salloi showing man strengthInternational callups and so much moreThe KC Current did what we basically expect them to do at this point. Just keep winning. They've won twice since our last podcast and clinched a playoff spot. They aren't that far away from locking up the NWSL Shield. But ultimately, the season will be defined by what they do in the playoffs. Before we get there though, we talk through the victories over the Portland Thorns and North Carolina Courage.In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:St. Louis fire their Sporting DirectorBarbra Banda done for the yearThe USWNT game at CPKC StadiumHere is a rundown of topics and start times:Sporting KC's big comeback victory - 8:22SKC make moves and Intl. Call-ups in the SKC roundup - 54:24KC Current keep winning - 1:01:03Strife between ownership & the NWSL in the Current roundup - 1:18:32Digital Crawl - 1:26:47Upcoming GamesSKC II vs. Real Monarchs, Sat. Sept 6th at 12:00PM CDTUSMNT vs. South Korea, Sat. Sept 6th at 4:00 PMKC Current @ Bay FC, Sat. Sept 6th at 9:00PMSporting KC vs. Austin FC, Sun. Sept. 7th at 6:00PMAs 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.

Mauricio Pochettino's roster for the U.S. men's national team's pair of September friendlies against South Korea and Japan was released earlier this week. What do we make of it? And who's missing? Joe Lowery breaks it all down.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.

On today's show, Joe Lowery breaks down St. Louis City's decision to part ways with sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel. What went wrong? And what comes next? Plus, we chat about a group of MLS teams that did fascinating things during the now-closed summer transfer window.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.

It's transfer deadline day! On today's show, Joe Lowery digs into some of the juiciest moves from around the league, from Paxten Aaronson's move back to the states to a star finding his way to Toronto FC.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.

It was a spicy weekend of MLS action! From Evander's return to Providence Park to Thomas Muller's first minutes in a Whitecaps uniform to San Diego FC taking the lead in the Supporters' Shield race, Joe Lowery breaks it down.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 143rd episode of the show!Weather was top of mind in the two Kansas City versus Orlando matches as both games experienced three plus hour delays.Sporting Kansas City initially looked like they were going to keep some of the positive vibes from the San Diego game going when they had a solid first half against Orlando City. Then the second half happened. While the lightning delayed the game, the second half absolutely lacked electricity for Sporting KC.Personally, I think the tactical changes were all wrong and a lot of it went down to the substitution patterns and decisions. Maybe it was because all three center forwards started the game, so there were none to bring off the bench. However, it felt like it all centered around team captain Zorhan Bassong.As soon as Bassong was forced to move to left back for a fatigued Tim Leibold, everything fell apart. Sporting KC interim manager Kerry Zavagnin switched to a very conservative midfield by bringing on Nemanja Radoja and Jacob Bartlett and flipping into the 4-3-3 out of the team's second attempt at a 4-4-2. If the team wanted to push for a win, a back three likely shores up the defensive weaknesses and keeps Bassong and Jake Davis in the midfield together. It may not have worked, and hindsight is 20/20, but the decisions made were a disaster. Or maybe it was just the players inability to execute.If instead it was a back three of Jansen Miller, Alan Montes and Robert Voloder, the team could have gone much more attacking with the wingbacks and not ruined the defensive chemistry of that Bassong/Davis double pivot. Sheena and I weigh in on that, and a lot more from the 3-1 loss to Orlando.In the SKC round-up we have stories on Gianluca Busio, Latif Blessing, SKC II and a lot more.The KC Current had weather issues of their own on Saturday. As many pointed out when the schedule came out, a 3:00PM start time in August for the Orlando Pride match-up was never going to work. The league should have realized it wouldn't work far before they left fans sitting in the stadium for hours with updates every 15-minutes before a larger delay was announced.When the game was finally played, the product on the field suffered and KC broke their eight-game winning streak and earned their first draw of 2025. All while failing to score for the first time ever in CPKC Stadium. It's hard to maintain your homefield advantage when so many fans had left due to the heat.In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:The US Open Cup Semifinals are setKC Comets legend Nacho Flores retiresAnd Premier League Mornings Live is coming to Kansas City!Here is a rundown of topics and start times:Sporting KC Collapse in Orlando - 2:38SKC Round-Up - 33:05Heat Ruins KC Current vs. the Pride - 47:55Digital Crawl - 1:02:48Upcoming GamesKC Current @ Portland Thorns, Sat. Aug. 23rd at 9:00PM CDTSKC II @ St. Louis City 2, Sun. Aug. 24th at 6:00PMSporting KC @ Seattle Sounders, Sun. Aug. 24th at 8:15PMAs 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.

MLS's summer transfer deadline is just one week from today. Which teams should you be watching? Joe Lowery answers that question and dives into the U.S. Open Cup, where the Philadelphia Union booked their spot as the last semifinalist with a win over the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday.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.

Joe Lowery dives into the biggest stories from this past weekend's MLS action. From analyzing Son's first game for LAFC to Djordje Mihailovic's Toronto FC debut to assessing the Shield race, we covered plenty of ground.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 142nd episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City didn't get the much-needed win against San Diego FC. It's not unexpected when a team well below the playoff line plays the best team in the conference it may not work out. Sure, they lost 2-0, but I'm here to tell you they actually executed their gameplan exceptionally well. Their chances just didn't go in. The dominated the expected goal (xG) battle, but the only number most will care about is the final score.However, there are positives that can be taken away from the loss and things to look forward to in the final nine games of the MLS season. Sheena and I will get into more detail in the episode, but those things are:The Jake Davis/Zorhan Bassong double pivotSantiago Munoz and Dejan Joveljic starting togetherThe return of Robert Voloder (he made such a difference)As a bonus category, we look closer at the 4-4-2 and decide if it should be that, or another formation for the rest of the year.Beyond those keys, we also discuss the flopping of San Diego FC, the poorly officiated game from Pierre-Luc Lauziere (which may have literally led to injuries), updates on other injuries (Erik Thommy in particular) and a bunch of other topics from the game.In the SKC Round-Up, we covered the newest Sporting KC signing (Alan Montes) and his brief debut, the departure of Dany Rosero, some Mike Burns transfer window quotes and the news my colleague Thad Bell broke that the $500k in GAM from the William Agada trade does not expire.The KC Current played twice since our last episode, both of which were wins. First, they beat Racing Louisville then they took down the Utah Royals. Both were victories on the road. But there was a ton of other KC Current news:Vanessa DiBernardo is pregnant and on maternity leaveAlly Sentnor arrives in the biggest trade in NWSL historyKatie Scott is out on loan to Racing LouisvilleKayla Sharples re-signed through 2027 with an option for 2028and Temwa Chawinga is up for the Ballon d'OrIn the Digital Crawl, we kept it brief on a few more topics, including:SKC II's first two winsSean Nahas is fired by the North Carolina CourageBenny and the Roots slip against Colorado SpringsHere is a rundown of topics and start times:Sporting KC dominate, and lose - 5:49SKC make a signing with more to come - 49:23KC Current win twice and make a ton of news - 59:47Digital Crawl - 1:24:34Upcoming GamesKC Current vs Orlando Pride, Sat. Aug 16th at 3:00PM CDTSporting KC at Orlando City, Sat. Aug 16th at 6:30PMSKC II vs Dynamo 2, Sun. Aug 17th at 12:00PMAs 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.

The transfer window doesn't stop! On today's show, Joe Lowery dives into the end of the short Lucho Acosta era in FC Dallas, drama for the Portland Timbers, a pair of stars on favorable contracts, and much more.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.

MLS's summer transfer window is downright wild right now, with Djordje Mihailovic on his way to Toronto FC from the Colorado Rapids and a trio of stars joining the league from Europe. On today's show, Joe Lowery breaks it all down.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 141st episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City are slipping. Both in results and down the table. Their latest loss, a 3-0 shelling at the hands of the Vancouver Whitecaps, leaves them back in 13th place in the Western Conference and six points out of the final playoff spot with just 10 games to go.In fact, the team has won just three times in their last 13 attempts. The team is 3-5-5 in that stretch having picked up just one point in the last three games. Sheena and I try to figure out what is wrong. The team has started slow and the midgame adjustments from Kerry Zavagnin are strong, but is he making bad starting lineup choices? (More Jake Davis please! And perhaps a Santi Munoz start?)Maybe it's finally time for a different starting formation since the team is quick to switch to a back three in games, but they have yet to start a game in one. Or is it all an illusion and they just look good in the second half because of game state? When you are chasing the game and throwing numbers forward, of course you are going to create more chances, and your opponent is going to sit back a bit.We also discuss the transfer window, which opened this past week. Sporting KC made a trade for a third open international roster spot which may mean they are going to be busy. We look at what positions they should target.The KC Current made a bunch of news despite not playing any official games. They filmed some of Ted Lasso season four at CPKC Stadium this past week. Jason Sudeikis and friends have been all over KC, including Swope Park, the Plaza, maybe your neighborhood and this week they'll be at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.In actual soccer news, the KC Current played a scrimmage in very poor weather against Chris and Angie Long's other team, HB Koge, and won 5-1. The team also officially announced their 2,000-seat stadium in Riverside, MO, where KC Current II, the Academy and other regional events will be played. It includes an additional performance center and four more fields (bringing the total to 12).In the Digital Crawl, go deeper than usual on a few more topics, including:Messi update returns (he got suspended!)MLS is inching towards a Fall to Spring scheduleNouhou gets suspended an extra game after his antics in KCAmerican Outlaw tickets discountedNWSL Expansion updateBenny Feilhaber updateHere is a rundown of topics and start times:Sporting KC get blown out in Vancouver - 6:18An SKC Trade and potential roster moves - 28:12KC Current and Ted Lasso news - 42:39Digital Crawl - 56:34Upcoming GamesSKC II at Whitecaps 2, Thursday, July 31st at 8:00PM CDTKC Current at Racing Louisville, Friday, August 1st at 7:00PMSKC II vs. Austin FC II, Sunday, August 3rd at 12:00PMNo Sporting KC, they have a break for Leagues CupAs 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.

Ahead of the MLS summer transfer window opening on Thursday, Joe Lowery dives into the most interesting storylines that will define the window, the rest of 2025, and beyond.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.

It's in the title, folks! On today's episode, Joe Lowery examines all 15 MLS teams in the Western Conference. Which teams are contenders? Which ones can't wait for the season to end? And which ones need to be active in the summer transfer window? Find out on the show.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.

It's in the title, folks! On today's episode, Joe Lowery examines all 15 MLS teams in the Eastern Conference. Which teams are contenders? Which ones can't wait for the season to end? And which ones need to be active in the summer transfer window? Find out on the show.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 140th episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City returned home to a not very warm welcome from the Seattle Sounders. After getting out to a 3-0 lead in the first half, Sporting KC managed to claw their way back and nearly earn a point but ultimately fell 3-2.Kerry Zavagnin made some halftime adjustments, and his strikers went out and earned penalty kicks and drained their chances in the second half. It just wasn't enough to overcome the large deficit. However, during the second VAR review for a PK, Seattle's Nouhou seemingly lost his mind throwing a ball at a fan.That led to an exchange with the referee that will surely land him in further hot water.Outside of that, we break down many of the game's biggest moments, give our thoughts on the lineup and tactics and gush some more over Jansen Miller. Go watch his Behind the Shield.While the SKC game was going on, the KC Current were handling business in the first ever Teal Rising Cup. Despite rolling out a lineup of almost entirely backup players, KC handed Palmeiras a 3-0 loss to advance to the finals of the tournament. They will play Corinthians, who needed extra time to pull off a 1-0 win over the Chicago Stars.The Current game saw the returns of Lo LaBonta and Alex Pfeiffer from injury, and also, I stumbled around on the field at halftime "leading" Team Storm to a 2-0 victory in the media game over Team Heartland.In the Digital Crawl, we also touch on a few more topics, including:A new women's team in KC - KC AstrasUSMNT Gold Cup lossBenny Feilhaber updateHere is a rundown of topics and start times:Chad's Media Game Glory - 1:16Sporting KC come back down to Earth - 9:57SKC Round-up - 40:25KC Current dominate Palmeiras - 43:34Digital Crawl - 54:43Upcoming GamesKC Current vs. Corinthians - Tuesday, July 15th at 8:00PM CDT (ESPN+)SKC II vs. North Texas - Friday, July 18th at 7:30PMSporting KC vs. NYCFC - Saturday, July 19th at 7:30PMAs 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.

On today's show, Joe Lowery discusses DC United's decision to fire manager Troy Lesesne. What went wrong for DC? And what comes next? Plus, stick around for analysis of the U.S. Open Cup's quarterfinal round and Inter Miami's pursuit of yet another star.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.

With the U.S. men's national team's Gold Cup run complete after a loss to Mexico in Sunday's final, Joe Lowery examines what we learned about the time throughout the summer. From positive and negative player showings to a change in goal to a look at the player pool as a whole, there's plenty to discuss.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 139th episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City went on the road and picked up their first win in the Rocky Mountain State since March of 2014. The Colorado Rapids were caught napping early and despite obscenely high expected goals (xG), couldn't find a way back into the match, losing 2-1.The game had its ups and downs, but even with a few down moments, John Pulskamp shined on the night with numerous saves and the game winning assist. Just one more assist this season will tie the single season record for a goalkeeper in MLS.Outside of that, Sheena and I take a closer look at the Kerry Zavagnin era. Counting points only since he took over, the team would be fifth in the Western Conference and even counting the prior Peter Vermes games the team was in 10th at the time of recording. Is it time to lock KZ up as the permanent coach?We also broke down the standout moments of the game, talked about the new Logan Ndenbe injury, Jacob Bartlett's pending suspension and a whole lot more.In the Sporting KC round-up, we catch up on stories for Jack Kortkamp, Daniel Salloi, SKC II and the immense amount of salary budget that's about to open up at the end of the season.Not to be left out, the KC Current had quite a few things going on this week, including a large list of free agents they need to make decisions on. We also discussed Kansas City vying for a WNBA team, the USWNT's victory over Canada, the Claire Hutton goal and the upcoming media game this weekend.Also, if you want discounted tickets to the Teal Rising Cup games and to support #TeamStorm, click here.In the Digital Crawl, we also touch on a few more topics, including:USMNT Gold Cup successThe passing of Diogo JotaHere is a rundown of topics and start times:Sporting KC Break Their Losing Streak in Colorado - 6:30SKC Round-up - 46:59KC Current Free Agent Decisions - 56:36Digital Crawl - 1:09:34Upcoming GamesUSMNT vs. Mexico (Gold Cup Final) Sunday, July 6th at 6:00PM CDTSporting KC vs. Seattle Sounders - Saturday, July 12th at 7:30PMKC Current vs. Palmeiras - Saturday, July 12th at 8:00PMSKC II at The Town - Sunday, July 13th at 7:00PMAs 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 138th episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City returned to action for a double game week, but before we get to the games, we have to talk about the MLSPA salary release that included a lot of new numbers for Sporting KC players and a lot of updates to existing players. Needless to say, there are some shocking numbers that are both too high and frankly, too low.After that, we moved to the two games from the week, first tackling the 2-1 come from behind victory over Charlotte FC. The game featured two stoppage time goals, including Mason Toye's first ever for SKC and Dejan Joveljic's hamstring injury/cramp inducing 11th! At the beginning of both sequences, you'll find Manu Garcia pulling the strings. That's despite a nasty head injury he picked up.We also sufficiently got off top with an update to why Khiry Shelton's hair was pink, Wilfried Zaha somehow avoiding a dissent yellow and John Pulskamp heroics.For Real Salt Lake's 1-1 draw against Kansas City, we had to discuss the return of Johnny Russell and William Agada. Including Russell's beautiful (if painful to watch) header and his new haircut. Sheena's favorite topics often have nothing to do with soccer, so Erik Thommy's goal celebration seemed to evolve into the "bowling arrow."Matt Besler also went on the wall and shared some parallels with both Jansen Miller and Jacob Bartlett. The lineup found SKC short-handed and led to the first ever MLS start for 17-year-old Ian James at center back.But no Sporting KC game would be complete without refereeing controversy. While Jake Davis being sent off got a lot of the attention, that actually appeared to be the right call. It was what happened to Davis just before his sending off that left us baffled. How Gozo remained in the game is unbelievable.The KC Current are in their summer break, but they make an appearance in the Digital Crawl with the key re-signing of Michelle Cooper to a long-term deal through 2028.In the Digital Crawl, we also touch on a few more topics, including:USMNT drama against Costa RicaRonaldo's new contractOur Benny Feilhaber updateAnd Kansas City World Cup base camp news, including a story tying England to KCHere is a rundown of topics and start times:New Sporting KC Salaries are out! - 5:26SKC have an epic comeback against Charlotte - 34:13A not quite as complete SKC comeback against RSL - 55:04Digital Crawl - 1:25:22Upcoming GamesUSMNT vs. Guatemala, Wednesday, July 2nd at 6:00PM CDT (in St. Louis)Sporting KC @ Colorado Rapids, Friday, July 4th at 8:30PM SKC II vs. Portland Timbers 2, Saturday, July 5th at 12:00PMGold Cup Final is Sunday at 6:00PMAs 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.

Against the odds, Inter Miami qualified for the knockout rounds at the Club World Cup. How did they beat Porto and draw Palmeiras to book a meeting with PSG in the Round of 16? Joe Lowery answers that question and examines the latest takeaways from the U.S. men's national team's Gold Cup campaign ahead of a quarterfinal clash with Costa Rica.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 137th episode of the show!The KC Current lead off the show today with Sporting KC taking the weekend off. They played their last NWSL game until August 1st when they welcomed Angel City FC to town this past Friday night. While it was a closely contested match-up, the depleted Kansas City squad was able to put together their sixth consecutive win and stretch their lead in the standings to eight points as of this writing.Angel City, despite being far down the table, were competitive and kept the match close. If not for penalty kick saving heroics by Lorena and possibly a Sarah Gordon cramp, the game may have had a different outcome. We got into all kinds of topics from the game.In addition to game action, we got an update on what the Current will be doing on their upcoming break (outside of the Teal Rising Cup) and covered all their international call-ups for the upcoming international break, including Izzy Rodriguez's first call by the full USWNT.Sporting Kansas City didn't play this weekend, so we just ask one question about them. What is your hope for the rest of their season? Sheena and I gave somewhat different answers and got into a debate about the quality of the roster. In particular around Daniel Salloi and Shapi Suleymanov. We both agreed they need to make moves and the secondary transfer window opens July 24th.In the Digital Crawl, we touch on a few more topics, including:Benny Feilhaber wins!USMNT advance in the Gold CupWorld Cup QualifyingHere is a rundown of topics and start times:KC Current keep winning - 9:40One existential Sporting KC question - 51:17Digital Crawl - 1:04:33Upcoming GamesSporting KC vs. Charlotte FC, Wednesday, June 25th at 7:30PM CDTUSWNT vs. Ireland, Thursday, June 26th at 8:00PMSKC II at Austin FC II, Friday, June 27th at 7:30PMSporting KC vs. Real Salt Lake, Saturday, June 28th at 7:30PMUSWNT vs. Ireland, Sunday, June 29th at 2:00PMUSMNT Gold Cup Quarterfinals next Saturday or SundayAs 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.

With MLS in the midst of a brief break from the league's on-field action, Joe Lowery turns his attention to the transfer market. Which teams from around the league could be the most active this summer? Plus, what does the San Jose Earthquakes going up for sale mean for the team? Find out on today's show. 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.

On today's show, Joe Lowery digs into the U.S. men's national team's Gold Cup opening win over Trinidad and Tobago. What did we learn from a one-sided game? Then it's time for a chat about how MLS's three Club World Cup entrants are performing, from Inter Miami to the Seattle Sounders to LAFC.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 136th episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City have lost back-to-back games for the first time in the Kerry Zavagnin era. While results haven't been perfect, it's a testament to how much better this team is. Against FC Dallas, it felt like an opportunity to avoid this very result as Dallas entered the game on a six-game winless streak. And it really felt like Sporting KC were the better side on the night.At least until things went off the rails. Referee Sergii Demianchuk had an outsized impact on the game. Sheena and I get into the dicey officiating on the night and if we thought the right calls were made. A lot was made of the Khiry Shelton red card, but that may have actually been one of the more accurate calls.  The first yellow, who knows based on the broadcast. But the second, Khiry cannot make that challenge. There was a lot of poor calls though, and a lot of bad replay work.Sheena also made it out to Children's Mercy Park for the first time in 2025 and she brought some newbies. Sheena gives her breakdown on the atmosphere and the view from the South Stand.We also round-up a bunch of SKC stories, including Zorhan Bassong going back on national team duty, updates on Gianluca Busio, Benny Feilhaber, Johnny Russell and more.The KC Current won their fifth straight and their 10th of the season on the back of three goals in the first 19 minutes that would prove too much for Racing Louisville to overcome. We also update what we know on Lo LaBonta's injury and the final results of HB Koge's season in the Danish league.In the Digital Crawl, we touch on a few more topics, including:A new soccer facility in KCThe NWSL Final gets a locationUSMNT resultsHere is a rundown of topics and start times:Sporting KC lose a controversial game against FC Dallas - 4:51SKC Round-up - 42:00KC Current win and a Lo update - 53:13Digital Crawl - 1:04:44Upcoming GamesUSMNT vs. Saudi Arabia, Thursday, June 19th at 8:15PM CDTKC Current vs. Angel City FC, Friday, June 20th at 7:00PMUSMNT vs. Haiti, Sunday, June 22nd at 6:00PMSKC have the weekend off but play twice the next weekAs 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.

On today's show, Joe Lowery digs into the latest disappointment for the U.S. men's national team, who were trounced by Switzerland earlier this week. What went wrong? And who's to blame? Then it's on to a chat about MLS's three Club World Cup entrants. What should we expect from Inter Miami, the Seattle Sounders, and LAFC? All that -- and more -- on the show.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.

After yet another win in league play, Phoenix Rising has cemented themselves as one of the most in-form teams throughout the entire United Soccer League. Phoenix Rising find themselves just outside of top 4 in the west and hosting a playoff match. With a true test on Saturday in the form of 2nd placed FC Tulsa, will Rising be able to continue their winning ways on the road? Join Max Simpson and league insider John Morrissey of USL Tactics and Backheeled as they take a look at Rising's rise over the past two months. An ALLCITY Network Production SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube: https://bit.ly/phnx_youtube ALL THINGS PHNX: http://linktr.ee/phnxsports ALLCITY Network, Inc. aka PHNX and PHNX Sports is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by the City of Phoenix MERCH https://store.allcitynetwork.com/coll... PHNX Events: Get your tickets to PHNX events and takeovers here: https://gophnx.com/events/ ALLCITY — including us here at PHNX — is teaming up with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America for an exciting three-year partnership. To learn more, visit https://www.bbbs.org/allcity/ bet365: https://www.bet365.com/olp/open-accou... Use the code PHNX365 to sign up, deposit $10 and choose your offer!Disclaimer: Must be 21+ and physically located in AZ.  If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-NEXT-STEP, text NEXTSTEP to 53342 or visit https://problemgambling.az.gov/Gametime: Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code PHNX for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply.  Vme: Download the Vme app and play today using code PHNX! Available on the App Store and Google Play. Vme – Anyone. Anything. Anytime. https://getvme.com/?vmereferral=PHNX  Circle K:  Join Inner Circle for free by downloading the Circle K app today! Head to https://www.circlek.com/store-locator to find Circle Ks near you! APS:  Find instant rebates, discounts and special offers on smart thermostats, energy-efficient appliances and more at https://marketplace.aps.com/default/h... Chicken N' Pickle: Family friendly fun awaits! Visit chickennpickle.com to plan your visit today! Branded Bills: Use code BBPHNX at https://www.brandedbills.com/ for 20% off your first order! Shady Rays: Head to https://shadyrays.com and use code: PHNX for 35% off polarized sunglasses. Try for yourself the shades rated 5 stars by over 300,000 people. All Pro Shade Concepts: Call 623-204-1476 or visit https://allproshadeconcepts.com/ now to schedule your free estimate! When you shop through links in the description, we may earn affiliate commissions. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. 

With the U.S. men's national team gearing up for another match against a European foe, Joe Lowery dives into the latest surrounding the team. Who impressed against Turkiye? And what's coming next? All that -- and more -- on the show.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 135th episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City came back down to earth this week with a tough loss against Los Angeles Football Club on the road. Things looked bright early when Dejan Joveljic scored his 10th goal of the season off a Manu Garcia assist. But the lead didn't even last until halftime.Calamitous set piece defending led to a 1-1 halftime score and the capper on a bad game for Memo Rodriguez led to the game winning penalty kick for Denis Bouanga.Speaking of Bouanga, despite him having a goal and an assist, Jansen Miller seemed to be in his head. Maybe Bouanga gets the last laugh, but all the victimizing Denis did came at the expense of others, not Miller. Jansen more than held his own against one of the elite players in Major League Soccer. It's wild to say Miller (and frankly Pulskamp again) had good games when three goals went in. But they really did. And the joy Miller clearly gets from hounding attackers was all over his face.Sheena and I also discussed lots of other topics including: the return of Jake Davis from injury, the return of Stephen Afrifa from the bench, Khiry Shelton's ever-changing hair color, a bloody Shapi Suleymanov, who the heck was the captain after Daniel Salloi subbed off and many other topics from the SKC/LAFC game.Before we got to the winning KC team, we also had to talk about the big news that Benny Feilhaber has landed a job with the Oakland Roots of the USL Championship. It's a short-term deal. Is it so he can make sure he's available for the Sporting KC job?The KC Current went out and crushed it again, this time winning on the road against the newly crowned CONCACAF W Champions, NJ/NY Gotham. Michelle Cooper and Temwa Chawinga scored early, but it was the VAR that may have come to their rescue late. The officials seemed to get most things right when overturning Gotham goals, but that Esther goal is a little dicey to change.We also discussed a really good interview Forbes did with Chris and Angie Long along with the new 2,000 seat stadium the KC Current are building at their Riverside complex.In the Digital Crawl, we touch on a few more topics, including:More SKC II woesUSWNT/USMNT resultsThe Chicago Fire privately funding a new stadiumHere is a rundown of topics (and approximate start times):Sporting KC come back to Earth in LA - 7:28Benny gets a job and more in the SKC roundup - 41:25KC Current get a big road win (again) - 49:25Another KC women's soccer stadium and more in the Current roundup - 55:39Digital Crawl - 1:09:46Upcoming GamesUSMNT vs. Switzerland - Tuesday, June 10th at 7:00PM CDTKC Current vs Racing Louisville, Saturday, June 14th at 6:30PMSporting KC vs. FC Dallas, Saturday, June 14th at 7:30PMSKC II have 3 weeks offAs 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. From the second weekend of the expanded Jagermeister Cup to a data deep-dive to a coaching change in Oakland, we covered a ton of ground.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.

With the USMNT's summer of soccer just days away from kicking off, Joe Lowery digs into the latest from around the team. Why is Sergiño Dest absent from Mauricio Pochettino's Gold Cup roster? And which players are under the most pressure to perform for the U.S.? All that -- and much more -- on the show.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.

It's been a jam-packed last few days across the MLS landscape, so Joe Lowery dives into the latest and greatest from around the league. From the Chicago Fire's newly announced soccer-specific stadium to the Vancouver Whitecaps' Concacaf Champions Cup final loss to LAFC's big win over Club America to book their spot in the Club World Cup, there was plenty to discuss.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 134th episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City went on the road and picked up a massive three points in a statistically defiant weekend. It was their first win in Houston since October 3, 2020. They had been 0-3-3 in their prior six visits in all competitions. The victory also broke a 19-game winless streak when they gave up the first goal in a game. Adding to all of that, Kerry Zavagnin has now been in charge for 10 games and has led his team to an appropriate 4-3-3 record. KZ is now responsible for 15 of the team's 16 points in 2025 and Sporting KC find themselves just four points south of a playoff spot.A big part of this successful run under Zavagnin is the emergence of John Pulskamp as a quality starter in Major League Soccer. Despite getting beat by another goal of the week candidate, he absolutely stood on his head for stretches of the game against the Houston Dynamo. He actually had a career high eight saves, including perhaps the save of the night when he shut down Griffin Dorsey one on one.Going into the season, it felt like a big risk to have three very young goalkeepers. There had been an expectation all offseason that a veteran goalkeeper would be added to a group that was 23, 22 and 17-years-of-age coming into the season. And it is not as if there haven't been growing pains. Sporting KC have allowed 28 goals in league play, but by no means has the defense helped out Pulskamp for large stretches. Personally, it feels like John has saved many shots he shouldn't save, which is supported by him being in the 95th percentile of post-shot expected goals per shot on target. Elite numbers.Elsewhere on the podcast, Sheena and I discuss the comeback by SKC, including a brace from Dejan Joveljic, Santiago Munoz's first goal with Sporting KC, Zorhan Bassong's delightful free kick and header, both of which led to goals and many other moments from the game.However, even with the win, I can't help but bring up the terrible officiating from referee Jair Marrufo. He has a dicey history refereeing Sporting KC games and that didn't change on Saturday. He had numerous questionable calls, which I break down. Perhaps the biggest questionable moment was a miss by Marrufo and the VAR when a handball went uncalled in the box. It wasn't as egregious as the error that may have eliminated SKC from the 2023 playoffs (also against Houston), but it seemed to be a clear handball. The lack of camera angles is an indictment on MLS too.The KC Current made plenty of news. Chris and Angie Long bought their second soccer team when the club announced the purchase of HB Køge Women in Denmark. Lo LaBonta also made her debut with the US Women's National Team, Michelle Cooper started that same game and added an assist and Mary Long and Katie Scott scored for the US U-20 women to qualify for the U-20 Women's World Cup.In another big move, the KC Current announced the Teal Rising Cup.In the Digital Crawl, we touch on a few more topics, including:St. Louis City fired their coachUS U-20 Men's World Cup Draw and learning about New CaledoniaMexico to co-host 2031 Women's World CupHere is a rundown of topics (and approximate start times):Sporting KC win big on the road - 7:09SKC Round-up - 39:30KC Current have a big bye week - 47:02Digital Crawl - 58:32Upcoming GamesUSWNT vs. Jamaica, Tuesday, June 3rd at 7:00PM CDTKC Current at NJ/NY Gotham, Saturday, June 7th at 12:00PMSKC II at Houston Dynamo 2, Saturday, June 7th at 7:00PMSporting KC at LAFC, Sunday, June 8th at 8:00PMAs 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.

Between the Vancouver Whitecaps vying for the Concacaf Champions Cup trophy and LAFC fighting for a spot in the Club World Cup, we've got a huge weekend ahead of us. Joe Lowery previews those games and assesses St. Louis City's decision to fire manager Olof Mellberg and FC Cincinnati fans booing Lucho Acosta upon his return.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.

It was a jam-packed weekend of MLS action, so Joe Lowery dives into the latest and greatest from around the league. From Atlanta United's much-needed victory to the Vancouver Whitecaps getting back in the win column ahead of Sunday's Concacaf Champions Cup final, there was plenty to discuss.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 133rd episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City had a very heavy week. After the unexpected passing of former teammate Gadi Kinda, the team had to try to find a way to host the New England Revolution. It looked grim early as the team fell down 2-0 before staging a wild eight minutes in the second half where they scored three times to take the lead.Ultimately, the Revs stole a goal late to tie it, but the outburst of goals was the loudest I can remember hearing Children's Mercy Park in a very long time.Sheena and I break down key moments from the game from Daniel Salloi's standout performance to Zorhan Bassong lighting a spark in the midfield.Coursing through everything was the weight of Kinda's passing. From the pre-game warm-up tops to the "Gadi" armbands, video memorials, on field tributes and everything in between, his presence was felt in the stadium.We also got an injury update on Jake Davis, who popped back onto the injury report and showed up in a boot on Saturday. Don't worry, he said he doesn't even need it, so it's likely just a precaution.The KC Current continued their winning ways on Saturday night. They went to Illinois and dispatched the Chicago Stars 3-1 behind goals from Bia, Temwa Chawinga and Kayla Sharples. We also had to work through the news of the devastating injuries to Alana Cook and Debinha as well as the unbelievably positive news of Lo LaBonta's first call-up by the USWNT.The podcast also got off the rails more than usual. Did you ever want to know when boxed mac and cheese was invented? Well, we've got you covered for some reason.In the Digital Crawl, we touch on a few more topics, including:Bassong called upSKC II lose againVenezia relegated, is Busio available?Here is a rundown of topics (and approximate start times):Sporting KC have a wild comeback - 10:52Gadi Kinda - 50:15KC Current win again! - 1:00:09Kansas City Current Injuries and Lo's Call-up! - 1:06:53Digital Crawl - 1:16:45Upcoming GamesUSWNT vs. China, Saturday, May 31st at 4:30PM CDTSporting KC at Houston Dynamo, Saturday, May 31st at 7:30PMSKC II vs. Colorado Rapids II, Sunday, June 1st at 12:00PMKC Current have a bye (International Break)As 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.

Mauricio Pochettino's roster for the U.S. men's national team's training camp ahead of the Gold Cup was released on Thursday, and it's missing a host of regular starters. On today's show, Joe Lowery dives into who made the cut ahead of the Gold Cup -- and which notable players will sit out.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.

On today's show, Joe Lowery dives into some of the biggest hits from MLS's Rivalry Week, discussing Inter Miami's latest defeat at the hands of Orlando City, El Trafico and Greg Vanney's new LA Galaxy contract, Nashville SC's new era, Charlotte FC's problems, and more.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.

After the season's first set of midweek MLS matches, Joe Lowery dives into the latest and greatest from around the league. From Bruce Arena taking up impromptu body guard duties for Lionel Messi to Kei Kamara making his debut for yet another club, there was plenty to cover.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.

On this week's special episode of “This League”, the Backheeled crew was joined by Orange County SC head coach Danny Stone to talk all things Orange County and USL Championship.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.

On today's show, Joe Lowery looks back at the latest action from around MLS, diving into new lows for Atlanta United and the LA Galaxy, a pair of contenders battling it out in both conferences, Minnesota United's statement win over Inter Miami, and so much more.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.

We were all locked in for a chance at up to 16 Cupsets in this round of the USOC action and boy were we disappointed. Just one lone upset (all hails the hounds) by a lower division team has David getting together with Tom & Joe Lowery (Backheeled.com) to discuss what we learned. Then they talk about their favorite stories so far, Daniel Gazdag's new contract, and look forward to an interesting weekend of action.5:30 USOC MLS vs USL Dominance13:20 Biggest Performances of The USOC Round25:25 Joe Lowery On Phoenix vs Houston36:50 Whitecaps & LAFC Recent Form w/Joe44:35 Celebrating San Diego w/Joe52:00 Tom On Gazdag's New Contract & CLB vs PHI57:35 MIN Getting Ready For Miami Test1:02:30 ORL & NER Elite Defensive Squads  Soccerwise Live 2pm ET Every Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday on Youtube/Twitch/Twitter

The U.S. Open Cup's Round of 32 wrapped up last night. What happened? And what did we learn? Joe Lowery breaks it all down before examining LAFC's path into the Club World Cup and the MLS weekend to come.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.