Podcasts about backheeled

The general consensus seems to be that the Eastern Conference is far better than the West this year. While that may true in terms of depth, the reality is that the top four or five teams in the West can stand toe-to-toe with their Eastern counterparts.To help make that case, we brought back Backheeled.com's Joe Lowery, who also shares some of his early end-of-season award picks.You can support Joe's work as well as ours by upgrading your membership to the Advocate level or above, which includes a complimentary subscription to Backheeled.Sponsor

On today's show, Joe Lowery dives into the Philadelphia Union's Supporters' Shield triumph! What's made them so successful in 2025? That -- plus a look back at Darlington Nagbe's amazing career -- 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 149th episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City did what we've been asking for and hired a new President of Soccer Operations. David Lee is in charge of all things soccer over at Sporting KC, and he'll report directly to ownership. That's actually the first (serious) subject on the pod. CSO? PoSO? General Manager? Sporting Director? Technical Director? To quote the former King of the Seven Kingdoms, Robert Baratheon, "titles, titles, titles."On today's, not quite an emergency podcast, we learn about David Lee's professional past, his time with NYCFC and his track record of success.He also comes out of the City Football Group (CFG) empire, so we tell you what the heck that means and what impact that likely had on the resources he had at his disposal and how it could both be benefiting him and limiting him at other times.Sheena and I also weigh in on Lee's history of youth development and a knack for signing young talent. A lot of that is CFG related, but it also could be the direction he decides to take with Sporting KC. There is so much to talk about with Lee, you should probably just download the episode already!As a tease, here are some of the quotes from the media we'll cite around the excitement of the David Lee hire:David Gass: "This is probably better than what I would have guessed is a best-case scenario for SKC.”Tom Bogert: "David Lee joining Sporting KC from NYCFC as CSO is a big move. Impressive by SKC to court and land Lee, as it's rare for a CSO to leave for another CSO role. Lee one of league's respected sporting executives. Gets to rebuild SKC around Dejan Joveljic, Manu Garcia and more."Joe Lowery: "SKC fans should be pleased with the David Lee hire. While it's hard to know how much of NYCFC's success during Lee's time there stemmed from his roster-building vs. CFG's resources, he's got real experience in a recruiting machine."Taylor Twellman: "Smart. Clever. Great Hire from Sporting KC. David Lee is someone who can really get SKC over the hump and his experience with NYCFC in MLS will be invaluable in turning around the franchise in Kansas."Andrew Weibe: "This is truly a great get for Kansas City. Lee has repeatedly hit at every roster designation with his signings (not all HRs, of course, before you get in the mentions). Pascal Jansen has been an A+ managerial hire. NYCFC has been consistently good to excellent under his watch."In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:MLS Offseason scheduleSKC International call-upsA new job for Peter Vermes?World Cup Ticket Pricesand more!Here is a rundown of topics and start times:Sporting KC hire a CSO - 2:50Digital Crawl - 59:59Upcoming GamesSporting KC @ Minnesota United, Sat. Oct 4th at 7:30PM CDTSKC II @ MNUFC2, Sun. Oct 5th at 3:00PMUSMNT U-20s vs. South Africa, Sun. Oct 5th at 3:00PMKC Current @ Angel City FC, Mon. Oct 6th at 9:30PMKC Current vs. Gotham FC, Sat. Oct 11th at 4:00PMAs 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.

On today's show, Joe Lowery dives into Nashville SC's 2-1 victory over Austin FC in Wednesday night's U.S. Open Cup. How did they pull off the victory? And what does it mean for Nashville? Then it's time to congratulate the Chicago Fire for making their way back to the postseason in MLS play. 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.

Just weeks away from the start of the MLS postseason, Joe Lowery digs into five prospective playoff teams that should be worried heading into the home stretch.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 148th episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City put up one of the worst performances in recent memory when they went on the road and lost 4-1 to the LA Galaxy. The dead-last-in-all-of-MLS Galaxy. They gave up a hattrick in the first half to Designated Player, Joseph Paintsil, and he frankly could have scored four or five goals on the night. It's a worrying trend with how they start games and how they end the first half of games.Despite it being bad, and it was very bad, it wasn't all bad. Dejan Joveljic scored again, this time against his former team leaving him 4th in the Golden Boot standings. There were positive moments for new starters Memo Rodriguez and Stephen Afrifa (and bad ones but let us have this). Robert Voloder came off the bench and made his case to still be on this roster.Sheena and I also discuss all the follies and how much of the blame should be heaped onto John Pulskamp (spoiler: not much in my eyes). And we have to discuss that Shapi Suleymanov red card.Unfortunately, we also have to update the "race to the bottom" by Sporting KC. They are dangerously closer to 'winning' the Wooden Spoon for the first time in club history. The only hope may be that other teams also play bad, which D.C. United and St. Louis City did their part this weekend.In the SKC Round-up we also cover how much General Allocation Money the new Chief Soccer Officer (CSO) is going to have to work with and some good and bad moments from the final SKC II home game.The KC Current lifted us up a bit on Friday though, with their dominant 4-1 win with a heavily rotated lineup. There were brilliant moments, debuts, firsts and more. And we have to talk about how Temwa Chawinga was placed ridiculously low on the Ballon d'Or voting.In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:Chicago Fire's new Stadium being approvedA further expanded World Cup in 2030Desi Scott set to retire (again)Here is a rundown of topics and start times:Sporting KC get embarrassed against the Galaxy - 9:39SKC Wooden Spoon Update - 40:23KC Current reverses the SKC score for another win - 50:46Digital Crawl - 1:09:59Upcoming GamesUSMNT U-20s vs. New Caledonia, Mon. Sept. 29th at 6:00PM CDTUSMNT U-20s vs. France, Thur., Oct 2nd at 3:00PMSporting KC @ Minnesota United, Sat. Oct 4th at 7:30PM SKC II @ MNUFC2, Sun. Oct 5th at 3:00PMUSMNT U-20s vs. South Africa, Sun. Oct 5th at 3:00PMKC Current @ Angel City FC, Mon. Oct 6th at 9:30PMAs 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 voting for MLS's annual 22 Under 22 due later this week, Joe Lowery dives into his 22 Under 22 ballot to highlight the league's top young players.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 less than a month remaining in the MLS regular season, Joe Lowery takes stock of the race for the Supporters' Shield and the playoffs before diving into candidates for three more end-of-season awards.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 147th episode of the show!The KC Current are the headliners this week, and probably should be each week, because they had themselves a marvelous weekend! After the Washington Spirit dropped points to Angel City FC on Thursday night, that opened the door for the Kansas City Current to lift the shield on Saturday night. All they had to do was win.And of course they did! They defeated the Seattle Reign 2-0, lifted the NWSL Shield as the best record in the league, with five games remaining. It's the fastest ever shield win in league history, breaking the previous record set by the 2014 Seattle Reign.But that Reign team ultimately didn't win the NWSL Championship. They lost the final to FC Kansas City, coached by Vlatko Andonovski. Sheena and I work through all the emotions and moments from the night and how the KC Current can't let that happen to them. Across town, things were much worse for Sporting Kansas City. They lost, yet again, this time to the Vancouver Whitecaps. And it was a depleted Whitecaps side who were missing most of their stars. It didn't matter as SKC fell behind just over a minute into the game and never recovered.Then again, they did play some kids and try some different things for next year. So, I supposed we sort of got what we were asking for last week. But losing sucks. And St. Louis City won, so Sporting KC are closer to the Wooden Spoon (for the worst record in MLS) than anything else and now behind their cross-state rivals.On one night, the KC Current proclaim themselves one of the best teams in the world and Sporting KC get eliminated from playoff contention. What a weird night for Kansas City soccer.In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:Messi extends contract with Inter Miami and will retire in MLSUS Open Cup and Canadian Championship finals setHere is a rundown of topics and start times:Premier League Morning Live! - 1:11KC Current win the Shield! - 11:35Sporting KC may have quit - 45:10Digital Crawl - 1:11:45Upcoming GamesKC Current vs. Chicago Stars - Fri. Sept 26th at 7:00PM CDTSporting KC @ LA Galaxy - Sat. Sept. 27th at 9:30PMSKC II vs. Ventura County - Sun. Sept 28th 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.

As we near the end of the MLS regular season, Joe Lowery dives into a chunk of the award races. Which players are battling it out for MVP? And which managers have a shot at Coach of the Year? 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.

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.

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.

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.