USA Soccercast

#113 - USWNT Women’s World Cup postmortem

The United States Women’s National Team’s run at the 2023 Women’s World Cup ended in the Round of 16 last week in a loss via penalties to Sweden, and we catch up by doing a full postmortem of the team’s performance and what comes next on Episode 113 of the USA Soccercast.

The USWNT entered the Women’s World Cup as one of the favorites to hoist the trophy for what would have been a third straight time. However, they just never looked sharp in a win and 2 draws during the group stage and then losing in crushing fashion on penalties to Sweden in the Round of 16. It’s the first time the USWNT had failed to get to at least the semifinals at the Women’s World Cup. That has prompted a lot of discussion about the future of the program and how they need to reset to get back to the top in the next cycle, which will begin next month as they build towards the Olympics next summer. We solicited questions from the listeners, and they responded with some great ones. We address some of those questions where opinions are given on how the program can move forward in a rebuild.

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#112 - The Women’s World Cup roster!

The United States Women’s National Team has been formed for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and we discuss the roster on Episode 112 of the USA Soccercast.

The USWNT roster is here, and 23 players are making the trip to New Zealand and Australia. First introducing the team - and their jersey numbers - we discuss some of the players that Vlatko decided to include. There were some new players that made the roster as well as some veterans, and we sing some of the praises of the players that earned their spot on the plane.

There were also players who didn’t make the roster, whether it was due to injury or a coach’s decision. Some of them are incredible talents who will be missed, like Becky Sauerbrunn, Catarina Macario, Christen Press, Samantha Mewis, or Tobin Heath. Others just didn’t feel to be in the plans of head coach Vlatko Andonovski. We discuss some of them and why those players didn’t make the cut.

Finally, the USWNT are facing a lot of pressure as they try to win a third straight World Cup title, something no men’s or women’s team has ever done. They’ve already faced immense pressure as they struggle with the prevailing thought that the world has caught up with them. However, this team has an ability to lock in and focus on the goal in front of them better than most teams in the course of sports history, and that helps us get excited about the tournament as it begins in just under 30 days.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and to tap into our Linktree, which will give you access to all our affiliate links: Fanatics, Homage, BreakingT, and the MLS Store. With the summer almost here and it being full of soccer, you’ll be able to save some money on all the cool soccer apparel! And, tag us on Twitter with any topic suggestions or questions for the show.

#111 - Nations League champions, Gregg returns

The United States Men’s National Team wins the Concacaf Nations League and re-hires their head coach, so it makes for a full Episode 111 of the USA Soccercast!

The USMNT absolutely dominated Mexico and Canada on their way to another Nations League title, and there were so many amazing performances. We focus on the Mexico match, which was eventful on the field until it got ugly there and in the stands. We discuss some of the ugliness that happened on the field and how Concacaf needs to do more than just make statements about the ugliness that fans demonstrated. We continue with the USMNT’s dominance over Canada to once again keep the Nations League trophy here at home.

After the break, Gregg Berhalter has been re-hired as the USMNT coach, to begin after the Gold Cup. Of course, news breaking during the Mexico match was wild enough, but there are so many questions that need to be addressed, and we detail some of them. It was the biggest story of the weekend on top of the other biggest story of the weekend, and how it will affect the team and the federation moving forward is something to discuss.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and to tap into our Linktree, which will give you access to all our affiliate links: Fanatics, Homage, BreakingT, and the MLS Store. With the summer almost here and it being full of soccer, you’ll be able to save some money on all the cool soccer apparel! We will be back to discuss the USWNT World Cup roster this evening or tomorrow!

#110 - Preparing for the Nations League Finals

The Concacaf Nations League Finals begin this week in Las Vegas, and we quickly preview the tournament for the USMNT on Episode 110 of the USA Soccercast.

The United States seek to defend their Nations League title, but will have to do it by defeating Mexico and then either Panama or Canada this week at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. They will also have to do it with a team that has some key players missing due to injuries, particularly on the defensive end, and with interim head coach BJ Callaghan in his first matches as a head coach. Still, the USMNT carries a 5-match unbeaten streak against Mexico into the semifinal on Thursday night, and they hope that streak can continue so they can have a chance to remain the only team to lift the Concacaf Nations League trophy.

We end the show by paying tribute to a pillar of the soccer community in Nashville, Ben Cowherd, who passed away over the weekend after a motorcycle accident. Ben was a friend of the show and his loss is a big one for the Nashville and U.S. Soccer communities who knew him well. We here at Stars & Stripes FC pass along our condolences to Ben’s family and those in his various communities who are mourning his loss.

#109 - Messi to MLS? It’s actually happening!

Lionel Messi is coming to Major League Soccer! It’s a major moment in the history of the league and we have to discuss it on Episode 109!

There were some people who wrongly thought that this would never happen, but Messi to Inter Miami is now a reality. And it has already made a major impact on the profile of the league, to add to the wave of excitement that soccer fans all across the country have that arguably the greatest to ever do it comes to our shores.

We discuss what we know about the deal, from the profit sharing with Apple and Adidas to the ownership stake. We also discuss some of the other players who are rumored to want to venture to MLS to play with their friend Leo.

However, it’s a big moment for the league and they need to figure out pretty quickly how to maximize the impact and make it sustainable. From the facilities to the marketing to even roster rules, MLS has to meet the moment and make this sustain long after Messi hangs up his cleats.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and to tap into our Linktree, which will give you access to all our affiliate links: Fanatics, Homage, BreakingT, and the MLS Store. With the summer almost here and it being full of soccer, you’ll be able to save some money on all the cool soccer apparel! Nations League is around the corner, and we’ll be back early next week to preview it all!

#108 - The interim replaces the interim

The USA Soccercast is back with Episode 108 to recap a busy day in U.S. Soccer! The USMNT have a new interim head coach, they’re bringing 2 teams in for October friendlies, and the Men’s U-20s are doing well at the U-20 World Cup...all of this on a full episode!

USMNT interim head coach Anthony Hudson has left his post for a new club job, and BJ Callaghan will replace him for the Nations League Finals and the Gold Cup. We discuss the abrupt coaching change as the USMNT prepare to defend their titles in both competitions beginning in just over 2 weeks.

The USMNT also have scheduled domestic friendlies against Germany and Ghana for the October international window. We discuss some history between the United States and those two teams as some quality opponents come to our shores to boast the fall schedule.

After the break, the Men’s U-20s are at the U-20 World Cup and are through to the quarterfinals for the 4th straight time. We discuss their tournament thus far as well as who could be ahead of them in the quarterfinals and beyond.

Finally, the USA Soccercast has some new affiliate links that can help you get the latest gear while also supporting the show! Our newest partners, BreakingT and Homage, join Fanatics and the MLS Store to help bring you all the soccer gear. You can even use those links for gear that isn’t soccer-related and it will still help support the show, so check them out! The USWNT jerseys will be re-released on June 5th along with the USMNT 2023 jerseys, and a bunch of new apparel will hit the streets alongside it. You can have it all through these links and, depending on the sales, you can save some money in the process!

Don’t forget to follow the USA Soccercast! You can find us on Podbean and Linktree, including all of our affiliate links. And, for any topic suggestions, please send questions to USA Soccercast at Gmail dot com or tag us on Twitter!

#107 - Folarin Balogun commits to the USA, USL Super League takes flight

The USA Soccercast returns with Episode 107 to celebrate the commitment of a Balogun! Folarin Balogun completed his one-time switch to represent the USMNT, and we have to start by celebrating the addition.

Balogun could be in the squad as early as next month for the Concacaf Nations League Finals as well as the Gold Cup, and he brings with him a wave of electricity both on his place and the excitement among fans.

U.S. Soccer hired a new vice president of sporting last week, a brand new position. And Oguchi Onyewu was brought in to be the first one, serving directly under new sporting director Matt Crocker. We discuss how that’s a great move for Gooch and for U.S. Soccer to have him onboard. He’ll have his hands in many things, including the search for the next USMNT head coach.

After the break, the USL Super League announced its initial teams for the league, which will debut in August 2024. However, having a fall to spring schedule in line with most European leagues and having no salary cap or draft isn’t the biggest concern for the league. The league applied for D1 sanctioning with U.S. Soccer, indicating it wants to directly compete with the NWSL. We’ll discuss some examples on on how that’s making many fans skeptical about the success of the new league.

Don’t forget to follow the USA Soccercast! You can find us on Podbean and Linktree, including all of our affiliate links with Fanatics and the MLS Store. And, for any topic suggestions, please send questions to USA Soccercast at Gmail dot com or tag us on Twitter!

#106 - A Women’s World Cup bid and a new sporting director

The USA Soccercast returns with Episode 106! The U.S. Soccer Federation recently linked with the Mexico federation to launch a joint bid for the 2027 Women’s World Cup. They also finally made their hire of Matt Crocker as the federation’s new sporting director.

The 2027 Women’s World Cup bid came during the USMNT-Mexico match, but it could mean the two nations would host the Women’s World Cup the year after co-hosting the Men’s World Cup with Canada. Is it a good idea for U.S. Soccer to do it? And should they be considered the favorite alongside the other bids? We quickly discuss the loaded calendar for major sports tourneys in the United States and where the 2027 tournament would fit in. With the 2028 Summer Olympics in LA, it’s possible that the USWNT would be able to attempt the World Cup/Olympic double all on home soil.

After the break, we discuss U.S. Soccer’s hire of Matt Crocker as the new sporting director. He comes with a lot of experience from Southampton FC and the English FA, but one of his immediate focuses will be to hire a new USMNT head coach. With the USMNT having a big summer ahead of them, will the hire come before June? Or will we continue to see Anthony Hudson lead the squad to the Nations League Finals and the Gold Cup?

Don’t forget to follow the USA Soccercast! You can find us on Podbean and Linktree, including all of our affiliate links with Fanatics and the MLS Store. And, for any topic suggestions, please send questions to USA Soccercast at Gmail dot com.

#105 - Gold Cup Draws and Continental Clásicos

The USA Soccercast is back with Episode 105! On this episode, the Gold Cup draw occurred last Friday, and today we learned the venues for the USMNT as they seek to defend their title. The road to the Gold Cup final at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California for the United States: Chicago, St. Louis, Charlotte, Cincinnati, San Diego or Las Vegas, and then LA.

We go through the Gold Cup draw group by group, showing who the USMNT was drawn with and how the other groups shape up. We also now know who the United States could potentially face in the quarterfinals should they advance out of the group as expected. We look at the other groups and how difficult it could be for a couple of the seeded teams to advance in the tournament.

After the break, USA-Mexico is tomorrow night, and we get ready for that match. We take a look at the roster and give a quick preview of who to watch for when the two teams take the field tomorrow night. It should be a fun one in Phoenix.

Don’t forget to follow the USA Soccercast! You can find us on Podbean and Linktree, including all of our affiliate links with Fanatics and the MLS Store. And, we want to do a mailbag episode next week, so please send questions to USA Soccercast at Gmail dot com.

#104 - USWNT prepares to face the Irish

The United States Women’s National Team enter their final friendlies before the Women’s World Cup roster is announced, and we discuss the current roster and upcoming matches on Episode 104 of the USA Soccercast.

The USWNT have a 26-player roster in camp, including a few surprise returners like Julie Ertz and Casey Krueger. However, with this being the final international window before the World Cup roster is named, it leaves us with questions about who has the inside track to making the roster and who appears to be on the outside looking in at this point. They face Ireland, who is ranked 22nd in the FIFA world rankings and will also be at the Women’s World Cup this summer. Which players should we look out for? What does Julie Ertz’s return mean for the shape of this team? We touch on a bit of all of that on this episode.

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