Soccerwise

Soccerwise are prepping for the biggest game of the year and who else to do it with than the biggest writer in the game. Paul Tenorio (The Athletic) joins Tom & David to talk about the topic he literally wrote on a book on “The Messi Effect.” They preview MLS cup from the X-factors to what it would mean to both clubs if they do or don’t win. Then Paul walks them through how the league is trying to advance globally, Messi’s influence on those moves, and the biggest factors that could help or hurt the league going forward. And never not grinding Tom has a staple of scoops in the “Ice Cream Shop” from Philly’s record signing to the return of Cade Cowell. Pre-order Paul’s book today at this link 5:01 MLS Cup On Field Preview 18:20 Paul Tenorio Joins The Show Talking Messi Effect & MLS's Fight To Grow 48:50 What Would MLS Cup Mean To Miami And What’s Their Future? 56:38 What Would MLS Cup Mean To Vancouver And What’s Their Future? 1:03:14 Ice Cream Shop 1:0325 Philly Record Signing Striker 1:06:40 Cade Cowell Heading To NYRB 1:09:07 Chicago Big Center back Signing 1:11:26 Zimmerman Replacement In Nashville & Maybe Paul Rothrock

The big dance is finally set in MLS and it takes us back to the this years CCL semifinal between Miami & Vancouver. Tom & David rejoin post Thanksgiving to dive into all the semifinal action. They look back at Maxi vs Messi, Brian White's Offensive Explosion, and what this all means for San Diego's debut season. Then they look forward to MLS Cup where we are guaranteed a first time winner. Finally the "Ice Cream Shop" is always open for Tommy's Scoops. 7:00 Miami's Triumph Over NYCFC 18:30 Looking Back On NYCFC's Season 22:00 MLS Cup Finalists Means To Miami 30:15 Whitecaps Bounce San Diego 38:50 San Diego's Historic Expansion Season 48:50 Mo Salah To SD? 50:47 MLS Cup Miami vs Vancouver Preview 58:45 Mueller vs Messi All-time 1:07:30 Chicho Arango Heading To Pumas? 1:09:50 Robin Jansson Resigns In Orlando 1:10:45 Paul Rothrock & Other Top Free Agents

After a weekend of breathtaking single elimination soccer it is time to take a second to talk soccer before turkey. Tom & David dive into everything we saw from the stunner in Vancouver to the upset in Chester. Then they preview the upcoming round of games as the conference finals are set for Saturday.

A Rosey finish to the season for the 2nd time in three years for Gotham. Jordan & David stop hanging out on the West Coast to breakdown everything from the week. They talk about what is so special about Gotham as a club, what does this mean big picture for Washington, and much more.

The Riverhounds are heading to Tulsa for a final showdown in the USL Championship. And this time the star of the show is a goalkeeper as Eric Dick has won two shootouts in the playoffs and is yet to concede a goal. He sits down with David to talk about this run so far, the task in the final, and what Pittsburgh has come to mean to him.

The USMNT made history this week IN A GOOD WAY! Did you see that coming? Yea you're not alone. Tom & David get together to revel in the US big win over Uruguay & Paraguay. Then they refocus on the MLS playoffs digging into all the matchups coming up. The crew cannot talk only on the field though as they run through the groundbreaking article on the Guardian written by Pablo Maurer investigating a number of reported indiscretions by Union Sporting Director Ernst Tanner. 4:55 Guardian Article On Ernst Tanner 11:58 USMNT Thrash Uruguay 33:30 Details on USMNT Pre-World Cup Plans 38:20 WCQ Global Wrap Up 42:20 Van-LAFC Preview 50:33 FCC-MIA Preview 56:50 PHI-NYCFC Preview 1:01:44 SD-MIN Preview 1:07:30 Mateus Bogusz MLS Return? 1:11:03 RBNY Plans Under Julian De Guzman 1:18:30 Orlando’s End Of Season Roster Moves

It is the big one the NWSL Championship is on the horizon. Jordan & David sit down to talk about all the action of the semis and preview the final. Not to be forgotten is all the big breaking news outside the games. Of course Trinty Rodman's future is a huge topic. And while we're looking at the championship game the Shield holders have made more news moving Vlatko Andonovski's role. 7:15 Washington's Dominant Semifinal Win Over Portland 26:15 What Does A Second Straight Final Mean For the Spirit 29:00 What To Make Of Portland's 2025 Season 33:00 Trinity Rodman's Future & The League's Salary Structure 43:40 Gotham's Dramatic Win Over Orlando 1:01:45 NWSL Championship Preview 1:08:45 What Would The Title Mean To Both Spirit & Gotham 1:12:50 KC Current Front Office Shakeup

MLS's owners are sitting down right now to vote on flipping the MLS calendar and changing the league structure. So Tom & David sit down on their own to talk about the pros and cons behind these moves. But this isn't the only news of the week as Tommy Scoops opens the "Ice Cream Shop" on a Nashville club legend entering free agency alongside Quakes star Cristian Espinoza. Plus of course they talk USMNT heading into the big clashes against the Guays. 3:18 BOG Vote On MLS Schedule Change 21:41 Change Of MLS Format To Single Table 33:55 Wilfred Nancy Heading To Celtic? 38:00 Walker Zimmerman's Next Destination 46:30 Cristian Espinoza MLS Free Agent 53:15 FC Dallas Offseason Preview 56:40 Austin FC Season Recap 1:00:00 Chicago Fire Offseason Preview 1:04:05 USMNT Must See

What a week to keep up with! We had the arguably the biggest upset in NWSL Playoff history, a PK shootout, three extra time games, AND a new expansion club. David is joined by Committee member Brianna Pinto to relive it all. First they dig into all the drama from round one of the playoffs. How Washington overcame a valiant Louisville, Portland's magical home experience, Gotham's dream upset & Marta willing her way on to the next round. Then they look forward to two monumental matchups coming up this weekend and what could decide those games. They talk about the big news coming out of the southeast as Atlanta is awarded the 17th club in NWSL. And finally with the finalists announced they give away their postseason awards. 1:30 Brianna Pinto's NWSL Skills Challenge Debut 5:08 Gotham's Historic Upset Of KC 16:35 Washington Survive Against Louisville In Dramatic Fashion 27:05 Thorns Extratime Winner 30:55 Orlando Powered By Marta 37:19 Preview Of Washington vs Portland 45:45 Preview Of Orlando vs Gotham 50:12 Atlanta NWSL Expansion 58:55 NWSL Postseason Awards

Did we just witness the greatest playoff game in MLS history? With David off celebrating love Tom is joined by the second best bald man in his orbit Matt Doyle. They break down everything they saw to finally close out this round of MLS playoffs. Then look ahead to the USMNT.

Soccerwise comes to you live from Charlotte, NC at Sycamore Brewery on the eve of Game 3 between Charlotte FC vs. New York City FC. David and Tom are joined by Zoran Krneta, CSO of Charlotte FC, Dean Smith, Charlotte FC Manager and MLS Play by Play commentator, Eric Krakauer. Sycamore Brewery: https://www.sycamorebrew.com/

David can see Tom's crystal blue eyes in person as the squad camps in Charlotte ahead of Friday's elimination game. The squad goes game by game to preview the weekend of must win games. Then they talk about the breaking news around Tata Martino & his old buddy Josef Martinez. And of course they have to dig into the first Berhlater-Reyna roster under Poch. And then Kristijan Kahlina joins the show to talk PK shootouts, the pressure of must win games, winning GKOY, and much more. 8:15 CTL-NYCFC 14:03 MIN-SEA 19:50 Pressure On Pat Noonan 23:55 Preview FCC-CLB 27:50 Suarez Retroactive Suspension 31:00 MIA-NASH Preview 35:10 SD-POR 39:45 Tata Martino Back To ATL 43:50 Josef Martinez Leaving SJ 47:35 USMNT Final 2025 Camp 56:50 Kristijan Kahlina Interview

The NWSL regular season came to a close in dramatic fashion on Sunday. David & Jordan join forces to relive the tension, celebrate Louisville, and wonder what's next for North Carolina. Now the playoff bracket is set to our hosts pick through all the big details to know matchup by matchup. 3:30 Boston & Denver Home Openers Announced 9:17 Reliving Decision Day For Louisville & North Carolina 27:43 KC vs Gotham Preview 40:35 Washington vs Louisville Preview 50:30 Portland vs Wave Preview 1:02:35 Orlando vs Seattle Preview

Only three of the eight MLS series are wrapped up after game 2 of the first round. Tom & David dig into everything we saw on the weekend from Nashville's offensive explosion, to the Portland Timbers dramatic comeback, and our three teams that took care of business. BUT to start Tommy Scoops has opened the Ice Cream shop early! He brings the breaking news that the New England Revolution will be hiring US u20 Head Coach Marko Mitrović as their new head coach & LAFC has a frontrunner to replace Steve Cherundolo in current assistant Marc Dos Santos. 1:30 Revs On Verge Of Hiring Marko Mitrovic 15:30 Marc Dos Santos Is Frontrunner For LAFC’s Next Head Coach 26:15 STL Hire Corey Wray As New CSO 34:40 LAFC Trounce Austin To Move On 40:15 Vancouver Outlast Dallas To Clinch Their Spot In The Next Round 45:30 Austin And Dallas’s Offseason Outlooks 52:22 PHI Hold The Lead This Time Against A Weakened Chicago 56:45 Nashville’s Big Bounce Back 1:03:47 The Crew Rampant Against FCC 1:07:30 What Did We Just See In Seattle? 1:11:00 Gage Guerra Rescues The Timbers 1:17:55 North Carolina FC Close Up Shop On Their Player In USL Championship 1:25:01 USL Hires Tony Scholes From The EPL To Run New Division 1

The first cycle of MLS playoffs are in the books finally! Tom & Gass jump in to recap what they saw and set the scale on who has the best chance to turn an upset. It is one of Soccerwise's favorite weeks of the year for two reasons as the MLSPA salary dumps are out alongside the playoffs so they dig through all the news. And finally the buzz around some of the biggest coach openings in MLS with Tata talking to Atlanta, STL picking up options, and more. 5:00 NYCFC Away Win In Charlotte & Past Upsets 13:10 MIN Long Throw Over SEA 23:00 Cincy Surviving Hell For Now 31:55 LAFC Veteran Steel Outlasts Austin 45:10 Did Chicago Waste Their Chance In Philly 49:10 More Belief In Portland Or Dallas? 56:00 Sam Sarver Wins MLSNP MVP 58:50 MLSPA Salary Dump Headlines 1:10:00 Tata Martino Going Home To ATL? 1:18:00 STL Lacking Sporting Direction 1:22:20 RBNY Path Forward

It all comes down to this is it the final countdown or the  day of consequence, or decision day in NWSL… Jordan & David debate what this final day should be called. Then they dig into everything left or play for from the final playoff spot to the huge standing swings that are possible. After that they go through the post season awards to set the stage of what the finalist pools could look like. And of course they talk USWNT & Brazil’s big win in England. 7:45 Recap Of International Week From WAFCON Qualifying To Brazil’s Big Win 14:20 USWNT Playing At CPKC Stadium And Future Midfield 24:25 Renaming NWSL’s Final Game Day 27:10 What To Play For On Sunday 30:00 KC-SD Preview 35:10 Preview Of Louisville & Courage’s Final Game And Playoff Hopes 47:00 Orlando vs Seattle For Home Field Playoff Game 52:10 Portland Vs Houston Preview 58:30 NWSL Postseason Awards Finalists

We are half way through the opening round of the playoffs. We have seen PK shootouts, red cards, stunning goals & wild atmospheres. Gass & Tom jump on to dig into what we've seen and what to expect for the next games. But not to be outdone the NY Red Bulls wanted attention as well as they fire their Coach & Sporting Director mid show. So the crew gives their thoughts on what this means for the club and what their future could look like. 6:00 Recap MIA-NASH Game 1 14:55 Zinckernagel's Injury News 19:55 Philly Hang On In Shootout 32:30 Breaking News: Red Bulls Fire Coach Sandro Schwarz & Head Of Sport Jochen Schneider 44:20 Caps Decision Day Revenge On Dallas 53:30 Chucky Lozano Apology 59:00 San Diego Flying Over Portland 1:13:25 USMNT January Camp Cancelled

A special interview on the verge of the playoffs Charlotte FC GM Zoran Krneta sits down with Tom & Gass. He talks about the clubs best season so far and Wilfred Zaha's suspension but also his impact. Then they talk big picture about MLS how the u22 initiative can be changed to create greater impact, and the transfer window adjustments.

With the wild card games in the books we now have our bracket locked for the 2025 MLS Playoffs. Tom & Gass give you the breakdown series by series as we prepare for the kickoff of round 1. They also hit on Messi's contract extension & take you through their picks for all the MLS awards. 4:00 Messi's Contract Extension 10:30 Hell Is Real Preview 16:45 MIN-SEA Preview 23:20 MIA-NASH Preview 27:20 CTL-NYCFC Preview 33:30 PHI-CHI Preview + CHI Wildcard Win 38:45 VAN-FCD Rematch 44:25 SD-POR Rematch AS WELL 53:15 LAFC-ATX Preview 56:40 MLS Postseason Awards 1:11:30 Gass's Best XI

It is the best time of the year as fall is upon us and the playoffs are on the verge of kicking off in NWSL. But with an international break coming in Soccerwise has put together a special episode. The crew interviews two of their favorites in Kling & Kristen. First Kling talks about what it takes to win a championship in NWSL, the friends she has made along the way, and soccer in the great state of Pennsylvania! Then Kristen comes on to reminisce about her trophy laden career on the verge of her retirement (and potential next trophy) in KC. This episode has it all from Nonnas to mom jokes and everything in between. 2:40 NWSL Top News Update 6:30 Meghan Klingenberg Interview 45:45 Kristen Hamilton Interview

Decision Day has come and gone and it was a 5 hour high wire across Saturday night. Tom and David jump into the studio early to give you the full rundown and reaction of everything that happened from red cards, to standing swaps, late goals, and injury returns. And now with 90% of the playoff series set they look forward to the best part of the year in MLS. Not to be forgotten the first post season causality has happened as ATL move on from Ronny Deila right as the squad gets on to record. 4:10 Ronny Deila Fired By ATL 8:40 Chris Armas Combative Press Conference 12:20 Reliving Western Conference D-Day Race 23:50 San Jose 2025 Review 27:30 COL Rapids Offseason Preview 30:20 San Diego Win The West In Greatest Expansion Season Ever 36:01 Western Conf Playoff Preview 38:51 Reliving Eastern Conference D-Day Race 42:38 Zaha Red Card Suspension 45:00 Messi Dominates Finally In Nashville To Clinch Golden Boot 48:00 Philly Warning Signs Heading To Playoffs 52:09 Eastern Conference Playoff Preview

With the final weekend of the season on the horizon it is time to get report cards for every team AND us! Matt Doyle joins David & Tom to recap the over/under lines he set in preseason, and what we said about each team. The squad goes over which teams out kicked their coverage and which floundered. And of course they dig into all the biggest storylines to watch for this Decision Day. Not to be forgotten our beloved college soccer at the end the crew chats about "Next Gen" white paper on the future of college soccer.

With the playoff push at its peak right now Jordan & David jump on with a lot to talk about. First they delve into the flurry of retirements being announced from Christen Press to Lauren Barnes. Then they check in on standings to see how the playoff race is shaping up, and look back on 2024 to give context to the current season. Finally of course the crew digs into Emma Hayes latest lineup selection.

Soccerwise legend Michele Giannone fills in for Tommy Scoops to kick off one of the biggest weeks of the year. They run through the top performers for the USMNT, as well as in the MLS 2025 season, and get ready for the final week of the season. 8:45 ATX Clinch Playoff Spot What Is Their 2025 Season? 16:44 Vancouver Top Of The West In Come From Behind Win 23:50 What To Play For On Decision Day In The West 39:12 What To Play For In The East 48:00 Has Orlando City Regressed Over The Last Two Years? 57:30 Post Season Awards COY, Newcomer, GKOY, DOY, Young Player & MVP1:22 1:22:30 USMNT & International Recap

Soccerwise and Kickback Committee bring you a special joint show for the occasion! Tom and David talk about Darlington Nagbe’s retirement from soccer and his legacy on the American game. Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba also announce their retirements and discuss their impacts on MLS along with what their exits mean for Inter Miami’s future. The duo react to the 2025 MLS 22 Under 22 list. A preview of the USMNT vs. Ecuador match. Susannah Fuller joins the show after some slight tech hiccups on behalf of Kickback Committee. The crew talks the final result of the USMNT U-20’s victory over Italy in the round of 16 U-20 World Cup match. 50 States of Soccer heads to the state of Maine with Susannah’s One Knox taking on USL League One’s rising star franchise, Portland Hearts of Pine. The State of 2026 World Cup Tickets after a viewer mentions he landed tickets mid-show.  Subscribe to The Kickback Minutes here: https://kickbacksoccer.com 02:25: Tom’s dual loves between the US and Italy   06:07 - Darlington Nagbe announces retirement from soccer  21:56 - Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba retire  30:56 - Miami’s DP replacements  38:16 - MLS 22 Under 22 List 57:25 - USMNT vs. Ecuador Preview 01:04:09 - Suzannah Fuller (finally) joins the show! 01:06:31 - USMNT U-20s defeat Italy to reach the Round of 8 01:15:17 - 50 States of Soccer: Maine and USL Playoffs 01:27:31 - The State of World Cup 2026 Tickets  01:35:29 - Show closer