Orange Slices

Latest Episodes:

Daryl Dike Apr 22, 2021

Show notes

The hottest striker in the Championship (yeah we said it!) joins the guys for an awesome, candid conversation. Daryl is enjoying life out in Barnsley, banging in goals and improving his game every day. We caught up with Daryl earlier this week so the European Super League was still very much top of mind - the guys don’t hold back on their opinions. Daryl opens up about his time in England, what made Barnsley an attractive opportunity, his impressions of the league and city so far and what’s next. He also dives into his youth career in Oklahoma, growing up in family of athletes, dream of playing for the USMNT and adjusting to actually being in the USMNT first team.

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“Orange Slices” connects the past, present, and future generations of U.S. internationals around our collective soccer story. Hosted by emerging U.S. international Mark McKenzie and former U.S. international Heath Pearce, this cross-generational show is an unfiltered celebration of our national team and soccer Americana.

Stu Holden Apr 15, 2021

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The voice of soccer on Fox Sports and USMNT vet Stu Holden joins the show for an action packed episode. Stu is such an established presence part in broadcast world at this point but he opens up about his career and life in a way that will surprise many listeners. We caught up with Stu a couple of weeks ago so the Olympics were still very much top of mind for the guys at the beginning. They discuss the dominant '06 & ’07 Houston Dynamo teams Stu was part of and how they compare to last year’s Philadelphia Union. Stu opens up about his time in Bolton breaking down the highs and the unfortunate injuries he never fully recovered from and why he eventually decided to hang up his boots. They also talk World Cup 2010 and some crazy Concacaf stories.

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Brenden Aaronson Apr 08, 2021

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Who’s stock is rising quicker than our guy B?! Brenden stopped by the pod to talk about life at RB Salzburg and his first taste of European soccer in the Europa League. But before we get into all that, the guys discuss the US missing out on the 2021 Olympics, their thoughts on the criticism from near and far and where we go from here. They then get into Brenden’s early career, his high school principal sending him to summer school, why he chose to move to YSC Academy, the MLS is Back tournament, why the 2020 Supporters Shield was the hardest to win and his relationship with Jesse Marsch.

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Dax McCarty Apr 02, 2021

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Few people embody what MLS is more than our guy Dax McCarty. Entering his 16th season with expansion franchise Nashville SC, Dax is as passionate as ever and delivers a great conversation with the guys. They get into a little bit of everything but go deep into the USMNT and what it means to be a fridge player for your country. Dax drops some knowledge on what a successful professional career looks like to him and how it has changed over the years. They get into Dax’s approach to leadership, NCAA scandals, opportunities to move abroad and some awesome Thierry Henry stories.

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Eddie Pope Mar 12, 2021

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There are legends of US Soccer, and then there’s THE legend: Eddie Pope. Eddie is a trailblazer in so many ways: part of the first ever MLS College Draft, scored the winning goal in the first MLS Cup Final, part of the first MLS team to win the US Open Cup, played in 3 World Cups and of course one of the og black icons on the USMNT. Heath and Mark have a great conversation about all of the above with him and also get into life in MLS 1.0, his impressions of the current USMNT, life advice for our young host, his failed transfer to a German club and a truly wild story from World Cup Qualifying that could only happen in Concacaf.

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Tim Weah Mar 04, 2021

Show notes

Who has the most drip on the USMNT? Tim Weah and the Orange Slices guys think it’s a pretty easy answer. Tim joins the pod this week to talk about life at the top of Ligue 1 with Lille, why this team has him believing the Ligue 1 title is within reach and his journey to this point. Tim opens up about his time with PSG and shares some behind the scenes stories about Neymar, Thiago Silva and Ángel Di María. Finally, the guys have an impassioned talk about the future of the USMNT and the generation that motivated them and their teammates.

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Zack Steffen Feb 25, 2021

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Zack Steffen is carving out his own story at Manchester City while following in the footsteps of other iconic USMNT keepers. While his on the field success is incredibly impressive, he is also taking a stand off the pitch with his non-profit VoyceNow. Zack was in Dusseldorf for the George Floyd protests last year and decided to take action and engage other athletes and celebrities to advocate for change within soccer and beyond. Zack tells the guys about what’s next for VoyceNow and how Mark has been getting involved with the organization. The guys also talk about Zack’s upbringing in Pennsylvania, his youth & college career and success with Columbus. They of course get into what it’s like playing for the most in-form club in the world and finding his place in the team. Finally, they share some USMNT war stories and look forward to what’s next for US Soccer.

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Jay DeMerit Feb 18, 2021

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The man with the most unlikely path to professional soccer joins the pod this week! Jay’s story is one of those that is so unbelievable it has to be true. He is now channeling his unparalleled energy and spirit into mentoring young athletes with his new app Rise+Shine The guys get into Jay’s crazy story, his first impressions of European soccer, his time in the USMNT with Heath, the 2010 World Cup, his impressions of Mark and the current USMNT and advice for Mark on how to stay mentally fit while competing at the highest level.

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Cobi Jones Feb 11, 2021

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Few people personify US Soccer quite like the living legend Cobi Jones. Cobi had an incredible professional career and is now running for US Soccer Vice President to continue to grow the game in the US and make it more accessible for all. Cobi talks to the guys about his VP platform, including reimagining the US Open Cup, how to better connect with underserved communities and how to reach an even wider audience. The guys spend a lot of time talking about the systemic racism that is in the game and beyond. Finally, Cobi shares stories from his playing days and some advice for Mark McKenzie as he begins his career abroad.

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Tyler Adams Feb 02, 2021

Show notes

This week, the guys welcome on the American Swiss Army knife himself - Tyler Adams. Tyler has quickly become the most versatile player for the USMNT and RB Leipzig and his interests beyond the pitch are just as diverse. Mark and Heath have a great conversation with the young American abroad about his time in the Bundesliga, chasing Bayern, that Champions League goal, coming up in USL, his preferred position, keeping a positive mindset while rehabbing from injuries so far from home and how difficult it is to win Supporters Shield & MLS Cup in the same season.

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