The Cooligans

Latest Episodes:

USMNT reportedly hires Pochettino, Premier League season preview & MLS dominates Leagues Cup Aug 15, 2024

Show notes

The United States men’s national team reportedly have a new head coach. Christian Polanco and David Gass discuss the hire of Mauricio Pochettino as the next US men’s national team head coach and what this means for the nation ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Christian and David then talk major Premier League storylines ahead of the season, including Manchester City going to trial for 115 charges put against them for financial breaches and Connor Gallagher’s move to Atletico Madrid falling through while Chelsea are under investigation for financial breaches.

Christian and David then discuss MLS transfer news, including Chicago Fire parting ways with Xherdan Shaqiri and Marco Reus officially joining LA Galaxy. They also recap the round of 16 of Leagues Cup where MLS teams dominated the round.

(3:20) - USMNT have reportedly hired Mauricio Pochettino

(6:25) - Expectations for Pochettino with USMNT

(9:45) - Can Poch push USMNT and win?

(14:15) - How Pochettino will make his mark with USMNT

(25:00) - Can Pochettino improve player pool?

(33:12) - Manchester City facing 115 financial charges

(44:57) - Chelsea also facing financial issues

(54:11) - Sheridan Shaqiri leaves Chicago Fire

(1:00:16) - Marco Reus joins LA Galaxy

(1:02:20) - Leagues Cup Recap

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USWNT, Spain take home Olympic gold & Leagues Cup is back in action Aug 12, 2024

Show notes

The United States women’s national team took home the gold medal after defeating Brazil 1-0 in the final match of the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Christian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros discuss the Emma Hayes effect on the team, Naomi Girma’s incredible Olympics and the USWNT’s “triple espresso” attack being lethal.

Christian and Alexis then discuss Spain winning the men’s gold medal game, defeating France 5-3 in extra time. Is this the start of a new golden generation for Spain after winning the Euros and taking home Olympic gold? Also, the crew discuss Thierry Henry’s stock after France finished with the silver medal.

Christian and Alexis recap Leagues Cup action and discuss whether or not the competition really is good for the growth of soccer in America. They also discuss recent MLS transfers including Olivier Giroud to LAFC, Tim Ream to Charlotte and a potential move for Antoine Griezmann to Los Angeles.

(6:07) - USWNT win Olympic Gold Medal

(21:33) - FOX graphic mistakes Sophia Smith for Mallory Swanson

(34:32) - Spain vs. France gold medal match recap

(42:38) - New golden generation for Spain?

(47:50) - Thoughts on Thierry Henry after Olympics

(55:12) - Leagues Cup recap

(1:10:58) - MLS Transfer Round-Up

Exclusive content:

https://www.patreon.com/SoccerCooligans

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🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Subscribe to The Cooligans on your favorite podcast app:

🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3L9G8HU

🎧 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4cqRhzO

💸 Sign up for a Yahoo fantasy football league for a chance to win one million dollars!

🏈 Draft your team on Yahoo Fantasy before September 5th for one entry. If any players you start score a touchdown in the Week 1 games on NBC, earn up to seven additional entries per TD scored.

🎟️ Enter at http://www.yahoo.com/fantasymillion

Subscribe to The Cooligans on your favorite podcast app:

🎧 Apple Podcasts

🎧 Spotify

🖥️ YouTube

📢 Check out the Yahoo Sports podcast network or yahoosports.tv

USWNT to play for gold vs. Brazil, men’s Olympic final preview, Midge Purce & Taylor Smith in-studio Aug 08, 2024

Show notes

The United States women’s national soccer team continues their journey for an Olympic gold medal against Brazil on Saturday. Christian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros discuss Emma Hayes’ tenure so far ahead of the final game of the Olympics and give her a rating as USWNT head coach. Christian and Alexis discuss Naomi Girma’s spectacular performances for the USWNT as well as the lethal front three of Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson.

Christian and Alexis are then joined in-studio by Midge Purce and Taylor Smith, who discuss the new reality docuseries Offseason FC, created by Midge Purce and Alexis Ohanian. Taylor and Midge tell stories about their time in France, Gotham FC winning the NWSL title and the USWNT Olympic roster.

Christian and Alexis finish the show by talking about Morocco winning the bronze medal game 6-0 over Egypt as well as preview the men’s Olympic gold medal game between Spain and France.

(5:53) - USWNT advance to gold medal match

(18:56) - Women’s gold medal match preview

(24:24) - USWNT vs Brazil prediction

(30:01) - Midge Purce and Taylor Smith interview

(32:31) - What to expect on Offseason FC

(46:32) - How Midge is recovering from injury

(1:02:04) - Thoughts on the USWNT

(1:07:18) - Previewing the men’s gold medal match

Exclusive content:

https://www.patreon.com/SoccerCooligans

This is where we put everything we shouldn't say

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports PodcastsSubscribe to The Cooligans on your favorite podcast app:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3L9G8HU

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4cqRhzO

Draft your team on Yahoo Fantasy before September 5th for one entry. If any players you start score a touchdown in the Week 1 games on NBC, earn up to seven additional entries per TD scored.

Enter at http://www.yahoo.com/fantasymillion

Subscribe to The Cooligans on your favorite podcast app:

🎧 Apple Podcasts

🎧 Spotify

🖥️ YouTube

📢 Check out the Yahoo Sports podcast network or yahoosports.tv

USMNT knocked out of Olympics, US Women advance to semi-finals & Hugo Larsson talks Bundesliga & Ronaldo Aug 05, 2024

Show notes

The United States men’s national team went into their Olympics quarter-final match against Morocco as underdogs after their victory over Guinea helped them secure a spot in the knockout round. However, Morocco proved to be too much for the US men’s under 23 squad to handle. Christian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros talk about the USMNT’s 4-0 defeat that led to them being eliminated from the Olympic tournament. While there were a few positives to take away from their participation in the 2024 games, the disappointing final result leads the guys to discuss what the squad might need in their next tournament to hopefully come home with a medal.

Also on this episode of The Cooligans, the guys discuss the USWNT’s victory over Japan, which landed them a semi-final match with Germany’s women’s squad, ask why Emma Hayes took so long to make substations in their last match and recap all of the other notable Olympic soccer quarter-final action.

Christian and Alexis are then joined in-studio by Hugo Larsson, midfielder for Eintracht Frankfurt and the Swedish national team. The 20-year-old talks about being a leader of his clubs despite his age, how he hopes to model his game off of Cristiano Ronaldo and how he’s preparing mentally for the upcoming Bundesliga season.

(6:54) - USMNT eliminated from the Olympics

(18:01) - USWNT advance to semi-finals

(32:27) - Olympic quarter-finals recap

(36:47) - Hugo Larsson joins the show

(42:13) - Hugo modeling his game after Ronaldo

(51:22) - Hugo’s thoughts on players from Sweden

Exclusive content:

https://www.patreon.com/SoccerCooligans

This is where we put everything we shouldn't say 😉

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Subscribe to The Cooligans on your favorite podcast app:

🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3L9G8HU

🎧 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4cqRhzO

💸 Sign up for a Yahoo fantasy football league for a chance to win one million dollars!

🏈 Draft your team on Yahoo Fantasy before September 5th for one entry. If any players you start score a touchdown in the Week 1 games on NBC, earn up to seven additional entries per TD scored.

🎟️ Enter at http://www.yahoo.com/fantasymillion

Subscribe to The Cooligans on your favorite podcast app:

🎧 Apple Podcasts

🎧 Spotify

🖥️ YouTube

📢 Check out the Yahoo Sports podcast network or yahoosports.tv

Recapping United States Olympic soccer action, club friendlies in the US, preview quarter-final matches Aug 01, 2024

Show notes

The United States men and women both advanced to the 2024 Olympic quarter-finals with victories over Guinea and Australia, which now has each team on a collision course with Morocco and Japan. After impressive showings to get them out of the group stage, both teams will need special performances to reach the semi-finals.

Christian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros discuss all the action from the last round, as well as give a preview of the quarter-final matches. They talk about Kevin Paredes and Trinity Rodman both being lightning rods for their respective teams and then get into an awkward moment with Korbin Albert when she was subbed on.

Also on this episode of The Cooligans, the guys talk about the club friendlies that are being played in the United States, Alexis gives his thoughts after attending the Arsenal-Liverpool match in Philadelphia and why the United States is getting a bad rep with Manchester United fans following multiple injuries to their squad.

(5:15) - Showing support to Igor Mortis

(7:34) - USMNT defeats Guinea

(17:49) - USWNT defeats Australia

(26:27) - Korbin Albert’s awkward substitution

(37:39) - Club friendlies in the United States

(49:16) - USMNT wishes Gregg Berhalter happy birthday

(51:32) - Olympics soccer quarter-final preview

(1:02:51) - Canada invades the set?

Exclusive content:

https://www.patreon.com/SoccerCooligans

This is where we put everything we shouldn't say 😉

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Subscribe to The Cooligans on your favorite podcast app:

🎧 Apple Podcasts

🎧 Spotify

🖥️ YouTube

📢 Check out the Yahoo Sports podcast network or yahoosports.tv

Olympic soccer recap and breaking down Canada’s drone-spying scandal with USMNT & AFC Bournemouth’s Tyler Adams Jul 29, 2024

Show notes

The United States men’s and women’s teams both had impressive performances in their second soccer matches of the 2024 Olympics in France. With the men defeating New Zealand and the women defeating Germany by the same score of 4-1, the vibes are riding high with one match left in the group stage for both squads.

Christian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros are here to discuss which players they’ve been most impressed with on the men’s side in their most recent victory and why the USWNT victory was much more of a bigger deal despite the lopsided score. They also talk about all the other action from Olympic soccer including the Dominican Republic’s loss to Spain and why there is still hope for them to advance to the next round.

Christian and Alexis then talk with USMNT captain Tyler Adams about playing for AFC Bournemouth with Michael B. Jordan as a part owner, his recovery from injury and the drone-spying scandal with Canada’s women’s national team. The guys are then joined by Manuel Veth from Transfermarkt to go a little bit deeper into the fines and discipline that was handed down to the Canadian women’s team and if the repercussions of this are bigger than people might realize.

(9:08) - USMNT defeats New Zealand

(17:11) - USWNT defeats Germany

(30:00) - Dominican Republic keeping hope alive

(36:49) - Tyler Adams on AFC Bournemouth, Michael B. Jordan & the Canada drone scandal

(48:59) - Manuel Veth joins the show

(1:01:54) - World Cup implications from Canada drone scandal

Exclusive content:

https://www.patreon.com/SoccerCooligans

This is where we put everything we shouldn't say 😉

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Subscribe to The Cooligans on your favorite podcast app:

🎧 Apple Podcasts

🎧 Spotify

🖥️ YouTube

📢 Check out the Yahoo Sports podcast network or yahoosports.tv

Olympic soccer kicks-off with controversy, US men fall to France, MLS All-Star Game roundup Jul 25, 2024

Show notes

The US men’s national soccer team got off to a disappointing, yet expected, start in their quest for Olympic glory when they lost 3-0 to France in their opening match of the group stage. Although the result was not what they wanted, there was plenty of reason to be encouraged by what the youth squad did in their first appearance in the games since 2008.

Christian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros break down the entire match, including why they were successful in the first half of the game, where they need to show improvement as they head into a critical match with New Zealand on Saturday and if not getting out of the group stage would be a complete disappointment for this U-23 squad.

Also on this episode of The Cooligans, the guys get into the multiple controversies that have already occurred at the Olympics including the wild ending to the Argentina-Morroco match and two members of the Canadian women’s soccer team being sent home for using a drone to spy on a New Zealand practice.

Christian and Alexis close the show by touching on the MLS All-Star Game that happened in Columbus, as well as commissioner Don Garber giving his state of the league address.

(6:15) - USMNT loss to France in Olympics

(21:20) - Importance for US to get out of their group

(27:11) - Wild ending to Argentina-Morocco

(36:57) - Dominican Republic’s first ever Olympic match

(48:08) - Canadian women’s team caught spying

(55:54) - MLS All-Star recap + state of league address

Exclusive content:

https://www.patreon.com/SoccerCooligans

This is where we put everything we shouldn't say 😉

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Subscribe to The Cooligans on your favorite podcast app:

🎧 Apple Podcasts

🎧 Spotify

🖥️ YouTube

📢 Check out the Yahoo Sports podcast network or yahoosports.tv

US men’s Olympic soccer preview, Arsenal & Chelsea transfer news and the MLS All-Star break Jul 22, 2024

Show notes

The long-awaited 2024 Summer Olympics officially start this week with the men’s United States soccer team immediately getting into action on Wednesday night. They’ll face-off against France as they look to medal for the first time in the modern Olympics era.

Christian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros preview what to expect from the US men’s side on the pitch and get into why it’s so important for this squad to find some success by getting out of the group stage. They also wonder about the link between USMNT's lack of success at the Olympics and their recent failures in player development.

Also on this episode of The Cooligans, the guys talk about how the news of Riccardo Calafiori joining Arsenal was broken by his now ex-girlfriend over a social media post, Atlanta United star Caleb Wiley signing with Chelsea and if there’s any hope for Everton to be sold before a sticky situation could arise.

Christian and Alexis later talk about the MLS League Cup games starting up soon and why we’ll never see the impact that Lionel Messi had on Inter Miami last year replicated again in the future, as well as how Miami seems to find success in the most unlikely places.

(3:07) - Transfer news

(5:12) - Riccardo Calafiori's ex-girlfriend breaks his news

(14:51) - Caleb Wiley signs with Chelsea

(22:16) - MLS All-Star preview

(24:53) - US men’s Olympic soccer preview

(38:57) - MLS League Cup is starting up

Exclusive content:

https://www.patreon.com/SoccerCooligans

This is where we put everything we shouldn't say 😉

🖥️ Watch full episodes on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Subscribe to The Cooligans on your favorite podcast app:

🎧 Apple Podcasts

🎧 Spotify

🖥️ YouTube

📢 Check out the Yahoo Sports podcast network or yahoosports.tv

Youngest debut in MLS history, Messi injury update and a problematic post from Argentina Jul 18, 2024

Show notes

Cavan Sullivan has officially become the youngest player to debut in the MLS — and in all of North American sports. Christian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros give their thoughts on the debut and how the soccer world has evolved to handle younger and younger stars.

Also on this episode of the Cooligans, Christian and Alexis give an update on Lionel Messi’s injured ankle and when he might be back on the pitch. Plus they dig into the controversy surrounding Enzo Fernandez’s problematic post and the reaction from players and politicians alike.

Then the guys discuss Marco Reus joining the LA Galaxy, Kylian Mbappé being introduced to the Real Madrid fans and whether or not it’s time to hit the panic button over the USWNT’s inability to score.

(7:30) Cavan Sullivan makes history with his debut

(16:57) Lionel Messi injury update

(23:20) Enzo Fernandez’s problematic post

(44:30) Marco Royce traded to LA Galaxy

(48:48) Kylian Mbappé introduced to Real Madrid fans

(55:12) Is it time to panic about USWNT scoring?

Exclusive content:

https://www.patreon.com/SoccerCooligans

This is where we put everything we shouldn't say 😉

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Subscribe to The Cooligans on your favorite podcast app:

🎧 Apple Podcasts

🎧 Spotify

🖥️ YouTube

📢 Check out the Yahoo Sports podcast network or yahoosports.tv

Champions crowned in the Euros and Copa America Jul 15, 2024

Show notes

Spain prevailed in the Euro Final over England on Sunday night, clinching their fourth win in the tournament, the most ever, and extending England’s streak without a championship even further. Christian Polanco and guest co-host David Gass discuss the match and how Spain ultimately won the game everyone was expecting them to win anyway.

On this episode of the Cooligans, Christian and David also break down the Copa America final and how its vibes contrasted with those at the Euro. They talk about how Argentina was able to win their second-straight Copa title thanks to chronic underperformance by most teams throughout the tournament, why they were able to prevail even without Lionel Messi and what went wrong for Colombia.

(5:30) Euro final

(17:04) Lots of disappointing showings at the Euros

(33:30) Surprised Argentina won

(47:10) Delayed start to the Copa final

(1:03:55) Messi’s injury

Exclusive content:

https://www.patreon.com/SoccerCooligans

This is where we put everything we shouldn't say 😉

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Subscribe to The Cooligans on your favorite podcast app:

🎧 Apple Podcasts