USA Soccercast

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#156 - WNT look dominant, MNT Gold Cup roster released Jun 06, 2025

Show notes

The United States Women’s National Team had a great international window, and the USMNT Gold Cup roster is out. We take some time to discuss it on Episode 156.

The USWNT defeated China 3-0 and Jamaica 4-0 during their most recent window, and it feels like Emma Hayes is closer to identifying the players who could form the core of her plans as we progress through this Women’s World Cup cycle. We discuss some of the players who performed very well during the camp, including Phallon Tullis-Joyce’s case to be the #1 goalkeeper. We also get into some of the players that maybe had a camp to forget as well as what the team needs to lean on as they move forward: a fast, creative midfield.

After the break, we discuss the USMNT Gold Cup roster that was announced on Thursday. We take a look at who made the roster as well as the main notable omission of Sergiño Dest, who was deemed not quite 100% to play in the tournament by the USMNT coaching staff. We discuss what that means for a team that will enter the tournament with just a few guys with Gold Cup experience.

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#155 - Deep Dive on Damion Downs (w/ Jake Payne of 50 Plus Döner) May 30, 2025

Show notes

The United States Men’s National Team is headed to camp next week and among the newcomers is 1.FC Köln striker Damion Downs. We’re joined by Jake Payne of 50 Plus Döner as we do a deep dive on the young German-American and what he brings to the table.

Jake does content that focuses on Köln and German soccer as a whole, and he gives us some incredible insight on Downs and what he’s done well at the club level. He also discusses what Downs will have to improve as he prepares for his time with the USMNT and helping Köln as they return to the Bundesliga next season. It’s a great interview that also expands to why German soccer is normally so beneficial for American players to develop and how the wave can shift back to players thriving in the Bundesliga.

After the break, the USWNT take the field this weekend in two friendlies where we will see the team continue to develop some of the young talent. We look at the roster and some notes about who we are excited about seeing against China and Jamaica. We close out with discussion on the news of an expanded 2031 Women’s World Cup and a potential trans-Pacific men’s World Cup in 2038.

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#154 - Christian Pulisic opts out of USMNT camp, Gold Cup May 29, 2025

Show notes

The United States Men’s National Team prepares to play in the Concacaf Gold Cup, but Christian Pulisic’s absence has everyone talking. We discuss his decision to opt out of this summer’s matches on Episode 154.

Christian Pulisic has decided that after a long season for AC Milan, he wants to sit the summer out. That decision has taken American soccer by storm and it has prompted a lot of critical feedback. We offer our own thoughts on his decision and what it means for him and the USMNT. With other absences, this means the A roster that fans were promised for the Gold Cup is left with some newcomers who have a huge opportunity ahead of them.

We also get into the new 2025 US Soccer jerseys that were released a couple of weeks ago. While we’re still Team Waldos as the permanent home identity, we’re excited about these really cool looking jerseys for this summer.

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#153 - The evolving women’s soccer pyramid May 09, 2025

Show notes

The women’s soccer pyramid could be expanding in 2026, and we discuss it on Episode 153!

The NWSL has submitted a bid to create a second division league called NWSL Division 2 that would serve as a reserve league beginning in 2026. It would begin with 8 teams, with every NWSL team eventually having a reserve team in the league. There is also WPSL Pro, who also announced their intention to launch in 2026 with 15 teams. We quickly go through the new proposed leagues.

We then get into the evolving women’s soccer pyramid in the United States and some of the things that these leagues will need to overcome. We also discuss soccer markets that are increasingly crowded as leagues rush to ride the coat tails of the 2026 World Cup. The eye should be on sustainability, and the legacy of 2026 doesn’t have to mean that a league rushes to launch in 2026. As more information comes out about these leagues, we can continue to debate the pros and cons, but it’s a discussion worth having to make sure that women’s soccer remains successful and is not set up in a hurried manner that increases the potential for failure.

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#152 - USL bets on promotion/relegation (ft Eboni Christmas of Walkin 90) Mar 21, 2025

Show notes

The USL is finally going to institute promotion-relegation. Eboni Christmas of Walkin 90 joins us to discuss the good and the bad on Episode 152.

USL Division One is a new league that will debut in 2027-2028, but the United Soccer Leagues are going even further to try and create more interest in the league. Starting in 2028, they will implement promotion-relegation among their 3 professional divisions. We first discuss the new D1 league that USL is starting and what will be required of them. We then chat with Eboni Christmas of the Walkin 90 Podcast and Shea Butter FC about how she thinks promotion-relegation will work and how her team - North Carolina FC - will prepare themselves for it.

After the break, we further analyze what USL needs to do to really be ready to help this system succeed in the United States. It’s a bold move, but it’s not without its questions and concerns. There’s a lot that has to be done for this to work well and to really bring what everyone who favors promotion-relegation says it will. It’s a huge gamble for the league. And, the clock is now ticking to satisfy all the requirements. You won’t want to miss this episode!

Don’t forget to follow us on Bluesky and YouTube! Rates, reviews, and subscriptions really help our reach wherever you get your podcasts as well as on YouTube. Head to our Linktree, which will give you access to all our affiliate links and our Stimulus store! And finally, tag us on Twitter or email USA Soccercast at Gmail dot com with any topic suggestions or questions for the show.

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#151 - USMNT seek to hold onto the Concacaf Nations League trophy Mar 20, 2025

Show notes

The USA Soccercast is back with Episode 151 as we prepare for the Concacaf Nations League Finals!

The USMNT seek to lift the Concacaf Nations League trophy for the 4th straight time. To do that, they’ll have to get past Panama in the semifinals and then either Canada or Mexico in the final. The roster is out, so we look at the updated version after injuries forced some changes.

We also take a look at where some players are listed, including Yunus Musah being listed as a forward. We hear from Mauricio Pochettino on where he envisions Musah playing on the field.

Matches against Panama are normally very chippy and full of wild moments and lots of cards. Yunus Musah speaks on how the team keeps its emotions in check and we analyze what the USMNT need to bring to the field to beat Panama and compete once again for the title.

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#150 - Analyzing the USWNT roster, USMNT U-17s score 22 in a match Feb 14, 2025

Show notes

The USA Soccercast is back with Episode 150 to take you into the weekend!

The USWNT are back in action for SheBelieves Cup, and we have a roster. We analyze the roster and get some of Emma Hayes’ thinking behind the call-ins and how she plans to utilize some of the players against another quality set of opponents. While certain players are out, others get a prime opportunity to show that they can be ready when called upon to produce. We break down several positions and players and hear from Emma herself on some of her thoughts on key players as well as the recent move of a few American players to European leagues.

After the break, the USMNT U-17s went down to World Cup qualifying in Costa Rica and hung 22 goals on the U.S. Virgin Islands! We update you on who scored what in a record setting night for the U-17s as they seek to qualify for this fall’s U-17 World Cup.

Don’t forget: take the time every day during Black History Month to catch up on one of our stories in our Black History Month hub!

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#149 - Analyzing MLS participation in cup competitions Jan 29, 2025

Show notes

We’re back with Episode 149, where we break down Major League Soccer’s participation in the various club competitions this season.

MLS will send teams to the Concacaf Champions Cup, the U.S. Open Cup, Leagues Cup, the Canadian Championship, and the FIFA Club World Cup this season. But, in a new set of qualification criteria, teams (with the exception of the Seattle Sounders and Inter Miami, due to their participation in the Club World Cup) will take part in at least one, but not more than two, cup competitions in 2025 and 2026. We first start by examining that criteria as well as detailing which teams will play in each of those competitions.

After the break, we continue our discussion by analyzing how MLS is going about its participation in the various cup competitions. The increased focus on Leagues Cup - despite teams balking at its format and how it disrupts the season - continues to be something that is rightfully scrutinized, and this episode is no exception. But, we don’t just come to the table with the negatives. There’s a format that would reduce the importance of the Leagues Cup but also improve schedule congestion and perhaps fan excitement in the competition...and we look to college basketball for that idea.

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#148 - A fun January Camp and Naomi Girma makes world history Jan 27, 2025

Show notes

The United States Men’s National Team had a fun January Camp, and we recap it on Episode 148!

The USMNT had two wins last week over Venezuela and Costa Rica to give this January Camp fun vibes. We saw some players take advantage of their opportunity and we saw some good play as the team got the first two wins of 2025 under their belt. We recap what we saw from that camp and how it could affect some of the players moving forward as we dive into the year.

After the break, Naomi Girma is officially on the move to Chelsea in a world record transfer. But what does it mean for the NWSL that she leaves behind? We discuss how it’s important for Girma, important for Chelsea, and important for the NWSL, but that it shouldn’t signify a mass exodus of players to teams across the pond.

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#147 - Emma Hayes is changing the USWNT's approach to January Camp Jan 20, 2025

Show notes

The United States Women’s National Team are having a combined training camp to start the year, but on Episode 147, we discuss how head coach Emma Hayes is changing the approach.

January Camp is normally a camp where the USWNT comes together for the first time in the new year to play a couple of friendlies and begin their preparations for a loaded schedule. However, Emma Hayes has softened the approach to January Camp, bringing in 49 players across two rosters: the USWNT training roster and a Futures Camp of U-23s designed to give them a chance to get involved and make an impression. There are no matches this time, and as we discuss, Hayes has decided that January Camps will remain an opportunity to develop talent and organize the overall strategy for the year.

We get into the WNT roster as well as the Futures roster and how it’s a big year for some positions as some veterans are not present for various reasons. Overall, Emma Hayes wants to create more opportunities for the younger players, but first she wants to get them into this camp to get to know them and begin to implement her methodology that sets the program up for future success.

Don’t forget to follow us on Bluesky, Twitter and YouTube! Rates, reviews, and subscriptions really help our reach wherever you get your podcasts as well as on YouTube. Head to our Linktree, which will give you access to all our affiliate links and our Stimulus store! And finally, tag us on Twitter or email USA Soccercast at Gmail dot com with any topic suggestions or questions for the show.

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