USA Soccercast

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#146 - USMNT kick starts 2025 with January Camp Jan 17, 2025

Show notes

We get our first look at the United States Men’s National Team in 2025 as they get set to take the field for two friendlies over the next few days. We preview their matches against Venezuela and Costa Rica on Episode 146.

The USMNT enter 2025 needing to start figuring out what their depth will look like as they get ready for Concacaf Nations League and the Gold Cup. They of course continue to have their eyes on the 2026 World Cup, and the January Camp friendlies are a chance for MLS-based players to make an impression. We take you through the roster of players and note how one of them has a wild path to the national team. There are some players who have a great opportunity to show they can be counted on as depth pieces as the race to 2026 hits full stride.

After the break, we get into a little bit of the calendar for the USMNT and what awaits them in 2025. There are some potentials for big time friendlies, but Concacaf competitions will dominate the first half of the year as the USMNT seek to hold onto the Concacaf Nations League trophy and reclaim the Gold Cup.

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#145 - Ryan Rosenblatt discusses Netflix and Women's World Cup broadcast rights! Dec 23, 2024

Show notes

We are back in time for the holidays with Episode 145 as Ryan Rosenblatt joins us to break down Netflix’s acquisition of the U.S. broadcast rights for the 2027 and 2031 Women’s World Cups!

The streaming service has tens of millions of subscribers, and they will now be the sole broadcast provider for the next two Women’s World Cup tournaments. Ryan Rosenblatt, who has amazing insight on the intricacies behind these sorts of deals, comes on the show to discuss those details. From the ramp up in production to the addressing of their recent failures with one-off sporting events to how accessible they would need to make each match, it’s a great conversation that has some thoughtful approaches to what Netflix could and should do as well as the sharing of the real concerns facing the streaming service as it prepares to bring the tournament to a national audience. They have 2.5 years to make things happen, which is still a good bit of time. But, it’s short enough that the urgency needs to be there for Netflix to put together the production that they want and make it accessible to American sports fans, particularly those who wish to watch the USWNT.

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#144 - Hello Lily, Goodbye Alyssa Nov 26, 2024

Show notes

The United States Women’s National Team have two huge road friendlies coming up over the next week against England and the Netherlands, and a couple of players make announcements that will shape the future of the player pool. We discuss it all on Episode 144.

The USWNT are in Europe to take on England and the Dutch on the road. With a roster that’s a mix of veterans and young players hoping to make an impact, it’s going to be a big test for Emma Hayes’s group as she begins to evaluate where this player pool can go during this World Cup cycle.

After the break, we discuss the two huge announcements from players in the program: Lily Yohannes committing her future to the USWNT and Alyssa Naeher announcing her retirement from the national team. Both are huge moves that will affect the player pool for the future, and we discuss both announcements at length.

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#143 - Getting Dos A Cero'd leaves October window with bitter taste Oct 16, 2024

Show notes

The United States Men’s National Team had a difficult October window, and we recap it on Episode 143.

The USMNT had two tough matches against Concacaf opponents, the first matches with Mauricio Pochettino in charge. We review the 2-0 win against Panama and then spend some time discussing what happened in the 2-0 loss to Mexico. There’s a lot of things that the USMNT must face if they wish to improve, so we answer some questions and lay some truths on the table.

After the break, we discuss the U.S. drawing Jamaica for the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals. Jamaica won their group in the League A group stage, so they’re ready to take the next step and take out another seeded team like they did with Canada last year. The USMNT need to take Jamaica seriously and approach this match with the same intensity that the Reggae Boyz will if they want to defend their title once again.

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#142 - Preparing for Poch's first international window Oct 10, 2024

Show notes

The United States Men’s National Team are back and set to begin the Mauricio Pochettino era! We preview the upcoming matches against Panama and Mexico on Episode 142.

The USMNT have a new coach, and while his first roster may have already undergone some changes due to various injuries, everyone has a fresh approach to this training camp. We go through the roster and note who’s absent as well as who is getting a fresh start (and a new shot) to show that they can be a productive part of this player pool. Competition is the theme of this camp, and every position feels like it’s up for grabs.

After the break, we discuss the two opponents for the USMNT, as they take on Panama in Austin and then head to Guadalajara for a rare road friendly against Mexico. There’s one thing that we should be looking for in this camp above all else: competitive fire and a sense of urgency to improve and get better. The team has dropped off in several ways over the past few months, but with a new coach in charge, it means a fresh start and a chance to get back on track.

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#141 - Mauricio Pochettino signs on as USMNT head coach Sep 12, 2024

Show notes

The United States Men’s National Team have a new head coach! We discuss Mauricio Pochettino’s hire on Episode 141 of the USA Soccercast.

The USMNT are coming off a September window that was not great, but the biggest story occurred just before the match against New Zealand on Tuesday night, when U.S. Soccer confirmed the hire of Mauricio Pochettino. Pochettino is tasked with building the program back up towards the 2026 World Cup and preparing the team to host the world and try to go deep in the tournament. It’s a shortened timetable for him with less than two years to go, but we break down what the Argentine coach brings to the table as he takes on the new project.

We also answer some listener questions about Pochettino’s hire, from how we could play to what kind of formation he could employ to who we could possibly play between now and June 2026. There are a lot of factors that affect the program’s trajectory and he will be responsible for addressing them all. With his first press conference coming tomorrow morning, it will be fans’ initial chance to hear from the man himself on how he plans to get this team back on track.

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#140 - Breaking down the USMNT roster Sep 02, 2024

Show notes

The United States Men’s National Team is back with a new roster and a new interim coach, and we examine the team on Episode 140 of the USA Soccercast.

The USMNT are gathering for matches over the next week against Canada and New Zealand and they’re doing so with an interim coach: Mikey Varas. There’s also a new roster with some players who have been called in to compete for some depth spots. Also, with some players out due to injury or rest, there’s an opportunity for guys to show they should be a part of the main core of the player pool.

We also discuss what the team should be looking to accomplish in this window despite the fact no permanent coach is in place. Competition is one thing, but it’s a chance to reset and really begin to play with the sense of urgency that’s required in every match. The team may have friendlies the next couple of months, but they can still approach those matches like they are World Cup matches.

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#139 - Gregg Berhalter fired as USMNT head coach...who's next? Jul 11, 2024

Show notes

The time has come. Gregg Berhalter has been fired as the United States Men’s National Team head coach, and we discuss the fallout on Episode 139 of the USA Soccercast.

Gregg Berhalter’s tenure is done, which has given a large portion of the fanbase some happiness this morning. We break down what happened and offer a post mortem on Gregg Berhalter’s time as USMNT head coach. Make no mistake, despite some of the shortcomings that were held against him, he brought this program back from its lowest point and achieved quite a few goals during his time in charge. He also leaves as one of the winningest coaches in USMNT history. So, we take the time to go through some of his accomplishments as well as some of those shortcomings, including crashing out in the group stage of Copa America. In the end, we wish him well as he departs the team.

Now that Berhalter is out, the work begins to find a replacement. Of course, some big names are coveted by the fanbase, but are some of those names realistic? Probably not, but to get to some of the coaches who are, we lay out some criteria that we wish to see in the next coach. The main one: we need a coach who’s available who can come in now and get straight to work by the September international window. Then, we offer some possible candidates. In the end, we all have a lot of work to do before the 2026 World Cup arrives, and once the new coach arrives, it’s time to get going.

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#138 - Clint Dempsey speaks on USMNT Copa América failures Jul 09, 2024

Show notes

We are back with Episode 138, and we’re honored to welcome U.S. Men’s National Team legend and Hall of Famer Clint Dempsey to the show!

The USMNT are out of Copa América, and we talk to Deuce about what happened to the team and what led to the abrupt exit. We get his take on whether Gregg Berhalter needs to be removed as head coach, and his response is simple: whatever happens, it needs to happen now.

Deuce has many comments on what the team needs to do in order to get better, including playing better competition, getting our players in situations where they are on the field consistently for their clubs, and what players he thinks has the same qualities he possessed on the field. It’s a great interview that you don’t want to miss!

Dempsey also discusses his work with DraftKings, where he currently has a promotion for the Copa America and Euro 2024 semifinals. We end with what he hopes people take from his enduring legacy on the field as the theme of his success story.

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#137 - USMNT crash out of Copa América...do we make a change? Jul 02, 2024

Show notes

The United States Men’s National Team have crashed out of Copa America, and we have to discuss everything on Episode 137.

The USMNT have exited Copa América in the group stage thanks to losses against Panama and Uruguay, and in the aftermath, there are plenty of questions that have to be discused. First, we recap the group stage results, from the win against Bolivia to Tim Weah’s red card and a terrible loss to Panama to the match last night against Uruguay. The results on the field were poor, but we still have to go through them.

After the break, we get into the questions surrounding the USMNT program, and it includes the big one: should Gregg Berhalter remain as head coach of the United States Men’s National Team? We answer that question and break down everything surrounding what changes need to come to move the team forward. It’s not just a straight forward answer and there’s no fall person. Everyone shares some blame, but a change definitely needs to be made as we begin our advancement towards the 2026 World Cup.

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