AN AMERICAN GAME

Jersey Odyssey: Our Visit to Soccertown, USA

From: Bank of America To: Tom and Kirk Subject: Pre-World Cup screening of SOCCERTOWN, USA And so an adventure began: an invitation to meet up in New Jersey for a screening of our award-winning 2019 documentary, followed by a panel with Tab Ramos, John Harkes, and Tony Meola, whose story we told. Which led to this adventure: our first unscripted episode, where we talk about an incredible night with legends of US soccer, as well as some other highlights from our trip--like catching up with another legend of US soccer, Bob Bradley, right before we got a little buzzed on a new beer with our name on it. Oh, we also tell you what's wrong with the current US Men's National Team. And all in less than 25 minutes! Strap in, because we're going off-road.  EPISODE LINKS: "SOCCERTOWN, USA" MOVIE: https://www.soccertownmedia.com/video [https://www.soccertownmedia.com/video] VARITAGE BREW WORKS: https://www.varitagebeer.com/ [https://www.varitagebeer.com/] SIHANA CAFE: https://sihanacafe.com/ [https://sihanacafe.com/] KEEPERS BAR & RESTAURANT: https://www.keepers-nj.com/ [https://www.keepers-nj.com/] SOCCER POST-KEARNY: https://soccerpostkearny.com/ [https://soccerpostkearny.com/]

Archie Stark and the Scotch Professors

Tartan Army, assemble! Grab your Walker's shortbread and Laphroaig and listen to a tale of your ancestors, who traveled over the ocean to the United States and Canada... as many of you will this summer for the World Cup (if world events and FIFA prices allow.) This is a story of the Scotch Professors, who brought the pass-and-move version of football around the world and helped make it the Global Game. And it's a tribute to the United States' greatest Scotch Professor: Archie Stark, who was once called the Babe Ruth of American soccer. Ye cannae wait, can ye? MUSIC CREDIT:  Song: Nomadic Sunset Composer: Alexander Nakarada Website: https://creatorchords.com/ License: Creative Commons (BY 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Music powered by BreakingCopyright: https://breakingcopyright.com

Atlanta 2.0 -- Back to the Benz

Last fall, Atlanta was one of our Starting XI of US Soccertowns. As it prepares to host games in the World Cup, Tom and Kirk take a look at how preparations are going in the literal home of US Soccer. Then we re-broadcast the Atlanta section from that Starting XI episode, so tourists (and natives) can get a quick hit of the long history of soccer in the Dirty South. It's only ten minutes, so maybe Mauricio Pochettino can find time to learn about the country he has the privilege of representing this summer. Just a friendly suggestion! Special thanks to Atlanta historian Patrick Sullivan. Also credit to Atlanta soccer writer Doug Roberson: https://soccerwithdoug.substack.com/

Our Family Versus Your Team: Inside the St. Benedict's Soccer Dynasty

Tucked in the middle of Newark, New Jersey is a small school called St. Benedict's Prep that has had a huge impact on high school soccer. For 40 years the Gray Bees have been the most dominant soccer program in the country...and one of the most dominant high school programs, in any sport, ever. How have they done it? Players like Tab Ramos, Claudio Reyna, and Gregg Berhalter helped. So have gifted international student-athletes. But maintaining excellence year after year, with the country's biggest target on their backs? That takes tennis balls. This week, we dive inside the Gray Bees' hive.

A Boycott Is a Flat Circle: the 1980 US Olympic Soccer Team

"History rhymes" is a thing we say a lot, paraphrasing Mark Twain who was also probably thinking about soccer. With the threat of a boycott hanging over this summer's World Cup, we go back 47 years to when the U.S. Men’s Soccer Team qualified for the Moscow Olympics... and then had to stay home.  It's another ugly collision of sports and politics, with Iran again playing a major role. Rhymes! It's also an excuse for Tom and Kirk to break out their Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan impressions. To paraphrase the Olympic Creed: "The most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle; the essential thing is not to nail the impression but to make your dad stop the car and tell you to cut it out."