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Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 127 - 3 games in 7 days, 3 losses in 7 days, is it too soon to overreact?We’ve gone from waiting months on end to have a game to watch and analyze to having two in one week! Really three if you want to get technical, but 2 since the last time Cody and I got together to grace your ears with our enlightening and insightful analysis. Unfortunately, the trend of losing those games has continued, leaving the vocal portion of the fanbase in the comments sections at large to be having totally rational reactions regarding the state of the team.We spent a lot of time last week discussing silver linings from a 1-0 l...2025-02-271h 59Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 126 - Frozen Silver Linings in 1-0 defeats, finally a tactical breakdown of a real game, and the Galaxy get a payday GAM loan.Drew has only partially thawed out from a bone chilling evening at Children’s Mercy Park that saw Sporting Kansas City finally play a game of meaning, unfortunately losing 1-0 to Lionel Messi and Friends in the first leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup tie. This game couldn’t have come at a better time for us as it has been what has seemed like an interminable offseason causing us to spend way too much time parsing information and we finally have a game to see and evaluate and assess.There were a number of surprises in the lineup for t...2025-02-201h 28Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 120 - Cody's back, Pulido is not, and roster building philosophiesOut of seemingly nowhere, Alan Pulido completed his oft rumored, but rarely taken serious return to Chivas de Guadalajara, the club from which Sporting KC acquired him back in 2020, and seemingly couldn’t go a single offseason without being linked back to. We considered this to be a contract that Sporting KC would not be able to reasonably get out of, and had resigned ourselves to the fact that his presence would be a significant portion of the rebuild planning Mike Burns and Peter Vermes are attempting to architect. How little did we know?
Transferring Pulido to Guad...2025-01-091h 42Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 119 - Sperry joins the pod, SKC offseason transactions and opportunities, and the Current sign some GKsCody got knocked out by some kind of virus that destroyed his vocal cords, so I was able to scour the transfer market for a short term loan from Daniel Sperry with the KC Star to join the pod this week.
The MLS and Concacaf Champions Cup schedules have been released, and a certain Argentinian World Cup winner is returning to Kansas City, this time to the friendly confines of Children’s Mercy Park. MLS did make some needed adjustments to their TV schedule meaning we do have a couple Sunday evening games in KC this year as...2024-12-211h 45Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 112 - SKC loses a cup final, JFD asserts his dominance, and JFR's potential swan songWe are back! After a bit of an extended break due to yours Drew’s visit to Los Angeles for the Open Cup Final, we have returned to find there are 2 games left in a season many people would like to forget.
The performance in LA was probably as good as could be expected, with a legit chance to steal the game late on Johnny Russell’s foot. Unfortunately once Extra Time started, the limitations of Sporting KC’s roster began to show through and the candidly much higher quality of LAFC took advantage.
Then Sporting...2024-10-041h 45Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 111 - We've run out of new things to talk aboutDrew has returned from the Pacific Northwest and while he enjoyed much of his trip to Seattle, the soccer was not a reason why. Sporting KC came away with a pretty lackluster performance and a 2-0 defeat to the Sounders that honestly could have been even worse.The absence of Jake Davis was apparent pretty early in this match, as the Bassong/Walter double pivot struggled to contain the Sounders and often lost central control as has often been an issue with this team when Jake has not been in the midfield.Candidly it’s bee...2024-09-181h 09Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 107 - SKC crashes out of Leagues Cup, Roster limitations, and Off-Ball movement.We’re back! After an inopportune bout of COVID for Drew, we have returned and wow have things gone well for Sporting KC in our absence. Actually, I’m sorry, the exact opposite has happened as their Leagues Cup campaign hit the skids. SKC went down 2-1 at home vs. Toluca in a match they certainly could have gotten a result from had things gone a bit more their way, but perhaps from a quality perspective may not have really deserved. Then they headed to Columbus where the predictable happened, they got sent home again with their tail between their le...2024-08-142h 02Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 105 - SKC employs some tactical fluidity, and look to sign reinforcementsSporting Kansas City allowed fans to have hope of a potential turn around for about 3 days after dispatching a terrible San Jose team on the road last Saturday. Unfortunately they followed it up by closing out this very dense stretch of the schedule with a loss in Vancouver and a 1-1 draw at home vs the Pink Dog Food CITY SC team on Saturday night. The good news is, this means Cody is sufficiently grumpy about this team again so you will get the entertainment you expect from this podcast.
The secondary transfer window is open and wh...2024-07-251h 40Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 99 - How did SKC get here? Listener Q&AIt’s been two weeks since we’ve last recorded the pod and not much has changed! Sporting KC have lost 3 more games since that time taking the total to 7 in a row, and are now legitimate Wooden Spoon contenders given their measly 2 wins on the season from 16 games. You heard that right, after Saturday’s game against Seattle, the season will be half over, and the best case scenario is Sporting will have 3 total wins. And given their performances to date there isn’t much optimism that it will actually increase to that number, either from the fans or the odds...2024-06-062h 10Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 88 - SKC Stadium Upgrades, Referees draw the fans ire(drink), and the effectiveness of Alan Pulido.Sporting Kansas City opened up Children’s Mercy Park for the season with what has to feel like a heartbreaking draw at the hands of the Philadelphia Union, giving up the equalizing goal in the 5th minute of stoppage time after some dubious refereeing led to a late corner kick for Philly that they eventually converted.
This of course meant that the replacement referees were a significant topic in the discourse following the match, as it was a fairly blatant error that allowed the sequence.
It was an improved performance over the Houston match, for sur...2024-03-071h 32Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 87 - Rusty openers, stadium upgrades, and expensive parkingSporting KC kicked off the 2024 MLS Season with what could be called a less than crisp performance down in Houston but came away with a road draw that looks just fine in the results column. While fair to have some frustration with the level of quality the team played with compared to their opponent, the defense was (mostly)solid, and there were inklings of progressive ideas that just didn't quite come off during the match.
SKC used their media day on Tuesday this week to launch a number of stadium upgrades just in time for this week's...2024-02-291h 56Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 86 - MLS Organizational Drama, the "evolution" of Peter Vermes, and the USWNT looks fun againWe are back after two weeks off, and it seems all that has happened is people got more mad at MLS over its reticence to prop up the Open Cup and the referee lockout. We discuss how important these issues really are to anyone than other than the most plugged in fan and whether parsing them to the nth degree is valuable in any way.
The SKC roster situation is fairly boring. All of the roster additions were in what could be considered bench positions and it appears the open Designated Player slot will stay that way...2024-02-221h 32Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 85 - Preseason Phase One Ends, Creating Consistent Big Chances, and the Most MLS of TradesSporting KC have made it through the first phase of their preseason in Miami, and we try to make something of what has happened there over the past few weeks. There is some instructive information regarding the depth chart, and apparently a few players have made positive strides. One player who has not, Marinos Tzionis, has made us question both the philosophy and execution of the club's player acquisition strategy
SKC traded two international roster spots for a cache of General Allocation Money, in a transaction you can only find in MLS. We will break down what...2024-02-011h 48Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 84 - SKC parts ways with Gavin Wilkinson, Potential referee work stoppages, and Kellyn Acosta linked with SKCBarely more than a week after a fairly uncomfortable press conference was convened to announce Gavin Wilkinson's hiring as Sporting KC's new Sporting Director, Principal Owner Michael Illig released a written statement on the SKC website stating that they have mutually parted ways. This was in response to consistent pressure from fans, business partners and key stakeholders. While it was good to see club leadership relent and fix an obvious hiring mistake, some questions remain on how we even got here in the first place.
Kellyn Acosta has been one of the bigger names in MLS Free...2024-01-251h 39Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 83 - Sporting KC hires Gavin WilkinsonWe aren't doing this podcast or the fans of the club justice if we do not talk about the extremely questionable decision of Sporting Kansas City to hire Gavin Wilkinson as its new Sporting Director.
We do our best to cover the most important details of this decision, the history of Wilkinson as a front office leader, and his culpability in multiple instances of women being mistreated.
Music by The Spin Wires2024-01-181h 32Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 82 - Messi comes to Arrowhead, How to fix the Open Cup, and does anyone care about Camp Cupcake?We are back after a several week hiatus after Sporting KC dropped the bombshell that the home match against Inter Miami would be moved to Arrowhead. This obviously sent shockwaves through the SKC community, and we try to break down all the various perspectives on the move and the potential it holds for the club long term.
Gadi Kinda officially left SKC for Maccabi Haifa, and the announcement video was patently absurd.
MLS tried to say nah to the US Open Cup, but was rebuffed. We discuss the decision, and the rather putrid following the...2024-01-111h 24Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 81 - End of Season Report Cards, MLS Hot Stove, and replacing Gadi KindaDrew and Cody bring out their exam results and discuss the season grades for players on all 3 lines as well as the technical staff. There were highs and lows, and opportunities for improvement, and we cover them all.
It seems increasingly likely that Gadi Kinda's time in KC is over. We discuss the big picture reasons for that change happening as well as how SKC could move forward.
Finally MLS hot stove is in full gear, and we will learn a lot in the next couple weeks how KC will go into the 2024 season roster...2023-12-141h 58Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 80 - Drew plays GM, two Sporting Legends say goodbye, and MLS Cup seems like funWe tried to prepare ourselves last week, but the finality of the decisions to move on from Graham Zusi and Roger Espinoza have us feeling some kind of way. We spend some time memorializing their impact and discuss how things may move forward from here.
Speaking of moving forward, the roster decisions allowed Drew to do his annual nerdy spreadsheet work and talk through multiple ways SKC could potentially strengthen their roster this winter or perhaps in the summer. Things are far more positive than in years past while still having a good base of a team...2023-12-072h 06Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 79 - SKC's Season Ends, Tactical cuteness, and a potential goodbye to two Sporting LegendsSporting KC were unceremoniously eliminated from the MLS Cup playoffs Sunday night in Houston. The team maintained their 4-4-2 mid block/low-pressure setup meant to create counterattacking opportunities that worked so well against St Louis, but it was ineffective against Houston.
We discuss the tactical plan, whether it was the most appropriate choice, and the struggles the team had in getting quality goal scoring chances from the transition events they created.
There was of course a dubious non-call that blanketed much of the conversation of this game, so we give it the appropriate coverage...2023-11-301h 20Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 78 - Three week breaks, negating Hector Herrera, and Sergiño Dest loses his mindBecause there is nothing else going on, it seems everyone is focused on being MLS scheduling professionals. We discuss the three week break and how much it really matters, as well as how avoidable it really was.
We dive deep into the upcoming match against Houston, how they like to progress the ball, and how SKC might negate it.
Tactical Corner is a deeper dive into Alan Pulido and what makes him good, and why it's hard to see if you only look at trailing indicators. Also, how he lets Salloi be the player he...2023-11-221h 53Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 77 - Things you love to seeSKC unceremoniously sent St Louis back across the state to start their offseason after a fairly comprehensive 2-1 scoreline that honestly flattered their opponent. It was a competitive affair for about 20 minutes until SKC settled in and fairly significantly controlled the match the rest of the way.
Logan Ndenbe cemented his status as "Playoff Logan" right before rupturing his ACL and somehow playing for another 40+ minutes on it. It was an insane display and a heartbreaking injury for a player that was in great form.
Tactical Corner focuses on the differences we will see with...2023-11-102h 04Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 76 - SKC invents winning playoff games on the road in St LouisSporting KC had two consecutive playoff "wins" this week after winning the PK shootout against San Jose after a fairly uninteresting 0-0 draw on Wednesday and then took the wood to St Louis in their park on Sunday night. The former being everything we have come to expect from this team on short rest against a team that didn't want to play soccer, and the latter being the exact opposite.
Luchi Gonzalez seemed to be banking on his best odds being waiting for an SKC defensive mistake(fair, but it didn't happen) or going against Tim Melia...2023-10-311h 49Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 75 - Take that Doubters!We're making an Ali-like return to this podcasting space to discuss SKC's improbable run into the MLS post-season and the "no one believed in us" narrative that the coach seems insistent on giving air to.
In fairness, we had significant doubts about this potential outcome, so we were apparently the "doubters" he was referring to, and we are willing to own that. That said, we will also discuss the fact that being pessimistic about the team's prospects, and being supportive fans are not mutually exclusive.
We get a little nerdy about analytics, the concept of...2023-10-251h 34Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 74 - The word of the day is StaleWe get some things off our chest. Things around Sporting Kansas City are in a word, Stale. The playing style, the general energy around the club, the decision making characteristics of the coach, etc, etc.
We discuss the frustrations around not just the 4-1 loss to St Louis, but the feeling that it was generally inevitable. The playing format never sufficiently attacked them when they were disorganized, and appeared to be more interested in managing a result more than attaining one.
Finally we spend time talking about the general structure of the club, the supporters...2023-10-061h 37Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 73 - Jekyll and Hyde SKC return, a Tale of Two Strikers, and Taylor Swift invades KC.Sporting KC put in a fairly listless performance on the mid-week versus Nashville and it was unfortunately something we saw coming. Thankfully they brought much higher intensity against Houston on Saturday and even managed to raise it higher after an unfortunate red card for Johnny Russell.
We dive into the differences in the way SKC attack when they have Alan Pulido or Willy Agada in at striker, and how it impacts the personnel around them. There are some potential positive setups for both players, and it is instructive as KC go into a very important match in...2023-09-281h 24Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 72 - SKC gets some good fortune(for once), Pulido gets a contract extension, and we are not impressed with the KC Current.Sporting KC come home from Minnesota with 3 points, which would normally be a reason for optimism. Unfortunately SKC seemed to be more lucky than good on Saturday night and while that is also a welcome change from previous performances, it is hard to take it as a positive into the next two games on short rest against quality opponents.
Alan Pulido gets his official contract extension, and we think it is due. While it does mean things will likely remain the same for some time, he's probably the best #9 in MLS this year, and you don't look...2023-09-201h 15Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 71 - SKC Return to Earth(why were we surprised?), what are the benefits of the 4-4-2, and the Days of our Lives in New EnglandSporting KC did a lot of the things we have come to expect from them the past couple years when playing on the road: Had veterans make significant mental errors, played soft in the midfield, and showed a complete lack of urgency attacking in transition until they were down multiple goals. We shouldn't be surprised by this, but it still is very frustrating to watch.
We discuss the structural issues with the club and staff, and the somewhat disenchanting feeling that nothing significant could really happen to change it even next season.
A "Major Player...2023-09-141h 44Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 70 - Drinking the tears of your enemies, The Radoja Effect, and is anyone actually coaching the KC Current?It was a derby atmosphere in Children's Mercy Park on Saturday and the game lived up to the hype. It was a fairly comprehensive performance by SKC even if STL fans don't want to admit it and blame the referees for their lot in life(get in line).
There was a lot of bantz before the game, even leading up to player intros, and we are here for it. This is what makes rivalries fun, and we can tell this is only going to intensify in the future.
Lots of key performances from SKC players...2023-09-071h 43Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 69(NICE) - SKC Plays an actual game(and wins!), JFR does all the JFR things, and How to Break PressureSKC is back and it was a comprehensive 3-0 win vs San Jose. While the score may have flattered SKC somewhat, it was a deserved win regardless. Drew and Cody discuss the quintessential JFR game(including the injury), the tactical personnel choices, Tim Melia doing his thing, and what we will be calling "The Full Fontas".
Tactical Corner is focused on building out of pressure, for reasons that should be pretty obvious. This is less of a structural discussion and more of a fluid one highlighting ideas and adaptive philosophies that work best against a quality pressing...2023-08-311h 42Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 68 - Pulido Renewals, Roster Construction, and Game ModelsSKC hasn't played a game(again) this week, so we focus on the management portions of the club, discussing how MLS clubs are constructed and the potential options for how you do it, the Pulido contract renewal and how it impacts SKC's future roster construction prospects, and why the KC Current are getting fined for chartering what amounts to a Spirit Airlines flight to Louisville.
As promised, there is a fair bit of time devoted to Game Models. What are they? How are they put together? What is their value and how to teams employ them. There...2023-08-172h 17Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 67 - SKC is who we thought they were, USWNT underperforms & Leagues Cup is funWe are back from our almost month-long hiatus and Drew has returned rom New Zealand and Australia to find that not much has changed regarding the prospects of Sporting KC. We discuss the situation and the rather concerning lack of opportunity to do much about it.
The USWNT has similar issues regarding an idealogue of a coach with very specific personnel choices that do not seem to allow the team to play even up to the sum of its parts and it played out in this year's world cup.
Leagues Cup has been a revelation...2023-08-111h 33Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 66 - Frustrating Draws, Counter-pressing, and Busio-colored glassesThis week Drew and Cody discuss what was a fairly disheartening 2-2 draw in Houston, the boring nature of the team's tactics, and whether they were appropriate given the roster makeup.
Radoja's absence was felt, and Drew is finally completely done with the Kendall McIntosh experiment.
Tactical corner focuses on counter-pressing, how it is used, how SKC use it, and why it is an elite skill for this team.
We dig into the USMNT penalty shootout win vs. Canada, as well as the USWNT's fairly pedestrian 2-0 win vs Wales.
Finally...2023-07-121h 42Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 65 - SKC return to form, the Gadi Kinda effect, and a real derby in MLS?This week Drew and Cody discuss what was a fairly comprehensive performance for SKC vs the Vancouver Whitecaps. They were composed, meticulous, and at the right times creating chaos to take down the 3-0 victory.
There were many key performances but perhaps none more important than that of Gadi Kinda. He is in some ways, the prototype of what this system needs from the 8/10 position. We dive into how he is able to achieve this role so well and how he is likely the most important component of SKC potentially making a playoff run.
We...2023-07-061h 27Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 64 - SKC's bad vibes return, misplaced Khiry Shelton hate, and does anyone care about the Gold Cup?This week Drew and Cody discuss the state of SKC structurally, whether the roster construction makes sense given the game model and tactical ideas, and air some grievances regarding all of these topics after the somewhat predictable reversion in results occurred over the past 3 games.
Drew made the mistake of making an observation regarding the Khiry Shelton discourse on social media and somehow got drafted into being his greatest defender.
We spend a little time talking about home vs. away tactical dynamics as well as setting up your progression shape to create rest defensive postures...2023-06-291h 25Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 63 - SKC Get some bad luck, Alan Pulido transfer rumors, and the USMNT is fun againAfter nothing but mostly good vibes since the beginning of May, SKC lose at home to LAFC and #thediscourse was not good. SKC was very unlucky to lose this match in a variety of areas(refs, fluke plays, chances going just barely awry, etc), but in the moment it was easy to look for someone to blame. Drew and Cody assess the performance in this match, and consider whether the hole SKC has dug itself allows for these types of results if they want to legitimately contend for the playoffs and MLS Cup.
Alan Pulido was in...2023-06-211h 45Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 62 - Good defensive midfielders are good, good strikers are good, playing good soccer is good.SKC are now the hottest team in MLS and the vibes are good. Drew and Cody unpack the performance against Austin on Saturday and discuss key performances from Nemanja Radoya, Marinos Tzionis, and Tim Leibold.
Alan Pulido scored what Cody is calling his favorite goal of the year and we break it down Zapruder-film style.
The USMNT is back in action in a meaningful game this week in the Nations League semifinals vs. Mexico, we discuss that match and the appearance of Gianluca Busio on The Gold Cup Roster
Finally a preview of...2023-06-151h 10Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 61 - A seven point week, the dichotomy of Andreu Fontas and some Argentinian guy joins Inter MiamiDrew and Cody bask in the glow of 14 points from the last 7 matches, a pragmatic(if somewhat disappointing) draw against Vancouver, and the concept of what a team can look like when its best players are able to play regularly.
The team is playing entertaining, organized, and clear soccer right now, and it is a sight to see. Injuries are still a major concern, and they continue to pile up as fast as people can heal from them.
Andreu Fontas can be a somewhat polarizing player for Sporting KC. We investigate why, and discuss his...2023-06-081h 43Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 60 - SKC Bounces back against Portland, Vermes' tactical nuance, and WTF is wrong with the Current?Sporting KC had a fairly comprehensive win against Portland on Sunday and we go through all the key performances, including game changing substitutions from veterans(in this economy?).
It is a common refrain amongst the most online SKC fans that Peter Vermes' system is staid and boring. And while there is some merit to the argument that he is somewhat reticent to making wholesale changes, he has nuanced ideas about how to play soccer that are fairly progressive, and we try to unpack a few of them.
The KC Current are down bad(again). It...2023-05-311h 44Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 59 - Misunderstanding rivalries, Goalkeeper analysis, and is SKC soft?This week Drew and Cody get to talk about SKC showing up in St Louis acting like it was any other MLS match. Everyone seemed to know it was a rivalry game except the SKC players. They got handily out worked, and physically dominated. While the schedule wasn't kind to SKC, they knew about it and had the opportunity to plan for it. In hindsight, there were some poor personnel management decisions as well regarding which players played which games coming in.
Tactical Corner this week focuses on goalkeeping. With Tim Melia out for basically the rest...2023-05-251h 36Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 58 - SKC has an actual winning streak, How to break a press, and things we were right about.Drew and Cody dissect SKC's 2nd league win in a row, and *SPOILER ALERT*, much of it has to do with having a real number 6 on the field. Also, having good players playing is good. Also, a level of balance we just haven't seen until this point.
Tactical Corner focuses on pressing, how different pressing systems are used, and how to effectively break them. Both of SKC's opponents this week will use various forms of pressing systems, so it felt appropriate to diagnose how to play against those structures.
The MLSPA salary drop is out, and it had some interesting...2023-05-171h 24Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 57 - Crisis averted(for now), do coaches really matter, and why is Preki so mad?Lord have mercy, Sporting KC won an MLS match, and looked largely competent in doing so! It's been a minute since we've had the opportunity to analyze a victory so apologies if we are a bit out of practice.
Drew and Cody break down a fairly comprehensive performance by SKC in Seattle, by far the most complete performance of the year by the club so far. Lots of love for the spacing and movement in the midfield, as well as a very positive performance by Jake Davis at right back. The team looks much more like the...2023-05-101h 34Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 56 - Making history, the definition of insanity, and what would a Vermes divorce look like?We feel like we are living in a Monty Python sketch at this point. Nothing changes, everything is bad, and we may as well laugh about it, right? SKC got blanked by the Eastern Conference doormats at home on Saturday and things have reached a pretty dire state. We talk about what is going wrong(basically everything) and the overwhelming feeling of not being able to solve it.
Things seem more mental and structural than tactical at this point, and we discuss the issues with this team and the staff's incompetence(unwillingness?) to effectively change it.
2023-05-031h 37Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 55 - Not much has changed, SKC get a win against a semi-pro team, and tactical flexibility(of lack of it)Drew and Cody have some grievances to air, and we're sorry, but the problems we've been highlighting for over a year are still problems. We'd like to tell you the staff and players are solving them, but honestly, they aren't.
SKC put in a generally poor performance against NE and were lucky only to lose 2-1. It's kind of crazy to say it, but the 2nd half which included a red card in the 56th minute was actually better than the 1st. They did rebound and get their first victory in all comps against Tulsa Athletic on...2023-04-281h 39Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 54 - SKC punished for mistakes again, What would Drew and Cody do, and Matt Potter gets his walking papers.Sporting KC have 0 wins from 8 matches, and now have as many red cards as goals. Things are pretty dire and as expected, trying to get right on the road in San Jose was likely to be very difficult. A couple bad defensive lapses lead to goals and a red card, and it would be very difficult for any team to come back from that, much less one that is struggling so mightily to be effective in the final third.
We discuss coaching ideologies and whether this game/generation of players has passed this technical staff by. Some...2023-04-201h 32Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 53 - SKC takes over the top spot in the Wooden Spoon chase, Automatisms 2.0, and a lot of talk about good defensive midfielders.Things are rotten in the state of Missouri(Kansas?). Sporting KC have scored 2 goals in 7 matches and have zero wins across that span. While the MLS playoff structure allows for quite a bit of leeway early in the season, this type of start is not something teams usually come back from. While this was far from the worst performance of the year, the results stay negative, and the mood for both fans and players is pretty dour. Drew and Cody try to discuss the reasons why, and what the options or prospects are for improvement.
Plenty of...2023-04-131h 21Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 52 - SKC makes changes and improvements, Ben Sweat says sayonara, and a discussion about the SKC Academy system.Peter Vermes was pissed, and he wanted to see a reaction in SKC's next match against Philadelphia. Drew and Cody discuss that reaction, which was definitely an improvement over the previous match vs. Seattle, as well as a potential light at the end of the tunnel regarding the future effectiveness of the midfield, namely Nemanja Radoja at the 6.
Dany Rosero jumped off the plane and into the starting lineup and did an admirable job all things considered. You can see why SKC wanted to sign him and we expect to see plenty more of him in the...2023-04-061h 27Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 51 - SKC's worst performance of the year, Drew plays GM, and the USMNT win their Nations League Group.Drew and Cody have a cathartic discussion about all the things that went wrong for SKC vs. Seattle last Saturday. It was a match rife with many of the problems we have highlighted for the past 12 months: Poor individual errors by veterans supposedly on the field because they aren't as prone to them, Poor effort by a team supposedly "Sporting Fit" and coached by someone that supposedly gets that effort from them, and Zero offensive ideas against a team playing Kelyn Rowe at left back. It was just a cornucopia of bad. We discuss how and why SKC got...2023-03-301h 46
Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 50 - Agada Island, The Opponent's 18 is still Lava, and salty St Louis fans.This week Drew and Cody discuss the continued frustration of watching Sporting KC in the attacking half of the field. The lack of ideas continues, and Willy Agada gets more and more isolated every week. When you combine this with a big defensive gaffe, you end up with the 2-1 loss at FC Dallas last Saturday. We discuss why we think this is happening, and potential solutions to the problem.
We also discuss why Willy Agada is getting so few meaningful touches in each game, what both he and his teammates and Vermes can do to help...2023-03-221h 18Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 49 - Why can't SKC score goals? Attacking Kill Patterns and how they are used, and a quick convo about the latest in the Berhalter/Reyna SagaThis week SKC had their most comprehensive performance of the year but still are unable to hit the score sheet and therefore are left with another 0-0 draw, this time in the home opener against the LA Galaxy.
Are there systemic issues to be worried about, or is this just statistical variance? We discuss the positives from the match(defensive performance, great debut start from Leibold and debut in general for Radoja), as well as the clogged toilet that seems to exist in the opponent's 18 yard box.
Tactical corner focuses on Attacking Kill Mechanisms and h...2023-03-161h 30Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 48 - Is SKC playing a new base formation? What are these shape changes intended for, and do base formations really matter? Very Excite for the home opener against LA.This week Drew and Cody dissect the 0-0 draw at Colorado. While a good result at a place SKC(and MLS in general) has limited success, there were some concerning trends showing in the midfield and much of it seemed to be due to the new shape the team is running. Is this a philosophical shift or just a strategic one based on available personnel and the opponent?
Do base formations really mean anything? SKC ostensibly was in a 4-3-3 this weekend although it rarely looked like it. We spend Tactical Corner this week talking about the...2023-03-091h 22Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 47 - Squad balance, potentially concerning familiar performances due to injuries, and Drew's crackpot playoff ideasThis week we discuss the first game of the season, a 1-0 loss to the Portland Timbers. There were things to be both excited about and concerned about, and a new offensive shape that seems designed for getting the ball to a player who we may not see for a month or so.
Tactical corner focuses on squad balance, and the new possession shape meant to help create it. The theory is sound, but the players meant to achieve it are unfortunately not available.
Drew comes up with a wild idea for MLS playoffs and th...2023-03-011h 12Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 46 - Defending Counterattacks, Hoops 4.0 is here, and what's wrong with the USWNT midfield?This week the Top 3 focuses on a topic no one can avoid: Kit design discourse. We address the concept and move on to on-field topics, including, SKC signed a center back(technically), and Uri Rosell finds a home in LA. Hopefully it's not boring for him like his Spanish teammate.
Tactical Corner focuses on philosophies for defending counterattacks. This is a poignant topic given SKC's opponent this weekend and their goals as well as the way their possession system can struggle with containing them at times.
We also spend some time talking about the issues in th...2023-02-221h 07Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 45 - Numbing the pain of Kortne Ford's Achilles with a Super Bowl win, Tactical Flexibility and how to accomplish it, and why the hell does MLS keep screwing up the playoffs?A quick convo about the Chiefs 2nd SB win in 4 years, and why KC is the best sports town in the country.
Why can't Kortne Ford catch a break? How does the team recover from this? PV mentions a signing is coming, but what reasonably can we expect from this player?
Tactical Corner focuses on tactical flexibility and rigidity, and the reasons for both, along with the pros and cons of each philosophy.
We also spend a moment talking about absurd MLS playoff formats and kit designs.
Music by The Spin Wir...2023-02-161h 22Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 44: Agada still scoring headers, What actually is positional play, Jesse Marsch we barely knew you, and KC Current becoming goliaths.We once again spend too much time discussing pre-season friendlies(scrimmages), a quick discussion on Big Willy vs. Dom Dwyer, and what reasonably can be ascertained from Vermes' preseason midfield choices.
Tactical corner focuses on a topic we reference often: Positional Play. What is it? How does it work? What are its dependencies? Why is it so popular with a number of world class coaches? How does SKC use it and why is that actually kind of cool?
The KC current are signing everyone. I need to check to see if they signed us. But seriousl...2023-02-091h 24Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEp 43: Overreacting about preseason scrimmages, Apple TV MLS Season Pass is Here, Automatisms in soccer(football), and SKC's Homegrown dilemma.This week Drew and Cody spend way too much time talking about irrelevant preseason friendly performances and what they mean, and why we tend to do so every year.
Apple TV's MLS platform is live. What can we take from it so far? How useful will it be at driving interest in the league? Is Apple the right partner for MLS to go forward with?
Automatisms in the world game, what are they? Why are they used? How do SKC use them as a basis of structure and what their value is.
A deep...2023-02-021h 27Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 42 - The Return of the PodWe back and we back and we back! After a brief hiatus, Drew and Cody make a Lazarus-like return to your ears for a full breakdown of the current state of SKC with a new pod format and structure.
We discuss the Top 3 stories surrounding the team, which given the pre-season timing of the pod, mostly focuses on roster makeup. The embarrassment of riches at LB, the complete lack of them at CB, and the overall depth chart and how it looks going into the season as is.
A deep dive into the 3-1-6 pos...2023-01-271h 15Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 41 - We love a good midfieldWe're back! After a brief hiatus and 3 World Cup group stage games, we have returned to give our thoughts on the USMNT as they have advanced to the knockout rounds and have played perhaps their best soccer in the Berhalter era. The midfield trio of Adams, Musah and McKennie have been the talk of the tournament, and rightfully so. We discuss their performances and those of the team, as well as the structures Gregg Berhalter has employed and how they have worked, along with the execution of the team. There are some concerns relating to depth as well as Greg...2022-12-021h 25Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 40 - I don’t know what we’re yelling about!After what was a vastly entertaining MLS Cup Final, we are in full off-season mode, and the first of many ridiculous MLS player movement mechanisms is upon us, the Expansion Draft. We talk about the roster and who is eligible to be protected, and what we consider to be the best strategy for SKC to employ during this process. We also briefly discuss what was a fascinating match between LAFC and Philly, if not the most aesthetically pleasing soccer ever played.
The 2022 Men's World Cup is upon us, and we have the full list of players representing the US in Qa...2022-11-101h 34Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 39 - It finally happened!We've been whining about it all year, and SKC finally signed a #6. We discuss the addition of Nemanja Radoja, what we really know about him, and what reasonable expectations are for his addition to the team.
The Current's run finally came to an end, and honestly they were outplayed by the Thorns. That said, there is plenty to look forward to with that team both on and off the field.
MLS Playoffs may be increasing in game quantity in 2023, which may or may not be a good idea. It is definitely tied to the new Appl...2022-11-031h 06Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 38 - Where do we go from here?The MLSPA made their bi-annual roster dump just in time for us to evaluate the SKC roster, salary cap situation, and identify priorities for next year, along with discussing who should potentially stay or go? Obviously there a many dependencies on how certain players effect the required tactics, their fit with their potential teammates, and how they effect the club's ceiling. We try to address it all in one podcast, and as a result, its a long one!
Also a quick convo on the KC Current, who have a playoff semifinal this Sunday against OL Reign. We fee...2022-10-201h 56Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 37 - That's All Folks!SKC Closed out a fairly forgettable season with a somewhat forgettable result, but we tell you why you shouldn't forget it! It's a stark reminder of some structural issues that need to be addressed, and we go through them all(sign a defensive midfielder pls, Fontas still is a liabililty, and should you build your posession structure around a 36yo RB?).
We also discuss a couple fairly lackluster pair of friendlies for the USWNT, and finish with a discussion around the systemic issues that persist within Women's Professional Soccer in the US, and how important journalism has be...2022-10-131h 52Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 36 - Peaked too late I guessIt was an almost perfect day at CMP on Sunday, in almost every imaginable way. The weather, the vibes, the fans, and the performance on the field. Some of the best soccer we have seen all season was on display, and SKC controlled and contributed the majority of it. We are running out of words to describe Willy Agada, and we are also seeing players like Ben Sweat really round into form. We also saw a great performance from Remi Walter, but discuss why those could be harder to come by next year if the midfield makeup changes.
Ro...2022-10-061h 09Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 35 - USMNT Vibe-less, KC Current - no notesIt's an international break with no SKC games! Drew and Cody discuss a rather listless pair of matches for the USMNT and what they see happening, and whether relying on a single 19yo midfielder for success is a good idea. Also some discussion around coaching idealism and how GGG might need to adjust to get his players at their best in Qatar.
We also cover the KC Current and what may be the most fascinating tactical setup in the NWSL, or in soccer in general. Matt Potter is setting up his players to succeed, maximizing their strengths, and...2022-09-291h 06Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 34 - Agada FeelingWe're back! And SKC have extended their positive run of form to 8 games with 2 more wins and a draw and only 1 loss across the last 2 months. We spend more time evaluating the underlying numbers of Willy Agada and Erik Thommy's performances since arriving in KC(spoiler alert: They good). Also, a discussion around off-season squad construction now that we know what pieces will be in place and where the areas of need will be.
Robbie Voloder has a wonderful game against DC United and is a halftime sub against Minnesota, which was a bit of a surprising dev...2022-09-221h 46Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisiode 33 - Botched panenkasDrew is back from LA after bringing back one lowly point on the trip. We discuss what was a fairly mixed performance from Sporting KC. There were positives we have become familiar with over the past 6 weeks, and negatives we have seen a lot this season. In any other circumstance, a 2-2 draw at LA would be a decent result, so we need to take that in context.
A discussion around the fairly disparate profiles of those in both fullback positions vs. their counterparts, and whether SKC had the appropriate time to alter the game plan to adju...2022-09-081h 03Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 32 - Thommy on Thommy crimeErik Thommy. What else can be said. Dude was on one all night against San Jose, and abused Thommy Thompson regularly. Quite clearly the best player on the field, and his quality lifted the rest of the team. While it was a 1-0 result, SKC never felt to be in significant trouble outside the first 10 minutes of the match. John Pulskamp also had another very good match, as well as Daniel Salloi, who signed a new 4yr contract extension this week to extend his stay in KC through 2026.
Drew and Cody talk through it all as well as a l...2022-09-011h 26Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 31 - The Return of FunFun soccer is Fun! Who knew? SKC turned in the most comprehensive performance of the season against Portland. Yes they outscored their xG by a bunch, but it is more about how they played, the positional play, the possession, the winning second balls, the pressing and counterpressing. For the first time this season, they looked like the SKC we have come to expect for several years. Drew and Cody unpack all of the pieces of the performance, as well as some concerns about its sustainability given how much it relies on one player's performance(Rog).
Much discussion as we...2022-08-251h 24Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 30 - A Tale of Two HalvesA fairly frustrating(devastating) stoppage time loss for SKC in Austin, but did it have to be this way? Drew and Cody discuss what was in many ways a pretty good performance by Sporting KC, with the exception of their ability to clear set pieces. Unfortunately this seems to be a feature, not a bug of this team since they went to this possession-based, positional play system. Vermes criticized effort on those plays, calling it "lazy" and we discuss what is going wrong in those situations.
Also a discussion on whether Agada and Thommy are the best mid...2022-08-181h 22Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 29 - 4 goals in one game? In this economy?Drew and Cody discuss their relative elation given the first legitimately positive performance of the season by SKC against the LA Galaxy on the weekend. We were treated to another vintage Rog performance, as well as Zusi at his best dropping dimes from deep. Is there reason to be concerned about how SKC can effectively move on from these players? You can see how important they can be when they play well vs. the other available options. Will Willy Agada become one of the most lovable SKC players in recent memory? He is surprisingly good, active, and per his own d...2022-08-111h 47Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 28 - All Hail the Offside TrapDrew and Cody discuss a 2-0 loss to Austin that on the face of it seems pretty bleak. SKC probably actually played one of their best matches of the season though, and there are potential positives to be excited for. Willy Agada is a real center forward, and it meant actual chances were created in this match. Was the offside trap effective or just lucky? Is Kayden Pierre the highest upside youth player SKC has? Will Cam Duke ever be seen again? All reasonable questions to ask, but there were many glimpses of positive behavior to look for in the ne...2022-08-041h 47Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 27 - Groundhog DayThe disappointment is real. SKC get summarily smacked by LAFC in the 2nd half on Saturday then score no goals on 31 shots(creating a whopping 1.3xG) against a USL team getting knocked out on penalties in the Open Cup semi-final vs. Sacramento. This feeling is all too familiar this season.
There is plenty of blame to go around, and we discuss many of the places it could/should reside. The Fire Vermes pitchforks are out, and we discuss if they are appropriate, and what the potential for such a move could or should be. As the season is e...2022-07-291h 49Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 26 - The return of Cody's favorite adjectiveGrim is right. SKC got thoroughly outplayed by RSL at the end of this 3 game road trip, and there were few positives to take from the game. We discuss why this capitulation may have occurred, reiterate how the need for perfection hurts this team's long term prospects, and discuss whether the philosophy for rotation across these games was appropriate.
Also a lot of talk about roster construction, the combination of using available talent effectively, and whether we believe the Coach and Chief Soccer Officer are doing this adequately. Also a redux on the lack of backup plans when things don't go...2022-07-211h 48Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 25 - What's this? Positivity?Consecutive points on the road? In this economy? Drew and Cody discuss two very organized and functionally well played(albeit completely different) performances by SKC over the past few days. We cover the concerns with the requirement of perfection to get results, the evolution of Kayden Pierre, and the return of Rog(as long as his minutes are managed effectively).
Also some discussion of the CB situation, and how it's unlikely to improve much given Kortne Ford's recent suspension. We go all in on #PlayTheKids and discuss how this could be useful time to prepare for next seaso...2022-07-161h 31Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 24 - Old Men Yell at CloudsDrew and Cody are a bit apoplectic. This SKC season seems to be bordering on(if not already completely) lost, and it's a tough feeling to have in early July. The team showed signs of life for the first half hour before the weather postponement, and then Struber and RBNY made significant adjustments and neutralized SKC's attack.
We like the more direct play of the 8's, but they still struggle to find the game once they get to Zone 14. Kayden Pierre was also a bright spot. The veteran CB's still make significant mistakes at inopportune times, and the c...2022-07-071h 39
Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 23 - Taylor Twellman dot gifSeriously, what are we doing? Drew and Cody discuss a pretty demoralizing loss to Seattle. SKC's play wasn't overtly terrible, but this was a clear distillation of clubs in vastly different places. Schmetzer had a fantastic scheme to both keep SKC from being dangerous and to exploit them for chances. Watching Will Bruin and Kelyn Rowe be significant pieces in said scheme is hard to stomach given SKC's inability to get similar value out of the same or similar players in the past, and Drew and Cody discuss why that may be.
Additionally, can SKC finally move on f...2022-06-301h 41Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 22 - Winning's Winning(thanks Vin Diesel)Two SKC wins in one week? In this economy? Drew and Cody discuss both the (albeit somewhat lucky)away win at Nashville and the 6-0 drubbing of Union Omaha in the Open Cup quarterfinals. Drew professes his love for Felipe Hernandez(again), and we hope that PV agrees with the assessment that the Walter-Hernandez-Duke midfield is the most functional one that SKC has at the moment.
We also discuss the new player additions that are now official, and whether Tim Melia might be losing a step. Graham Zusi appears to not age, and DS20 steals souls. That and a...2022-06-241h 45Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 21 - Pragmatism: Does it exist?We're back! Under less than auspicious circumstances. We discuss the latest SKC debacle against New England(it's not all bad, except for the usual suspects), and whether The System(trademark) needs a tweak, not just for the short term, but perhaps the long term, given current roster construction and the available traits of players. There is reason for frustration, but also some positivity as the team appears to be bringing in new attacking talent which will allow midfielders to play at places other than fullback, winger, and striker.
We also dive into the current state of the USM...2022-06-171h 28Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 20 - Hooray for International BreaksDrew and Cody discuss the SKC-Vancouver match and how disheartening it is to watch a team with no offensive players lose to a really bad team at home. More alternate formation discussions arise given the available personnel. Will the International break give SKC the time needed to rest, heal and come back with some semblance of themselves when they return? Will they sign a defensive midfielder in the summer window and should we have our pitchforks out if they don't?
Also some USMNT discussion after their comprehensive win vs. Morocco. The 3-2-5 in posession, Brenden Aaronson as a...2022-06-031h 27Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 19 - Treading WaterWe're back! It was a bit of an up and down set of results for SKC and there are many reasons for it. Drew and Cody discuss many of them, including the performance of Cam Duke at multiple positions, and the ways the team has been constructed vs. what the goal is of the style of play. We also discuss how much of Johnny Russell there may be left come the 2nd half of the season. There is potential to change the team in the summer window but what is the most important place? Do we believe they can make...2022-05-251h 29Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 18 - New formations *and* in-game adjustments? In this economy?Drew and Cody have got 2 games to discuss this week after the 0-0 against NYCFC at Citi Postage Stamp..errr..Field and the 4-2 extra time thriller Open Cup win against FC Dallas. We appreciate PV's willingness to adjust tactics to the opponent and available personnel, and willingness to realize one of the choices was a bit galaxy-brained and use the water break to revert to a known quantity. Should Felipe Hernandez be the starting 6? Is Cam Duke the best available option to approximate what Gadi Kinda does and if so is Kayden Pierre ready to play more? Will Drew...2022-05-121h 12Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 17 - Progress?SKC had what is likely their best performance of the year vs. FC Dallas and came away with a 2-2 draw. The numbers definitely look like SKC got the raw end of this result, and while this was an improvement over previous weeks, there is still plenty of work to do.
Drew and Cody discuss a fantastic sub performance from Cam Duke, Daniel Salloi being the offensive threat we became used to last year, and the double edged sword regarding Kortne Ford's emergency defending. We also discuss bypassing the midfield in possession, and whether playing the kids is...2022-05-051h 13Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 16 - Baby StepsDrew and Cody discuss the 0-0 home draw vs. Columbus and what worked and what didn't. The defensive mentality that Peter Vermes asked for after the LAFC loss was definitely there, in the form of Kortne Ford. A discussion around head injuries and what IFAB or MLS can do about it after Isi's injury.
Offensively, still fairly vanilla, and struggling to create chances or get the ball in dangerous areas. Fotis Bazakos' inability to call a PK aside, the team was not aggressive enough in the attacking zone. Is the problem structural? Is it roste...2022-04-281h 49Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 15 - Where do we go from here?Drew and Cody discuss the current state of the team, tactics and structures. Should they be able to win every game 1-0? Are they even set up to attempt to do that? Are players being put in positions to succeed? On the heels of the second viewing of the 4-2-3-1, what are reasonable structural changes that may alleviate some of the deficiencies seen so far and allow for a different look?
We realize this is all just a thought exercise and highly unlikely to actually result in any significant change, but we can hope.
2022-04-211h 44Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 14 - Airing GrievancesDrew and Cody get a little lively in this one. Not full gasbag, national sports media debate show, but we have some frustrations, and we air them out. Don't listen to this one with kids in the car unless you want them learning four letter words. If you want an optimistic look at the club and what they are doing, probably want to skip this one. We will get on the "where can we go from here" vein next week.
Music by The Spin Wires2022-04-151h 05Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 13 - Is this Cathartic?Cody's back! We commiserate with each other after a less than entertaining performance from SKC over the weekend. Chance creation is still a problem, and we discuss potential solutions while Drew tries to understand PV's sub strategies. If you're looking for the happy-fun SKC pod, you may want to skip this episode...
Music by The Spin Wires2022-04-071h 29Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 12 - Turning the CornerIt's a milestone as we have our first guest! Daniel Sperry of the KC Star joins to offer his insights on SKC's performance last weekend in a 1-0 win vs. RSL. Cody unfortunately was not able to join this week due to available internet overseas but we expect him back next week. Daniel and Drew discuss the return of Old Rog, the quality of Felipe Hernandez in both soccer and helping a guy clean up a spilled beer, and the overall best match SKC has played this season.
Music by The Spin Wires2022-03-311h 00Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 11.2 - Hello Darkness My Old FriendCody's back! He dialed in from across the ocean 7 time zones away to bring us his thoughts on SKC's performance against Chicago. Things seem pretty dour in KC after 3 losses from 4 matches. Injuries, Injuries, Injuries, and what that does to a team so focused on a singular system. We discuss 3 at the back and whether it is something SKC should implement more. Is the Single Pivot lowering SKC's chances to be competitive? I hope Roger doesn't listen to our Pod, because we...have concerns. Drew said some swears again, so we gotta roll with the E.
Music by The...2022-03-251h 33Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 11.1 - USMNT Final WCQ Window PreviewDrew had to roll solo on this USMNT-focused Pod as they prepare for their final 3 games to attempt to qualify for Qatar. Drew shares his thoughts on the roster makeup, potential uses of players, and the ever-discussed topic of squad rotation. Cody will be back on the SKC review/preview tomorrow.
Music by The Spin Wires2022-03-2448 minHome and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 10 - Options are LimitedDrew and Cody discuss SKC's 2-0 loss at Colorado over the weekend. An unexpected lineup due to Injury leaves questions as to what to take away from this match. Logan Ndenbe appears to be pretty good. Tzionis likes to dribble dudes, a lot. Concerns about veterans making mental errors. Should we "play the kids"? All of that and more on this episode. Also, Drew forgets who Facundo Torres plays for.
Music by The Spin Wires.2022-03-171h 38Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 9 - Going HomeSorry about Drew's audio on this one. We have been using Zoom to record and have been fairly successful until now. We will ensure this doesn't occur again. We thought the content was good so we didn't want to not post it. Hopefully it isn't too hard to listen to.
Music by The Spin Wires2022-03-101h 46Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 8.2 - SKC Home Opener PreviewDrew and Cody preview the home opener against Houston, what we hope to see, what we expect Vermes will actually do, and whether we think this will be a sufficient bounce back opportunity for SKC.
We split this week into two episodes to make the more palatable in a single serving for everyone, as well as allow folks to consume the preview first before the match on Saturday if needed. Start with the review if you have the time and want to listen in the order in which they were recorded.
Music b...2022-03-0445 minHome and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 8.1 - All too familiarDrew and Cody discuss SKC's disappointing start to the season in Atlanta. Is this a recurring concern regarding transition defending? Is there something else deeper at play? Is it just first game of the season rustiness. We dive into any and all potential explanations. Also a discussion on Jose Mauri's shock exit, and the positives that can be taken from the first game performance of the year.
Music by The Spin Wires2022-03-041h 12Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 7 - SKC Season Opener PreviewDrew and Cody talk about the (limited)news of the week, and discuss SKC's upcoming season opener against Atlanta United. We haven't seen Atlanta in 3 years, how have they evolved? Who is available to play for them on Sunday? What are we hoping to see from SKC in this match and for the rest of the season? We talk about it all. Blame Drew for the E rating, he couldn't help himself apparently.
Music by The Spin Wires2022-02-251h 23Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 6 - Tactics are fun, mmkay?Drew and Cody discuss the week's news. SKC signed a center forward! Is a Khiry narrative being pushed? How does SKC use the 2-3-5 in possession to create control both offensively and defensively? Listen to find out!
Music by The Spin Wires2022-02-181h 22Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 5 - SKC Roster BreakdownDrew and Cody discuss this week's preseason news and then dive into the roster construction and depth chart. Does SKC have options for shifting the balance of play in game and per opponent? Listen to find out what we think.
Music by the Spinwires2022-02-121h 22Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 4.2 - USMNT Qualifying RollercoasterWe discuss what we saw in the penultimate World Cup Qualifying window for the USMNT and what we hope to see in the last group of matches next month.2022-02-0456 minHome and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 4.1 - SKC Pre-Season Is UnderwayDrew and Cody evaluate the current makeup of the team and there are actual (semi)competitive matches to discuss.2022-02-0452 minHome and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 3 - Blame US Soccer for the length of this oneWe discuss the SKC signings and news from camp, then get into the USMNT discussion and machinations before the upcoming WCQ window.
Music by the Spin Wires2022-01-271h 30Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 2 - (Slightly)Less VerboseWe discuss the latest SKC signings and how we think the roster is shaping up. More talk about MLS Salary Cap mechanisms and whether their time has passed. Under an hour and a half(barely) this time!
Music by The Spin Wires2022-01-211h 27Home and Away - A Sporting KC PodcastEpisode 1 - We made a podcast!A review of the 2021 Sporting KC season. How the team played, how personnel were used, and what we think that means for the upcoming season. A look at the current roster news and what we think that entails, and our initial response to how the team might look this season.2022-01-141h 40