The American Soccer Crash Course: Recent Episodes
Christian Lee
A podcast primer on the United States Men's National Team heading into the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Under the format of a crash course, we seek to enhance the experience of the casual fan who will be watching the World Cup this fall. If you know your Tim Howard but not your Tyler Adams, you're in the right place. Casuals Wanted.
The much anticipated end of the year award show, including our votes for MVP, Dad of the Year, Meme of the Year, Best USMNT Twitter Account & Top 10 Moments of the Year. But first...November's games against Trinidad & Tobago, including a moment of insanity from Serginio Dest (0:00)Evaluating 2023 (20:50)Looking back at our 2023 Wishlists (27:15)The Crashey Awards! (34:00)Top 10 Moments of the Year (49:40)
Christian and Max break down the main talking points from the USMNT October window, which included a disappointing 3-1 loss to Germany and a dominant 4-0 display over Ghana.
Christian and Max break down the amazing performance from Americans abroad heading into October camp before previewing the international break against Germany and Ghana.
On our one year anniversary episode, our full three man crew gets together todelve out our hottest takes on the USMNT. Is Mexico the world's most disappointing international soccer program? Can the team command the eyes of the nation without a true superstar? Listen to hear us declare the temperature on these takes. We also dive into the USMNT's two September friendlies, a disappointing 3-0 vs Uzbekistan and a 4-0 thumping of Oman.
Christian and Lodge open up the 2023/24 club season by discussing the transfer window for USMNT players, both grading those who have moved and discussing potential rumors. We also touch on a disappointing World Cup for the USWNT.
Christian Lee and Max Heath break down the dominant display from the USMNT to beat Canada and win the Nations League. We also come back to last week's Mexico drubbing and Max's take on the hiring of Coach Gregg Berhalter. In the Episode:
-The Balogun Effect
-What can Gregg learn from these games?
-The Form Fallacy
-Has Gio mandated a change in the MMA midfield?
-Asking questions of the USSF process
Live on Youtube, Spotify and Apple. We appreciate any likes, ratings and subscriptions as we look to grow the podcast!
Christian and Lodge are back for another episode!
Chicago USMNT Tailgate Announcement! (0:00)
We give our first word on Messi's move to Inter Miami in the MLS. (2:30)
In Christian's Super Bowl, we review the club season for the core of the USMNT. (9:30)
Finally, we preview the upcoming USA v Mexico Nations League Semifinal. (56:00)
Our full crew is here to break down the latest USMNT news. But first… 🚨Show announcement🚨(0:00)January USMNT Friendlies (4:00)USA Hosting Copa America (8:15)US Soccer Leadership Changes (15:45)USMNT Coaching Search (23:00)Gio Reyna Sends a Message (30:00)Winter Transfer Window Winners & Losers (36:00)
Emergency Pod to Discuss the Breaking Developments Surrounding the Reyna-Berhalter Family Feud. On Wednesday 1/4, parents of USMNT star Gio Reyna admitted to bringing up a 30 year old sexual assault incident involving coach Gregg Berhalter and his wife to US Soccer, while allegations of additional threats from the Reyna family were reported but staunchly denied by the Reynas. We go over the entire timeline and attempt to fill in the blanks. Gio Reyna Controversy Refresher (0:00)US Soccer + Gregg Berhalter Statements (6:35)Family Ties (14:40)Claudio Reyna Allegations (18:30)Danielle Reyna Leaks Assault Story (25:15)Conclusions (36:50)
Timeline
Watch Parties (1:20)
Netherlands Game Recap (3:35)
Jesus Ferreira Starts? (15:30)
Berhalter out (17:15)
Second Half (22:25)
Were the USA gassed from the Iran game? (27:45)
Our USMNT Holiday Wishlist (29:35)
In the final episode of the year, Christian Lee, Lodge Dils and Max Heath put a bow on the World Cup for the USMNT. We discuss the Netherlands loss and whether Gregg Berhalter should continue as manager before diving into our holiday wishlist. The boys give their opinions on what needs to happen for the USMNT to take the next step: including a potential solution to the striker problem, a brash proclamation on Gio Reyna and a suggestion for getting our players at the highest level.
Lodge and Christian preview the round of 16 tie against the Netherlands. The boys utilize the fan mailbag to drive discussion, talking about the Netherlands biggest players/threats, how they have fared so far and why this is a winnable contest for the USMNT. Then, personnel decisions come into play against the size and power of the Dutch, before a quick debate on the GOAT of the USMNT. Finally, we touch on the massive game this is for USMNT player and Netherlands native Serginio Dest.
Our Reaction to USA beating Iran 1 - 0 at the World Cuo to advance to the Knockout Rounds.
Christian and Carter Sperry recap the most viewed men’s soccer game in American history, the scoreless draw v England. The boys discuses the cultural significance of the game, how the US played and the alleged drama surrounding star Gio Reyna. Then, we preview the must win game vs Iran including the fireworks that have already transpired pregame.
We are sad. Reaction to the USMNT’s gut wrenching draw v Wales. Timeline Immediate feelings & headlines (0:00) Lineups thoughts (6:15) First half (8:25) Second half (15:00) Substitutions (20:00) No Gio???? (28:00) Player Ratings (31:20) USA v England Preview (41:30) Group B Permutations (43:45)
Timeline:
Introductions (0:00)
Main Man: Yunus Musah (3:00)
Dual Nationals & Recruiting (6:00)
The Breakout Player’s Stage (12:05)
Group A-D (17:35)
Group E-H (22:25)
Group of Death & Weakest Group (27:00)
Knockout Round (30:30)
Sleepers & Futures Picks (36:00)
The final episode of the Crash Course. We will be doing USA game recaps, but school is out! Christian Lee, Lodge Dils and Max Heath are once again joined by casual fan Michael Sturm. We start by introducing the last piece of the puzzle for the USA: projected World Cup breakout star Yunus Musah. The boys about Yunus’ decision to pick the USA over his other options, the important role of dual nationals in this team, and Gregg Berhalter’s strength in recruiting. Next, the crew discusses World Cup breakout stars of the past, and why Musah is considered a candidate. (Watch on YouTube for best quality) For the good stuff, World Cup brackets are filled out, picking each individual group as well as the group of death and weakest group. Finally, the knockout rounds are chosen to determine a champion of the world.
Timeline
Introductions (0:00)
Who are the odd men out v Wales? (2:55)
Tim Weah (5:30)
Gio Reyna (9:05)
Brendan Aaronson (15:15)
USA v Wales Lineups (19:00)
Wales Overview (25:00)
England Overview (29:45)
Iran Overview (34:50)
Group Standing Predictions (39:00)
The Producer’s Shock Prediction (41:00)
After an 8.5 year wait, we are oh so close! Casual fan Michael Sturm joins the full crew: Lodge Dils, Max Heath and Christian Lee. The USA open their World Cup against Wales on Monday. We start by discussing the “odd men out”: Which two talented attackers will be benched in the fight for the last starting spot? The crew then gives our finalized lineups from top to bottom, with Max breaking out an unconventional approach. The boys then outline the three other adversaries in the group: Wales, England and Iran, talking about their best players, play styles and big storylines. The final group predictions are made. Lastly, the producer squeezes in for his take, which includes a shock twist pick to advance.
Timeline
Introductions & Agenda (0:00)
Carter’s Arsenal 5 minutes of fame (4:50)
Brief History of USMNT (5:35)
Vocab: New England Slang (16:15)
The 2018 Qualifying Disaster (23:40)
Matt Turner Feature (27:30)
The Main Man: Goalie Matt Turner (29:15)
USMNT GK Position Battle (38:00)
The Play Style Debate (39:45)
Turner’s Hedge: Arsenal FC (43:00)
Christian Lee and Lodge Dils are joined by Arsenal superfan and USMNT casual Carter Spearry. Carter talks about his love for the game stemming from watching the 2010 World Cup, which led him to eventually calling Lodge’s soccer games in high school. We go over a brief history of the USMNT @ World Cups. With Carter being a Boston College grad and our main man Matt Turner playing for New England, we grill Carter on New England vocab in an entertaining segment. We gloss over the disaster of 2018 before diving into our main man. Carter deep dives into the career of USMNT goalkeeper Matt Turner, who he refers to as the most relatable man at the World Cup. Our discussion highlights the position battle that went on, namely the downfall of Zach Steffen.
Timeline
Introductions (0:00)
Main man: Walker Zimmerman (2:15)
Connor’s pro soccer dreams (7:00)
Zimmerman’s USMNT rise (10:50)
Connor’s favorite soccer cultures (14:00)
Zimmerman’s performance (16:30)
American soccer update (19:45)
Rapid Fire British Vocab (27:00)
The big thing: The Implications of a Qatar World Cup (32:00)
Christian Lee and Lodge Dils are joined by casual fan Connor Wilson, the man aspiring to be MLS’s first player-owner. The boys talk about the career of Walker Zimmerman, divulge into Connor’s favorite soccer cultures, and why a strong performance for Zimmerman would be big for the perception of MLS. The show dips into an update on American soccer before Connor gets grilled on British sayings. Finally, we need to talk about Qatar, and the implications its timing has on the players. Namely, we debate what is preferable: the rust of MLS guys or the fatigue of the European based players.
Christian Lee and Lodge Dils are rejoined by casual fan Joe Bertsche to introduce the bounce pass king himself: USMNT Head Coach Gregg Berhalter. We talk about Gregg's career before coaching the US, the controversy surrounding his hiring and the ups and downs of his tenure thus far. After breaking down his strengths and weaknesses, Bertsche imparts his soccer knowledge with a rapid fire vocabulary session on basic gameplay and rules. We wrap up with a discussion on the role of the international manager, and get into the early leaks regarding the World Cup roster.
Christian Lee and Max Heath are joined by casual soccer fan and American Soccer Crash Course enthusiast Caroline Danos to discuss an issue of paramount importance: who will start at center forward and score the goals for the USMNT at the World Cup? The crew looks at the candidates and breaks them into 4 groups: left at home, on the plane, on the bench and the starter. Arguments are weighed, decisions are made, and in the end, some dreams are crushed. Next, Caroline and Max test their knowledge of the first 6 episodes of the show in our midterm exam. We wrap up with a detailed analysis of what really matters: vibes. Caroline assesses the vibes of our four candidates as the end all be all for their World Cup dreams.
Christian Lee and Lodge Dils are rejoined by casual fan Mack Zern to talk about the career of USMNT player Tyler Adams and points of strife within the USMNT fanbase. (2:00) The boys outline Tyler Adams’ upbringing and how he credits it for the person and player he is today. They talk about his development within the Red Bull system and how that influences his rabid play style. (21:00) Next, Mack gets grilled rapid fire on another round of English soccer terms. (29:00) We then dive into the dynamic of the USMNT fan base, namely the point of contention around team selection and the MLS in the USMNT squad. Lastly, we recommend the Players’ Tribune Article by Tyler Adams about his career: https://www.theplayerstribune.com/articles/tyler-adams-mls-new-york-red-bulls
Christian and Lodge look to tackle another starlet of this young and budding US team: Serginio Dest. Using Dest's story, we talk about player transfers in soccer and highlight why transfers have been crucial to the USMNT of late. Additionally, we go into a detailed comparison between the transfer system and how Americans sports use drafting, trades and free agency.
Christian and Lodge are joined by ball-knowing friend of the pod Brian Koscianski and casual fan Jack Koch. We break down the USA’s #2 man: Weston McKennie. The boys look to build upon last week’s discussion of the European movement and its importance for our talent pool. We follow up with a pop quiz in some southern slang, in honor of McKennie. After covering the highlights of another eventful young career, we wrap up by discussing finding your level, and how integral it can be to a soccer player’s entire development.
Christian and Lodge are joined by super-sub Max Heath and casual fan Joe Bertsche to discuss US Soccer's Captain America: Christian Pulisic. After taking a look at how USMNT players are performing for their clubs, the boys discuss any changes to their prospective lineups for the World Cup before taking a deep dive into the trailblazing career path of Christian Pulisic. Finally, we go into a rapid fire “Best of Christian Pulisic” segment, noting the highlights from his still young career.
Lodge and Christian are joined by casual fan Mack Zern to overview the framework of club soccer. The boys outline why the club game is inseparable from the international game, and how the upcoming month of club games will be vital for team USA. We have Mack take his best shot at translating English commentator phrases before our first ever "Explain in NBA Terms" segment. Finally, we give our picks for this weekend's biggest club games.
Lodge and Christian are joined by our first casual fan, Max Heath. We dissect why the US got so outmatched by Japan in the 2-0 loss, including a "for dummies" explanation of the tactics involved. We introduce defender Aaron Long and discuss his precarious position in the team, while highlighting his competition for the starting spot in defense. Finally, we examine whether adherence to a system is of benefit to this US team heading into the World Cup.
The "syllabus" episode for the American Soccer Crash Course. Lodge Dils and Christian Lee introduce our plans for the podcast, where we look to take the casual US Men's Soccer fan from Tim Howard to today as the 2022 World Cup draws near. Casuals wanted.