VfB Stuttgart Americana: Recent Episodes
Travis, Jeffrey, Austin, & Matt
An English language, American-based Bundesliga fan podcast discussing VfB Stuttgart - the Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893! Covering the club from afar with a foreign point of view, our views are unofficial, uninformed, and unprepared! Join us as we unofficially dive into everything we know (which is different than everything there IS to know!) about one of the most traditional and most exciting clubs in all of the Bundesliga, Europe, and the world! Reach us on Twitter @HazelFisch, @HennesLover, & @AuzSwerdt
It's our first ever summer episode and we apologize about so much ... our pre-season predictions, our new format, our ... well ... everything... BUT we do give our thoughts on how bad our preseason picks were waaaaaay back in August and what we think about the present matches here in June!
There's not time stamp because we don't know how to do one!
In one of our longest episodes to date, Matt, Ted, and Travis ramble on about one of single greatest seasons in memory!
The guys chat about the Frauen's success, Jeffrey Gaston joining the brustring, and hand out award after award after award. And then some more awards. And then a few more. It's their longest episode ever ... but can you blame them after what an amazing season this has been?!
Episode Intro - 0:00-2:37
Part One - Shout Outs - 2:47-15:27
Part Two - Memories & Awards - 15:37-1:53:45
Episode Bonus & Exit - 1:53:55 to End
Due to some uploading issues we've had we are re-uploading episode 123 back up into the interweb as two parts. If you were able to listen to this episode already, there's nothing new here but we're attempting to upload this in two parts to get it back on good 'ol Spotify! Anyway ... Part Two of this episode includes our usual Part Three News & Q's while there's no Part Four since there's no upcoming VfB match. Can we possibly make this more confusing?!
Due to some uploading issues we've had we are re-uploading episode 123 back up into the interweb as two parts. If you were able to listen to this episode already, there's nothing new here but we're attempting to upload this in two parts to get it back on good 'ol Spotify! Anyway ... Part One includes Shout Outs while Part Two breaks down the VfBBMG match!
Matt and Travis start off Episode 123 with an ode to one of the more popular soccer tunes in Germany right now and hope against hope they can avoid any and all negative legal action!
An extended Part One gives Shout Outs to nearly everyone as the guys celebrate OFC Americana winners as well as VfB winners, namely the U21 team for earning promotion to the third tier! Along the way, hellos are given to newbies Nick and Justin while goodbyes are said to short-timers like Genki and long-timers like Gerhard. Part One ends with some fatherly words of wisdom for pod member Ted as well as some more pathetic product placement!
Part Two celebrates yet another win in what has been a record-breaking season the likes of which has rarely - if ever - been seen! The guys give the requisite love to Serhou's goals, Woo's resurgence, and the made-for-tv movie that has become the last month of the season for the one and only Silas. That's not to say the defense is ignored, as some attention is given to the defense, in particular Hiroki, Walde, and Alex, but to paraphrase Alex, we move on in order to take a well-earned adult beverage break!
Part Three's News & Q's starts with the big news that five of the fellas in white and red have made the provisional German squad, that Leo and Jamie are now permanent wearers of the brustring, and that the OFC Bracket of Significance is coming down to a very predictable finish. Questions, meanwhile, deal with what second place really means, what the podcast crew does during the off-season, and the eternal question - who would win in a match between Homburg and ... Hamburg.
As there's no VfB match next week, there's no Part Four, but just because VfB's season is over doesn't mean OUR season is over! Indeed, we'll be back next week with some end of season analysist, awards, and interviews that, to paraphrase Sebastian, will leave you speechless!
Mostly because we'll probably interview Ted's speechless newborn. BUT IT WILL BE AN EXCLUSIVE!
Episode Introduction - 0:00-2:20
Part One - Shout Outs - 2:30-19:09
Part Two - VfB:BMG - 19:19-37:56
Part Three - News & Q's - 38:14-1:15:37
Episode Exit - 1:15:38-1:16:19
Photo courtesy of VfB.de
It's another victory pod and another three points, so the trio of Matt, Ted, and Travis break down yet another glorious match result.
And ignore their own mom's in doing so!
Part One's Shout Outs are given to the Frauen, VfB II, Sasa's brother, and old friends Carlos and the now retired Simon.
Part Two's look at the match against Augsburg starts off giving some love - again! - to the travelling supporters and then dives into the play of several individuals, from Leo to Enzo to Serhou to Alex.
Part Three's News & Q's provide some happy birthdays, pondering Fabian's potential promotion, and our Bracket of Significance that is forcing us to make some agonizing VfB choices.
Part Four is yet another optimistic look at an upcoming match, this time the final home match of the season against a Gladbach team that quite literally has nothing to play for.
Just like these guys quite literally have nothing better to do on Mother's Day than chat VfB! So join them as they ignore their actual families to celebrate a record breaking season!
Episode Introduction - 0:00-2:17
Part One - Shout Outs - 2:27-13:16
Part Two - FCA:VfB - 13:26-38:49
Part Three - News & Q's - 38:59-1:09:09
Part Four - VfB:BMG - 1:09:19-1:18:05
Episode Exit - 1:18:06-1:18:47
Photo courtesy of VfB.de
WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE!
To celebrate VfB's win and Champions League entry, we bring in the champions of this podcast, Matt, Rob, Ted, and Travis, to chat up what was not only an amazing match, but an amazing season.
As such, this episode is way, way too long and is one of our longest - if not the longest - regular season episode ever. Apologies! BUT NOT SORRY!
In Part One, Shout Outs go to Kevin and Julia for calling a great match as well as to VfB II and the Frauen who continue to dominate!
Part Two is a cluster of voices as the four guys try to contain their excitement regarding the big win - and big season - but simply cannot. The match, the players, the coach, and the fence are all brought up in one of the longest match game break-downs ever!
Part Three is a look at News & Q's and thankfully, it's mostly good news! Leo's extension and Silas' future role headline the Q's, but Matt throws in some educational info about bananas that will no doubt help any and all who attend a future VfB match!
Part Four looks at the upcoming match on the road versus Augsburg and ... let's be honest ... the guys hardly care.
But do you?!
Episode Intro - 0:-1:40
Part One - Shout Outs - 1:50-10:37
Part Two - FCB:VfB - 10:47-58:31
Part Three - News & Q's - 58:41-1:31:00
Part Four - FCA:VfB - 1:31:10-1:44:29
Episode Exit - 1:44:29-end
Matt and Travis are back to attempt to break down a match that, as Daxo posted on instagram and we borrowed for this episodes cover art, was, well, somewhat questionable.
Be that as it may, the guys start Part One's Shout Outs by celebrating the Frauen while wondering what could have happened had VfB II held on to it's early lead over their local rivals, the Kickers.
Part Two looks at the loss - or was it a draw? - on the road to one of the best teams in all of Europe and Matt, who actually watched the match, tries to fill in Travis on what he missed during what was, at times, a dominating VfB performance. And of course most of this section also looks at the performance of our new favorite Felix, one Mr. Zwayer!
Part Three's News & Q's is pretty brief, with news regarding the on-loan players and our Player of Significance Bracket while questions concerning Matt and Travis' favorite horror film take place as well, which is obviously the 1971 classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
What?
Part Four wraps up with a look at the upcoming match versus Bayern, a club in (relative) turmoil and perhaps - perhaps - ripe for the taking.
It's a Monday Moaning episode if ever there was one!
And check out our Bracket and put in your vote here: https://vfbamericana.weebly.com/polls.html!
Episode Introduction - 0:00-2:18Part One - Shout Outs - 2:28-8:52Part Two - B04:VfB - 9:02-30:45Part Three - News & Q's - 30:55-46:12Part Four - VfB:FCB - 46:22-57:52Episode Exit - 57:53-58:34
Photo courtesy of Daxo!
The guys are so distraught that that don't even do the bare minimum - record an episode together!
Travis goes solo and attempts to chat up the match, the questions, and the upcoming game.
Yeah ... it's 29 minutes of your life you'll never get back ... but at least their attendance streak keeps going!
It's official... we're going to Europe! And to celebrate the international clinching win, Ted and Travis break down what turned out to be a convincingly comfortable - and somewhat boring - win over SGE that has - let's say it again! - officially secured VfB's international status next season!
Part One's Shout Outs go to the Frauen, some VfB newcomers, and the VfB shop for making a bunch of baby items just in time for a podcast newborn on the way!
Part Two looks at the win over Frankfurt, focusing on the offensive prowess of Serhou and Deniz as well as the defensive play of Fabi and Captain Anton. Not to be forgotten, Ata's 100th game, Jamie's unintentional nutmeg, and records being set left and right by the boys in white and red.
Part Three's New's & Q's chats up the arena renovations, the extended loan of Alex, and what role - if any - Christian Gentner may play in the upper management going forward.
Part Four is a look at the upcoming match versus Bremen and not surprisingly the guys are still basking in the optimism of a record breaking jungundwild season!
Episode Introduction - 0:2:59
Part One - Shout Outs - 3:09-11:09
Part Two - VfB:SGE - 11:19-38:33
Part Three - News & Q's - 38:43-52:40
Part Four - SVW:VfB - 52:50-1:08:59
Episode Exit - 1:09:09-1:10:05
Photo courtesy of VfB.de
Ted and Travis break down the recent match versus BVB in which the boys in white and red continue to - wait for it - ECLIPSE all pre-season expectations!
Part One's Shout Outs include some love to Hansa loanee Juan, Part Two looks at the big win on the road in which VfB blew out the BVB 50th birthday celebrations with some incredibly impressive - and at times cynical - football. WHICH WE LOVED!
Part Three's News & Q's rehashes the same 'ol same 'ol - drama in the front office - and ponders who the guys hope to keep come next year. Meanwhile, Part Four deals with the next match, a home contest versus Eintracht.
All that and a solar eclipse, too!
Episode Introduction - 0:00-3:35
Part One - Shout Outs - 3:45-9:35
Part Two - BVB:VfB - 9:45-35:29
Part Three - News & Q's - 35:39-51:13
Part Four - VfB:SGE - 51:23-61:50
Episode Exit - 61:50-end
Photo courtesy of VfB.de
It's an up and down episode appropriate for what was an up and down match, the exasperating but exhilarating 3:3 draw at home for match 1,000.
Before the guys look at the match, Part One's Shout Outs ponder the table status of VfB II, the Stuttgarter Kickers, and the sharp looking warm-up kit the club broke out to celebrate match 1,000 in the stadium.
Part Two looks at the match, as there is much to celebrate - the gorgeous first half, Angelo's first VfB goal, and Deniz's dramatic come-from-behind goal in added time - but an equal amount to criticize - Alex's unusually shaky play, Silas' decision making, and most of all, the lack of focus by the guys in white and red after earning a 2:0 lead. Part Two's segment wraps up with a consideration of just how much - or little - the upper-management drama is impacting the play on the pitch or, at the very least, the experience in the stadium before taking a deep breath and considering how, in the big picture, 2024 has just been a brilliant run for the jungundwild.
Part Three's News & Q's congratulate the fellas that made the German national team, consider the continued drama between the e.V. and the A.G., and contrast some questions regarding is this the same 'ol VfB or is this a different VfB.
Part Four takes a look at the upcoming match on the road versus a resurgent BVB, a club hot on the heels of VfB's third place spot, and the guys are split on just how well next week's topspiel is gonna go.
All that and a special question from a bot!
Episode Introduction - 0:00-1:33
Part One: Shout Outs - 1:43-7:00
Part Two: VfB:FCH - 7:10-39:57
Part Three: News & Q's - 40:07-57:56
Part Four: BVB:VfB - 58:06-1:03:13
Episode Exit - 1:03:13-end
Photo courtesy VfB.de
It's a lengthy and at times pedantic episode full of celebration, congratulation, and as the fellas are want to do, confusion!
Part One's Shout Outs congratulate the Frauen on taking out derby rival KSCII, a history lesson on Bad Cannstatt's seal, and why the Man of the Match this week probably should have been titled "the travelling supporters of the match!"
Part Two starts up doing just that, as Matt and Travis celebrate the absolute dominance of not just the guys in white and red, but the dominance of the away support decked out in ALL red, turning Sinsheim into a VfB loving town for at least a day! And what a day it turned out to be, as Chris, Serhou, Deniz, and Enzo - among others - all put on a heck of a show in earning VfB's first win at Hoffenheim since the immortal Martin Harnik kicked the team to victory! Yes, THE Martin Harnik!
Part Three's News and Q's starts of with some congratulations to four - FOUR! - members of the team that are wearing the national team kit and will hopefully see the pitch in the upcoming friendlies versus France and the Netherlands. Part Three then dives into a huge issue that is, quite frankly, confusing to most American supporters ... so Matt and Travis attempt to add even MORE confusion to the issue by explaining - from 4,000 miles away - what seems to be going down with the eV, the AG, and all the initials in-between. Oy. Finally - and thankfully! - episode 115 wraps up answering some questions regarding if VfB will ever lose again, elder abuse, American watch parties, and finally Germany's fancy new pink kit.
It's a lengthy episode that may in fact be one of the fellas' most controversial episodes as they offer actual OPINIONS. YIKES!
Episode Intro - 0:2:38
Part One - Shout Outs - 2:48-7:03
Part Two - TSG:VfB - 7:13-29:27
Part Three - News & Q's Part 1 - 29:37-36:06
Part Three - News & Q's Part 2 - 36:16-1:13:46
Episode Exit - 1:13:47-end
Photo courtesy of Imago
It's yet another victory podcast as Matt and Travis celebrate by actually purchasing actual equipment to help them sound better ... even if the content of their sound is the usual level of lousiness!
Part One Shout Out's go to ESPN+ announcer Kevin for nailing VfBingo, the Frauen for opening up the second half of their season with a win, and pondering some new items in the VfB shop.
Part Two breaks down the match versus former bogey team FC Union and the guys try to use some of the major talking points of the match - counter-pressing and link-up play. In doing so, they give some love to the masked man that is Anthony, praise Alex, continue to be in awe of the rapport of Maxi and Chris on the left side, and, of course, continue to marvel at the play of the one and only Serhou.
Part Three's News and Q's looks at some new contract extensions - with an obvious focus on one particular member of the Hoeneß family - and then answer questions we never thought we'd ever have to answer regarding ... the Champions League. What. A. Season!
Part Four wraps up with a look at the upcoming match against a now depleted Hoffenheim before thanking the 1910s for giving us the gift that is daylight savings time. Yikes.
Like we mentioned, we may sound better, but that doesn't mean we are better!
Episode Introduction - 0:2:13
Part One - Shout Outs - 2:14-6:40
Part Two - VfB:FCU - 6:50-31:14
Part Three - News & Q's - 31:24-59:42
Part Four - TSG:VfB - 59:52-68:23
Episode Exit - 68:23-end
Photo courtesy of Baumann
It's episode 113 as Matt and Travis celebrate a first road win at Wolfsburg in almost two decades!
Matt, back from across the pond, helps Travis give some Part One Shout Outs to the Frauen, ponder a visit to Ulm, and consider some of the new items in the VfB team shop.
[Note: we had some slight sound issues that we modified before the start of Part Two ... we don't sound any smarter but hopefully we sound a little better!]
Part Two's look at the solid win at WOB breaks the match down into two parts, defense and offense, and the guys give some praise to the all-out leadership of Captain Waldy, the play of newbie Anthony, and how the team is still missing the enormous presence of DJ Daxo. Offensively, Chris and Maxi somehow overshadow near-record goal scorer Serhou while the guys wonder if VfB is playing too ... playful? The segment ends with a look at the upcoming schedule and why Deniz's somewhat controversial comment a few weeks ago turned out to be, well, not controversial at all.
Headlines and Questions in Part Three include rumors regarding Porsche, the opening of the full stands at MHP Arena, whether Serhou's arse-kicking celebration should become a thing, and how this season has changed everyone's goals ... including that of those playing on the pitch.
Part Four's Odds and Predictions is yet another optimistic look at the coming match day, this time a home match versus the club VfB shall forever be tied to - FC Union Berlin.
And we even fix our sound after Part One. How's THAT for professionalism?!
Introduction - 0:00-1:38
Part One - Shout Outs - 1:48-9:11
Part Two - WOB:VfB - 9:21-33:17
Part Three - News & Q's - 33:27-52:02
Part Four - VfB:FCU - 52:12-56:09
Exit - 56:09-end
Photo courtesy of VfB.de
Episode 112 covers the disappointing draw to the relegation threatened Billy Goats and so who better than Hennes supporter Jake from @50PlusDoner to check in to give us a bit of an outsider's view on how the match - and the season - are going for the fellas in white and red.
Part One gives Shout Outs to the VfB Frauen, the ESPN+ announcing team, and, of course, Gil Dias.
Of course.
Part Two breaks down the home draw to KOE, and both Jake and Travis take a look at how the season has gone for both clubs, the match, and statements of VfB team leaders post-match, before trying to predict the future for both clubs.
Part Three's Headlines & Questions cover the DFL vote as well as, with only 11 matches to go, the increasing expectations on the team. The segment ends with Questions comparing the run of 1. FC Köln back in 2016/2017 to that of VfB Stuttgart this season and Jake offers some words of warning - and wisdom - regarding the latter.
Part Four's look at the upcoming match against Wolfsburg ends with a positive prediction by both Jake and Travis, though Travis throws out an odd reason why he thinks VfB's offense may get into gear on the road - a goalie named Alex.
It's a somewhat Hennes-heavy episode complete with some interesting thoughts from a VfB outsider on the current state of all things brustring!
Episode 112 Introduction: 0:00-1:32
Part One - Shout Outs: 1:42-7:39
Part Two - VfB:KOE: 7:49-24:29
Part Three - News & Questions: 24:39-37:40
Part Four - WOB:VfB: 37:50-52:12
Episode 112 End: 52:12-end
Photo courtesy of VfB.de
Episode 111 has the return of Rob for his Wisconsin hattrick!
Part One Shout Outs celebrate Juan, Thomas, and the fancy new VfB windbreaker!
Part Two looks at the gritty versus pretty win at Darmstadt, where the fellas in white and red overcame a break in the action, a red card, and a physical opponent.
Part Three ponders - once again - just how good this season can end!
Part Four wraps up the episode with a look at another struggling bottom tier team, the impossible to root against Billy Goats from Cologne. Impossible to root for aside from this week, that is!
Episode Introduction - 0:00-1:08
Part One - Shout Outs - 1:18-4:47
Part Two - SVD:VfB - 4:57-29:03
Part Three - Headlines & Questions - 29:13-38:28
Part Four - VfB:KOE - 38:38-52:42
Episode End - 52:43-53:24
Rob joins us as our resident Mainz expert to chat about the biggest event on Sunday ... in the entire world!
In Part One, we Shout Out the VfB shop, ponder the color beige, and give some praise to the current MOTM! Then we break down two matches, the heartbreaking loss to Bayer in the Pokal and then the affirming win at home over relegation threatened Mainz.
Part Three and Four, dives into News, Headlines, and Questions as well as a look at the upcoming match versus relegation threatened SVD.
protests in the stands versus the DFL and then look at just how far up the table VfB could finish this current season. The episode finishes up with a look at the next match, where Rob and Travis are both optimistic the boys in white and red can continue the good times!
NOTE: This is the same episode as the previous Part One and Part Two that was posted yesterday (2/11/2024). Due to changes in the way our platform allows editing, there will be some technical changes in the coming weeks/months, so apologies for the double-posting of this particular episode!
Photo courtesy of VfB.de
Episode 109 covers the big win over rival SC Freiburg in a match that may or may not have been a derby.
Part One Shout Outs go the Frauen for coming back with some friendly success but especially to club legend Robert Schlienz who would have celebrated his 100th birthday just a few days ago.
Part Two looks at the big win over Freiburg, a win that was convincing to everyone but Matt and Travis! Before that, though, the guys throw some praise to DJ Daxo and his impact both on and off the pitch for the boys in the brustring. In terms of the match, the guys break down the goals scored, concerning issues on defense, and just how well the jungundwild were able to respond to the very, very physical play of the team from Baden.
Part Three’s News & Headlines welcome back Hiroki and Serhou from international play, some money thanks to old friend Orel, and a newbie to VfB who isn’t new to the Bundesliga, Mahmoud Dahoud. In terms of Questions, the guys give their feedback regarding praise for Maxi, Alex, and of course Deniz before wondering how many of them will be playing for the national team in the coming months.
Part Four wraps up with a look at the big week ahead, the Pokal match at Bayer and then Bundesliga matchday 21 versus a struggling and relegation threatened Mainz 05. Not surprisingly, the Negative Ned that is Travis pours some cold water on the coming two matches but thankfully Matt’s optimism saves the day not just for VfB, but for everyone listening to this episode!
Episode Introduction - 0:00-1:10
Part One - Shout Outs - 1:20-6:04
Part Two - SCF:VfB - 6:14-31:00
Part Three - News, Headlines, and Questions - 31:10-56:22
Part Four - B04:VfB and VfB:M05 - 56:32-1:03:35
Closing - 1:03:35-end
Photo courtesy of VfB.de
It's a celebratory episode as Rob joins Travis to chat the big, big win over RBL!
Part One’s Shout Outs throw some praise to Legos, vice-champion Chris, and the pronunciation king that is Derek Rae for being the first commentator to nail VfBingo!
Part Two is a lengthy look at an historic match - the first time VfB has ever beaten RB Leipzig … and boy howdy, what a win it was! The guys break the match down with their usual alliteration, covering items such as focus, flexibility, finishing, and, finally, the feeding of the fellas off of the Stuttgart home cooking! From Rouault’s defense to Enzo playing as a #6 to Jamie up front and finally to the loud and proud home crowd, there was a lot to celebrate, and the guys do their best to do just that.
Part Three’s News, Headlines, and Questions cover the international play of the guys in Africa and Asia as well as the impact of that sweet, sweet, Porsche money as well as fun phrases like “Turbo for Talent,” Global Brand Alliance, the Federal Cartel Office, and whatever the heck “future proof” means! The segment wraps up with Questions in which listeners ask how euphoric this win may have been as well as the importance of this particular victory.
Part Four concludes with a look at the next match, a trip on the road to another top table competitor, Baden rival SC Freiberg.
All that and Rob tells us why he’s so so happy - combination of VfB’s success and tasty, tasty maultaschen! - while Derek's audio ends episode 108 with some commentary we can all agree upon!
Introduction - 0:00-1:23
Part One - Shout Outs - 1:33-6:55
Part Two - VfB:RBL - 7:05-35:27
Part Three - News, Headlines, & Questions - 35:37-48:46
Part Four - SCF:VfB - 48:56-59:22
Conclusion - Derek Rae & Maultaschen - 59:22-end
Cover photo courtesy of VfB.de
Episode 107 has Matt and Travis break down a second straight disappointing loss in which they spend most of their time trying to dissect exactly what happened with the biggest controversy of 2024 ... Bochum and Bannergate!
Part One's Shout Outs ponder a Sasa versus Luca battle and whether the bird that was given extensive screen time during the match delay should have been the real Man of the Match.
Part Two uses the letter "B" to frame the loss on the road to Bochum and includes talking points like "boring," "bad," and of course ... "banners"! And just like the match this weekend, an inordinate amount of time is spent on how the banner situation not only caused a conflict amongst the travelling VfB supporters and the Bochum stadium staff, but our own OFC as well. WOW!
Part Three's News, Headlines, and Questions congratulate Silas for scoring in international play and wonder what impact the banner delay had on the guys and whether VfB will ever score ... ever again.
Part Four is a longer than usual look at the upcoming opponent, RBL, although the fellas spend more time considering how good this season has been overall than actually analyzing the match next weekend.
All that and Travis almost gets knocked out by a giant VfB crest. How's that for drama?!
Episode Introduction - 0:00-1:16
Part One - Shout Outs - 1:26-4:28
Part Two - BOC:VfB - 4:38-27:26
Part Three - News, Headlines, & Questions - 27:36-35:09
Part Four - VfB:RBL - 35:19-45:18
In our first episode of 2024, Matt and Travis record like it's 1924 with some sound quality harkening back to the early days of this program.
Sigh.
Part One's Shout Outs say hello to old friend Sasa and goodbye to our website, WIX. Oh the good times we had!
Part Two breaks down the loss on the road to 'Gladbach using Deniz' post match quote "I don't know if it's bad luck or if I'm just too bad" to look at the start, missed chances, the lineup, and countering BMG's, well, counters.
Part Three's News & Headlines cover the international play of Serhou, Silas, Hiroki, and Woo-Yeong, the contract extensions of Enzo and Waldy, and the potential signing of a newcomer from up north. Meanwhile, the guys ponder Questions regarding goal scoring, table goals, and how great episode 105 was (compared to this one!).
Part Four wraps looks at another match on the road, this time at Bochum, a club with an impressive home form may be a cause for concern. That being said, the guys wrap up the episode as the always do - cautiously optimistic and somehow comparing German football to American football!
Enjoy the cave-like sound of episode 106! (Seriously, apologies for the sound ... the guys tried a new, better* method that ... well ... yeah)
Episode Introduction - 0:00-3:39
Part One - Shout Outs - 3:49-9:48
Part Two - BMG:VfB - 9:58-28:34
Part Three - News, Headlines, & Questions - 28:44-44:55
Part Four - BOC:VfB - 45:05-56:52
(Photo courtesy of Bild)
It's episode 105 and Matt and Travis decide to celebrate an amazing first half of the season by having on of the major voices of the Bundesliga in America, ESPN's very own Derek Rae!
The trio first take a look at how the VfB season has gone so far and get Derek's thoughts on the VfB surprises, storylines, and the biggest question of the day ... maultaschen or spaetzle?!
WHY NOT BOTH?!
The guys then move on to Hinrunde awards, ranging from relatively easy (Offensive Player of the Hinrunde) to relatively difficult (Newcomer of the Hinrunde) and conclude with what Derek would gift all VfB supporters out there if he could place a big white and red present under the Stuttgart holiday tree!
Thanks to everyone who listened in 2023 and we'll chat again in 2024!
That's a promise ... and a threat!
Part One - Intro - 0:00-2:44
Part Two - Hinrunde Review - 2:54-32:52
Auld Lang Syne - 33:02-end
Well, so much a top spiel, eh?
Oh well, on to Augsburg!
But before that happens, Matt and Travis take a quick - super quick - look back at the match that was billed as the top game of the weekend but ... yeah.
To get the episode in, the guys skip the usual segments, so no Shout Outs or News, Headlines, & Questions for episode 104. That's what you get for losing!
With that in mind, the fellas jump right in and breakdown the match at Bayern and focus on the three "B's" - Boring, Bayern, and Boo. Boo as in "boo boring"? Boo "Bayern"? Or boo "losing"? YES!
The shortest episode we've ever done wraps up with a look at another regional rival, the flaming pineapples from Augsburg!
It's the shortest episode ever, which means it's clearly in the running for our best episode ever!
Episode 104
Part One - FCB:VfB - 0:00-24:42
Part Two - VfB:FCA - 24:42-end
To borrow from the head coach of one of the hottest teams in Germany - ours! - it's a "joyful" episode as Matt and Travis look back at two great results against two great clubs!
Part One shout outs go out to former VfBers Sean Dundee, Gil Dias, and poor, poor Luca Pfeiffer.
Part Two breaks down the two big matches that took place over the week, the Pokal win over Dortmund and the exciting draw versus Bayer. The guys look at the matches through the lens of a few major talking points, from domination to defense and from confidence to missed chances.
Part Three's News, Headlines, & Questions include looking at some movement rumors, potential VfB national team players, the DFL's new investment plan, Daxo responding to one of our tweets, and the most shocking news of the week - VfB giving away almost $100,000! WHAT?! After that shocking news, the guys answer some listener questions regarding winter transfers, the amazing play of Maxi Mittelstädt, and whether Matt can go at least one episode without talking about Michigan beating Ohio State a few weeks ago.
Teaser: No, no he can't!
Part Four wraps up the episode with a look at yet another top match, this one on the road versus Sebastian, Woo, Angelo, and Alex's old team - a plucky little club named Bayern Munich.
All that and all the Ohio slander you could ever want!
Episode Introduction - 0:00-2:41
Part One - Shout Outs - 2:51-6:40
Part Two - VfB:BVB, VfB:B04 - 6:50-30:48
Part Three - News, Headlines, & Questions - 30:58-56:48
Part Four - FCB:VfB - 56:58-end
Ted and Travis break down yet another VfB win, use alliteration along the way, and have a pretty cool non-VfB related news bite to share as the pod winds down.
But before episode 102 ends - thankfully! - the guys give some Part One shout outs to Juan Perea for helping take down bitter rival KSC as well as the three regional supporter groups who held watch parties for this big win.
Part Two breaks down win number 10 - ten! - with a focus on VfB's domination, the striker duo, Stuttgart's depth, and finally - and possibly most importantly - deceptive cabbage!
Part Three's News & Headlines take a look at the goalie situation and Alex Wehrle's recent interview while Questions' focus on whether the club should alter their season goals while Ted throws out some happy news regarding the newest VfB supporter in the U.S. of A.!
Part Four is a quick look at a busy week for the jungundwild as they host two top clubs, BVB in the Pokal and then B04 for matchday #14. After 101 episodes you'd think the guys would be worried about what's coming down the Bundesliga road BUT caught up in the euphoria of this season - and loaded up with plenty of cabbage - they're waaaaaay more optimistic than usual and are thus in a very, very uncomfortable position.
Speaking of being uncomfortable, give it a listen!
Episode 102 Introduction - 0:00-2:00
Part One - Shout Outs - 2:10-7:17
Part Two - VfB:SVW - 7:27-25:08
Part Three - News, Headlines, & Questions - 25:18-53:32
Part Four - VfB:BVB & VfB:B04 - 53:42-end
In yet another victory episode, Ted joins Travis to celebrate the only winning thing in their entire lives!
NO HYPERBOLE THERE!
After a brief intro in which the guys chat up their favorite #9's, Part One includes shout outs to cleverly named OFC members, the Frauen's winning ways, and the OFC Man of the Match.
Part Two is a look back at a win on the road versus a team VfB usually struggles against, SGE. Along the way, the guys ponder the lack of home support, the jungundwild's fast start, the play of Deniz and Max, momentum shifts, Waldy's spectacular own goal, Serhou's uncharacteristic miss, the play of the defense, and how much the guys want - or don't want - to finish in the top four.
Part Three's News, Headlines, and Questions are light on News (which is usually good) but heavy on questions, including haircuts, Maxi Mittelstädt, table predictions, and actually looking forward to playing Bayer and Bayern. WHAT?!
Part Four looks at the upcoming match at home versus Bremen and, not surprisingly, the guys are overly optimistic heading into this one ... and after the way this season has gone, why the heck not?!
Part Five, a kind of surprise segment, sees the return of the "The World According to Auz," where Austin, the current podcast prediction leader, gives us his views on the upcoming Bundesliga matches.
Episode 101 is almost as good as our first ever episode which ... well ... yeah.
Episode 101 Introduction - 0:00-3:00
Part One - Shout Outs - 3:10-8:24
Part Two - SGE:VfB - 8:34-35:59
Part Three - News, Headlines, & Questions - 36:09-50:40
Part Four - VfB:SVW - 50:50-55:40
Part Five - Bundesliga Predictions - 55:50-end
Episode 100 is here and we try to bring in as many folks as possible to take a look back at what a wild ride it has been.
Are we talking about the podcast? Or VfB?
YES!
Matt and Aus get us started as both look back at, well, what got us started way back in 2020/2021, with Austin recollecting how the podcast took shape during the Covid years and Matt reminiscing how it worked out that we all ended up finding one another. Josh, Ted, and David then break down what it was like to get the OFC started and then actually meet face-to-face in Texas when VfB travelled to Austin a year ago. Rob then joins in the memories as the group covers some rapid fire Q and A regarding their favorite players, kits, and matches during the pod's 100 episode run!
It's not our best episode, but it's at least ... well, we made it to 100, so we've got that going for us!
We're back to our winning ways after a two match losing streak which means it's yet another victory pod ... which is something we're definitely getting used to!
Part One Shout Outs go to the ESPN crew for giving VfB the coverage love they oh-so-deserve, the VfB Frauen for yet another dominating performance, and the VfB Central Texas folks for having another watch party, making that two in a row for American supporters in the States.
Part Two is a chaotic look at the close - yet convincing - victory over BVB Dortmund. The guys ponder the enigma that is Dortmund, the depth of VfB, Sebastian's tactics, the return of Serhou, the emergence of Daxo, and this just all around great feeling that's coming out of Stuttgart nowadays.
Part Three is a brief look at News and Headlines and then some Q & A as the guys ponder who from VfB is up next for the national team, what's what with Serhou's future, who should be taking PK's the rest of the season, and why the fellas fear no other team in the league ... other than themselves.
What?
Part Four is ... barely a part at all! With two weeks until the next match, the guys skip the usual predictions to briefly chat about the upcoming episode 100, an episode they've had a ton of time to prepare for and yet are still in now way, shape, or form ready to record. Because they're just that prepared!
Episode 99 Introduction - 0:00-1:40
Part One - Shout Outs - 1:50-9:20
Part Two - VfB:BVB - 9:30-34:41
Part Three - News, Headlines, & Questions - 34:51-59:52
Part Four - Episode 100 Ideas - 60:02-end
In an feeling that's relatively unknown these days, the guys try to figure out how to handle a ... losing streak?! Joining the guys in trying to break the losing feeling is David, on for his third episode, who promises to help bring three points in the coming matches!
SO LET'S HOLD HIM TO IT!
Part One starts with shout outs to former VfB'ers Dino and his first (own) goal in the PL, the two watch parties in the USA, and Dan-Axel rocking the man of the match forms of late!
Before they get to the next match, the guys cover the two most recent matches in Part Two, the home win over Union Berlin and then the disappointing road loss at neighborhood newcomer FC Heidenheim. They break the Pokal match down into the "four D's" - desperation, Deniz, defense, and domination - and comment on how the boys in white and red thoroughly took down the struggling team from Berlin. In the end, they give some love to the Pokal and take a peek at the upcoming final 16 opponent, that little club from Dortmund.
Part Two then wraps up with a look at the disappointing loss to Heidenheim, a match in which the guys gave it their all, but the depleted roster just wasn't wasn't able to get the desired result. In the end, the guys ponder the form of Silas, the role of luck, and whether it's, as one publication posted, crisis time in Stuttgart!
Hint: It's not.
Part Three is the usual News, Headlines, and Questions, with the main headlines being the return of Serhou, the Porsche money, and kit sponsor WINAMAX making some waves with some odd social media posts. Meanwhile, the guys try to answer questions regarding penalty kicks, missing Enzo, the table placement, and what the roster might look like next season. Oy vey.
The upcoming home match versus BVB wraps up Part Four, with David adding some much needed positivity whereas Travis continues his usual predicting negativity. Which, based on his prediction record of late, may end up being a positive thing!
Episode 98 Introduction - 0:00-1:18
Part One - Shout Outs - 1:28-7:57
Part Two - VfB:FCU & FCH:VfB - 8:07-34:14
Part Three - News, Headlines, & Questions - 34:24-48:50
Part Four - VfB:BVB - 49:00-end
Episode 97 turns out NOT to be episode 100, as we had thought, so that, combined with the disappointing loss to non-derby team TSG Hoffenheim mean there's not much to celebrate.
But we attempt said celebration anyway! Even if we are mildly irritated because of the result on Saturday.
Part One's shout outs include calling out Derek Rae (sorta), continuing to be impressed by the VfB Frauen, and congratulating old friend Gil Dias for sticking around his Polish team!
Part One also has an extended shout out as we chat with the founder of the first regional OFC under the OFC Americana banner, Doug from VfB Youngstown! Doug pops on to tell us why, how, and where he founded the newest VfB OFC in the U.S.!
Part Three breaks down the disappointing - but spirited - match versus regional foe TSG. Along the way the guys anger everyone by chatting derby status, tradition, and then try to break the match down into the three D's - defense, Deniz, and disruption. Yay alliteration!
Part Four is the usual News, Headlines, and Questions, with the main headline being - you guessed it - Serhou's status. Questions, though, are all over the place, ranging from the annoyance level of this loss, the eyebrow-raising substitutions, and Jamie's level of play.
Part Five wraps up episode whatever this is with a look at the two upcoming matches, the home Pokal match versus struggling Union Berlin and then the first ever Bundesliga away match at neighborhood friend FC Heidenheim.
Enjoy a not-so-special episode that's close to 100!
Episode 97 Introduction - 0:00-1:13
Part One - Shout Outs - 1:23-9:06
OFC News - VfB Youngstown - 9:16-19:31
Part Two - VfB:TSG - 19:41-40:29
Part Three - News, Headlines, & Questions - 40:39-56:23
Part Four - VfB:FCU & FCH:VfB - 56:33-end
It's another victory pod as Matt and Travis try to balance the happiness of a big win over a bogey team versus the sadness of losing the best striker in all of Europe. ALL OF IT!
Part One are shout outs to Derek Rae's pronunciation, the VfB Frauen's dominance, the OFC Man of the Match, and the simple fact we aren't Schalke. Yikes.
Part Two looks at the big win over Union Berlin as the guys break down Serhou's play and absence, VfB's reaction to Union's physicality, the role of luck versus quality, how the team's success is impacting individual development, and the family-like atmosphere of the boys in white and red.
Part Three's News, Headlines, and Questions looks at Woo-Yeong's return, Serhou's injury, and why Matt and Travis disagree on how awesome - or disastrous - a top table finish might be for VfB. The segment wraps up with a chat about what we'll do for episode 100 ... which, spoiler alert, isn't much.
Episode 99 ends with Part Four's predictions regarding the next match versus a derby/non-derby team, TSG and old friend 'Rino, as the fellas try to figure out which run of form will continue - TSG's undefeated road streak or VfB's undefeated home streak?
Episode Introduction - 0:00-2:08
Part One - Shout Outs - 2:18-9:54
Part Two - FCU:VfB - 10:04-38:30
Part Three - News, Headlines, & Questions - 38:40-55:19
Part Four - VfB:TSG - 55:29-end
In this episode we agree with Serhou that we love Stuttgart ... almost as much as you love this podcast!
RIGHT?!
Oh well.
Anyway, Part One includes some Shout Outs to the undefeated VfB Frauen, the mystery that is Gil Dias, and the Man - or men? - of the Match, Serhou and Chris.
Part Two is a breakdown of the most recent match - a win! - and the guys add some new intro songs to mimic the continuing good times that is VfB! Along the way the fellas ponder what the heck is happening with the guys in white and red and if this is a new era where the club can play both physical and technical football ... sometimes at the same time. In the end, the match is broken down into four parts - Tiago versus Pascal, the 60' changes by Hoeneß, VAR, and finally the majesty that is the best striker in the Bundesliga, and possibly the entire freaking universe, the one and only Serhou Guirassy. The segment finally wraps up with a final look at the table - the top of the table, mind you - as the international break comes to the Bundesliga.
Part Three's News, Headlines, and Questions include a look at the recruitment of Alex, the gold medal of Woo-Yeong, and the upcoming schedule, from the Bundesliga to the Pokal to international matches, all of which includes a double-match versus Union Berlin as well as a number of players heading to their national teams, including the hottest winger in the league, the one and only Chris Führich. Listener questions are basically one big question - what's what with Serhou and his future - and in an attempt to calm everyone down, the guys lay out the January schedules of VfB, the winter transfer window, and the man of the hour, Serhou, and try to put a positive spin on what the future holds for all three. The segment ends with a guess as to how to celebrate the upcoming 100th episode of America's best - and worst as it turns out - VfB Stuttgart podcast.
Part Four is an admittedly weak attempt at predicting the upcoming match versus Union Berlin, a match that doesn't take place for another two weeks, but a match against a Champions League club that seems to be falling on some hard times of late.
Episode Introduction - 0:00-2:37
Part One - Shout Outs - 2:47-7:38
Part Two - VfB:WOB - 7:48-31:04
Part Three - News, Headlines, & Questions - 31:14-57:58
Part Four - FCU:VfB - 58:08-end
We start episode 94 with an ode to auld lang syne ... but set to the tune of VfB!
Ted joins the program to break down yet another big win, this time over the scrappy - but struggling - 1. FC Koln. Before getting there, though, the fellas throw out some shout outs to the first ever Cleveland VfB watch party ... even if some of the folks in attendance weren't quite sure what was what.
Part Two is a look at another win, and a win on the road, at that! They guys break the match down in three parts - the focus on Sehrou, the relatively rough play of VfB versus a physical Hennes, and the bold moves of the hottest manager in the Bundesliga, one Sebastian Hoeneß.
Part Three is a look at News, Headlines, and Questions, with a heavy focus on the latter in which we remember old friend Santi Ascacibar, give some love to goalkeeper Alex, get excited about newcomer Denis, create an emotionally healthy "List of Hate," and ponder what place VfB will end up on the table when all is said and done ... and why it will CLEARLY end with the Meisterschale in our hands!
Part Four is a preview of the match at home versus Wolfsburg, where both Ted and Travis are nervous ... but also optimistic. Or nervously optimistic?!
Episode Introduction - 0:00-2:55
Part One - Shout Outs - 3:05-11:42
Part Two - KOE:VfB - 11:52-30:53
Part Three - News, Headlines, and Questions - 31:03-55:35
Part Four - VfB:WOB - 55:45-End
The fellas start off yet another victory pod with a look back at what they were doing the last time VfB was off to this great of a start, the glory days of the mid-1990s!
Part One are some shout outs to former VfBers, the VfB frauen, Travis' long-lost VfB kit order, and the newly minted "Non-Sehrou Man of the Match" award recipient!
Part Two is a look back at yet another three point day, the home win over a scrappy Darmstadt club. Thanks to ESPN+ announcer Richard Hartman, the guys spend some time talking mentality and tactics before attempting to dive into what exactly it is that's allowing both the offense and defense to play so well this early in the season.
Part Three's News and Headlines include beer and brat rankings, Porsche money, and a look at what the heck is going on with old friend Sven over in the Netherlands. Yikes. The segment wraps up with some listener questions, including comparing Sehrou to some lesser known striker over in Munich, Sebastian's run of form, and how far can this club go?
Part Four ends with a crazy optimistic look at the next match, an away game against a club that is definitely hungry - much like their beloved billy goat mascot Hennes - for some home cooking.
Episode Introduction - 0:00-1:59
Part One - Shout Outs - 2:09-9:59
Part Two - VfB:SVD - 10:08-32:28
Part Three - News, Headlines, and Questions - 32:37-1:02:51
Part Four - KOE:VfB- 1:03:01-End
Man of the Match
Sehrou ... again! 70% of the OFC gave Sehrou his third straight OFC Man of the Match award while Enzo, who chalked up his second career Bundesliga goal, earned the "Non-Sehrou MotM" award! Congrats fellas!
It's yet ANOTHER victory pod and, to paraphrase the hottest goal scorer in the entire Bundesliga, "long may it continue!" Amen Sehrou, amen!
Part One includes shout outs to Matt's favorite carnival rides, Endo returning to say goodbye to his former teammates, and Austin for returning to the podcast!
Part Two is a breakdown of the big away win at Mainz where luck, health, and efficiency all came together to keep VfB at the top of the table for yet another week.
Part Three's News, Headlines, and Questions covers the recent AGM, Silas' body language, and have the recent departures of quality individuals actually helped make a more quality ... team?
Austin, a supporter of VfB's next opponent, headlines Part Four's preview and prediction of the upcoming home match versus recently promoted Darmstadt and provides a prediction that every VfB supporter is going to appreciate.
Like how we appreciate YOU for listening!
Episode Introduction - 0:00-2:51
Part One - Shout Outs - 3:01-13:03
Part Two - M05:VfB - 13:13-32:32
Part Three - News, Headlines, and Questions - 32:42-55:48
Part Four - VfB:SVD - 55:58-end
The guys start off with some fun math before diving into shout outs, a breakdown of another fantastic home result, taking on the news and headlines of the day, and finally a rather optimistic view of the first match after the international break, an away "affair" at Mainz.Ahem.
Part One Shout Outs go to the majesty of Fritzle versus KSC's warthog thing, Matt's wagering skills, former VfBers plying their trade in the 2.Bundesliga, Village Footy and VfB Omaha for winning the weekly OFC games, and Sehrou for winning his second consecutive Man of the Match award from the OFC!
Part Two is a look back at the big win versus SC Freiburg, another five goal match, but this time for the good guys in white and red. Key talking points include the defense, Alex's comeback, Chris as a poor-man's Arjen Robben, Sehrou's incredible run of form, Angelo's fantastic start, and Enzo's return. In the end, the fellas celebrate another great match, the fact four players were Player's of the Week, and the amazing job Sebastian has done as the head man since taking over.
Part Three are some goodbyes and hellos as the News and Headlines are dealt with, including a brief goodbye to travelling man Gil and much longer and much more heartfelt goodbye to long-time brustring wearer Borna, who's crosses and emotional goodbye will be remembered fondly for years to come. Hello's are offered to a new defender, a possible new sporting director, and an annual general meeting that could be pretty testy. Part Three ends with listener questions, including answers to whether Chris will ever pass the ball ever again, the offensive player's hunger to score, how Pascal has upped his game, and how long can Sehrou stay in Stuttgart (hint: forever!).
Part Four is a predictably optimistic look at the upcoming match after the break, an away "affair" at Mainz, a club that seems to be our bogey man but a club that VfB has really played well against in recent history.And both Travis and Matt forgot to talk about the tease - their connection to Green Day - and the status of their kit order. Which means now you have a reason to listen next time! HAHA! We win again!
Episode Introduction - 0:00-1:38
Part One - Shout Outs - 1:48-5:54
Part Two - VfB:SCF - 6:04-35:34
Part Three - News, Headlines, and Questions - 35:44-60:08
Part Four - M05:VfB - 60:18-64:54
Episode 93 is a bit of a reality check for Matt and Travis as the fellas attempt to find some positive in a 5:1 loss on the road.
Part One are some shout outs to made up opponents, old friend Sasa, and current hero Sehrou.
Part Two attempts to break down the loss by looking at the match in three parts - the good (Sehrou!), the bad (the subs), and the oy vey ugly (the defense) - and spending some time on the most veteran player on the team, Borna, and pondering his future with the club.
Part Three deals with news, headlines, and questions, and the guys welcome the new midfielder, Angelo, while answering some listener queries regarding our newest maliagned goalkeeper, Alex.
Part Four ends with a look at the upcoming match, a regional derby versus that club down south, SC Freiburg.
And it all wraps up with some calming words from Camp Counselor Matt!
Episode Introduction - 0:00-1:41
Part One - Shout Outs - 1:51-6:50
Part Two - RBL:VfB - 7:00-28:31
Part Three - News, Headlines, and Questions - 28:41-45:06
Part Four - VfB:SCF - 45:16-554:32
It's a victory pod as Matt and Travis celebrate VfB's status as not the greatest team in Germany but the greatest team in the entire world after the enormous 5:0 win over Bochum!
Part One consists of shout outs thrown toward Bundesliga Phil, OFC member Sam, and the newest OFC out there, the Ami Brigade!
Part Two breaks down the match - eventually - but first the fellas respond to the departures of two club stalwarts, LegENDO and Dinos, and attempt to give both an emotional and an analytical overview of their time with the club. Admitting that the Bochum win has made their leaving a bit easier to stomach, the guys then move on to the Bochum match and talk the lineup, the goals, and just a fun all-around day.
Part Three is a brief look at some News and Headlines, including the confirmed departure of Luca, the possible departure of Gil, the rumored arrival of certain American defensive players, and if Travis' jersey has shipped from the VfB store yet.
Part Four wraps up episode 92 with a look at the match on the road versus Leipzig, where the guys agree on the score, but disagree on the winning score.
OH THE CONTROVERSY!
Introduction - 0:00-2:33
Part One - Shout Outs - 2:44-7:10
Part Two - VfB:BOC - 7:20-36:14
Part Three - News & Headlines - 36:24-51:46
Part Four - RBL:VfB - 51:56-59:10
We are baaaaaaaaack!
Travis and Matt open up the 2023/2024 season by completely forgetting the 2023/2024 season is even beginning!
In Part One, the fellas explain exactly who they are and what they do (i.e., nobody and nothing!) before quickly moving on to Part Two where they break down what's happening both off and on the pitch. In looking at stuff off the pitch, they ponder the new scouting strategy, celebrate making the "Champions League of Investors" as rivals Mercedes and Porsche join white and red forces, and question the new kit logo sponsor, good 'ol WINAMAX. On the pitch, the guys say goodbye to some old friends, hello to some new ones, and take a look at the roster position by position and conclude with great humility that this is clearly the greatest roster in the history of the Bundesliga.
In Part Three, the guys get some OFC votes for pre-season awards on who will be the player of the season, the breakout player of the season, and most importantly how the season will end on the table. Finally, it's a brief look at the first match of the season, a home match versus Bochum, who just lost to a club that doesn't even exist!
Along the way we name drop some OFC members and revel in our new transitions, great moments from the VfB past two seasons! Which are way better than this episode, at least!
Introduction - 0:00-2:13
Part One: Shout Outs - 2:43-6:21
Part Two: Off & On the Pitch Previews - 6:56-45:04
Part Three: Pre-Season Awards & VfB:BOC Prediction - 45:27-61:06
In our final episode of the 2022/2023 season, the crew gets together to hand out some OFC awards to the jungundwild for what was both an exciting and (mostly) exhausting season!
In Part One through Three, Rob, Ted, and Hannes pop back on the program to give their thoughts on some of the awards. Rob covers Offensive Player of the Year, Player of the Year, and, possibly most importantly, the Player I'd Like to Have a Beer With! Ted takes on the Newcomer of the Year, Moment of the Year, and that always controversial Best Head of Hair awards. Finally, Hannes shares his views on the Better Luck Next Year player, the Player I Wish Hadn't Departed, and the Low Point of the Year. Which is a perfect segue for Part Four, when Matt and Travis reveal the results of the most anticipated awards show this side of the Oscar Awards!
Award Nominations
Low Point of the Season - Bruno's Run, Bruno's Hire, Sven Leaving, 'Rino Sacked
Better Luck Next Year - Juan, Lilian, Dan-Axel, LucaP
layer I Wish Hadn't Departed - Darko, Sasa, Mateo, Naouirou
Former Management Personnel I'd Like to Have a Beer With - 'Rino, Sven, Thomas, Michi
Management Personnel I'd Like to Have a Beer With - Sebastian, Philipp, Sami, Claus
OFC Discord Member of the Year - The Tall Dude, Stephan, Passmaster, David
OFC Twitter Member of the Year - Jens, VfBAmericana, Tim, Matt
Kit of the Year - Home, Away, Third, Special
High Point of the Year - Dino's Relegation Goal, Sebastian Hired, VfB:BVB 3:3, VfBinTexas
Best Head of Hair - Borna, Chris, Tanguy, Bruno
Newcomer of the Year - Josha, Gil, Dan-Axel
Defensive Player of the Year - Hiroki, Waldy, Dino, Wataru
Offensive Player of the Year - Wataru, Borna, Silas, Sehrou
Player I'd Like to Have a Beer With - Dino, Wataru, Borna, Fabian
Player of the Season - Borna, Dino, Sehrou, Wataru
Introduction - 0:00-3:55 Part One with Rob - 4:05-15:39
Part Two with Ted - 15:49-26:30
Part Three with Hannes - 26:40-35:10
Part Four Awards with Matt and Travis - 35:20-1:34:40
In this episode Matt and Travis focus only on the positive and ignore any and all negativity and take Waldi's words to heart and celebrate the moment!
In Part One, the fellas shout out D Rae, the word "bro," Enzo's fourth Man of the Match award, and finally give a solemn goodbye to HSV.
In Part Two, the guys break down the final match of the year and focus on nothing but positivity ... which even includes praising Tim Walter! Along the way, the goal of survival, Chris' resurgence, Sehrou's goals, Flo's reactions, Sebastian's adjustments, LegENDO's stability, LegENZO's (!) talent, Dino's hugging, the TEAM's focus, Dan-Axel's potential, and Silas' goal are all giving nothing but 100% positive praise!
Part Two ends with more positive praise and some heartfelt thanks. So, as Waldi said ... LET'S CELEBRATE!
At least quietly, eh?!
Introduction - 0-2:06
Part One - Shoutouts - 2:16-11:48
Part Two - HSV:VfB - 11:58-56:58
In this episode Matt and Travis throw together an entire episode to try and beat the Monday deadline ... but are so happy with a win they're willing to ruin everyone's ears in the process!
Part One is Shout Outs, which include some praise to Derek Rae and the always impressive - and loud! - home support!
Part Two is a look back at the all-important home match to open the relegation playoffs versus old friend Tim Walter. We chat Tim's head games, lineup surprises, Chris proving he needs to start, Sehrou's redemption, Josha proving the haters wrong, Waldy and Dino being rock solid in the back, the return of Flo, and how this team is just that ... a team!
Part Three includes News, Headlines, and Questions, in which we consider the return of Timo, trash talking versus Josha, and the signing of Sehrou. Questions are then put forward, including how we may have been lucky to get Hamburg rather than Heidenhem, the fairness of the relegation system, and unrealistically optimistic expectations for the coming season.
Part Four wraps up with predictions for Monday's incredibly important match in which both Travis and Matt are, once again, waaaaaaaay too optimistic for their own liking.
Apologies for some of the sound and the lousy'ness of this episode... we lost power in the Midwest halfway through the episode AND had to scramble to put this together! ALL AT THE SAME TIME!
We probably should have made this one shorter ... but let's celebrate a win when it's a win, eh?!
EpisodeIntroduction - 0-1:25
Part One - Shoutouts - 1:35-9:01
Part Two - VfB:HSV - 9:11-35:34
Part Three - News, Headlines, & Questions - 35:44-47:30
Part Four - VfB:HSV - 47:40-56-49
In this episode we are either exhausted at opportunities lost or exhausted for opportunities gained.
So yeah, we're all over the place ... other than being exhausted!
In Part One, shout outs head in the direction of OFC winners Stephan and Jens, the VfB frauen, and our inability to emotionally handle watching most VfB matches.
Part Two is a brief breakdown of the disappointing draw at home versus TSG in which the guys try to find some positive in what was a rather lousy result as they attempt to look at the big picture rather than the one presented to them this weekend.
Part Three is another brief segment, this time giving Werhle credit for some business acumen before feeling better about the fact that, "Hey, at least we aren't Schalke ... or Wiesbaden ... or ... Bayern? Huh.
Part Four is a look at the playoffs, which sounds great if you're an American but if you're a Bundesliga fan, well, yikes. Along the way we learn about some sailing jargon and why both Matt and Travis are ridiculously optimistic despite ... well ... despite all evidence to the contrary!
It's our shortest episode yet ... which no doubt means it's our ... um ... shortest episode yet!
Introduction - 0:00-1:20
Part One - Shoutouts - 1:30-5:02
Part Two - VfB:TSG - 5:12-14:18
Part Three - News, Headlines, & Questions - 14:28-29:33
Part Four - VfB:HSV - 29:43-41:26
Giddy with excitement, Matt, Ted, and Travis try to contain themselves while they talk about the huge match on the road but the annual tradition that is a big final match day at home!
Part One starts with shout outs, including a special shout out to the Ironman that is Waldy Anton as well as a sincere goodbye to the now departed Hertha Berlin.
Part Two is a happy look back at the away match at Mainz in which the guys contrast the snoozefest that was the first half to the excitement that was the second and then give some obvious praise to LegENDO before giving some much deserved praise to some of the fellas in the brustring who usually don't get much love, including Dan-Axel, Man of the Match Chris, and the numero uno goalkeeper, Fabian. When all is said and done - including this segment - the guys agree that controlling your own destiny is great BUT that the jungundwild need to finish strong to ensure yet another Bundesliga season.
Part Three consists of News, Headlines, and Questions with the guys asking club legend Guido to - politely - quiet down. In terms of questions, thoughts are given regarding Sven's first place, 50+1, redemption arcs, tatoos, relegation playoffs, derby's, hope, and, of course, STD's.
The episode wraps up with a longer than usual prediction segment for the upcoming weekend, in large part due to a special insider-view with Ted, who, recently back from his good-luck tour for the BMG match, gives us some insight into not only what it was like during his trip, but what may be like for any of those lucky enough to go to the final match day of the 2022/2023 season.
Introduction - 0-2:19
Part One - Shoutouts - 2:29-8:32
Part Two - M05:VfB - 8:42-30:37
Part Three - News, Headlines, & Questions - 30:47-50:51
Part Four - VfB:TSG - 51:01-108:36
In this episode Travis and Matt break down the week that was and the weeks that may be.Which may be difficult to breakdown, all things considered.
In Part One and Shout Outs, Travis compares himself to Crash Davis from Bull Durham while Matt explains why a sad face emoji is currently his favorite emoji.
Part Two is a look back at the disappointing draw at home versus B04 where the guys discuss expectations, the oddly quiet home crowd, the two penalties, and the introduction of Matt's maiden Martin "How Did You Miss That?!" Award.
In Part Three, News, Headlines, and Questions are covered, as the fellas comment on VfB reaching the 80,000 member mark, Magath's return to coaching, Bruno's bold salary move, Horst Heldt's always positive comments, the return of Lilian Egloff, OFC's, home results, and, for the second episode in a row, an STD. Meanwhile, questions regarding the value of the point versus Leverkusen, the absence of once-super sub Tanguy, and the fun of playing in 2.B are all answered. Or at least attempted to be answered.
The final segment, Part Four, is a look at the road match versus Mainz, a match that VfB will know by Saturday exactly what they have to do in order to give all brustring supporters some hope come Sunday.
Feeling hopeful? Give us a listen!
Introduction - 0:00-1:42
Part One - Shoutouts - 1:52-4:04
Part Two - VfB:B04 - 4:14-21:06
Part Three - News, Headlines, & Questions - 21:16-49:39
Part Four - M04:VfB - 49:49-54:30
In our 84th episode, Jeff rejoins the podcast to assure all VfB supporters that even after this most disappointing of weeks, "everything is going to be okay."
And then refuses to make eye contact while explaining exactly HOW it's going to be okay.
Be that as it may, Jeff, Matt, and Travis try to cover two big losses in a single week, the Pokal semi's versus SGE as well as the matchday #31 relegation battle at Hertha. Key discussion points in Part Two include the fun that is VAR, the impact of Dino's injury, Fabian and Borna's dip in form, the disappearance of Tanguy, and if Hoeneß can rally the guys with three matches left in the season. Before they do all that, however, they play the blame game and blame last week's hero, Ted, for all of VfB's current problems!
Part Three - which is mistakenly called Part Four because they want to end the episode as quickly as possible - is a bucket full of questions, some negative and some, shockingly, positive. In doing so, the guys blame the Hey Eintracht podcast for not doing THEIR job, ponder VfB's final table status, question Wehrle's impact, and make a shockingly controversial public service announcement regarding ... chlamydia and pyromania.
Yep.
Part Four - the real Part Four - wraps up with a prediction for the coming week, a big match at home versus the 6th place team in the Bundesliga. Are the guys positive? Or negative? Or positively negative?!
Give us a listen and find out!
Introduction - 0:00-1:36
Part One - Shout Outs - 1:46-4:54
Part Two - VfB:SGE & BSC:VfB - 5:04-26:15
Part Three - News, Headlines, & Questions - 26:25-44:33
Part Four - VfB:B04 - 44:43-end
In this episode Travis, Matt, and Hannes try to celebrate - and figure out - what the heck is going on with their beloved VfB!
Travis and Matt start off Part One with shout outs to the fantastic* coverage of ESPN, OFC Liaison Ted enjoying what had to just be the perfect trip, and then take way more credit than is possible for the OFC impacting the positive results of the club!
Part Two is a break down of another big result, a deserved win at home versus the Foals of 'Gladbach. Along the way, the fellas chat Sehrou taking on xG, Tiago taking on VAR, Dan-Axel taking on mistakes, Hoeneß taking on subs, and the subs taking VfB to a delirious victory!
Trying to understand the big news of the weekend - officiating and VAR - and the big news in the world of VfB - Wehrle and another odd interview - the guys get some Help with Hannes in Part Four's News, Headlines, and Questions to try and make all the news of the week make sense (and Hannes' daughter even makes a guest appearance the first two minutes of the segment to add to our family value focus!). The guys then answer some great listener questions which include thoughts on if Tanguy should be extended and how many points are still available on the table. (Apologies for the editing in this part, but it wouldn't be a solid* Americana program without some technical difficulties!)
Part Five is a look to a potentially exciting future, the Pokal semi at home and the relegation six pointer at Berlin. Who is optimistic? Who is pessimistic? Who forgot who we were even playing?!
It's a longer than usual episode, but it's also, thanks to Young Hannes, a cuter than usual episode!
Introduction - 0:00-1:38
Part One - Shout Outs - 1:48-5:51
Part Two - VfB:BMG - 6:01-32:48
Part Three - News, Headlines, & Help with Hannes - 32:58-1:00:02
Part Four - Questions - 1:00:12-1:16:45
Part Five - BSC:VfB - 1:16:55-end
(Photo courtesy of @JonasNK_)
So ... was the result at Augsburg a moment of half full or half empty? Or is the glass, as Matt says, configured incorrectly?!
Part One of episode 82 starts off with some shout outs to Wrexham of all teams as well as the VfB Frauen for getting their first win and currently standing 2nd on the Oberliga table!
Part Two is a breakdown of the match on the road at "tactical" FC Augsburg, a result that seemed pretty half empty on Friday ... but by Sunday evening looked a bit more half full! The guys chat deja vu, early subs, and of course LegENDO.
Part Three is a relative deep-dive into some internal club politics as the guys try to decipher, digest, and describe what's happening inside Mercedes-Benz with a ton of help both Riky Palm's recent tweet as well as their German-English dictionary! Along the way they discuss Hoeneß, Wehrle, and Vogt and cover any and all mistakes they may make with their common excuse of "but we don't really know anything." How's that for insightful commentary!
Speaking of insight, Part Four delivers a ton of it as OFC Liaison Ted joins the program to give some insight on not just the upcoming home match versus 'Gladbach but his trip there as well! Ted breaks down why he's going, where he's going, and why a seemingly incongruous place called "Palm Beach" is actually the most "VfB" place to go when visiting for a match!
Here's hoping your glass is still half full if you're going to give this a listen!
Introduction - 0:00-1:35
Part One - Shout Outs - 1:45-5:42
Part Two - FCA:VfB - 5:52-25:00
Part Three - News, Headlines, & Questions - 25:10-59:58
Part Four - VfB:BMG - 1:00:08-end
In this episode Matt and Travis spend waaaaaay too much time talking about one match ... but what a match to talk about, eh?!
Part One starts with some shout outs to OFC members, Gary Preston, and yet another VfB record that we somehow tie to Matt's ice hockey career.
Part Two is a long-winded break down of what turned out to be the match of the weekend, VfB's improbable comeback against supposed title contenders BVB. The fellas wax poetic about how black and yellow were actually perfect opponents for the white and red, the play of Dan-Axel, Dino's double yellow, Hoeneß's half-time speech, VAR ruining Sehrou's day, the impact of Josha and Enzo, super subs Tanguy and Silas, and the amazing - once again - home support.
In Part Three, the big News and Headlines of the day are pondered as thanks are thrown out to the DFL for moving around the relegation playoff dates in case VfB makes it to the Pokal final while more eyebrows are raised at some of Alex Wehrle's question answering ability... or lack thereof. Speaking of questions, some great ones are tossed around, including thoughts on the team's mentality, what has the new manager changed that's led to this successful run, could Silas' goal be the momentum shift to change his season, and just how good is the man of the hour, Josha Vagnoman.
Episode 81 wraps up with a look at the upcoming road match versus the Mighty Flaming Pineapples, otherwise known as FC Augsburg, where the boys in the brustring haven't enjoyed too many away wins. But that doesn't stop Matt and Travis from being overly optimistic anyway!
Introduction: 0:00-1:33
Part 1: Shout Outs - 1:43-6:18
Part 2: VfB:BVB -6:28-40:55
Part 3: News, Headlines, Questions & Answers 41:05-57:05
Part 4: FCA:VfB - 57:05-end
In this episode, the guys celebrate all-time game 1893 and ponder all-time loss ... 666. YIKES!
In Part One, Travis' throws some shout outs to some OFC members as Matt considers his favorite cliches, while both celebrate OFC Man of the Match winners - Enzo and Hiroki!
In Part Two the guys chat up not one but TWO big wins, the Pokal match at Nuremberg and the Bundesliga match at Bochum! The fellas talk optimism, Hoeneß and his background, players into comfortable positions, ugly matches at both FCN and BOC that ended with gorgeous results, old friend Philipp Förster and his shocking lack of facial hair, and reviews on a number of players including Luca, Sehrou, Enzo, Hiroki, Borna, Josha, and Silas.
Part Three is News, Headlines, and Questions with the Pokal draw, the club's potential emergency member's meeting, and Wehrle's claim of a hardcore post-season analysis. The segment ends with some Q and A, with answers touching on the coaching bump, who is responsible for Bruno 2.0, a return of hope, how important is Ito, and what's up with Silas.
Part Four's all about predicting the upcoming home match versus BVB in which Travis wagers with his heart while Matt goes with his brain. And as it turns out, Matt's brain is way, way better than Travis'!
Want to mess with YOUR brain? Give us a listen!
Introduction - 0:00-1:47
Part One - OFC Shout Outs - 1:57-5:18
Part Two - FCN:VfB & BOC:VfB - 5:28-32:33
Part Three - News, Headlines, and Questions - 32:43-53:49
Part Four - Predictions - 53:59-end
In episode 79 Matt and Travis lose their race against the clock to try and post an episode while Bruno was still coaching the squad! How's that for planning?!
Part One shout outs include congratulating VfB Central Texas for forming the third OFC in the USA! And then the guys decide to rip on all three cities that actually have OFC's. Whoops.
Part Two covers yet another disappointing match, the loss on the road to FCU, which included initial excitement about the lineup ... that quickly evaporated when the game actually started. The momentum from Heidenheim, the strategy of route one football, the never ending confusion of VAR, and the positive impact of Sehrou are all covered in a thankfully brief recap of yet another road loss.A lengthier Part Three takes on News, Headlines, and Questions as it's been yet another drama-filled week for the boys in white and red. The so called "klassiker," Sven to Ajax, and data drama are covered while more time is spent on Silas vs Bruno, bakers vs butchers, Bruno vs any other coach on the planet, and upper management vs decision making. Towards the end, the fellas try to give some answers to some great questions, including who may be leaving, what should a new manager try to accomplish, and exactly how delicate are the flowers that are wearing the brustring.
Despite all the negativity, the episode ends rather positively in Part Four as the upcoming week is broken down, from the Pokal match at Nuremberg to the incredibly important away game at Bochum, and both agree that VfB is totally ready for this week because we've already beaten German Giants FC Heidenheim. Sigh.
Introduction - 0-1:39
Part One - OFC Shout Outs - 1:49-4:22
Part Two - FCU:VfB - 4:32-19:10
Part Three - News, Headlines, and Questions - 19:20-50:52
Part Four - Predictions - 51:02-end
Episode 78 is a tortuous journey to try and find something, anything to talk about.
So leave it to Matt and Travis to at least give it a try!
After a quick introduction, Part One consists of some shout outs to the only good thing that's happening with a brustring nowadays, the VfB Frauen. Shout out, ladies!
Part Two is a look at the hugely disappointing home match versus that green Volkswagen team where the fellas question the lineup, the tactics, and pretty much everything to do with the match outside of the amazing supporters who showed up to watch what turned out to be yet another loss.
Part Three is a whine session in which the guys go off the rails and do something they've never done before - MAKE AN ACTUAL OPINION! In one of the most negative segments in the 78 episode history of this program, Bruno, Wehrle, Gentner and Philip "Where's Waldo" Lahm are all taken to task by two guys who are thousands of miles away from what is actually happening and are quick to point out they're mad as hell and they won't take it anymore ... but they'll continue to take it since they love the club. Though they wonder how the annual general meeting is going to go because ... yikes!
Despite it all, despite the resignation, despite being oddly emotionally prepared for the second league, they do, thanks to VfBtv and a particular prediction website, find some positivity when all is said and done (but you'll have to wait until the episode is almost all said and done before you'll hear it)! That being said, the guys wrap up with some hope - as well as numerous apologies to those who listened in. APOLOGIES ALL!
Introduction - 0-1:23
Part One - OFC Shout Outs - 1:33-3:44
Part Two - VfB:WOB - 3:54-24:17
Part Three - News & Headlines - 24:27-end
Episode 77 brings Travis, Matt and David together to chat up some VfB!
After introductions and shout outs, Part Two starts out with the guys taking a look back at the match on the road at Frankfurt and ponder Bruno's lineup changes and substitutions, the defensive play of Sosa, Bredlow, and Dino, and the difference between strategy and desperation. Which may actually be a trick question?!
Part Three's News, Headlines, and Questions include plenty of listener questions regarding Chris Führich's passing ability, Bruno's never ending experiment with Anton at RB, and the mentality of the guys wearing the brustring as the season winds down to it's final 10 matches.
Speaking of the final 10 matches, Part Four previews the next match, an all-important home game versus Wolfsburg, in which Matt offers to provide a watch-along of himself, sobbing, while watching some VfB. Meanwhile, in Part Five, Jeff returns to give his predictions on the coming matchday and why he's willing to bet on VfB ... but not with his money!
Hey, you feel like sobbing? Give us a listen!
Introduction - 0-1:47
Part One - OFC Shout Outs - 1:57-4:16
Part Two - SGE:VfB - 4:26-25:53
Part Three - News & Headlines, Questions & Answers - 26:03-41:15
Part Four - VfB:WOB - 41:25-52:27
Part Five - Bundesliga Predictions - 52:37 to end
In this episode, Travis, Ted, and Jeff try to do the impossible - get positive about VfB!
In the introduction, Travis welcomes back super tech-savvy co-host Jeff before moving on to Part One, some OFC Shout Outs that include celebrating ... Travis. Whee!
In Part Two, Ted and Travis take on the task of trying to break down what turned out to be a narrow loss at home to the perennial power that is Bayern. The lineup, Anton versus Davies, Silas' struggles, Bredlow's first mishap, Bruno's subs, and the frustrating nature of the club to play up to great opponents but down to poorer ones are all discussed. Not wanting to dwell on the negative, the guys end the segment by taking a look at the mess at the bottom of the table which ... well ... that's kind of negative, too, isn't it?
In Part Three, News & Headlines, the fellas react to Sven's first public comments since his split from VfB and focus on one point in particular - is Bruno the right coach for this particular squad? And special thanks to @Danny1893 and BILD's @philmaisel for helping with translation!
Part Four is a preview of the match on the road (oh gawd) versus a Champion's League team (oh gawd) that has only two losses at home since October (oh, come on). We'll let you guess how this segment ends!
Questions are asked and answers are given in Part Five as Jeff takes over the hosting abilities while the final segment of episode 76 consists of Jeff (who may or may not even know he's a co-host) giving his predictions on matchday 24 before ending the pod by praising ... a completely different team and a completely different podcast.
And we make an ill-fated "proof is in the pudding" reference. Yikes.
Introduction - 0-2:00
Part One - OFC Shout Outs - 2:10-5:07
Part Two - VfB:FCB - 5:07-25:11
Part Three - News & Headlines - 25:21-35:25
Part Four - SGE:VfB - 35:35-40:58
Part Five - Questions & Answers - 41:08-47:06
Part Six - Bundesliga Predictions - 47:16 to end
Intro's and Part One include shout outs to ESPN+, mocking wives, and former VfBer Sean Dundee.
Part Two is a brief breakdown of the match in which our initial optimism turned into a giant shoulder shrug of "what just happened?" Starting lineups, sub patterns, enigmas that are players like Enzo, and quotes from not one but two Fabian's highlight this thankfully brief segment.
The Good Cop, Bad Cop segment - with the addition of a new cop ... Worse Cop! - takes so long that it eats up Part Three and Part Four of this episode! WOW! The guys let their frustration go full throttle and cover the entire team, from the attack to the CEO, from Silas to Coulibaly, from the defense to Vogt, and, well, pretty much everyone and everywhere in-between. Along the way, the guys give some hot takes, including a fiery "Manuel Neuer couldn't start for VfB right now" statement. WOW!
Part Five wraps up this most depressing episode with predictions for the upcoming home match versus that little club from ... Munich.
Oy vey.
That being said, the guys end the episode on a positive vibe despite all the negativity and celebrate how lousy everyone around us is.
Yay schadenfreude!
Speaking of schadenfreude, Jeff, who is leading the way in 2023 prediction accuracy, returns to give us his predictions on the upcoming week in the league, with a highlight focusing on the matches that matter to VfB! WHICH IS ALL OF THEM!
Episode
Introduction - 0:00-3:08 Part One - OFC Shout Outs - 3:18-5:26 Part Two - S04:VfB - 5:36-16:37 Part Three - Good Cop, Bad Cop, Worse Cop - 16:47-57:02
Part Four - VfB:FCB Predictions - 57:12-1:09:53
Part Five - Bundesliga Predictions - 1:10:03-
IT'S A POST MATCH VICTORY POD AND WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO HANDLE IT!
In an episode that becomes increasingly erratic as it goes on, Matt and Travis struggle to cope with ... winning!
Part One winds a long, long path before actually breaking down the first Bundesliga win of 2023, first discussing Bruno's fantastic lineup moves of Bredlow and Anton (ahem), Matt and/or Hannes nailing the impact of Silas up front, the return of a certain birthday boy, and luck finally being on the side of the boys in the brustring. Take THAT cross bar!
Part Two's News, Headlines, and Questions doesn't get much more organized, although the fellas go back in time to give Bruno some kudos for some of his much maligned moves before finally returning to form and mocking him for no real reason at all. Sorry, Bruno. It's what they do! What they also do is answer some listener questions, including thoughts on Waldy, Silas, the Pokal run, Bruno, 'Rino in Hoffenheim, and the number one selling antacid in Norway. ALL OF NORWAY!
Part Three is all about the future as the guys are uncharacteristically bullish about the enormous match coming up on the road versus Schalke ... despite the club's poor run of form against the team in blue over the last 10. Sigh.
BUT THIS IS NO TIME TO DWELL ON SADNESS!!!
Introduction - 0:00-1:47
Part One - OFC Shout Outs & VfB:KOE - 1:57-33:50
Part Two News, Headlines, & Questions - 34:00-53:00
Part Three - S04:VfB Predictions - 53:10 to end
In this episode Austin and Hannes join Travis to break down the most recent match, yet another loss on the road.
Yikes.
Despite the sadness, in Part One shout out's are thrown the OFC's way for some positive performances, in particular Sporting Director Doug who won both Fantasy Bundesliga and VfB's TippSpiel ... leading to absolutely no questions of impropriety at all!
In Part Two, co-host Austin breaks down the 2:1 loss - which he sees as a win as he's a Freiburg supporter - from an SCF point of view, and tries his best to give the VfB family something to be positive about.
Sadly, he fails. But he tries!
Hannes returns in Part Three to help out with one of the most controversial aspects of not only the match, but in the Bundesliga in general, as he and Travis try to understand exactly what "blatant" means when it comes to VAR.
News, Headlines, and Questions are combined in Part Four as the guys ask the same big question as last week (what's up with Waldy at Right Back?!) before diving into some new items, like Bruno's confidence in Florian Müller, our confidence in Bruno, and Bruno's confidence in groundhogs. Part Four wraps up with a lengthy look at old friend 'Rino's move to TSG and why so many folks around the league despite the Hoffenheim club oh so much. Part Five roles right into Part Four (or is it the other way around?) as it is prediction time and with VfB hosting one of the hottest teams in the league, the guys wonder if "Win for Wehrle" will be a new phrase that will catch on with VfB supporters around the globe!
Austin rejoins the episode to give some thoughts on the league matches as a whole and Travis is so pleased with this episode that he slurs most of his words through most of his predictions.
To paraphrase what BILD may say, it's an episode with at least four problems - disappointment, mispronunciations, technical issues, and slurred words. Apologies in advance!
Introduction - 0:00-3:02
Part One - OFC Shout Outs - 3:12-5:44
Part Two - SCF:VfB - 5:54-15:14
Part Three - Help with Hannes: VAR - 15:24-25:32
Part Four - News, Headlines, Questions, and VfB:KOE Predictions - 25:42-58:29
Part Six - Bundesliga Predictions - 58:39-end
In what turns out to be a pretty bleak deep dive into the most recent match, a lost wager to the Not Easy Being Green podcast guys somehow saves the episode with the help of a catchy late '80s Scottish rock band hit. Because we're just that good.
Yikes.
With that in mind, episode 72 begins with Matt and Travis breaking their long-held tradition of taking 24 hours before commenting on a match to instead let their raw emotions pour over in what is no doubt one of their most negative episodes to date.
Which is saying something!
In Part One, the fellas give shout outs to OFC members, Twitter, and especially the podcast platform Anchor for not allowing live streaming (thank goodness). But along the way, they set the stage for some ... Scottish rock band trivia!
In Part Two, the disappointing loss to Bremen is covered, including topics such as the home support, the lineup change, Dino's mistake(s), and substitutes like good 'ol Chestnut Macaw!
Huh?
In Part Three, it's News and Headlines time, and the guys get into a heated - and one way - debate with two Stuttgart reporters from SVW who are way more qualified than they'll ever be over the issue of the roster's "quality." In an effort to make the debate as unfair as possible, Travis sets it up in such a way that there's almost no way that he and Matt can lose the debate. ALMOST! Before all is said and done, both go on a rant about the club, Bruno, rumor's regarding 'Rino, and the now infamous banner.
Part Four consists of Question and Answer time, as some great questions are asked about who replaces Sehrou up front, what's Anton doing as RB, and whether VfB is going to survive February, let alone the season. And while the questions may be great, the answers ... well ... not so much.
Part Five is Prediction Time as Bruno and company travel to Freiburg to see if they can earn their first Bundesliga win of the new year and, depending on how you interpret Matt and Travis' predictions, both guys are absolutely positive about VfB's chances!
Who wouldn't walk 500 miles to listen to this?!
Lost Wager Intro Song - 0:00-0:51
Introduction - 0:52-2:28
Part One - OFC Shout Outs: 2:43-5:42
Part Two - VfB:SVW: 5:50-28:03
Part Three - News and Headlines: 28:15-51:39
Part Four - Questions and Answers: 51:52-60:43
Part Five - SCF:VfB Predictions: 60:53-1:07:13
Lost Wager Exit Song: 1:07:13-end
In this episode, we get nostalgic, we reminisce, and we rant! It's an emotional roller coaster!
We start off talking about our favorite #33, Daniel Ginczek, and how he and he alone is responsible for everything from VfB surviving the 2015 season to a random meat shop in Stuttgart to this podcast (so blame him for this nonsense)!
After some creepy stalking of Daniel, the fellas throw out some OFC shout outs and then start Part One by reacting to the recent transfers in and out and ponder how happy Bruno is with all of these changes. The guys then say goodbye to youngster Naouirou Ahamada before saying hello to elder statesman Genki Haraguchi and the football nomad that is Gil Dias.
In Part Three, the fellas break down the loss on the road to RBL before turning to the dramatic Pokal win on the road at Paderborn. Along the way, they rate the status of Enzo, Coulibaly, Kastanaras, and - once again - Flo, where Matt takes the floor to - once again - explain why Flo drives him insane. Travis responds by going on a rant of his own, this time begging for poor Waldy Anton to be moved anywhere on the pitch OTHER than at right back. After all the ranting, the guys calm down and relish in Sehrou's fantastic run of form and conclude by rationally explaining why newbies Genki and Gil are the greatest transfer signings of all-time - ever.
Part Four is the shortest segment ever as news and headlines are covered in about 17 seconds.
Questions are answered in Part Five as both Travis and Matt rejoice in the opportunities that the Pokal represents and ponder who was the best VfB mid-season transfer of the last few seasons. And agree it's obviously ... Gil Dias! Part Five ends with a look at the upcoming match at home versus SVW, an opponent that just happened to be the same opponent nearly a decade ago that brought Matt and Travis' friendship together! Despite that horrific event, and probably thanks to the recent Pokal win, the guys are way more positive about the upcoming match than they probably should be!
In Part Six, co-host Austin makes his valiant return to give us a look at the upcoming matches league-wide and thankfully makes a pick that will warm every VfB supporter's heart.
It's an episode that'll pull at your emotional heart strings!
Introduction: 0:00-1:32
Part One & Two - Shout Outs & Transfer Mania: 1:42-30:45
Part Three - RBL:VfB & SCP:VfB: 30:55-59:49
Part Four - News & Headlines: 59:59-60:46
Part Five - Listener Questions & VfB:SVW Predictions: 60:56-1:09:11
Part Six - Bundesliga Predictions with Auz: 1:09:21-end
In this episode, Matt joins to chat up the two final matches of the first half of the season ... that took place in what is actually the second half of the season.
Huh.
Anyway, we start off with some shout outs to the OFC winners of the week in TippSpiel, Bundesliga Fantasy, and our very own Twitter predictions before diving into matchday #16 and #17, two matches that were almost identical in terms of lineups, mistakes, tactical changes, and, sadly, results. In doing so a new drinking game is discussed while breakdowns of the winners and not-so-winners of the first 17 matches are noted, with commentary regarding Silas' struggles, Anton at Right Back, Ito as the new Sosa, the officials hating Stuttgart, Sehrou's finishing, Ahamada's mishaps, Wohlgemuth's warnings, Bruno's desire, the passion of the supporters, the hope that Perea brings, and, of course, a shirtless Dino.
In Part Two, the rumors surrounding Tibidi's departure and Josuha Guilavogui's possible arrival brought up with Matt bringing a rather positive spin to the potential expensive arrival of Wolfsburg's former #6.
Part Three, usually the Question and Answer period, turns into more of a listener lament session as Matt makes a case to be the new VfB president while the guys do try to figure out what the difference between Rino's results and Bruno's results are turning out to be and come to the conclusion that ... well ... yeah.
Episode 70 wraps up with a rather bleak look at the upcoming match at Leipzig before Matt saves the day with a brief ray of positivity ... before Travis brings the whole thing crashing back down again.
And if that's not enough for you, the guys give cookie baking tips on the difference between adding carrots or currants to family cookies.
Yep, this episode is AS GOOD as that cookie sounds!
Introduction: 0:00-5:07
Part One: 5:17-40:03
Part Two: 40:13-50:30
Part Three: 50:30-end
In our first episode of 2023, good-luck Rob, our resident Mainz expert, joins us for the first time since our last Rückrunde Preview show way back in 2022! Before we get that going, though, we give shout outs to numerous people who have helped to get us this far, from Martin's ability to make us look good to YouTube's ability to be too difficult to manage!
In Part One, Travis and Rob start off with a thankfully brief look back at 2022 before breaking down 2023 from top to bottom, starting with Wehrle and finances and admitting that they get most their "informed" information from the very reliable sources of ... Twitter.
After a "hydration break," Part Two starts with a chat about Bruno, the winner's and loser's of the world's longest training camp, and try to explain why over 60% of the OFC isn't so excited the season is about to start. Wheeee!
Part Two concludes with some answers to some really good listener questions before wrapping up with some surprisingly positive thoughts regarding the upcoming matches versus Mainz and Hoffenheim!
Welcome back ... we warned you!
Part One: 0:00-27:55
Part Two: 28:05-end
In this episode we go overtime to talk about the current state of VfB ... which is, in a word, a state of chaos.
Much like this episode!
In Part One, we get revisit one of our favorite segments, "Help with Hannes," as our Swabian insider gives us some major details on the new hire ... which also happens to be an old hire.
Huh.
Anyway, Hannes digs into Bruno's past, present, and future, and gives us info regarding our new coach's style of play, who may play and who may sit now that he's the head man, and why so many VfB supporters are so down on his return but ultimately why Hannes believes Bruno will help the club survive the rest of the season.
In Part Two, Jake from 50+ Doner, a completely unbiased Effzeh supporter who has a soft spot for Stuttgart, gives a refreshingly positive outsider's view of VfB's status this season before giving some not-so-positive insight into his former CEO, which is our current CEO, the one and only Alexander Wehrle.
Super!
In Part Three, co-host Matt and first time contributor David bring their Michigan and Auburn angst to the program as the group covers Sven's departure, Wehrle's handling of said departure, and how the support may or may not change now that the club has made what seems to be a major shift in philosophy. Before wrapping up, Travis tries to wield his "Sworn Sword of Positivity" (patent pending) as the guys talk Bruno, Stenzel versus Egloff, mistakes, survival versus philosophy, and the awesomeness that is their good friend Adrian.
It's a lengthy, bumpy, and at times depressing episode with just enough brief glimpses of hope to help you see a ray of VfB sunshine in an otherwise cloudy VfB sky!
Part One - Help with Hannes - 0:00-51:00
Part Two - Interview with 50+ Doner - 51:20-1:20:58
Part Three - Headlines & Questions - 1:21:07-2:10:00
Thanks to Encanto: We Don't Talk About Bruno, Uploaded By: Djluna, for the transitions this episode!
In this episode, Ted and Travis chat up the VfB trip to Texas!
In Part One, after reviewing VfB's reasons for the trip, the guys give a day-by-day break down of what went down, from practice sessions and gatherings on Thursday, to exploring Austin on Friday, to the big match on Saturday! From mingling with Fritzle and Sven to selfies with Dino and Wimmer, the guys relish in the opportunity to meet so many followers of the brustring ... even if their German left much to be desired!
In Part Two, the guys try to analyze whether the trip was a success or if it was a waste of time and resources and surprisingly to absolutely no one, come on the positive side of the ledger!
It may not be super relevant considering the news of Sven that broke today, but ... well ... yeah... neither is this podcast!
Intro - 0:00' - 4:08
Part One - 4:18-55:47
Part Two - 55:57-end
In this long-winded episode, Matt, Ted, and Travis avoid talking about the recent loss to Bayer before diving into some deep detail on the upcoming VfB friendly taking place in Austin, Texas. And as luck would have it, Ted gets to talk about his love of one of the legends attending the trip, one Ricardo Osorio!
In Part One, the guys debate exactly who toothless the jungundwild actually were on the road at Bayer and then glance - however hesitantly - at the current state of the Bundesliga table.
In Part Two, the guys rejoice in possibly breaking another record and then dive into some questions regarding the upcoming World Cup break, Kevin Bacon, Borna Sosa, and the most inspirational speech of all time!
Part Two continues with a deep dive on the Austin, Texas friendly and cover the schedule, possible speeches, and who is the true Fritzle.
Interested in the trip? Click here for detailed info on the Austin, Texas, including information regarding the schedule of events, the city, the stadium, the food, and the transport! Thanks to our good friends @VfB_Cen for putting all this together!
Intro: 0'-5:44
Part 1: 5:54-19:00
Part 2: 19:10-end
In this episode Matt and Travis break down a chaotic week with a chaotic episode and reflect upon the meaning of one Antonio Rüdiger to their combined VfB fandom.
Part One starts off with a discussion of the last two matches, the recent loss on the road to BMG and the even more recent win at home versus BSC. Topics covered include the non-red card in the BMG match, setting and/or extending even more dubious records, wishing Captain Endo well, and wondering if it's okay to celebrate like Dino, a.k.a. shirtless.
In Part Two the fellas engage in a topic that has no doubt been covered more than it needs to be covered, the Sven v Wehrle situation, but decide to just keep on talking about it anyway before discussing some coaches from VfB past ... and possible future!
Part Three ends with two not-so-optimistic predictions about the final match of the first half of the season before they once again discuss WimmerMania.
Because they are simply out of ideas.
All that and some pretty lousy technical editing thanks to a number of wandering conversations that make this one of the most ... recent episodes to date.
How's that for praise?!
Intro - 0-5:10
Part One - 5:20-37:20
Part Two - 37:30-58:12
Part Three - 58:22-end
In episode 64, Travis, Matt, and Hannes attempt to break down the most recent match, the thrilling last minute cramp-inducing victory over our Swabian rivals!
Or are they?!
In Part One, Travis and Matt discuss the win over FC Augsburg and touch on the impressive home supporters, VfB setting (unfortunate) league records, the play of Dan-Axel versus Luca, VAR's ruling on the Sosa non-handball, the backheel pass of super-sub Tiago, and finally Waldy Anton quite literally giving every inch of his being to the club.
In Part Two, we revisit the derby question as we recruit Hannes for another segment of "Help from Hannes" as he tries to explain just that, was this match a derby? He goes on to discuss the difference between derbies and rivalries and why it's just oh so hard to root against clubs like Freiburg ... even though we'll do our best to try!
In Part Three, Headlines and Questions are pondered, and since it's been a (thankfully) quiet week, Matt and Travis focus on listener questions regarding the current state of the coaching staff and some potentially key players and for the first time ever (politely) disagree with a listener! The disagreements don't stop there as Travis disagrees with Matt regarding Wimmer, Matt disagrees with a listener regarding Luca, and Luca and Dan-Axel probably disagree with two untalented fools like Travis and Matt talking about them in any form or fashion.
In Part Four, the upcoming matches versus 'Gladbach and Hertha are previewed, with Matt and Travis trying to figure out what is stronger - a foal or a crocodile - before shrugging their shoulders and agreeing with Hannes ... because who really knows?!
All that plus the bad editing and poor sound quality you've all come to love!
Intro - 0'-2:49
Part 1 - 2:59-29:49
Part 2 - 29:59-1:00:07
Part 3 - 1:00:17-1:25:12
Part 4 - 1:25:22-end
In this episode, Ted joins Matt and Travis to give some insight on the dumpster fire that is VfB in 2022!
The guys start off by going over the most famous 28's in VfB recent history and reminisce about Holger Badstuber's influence before celebrating the career that was - and is! - Günther Schäfer! The guys then take a moment to reflect upon what it was like to not just enjoy a championship ... but also a win!
Speaking of wins, in Part One, the guys break down the inspiring and "intoxicating" victory over DSC before moving on to chat about the disappointing result versus BVB ... which as it turns out, most of them didn't even watch (lucky!) ... and try to figure out if there are any silver linings to take from the combined matches. (Hint: No) Part One ends with Travis throwing out a theory, the guys shockingly agreeing with said theory, and Matt ending with what may be the quote of the month, that VfB went from an "underperforming team that believes in it's cause, that has an identity and a purpose ... to a team that has no plan, has no identity, and has no purpose." Yikes!
The guys shift to a more positive attitude as they start Part Two and celebrate the upcoming Pokal match versus Paderborn before getting back into their comfort zone - confusion and disappointment! Ted and Travis bring their combined experience of supporting two of the worst NFL teams in NFL history - the Bengals and the Browns - to the table in an attempt to analyze what the heck is going on in Stuttgart with the coaching search and upper management and conclude that whatever it is, it's bewegungslosigkeit (which Travis, of course, mispronounces).
A brief Part Three looks toward the home match versus Augsburg and despite all the negativity, the guys end on a hopeful - if not sober - note!
Episode
Introduction - 0:00-8:51
Part One - 9:01-25:56
Part Two - 26:06-56:54
Part Three - 57:04-end
In episode 62, Matt and Travis are so giddy with excitement they forget it's actually episode 62, instead repeatedly calling it number 63, as they cover all the big - and small news - of the past week!
In Part One, Matt and Travis talk their favorite #27's, the surprising benching of Hiroki, the fantastic play of Enzo, and whether stand-in manager #WinWithWimmer actually changed ... anything? Part One ends with a break-down of the ugliest match of the season ... that just so happened to be the most beautiful result of the season, as Luca's whiff, Bochum's game plan, Silas' return, and Sven's goal of "1st" place are all covered.
In Part Two, Hannes joins the program once again to help provide some info on how non-German speaking - or reading - American's can get some detailed info on one of the most drama-filled clubs in all of Europe, our beloved VfB. Thanks to Hannes, we get some perspective on resources both in Germany and in Stuttgart, that are available to those of us across the pond before wrapping up by throwing a shout out to the one-time biggest VfB podcasts in all of the VfB universe, VfB STR with Riky and Sebastian. And then embarrassingly try to bask in their glory.
In Part Three, Matt returns from his break to help deal with Headlines and Questions. Headlines include picking between Alfred, Jess, or ... Wimmer (?!) as the new manager while questions include whether the Bochum win is a turning point, if Silas is back, and what the Pokal lineup should look like.
Part Four wraps up episode 62 with predictions on the Pokal match versus a struggling Bielefeld and then the weekend match at Dortmund. Surprisingly, both Matt and Travis end on an incredibly uncomfortably positive note, which should cause fear in the hearts of all true VfB supporters.
Speaking of fear, give it a listen!
Intro - 0:00-4:10
Part One - 4:17-22:10
Part Two - 22:20-50:45
Part Three - 50:55-1:12:15
Part Four - 1:12:25-end
In this episode, we cover the recent match, say goodbye to a fellow American, look to the future, and invite a new guest who gives us a ray of hope in these otherwise bleak times ... even if he didn't know he was actually that hopeful!
In Part One, Matt and Travis break down the home loss to FCU and rue bad officiating, bad play, bad finishing, bad historical records, and just downright bad luck.
In Part Two, a loooooooooooooong and somber good bye to 1015 day manager Pellegrino Matarazzo dominates the airwaves as Matt and Travis react to the timing, the emotions, and the apparent "inevitability" of the dismissal of the only manager this podcast as ever known. In the end, after a walk down memory lane of some of their favorite Rino memories, from the opening win versus Heidenheim to the final curtain call of Mata facing the Curve, both fellas ponder what they'd like to see in a new club boss and shockingly nominate themselves to take over!
In Part Three, predictions are made even though no one knows who is in charge of the team, and both are hopeful that the boys can turn things around starting at home against both DSC and Bochum and old friend Philipp Förster.
In Part Four, special guest Hannes, who was quite literally born into the VfB, joins the podcast for the first time ever, giving some insight into why so many of us are so attached to Rino and Sven despite some results that have kept the club winless to start the season. Despite the losses, though, Hannes provides some much needed positivity to keep the brustring faithful looking forward to some positive results come matchday!
Introduction - 0:00-2:21
Part One - 2:31-20:06
Part Two - 20:16-58:02
Part Three - 58:12-1:09:37
Part Four - 1:09:47-end
In the 60th episode, Matt and Travis show off a new intro song that is wildly appropriate for the current VfB squad - steh auf wenn ihr Schwaben seid - get up if your Swabian! And then engage in some retail therapy buy purchasing the world's biggest advent box.
In Part One, the fellas celebrate their favorite #26's in recent VfB history before moving on to the disappointing loss in one of the most quiet stadiums on all the planet, Wolfsburg. Breaking down the 3:2 loss thematically, topics covered include the goals, the travelling support, Omar, the tale of two Flo's, the confidence of the defense, tactics on both sides of the ball, and finally the role of former NBA greats Dikembe Mutombo and Paul Mokeski in this week's episode.
In Part Two, questions and headlines are dealt with, as the elephant in the room, the status of Rino and Florian Müller, are discussed. During said discussion, Matt professes his love for all things Sven, Travis reminisces about the "glory days" of Tayfun Korkut, and finally compares Fabian Bredlow to Tom Brady before the segment ends as both ponder how many points are needed in October to calm everyone down.
In Part Three, the two look forward to the final game of matchday #9 as VfB starts a three match homestand to possibly save their season, and all they have to do is get a win against the current table leader, Union Berlin.
Oh geez.
Introduction - 0:00'-2:37
Part One - 2:47-32:05
Part Two - 32:15-54:51
Part Three - 55:01-end
In episode 59, Josh from the VfB Central Texas supporters group joins us to review the matches so far, preview the matches to come before the World Cup break, and give us some insight on the upcoming friendly scheduled for November in his neck of the woods, Austin, Texas.
In Part One, Josh and Travis talk expectations, chemistry, red cards, points, the table, concerns after seven league matches, positives going forward, and how Flo is saving the season!
In Part Two, Josh and Travis look toward the future and ponder if the international break is a positive or a negative, talk World Cup, how they love the Pokal, and go rapid fire true/false regarding topics ranging from Flo to Rino to Team USA's kit!
In Part Three, Josh gives us some big time insight into what to expect during the friendly in Austin the week of November including areas to stay, bars to visit, things to do, and BBQ to eat!
In a brief Part Four, Travis apologies for cutting Josh off and offers his brief opinion on what the future holds regarding the enormous away match at Wolfsburg.
Introduction - 0:00-4:37
Part One - 4:47-15:30
Part Two - 15:40-39:04
Part Three - 39:14-55:31
Part Four - 55:41-end
In episode 58, Matt and Travis begin Part One by breaking down the last match before the international break, the lethargic and disappointing home loss to Eintracht Frankfurt. Playing the fun kid game of "Good Cop, Bad Cop," the fellas break out of their usually positive roles to discuss giving up early goals, Florian's rebound control, the offense, team discipline, player stagnation, David Caruso, youth players, some historically bad numbers, the impact of the international break, U.S.A.'s recently revealed national team uniforms, and 21 jump Street before looking at the hopeful matches versus WOB and Bochum.
In Part Two, the guys start out by covering the big news, headlines, and questions of the day, including the news of the recent retirement of former VfB'ers Castro and Badstuber, Mislintat and Wehrle, the supporter petition to extend Sven, new signing Dan-Axel, and the most controversial news of all, Rino's drink of choice while watching Bundesliga matches. Part Two wraps up with some Q and A, as questions regarding Silas, Sven and Rino's longevity are answered along side how to stay positive, how to cope, and Matt and Travis are considering matching back tatoo's.
Yeah. Get that image out of your mind!
Intro - 0:00-1:55
Part One - 2:05-29:50
Part Two - 30:00-1:04:14
In this episode, Matt and Travis break down the huge draw on the road at Bayern as well as the reintroduction of what VfB fans all know and love ... MORE DRAMA!
In Part One, we celebrate the fact that VfB is undefeated versus one of the best teams on the planet in 2022 ... while acknowledging that VfB is one of this season's two remaining winless Bundesliga clubs. Huh. Despite the confusion, we ponder how damaging a potential YouTube channel would be, celebrate the fitness of Ata and Serhou, congratulate Bayern on making history while also surviving Chris Führich's "devastating" foul on Kimmich, before wondering where we are going to place the sure-to-be constructed new statue of Serhou Guirassy!
In a brief Part Two, we take a peek at our final match before the international break, a home game versus Champions League participant Eintracht Frankfurt.
In Part Three, we dive into territory we are completely unqualified to discuss, the recent news that management has brought in three former VfB'ers to work with - or for - Alex Wehrle and Sven Mislintat. Before doing so, though, we throw out some thoughts to Sasa, the recently departed players who left on loan, and look forward to the Pokal match versus Bielefeld. After hoping VfB wins the Pokal before we pass away, we try - try! - to break down the recent news that Wehrle is adding Lahm, Khedira, and old friend Christian Gentner to the management team ... without letting Sven know he was adding Lahm, Khedira, and old friend Christian Gentner to the management time. Huh? After most likely making the news more confusing than before, we both agree on one thing - there's a difference between good and bad communication, but at least VfB seems to be really good at one of them! We wrap up Part Three answering some questions regarding the big SGE match this weekend, Silas' form, whether the team on the pitch has momentum on their side, and offer up three true VfB legends to help advise the club!
Intro - 0'-1:26
Part One - 1:36-27:16
Part Two - 27:26-32:03
Part Three - 32:13-end
In this episode, Jeff and Matt join Travis for the very first time together! After some shared hero worship between Jeff and Matt, the fellas start out by chatting the biggest news of the week - Sasa Kalajdzic's official move to the Premier League - and discuss the striker's departure, his future, and their favorite memories of the tallest forward around!
In Part One, the guys share their thoughts on the scoreless draw at Cologne and have Jeff, the resident 1. FC Köln fan, give his Hennes-colored views on whether Schwabe is the greatest keeper of all-time or if VfB simply can't finish their chances. Before the review is over, discussion topics include red cards, how horizontal stripes are better than vertical stripes, how xG is both a pop band and a soccer stat, and how it's possible that a player for Effzeh could have an active head wound for almost the entire match and not be pulled until he banged up his ankle. Finally, Part Two wraps up with Jeff giving us his views on KOE's future in the coming weeks and months.
In Part Two, Matt and Travis refuse to let Jeff leave and cover some more headlines, confusing Borna Sosa's potential new Italian League team with the NBA's Atlanta Hawks, and answer a question about how toothless the team's attack has been of late.
In Part Three, it's a cautious preview of the huge match at home versus newly promoted Schalke that ends with an ode to old friend Simon Terodde!
Introduction - 0:00-1:35
Headlines - 1:44-16:36
Part One - 16:45-40:03
Part Two - 40:12-47:12
Part Three - 47:12-56:27
In this episode, the gang gets back together to chat about the recent loss to SC Freiburg and look forward to the big match versus Cologne!
In Part One, Matt and Austin, the resident SC Freiburg super fan, discuss father-son relationships, whether Freiburg and Stuttgart are now rivals, respect the play of VfB despite the loss, ponder who was at fault for yet another early goal, name the Philipp Förster Man of the Match, comment on Dr. Brych's "ability," and wrap up with the negatives and positives of VfB both in the present and going forward.
In Part Two, Matt and Travis answer the big VfB questions of the day, including whether Sosa and Sasa have checked out, if German officials know the rules, and what should VfB supporters be more concerned about - the lack of attack or the early goals given up in seven of the last 11 matches.
In Part Three, Jeff joins in to give a KOE view of the upcoming match at Cologne and tells us why we as VfB supporters should be optimistic!
Part One - 0:00-32:27
Part Two - 32:37-53:40
Part Three - 53:50-end
Question: After the first half, was VfB lucky to get a point? After the second half, was VfB unlucky to get a point?
Answer: Yes!
In Part One, Matt and Travis ponder the biggest question of the day - armadillo's or possum's, which is more frightening? They then break down the recent match versus SVW asking if it was a point gained or two points lost. Along the eway, we praise Bremen's play, give kudos to Silas and Sasa, ponder Tiago's lineup status, and finally praise the fellas - and Captain Endo - for their resilient play.
In Part Two, the fellas take a look at the upcoming match versus local rival - or not? - Freiburg, and have some optimism despite four straight Bundesliga losses to the darlings of the league! They then tackle the biggest news in Europe - no, not the Ronaldo to BVB rumours but instead the Darko to England facts (or Belgium ... they keep forgetting)! In the end, they both agree that Freiburg isn't the big Stuttagart rival - yet - but then conclude by answering who they feel VfB's rival really is!
In Part Three, Austin joins to give his predictions for the upcoming Bundesliga matchday three and explain why, despite being winless on the season, he still believes Leverkusen will win the league! (hint: because he's dumb)
Part One - 0:00-26:22
Part Two - 26:27-34-13
Part Three - 34:18-47:40
In episode 51 ... we are back!
Through the magic of editing, Austin, Jeff, Matt, and Travis are all on the same episode ... at the same'ish time!
Austin and Jeff react to the news that VfB will be in the U.S.A. in November while Matt and Travis immediately mis-pronounce one of the best kit sponsors in the Bundesliga, JAKO, as they pay homage to the new home and away kits before Travis body-shames Matt. With that kind of start, you know episode 51 is gonna be as good as ... usual!
In the first half of Part One, Matt breaks the club down from top to bottom, as Travis asks who is the key player in several areas. High praise is giving to Sven and 'Rino in management, Dino and Ito in defense, Endo and "A Person to Be Named Later" in the midfield, and Darko and Sasa in attack. And in a shocking turn of events Matt, despite his reservations, even gives praise to one of the three "F's" at goal! Along the way, drama in the front office, Florian vs. Gregor, BSC's Kempf and his penalty taking skills, Karazor, Darko, old friend Zorniger, and that one "Little Blond Guy" who scored a somewhat important goal a few years ago versus Argentina are all discussed as well.
In the second half of Part One (shouldn't this be Part Two?), the guys look at the upcoming schedule, debate Sven's declaration that "13th place is our 1st place," give season predictions, mock Bayern's five-star kit, and finally give their thoughts on the upcoming home match versus Super Cup runners-up RBL.
In Part Two, Austin and Jeff break down the entire Bundesliga as they look at the table from top to bottom, Bayern to Bochum, and give some special attention to Freiburg, Hennes, VfB, and Austin's inability to pronounce anything at anytime.
It's the longest episode to date, which clearly means it's ... well ... it exists!
Introduction: 0'-7:36
Part 1 & The VfB Breakdown: 7:39-1:10:18
Part 2 & The Bundesliga Breakdown: 1:10:21 to end
In our 50th podcast we barely contain our excitement in one of our most unorganized, disorganized, and simply not organized episodes ever as we celebrate VfB surviving the Bundesliga in classic VfB dramatic fashion! In Part One, Jeff joins us to give us a view of the match from a Köln point of view. Jeff tells us how he wore his "good luck" kit in honor of Stuttgart, his thoughts about the match, the special "spirit of '92" kit, the chances made and missed, Sven's rock-band looks, Endo's redemption, and how ultimately, he's the voice of VfB reason. In Part Two, Matt joins us to talk about the match from a VfB supporter's perspective as he and Travis go through the match "moment-by-moment," trying to decide which moment - Hertha taking the early lead, Endo's misses, Tiago's substitution, BVB's comeback, Endo's make - was the most memorable in what turned out to be a memorable day. In Part Three, Jeff returns to help break down the upcoming relegation matches that VfB happily doesn't have to worry about before letting everyone know exactly how much Travis has lost wagering against his beloved club.
It's a chaotic episode befitting a chaotic club!
Part One - The Match from a KOE Point of View - 0'-25:57
Part Two - The Match from a VfB Point of View - 26:07-1:05:17
Part Three - Predictions with HennesLover - 1:05:27-1:18.02
Matt and Travis start their 49th episode by debating who wore kit #21 better - Klement or Pavard - and unsurprisingly, coming up with the wrong answer. In Part 1, the guys discuss if VfB was lucky or unlucky, sing the praises - as they always have - of the Stuttgart goal keeper, celebrate Sosa and Sasa at least one more time, and praise Derek Rae for nailing the most explosive offensive trio in all of football - Coulibaly, Thommy, and Förster! In Part 2, the new special 1992 kit is explored while in Part 3 predictions are made regarding the huge last match of the season, VfB hosting Hennes ... for all the Bundesliga marbles!
Unless Hertha wins.
Then it doesn't matter.
Kind of like this episode!
In episode 48, Matt and Travis break down the most recent match before answering the age old debate - Philipp Förster or Christian Gentner?! In Part One, the home draw versus Wolfsburg is discussed as is John Brooks, defensive breakdowns on set pieces, the lack of offense anywhere, and Travis' ability to nail the contributions of Enzo Millot even before they took place. In Part Two, the guys talk VfB's potential versus Freiburg's reality, Felix Magath's criticisms versus Bayern Munich, and VfB's point total versus DSC's point total over the remaining two matches. In Part Three, Matt and Travis make a surprising pick in the VfB match at Bayern, hope that Bochum shows up big versus Bielefeld, and ask all the American-based Bayern fans to buy a beverage for that lonely Stuttgart fan at the end of the bar.
And they edit none of it!
Join Matt and Travis as they break down the most disappointing defeat of the season, the 2:0 loss at Hertha Berlin. In Part One, the fellas reminisce about Mario Gomez's goals, Kevin Großkreutz's tutelage, and Timo Werner's whining before doing some whining of there own when taking a look back at BSC:VfB. Questions are asked regarding Müller's status, Mata's coaching, Sven's squad planning, the supporter's losing faith, Endo's leadership, grown men crying, and how Travis nailed the "surprise impact player of the season," Marc-Oliver Kempf. In Part Two, questions from Ben, Robin, and Reddit are pondered which means the conversation obviously turns towards ... Nicolas Cage. In Part Three, the now enormous VfB:WOB match is predicted, the guys breathe a sigh of relief when they find out the Tipp-Kick prediction, Travis makes a bold purchase promise, and then they discuss the biggest news in all the Bundesliga - Freiburg's Pokal trip, Bayern's 10th title in a row, and demand the DFB deduct 60 points from Effzeh due to Anthony Modeste's illegal coffee celebration!
In this episode Matt and Travis start off by debating the immortal question - Sean Dundee or Cacau?! - before turning their attention toward the loss at home to BVB. In Part One, they discuss the offensive opportunities versus the defensive breakdowns, including Omar and chip shots, Ito vs. Haaland, and whether much maligned goal keeper Flo Müller really came to VfB this summer with "large advanced berries" before thanking the Bundesliga gods for the existence of Hertha BSC. In Part Two, headlines and questions are covered, as the devastating news that Schwarzwaldmilch is leaving local rival Freiburg is broken! Then the fellas cover levels of concern at the current state of affairs, how the squad will look next week with Endo and Karazor out, and which team they'd like to see relegated and why it's the Flaming Pineapples of Augsburg. Part Three ends with predictions for the upcoming match at Mainz before the fellas do an about face and start rooting for their now beloved Augsburg to beat up on Hertha. Yep, it's complicated!
Part One - 0:00-21:57
Part Two - 21:57-32:37
Part Three - 32:37 to end
In this episode, Matt and Travis start off by paying homage to old friend Alex Maxim before breaking down the disappointing 1:1 draw at Arminia Bielefeld. In Part One, the fellas cover missed opportunities, Mata's apparent lack of trust in the bench, xG, Sasa's first ever penalty kick, Anton's "damned if I do, damned if I don't moment," and whether Sven's optimism is on target (unlike many of VfB's shots during the match). In Part Two, Jeff joins in to give his "View From Above" ... or does he?! In Part Three, headlines and questions are discussed, including Sasa rejecting a contract extension, Orel stating he never said he wanted to leave during the summer, the thought that VfB should start with an Own Goal each and every match, and why Matt and Travis' feelings are so, so sensitive. Part Four concludes Episode 44 with predictions for the Friday match versus BvB, which other relegation matches are worth watching, and what kind of Lake Erie beverage Matt has coming his way.
Take a listen, it's a good as Lake Erie drinking water!
Part One - 0' - 19:19
Part Two - 19:29-31:48
Part Three - 31:48-40:48
Part Four - 40:48-end
In this episode Matt and Travis talk about the Schwaben derby between Stuttgart and Augsburg! In Part One, we talk Team Comeback and the amazing home support in which Sven Mislintat praised the "horny voices" of the home team! WHOA! Then we cover the defense missing Ito, the offense finding Tiago, the usual defensive breakdowns, our "love" of Markus Weinzierl, Omar's amazing free kick, and finally everyone joining in on the big win celebration from Mata to Fritzle to ... Pablo Maffeo?! In Part Two we cover headlines and questions, including a deep, deep, WAY TO DEEP dive on why Thomas Hitzlsperger is leaving, which on-loan player we'd like to keep, and whether the international break is coming at the right time and why it's not! In Part Three, we predict the post-international break match at Bielefeld and conclude by making a friendly wager regarding the upcoming Mexico v. U.S. match.
It's ... something!
Part One - 0:00-24:31
Part Two - 24:31-50:31
Part Three - 50:31-end
Matt joins us as we talk about the late draw at Union Berlin and give some praise to the Union fans before ripping their team apart for complaining about the officiating. In Part One we break down the match, ask how Dino is playing, praise Mata’s tactical changes, and give some applause to the return of Mangala before Travis’ undying support of Sasa proves to be the difference in the match! We also break down the amazing Sosa to Sasa connection and the Union Berlin complaints regarding the officiating, the fouls, and yet another late Stuttgart comeback. In Part Two, we cover headlines such as the status of the youth teams, the VfB connection with Hertha's struggles, and thank all that is holy we aren't them. We then finish up our middle segment by answering questions regarding relegation, which players we’d keep next season, and then we all shout “HOORAY VfB!” as we pit RustOleum versus Red Stripe in the battle to be the new sponsor VfB. In Part Three we predict the upcoming match at home versus Augsburg before giving our thoughts on the upcoming Mexica v. USA derby and give the kids a lesson - never take a banana to a banana tree fight.
Confused? US TOO!
Hooray VfB!
Part One - 0-26:00
Part Two - 26:00-41:30
Part Three 41-30-end
In this episode, Matt and Travis get giddy over the first VfB win of 2022 and celebrate the return of the phrase "Sosa to Sasa!". In Part One, we talk the players, the support, and pretty much anything colored white and red and with a brustring before moving on to the match itself. Along the way we ask if the lineup is now set even without Mangala, ponder Coulibaly's bicycle kick attempt, discuss the fan support - or lack thereof - towards keeper Florian Müller, and this new thing called "good luck" before we wrap up with a look at the bottom of the table and the teams surrounding VfB. In Part Two, Matt gives us an update on the Discord fan scene, we dive into some questions regarding whether this match is a catalyst and whether the Curve made a difference, and then wrap up with some headline making news ... including wondering aloud "Why hasn't Red Stripe sponsored this team yet?" Part Three end's with a look at the upcoming match at Union Berlin where Matt makes a bold prediction after Travis praises himself for his TippKick skills before both question why anyone would listen to this podcast.
WILL YOU?!
Part One - 0-30:06
Part Two - 30:06-37:36
Part Three - 37:36-end
In episode 40, we're joined by Matt as we break down the most recent hard-fought, gut-wrenching defeat, this time to Baden-Württemberg rivals TSG Hoffenheim. Part One highlights the amazing away support, the newest lineup, and poor Pellegrino's inability to make a non-injury related substitution nowadays. Part Two attempts to answer the most questions we've ever tried - emphasis on "tried" - to answer, including questions about injuries, haunted players, dark coaching clouds, dropped points, and obviously origami versus wood chopping as a way to sooth our nerves. We wrap up this episode in Part Three with a relatively simple, if somewhat unconvincing, explanation as to why VfB will emerge victorious - finally! - against BMG next week! Finally, we wrap up by thanking our listeners for joining in the misery.
If that doesn't get you fired up to listen, what will?!
Episode
Part 1 - 0:00-19:59
Part 2 - 19:59-36:14
Part 3 - 36:14-end
In this episode we surprise Matt as we officially bequeath VfB Stuttgart Americana co-host status upon him! Or blame him for being part of the podcast. Or both! In Part One, Travis admits he didn't even watch the match so he checks out the #VfBBOC stats to pepper Matt, who actually did watch the match, with all kinds of questions about the disappointing home draw. In Part Two, the fellas answer listener questions, discuss Silas' and "I am Spartacus," check out the Discord and Reddit scene, and go pro and con on issues such as Bayern's dominance, red cards, penalty kicks, and - gulp - relegation. In Part Three, both predict the impossible - a VfB victory on Friday! - even though Matt forgets who we are actually playing.
Part 1 - 0'-18:18
Part 2 - 18:18-40:41
Part 3 - 40:40-end
Episode 38 is our one year anniversary and we celebrate in style by bringing back long-time hosts Jeff and Austin to not only review the most recent match but look back on a full year of podcasting about one of the most iconic clubs in all of Europe! In Part One we review the recent match at Leverkusen, where the lads showed spirit but once again fell short. In Part Two we take a break to look back on the past year and try to figure out if we've helped - or hurt - the results of the club with our weekly coverage (hint: it's not helping). In Part Three we answer some questions before diving into our predictions for the upcoming matchday in which all three predict VfB success! Finally, we end Part Four by predicting the biggest game in America, the Super Bowl, by predicting that both teams will win!
Part One - 0'-26:01
Part Two - 26:01-41:01
Part Three - 41:01-44:51
Part Four - 65:11-end
Episode 37 celebrates the end of the VfB scoring drought in style! In Part One, Matt joins us to balance the initial optimism of matchday 21 with the residual disappointment of the final result before we then ask everyone to stop listening to us and instead head over to the Hey Eintracht podcast as they did a much better job of analyzing the match with the help of the amazing Derek Rae. In Part Two, Matt and Travis try to answer who is at fault for VfB's current predicament by going "Good Cop, Bad Cop" on Sven, Pellegrino, and the entire roster. In Part Three, listener questions are answered as Matt urns for the return of the Mario Gomez Button while in Part Four, the guys predict the upcoming match at Leverkusen and ponder how much aspirin they'll need after matchday 22. All that and annoying sound quality!
Part One - 0:00-17:08
Part Two, Three, and Four - 17:17-End
In this episode we are joined in Part One by resident Freiburg supporter Austin who helps us break down yet another disappointing performance, this time a listless 2:0 loss on the road. In a fairly passive-aggressive segment, Austin tells us why, "by the letter of the law" VfB should have been granted a penalty kick but why he agrees with the VAR decision to overturn the penalty kick.
In Part Two, Matt joins us as we try to talk each other off the ledge by going over the big storylines that are dominating the VfB news of late, including the departure of Kempf, the rumors surrounding Sosa to Chelsea, Bayern's links to Dino, and the club's team-building trip to Spain where we recommend the boys head out for a few beverages to fix all the team's problems. We then weigh in on what our dream line-up would be after the break as well as our incredibly uninformed views on the current pandemic attendance issues taking place in the Bundesliga. The segment ends with us mispronouncing the name of VfB's newest sponsor, JAKO, before praising their kits and then celebrate the fact that VfB is at the top of at least one table - the insult table!
Part One - 0-30:29
Part Two - 30:39-end
In Part One, Austin rejoins the podcast to help us break down the home loss to RB Leipzig and gives us his thoughts on the non-call against Alexis Tibidi in the RBL box in his "Are you REFFING kidding me?!" segment before we hand out our first ever Rust-Oleum (unofficial) Player of the Match award in which Austin will somehow incorporate the 1980s film Buckaroo Banzai into the conversation. In Part Two, we cover News & Storylines and talk players leaving, injuries, value, relegation, and old friends (what up, Gonzalo Castro?!). Part Three lasts all of 10 seconds as we have no questions this week so we rapidly move into Part Four and our predictions for the HUGE match at Freiburg next weekend! Along the we talk about the "positivity of family," Hikori Ito's Canadian relatives, listen to Travis groan at the thought of Gonzalo sending VfB to 2.B, hear what Travis and Austin are putting on the line for their personal derby match, and have Austin wrap up the episode by "Talking Travis off the Ledge." All that and a random guitar solo and a shameless plug for a new hair product sponsor!
Part One - 0-15:06
Part Two - 15:06-17:06
Part Three - 17:12-23:12
Part Four - 23:13-22:24
Part Five - 23:24-end
In this episode, we travel deep to the heart of Texas and talk to Josh and Jens, two supporters who are both from Stuttgart - one from Germany and one from America (?!) who head the VfB Central Texas supporters group! We first dive into their VfB origin stories before finding out what the soccer, MLS, and Bundesliga scene is like in the middle of Texas. Then, in Part One we get Josh and Jens’ thoughts on the first half of the season before jumping into the disappointing 0:0 draw at Furth. Along the way, we take a look at the lineup, give some love to Stenzel, Kempf, and Müller, and celebrate the return of Sasa while at the same time giving some imaginary game balls to two defenders for helping the club at least maintain a point on the road. In Part Two, not only do we discuss the upcoming home match versus Leipzig, Josh and Jens help, in our newest segment, to "Talk Travis off the Ledge" with their positivity regarding not only the Leipzig match but the season as a whole! In Part Three, friend of the show Matt joins us to answer the most listener questions WE'VE EVER HAD (um ... four) as we both try to convince everyone (and ourselves) to "trust the process." In Part Four we predict the upcoming Bundesliga match day 19 results that matter to VfB before ending by discussing "What we Learned" about Sasa's gentlemanly behavior and how Travis, Matt, and Sasa aren't that different after all.
Part 1 & 2 with Josh and Jens: 0:00-39:28
Part 3 & 4 with Matt: 39:38-finish.
In this episode Rob joins us as we review the results of our VfB Holiday Hinrunde Review and preview the Rückrunde! In Part One, we summarize our Hinrunde Report cards and see where the club ranks (at least in the eyes of super knowledgable* Americans). In Part Two, we take a look at some of the big player news heading into the second half of the season, talk about old friend Gonzalo Castro, question how Augsburg is the new "it" club, and wonder if tennis pro Jonas Björkman is really going to the difference maker for Hertha. Then we take a look look at the upcoming matches month by agonizing month, and finally break down Saturday's big big match at Fürth before predicting each and every Bundesliga match this weekend - and then accidently deleting said predictions! Yay technology! Finally we wrap up with "what we learned" about report cards and how Rob was one of the smartest kids, percentage-wise anyway, around.
It's the second segment of our VfB Stuttgart American Holiday Hinrunde Review! In segment one we chatted with Ted, Doug, and Daniel while in segment two we talk with Joe, Matt, Rob, and Robin! In Part Four, we travel to Maryland and talk with Joe, a frequent contributor to the podcast, who started his VfB fandom after his FIFA career started off by being loaned from Barcelona to Stuttgart. In Part Five, we head back to Michigian where friend of the show Matt explains how as long as the team can control Covid, they'll be okay. But before Matt can finish his sentence, Rob from Wisconsin pops in to provide some much needed positivity! In Part 6, Robin from Norway sends in a written response to our questions, explaining how he travelled with Sven from Arsenal to VfB. Like Part One-Three, Joe, Matt, Rob, and Robin will all give VfB a report card, name team MVPs, and predict the future of the club's success heading into 2022!
Enjoy (as much as you can enjoy an unedited and terribly produced podcast with horrific sound quality!)
Part 1 - Joe - 1:39-32:49
Part 2 - Matt & Rob - 32:59-1:04:18
Part 3 - Robin - 1:04:28-end
Welcome to our first ever VfB Stuttgart American Holiday Hinrunde Review! In the next few episodes we'll chat with local(ish) American-based VfB supporters to get their thoughts on the first half of the season. We'll give VfB a report card for their performance, name team MVPs, and predict the future of the club's success heading into 2022. To get started, in Part One of Episode 31, we stay local and look to the southern part of our area (O-H-I-O!) and talk with Ted, Cincinnati's own VfB supporter to learn he's been a fan for almost the entirety of the 21st century! In Part Two we go east to Youngstown's top VfB fan, Doug, who is brand new to the "fun" of the typical VfB season! In Part Three, we wrap up this segment by crossing the state border and heading to neighboring Michigan to get a written review from Danny, who actually hailed from Stuttgart!
Part 1 - Ted - 1:39-32:49
Part 2 - Doug - 32:59-1:04:18
Part 3 - Daniel - 1:04:28-end
In this episode Matt joins us to celebrate VfB ending the hinrunde in the playoffs! Which, as it turns out, is nothing to celebrate. Be that as it may, in part one we break down the last minute loss to Effzeh, compare the threatening crosses of the home team to the toothless dribbling of VfB, discuss the same 'ol same 'ol, ask some uninformed questions about substitution patters, and tip our Baumgart-like cap to Cologne's overall domination of the last match of the first half of the season. In part two we answer a listener question regarding where we'd like to see VfB play and then in part three we play some good old fashioned true or false regarding Florian, Marc, and old friend Gonzalo. Finally we wrap up this podcast by congratulating co-hosts Jeff and Austin on their prediction prowess before predicting the biggest American football match of the year, Green Bay versus Cleveland!
In this episode we briefly break down match day 16 before spending as much time as possible on the final match of 2021! And as a special treat, California's resident Hennes supporter Jeff joins us FOR THE ENTIRE EPISODE! In part one we talk about the loss to Bayern as little as possible before moving on the part two and listener questions, discussing our views on a particular defensive player's impending move to Hertha Berlin and its impact on the squad. In part three we do a deep dive on the VfB:FOE match, breaking down each position group before controversially challenging the status of Hennes as the greatest mascot in the Bundesliga. Finally we give our predictions and our final wager in what is a huge match not only for VfB and FC Koln, but for Travis and Jeff's friendship as well!
In episode 28 we are joined by Matt as we break down the 0:2 win at Wolfsburg! In part one we discuss everything we know about this much needed win (which is different than everything there IS to know), including how Matt knew VfB would win (The Rule of Florian), Dino's power goal, our combined love of Philipp Förster, the maddeningly positive chaos of Coulibaly, and that cheeky fella on loan from Wolfsburg, Omar Marmoush. Along the way we compare Marsch v. Matarazzo, whether it's better to be lucky than good, and whether Silas is the VfB lucky charm. In part two we somehow bring up Sascha Mölders from 1860 Munich as we attempt to answer listener questions before we dive into part three and preview the upcoming matches versus Bayern and Effzeh that will wrap up the first half of the season. In part four we talk about what we learned from former VfBer Timo Baumgartl's cameo on a German soap opera.
Intrigued?! Give it a listen!
In part one of episode 27 we break down the 2:2 draw versus Hertha Berlin with special guest Ed @edzelaski from @bearcast1892! Not only is Ed an official Hertha supporter, but he's also from Cleveland, meaning this podcast goes out of it's way to be Cleveland-centric as we force you to listen to our thoughts on the impact of FIFA2000, AFC Cleveland, and the greatness of local soccer legend Vinny Bell. We eventually get back to the Bundesliga and chat about the match, VAR, the return of Korkut, and the future of both our clubs. In part two Austin joins us in his new belligerent segment "R u reffing kidding me?!" as he breaks down all the weekend's officiating controversies. Part three sees us attempt to answer a record five - FIVE! - listener questions that include all of our favorite things - Daniel Didavi, Philip Forster, and of course TippKick. Jeff joins us in part four - from his car - to talk "Random Thoughts with Jeff with Jeff" as we cover the letter "V" before Austin and Travis wrap up this episode with part six's predictions of the upcoming VfB match as well as all of the upcoming Bundesliga matches as well. Finally - and thankfully - we conclude with what we learned about Omar Marmoush's ... socks.
Part 1 with Hertha Ed - 0:00-38:25
Part 2 "R u reffing kidding me" and Part 3 Listener Questions with Aus - 38:35-53:29
Part 4 "RTWJWJ" and the Letter V - 53:39-1:07:58
Part 5 VfL:VfB Predictions and Part 6 Bundesliga Predictions - 1:08:08-1:28:36
In Parts 1-3 of Episode 26, our longest episode to date, Matt joins us once again as VfB gets back to that winning feeling at home versus Mainz 05! In an incredibly lengthy review (hey, we haven't won in a while, give us a break), we talk the big 2:1 home win versus Mainz, answer some listener questions about how the team will look once healthy, and preview the upcoming match versus Hertha and old friend Tayfun Korkut. Along the way we celebrate Matt's college victory, ask which VfB players would make great NFL players, and conjure up the memory of former VfB legend, Florian Klein before ending our longest segment ever with Michigan's Hail to the Victors to end our newest segment, "Matt's Lock of the Weak." In Part 4, an ailing Jeff joins us to talk relegation candidates and derby's while in Part 5 and 6 Austin helps us predict the future of the entire Bundesliga before we find out how similar we are to Silas (hint: not at all).
Got 90 minutes to kill? Then join us!
Part 1-3 Review, Questions, and Preview with Matt - 0'-50'
Part 4: RTWJWJ: Relegation and Derby's with Jeff - 51'-1:10
Part 5-6: Predictions and What We Learned with Auz - 1:10-1:37
Dear lord that's a long episode... imagine how long the next one will be if VfB wins two in a row?!
In episode 25 part-time co-host Matt joins us to review the most recent match versus Dortmund as we celebrate a "good" loss before we look forward to the home match versus Mainz and predict the future of the rest of the Bundesliga. Along the way we kick Austin off the podcast for supporting a team that's too good, add Matt for supporting a team that's in the "playoffs," answer Joe's question, don't listen to Jeff call in from the road, and apply what we learned from the fact the Stuttgart based squad hasn't totally 100% imploded despite being winless in their last million matches.
In Part One of episode 24, we break down the home loss to Bielefeld by trying to ignore the home loss as much as possible. In Part Two we give our Good, The Bad, and The Ugly breakdown as Austin tries to hijack the show by adding a question and answer period to the segment. We do, in Part Three though, answer some listener questions on who our favorite VfB players of today, yesterday, and possibly tomorrow (?!) before turning to Part Four to get some Random Thoughts with Jeff, with Jeff and get his thoughts on bow-ties, Twitter, and the mighty soccer nation that is Liechtenstein (and destroy your ears as the sound jumps tremendously during that particular poorly made segment). In Part Five we discuss the biggest news and happenings that took place over the international break and then in Part Six we predict the future before ending with Part Seven by talking - and mispronouncing! - the newest VfB striker, Matej Maglica! Join us, if you dare!
In episode 23 we review the debacle of a result on the road to the Mighty Flaming Acorns, consider which is uglier, the team's form or the team's increasing injury rate, answer a pretty interesting listener question with a less-than interesting answer, get some random thoughts from part-time co-host Jeff, and make our predictions for the increasingly huge VfB match versus Bielefeld. Along the way Auz shocks us by not joining us in criticizing the officials, we apologize to Doug for deleting his contributions, we wonder who is in or who is out of the lineup considering most of the lineup is injured at this point, consider getting Jeff a better cell phone, and consider the usefulness of Tipp-Kick as a predicting mechanism. All that ... AND MORE!
In this episode we are inspired by VfB's comeback draw versus Union Berlin by coming back ourselves to record despite a sickness that threatens to ruin the episode (which is saying something). In Part One we cover the big draw versus Union and celebrate Karazor's double yellow and actually defend Kempf! In Part Two, we add some sound quality* and provide our Good, The Bad, and The Ugly analysis and celebrate Sven's dad-bod before going to Part Three where Aus answers a listener question regarding our ideal VfB starting lineup by only picking former Freiburg players. INTRIGUING! In Part Four we predict the upcoming weekend match at Augsburg and agree it will be the BIGGEST MATCH OF THE ENTIRE SEASON! And then, in special segment, Jeff joins us to break down the BIGGEST POKAL MATCH OF THE ENTIRE SEASON! Watch your sound as it suddenly gets LOUD! Finally, we wrap up with our predictions on Bundesliga matchday #10 and end with a "What we Learned" segment dedicated to former VfB player Timo Baumgartl.
Oh, and our sound is awful.
AS USUAL!
In this episode we review the big 1:1 draw on the road at 'Gladbach, preview the upcoming match versus that pesky team from the capital, Union Berlin, and end with our predictions for the Bundesliga matchday #9. Along the way we celebrate the end of Jeff's one-episode appearance streak, give a shout out to one of the best announcers in the game, wonder if Coulibaly is our new Förster, listen to Travis debate the upcoming Pokal match between his and Jeff's two clubs, and wonder aloud what we learned about the JV team having success. And we answer actual listener questions ... FOR REAL THIS TIME!
In this episode - episode 20! - the crew of VfB Americana get together for our first ever in-person sorta-live broadcast in tropical Oklahoma City! That's right, we bring back long lost co-host Jeffrey @HennesLover! We lead off asking the big question - is a Stuttgart versus Hoffenheim match actually a "derby?" Then we break down the big win versus Hoffenheim before previewing the 'Gladbach match after the international break. We then wrap up with answering listener questions (tumbleweeds), predicting the fate of the entire Bundesliga for match day eight! Finally, we conclude with "what we learned," which reveals a surprising lover's triangle! Along the way we give some love to our favorite center back Marc-Oliver Kempf (or apologize to him), wonder at the play of Dino Mavraopanos, question why we're all in Oklahoma City of all places, and mock Travis @Hazelfisch's tennis playing ability! All that and more as we provide you with the most up-to-date mid-American views on VfB Stuttgart complete with some of the most awful sound quality one could ever hope for!
In this episode we go over the shocking pregame news that a big part of VfB won't be at VfB much longer (obviously we mean Philipp Förster's not playing again ... obviously), review the VfB loss to Bayer and a match that was a tale of three parts (even though there are only two half's in football ... hmmm), answer actual listener questions FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, preview the super important match at Bochum, and predict the fate of the entire Bundesliga match day six! Along the way we call out a certain defensive player, the most successful coach we've had in a while, and a fellow O-H-I-O based fan ... because we're spiteful, spiteful people!
In this episode we review the late draw versus Frankfurt, talk about the impact of everyone's favorite new signing, praise the man of the match, criticize coaching outfits, review the upcoming home match versus Bayer, and predict the fate of the entire Bundesliga!
In this episode we break down the 2:3 loss to Austin's SC Freiburg, expand on The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly segment, explore which international break story line is the most interesting, predict the SGE v. VfB match, make our league wide predictions, and take our first ever listener question!
In this episode - our quickest ever - we barely cover the 4:0 drubbing at Leipzig, possibly talk about yet another major injury to the club, somewhat discuss the Mark-Oliver Kempf situation, remember some of our predictions from last match day, and attempt to fill up as much empty air space as possible ... which is quite a lot.
In this episode we are joined by long-time VfB Stuttgart fan Matt as we break down last week's Matchday #1 victory over newly promoted Greuther Fürth! We break down our thoughts going into the match, the match itself, give our Good, The Bad, and The Ugly analysis, preview next week's match versus RB Leipzig, make our league-wide predictions, and end the program with "what we learned" ... which is that Matt probably doesn't want to be associated with this podcast any longer! Enjoy!
We're back! After a long summer, the Bundesliga is back ... and so are we! Join us in our opening episode of the 2021-2022 season in which we review a season that happened months ago, preview a season that's about to start in just minutes, and predict the future of the entire league with an accuracy rate hovering around 47%! Along the way we compare Pellegrino Matarazzo to lemon-pepper, wish co-host Jeff a happy birthday, and change our predictions based on the fact a goat is making his return appearance to the pitch. And of course we have our usual podcast highlights*, like terrible sound quality, Aus mispronouncing every German word possible, and Travis saying "um" more times than you can count. Dare to join us? Do you?!
Part 1 - Review of Last Season (0:00-16:31)
Part 2 - Preview of This Season (16:31:28:15)
Part 3 - Bundesliga Predictions (28:15-40:47)
Part 4 - Matchday #1 Predictions (40:47-53:20)
The Bundesliga regular season is complete, and VfB finished atop the table ... of all of Baden-Württemberg! In this episode, Jeff returns from exile to help break down the 0:2 loss to Arminia Bielefeld, we give our Good (some Arminia love), the Bad (stupid Covid), and the Ugly (Pellegrino Matarazzo's pants) analysis, body shame Robert Lewandowski, and predict the final Bundesliga matches of the season between The Billy Goats and Kiel before going over what we learned this week! All the while sounding like we are recording from deep inside a mountainous cave!
In this episode we belatedly break down the VfB win at 'Gladbach before spending even more time previewing the final matchday of the season as VfB hosts relegation threatened Arminia Bielefeld. Along the way we spend time on just about everything BUT VfB Stuttgart to make sure we cover the St. Louis Blues, Morecambe FC, and Bayern's Robert Lewandowski taking on Gérard Depardieu's Bundesliga scoring record. Yes, you read that right. Gérard Depardieu.
In Part One of this episode, we are super stoked to have Andrew from FCA1907Canada, a key member of the North American FC Augsburg supporters group, chat with us about the 2:1 VfB victory, his club, and the future of both Schwaben - or is it Bavarian? - rivals! In Part Two, Austin joins us as we give our Good, the Bad, and the Ugly breakdown of the match (hint: more Sasa!) before predicting the future of not just VfB as they travel to 'Gladbach, but the entire Bundesliga as well, as we enter the final two weeks of the season!
In part one of this episode, we break down the two matches from the week and try to find some Good (kinda difficult), the Bad (pretty easy), and the Ugly (even easier!) of the previous week. In part two, we predict the future as VfB takes on their neighborly rivals, Augsburg. Along the way we send heart emojis to Gregor Kobel, attempt to criticize one of the most successful coaches in the entire Bundesliga, and eventually discuss "what we learned" about uniform malfunctions. Join us ... if you dare!
In Part One of this episode we break down the what's what of the VfB loss at Union Berlin before giving a Good, the Bad, and the Ugly analysis of the match. In Part One we also - FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER - respond to a listener question (which may or may not have been an actual question ... or even an actual ... listener). In Part Two we look at the next two VfB matches coming up as the club hosts Wolfsburg and then travels to Leipzig over the course of a busy week and THEN we give our predictions for the entire Bundesliga before concluding with "What we learned" from this week's match. Hint: not much. Enjoy!
In this episode, Aus and Jeff join us to talk about the 2:3 loss to BvB while we try to up our production game and bring in some music! In part two, we give our predictions for the upcoming VfB match at Union Berlin before diving into the rest of the match day 29 action. Along the way we give you dog barking, terrible sound quality, and horrific opinions. So ... our usual!
In Part One of this episode, we breakdown the big VfB win at home versus Werder Bremen, sing the praises ONCE AGAIN of a certain much-maligned midfielder, and steal from a 1960s western to give our analysis some semblance of organization. In Part Two, we preview next week's match versus BvB before previewing all of next week's action. Along the way we give our fans exactly what they've come to love - mispronounced names and horrific sound quality! We dare you to listen!
In Part One of this episode, Aus and Travis do all they can to ignore the actual results of the #FCBVFB match by discussing the good, the bad, and the ugly of Saturday's results before pondering the meaning of Bayern week, potential Europa Conference qualification, injuries, and the enigma that is ... Philipp Förster. In Part Two, with the help of Jeff from #FCBMKE, a Milwaukee based official Bayern supporters group, we finally acknowledge the actual game and try to see if there's any way possible that Jeff can make us feel good about what transpired at Allianz Arena. In Part Three, we preview matchday 27's #VFBSVW duel, Jeffrey returns just in-time for his weekly Effzeh rant as we give our league-wide predictions, and we end our episode by asking "what we learned" ... about garbage time! And don't worry, for especially in Part Three, we have plenty of what we are known for ... some of the worst sound quality around! We DARE you to listen!
In Part One of this episode, we review the big VfB win over local rivals TSG Hoffenheim, sing Silas' praises, consider an actual legit defense, and ponder the unthinkable - potential Europa play?! In Part Two, we preview next week's match at Bayern, check out the upcoming Bundesliga action, let both Jeff and Auz rant about their clubs, and ask what we learned about ... nicknames.
In this episode, Austin and Jeff join us as, in Part One, we recap matchday 24's 1:1 draw versus one of the hottest teams in all the Bundesliga. In Part Two, we chat with EFC Indy supporter Amanda about the match and her club, Eintracht Frankfurt, and get some insight into what's what in the land of Apfelwein! Finally, in Part Three, we preview VfB's match at home next week versus Hoffenheim and then dive into our league-wide matchday 25 predictions! Along the way, we let Jeff rant about his Billy Goats and hear about Austin's conspiracy theory involving Streich and Nagelsmann! Thanks to all involved, especially Amanda for saving this episode!
@EFCindy, @HennesLover, @SGEVFB, @VFB, @U_SCF_Society
In this episode we review the big home win versus 2.B bound Schalke, discuss the play of Endo, the crosses of Sosa, go over the top with our praise of Kalajdžić, and look at the contract situation of midfielder Daniel Didavi. Along the way, we reflect on Schalke's demise with our relegation expertise and look forward to the match versus Eintracht before wrapping up with our predictions and thoughts on cold showers!
In this episode, we break down VfB’s 0:1 win on the road at 1. FC Koln! As co-host Jeff is a Hennes fan, we do a deeper dive than usual into this week’s opponents and discuss both club’s expectations going into the match, the match itself, and finally ponder where these two teams are heading going into the next match day. Along the way we touch on Jeff and Auz's golf game, make some Bundesliga-wide predictions, and continue to have some of the poorest sound quality in the history of podcasting (apologies again... we’re working on it!).
In podcast #1 about Matchday #21, Auz from @U_SCF_S and Jeff from @BelovedBillygoats join us to discuss VfB's match versus Hertha Berlin, preview the upcoming match at 1. FC Koln, and give our predictions about upcoming day #22 matches!
(apologies for the sound!)