Soccerwise | U.S. Soccer, MLS, NWSL

David Gass sits down with former Vancouver Whitecaps FC head coach and current Halifax Wanderers GM and head coach Vanni Sartini for the debut episode of Open Mic. Sartini opens up about his coaching journey, the USMNT, MLS and his vision for the future of the game in North America.
0:00 Welcome to Open Mic
2:20 New Chapter in Halifax
4:42 The Growth of Soccer in Canada
11:32 His Coaching Journey
14:55 Developing Better Coaches
19:40 Building the USMNT Identity
26:36 Fixing Italian Soccer
30:56 Inside the Vancouver Years
40:32 MLS Is the Best Place to Coach
45:05 Promotion & Relegation in MLS

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MLS is considering major changes to its playoff format, and David Gass and Tom Bogert dig into what it could mean for the league. They also discuss Mark McKenzie's move back to Philadelphia, Nashville's Shield push and the fallout from a heated Philadelphia-Miami matchup.
0:00 Intro
6:16 MLS Playoff Changes: Is It Too Much?
16:19 Mark McKenzie Coming Home
24:37 Sporting KC's Record Signing
29:46 Tom’s Ice Cream Shop Scoops
42:39 Nashville's Quest for the Shield
50:20 Philadelphia vs. Miami Gets Heated
1:00:21 Houston's Statement Win Over Vancouver
1:05:43 Midweek Games Rapid Fire

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The USMNT’s next chapter is already taking shape. David Gass and Brian Dunseth take a look at the Americans abroad to keep an eye on as the new European seasons get underway, examining their performances, development and what could be next for them with the USMNT.
On the women’s side, David Gass and Jordan Angeli begin building the USWNT’s 2027 World Cup roster. They break down the depth chart position by position, examine the biggest position battles and look at the players who could force their way into the conversation.
Welcome to U.S. Soccerwise, our new weekly show covering the biggest stories and conversations across the U.S. men's, women's, and youth national teams.
0:00 Intro
2:38 Building the USWNT's 2027 World Cup Depth Chart
6:08 Who Should Start in Goal?
8:45 Defenders: Centerbacks & Outsidebacks
13:38 The Midfielders
18:45 The Attackers
27:01 Brian Dunseth joins the Soccerwise family
29:28 USMNT Under Pochettino
36:14 Folarin Balogun’s Next Step?
44:20 Seb Berhalter’s Big Move to Boro
47:15 Max Arfsten’s Opportunity
50:29 Gio Reyna to RC Strasbourg
56:16 Alex Freeman’s Challenge
1:01:51 The Next Players to Emerge
1:06:09 The Subs Bench

For the sharpest coverage of American soccer, we’ve got you covered:
https://linktr.ee/soccerwisehq

Utah keeps making a case that it belongs in the Shield conversation, while Gotham is starting to look like the team many expected them to be. David Gass and Jordan Angeli discuss what's behind both teams' recent form, plus the emotional return of Caiya Hanks for Portland and the continued emergence of Mel Barcenas in San Diego.
0:00 Intro: Across the NWSL in 72 Hours
2:46 Utah's Wild Win Over Bay FC
17:06 Gotham's Best Soccer of the Season?
24:32 Caiya Hanks' Storybook Return
31:42 Angel City & Washington Play to a Draw
38:26 Mel Barcenas Is Must-See TV
42:56 Midweek Matchups: Louisville vs. Seattle & Chicago vs. Houston
50:54 Power Rankings

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Nashville makes a statement against Inter Miami, while Seattle faces major questions and Vancouver continues its rise in the Western Conference. Tom Bogert, David Gass and Matt Doyle break down the biggest stories from around MLS, including the league’s top contenders, Chicago’s push to join them and the teams making moves in the West.
0:00 Intro
4:43 Vancouver Rising, Seattle Falling
18:44 Philadelphia Improving & Neil Pierre Emerging
24:52 MLS Cup Contenders & Chicago’s Case
35:54 Nashville’s Statement Win Over Miami
44:32 The Dayne St. Clair Conundrum
49:53 Here Come the Houston Dynamo
55:37 Is St. Louis for Real?
1:01:54 Sporting Kansas City Is Historically Bad
1:09:18 Kevin Kelsy Bid From Rangers
1:13:28 MLS Midweek Games Coming Up

👍 Like • Subscribe • Listen • Follow

🎧 Listen & follow Soccerwise on your favorite podcast app:
https://soccerwise.captivate.fm/

🎥 Watch full video episodes on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@SoccerwiseHQ

🌐 Visit Kickback Soccer for more podcasts, news, and coverage:
https://kickbacksoccer.com

📰 Subscribe to The Kickback newsletter:
https://the-kickback.ghost.io

📲 Follow Soccerwise on social media:
Instagram: SoccerwiseHQ
https://www.instagram.com/soccerwisehq/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/soccerwisehq.bsky.social