Soccerwise | U.S. Soccer, MLS, NWSL

Back in Columbus after two years with Bournemouth’s multi-club owners, Tim Bezbatchenko knows where MLS already holds its own against European clubs, and where it doesn’t. Gass, Tom and Doyle ask him how the league’s roster rules should change, and he takes them inside the room where the Crew set the budget for a star signing.
Now overseeing the Columbus Crew and the city’s new NWSL team, he weighs promotion and relegation and whether more spending leaves a pathway for homegrown and college prospects. He also covers their new NWSL training ground, how much the sport has changed since he watched the Crew as a teenager, and what would make MLS the first choice for players.
0:00 Tim Bezbatchenko’s Road Back to Columbus
3:09 MLS Measuring Up Against Europe?
6:06 Pro/Rel and the U.S. Soccer Pyramid
7:25 Simpler, Looser Roster Rules?
10:00 Homegrown Pathways Meet Bigger Payrolls
14:33 How Much is a Star Worth?
19:06 NWSL Facility Planned for Player Care
21:32 Soccer in America, Then and Now
23:46 Expansion Club, World-Class NWSL Goals
26:27 Making MLS a Destination

Soccerwise is your home for the sharpest coverage of American soccer, covering MLS, NWSL and U.S. Soccer.
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Two games left, Decision Day next weekend, and New York and Seattle are in must-win mode as a jumble of clubs fight for the last postseason spots. Gass, Tom and Doyle, fresh off a wild midweek, debate which clubs hold their nerve and whether anyone outside of Nashville is truly good.
Red Bull New York and the Columbus Crew chase FC Cincinnati and Orlando City in the East, while Real Salt Lake, the LA Galaxy and the Colorado Rapids crowd the Seattle Sounders in the West. Along the way, they dig into MLS’ new Sprint Season and size up the New England Revolution as an MLS Cup contender, heartbreaks and all.
0:00 Tom’s Men’s League & Open Mic Preview
7:36 Sprint Season: Single-Elimination Format
11:58 Standalone Slots Could Fix MLS Schedule
16:00 Nightly First Round: Value or Devalue?
18:28 Record Goals and Sporting KC’s Defense
22:26 Atlanta: Is Tata Martino Safe?
25:43 D.C. United’s Seven-Year Drought
28:54 Cup Hangover Hits St. Louis
36:08 Portland’s False Nine Experiment
39:55 Chicago Fire: Do We Still Believe?
44:38 Nashville, Vancouver Pull Away
47:44 FC Dallas: Smash-and-Grab or Contender?
53:38 Columbus Chases Cincinnati, Orlando
59:36 Red Bull and Toronto: Must-Win Games
1:07:26 Seattle Sweats as RSL, Galaxy Close In
1:15:11 New England’s MLS Cup Heartbreaks
1:24:50 Revs Now: Turner, Gil, Academy Talent
Soccerwise is your home for the sharpest coverage of American soccer, covering MLS, NWSL and U.S. Soccer.
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Subscribe on YouTube and comment, or follow on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and leave a rating or review. It helps more fans find the show.

Where does the USMNT pool stand now that so many U.S. players have reached Europe’s top leagues? David Gass and Charlie Boehm dig into how far it has come and what Mauricio Pochettino weighs ahead of his November roster.
Joe Scally at Borussia Mönchengladbach and Johnny Cardoso at Atlético Madrid start regularly in Europe, yet neither has a settled USMNT role, a question also hangs over Timothy Weah at Marseille and Alejandro Zendejas in Liga MX. Plus, The Subs Bench takes on the Ballon d’Or, Emma Hayes’ USWNT, “Camp Cupcake” and dual nationals.
0:00 USMNT and USWNT: The Road Ahead
3:47 Subs Bench: Ballon d’Or Overlooks NWSL?
8:15 Emma Hayes’ Depth-Chemistry Conundrum
11:39 Camp Cupcake’s December Trade-Offs
16:26 Pochettino’s Dual-National Question
20:34 Best Uncapped USMNT Player?
25:29 Charlie Boehm: U.S. Players Then vs. Now
30:09 Christian Pulisic and a Deeper Pool
34:45 Pepi, Gozo in Search of the Right Fit
39:03 Joe Scally’s Case for a USMNT Return
44:29 Johnny Cardoso and the Midfield Puzzle
48:16 Timothy Weah’s Rise at Marseille
53:01 MLS-Grown Captains at West Brom, Venezia
54:56 Alejandro Zendejas: Liga MX Underrated?
59:35 DeMarcus Beasley and the Latino Gap

Soccerwise is your home for the sharpest coverage of American soccer, covering MLS, NWSL and U.S. Soccer.
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Subscribe on YouTube and comment, or follow on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and leave a rating or review. It helps more fans find the show.

The Shield is Gotham’s to lose and San Diego’s to steal, three teams for the last spot and the final seeding all to be decided on NWSL Decision Day. David Gass and Jordan Angeli are back together again to break down the best final day in the NWSL in recent memory.
Utah Royals FC and Bay FC can ruin dreams with the Shield in play, while Seattle Reign FC, the North Carolina Courage and Denver Summit FC fight for the last playoff spot and the Orlando Pride get a say. Plus, the HIP rule, ESPN’s GM survey, Ballon d’Or voting and a chat with Columbus’ new GM Lucy Rushton.
0:00 Back Together With the Shield at Stake
5:16 HIP Rule Is About Paying the Best
11:14 ESPN’s Anonymous GM Survey
17:22 Ballon d’Or Voting: Skewed?
24:23 Shield, Last Spot and Seeding Explained
29:49 Utah at Gotham: Spoil the Clinch?
35:52 San Diego’s Patience vs. Bay FC
41:30 Gotham or San Diego for the Shield?
43:05 Orlando Could Cost Seattle Its Spot
49:27 North Carolina vs. Denver: Who Gets In?
57:43 Seeding Race and Angel City’s Late Run
1:04:39 Lucy Rushton: Why Columbus?
1:08:14 Starting an Expansion Club from Scratch
1:11:37 NWSL Culture Shock and What Wins There
1:14:32 Columbus’ Training Center Plans
1:17:50 Bay FC Lessons and Roster Timeline
1:24:22 Redefining Expansion Alongside Atlanta

Soccerwise is your home for the sharpest coverage of American soccer, covering MLS, NWSL and U.S. Soccer.
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Nashville SC ran away with the Supporters’ Shield, and David Gass, Matt Doyle and Tom Bogert can’t say enough good things about how the club got there. And with the awards season approaching, they weigh who is leading the way for some of the biggest awards.
The guys break down the roster plan and coaching behind Nashville’s dominant season, whether the club passes the all-time points record, B.J. Callaghan or Yoann Damet for Coach of the Year and Lionel Messi’s MVP case. Plus, CF Montreal’s cup final where does the club go from here, and a playoff race in both conferences that is headed down to the wire.
0:00 Fantasy Football, Then Nashville
5:40 How Good is This Nashville Team?
15:20 Record Chase and Sustained Success
20:53 Coach of the Year: Callaghan or Damet
29:45 Messi and the MVP Ballot
33:26 Defender and Goalkeeper of the Year
37:35 El Trafico and the Galaxy’s Struggles
42:58 New England Beats Philly
44:47 Montreal’s Cup Final and What’s Next
49:37 Should Saputo Sell the Club?
55:17 Racing for the East’s Final Spots
1:04:32 Orlando’s Defense and the NYCFC Penalty
1:09:55 West Race: Galaxy, RSL and Portland
1:16:28 Staggered Kickoffs and the Apple TV Era

Soccerwise is your home for the sharpest coverage of American soccer, covering MLS, NWSL and U.S. Soccer.
Watch, listen and follow everywhere: https://linktr.ee/soccerwisehq
Subscribe on YouTube and comment, or follow on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and leave a rating or review. It helps more fans find the show.