Soccerwise | U.S. Soccer, MLS, NWSL

Half of the MLS Western Conference playoff bubble is about to see their postseason dreams burst, and those already out have plenty to answer for. David Gass, Matt Doyle and Tom Bogert size up who’s best set for the final weekend. Then they dig into what sank each eliminated side and what has to change this offseason.
Six clubs fight for three berths: the LA Galaxy and Real Salt Lake face off, while the Seattle Sounders, Portland Timbers, Colorado Rapids and Minnesota United scoreboard watch. Obituaries follow for the clubs whose seasons are done, from a record-setting Sporting Kansas City to New York City FC and Red Bull New York’s rosters that promised more.

0:00 MLS Finale Show, Watch Party and Banter
7:06 Western Bubble, Most Crowded Since 2021
11:37 Galaxy at a Crossroads?
16:43 LA vs. RSL, Where It’s Won and Lost
22:00 Real Salt Lake: A Season Worth Saving?
27:41 Blame for Seattle’s Slide
34:29 Rapids, Timbers, Minnesota: Trust Them?
41:14 Nashville’s Record Chase, Seeding Races
47:30 Sporting KC’s Tank Job Debate
53:37 CF Montreal’s Ownership Question
57:54 D.C. United: A Roster Missing Pieces?
1:01:20 Atlanta’s Rebuild Cycle
1:05:53 Jim Curtin Starts Over in Austin
1:12:04 San Diego’s Next Move
1:18:31 Toronto FC: Big Spending, Same Attack?
1:24:19 NYCFC Fades, Jansen’s Job in Question
1:28:47 Red Bulls, Bradley and the Veteran Gap

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Eight NWSL teams, four games and no second chances. David Gass and Jordan Angeli break down every quarterfinal matchup, what could tip each one and which teams they think can survive, before they take on the NWSL awards races, starting with a wide-open MVP vote.
They look back at Decision Day, where Gotham FC won their first NWSL Shield and Seattle Reign snagged the last spot, and work through their full awards ballot with their front-runners in every category.
0:00 NWSL Final Eight and Awards Ahead
4:13 Decision Day: Parity on Display
8:44 Gotham’s Shield Despite Roster Churn
16:50 Seattle’s Last-Day Push for Fishlock
20:05 KC vs. Angel City: Transition Showdown
32:58 Wilson’s Portland Tests Washington
41:22 Midfield Battle: Seattle vs. Gotham
49:45 Utah’s Press, San Diego’s Answer
56:38 Bracket Picks and Upsets
58:35 MVP Debate: Sanchez, Dali or Rodman?
1:04:27 Ann-Katrin Berger’s Keeper Case
1:06:22 Van Zanten for Rookie and Defender?
1:09:28 Coach Race: Coenraets Against Amoros
1:11:03 Dali or Howell, Midfielder of the Year?

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 Timbers jumped from 11th to eighth in a single weekend. Are they getting hot at the right time, or is it proof that nobody else in this scramble is any good? With Decision Day next, Gass, Tom and Doyle hash I all out across both conferences, from the bubble to the clubs already planning for next year.
Out East, Nashville SC rallied from two down against Red Bull New York and look like the favorites even with Inter Miami lurking. Charlotte FC’s ceiling may hinge on whether Allan Saint-Maximin’s red card will cost him more games. The Columbus Crew are surging, while NYCFC, Toronto FC and the Red Bulls are done. Plus, a farewell to Alejandro Bedoya.
0:00 Mad Hatter, Sully and a West Logjam
9:17 Nashville SC Closing in on the Record
17:28 Diego Chara and a Portland Revival
26:34 Saint-Maximin’s Taunt Worth a Red Card?
32:41 Charlotte FC Feast, but Real Tests Ahead
39:04 Revs and Miami Fight for Second
46:58 Alejandro Bedoya’s Union Legacy
52:30 Galaxy in Control of a Shaky Bubble
1:00:18 Wide Open From Vancouver on Down
1:04:54 Columbus Crew Surge as Cincinnati Steady
1:12:06 Worst Exit: NYCFC, Toronto or Red Bulls?

Soccerwise is your home for the sharpest coverage of American soccer, covering MLS, NWSL and U.S. Soccer.
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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.
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.