Emergency Podcast! (An Austin FC Podcast) – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, Moisés Chiullán and Phil West get right to it and talk about Austin FC parting ways with head coach Nico Estévez and sporting director Rodolfo Borrell, how Saturday night's press conference question about this feeling like an inflection point turned out to be prescient, what it was like to interact with them, what they think went wrong, some concerning numbers at this stage of the season, and what they hope for the future, including a prediction of a sporting director and coach pairing that would make them both very happy. 

On Tuesday, we talked to Matt Doyle (of Soccerwise and Tactics Free Zone and formerly of MLSSoccer.com) to get his thoughts on Austin FC at that (not this) point in the season, as well as discussing this year's surprises so far and his World Cup coverage plans. Note that this interview — which we are sharing here on Sunday morning — happened before Verde's back-to-back losses; context is important. 

In this episode, Moisés Chiullán and Phil West discuss Diego Fagúndez's welcome video joining the Revs, the upcoming match against RSL, the disaster that was the match against Charlotte FC (and some concerns about MLS refereeing), as well as the manifesting narratives early into the 2026 season (including how Nico Estévez is like a guy trying to get a shower at just the right temperature), how Austin FC is being buffeted by the Gulf of Mexico (metaphorically, of course), and where you might watch the match if you like people, fun, and green chile queso, a movie you should see if you like 'Merica, and other artistic recommendations to round out the week. 

In a special bonus mailbag edition, Phil West and Moisés Chiullán cover the Bukari and Desler signings in some detail, revisit the fun Miguel Borja rumors from this past January, predict how Rodolfo Borrell will celebrate once the roster's been scrubbed of Claudio Reyna contracts, and get into the feelings of being a soccer fan. (Note: This was recorded on Monday afternoon, and finally polished to a fine podcast gem on Wednesday morning.) 

In an international break in which you may have already forgotten about the heady rush of the official green smoke-aided Mikkel Desler announcement (which you already all knew about), Phil West is joined by Zac Graham of the North End Podcast to talk about how to execute a "three-beer half," Jock Jams, the Austin FC season so far, and the 9+2 theory that could lead you to some spirited starter vs. bench depth debates to keep you sated until the next episode of Denverde restarts the season on June 15. (Somehow, they didn't bring up their mutual love for Victor Wembenyama, but they did manage a bit of Best Ball talk.) 

Phil West is joined by Michelle Sanchez for an Andrew Wiebe fashion report, thoughts on Austin FC's signing of Osman Bukari, the current woes of Sebastián Driussi (with three distinctly bummer-making words, "chronic groin injury"), further thoughts on Emiliano Rigoni's departure, and what Owen Wolff should do at this phase of his career. 

This week, Phil West and Moisés Chiullán discuss the sudden departure of designated player Emiliano Rigoni, the differing accounts of how said departure unfolded, the transfer rumors involving Osman Bukari and (hold on, let me cut and paste for these accents; there's no way I'm finding these on my keyboard otherwise) Marius Ștefănescu, and the actual emergency of just 16 healthy field players shortly before three matches in eight days. 

This week, Moises Chiullan joins Phil West to talk about Austin FC head coach Josh Wolff brightening at the mere mention of Speedbump (the Austin FC armadillo), the forthcoming 2025 MLS All-Star Game in Austin, the upcoming match against Sporting Kansas City on absurdly short rest, some of what we learned about the squad after 2024's first MLSPA Christmas, and our thoughts about a really nice open letter than Austin FC sporting director Rodolfo Borrell shared with fans. 

Thomas Rongen of MLS coaching and broadcasting fame (and the namesake for the newly-coined Thomas Rongen Line) sits down with Phil West and Moises Chiullan to talk about Austin FC (from a national pundit's POV), Inter Miami, the one time he went to Q2 Stadium (which wasn't for a game), some insights on coaching at a 1.32 PPG clip, and some insights about Josh Wolff. 

Eric Goodman from the Austin Chronicle joins Phil West to talk about the three things that bring Austin FC head coach Josh Wolff joy in press conferences, the new outlook on the season that beating the Galaxy has brought, thoughts on whether the media was really "slaughtering" Verde in the early part of the season, and a tangent where we talk about the upcoming Olympics in Paris for a very good reason.