The grades are in, folks. On today's show, the whole TSS crew is gathered to hand out summer transfer window report cards to Europe's biggest clubs. Where did Chelsea land after a wild summer? What about Barcelona, with all of their lever-pulling? And how did Kylian Mbappe impact Real Madrid and PSG's grades? All that -- and so much more -- on the show! JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON! Check out our Patreon, which houses bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, blog posts, videos, and much more. Become a member today at patreon.com/totalsoccershow! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Big Thing goes to Turin, as Ryan, Joe and Graham evaluate Thiago Motta's new-look Juventus! JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON! Check out our Patreon, which houses bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, blog posts, videos, and much more. Become a member today at patreon.com/totalsoccershow! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The TSS Gang - minus a poorly Taylor Rockwell - is here with the first Weekend Review of the new season, detailing positive starts for Man City, Arsenal and Liverpool, a worrying beginning for Antonio Conte's life at Napoli, updates from Leagues Cup, and much more! JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON! Check out our Patreon, which features bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, blog posts, videos, and much more. Become a member today at patreon.com/totalsoccershow! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Graham hanging out with Mickey Mouse, it's left to your favorite Triumvirate to break down the second leg action in this week's Champions League games! How big of a real did Araujo's red card play in PSG's eventual victory over Barcelona? What went wrong for an unusually wide open Atletico in their loss to Dortmund? How have Real Madrid made it this far without replacing Benzema? Can Bayern keep this run going? All those questions, and many more, answered on today's episode! Sponsors! Today’s episode is brought to you by… Mack Weldon! Get 20% off your first order at mackweldon.com by using promo code “TSS”! Shopify! Head to shopify.com/tss for a free trial to help grow your business! LinkedIn! Post your job for free at linkedin.com/TSS! JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON! Check out our Patreon, which houses bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, blog posts, videos, and much more. Become a member today at patreon.com/totalsoccershow! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was a busy weekend for Americans abroad, so Taylor and Joe did their homework and came prepared to chat about more than a few talented USMNT players plying their trade in Europe. From Dest and Musah facing off in La Liga, to McKennie looking sharp for Juventus, to Yedlin's first Premier League start this season, to Otasowie's first Premier League start ever, there's plenty to get to! 3:38 - Sergino Dest is a starter for FC Barcelona. Woah! 11:43 - Yunus Musah: A Man Who Makes Gregg Berhalter Look Very Wise 24:15 - DeAndre Yedlin is back in the starting XI for Newcastle. How'd he do? 31:06 - Antonee Robinson and Fulham secured a result away to Newcastle over the weekend 39:13 - Weston McKennie was recently named USMNT Player of the Year and when you watch him at Juventus, it's easy to see why 54:45 - Niko Gioacchini scored for Caen, showed some great movement in the box, and might be outgrowing Ligue 2 1:05:49 - Owen Otasowie started his first Premier League game for Wolves! What did we learn about him? 1:12:20 - Christian Pulisic is healthy and oh-so-dangerous for Chelsea right now Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by... The Athletic! Check out theathletic.com/TSS to receive two all-access subscriptions for the price of one! Credible! Visit credible.com/TSS to receive a $200 gift card when refinancing your student loans! Blue Nile! Thinking of popping the question? Take a look at an incredible, limited-edition collection of diamond engagement rings at bluenile.com! HelloFresh! Go to HelloFresh.com/TSS80 and use code TSS80 to get $80 off including free shipping. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After rechristening Scotland and ‘McTominayLand’, Ryan Bailey and Graham Ruthven get into the biggest matches of the weekend from around Europe! 0.00 - Manchester United vs. Leeds: Ole is at the wheel and his hands are positioned at 6 and 2! We look at how Solskjaer set up perfectly to deal with Marcelo Bielsa’s high-energy side.  21.17 - Everton vs. Arsenal: Mikel Arteta endured an unhappy return to Goodison Park, where the Gunners suffered yet another league loss. We ask: what is an Arsenal, and what does it stand for? 38.50 - Tottenham vs. Leicester: It looked like the Spider-Man meme in North London where two of the league’s best counter-attacking sides pointed at each other Leicester, however, had the better game plan. 51.50 - Bayer Leverkusen vs. Bayern Munich: It is a time of year for giving gifts, and Leverkusen’s Jonathan Tah very kindly placed two in the lap of Robert Lewandowski to send Die Roten to the top of the table for the festive break.  Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by... The Athletic! Check out theathletic.com/TSS to receive two all-access subscriptions for the price of one! Credible! Visit credible.com/TSS to receive a $200 gift card when refinancing your student loans! Blue Nile! Thinking of popping the question? Take a look at an incredible, limited-edition collection of diamond engagement rings at bluenile.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In their final episode of 2020, Paul and Sam cover a ton of ground, ranging from MLS Cup takeaways to Austin FC to trades and transfers to listener questions! 1:18 - Thoughts and overarching takeaways from MLS Cup 9:00 - Paul putting Sam in a box and Allocation Disorder in its purest form 10:06 - What do we know about Austin FC so far? 26:06 - Analysis of Montreal's acquisition of Djordje Mihailovic from the Chicago Fire 32:55 - "Bryan Reynolds: The 10 Million Dollar Man" and MLS proving itself in the world of youth development 44:44 - The Inter Miami/Diego Alonso situation 49:18 - Mailbag time! What are some of the positive things going on in MLS and soccer in the United States? Will this year's playoff format stick? Is the USMNT's January Camp still happening? And many more! Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by... The Athletic! Check out theathletic.com/TSS to receive two all-access subscriptions for the price of one! Blue Nile! Thinking of popping the question? Take a look at an incredible, limited-edition collection of diamond engagement rings at bluenile.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why are Barcelona players taking pay cuts while the team still spends big on transfers? How is Tanguy Ndombele ‘press resistant’? And what are the root causes of Arsenal’s suckiness? The legendary Jimmy Conrad joins Ryan Bailey to answer your questions!  Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by... The Athletic! Check out theathletic.com/TSS to receive two all-access subscriptions for the price of one! Blue Nile! Thinking of popping the question? Take a look at an incredible range of limited-edition collection of diamond engagement rings at bluenile.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Taylor is back! You know what, one exclamation point isn't enough. Let's try that again. Taylor is back!!! That's much better. On today's show, Taylor and Joe answer some phenomenal listener questions. And before that, Joe asks Taylor about his first few weeks as a parent! 8:05 - Is the USMNT's current depth of talent evidence that the U.S.'s youth system wasn't as broken as we were lead to believe post-Couva? 20:48 - When you can't watch a game, what site has the best individual player ratings? 29:52 - Do national teams in countries with one or two dominant teams that contain many of the country's best players have an advantage? 37:39 - Can Americans who aren't good enough for the U.S. national team play for Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and other FIFA recognized territories that the United States own? 46:42 - With the congested schedule that FIFA has set for World Cup qualification, should the five player substitution rule remain in international qualifiers? 52:12 - From what he's done at Derby County so far, could Wayne Rooney become a top tier coach? Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by... The Athletic! Check out theathletic.com/TSS to receive two all-access subscriptions for the price of one! Mack Weldon! Your one-stop-shop for men's basics, visit mackweldon.com/tss to get 20% off your first order! Blue Nile! Thinking of popping the question? Take a look at an incredible range of limited-edition collection of diamond engagement rings at bluenile.com! PolicyGenius! If you need life insurance but aren’t sure where to start, head to policygenius.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode, Joe Lowery is joined by The Athletic's Sam Stejskal to review MLS Cup and answer some MLS-related listener questions! First, Joe and Sam talk all about the Columbus Crew's impressive victory over the Seattle Sounders in Saturday's MLS Cup, digging into Aidan Morris' breakout performance, Lucas Zelarayan's dominant display, Caleb Porter's tactics, and Brian Schmetzer's future in Seattle. Then, Joe and Sam tackle a handful of listener questions: 26:10 - Which player would you want a gigantic golden CGI statue of to embody quintessential MLS? 33:00 - Which MLS team is poised for a “worst to first” kind of year? And which team is going the other way? 45:03 - If Chris Wondolowski doesn't re-sign with the San Jose Earthquakes, what other team best suits him? 48:30 - Which young American will burst onto the scene in MLS next year like Brenden Aaronson did this past year? 51:32 - Who will be sold for the most amount of money between Caden Clark, Gianluca Busio, Mark McKenzie, Brian Reynolds, and Daryl Dike? 56:50 - What happened with Diego Alonso's pseudo-firing in Miami? Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by... The Athletic! Check out theathletic.com/TSS to receive two all-access subscriptions for the price of one! Artifact! Give the gift of a custom-made podcast this holiday season at heyartifact.com/gift! Blue Nile! Thinking of popping the question? Take a look at an incredible range of limited-edition collection of diamond engagement rings at bluenile.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's Weekend Review edition of The Total Soccer Show, Ryan Bailey and Graham Ruvthen cast an eye over four of the biggest matches from this past weekend—and analyze the Champions League Round of 16 draw: 0:00 - Champions League draw: Frank Lampard will have his biggest managerial test to date when Chelsea meet Atletico Madrid, while PSG face familiar foes Barcelona.  16.43 - Manchester Utd vs. Manchester City: Yes, this was a terrible game in which nothing really happened. But it revealed a lot about where both managers are at and how their teams will progress.  25.52 - Fulham vs. Liverpool: It’s not often that Fulham can face the reigning league champions and feel that a draw wasn’t enough. How Scott Parker’s side renewed their faith in staying up! 40.06 - Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid: Is there a team anywhere in the world that is better at performing when it counts than Real Madrid? Zinedine Zidane’s side topped off a magnificent week with a statement win in El Derbi.  52.14 - Borussia Dortmund vs. Stuttgart: BVB manager lost his job after his team lost their way against newly promoted Stuttgart. What went wrong for Dortmund? Just about everything.  Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by... The Athletic! Check out theathletic.com/TSS to receive two all-access subscriptions for the price of one! Artifact! Give the gift of a custom-made podcast this holiday season at heyartifact.com/gift! Blue Nile! Thinking of popping the question? Take a look at an incredible range of limited-edition collection of diamond engagement rings at bluenile.com! PolicyGenius! If you need life insurance but aren’t sure where to start, head to policygenius.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With MLS Cup coming up on Saturday, Paul and Sam talk about some of the pieces and strategies that have helped the Seattle Sounders and the Columbus Crew advance to the final. Then, they hit the highlights from Don Garber's State of the League address that happened earlier this week, and discuss some big Inter Miami news. 2:00 - General managers Garth Lagerwey (Seattle Sounders) and Tim Bezbatchenko (Columbus Crew) deserve a lot of credit for helping their respective teams get to MLS Cup 12:50 - An analysis of Sounders manager Brian Schmetzer and Crew manager Caleb Porter 20:08 - Shouldn't more MLS teams be investing in analytics? 27:`10 - Digging into some of Seattle's and Columbus's smartest signings and roster building strategies 42:49 - Highlights of MLS Commissioner Don Garber's State of the League address: The CBA and the force majeure clause MLS potentially looking for outside investors Are we going to see more MLS teams sold in the near future? 53:15 - Paul McDonough steps down as Inter Miami's COO and sporting director 1:03:08 - MLS Cup predictions! Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by... The Athletic! Check out theathletic.com/TSS to receive two all-access subscriptions for the price of one! Indochino! Get $30 off any purchase of $399 or more at Indochino.com by using the code “athletic” at checkout. Fubo.tv! Visit fubotv.com/TSS for 15% off your first month AND a free trial. LinkedIn Jobs! Head to LinkedIn.com/TSS to get $50 off your first job post. Away! Gift someone something to look forward to this holiday season at AwayTravel.com/TSS. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ryan Bailey and Sam Tighe take a look back at the 2020-21 Champions League Group Stage, to assess the biggest winners and losers, the breakout stars, and the team who will give defending champions Bayern Munich a run for their money in the knockout rounds! Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by... The Athletic! Check out theathletic.com/TSS to receive two all-access subscriptions for the price of one! Indochino! Get $30 off any purchase of $399 or more at Indochino.com by using the code “athletic” at checkout. Fubo.tv! Visit fubotv.com/TSS for 15% off your first month AND a free trial. LinkedIn Jobs! Head to LinkedIn.com/TSS to get $50 off your first job post. Hims! Get your first visit absolutely free at forhims.com/totalsoccer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe Lowery is joined by Adam Snavely to review the USMNT's friendly against El Salvador. What did we learn? Did anything change tactically? Which players showed well? And which ones might have a spot in Gregg Berhalter's first-choice group of players? Joe and Adam answer those questions...and talk about a bunch of other things, too! Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by... The Athletic! Check out theathletic.com/TSS to receive two all-access subscriptions for the price of one! Indochino! Get $30 off any purchase of $399 or more at Indochino.com by using the code “athletic” at checkout. Fubo.tv! Visit fubotv.com/TSS for 15% off your first month AND a free trial. LinkedIn Jobs! Head to LinkedIn.com/TSS to get $50 off your first job post. Manscaped! Get 20% off (with free shipping) when you use the promo code TSS20 at Manscaped.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve got a Power Trio! Taylor, Ryan, and Joe combine to answer your questions. 1) Which current U.S. men’s player approaching age 30 could pull a Brian McBride and move to a big European league? 2) Who are the front-runners for the Ballon d'Or? 3) If we owned an MLS team, how would we use our DP spots? 4) Is being a GM the best job in the world?  5) Have any new tactics popped up over the last five years? 6) What is NSL America? Sponsors! Today’s episode is brought to you by… Mack Weldon! Get 20% off your first order at mackweldon.com by using promo code “TSS”! Shopify! Head to shopify.com/tss for a free trial to help grow your business! LinkedIn! Post your job for free at linkedin.com/TSS! JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON! Check out our Patreon, which houses bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, blog posts, videos, and much more. Become a member today at patreon.com/totalsoccershow! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MLS Cup is less than a week away! On Saturday, December 12th, the Columbus Crew and the Seattle Sounders will battle for a serious piece of silverware. To preview Saturday's final and shine a light on the two teams playing, Joe Lowery is joined by not one, but two excellent guests on today's show. Up first, Jordan Angeli, also known as the "Crew Guru", talks all things Columbus. Then, Matt Pentz comes on the show to dis-Pentz his Seattle Sounders knowledge. 2:15 - Columbus Crew preview with Jordan Angeli What do the Crew look like in the post #SaveTheCrew era? How do they play under Caleb Porter? The connection between Gyasi Zardes and Lucas Zelarayan Much more 31:50 - Sounders Sounders preview with Matt Pentz What's the latest on the Brian Schmetzer contract situation? Players to watch Are the Sounders a dynasty? Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by... The Athletic! Check out theathletic.com/TSS to receive two all-access subscriptions for the price of one! Indochino! Get $30 off any purchase of $399 or more at Indochino.com by using the code “athletic” at checkout. Fubo.tv! Visit fubotv.com/TSS for 15% off your first month and a free trial. LinkedIn Jobs! Head to LinkedIn.com/TSS to get $50 off your first job post. Hims! Go to ForHims.com/totalsoccer for a 90-day money-back guarantee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's Weekend Review edition of The Total Soccer Show, Ryan Bailey and Graham Ruvthen break down 4 big games from this past weekend: 0:00 - Tottenham vs. Arsenal: Kane and Son combine to pour more misery on Mikel Arteta, whose side were lacking all over the field. 27.40 - Liverpool vs. Wolves: Jurgen Klopp’s side were ruthless in their destruction of Wolves, who instilled a puzzling formation switch in Raul Jimenez’s absence… 44.19 - Bayern Munich vs. RB Leipzig: The most thrilling match of the weekend took place in Bavaria, where Bayern Munich’s passive approach to defending allowed Leipzig to stay within a sniff of title contention! 57.45 - Cadiz vs. Barcelona: The Catalans slumped to their fourth league defeat of the season against a highly impressive Cadiz side who have already taken points from Real Madrid and Athletic Club in this campaign.  Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by... The Athletic! Check out theathletic.com/TSS to receive two all-access subscriptions for the price of one! Indochino! Get $30 off any purchase of $399 or more at Indochino.com by using the code “athletic” at checkout. Fubo.tv! Visit fubotv.com/TSS for 15% off your first month and a free trial. LinkedIn Jobs! Head to LinkedIn.com/TSS to get $50 off your first job post Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before discussing some of the biggest off-the-field news in Major League Soccer, Paul and Sam sink their teeth into the most recent MLS Cup Playoff games, talking rosters, tactics, and more.  0:45 - With their roster turnaround and their recent on-field performance, it’s time to give Adrian Heath, Mark Watson, and Minnesota United the credit they deserve.  19:55 - Some rapid-fire analysis of Seattle Sounders versus FC Dallas - and then some Western Conference Final previewing. 23:53 - You thought this show was going to be all Western Conference, didn’t you? Well, never fear! Eastern Conference chat is here, featuring the New England Revolution and the Columbus Crew. 37:28 - Greg Vanney has officially left Toronto FC. Who should replace him as Toronto’s head coach? Plus, analysis of the other coaching vacancies around MLS. Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by... Credible! Visit Credible.com/TSS and get a $200 gift card when you refinance your student loans. Artifact! Check out HeyArtifact.com/TSS to get $40 off your first order. Away! Gift someone something to look forward to this holiday season at AwayTravel.com/TSS. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a Dirty Tackle reunion of sorts on today’s episode of TSS! Ryan Bailey is joined by DT founder Brooks Peck to look at some weird and wonderful recent stories from the beautiful game, including Joleon Lescott’s accidental comeback and the bizarre world of “Socker Slam”!  Listen carefully, and DT fans may hear an appearance from a familiar special guest, too… Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by... Credible! Visit Credible.com/TSS and get a $200 gift card when you refinance your student loans. Artifact! Check out HeyArtifact.com/TSS to get $40 off your first order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this week, U.S. Soccer gave us all an early Christmas present: a shiny, brand-new USMNT roster for the United States' game against El Salvador on December 9th. The roster is almost entirely made up of domestic-based, Olympic-eligible players, so it's an exciting group! Joe Lowery is joined by Bobby Warshaw to break down the roster and pick their preferred starting elevens for the 9th. Way more important and way more exciting than the USMNT roster: congratulations to Taylor and Margaret Rockwell on the birth of their daughter! We’re so, so happy for the Rockwell family and grateful that both mom and baby are healthy. Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by... Credible! Visit Credible.com/TSS and get a $200 gift card when you refinance your student loans. Artifact! Check out HeyArtifact.com/TSS to get $40 off your first order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe Lowery is joined by The Athletic’s Meg Linehan to talk about all things United States Women’s National Team! Joe asks Meg about the U.S.’s first game in 8 months, the emerging young talent in the player pool, and the differences between Vlatko Andonovski and Jill Ellis. Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by... Credible! Visit Credible.com/TSS and get a $200 gift card when you refinance your student loans. Artifact! Check out HeyArtifact.com/TSS to get $40 off your first order. HelloFresh! Go to HelloFresh.com/TSS90 and use code TSS90 to get $90 off including free shipping. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ryan Bailey and Graham Ruvthen put the world to rights b y breaking down the biggest games of the weekend: 4:00 - Chelsea vs. Tottenham: How was Harry Kane kept quiet, and which manager is happier with a Stamford Bridge stalemate? 20:32 - Southampton vs. Manchester United: Ole’s hands slipped off the whee; but Edinson Cavani was there to place them back!  36:50 - Real Madrid vs. Alaves: Zinedine Zidane had a few key players missing as the Spanish giants dropped points. Again. 46:47 - Borussia Dortmund vs. Köln: Lucien Favre’s job prospects took a hammering as Cologne left a bad smell at the Westfalenstadion.  Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by... Credible! Visit Credible.com/TSS and get a $200 gift card when you refinance your student loans Artifact! Check out HeyArtifact.com/TSS to get $40 off your first order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul and Sam are recording Tuesday for a Thursday release, so they're breaking down the Tuesday night names. 0:00 - Recapping the weekend's playoff games, and the intense entertainment therein, featuring a whole lot of Orlando City-NYCFC. What happened behind the scenes of one of the wildest games in MLS history? Why did Oscar Pareja go running into the dressing room? How many times did we think the game was over? What will happen next for Orlando with two starters suspended for the next round? 21:15 - The Wondo Love Machine rolls on, even if San Jose does not: Sporting KC vs San Jose review, plus a strange analogy involving bad breath from Sam. Also, where do San Jose go from here and will Wondo be back? 33:02 - Fast forwarding past Minnesota United to talk Portland v Dallas. How Portland's major problem this season was on display against Dallas, plus another incredibly dramatic penalty shootout and the glory of centerback penalties. 38:52 - Taking a look back at the teams who are out of the playoffs and where they go from here next season, featuring Miami, NYCFC, NY Red Bulls, and more! 49:48 - Things Paul and Sam are thankful for, including Orlando City, the USMNT, and MLS in general. Sponsors! Credible! Visit Credible.com/TSS and get a $200 gift card when you refinance your student loans Artifact! Go to HeyArtifact.com/TSS or HeyArtifact.com/daryl to hear some sample episodes, and when you're ready to hear one of your own you can use the promo code "TSS40" to get $40 off your first order! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a TSS Thanksgiving extravaganza! Joe Lowery is joined by Adam Snavely to talk about all of the soccer things that they're thankful for. From a promising addition to the USWNT player pool, to the goal of the decade(?), to a heartfelt thank you to the American soccer community, Joe and Adam run through their respective Lists of Thankfulness™. And, as discussed on the show, you can honor Daryl and support his wife Shannon by buying a "Hello and Welcome" patch: https://onthevolleyapparel.com/products/cooligans-otva-collab-racer-back-tank-top Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by... The Athletic! Head over to theathletic.com/TSS to get a 12 month subscription to The Athletic for just $1 per month. Credible! Visit Credible.com/TSS and get a $200 gift card when you refinance your student loans. Artifact! Check out HeyArtifact.com/TSS to get $40 off your first order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ESPN commentator and pundit Matteo Bonetti joins Ryan Bailey to answer listener questions and shoot the breeze about all things Serie A. You’ll find out how Milan are topping the table (spoiler: it's not all about Zlatan), what Weston McKennie will offer Juventus going forward, and which Italian team the skinny-jeans-and-oat-milk-latte crowd will be following now that Atalanta have gone mainstream. Today’s show is sponsored by… Credible! Visit Credible.com/TSS and get a $200 gift card when you refinance your student loans Artifact! Check out HeyArtifact.com/TSS to get $40 off your first order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Taylor, Gass, and Joe are here to chat about the latest from around the world of MLS. There's plenty of roster rules chat to start the show! What are the new rules? And how impactful will they be? After that, we dive into chaos in Minnesota and a whole set of on-field topics. Plus, cow talk? Sponsors! Today’s episode is brought to you by… Mack Weldon! Get 20% off your first order at mackweldon.com by using promo code “TSS”! Shopify! Head to shopify.com/tss for a free trial to help grow your business! LinkedIn! Post your job for free at linkedin.com/TSS! JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON! Check out our Patreon, which houses bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, blog posts, videos, and much more. Become a member today at patreon.com/totalsoccershow! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe Lowery is joined by Jordan Angeli to answer all of your tactical listener questions! 3:52 - What is a false nine, how was it popularized, and how do you play with one? 10:51 - What makes it a double pivot?  18:59 - What happens when you play with four central midfielders? Plus, examples of teams that do just that! 24:27 - What is an overload? And what does it have to do with Nani? 28:36 - What’s a defensive rotation?  35:24 - What are pressing cues? 41:00 - What is tactical periodization? Or is it tactical prioritization… 47: 10 - What is the Manchester City zone (aka Kevin De Bruyne’s happy place)?  54:05 - What’s the difference between a wingback and an attacking fullback? Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by... The Athletic! Head over to theathletic.com/TSS to get a 12 month subscription to The Athletic for just $1 per month. Credible! Visit Credible.com/TSS and get a $200 gift card when you refinance your student loans. Artifact! Check out HeyArtifact.com/TSS to get $40 off your first order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's Weekend Review edition of The Total Soccer Show, Ryan Bailey and Graham Ruvthen break down 4 big games from this past weekend: 0:00 - Tottenham vs. Manchester City: What is Mourinho doing right—and what is Pep doing wrong?  28:20 - Liverpool vs. Leicester: Despite having three quarters of the defense, the captain and the top goalscorer out of action, Liverpool dominated Leicester. Rumors of their impending demise have been greatly exaggerated.  49:53 - Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona: Mid-table La Liga chancers Barcelona suffer their first league defeat to title challengers Atleti in a decade. It’s getting *Messi* in Catalunya.  1:02:32 - Napoli vs. Milan: Zlatan is still running the show for league leaders Milan, but they’re far from a one-man team. Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by... Credible! Visit Credible.com/TSS and get a $200 gift card when you refinance your student loans Artifact! Check out HeyArtifact.com/TSS to get $40 off your first order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our old pal George Quraishi returns to the show to share his memories of Daryl Grove, and also does a very good job interviewing Taylor about Daryl, the last month, and what the future holds for TSS. There's also some parenting chat at the very end, and definitely at least 3 minutes or so of actual soccer content. Sponsors! LinkedIn! Visit LinkedIn.com/soccer to get $50 off your first job posting Credible! Go to Credible.com and get a $200 gift card when you refinance your student loans Fubo! FuboTV is offering our listeners a free trial AND 15% off their first month by going to fubotv.com/TSS Indochino! Get $30 off any purchase of $399 or more when you use the code "Athletic" at Indochino.com Away! Gift someone something to look forward to this holiday season at AwayTravel.com/TSS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"It's my why." Paul and Sam spend a late Thursday evening discussing all-things MLS playoffs. How will teams deal with injuries and Coronavirus-related absences? Who could spring a surprise run? Who makes New England v Montreal sexier: Bruce Arena or Thierry Henry? All that and much much more! Also, at one point, Paul says "you're from Illinois" and it sounds angry and accusatory. Some time stamps for you: 14:00 - Eastern Conference bracket preview and match-up predictions 29:54 - Western Conference bracket preview and match-up predictions Sponsors! LinkedIn! Visit LinkedIn.com/soccer to get $50 off your first job posting Credible! Go to Credible.com and get a $200 gift card when you refinance your student loans Fubo! FuboTV is offering our listeners a free trial AND 15% off their first month by going to fubotv.com/TSS Indochino! Get $30 off any purchase of $399 or more when you use the code "Athletic" at Indochino.com Away! Gift someone something to look forward to this holiday season at AwayTravel.com/TSS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ryan and Taylor do their best to answer 6 listener questions, plus talk a little international window... 1) Would David Wagner fix DC United? 2) How good would Aleksandar Mitrovic be if he didn't spend the last few seasons playing for Newcastle and Fulham? 3) With the current expanded benches available in many leagues, why aren't all teams using all the available spaces? 4) Why do goalkeepers yell "away!" on corners, and what other commands could they give? 5) How do the new goalkeeping rules during penalties affect the way in which players like Bruno Fernandes and Jorginho take their penalty kicks? 6) What are your favorite apps for scores, tactics, lineups, stats? Sponsors! LinkedIn! Visit LinkedIn.com/soccer to get $50 off your first job posting Credible! Go to Credible.com and get a $200 gift card when you refinance your student loans Fubo! FuboTV is offering our listeners a free trial AND 15% off their first month by going to fubotv.com/TSS Indochino! Get $30 off any purchase of $399 or more when you use the code "Athletic" at Indochino.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Taylor chats with Grant Wahl about his new podcast series "American Prodigy, the Freddy Adu story." How did the project first come to be, how did Grant get Freddy on board, and what were the challenges of doing an entire series on a person who is very aware of their own media narrative? Plus, what has American soccer done to improve how it treats its potential future stars? All that and much more! Here's a link to the first episode. Give it a listen! Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by... HelloFresh! Go to HelloFresh.com/TSS90 and use code TSS90 to get $90 off including free shipping! Hims! Stop worrying about hair loss and do something about it! Get your first visit free at ForHims.com/totalsoccer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode, which we are aware turned out... quite long... Taylor is joined by Adam Snavely and Ryan Bailey to answer 8 listener questions... Who are your favorite soccer “one hit wonders”? What team could most benefit from hiring Eddie Howe? What is Miguel Arteta doing that Unai Emery isn't? How do teams make big shifts in performance from season to season? How well have Wolves replacements done so far? Which current or former Salzburg/Leipzig player does Brenden Aaronson most resemble? What is Steven Gerrard doing at Glasgow Rangers that has made them better this season? Is MLS a top 10 league in the world right now? Sponsors! Artifact! Check out HeyArtifact.com/TSS to get $40 off your first order. LinkedIn! Visit LinkedIn.com/soccer to get $50 off your first job posting Fubo! FuboTV is offering our listeners a free trial AND 15% off their first month by going to fubotv.com/TSS Credible! Go to Credible.com and get a $200 gift card when you refinance your student loans Manscaped! Get 20% off (with free shipping) when you use the promo code TSS20 at Manscaped.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Taylor and Joe review the USMNT's friendly match up with Panama... (Spoilers below) And what a result it was! Double braces for some teenagers (but not in the way you might think), Weston McKennie put in his best performance yet (according to one of your hosts), and much much more! We also try to answer some questions about this squad, including who had the best time in camp (and who did not), have we found our starting three in midfield, should Dest be on the right or left, and why was the second half less thrilling, despite the number of noteworthy incidents? Sponsors! Artifact! Check out HeyArtifact.com/TSS to get $40 off your first order. LinkedIn! Visit LinkedIn.com/soccer to get $50 off your first job posting Fubo! FuboTV is offering our listeners a free trial AND 15% off their first month by going to fubotv.com/TSS Credible! Go to Credible.com and get a $200 gift card when you refinance your student loans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"The most negative MLS podcast out there" (their words) is about to spread the love! Up first is USMNT v Wales: who looked good, what didn't quite work, and positivity abounds Around the 14 minute mark, Paul and Sam get into some of the latest stories in MLS: which playoff teams will be most impacted by Covid quarantines, Chicago is bringing everybody back, and lots of praise for Sporting KC and the Philadelphia Union. Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by... Indochino! Get $30 off any purchase of $399 or more when you use the code "Athletic" at Indochino.com Credible! Visit Credible.com/TSS and get a $200 gift card when you refinance your student loans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No spoilers... Joe and Taylor review the USMNT's friendly match versus Wales. Why did the US struggle to create clear-cut chances? How good was Yunus Musah on his debut? When will Twitter stop debating the merits of a false nine? Who do we want to see start against Panama? We answer all but one of those questions, and a lot more! Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by... Indochino! Get $30 off any purchase of $399 or more when you use the code "Athletic" at Indochino.com Manscaped! Get 20% Off and Free Shipping with the code TSS20 at Manscaped.com Credible! Visit Credible.com/TSS and get a $200 gift card when you refinance your student loans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The TSS gang are here to review an action packed weekend, in which Bayer Leverkusen won their first-ever Bundesliga title in emphatic style, Arsenal and Liverpool faltered in the Premier League title race, and much much more! Sponsors! Today’s episode is brought to you by… Mack Weldon! Get 20% off your first order at mackweldon.com by using promo code “TSS”! Shopify! Head to shopify.com/tss for a free trial to help grow your business! LinkedIn! Post your job for free at linkedin.com/TSS! JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON! Check out our Patreon, which houses bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, blog posts, videos, and much more. Become a member today at patreon.com/totalsoccershow! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Taylor talks to Michael Kammarman, the USMNT's press officer since 2001. They get into the evolution of how the team has been covered since he came on board, Michael's advice to journalists who are just starting out, and the differences in his role based on the manager in charge. There's also insight into the post-Couva locker room, the current pool of players, and the individuals that have been the strongest voices in the locker room. Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by... Indochino! Get $30 off any purchase of $399 or more when you use the code "Athletic" at Indochino.com Credible! Visit Credible.com/TSS and get a $200 gift card when you refinance your student loans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode of The Total Soccer Show, Joe and Taylor do a whoooooole bunch o' previewing! Up first, they celebrate having actual USMNT games to watch again, before quickly moving on to a preview of Wales. How do they like to play, who are their key performers, and what problems and opportunities could be presented to the USMNT? After that, Joe and Taylor select their starting elevens for Thursday's match, and get more than a little hyped about a few individual matchups. Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by... Indochino! Get $30 off any purchase of $399 or more when you use the code "Athletic" at Indochino.com Credible! Visit Credible.com/TSS and get a $200 gift card when you refinance your student loans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's Weekend Review edition of The Total Soccer Show, we break down 4 big games from this past weekend: 0:00 - Manchester City v Liverpool: what happened for both goals and why was the second half less exhilirating? 17:22 - Borussia Dortmund v Bayern Munich: Haaland v Lewandowski lives up to the billing 32:42 - Valencia v Real Madrid: what went wrong for Real Madrid, how Yunus Musah might fit into Berhalter's system, and why Sergio Ramos remains hilarious (even in defeat) 50:13 - Lazio v Juventus: Ronaldo is crafty and McKennie isn't to blame for Pirlo's men dropping points. Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by... Indochino! Get $30 off any purchase of $399 or more when you use the code "Athletic" at Indochino.com Credible! Visit Credible.com/TSS and get a $200 gift card when you refinance your student loans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul and Sam are reunited and it feels... pretty, pretty good. 0:00 - Discussing the latest USMNT roster, with particular emphasis on Yunus Musah and Gregg Berhalter's continued the quest for dual nationals! Plus, what has the fellas excited and who might play where. 13:09 - Looking ahead to MLS Decision Day, the playoff picture rounding into much clearer focus, and the confusing reality of the LA Galaxy. Plus, possible coaching hires for a few different MLS teams. Sponsors! SoFi! Download the SoFi daily podcast to get the right information to help you gain financial independence. PolicyGenius! You can save 50% or more on life insurance at Policygenius.com LinkedIn! Go to linkedin.com/tss to get $50 off your first posting. Vuori! Get 20% off and free shipping on your first order when you go to vuoriclothing.com/TSS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode, Ryan and Taylor answer 8 listener questions: 5:03 - Can Leicester City turn the Premier League into a "Big 7"? 12:38 - Why weren't all the member of England's 1966 World Cup winning team knighted? 19:26 - What happened to Joshua Pynadath at Ajax? 24:23 - Which players do we appreciate for their talent but not particularly enjoy watching? 32:47 - Is Haaland/Mbappe the next generation's Messi/Ronaldo? 39:56 - What is a False 9 supposed to do? Plus, who scores the goals and what are some examples in the modern game? 53:07 - How do other leagues aside from the Premier League utilize VAR? 1:00:10 - What has been the most important (to US soccer) transfer involving an American? Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by... Sponsors! SoFi! Download the SoFi daily podcast to get the right information to help you gain financial independence. PolicyGenius! You can save 50% or more on life insurance at Policygenius.com LinkedIn! Go to linkedin.com/tss to get $50 off your first posting. Vuori! Get 20% off and free shipping on your first order when you go to vuoriclothing.com/TSS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On a day when nothing massively stressful is happening, Joe and Taylor distract themselves by going deep on Gregg Berhalter's latest USMNT roster. Which players fit where and what should we expect from these players? Plus, we do our best to give you a lot (a lot!) of detail about some of the names you might not be as familiar with, as well as additional info or analysis on some that you will be! Sponsors! SoFi! Download the SoFi daily podcast to get the right information to help you gain financial independence. HelloFresh! Go to HelloFresh.com/TSS90 and use code TSS90 to get $90 off including free shipping. LinkedIn! Go to linkedin.com/tss to get $50 off your first posting. Vuori! Get 20% off and free shipping on your first order when you go to vuoriclothing.com/TSS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a Bonus Episode of Allocation Disorder! Sam talks to Pablo Maurer about their latest masterpiece for The Athletic: "The short life and long death of Chivas USA" Find out their favorite anecdotes that didn't make it into the story, the experience of covering Chivas USA in their prime, the unique position the team occupies in American soccer history, and much much more! Sponsors! SoFi! Download the SoFi daily podcast to get the right information to help you gain financial independence. LinkedIn! Go to linkedin.com/tss to get $50 off your first posting. Vuori! Get 20% off and free shipping on your first order when you go to vuoriclothing.com/TSS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode of the Total Soccer Show, Ryan and Taylor review this weekend's most interesting moments, including... 0:00 - Why the team who shall not be named can not be trusted 2:43 - Manchester United v Arsenal: what Miguel Arteta did to create so many problems for Manchester United, plus explaining what happened on Pogba's penalty concession 28:22 - Tottenham v Brighton: three (possible) mistakes from VAR can't stop Spurs from getting the win 48:17 - Alaves v Barcelona: Koeman makes big changes at halftime while Busquets continues to raise more questions than answers for his manager. 1:02:21 - Spezia v Juventus: Pirlo's old-school 4-4-2 is convincing in the box score but less so on the field 1:11:06 - Udinese v Milan: Zlatan decides to do Zlatan things, Udinese's players' faces be damned! 1:17:06 - Gladbach v Leipzig - The all-black kits weren't the only lovely thing on display, as Marco Rose's men show Leipzig how to be ruthless in front of goal. Sponsors! SoFi! Download the SoFi daily podcast to get the right information to help you gain financial independence. LinkedIn! Go to linkedin.com/tss to get $50 off your first posting. Vuori! Get 20% off and free shipping on your first order when you go to vuoriclothing.com/TSS Manscaped! Get 20% Off and Free Shipping with the code TSS20 at Manscaped.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our old friends Alexis and Christian are back on the program to discuss comedy in the Covid era, how shifting to remote recording has impacted how they conduct interviews, their thoughts on Everton and Arsenal so far, and much much more... including a length conversation about politics and society, triggered by the obvious thing: Skyline Chili. We also open the program by talking about Daryl, and reminisce about the best and worst of times (and how they often overlap). Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by... Sponsors! SoFi! Download the SoFi daily podcast to get the right information to help you gain financial independence. Hims! Go to Forhims.com/totalsoccer to get your first visit absolutely free, The Athletic! Go to TheAthletic.com/TSS to get a subscription for $1/month. Credible! Visit Credible.com/TSS and get a $200 gift card when you refinance your student loans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul and Sam discuss Mr. Tenorio's latest opus for The Athletic: "Inside MLS’s debate over homegrown territory rules." What are the rules, how did they first come to be, and why might they need revision? Plus, a very thoughtful tribute to Daryl Grove at the start of the episode. Sponsors! SoFi! Download the SoFi daily podcast to get the right information to help you gain financial independence. The Athletic! Go to TheAthletic.com/TSS to get a subscription for $1/month. Credible! Visit Credible.com/TSS and get a $200 gift card when you refinance your student loans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Turkish soccer, which isn't exactly renowned for its serenity, hit headlines this week when Fenerbahce fielded an U19 team in the Turkish Super Cup against fierce rivals Galatasaray... before withdrawing the team from the field entirely. This comes after Fener threatened to leave the Süper Lig, in a season that has been characterized by violence and controversial incidents. On this week's Big Thing, the TSS crew survey the world of Turkish soccer, using the insight of former Istanbul resident Taylor Rockwell to gain some historical perspective on the current troubles. Sponsors! Today’s episode is brought to you by… Mack Weldon! Get 20% off your first order at mackweldon.com by using promo code “TSS”! Shopify! Head to shopify.com/tss for a free trial to help grow your business! Indochino! Go to Indochino.com and use code 'TSS' to get 10% off any purchase of $399 or more!  JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON! Check out our Patreon, which houses bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, blog posts, videos, and much more. Become a member today at patreon.com/totalsoccershow! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Taylor is joined by Pablo Maurer and Sam Stejskal of The Athletic to discuss their recent article "Disconnect: as MLS teams back social causes, owners' money often fights them." It's an excellent article that I'd encourage everyone to read, and they go over the basic findings of their research and the more interesting bits and pieces they uncovered. There's also some interesting insight into the process of creating such a highly-detailed, collaborative effort, the reaction to MLS PR when the initial calls are made, and their favorite phrase ever said to them by an MLS employee. Sponsors! SoFi! Download the SoFi daily podcast to get the right information to help you gain financial independence. Vuori! Get 20% off and free shipping on your first order when you go to vuoriclothing.com/TSS Credible! Visit Credible.com/TSS and get a $200 gift card when you refinance your student loans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of The Total Soccer Show... Joe Lowery is back on the show to help Taylor determine the 10 Americans who had the "best" weekends in soccer. The big names (Dest, Pulisic, Reyna) are all in there, as are some you might not have expected (Johannsson, Soto) and some domestic players who are tearing it up in MLS, including Daryl Dike, Walker Zimmerman (aka Zimm Walkerman), and many more. 1:07:36 - We preview the USL Championship Final between the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Phoenix Rising. How do both teams like to set up, what are the most obvious strengths and weakness of each time, and how might it all play out? We do our best to provide answers. Sponsors! SoFi! Download the SoFi daily podcast to get the right information to help you gain financial indepence. Artifact! Go to HeyArtifact.com and use the code "TSS" to get $40 off your order. Credible! Visit Credible.com/TSS and get a $200 gift card when you refinance your student loans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices