Touchline Takes

"That has always been our mission from Day 1: This atmosphere needs to be a party." This one is near and dear to our HEARTS . We are lucky enough to be joined by two co-chairs of the supporters group of Portland, Maine's professional soccer club. Ever since Portland Hearts of Pine was announced, Dirigo Union has been on the ground working to build excitement within the community. And...

A day many of us maybe never saw coming, or possibly we knew it would happen eventually? Regardless, it's been announced that arguably the most known name in American soccer history is making a triumphant return to the sport. But there is a catch. We dive deeper into the history of the Cosmos and how we got here, and discuss more on what happens next as they (hopefully) look to kick a ball next se...

As the FIFA Club World Cup kicks on we explore some of the lesser known or perhaps unbelievable continental cup stories, including Champions League underdogs, Cup Winners Cup fairytales (don't worry we will explain what that one is for the young folk out there), second division participants and more! And heck, if you are not familiar with the Champions League structure we will explain that and...

Oh you though Soccer Warz TM was only for the men's game? THINK AGAIN PAL. This episode: NWSL 2? Super League 2nd Season updates, and WPSL Pro. How will it all mesh? We play: Is it an English royal family's shield or a logo for a new USL team in Dallas? Cam is depressed (The Rowdies suck) Cam is elated (Liverpool very much doesn't suck) Karl has a cat that does cat things ----------- A...

Here at Touchline Takes we made a promise; a promise to finally return once a system of promotion and relegation was announced in the USA. We thought it would be like when pigs fly, but out of nowhere the unthinkable has happened. And just like that, we are back. Listen for the soccer talk, stay for our midlife crisis plans. USL Pro/Rel USL New Season Portland Heart of Pine Success USL D1 Ever Hea...

It's a brand-new year and we are finally back in the fold with our latest episode. Much like Manchester United, 2023 wasn't the best year for us when it comes to our performance, and we are hoping for a much better 2024 (please hold us to this). Listen for the soccer talk, stay for our plans for the rest of the year! Recap of the USL Season Start of the USL Super League The State of NISA U...

Ooooooooh do we have a special episode for you: for the first time ever, the Touchline Take's gang gets together to record an in-person podcast! We have so much to catch up on so without further ado, here we go... Big changes for USL Messi Magic MLS and Saudi League Women's World Cup Spanish Football Federation Controversy Karl's Experiences in Tampa And as always, follow us on  Twitte...

Yes, it has been four months since their beautiful voices blessed your ears but after a lot of reflecting around the world of soccer, Cameron and Karl are back and better than ever. We have a lot we needed to catch up on so settle in and get ready: Messi to MLS League's Cup Shenanigans USL Super League and Midseason check-in Women's World Cup Come for all the great content, stay for us for...

It's the return of the USL and domestic league soccer here in the U.S., and its also the return of our voices to your ears as life has slowed down for both Cameron and Karl to give you all what you wanted: Brand new hot takes on an upcoming season. We discuss: MLS and Apple TV  USL growth Winners and losers this upcoming season Come for the takes, stay for us trying to map out which region in...

Happy New Year to all you Touchline Takes aficionados! We are back once again to bless your ears with the sweet sound of our voice and controversial opinions revolving around what is happening in the landscape of soccer in the U.S. In this first episode of 2023 we discuss: The Start of MLS USL Changes and A Few Predications  USMNT Fiasco  And as always, follow us on Twitter , Instagram a...

After a brief couple of months hiatus for us here at Touchline Takes, we have returned with VEGENANCE.  From World Cup, to USL Championship, and beyond, we have made our way back to the airwaves with all the hot takes you have known us for.  Listen for the takes, stay for Karl trying to figure out why his microphone makes it sound like he's swimming in Atlantis.  And as always, foll...

It's been just over a week so the news broke that the city of Irvine, California was potentially looking to evict USL Championship side Orange County SC from their stadium they've been playing in since 2017 in favor of a LA Galaxy development team. The defending USLC Champions quickly mobilized support from all across the soccer community to fight for their home - and also the home of other profes...

Ever wonder what it feels like to wake up and find out that somehow, someway you have just inherited a billion dollars? Well, so do we. Waking up on the morning of the return of the English Premier League probably feels nothing like that either, but still, we are so excited to usher in another season. From Tottenham to Liverpool, we break down all the surprises we might see this season and where e...

After a bit of a break we are back on the podcast airwaves with some of the much exciting news in decades in lower-league soccer history in the U.S. THE Sacramento Republic is heading to the U.S. Open Cup Final, the first time since 2008 a non-MLS side will be featured in the final!  We have a lot to cover that we have missed in the last month: Sacramento Republic in the Final USL W League NO...

Oooooooooooooooooooo weeeeeeeee it's been a long wait but we finally have the cities that will be taking hosting games in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Where will you be going to catch the beginning of the USMNT lifting the trophy?  But in all seriousness, we had a lot to discuss in this jam packed episode after an extra week break. We discuss:  2026 World Cup host cities NISA and all its glo...

The curtains have closed once again on a bunch of great seasons and title races over in Europe so we would like to take an opportunity to acknowledge all that has happened over the course of the year. From Tottenham clinching a spot back in the Champions League, to AC Milan lifting the Scudetto, we cover it all with a little bit of domestic talk sprinkled in as well. We discuss: U.S. Open Cup upse...

There is a fresh smell of greed and money in the air and it is not just from Karl's trip to Washington, D.C. We have the latest on so much news that is happening in the soccer world here in the North America, including EA Sports and FIFA going through a nasty divorce right now.  We discuss: Ronaldinho business ventures in MASL CONCACAF Champions League  NISA Independent Cup Michigan Star...

The U.S. Open Cup might as well be called the "upset Cup" at this point with multiple MLS teams falling to their young brethren in the USL. But it certainly is the beauty of the Cup to watch this all happen in real time, and maybe get a sense that the gap between the two professional leagues is a lot closer than we think. We discuss: All the U.S. Open Cup Magic  Make our picks for the next up...

To all the soccer fans around the world, earlier this week, we recorded a podcast in the dwellings of our homes where we hoped to sabotage all you listeners with content, optimism, and smell (?). Karl asked Cameron multiple times to take charge, but it was unsuccessful. We hope no other podcasters have to go through this. We would like to prematurely thank our listeners and fans for finishing the...

Soccer is back in the United States, and so are we with a laid-back, sipping beer on a beach-type of episode. Because what is more casual than discussing NISA, USL AND MLS? Well, a lot maybe...but not for us!  We discuss: Chaos in NISA doesn't stop U.S. Open Cup gets going CONCACAF Champions League Our optimism with MLS this year Youth intake within MLS MLS Next Pro rules  And so much more! As alw...

We chat so much on here about lower-league soccer at the professional level, that it was about time we gave you listeners a taste of what is happening at the grassroots level of the game.  John C.L. Morgan joins us to talk all things happening on the pitch in the Pine Tree State. We may be a little biased (ok, a lot biased) but some really awesome things are happening and they are only set to...

As we approach the final hours until the start of the new USL Championship season, we hope to get YOU ready for the new season. We chat all things El Paso Locomotive with their new head coach, John Hutchinson. El Paso are coming off a very successful year and are looking to continue to build on their club and its culture with Hutchinson at the helm. And his track record of experiences speaks for i...

After going on a long break from any content, we had to give you all something special to come back to us. This is that something special, and then some. We chat with one of the founding members of Detroit City FC, co-owner Alex Wright. The club is poised for its inaugural season in the USL Championship after making the jump from NISA.  We discuss: His love for the game The Early Days of DCFC...

*taps microphone* "Is this thing on?!" WE ARE BACKKKKKK AND BETTER THAN EVER! It's been awhile since we've last been seen (heard) but as we approach the beginnings of the domestic league going again here in the U.S., we are making our long awaited return to the airwaves. There is a lot we needed to catch up on and chat about so buckle in and enjoy the calming sound of our voices. We discuss: The L...

*listen at own risk*