The Soccer Media Podcast with John Shrader

DAVE JOHNSON has been involved with DC United since before they were even named. He is in his 31st year as the voice of the team, and in will soon start his 30th season as the voice of the NBA’s Washington Wizards. He chats here about his career with DC United and his love for soccer and Major League Soccer; the big picture of American soccer broadcasting, the new MLS calendar, and his diagnosis o...

MIKE WATTS is a veteran American soccer announcer, covering everything from college to MLS, to providing world-feed play-by-pla of the 2026 World Cup. Watts is the lead voice of the marquee Friday night NWSL broadcasts on Amazon Prime. He does MLS and SEC Network soccer as well. He is a Cleveland native who went to college at Fordham. In this conversation we talk about working with and for all tho...

MIKE WOITALLA is the Editor-in-Chief of Soccer America , a publication that has brought soccer journalism to the masses for about 55 years. Woitalla, who has been with Soccer America for about four decades, succeeds the retired Paul Kennedy. In this conversation we talk about the wisdom (or lack of) in signing USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino to a new contract; also, youth soccer in America, the co...

ALEXI LALAS and his mates at Fox Sports just finished their third men’s World Cup cycle, the tournament this summer inthe United States, Canada and Mexico. Lalas worked in the studio for much of the time during the tournament with Rebecca Lowe, Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. It was a grouping that got a lot of attention. In this conversation we talked about that – “three big egos” as Lalas...

JOAQUIN DURO is the Executive Vice-President for Sports and Head of Streaming at Telemundo . He was in charge of the efforts that led to record-setting viewership for the 2026 FIFAWorld Cup. Duro talks about how they approached the production of the games as well as the marketing that helped them protect their Spanish-language audience and attract more English speakers. Recorded August 26, 2026 TH...

STU HOLDEN has now worked three World Cups for Fox Sports , 2018 in Russia, 2022 in Qatar and 2026 in North America. He has developed a very good relationship on and off camera with John Strong. The two did 21 games in the most recent World Cup, including the final, a Spain 1-0 win over Argentina, that drew more than fifty million viewers to Fox. In this conversation we talk about his career, work...

SEBASTIAN SALAZAR is the Saturday night host of NWSL soccer on ION. He spent about a decade at ESPN, hosting soccer programs, doing Play-by-Play and covering major tournaments around the world. Sebastian hosts a podcast with Herculez Gomez, “Duel Nats,” part of the Men in Blazers Network.  In this conversation we talk about the value of bilingual presentation in soccer and the phenomenon of Englis...

DEREK RAE is a long time American and European soccer announcer. He’s a native of Scotland and now splits his time between the US and Europe as the voice of Bundesliga, whichcan be seen this year on USA and Fandango in the United States. For nine years now he is the voice of EA Sports soccer video game, EAFC.  He was one of the lead announcers for Fox in this 2026 World Cup. In this conversation w...

RICHARD DEITSCH is the host a popular industry podcast on sports media, titled The Sports Media Podcast , heard where you get your podcasts. He spent nearly 20 years at Sports Illustrated , then nearly eight years at The Athletic , leavingthere in early 2026. In this conversation we talk about the broadcast coverage of the World Cup, including Fox Sports and Telemundo, as well as developments at E...

ALEX SILVERMAN is sports business reporter for soccer and hockey at Sports Business Journal (SBJ).  He has been busy reporting news for SBJ from both Major League Soccer, which is about to choose a new commissioner to succeed Don Garber, and efforts by FIFA president Gianni Infantino to create a new business with investment from private equity. In this conversation, he talks about these two big st...

JULES BOYKOFF is professor of Politics and Government at Pacific University Oregon. He is a journalist and author of several books, including the recently published RedCard: The 2026 World Cup, Sportswashing, and the FIFA Greed Machine (publisher: OR Books). In this conversation we talk about the World Cup, Infantino, Trump, sportswashing in its current and historical context, and much more. Recor...

Veteran broadcaster JP Dellacamera worked his 18th and final FIFA World Cup in 2026. JP first broadcast the World Cup in 1986 and missed just one of the men’s or women’s tournaments since, the 2011 Women’s tournament. Dellacamera was part of the Fox Sports team during the tournament in the US, Mexico and Canada, partnering with Lori Lindsey. In this conversation we talk about his career, why he’s...

MIKE WOITALLA is the Executive Editor of Soccer America. He and Editor-in-Chief Paul Kennedy have been on top of the World Cup since before day one. In this conversation Mike talks about the US and its failure against Belgium; the Balogun red card and the political trappings, the coaching situation, including Pochettino and Cherundolo , the fabulous four teams (France, Spain, England and Argentina...

CHRISTIAN MILES calls soccer matches for MLS Apple TV and Fox Sports . He has been with John throughout the World Cup after the USA matches. In this episode they talk about the 4-1 loss to Belgium in the Round of 16 match in Seattle. Plenty of talk about what happened and where the US team goes from here. Recorded July 6, 2026 THE SHOW: American soccer’s frontline storytellers interviewed by Emmy...

MAX BRETOS is a veteran American soccer announcer. He is one of the voices of Major League Soccer’s Apple TV broadcasts. He is working with Sirius XM FC during the FIFA World Cup . He is still attached to LAFC and is a former ESPN broadcaster. In this conversation it’s all about the World Cup, including USA prepping for Belgium without Folarin Balogun, the big stars who have shown up, and finding...

CHRISTIAN MILES of Apple TV and Fox Sports joins us again to talk about the US in the FIFA World Cup. The United States prevailed in its round-of-32 matchup with Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2-0.  Along the way Folarin Balogun became the first player in two decades to score a goal and get red-carded in the same game. We talk about the US playing with Balogun and going against Belgium without him. Also,...

CHRISTIAN MILES of Apple TV and Fox Sports joins John to talk about the USA after its 3-2 loss to Turkey in the final group stage game. They discuss the lineup changes, the impact of Christian Pulisic and look ahead to the first knockout game against Bosnia-Herzegovina. Recorded June 25, 2026   THE SHOW: American soccer’s frontline storytellers interviewed by Emmy Award-winning John Shrader . It i...

ERIC WYNALDA hosts a show on Sirius XM FC (Channel 157) with Jason Davis during which he talks everything soccer. The show is titled WTF, Wynalda Talks Football. In this conversation Wynalda talks about the quality and depth of this U.S. soccer team. He says the coach is doing a very good job and praises U.S. Soccer for the work it is doing. He of course has a comment or two about the pundits and...

CHRISTIAN MILES joins John to talk about the USA’s 2-0 win over Australia in the second game of the FIFA World Cup. Two wins in two games for the US. They haven’t done that since the first tournament in Uruguay in 1930. They’ve advanced to the knockout rounds sooner than any other time in history. The game was played without Christian Pulisic who continues to nurse a calf injury. Christian talks a...

MIKE WOITALLA is the Executive Editor of SoccerAmerica. He and the publication’s Editor-in-Chief Paul Kennedy are covering the World Cup, including the US team up close. In this conversation Mike talks about the USA’s 4-1 win over Paraguay and looks ahead to the match-up withAustralia Friday afternoon.  Also, the environment around the games in Los Angeles and Seattle, the controversy surrounding...

ROBERT ABRAMOWITZ has been the Spanish language voice of NYC Football Club since its founding in 2015. He is a commentator for the New York Jets, CBS television. He has worked at ESPN and for MSG. In this conversation we talk about what he calls the ‘best US soccer match ever,’ the controversy around no questions in Spanish after the Brazil/Morocco match, MLS and Spanish language broadcasting and...

CHRISTIAN MILES joins John to talk about the USA’s 4-1 win over Paraguay in its opening World Cup game Friday night in Los Angeles. Miles, who calls games for Apple TV and Fox Sports, analyzes the US effort, which included Falorin Balogun’s two goals, Christian Pulisic’s big first half, and Gio Reyna’s late game stunner. Pulisic left the game for precautionary measures at the half, according to co...

MICHAEL LEWIS has been covering soccer for most of the last four decades. His new book is titled Around the World Cup in 40 Years, An American sportswriter’s perspective. He is covering the 2026 FIFA World Cup for Forbes.com, his own Substack View From the Front Row and Front Row Soccer. In thisconversation he talks about the US team, its prospects and the bigger pictureof the World Cup, on and of...

SHARNI YERKE has been working as a producer of soccer television for about a decade now. She is the lead producer for the Friday night NWSL games on Amazon Prime and works ESPN games for the league on weekends, and has some other duties as well. She is a native of Manchester, England who moved with her family to Florida when she was a teen. The Florida State grad studied broadcasting in college an...

MIGUEL GURWITZ of Telemundo, the NBC Universal Spanish-Language network, is working his eighth World Cup in 2026. He will be pitch-side hosting all the games involving the Mexican National team and will have other duties as well. Miguel is the play-by-play voice for Telemundo’s Sunday Night Football in the NFL, and the voice of Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime.  The native of Mexico has wor...