Defenders of the Banc - The LAFC Podcast

Send us a text The Defenders tackle Ontario, CA as they record the 81st edition of the LAFC Podcast for the People!   The LAFC news never stops, but this week was a big one. Filly and the Scarf break down the potential ramifications of the Adama Diomande injury, a fractured 4th metatarsal in his right foot, the release of former phenom Josh Perez, the departure of every draft pick we made this sea...

Send us a text It’s Episode 80, or as we are calling this one, Episode LXXX, in honor of the Super Bowl, played today between the Chiefs and 49ers.  The preseason is underway, and as such, we recap the closed-to-everyone friendly victory over NYCFC, 3-1. The match had plenty of history for being a preseason friendly, as Brian Rodriguez finally put one in the back of the net for the Black and Gold....

Send us a text At about 6:30 on the evening of January 25, four goalies walk out together in unison, and the 3252 lets out their first loud cheer of the evening. Banc of California, the Cathedral of the Black and Gold, is officially alive again!  Preseason is upon us, and Uruguayan powerhouse Peñarol visits the Banc for an international friendly! Filly and the Scarf were not only there to witness...

Send us a text Episode 78 is upon us, and this one has the Defenders asking, “Is it game day yet?!” After the boys go over a few LAFC News and Notes and Scarf recaps This Day In LAFC History, it’s time to talk about the first preseason match of 2020, the international friendly against Uruguayan powerhouse Peñarol. We give our listeners a little taste of the rich, 128-year old history and track rec...

Send us a text Episode 77 is here already! Yes, just four days after our last try at this, here we are with more! Blame LAFC, as a bunch of news, a new signing, two more draft picks, and the first practice of the season has ALL happened in the last four days! Unlike half of MLS, LAFC actually used their two Day 2 SuperDraft picks! We are happy to welcome Jorge Gonzalez and Younes Boudadi to the Bl...

Send us a text Finally... the boys HAVE COME BACK... to Filimonster Studios! It's episode 76, and the Defenders are back in Burbank to record their latest episode.  The 2020 MLS SuperDraft is upon us, and Filly and The Scarf look to attack it from all angles. Before tackling the draft, it's time to get up to speed on all the LAFC news and notes from the last 10 days. We say goodbye to Fito, and wo...

Send us a text It's the second episode of 2020 for the Defenders, and it's our second HUGE interview of the season! Fresh off the heels of our sit-down with Stix, Filly and The Scarf are lucky enough to be joined by Alexis Guerreros, comedian, writer, American soccer defender, and one-half of the incredible podcasting duo known as The Cooligans! Over the course of 70 minutes, Alexis and the boys t...

Send us a text Happy New Year from your favorite pair of podcasters, Filly and The Scarf! The Defenders look to kick off 2020 in a big way by interviewing LAFC legend, rapper, writer, producer, manager, and founder of the ThinkWatts Foundation, Stix! A special thanks to Erin and Brandon for allowing us to record at FreePlay, home of Black and Gold Fridays!  Hear the story of how Stix became Watts'...

Send us a text As 2019 comes to a close, the boys at Defenders of the Banc could think of nothing better than to get together one last time this decade to put a bow on the 2019 season. In this short and sweet 26 minute episode, Scarf brings you one more This Day in LAFC History, Filly discusses our newest Uruguayan donning the Black and Gold, and the boys discuss their New Years’ Resolutions! We’d...

Send us a text Filly and The Scarf are back at it again on Episode 72! A flurry of LAFC news dropped over the last few days, but the main topic of discussion on this episode? LAFC crashes the CONCACAF Champions League party!  The draw for the 2020 CCL is set, and LAFC drew the toughest opponent possible, Liga MX foe Leon. The Black and Gold will travel to Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico for the first leg...

Send us a text It's the offseason, so it's time to publish a fun interview we recorded during the season! Back in September of this year, between episodes 58 and 59, Filly and the Scarf sat down with do-it-all superwoman Roxana Aguirre, mother of two, wife, LAFC supporter, and part-owner of the brand 90 Plus Culture, a brand she helped cultivate with LAFC's very own Latif Blessing.  You've no doub...

Send us a text What a week for the Defenders of the Banc! First, we sit down with President of The 3252, Jimmy Lopez, on Episode 69. Now, Filly and the Scarf head to LAFC's head offices in downtown to chat with Vince La Rosa.  You may know Vince from his many fantastic articles on MLSsoccer.com or LAFC.com. Or maybe the many pre- and post-game videos and insights while you are at Banc of Californi...

Send us a text To quote one of our favorite movies, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, “69, dudes!” It’s Episode 69 of Defenders of the Banc, and this one is definitely a memorable one. We have a very special guest in this longer-than-normal episode of Defenders. With us today in beautiful Filimonster Studios is the President of The 3252, Jimmy Lopez! We are thrilled to be able to sit down with J...

Send us a text Hello Defenders! It's been over 10 days since you've heard from us. Yes, part of the time was spent nursing our wounds (and hangovers) from the defeat at the Banc in the Western Conference Finals, but we have also been anticipating the MLS Cup Final between our new least favorite team in the league, Seattle, and our former captain's current home, Toronto.  Joining us for a fun, some...

Send us a text Episode 67 is here, and, unfortunately, with it comes the end of the 2019 season, with two less wins and one fewer game than we had hoped. Apparently, it’s time to wake up from the dream season that was 2019. In an episode we are calling Yellow and Green Make LAFC Blue, Filly and The Scarf recap the ugly defeat at the hands of the Seattle Sounders. While it’s hard enough to play aga...

Send us a text It took six tries, but when it mattered most, when we needed it most, when we wanted it most, history FINALLY happened at Banc of California Stadium. Los Angeles Football Club defeats the Carson Galaxy, 5-3, in a loser-goes-home Western Conference Semifinal playoff match.  Welcome to Episode 66, and to paraphrase Dave Chapelle as the late, great Rick James: "It's a celebration, Defe...

Send us a text Round 1 of the 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs is in the books, and what an amazing set of 6 games it was! Episode 65 from Defenders of the Banc serves as a recap of the round and, of course, sets the table for the Battle of Los Angeles, Round 6.  The theme for Round 1 of the MLS Cup Playoffs could be Extra Time, as half the games went more than the usual 90'. The Conference Semifinals are se...

Send us a text The first week of MLS Cup Playoffs is upon us. For LAFC, that means a little bit of rest, as the boys in Black and Gold secured a bye in the first round. For Filly and The Scarf, it means we get to release an interview that we recorded during the summer and earlier this season with LAFC's Director of Match Day Presentation, Al Raitt.  Al has been with the club since the beginning, a...

Send us a text Episode 63 is here, and it’s the final episode of the 2019 regular season. Could LAFC and Carlos Vela provide more history in what has been the most incredible season in MLS history? Get your left shoes ready! 34 weeks of an MLS season, and it all came down to the final day of the year. LAFC needed a win to set a new points record. Carlos Vela needed one more goal to be able to call...

Send us a text Welcome back, Defenders, to another episode of Defenders of the Banc with your hosts, Christian "Filly" Filimon and "The Scarf" J.R. Lebert. Episode 62 awaits, recapping our Black and Gold's travels to a beautiful stadium with an awful pitch, Minnesota United FC's Allianz Field.  Game 33 of the season comes with a large slice of history, as Carlos Vela lit the candle for the 31st ti...

Send us a text It's Episode 61 of Defenders of the Banc, and it's the episode we have been looking forward to all season! No, not the return of Christian Ramirez... (but that did happen!) LAFC entered the mid-week matchup against the human highlighters from Houston with a chance to lock up the coveted Supporters Shield, our club's first piece of hardware, and in front of 22,000 screaming fans, his...

Send us a text On our latest episode of Defenders of the Banc, we hit the big 6-0! 60 episodes of Defenders, and this one is special for the Bradley family. Our intrepid leader, Bob, matches wits against Toronto FC and their midfielder, his son, Michael, for the first time at Banc of California Stadium. With history in our sights and the playoffs inching (or as Filly says on this episode, millimet...

Send us a text For the first time, the boys in Black and Gold travel to the City of Brotherly Love to take on the Philadelphia Union. Another game means a new episode of Defenders of the Banc, with newly plant-based Christian "Filly" Filimon and, as Christian called him on tonight's episode, the "Sultan of the Scarves", J.R. Lebert. Before getting into the match recap, Filly and The Scarf wax poet...

Send us a text Welcome to Episode 58 of Defenders of the Banc, where hopefully we sound better than YouTube TV's coverage of the second half of our first visit to Orlando looked. LAFC sent a depleted roster into the House of the Mouse, down 7 players on international duty while MVP Carlos Vela sat out to rest his hamstring. Despite this, LAFC salvage a tie, 2-2, behind the 15th for Diego Rossi and...

Send us a text After a bit of a delay and a small Instagram campaign to wake Filly, Episode 57 is finally here! On this episode, while Filly is in Cartagena at a friend's wedding, Scarf is joined in the second chair by Center Mid Chicks' very own Nina!  This game marked the first game in September, which also kicks off MLS's Kick Childhood Cancer fundraiser. By simply using the hashtag #KickChildh...