Pitch Pass

D.C. United is back and so is Pitch Pass. Roche is joined by journalist Charles Boehm to discuss the offseason of change around the club.   But first, the bad as DCU's preseason trip to Saudi Arabia has caused unease amongst the fanbase (3:06). Then, Charlie gives some additional insight on new coach, Troy Lesesne and new CSO Ally MacKay (15:28) before breaking down the roster, possible forma...

It's not "official" but D.C. United's season has unofficially come to an end without tangible success. The Athletic's Pablo Maurer joins Roche to look back on another lost season for the club, what Wayne Rooney did (and didn't do) for the organization, and where the team goes from here. They also discuss the Kasper situation, the ownership thought process, the DCU rep...

D.C. United Defender Brendan Hines-Ike has returned to full fitness after suffering two freak, long term injuries over the last three years. He joins Roche on this episode of Pitch Pass to discuss how his "foot exploded in his boot" and how he got back. He then addresses the team's response to the supporters' dissatisfaction with the disappointing match against Philadelphia bef...

As MLS season winds down, MLSNext season starts up so it's a good time to check in with the D.C. United Academy with TopDrawerSoccer.com 's Travis Clark. The club's investment in the Academy has been uneven over the years but that seems to be changing with DCU making a real commitment to the youth of the club and the DMV at large. Travis and Roche try to make sense of the US youth s...

D.C. United has reached the home stretch of the MLS season and things are...meh. Pro Soccer Wire's Jason Anderson joins Roche to answer three questions about the club as it makes its push to make the playoffs. 1. Are things better or worse now as opposed to the last 4 years? 2. Can #DCU make the playoffs? 3. Has the manager found a new formation for the last six weeks of the season? Within th...

One of the pleasant surprises to the start D.C. United's  season has been the play of Ted Ku-DiPietro. The DCU Homegrown joins Roche on this edition of Pitch Pass to discuss his season thus far, his "traditional American sports" path to the first team,  Wayne Rooney's advice to the young players on the team, his "young veteran" advice to the teenagers on the team, and...

There's not just a different vibe for D.C. United on the field. Off the field, the club has raised their game in a number of areas, especially the digital team. Claudia Pagan has been the face of DCU Digital for the last 4 years and joins Roche to discuss the process of creating content. Apple TV has played a role in the increase in content creation and Claudia explains how the Apple/MLS part...

D.C. United's season is underway and the results thus far have been...encouraging? Pro Soccer Wire 's Jason Anderson joins Roche to discuss the Black And Red's first two matches and if there is any long term takeaways from them.  Among the talking points: -What youngster has the best long term outlook? -Rooney's tactics -The still wobbly defense -Chris Durkin's "undro...

It's been an unsatisfying period for D.C. United for both the club and its supporters. But with rumors swirling of multiple additions incoming during the summer transfer window, there is a sense of excitement around the team. Roche spoke with DCU GM Lucy Rushton about potential reinforcements, the type of player the club is looking to add, and when we might see them on the pitch. Rushton also...

It has been a tumultuous month for D.C. United following the dismissal of Hernan Losada amid a cloud of controversy and confusion from supporters. New DCU Head Coach Chad Ashton joins Roche to talk about the transition from Losada to him. What's changed, what's stayed the same, and what's ahead. Ashton discusses the "have fun" comments from the players and himself that spu...

As D.C. United embarks on its second year under the stewardship of head coach Hernan Losada (assisted in the front office by Lucy Rushton and Dave Kasper), off the pitch, the club is going through a similar re-imaging under DCU's President of Business Operations, Danita Johnson. Danita joins Roche on this episode of Pitch Pass to discuss the health of the club behind the scenes. Topics includ...

D.C. United has a new youth academy director and he joins Roche on this episode of Pitch Pass. Patrick Ouckama plays his hard close to the vest which makes for a fun  cat and mouse type conversation. After getting some background on Ouckama, Roche asks about the Pathway2Pro initiative, the recent success of the academy, uniform tactics throughout the club, the lack of lower level youth teams for D...

D.C. United homegrown Griffin Yow joins Roche on this episode of Pitch Pass to discuss his "senior year" of high school, the expectations that come with being the first homegrown signing of his generation, his fit in Hernan Losada's plans, and the challenges of the first half of this DCU season.  Follow Pitch Pass on X and Bluesky

U.S. Soccer Hall Of Famer Bruce Murray joins the show to discuss The Accelerator School, how it differs from traditional schools, soccer clubs, and MLS academies, and his hope that it changes how Americans look at education and soccer (12:50). Then, Roche and Bruce go over the state of the American soccer system, , the rise in the stature of MLS and American players, and D.C. United's turnaro...

D.C. United started the Hernan Losada era in...style? Depends on your definition of the word. What isn't up for debate is that DCU got a result against NYCFC in their first MLS regular season of 2021. They did it with, more aggressive tactics and a renewed vigor. Writer Charles Boehm joins Roche to give some first impressions of the team under Losada including what looked good, what still nee...

Pitch Pass kicks off its 10th season with one of our favorite guests. The Athletic's Pablo Maurer recently wrote the definitive oral history on the insane 2012 MLS Eastern Conference Semi-Final between D.C. United and the New York Red Bulls. He joins Roche to discuss the oral history and share a few more stories from that tie that didn't make it into the article. Then, they discuss DCU p...

#DOOP is all the rage and it's due in large part to the Philadelphia Union Academy.  The Union academy is quickly becoming the youth development model in MLS and Charles Boehm has been covering it since its beginnings. Boehm joins Roche for the latest Pitch Pass to discuss the Union model, how it relates to European youth setups, how it's different from other MLS academies, and if it&apo...

Roche checks in with The Athletic's Pablo Maurer for an update on the MLS Is Back Tournament. Has the tournament been good for the league? Is youth finally being served in the League? What teams' performance is indicative of its future? Plus, an update on D.C. United and more.  Click here for more info on Jaime Moreno. Follow Pitch Pass on X and Bluesky

Former MLS GK Andrew Dykstra now makes his living coaching the next generation of soccer players. In this episode of Pitch Pass, Dykstra discusses the challenges of being a youth coach during a pandemic, which age groups suffer the most from a disruption in training, and which MLS team mines the Mid-Atlantic region for talent the best. Roche and Andrew also discuss the MLS Is Back Tournament, life...

After scoring the game winning goal against Inter Miami, D.C. United veteran Frederic Brillant, like almost everyone else, has spent the past two months at home. During that time, he's spent time with family, stayed sharp with DCU's tactical Zoom sessions, mentored the younger United players, while being mentored by Nolan Sheldon on the nuances of coaching. The veteran has also had time...

The new season of Pitch Pass is here! First guest of the year is D.C. United captain, Steven Birnbaum. It's his second stint as captain of the Black and Red and he tells Roche what he's learned since his first tenure. Then, Roche and Steve discuss the life changing money to be made in MLS now, sitting next to "regular" people on flights, the DCU new boys, being a #GirlDad, and...

The MLS Cup Playoffs are here! Pitch Pass will spend the next month breaking down the match ups and making BOLD predictions. Roche will be joined throughout the month by former MLS Defender Of The Year, Bobby Boswell, who will be sharing his expert analysis exclusively on Pitch Pass. Sounds legit, don't it? It definitely isn't but it'll be a lot of fun to hear.  Pitch Pass is sponso...

Don't tell Russell Canouse he's had an up and down year. No, seriously, don't. Roche tried and Canouse shut that right down. Hear why he thinks comments about his "form" were overblown, his numerous off the field interests, the long term plan for his life as a realtor, playing right back for D.C. United, the uniqueness of a lung injury, sports fandom in Central PA, and muc...

Good friend of the podcast (and D.C. United legend), Bobby Boswell joins Roche to discuss the upcoming MLS CBA. Boswell has been in the room for the last two rounds of CBA negotiations and offers unique insight on what the players got last time and what they can achieve this time. He also advises you "stay woke" (his words) on what is and isn't important to the players(13:06). But f...

Roche brought ESPN's Sebastian Salazar on talk D.C. United tactics. He did not want to talk about D.C. United tactics. Instead, Roche and Sebi discussed fan alienation, an owner's obligation to club supporters, long term investment vs. short term capitalization, and the role of minority voices in the media.  Pitch Pass is sponsored by Tropical Smoothie Cafe.  Follow Pitch Pass on X and B...