Soccer 101

On this episode of Soccer 101, Ryan Bailey, Taylor Rockwell, Graham Ruthven and Joe Lowery take a look at the showpiece event of the Major League Soccer season: MLS Cup. We delve into its format, its history, its popularity, and much more! This episode is brought to you by ExpressVPN! Go to expressvpn.com/soccer to get 3 additional months for free! The Soccer 101 theme, and plenty of other excelle...

On this episode of Soccer 101, Graham, Joe, Ryan and Taylor get into a timely topic: The Ballon d'Or! We attempt to explain the following: 1) What is the Ballon d'Or and what's the history behind it? 2) How is it awarded? 3) The best and least known winners 4) Controversies surrounding its awarding 5) Should anyone actually care that much about it? Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by......

On this episode of Soccer 101, Ryan Bailey, Graham Ruthven and Joe Lowery go deep on playoffs: their history, their usage around the world, and some of the greatest moments they have inspired.   Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by... ExpressVPN! Go to expressvpn.com/soccer to get 3 additional months for free! NetSuite! Head on over to NetSuite.com/soccer101 to get started with their spe...

On this episode, Ryan is joined by Graham and Joe to learn from history and reminisce about spectacular moments as they go deep on the origins of the terms "brace" and "hat-trick" as well as the best/most favorite examples of each. Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by... Shopify! Go to Shopify.com/soccer101 for a FREE fourteen day trial and get access to their entire suite of features. E...

This week, our friends over at Can I Kick It are chatting with Cobi Jones about his life and legacy. So, we're airing their original bio episode of the USMNT legend in our feed to honor their efforts. Can I Kick it FC is a podcast built on telling the stories of Black athletes, coaches, and owners that have impacted the game of soccer on and off the pitch. Check them out wherever you get your podc...

On this week's episode, it's semi-strange topic for Graham and Ryan and a more relatable topic for Joe and Taylor: how do I choose a club to support? We discuss how we each came to support the teams we do, the things to consider when trying to decide who to support, the importance (or unimportance, depending on your perspective), and much much more! Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by S...

On this episode, Taylor is joined by Graham and Joe (whoever speaks first wins!) to discuss the Golden Goal rule. How did it first come to be, how long was it in use, what are some of the best examples of it working out, and why did it so quickly fall out of favor so quickly? Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by... ExpressVPN! Go to expressvpn.com/soccer to get 3 additional months for fr...

In an homage to Daryl Grove's introductory explainer on pressing in episode 27, your intrepid podcasters take you on a longer journey through the topic: what does it mean, how do teams utilize it, who does it best, how has it evolved over time, what changes we might see in the future, and much much more! Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by NetSuite! Head on over to NetSuite.com/soccer10...

On this episode of Soccer 101, we discuss club ownership: who is allowed to own a team, and how do the regulations vary between leagues? Which owners have done a good job at the helm, and who leaves a lot to be desired? From fan ownership to controversial ‘sportswashing’ projects, we cover it all! Sponsors! Today's episode is brought to you by NetSuite! Head on over to NetSuite.com/sports to get s...

The first part of the above question might seem straightforward... and it is. But! There's a lot more going on. If a thousand people own a team, who makes the decisions? Why are fan-owned clubs becoming more popular? What's the difference between a breakaway club, a phoenix club and a supporter takeover? What are some of the biggest and/or best examples of fan-ownership? Graham, Ryan, and Taylor a...

On this episode of Soccer 101, Ryan Bailey, Graham Ruthven and Joe Lowery are talking balls. More specifically, the history and development of the humble soccer ball. From pig’s bladders to microchip-filled wonders, and everything in between, we’ve got it covered! This episode is brought to you by ExpressVPN! Go to expressvpn.com/soccer to get 3 additional months for free! Hosted on Acast. See aca...

Graham, Joe, Ryan and Taylor take a quick look at the history of commentary in soccer, before discussing their favorite play-by-play and color commentators and revealing their favorite-ever moments in punditry. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!!! Today's episode is sponsored by NetSuite! Head on over to NetSuite.com/sports to get started with their specialized financial packages.  The Soccer 101 theme, and plenty...

Ryan is joined by Graham and Taylor to discuss the history of chanting and singing at football: how did it start, how has it evolved, why does it lend itself to problematic lyrics, and what are our favorites from history. There was a lot more singing than 2/3 of the podcast members were comfortable with, but hopefully that translates to 100% of listeners enjoying the episode! Today's episode is sp...

This episode of 101 fell in an international break, so Ryan Bailey, Taylor Rockwell, Joe Lowery and Graham Ruthven are here to discuss the process of World Cup qualification. We run through how each of FIFA’s confederations determine their participants in soccer’s showpiece, and suggest some alternative methods that might be used. The Soccer 101 theme, and plenty of other excellent music, can be f...

Graham Ruthven takes us through a history of Scottish football, from their role in helping develop and spread the game to The Three Kings era to a mythical time when they qualified for multiple World Cups in a row. But what's gone wrong since then, why has domestic football in Scotland suffered, and where can it go from here? Plus, pronunciation quizzes and Graham getting uncomfortable talking abo...

On this episode of Soccer 101, Ryan Bailey, Taylor Rockwell, Graham Ruthven and Joe Lowery discuss Major League Soccer’s showpiece event, the All-Star Game! The gang look at its history, the events that surround it, and suggest some intriguing tweaks to the format…  Alternate title: Hey now, you’re an (MLS) All-Star (Game)! The Soccer 101 theme (and plenty of other excellent music) can be found ri...

On this episode of Soccer 101, Ryan Bailey, Taylor Rockwell, Graham Ruthven and Joe Lowery talk about uniforms! When did they first appear in soccer, how did teams pick their colors and what are the modern economics of jersey sales? This episode is brought to you by ExpressVPN! Go to expressvpn.com/soccer to get 3 additional months for free! This episode features (excellent) contributions from Cha...

On this episode of Soccer 101, Ryan Bailey, Taylor Rockwell, Graham Ruthven and Joe Lowery look at what happens between seasons! Do players actually get any time off these days? If so, what do they do with it? And how do they get back up to speed when pre-season comes around?  This episode is brought to you by ExpressVPN! Go to expressvpn.com/soccer to get 3 additional months for free! This episod...

On this episode of Soccer 101, Ryan Bailey, Taylor Rockwell, Graham Ruthven and Joe Lowery delve into the dark arts! What constitutes cheating in soccer? How innocuous—or serious—can it be? And what are some of the most famous examples from the history of the game? Sponsors! ExpressVPN! Go to ExpressVPN.com/soccer to get an extra three months of ExpressVPN for free! The Soccer 101 theme (and plent...

On this episode of Soccer 101, Ryan Bailey, Joe Lowery and Graham Ruthven are on hand to answer a listener’s question about Academy systems. What are they? Why do soccer teams have them? How many parallels do they hold with Harry Potter’s academic upbringing? Sponsors! ExpressVPN! Go to ExpressVPN.com/soccer to get an extra three months of ExpressVPN for free! The Soccer 101 theme (and plenty of o...

Taylor is joined by Felipe Cardenas to break down Argentina's victorious campaign at the 2021 Copa America. Specifically, our goal is to figure out 1) why this silverware matters so much for the legacy of Lionel Messi, but also 2) how did this team put it all together to get their first winners' medals since 1993? Sponsors! ExpressVPN! Go to ExpressVPN.com/soccer to get an extra three months of Ex...

On this week's episode, Taylor takes a deep (but brief) look at some different leagues and clubs around the world to determine 1) the actual requirements for a soccer pitch to be a soccer pitch but then 2) the most commonly used dimensions for professional soccer the world over. Plus, why are measurements different from country to country, and which leagues tend to have the biggest fluctuation in...

On this week's episode, Taylor takes a look at some of the iconic kit colors in international soccer and tries to get to the bottom of how they came to be. Nations discussed in this episode are Italy, Japan, Croatia, the Netherlands, Sweden, Brazil, and Australia. We mostly left out countries that pull their color scheme from the national flag, because otherwise that would make for a very short ep...

On this week's episode, Taylor breaks down two different senteces that are each chock full of soccer phrases and terms that are commonly used but not always commonly understood. Terms discussed/explained in this one: The zones on the pitch (specifically Zone 14) Parking the bus Down the channels Overlapping run Inverted winger The Mixer Half turn Sixes and sevens Professional foul vs Cynical foul...

On this week's episode, Taylor explains all you need to know about the Concacaf Nations League: what is it, how does it work, and why did it need to exist in the first place? Plus, the second half of the episode is a preview of the USMNT's opponent on Thursday night: Honduras. How will they line up, who are their key performers, and where will the main areas of opportunity be for the United States...