For the Glory KC

For the Glory KC is back with the 144th episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City broke a nearly two-month winless streak on Saturday night against the Colorado Rapids. The streak went back to their last win, also against the Rapids, on July 4th in Commerce City. And while "winless" is technically right, it was worse than that. Between victories over Colorado, Sporting KC were 0-5-1, with just a single draw against NYCFC.The defense was still flawed, and defense often starts further up the field, so there is blame to go around. Colorado should have scored far more than the two goals they put in, if not for outstanding individual efforts from John Pulskamp, Robert Voloder and Ian James. But it was something else that stood out on Saturday.With Manu Garcia still unavailable due to injury, Kerry Zavagnin finally used Santiago Munoz as a straight up #10. You could call it a second striker, but he was floating all over creating opportunities. He was involved in so many attacking sequences and seemed to unlock Sporting KC's creativity. Not every sequence ended with a shot, but there was so much promise.Another move I've been asking for is not starting all three strikers together. It leaves no impact subs on the bench to play forward. With Mason Toye starting on the bench, it was a combination of him subbing on and Santi unlocking the midfield that led to the game winning goal. Munoz played a perfect ball to Toye to finished with precision to push SKC over the line for their seventh win of the season.Of course, Sheena and I talked about a lot more Sporting KC happenings in this episode, including:Our favorite goal of the night (there were so many good candidates)Pulskamp heroicsThat James save off the line!Daniel Salloi showing man strengthInternational callups and so much moreThe KC Current did what we basically expect them to do at this point. Just keep winning. They've won twice since our last podcast and clinched a playoff spot. They aren't that far away from locking up the NWSL Shield. But ultimately, the season will be defined by what they do in the playoffs. Before we get there though, we talk through the victories over the Portland Thorns and North Carolina Courage.In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:St. Louis fire their Sporting DirectorBarbra Banda done for the yearThe USWNT game at CPKC StadiumHere is a rundown of topics and start times:Sporting KC’s big comeback victory - 8:22SKC make moves and Intl. Call-ups in the SKC roundup - 54:24KC Current keep winning - 1:01:03Strife between ownership & the NWSL in the Current roundup - 1:18:32Digital Crawl - 1:26:47Upcoming GamesSKC II vs. Real Monarchs, Sat. Sept 6th at 12:00PM CDTUSMNT vs. South Korea, Sat. Sept 6th at 4:00 PMKC Current @ Bay FC, Sat. Sept 6th at 9:00PMSporting KC vs. Austin FC, Sun. Sept. 7th at 6:00PMAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled dot com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

For the Glory KC is back with the 143rd episode of the show!Weather was top of mind in the two Kansas City versus Orlando matches as both games experienced three plus hour delays.Sporting Kansas City initially looked like they were going to keep some of the positive vibes from the San Diego game going when they had a solid first half against Orlando City. Then the second half happened. While the lightning delayed the game, the second half absolutely lacked electricity for Sporting KC.Personally, I think the tactical changes were all wrong and a lot of it went down to the substitution patterns and decisions. Maybe it was because all three center forwards started the game, so there were none to bring off the bench. However, it felt like it all centered around team captain Zorhan Bassong.As soon as Bassong was forced to move to left back for a fatigued Tim Leibold, everything fell apart. Sporting KC interim manager Kerry Zavagnin switched to a very conservative midfield by bringing on Nemanja Radoja and Jacob Bartlett and flipping into the 4-3-3 out of the team's second attempt at a 4-4-2. If the team wanted to push for a win, a back three likely shores up the defensive weaknesses and keeps Bassong and Jake Davis in the midfield together. It may not have worked, and hindsight is 20/20, but the decisions made were a disaster. Or maybe it was just the players inability to execute.If instead it was a back three of Jansen Miller, Alan Montes and Robert Voloder, the team could have gone much more attacking with the wingbacks and not ruined the defensive chemistry of that Bassong/Davis double pivot. Sheena and I weigh in on that, and a lot more from the 3-1 loss to Orlando.In the SKC round-up we have stories on Gianluca Busio, Latif Blessing, SKC II and a lot more.The KC Current had weather issues of their own on Saturday. As many pointed out when the schedule came out, a 3:00PM start time in August for the Orlando Pride match-up was never going to work. The league should have realized it wouldn't work far before they left fans sitting in the stadium for hours with updates every 15-minutes before a larger delay was announced.When the game was finally played, the product on the field suffered and KC broke their eight-game winning streak and earned their first draw of 2025. All while failing to score for the first time ever in CPKC Stadium. It's hard to maintain your homefield advantage when so many fans had left due to the heat.In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:The US Open Cup Semifinals are setKC Comets legend Nacho Flores retiresAnd Premier League Mornings Live is coming to Kansas City!Here is a rundown of topics and start times:Sporting KC Collapse in Orlando - 2:38SKC Round-Up - 33:05Heat Ruins KC Current vs. the Pride - 47:55Digital Crawl - 1:02:48Upcoming GamesKC Current @ Portland Thorns, Sat. Aug. 23rd at 9:00PM CDTSKC II @ St. Louis City 2, Sun. Aug. 24th at 6:00PMSporting KC @ Seattle Sounders, Sun. Aug. 24th at 8:15PMAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled dot com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

For the Glory KC is back with the 142nd episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City didn't get the much-needed win against San Diego FC. It's not unexpected when a team well below the playoff line plays the best team in the conference it may not work out. Sure, they lost 2-0, but I'm here to tell you they actually executed their gameplan exceptionally well. Their chances just didn't go in. The dominated the expected goal (xG) battle, but the only number most will care about is the final score.However, there are positives that can be taken away from the loss and things to look forward to in the final nine games of the MLS season. Sheena and I will get into more detail in the episode, but those things are:The Jake Davis/Zorhan Bassong double pivotSantiago Munoz and Dejan Joveljic starting togetherThe return of Robert Voloder (he made such a difference)As a bonus category, we look closer at the 4-4-2 and decide if it should be that, or another formation for the rest of the year.Beyond those keys, we also discuss the flopping of San Diego FC, the poorly officiated game from Pierre-Luc Lauziere (which may have literally led to injuries), updates on other injuries (Erik Thommy in particular) and a bunch of other topics from the game.In the SKC Round-Up, we covered the newest Sporting KC signing (Alan Montes) and his brief debut, the departure of Dany Rosero, some Mike Burns transfer window quotes and the news my colleague Thad Bell broke that the $500k in GAM from the William Agada trade does not expire.The KC Current played twice since our last episode, both of which were wins. First, they beat Racing Louisville then they took down the Utah Royals. Both were victories on the road. But there was a ton of other KC Current news:Vanessa DiBernardo is pregnant and on maternity leaveAlly Sentnor arrives in the biggest trade in NWSL historyKatie Scott is out on loan to Racing LouisvilleKayla Sharples re-signed through 2027 with an option for 2028and Temwa Chawinga is up for the Ballon d'OrIn the Digital Crawl, we kept it brief on a few more topics, including:SKC II's first two winsSean Nahas is fired by the North Carolina CourageBenny and the Roots slip against Colorado SpringsHere is a rundown of topics and start times:Sporting KC dominate, and lose - 5:49SKC make a signing with more to come - 49:23KC Current win twice and make a ton of news - 59:47Digital Crawl - 1:24:34Upcoming GamesKC Current vs Orlando Pride, Sat. Aug 16th at 3:00PM CDTSporting KC at Orlando City, Sat. Aug 16th at 6:30PMSKC II vs Dynamo 2, Sun. Aug 17th at 12:00PMAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled dot com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

For the Glory KC is back with the 141st episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City are slipping. Both in results and down the table. Their latest loss, a 3-0 shelling at the hands of the Vancouver Whitecaps, leaves them back in 13th place in the Western Conference and six points out of the final playoff spot with just 10 games to go.In fact, the team has won just three times in their last 13 attempts. The team is 3-5-5 in that stretch having picked up just one point in the last three games. Sheena and I try to figure out what is wrong. The team has started slow and the midgame adjustments from Kerry Zavagnin are strong, but is he making bad starting lineup choices? (More Jake Davis please! And perhaps a Santi Munoz start?)Maybe it's finally time for a different starting formation since the team is quick to switch to a back three in games, but they have yet to start a game in one. Or is it all an illusion and they just look good in the second half because of game state? When you are chasing the game and throwing numbers forward, of course you are going to create more chances, and your opponent is going to sit back a bit.We also discuss the transfer window, which opened this past week. Sporting KC made a trade for a third open international roster spot which may mean they are going to be busy. We look at what positions they should target.The KC Current made a bunch of news despite not playing any official games. They filmed some of Ted Lasso season four at CPKC Stadium this past week. Jason Sudeikis and friends have been all over KC, including Swope Park, the Plaza, maybe your neighborhood and this week they'll be at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.In actual soccer news, the KC Current played a scrimmage in very poor weather against Chris and Angie Long's other team, HB Koge, and won 5-1. The team also officially announced their 2,000-seat stadium in Riverside, MO, where KC Current II, the Academy and other regional events will be played. It includes an additional performance center and four more fields (bringing the total to 12).In the Digital Crawl, go deeper than usual on a few more topics, including:Messi update returns (he got suspended!)MLS is inching towards a Fall to Spring scheduleNouhou gets suspended an extra game after his antics in KCAmerican Outlaw tickets discountedNWSL Expansion updateBenny Feilhaber updateHere is a rundown of topics and start times:Sporting KC get blown out in Vancouver - 6:18An SKC Trade and potential roster moves - 28:12KC Current and Ted Lasso news - 42:39Digital Crawl - 56:34Upcoming GamesSKC II at Whitecaps 2, Thursday, July 31st at 8:00PM CDTKC Current at Racing Louisville, Friday, August 1st at 7:00PMSKC II vs. Austin FC II, Sunday, August 3rd at 12:00PMNo Sporting KC, they have a break for Leagues CupAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled dot com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

For the Glory KC is back with the 140th episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City returned home to a not very warm welcome from the Seattle Sounders. After getting out to a 3-0 lead in the first half, Sporting KC managed to claw their way back and nearly earn a point but ultimately fell 3-2.Kerry Zavagnin made some halftime adjustments, and his strikers went out and earned penalty kicks and drained their chances in the second half. It just wasn't enough to overcome the large deficit. However, during the second VAR review for a PK, Seattle's Nouhou seemingly lost his mind throwing a ball at a fan.That led to an exchange with the referee that will surely land him in further hot water.Outside of that, we break down many of the game's biggest moments, give our thoughts on the lineup and tactics and gush some more over Jansen Miller. Go watch his Behind the Shield.While the SKC game was going on, the KC Current were handling business in the first ever Teal Rising Cup. Despite rolling out a lineup of almost entirely backup players, KC handed Palmeiras a 3-0 loss to advance to the finals of the tournament. They will play Corinthians, who needed extra time to pull off a 1-0 win over the Chicago Stars.The Current game saw the returns of Lo LaBonta and Alex Pfeiffer from injury, and also, I stumbled around on the field at halftime "leading" Team Storm to a 2-0 victory in the media game over Team Heartland.In the Digital Crawl, we also touch on a few more topics, including:A new women's team in KC - KC AstrasUSMNT Gold Cup lossBenny Feilhaber updateHere is a rundown of topics and start times:Chad’s Media Game Glory - 1:16Sporting KC come back down to Earth - 9:57SKC Round-up - 40:25KC Current dominate Palmeiras - 43:34Digital Crawl - 54:43Upcoming GamesKC Current vs. Corinthians - Tuesday, July 15th at 8:00PM CDT (ESPN+)SKC II vs. North Texas - Friday, July 18th at 7:30PMSporting KC vs. NYCFC - Saturday, July 19th at 7:30PMAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled dot com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

For the Glory KC is back with the 139th episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City went on the road and picked up their first win in the Rocky Mountain State since March of 2014. The Colorado Rapids were caught napping early and despite obscenely high expected goals (xG), couldn't find a way back into the match, losing 2-1.The game had its ups and downs, but even with a few down moments, John Pulskamp shined on the night with numerous saves and the game winning assist. Just one more assist this season will tie the single season record for a goalkeeper in MLS.Outside of that, Sheena and I take a closer look at the Kerry Zavagnin era. Counting points only since he took over, the team would be fifth in the Western Conference and even counting the prior Peter Vermes games the team was in 10th at the time of recording. Is it time to lock KZ up as the permanent coach?We also broke down the standout moments of the game, talked about the new Logan Ndenbe injury, Jacob Bartlett's pending suspension and a whole lot more.In the Sporting KC round-up, we catch up on stories for Jack Kortkamp, Daniel Salloi, SKC II and the immense amount of salary budget that's about to open up at the end of the season.Not to be left out, the KC Current had quite a few things going on this week, including a large list of free agents they need to make decisions on. We also discussed Kansas City vying for a WNBA team, the USWNT's victory over Canada, the Claire Hutton goal and the upcoming media game this weekend.Also, if you want discounted tickets to the Teal Rising Cup games and to support #TeamStorm, click here.In the Digital Crawl, we also touch on a few more topics, including:USMNT Gold Cup successThe passing of Diogo JotaHere is a rundown of topics and start times:Sporting KC Break Their Losing Streak in Colorado - 6:30SKC Round-up - 46:59KC Current Free Agent Decisions - 56:36Digital Crawl - 1:09:34Upcoming GamesUSMNT vs. Mexico (Gold Cup Final) Sunday, July 6th at 6:00PM CDTSporting KC vs. Seattle Sounders - Saturday, July 12th at 7:30PMKC Current vs. Palmeiras - Saturday, July 12th at 8:00PMSKC II at The Town - Sunday, July 13th at 7:00PMAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled dot com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

For the Glory KC is back with the 138th episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City returned to action for a double game week, but before we get to the games, we have to talk about the MLSPA salary release that included a lot of new numbers for Sporting KC players and a lot of updates to existing players. Needless to say, there are some shocking numbers that are both too high and frankly, too low.After that, we moved to the two games from the week, first tackling the 2-1 come from behind victory over Charlotte FC. The game featured two stoppage time goals, including Mason Toye's first ever for SKC and Dejan Joveljic's hamstring injury/cramp inducing 11th! At the beginning of both sequences, you'll find Manu Garcia pulling the strings. That's despite a nasty head injury he picked up.We also sufficiently got off top with an update to why Khiry Shelton's hair was pink, Wilfried Zaha somehow avoiding a dissent yellow and John Pulskamp heroics.For Real Salt Lake's 1-1 draw against Kansas City, we had to discuss the return of Johnny Russell and William Agada. Including Russell's beautiful (if painful to watch) header and his new haircut. Sheena's favorite topics often have nothing to do with soccer, so Erik Thommy's goal celebration seemed to evolve into the "bowling arrow."Matt Besler also went on the wall and shared some parallels with both Jansen Miller and Jacob Bartlett. The lineup found SKC short-handed and led to the first ever MLS start for 17-year-old Ian James at center back.But no Sporting KC game would be complete without refereeing controversy. While Jake Davis being sent off got a lot of the attention, that actually appeared to be the right call. It was what happened to Davis just before his sending off that left us baffled. How Gozo remained in the game is unbelievable.The KC Current are in their summer break, but they make an appearance in the Digital Crawl with the key re-signing of Michelle Cooper to a long-term deal through 2028.In the Digital Crawl, we also touch on a few more topics, including:USMNT drama against Costa RicaRonaldo's new contractOur Benny Feilhaber updateAnd Kansas City World Cup base camp news, including a story tying England to KCHere is a rundown of topics and start times:New Sporting KC Salaries are out! - 5:26SKC have an epic comeback against Charlotte - 34:13A not quite as complete SKC comeback against RSL - 55:04Digital Crawl - 1:25:22Upcoming GamesUSMNT vs. Guatemala, Wednesday, July 2nd at 6:00PM CDT (in St. Louis)Sporting KC @ Colorado Rapids, Friday, July 4th at 8:30PM SKC II vs. Portland Timbers 2, Saturday, July 5th at 12:00PMGold Cup Final is Sunday at 6:00PMAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled dot com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

For the Glory KC is back with the 137th episode of the show!The KC Current lead off the show today with Sporting KC taking the weekend off. They played their last NWSL game until August 1st when they welcomed Angel City FC to town this past Friday night. While it was a closely contested match-up, the depleted Kansas City squad was able to put together their sixth consecutive win and stretch their lead in the standings to eight points as of this writing.Angel City, despite being far down the table, were competitive and kept the match close. If not for penalty kick saving heroics by Lorena and possibly a Sarah Gordon cramp, the game may have had a different outcome. We got into all kinds of topics from the game.In addition to game action, we got an update on what the Current will be doing on their upcoming break (outside of the Teal Rising Cup) and covered all their international call-ups for the upcoming international break, including Izzy Rodriguez's first call by the full USWNT.Sporting Kansas City didn't play this weekend, so we just ask one question about them. What is your hope for the rest of their season? Sheena and I gave somewhat different answers and got into a debate about the quality of the roster. In particular around Daniel Salloi and Shapi Suleymanov. We both agreed they need to make moves and the secondary transfer window opens July 24th.In the Digital Crawl, we touch on a few more topics, including:Benny Feilhaber wins!USMNT advance in the Gold CupWorld Cup QualifyingHere is a rundown of topics and start times:KC Current keep winning - 9:40One existential Sporting KC question - 51:17Digital Crawl - 1:04:33Upcoming GamesSporting KC vs. Charlotte FC, Wednesday, June 25th at 7:30PM CDTUSWNT vs. Ireland, Thursday, June 26th at 8:00PMSKC II at Austin FC II, Friday, June 27th at 7:30PMSporting KC vs. Real Salt Lake, Saturday, June 28th at 7:30PMUSWNT vs. Ireland, Sunday, June 29th at 2:00PMUSMNT Gold Cup Quarterfinals next Saturday or SundayAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled dot com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

For the Glory KC is back with the 136th episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City have lost back-to-back games for the first time in the Kerry Zavagnin era. While results haven't been perfect, it's a testament to how much better this team is. Against FC Dallas, it felt like an opportunity to avoid this very result as Dallas entered the game on a six-game winless streak. And it really felt like Sporting KC were the better side on the night.At least until things went off the rails. Referee Sergii Demianchuk had an outsized impact on the game. Sheena and I get into the dicey officiating on the night and if we thought the right calls were made. A lot was made of the Khiry Shelton red card, but that may have actually been one of the more accurate calls.  The first yellow, who knows based on the broadcast. But the second, Khiry cannot make that challenge. There was a lot of poor calls though, and a lot of bad replay work.Sheena also made it out to Children's Mercy Park for the first time in 2025 and she brought some newbies. Sheena gives her breakdown on the atmosphere and the view from the South Stand.We also round-up a bunch of SKC stories, including Zorhan Bassong going back on national team duty, updates on Gianluca Busio, Benny Feilhaber, Johnny Russell and more.The KC Current won their fifth straight and their 10th of the season on the back of three goals in the first 19 minutes that would prove too much for Racing Louisville to overcome. We also update what we know on Lo LaBonta's injury and the final results of HB Koge's season in the Danish league.In the Digital Crawl, we touch on a few more topics, including:A new soccer facility in KCThe NWSL Final gets a locationUSMNT resultsHere is a rundown of topics and start times:Sporting KC lose a controversial game against FC Dallas - 4:51SKC Round-up - 42:00KC Current win and a Lo update - 53:13Digital Crawl - 1:04:44Upcoming GamesUSMNT vs. Saudi Arabia, Thursday, June 19th at 8:15PM CDTKC Current vs. Angel City FC, Friday, June 20th at 7:00PMUSMNT vs. Haiti, Sunday, June 22nd at 6:00PMSKC have the weekend off but play twice the next weekAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled dot com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

For the Glory KC is back with the 135th episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City came back down to earth this week with a tough loss against Los Angeles Football Club on the road. Things looked bright early when Dejan Joveljic scored his 10th goal of the season off a Manu Garcia assist. But the lead didn't even last until halftime.Calamitous set piece defending led to a 1-1 halftime score and the capper on a bad game for Memo Rodriguez led to the game winning penalty kick for Denis Bouanga.Speaking of Bouanga, despite him having a goal and an assist, Jansen Miller seemed to be in his head. Maybe Bouanga gets the last laugh, but all the victimizing Denis did came at the expense of others, not Miller. Jansen more than held his own against one of the elite players in Major League Soccer. It's wild to say Miller (and frankly Pulskamp again) had good games when three goals went in. But they really did. And the joy Miller clearly gets from hounding attackers was all over his face.Sheena and I also discussed lots of other topics including: the return of Jake Davis from injury, the return of Stephen Afrifa from the bench, Khiry Shelton's ever-changing hair color, a bloody Shapi Suleymanov, who the heck was the captain after Daniel Salloi subbed off and many other topics from the SKC/LAFC game.Before we got to the winning KC team, we also had to talk about the big news that Benny Feilhaber has landed a job with the Oakland Roots of the USL Championship. It's a short-term deal. Is it so he can make sure he's available for the Sporting KC job?The KC Current went out and crushed it again, this time winning on the road against the newly crowned CONCACAF W Champions, NJ/NY Gotham. Michelle Cooper and Temwa Chawinga scored early, but it was the VAR that may have come to their rescue late. The officials seemed to get most things right when overturning Gotham goals, but that Esther goal is a little dicey to change.We also discussed a really good interview Forbes did with Chris and Angie Long along with the new 2,000 seat stadium the KC Current are building at their Riverside complex.In the Digital Crawl, we touch on a few more topics, including:More SKC II woesUSWNT/USMNT resultsThe Chicago Fire privately funding a new stadiumHere is a rundown of topics (and approximate start times):Sporting KC come back to Earth in LA - 7:28Benny gets a job and more in the SKC roundup - 41:25KC Current get a big road win (again) - 49:25Another KC women’s soccer stadium and more in the Current roundup - 55:39Digital Crawl - 1:09:46Upcoming GamesUSMNT vs. Switzerland - Tuesday, June 10th at 7:00PM CDTKC Current vs Racing Louisville, Saturday, June 14th at 6:30PMSporting KC vs. FC Dallas, Saturday, June 14th at 7:30PMSKC II have 3 weeks offAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled dot com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

For the Glory KC is back with the 134th episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City went on the road and picked up a massive three points in a statistically defiant weekend. It was their first win in Houston since October 3, 2020. They had been 0-3-3 in their prior six visits in all competitions. The victory also broke a 19-game winless streak when they gave up the first goal in a game. Adding to all of that, Kerry Zavagnin has now been in charge for 10 games and has led his team to an appropriate 4-3-3 record. KZ is now responsible for 15 of the team's 16 points in 2025 and Sporting KC find themselves just four points south of a playoff spot.A big part of this successful run under Zavagnin is the emergence of John Pulskamp as a quality starter in Major League Soccer. Despite getting beat by another goal of the week candidate, he absolutely stood on his head for stretches of the game against the Houston Dynamo. He actually had a career high eight saves, including perhaps the save of the night when he shut down Griffin Dorsey one on one.Going into the season, it felt like a big risk to have three very young goalkeepers. There had been an expectation all offseason that a veteran goalkeeper would be added to a group that was 23, 22 and 17-years-of-age coming into the season. And it is not as if there haven't been growing pains. Sporting KC have allowed 28 goals in league play, but by no means has the defense helped out Pulskamp for large stretches. Personally, it feels like John has saved many shots he shouldn't save, which is supported by him being in the 95th percentile of post-shot expected goals per shot on target. Elite numbers.Elsewhere on the podcast, Sheena and I discuss the comeback by SKC, including a brace from Dejan Joveljic, Santiago Munoz's first goal with Sporting KC, Zorhan Bassong's delightful free kick and header, both of which led to goals and many other moments from the game.However, even with the win, I can't help but bring up the terrible officiating from referee Jair Marrufo. He has a dicey history refereeing Sporting KC games and that didn't change on Saturday. He had numerous questionable calls, which I break down. Perhaps the biggest questionable moment was a miss by Marrufo and the VAR when a handball went uncalled in the box. It wasn't as egregious as the error that may have eliminated SKC from the 2023 playoffs (also against Houston), but it seemed to be a clear handball. The lack of camera angles is an indictment on MLS too.The KC Current made plenty of news. Chris and Angie Long bought their second soccer team when the club announced the purchase of HB Køge Women in Denmark. Lo LaBonta also made her debut with the US Women's National Team, Michelle Cooper started that same game and added an assist and Mary Long and Katie Scott scored for the US U-20 women to qualify for the U-20 Women's World Cup.In another big move, the KC Current announced the Teal Rising Cup.In the Digital Crawl, we touch on a few more topics, including:St. Louis City fired their coachUS U-20 Men's World Cup Draw and learning about New CaledoniaMexico to co-host 2031 Women's World CupHere is a rundown of topics (and approximate start times):Sporting KC win big on the road - 7:09SKC Round-up - 39:30KC Current have a big bye week - 47:02Digital Crawl - 58:32Upcoming GamesUSWNT vs. Jamaica, Tuesday, June 3rd at 7:00PM CDTKC Current at NJ/NY Gotham, Saturday, June 7th at 12:00PMSKC II at Houston Dynamo 2, Saturday, June 7th at 7:00PMSporting KC at LAFC, Sunday, June 8th at 8:00PMAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled dot com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

For the Glory KC is back with the 133rd episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City had a very heavy week. After the unexpected passing of former teammate Gadi Kinda, the team had to try to find a way to host the New England Revolution. It looked grim early as the team fell down 2-0 before staging a wild eight minutes in the second half where they scored three times to take the lead.Ultimately, the Revs stole a goal late to tie it, but the outburst of goals was the loudest I can remember hearing Children's Mercy Park in a very long time.Sheena and I break down key moments from the game from Daniel Salloi's standout performance to Zorhan Bassong lighting a spark in the midfield.Coursing through everything was the weight of Kinda's passing. From the pre-game warm-up tops to the "Gadi" armbands, video memorials, on field tributes and everything in between, his presence was felt in the stadium.We also got an injury update on Jake Davis, who popped back onto the injury report and showed up in a boot on Saturday. Don't worry, he said he doesn't even need it, so it's likely just a precaution.The KC Current continued their winning ways on Saturday night. They went to Illinois and dispatched the Chicago Stars 3-1 behind goals from Bia, Temwa Chawinga and Kayla Sharples. We also had to work through the news of the devastating injuries to Alana Cook and Debinha as well as the unbelievably positive news of Lo LaBonta's first call-up by the USWNT.The podcast also got off the rails more than usual. Did you ever want to know when boxed mac and cheese was invented? Well, we've got you covered for some reason.In the Digital Crawl, we touch on a few more topics, including:Bassong called upSKC II lose againVenezia relegated, is Busio available?Here is a rundown of topics (and approximate start times):Sporting KC have a wild comeback - 10:52Gadi Kinda - 50:15KC Current win again! - 1:00:09Kansas City Current Injuries and Lo's Call-up! - 1:06:53Digital Crawl - 1:16:45Upcoming GamesUSWNT vs. China, Saturday, May 31st at 4:30PM CDTSporting KC at Houston Dynamo, Saturday, May 31st at 7:30PMSKC II vs. Colorado Rapids II, Sunday, June 1st at 12:00PMKC Current have a bye (International Break)As a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled dot com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

For the Glory KC is back with the 132nd episode of the show after an unexpected week off. Sporting Kansas City had a very busy week loaded with (frankly, ridiculous) travel. After nearly 5,000 miles, they picked up two hard fought points against St. Louis City SC and San Diego FC. The draw against their cross-state rivals definitely felt like a victory as they snatched the point from the jaws of defeat. The San Diego game was more of a slog, as though a team had travelled a ton, heavily rotated their lineup, missed one of their two Designated Players and were playing a superior opponent at home. Despite that, they still earned a draw.Sheena returns after a brief hiatus, and we work our way through both of those games as well as a brief mention of the 1-0 loss to the Portland Timbers from last week we didn't get to cover.The theme of the three games was definitely defense, villains and goalkeeping. All three get high marks as Shapi Suleymanov and Jansen Miller tortured the St. Louis fans. Pulskamp also stood on his head across all three games. And Robert Voloder may have cemented himself as the starter next to Miller at center back, with a revolving door of fullbacks playing next to them.Since our last episode, MLS also released roster compositions for all 30 MLS teams. Sporting KC have no surprises with two open international spots and the ability to add a Designated Player along with a U-22 Initiative player, or two U-22 signings. To aid in that addition this summer is $1,928,679 in General Allocation Money (GAM), of which at least $500,000 is burning a hole in their pocket and has to be spent. Also, we get into the movement of the LAFC/SKC game from a crowded week to an international break weekend.The KC Current got back to their winning ways with us taking the last week off. They beat Bay FC 4-1 before heading on the road to take out the Orlando Pride 1-0. The biggest questions coming off the victory that further cemented their first-place status is, at what cost did it come? Alana Cook, Debinha and Temwa Chawinga all left the game injured.In the Digital Crawl, we touch on a few more topics, including:SKC II slightly improving on their strugglesFormer SKC player updates on CJ Sapong, Kei Kamara and Gianluca BusioGreg Vanney gets his contract extended after the worst start to a season in MLS historyHere is a rundown of topics (and approximate start times):A Hard Fought SKC Point against San Diego - 6:36Sporting KC’s big comeback vs St. Louis - 18:41A quick look at SKC vs. Portland - 48:10Sporting KC have room to spend - 52:17KC Current slip by Orlando and crush Bay FC - 1:06:28Digital Crawl - 1:14:33Upcoming GamesSKC II vs. LAFC2, Friday, May 23rd at 6:00PM CDT KC Current vs. Chicago Stars, Saturday, May 24th at 6:30PMSporting KC vs New England Revolution, Saturday, May 24th at 7:30PMAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled dot com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

For the Glory KC is back with the 131st episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City made Major League Soccer history this week. While it's not the history that anyone really wants to make, taking zero shots in a game, the part that is historic is they won. No team in the 30 years of MLS has ever failed to take a single shot and still found a way to win.The 1-0 win over the basement dwelling LA Galaxy wasn't easy. Los Angeles had two of their Designated Players in the starting lineup and arguably their strongest lineup since MLS Cup 2024. Despite that, they fell for Sporting KC's first home 1-0 win since August 27, 2022 against the San Jose Earthquakes. The Galaxy's own goal from captain Yoshida, left SKC with a 0.00 expected goals (xG) mark, in victory.The game featured an amazing defensive output from goalkeeper John Pulskamp and center backs Jansen Miller and Robert Voloder (earning Robi team of the week honors). It also featured a trio of injuries for Logan Ndenbe and LA's DPs, Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil. On top of everything else it was Star Wars night and the Sporting KC media game. To cover all of that, guest host Kevin Ferstl of Seven.One Magazine joined me for the show with Sheena out of town (she's back next week).Despite the good results in Kansas City, the same wasn't present for the KC Current who lost 1-0 on the road to the Seattle Reign in controversial fashion.In the Digital Crawl, we touch on a few more topics, including:SKC II continue their strugglesVancouver Whitecaps make CCC finalDesiree Scott's first professional goal!Here is a rundown of topics (and approximate start times):Sporting KC are breaking records - 9:12KC Current lose with controversy - 53:22Digital Crawl - 1:06:28Upcoming GamesSporting KC @ Portland Timbers - Sat. May 10th at 9:30PM CDTKC Current vs. Bay FC - Sun. May 11th at 11:50AM SKC II have an off weekAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled dot com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

For the Glory KC is back with the 130th episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City continued their up and down form with a loss to FC Cincinnati after a fun win last weekend against the San Jose Earthquakes. Even though the results didn't go their way, it was a pretty competitive game. Many pundits are picking Cincy to win the Supporters Shield, MLS Cup or both and Sporting KC hung right there with them. If not for a "goal of the year candidate," maybe they earn the result.We talk about all the key moments from the Sporting KC game, including Zorhan Bassong's first professional goal, why Jacob Bartlett is taking free kicks, Keven Denkey's ridiculous goals and other random observations.Beyond just the game, it was transfer deadline week for the Major League Soccer primary transfer window and Sporting KC were busy. They made a signing and a trade and set themselves up to be active in the summer transfer window (they have to spend the GAM they acquired).The signing is 22-year-old Mexican American striker Santiago Munoz (more on him here). His arrival cleared the way for Mike Burns to deal William Agada to Real Salt Lake. Willy isn't the only former SKC player to end up in Salt Lake City this week as Johnny Russell also made the move. We talk about RSL as a rival, worse potential destinations (there is only one) and everything else related to those moves.Usually, we count on the KC Current to lift our spirits but somehow nothing went right in KC soccer (including SKC II). The Current were stunned late against the North Carolina Courage, breaking all kinds of streaks.In the Digital Crawl, we touch on a few more topics, including:SKC II signing and a two-loss weekThe NWSL is trying to start a new second divisionHere is a rundown of topics (and approximate start times):Sporting KC fall in a close one with Cincy - 4:52A signing, an Agada trade and goodbye Johnny Russell - 28:08KC Current lose a stunner - 52:01Digital Crawl - 1:08:58Upcoming GamesSKC II @ Austin FC II, Friday, May 2nd at 7:30PM CDTKC Current @ Seattle Reign, Friday, May 2nd at 9:30PMSporting KC vs. LA Galaxy, Sunday, May 4th at 6:00PMAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled dot com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

For the Glory KC is back with the 129th episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City played a wild, eight goal thriller over the weekend against the San Jose Earthquakes. We celebrated the double KC win too hard and had to push podcast recording until Monday and it got weird. Welcome to For the Glory KC After Dark III.When we stayed on topic, we moved through all the delightful, exciting goals from Daniel Salloi, Manu Garcia, Logan Ndenbe and Erik Thommy. Plus, so many assists, including a goalkeeper assist by John Pulskamp (and a fun story from Salloi about it).But we definitely got off topic talking Sporting KC trialist Dru Yearwood, which led into Dru Hill, the "Thong Song" and Dejan Joveljic's inappropriate gesture.We also have to discuss the officiating that could have marred the results by Joe Dickerson. He was inconsistent and missed a foul that could have really injured Ndenbe. Chicho Arango's nonsense went basically unpunished, but at least Jansen Miller continued his "villain" role.The KC Current broke the record for the most wins in a row in NWSL history. It was so dominant it was almost a little boring (though we'll take boring!) with the thorough victory over the Houston Dash. The team was depleted and still looked pretty unstoppable. And the KC Current II are back and participating in TST.In the Digital Crawl, we touch on a few more topics, including:US Open Cupset UpdateCam Duke on the moveCeCe Kizer tooHere is a rundown of topics (and approximate start times):Sporting KC win a Wild 8-goal Thriller - 3:18SKC Round-up - 37:33KC Current break the Wins Record - 51:41Digital Crawl - 1:05:20Upcoming GamesSKC II vs. Tacoma Defiance, Wed. April 23rd at 6:00PM CDTSporting KC @ FC Cincinnati, Sat. April 26th at 1:30PMKC Current @ North Carolina Courage, Sat. April 26th at 6:00PMAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled dot com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

For the Glory KC is back with the 128th episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City returned to their struggling ways, at least in terms of results. If Twitter were the judge, fire everyone, cut the whole team. But it's less than two weeks into Kerry Zavagnin being the coach and there was absolutely promise (at least on offence) in the second game under his leadership. Sheena and I work through the highs and lows from the game. The team showed good fight when they made two comebacks, but their third attempt didn't come off.They'll have to work on not falling behind. One reason they fell behind was all the defensive lapses. Jansen Miller actively asked to speak with the media and owned the team's failings. It was a big character moment for him on the heels of a really poor game for the defense. We also ask the question of if Miller deserved the own goal that was scored to him since Portland appeared to poke the ball into the net.In addition to that, we talked through some of the interesting refereeing decisions that kept it 11v11 for the whole 90 minutes. We debated who should take PKs after Dejan Joveljic made one and missed one and who should be the captain of this team since leadership isn't jumping out at anyone during these poor performances.Then we turn our attention to some fantastic reporting by Sam McDowell of the Kansas City Star. McDowell sat down with Mike Illig and we got a lot more information about Peter Vermes losing his job, some of the factors that went into it, what he's looking for in his next coach (and maybe Chief Soccer Officer) and a whole lot more. I highly encourage you to read Sam's work.Finally, the KC Current just kept doing what they do. They pulled off a convincing 2-0 win over the San Diego Wave on the back of goals by Debinha and Lo LaBonta. Temwa's goal scoring streak ended at eight games (again) and she won't break her own record quite yet. Plus, Vlatko Andonovski addressed the Sporting KC coaching rumor.In the Digital Crawl, we touch on a few more topics, including:USWNT 2-1 loss to BrazilUSMNT Gold Cup drawOlympic Soccer changes for 2028Here is a rundown of topics (and approximate start times):Sporting KC lose a wild one - 6:04Illig talks to the KC Star - 42:58SKC Round-Up - 59:23KC Current remain perfect - 1:03:42Digital Crawl - 1:15:28Upcoming GamesKC Current vs. Houston Dash, Sat. April 19th at 6:30PM CDTSporting KC @ San Jose Earthquakes, Sat. April 19th at 9:30PMAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled dot com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

For the Glory KC is back with the 127th episode of the show!Our long national nightmare is over! Sporting Kansas City have finally won a game. New interim coach Kerry Zavagnin is a perfect 1-0-0 and he got the best of Sporting KC's rival, St. Louis City SC. It put an exclamation point at the end of a tumultuous and emotional week for anyone in and around Sporting KC.Sheena and I work through the big moments of the game. From our pre-game emotions and expectations to Dejan Joveljic's breakout performance. We also talked about John Pulskamp stepping up on the night Tim Melia retired. There were post-game antics with Jake Davis and the St. Louis players as well as Jansen Miller shushing the road support. Considering he's from STL, it's even more endearing to local fans.The week wouldn't be complete without going back and reflecting on all the change and the news we got from Mike Illig and Kerry Zavagnin's pressers. Weaved into that conversation is a mini dive into my editorial about how ownership may have still botched the Peter Vermes firing.We honor Tim Melia on the week of his retirement (listen to Thad's exclusive podcast with Melia) and discuss a trade that snuck under the radar potentially for Sporting KC fans.Finally, the KC Current had the week off, but still made a bit of news on the international front and with five (!!) of the 11 players of the month coming from KC: LaBonta, Temwa, Cook, Debinha and Lorena.In the Digital Crawl, we touch on a few more topics, including:The future of the Women's World Cup (USA & UK)The Des Moines Menace being bounced from the US Open CupAnd FC 25 jersey updates for SKC and the CurrentHere is a rundown of topics (and approximate start times):Sporting KC finally win, and soccer is fun again! - 6:46Mike Illig and Kerry Zavagnin pressers - 40:19SKC Round-up - 1:08:33KC Current Round-up - 1:13:44Digital Crawl - 1:16:04Upcoming GamesUSA vs. Brazil, Tues. April 8th at 9:30PM CDTSKC II vs. Minnesota United 2, Wed. April 9th at 6:00PMKC Current @ San Diego Wave, Sat. April 12th at 9:00PMSporting KC vs. Portland Timbers, Sun. April 13th at 1:15PMAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled dot com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

Episode 126 a day after 125? It's an emergency people! After nearly 16 years in charge, Sporting Kansas City announced they had "mutually parted ways" with Chief Soccer Officer and Manager, Peter Vermes. Sheena and I get together for an impromptu podcast about one subject: Peter Vermes. But there is a lot of meat on that bone. We get into: Initial ReactionsPeter's AccoladesThe Cauldron/South Stand LetterReplacement Candidates (including the Vlatko Andonovski rumor)When do they hire a coach?And a bit of Peter Vermes appreciationBig thanks to Splitter Conspiracy for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

For the Glory KC is back with the 125th episode of the show!We were all set to talk about another Sporting Kansas City loss when Sunday the KC Cauldron and South Stand "demanded" Peter Vermes resigns his jobs. We started there and then moved into discussing another loss.In terms of the cries for Vermes' resignation, Sheena and I get into whether we actually think this will happen and the case to be made for and against him leaving. It's also worth remembering, he's just entering this second year of a five-year extension. That contract continues to age poorly, which feels like yet another indictment of ownership.Turning our attention to the game, despite a losing effort, Sporting KC actually showed some promise against FC Dallas. There were significant changes to the lineup that paid off immediately with another Daniel Salloi goal. He's scoring 0.71 goals per 90 after only scoring 0.13/90 in 2024. Another spark may have come from the first start of Jake Davis in the midfield. We also learn Davis' unique middle name during this week's podcast.Finally, the KC Current rescue the soccer weekend yet again with a great performance back home against the Utah Royals. While it was a great day for the Current, it was a tough outing for old friend Kate Del Fava who was involved in all three goals KC scored.In other KC Current news, they had an immense number of international call-ups, and we played a mini game about how they would fare with those nine players missing. Luckily, it was just a thought experiment, as the Current have the next weekend off since NWSL doesn't play through international windows. As for those call-ups, let's list them:United States: Claire Hutton, Michelle Cooper, Alana CookBrazil: LorenaCanada: Nichelle PrinceCosta Rica: Rocky RodriguezKenya: JerekoUS U-18s: Mary Long, Katie ScottIn the Digital Crawl, we touch on a few more topics, including:SKC II winning in penalty kicksBoston's NWSL rebrandDenver's NWSL side announcing new facilitiesUS Open Cup broadcast rights on Paramount+Here is a rundown of topics (and approximate start times):Calls for Peter Vermes to Resign - 5:32Sporting KC make progress, but still falter against Dallas - 29:17The KC Current continue to dominate - 53:13KC Current round-up - 1:01:20Digital Crawl - 1:08:50Upcoming GamesDes Moines Menace vs. Union Omaha, Wed. April 2nd at 7:30PM CDTUSWNT vs. Brazil, Sat. April 5th at 4:00PMSporting KC vs. St. Louis City SC, Sat. April 5th at 7:30PMUSA vs. Brazil, Tues. April 8th at 9:30PM SKC II and KC Current have no gamesAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled dot com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.