Soccer 101 STL: A St. Louis City SC Podcast

Moon & Rocc are back without much hope following CITY's playoff hopes being dashed with a 3-1 thumping at CITYPARK against Minnesota United: 0:13 - CITY Fals 3-1 & we feel defeated as well 2:30 - This game felt a lot like almost every every big CITY loss this season... 4:33 - Hey MLS, why are you forcing us to spend more time talking about missed calls? 10:10 - Do replays like the situation from Saturday hurt the experience of going to a game? 12:36 - Questions from Saturday's lineup/formation 13:50 - Getting the plan directly from the man who drew it up... 16:20 - Did the scheme or the team fail on Saturday? 18:00 - Moon just wants to see MORE 20:30 - and Moon is gonna show us how you do that... 22:36 - You shouldn't be smiling when you're losing! 25:00 - A lot of fans feel this way...but lets have some perspective... 27:30 - Mentality vs. Strategy and why one matters more in game-to-game analysis 29:40 - Moon tries to tell us all that there were underdog Man U teams... 32:40 - Moon wants to see more demand, but from where exactly? 34:00 - Rocchio feels like he's taking crazy pills when it comes to this effort discussion... 36:40 - Is CITY more talented than Minnesota? Does that factor into Saturday's issues? 38:30 - Rocc wants to keep this discussion on tactics, Moons wants to talk effort 40:45 - Thoughts going in San Jose tomorrow, lineup calls, a chance for Alm? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Moon & Rocc are back following another disappointing draw that puts the playoffs further out of reach, dive into the topics from the week & take a look at a must-win game that appears to be very winnable: Moon's run of positivity lasted exactly one (1) entire episode Disappointment from dropping two points in a very winnable game in New England The many positives (and a slight negative) from Hartel, Teuchert & Becher Why the blame for poor defensive play can't all rest on the four players in the backline Whether or not CITY is "ruthless" Is the offense getting the a point where it has an edge? Defense vs. Possession/Control: Another example of why this question is complicated & connected What full team defending should look like Klauss being impressed with the additions now that they've played together an incredible shout out from Klauss to the city of STL, the fans, ownership, coaches, etc. If Moon's coaches ever used a physical notes to communicate a formation change during a sub Why the youth game in STL was so different when Moon was coming up Minnesota United being a must-win game when you look at the schedule/standings Expecting this offense--with a Klauss start--to carry the team this weekend Other lineup thoughts vs. MUFC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Moon & Rocc are back for a big episode after CITY's big win over the LA Galaxy this past weekend, one of the more quiet weeks of training since July & some big expectations for a very winnable (but still very much AWAY) match... Moon has declared this an All-Positives episode! Rocc immediately tries to throw him off with some points about CITY being dominated at times, on paper, by the Galaxy The difference between CITY giving up possession in June vs. doing it now with this lineup, system How the different formations helped create CITY's offense in the 1st half How Nerwinski's usage during the game is a perfect example of CITY's full game Moon starting to finally see the cohesiveness from the backline that he's been BEGGING for Why the opening kickoff was one of the biggest takeaways from the game The 4 positions that are creating 'tough' battles for CITY in training Why the fullback depth is one of the most interesting aspects of CITY right now How good it feels to be having a discussion about depth after where CITY was a couple months ago Whether Rocc expects to see similar formational changes against New England How CITY can continue building on their success of "killing games" Why CITY fans need to forget the word "conservative" when talking about how this team will ever play Seeing the offense build-up and attack from the right side for maybe the first time...ever? The Tim Parker reunion Early lineup & score predictions Did Moon stay positive the entire show or was Rocc able to knock him off? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Moon & Rocc are back to talk about another week of CITY news & notes following the restart of the MLS league schedule, CITY letting multiple 2-goal leads slip away in Portland, more discussions around the CITY defense, if the fundamentals are the biggest issue and the hopes for a big matchup against the Galaxy on Sunday: The disappointment is PALPABLE after a draw in Portland Where this draw puts them in their run to a playoff spot More offensive positivity, same defensive problems... Could we see some defensive changes after we saw them give up three leads? Can't believe we're having this conversation with Totland of all players... Some questions around the FK that broke CITY in Portland Is this possession conversation...pointless? CITY doesn't need to win possession, but the ball control in Portland was unacceptable Injury update as Klauss MIGHT get some time on Sunday, Alm+Nilsson still need time Thanks to Jen for the notes from training! Galaxy and CITY have gone VERY different directions since that 3-3 draw in the Spring Rocchio doesn't see how CITY slows down this Galaxy attack Has CITY become a better possession/control team since Hackworth took over? Some fans want to see them 'park the bus' with a lead--but we will ever see this team make that call? A little tactical change that CITY pulled out to utilize Kessler, Lowen & Hartel in new ways Is this the game we see CITY use the new depth on defense to play with a 3/5-man backline? How we would deploy the team with that formation We saw SOME defensive development (before it fell apart), will we see more this weekend? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Moon & Rocc are back after a couple of busy weeks away to dive in on all the happening during August for CITY including a run through the Leagues Cup, big surprises from new additions, some moves that made the CITY unhappy & a big league restart coming up: How are we feeling after the departure of players like Tim Parker & Anthony Markanich? What was your initial reaction to the Parker trade? Reactions to the reporting + Parker's comments on CITY's contract negotiations Moon breaks down what he wants to see from the defense Rocchio tries to put all the blame for bad defense on the outside on the scheme/coaching Could CITY possibly be ignoring a crucial aspect of defending in their training? Did CITY potentially HURT Anthony Markanich's growth as a fullback? Did you react poorly to the return of Niko to the MLS? Good news! People are getting healthy again! Bad news! Why did this take so damn long?! Diving into the injury report & why Klauss & Alm aren't options for this weekend Expectations for this weekend's matchup in Portland Breaking down the rest of the schedule into the next FIVE games + the last FOUR Are you still leaving hope for the playoffs? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Moon & Rocc are back following a rare CITY win to break down the new addition finally getting onto the field & diving into a big topic off the field: Moon has an email from a listener and needs to clear up some confusion Why we're supporting the SG's boycott of the Leagues Cup game BUT also why we're still covering and talking about those games Rocc breaks down his view of the MLS' huge mistake in alienating supporting groups with the US Open Cup decision-making The biggest takeaways from a 2-1 win against Dallas in the 1st game of the group stage What we thought from an extended look at Cedi & a first-time look at Hartel & Becher How Becher's press was the biggest part of the new players that jumped out to Rocc If the defensive improvements were enough going forward CITY already has advanced to the Round of 32 -- what does more games mean? Injury and training updates from earlier in the week What we expect to see on Sunday night against Juarez Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Moon & Rocchio are back for a mid-week episode of Soccer 101 to get you ready for tonight's matchup against the Seattle Sounders & take you into the weekend against Sporting KC: The defending hit an unbelievable point this past weekend This is the kind of stuff that Moon has been warning us about! What does that fire, that accountability look like on the field? They need to break it down to the basics Philosophy is fine, but if you don't have the muscle-memory, you're going nowhere Rocc is surprisingly apathetic about CITY's current coaching search Breaking down the post-game comments from Coach Hack, Edu Lowen & Chris Durkin Moon can't help but feel for Hack after this past game What is going on in the room down at CITYPARK? At least they're getting it out in the open & talking about it--right? How does simplifying things look tonight in Seattle? Do you have the hope that they can get a point--should they be prioritizing winning one game over having a better chance in both? Lineup predicitons! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Moon & Rocc are back to preview a crucial matchup against the Whitecaps (the second in just two weeks) , sort through some big problems against the Rapids, get into a little positivity & sort through the news of the week: We're going to try to be positive today despite CITY getting rolled 4-1! ...we failed almost immediately! Why there's a big difference in what went wrong in the Rapids first goal vs. 2, 3, AND 4 The "thin line" of defending & why CITY's mistakes were about decision-making Positives! The excitement for Girdwood-Reich, Tuechert & Hartel as they arrive, get acclimated & we guess how they're be best utilized Moon & Rocc's weekly disagreement: Is there enough accountability & leadership in the CITY locker room More positives! Jay Reid, Johnny Klein & Kijima continue to make a big impact! Is the math starting to turn against CITY in the playoff race? These next three games are important but lets be honest--everything comes down to how this team starts looking after July 18th Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Moon & Rocc are back after a very busy week, and in a slightly different configuration as moon is live from his vacation, following the firing of Bradley Carnell, a number of announcements & the first win under a new coach: Not only was this busy, but oh man, was this a poorly timed week for this to happen Should we have seen this coming faster? Our reactions to the news on Monday morning + some last thoughts from that Vancouver game Rocc still has questions for Diego & Lutz about timing & expectations Did Carnell lose the locker room? Do Indy & Burki's comments in the postgame impact your opinion? Is this a playoff roster? Are those expectations too much for an expansion franchise in just its 2nd season? How do YOU separate/assign blame between the coaches & players? Is there anyway for us to know outside the room? The Adeniran situation is still confusing Rocc, but "Gaffer Moon" is on the way to help! Alright, sorry about that, all positives starting around 19:30 The youth invasion continues, and it's starting to take over The Klein & Kijima change up was the biggest takeaway from Wednesday Except! For the third straight strong game from Nokkvi Thorisson Moon is possible about Thor but this leads to the big question of the podcast... Random vs. Repeatable: Do Thors strong games matter without the finishing to cap it off? Jay Reid dominated again in his second start--is a 1st-team contract on its way? Coach Hackworth mentioned "wrinkles' for Sunday--what do you want to see? How different will the Indy-Klein-Kijima line look against the Rapids? A quick thing about formations to close out the episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Moon & Rocc are back for a late week preview of the CITY's away matchup versus the Vancouver Whitecaps, but mainly we're talking about another draw for CITY against Atlanta this past weekend, more unfortunately time spent on officiating and some positivity with the youth in the program: Officiating was so annoying we just have to talk about it again (we're sorry...) What We Learned Today: Hockey assists in soccer Parker gets fined for "commenting" on the viral moment from the game and now we have our first ever Soccer 101 poll! Jay Reid was incredible in his first MLS start -- and Bradley Carnell certainly agreed in the postgame MOON SAID SOMETHING POSITIVE ABOUT THE DEFENSE It's not a week with CITY if doesn't have to deal with attacking injury, and this time it's Klauss Did Caden Glover show enough in his short time to get minutes in place of an injured Klauss? Thor had his best game* (*this came with a lot of qualifier, but still...) People need to trust the training. The kids are more than alright, this kids are AMAZING The importance & strong play of the pyramid (Congrats to the CITY Academy who did in fact win the Gateway Conference on Thursday night) Thoughts on the Vancouver FC matchup Why Moon things the floodgates will open in this game, but refuses to say for which offense... What will the two big questions marks in the lineup--for different reasons, LB & ST--look like on Saturday? Can it please just be July 18th already? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Moon & Rocc are back for an early episode this week with all the CITY transfer news and a midweek matchup against the Rapids: Breaking down another disappointing result with CITY falling 2-0 in Dallas Injury news with Celio Pompeu & Joakim Nilsson + Parker catching a suspension No one wants to hear it, but Klauss had a good game but without the finishing, does it matter? AZ Jackson trade to Columbus has been finalized, why this is a good move for CITY overall The Marcel Hartel news that broke over the weekend + How the AZ Jackson news connects to Hartel A deep dive into the numbers and style of Marcel Hartel + how he will fit with Klauss+Lowen in the middle Did Moon jinx Celio? Can Thorisson step up with a need at the wing spots following another injury? Can the young CITY2 players bring some of the winning touch to the 1st team? A deep dive into how Rocc & Moon see things like passion, effort & instinct in VERY different ways Breakdown of the Rapids improved season so far + Predictions + Players to Watch Stay tuned at the end for a special Rocc-only addendum that was recorded when the Dyhr news (that all but complete the Hartel move) was finalized! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Moon & Rocc are back after another draw for STL CITY SC (up to 9 now), and to make it worse it was another scoreless draw (3rd of the season), so it's time to talk about more problems with the office, the four big numbers that tell the story of CITY's offense, if there's a reason to expect a change in any of these numbers, if Lowen can change the quality of CITY's average shot enough to notice, another dive into Markanich's defense, whether or not the issues is mindset or workload, a couple quick notes on the international window as we wind up to the Copa & Euros, expectations for an odd game, how to guess at what Dallas with look like with a new coach, leaning on CITY's chaos as the perfect antidote for the "new-coach" bump & predictions for Saturday's matchup. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Moon & Rocc are back after a few weeks to try to figure out what we've seen from the STL CITY backline over the last four games, the big lapses that we saw on defense across the losing streak, how much the defense is a lack of talent vs. a victim of the scheme, if three goals in Miami has up hopeful about the offense, , the outsized impact of Edu Lowen, Kijima's big game in Miami, how the injuries and players like Kijima are creating more roster questions, what the two big transfer move mean for CITY going forward, why Girdwood-Reich's versatility is such an important factor in his move, breaking down what kind of player Tuechert appears to be, how that fits into what CITY needs, why this isn't the Niko replacement people were hoping for, a big disagreement from Rocc & Moon on how much the finishing problems should have fans worried and Rocc calls for messages from CITY fans who aren't happy with the low payroll. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Moon & Rocc are back for a midweek episode as CITY gets ready to take on LAFC from CITYPARK--the boys are coming off a big 3-1 victory over the Chicago Fire, Moon is excited to see an in-form Klauss, Pompeu continues to impress & the Portuguese combo is turning into something deadly for CITY, the big stats that jumped out from a dominant win, the big question about whether or not CITY is better than they were back in 2023, the recruitment of Marco Reus, if Moon thinks he fits into CITY's roster build, LAFC making another big move for a big star, how their defense has struggled this year, the matchup to watch in tonight's game (Bouanga v. Totland), whether CITY can crack LAFC's big stars, out predictions for the matchup and all the incredible stories around Niko's new club, Como 1907, making a Cinderalla run to Series A--and the real reason STL CITY SC fans should care. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Moon & Rocchio are from a bye week of their own to break down a ton of news that has happened over the last ~10 days including: Big Sam is back on the training field with CITY, Celio Pompeu's well-deserved extension & there's a potential break in what could be CITY's biggest Summer Transfer move. Plus an (attempted) dive into the big move from the MLS this week: Roster Transparency! -- The good news is that there's more of it...The bad news is that means very little! And then the breakdown of CITY-Houston facing off in H-Town for the first time since their 1-0 win (2-2 on aggregate) in the CONCACAF: will Sam be a part of the roster, can a potential Durkin game-time decision ruin CITY's chances & can we just get Moon a big-time DP so that he can have a set XI, just, for like...once? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Moon & Rocchio are back for a mid-week episode of Soccer 101 after a big win on Sunday and some NEWS on Tuesday--so what exactly is going on with Big Sam? Breaking down the biggest takeaways from the 1-0 over Austin FC on Sunday night, Klauss' big goal, what could've happened with Sam, a big breakdown of the strikers comparison between Adeniran & Klauss, some extra credit for our stars of the game from Sunday (Ostrak, Alm, Totland), Moon's dream midfield, the roster & lineup starting to decide itself, the potential of AZ & Thor as super-subs & a big reminder that we will be recording our next episode line on Saturday from 9 Mile Garden on Gravois. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Moon & Rocchio are back to break down ANOTHER draw for STL CITY SC--this time a scoreless one--and dive back into last weeks big question: what's the big issue for CITY in '24? Rocc is still focused entirely on the defense despite picking up a clean sheet, Moon wants to throw some credit for Ostrak after his game, more worries on the defensive holes, the unknowns of the CITY defense going into a game vs. Austin WITH a healthy Sebastian Driussi, some quick hitters from around the world of STL Soccer (shouts to the Academy/youth teams, Schulte & Sargent!) & the potential effect on STL CITY SC from the newly announced MLS roster rules. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Scott Rizuto, the eponymous "Rizz" from 105.7 The Point's "The Rizzuto Show" , joins Moon for a special interview episode of Soccer 101 to talk about what it was like for a baseball junky to get into soccer, how Moon started getting Rizz involved in the STL FC days, what his first reactions were when he went to his first match at CITYPARK, how he left soccer at a young age before coming back in his 30s, the strong feeling of FOMO he got when he missed CITY's first ever home match in club history, why the stadium specifically is so special to him as someone who worked at Union Station for so long, the "whoa" feeling he got when he first walked in, what his return trips throughout the season taught him, his tips & tricks for catching a game, why Burki has stepped up as his favorite player, what it means to have an ownership who is tied into the city and cares about it's growth & the biggest questions: whether or not Rizz could consider himself a "soccer fan". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Moon & Rocchio are back after a little break to talk about the last two matches for CITY as they drew 2-2 with DC United & lost their first game of the season 3-1 @ Real Salt Lake, a big focus on the missed--and called--fouls from the game, they try to figure out what is causing this slight malaise to start the season and the big question for the episode settles in: is a porous defense through the first 7 matches (11 goals against) or is a lack of passing & creation (11 goal for) the biggest issue going for CITY to start the 2024 campaign? Rocc focuses on the defense, Moon wants to see passing at least at the 2023 level & they dive into how important the next couple of (extremely winnable) games will be for STL CITY SC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Moon & Rocchio are back to break down their takeaways from CITY's 2-2 draw in Austin, Rocchio is focusing on the improved play in possession and against a set defense, Moon won't let anyone forget that CITY just allowed two goal from two centre-backs, there is some agreement on how special Celio Pompeu was in that game, the Löwen injury news, how the injury news will effect this matchup in LA, if there's a worry around CITY's offense when Löwen isn't in the lineup, expectations for CITY's matchup vs. the Galaxy (Moon is positive, Rocc is neutral), the Leagues cup groups & schedule being announced, Parker's comments on the Miami "hype-train" & the first chance to see CITY2 at CITYPARK on Sunday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices