The boys chat briefly about the English Premier League and Champions League for the first 22 minutes but get into a meaty discussion (22:28) with the young, bright, soccer aficionado Sammy Friedrich (D-1 soccer at Wofford) about the #USMNT, the outlook of US Soccer moving forward, and a bunch of random and fun stuff. Cool guy with a bright future.

Alexi and Mosse react to FC Cincinnati's storybook home debut in the State of the Union (2:28). Also, Cristiano Ronaldo and the Champions League draw are unpacked in Mosse Makes the Case (17:02). Then, MLS surprises, the FIFA Club World Cup and Chris Wondolowski's legacy are looked at in Ask Alexi (26:44). Finally, the latest USMNT roster, the FIFA Council meeting and Zinedine Zidane's changes at Real Madrid all headline The Back Three (38:39). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The boys are back together again to briefly complain about USMNT (more on that next week), bemoan a few Premier League losses, celebrate a few Champions League wins, debate a topic no one has ever debated in the history of the game (Ronaldo vs. Messi), and talk about how cool soccer bars are in the United States (shoutout SpeakEZ Lounge in Grand Rapids).

Steve Zakuani recaps the Sounders’ 2-0 win over the Colorado Rapids and explains why the first 20 minutes of the match were the best he’s ever seen the Sounders on the field. Zakuani discusses Cristian Roldan’s strength on the pitch on how the club continues its success against teams that won’t sit back. Head Coach Brian Schmetzer joins the podcast to explain the new tactics for 2019 and breaks down how the attack has evolved with Jordan Morris’ return. Schmetzer explains why he’s such a big...

We caught up with Matthew Conger, a FIFA referee who officiated the Group Stage matchup between Nigeria and Iceland in Volgograd in Russia 2018. Born in the USA, Matthew currently referees in the New Zealand Football Championship as well as the A-League in Australia. We spoke about what got him in to refereeing in the first place, his refereeing travels around the world and he speaks candidly on VAR, specifically around the one VAR decision at his match during the World Cup.

SEGMENT ONE: Recapping Crew vs. New York Red Bulls, Cracking The Code breaks down what Michael Arace means when he uses words, and Man Balls of The Week. SEGMENT TWO: Celebrity Fan and shitlord supreme Mike Hudson (aka Mike Hudson Sucks) stops by the show to talk about things but also about stuff. SEGMENT THREE: We head live on Periscope for your hot takes aka The Battle for The Grand Prize, then we recap last week's predictions from the Latin panel for podcast hosts before giving you our predictions for Crew at Revolution, along with The Weather Report with Alex Thomas.

Scheduling conflicts forced the boys into an unconventional episode that split them up a little bit. First, Brad and Mike discuss Tottenham, Champions League, and some Premier League and then, Mike and Jimmy talk about Manchester United, Ajax, and a tiny bit of MLS. But the treat of the episode is an interview (@31:50) with long time Wolverhampton Wanderers fan, and co-founder of Wolves USA (@WWFCUSA), Chris Wood (@WWFCOHIO). He joins us to tell us what it's like to be a Wolves fan in America.

Now that we're verified, we leave the champagne parties for a moment to review all of the first round CCL games. Atlanta United finally showing up. Brek Shea appropriating the left back position, Red Bulls rolling over a DR team, SKC winning over the Toluca fans, what MLS opening week matches we are looking forward to, and much more! Thank you to Gully Squad for making this bonus episode possible. If you'd like to hear more Cooligans episodes each week and help sponsor the show, check out soccercooligans.com/gullysquad Shouts to us Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sounders FC host Steve Zakuani returns with “Wingin’ it with Zakuani” for the 2019 MLS Season ahead of Seattle’s home opener against FC Cincinnati on March 2. Sounders General Manager & President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey stops by to discuss the longer offseason, a retrospective on 2018 and breaks down the 2019 roster. FC Cincinnati Assistant Coach Pa-Modou Kah joins the podcast to talks about preseason, scouting Fanendo Adi and what a successful 2019 season would look like in Cincinnati. ...

Alexi and Mosse discuss American club performances in the CONCACAF Champions League in the State of the Union (5:47). Also, ever-changing narratives in the Champions League are explored in Mosse Makes the Case (19:17). Then, the USMNT's young talent, a World Cup dilemma and college soccer's viability are looked at in Ask Alexi (28:30). Finally, Kepa vs. Sarri, El Clasico and MLS's new season all headline The Back Three (40:06). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices