Adam Belz

Greg and Belz on the Nation's League loss to Canada, the 2019 U20 World Cup, Weston McKennie's exit from FC Dallas, and seven other turning points since we failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.

The founder of Alternative Wales, Ryan March, talks about the Welsh 3-4-3, the need for a healthy Joe Allen, says he's unconcerned with Gareth Bale's lack of competitive minutes, and explains the song that Welsh fans will be singing in Qatar.

This is the fifth installment in our historical recap series, which is mostly just for patrons, and in this one we look back at a match against an opponent we face later this month in Qatar. In 2010, we got a draw! But our heroes weren't actually heroes (according to Greg), average players can do a job at the World Cup, and Jamie Carragher is still embarrassed after that Jozy Altidore run. Also the mysteries of the Jabulani, Robert Green's unbelievable error, a lovely stab from Steven Gerrard, a debate about Oguchi Onyewu's performance, the music of 2010, the clothing of 2010, and much more.

It's a Conca-Catchup with Jon Arnold. We also talk a fair amount about the USMNT. Canada and Costa Rica in tough groups, the U.S. and Mexico less-so, and that's really the big differentiator.

A midweek review from Greg and Belz. Also McKennie scored, Tillman was pretty good, Sargent was physical but not dangerous, and Mexico called up none of the dual nationals who one-time-switched to El Tri.

There was also some bad news, for Leeds, to cover from the weekend, and a lot of middling stuff. Another fully-public Monday Review with Watke and Vince.

Greg and Belz talk through the USMNT roster for the World Cup, which begins in exactly one month, and the decisions that still need to be made. Striker and centerback remain deeply intriguing.

The Racing Louisville attacking midfielder spoke with Sanjay Sujanthakumar in Spain last week. She didn't start playing soccer until she was 8! The southern California native and USC alum scored 4 goals and got 2 assists for Louisville in her rookie season, and received her first senior USWNT call-ups in September and October.

TUDN reporter and producer Michele Giannone joins the pod to talk with Watke and Belz about Berhalter on the sideline, as a person and as a manager, the USMNT's chances in Qatar, Darlington Nagbe as Neo from the Matrix, growing up in Venezuela and much more.

Vlatko out? Yeah, but it won't happen. So he should buckle down and ban crossing, hire a final third coach and get this team to start playing soccer in the attack. This needs to be fixed.

A jam-packed public Monday Review with Watke and Vince and Belz. Full weekend rundown, including Aaronson's mazy, buttery run, volleys struck into the ground, dubious reportage on Scally's place in the XI, and much much much more.

A scintillating contest at Wembley. The US came up short, but was plenty threatening. Still lacking final third choreography and composure, and the ability to build sustained possession out of the back. We got robbed of a big Trinity Rodman goal by a ref who had a shocker. Girma was excellent.

Sanjay Sujanthakumar interviewed Chris Richards for Scuffed in a cafe in central London. Enjoy the ambience. They talked about hanging with Jason Sudeikis, the choice to join Patrick Vieira at Palace, looked back at the Bayern Munich experience and discussed whether this national team can help get more Black Americans interested in the sport.

CBS correspondent Jenny Chiu joins Watke and Belz to discuss growing up in El Paso, inciting a brawl by clowning on boys her age in youth soccer, the jump from Orlando City to CBS, the craft of sideline reporting, covering World Cup qualifiers, World Cup predictions, playing for Anson Dorrance, the ethics of pruning houseplants, and much more. Jenny was a good sport. Highly recommend.

The last friendly before the World Cup is another stinker, pretty much. We talk about some hopeful reasons that these games aren't predictive of how we'll perform in Qatar, but also give full-throated voice to the doomsday sentiments, and then work our way through the action of this game, mostly the first half.

Hoo boy. Feels a little like 2019. Berhalter says we need centerbacks who can hold a high line but we couldn't establish a high line because we couldn't possess the ball in part because one of our centerbacks isn't a good passer. Add in a brutal performance from the midfield and this was a bad one. Mixed zone audio courtesy Sanjay Sujanthakumar.

Greg and Belz talk about the Nigeria friendlies and the USWNT player pool. Greg on the high floor and the "stupidly high ceiling" of this group, the lack of rhythm and patience in the final third, and how Vlatko needs to "manage the ambition" of his players to hit the hopeful home run ball.

Greg and Belz work through the roster, and Berhalter's press conference, ahead of friendlies vs Japan and Saudi Arabia.

The former USMNT defender discussed how to cope when your goalkeeper might be match-fixing, beating out Gregg Berhalter for World Cup minutes, getting nutmegged by children in pickup soccer, and managing disputes with coaches and teammates surnamed Bradley. Some of that is in the second half of the interview, which is for patrons only. Interview conducted by Watke and Belz.

Vince, Watke and Belz work through the weekend's action, which was limited somewhat by the death of Queen Elizabeth. Musah and Reyna both lose but play ok. Jordan Pefok and Union Berlin are top of the table in Germany. Jesus Ferreira scores a brace against LAFC. Pepi debuts and gets an assist for Groningen. Full rundown.

Greg and Belz work through the mid-week Champions League action in some detail, and talk about the forthcoming roster for the upcoming September friendlies.

Greg and Belz discuss some news of the week through the lens of the ever-evolving World Cup roster discussion. Pepi perhaps falls out of the picture, but then gets a loan to Holland. Scally's case gets stronger with every minute Dest doesn't play, and now maybe Dest to Villareal? The ReSargence. Etc. etc.

Greg and Belz try to answer a bunch of questions from patrons of the podcast. Who actually starts at the World Cup? Gio Reyna as a false 9, minutes vs injury risk, how many goals Sargent needs to score to get on the plane and many other questions asked, and answered.

A pretty sad night in Costa Rica. The U.S. bowed out in the group at the U-20 Women's World Cup. Belz and Tara commiserate, talk through the action, and name their list of 6 players from the team who could some day make national team noise.

Arya Allahverdi, who runs the Gol Bezan podcast, joins the pod to discuss an Iranian national team that's had its share of controversy, mostly surrounding the coach, Dragan Skočić, who was sacked and then un-sacked this summer after a poor friendly against Algeria. But Iran has several talented players, particularly in the attack, and Allahverdi thinks they'll come out and play at the World Cup, especially against the U.S. He also gives his preferred starting XI.

Vince in Louisville and Tara in Philly join Belz to talk about the second group stage game of the World Cup for the U.S. women's under-20 team, a 3-0 loss to the Netherlands. Lots of rotation, some suboptimal individual performances, a lack of flowing attack, and we get beaten on a high header, a blast from 30 and a penalty. Next is Japan and we gotta win by 2 goals to advance.

Vince in Louisville and Tara in Philly join Belz to talk about the first group stage game of the World Cup for the U.S. women's under-20 team. We beat Ghana 3-0. Lots to discuss, including Jaedyn Shaw, Olivia Moultrie, Michelle Cooper, Korbin Albert and Trinity Byars, among others.

Jake Landau from the It's Called Soccer Youtube channel joins the pod for a quick episode including a first-hand account from Norwich City's EFL Cup victory over Birmingham City, which featured three Americans. He also spoke about his experience getting coaching licenses from both USSF and UEFA, the topic of one of his recent videos.

Costigan, who does play-by-play for the Sounders and FOX, talked about the USA's prospects at the World Cup, how he thinks the U20s this year differed from past U20 teams, Jordan Morris's return to form, Cristian Roldan's role problem with the national team, taking a red eye boat from Dublin to Liverpool for games at Anfield as a kid, and how he preps to call games from the booth.

Greg and Belz talk through the 16 locks, the 5 or 6 probables, and the handful of players who could play their way onto the roster for Qatar by winning the four or five remaining spots for a field player. Nearly three-quarters of the episode is a striker discussion.

This is the first 25 minutes of the Monday Review with Watke and Vince. For the full episode, join our Patreon.

The Nashville SC striker is still banging in goals at 33, and he talked about how he's evolved in his training, what it's like to be his own agent, staying thankful, how soon Black America will embrace the sport of soccer, the most annoying centerbacks in the league to play against, and the importance of meditation.

Quick interview. He was the youngest player on the U20 team that won the Concacaf Championship in style earlier this month. He made his MLS debut in March. We talked about being a coach's son, getting an EU passport, and his favorite player (will surprise you).

Greg is aghast at Canada's defensive shape after the U.S. spent pretty much the whole game running attacking drills at naked centerbacks. We could be sharper in the final third, obviously, but we just absolutely dominated the Olympic champions and weren't troubled at all until Vlatko's self-inflicted tardiness with substitutions.

A much improved performance in the semifinals of the Concacaf Championship. Full timeline and not much else from Greg and Belz.

Not our finest hour, not Mexico's either and that federation is now undergoing a massive shakeup. But the US wins the group and does it with dominance, not conceding once. Greg gives most of the performance a pass because it was a dead rubber, but it was awfully disjointed.

Greg and Belz break down a much-improved attacking performance from the USA, on a night where Mexico's failures broke our way and we earned qualification to the 2023 Women's World Cup. Fun midfield, lots of action in the Man City zone, Sophia Smith scores a gorgeous goal and Girma, Huerta and Sanchez make their case.

Lots of crossing, a little bit shaky at the back, and Alex Morgan comes up big. Greg and Belz break down the action and promise to be more timely with the rest of the games in this tournament.

Joey, Vince, Hartman and Belz break down the action from the championship game, and try to step back and analyze the U20s as a group, stock up/stock down, where it all fits in.

Joey O and Matt Hartman recap the U20s' historic win to qualify for the 2024 Olympics in Paris. All hail Mikey Varas, and the Philadelphia Union, and Alejandro Alvarado. Quick note from Belz at the beginning of the episode.

A double recap of the two friendlies versus Colombia. Big questions about the striker position and the midfield pretty well answered. Lots of crossing. Next is Haiti on the Fourth of July.

Vince, Joey O and Matt Showalter step in to recap the U20s' Concacaf quarterfinal showdown with Costa Rica. Paxten comes up big, and despite some uneven moments in the back, the boys pass their first tough test of the tournament.

Luna shines again. Sullivan as a (slightly trigger-happy) interpreter of space. xG piling up and we close out the soft part of the U20 Concacaf Championship in some style against Nicaragua. Bob Morocco joins to talk about the game, compare this side to the one that won the title in 2017, and give his preferred lineup for the Costa Rica match on Tuesday.

Bob Morocco of Big Soccer and USMNT Twitter fame joins to break down the third group stage game of the Concacaf Championship, against Cuba. Plenty to talk about. Bob, as usual, is meticulous and precise.

Greg and Belz go through the USWNT roster, and the injuries keeping players out of it, ahead of the tournament next month at which they will aim to qualify both for the next World Cup and the next Olympics.

A pretty interesting game! Matt Hartman and Belz do a "quick take hot take" a la Grove and Rockwell, right after the game. Full timeline in a wild match mostly dominated by the US, and some quick takeaways at the end.

Hey! We're gonna recap all of these U20 games. This time it's Matt Hartman and Belz. A lopsided victory in Tegucigalpa, but we're all just getting reps in preparation for the knockout rounds.

The tournament kicks off Saturday for the U.S. U20s against St. Kitts & Nevis. The top 2 finishers in the tournament qualify for the 2024 Olympics, and the top 4 qualify for the U20 World Cup in 2023 in Indonesia. So it's a tournament that matters quite a bit! Matt Hartman joins the pod to talk through the players on the roster, the ones who aren't for various reasons, and a few other things.

An in-depth show about the U.S. men's national soccer team, the players who could one day make it better, and American soccer in general.

As Greg Velasquez predicted would happen, the starting striker got a hat trick. But also, some players made a negative impression and it's hard to see them going to Qatar if they couldn't make a positive impact against a team made up of players from USL and Braintree Town.