Lower League Soccer

El Paso-based Dan Vaughn, the founder of Protagonist Soccer and one of the most knowledgeable people in the country when it comes to lower-league American soccer, joins Watke and Belz for a wide-ranging conversation that often circles back to the CFC-Red Wolves rivalry, geography, and Ricardo Pepi.

The lads talk recent results, game day experience, and muse about lower league soccer for a full hour.

In this episode of the Designated Players Podcast, we're talking about the hottest topics in MLS in recent news with the Cucho suspension, renderings of NE's potential new soccer specific stadium, and lastly covering recent comments made about MLS Next Pro and their performance in US Open Cup. We start with the suspension of Cucho, specifically the lack of transparency when it came to the reason for it. Next we talk about the rumor of a potential new soccer specific stadium for the NE revolut...

Dan Vaughn and the rest of the Protagonist Soccer crew are one of driving forces behind growing support in the lower leagues of the United States. They offer a voice for the under-covered and a platform for supporters of local soccer to gather information that is scarcely available elsewhere. Dan started the site in 2018 and focuses Protagonist's attention towards covering 3rd Division and lower soccer leagues here in the US. Which, of course, includes the league where our beloved Maryland Bobcats FC play (NISA). Personally, I love the Knights Who Say NISA (an homage to Monty Python and the Holy Grail, of course!) podcast and see it as the only outside source of information and news coming out of NISA. During our conversation, we talk about some of the deep history of soccer in this country (shoutout Inocentes FC and the American Soccer league), NISA and its current affairs, the USMNT and their qualifying hopes, and more! I also find it fascinating that we have found another American soccer fan who was brought into the sport through FIFA. Happens more than you'd think!

I caught up with Alex, the fearless leader of The Old Bae Brigade, which is the Supporters Group for the Maryland Bobcats of the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA). Alex and I talk through the problems with Soccer in the United States, USMNT, lower league soccer, Detroit City's acrimonious split with NISA, the lack of support at the Soccerplex for the Bobcats, building a soccer audience, the Bobcats, and more. Hope to see you all out at a future Cats game.