Extratime

Injuries to Designated Players, golazos, red cards and plenty of controversy made for a Heineken Rivalry Week that nobody will forget anytime soon. The guys get together to break it all down, starting with a Cascadia win for the Timbers that shifted MLS Cup playoff momentum south from Seattle to Portland. Meanwhile, Toronto will have to chase a first-round bye without Giovinco – for the next four weeks at least – after an “embarrassing” loss to 10-man Montreal. Plus, more Patty Mullins hype, Yura leads RSL to Rocky Mountain Cup win, the Red Bulls get the job done, just barely, and Jason Kreis gets some payback.

 In the second segment, it’s time to talk CONCACAF, beginning with your favorite regional nickname. Vincy Heat is certainly a candidate, which is convenient because the USMNT take on St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Friday with a place in the Hexagonal on the line. First, roster breakdown – including a late call-up for Sacha Kljestan and a puzzling one for Jermaine Jones – then a request for a Jozy Altidore and Bobby Wood partnership. Finally, Canada head back to San Pedro Sula hoping to exorcise qualifying ghosts of years past. Can they do it?

In the mailbag, front-office change in San Jose, a style question for Crew SC and perspective on Jordan Morris’ Rookie of the Year campaign. Oh, and a celebrity ETR sighting.

 
Direct download: ETR_Aug29_2016_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:09pm EDT

Heineken Rivalry Week is here, and the games are predictably juicy. Don’t sleep on the Rocky Mountain Cup, especially considering the unique place Pablo Mastroeni and Kyle Beckerman occupy in the rivalry. Get the lowdown on the 401 Derby, fight for El Capitan in the Texas Derby and an I-95 clash between the Red Bulls and Revs. Those matches are huge, but the second clash in a week between the Timbers and Sounders is the big daddy. Why, you ask? The Seattle Times’ Matt Pentz calls in to explain.

 But wait, that means we left one Heineken Rivalry Week out. Not true! Orlando City SC head coach (and former New York City FC boss) Jason Kreis chats with Andrew about what went wrong in the Big Apple, what he’s learned in the last seven months and what his vision for the Lions’ future entails. Skip head to the 23:50 mark to listen to the interview!

In the mailbag, Hope Solo’s suspension, big-money moves for some US national teamers, Doyle puts the kibosh on a couple discussion topics and a listener shares his MLS dream journal, which definitely isn’t weird. Nope. Not at all.

Direct download: ETR_Aug25_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:43pm EDT

Is this how it’s going to be the rest of the year? Another weekend brought serious fluctuations in the Supporters' Shield and playoff races, and the guys sit down to nail down the current lay of the land. The biggest news of the weekend was the last to break, as the Seattle Sounders cruised in what was a must-win match against Cacadia rivals Portland. Are the Timbers in trouble? What has gone wrong for LA, Montreal and the Red Bulls? Are Toronto FC Supporters’ Shield favorites?
 
In the second segment, the guys look forward to a full week of CCL and MLS action (MLS LIVE, for the win) leading up to this weekend’s Heineken Rivalry Week. Matt Doyle trades his analyst hat for a stethoscope in an attempt to find a pulse in Vancouver, Columbus, and Chicago and believes one of the three still has hope.
 
The mailbag is choke full of Minnesota talk following the big announcement last week. Is their crest the best in MLS? What are your dream conference realignments? All that, and so much more.
 

 

Direct download: ETR_Aug22_2016_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:26pm EDT

Big news in the Twin Cities. Ahead of MLS and Minnesota United’s major announcement on Friday(Live stream at MLSsoccer.com, 7 pm ET), the guys bring in FiftyFiveOne’s Wes Burdine to give the lowdown on soccer in Minneapolis-St. Paul, the ethos of the club and its fans and the stadium designs that have the Dark Cloud’s hyped for the future.

In the second segment, it’s back to the business at hand. The MLS Cup Playoff races are in full swing, and there are plenty of marquee matchups this weekend that could push teams above or below the red line. With the Galaxy headed to the Bronx, who’s having the better season: Frank Lampard or Steven Gerrard? With the Sounders and Nicolas Lodeiro set to host the Timbers, which side will walk away with their heads held high in what amounts to a six-pointer? Plus, Atlantic Cup action and a Toronto-Philly matchup that could be a preview of the Eastern Conference Championship.

 The mailbag begins with some USMNT news in Europe, then the guys ponder questions about Kei Kamara’s role in Crew SC’s tough season and Jozy Altidore’s resurgence as he comes back from injury.

Direct download: ETR_Aug18_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:56pm EDT

David is out gallivanting around the Hamptons, so Ben Baer joins Andrew and Matt to take a critical look at both conferences as the playoff races distill and the red line becomes the primary focus for all 20 teams in MLS. First up, the West, where Seattle and new Designated Player Nicolas Lodeiro are proving they’ve got plenty left in the tank. Dallas still sit top of the table, but could they benefit from a (late) #fakeMLStrade? Plus, who’s fighting to stay alive and why isn’t Matt high on LA’s current form?

Turning to the every-man-for-himself Easter Conference, the race is about as clear as mud. The Red Bulls and Sacha Kljestan are making up ground after that dire start, but New York City FC continues to score (and concede) in droves to somehow sit above the likes of resurgent Toronto FC. Which team is the favorite the rest of the way? Well, it’s … uh … you know, if … right, but … fine, we have no idea.

In the mailbag, David takes a break from vacation to explain how the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) experiment went in USL play on Friday. Reviews are positive.

Direct download: ETR_Aug_15.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:49pm EDT

The US Open Cup final is set. The Chicago Fire may have been desperate to host the big match, but their performance wasn’t up to snuff (and those road woes struck again) as the New England Revolution made sure they’d play for silverware in 2016. The Revs will face FC Dallas, who used an epic, corner-kick fueled comeback against the LA Galaxy to book their place in the final, a game they’ll host. Oscar Pareja joins the guys to break down the win, explain what happened with Fabian Castillo and give an academy update ahead of another big weekend match against Sporting KC.

 In the second segment, the guys wonder what Diego Valeri’s place in Timbers lore will be after the Argentine No. 10 signed a contract extension and professed his desire to stay in Portland when his career is through. Plus, rumors galore around the Red Bulls and Montreal, Alejandro Bedoya’s potential debut and a reason to watch Seattle the rest of the way. Entertainment value!

 The mailbag starts with some USMNT updates from overseas before transitioning into a question about the ETR crew and recreational soccer. If that doesn’t grab your attention, we’ve got more origin stories to reflect on.

Direct download: ETR_Aug11_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:15pm EDT

Hat tricks, ejections and last-second comebacks marked a weekend of MLS action that saw Clint Dempsey feast on the service of Jordan Morris, Jesse Marsch get the boot in LA and Giovinco prove he’s the class of the league – again. Ben the Research Baer jumps on to deliver a hot take on Seattle’s playoff chances, and Nick Rimando makes more history. 

Ahead of the US Open Cup semifinals, Chicago Fire general manager Nelson Rodriguez stops by the studio to give a behind-the-scenes look at the club’s transfer dealings, explain why they haven’t splashed the cash – yet, anyway – and dream about winning a trophy in front of the home fans at Toyota Park.

In the mailbag, the guys share their MLS origin stories, plus Sounders fans explain what a successful season looks like, even if it doesn’t include the playoffs, and why LA is obviously excluded from the Cascadia Cup.

Direct download: ETR_Aug8_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:24pm EDT

The transfer window slammed shut (sorta) on Wednesday night, but not before a flurry of moves that shook up the MLS landscape ahead of the stretch run. The Union dominated the headlines by snagging USMNT midfielder Alejandro Bedoya, trading for Charlie Davies and shipping Sebastian Le Toux, and head coach Jim Curtin calls in to give the guys the lowdown on what’s going on in Philly. Plus, why you should look out for the Fire in the next transfer window, and it appears Fabian Castillo to Turkey is close to a done deal.

In the second segment, the guys round up the rest of the transfer news ahead of a SoccerSunday tripleheader on ESPN and FS1 and a Viernes de Futbol classic that Doyle says has three points for New York City FC written all over it. Meanwhile, what are the Sounders playing for the rest of the way? And how will the Red Bulls deadline deals impact the squad? 

In the mailbag, a listener reminds the guys to keep tabs on their health, USL unveils their 20 Under 20 list and a Galaxy fan trolls Cascadia.

Direct download: ETR_Aug4_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:11pm EDT

The ETR crew stays on the road to bring you a packed show with all the trades, debuts, and more from a wild MLS weekend. David hosting from the "Octagon's" floor with Matt break down the Giles Barnes move to Vancouver, Kennedy Igboananike's trade to DC United, Nicolas Lodeiro's debut, and so much more.

 
In the second segment BWP makes history for the Red Bulls, RSL finally gets a win, and Jozy/Gio are back. In exciting news CCL is back with four midweek matches for MLS clubs and is Julian Green on his way to a Ballon D'or?
 
In the mailbag David uses some fan assistance to reveal the truth about "Dench." The guys also discuss a potential All-Star tournament and the truth about what makes a true hat trick.
Direct download: ETR_Aug1_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:20pm EDT

1