Podcast
AN AMERICAN GAME
Hosted by SOCCERTOWN MEDIA · EN
Some say that soccer is an American game. Okay, Tom McCabe and Kirk Rudell say that, and it might sound weird if you’re an American soccer fan, and you’ve spent your whole life defending your love for the game to people who say the US has no soccer history.
But: soccer was in New Jersey before it was in Brazil. The US had a pro league before Italy or Spain. We were the first country to register for the first World Cup. In this series, the former teammates tell stories from the 150 years of American soccer history that even die-hard fans may not know. Tom is one of the pre-eminent historians of American soccer, and Kirk is a veteran Hollywood screenwriter, so it’s real history that’s fun to listen to.
With a World Cup coming this year, we want to give American fans a reason to stand a little prouder, cheer a little louder, and celebrate the generations of immigrants who brought their dreams, and the game, with them. Because it’s our game, too.
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25episodes
Episodes
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Added Time: World Cup Week 6, the Final Whistle
Yesterday00:17:40Tap to summarizeAfter six weeks of mostly good, some bad, and a little ugly, the World Cup ended. And so our Added Time series heads to the locker room, but not before we tie up a few narrative threads, anger a few more Argentinian fans, and weigh in on the next USMNT coach. (How do you say "Luis de la Fuente" in English? BJ Callaghan.)And don't think we forgot about Alexi...
Transcribe →Added Time: World Cup Week 5
6d ago00:29:30Tap to summarizeOne step forward, one step back. That was the theme of the World Cup this week. As the tournament moved to its final rounds in the United States, it did what soccer does: reflect the larger American story.Tom and Kirk step into the narrative, from the semifinals, to whether Mauricio Pochettino should return as USMNT coach, to the power of the game to heal a community in Lewiston, Maine.Oh, and in a totally spontaneous tangent, they also explain how to fix US youth soccer. That would be a big step forward.
Transcribe →Added Time: World Cup Week 4
2w ago00:19:05Tap to summarizeOof, this one stings. But every time Belgium closes a door, Tom and Kirk open a window. This week: we look at the 60-year history of US Soccer "shooting for the Moon" and put some respect on our soccernauts who may have fallen short, but they got us just a bit closer to…well at least getting back to a quarterfinal.
Transcribe →Added Time: World Cup Week 3
3w ago00:16:02Tap to summarizeAs the United States continues to climb a World Cup mountain that was too steep for smaller soccer nations like Germany and the Netherlands, Tom and Kirk re-cap the Bosnia-Herzegovina win; tip our hats to the Iranian team; and, as we celebrate our melting pot national team on our country's 250th birthday, share other patriotic ideas like: "trans rights are human rights."
Transcribe →Added Time: World Cup Week 2
4w ago00:18:54Tap to summarizeIt's only the second week of the World Cup, but we already have plenty of narrative. Kirk and Tom chop up the power of soft power, sweet vindication for US fans, and why the Pochettino "I brought futbol to the American barbarians" mythology is already way out of hand. Go, USA! Beat Türkiye!
Transcribe →Added Time: World Cup Week 1
Jun 1600:15:09Tap to summarizeWe warned you we'd be keeping it loose this month. Every week of the World Cup we’ll drop a short reaction episode; though, like added time, we’ll never be quite sure how long we’ll go.The Knicks triumph in the NBA Finals just a day after the US victory over Paraguay got Tom and Kirk thinking Big Thoughts about what it means to be a fan in a time when sports are more entwined with money and politics than ever.Our answer? It's pretty essential, actually.
Transcribe →American Ultras: A History of US National Team Fans
Jun 1000:43:50Tap to summarizeIf the history of US soccer is longer than most people realize, so is the history of US soccer fandom. From factory workers cheering from the freezing sidelines on industrial lots in the late 1800s to families in air-conditioned domed stadiums today, wherever the game has been played, fans have watched.And for over a century, US fans have watched their national teams. National team fan support is a window into any country’s soccer culture, so as the US prepares to co-host the World Cup, AN AMERICAN GAME takes a look at the history of US “ultras” through iconic songs and chants. The sounds of--believe it or not--a soccer nation.
Transcribe →Seattle 2.0: We've Heard Great Things
May 2700:17:45Tap to summarizeIn Season One, Seattle made our Starting XI of US Soccertowns (Portland, we've read your comments, and we are very sorry.)As the Emerald City prepares to host the 2026 World Cup, we're re-airing last fall’s segment on Seattle soccer history—but first we have the latest on how the city feels about FIFA, ferries...and that scheduled Iran game.Washington State Legends of Soccer: https://wasoccerlegends.org/
Transcribe →Jersey Odyssey: Our Visit to Soccertown, USA
May 1300:24:49Tap to summarizeFrom: Bank of AmericaTo: Tom and KirkSubject: Pre-World Cup screening of SOCCERTOWN, USAAnd so an adventure began: an invitation to meet up in New Jersey for a screening of our award-winning 2019 documentary, followed by a panel with Tab Ramos, John Harkes, and Tony Meola, whose story we told.Which led to this adventure: our first unscripted episode, where we talk about an incredible night with legends of US soccer, as well as some other highlights from our trip--like catching up with another legend of US soccer, Bob Bradley, right before we got a little buzzed on a new beer with our name on it. Oh, we also tell you what's wrong with the current US Men's National Team.And all in less than 25 minutes! Strap in, because we're going off-road. EPISODE LINKS:"SOCCERTOWN, USA" MOVIE: https://www.soccertownmedia.com/videoVARITAGE BREW WORKS: https://www.varitagebeer.com/SIHANA CAFE: https://sihanacafe.com/KEEPERS BAR & RESTAURANT: https://www.keepers-nj.com/SOCCER POST-KEARNY: https://soccerpostkearny.com/
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Archie Stark and the Scotch Professors
Apr 2900:50:38Tap to summarizeTartan Army, assemble!Grab your Walker's shortbread and Laphroaig and listen to a tale of your ancestors, who traveled over the ocean to the United States and Canada... as many of you will this summer for the World Cup (if world events and FIFA prices allow.)This is a story of the Scotch Professors, who brought the pass-and-move version of football around the world and helped make it the Global Game. And it's a tribute to the United States' greatest Scotch Professor: Archie Stark, who was once called the Babe Ruth of American soccer. Ye cannae wait, can ye?MUSIC CREDIT (38:10): Song: Nomadic SunsetComposer: Alexander NakaradaWebsite: https://creatorchords.com/License: Creative Commons (BY 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/Music powered by BreakingCopyright: https://breakingcopyright.com
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