
Hosted by Chad and Sheena Smith · EN

For the Glory KC is back with the 181st episode of the show!Before we got to the regularly scheduled podcast content, we had to talk about the KC Soccer Journal's collab with the Olathe Indian Creek Library. That also led into Sheena's impromptu review of Nate Bukaty's new book, "Perfect Pitch" about Kansas City bidding and getting the World Cup in 2026. Nate will be a guest on a future For the Glory KC!But before then, back to our regularly scheduled content.Sporting Kansas City aren't playing matches since it's the World Cup break, but that doesn't mean there wasn't news. David Lee made waves with rumors of "four to seven, starter-level" additions being his goal for the secondary transfer window. Not only did Lee weigh in, but new majority owner Peter Mallouk chimed in as well.We talk about our thoughts on their statements then where the additions should be made. According to reports, Lee said three defenders, three attackers and a midfielder. I tried to get specific with my needs and pushed my co-host to do the same. There are so many possibilities, despite the uptick in results recently. Sporting KC are still only one spot up from the bottom of the whole league, so almost no position is safe.Beyond the roster, there was plenty of international call-up news, including the unfortunate news that no Sporting KC players made a World Cup roster. Also, SKC II won again, in a wild one against the Real Monarchs.The KC Current did play soccer this week and gutted out at 1-0 win over expansion side Boston Legacy FC. It wasn't always pretty and it was downright violent, but Kansas City found a way. Not without some injuries along the way. We talked about Kayla Sharples and Ally Sentnor's injuries, some up and down performances and of course, Temwa Chawinga's game winning goal that had plenty of players (Bethune, LaBonta, Izzy) pitching in.In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:The USMNT's win over Senegal in a World Cup tune-upand the arrival of Argentina in Kansas CityHere is a rundown of sections and start times:Intro, Our Library Event and a Book Review - 0:00Sporting KC - 18:56KC Current - 52:17Digital Crawl - 1:10:38Upcoming GamesUSMNT vs Germany - SAT, June 6th @ 1:30PM CSTSKC II vs. MNUFC2 - MON, June 8th @ 7:00PMAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled.com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

For the Glory KC is back with the 180th episode of the show!Before we get to the podcast, the KC Soccer Journal is having a free event at the Indian Creek Library in Olathe. Tickets are free and you can get them here!Sporting Kansas City couldn't string together three wins in a row for the first time since 2022. Perhaps after MLS returns from the 2026 FIFA World Cup break. Sporting KC nearly pulled off the comeback after a slow start against Red Bull New York on Saturday night.It was Star Wars night at Sporting Park and Sheena and I talk our off the field escapades, in addition to what happened on the pitch. After New York's quick start, Sporting KC generated numerous opportunities and nearly doubled RBNY's expected goal (xG) output, according to Fotmob (1.69 to 0.88).Though they had the greater chances, they failed to finish too consistently. Additionally, their mistakes were punished more readily. That doesn't even account for all the chances that didn't lead to a shot when a player took one too many touches or made a poor pass to kill an attack. Despite that, Kansas City remained in the game until the dying minutes. A welcome change after 5-0 and 6-0 blowouts just a few weeks back.We talk through all the highs and lows, as well as time spent on Capita, Berg Johnsen, Manu Garcia, Taylor Calheira, Shapi, Jake Davis and others. Sheena even breaks out a top-ranking list for SKC and the Current.In addition to the game, we talk through Austin FC firing their coach and Sporting Director after losing to Sporting KC, Or Blorian leaving his last club on a high, Zorhan Bassong's shot at a World Cup roster and Zamir Loyo Reynaga scoring in his latest international endeavor.The KC Current were up and down this week. They ended the week on a high, beating the then first place Portland Thorns. But their midweek road loss to Angel City FC soured the week a bit. Temwa Chawinga continued her Golden Boot climb and the ongoing Ally Sentnor/Haley Hopkins debate gets another chapter.In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:SKC II resultsMessi injured?USMNT roster for the World Cup!Here is a rundown of sections and start times:Intro - 0:00Sporting KC - 1:59KC Current - 54:18Digital Crawl - 1:14:41Upcoming GamesSKC II @ Real Monarchs, FRI, May 29th at 9:00PM CSTKC Current vs Boston Legacy, SAT, May 30th at 12:30PM As a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled.com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

For the Glory KC is back with the 179th episode of the show!Before we get to the podcast, the KC Soccer Journal is having a free event at the Indian Creek Library in Olathe. Tickets are free and you can get them here!Sporting Kansas City went from one of their worst performances ever to an incredible bounce-back week. After losing to the Portland Timbers last weekend by an abysmal 6-0 scoreline, Sporting KC put together back-to-back MLS wins for the first time since the summer of 2024! First, they hosted the LA Galaxy and beat them 3-1 in a relatively dominant performance. Sheena was in attendance for the first time this season, so clearly, she and her friends are good luck. Or was it the atrocious media game I played in? Either way, the Galaxy are, for one reason or another, terrible against SKC. That was the second time they've played and at the time SKC's 2nd win of the season. We talk through all the events around the game, the media game and of course, the main event of Sporting KC putting up three for the first time this year and winning at home for the first time this year. Then, KC did the unlikely and won again three days later on the road against Austin FC. They were the better team for most of the game. Despite going down late in the first half, they fought back to tie and eventually win the game and break Austin's verde hearts. Overall, four players scored their first goal of the season this week. Sporting KC had their first comeback win of the season. And things generally went really well over that jam-packed week.Sheena and I also had to discuss the Sporting KC salary release from this week, including all the new player wages and salary changes. I also had to knock down some of those rants from folks I respect around the team when it came to how low the payroll is. The KC Current had an amazing couple of weeks too, with two, 3-0 wins. First over a pretty awful Chicago Stars team that had somehow managed to beat KC once and then against a Houston Dash side that made a series of gaffs early to let KC run away with things. In the process Temwa Chawinga went from zero goals to five in two games and moved into second in the Golden Boot race. Watch out Barbara Banda!In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:SKC II resultsMLS Next Pro schedule changesUS Soccer's new competition between NWSL, USL SL and WPSL ProHere is a rundown of sections and start times:Intro - 0:00Sporting KC - 1:24KC Current - 1:27:04Digital Crawl - 1:34:24Upcoming GamesKC Current @ Angel City FC - WED, May 20th at 9:00PM CSTSKC II vs. Austin FC II - FRI, May 22nd at 7:00PMSporting KC vs. NY Red Bulls - SAT, May 23rd at 7:30PM KC Current vs. Portland Thorns - SUN, May 24th at Noon As a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled.com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

For the Glory KC is back with the 178th episode of the show!Before we get to the podcast, the KC Soccer Journal is having a free event at the Indian Creek Library in Olathe. Tickets are free and you can get them here!Sporting Kansas City showed signs of life this past weekend. After dropping six straight results and falling to a .500 team historically for the first time in years, they surprised everyone and battled back for a draw against the Seattle Sounders. It's a sliver of the progress we've all been waiting for this season after a string of very bad results.There was lots to like but also lots to still improve on in the game. One of the biggest changes was Stefan Cleveland at goalkeeper, a job he'll apparently have for the foreseeable future. Sheena and I weigh in on Cleveland and what was differ and Sheena copes with John Pulskamp heading to the bench.We also talk through the other moments from the game, including other changes, Dejan Joveljic's clutch goal, Shapi Suleymanov's performance and more. We also chime in on the retirements of Kei Kamara and Krisztian Nemeth as well as some good news for former Sporting KC Homegrown, Gianluca Busio.The KC Current did one better and went ahead and won their game over the North Carolina Courage. It was an uneven performance against a team on short rest but there were a lot of 2026 firsts. It was the first time the KC Current didn't allow the first goal. And more importantly, it was their first road win of the season.In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:SKC II resultsLas Vegas trying to steal the Vancouver Whitecaps (#SaveTheCaps)MLS Next Pro may be relocating and rebranding teamsUSL and the USLPA may have found labor peaceHere is a rundown of sections and start times:Intro & a Free Library KC Soccer Journal event - 0:00Sporting KC - 6:45KC Current - 45:10Digital Crawl - 58:27Upcoming GamesSKC II vs. Ventura County, WED, May 6th at 7:00PM CSTSporting KC @ Portland Timbers, SAT, May 9th at 9:30PMKC Current vs. Chicago Stars, SUN, May 10th at 11:30AM (Mother’s Day)SKC II @ Rapids 2, SUN, May 10th at 7:00PMAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled.com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

For the Glory KC is back with the 177th episode of the show! And it's an after dark special. Nothing too spicy, though Sheena does some mild cursing, but it's mainly that we recorded in the middle of the night.Sporting Kansas City showed a half of something to build on before the floor fell out from beneath them. After making it to halftime with a 0-0 score against the Chicago Fire, a first for the season in not giving up a first half goal, the second half was off the rails.It started with a penalty call that head coach Rapha Wicky said seemed "harsh." We break down the entire sequence, but we also have videos, gifs and stills if you need to watch it.That moment certainly changed the game. But who is to say it wouldn't have gone badly anyways? Most of the season has. In addition to the spiral, Sheena and I discuss Capita, some post-game quotes from Wicky and Jake Davis, the lineup, tactical choices and much more.The KC Current did nothing to lift KC soccer fan's hearts up with a brutal defeat of their own. They fell 4-0 to the Washington Spirit on Friday night in a game that showed early promise. Kansas City missed some chances, and the Spirit absolutely didn't miss most of theirs.Lorena had a particularly off night and had us wondering if she's hurt, which coach Chris Armas dispelled that rumor. What Armas wasn't able to quell was the calls for his job. With the team already having allowed as many goals as all of last season and having lost more games in far less tries, the outcry from the fans continues to grow. Armas said he isn't spending any energy on it though.We talk about our thoughts on that as well as another rant from me on Ally Sentnor as this team's starting striker.In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:SKC II winningSheena Remembers to do her Hair TakesUSWNT friendliesNWSL expanding to ColumbusHere is a rundown of sections and start times:Intro & Early Hair Commentary - 0:00Sporting KC - 3:18KC Current (w/ SKC mixed in) - 54:01Digital Crawl - 1:44:43Upcoming GamesSKC II vs. Houston Dynamo 2, SUN, April 26th at 1:00PM CTSporting KC vs. Seattle Sounders, SAT, May 2nd at 1:30PM KC Current @ North Carolina Courage, SAT, May 2nd at 5:30PMSKC II vs. Tacoma Defiance, SUN, May 3rd at 7:00PMAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled.com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

For the Glory KC is back with the 176th episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City had what was potentially the lowest moment on the field in club history. At the very least, in recent memory. So, a week after talking about expectations, Sheena and I are trying to align on the state of the team. Fans are rightfully upset with the performances of the week, particularly the showing in the US Open Cup against the Colorado Springs Switchbacks.Fans are calling for Raphel Wicky's job, David Lee's job, Peter Mallouk to (already) sell the team, and for the release or purge of almost every player on the roster. What is rational and what is irrational? We try to break it all down.Plus, we weave through the moments in the USOC game as well as the loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps on Friday night. We knew this season would start slow and have some lows, but I'm not sure anyone thought it would be quite this low. We also talk about quite the remarkable stat when it comes to losing and SKC in recent seasons and where it sits in history. Outside of the events on the field, there were also a couple notable moments off the field. Cavan Sullivan was apparently inquired about by Lee and Alan Pulido is out at Chivas.The KC Current lifted up the week with their Teal Rising Cup win last weekend over Palmeiras, but that feels like an eternity ago. We briefly relive that game, and I talk about Haley Hopkins ascent up the roster and perhaps into the starting lineup in an NWSL game.In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:World Cup Fan Fest Lineup, Parking and BusesUSWNT resultsNWSL calendar flip -- Fall to Spring?Javier Mascherano out in MiamiHere is a rundown of sections and start times:Intro & World Cup Trophy - 0:00Sporting KC - 6:30KC Current - 1:08:08Digital Crawl - 1:14:04Upcoming GamesKC Current @ Washington Spirit, FRI, April 24th at 7:00PM CSTSporting KC @ Chicago Fire, SAT, April 25th at 7:30PMSKC II vs. Houston Dynamo 2, SUN, April 26th at 7:00PMAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled.com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

For the Glory KC is back with the 175th episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City have climbed to a three-game losing streak after their 3-1 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday night. And that's after being up 1-0 early in the game off of Jacob Bartlett's first career goal.The joy on his face of scoring was quickly replaced with disappointed looks as Sporting were on the back foot for much of the last 15+ minutes of the half before finally conceding. But really, what should Sporting KC and their fans expect from this team?Sheena and I debate all the reasons things may be the way they are. From roster building to youthful inexperience and down to specific players and of course coaching and the front office.We also get into a few other SKC related stories, including Zorhan Bassong's new/old injury, Matt Besler and Cliff Illig being honored (and a Heart and Goal Podcast side conversation), SKC Academy news and the announcement of the "Soccer Capital Summer" watch parties at Sporting Park. Plus, I make the case Sporting KC should go for it with the US Open Cup on Tuesday.The KC Current are on an extended international break, but that just means it's Teal Rising Week. The Current attempted to defend the Teal Rising Cup with a victory over Corinthians to earn a spot in the finals. We also got an injury update on Lorena and Rocky Rodriguez earned another call-up and went ahead and scored a hat trick in the process.In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:KC Comets playoffs endUSWNT winKansas City World Cup 2026 news and financialsNeymar to FC Cincinnati?CF Montreal has already fired another coachHere is a rundown of sections and start times:Sporting KC - 8:10KC Current - 1:00:40Digital Crawl - 1:03:23Upcoming GamesSporting KC @ Colorado Springs Switchbacks, TUES, April 14 @ 7:00PM CTUSWNT vs. Japan, TUES, April 14 @ 9:00PMUSWNT vs. Japan, FRI, April 17 @ 8:00PMSporting KC @ Vancouver Whitecaps, FRI, April 17 @ 9:30PMSporting KC II vs. Whitecaps 2, SUN, April 19th at 7:00PMAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled.com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

For the Glory KC is back with the 174th episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City had another down week after coming off the international break. They travelled to the elevation of Salt Lake City, where they consistently struggle, and they did not look good against Real Salt Lake. Sheena and I worked through the moments of the game, the lineup choices and changes, the goals (and that freakin' golazo from Gozo) and what Wicky may need to do as guys get healthy or continue to join the team.We also talked about Capita Capemba officially arriving, Zorhan Bassong's extension and the sudden departure of Mike Burns as Sporting Director. We reflect on his brief time with the team and if it can be deemed a success.The KC Current rescued the KC soccer weekend by looking more like the team we remember from that dominant 2025 season. They got a tiny bit of revenge on NJ/NY Gotham FC after they eliminated them from the playoffs last year. Temwa Chawinga returned and had an instant impact and Croix Bethune moved to a new position and immediately showed her quality.We also talk about the news from the Keeping Current podcast where KC Soccer Journal Editor, Thad Bell, shared some pretty interesting thoughts about Vlatko Andonovski's involvement (or lack thereof) in some recent roster moves.In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:USMNT losing to PortugalSKC II fall to North Texas SCWorld Cup updates on Turkiye, Italy and ticket pricesHere is a rundown of sections and start times:Sporting KC - 6:02KC Current - 40:31Digital Crawl - 1:07:38Upcoming GamesKC Comets vs. St. Louis Ambush, MON, April 6 @ 7:00PM CTKC Comets @ St. Louis Ambush, WED, April 8 @ 7:05PMKC Current vs Corinthians SC, THUR, April 9 @ 8:00PM (Teal Rising Cup - ION)SKC II @ North Texas, FRI, April 10 @ 7:30PMUSWNT vs. Japan, SAT, April 11 @ 4:30PMUSA U-20s vs. Brazil U-20s, SAT, April 11 @ 6:30PM (CPKC Stadium)Sporting KC vs. San Jose Earthquakes, SAT, April 11 @ 7:30PM KC Current in the 3rd place or 1st place Teal Rising Game (depending on results Thursday)As a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled.com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

For the Glory KC is back with the 173rd episode of the show!Before we get to the Kansas City Current and the safety (or lack thereof) of Chris Armas' job, there is a little bit of other KC soccer news to handle.Sporting Kansas City had the week off, but new owner Peter Mallouk kept them in the headlines with a response that he plays to spend "a lot" on the SKC roster. We delve into that. We also have to talk about the rough 5-2 loss the United States Men's National Team experienced against Belgium. Is it a wakeup call or a sign of things to come at the 2026 World Cup?Then we get to the main event of this week's podcast. While Sporting KC were resting, the KC Current had no rest and one of their worst weeks in recent memory. They piled up two more losses, bringing their total to three in four tries. Their third loss came on March 28th this season, when it took until October 18th in 2025. That's almost a seven-month swing!I brought in guest host and regular KC Soccer Journal contributor, Xander Kennedy, to help me break down what the heck is going wrong with the Current. Sure, they are a little banged up and missing back-to-back NWSL MVP in Temwa Chawinga, but the roster is still absolutely loaded with talent.We have to ask, is Chris Armas on the hot seat?We delve into what we know about how the team is performing and try to discern what is coaching versus what is on the players, the NWSL schedule makers, etc. That means we have to analyze the two brutal losses to the Seattle Reign and the Portland Thorns from this past week.Xander and I also try to answer a few extra questions I have about the team:Is Ally Sentnor a bad fit for KC?Is Armas misusing Croix Bethune?In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:KC Comets come up short on the ShieldSKC II drop another resultDenver Summit are breaking recordsHere is a rundown of sections and start times:Sporting KC - 1:57USMNT/Belgium - 17:03KC Current - 27:16Digital Crawl - 1:35:15Upcoming GamesKosovo vs. Turkiye - TUES, March 31st @ 2:45PM CTUSMNT vs Portugal - TUES, March 31st @ 6:00PM KC Current vs. Gotham - SAT, April 4th @ 3:00PMSporting KC @ Real Salt Lake - SAT, April 4th @ 3:30PMAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled.com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

For the Glory KC is back with the 172nd episode of the show!Sporting Kansas City returned home and right back down to earth after picking up a win last week in Los Angeles. The Colorado Rapids, who lost to Sporting KC in both meetings last year, crushed KC in a 4-1 outcome at Sporting Park. The internet was aflame with John Pulskamp slander, so we get into how much was him and how much was others (after all, there is plenty of blame to go around).We also talked about the lineup changes (and if they were the right ones), the rash of injuries on the team and of course -- the brutal night of officiating from Fotis Bazakos.After the game, Jake Davis pulled me aside in the locker room with a message for the fans, so Sheena and I talk through our thoughts on his words.Outside of the game, Sporting KC had other things going on in the week, including the addition of Brazilian center back Diego Borges as their newest (and David Lee's first) U22 Initiative signing. Plus, there was a spattering of other news around the team, including their games being aired for free over the air on tape delay.To make matters worse, the KC Current also lost this weekend. That's something that only happened three times during the entire 2025 NWSL regular season and it's already happened just two games into the 2026 season. To make matters worse, it was against the Mallory Swanson-less Chicago Stars, who had just gotten shellacked 4-0 the week prior. I break down what I saw from that game.In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:KC Comets making the playoffs!SKC II win a shootout but then lose the next gameMLS 2026 playoffs and 2027 schedule formats revealedAnd Antoine Griezman and Catarina Macaro are coming to MLS and NWSL respectivelyHere is a rundown of sections and start times:Sporting KC - 10:06KC Current - 1:01:46Digital Crawl - 1:15:09Upcoming GamesKC Current @ Seattle Reign - WED, March 25 at 8:00PM CTSKC II vs. St. Louis City 2 - SAT, March 28 at 2:00PMUSMNT vs Belgium - SAT, March 28 at 2:30PMKC Current @ Portland Thorns - SAT, March 28 at 3:00PM As a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled.com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link!Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.