Podcast
The Best Soccer Show
Hosted by Jason Davis & Jared DuBois · EN
Hosted by the voice of the American fan, Jason Davis (SiriusXM), and the clown prince of soccer, Jared Dubois (JD & The Rod), The Best Soccer Show is dedicated to all things American Soccer, covering Major League Soccer, the National Women’s Soccer League, the US national teams, Americans around the globe, and more. The show features a who's who of American soccer in an energetic, call-in format that gives fans a voice while never taking itself or the game too seriously.
29episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Leander Schaerlaeckens Talks About His USMNT Book, "The Long Game"
2w ago00:49:03Tap to summarizeSpecial Edition: The Long Game with Leander Schaerlaeckens Jason is taking some time off, so this week he's sharing his full conversation with Leander Schaerlaeckens — journalist, USMNT beat reporter, and author of the new book The Long Game: US Men's Soccer and Its Savage Four-Decade Journey to the Top (or Thereabouts). It's the definitive history of the program, written just in time for the World Cup. Jason calls it a must-read, and this conversation shows why. [0:00:28] — Jason introduces the episode and Leander's new book, The Long Game. He'll be back live soon — catch him at patreon.com/thebestsoccershow for Wednesday office hours, the Bestie Slack, and bonus content. [0:02:50] — Interview begins. Leander on the writing process: three-plus years, 150+ interviews, every US World Cup game since 1990 rewatched — and then US Soccer fired Berhalter and he had to rewrite the whole thing. [0:07:50] — The book's structure: a chronological USMNT history woven with profiles of six current players — Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Christian Pulisic, Ricardo Pepi, Matt Turner, and Antonee Robinson — each chosen because their story says something bigger about American soccer. [0:20:00] — The Dark Ages (1950–1990): the USMNT once went 11 years without winning a game and nobody noticed. A 1974 qualifier where they didn't have enough players and pulled one from the stands. A $5 per diem that players were sometimes asked to forego. It was a circus — and Leander went deep on why. [0:31:00] — The big structural question: is a US World Cup win inevitable, or does it require investment that doesn't make financial sense? Leander's take — it's not just a matter of time. The FC Dallas academy director's point lands hard: a kid in Dallas is still 12 times less likely to end up in a professional academy than a kid in Madrid, which has the same population but a dozen pro clubs. [0:43:00] — Closing thoughts: buy the book at your local bookstore or bookshop.org. Jason wraps with a thank-you and outro. Join the Bestie community at patreon.com/thebestsoccershow — Wednesday office hours with Jason, a bonus podcast feed, the Bestie Slack, and World Cup content on the way. Your support keeps the show going. Timestamps🎙️ Support the Show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →MLS Next Pro Investment With Eben Novy-Williams
3w ago00:37:22Tap to summarizeSpecial Edition: The Future of MLS Next Pro Jason is on the road to Pawtucket, Rhode Island for a live Morning Kick Around at Centreville Bank Stadium — so rather than leave you hanging, he's crossing the streams. This episode features the full Morning Kick Around interview with Eben Novy-Williams, deputy editor at Sportico, on KKR's blockbuster investment in MLS Next Pro through the newly formed Hometown Soccer Holdings. Jason and co-host Rob Kerr dig into what it all means for the soccer wars, lower-division soccer in America, MLS valuations, the Vancouver Whitecaps crisis, and what the World Cup might — or might not — do for the game's long-term trajectory. TIMESTAMPS: [0:00:28] — Welcome & road trip intro: Jason heads to Pawtucket for Morning Kick Around live at Centreville Bank Stadium, Rhode Island FC vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies, May 9th [0:01:02] — Check out Morning Kick Around on YouTube: youtube.com/@MorningKickAround [0:03:35] — Support the show at patreon.com/thebestsoccershow — World Cup content incoming for Besties, plus Wednesday office hours and the Bestie Slack [0:05:00] — Interview begins: Eben Novy-Williams, deputy editor at Sportico, joins Jason and Rob Kerr [0:05:46] — Why KKR? MLS launched Next Pro in 2022 with a minor league baseball vision — teams in non-MLS cities building a full pyramid. Four years in, most clubs treated it as a sunk cost, not a business. KKR changes that calculus. [0:07:12] — The moat strategy: MLS wants to control the entire pro soccer pyramid in the U.S. — and this deal widens the moat against USL considerably. [0:09:03] — KKR's timeline is likely five years. They want to build the commercial structure, prove the concept, grow the league, then find a successor. From MLS's side, this is Next Pro 2.0. [0:11:25] — The real estate angle: soccer stadium investment in mid-sized cities is as much about surrounding land development as the sport itself — just like minor league baseball. [0:19:33] — A quiet rule change: US Soccer dropped the required controlling ownership stake from 35% to 15%, opening the door to bigger consortiums and more institutional investment across all pro divisions. [0:22:18] — World Cup reality check: hotel bookings are flat, the ticketing process has been a mess, and once the tournament ends, MLS loses its biggest sales pitch. What does the league look like in the rearview mirror? [0:25:44] — Valuation tension: every MLS team is roughly in the top 50 most valuable soccer clubs globally. No pro/rel and a salary cap create cost certainty investors love — but fans see a ceiling on quality. [0:27:00] — The two-tier ownership problem: some owners paid under a million dollars for their clubs. New owners paid $500M. Those groups see the league's future very differently. [0:28:00] — Grant Gustafson and the Vancouver situation: Eben confirms the Gustafson family (Public Storage heirs, Kentucky thoroughbred farm) are the main Vegas-connected group in talks. Phoenix and Indianapolis also mentioned as relocation candidates. [0:34:45] — Find Eben's work at sportico.com and on X at @Novi_Williams Support the Show Join the Bestie community at patreon.com/thebestsoccershow for Wednesday office hours with Jason, bonus podcast feeds, World Cup content, and the Bestie Slack. Or just share the show with a friend — it all helps. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Save The Caps, SAVE THE CAPS, Private Equity Joins MLS Next Pro, Poch On American Soccer Culture
3w ago01:08:14Tap to summarizeJason goes live on a Thursday night to cover two of the biggest stories in American soccer right now: the ongoing saga around the future of the Vancouver Whitecaps — including a wild "liar liar pants on fire" tweet from someone on Don Garber's account — and the breaking news that private equity giant KKR is investing in MLS Next Pro through a new entity called Hometown Soccer Holdings. He also reacts to comments from USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino about American soccer culture that are, let's just say, bothering him a little. Save the Caps: savethecaps.com Jason's Newsletter: Jason Davis Soccer Eagle (search it, sign up) Morning Kickaround "Stick to Football" podcast: The Overlap with Gary Neville — Pochettino interview Jeff Rueter's writeup of Pochettino's comments: The Guardian The Athletic reporting on the Whitecaps: Tom Bogert, Paul Tenorio, Jeff Carlisle Hometown Soccer Holdings / KKR x MLS Next Pro: mlssoccer.com / Business Wire Simon Evans' Soccer Business Newsletter — recommended by Jason for MLS Next Pro coverage Love the show? Want more Jason Davis in your life? Join the Best Soccer Show Patreon at patreon.com/thebestsoccershow and become a Bestie. Perks include: 🎧 Wednesday Office Hours with Jason — live, interactive, drop in and pick his brain 🎤 Studio link access — Patreon subscribers can jump into the office hours stream directly 🗣️ The Bestie Slack/Discord — the community for American soccer obsessives 🎁 Bonus content drops — including random appearances from Jay Rodius and more It doesn't cost much. It means a lot. See you in there. Subscribe to the podcast, leave a rating and review, and we'll see you next week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →MLS Goes Crazy, USMNT Player Heat Check, USMNT Roster Draft
Apr 2401:20:34Tap to summarizeThis week's episode has a little bit of everything. Jason starts the show with some catch-up on recent events in American soccer, including a review of the wild Wednesday night MLS action. Young players are making waves and Bruce Arena is doing his magic in San Jose. Jason also checks in on some of the American abroad news, including Ricardo Pepi's Wednesday brace and word out of Germany that Malik Tillman might want out of Bayer Leverkusen after just one year. Then the Rodius posts to do a very TBSS thing: A draft of players from past USMNT World Cup rosters. Here are the rules, which made it a challenge: First, Jason and Jared drafted which rosters they could pick from. Each selected 3 modern rosters, leaving out the 2022 USMNT. Each round was for one position. First round for GK, second round for LB, etc. A max of 4 players could be selected from each roster. A player could be selected more than once, provided he played different position and in multiple World Cup. We'll be posting the final teams on socials and in the Besties Slack, so be sure to join the TBSS Patreon to join in the debate. patreon.com/thebestsoccershow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Crocker Out, Mascherano Exits, MLS In CCC, Open Cup, and Fountain Photos!
Apr 1701:08:15Tap to summarizeThis week's episode hits on all the big stories in American soccer. Thomas Pinzone from The Blazing Musket podcast sits in as co-host to help Jason cover the game from post to post. We start with Matt Crocker's sudden departure as sporting director from US Soccer. Did Crocker make any headway on the big problems facing the game in the US? How will we judge his tenure? Then Jason and Thomas discuss Javier Mascherano quitting on Inter Miami seven games into a title defense season. Was there drama behind the scences? MLS went two-and-two in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup against Mexican opposition. The guys get into the problems MLS faces in the CCC and the wide issues with a tournament that only two leagues can win. There's round-up of the US Open Cup action from this week with a special note for the cupsets sprung by lower division teams and some love for the SOCCER HERITAGE moments like the plethora of lines on the surface in Mount Vernon, NY for Westchester SC's match against NYCFC. Finally, Jason springs on Thomas the story of the Fernando Mendoza photo shoot that has an eerie similarity to a photo shoot featuring the 2002 USMNT. Photogs apparently can't say not to an athlete sipping from a water fountain. Get access to Jason's weekly Office Hours, other bonus content, the Besties Slack community by signing up for our Patreon page at patreon.com/thebestsoccershow. You can by a redesigned TBSS t-shit at our Fourthwall page. Subscribe to Jason's newsletter, Jason Davis Soccer Eagle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Writing A Soccer Book For Kids With Carlos Mojica
Apr 1400:25:21Tap to summarizeWe're dropping a special interview ep of TBSS on you today as Jason sits down with Carlos Mojica to talk about Carlos's new book "Goa! Awesome Soccer Stories and Fun Facts For Kids". Carlos is an American soccer veteran who turned his lover for the game into a very fun, readable book for kids who want to learn more about the sport. The book is a steal for $19.99 so go buy one wherever you get books. You can order from Barnes & Noble here: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/goal-carlos-mojica/1147519102 Thanks to Carlos for coming on the show. Remember that you can join the Besties Patreon for extra content and access to the Besties Slack. Check it out at patreon.com/thebestsoccershow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →USMNT DEFCON Check, Best MLS Champs Of All-Time
Apr 1001:35:41Tap to summarizeWe've got a special super sized episode of TBSS this week. Jason starts the show checking in with the Besties about their feelings around the USMNT two months out from the World Cup. What's your DEFCON after the March window? Then Jared shows up to engage Jason in a blind ranking of 8 MLS Cup champions from years past. If you want bonus content and an invite to join the Besties Slack community, jump into our Patreon at patreon.com/thebestsoccershow See you next week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →USMNT March Window Review With Doug McIntyre
Apr 301:10:16Tap to summarizeAfter the USMNT's double loss window with just months to go before the World Cup, Jason is joined by Fox Sports' Doug McIntyre to break down the state of Mauricio Pochettino's team. Big Questions: 1. Do the results matter? 2. Should we worry about Christian Pulisic? 3. Which players hurt or helped their chances of making the World Cup squad? 4. Is Weston locked in as a key figure under Pochettino? 5. What's Gio Reyna's role going forward? Did he help himself? For more fun and informative soccer things, join the Besties on The Best Soccer Show Patreon page. You get access to bonus content, appearances from Jared DuBois, a pass to Jason's weekly Office Hours hangout, and more. https://www.patreon.com/c/thebestsoccershow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →USA Lineup Questions For Belgium with Jonathan Tannenwald
Mar 2701:11:40Tap to summarizeIn this episode, we dive into the biggest lineup questions surrounding the USMNT ahead of its matchup with Belgium. Jason is joined by Jonathan Tannenwald to break down the key decisions facing the coaching staff—from tactical shape to personnel choices—and what it all means for the team’s chances. We get into the ongoing debates: Who should anchor the midfield? Which attacking options actually complement each other? And how much should recent form versus long-term trust factor into the starting XI? Jonathan brings his usual insight and reporting to help separate the noise from the reality. If you’ve been second-guessing lineup projections or wondering what the smartest approach is against a top-tier opponent like Belgium, this episode is for you. Join the Besties Patreon and get bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Rapid USMNT Roster Reaction With Jonathan Tannenwald
Mar 1701:02:41Tap to summarizeJason went live to react to the new USMNT roster for the March friendlies and was joined by JTT Jonathan Tannenwald. We covered points of intrigue in the group before diving into the roster to discuss who's in, who's out, and who has something to prove ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Become a Bestie and join our community and get extras: patreon.com/thebestsoccershow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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