Shows / Soccer 101
Soccer 101
All the soccer history and explainers you can handle
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Episodes
- Soccer 101
#149 Scarves! Why did they become so widespread in soccer, what are the different styles, and more!
Graham and Taylor discuss your grandmother's favorite topic... scarves! How did they first become common in football, how have their usage and sales evolved…
- Soccer 101
#148 What is the ‘league pyramid’ in English soccer and how does it work?
Graham and Taylor get into a topic that just sorta... keeps on going: the English league pyramid! How many different levels are involved and how many clubs…
- Soccer 101
#147 How does prize money work in soccer?
PRIZE TIME! We're answering all your questions about prize money in soccer, including how do teams get it, how does it differ between club and international…
- Soccer 101
#146 Why are gambling and football so intertwined, and how big a problem is that for sport in general?
This week, Graham and Taylor tackle a concept that is ubiquitous in soccer (and sport in general) but simultaneously seen as a problem and potential source of…
- Soccer 101
#145 What is Team GB, why is it controversial and will it be involved with the next Olympics?
On this episode, Graham and Taylor dive deep into the branding statement/actual sports team known as Team GB. What is it, which countries are involved, how…
- Soccer 101
#144 What are coefficients, how are they calculated and why are they important?
On this week's episode, we answer a question from the Discord, courtesy of Scouto: What are coefficients, what are they used to determine, how are they…
- Soccer 101
#143 More terminology explained! Recovery, duel, reducer, corridor of uncertainty, and more!
On this episode, Taylor and Graham spend some time discussing a few terms that get commonly thrown around, but can be a little more challenging to understand…
- Soccer 101
#142 Why was the England-Scotland rivalry so significant? Plus, why it's lost some of its luster more recently
Graham and Taylor explore the history of the historic rivalry between England and Scotland. What is the history of England v Scotland in soccer? Why did this…
- Soccer 101
#141 What is VAR, how does it work and why does it make people angry?
On this week's episode, Graham and Taylor delve deep into a topic that isn't at all divisive and doesn't make people completely lose their minds... VAR! What…
- Soccer 101
#140 What are 'half spaces' and why are they important?
On this week's episode, Graham and Taylor discuss a phrase that gets thrown around a lot but might not be as easy to understand: half spaces. What are they…
- Soccer 101
#139 How do teams prepare for a World Cup?
On today's episode, Graham and Taylor go deep on World Cup preparations! When do teams announce their squads for a World Cup? What do warm-up friendly matches…
- Soccer 101
#138 All about season tickets
On today's episode, Graham and Taylor delve deep into season tickets: what are they, what are the benefits and drawbacks to becoming a season ticket holder…
- Soccer 101
#137 Why is it a yellow card for taking off your shirt?
Graham (who managed to keep his top on the whole show) and Taylor answer the following listener question: Taking a shirt off is an iconic football celebration…
- Soccer 101
#136 What is the Gold Cup, and why does it seem less important these days?
With the 2023 iteration of The Concacaf Gold Cup right around the corner, Graham and Taylor discuss the history of the competition, how it has evolved over…
- Soccer 101
#135 Where does transfer speculation come from and what’s the fascination with it?
The season is coming to a close, which means the silly season insanity is about to ratchet up! But instead of looking at specific rumors or pending transfers…
- Soccer 101
#134 What is the A-League Men, is it the same as the A-League, and how has Australian club soccer evolved over the years?
Graham and Taylor discuss all-things Australia, without attempting to do accents or make jokes about shrimp and barbies. Instead, they focus on The A-League…
- Soccer 101
Bonus episode! Part 2 of our crossover with the Can I Kick It podcast: Understanding the Culture
I joined my buddy Elliot Barr on his podcast Can I Kick it, and we went way way over time. So, we split our chat into two segments. Part 1 is available over on…
- Soccer 101
#133 Why is multi-club ownership becoming increasingly common?
On this episode, Graham and Taylor delve deep into an increasingly common setup: multi-club ownership. Along the way, they answer questions like... What is the…
- Soccer 101
#132 What is relegation? Plus, the ways teams cope with it, the disastrous ramifications, potential silver linings, and much more!
As a logical counterpoint to last week's Promotion special, this week we're tackling Relegation! What sort of damage can relegation cause? How do relegated…
- Soccer 101
#131 It's a Promotion special! What is promotion, what are the benefits and drawbacks, and how do clubs approach trying to stay up?
This week, Graham and Taylor dive into one of the happier things that can happen to a club: promotion! What are the approaches to getting promoted and then…
- Soccer 101
#130 Why does Graham dislike Dumbarton FC? Or, the proper protocol for postponing a match
With Graham thoroughly enjoying his 4th cancellation of the season courtesy of Dumbarton, we discuss why a match might be postponed, who makes the decision…
- Soccer 101
#129 All about stadiums!
This week, Graham and Taylor are taking a look at a big ol' concrete structure of a topic: stadiums! What makes a great stadium? What are the main differences…
- Soccer 101
#128 What is The Old Firm Derby and why is it so historically significant?
Graham and Taylor spend some time discussing the historic rivalry between Scottish clubs Celtic and Rangers, AKA The Old Firm Derby. How did the rivalry…
- Soccer 101
#127 Why are entrance anthems played before games, what makes a good anthem, how do their vary between clubs and international competitions, and much more!
This week, Graham and Taylor do their best to avoid having to sing while discussing anthems in soccer: when did the tradition begin, how do they differ between…
- Soccer 101
#126 What are reserve leagues and how do they work?
On this week's episode, it's a look at not-quite-ready-for-primetime competitions, aka development leagues. What is a reserve league, is it different from a…
- Soccer 101
#125 What is The New Manager Bounce, and is it a real thing?
Graham and Taylor take a look at a narrative that pops up every time a coach gets sacked: The New Manager Bounce. When things aren't working and clubs decide…
- Soccer 101
#124 The Backheeled Show: What’s wrong with England? And can the USMNT take them down?
We don't know about you, but we're pretty excited for the USMNT's game against England that's coming up next week. On this special episode of Soccer 101…
- Soccer 101
#123 The Backheeled Show: How to win the World Cup, by the numbers
What if we told you there were some tricks that your team could use to boost their odds of making a deep run in the World Cup? Sounds pretty good, right?…
- Soccer 101
#122 Why do children escort players onto the pitch before a game?
On this week's episode, Ryan and Taylor answer a listener question that felt Soccer 101 appropriate: why do little kids walk onto the pitch with players before…
- Soccer 101
#121 Does politics belong in soccer? AKA Why soccer and politics will always be intertwined
On today’s episode, we're tackling a topic that won’t cause any furor online, never has copious columns written about it in newspapers, and always makes Piers…
- Soccer 101
#120 Everything you need to know about the Women's Champions League
The 2022-23 Women's Champions League season is underway, so Ryan, Graham and Taylor are here to explain the history of the competition, its dominant teams and…
- Soccer 101
#119 What is a 'Golden Generation' in soccer?
Ryan, Graham and Taylor convene to discuss the meaning of the term 'Golden Generation' in the beautiful game, while offering some examples of the teams that…
- Soccer 101
#118 What does a scout do and why are they important?
On today's episode, Ryan, Graham and Taylor dig into the world of scouting. Why do teams need scouts, how does one become a scout, and which teams have the…
- Soccer 101
#117 What is a medical and what happens when a player fails one?
On this week's episode, we're taking a closer look at something that every player does when they join a new team, but something we don’t necessarily know a ton…
- Soccer 101
#116 How to host a World Cup and what makes a good one
WE’RE DOING A LIVE SHOW! The TSS foursome will be in New York for a live show on Sunday, November 20th. We’ll be talking World Cup, USMNT, and so much more…
- Soccer 101
#115 What is a ‘number 9’ and how has the position evolved?
On this week's episode, we're looking at a position on the field that's made a comeback on the pitch, quite literally in most cases: The Number Nine. The…
- Soccer 101
#114 Why are World Cup jerseys such a big deal?
On this episode of Soccer 101, Ryan, Graham, and Joe talk all about World Cup jerseys. Why are they important? What can they look like? How have the changed?…
- Soccer 101
#113 How did the Premier League become the most dominant league on the planet?
The Premier League is regarded as the gold standard for global domestic soccer. It has the most fans, the most money, and the biggest brand of all the top…
- Soccer 101
#112 How has the Qatar national team been preparing for the 2022 World Cup?
With the 2022 World Cup looming, Taylor is joined by Graham and Joe to discuss the Qatar national team itself... a team, we should note, that has never been to…
- Soccer 101
#111 What are the most surprising relegation campaigns in soccer history?
Ryan is joined by Graham and Taylor to discuss all-things relegation: what is it and which teams have successfully avoided it? We then turn our attention to…
- Soccer 101
#110 What makes Jurgen Klopp such a good manager?
From his days as a prospective med student-turned-footballer to winning the Champions League with Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp has had a fascinating career. On…
- Soccer 101
#109 It's kicking off! How have the rules for kickoff changed, what are the best approaches to getting the game underway, and how could we improve on the present system?
Ryan is joined by Joe and Taylor to answer the age old question (in your best Jerry Seinfeld impression), "What's the deal with kickoff?!" How does a game get…
- Soccer 101
#108 What is a front office and how does it work?
Who makes what decisions? We have answers! Ryan is joined by Graham and Taylor to discuss front offices in football: what they are, how they work, which ones…
- Soccer 101
#107 Everything you need to know about preseason
It’s preseason time! On this episode of Soccer 101, Ryan Bailey, Taylor Rockwell, Graham Ruthven, and Joe Lowery dive into the world of preseason. What is it?…
- Soccer 101
#106 How to become a referee, and why someone might do that to themselves?
On this week's episode, we're taking a deeper look at officiating! Why become a referee, what are the paths to qualification in the US and the UK, are there…
- Soccer 101
#105 What is the soccer schedule for the rest of 2022?
On today's episode, we go through the remaining calendar for 2022 to determine what competitions are happening and when, how the winter World Cup will impact…
- Soccer 101
#104 What are coaching badges, how long do they take to acquire, how do they differ between federations, and how should they evolve?
On this week's episode, we're taking a deeper look at Coaching Badges (aka coaching licenses). What are they? Why does soccer have them? Can you coach without…
- Soccer 101
#103 What is 'S***housery'?
Soccer is a game of fine margins, which is why it is fairly common to see the dark arts employed to gain an advantage. In this episode, Ryan Bailey, Graham…
- Soccer 101
#102 The best and biggest transfers of all time
We're in the midst of another summer transfer window, so the Soccer 101 team are looking back at some of the landmark deals that have shaped the history of the…
- Soccer 101
#101 The 101 soccer terms you need to know, part two: N-Z
In honor of our 101st episode, we finish off our list of the 101 soccer terms and phrases that you need to know. This one starts with "nutmeg" and runs through…
- Soccer 101
#100 The 101 soccer terms you need to know, part one: A-M
It's a two-part Soccer 101 extravaganza! As we near our 101st episode, we're running through the 101 key soccer terms that you need to know. On this episode…
- Soccer 101
#99 What makes Pep Guardiola such a good manager?
Pep Guardiola started his playing career in Barcelona's "Dream Team" and graduated to become one of the most successful managers of the modern era. What makes…
- Soccer 101
#98 The past, present and future of boot sponsorship in soccer
Today, we're discussing a piece of soccer apparel that's been around since the 1500s, the football boot/soccer cleat! How have they evolved, who brought them…
- Soccer 101
#97 How to start a soccer club in the United States
Ryan is joined by Graham and Taylor to discuss a super-straightforward topic in the United States: how to start a soccer club! What should people know about…
- Soccer 101
#96 The past, present and future of jersey sponsorship in soccer
Soccer is a multibillion dollar business, thanks in part to the revenue clubs make through selling real estate on their kits. But how does sponsorship work in…
- Soccer 101
#95 What are the differences between club managers and international managers?
What are the qualities that make for a successful club manager? And what are the qualities that makes for a good international manager? How are these roles…
- Soccer 101
#94 What was the European Super League, why did it fail, and why might it return?
On April 18th 2021, a news story dropped that heralded some of the biggest changes ever seen in the modern game: a group of soccer's elite European clubs…
- Soccer 101
#93 What made Sir Alex Ferguson such a successful manager?
With the news that Eric ten Hag could soon be named the next Manchester United manager, Ryan is joined by Graham and Taylor to take a look back at the career…
- Soccer 101
#92 What is the World Cup, how has it evolved since the inaugural tournament, and what will future iterations look like?
The usual foursome are together to discuss the history of the World Cup: what is it, how has it evolved since Uruguay in 1930, and what will future iterations…
- Soccer 101
#91 "Are we the baddies?" What constitutes a poorly-run club? Plus, some of the best (and therefore worst) examples in world football!
Ryan is joined by Graham and Taylor to... basically do the opposite of what they did last week: discuss the qualities that make the most poorly run clubs in…