Shows / Soccer 101
Soccer 101
All the soccer history and explainers you can handle
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Episodes
- Soccer 101
#90 What constitutes a well-run soccer club, and what are some examples in world football?
On this episode, Graham and Taylor list the 5 main categories they value when determining if a club is well-run, and provide examples of each... culminating in…
- Soccer 101
#89 How has TV coverage helped grow the sport of soccer, as well as shape our understanding of it?
On this episode, Ryan is joined by Graham and Taylor (but not Graham Taylor) to discuss the history of soccer on TV. When was the first broadcast? When did…
- Soccer 101
#88 How does MLS expansion work, and what comes next for the league?
On today's episode, with the MLS season kicking off this weekend, Graham and Taylor take a long look at the league's expansion history. What did they get wrong…
- Soccer 101
#87 What happened to all that money being pumped into Chinese soccer?
Five years ago, Antonio Conte, Arsene Wenger, and many more notable figures were worried about the looming giant wading into the world of football: China…
- Soccer 101
#86 What is Boxing Day and why is it such a big day for British football?
On this episode of Soccer 101, Ryan Bailey, Graham Ruthven and Joe Lowery look at the British cultural phenomenon of Boxing Day soccer: its origins, its…
- Soccer 101
#85 How and why are games postponed, abandoned or canceled?
This podcast usually looks at what happens during soccer games, but for today’s episode, we look at the times when soccer does not happen! In light of the…
- Soccer 101
#84 Everything you need to know about MLS Cup
On this episode of Soccer 101, Ryan Bailey, Taylor Rockwell, Graham Ruthven and Joe Lowery take a look at the showpiece event of the Major League Soccer…
- Soccer 101
#83 All about that Ballon d'Or! What is it, how did it come to exist, who are some lesser known winners, and does it matter all that much?
On this episode of Soccer 101, Graham, Joe, Ryan and Taylor get into a timely topic: The Ballon d'Or! We attempt to explain the following: 1) What is the…
- Soccer 101
#82 Playoffs in soccer: their origin in the sport and weirdness throughout history
On this episode of Soccer 101, Ryan Bailey, Graham Ruthven and Joe Lowery go deep on playoffs: their history, their usage around the world, and some of the…
- Soccer 101
#81 Where did the terms brace and hat-trick come from, and what are our favorite examples of each?
On this episode, Ryan is joined by Graham and Joe to learn from history and reminisce about spectacular moments as they go deep on the origins of the terms…
- Soccer 101
Bonus Episode! Can I Kick It presents... A History of Cobi Jones
This week, our friends over at Can I Kick It are chatting with Cobi Jones about his life and legacy. So, we're airing their original bio episode of the USMNT…
- Soccer 101
#80 New to soccer? Things to consider when picking a soccer team to support
On this week's episode, it's semi-strange topic for Graham and Ryan and a more relatable topic for Joe and Taylor: how do I choose a club to support? We…
- Soccer 101
#79 What is the Golden Goal rule and why isn't it around anymore?
On this episode, Taylor is joined by Graham and Joe (whoever speaks first wins!) to discuss the Golden Goal rule. How did it first come to be, how long was it…
- Soccer 101
#78 Everything you need to know about pressing: what it is, its many forms, how it evolved, and much more!
In an homage to Daryl Grove's introductory explainer on pressing in episode 27, your intrepid podcasters take you on a longer journey through the topic: what…
- Soccer 101
#77 Who can own a soccer team, and how does club ownership work?
On this episode of Soccer 101, we discuss club ownership: who is allowed to own a team, and how do the regulations vary between leagues? Which owners have done…
- Soccer 101
#76 What are fan-owned clubs and how do they work?
The first part of the above question might seem straightforward... and it is. But! There's a lot more going on. If a thousand people own a team, who makes the…
- Soccer 101
#75 The comprehensive history of the soccer ball
On this episode of Soccer 101, Ryan Bailey, Graham Ruthven and Joe Lowery are talking balls. More specifically, the history and development of the humble…
- Soccer 101
#74 The best (and least best) approaches to soccer commentary
Graham, Joe, Ryan and Taylor take a quick look at the history of commentary in soccer, before discussing their favorite play-by-play and color commentators and…
- Soccer 101
#73 "You're not singing anymore!" A brief history of chanting and singing in football
Ryan is joined by Graham and Taylor to discuss the history of chanting and singing at football: how did it start, how has it evolved, why does it lend itself…
- Soccer 101
#72 How does World Cup qualification work? AFC, CAF, Concacaf, Conmebol, Oceania, and UEFA explained!
This episode of 101 fell in an international break, so Ryan Bailey, Taylor Rockwell, Joe Lowery and Graham Ruthven are here to discuss the process of World Cup…
- Soccer 101
#71 Why isn't Scotland better at football, aka fitba?
Graham Ruthven takes us through a history of Scottish football, from their role in helping develop and spread the game to The Three Kings era to a mythical…
- Soccer 101
#70 Everything you need to know about MLS All-Star Game, past, present and future
On this episode of Soccer 101, Ryan Bailey, Taylor Rockwell, Graham Ruthven and Joe Lowery discuss Major League Soccer’s showpiece event, the All-Star Game!…
- Soccer 101
#69 The complete history of soccer kits
On this episode of Soccer 101, Ryan Bailey, Taylor Rockwell, Graham Ruthven and Joe Lowery talk about uniforms! When did they first appear in soccer, how did…
- Soccer 101
#68 What do footballers do in the off-season?
On this episode of Soccer 101, Ryan Bailey, Taylor Rockwell, Graham Ruthven and Joe Lowery look at what happens between seasons! Do players actually get any…
- Soccer 101
#67 Your Guide To Cheating In Soccer
On this episode of Soccer 101, Ryan Bailey, Taylor Rockwell, Graham Ruthven and Joe Lowery delve into the dark arts! What constitutes cheating in soccer? How…
- Soccer 101
#66 How do academy systems work?
On this episode of Soccer 101, Ryan Bailey, Joe Lowery and Graham Ruthven are on hand to answer a listener’s question about Academy systems. What are they? Why…
- Soccer 101
#65 How did Argentina win the Copa America and how much does it mean for Lionel Messi?
Taylor is joined by Felipe Cardenas to break down Argentina's victorious campaign at the 2021 Copa America. Specifically, our goal is to figure out 1) why this…
- Soccer 101
#64 What is the ideal pitch size for a professional soccer game?
On this week's episode, Taylor takes a deep (but brief) look at some different leagues and clubs around the world to determine 1) the actual requirements for a…
- Soccer 101
#63 Why do the Dutch wear orange, the Italians blue, and the Australians gold? Explaining some of the iconic kit colors of international soccer
On this week's episode, Taylor takes a look at some of the iconic kit colors in international soccer and tries to get to the bottom of how they came to be…
- Soccer 101
#62 Commentator terminology explainer: Zone 14, half turn, sixes and sevens, under the cosh, and many more!
On this week's episode, Taylor breaks down two different senteces that are each chock full of soccer phrases and terms that are commonly used but not always…
- Soccer 101
#61 What is the Concacaf Nations League and why does it exist? Plus, a preview of Honduras ahead of their match with the USMNT
On this week's episode, Taylor explains all you need to know about the Concacaf Nations League: what is it, how does it work, and why did it need to exist in…
- Soccer 101
#60 What is the Copa America, what are its biggest rivalries, and why won't Colombia be hosting this summer?
Taylor is joined by Felipe Cardenas of The Athletic to explain the basics on the Copa America itself, as well as its biggest rivalries. Felipe then gives a lot…
- Soccer 101
#59 How does a transfer work and why do they get so complicated so quickly?
Hosts David Gass and Josh Schneider-Weiler go in-depth on all things transfer, and share some of their favorite transfers of all time. Why are agents so…
- Soccer 101
#58 Where did the penalty kick rule come from?
On this episode of Soccer 101, Joe digs into the penalty kick rule. Where did it come from? When did it originate? And who invented it? All that, and more, on…
- Soccer 101
#57 Why didn’t Matt Le Tissier play more for England?
On this episode of Soccer 101, Ryan Bailey explores the legend of Matt Le Tissier—and his distinct lack of international call-ups. Premier League fans of a 90s…
- Soccer 101
#56 Did Didier Drogba really stop a civil war?
Today's episode tells a story of political strife, armed conflict, World Cup qualification, missed penalties, and the power of one individual to inspire a…
- Soccer 101
#55 Why is Marcelo Bielsa so beloved in world soccer?
This week, Taylor takes a looong look at the career of Marcelo Bielsa to determine why he is so revered by so many people despite never winning that many…
- Soccer 101
#54 Why are there eleven players on a soccer team and how did that number become standard?
This week, Taylor gets to the bottom of a question that no-one is asking but everyone might want to know: why are there 11 players on a soccer team? Or, maybe…
- Soccer 101
#53 Who is the USMNT's biggest bogey team away from home in World Cup qualifying? Plus, possible explanations for why that's the case
On this week's episode, Taylor takes a long look at the Concacaf nations where the USMNT has the worst record away from home, and tries to figure out why…
- Soccer 101
#52 What is a loan and how does it work?
On this episode of Soccer 101, Ryan Bailey explores the world of loans in soccer. How and why did the loan system start? Why is it useful? And how is it…
- Soccer 101
#51 Why isn't Olympic soccer as popular as the World Cup?
On this episode of Soccer 101, Taylor discusses the history of soccer/football at the Olympics, and prevents some explanations for why the World Cup has so…
- Soccer 101
#50 What is a super agent? And who are some super agents?
On this episode of Soccer 101, Joe Lowery dives into the world of super agents. Who are they? What do they do? And do they wear their underwear on the outside…
- Soccer 101
#49 What happened to Wimbledon FC and how did Wimbledon AFC come to be?
On this episode of Soccer 101, Ryan Bailey explores the story of the team he holds dear to his heart, AFC Wimbledon. The club was founded by fans in May 2002…
- Soccer 101
#48 Who are the Baggies? Exploring the naming origins of clubs around the world
Why are there so many Uniteds and Towns in England, Spartas in Europe, and rowing-inspired football teams in Brazil? Taylor attempts to explain the history of…
- Soccer 101
#47 What is the SheBelieves Cup and how did it come to be?
With the 2021 SheBelieves soon to kick off, Taylor takes a look at the history of the competition. What came before it, how and why did it come to be, and…
- Soccer 101
#46 Who are the all-time top scoring Americans in Europe?
On this week's episode of Soccer 101, Taylor answers a question he's been trying to figure out for weeks: which Americans have the best goal scoring records in…
- Soccer 101
#45 What is La Masia?
On this episode of Soccer 101, Joe Lowery talks all about La Masia. What is it? How did Johan Cruyff change it? And how important is it today? This episode is…
- Soccer 101
#44 Why are there so many Americans in the Bundesliga?
On this episode of Soccer 101, Taylor gives a three-pronged explanation for why so many Americans play (or have played) in the Bundesliga. We'll also take a…
- Soccer 101
#43 What is the Champions League?
On this episode of Soccer 101, Ryan Bailey explains everything you need to know about the Champions League and its origins as a competition. Plus, a Back to…
- Soccer 101
#42 What is man-marking? And what is zonal-marking?
On this episode of Soccer 101, Joe Lowery rolls out the tactics whiteboard and dives into the fundamentals of man-marking and zonal-marking. This episode is…
- Soccer 101
#41 Who is Paul Gascoigne and what was Gazzamania?
On this episode of Soccer 101, Ryan Bailey explores the story of Paul Gascoigne. The maverick midfielder was one of England’s brightest talents, a born…
- Soccer 101
#40 What is the origin of the red card?
On this episode of Soccer 101, Joe Lowery dives into the origin of the red (and yellow) card. From the Battle of Santiago to the streets of London, the story…
- Soccer 101
#39 What is a rondo and why is it useful?
On this episode of Soccer 101, Joe Lowery talks about rondos. What are they? Why are they useful? And how do they relate to soccer's past and present? This…
- Soccer 101
#38 What is a football group?
On this episode of Soccer 101, Joe Lowery answers the question, what is a football group? Hint, there’s a lot of money involved. This episode is brought to you…
- Soccer 101
#37 What do the terms regista, enganche, and raumdeuter mean?
On this episode of Soccer 101, Joe Lowery explains what the terms "regista", "enganche", and "raumdeuter" mean - and how they shine a light on soccer's…
- Soccer 101
#36 Why isn’t the U.S. Open Cup a big deal?
On this episode of Soccer 101, Joe Lowery explains why the U.S. Open Cup isn’t a big deal. From missed opportunities to capitalize on wild upsets, to financial…
- Soccer 101
#35 How did sibling strife lead to the creation of Adidas and Puma?
On this episode of Soccer 101, Taylor explains the history of the Dassler brothers who 1) did not like each other and 2) founded Puma and Adidas, respectively…
- Soccer 101
#34 What are soccer’s phases of play?
On this episode of Soccer 101, Joe Lowery digs into soccer’s phases of play. What does the term “phase of play” mean? And what are soccer’s phases of play? The…
- Soccer 101
#33 How many leagues are in this season?
On this episode, Taylor tries to get to the bottom of a straightforward topic that invites ten million tangents: there are so many different competitions that…
- Soccer 101
#32 What is xG and why are advanced stats useful in soccer?
On this episode of Soccer 101, Joe Lowery provides an introductory look at soccer analytics. Can advanced stats really give insight into soccer? The answer, as…