For the Glory KC - A Sporting KC Podcast

For the Glory KC is back with the 202nd episode of the show!

Before we get to the podcast, if you'd like to support us, check out Upside. It's an app you can use to buy gas, eat out and in some cities buy groceries and get cash back for buying what you are going to buy anyways. If you want to support the podcast by doing what you are already doing, join Upside with our affiliate link. You get $10 and we get $10! Or support us with our other referral links.

Sporting Kansas City managed to only pick up one point in a three-game in eight-day stretch. They blew a lead on Wednesday on the road at Minnesota United. Taylor Calheira put the team up early on what was one of the few moments of first half offense. Then, as has been the case all season, Sporting KC collapsed with two goals in four minutes to lose (plus a third in a 16-minute stretch). SKC also set a record for futility giving up more goals in a season than any team in MLS history.

Sheena and I break down the good, bad and ugly from that game, including the post-game press conference with Rapha Wicky, where he said, “I don't think the system is a problem. I don’t think it’s a tactical problem." Hard disagree.

Things went a little better at the home finale where Sporting KC fought back to earn a 1-1 draw against FC Dallas, who are way up in second place in the Western Conference. It came down to a penalty kick save by Stefan Cleveland after a questionable handball call on Jansen Miller.

It wasn't the only bad officiating on the night. There was a possible missed DOGSO on Dallas and two horrible challenges suffered by Jacob Bartlett, including this one where he gets a yellow despite winning the ball and Romero missing it and crushing him.

And frankly, I can't believe this second challenge isn't a red. The force is ridiculous and Bartlett is probably done for the year and out for the finale in San Diego.

Speaking of San Diego, Sporting KC remain alive to avoid the Wooden Spoon if everything goes right on Saturday. CF Montreal need to lose at home to the Vancouver Whitecaps and SKC need to win in Cali. That, plus news on Erik Palmer-Brown, Zamir Loyo Reynaga, SKC II's potential move to Iowa and the 2027 Sprint Season schedule is out!

The Kansas City Current ended their season strong with their fifth straight win. They are the hottest team in the NWSL and did what they were supposed to in their 2-0 victory over Racing Louisville on the road. That sets them up for a home playoff game against Ally Sentnor and Angel City FC this coming Saturday.

In the Digital Crawl, we touch on a couple more topics:

• A confusing new tournament from the MASL for women, despite having a women's league, none of those teams are in it, including the Astras
• UMKC will host the Summit League Tourney semifinal and final
• Kansas City World Cup data
• and the US U-17 Women knock off Spain before losing to North Korea

Here is a rundown of sections and start times:

• Intro - 0:00
• Sporting KC - 7:47
• KC Current - 1:09:46
• Digital Crawl - 1:15:57

Upcoming Games

• KC Current vs. Angel City, SAT, Nov 7th at 11AM CT
• Sporting KC @ San Diego FC, SAT, Nov 7th at 6:00PM (Decision Day)

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 201st episode of the show!

Before we get to the podcast, if you'd like to support us, check out Upside. It's an app you can use to buy gas, eat out and in some cities buy groceries and get cash back for buying what you are going to buy anyways. If you want to support the podcast by doing what you are already doing, join Upside with our affiliate link. You get $10 and we get $10! Or support us with our other referral links.

Sporting Kansas City inches closer to unwanted history after a 2-1 loss to Austin FC, while the KC Current lock up an NWSL playoff berth.

Another second-half collapse has Sporting KC standing on the precipice of an all-time low. Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Austin FC pushed the club to 77 goals conceded on the year, just one shy of matching the MLS single-season record set by the San Jose Earthquakes in 2024.

Stephen Afrifa provided the lone bright spot with his goal, but even he failed to score two more golden opportunities. On the other end of the pitch, calamitous defending and tactical paralysis ultimately unraveled the night. On the latest episode of For the Glory KC, we break down why manager Rapha Wicky refuses to adjust his system to his personnel, debate whether nineteen-year-old Ian James needs to start down the stretch and look at what Afrifa said postgame about his contract status.

We also dive into the front office restructuring with three major executive hires from European soccer and rugby, check in on the Wooden Spoon standings, and highlight a couple standout podcast from around the KC soccer community. And there are Ilie Sanchez, Johnny Russell, Tim Melia, Graham Zusi and Benny Feilhaber sightings and/or news!

Across the river, the mood was far more celebratory. The Kansas City Current punched their postseason ticket before kicking a ball on Sunday, then punctuated the weekend with a gritty 2-1 comeback win over the Washington Spirit at CPKC Stadium. Vanessa DiBernardo provided the game-winner off a record-setting setup from Croix Bethune, who officially broke the NWSL single-season assist record with her eleventh helper. We run through the postseason seeding race heading into Decision Day, dissect the disputed attendance numbers, and round up league-wide off-field news.

In the Digital Crawl, we touch on a couple more topics:

• Nashville SC locking up the Supporter's Shield
• The US are looking to hose the first ever Women's Club World Cup in 2028
• The UMKC Roos win the Summit League
• and the Ballon d'or results are in

Here is a rundown of sections and start times:

• Intro - 0:00
• Sporting KC - 7:09
• KC Current - 1:09:31
• Digital Crawl - 1:36:25

Upcoming Games

• Sporting KC @ Minnesota United, WED, Oct 28 at 7:30PM
• Sporting KC vs. FC Dallas, SAT, Oct 31 at 2:00PM
• KC Current @ Racing Louisville, SUN, Nov 1 at 1:00PM (Decision Day)

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 200th episode of the show!

Before we get to the podcast, if you'd like to support us, check out Upside. It's an app you can use to buy gas, eat out and in some cities buy groceries and get cash back for buying what you are going to buy anyways. If you want to support the podcast by doing what you are already doing, join Upside with our affiliate link. You get $10 and we get $10! Or support us with other referral links.

---

Sporting Kansas City had an atrocious week, so we shift the beginning of the focus of the podcast to it being our 200th episode instead. We have a mailbag, including questions about our favorite memories, Z-Man sandwiches, a mini-version of who we would keep or get rid of the nine players out of contract and Sheena goes wild ranking Sporting KC's best all-time hair styles.

I give a little inside information from the KC Cauldron's Hot Ones event with surprise (non-wing-eating) guest, David Lee. First, he took accountability, then he shared some news about hires he's made and where the roster moves will be focused.

Unfortunately, we do have to discuss the back-to-back losses to Nashville SC and Real Salt Lake, but it mostly turns into a rant about Rapha Wicky and his plan. He has one, right? That segued perfectly into the Wooden Spoon update, which is getting quite grim. Plus, news on Owen Wolff and former SKC player Mikey Lopez.

Thankfully the KC Current are playing their best soccer of the year at the absolute right time, with just two games to go before the playoffs. They went on the road and beat the Utah Royals 2-0 to move into one of the home playoff positions. Two critical games to go.

In the Digital Crawl, we touch on a couple more topics:

• NWSL and USL Super League in one tournament
• USWNT have a come from behind draw
• KC Comets signing
• Tragedy in Wichita's soccer community

Here is a rundown of sections and start times:

• Intro - 0:00
• Sporting KC - 6:59
• KC Current - 1:50:39
• Digital Crawl - 2:03:12

Upcoming Games

• St. Louis City at Columbus Crew, WED, Oct 21 @ 7:00PM
• Sporting KC vs. Austin FC, SAT, Oct 24 @ 7:30PM
• US U17s vs. China U17s, SUN, Oct 25 @ 1:00PM
• KC Current vs. Washington Spirit, SUN, Oct 25 @ 4:00PM

NOTE: Apologies for any technical issues on this episode. Sheena is still sick and coughed a ton, I edited out a bunch of them, but certainly probably missed some or it would have never come out. Also, our recording platform experienced difficulties. Hopefully #200 wasn't ruined for you over the problems!

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 199th episode of the show!

Before we get to the podcast, if you'd like to support us, we talked at the start of the episode about Upside. It's an app you can use to buy gas, eat out and in some cities buy groceries and get cash back for buying what you are going to buy anyways. If you want to support the podcast by doing what you are already doing, join Upside with our affiliate link. You get $10 and we get $10!

Sporting Kansas City pull off a comeback draw that almost felt like a win on Saturday night. After falling down 3-1 to the Portland Timbers, a three-minute burst saw goals from Justin Reynolds and Andre Luiz level things up before Sporting KC limped to the finish line to hold on to the draw.

Sheena and I break down the happenings from the game all the way from the lineup changes (and injury updates) to the performances of Andre Luiz (duh!), Jansen Miller, Emir Karic, Taylor Calheira, Kwaku Agyabeng and more. And Sheena wants you to watch this video.

We also do our weekly Wooden Spoon update, where SKC are now just two points behind CF Montreal. All the teams around Sporting KC faltered in the standings, but KC only made up a point. The Columbus Crew, Atlanta United and D.C. United, joined Montreal in losing with only Minnesota United earning a point.

In other Sporting KC news, Peter Mallouk gave an interview to the KCBJ, providing a small look behind the curtain of the rebuild. SKC are also rumored to be hiring Sebastian Stein from Eintracht Frankfurt. He was their top scout. And Sporting KC II have a bit more news on their potential move to Des Moines.

The KC Current had the week off, but there were a couple small stories around the team worth a mention, including Michelle Cooper getting on the field at right back for the USWNT against Spain in a 2-0 loss.

In the Digital Crawl, we hit a couple more topics:

• USMNT win again
• NWSL Expansion

Here is a rundown of sections and start times:

• Intro - 0:00
• Sporting KC - 11:46
• KC Current - 1:05:54
• Digital Crawl - 1:08:55

Upcoming Games

• USWNT vs. Spain, TUES, Oct 13th at 6:00PM CST
• Sporting KC @ Nashville, WED, Oct 14th at 7:30PM
• KC Current @ Utah Royals, SAT, Oct 17th at 5:30PM
• Sporting KC vs RSL, SAT, Oct 17th at 7:30PM

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 198th episode of the show!

Before we get to the podcast, if you'd like to support us, we talked at the start of the episode about Upside. It's an app you can use to buy gas, eat out and in some cities buy groceries and get cash back for buying what you are going to buy anyways. If you want to support the podcast by doing what you are already doing, join Upside with our affiliate link. You get $10 and we get $10!

***

Sporting Kansas City win one and then lose one. This time, in unlucky and quite painfully late fashion. On a road trip to the Seattle Sounders, they got out ahead early on yet another Andre Luiz goal only to let that lead melt away. Was Rapha Wicky out coached or did he just have nothing to work with? Sporting KC are decimated with injuries, and they still nearly got a road point.

But when you are ahead to start, you sure want to win. It was that mystical game in hand against CF Montreal, and they let it slip away. Now all the teams around them have seven games to go and they still have three points to make up to climb out of the basement.

Sheena and I talked through the beats of the game and the unfortunate Lasse Berg Johnsen injury and what the team will do without him. Will Zorhan Bassong be healthy enough to play? If not, who does? Jacob Bartlett seems to be available, but there is no one else, so are any SKC II players still around that might come up on short-term loan? And who will be the captain with no Lasse and Bassong perhaps not 90 minutes fit?

For the second straight game, the KC Current came from behind and earned a big win. This time, it was a 5-1 shellacking of Bay FC and former teammates Claire Hutton, Alex Pfeiffer and Jordan Silkowitz. The fans welcomed the old players back, but it was a tough result for the already eliminated Northern California side. We talk the "tush push" goal from Haley Hopkins, the Debinha hattrick and that delightful bobblehead celebration and lots of international call-up news. Will Temwa Chawinga be back in time for the critical game against the Utah Royals?

In the Digital Crawl, we hit one more topic:

• USMNT win twice!

Here is a rundown of sections and start times:

• Intro - 0:00
• Sporting KC - 9:25
• KC Current - 33:19
• Digital Crawl - 47:31

Upcoming Games

• USMNT vs. Canada, TUES, Oct 6th at 7:00PM CST
• USWNT vs. Spain, SAT, Oct 10th at 1:30PM
• Sporting KC vs. Portland Timbers, SAT, Oct 10th at 7:30PM
• KC Current have a break

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 197th episode of the show!

Before we get to the podcast, if you'd like to support us, we talked at the start of the episode about Upside. It's an app you can use to buy gas, eat out and in some cities buy groceries and get cash back for buying what you are going to buy anyways. If you want to support the podcast by doing what you are already doing, join Upside with our affiliate link. You get $10 and we get $10!

Sporting Kansas City bounced back in a big way after their disappointing loss last weekend to go on the road and beat the 2nd place team in the Western Conference. The Houston Dynamo fell 2-0 securing Sporting KC their first shutout of the year, one that was assisted by a Hector Herrera red card. Now can they do it with all 11 guys on the opposing team staying on the field? They have eight games to find out.

Andre Luiz once again stole the show. He got the game winning goal and provided an assist to Calvin Harris for an insurance goal before the Dynamo self-destructed before halftime. Despite the lead and being up a man, it was quite debatable who played better in the second half. Houston definitely saw more of the ball and took more shots.

Sheena and I discuss all of that, plus takes on Ben Olsen and his attire and other off topic nonsense you come to For the Glory KC for (or press fast forward during).

The win kept Sporting KC on pace with CF Montreal, who also won. The Wooden Spoon won't be decided yet but at least SKC remain in striking distance of climbing out of the basement.

In other SKC news, Capita Capemba's return will be delayed due to some rules we explain on the podcast. Also, fines were handed out for the Philadelphia Union and Sporting KC dust up a week ago. There is also a rumor that SKC II may be on the move in the coming years to Des Moines, Iowa. And former SKC coach Zoran Savic is being countersued by the team after his multimillion-dollar lawsuit.

Back in Kansas City, the KC Current also found a way to win, despite going down 1-0 early. They welcomed expansion side the Denver Summit to town and sent them packing after a 4-1 win that included a Haley Hopkins hattrick. What a weekend for Kansas City soccer!

In the Digital Crawl, we hit a few more topics:

• SKC II win!
• USMNT win!
• KC Comets updates

Here is a rundown of sections and start times:

• Intro - 0:00
• Sporting KC - 8:19
• KC Current - 52:31
• Digital Crawl - 1:01:08

Upcoming Games

• USMNT vs. Chile, TUES, Sept 29th @ 7:00PM CST (St. Louis)
• Sporting KC @ Seattle Sounders, THUR, Oct 1st @ 8:30PM CST
• KC Current vs. Bay FC, SAT, Oct 3rd @ 5:30PM
• USMNT vs. Mexico, SAT, Oct 3rd @ 9:00PM (Arizona)

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 196th episode of the show!

Before we get to the podcast, if you'd like to support us, we talked at the start of the episode about Upside. It's an app you can use to buy gas, eat out and in some cities buy groceries and get cash back for buying what you are going to buy anyways. If you want to support the podcast by doing what you are already doing, join Upside with our affiliate link.

Sporting Kansas City entered Saturday night with low expectations. At least from your podcast co-hosts. But they went and got our hopes up by taking a very early 3-0 lead. Then in the second half, in what is perhaps the worst collapse in Sporting KC history, the Philadelphia Union stormed back to win 3-4, with the help of their 16-year-old wunderkind, Cavan Sullivan.

Sheena and I work through what went right and what went wrong. There were some very high highs, before some very low lows. Was it a change in tactics? Was is bad play? Bad coaching? All of the above? Should Taylor Calheira have subbed himself out when he got hurt? Should referee Katja Koroleva learn how to call a consistent game? Can it be a little bit of everything?

We answer those questions and more before getting to a small roster and General Allocation Money (GAM) update for Sporting KC. Dejan Joveljic's return to Kansas City will be delayed until 2027 (at least) and some insight into Or Blorian's health problems that are keeping him out for the year.

Before SKC blew a game, the KC Current did the same thing. They lost 2-0 on the road to the San Diego Wave. They never gave the illusion they were going to win though. Plus, Vlatko Andonovski landed a job with the Chicago Stars as the new CSO. We have thoughts!

In the Digital Crawl, we hit one more topic:

• Indianapolis creeps closer to MLS expansion and weirdly we give Sheena's history with the city of Indianapolis

Here is a rundown of sections and start times:

• Intro - 0:00
• Sporting KC - 8:52
• KC Current - 1:22:18
• Digital Crawl - 1:46:31

Upcoming Games

• KC Current vs. Denver Summit, SAT, Sept 26th at 11:30AM CST
• Sporting KC @ Houston Dynamo, SAT, Sept 26th at 7:30PM

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 195th episode of the show!

Before we get to the podcast, if you'd like to support us, we talked at the start of the episode about Upside. It's an app you can use to buy gas, eat out and in some cities buy groceries and get cash back for buying what you are going to buy anyways. If you want to support the podcast by doing what you are already doing, join Upside with our affiliate link.

***

Sporting Kansas City break their post-World Cup winless streak with a big 3-1 victory over LAFC. The move pulls them within three points of CF Montreal as they attempt to avoid 'winning' the Wooden Spoon. The KC Soccer Journal asked Wicky and Taylor Calheira about their attempts to avoid the spoon and we'll get into those responses during the episode.

Plus, we talked through all the action from the game. The arrival of Andre Luiz as a potential star shone brightly in his improved play and particularly in his opening goal last night.

It was an absolute banger, but it wasn't all Andre did. He drew fouls. He combined with teammates. He generally looked like the guy we hoped he'd be. And according to Wicky he's still not fully fit. There should be more to come!

Beyond Andre, Stefan Cleveland, Taylor Calheira, Stephen Afrifa, Moises Mosquera, Emir Karic and Wyatt Meyer all got some love. And let's not leave out the clinical finish by substitute Jacob Bartlett. Besides the goal, he honored Or Blorian who will be out for the rest of the season after a surprise surgery this week. The whole team in fact honored him before the game.

And Sheena brought back the casual hair takes for the first time in a hot minute.

On the other side of town, the KC Current fought back valiantly against the Orlando Pride after falling behind 2-0. They maintain their two-plus year regular season unbeaten run at CPKC Stadium. However, they still have to find a way to climb the table with results worth more than a point.

The Current also had honors bestowed upon Temwa Chawing and Lorena and former Current player, Meila Brewer, landed in Dallas.

In the Digital Crawl, we hit one more topic:

• NWSL Relocation: Louisville to Cincy?

Here is a rundown of sections and start times:

• Intro - 0:00
• Sporting KC - 11:04
• KC Current - 1:00:11
• Digital Crawl - 1:11:51

Upcoming Games

• KC Current @ San Diego Wave, FRI, Sept 18th at 9:00PM CST
• Sporting KC vs. Philadelphia Union, SAT, Sept 19th at 7:30PM
• SKC II @ Dynamo 2, SUN, Sept 20th at 4:00PM

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.

For the Glory KC is back with the 194th episode of the show!

Before we get to the podcast, if you'd like to support us, we talked at the very end of the episode about Upside. It's an app you can use to buy gas, eat out and in some cities buy groceries and get cash back for buying what you are going to buy anyways. If you want to support the podcast by doing what you are already doing, join Upside with our affiliate link.

***

Sporting Kansas City played soccer this week, but the focus was mostly on the transfer window. Sadly, it was more about what didn't get done than what did. Can we take back what we said last week about how the transfer rumors were more fun than the games? When it all falls through, it's quite disappointing.

Sheena and I talked about what did get done (two loans for teenagers within MLS) and what didn't (Yann Gboho and Paulos Abraham, among others). Plus, the fallout and the press conference from David Lee. It was a robust discussion about the state of the team with a real mix of casual perspective and deeper analysis.

Sporting KC also played a thrilling 4-3 game against FC Dallas that was unfortunately a loss. Taylor Calheira had a breakout performance and Capita found new life on the left side of the attack. There was lots to like, including a statistically dominant performance and a lot to dislike with four goals going into SKC's net. Is it he defense? Is it goalkeeping? Sporting KC just taking their foot off the gas of their attack and press? Something else?

We also work through the long list of injured players for Sporting KC, which now includes Jake Davis, Zorhan Bassong, Ian James, Calvin Harris and a positive update for Owen Wolff.

In more positive news, the KC Current won another game! 2-1 over Bay FC on the road. The trouble is no one is talking about that since the team "mutually parted ways" with Vlatko Andonovski. What does it mean? Is he getting a new job? (Does he want to coach Sporting KC?) Sheena and I work through all the possibilities.

In the Digital Crawl, we hit a few more topics:

• MLS is back in the US Open Cup in full!

Here is a rundown of sections and start times:

• Intro - 0:00
• Sporting KC - 4:36
• KC Current - 50:12
• Digital Crawl - 1:36:43

Upcoming Games

• KC Current vs. Orlando Pride, FRI, Sept 11 at 7:00PM CST
• Sporting KC vs. LAFC, SAT, Sept 12 at 7:30PM CST
• SKC II vs. LAFC 2, SUN, Sept 13 at 7:00PM

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.

For the Glory KC is back with the 193rd episode of the show!

Sporting Kansas City had another eventful week and maybe they'll do a lot more business in the next three days before the transfer window closes.

We start off the podcast with the record U22 Initiative signing of Owen Wolff from Austin FC. The 21-year-old midfielder/left winger/forward will hopefully help what ails Sporting KC. As soon as he recovers from his ankle injury. SKC have one remaining U22 spot they can fill and it'll be intriguing to see if they spend big again.

Then we found out the details around Dejan Joveljic and Manu Garcia's departures. Why sell Dejan in conference? Why buyout Manu instead of selling him if Aris made an offer? Sheena and I break down the details and then spend a lot of time on the state of the team. We work in some David Lee press conference news of adding two more DPs, hopefully sooner than later.

Also, there was the rumor of the 24-year-old Swedish striker, Paulos Abraham and a lot of national attention to Sporting KC's recent player movement and promises of future transactions. It's going to be an interesting close to the transfer window, hopefully.

Unfortunately, Sporting KC played two soccer games too. For Sheena's birthday I joined her and watched the Vancouver Whitecaps win 3-0 over SKC. There were lots of missing players for injury (Jake Davis and Zorhan Bassong) and perhaps another injury in game to Capita Capemba. There was a new captain (Lasse Berg Johnsen) and the debut of Sporting KC's newest Designated Player, Andre Luiz. They also played and lost to Atlanta United a week ago, right after our emergency Dejan Joveljic podcast.

There was news for Zamir Loyo Reynaga, Andreu Fontas and Jaylin Lindsey also this week!

In more positive news, the KC Current won a game! It was their first win in August, just in time for the month to end. They absolutely dominated the North Carolina Courage but only managed a 3-2 win. We get into the big moments taken and missed.

In the Digital Crawl, we hit a few more topics:

• St. Louis City SC rumored transfer
• MLS Next Pro schedule change

Here is a rundown of sections and start times:

• Intro - 0:00
• Sporting KC - 6:00
• KC Current - 1:27:40
• Digital Crawl - 1:32:31

Upcoming Games

• KC Current @ Bay FC, FRI, Sept 4th at 9:00PM CST
• SKC II vs. St. Louis City SC 2, SAT, Sept 5th at 7:00PM
• Sporting KC @ FC Dallas, SAT, Sept 5th at 7:30PM

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 192nd episode of the show!

Sporting Kansas City have had an incredibly busy week. The last six days has seen the departure of fan favorite and Designated Player, Manu Garcia. The arrival of the fourth most expensive player in MLS history in Andre Luiz. A rumored even more expensive transfer of Nico Fernandez Mercau.

But Saturday night may be the biggest news yet. Fabrizio Romano and Tom Bogert are reporting that Dejan Joveljic is moving within the conference to the Seattle Sounders! You'd think it'd be a massive transfer fee, but instead it's only $6 million for one of the best goal scorers in Major League Soccer. Yes, it's a 50 percent profit after only 18 months, but it's a stunner.

We go through all the reasons this could be happening and try to make sense of the news. Did Dejan want out? Did he not like how the Manu saga went down this week? Sheena did live sleuthing on the podcast and noticed he'd been absent from their social media all week. When David Lee told us midweek that teams are calling about their players, it seems clear Dejan was always the answer, and he may have already been negotiating at that time.

Beyond that, is Dejan just not a system fit for Lee and Rapha Wicky? Or perhaps Lee just wants his guys. The typical starting lineup only has two players that were around more than 11 months ago in Jake Davis and Zorhan Bassong. Is the General Allocation Money (GAM) just too much to pass up?

We go through all the permutations. And we talk about what comes next. More Designated Players have to be arriving, right? We also went through all the big points from David Lee's press conference and tried to figure out what DPs Lee could sign. I threw out Cucho Hernandez as a former player who did great in MLS and Sheena went a lot more out of left field with USA-loving Erling Haaland. It's nonsense, but it least it was fun nonsense.

Speaking of DPs, we talk about new signing Andre Luiz, the rumored transfer for Nico Fernandez and all the other fallout of the week for Sporting KC. It's weird to record a day before a game, but the news just became too much. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast, who knows when we'll have to record again with the transfer window closing in 11 days on September 2nd.

We also talked about the game against St. Louis City SC, that SKC dominated but only got a draw out of. Taylor Calheira was one of the stars of the night and I guess is this team's starting striker now? What a wild week!

The KC Current also earned a draw, but it felt more disappointing considering the quality of the two teams. Kansas City seemed to have all the advantages on the Seattle Reign but their comeback, like Sporting's, ended with only a tie.

In the Digital Crawl, we hit a few more topics:

• SKC II
• MLS Playoff Expansion... again?!?!
• UEFA, Concacaf and Infantino
• Argentina punished

Here is a rundown of sections and start times:

• Intro - 0:00
• Sporting KC - 2:03
• KC Current - 1:23:46
• Digital Crawl - 1:33:07

Upcoming Games

• Sporting KC @ Atlanta United, SUN, August 23rd at 6:00PM CST (Wooden Spoon Battle)
• SKC II @ Tacoma Defiance, MON, August 24th at 9:00PM
• KC Current vs. North Carolina Courage, SAT, August 29th at 5:30PM
• Sporting KC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps, SAT, August 29th at 7:30PM
• SKC II @ Whitecaps 2, SUN, August 30th at 6:00PM

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.

For the Glory KC is back with the 191st episode of the show!

Sporting Kansas City had another terrible weekend, but before we get to the on-field shenanigans, we have to talk about Manu Garcia. After the loss to the Colorado Rapids, the KC Soccer Journal got a surprisingly candid quote out of manager Rapha Wicky on why Manu Garcia wasn't playing.

“Manu was available for selection, but we had some discussions with him about his future in recent days, and so I decided it was best not to involve him in the game tonight,” said Wicky. “That’s all I can say. Everything else I refer to David [Lee].”

Sheena and I work through all the feelings around this move. Plus, some fan reactions. Does it make sense? Could it actually be a good thing? We talk through all the sides. And not only is he potentially leaving, but a landing spot has emerged overnight in Greece at his old club Aris.

Of course, we also had to talk about the 2-0 loss to the Rapids. As well as some more positive news around Graham Zusi's return, an Andre Luiz update and a potentially big front office hire for Sporting KC. Sheena also picks on poor Ethan Bartlow as he heads out the door. Nobody tell him!

The KC Current continued their road struggles on Friday night in a 2-1 loss to Gotham FC. After taking an early lead, the team fell apart. They had a moment or two, but the New Jersey side was the better team. Sheena and I discuss how VAR handled key moments, lineup choices, including Lorena not starting, team health and more. Plus, Temwa Chawinga and Malawi's amazing World Cup qualification!

In the Digital Crawl, we hit a few more topics:

• SKC II
• Big MLS moves
• Messi and Ronaldo both retiring?

Here is a rundown of sections and start times:

• Intro - 0:00
• Sporting KC - 4:45
• KC Current - 1:06:53
• Digital Crawl - 1:21:52

Upcoming Games

• Sporting KC vs. St. Louis City, WED, August 19th at 7:00PM CST
• SKC II @ LAFC 2, THUR, August 20th at 9:00PM
• KC Current vs. Seattle Reign, SAT, August 22nd at 5:30PM
• Sporting KC @ Atlanta United, SUN, August 23rd at 6:00PM (Wooden Spoon Battle)
• SKC II @ Tacoma Defiance, MON, August 24th at 9:00PM

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.

For the Glory KC is back with the 190th episode of the show!

Ted Lasso's "love letter to Kansas City" leads the podcast this week. The first episode of season four was filled with KC easter eggs and has a lot of the world talking about Kansas City. We talked about what we loved and what it could mean for the world's understanding of KC.

Sporting Kansas City had the week off, but there is plenty swirling around the team still. Mo Salah officially spurned Sporting KC in favor of signing in Turkiye. Andre Luiz didn't sign with SKC this week, at least not officially. But there are more clues that move is on the horizon. And Manu Garcia posted to Instagram in a way that was misinterpreted by some as a goodbye. Luckily Manu cleared it up for us.

The KC Current hit the road and earned a draw that felt like a loss after they led for a great deal of their game against the Houston Dash. It felt like a tactical failure of Chris Armas and his coaching staff to go into a shell for the entire second half. A semi-controversial penalty call on Elizabeth Ball let Houston tie it up and that's how it ended, 1-1.

In happier news, Debinha broke the all-time NWSL goal scoring record. Croix Bethune was honored on the NWSL team of the month and there were several positive injury updates for the depleted Current. Plus, Malawi and Temwa Chawinga are on the verge of history.

In the Digital Crawl, we hit a few more topics:

• All that FIFA drama
• Racing Louisville could be relocated
• New MLS Commissioner and his inherited projects

Here is a rundown of sections and start times:

• Intro - 0:00
• Ted Lasso - 3:31
• Sporting KC - 16:04
• KC Current - 35:48
• Digital Crawl - 51:41

Upcoming Games

• SKC II @ Austin FC II, SUN, Aug 9th at 7:30PM CST
• KC Current @ Gotham, FRI, Aug 14th at 7:00PM
• SKC II vs. Rapids 2, SAT, Aug 15th at 7:00PM
• Sporting KC @ Colorado Rapids, SAT, Aug 15th at 8:30PM

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 189th episode of the show!

Sporting Kansas City returned home only to have a handful of mistakes derail any sort of opportunity to bounce back. They welcomed the Houston Dynamo to town and changed up their gameplan to some positive effect before Lasse Berg Johnsen got a red card and fumbled the plan.

From there, Stefan Cleveland and Calvin Harris mistakes took away any chance to claw out some points in the MLS standings. It left us questioning if it's time for John Pulskamp to take back over in goal. Along with Rapha Wicky's job security a mere 18 games into the season. Also, what's up with Manu Garcia not starting?

But there were bright spots. The defense looked good in this back four's first start together and the mistakes could hardly be pinned on them. Moises Mosquera got his first start, and Jake Davis had a good night. Plus, it was Harry Potter night, so that brought some interesting conversation. And there were injury updates on Zorhan Bassong, Taylor Calheira, Justin Reynolds and Diego Borges.

In other Sporting KC news, there were rumor updates on Andre Luiz and Mo Salah, as well as a loan for Cielo Tschantret and Tim Leibold finds a new home. In news that came out after recording, another rumor, with even more detail, that the Andre Luiz deal is just pending a medical.

The KC Current knocked out two home games and came away with four points. First, a 5-1 win over Racing Louisville followed by a 1-1 draw against Angel City FC. Why doesn't it feel like enough? Are we just super spoiled from the 2025 Kansas City Current's regular season? Probably.

We talk through Haley Hopkins finally slotting in at center forward and going off for three goals and an assist over two games. Plus, all the missing players and the news that Michelle Cooper and Lorena are still "a few weeks away."

In the Digital Crawl, we hit a few more topics:

• FIFA tries and fails to sell the World Cup
• SKC II results
• MLS rule changes
• Save the Caps!
• NWSL 2027 calendar

Here is a rundown of sections and start times:

• Intro - 0:00
• Sporting KC - 10:25
• KC Current - 49:31
• Digital Crawl - 1:08:41

Upcoming Games

• KC Current @ Houston Dash, SAT, Aug. 8th at 7:45PM CST
• SKC II @ Austin FC II, SUN, Aug 9th at 7:30PM
• No Sporting KC -- it's the Leagues Cup and they aren't in it

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 188th episode of the show!

Sporting Kansas City had a very busy week. They played two more games, which we'll get to, but they also were much more firmly linked to Brazilian winger Andre Luiz (sorry for calling him David on the podcast over and over before getting my act together).

Tom Bogert is reporting the deal isn't done yet, but "it is getting closer."

He and Globo (Brazil) are both reporting an $18 million transfer fee with up to $4m in add-ons. Other outlets have it even higher. Sheena and I work through all the feelings on this. Is it too much money? Does it matter if Peter Mallouk will keep spending? Will he make this team better? And we can't forget to talk about Mo Salah more as well and if that deal remains a possibility.

Then we work our way through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows in a week. Sporting KC played their first home game in two months and defeated Minnesota United. But then they went on the road and laid an egg in a 4-0 loss to LAFC.

It had quite a few people calling for Raphael Wicky's job, just 17 games into the season. With 17 to go, is it too early to pull the plug?

Plus, we talk briefly about the blown call that PRO admitted to around the St. Louis City SC game and some big Gianluca Busio news.

In KC Current news, they lost. Again. They are an abysmal 1-3-1 since returning from their World Cup break. It makes that world's best team slogan come off really silly. This time they lost to the Boston Legacy, who are way down the table.

In the Digital Crawl, we hit a few more topics:

• Kansas City World Cup ratings (we're #1 baby!)
• Casemiro's deal with Inter Miami
• And a huge transfer fee for a 15-year-old, Benji Flowers, out of FC Dallas

Here is a rundown of sections and start times:

• Intro - 0:00
• Sporting KC - 7:07
• KC Current - 1:07:48
• Digital Crawl - 1:19:51

Upcoming Games

• KC Current vs. Racing Louisville - WED, July 29th at 7:00PM CST
• KC Current vs. Angel City FC - SAT, Aug. 1st at 5:30PM
• Sporting KC vs. Houston Dynamo - SAT, Aug. 1st at 7:30PM

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 187th episode of the show!

Sporting Kansas City returned to action in Major League Soccer after a seven-week break and it didn't go great. They were on the road, for some reason playing a rivalry game midweek, against St. Louis City SC. They fell behind 2-0 before tying it up and giving up a penalty late to lose it.

We break down the biggest moments from the game, if there was progress and of course, we have to talk about the questionable officiating. At least games are close enough for the officials to influence for a change?

In other Sporting KC news, David Lee gave a press conference last week where he touched on a wide range of subjects. He didn't want to speak about any player specifically (Mo Salah, Andre Luiz, Yann Gboho, etc.). But he did talk about how the budget has changed and they are chasing big fees and big salaries. The team is targeting two to four more signings, including one more defender and the rest being focused in the attack. Plus, the team made a couple trades this week that will facilitate a future move.

In KC Current news, their perfect home record evaporated in the 90th minute against the San Diego Wave. I quickly break down the game as Sheena's best friend was in town and they did not watch. Plus, Debinha signs a new deal, Temwa Chawinga is going to miss a bunch of games and Desiree Scott is bringing an expansion team to Canadian women's soccer.

And for one last week, "we're a World Cup podcast." The semifinals, third place and championship games all went down since we last spoke and we've got some thoughts!

In the Digital Crawl, we hit a few more topics:

• Mauricio Pochettino may be returning to the USMNT
• MLS ads are suddenly running during the World Cup
• And MLS is getting a new commissioner
• Plus, SKC II and KC Current II updates

Here is a rundown of sections and start times:

• Intro - 0:00
• Sporting KC - 4:03
• KC Current - 43:30
• World Cup - 52:05
• Digital Crawl - 1:10:41

Upcoming Games

• Sporting KC vs. Minnesota United, WED, July 22nd at 7:30PM CST
• KC Current @ Boston Legacy, SAT, July 25th at 4:00PM
• Sporting KC @ LAFC, SAT, July 25th at 9:30PM

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 186th episode of the show!

Sporting Kansas City had a massive week, and they haven't even started playing soccer (officially) yet. The headlines are all around Egyptian and former Liverpool star, Mo Salah, potentially coming to Sporting KC. Sheena and I give our thoughts.

But that wasn't the only rumor of the week. Another "$18-20 million" signing was rumored for Brazilian winger Andre Luiz. That's the second player with a fee around $20m tied to Kansas City and the third very expensive move that has been rumored.

We talk about the possibility of one of those moves happening, how much Sporting KC have already spent and how long they have to get things done this summer. The team also played a scrimmage against Atlanta United that was live streamed and a few other updates, like the visa status of Emir Karic and Moises Mosquera.

In KC Current news, it was one step forward and two steps back. They team faltered badly on the road again. This time against the Orlando Pride. They were short-handed with Michelle Cooper likely being out a few weeks and Temwa Chawinga suffering from an illness that limited her effectiveness. But hey, at least Vanessa DiBernardo is back!

Also, if you missed it, Michelle Cooper was fined by the NWSL for wearing New Balance cleats. It's a must-read story from the Athletic (gift link).

And the World Cup is over in Kansas City and a week away from crowning a world champion. Four games to go, but let's discuss how we got there. Mostly it was a focus on Argentina and Switzerland (and that Breel Embolo red card), as well as Norway versus England. Sheena also promised you an article about how Norway develops their youth athletes to set them up to be professionals.

And here is Sheena embarrassing herself with her USMNT roster knowledge. Sargento? Ricardo Peepee?? Baltano? Chris Williams? Chris Robinson? (How do you think Sheena would do with Sporting KC players?)

In the Digital Crawl, we hit a few more topics:

• The KS Astras are moving to Missouri
• SKC II get dominated

Here is a rundown of sections and start times:

• Intro - 0:00
• Sporting KC - 9:55
• KC Current - 56:24
• Kansas City and the World Cup - 1:08:32
• Digital Crawl - 1:40:43

Upcoming Games

• France vs. Spain, TUES, July 14th at 2:00PM CST
• England vs. Argentina, WED, July 15th at 2:00PM
• Sporting KC @ St. Louis City, THUR, July 16th at 7:30PM
• KC Current vs. San Diego Wave, FRI, July 17th at 7:00PM (back home finally!)
• WC 3rd place, SAT, July 18th at 4:00PM
• World Cup Final, SUN, July 19th at 2:00PM
• SKC II vs. MNUFC2, SUN, July 19th at 7:00PM (back home!)

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 185th episode of the show!

Sporting Kansas City have less going on, so we quickly cover their streamed scrimmage and signing for the future, but mostly focus on how the World Cup may impact the future of Sporting KC.

In KC Current news, they bounced back from their bad Challenge Cup loss to win the first ever meeting against the Denver Summit. We also get into our thoughts on the potential stadium expansion to 18,000 seats.

But For the Glory KC is a "World Cup podcast" now according to Sheena. So, we spend a lot of time on the disappointing results of the USMNT vs Belgium game from Monday night (including a watch party review of Current Landing).

We ask a lot of questions of this team and it's future. Can the United States ever win anything at the World Cup? Is this a success? Did the President's involvement in the Balogun red card situation taint the games? Does it ruin all the goodwill of the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

Plus, we talk about our favorite games of the tournament, many of which happened in the last few days. Cape Verde magic coming up short. England going into the Azteca and pulling off a victory over Mexico. So much soccer and so little time. What will we do with our lives when the World Cup is over in just 12 days? There are no games today, so listen to our nearly two hour podcast instead!

Here is a rundown of sections and start times:

• Intro & a New Puppy - 0:00
• Sporting KC - 7:06
• KC Current - 27:46
• USMNT, Kansas City and the World Cup - 41:08

Upcoming Games

• Sporting KC vs. Atlanta United (scrimmage), THUR, July 9th at 8:30AM CST
• KC Current @ Orlando Pride, FRI, July 10th at 7:00PM
• Argentina vs. Switzerland, SAT, July 11th at 8:00PM
• Sporting KC vs. St. Louis City, THUR, July 16th at 7:30PM
• KC Current vs. San Diego Wave, FRI, July 17th at 7:00PM
• Full World Cup Schedule

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 184th episode of the show!

The podcast returns after its longest hiatus in nearly four years after an unexpected tragedy in the Smith household a few weeks ago. So much has happened, so it's a plus-sized podcast this week.

Sporting Kansas City signed not one, but two players during our absence. The backline rebuild may be complete with the additions of left back Emir Karic and center back Moises Mosquera. That's two of the four to seven rumored signings coming for Sporting KC during this summer transfer window.

We also talk about the Sporting KC friendlies against England and the Des Moines Menace, Logan Ndenbe's new club and an all-star team for Luca Antongirolami from the SKC Academy and SKC II.

In KC Current news, they return to play in the NWSL Challenge Cup and left a lot to be desired. Their form away from home continued to suffer in a 2-0 loss to defending NWSL Champions, Gotham FC. It was a tale of missed chances for the Current, and unforced errors on the other end of the pitch.

That wasn't the only Kansas City Current news though, as the team made a series of roster moves in the last few weeks. Ally Sentnor has been traded, Temwa Chawinga is sticking around longer, and seven other players find themselves as free agents.

But no soccer podcast would be complete without talking about the World Cup. We've been all over the city taking in watch parties and we even talk a little soccer, including the red card discussion for Folarin Balogun in the USMNT's 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This article doesn't do it justice; you'll just need to listen to the pod to get into the multitude of topics we discuss!

In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:

• Neymar not going to FC Cincinnati but maybe going to another MLS team
• Robert Lewandowski going to the Chicago Fire

Here is a rundown of sections and start times:

• Intro, Absence Update and Watch Parties - 0:00
• Sporting KC - 11:03
• KC Current - 30:52
• USMNT, Kansas City and the World Cup - 54:45
• Digital Crawl - 1:38:55

Upcoming Games

• Colombia vs. Ghana, FRI, July 3rd at 8:30PM CST (in KC)
• KC Current @ Denver Summit, FRI, July 3rd at 8:30PM
• USMNT vs Belgium, MON, July 6th at 7:00PM
• Full World Cup Schedule

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 183rd episode of the show!

Sporting Kansas City made news this week, despite being on their extended World Cup break. The Athletic reported that Sporting KC are interested in future Ivory Coast and current Toulouse winger, Yann Gboho. The French club is asking for $20 million for the left winger. We grind tape (for real this time) and learn more about Gboho. Plus, get into the newfound ambition of Sporting KC under new majority owner Peter Mallouk who confirmed the team is "doing everything [they] possible can during the break."

Most of the rest of the podcast is dedicated to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. From the United States Men's National Team and their outstanding performance against Paraguay to all things Kansas City and the World Cup. We went to the Fan Fest, the Plaza, Crown Center, Union Station and a Netherlands watch party.

The short version: go out and experience it! There is so much to do and see, even beyond the games. Make some new soccer friends! It was all beautifully run and organized.

We also get into our play-by-play of the Kansas City World Cup Fan Fest. We have some tips for travel and to stay hydrated (for free), as well as other things you can do for cheap or free to take in this experience.

In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including:

• The KC Current are looking to expand their stadium
• HB Køge Women win another trophy
• more World Cup fever!

Here is a rundown of sections and start times:

• Intro, World Cup and Meeting Listeners - 0:00
• Sporting KC - 13:04
• USMNT - 30:02
• Kansas City and the World Cup - 49:51
• Digital Crawl - 1:29:33

Upcoming Games

• Argentina vs. Algeria, TUE, June 16 at 8:00PM CST (in KC)
• England vs. Croatia, WED, Jun 17 at 3:00PM
• USMNT vs Australia, FRI, June 19 at 2:00PM
• Scotland vs. Morocco, FRI, June 19 at 5:00PM
• Netherlands vs. Sweden, SAT, June 20 at 12:00PM
• Ecuador vs. Curacao, SAT, June 20 at 7:00PM (in KC)
• Full World Cup Schedule

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.