Open Wide for Some Soccer artwork

Open Wide for Some Soccer

15 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 2 ratings

Relive the glory days of the North American Soccer League. David McKenzie alongside NASL legend Bob Iarusci discuss the legendary players and teams that made Soccer explode in America and Canada in the 1970's & 1980's. The NASL featured a number of the world's best players —Pelé, Franz Beckenbauer, Carlos Alberto, Giorgio Chinaglia, Johan Cruyff, Johan Neeskens, Eusebio, Gerd Müller, and George Best to name only a few. Join us as we discuss the ground breaking league that changed Soccer/Football as we know it.

Football Sports History bobby moore pele carlos alberto soccer eusebio franz beckenbauer george best gerd muller gordon banks johan neeskens
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Episodes

The Bob Iarusci Ultimate XI

April 26, 2022 23:00 - 1 hour - 55.6 MB

This week, Bob and David are doing something a little bit different during the episode. They’ll be talking about Bob Iarusci’s Ultimate XI — Bob’s pick of the best 11 players he played alongside. Bob explains his decisions around why he chose which players. The names on this team are simply unreal, talk about a list of exceptional talent...but who made the final cut? On this episode: ● The formation Bob chose when forming his team. ● Who Bob chose for his goalkeeper and why. ● How ball distr...

David Brcic - From New York to Greenock

April 18, 2022 23:00 - 52 minutes - 48.3 MB

On this episode of Open Wide for Some Soccer we’re joined by former New York Cosmos goalkeeper David Brcic. During the episode, David shares how he landed on goalkeeping at a young age and later ended up playing for the Cosmos. For David, playing with this team was a privilege, and he will reveal for us what he believes made this team truly special. On this episode: ● How David became involved in soccer at a young age. ● What made him realize he would be a good fit for goalkeeping. ● How and...

Charlie Mitchell - From Paisley to Hawaii

February 15, 2022 18:00 - 1 hour - 68.8 MB

On this episode of Open Wide for Some Soccer we’re joined by guest Charlie Mitchell, who played in the North American Soccer League for ten seasons. Charlie shares what led him to play with the Rochester Lancers, his greatest memories in playing with some of the best players in the NASL, and what he wishes he appreciated more looking back on his experiences. On this episode: ● How Charlie ended up playing for the Rochester Lancers. ● What was happening in the NASL at the time Charlie joined ...

Rachel Viollet - Big-Time Soccer: The Remarkable Rise & Fall of the NASL

January 23, 2022 16:00 - 36 minutes - 33.5 MB

On this episode of Open Wide for Some Soccer we’re joined by guest Rachel Viollet. Rachel wrote and directed Big-Time Soccer: The Remarkable Rise & Fall of the NASL, a documentary about that is being broadcasted virtually very soon. Rachel shares why she created this documentary, her perceptions of the NASL, her experience creating Big-Time Soccer, and why she says there may be a follow-up. On this episode: ● The personal connection that inspired Rachel to create this documentary. ● The full...

Tony Chursky - El Magnifico

January 03, 2022 00:00 - 59 minutes - 54.5 MB

This time we’re joined by former Canadian national soccer team and NASL goalkeeper Tony Chursky. During the episode, Tony shares how he became interested in soccer, how he ended up playing with the Seattle Sounders, the most incredible moments of his soccer career, and the meaningful relationships he made along the way. On this episode: ● Who mentioned Tony in a previous episode? ● How Bob and Tony first met and why they hit it off. ● Tony’s fondest memories of playing with Bob. ● What led T...

Mark Hateley - 'Hitting the Mark' at Detroit Express

December 27, 2021 00:00 - 40 minutes - 36.7 MB

In this episode, we are welcoming legendary player Mark Hateley. During his conversation with David and Bob, Mark discusses his new autobiography “Hitting the Mark: My Story,” the influence his father had over his soccer career, the memorable players Mark worked with and played against, and what helped him the most in his efforts to become the best player he could possibly be. On this episode: ● Why Mark felt encouraged to write a book about his career. ● The difficulty Mark had in stepping ...

Graham 'Buster' Tutt - Never Give Up

December 20, 2021 00:00 - 49 minutes - 45.7 MB

Today on Open Wide for Some Soccer we’re joined by Graham Tutt, who played for the Atlanta Chiefs in the North American Soccer League and is a member of the Georgia Soccer Hall of Fame. In this episode, Graham discusses his passion for running soccer camps, how he came to play for the Atlanta Chiefs, and his highlight moments of the NASL. Graham's book 'Never Give Up' is available now, pick up a copy here: https://www.pitchpublishing.co.uk/shop/never-give On this episode: ● What happened ea...

Thomas Rongen - LA Aztecs & Beyond

December 10, 2021 00:00 - 41 minutes - 38.2 MB

In this episode we welcome Thomas Rongen. In 1979, Thomas intended to travel for leisure to the United States. Instead, he ended up playing with the Los Angeles Aztecs. From then on, he would play and then go on to coach amazing teams throughout America. Today, the discussion revolves around great players like Rinus Michels, Johann Cruyff, Gerd Müller, Elias Figueroa, and Teófilo Cubillas. Thomas also shares what it was like playing with his idol, his experience coaching in Samoa, and the doc...

John Battsek - Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos

December 03, 2021 00:00 - 39 minutes - 36.2 MB

In this episode we’ve got John Battsek. He is the producer of the documentary film Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos. We get a behind the scenes look at what it was like to make the film, and we hear about how the perspective of different players often looked different from one another. On this episode: ● How David first found out about Once in a Lifetime. ● What attracted John to the project of making a movie about the Cosmos. ● The influence of the Cosmos p...

Ian Plenderleith- Author of Rock 'n' Roll Soccer

November 26, 2021 00:00 - 57 minutes - 52.6 MB

Today’s guest is Ian Plenderleith, the author of Rock 'n' Roll Soccer: The Short Life and Fast Times of the North American Soccer League. Ian gets into the link between the NASL and MLS, along with how the NASL’s influence is still felt today. We also hear about the different approach towards marketing that each league has utilized. On this episode: ● What inspired Ian to write a book about the NASL after having written many other books. ● How Ian came up with the title for the book. ● Why t...

Tom Scholes - Author of Stateside Soccer

November 23, 2021 00:00 - 50 minutes - 46.5 MB

On this episode of Open Wide for Some Soccer we’re joined by guest Tom Scholes, author of the book Stateside Soccer. Tom discusses what inspired his book, how perceptions of players vary across time and leagues, and what team you can’t not talk about when discussing the North American Soccer League. On this episode: ● How Tom became interested in the NASL. ● Why you can’t talk about the league without discussing the Cosmos. ● What player Tom says was too ahead of his time. ● How certain play...

Andy Dolich - Washington Diplomats

November 19, 2021 00:00 - 57 minutes - 52.3 MB

Today we’re joined by Andy Dolich, Senior Vice President and former General Manager of the Washington Diplomats. He talks about his most memorable moments in the North American Soccer League, the greatest players in history, and what it takes to create a successful team. On this episode: ● A bit about Andy’s career and the previous sports he worked in. ● How Andy ended up working in soccer. ● An overview of the new book Andy wrote called “Loss of Logo.” ● What Andy and Bob call one of the mo...

Jocky Scott - Seattle Sounders 77/78

November 09, 2021 00:00 - 51 minutes - 47.1 MB

New York Cosmos Reunion - Bob Iarusci, Werner Roth & Steve Hunt

October 20, 2021 23:00 - 1 hour - 58.2 MB

Bob Iarusci - 1976 Toronto Metros-Croatia

October 13, 2021 22:13 - 51 minutes - 46.8 MB

Welcome to the first episode of Open Wide for Some Soccer. On this episode we’re joined by former North American Soccer League (NASL) player Bob Larusci. Bob had an incredible career and was inducted into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame in 2000. Bob discusses the history of soccer in Canada, how and why he got involved in soccer, and some of the most memorable moments of his early career. On this episode: ● How Bob first got started with soccer. ● How and when the National Soccer League was...