The TopDrawerSoccer Show: focus on the future with Top Drawer Soccer
113 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 4 years ago - ★★★★★ - 277 ratingsUncovering the underbelly of American soccer
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Episodes
Yael Averbuch West on the importance of individual work in player development
March 27, 2020 00:56 - 35 minutes - 16.5 MB0:00 - Taylor and Travis give an update on the show and discuss some of the things they've been watching and reading while live soccer has been off the airwaves. 12:59 - Yael Averbuch West discusses Techne Futbol and the importance of individual work in player development.
Who is the next big USMNT dual national, will Canada eventually take over Concacaf, and more listener questions
March 20, 2020 16:29 - 48 minutes - 22.3 MBTaylor and Travis do their best to answer your listener question! Who is the next dual-national that could help the national team that wasn't involved in our youth national teams? Here's a link to the Kim McCauley article I mentioned: https://www.sbnation.com/2020/3/19/21183601/building-a-better-usmnt-together-football-manager-fm20 Why don't we see more college coaches making the jump like they do in football or basketball? What are the best non MLS-affiliated USDA programs? Who's the be...
US men's Olympic qualifying roster, plus the U20 women are Concacaf champions!
March 13, 2020 13:00 - 39 minutes - 18.3 MBTaylor and Travis break down the 23-man squad Jason Kreis has assembled for Olympic qualifying. Who are the notable omissions and what do they say about the state of the program? Who will be knocking in the goals? Who should start in midfield? Will there be a goalkeeper? All that and much more!
The most exciting youngsters in the USL Championship
March 05, 2020 18:29 - 1 hour - 30.3 MBWho are the young players to watch in the 2020 USL Championship? The Athletic's Jeff Rueter joins the podcast this week to break down the league's relationship with player development, names to know for this season, and much more.
10 young domestic players to watch in MLS this season
February 28, 2020 04:51 - 55 minutes - 25.3 MBJoe Lowery joins this week's podcast to chat about some of the up-and-coming young U.S. players to watch ahead of the start of the 2020 Major League Soccer season.
Previewing the US U20 women's national team ahead of the 2020 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship
February 21, 2020 22:30 - 34 minutes - 15.6 MBTaylor and Travis take a long look at the US U20 women's national team ahead of the start of the 2020 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship. They break down the roster, discuss some potential key performers, ponder coach Laura Harvey's possible tactics, and much much more. They also get into how this might be Sophia Smith's tournament and what that might mean for her career going forward.
Updates on eleven potential USMNTers abroad
February 14, 2020 18:07 - 54 minutes - 25.1 MBTaylor and Travis take a look at eleven youngsters currently playing (or, in some cases, not playing) in Europe and try to figure out 1) where they stand with the USMNT right now and 2) what they need to do to increase their chances of getting called into the March camp. Players discussed: 1) Gio Reyna (Dortmund) 2) Richie Ledezma (PSV) 3) Chris Gloster (PSV) 4) Alex Mendez (Ajax) 5) Konrad de la Fuente (Barcelona) 6) Ulysses Llanes (Wolfsburg) 7) Chris Richards (Bayern Munich)...
Performance analytics and player development in college soccer w/ Carl Carpenter
February 07, 2020 13:00 - 33 minutes - 15.6 MBUVA Men's Soccer Performance Analyst Carl Carpenter joins the show to discuss how Video Analysis and Performance Analytics are used to find an extra edge on the field in college soccer. They also go deep on the prevalence of performance analytics in college soccer, how in-game data evaluation can turn a game on its head, how modern technology is changing opposition scouting, and much more.
Updates on the US U20 men's and women's national teams
January 31, 2020 17:40 - 49 minutes - 22.6 MBTaylor and Travis go deep on the US men's and women's U20 national teams. Up first, they take a look at the women's team and discuss the hiring of Laura Harvey, roster updates in advance of U20 World Cup qualifying, and who might be the key performers for the squad as they attempt to make it to the World Cup. After that, it's on to the men's team. They've been training with the senior national team and had friendlies against Mexico. What do we make of Anthony Hudson's tenure thus far, and ...
Is a major change on the horizon for men's DI college soccer?
January 23, 2020 20:50 - 30 minutes - 13.8 MBTravis talks to Maryland men's head coach Sasho Cirovski about the proposed 21st Century Model that will be up for vote this April by the NCAA. The men's Division I season would be dramatically changed for the better should it pass, and Travis and Sasho get into the nitty-gritty of what could happen.
Recapping the 2020 NWSL Draft
January 17, 2020 19:17 - 33 minutes - 15.2 MBTaylor and Travis review the 2020 NWSL Draft on location in Baltimore. Who did the best, who made the big moves, and what will the future hold for many of the draftees? Plus, which college programs will have to do some rebuilding to challenge for the title next season.
2020 MLS SuperDraft review and NWSL Draft preview
January 10, 2020 18:23 - 45 minutes - 20.7 MBTaylor and Travis discuss the strangeness of the 2020 MLS SuperDraft as well as, as Travis put it, "the players and teams that did things." After that, we take a look at the upcoming NWSL draft. What moves have already taken place amongst the various teams and which players are most likely to go in the first round? We've got some ideas! Sophia Smith, Ashley Sanchez, and many more get some mentions For 20% off a TDS Premier subscription, go to http://topdrawersoccer.com/subscribe and use ...
2020 MLS SuperDraft preview, plus a little USMNT roster chat
January 03, 2020 16:18 - 35 minutes - 16.1 MBTaylor and Travis take a look at the upcoming MLS SuperDraft. How different will it be this season, who are the key players who could be involved, and what might the top teams in the draft be looking for? After that, we briefly discuss the most notable/exciting youth inclusions in the latest USMNT roster. Uly Llanez y'all!!!!
Recapping the men's and women's D1 College Cup Finals
December 21, 2019 17:24 - 39 minutes - 18.1 MBTaylor and Travis discuss the DA showcase in Floria before turning their focus to the men's and women's college tournaments. On the women's side, they get into the penalty shootout that saw Stanford emerge victorious once again. On the men's, Georgetown took home the title for the first time in school history. How did they build that program and what comes next? All that and much more! Reminder! Our listeners can get 20% off a TopDrawerSoccer premier subscription. Go to topdrawersoccer.co...
Discussing the 2019 Men's College Cup w/ Wake Forest Head Coach Bobby Muuss
December 12, 2019 05:26 - 25 minutes - 11.5 MBTaylor gives a brief review of the recent events in the both the women's and men's D1 soccer tournaments. We'll discuss both the women's and men's finals in detail on next week's show. For now/for the bulk of the show, Travis talked to Wake Forest men's head coach Bobby Muusss about his team's tournament so far, as well as what the semifinal against UVA may hold.
NCAA men's and women's tournament updates, plus an interview w/ Washington State women's coach Todd Shulenberger
December 06, 2019 01:21 - 35 minutes - 16.3 MBTaylor and Travis discuss all the action so far in both the men's and women's D1 soccer tournaments. On the men's side, it's mostly gone as expected, but on the women's side there's been a surprise run. 15:52 - Speaking of, in Part 2, Travis talks to Washington State women's head coach Todd Shulenberger about his team's run to the College Cup.
Women's and men's D1 tournament updates, plus a chat about the Jefferson Cup
November 27, 2019 19:49 - 34 minutes - 16 MBIn Part 1, Taylor and Travis review the big matches that have already happened and preview those soon to come in both the women's and men's D1 college soccer brackets. In Part 2, Taylor talks to Steve D'Adamo (Director of Tournaments for the Richmond Strikers) and Jay Howell (Executive Director, Richmond Strikers) about this spring's Jefferson Cup. As promised, here's a link to the site where teams can find out more about the event and apply to participate: http://jeffersoncup.strikerst...
NCAA Men's DI tournament preview bonanza!
November 20, 2019 18:19 - 44 minutes - 20.3 MBESPN broadcaster Jonathan Yardley joins the show to break down the men's Division I tournament field, contenders to watch, MLS prospects to know, and much, much more. Check out Bill Reno's 2019 Bracket Challenge: http://bit.ly/2D2PiTg
2019 Division I Women's Soccer Tournament Preview (and a few predictions)
November 14, 2019 16:16 - 44 minutes - 20.4 MBTaylor and (mostly) Travis preview the start of the 2019 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer tournament by taking a look at the top 8 teams, as well as a few others who could make deep runs. Teams discussed: 1) Florida State 2) UCLA 3) UVA 4) South Carolina 5) Stanford 6) BYU 7) UNC 8) USC They also discuss some individual players that are most likely to get NWSL Draft consideration later this yea/early 2020. Reminder! Our listeners can get 20% off a TopDrawerSoccer premier su...
Wrapping up the USA at the U17 World Cup w/ Adam Belz
November 08, 2019 09:00 - 31 minutes - 14.6 MBAdam Belz of the Scuffed Podcast joins this week's show to dissect the USA's performance at the Under-17 World. What is important, what isn't and what did it say about the issues facing the US Soccer Federation in general.
Breaking down the U.S. U17 MNT at the World Cup
October 31, 2019 18:03 - 39 minutes - 18 MBJ.R. Eskilson joins the show to review the first two games for the United States at the U17 World Cup. What went right (not much), what went wrong, and how to keep perspective as the U.S. looks to stay alive in Brazil.
An American (almost) in Paris: Phallon Tullis-Joyce of Stade de Reims
October 26, 2019 13:28 - 29 minutes - 13.5 MBStade de Reims goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce discusses life in France's Ligue 1 Feminie, where she moved after playing for the University of Miami earlier this year. Find out what it's like to be a young American (woman) playing abroad, how it's helped her grow as a player and person and some insights on developing as a goalkeeper.
US U17 World Cup roster review and analysis
October 18, 2019 11:45 - 49 minutes - 22.7 MBTaylor and Travis break down the US U17 World Cup roster. Who is in, who is out, and who will need to have a strong tournament to help the US make a deep run. They also preview a few other potential head-turners at the tournament, and answer some U17-themed listener questions. Some of the players Travis previewed are: 1) Adil Aouchiche (France) 2) Sebastian Esposito (Italy) 3) Efrain Alvarez (...Mexico) 4) Pablo Moreno (Spain) 5) Matias Palacios (Argentina) 6) Steve Mvoue (Cam...
The rising stars of the NWSL, plus USWNT coaching search w/ Jeff Kassouf
October 11, 2019 01:26 - 40 minutes - 18.6 MBJeff Kassouf of Equalizer Soccer joins the show to discuss the next stars of the NWSL, the status of the US Women's national team coaching search, and much more!
US U17 World Cup roster projections, plus analyzing the latest U23 roster
October 04, 2019 18:28 - 39 minutes - 18.3 MBTaylor and Travis start off by analyzing the 25 names included on Jason Kreis' 25-player squad for the US U23 national team ahead of its upcoming friendly against El Salvador. Who's in, who's out, and who could still surprise in time for the Olympics? After that, T&T do their best to select the 21 players they think are most likely to end up making the Raphael Wicky's squad for the U17 World Cup later this month. Lots of names suggested but only a few can make the cut!
Jonathan González discusses the Alianza Showcase and the challenges faced by dual nationals
September 26, 2019 16:11 - 32 minutes - 14.7 MBTravis talks to Mexico international (and former US youth international) Jonathan González about how he became a professional player, what his time in Mexico has been like, and what advice he would give youngsters considering a pro career. He also gets into the decision he made as a dual national to represent Mexico and gives additional advice to players out there faced with a similar decision. The interview with Jonathan starts at 16:49. If you'd like more information about the Alianza Sh...
UVA women's head coach Steve Swanson on managing a #1-ranked team
September 20, 2019 15:53 - 31 minutes - 14.5 MBOn this week's show, Virginia women's head coach (and USWNT assistant) Steven Swanson breaks down his team's early success in the 2019 DI season, the quality of the ACC, his team's attacking playing style, and some of the keys to this summer's World Cup triumph in France.
Rosters and Results: keeping up with the US U17, U20 and U23 men's national teams
September 13, 2019 17:04 - 46 minutes - 21.3 MBTaylor and Travis attempt to cure their USMNT Blues by taking a prolonged look at the next generation of talent coming through. The U17 World Cup starts in late October. How is the team preparing and who are we most excited to see in that competition? The U23s face Olympic qualifying in the spring of 2020. How big of a deal is the qualifying process, should they call up all age-eligible players, and which U23s might get looks at senior level in the near future? The U20s have started a...
Discussing the best young players in USL League One w/ Ira Jersey
September 05, 2019 18:46 - 50 minutes - 22.9 MBTaylor talks to Ira Jersey of The League One Fun podcast about the best young players currently employed by each and every USL League One side. Ira also provides excellent insight into the teams themselves, their playing styles, and how these youngsters have risen to the top of the league. Here's a link to their site on the Beautiful Game Network: https://www.bgn.fm/league-1-fun/
Discussing the upcoming Development Academy season w/ Mike Woitalla
August 30, 2019 01:51 - 37 minutes - 17.3 MBTravis talks to Soccer America's Mike Woitalla about the start of the 2019 Development Academy season, as well as the changes that have been implemented for the upcoming campaign. If you'd like to learn more, here are the links to a few of the articles discussed in this episode: https://www.socceramerica.com/publications/article/83318/crossfires-bernie-james-details-his-disappointmen.html https://www.socceramerica.com/publications/article/83165/boys-development-academy-shakeup-us-...
NCAA Preview: the most exciting men and women to watch this college season
August 23, 2019 15:50 - 45 minutes - 20.8 MBTaylor and Travis (mostly Travis) preview the 2019 college seasons (both men and women) by taking a look at some of the performers they think could be primed for big things in 2019. There's also some time spent on what will happen at UCLA with their former coach under indictment, who might be national team caliber, and much much more! If you're looking for any/all college soccer content, you can find all of TopDrawerSoccer's Division I preview content here: http://bit.ly/2KTwURP
Young Americans in the Bundesliga, plus analyzing the operational changes at US Soccer
August 16, 2019 16:46 - 40 minutes - 18.7 MBTaylor and Travis are back together (via the internet) to discuss the brights starts for both Gio Reyna at Dortmund and Sergino Dest at Ajax. They then move on to breaking down the appointment of Kate Markgraf as GM of US women's soccer and the promotion of Earnie Stewart to Sporting Director. What will the new positions require, who might take over the vacant men's GM job, and what are the major challenges to come. Lastly, T&T answer listener questions, including which young Americans ...
Previewing the upcoming seasons for 10 young Americans w/ Adam Belz
August 08, 2019 18:36 - 56 minutes - 25.9 MBNote - Apologies for the lack of introduction for this episode. My (Taylor's) microphone appears to have ceased functioning, so no fancy greeting up front. Instead, we're jumping right into Travis talking to Adam Belz of The Scuffed Podcast about what the season ahead may hold for 10 Americans abroad. Listen and enjoy!
2019 MLS Homegrown Game and assorted listener questions w/ Bobby Warshaw
August 02, 2019 20:42 - 35 minutes - 16.3 MBFrom a hotel room in Orlando, Taylor talks to Bobby Warshaw about the 2019 MLS Homegrown game, which both attended but Bobby actually covered. After that, they answer assorted Twitter questions and budget plenty of time for random tangents and strange asides.
Looking ahead to the 2023 World Cup w/ Kim McCauley of SB Nation
July 26, 2019 16:26 - 37 minutes - 17 MBTravis talks to SB Nation's Kim McCauley about the 2023 Women's World Cup cycle: who from the 2019 might be in that squad, who are some youngsters who could make moves in the next 4 years, and who might take over as head coach? All that and lots of NWSL chat as well. Here's a link to Kim's article discussing this very topic: https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2019/7/10/20687886/uswnt-roster-2020-olympics-world-cup-squidward-voice-futureeeeeeee
11 young Homegrowns who have impressed this season
July 19, 2019 20:22 - 52 minutes - 23.9 MBTaylor and Travis take turns discussing their combined 11 homegrown players that have impressed this season in either MLS or USL (or occasionally both). They are... 1) Brandon Servania 2) Paxton Pomykal 3) Mason Toye 4) Miles Robinson 5) Cole Bassett 6) Gianluca Busio 7) Moses Nyeman 8) Alphonso Ocampo-Chavez 9) Issa Rayyan 10) Ricardo Pepi 11) David Rodriguez
Boys and Girls Development Academy Playoffs and Finals w/ J.R. Eskilson
July 12, 2019 20:48 - 27 minutes - 12.8 MBJ.R. ESKILSON HAD MADE AN APPEARANCE! Travis is joined by J.R. Eskilson (of TopDrawerSoccer) to discuss the girls and boys Development Academy playoffs and finals, as well as the overall level of elite soccer in North America.
Changes to the NCAA recruitment rules, should Tab Ramos stay or go as US U20 coach, and more listener questions
July 06, 2019 05:09 - 39 minutes - 17.9 MBAfter gushing about Gio Reyna's (now official) move to Borussia Dortmund, Taylor and Travis answer your listener questions, including (but not limited to) what's become of Xuxuh Hilton, how will new NCAA recruiting rules impact college soccer, and why won't DC United sign a talented young midfielder?
Establishing a base camp in Europe for young American players w/ Jordan Gardner of FC Helsingor
June 28, 2019 18:50 - 26 minutes - 12.3 MBJordan Gardner, Chairman of the Board and Co-Owner of FC Helsingor, explains the process he and his partners went through to transform a Danish 2nd division team into a club that emphasizes youth development (particularly American youth development) above all else.
Training compensation and solidarity payments updates w/ Miki Turner
June 20, 2019 18:25 - 37 minutes - 17 MBTravis talks to attorney Miki Turner about the recent news involving training compensation and solidarity payments. What do those terms mean, how has the legal side of the issue progressed, and what might the future hold? All that and much, much more!
What comes next for the US U20s?
June 14, 2019 17:20 - 58 minutes - 26.9 MBWith the USA's elimination from the U20 World Cup, Taylor and Travis discuss what comes next for eleven of the team's key players. What did we learn about/what should the immediate future hold for... 1) Timothy Weah 2) Sergino Dest 3) Chris Durkin 4) Chris Richards 5) Sebastian Soto 6) Chris Gloster 7) Alex Mendez 8) Ulysses Lllanez 9) Konrad de la Fuente 10) Richie Ledezma 11) Paxton Pomykal Do they need a move? More minutes? A strong preseason? All the above? We go ...
U20 World Cup: USA v Ecuador quarterfinal preview, plus Gold Cup roster thoughts
June 06, 2019 18:29 - 47 minutes - 22 MBTaylor and Travis briefly discuss the USA's 1-0 loss to Jamaica (Travis was at Audi Field and has thoughts), as well as some of the names on Gregg Berhalter's Gold Cup roster. After that, we preview the US U20's upcoming quarterfinal match against Ecuador: who are they, what will they do, and what can the US do to stop them? We also determine the starting eleven we would most like to see, while keeping Tab Ramos' preferences in mind. Today's show is sponsored by... Open Goaaal USA! Use...
US U20s at the World Cup: the good, the bad, and the next round
May 31, 2019 16:54 - 50 minutes - 23.1 MBTaylor and Travis take a look back at the USA's (somewhat disappointing) 1-0 win over Qatar in the U20 World Cup. The Baby Yanks could have topped the group and avoided stronger opposition in the knockout round with a better result. T&T try to get to the bottom of what went wrong and what could have gone better. After that, they pick a possible lineup for the next round by discussing who has stood out (good or bad) for the US in the competition so far. Today's show is sponsored by... ...
The 10 most exciting young players at the 2019 Women's World Cup
May 23, 2019 22:30 - 56 minutes - 26.1 MBTaylor and Travis start off the episode with a U20 World Cup roster update before moving on to briefly discussing some of the younger names included on Gregg Berhalter's provisional Gold Cup roster. After that, we take a look at some of the most exciting young players who will be competing in the World Cup this summer. Here's the list, in case our pronunciation is horrific...s 1) Bunny Shaw - Jamaica 2) Erin Cuthbert - Scotland 3) Patricia Guijarro - Spain 4) Aitana Bonmati - Spain...
Reviewing the U17 Concacaf Championship AND previewing the U20 World Cup w/ Adam Belz of Scuffed
May 17, 2019 23:10 - 1 hour - 34.5 MBTravis talks to Adam Belz of The Scuffed Podcast about the USA's disappointing loss in the U17 Concacaf Championships... though they did still qualify for the U17 World Cup. So, it wasn't THAT disappointing. Adam and Travis focus mostly on the tournament as a whole, and what they think of the U17 team in its present incarnation. After that, the guys take a look at the US team as it prepares for the U20 World Cup, and discuss their opponents in the group stage. Today's show is sponsored ...
US U20 World Cup roster analysis, plus US U17s advance to the quarterfinals
May 10, 2019 17:28 - 55 minutes - 25.6 MBIt's a show of two halves! In Part I, Taylor and Travis go in-depth on the USA's roster for the upcoming U20 World Cup. Timothy Weah is in and Julian Araujo is out, but who else is in the squad and who else possibly should have been? Plus, our predicted Starting XI and lingering concerns/reasons for optimism heading into the tournament. In Part the Second, we review the USA's progress through the 2019 Concacaf U17 Championships. 20 goals for and 3 against after 4 games is no small feat, ...
Tracking the stars of tomorrow: Chris Madden previews USL League 2
May 03, 2019 10:00 - 47 minutes - 21.7 MBTravis talks to Chris Madden, Director of Competition and Development for USL League 2 (formerly the Premier Development League). They go deep on the new league itself, as well as the teams and players that will shape the upcoming season... and possibly US Soccer in the future. Today's show is sponsored by... Open Goaaal USA! Use the Top Drawer Soccer Spring Sale discount code TDS40 to get $40 OFF + Free Shipping while supplies last at opengoaaalusa.com. Techne Futbol! It's the soccer ...
Predicting the USA's starting XI for the 2019 Concacaf U17 Championships
April 26, 2019 15:53 - 31 minutes - 14.5 MBTaylor and Travis break down Raphael Wicky's roster for the upcoming U17 Concacaf Championships and do their best to figure out a possible starting eleven. They also get into some notable absences and potential key performers. After that, they take a look back at the Generation Adidas Cup to determine the players and teams that stood out (hint: lots of Seattle talk). Today's show is sponsored by... Open Goaaal USA! Use the Top Drawer Soccer Spring Sale discount code TDS40 to get $40 OF...
MLS's new solidarity payments policy, plus updates from the Generation Adidas Cup
April 19, 2019 15:18 - 35 minutes - 16.1 MBTaylor disrupts Travis' hard-earned vacation time to discuss the new training compensation and solidarity payments policy unveiled by MLS yesterday. How will it change current operational policy, will non-DA academies see any benefit, and many more questions (hopefully) answered. After that, it's on to the Generation Adidas Cup, where the Seattle Sounders have made history... by getting Travis excited about the quality of play at U17 level. Oh, and they also became the first MLS team to ma...
NWSL rookie preview w/ The Athletic's Meg Linehan
April 12, 2019 15:23 - 34 minutes - 15.6 MBTaylor talks to Meg Linehan of The Athletic about the 2019 NWSL rookie class, as well as the league as a whole. How chaotic will things be during the World Cup? Who might be up for Rookie of the Year honors? Why don't Portland and Seattle have more draft picks? All that and much, much more! Today's show is sponsored by... Open Goaaal USA! It's a soccer goal + rebounder + backstop ALL IN ONE! Use the Top Drawer Soccer Spring Sale discount code TDS40 to get $40 OFF + Free Shipping while su...