Over The Ball with Kevin Flynn and Dave Gallego

Chris and Kevin discuss today’s (and last night’s action) including Argentina’s HUGE loss to Saudi Arabia has the Saudi’s declaring the day a national holiday. England comes out of the gate strong against Iran. France appears utterly dominant in their 4-2 win over Australia. Lewandowski’s PK miss hands Poland and a flopping Mexico team a tie. USMNT faces criticism over Berhalter’s mind-blowing decision not to start Reyna. Cristiano Ronaldo is leaving Manchester United by mutual consent. Qatar bans drinking and cracks down on players and fans wearing rainbow flags and armbands. That and more on this special World Cup Edition of OTB.

A Tale of Two Halves. USMNT marked their return to the World Cup with a 1-1 draw against Wales. Tim Weah puts one in the back of the net in the first half. But Gareth Bale's penalty kick late in the second half resulted in the two teams splitting points. It's a draw. Christian Pulisic had a great first half, but Team Wales came out more aggressive and put Gregg Berhalter's team on the ropes and Walker Zimmerman's foul on Bale proved costly. Big saves from Matt Turner and outstanding play from Tyler Adams topped the highlights of the second half. Join Chris and Kevin as they break it all down.

Soccer America's Senior Editor Mike Woitalla joins OTB hosts Kevin Flynn and Chris Chamides to announce a daily OTB podcast series that will air during the World Cup games starting this Monday, November 21, as the USMNT squad kicks off their 2022 FIFA World Cup against Wales.

World Cup Anticipation is Exploding. Kevin and Chris talk to Clemente Lisi, author of “Passion of the World Cup - A History of the Planet’s Biggest Sporting Events.” The boys discuss the gravity of the World Cup when nationalistic pride is mixed with Superbowl-like competition, Qatar's demands for the world to acclimate to their culture, the USMNT starting keepers and center-backs, Christian Pulisic's Bose commercial, and USWNT's win over Germany, and Jesse Marsch's "I Don't Care" statement. This and much more are on this week's edition of OTB.

MLS Cup Mania has carried through the last week! Kevin and Chris discuss and dissect an MLS Cup that seems to be made for TV. Arguably the best MLS game of all time due to the game, the crowd, the scoring, the media coverage, and the PKs at the end. The boys dig into the details, celebrate the moment, and discuss the power of hecklers in this episode of OTB.

A complete excitement-filled recap of the 2022 MLS Cup featuring LAFC and Philadelphia Union. Soccer America's Mike Woitalla joins Kevin to discuss the incredible atmosphere and the one-of-a-kind stadium environment at Banc of California Stadium on Saturday for the MLS Cup featuring the glamorous and stylish LAFC taking on the more physical Philadelphia. The game absolutely lived up to the hype with an epic, back-and-forth 3-3 match -- tied at regulation, the game goes into extra time and ends with an incredible penalty kick shootout. An unforgettable true Hollywood ending for two of the MLS' best teams. #MLSCup2022

It’s MLS Cup Weekend is here, and Kevin and Chris are digging into issues of payroll, parity, parking woes, and the impact and importance of a hometown crowd. With World Cup Fever upon us, the boys share their concerns about USNMT injuries, England’s false confidence, Argentina & Portugal as favorites, and why the hell we’re playing in Qatar…in November. Kevin and Chris sneak in a little Leeds love fest, the fear of relegation, and the health and durability of Premier League players, while cheering on their friend, Mike Noonan, at Clemson and celebrating Coach Chamides' accomplishments at LMU. And end the day with some confusion as to where the Romans are? That and more on this week’s episode of OTB.

Kevin and Chris dig into the USMNT final roster spots, assess Sean Johnson and Kellyn Acosta, discuss MLS' lack of American players, bitch about MLS' shoddy game coverage, rave about Gio Reyna's magic, worry about Pulisic's and Adam's lack of playtime, herald Ricardo Pepe, and ponder what has happened to Barcelona and Juventus, talk MLS playoffs, and dissect how Curtin won Coach of the Year over LAFC's Steve Cherundolo, and much more of this week's edition of OTB.

Kevin lives large at a celebrity wedding in NY. Kevin runs into Gareth Bale at the bank. Has USMNT found a #9 yet? Kevin and Chris assess the US Men’s team roster leading into a Winter World Cup. MLS hits the 10M attendance mark -- is it ready to take over the NHL and/or the MLB? Apple’s $2.5B deals with the MLS -- does it squash local media? Can we PLEASE get some American announcers? The boys celebrate Salah’s winning goal in the Liverpool vs. Man City game. Are body cams for refs a good idea? That and much more as Kevin Flynn and Chris Chamides dig into an active week in soccer - from an American Perspective. On this week’s OTB.

Are the wheels coming off the bus for the US Women? More heads rolls due to the Yates Report, Pulisic gets playtime and puts one at the back of the net, Ricardo Pepe finds the back of the net twice, the Ronaldo soap opera continues, are there more roster changes in USMNT’s future, a significant loss for US Women’s National Under 17, MLS longest tenured coaches, and OTB’s love affair with Haaland and Leeds continues. That and everything soccer, from an American perspective, on this week’s episode of OTB.

The Yates Reports casts a dark shadow on NWSL, USMNT stinking up the pitch, Dolphin’s QB Tua’s concussion, Man City beats up Man United on Derby Day, Aston Villa can’t slow down Leeds, Arsenal beats the Spurs, the Black & Gold wins 2022 Supporters Shield, Iranian National teams faces scrutiny over political silence.

Kevin and Chris discuss USMNT’s Tough Loss to Japan, praise Japan’s performance, while dissecting USMNT’s lackluster efforts. Is this what we should expect from Team USA? The boys dive into Berhalter’s coaching strategies, anticipate the game against Saudi Arabia, and lament the timing of the World Cup in November. Kevin returns to U Mass for his alumni game, celebrate soldiers' success as players, critique kangaroo boots vs. modern cleats, express their disgust for referee mobbing, welcome U.S. Soccer’s new CEO, JT Batson, and revel in LMU’s undefeated season. Another full week on the pitch for OTB.

Kevin and Chris discuss USMNT new kits, Berhalter’s choices for the roster, Haaland’s masterful goal, Chris leading LMU to an undefeated 2-0-4, Klopp’s 7-year itch at Liverpool, Lewandowksi’s success, takeover bid at Man United, possible American ownership at Bournemouth, racism at the Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid match, and NWSL's new attendance record courtesy of San Diego and Angel City. That and more on this week's episode of Over The Ball.

In the wake of a dark week for the Premier League due to the Queen’s passing, Kevin and Chris banter about the state of the royal family, the soon-to-be-announced USMNT roster spots, guess who will start in goal for Team USA, disagree on FIFA’s 23 Premier League Ratings, bow to Aaronson’s ascension at Leeds, react to Renaldo turning down €242m, discuss Messi’s future, and get worked up over the lack of consistency in regards to offsides in today’s game.

Chris joins Kevin from the heat of Las Vegas to discuss Chelsea sacking Tuchel, Liverpool’s humiliating loss to Napoli, Haaland’s on fire and driving Man City, Gio Reyna is back on the pitch, Sergiño Dest to Milan, and Jesse Martinez’s suspension from Atlanta United, and talk physicality more.

On this week's episode of OTB, Kevin and Chris dive into an action-packed week of Premier League games, gush about Manchester City and Erling Haaland, share their props for Mike and Mark Noonan, celebrate Chris' LMU squad's first win in 26 games, and marvel at Philadelphia Union’s recent scoring blitz. That and more at OverTheBall.com.

Kevin and Chris react to Leed's stunning win over Chelsea, share their love for Jesse Marsch, dissect Aaronson's amazing goal, banter about Tuchel being allowed to coach even with the last game's red card, and analyze USMNT's seeming surplus of striker talent. That and so much more futbol on this week's episode of OTB.

From Tuchel and Conte going nose-to-nose at the end of the Chelsea and Tottenham match, to Jessie March’s brilliance at Leeds, to Christian Pulisic’s possible loan move to Newcastle United, Kevin and Chris sift through the week’s hottest action, biggest controversies, and most surprising moves on this edition of Over The Ball.

This week Kevin joins us from over the pond where he is performing his one-man show, "Fear of Heights", all month at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, while Chris somehow escapes LMU's pre-season workouts for a moment or two to discuss how difficult it is to watch soccer in Europe, Gareth Bale's sterling performance this last week for LAFC, insights gained from the Premier League's first week, and Jesse Marsch's Leeds team becoming a favorite for US soccer fans. That, and more, on this week's episode of Over The Ball.

Kevin calls in from Edinburgh, Scotland, where he is performing at the Festival Fringe to pay tribute to Bill Russell, Chris gives an inside look at Juventus F.C., the boys discuss the appeal and popularity of the NWSL, and skewer Ronaldo for his most recent antics at Manchester United. That and so much more on this week's episode of Over The Ball.

Kevin takes a break from Nantucket and Chris from pre-season prep to discuss the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, a red hot Toronto FC, Bale’s performance at LAFC, Haaland's impact on Man City, Lewandowski Barcelona adventures, and Ronaldo’s whining toward Manchester United, amongst other ramblings.

Hot off a successful week hosting the 16th annual Nantucket Comedy Festival, OTB host Kevin Flynn discusses the week's biggest soccer news with United Soccer Coaches Division II Coach of the Year in 2021 and OTB co-host Chris Chamides. Join Kevin and Chris as they explore the Nantucket lifestyle, USWNT's upcoming game with Canada, comparing the challenges that face the USMNT vs. the USWNT, Lewandowski heading to Barcelona and its impact on the Bundesliga, and everything soccer from an American perspective.

Soccer pioneers come in all shapes, sizes, and genders. As a student athlete at Yale, Lawrie Mifflin paved the way for Title 9 and NCAA girls sports in the early 70's and then rolled that into a career in sports journalism. Lawrie covered the NY Cosmos and numerous World Cups at a time that female sports reporters were non-existent. Kevin and Chris sit down with Lawrie to celebrate the life and career of soccer's first female reporter on this episode of Over the Ball.

This week, with Chris Chamides on location doing 2022-2023 recruiting, Kevin goes solo with one of OTB’s favorite guests Paul Carr to discuss the recent announcement of the US cities that have been chosen to host the 2026 World Cup games. Could this be the biggest World Cup audience to date? Kevin and Paul kick that ball around on this episode of Over the Ball.

This week Chris joins Kevin as he’s traveling on the movie set of the upcoming film “Teaching While Black”, for a down and dirty talk on all things World Cup, their reaction to Wales Coach Rob Page's inflammatory comments about their forthcoming game against the USA being “winnable”, loving words about Chris's favorite defender, Chiellini, and a scholarly discussion on the role of mentoring in NCAA soccer, plus a few hilarious rants from Kevin and Chris. An episode not to be missed. | Ep. 194

On this week's episode of OTB, Kevin and Chris pick the brain of Michael Winograd. Ex-collegiate player, ex-pro player, accomplished lawyer, past U.S. Soccer Presidential candidate, and supportive father of a recently recruited college-bound son, about the growing complexities of the college recruiting process and the demands now being put on aspiring young soccer players gunning to play in the pros.

Back in the late '60s and early 70's there was a vision for what American Soccer would look like. One of the men the newly formed NASL turned to to help guide it was a young NY Jets Executive by the name of Jim Trecker. On this week's episode of OTB, Kevin and Chris talk to Jim about those early years, working with Pele, what type of soccer player Joe Namath would have been, and the growth of the World's game in the U.S.A.

In a landmark labor agreement that guarantees equal pay, U.S. Soccer, and top players agree that the men's and women's national teams will receive the same pay when competing in international tournaments. Join Kevin and Chris as they speak to UCLA's Professor Steve Bank to get the legal lowdown.

Kevin and Chris help celebrate the 92nd birthday of a true living soccer legend, Soccer America's Paul Gardner. Having covered eight FIFA World Cups, ten FIFA Under-17 World Cups, and interviewed the game's greatest players like Pele, Carlos Veja, Franz Beckenbauer, and Diego Maradona, Paul has also overseen the transformation of the game inside the U.S.A. from the late '60's to today. Don't miss this legendary OTB episode.

Some call him the happiest player of all time. Others call him the most agile. But nearly everyone calls him the greatest ball handler the game has ever seen. Join Kevin and Chris as they speak to the Douglas Brothers about the making of their new documentary "Ronaldinho: The Happiest Man in the World" - streaming exclusively on the new FIFA+ streaming platform app.

In this episode of Over The Ball, Kevin and Chris discuss Kevin's locker room antics, this week's games, and the Premiere players that make them feel old. The boys think they've gotten stood up by NCAA coach Sasho Cirovski, only to grab him off the golf course to discuss the latest negotiations with the NCAA about scheduling and a switch to the "21st Century Model".

Athletes in every sport are exploring the performance-enhancing benefits of vitamins, supplements, and nutraceuticals as a way of fighting fatigue, increasing muscle performance and increasing human metabolism. So this week OTB sits down with PhD. Jonathan Scheiman, co-founder & CEO of biotechnology company FitBiomics, and MLS Defender Tim Parker of the Houston Dynamo FC, to discuss their use of next-generation probiotics to increase overall gut health as a way of optimizing athletic performance and propel athletes to their highest potential.

On this episode of OTB, Kevin and Chris welcome Senior Vice President of Operations and Competition for MLS Next Pro, Ali Curtis. He tells us all about where his league fits in with the big picture of American soccer. Call or Text us - 424-229-2247

On this episode of OTB, Kevin and Chris welcome two-time MLS Cup winning coach, former US National team member, and current assistant coach at FC Cincinnati, Dominic Kinnear. They talk about the legendarily great game between Liverpool and Man City this past weekend, the USMNT, Dominic’s MLS management tenure, and of course some analysis of Kevin’s indoor career.Call or Text us - 424-229-2247

On this episode of OTB, Kevin and Chris welcome TWO guests to the show, Soccer America Senior Editor Mike Woitalla and TruMedia Sports Director of Content Paul Carr. They all talk about the 2022 World Cup Final Draw, and the level of competition the US will face in Group B.Call or Text us - 424-229-2247

On this episode of OTB, Kevin and Chris talk about the debacle at the Oscars, the tactics employed by the USMNT in their 5-1 route of Panama. They’re then joined by TruMedia Sports Director of Content Paul Carr, who brings his statistical insights on everything from individual aerial duels to the FIFA rankings that determine the World Cup draw as the national team goes into its final qualifier.Call or Text us - 424-229-2247

On this special edition of OTB, Kevin welcomes Soccer America’s Senior Editor Mike Woitalla for some quick analysis of the USMNT draw vs Mexico at Estadio Azteca.Call or Text us - 424-229-2247

On this episode of OTB, Kevin and Chris talk FA Cup, El Clasico, and the mounting injuries plaguing the USMNT as their final CONCACAF qualifiers. They are then joined by actor, writer, and producer Jim Piddock to talk about his love of Crystal Palace FC, his new book Caught With My Pants Down, not recognizing Rudi Völler, and many other stories from his long and varied career.Call or Text us - 424-229-2247

On this episode of OTB, Kevin and Chris talk Ronaldo’s record-breaking hat trick and his legendary work ethic, Jesse Marsch’s first Premier League win and the difficulties that American coaches face in the United Kingdom. Then they dig into the growth mode mindset that Chris has taken through the game, from his beginnings on dirt fields in Brooklyn to playing and coaching Division I soccer.Call or Text us - 424-229-2247

On this episode of OTB, Kevin and Chris are joined by US soccer great and Fox Sports Analyst Alexi Lalas to talk about Russia’s World Cup ban, the USMNT players who may be compromised by injury in the upcoming qualifiers, the debt that our concacaf opponents owe to the MLS, Alexi’s opinions on the USWNT settlement, his answers to our Five Questions, what it was like to kick Chris in the stomach, and more.Call or Text us - 424-229-2247

On this episode of OTB, Kevin talks about hanging out with Larry David, he and Chris discuss this past weekend’s games, and they both welcome two-time World Cup champion and former USWNT captain Julie Foudy, with whom they discuss the recent equal pay settlement, as well as the current state of the team. Call or Text us - 424-229-2247

On this episode of OTB, Kevin has a talk with UCLA Professor of Law Steven A. Bank about the $24 million settlement reached between the USWNT and US Soccer over past pay inequality, as well as the complications of the collective bargaining agreement on which it is contingent.Call or Text us - 424-229-2247

This week on OTB, Kevin and Chris talk about the women’s national team’s 5-0 win over New Zealand by way of 3 own goals, the differing contract situations of the USWNT vs the USMNT, and the increased utilization of data in coaching and scouting. They then welcome Skip Gilbert, CEO of US Youth Soccer, to talk about player/coach development and the challenges involved in coordinating numerous different youth leagues around the United States.Call or Text us - 424-229-2247

This week on OTB, Kevin and Chris welcome Jeff Carlisle from ESPN to discuss the USMNT and the CONCACAF and MLS, then talk about the recent calls from USWNT players for accountability from US Soccer for their response to abuse and misconduct claims against coaches.Call us at our new number - 424.229.2247

This week on OTB, Kevin and Chris welcome Mike Woitalla, executive editor of Soccer America, to talk about the USMNT and their cold weather victory in the CONCACAF World Cup qualifier vs Honduras, the strategy behind choosing the location of that match, and the dominance of the Canadian national team of late.

This week we welcome new co-host Chris Chamides to the pod to discuss the USMNT's qualifying win over El Salvador and look ahead to Sunday's clash with Canada.

This week on OTB, we welcome Greg Kenney, a goalkeeping coach and all-around ideas man, who we spoke to about the USMNT's upcoming qualifiers, the frigid conditions keepers will face there, some potential rule changes to the game in general, and more.

This week on OTB, Tom Cotter is back to sit in with Kevin and Sam for a conversation with Ian Barker, former (as of this week) director of coaching education for United Soccer Coaches. Together they discuss the upcoming Coaches Convention in Kansas City, how coaching and training have evolved across the ten years Ian spent in the position, and why his next move may be a return to the NCAA game.

OTB returns in the new year with a new co-host to welcome in Mike Woitalla, executive editor of Soccer America, to look back on the biggest stories of 2021 as well as all that there is to look forward to in the year ahead.

On a special edition of OTB this week we welcome in Clemson Head Coach Mike Noonan fresh off his program's national championship win last weekend to get the inside story on his team's route to the title. We are also lucky enough to be joined by the recently announced, first-ever play-by-play voice of Charlotte FC Eric Krakauer, who discusses the move to MLS from covering international leagues, initial impressions on his new home and soccer community, and why he badly wanted to be a part of the project.