Over The Ball with Kevin Flynn and Dave Gallego

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam are joined once again by St. John's University Head Men's Coach Dave Masur to discuss this weekend's College Cup. In addition to breaking down each of the four remaining teams, we hear about how coaches prepare for two games in less than 48 hours, ways the pandemic has changed the NCAA soccer landscape, how foreign players continue to influence the college game and how everything might be upended by a split season.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam are joined by long-time soccer writer for the Boston Globe Frank Dell'Apa to discuss the resurgence of the Revolution, what went wrong in the playoffs, where things stand on a new stadium and the legacy of coach Bruce Arena before breaking down the MLS conference semis and looking ahead to next year's World Cup in Qatar.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam are joined once again by TruMedia Sports Director of Content and all-around stats guru Paul Carr to discuss the differences between club and international play, who the numbers say should be in net for the USMNT, how data at-large has affected the game itself on the field, and if there's any quantifiable sense to be made of refereeing decisions. In addition, the guys discuss NBC Sports' massive new EPL deal and an impressive rise in MLS viewership.

On OTB this week Kevin, Grayle and Sam are joined once more by Soccer America Executive Editor Mike Woitalla to break down the USMNT games against Mexico and Jamaica including which players stood out, who regressed, the level of officiating and where things stand overall as we reach essentially the half-way mark in CONCACAF qualifying.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam are joined once again by ESPN writer Jeff Carlisle who is in Cincinnati following the buildup to the USMNT–Mexico showdown to get his take on the big game (as well as the Jamaica match next week) and the future of CONCACAF qualifying in general with an expanded World Cup in 2026. Jeff also shares his thoughts on the upcoming MLS postseason, players to watch and which clubs he thinks could be primed for a run.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam are joined by Ty Keough—an All-American at St. Louis University, former NASL and USMNT player, and longtime broadcaster for ESPN, ABC and more—to discuss the evolution of the NCAA game and why he feels Americans aren't always given a fair shot at the college level, his playing days with the San Diego Sockers and in MISL, and finally how he made his way into broadcasting and why he wishes there were less maybe a few less foreign accents covering the game in the US today.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam are joined by Jason Arnold—Vice President of Sporting Business with Capelli Sport and former University of Maryland player—to hear about the growth of the brand and their work at the grassroots level and in the women's game along with how the soccer lifestyle "brand" in general has managed to infiltrate the mainstream over the last decade.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam discuss the Saudi takeover at Newcastle, some Champions League action and when we might see Pulisic back on the field before being joined by former New York Cosmo and longtime USMNT member and captain Rick Davis to hear about life as a rare American player in the old NASL and sharing the pitch with the likes of Pelé and Beckenbauer before touching on the national team today, including what makes a good captain, how far we've come and how far we still have to go.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam break down the USMNT qualifying results against both Panama and Costa Rica, and debate Gregg Berhalter's overall success with the team to date before being joined by the panel of goalie coach Greg Kenney and comedians (and also 'keepers) Brad Mastrangelo and Graig Murphy to talk about the evolution of the position, rule changes they'd like to see or not see, and the importance of a team naming a true number one starter.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam break down the USMNT's 2–0 qualifying win over Jamaica offering high praise for Yunus Musah and Ricardo Pepi, and somewhat less-high marks for Taylor Twellman in the booth, before being joined by Ted Priestly, founder and CEO of Fundraise4U.net, to talk about the work he does raising money for athletic sponsorships, the challenges and opportunities presented by soccer specifically, and how vital his job has become in the era of COVID.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam discuss the USMNT roster announcement for October qualifiers, Jesse Marsch's rough start at RB Leipzig and other Champions League action before being joined once again by Professor Steven Bank of UCLA, an expert in sports law and soccer in particular, to help make sense of the latest from the USWNT–USSF lawsuit, allegations of abuse in NWSL and whether or not the Super League is truly dead and buried.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam discuss the new MLS/Liga MX Leagues Cup, Ted Lasso's dominant performance at the Emmy's, COVID and injury concerns ahead of the USMNT's October qualifiers and the latest in the USWNT–USSF equal pay lawsuit before being joined by Martin Jacobson (Coach Jake), the winningest coach in NYC history at MLK High to discuss his team this season, what his players have to overcome on a daily basis and why urban areas are still largely overlooked in the American soccer landscape.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam discuss Champions League action, the USMNT and USWNT potentially entering negotiations with US Soccer collectively, and the idea of a World Cup every two years before being joined by US Soccer Hall of Famer Hank Steinbrecher to hear about his long career in the sport, including organizing the 1994 World Cup, coaching and playing at the NCAA level and the evolution of the college game, and overall how far we've come as a country and how far we still have to go.

This week on OTB the guys discuss the USMNT's performances against both Canada and Honduras and breath a huge sigh of relief following victory over the latter before being joined once again by Eric Krakauer of beIN Sports to hear his thoughts on the CONCACAF qualifying campaign as well as the overall quality of Ligue 1, the impact of Messi's arrival at PSG and why MLS could be a top world league in a decade.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam discuss and break down the USMNT's 0-0 qualifier draw in El Salvador before welcoming soccer broadcasting legend Seamus Malin to the pod to talk about his long career in both coaching and commentating, including calling Cosmos NASL matches, the 1994 World Cup, his time with ESPN, the evolution of the NCAA game over the years and how it feels today to see so much soccer on TV considering where it all began.

On OTB this week Kevin, Grayle and Sam discuss the MLS–Liga MX All Star game; some big names potentially on the move across Europe, including Weston McKennie; Paramount Plus streaming issues and more before welcoming back to the podcast former USMNT star and US Soccer Hall of Fame Member Desmond Armstrong, who is now the head men's coach at Fisk University, to discuss his upcoming season, the evolution and current makeup of both the USMNT and USWNT, as well as his longtime work in bringing soccer to urban areas.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam discuss seasons getting underway in Europe, Carli Lloyd's retirement announcement, whether the Super League may actually have been a somewhat decent idea, Ted Lasso and USMNT players abroad before welcoming back Grant Wahl to the pod to get his take on a wild summer of soccer, thoughts on Messi at PSG including how the move is being viewed in Argentina, MLS news and his biggest storylines concerning Americans in Europe this season.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam discuss Messi's move to PSG, a new cleat deal and potentially a new role for Christian Pulisic at Chelsea, new FA limits on heading in training and more before welcoming back goalkeeping whiz Greg Kenney to hear why he dislikes the sweeper keeper, loves Kasper Schmeichel, the reason Italy prevailed on penalties against England and present his idea for how to fix extra time so we see less shootouts.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam discuss the USWNT's Olympic defeat to Canada and subsequent Bronze medal, along with the USMNT beating Mexico to win the Gold Cup before welcoming Jay Heaps—former MLS All Star and Revolution Head Coach—to the pod to talk about his latest venture as President and GM of USL Championship club Birmingham Legion, including the growth of the league in general and the role it plays in player development.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam discuss the USWNT's performance to date at the Olympics as well as that of the USMNT at the Gold Cup before welcoming back Jon Champion of ESPN to the podcast to hear about his experience covering EURO 2020, beginning in Bristol and ending on location, his prep work for a short tournament and how he stays neutral when covering England games.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam discuss the USWNT's 3–0 opening Olympic loss to Sweden, the USMNT's 1–0 Gold Cup victory over Canada and some MLS news before welcoming Gianluca Bottoni—Director of Admissions for the Soccer Management Institute in Rome—to the pod to hear about the various programs they offer for American players in Italy as well as his own experience as an Italian playing college soccer in the US.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam discuss the culmination of both the EURO and Copa America and the massive TV numbers for both tournaments, as well as some MLS news before welcoming Soccer America executive editor Mike Woitalla back to the pod to break down the two USMNT Gold Cup performances so far and look ahead to this weekend's showdown with Canada, plus talk USWNT and where things stand heading into the Olympics.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam discuss and preview both the EURO and Copa America finals, as well as the Gold Cup and USMNT before being joined by huge Azzurri fan Frank Isola of ESPN to hear about his love of the game and talk even more EUROs, covering soccer on PTI and Around the Horn, why Serie A hasn't caught on in the U.S., the level of the NCAA game and who he likes in both this weekend's epic finals.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam run through some of the underlying numbers of EURO 2020 in quiz form, discuss FIFA's punishment of Mexico for homophobic chants and Konrad de la Fuente's move to Marseille before welcoming back multi Emmy winner, and former EURO and World Cup studio host for ESPN Bob Ley to talk about this year's tournament coverage, how the international game has changed over the years and why sports broadcasting will—thanks to COVID—never be the same.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam give their take on the EURO to date before being joined once again by UCLA Professor and sports law expert Steven Bank to help us make sense of the ongoing legal battle between the USWNT and US Soccer, MLS' newly-announced development league, how NCAA rule changes with impact college soccer, Olivia Moultrie's lawsuit against the NWSL and fallout from the Super League.

On OTB this week Kevin, Grayle and Sam discuss the EURO so far including the harrowing scenes in Copenhagen involving Christian Eriksen, the officiating and level of play in the tournament, and the USMNT friendly vs. Costa Rica before being joined again by Fox Soccer Analyst Alexi Lalas to hear his take on the Nations League victory and a summer full of soccer, growing up playing both soccer and hockey and how the two overlap, and of course the recent on-air exchange with Heather O'Reilly that went viral.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam share their thoughts on a wild CONCACAF Nations League win for the USMNT and briefly look ahead to the EURO before being joined by MLSsoccer.com Senior Writer Matt Doyle to hear his takeaways on the match including which players impressed or regressed, and how Gregg Berhalter altered his team's tactical approach at the outset and made in-game adjustments even if, in the end, this one was more about emotion and desire than strategy.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam break down the Champions League final both on and off the field along with Inter Miami's recent legal issues before being joined by Soccer America executive editor Mike Woitalla to discuss the USMNT friendly defeat to Switzerland and preview tonight's CONCACAF Nations League semi-final against Honduras as well as look ahead to the Gold Cup in a summer filled with soccer.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam discuss the Europa League final and shootout in general, Catarina Macario and where she fits with the Olympic squad, and look ahead to the Champions League final and USMNT friendly vs. Switzerland before welcoming ESPN Columnist Jeff Carlisle to dissect his recent MLS Power Rankings, get his thoughts on the USMNT and the split between the USSF and SUM, and discuss his story on the Black Players for Change organization and what progress has been made over the past year.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam discuss men's and women's College Cup action and both the presence and impact of foreign players, whether it's fair for fans to criticize someone who seems happy after a loss, and the Crew's name change reversal before welcoming Clemson Head Men's Coach Mike Noonan back to the pod to get his thoughts on the College Cup and playing in the Spring, what this year as a whole has been like for his program and why more foreign players are gravitating towards NCAA soccer.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam discuss a big increase in MLS TV ratings early on, Man City winning the EPL and Inter Serie A, the NCAA College Cup, foreign club ownership and more before talking to former Chicago Fire GM and current President/CEO of NISA team Chicago House Athletic Club about his long career as an executive at all levels across American soccer, the several teams he's founded including his latest venture, how things have evolved over time and where they may be heading.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam discuss the Manchester United pitch invasion, Champions League action and another strong performance from Christian Pulisic for Chelsea, Jesse Marsch still not getting his due, Mourinho on his way to Roma and more before welcoming These Football Times senior writer and player development expert Jon Townsend to the pod to talk about his new book titled It's Just a Ball: Exploring the Complexity of a Simple Game.

On OTB this week Kevin, Grayle and Sam discuss Champions League action, the start of the MLS campaign and the social media boycott in England before being joined once again by Grant Wahl of the Fútbol with Grant Wahl and American Prodigy podcasts to get his thoughts on Jesse Marsch's appointment as manager of RB Leipzig, the Super League's collapse, Chicharito's hot start to the MLS season and share some memories on covering the NCAA soccer tourneys in the 90's for Sports Illustrated.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam discuss the launch/spectacular failure of the European Super League, the opening of the MLS season and upcoming NCAA tourneys before welcoming FOX Soccer's lead play-by-play announcer John Strong to the pod to hear what it's like to be back in the stadium for MLS games, how he takes inspiration from other commentators and other sports, preps to call matches, constantly looks to improve, and how we can put it all together to give the sport a uniquely American voice.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam discuss Champions League action and Christian Pulisic's performance against Porto, El Classico and Sergiño Dest's best position for the USMNT, recent USWNT results and outlook, plus the upcoming MLS campaign before welcoming goalkeeping coach and expert Greg Kenney back to the show to talk about the best way to play out of the back, why 'keepers get beat near post more these days, and some of the psychology behind the position.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam discuss USMNT players in action in Champions League, Weston McKennie's dinner party gone awry, Valencia walking off the field in a La Liga match following alleged racial abuse and look ahead to the MLS season before welcoming Nigel Barker—author, photographer and former judge on America's Next Top Model—to discuss the intersection of fashion and soccer, his lifelong love for the sport, and hear some great stories from his long career in the fashion industry.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam welcome Soccer America executive editor Mike Woitalla to the pod to discuss the US mens' failure in Olympic qualifying and ask how big of a setback missing the tournament really is, plus break down the recent friendly performances from the new-look full USMNT squad against Jamaica and Northern Ireland, and consider whether commentators treat the men's and women's games differently.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam discuss Olympic qualifying, a potential MLS–Liga MX merger, the Champions League quarterfinal draw, a new WSL TV deal and more before being joined once again by John Kristick—executive director of the United Bid Committee responsible for the successful bid to host to the 2026 World Cup—to hear about how COVID has impacted planning for the tournament, where things stand in terms of host cities and what we can expect from a 48-team WC spanning three countries.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam discuss upcoming Olympic qualifying, Yunus Musah's decision to represent the US, the lack of incentive for a player to stay on their feet, suggestions for VAR improvements, the new Champions League proposal and more before being joined by Mike Garrett, CEO of Let's Play Soccer, a company building indoor facilities across the country, to hear about his own playing and coaching days in MISL, how the indoor game has changed over time and where it's all headed next.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam discuss Champions League action, Pulisic's suddenly tenuous situation at Chelsea, MLS camps opening (and closing) and ABC's presentation of Der Klassiker before being joined by UMass Head Men's Soccer Coach Fran O'Leary to hear about his new project 'Inside College Athletic Recruitment', running an NCAA program amidst the pandemic and how the college game has evolved over his long coaching career.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam talk USMNT players in Europe, greater soccer participation amongst the younger generation, abuse of officials, EPL and more before being joined once again by beIN Sports commentator and analyst Eric Krakauer to discuss the situation at Barcelona on and off the pitch and what happens to Messi, his prep work for games, and how he is giving the game a uniquely American voice.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam discuss the USWNT SheBelieves Cup victory, Jordan Morris' injury at Swansea, Champions League results, and new names and rebrands in MLS before being joined by FOX Soccer Host and Commentator Rob Stone to discuss how he got his start in the industry, what it was like calling games in the early days of MLS and how coverage here has evolved plus why NCAA soccer is both undervalued and underutilized.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam are joined by Grant Wahl of the Fútbol with Grant Wahl podcast to discuss Champions League action, the situation at Barcelona and whether Messi stays, Pulisic's prospects at Chelsea under Tuchel, and the USWNT's run up to the Olympics.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam discuss Man City's big win over Liverpool, a record MLS signing, online racial abuse in the EPL and more before being joined once again by Professor Steven Bank of UCLA to help make sense of the new MLS Collective Bargaining Agreement and how each side came out in the negotiations, plus the latest on the USWNT lawsuit and the future of the Champions League.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam discuss the USMNT's 7–0 friendly win over Trinidad and Tobago, the price of coaching education, Phil Neville's appointment at Inter Miami, EPL, Ligue 1, Serie A, La Liga and more before welcoming back USYS CEO Skip Gilbert to discuss how the pandemic has reshaped the youth soccer landscape, his hopes and plans for the future, and ultimately how to keep growing love for the game across the country.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam discuss the upcoming USMNT friendly v. Trinidad and Tobago, start dates for MLS and NCAA Soccer, another American moving to Serie A and the end of NBCSN before welcoming ESPN FC's Craig Burley to discuss his approach to broadcasting and social media, and hear some amazing stories from his playing days in the EPL and with the Scottish National Team, including how he ended up on stage at Madison Square Garden.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam discuss the often tense relationship between soccer and TV money, Weston McKennie's first trophy with Juventus, the USWNT friendly against Colombia and more before welcoming back Dominic Kinnear, a two-time MLS Cup winning coach with Houston, to hear about his current job search, coaching education in the US, foreign managers in MLS, coaching a player like Ibrahimović and how clubs view and prepare for the MLS SuperDraft.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam discuss comments from Hope Solo and Carli Lloyd on their introductions to the USWNT, 19-year-old Matthew Hoppe's Bundesliga hat-trick and other MLS news before welcoming ESPN Lead MLS Commentator Jon Champion back to the pod to talk about the difference between calling an MLS vs. EPL game, what the 2021 MLS season may look like and which North American sports he's been getting into since making the move across the pond.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam discuss MLS news, US men's and women's national team camps and more before catching up with Soccer America Executive Editor Mike Woitalla to talk about the 50th anniversary of the magazine, what this year's virtual Coaches Convention will look like and some of the main stories from 2020. Please leave a review if you enjoy listening to Over the Ball. Thank you.

This week on OTB Kevin, Grayle and Sam run through the top stories from around the world of soccer before being joined by Grant Wahl to reflect on his podcast American Prodigy: Freddy Adu as well as discuss how to make the CONCACAF Champions League more relevant and whether Messi may really end up in MLS.