Episodes
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Rocc & Moon are back to kick-off the offseason by recapping the last couple of games to close out the season, celebrate playoff soccer that is happening in STL & dive into a lot of new information to start off the offseason:
00:11 - Open up about some end-of-season disappointment from a BAD loss against Minnesota as CITY leaves us all with a bad taste in our mouths...
3:10 - Lets get into our first offseason discussion of the winter: Is CB the biggest and most obvious issue on CITY's roster?
5:41 - Next up is the positioning on offense as Klauss had some candor and Cello+Cedi made their thoughts known as well
8:26 - Moon admits he's *confused* by Klauss and we try to figure out, "Why?"
((12:56 - Rocchio has the quicket mea culpa in podcast history as it takes him less than 10 minutes to realize he was wrong))
16:51 - Lets talk about this expansion draft and CITY's potential protection list, including the BIG NAME both Rocc & Moon have left off their list...
23:36 - Moon has an issue with the idea that CITY's offense wasn't a problem in the second half
29:05 - Lutz was clear about the need for a new CB--but he mentioned a need for speed--which position will that come from?
32:21 - Is John Hackworth the Head Coach of STL CITY SC in 2025?
37:30 - Shoutout to CITY2 for a playoff win--how important is that success for the future of CITY?
39:22 - The Euros on the team HATE flying (and training?) in the US...
40:30 - A very long discussion as the MLS is considering a huge change to the format of the entire league
54:20 - Is the MLS starting to pass other large leagues around the world?
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Moon & Rocc are back following back-to-back victories for CITY against the bottom of the Western Conference, including a big rivalry victory & the official end to our playoff hopes:
0:13 - Back-to-back wins means we have something to be positive about!
3:15 - How does a rivalry win feel without any playoff expectations connected to it?
6:10 - Moon has Rocc explain xG (succeeds in the explanation, fails in not being a huge nerd)
7:50 - How fans can--and should--use numbers like xG to inform themselves on what's happening
10:06 - We dive into the big conversation on Klauss that took over parts of the broadcast & postgame discussion
14:45 - Rocc presented his argument as to why Klauss is an effective striker despite the lack of goals
17:26 - This is about the future of city in 2025 & Hackworth's system
19:16 - Teuchert is the perfect comb for Klauss & how that affects the analysis of Klauss
21:16 - Moon's conclusion on Klauss & the big questions for the future at the position
23:00 - What is Klauss just isn't a true/pure #9?
25:47 - Looking forward to the two games coming up this week
26:25 - What changes could we see this week because of the congestion & injuries?
27:45 - CITY might not be in the race, but Hackworth still is...
28:55 - Thoughts on Totland's return to the starting lineup versus Sporting Kansas
31:16 - Can CITY handle LAFC's counter-attack?
34:46 - Moon helps explain two key principles for Hack's plan on Wednesday, "rest defense" & "defending in advance", plus some helpful tips from a father
36:45 - Why Rocc's biggest thing to watch for on CITY's defense will be how they handle *numbers*
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Missing episodes?
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Moon & Rocc are back without much hope following CITY's playoff hopes being dashed with a 3-1 thumping at CITYPARK against Minnesota United:
0:13 - CITY Fals 3-1 & we feel defeated as well
2:30 - This game felt a lot like almost every every big CITY loss this season...
4:33 - Hey MLS, why are you forcing us to spend more time talking about missed calls?
10:10 - Do replays like the situation from Saturday hurt the experience of going to a game?
12:36 - Questions from Saturday's lineup/formation
13:50 - Getting the plan directly from the man who drew it up...
16:20 - Did the scheme or the team fail on Saturday?
18:00 - Moon just wants to see MORE
20:30 - and Moon is gonna show us how you do that...
22:36 - You shouldn't be smiling when you're losing!
25:00 - A lot of fans feel this way...but lets have some perspective...
27:30 - Mentality vs. Strategy and why one matters more in game-to-game analysis
29:40 - Moon tries to tell us all that there were underdog Man U teams...
32:40 - Moon wants to see more demand, but from where exactly?
34:00 - Rocchio feels like he's taking crazy pills when it comes to this effort discussion...
36:40 - Is CITY more talented than Minnesota? Does that factor into Saturday's issues?
38:30 - Rocc wants to keep this discussion on tactics, Moons wants to talk effort
40:45 - Thoughts going in San Jose tomorrow, lineup calls, a chance for Alm?
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Moon & Rocc are back following another disappointing draw that puts the playoffs further out of reach, dive into the topics from the week & take a look at a must-win game that appears to be very winnable:
Moon's run of positivity lasted exactly one (1) entire episode
Disappointment from dropping two points in a very winnable game in New England
The many positives (and a slight negative) from Hartel, Teuchert & Becher
Why the blame for poor defensive play can't all rest on the four players in the backline
Whether or not CITY is "ruthless"
Is the offense getting the a point where it has an edge?
Defense vs. Possession/Control: Another example of why this question is complicated & connected
What full team defending should look like
Klauss being impressed with the additions now that they've played together
an incredible shout out from Klauss to the city of STL, the fans, ownership, coaches, etc.
If Moon's coaches ever used a physical notes to communicate a formation change during a sub
Why the youth game in STL was so different when Moon was coming up
Minnesota United being a must-win game when you look at the schedule/standings
Expecting this offense--with a Klauss start--to carry the team this weekend
Other lineup thoughts vs. MUFC
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Moon & Rocc are back for a big episode after CITY's big win over the LA Galaxy this past weekend, one of the more quiet weeks of training since July & some big expectations for a very winnable (but still very much AWAY) match...
Moon has declared this an All-Positives episode!
Rocc immediately tries to throw him off with some points about CITY being dominated at times, on paper, by the Galaxy
The difference between CITY giving up possession in June vs. doing it now with this lineup, system
How the different formations helped create CITY's offense in the 1st half
How Nerwinski's usage during the game is a perfect example of CITY's full game
Moon starting to finally see the cohesiveness from the backline that he's been BEGGING for
Why the opening kickoff was one of the biggest takeaways from the game
The 4 positions that are creating 'tough' battles for CITY in training
Why the fullback depth is one of the most interesting aspects of CITY right now
How good it feels to be having a discussion about depth after where CITY was a couple months ago
Whether Rocc expects to see similar formational changes against New England
How CITY can continue building on their success of "killing games"
Why CITY fans need to forget the word "conservative" when talking about how this team will ever play
Seeing the offense build-up and attack from the right side for maybe the first time...ever?
The Tim Parker reunion
Early lineup & score predictions
Did Moon stay positive the entire show or was Rocc able to knock him off?
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Moon & Rocc are back to talk about another week of CITY news & notes following the restart of the MLS league schedule, CITY letting multiple 2-goal leads slip away in Portland, more discussions around the CITY defense, if the fundamentals are the biggest issue and the hopes for a big matchup against the Galaxy on Sunday:
The disappointment is PALPABLE after a draw in Portland
Where this draw puts them in their run to a playoff spot
More offensive positivity, same defensive problems...
Could we see some defensive changes after we saw them give up three leads?
Can't believe we're having this conversation with Totland of all players...
Some questions around the FK that broke CITY in Portland
Is this possession conversation...pointless?
CITY doesn't need to win possession, but the ball control in Portland was unacceptable
Injury update as Klauss MIGHT get some time on Sunday, Alm+Nilsson still need time
Thanks to Jen for the notes from training!
Galaxy and CITY have gone VERY different directions since that 3-3 draw in the Spring
Rocchio doesn't see how CITY slows down this Galaxy attack
Has CITY become a better possession/control team since Hackworth took over?
Some fans want to see them 'park the bus' with a lead--but we will ever see this team make that call?
A little tactical change that CITY pulled out to utilize Kessler, Lowen & Hartel in new ways
Is this the game we see CITY use the new depth on defense to play with a 3/5-man backline?
How we would deploy the team with that formation
We saw SOME defensive development (before it fell apart), will we see more this weekend?
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Moon & Rocc are back after a couple of busy weeks away to dive in on all the happening during August for CITY including a run through the Leagues Cup, big surprises from new additions, some moves that made the CITY unhappy & a big league restart coming up:
How are we feeling after the departure of players like Tim Parker & Anthony Markanich?
What was your initial reaction to the Parker trade?
Reactions to the reporting + Parker's comments on CITY's contract negotiations
Moon breaks down what he wants to see from the defense
Rocchio tries to put all the blame for bad defense on the outside on the scheme/coaching
Could CITY possibly be ignoring a crucial aspect of defending in their training?
Did CITY potentially HURT Anthony Markanich's growth as a fullback?
Did you react poorly to the return of Niko to the MLS?
Good news! People are getting healthy again!
Bad news! Why did this take so damn long?!
Diving into the injury report & why Klauss & Alm aren't options for this weekend
Expectations for this weekend's matchup in Portland
Breaking down the rest of the schedule into the next FIVE games + the last FOUR
Are you still leaving hope for the playoffs?
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Moon & Rocc are back following a rare CITY win to break down the new addition finally getting onto the field & diving into a big topic off the field:
Moon has an email from a listener and needs to clear up some confusion
Why we're supporting the SG's boycott of the Leagues Cup game
BUT also why we're still covering and talking about those games
Rocc breaks down his view of the MLS' huge mistake in alienating supporting groups with the US Open Cup decision-making
The biggest takeaways from a 2-1 win against Dallas in the 1st game of the group stage
What we thought from an extended look at Cedi & a first-time look at Hartel & Becher
How Becher's press was the biggest part of the new players that jumped out to Rocc
If the defensive improvements were enough going forward
CITY already has advanced to the Round of 32 -- what does more games mean?
Injury and training updates from earlier in the week
What we expect to see on Sunday night against Juarez
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Moon & Rocchio are back for a mid-week episode of Soccer 101 to get you ready for tonight's matchup against the Seattle Sounders & take you into the weekend against Sporting KC:
The defending hit an unbelievable point this past weekend
This is the kind of stuff that Moon has been warning us about!
What does that fire, that accountability look like on the field?
They need to break it down to the basics
Philosophy is fine, but if you don't have the muscle-memory, you're going nowhere
Rocc is surprisingly apathetic about CITY's current coaching search
Breaking down the post-game comments from Coach Hack, Edu Lowen & Chris Durkin
Moon can't help but feel for Hack after this past game
What is going on in the room down at CITYPARK?
At least they're getting it out in the open & talking about it--right?
How does simplifying things look tonight in Seattle?
Do you have the hope that they can get a point--should they be prioritizing winning one game over having a better chance in both?
Lineup predicitons!
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Moon & Rocc are back to preview a crucial matchup against the Whitecaps (the second in just two weeks) , sort through some big problems against the Rapids, get into a little positivity & sort through the news of the week:
We're going to try to be positive today despite CITY getting rolled 4-1!
...we failed almost immediately!
Why there's a big difference in what went wrong in the Rapids first goal vs. 2, 3, AND 4
The "thin line" of defending & why CITY's mistakes were about decision-making
Positives! The excitement for Girdwood-Reich, Tuechert & Hartel as they arrive, get acclimated & we guess how they're be best utilized
Moon & Rocc's weekly disagreement: Is there enough accountability & leadership in the CITY locker room
More positives! Jay Reid, Johnny Klein & Kijima continue to make a big impact!
Is the math starting to turn against CITY in the playoff race?
These next three games are important but lets be honest--everything comes down to how this team starts looking after July 18th
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Moon & Rocc are back after a very busy week, and in a slightly different configuration as moon is live from his vacation, following the firing of Bradley Carnell, a number of announcements & the first win under a new coach:
Not only was this busy, but oh man, was this a poorly timed week for this to happen
Should we have seen this coming faster?
Our reactions to the news on Monday morning + some last thoughts from that Vancouver game
Rocc still has questions for Diego & Lutz about timing & expectations
Did Carnell lose the locker room? Do Indy & Burki's comments in the postgame impact your opinion?
Is this a playoff roster? Are those expectations too much for an expansion franchise in just its 2nd season?
How do YOU separate/assign blame between the coaches & players? Is there anyway for us to know outside the room?
The Adeniran situation is still confusing Rocc, but "Gaffer Moon" is on the way to help!
Alright, sorry about that, all positives starting around 19:30
The youth invasion continues, and it's starting to take over
The Klein & Kijima change up was the biggest takeaway from Wednesday
Except! For the third straight strong game from Nokkvi Thorisson
Moon is possible about Thor but this leads to the big question of the podcast...
Random vs. Repeatable: Do Thors strong games matter without the finishing to cap it off?
Jay Reid dominated again in his second start--is a 1st-team contract on its way?
Coach Hackworth mentioned "wrinkles' for Sunday--what do you want to see?
How different will the Indy-Klein-Kijima line look against the Rapids?
A quick thing about formations to close out the episode
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Moon & Rocc are back for a late week preview of the CITY's away matchup versus the Vancouver Whitecaps, but mainly we're talking about another draw for CITY against Atlanta this past weekend, more unfortunately time spent on officiating and some positivity with the youth in the program:
Officiating was so annoying we just have to talk about it again (we're sorry...)
What We Learned Today: Hockey assists in soccer
Parker gets fined for "commenting" on the viral moment from the game and now we have our first ever Soccer 101 poll!
Jay Reid was incredible in his first MLS start -- and Bradley Carnell certainly agreed in the postgame
MOON SAID SOMETHING POSITIVE ABOUT THE DEFENSE
It's not a week with CITY if doesn't have to deal with attacking injury, and this time it's Klauss
Did Caden Glover show enough in his short time to get minutes in place of an injured Klauss?
Thor had his best game* (*this came with a lot of qualifier, but still...)
People need to trust the training.
The kids are more than alright, this kids are AMAZING
The importance & strong play of the pyramid
(Congrats to the CITY Academy who did in fact win the Gateway Conference on Thursday night)
Thoughts on the Vancouver FC matchup
Why Moon things the floodgates will open in this game, but refuses to say for which offense...
What will the two big questions marks in the lineup--for different reasons, LB & ST--look like on Saturday?
Can it please just be July 18th already?
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Moon & Rocc are back for an early episode this week with all the CITY transfer news and a midweek matchup against the Rapids:
Breaking down another disappointing result with CITY falling 2-0 in Dallas
Injury news with Celio Pompeu & Joakim Nilsson + Parker catching a suspension
No one wants to hear it, but Klauss had a good game but without the finishing, does it matter?
AZ Jackson trade to Columbus has been finalized, why this is a good move for CITY overall
The Marcel Hartel news that broke over the weekend + How the AZ Jackson news connects to Hartel
A deep dive into the numbers and style of Marcel Hartel + how he will fit with Klauss+Lowen in the middle
Did Moon jinx Celio?
Can Thorisson step up with a need at the wing spots following another injury?
Can the young CITY2 players bring some of the winning touch to the 1st team?
A deep dive into how Rocc & Moon see things like passion, effort & instinct in VERY different ways
Breakdown of the Rapids improved season so far + Predictions + Players to Watch
Stay tuned at the end for a special Rocc-only addendum that was recorded when the Dyhr news (that all but complete the Hartel move) was finalized!
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Moon & Rocc are back after another draw for STL CITY SC (up to 9 now), and to make it worse it was another scoreless draw (3rd of the season), so it's time to talk about more problems with the office, the four big numbers that tell the story of CITY's offense, if there's a reason to expect a change in any of these numbers, if Lowen can change the quality of CITY's average shot enough to notice, another dive into Markanich's defense, whether or not the issues is mindset or workload, a couple quick notes on the international window as we wind up to the Copa & Euros, expectations for an odd game, how to guess at what Dallas with look like with a new coach, leaning on CITY's chaos as the perfect antidote for the "new-coach" bump & predictions for Saturday's matchup.
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Moon & Rocc are back after a few weeks to try to figure out what we've seen from the STL CITY backline over the last four games, the big lapses that we saw on defense across the losing streak, how much the defense is a lack of talent vs. a victim of the scheme, if three goals in Miami has up hopeful about the offense, , the outsized impact of Edu Lowen, Kijima's big game in Miami, how the injuries and players like Kijima are creating more roster questions, what the two big transfer move mean for CITY going forward, why Girdwood-Reich's versatility is such an important factor in his move, breaking down what kind of player Tuechert appears to be, how that fits into what CITY needs, why this isn't the Niko replacement people were hoping for, a big disagreement from Rocc & Moon on how much the finishing problems should have fans worried and Rocc calls for messages from CITY fans who aren't happy with the low payroll.
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Moon & Rocc are back for a midweek episode as CITY gets ready to take on LAFC from CITYPARK--the boys are coming off a big 3-1 victory over the Chicago Fire, Moon is excited to see an in-form Klauss, Pompeu continues to impress & the Portuguese combo is turning into something deadly for CITY, the big stats that jumped out from a dominant win, the big question about whether or not CITY is better than they were back in 2023, the recruitment of Marco Reus, if Moon thinks he fits into CITY's roster build, LAFC making another big move for a big star, how their defense has struggled this year, the matchup to watch in tonight's game (Bouanga v. Totland), whether CITY can crack LAFC's big stars, out predictions for the matchup and all the incredible stories around Niko's new club, Como 1907, making a Cinderalla run to Series A--and the real reason STL CITY SC fans should care.
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Moon & Rocchio are from a bye week of their own to break down a ton of news that has happened over the last ~10 days including: Big Sam is back on the training field with CITY, Celio Pompeu's well-deserved extension & there's a potential break in what could be CITY's biggest Summer Transfer move. Plus an (attempted) dive into the big move from the MLS this week: Roster Transparency! -- The good news is that there's more of it...The bad news is that means very little! And then the breakdown of CITY-Houston facing off in H-Town for the first time since their 1-0 win (2-2 on aggregate) in the CONCACAF: will Sam be a part of the roster, can a potential Durkin game-time decision ruin CITY's chances & can we just get Moon a big-time DP so that he can have a set XI, just, for like...once?
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Moon & Rocchio are back for a mid-week episode of Soccer 101 after a big win on Sunday and some NEWS on Tuesday--so what exactly is going on with Big Sam? Breaking down the biggest takeaways from the 1-0 over Austin FC on Sunday night, Klauss' big goal, what could've happened with Sam, a big breakdown of the strikers comparison between Adeniran & Klauss, some extra credit for our stars of the game from Sunday (Ostrak, Alm, Totland), Moon's dream midfield, the roster & lineup starting to decide itself, the potential of AZ & Thor as super-subs & a big reminder that we will be recording our next episode line on Saturday from 9 Mile Garden on Gravois.
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Moon & Rocchio are back to break down ANOTHER draw for STL CITY SC--this time a scoreless one--and dive back into last weeks big question: what's the big issue for CITY in '24? Rocc is still focused entirely on the defense despite picking up a clean sheet, Moon wants to throw some credit for Ostrak after his game, more worries on the defensive holes, the unknowns of the CITY defense going into a game vs. Austin WITH a healthy Sebastian Driussi, some quick hitters from around the world of STL Soccer (shouts to the Academy/youth teams, Schulte & Sargent!) & the potential effect on STL CITY SC from the newly announced MLS roster rules.
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Scott Rizuto, the eponymous "Rizz" from 105.7 The Point's "The Rizzuto Show" , joins Moon for a special interview episode of Soccer 101 to talk about what it was like for a baseball junky to get into soccer, how Moon started getting Rizz involved in the STL FC days, what his first reactions were when he went to his first match at CITYPARK, how he left soccer at a young age before coming back in his 30s, the strong feeling of FOMO he got when he missed CITY's first ever home match in club history, why the stadium specifically is so special to him as someone who worked at Union Station for so long, the "whoa" feeling he got when he first walked in, what his return trips throughout the season taught him, his tips & tricks for catching a game, why Burki has stepped up as his favorite player, what it means to have an ownership who is tied into the city and cares about it's growth & the biggest questions: whether or not Rizz could consider himself a "soccer fan".
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