Scuffed | U.S. soccer, World Cup, Yanks Abroad, futbol in America

Adam Belz and Greg Velasquez

An in-depth show about the U.S. men's and women's national soccer teams, the players who could one day make it better, and American soccer in general.

  • 56 minutes 1 second
    #660: Mike Woitalla on the coaches' convention

    Woitalla, the executive editor of Soccer America, joined the pod after going to Philadelphia for the United Soccer Coaches Convention. At the event, Matt Crocker said there's still too much yelling in youth soccer, Roberto Martinez was gobsmacked by a Barry Pauwels presentation, Tony Lepore discussed plans to grow the ranks of talent scouts, and US Soccer, for the second straight convention, made a strong effort to be present and accounted for.

    The Germany trip! Throw your name in the hat: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfI4Cp1VpS2eCphsNjf6QHdaRDq86Tf-FeUhJ2tQ0RzkbxQhw/viewform

    Skip the ads! Subscribe to Scuffed on Patreon and get all episodes ad-free, plus any bonus episodes. Patrons at $5 a month or more also get access to Clip Notes, a video of key moments on the field we discuss on the show, plus all patrons get access to our private Discord server, live call-in shows, and the full catalog of historic recaps we've made: https://www.patreon.com/scuffed

    Also, check out Boots on the Ground, our USWNT-focused spinoff podcast headed up by Tara and Vince. They are cooking over there, you can listen here: https://boots-on-the-ground.simplecast.com

    And check out our MERCH, baby. We have better stuff than you might think: https://www.scuffedhq.com/store


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    23 January 2026, 6:05 pm
  • 1 hour 8 minutes
    #659: A Tuesday Review, emphasis on World Cup bubble guys

    Charlie Boehm joins Belz to talk about Richards and the mess at Palace, Brenden Aaronson up from the ashes, Big Pat's distinct skill-set, E.B. White on Gio Reyna, Paredes returns brightly, Cardoso unconvincing to Belz, Pellegrino Matarazzo beats Barca, and Charlie was moved by the African Cup of Nations final.

    The trip to Germany and the Netherlands: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfI4Cp1VpS2eCphsNjf6QHdaRDq86Tf-FeUhJ2tQ0RzkbxQhw/viewform

    Skip the ads! Subscribe to Scuffed on Patreon and get all episodes ad-free, plus any bonus episodes. Patrons at $5 a month or more also get access to Clip Notes, a video of key moments on the field we discuss on the show, plus all patrons get access to our private Discord server, live call-in shows, and the full catalog of historic recaps we've made: https://www.patreon.com/scuffed

    Also, check out Boots on the Ground, our USWNT-focused spinoff podcast headed up by Tara and Vince. They are cooking over there, you can listen here: https://boots-on-the-ground.simplecast.com

    And check out our MERCH, baby. We have better stuff than you might think: https://www.scuffedhq.com/store


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    20 January 2026, 9:29 pm
  • 1 hour 2 minutes
    #658: Club vs high school soccer with Matt Sahag

    Matt Sahag, who coaches high school girls soccer in Des Moines, joins the pod to discuss a recent pitch from a big ECNL club to players and their parents, discouraging them from playing high school soccer this spring so they can focus on league ECNL play and national showcases.

    Sahag has responses to the claims made by the club. It's interesting. 13-yr-old's flying out for the weekend to play regular-season games, $2500 trips to Arizona for...what? And you don't get to play against that cross-town rival this season for your school, by the way. AND the pot at the end of this rainbow is probably a partial scholarship at a non-D1 college. Just another slice of the America soccer dilemma.

    If you want more from Matt on the specifics of the Sporting Iowa pitch, listen to his break-down on Soccer Talks, the Kick It Forward podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e210-high-school-soccer-matters-is-ecnl-super-cup-the-answer/id1458145533?i=1000739927583

    Join us for the trip to Germany on April 18-26, express interest here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfI4Cp1VpS2eCphsNjf6QHdaRDq86Tf-FeUhJ2tQ0RzkbxQhw/viewform

    Skip the ads! Subscribe to Scuffed on Patreon and get all episodes ad-free, plus any bonus episodes. Patrons at $5 a month or more also get access to Clip Notes, a video of key moments on the field we discuss on the show, plus all patrons get access to our private Discord server, live call-in shows, and the full catalog of historic recaps we've made: https://www.patreon.com/scuffed

    Also, check out Boots on the Ground, our USWNT-focused spinoff podcast headed up by Tara and Vince. They are cooking over there, you can listen here: https://boots-on-the-ground.simplecast.com

    And check out our MERCH, baby. We have better stuff than you might think: https://www.scuffedhq.com/store


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    17 January 2026, 4:14 am
  • 1 hour 27 minutes
    #657: A superdraft of Pochettino's call-ups since he took over

    Vince, Greg, Sanjay and Belz duke it out to see who can craft the best team in a draft of all the players Poch has called up. Let the games begin! I'll post the lineups and some polls shortly.

    Germany trip: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfI4Cp1VpS2eCphsNjf6QHdaRDq86Tf-FeUhJ2tQ0RzkbxQhw/viewform

    Skip the ads! Subscribe to Scuffed on Patreon and get all episodes ad-free, plus any bonus episodes. Patrons at $5 a month or more also get access to Clip Notes, a video of key moments on the field we discuss on the show, plus all patrons get access to our private Discord server, live call-in shows, and the full catalog of historic recaps we've made: https://www.patreon.com/scuffed

    Also, check out Boots on the Ground, our USWNT-focused spinoff podcast headed up by Tara and Vince. They are cooking over there, you can listen here: https://boots-on-the-ground.simplecast.com

    And check out our MERCH, baby. We have better stuff than you might think: https://www.scuffedhq.com/store


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    13 January 2026, 8:21 pm
  • 53 minutes 13 seconds
    #656: Sacramento Republic manager Neill Collins joins the pod

    We talked about what the World Cup will mean for the sport in America, how kids are introduced to and grow up in the game in Scotland, the heartbreaking end of Sacramento's USL-C season, some coaching talk, some Kenny McLean talk, and lots more. Good chat.

    https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfI4Cp1VpS2eCphsNjf6QHdaRDq86Tf-FeUhJ2tQ0RzkbxQhw/viewform

    Skip the ads! Subscribe to Scuffed on Patreon and get all episodes ad-free, plus any bonus episodes. Patrons at $5 a month or more also get access to Clip Notes, a video of key moments on the field we discuss on the show, plus all patrons get access to our private Discord server, live call-in shows, and the full catalog of historic recaps we've made: https://www.patreon.com/scuffed

    Also, check out Boots on the Ground, our USWNT-focused spinoff podcast headed up by Tara and Vince. They are cooking over there, you can listen here: https://boots-on-the-ground.simplecast.com

    And check out our MERCH, baby. We have better stuff than you might think: https://www.scuffedhq.com/store


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    9 January 2026, 5:58 pm
  • 1 hour 23 minutes
    #655: Brendo strikes! Jedi is fully back, Yunus getting minutes

    Vince and Belz return to the Monday Review desk, with Brenden Aaronson getting a spot on A1, some Christmas reflection, a stout defense of Cole Campbell's luxury watch and handbag, and a rundown of all the key USMNT player pool developments since before the holiday.

    Scuffed Germany trip: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfI4Cp1VpS2eCphsNjf6QHdaRDq86Tf-FeUhJ2tQ0RzkbxQhw/viewform

    Skip the ads! Subscribe to Scuffed on Patreon and get all episodes ad-free, plus any bonus episodes. Patrons at $5 a month or more also get access to Clip Notes, a video of key moments on the field we discuss on the show, plus all patrons get access to our private Discord server, live call-in shows, and the full catalog of historic recaps we've made: https://www.patreon.com/scuffed

    Also, check out Boots on the Ground, our USWNT-focused spinoff podcast headed up by Tara and Vince. They are cooking over there, you can listen here: https://boots-on-the-ground.simplecast.com

    And check out our MERCH, baby. We have better stuff than you might think: https://www.scuffedhq.com/store


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    5 January 2026, 9:50 pm
  • 20 minutes 12 seconds
    #654: USMNT annual review, 2025

    The JPEG That Changed Everything, the True Blue Tussle Award, Dad of the Year, and much more. If you want the full version, including NT Goal of the Year, Club Goal of the Year, Breakout Player of the Year, Player of the Year, to name a few, join the Patreon.

    Also, the form to fill out if our Germany/Netherlands trip is somewhere in your realm of possibility: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfI4Cp1VpS2eCphsNjf6QHdaRDq86Tf-FeUhJ2tQ0RzkbxQhw/viewform

    Skip the ads! Subscribe to Scuffed on Patreon and get all episodes ad-free, plus any bonus episodes. Patrons at $5 a month or more also get access to Clip Notes, a video of key moments on the field we discuss on the show, plus all patrons get access to our private Discord server, live call-in shows, and the full catalog of historic recaps we've made: https://www.patreon.com/scuffed

    Also, check out Boots on the Ground, our USWNT-focused spinoff podcast headed up by Tara and Vince. They are cooking over there, you can listen here: https://boots-on-the-ground.simplecast.com

    And check out our MERCH, baby. We have better stuff than you might think: https://www.scuffedhq.com/store


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    18 December 2025, 2:58 pm
  • 1 hour 43 minutes
    #653: JJ Devaney joins, gives us his sense of Poch's tenure, the coming World Cup

    The host of long-running former ESPN podcast Caught Offside joins Vince and Belz to discuss what Poch has been up to, whether it's working, Banner the mascot, and where several players probably stand in the depth chart.

    Look for Caught Offside with Andrew Gundling and JJ Devaney on any podcast platform, and here's there subscription service (kind of like a Patreon, I gather): https://caughtoffside.supercast.com/

    Skip the ads! Subscribe to Scuffed on Patreon and get all episodes ad-free, plus any bonus episodes. Patrons at $5 a month or more also get access to Clip Notes, a video of key moments on the field we discuss on the show, plus all patrons get access to our private Discord server, live call-in shows, and the full catalog of historic recaps we've made: https://www.patreon.com/scuffed

    Also, check out Boots on the Ground, our USWNT-focused spinoff podcast headed up by Tara and Vince. They are cooking over there, you can listen here: https://boots-on-the-ground.simplecast.com

    And check out our MERCH, baby. We have better stuff than you might think: https://www.scuffedhq.com/store


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    16 December 2025, 7:13 am
  • 49 minutes 16 seconds
    #652: Poch's media tour & what the World Cup will mean to America with Doug McIntyre

    We talk through the quite encouraging events of the first half of the week -- Pulisic's big man on campus brace off the bench, Wes's lovely gamewinner in CL, Balo's gamewinner and Pepi's continued propensity to put the ball in the back of the net. Then we get into Poch's media tour after the World Cup draw a little bit, what will happen if we beat Paraguay in that first game, and the MLS championship game a bit too.

    Germany/Netherlands trip form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfI4Cp1VpS2eCphsNjf6QHdaRDq86Tf-FeUhJ2tQ0RzkbxQhw/viewform

    If you are interested in seeing some combination of Gio, Scally, Malik and the PSV boys, that's the form. The trip only happens if 10 or so people want to go, so if you have ANY interest, even if it's a distant possibility, let us know.

    Skip the ads! Subscribe to Scuffed on Patreon and get all episodes ad-free, plus any bonus episodes. Patrons at $5 a month or more also get access to Clip Notes, a video of key moments on the field we discuss on the show, plus all patrons get access to our private Discord server, live call-in shows, and the full catalog of historic recaps we've made: https://www.patreon.com/scuffed

    Also, check out Boots on the Ground, our USWNT-focused spinoff podcast headed up by Tara and Vince. They are cooking over there, you can listen here: https://boots-on-the-ground.simplecast.com

    And check out our MERCH, baby. We have better stuff than you might think: https://www.scuffedhq.com/store


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    11 December 2025, 7:18 pm
  • 54 minutes 36 seconds
    #651: What Poch and the players said about the draw

    https://www.patreon.com/posts/world-cup-draw-145187648

    Skip the ads! Subscribe to Scuffed on Patreon and get all episodes ad-free, plus any bonus episodes. Patrons at $5 a month or more also get access to Clip Notes, a video of key moments on the field we discuss on the show, plus all patrons get access to our private Discord server, live call-in shows, and the full catalog of historic recaps we've made: https://www.patreon.com/scuffed

    Also, check out Boots on the Ground, our USWNT-focused spinoff podcast headed up by Tara and Vince. They are cooking over there, you can listen here: https://boots-on-the-ground.simplecast.com

    And check out our MERCH, baby. We have better stuff than you might think: https://www.scuffedhq.com/store


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    8 December 2025, 8:51 pm
  • 1 hour 22 minutes
    #650: The situation is looking pretty good!

    Vince brings back "El Loco" for Poch, but in a good way. Four players who weren't even involved in the last window had a great past week in Europe. Pepi's back in the XI for Eindhoven. The World Cup draw is coming up in four days and we talk through the options. Things are looking good, folks. Although there is some sad news from Thanksgiving dinner.

    Clip Notes: https://www.patreon.com/posts/144856270
    Malik v Man City comp: https://www.patreon.com/posts/tillman-v-man-144810442

    Skip the ads! Subscribe to Scuffed on Patreon and get all episodes ad-free, plus any bonus episodes. Patrons at $5 a month or more also get access to Clip Notes, a video of key moments on the field we discuss on the show, plus all patrons get access to our private Discord server, live call-in shows, and the full catalog of historic recaps we've made: https://www.patreon.com/scuffed

    Also, check out Boots on the Ground, our USWNT-focused spinoff podcast headed up by Tara and Vince. They are cooking over there, you can listen here: https://boots-on-the-ground.simplecast.com

    And check out our MERCH, baby. We have better stuff than you might think: https://www.scuffedhq.com/store


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    2 December 2025, 1:13 am
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