The Blue Testament: For Sporting Kc Fans

Without two of their best players for the entire 2022 season, Sporting KC’s struggles were obvious. The most expensive player in club history, striker Alan Pulido, and star midfielder Gadi Kinda did not play a single minute last season.  Their impending return to this roster is a very exciting thought. Just imagine the potential next season! But what are the chances both players are able to regain their top form after such serious injuries? However, we start things off with what was possibly the greatest sporting event any of us have ever seen.  Argentina have won the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Lionel Messi is a World Cup Champion! We’re all better humans for having witnessed such a display. So, it wouldn’t be right to talk about it without our friend Kevin Lopez, aka Keviñcho, Kansas City’s favorite Argentine.  Kevin talks about the emotions behind this win and what it means to him and his family. The love Argentina has for this sport just hits differently than other nations. The discussion of Messi vs Ronaldo has

Erik Bergrud from the Kansas City Comets broadcast team and Thad Bell from The Blue Testament are back with episode four of The Blue Turf. The KC Comets are in between a pair of two-game weekends. After splitting the last weekend with a loss at the Mesquite Outlaws and an overtime win at home versus the Milwaukee Wave, the Comets travel to Milwaukee on Friday and come home to face St. Louis on the blue turf. We chat about last weekend, the two rookies that earned their first minutes, and a little bit about the post-game fracas with Milwaukee. An update (of sorts) on the visa and injury issues and a look at the Wave and Ambush games. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For the Glory KC is back with the sad news of Grant Wahl's passing. Then we move to the big question of the week around SKC's offseason priorities (right center back and a third striker were mentioned by Vermes). Also, up for discussion this week are some interesting quotes from Daniel Salloi (and his travel plans), an MLS schedule release rumor, SKC II’s new signing, the USMNT drama around Gio Reyna and our new segment the Digital Crawl where we run through a ton of news in a quick manner, including some KC Current and USWNT news. Approximate topic locations (ads bump these times around slightly): Grant Wahl - Beginning SKC’s Offseason Priorities - 13:41 Matt Hedges Rumor - 22:30 Salloi on rejecting Europe - 26:01 MLS Schedule rumors - 32:00 SKC II Signing - 34:10 USMNT/Gio Reyna - 38:05 USMNT in Copa America - 44:43 MLS Linear TV Deal - 47:35 KC Current - 49:47 USWNT/She Believes Cup - 51:32 New NWSL Rule - 53:55 The UFC’s Dana White and his silly soccer quote - 56:22 Learn more about your ad

We start off with a heavy heart for the passing of Grant Wahl. But this show couldn't possibly tribute him any better than the collective outpouring of stories & love from everyone with whom he connected over the years. So do yourself a favor and head over to Twitter to read some of the stories and learn just how impactful Grant was to the game we love so much. And then we make fun of David because Brazil lost. Sporting KC has been linked with Matt Hedges. We talk centerback and roster needs. Should SKC look to Africa and Asia to find more players? Meanwhile the Current made a couple signings. Plus, Jenna Winebrenner is now an Assistant Coach of the KC Comets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Kansas City Current are not afraid of making a splash and setting a standard. With the first year of free agency under the new CBA, the Current signed not one, but two of the best free agents avaialble. Morgan Gautrat and Vanessa DiBernardo are now KC Current players. Daniel Sperry from the Kansas City Star and Thad Bell from The Blue Testament discuss the signings, the impact and what it means for next season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Erik Bergrud from the Kansas City Comets and Thad Bell from The Blue Testament are back with episode three of The Blue Turf. The Comets go on the road to face the Mesquite Outlaws on Saturday before returning home to play Milwaukee in a late Sunday afternoon match. So many storylines early so soon in the season. Neto is suspended for the Mesquite game so which keeper will get the start? Comets are still shorthanded from visa and injury issues so how will coach Gibson rotate the squad? We've also heard a rookie will get some time this weekend. There is also some potential fun with Neto and Derek Huffman on the field at the same time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We talk Sporting KC roster moves (and lack of turnover) and roster comings and goings for the KC Current. Plus the USMNT bowing out of the World Cup, the Chiefs moving to KS and the LA Galaxy being cheaters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The vets are back. Graham Zusi, Roger Espinoza, and Andreu Fontas will all three be returning for Sporting KC in 2023. It's safe to assume each of them is returning for less money. Fontas looks like the starter for next year, but what about Espinoza and Zusi? There are other healthy bodies in the midfield at the moment, but Roger always seems to find his way back into the starting lineup. How much will Kayden Pierre push Zusi for the starting job at right back? A few individual moments of lapses in judgment did in the Americans against The Netherlands in the Round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup. The young team was tired after expending everything to reach the main goal of surviving the group stage, and were beaten by a superior opponent. But Louis Van Gaal also got the best of Gregg Berhalter. Berhalter is a curious case and a hot-button issue among US Soccer fans. There's many reasons to disagree and dislike some of his decisions. But in this World Cup cycle the Yanks won a couple tournaments, qualified for the

The Americans fielded the youngest starting lineup of the 2022 World Cup against Iran and we were able to watch our boys grow up right in front of our eyes. They've been building the foundations for years now. But this is the World Cup. This isn't foundation. This is the real thing. Coming together and going to toe-to-toe with England, beating Iran with everything on the line, and surviving this tough group is what we'll look back on when they win the whole thing on home soil in four years. Tyler Adams has done everything right on and off the field, proving he was the only choice to Captain this squad. Christian Pulisic is day-to-day after scoring the most Christian Pulisic goal you've ever seen. The best moment of his career and he didn't even get to celebrate. Is Gregg Berhalter nailing this? Or did the USMNT advance in spite of him? If Josh Sargent is unable to play on Saturday, there's a big question mark at striker. Haji Wright seemed to be the first choice, but he played so poorly vs Iran I'm not sure h

For the Glory KC is back with a new co-host to give a more casual perspective on all things Kansas City soccer. Up for discussion this week of course if the United States Men's National Team advancing in the World Cup. Then we circle back to all the offseason roster moves from Sporting Kansas City, the KC Current and SKC II. Plus, we talk about the new Apple TV deal with MLS. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're joined by former Sporting KC & US Men's National Team player Diego Gutierrez and his wife Ginna, who are in Qatar with the US Soccer Federation. They attended the big Thanksgiving dinner with the team and Diego has tons of great things to say about this young team and how motivated the players are to advance. We hear what their experience has been in Qatar off the field, amid all the controversy. Ginna is there along with other organizers of the 2026 World Cup who are gathering info to prepare for the festivities in Kansas City. She even drops a hint at the number of teams that will be in Kansas City. Diego gives us some great insight from both the player's point of view, as well as from the front office. He tells us about the time he tried to recruit Christian Pulisic to the Philadelphia Union. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 2022-23 MASL season has started and the I-70 rivalry took center stage. The St. Louis Ambush and the Kansas City Comets split a pair of games. The Ambush won in overtime on Friday and the Comets won on Saturday. Erik Bergrud from the Comets broadcast team and Thad Bell from The Blue Testament talk about the games. The Comets had a special visitor Saturday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The USMNT has defeated England with a resounding 0-0 draw in their second match of the 2022 World Cup. It may not have been worth three points, but it was a strong performance from the United States. They were unlucky to not get the winner with Christian Pulisic hitting the crossbar and Weston McKennie missing a golden opportunity as well. Why has Gio Reyna barley seen the field? Eric Wynalda has claimed Gregg Berhalter lied about the players' fitness and there's now a rift between the two. Haji Wright got the start over Josh Sargent, how does he match up against a stingy Iran defense? While the US should win, this is not going to be an easy three points. Iran is organized, only needs to play for a draw, and goals have been hard to come by for the Americans. Qatar spent billions of dollars for their team to be alive for all of six days in the World Cup, the first team to be eliminated. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thad Bell from The Blue Testament and Kansas City Comets color announcer Erik Bergrud get together to discuss the upcoming season. We talk about the changes in the league with new conferences, Video Reviews, and mic'd up referees. Then we talk about some of the new players, how they are doing in preseason and which Comets might be in the running for the MASL Rookie of the Year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gregg Berhalter's vision came to fruition for the first 45 minutes against Wales. The United States' National Team was dominant. They controlled possession and got the go ahead goal from Tim Weah, but it all changed in the second half. Tyler Adams, sporting the captain's armband, was fantastic. He might have earned himself a big payday already. The ginger out of Missouri Josh Sargent got the start at striker. However, the attack for the Americans almost exclusively came down the wings. Sargent was rather quiet on the day after hitting the post early in the first half. Where was Gio Reyna? The Borussia Dortmand attacker says he's "100 percent" healthy and ready to play. Weston McKennie and Tim Ream were among four yellow cards for the Yanks and it may affect Friday's lineup. McKennie is a necessity against Iran, does he sit on the bench against the Three Lions? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Reactions to Sporting KC's offseason roster moves. Khiry Shelton is signed for three years plus an option for a fourth. What would be the right price? Assessing what the team needs most after the announcements. There's a lot of eyes on the back line the next few months. Apple TV announced the rather high pricing format for the upcoming MLS season. How much effort & resources will Apple put into their new MLS property? Issues have already begun popping up in Qatar with journalists and restrictions on fans. And it's likely to only get worse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Segment 1: Expansion Draft & Isimat-Mirin Rumor Segment 2: (20:57) Corrupt FIFA & World Cup Roster When looking at this upcoming World Cup abstractly, the possibilities seemed endless. The talent pool is massive, young, and hungry. But now that Gregg Berhalter has announced the 26-man USMNT World Cup Roster, it’s a reality check. This is it. These are the guys who are tasked with leading us into the desert to find glory. Speaking of the desert, this is your regularly schedule reminder: FIFA is corrupt, Qatar shouldn’t be hosting, and the world should dissent against all of this. FIFA is so blatant about their corruption, it seems there is no stopping it. All we can do is find our own ways to push back individually. Any time the World Cup is discussed here at The Blue Testament, you will be thoroughly reminded of the ugly side of our sport. Anyway, there’s no point in complaining about the roster decisions (though we do plenty of that). Jordan Pefok is a notable absence, but Ricardo Pepi’s omission is particul

The debut episode of For the Glory KC, a new Kansas City soccer podcast. Chad Smith and David Greenwald discuss all things Sporting KC, KC Current and SKC II. In the debut episode we discuss the expansion draft and what the protected list means for Sporting Kansas City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2022 has come to an end for Kansas City (outdoor) soccer after the KC Current lost the NWSL final last weekend. We take a look at the roster and what moves should be made this offseason. The MLS Cup is set for Saturday night with the Philadelphia Union representing the Eastern Conference, taking on LAFC from the West. It should be a banner night for MLS.. if only there was parking available. What is going on in Philadelphia right now? They shouldn't be allowed this much success in sports. Sporting KC picked up 29-year-old Serbian Nemanja Radoja. The defensive midfielder fills a position Peter Vermes needs, but he'll be on the other side of 30 when the season begins. Should that be a concern? We're less than a month until the World Cup kicks off. Does the US know who the striker is? Or the keeper? The injury list at the moment feels like it includes the entire roster. The Australians are the first to criticize the host nation and human rights issues. Will the Yanks speak up? Learn more about your ad choices. V

David Greenwald and Thad Bell from The Blue Testament are joined by Daniel Sperry on this episode of The Shades of Blue. The group gives their reactions to Sporting KC signing defensive midfielder Nemanja Radoja. We break down his history, especially his time with Celta, and chat about how he will fit in with SKC. Is he too old? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices