Filibuster Podcast

With a win in this year's Atlantic Cup already notched, the Filibuster crew is here to talk about it. Adam, Ben, and Jason are here to talk about whether D.C. United's game against the New York Red Bulls was the most complete performance of the year. We talk about the contrasting styles of the Red Bulls' tactics versus D.C. United's tactics, the out of character game by referee Silviu Petrescu, and we compare the difference between this year's central midfield (Marcelo Sarvas and Nick DeLeon) versus last year's central midfield (Davy Arnaud and Perry Kitchen). Finally, we talk about whether Fabian Espindola should replace Alvaro Saborio, and thank Jesse Marsch for leaving Lloyd Sam on the bench. We then welcome on Eugene Rupinski from Brotherly Game to talk about United's Friday matchup against the Philadelphia Union. We have to start by asking about Chris Pontius, before marvelling that the Union are good so far this year. We ask Eugene what the biggest thing is that is working for the team right, and ask hi

It is a grumpy night for the Filibuster crew, with a lot of good reasons why. Jason, Adam, and Ben have to talk about D.C. United's 2-0 loss to New York City FC, and we have to start with all of the misses of Alvaro Saborio. We then wonder why the heck Patrick Nyarko started if he could only make it 25 minutes, and wonder why Jared Jeffrey was the sub who came in and not Miguel Aguilar. We talk about Ben Olsen's substitute pattern in this game in general, before also focusing our criticism lasers on the very poor play of Bobby Boswell in this game. We end by talking about Chris Rolfe's concussion that has him out for an indefient amount of time and about D.C. United's potential new signing, Alhaji Kamara. We then have to talk about the other New York team, New York Red Bulls, as D.C. United play them on Friday. We talk about how the Red Bulls are figuring themselves out at exactly the wrong time for United. We mention their set pieces and how they are scoring, before turning back to United and asking how they

It is a Tuesday, which means a downpour of Filibuster drowning your ears and making everyone drive 15 mph under the speed limit. We start by talking about another rainy day, D.C. United's 1-1 draw with the Chicago Fire. We talk about our different minds regarding this game, before going in deep on the 4-1-4-1 Ben Olsen ran out. We also talk about Marcelo Sarvas and his role in any of these formations, before ending by talking about Steve Birnbaum, his inclusion on the USMNT's premliminary roster for the Copa America, and rumors about him from abroad. We then welcome on Raf Noboa y Rivera, from Hudson River Blue, to talk about New York City FC. We ask Raf if they have a nickname yet, before getting into matters on the field, including the feeling after beating the Vancouver Whitecaps. We also talk about Frank Lampard, the tactics of Patrick Viera, and, of course, Tommy McNamara. We then get into Federico Bravo and Andrea Pirlo, the state of NYCFC's defenders, and whether Josh Saunders is good enough to be a pl

Filibuster is back on a Tuesday morning, and we're both happy (about soccer) and sad (about Prince). We start (7:30) by talking about D.C. United's 3-0 win over the New England Revolution, and we have to mention the Luciano Acosta goal. We talk about how Fabian Espindola got himself injured by shooting as well as the improved play of Bobby Boswell and the back four. We end by talking about the buildup to Lamar Neagle's penalty kick goal (and how nice it was to have a well taken penalty) and talk about Alvaro Saborio's goal and whether it should have counted. In the second segment we welcome back Sean Spence from Hot Time in Old Time to talk about D.C. United's upcoming trip to Chicago. We talk about the Fire's offensive woes so far and whether or not they are explicitly playing defense first. We compare Veljko Paunovic to Frank Yallop, and ask Sean about Paunovic's benching of Sean Johnson. We inquire about the state of a number of players, including Razvan Cocis, Kennedy Igboananike, and Gilberto (with a sad

Another day, another Filibuster to delight and surprise you. We have to talk about D.C. United's 1-0 loss to Toronto FC, and talk about how United played exactly into Toronto's gameplan. We talk about the bright first half versus the dour second, and spend plenty of time talking about Luciano Acosta, where he fits in this lineup, and whether or not there should be a formation change. We end by talking about how badly the Eastern Conference sucks compared to the West this year, and how Bobby Boswell has had yet another underwhelming game. In the second segment, we talk about this weekend's matchup against the New England Revolution. We talk about their weird season so far, and how their central midfield (and the lack of Jermaine Jones) have played a big part in that. We talk about why they aren't great this year before breaking down their gameplan, specifically Charlie Davies and their defenders. Give it a listen!

Filibuster is back for your ears and is good for your mind. Adam, Jason, and Ben are back and are here to review D.C. United's 4-0 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps. We discuss whether or not they were any good, and then get into D.C. United's play. We talk about Fabian Espindola playing team ball, Luciano Acosta and Fabi possibly playing together, and whether or not Alvaro Saborio is the new Alan Gordon. We also talk about Nick DeLeon and the central midfield, how Bobby Boswell was better, and answer your Twitterbox about D.C. United's keepers. In the second segment, we bring on Kristin Knowles of The Vocal Minority to talk about D.C. United's weekend matchp against Toronto FC. We talk about TFC's struggles since their first game and their formation changes. We also talk about their eight game road trip to start the season, the development of Canadian players, and how to gameplan TFC this weekend. Give it a listen!

Since we have sent Adam off on assignment to Texas, we have the great pleasure to welcome in Greg Roche of DC101 and Pitch Pass fame to his hosting chair this week. Will we accept Adam back? Only time will tell. We start off with D.C. United's 1-1 draw with the San Jose Earthquakes, and ask if we are disappointed about that result. We talk about Fabian Espindola, how he's playing right now, and if he deserves to be the starter, as well as whether or not we're all talking differently about this team and this result if the they had already won a game. We talk about Luciano Acosta and all of the central midfield options, and some of us want to see some kind of change. We end the first segment talking about the way Markus Halsti would be a perfect fit for this lineup, and how we've enjoyed the play of Patrick Nyarko. We then move on to talk about this weekend's game against the Vancouver Whitecaps, including talking about how shorthanded they will be when they come to town. We break down the two empty buckets tha

The Filibuster podcast is back at its full length, but unfortunately it only has depressing things about which to talk. Jason, Adam, and Ben start off by talking about D.C. United's comprehensive 3-0 loss to FC Dallas, and why start out by asking what needs to change about this team. These include specific things, like someone who can score goals, and more metaphysical things, like a change in mindset. We then theorize on a potential Bobby Boswell replacement and a formation that might take best advantage of all of United's current midfielders. We then switch gears to a similarly hapless team, the US Men's National Team. We talk about what happened in Guatemala and all of their players played out of position (despite what Jurgen said) before talking about how they can right the ship in Columbus Returning to D.C. United, we give a full breakdown of the San Jose Earthquakes, and what D.C. United must do in order to come away with some point from the West Coast. Give it a listen!

We tried twice to record a review of the D.C. United versus the Colorado Rapids game, and twice we were stymied by (different!) technological reasons. So we decided to pass on trying a third time to talk about that game, and moved onto the future! We invited Ben Lyon from Big D Soccer onto the podcast to help us preview this weekend's game against FC Dallas. We asked other Ben about what is happening with FC Dallas right now and all of the missing defenders that the team will have due to international callups. We also ask him about Max Urruti and Mauro Rosales, before getting into the state of Dallas' homegrown players. Finally, we ask him to gameplan Dallas for Ben Olsen. Its a good (half) of a show, so give it a listen!

Filibuster is back with a late in the week podcast, but we're never going to leave you hanging. We talk about D.C. United's 0-0 draw with the New England Revolution, talking about how this game looked for neutrals, the new broadcast partners in WJLA and Sinclair, and how the missing pieces affected this game. We also talk about the goalkeepers, both Travis Worra's start and Andrew Dykstra's injury, as well as Luciano Acosta, the central midfield of Marcelo Sarvas and Nick DeLeon, and the young guns of Julian Buescher and Miguel Aguilar. After the break, we talk about the Colorado Rapids and just ask why. We talk about the team over all, Marco Pappa, and the new designated player Shkëlzen Gashi and end by talking about how to beat the Rapids. Give it a listen!

Filibuster is finally back on a Tuesday, and we're here to review D.C. United's first regular season game. We have to talk about Mike Magee and the difference between the two halves against the LA Galaxy, the bad marking on set-pieces, and the benching of Fabian Espindola. We also ask about Lamar Neagle's defense when he was moved to the wing, whether Luciano Acosta will go 90 minutes, and Steve Birnbaum's head injuries. We end by giving our takeaways from this game, including United's new directness and Nick DeLeon's good game in the center of midfield. We then invite on Steve Stoehr from The Bent Musket to break down this weekend's game against the New England Revolution. We talk about the Revs' road draw in Houston, Diego Fagundez's resurgence, and the whole Jermaine Jones situation. We then discuss their system, their new right back in Je-Vaughn Watson, and why Kelyn Rowe was a central midfielder. Finally, we ask Steve about the Revs' stadium situation and how the gameplan the Revs this weekend. Give it a

Even though Ben is off on the beaches, he's still nice enough to edit and publish this week's episode! Jason, Adam, and Donald start off by talking about the new USA crest, in all of its glory. They then break down D.C. United's elimination in the Concacaf Champions League at the hands of Queretaro, including who should be starting in central midfield and whether it was the right decision to let Luciano Acosta fly to Argentina between the two legs. In the second segment, the guys bring on Josie Becker to preview United's first league game this season against the LA Galaxy. They ask whether LA can match the pedigrees of their big signings with actual play on the field and how best to attack a Galaxy that just let in four goal in the CCL. They close with some MLS Fantasy break downs to get you ready for the beginning of the season. Give it a listen!

A Filibuster on a Friday? With so much midweek action, we just had to move the podcast so that we could talk about it (and talk we do). After urging to support Adam shaving off his luscious locks and and bet about college basketball, we get into D.C. United and the Concacaf Champions League. We talk about our feelings about the result, the central midfield pairing of Nick DeLeon and Marcelo Sarvas, and how the team can recover. We also get into Steve Birnbaum and his offensive prowess, Luciano Acosta's competitive debut, and some of the newcomers in the aforementioned Sarvas as well as Patrick Nyarko. We then welcome on MLSsoccer.com's Armchair Analyst, Matthew Doyle, to preview the rest of the league. We talk about the teams that have had the worst and best offseasons, look at the state of three of the league's top teams: LA Galaxy, New York Red Bulls, and FC Dallas. We ask if Orlando City is actually better now that they've added Antonio Nocerino and if the New England Revolution are better without Jermaine

Real games are less than a week away, and Filibuster is here to take you through them. Jason, Ben, and Adam talk about D.C. United's most recent preseason game against the Tampa Bay Rowdies, and have to start with Luciano Acosta's encouraging play. We also talk about United's central midfield and the roles of Nick DeLeon and Marcelo Sarvas, Ben Olsen's implementation of a 4-4-1-1, Chris Rolfe's role in such a formation, and whether or not goalkeeping trialist Benjamin Kirsten can make the team. We then briefly talk about the USWNT's 10-0 victory over Puerto Rico, especially since we have to talk about Crystal Dunn's magnificent performance. Finally, we bring on Brian Dunseth to talk about all things Concacaf Champions League. We start by asking Dunny about his own experience playing in Mexico, whether or not Queretaro can be had defensively, and what the game plan of their coach, Víctor Manuel Vucetich, will be. We then move more general to talk about which MLS teams will have the best and worst times in the

Filibuster is a little late this week, but we are always here for you. Jason, Adam, and Ben are back to talk about the USMNT and D.C. United, starting with USA versus Canada. We talk about how they looked, the continuing farce of Jermaine Jones at center back, the USWNT scoring goals during recording, and the performance of our own Birdbomb, Steve Birnbaum. When then have to talk about all the transfer drama that has surrounded D.C. United these past few weeks. We have to talk about the newest installments in the Antonio Nocerino story; we also talk about Luciano Acosta, the tampering charges that may or may not come against Orlando City, the Conor Doyle trade, and D.C. United's 2-2 draw against J-Sodra in Bradenton. We end by talking about some of the new jerseys out there in MLS, including Vancouver Whitecaps, Orlando City, Real Salt Lake, and the abomination that is Columbus Crew SC. Give it a listen!

There is actual soccer on the field to talk about and Filibuster is here to talk about it. Jason, Adam, and Ben start first with the US Men's National Team's 3-2 over Iceland, and specifically concentrate on Steve Birnbaum's performance. We talk about the second Iceland goal, in which he was the closest defender, but also talk about his two headers that produced an assist and a goal. When then move into D.C. United's preseason and talk about the five man midfield Ben Olsen used for most of the first match. We talk about how there is chaos in that midfield with the sheer number of central midfielders and talk about if Collin Martin could force the team to use a #10. We then talk rumors: Leonardo Gil, Antonio Nocerino, and what recompense D.C. United should require if Orlando City is to get Nocerino. Finally, we talk about the trade for Marcelo Sarvas and hope that the possible move for Georgios Samaras is just a rumor. Give it a listen!

It takes a little while for the guys to remember how to speak after being snowed in for what feels like years, but eventually we do to bring you a brand new episode of Filibuster. We start out by talking about D.C. United's preseason, which is officially underway and features plenty of trialists. We talk about Liam Doyle, Andrea Mancini, Rob Vincent, Ariel Rodriguez, and Paul Torres before talking about the goalkeepers, Paolo Tornaghi and Chris Konopka. We then come back from the break to talk about the new information that we have about D.C. United's stadium on Buzzard Point, including our first impressions, the steep seating, and the Pepco easement that has dominated its design. Finally, we break up the Twitterbox for some questions about Rob Vincent, the MLS Live Archive, and Sydney Leroux and Dom Dwyer. Give it a listen!

The MLS SuperDraft was last week, and we had correspondents there to get all sorts of recordings for you. But first Adam, Jason, and Ben talk in studio, and we have to talk about the awful news that Bill Hamid is out for a couple of months with a knee surgery. We then talk about the SuperDraft, specifically D.C. United's two picks: Julian Buescher and Paul Clowes. We then throw it to Adam and Steven at the SuperDraft for interviews with: Russ Thaler of MLSSoccer.com Julian Bueschers, D.C. United's first round pick Travis Clark of Top Drawer Soccer and Charles Boehm of soccerwire.com Ben Olsen, D.C. United's head coach Paul Clowes, D.C. United's second round pick Kevin McCauley of SBNation.com

There isn't that much D.C. United news to talk about, but Filibuster we are and so Filibuster we must. Jason, Adam, and Ben talk first about United's trade for Patrick Nyarko, breaking down his role and what United gave up to get him. We also talk about United's draft priorities now that they have a speedy winger on board. We then welcome on Alicia Rodriguez of The Goat Parade to talk about LAFC. We discuss their recent badge and color reveal, judge the local reaction to the new team, and talk about the supporter's that are already in place. We also ask about former D.C. player John Thorrington, now an executive for LAFC, as well as their 25 owners. We end by asking about Mia Hamm's promise to bring a women's soccer team to LA as a part of this group. After Alicia leaves, we move on to talk about Camp Cupcake and the D.C. United players that are there. We talk about the mix of players Jurgen Klinsmann decided to call in, and wonder why he brought Jermaine Jones along. Finally, we open up the Twitterbox to ans

The Filibuster crew is back for their first podcast of 2016, and we cover all things MLS SuperDraft. We bring back our favorite expert on the college and youth game, Travis Clark of Top Drawer Soccer, to dig in on this year's class. We compare this crop of new players to previous years, and talk about a lot of specific players including Jack Harrison, Josh Yaro, Omar Holness, Andrew Tarbell, and others. We also talk about who might be available when D.C. United picks, talking specifically about outside backs, midfielders, and who might be the best player still available. We diverge into youth development and homegrown players writ large before coming back and talking about D.C. United's academy and which players might be signed from there. After the break, we head over to the Benny Awards and talk about the Esky Award, for the Fan Favorite, the Popie Award, for the best defender, and the Etchy Award, for the Most Valuable Player. To end the show we spend plenty of time talking about the Hate Index and which M