On this episode of Open Wide for Some Soccer we’re joined by guest Charlie Mitchell, who played in the North American Soccer League for ten seasons. Charlie shares what led him to play with the Rochester Lancers, his greatest memories in playing with some of the best players in the NASL, and what he wishes he appreciated more looking back on his experiences. On this episode: ● How Charlie ended up playing for the Rochester Lancers. ● What was happening in the NASL at the time Charlie joined the Lancers. ● What made Rochester so soccer centric. ● What community’s soccer should be reinvigorated ..read more

This time we’re joined by former Canadian national soccer team and NASL goalkeeper Tony Chursky. During the episode, Tony shares how he became interested in soccer, how he ended up playing with the Seattle Sounders, the most incredible moments of his soccer career, and the meaningful relationships he made along the way. On this episode: ● Who mentioned Tony in a previous episode? ● How Bob and Tony first met and why they hit it off. ● Tony’s fondest memories of playing with Bob. ● What led Tony to become interested in playing soccer. ● How Tony ended up playing with the Seattle Sounders. ● Ton ..read more

In this episode, we are welcoming legendary player Mark Hateley. During his conversation with David and Bob, Mark discusses his new autobiography “Hitting the Mark: My Story,” the influence his father had over his soccer career, the memorable players Mark worked with and played against, and what helped him the most in his efforts to become the best player he could possibly be. On this episode: ● Why Mark felt encouraged to write a book about his career. ● The difficulty Mark had in stepping out of his dad’s shadow. ● The type of player Mark wanted to be when he was younger. ● How his father ta ..read more

Today on Open Wide for Some Soccer we’re joined by Graham Tutt, who played for the Atlanta Chiefs in the North American Soccer League and is a member of the Georgia Soccer Hall of Fame. In this episode, Graham discusses his passion for running soccer camps, how he came to play for the Atlanta Chiefs, and his highlight moments of the NASL. Graham's book 'Never Give Up' is available now, pick up a copy here: https://www.pitchpublishing.co.uk/shop/never-give On this episode: ● What happened early on in Graham’s soccer career that caused a serious injury. ● How Graham ended up playing in South Afr ..read more

In this episode we welcome Thomas Rongen. In 1979, Thomas intended to travel for leisure to the United States. Instead, he ended up playing with the Los Angeles Aztecs. From then on, he would play and then go on to coach amazing teams throughout America. Today, the discussion revolves around great players like Rinus Michels, Johann Cruyff, Gerd Müller, Elias Figueroa, and Teófilo Cubillas. Thomas also shares what it was like playing with his idol, his experience coaching in Samoa, and the documentary about it that followed. On this episode: ● How Thomas ended up in America. ● The childhood her ..read more

In this episode we’ve got John Battsek. He is the producer of the documentary film Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos. We get a behind the scenes look at what it was like to make the film, and we hear about how the perspective of different players often looked different from one another. On this episode: ● How David first found out about Once in a Lifetime. ● What attracted John to the project of making a movie about the Cosmos. ● The influence of the Cosmos playing Chelsea in 1978. ● John’s preference to be in involved in many aspects of the film. ● Players tha ..read more

Today’s guest is Ian Plenderleith, the author of Rock 'n' Roll Soccer: The Short Life and Fast Times of the North American Soccer League. Ian gets into the link between the NASL and MLS, along with how the NASL’s influence is still felt today. We also hear about the different approach towards marketing that each league has utilized. On this episode: ● What inspired Ian to write a book about the NASL after having written many other books. ● How Ian came up with the title for the book. ● Why the MLS is disrespectful to the history of the NASL. ● Indications that people are still interested in th ..read more

On this episode of Open Wide for Some Soccer we’re joined by guest Tom Scholes, author of the book Stateside Soccer. Tom discusses what inspired his book, how perceptions of players vary across time and leagues, and what team you can’t not talk about when discussing the North American Soccer League. On this episode: ● How Tom became interested in the NASL. ● Why you can’t talk about the league without discussing the Cosmos. ● What player Tom says was too ahead of his time. ● How certain players are perceived differently than others. ● Preconceived notions of the league that didn’t stand up for ..read more

Today we’re joined by Andy Dolich, Senior Vice President and former General Manager of the Washington Diplomats. He talks about his most memorable moments in the North American Soccer League, the greatest players in history, and what it takes to create a successful team. On this episode: ● A bit about Andy’s career and the previous sports he worked in. ● How Andy ended up working in soccer. ● An overview of the new book Andy wrote called “Loss of Logo.” ● What Andy and Bob call one of the most exciting times in soccer. ● The slogan that Johan Cruyff used a lot. ● What Andy learned in post-game ..read more

This time we’re joined by soccer legend Jocky Scott who played for Dundee, Aberdeen, Seattle Sounders, and Scotland. During this episode, the group focuses their discussion on Jocky’s time with the Seattle Sounders including his biggest highlights of that time, what it was like for him to move to and play in America, and his experience playing in the 1977 Soccer Bowl Final. On this episode: ● How Jocky ended up playing for the Seattle Sounders. ● His experience with the United States before he started playing there. ● How Jocky’s family managed this overseas move. ● Why playing in Hawaii wasn ..read more