Morning Kickaround
An interactive soccer show happening three times a week covering the world's favorite sport in everyone's favorite country. Working to become the home of the American Soccer conversation. Created and hosted by siriusxm veteran Jason Davis & grassroots journeyman Robert Kerr. Live shows every Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 9:30am ET and on-demand segments on Morning Kickaround's Youtube channel. More ball @mkickaround on social media platforms. Subscribe and join the movement!
American Teenager to EPL, Travel Futbol Fan, Turf Trouble + more
Welcome to Wednesday on Morning Kickaround! Jason is enjoying the Puerto Rican sunshine, so Luke Zagorski joins Robert Kerr for this hump day edition of the show.
We open with American teenage Zavier Gozo singing with Crystal Palace in the Premier League. The Real Salt Lake wing back has six goals and five assists in MLS and is ready to take his talents to the Premier League. How does he fit in with the rest of the Americans plying their trade in England?
Next up is a controversy involving the turf at Gillette Stadium. The...
Bezos Buying Liverpool, USL League One Ambition Ranking, +more
Clang the Clanger! It’s a new week of American soccer and we have billionaires to deal with.
The club isn’t American, but the billionaire sure is. Jeff Bezos, the Amazon master himself, is looking to buy into Liverpool along with a consortium of other sleazy rich folk. Our resident Liverpool supporter, Robert, has thoughts that are bigger than Bezos’s bank account and none of them are complimentary towards the man. Jason does his best to talk him off the ledge.
We do get back to positive stories and the soccer of the people...
USL Premier Check-In Part 1, Q &A with Jason, and more
Friday is here and Morning Kickaround is going to celebrate by figuring out where things stand with the USL’s first division project and their rumors of promotion and relegation.
The questions are endless when it comes to the new USL Premier League. What teams are involved? Will any of them meet first division standards? When will pro/rel become a thing? Robert and Jason do their best to provide answers.
Jason then takes over after Robert has to peace out to be a good dad. He answers listener questions about kits, MLS roster rules, US...
Infantino Temper Tantrum, Rio Grande Valley, Roots Money Issues, and more
Welcome back to the work week! At least Morning Kickaround can get it started on the right foot.
Robert Kerr and Jason Davis open the show with an update on the Oakland Roots and their lease default at the Oakland Coliseum. They played their northern California rivalry match against Sacramento Republic at the big stadium, but they did miss their lease payment that was due Friday and they are now facing a midseason eviction. Not a great look for the USL.
Gianni Infantino also had a rough weekend. He went on an Instagram tirade that...
USL Ratings Hit, Ft Wayne FC doing It all, Dot The Map + More
Welcome to Friday on Morning Kickaround. We wish it was all fun and good news today.
Robert Kerr and Jason Davis open with the unfortunate news that the Oakland Roots are behind on payments for the Oakland Coliseum. They owe $1.4 million by today in order to avoid defaulting on their payments with the city of Oakland. Let’s just say it’s rough times for such a well respected club.
It isn’t all bad news in the USL though. Last weekend's match between Pittsburgh Riverhounds and Louisville City snagged 453,000 viewers on CBS. It was the sec...
Simon Evans on the World Cup and the growth of American Soccer
Simon Evans, founder of The Soccer Business, joins this special edition of Morning Kickaround to discuss what sort of impact the World Cup will have on the domestic American soccer landscape. Will the domestic league see a bounce in popularity or will most of it go to the big European leagues? What can MLS and the USL do to properly capitalize off the giant event that is the World Cup? What other factors can lead to growth?
We have all that and more.
https://www.youtube.com/@MorningKickaround
You can now support the show on Ko-Fi!
Get Your MK Ultra Merch!
Follow us on X.
Spanish Victory and Argentine Disgrace: World Cup 2026 review + more
Spain are champions of the world! For the second time in history, the Spanish have claimed the highest honor in international soccer. This episode is all about the World Cup that was. We start with the Final as Spain suffocated their Argentinian opposition. Who helped lead Spain to victory and what made this team special compared to the 2010 World Cup Champions? As for Argentina, what took them down and how much self-sabotage did they commit with their violent frustration?
We then look back at the tournament we all just witnessed and the moments that stood out both...
World Cup Final, Oklahoma Soccer Brand Reveal, Good Stadium News + more
The World Cup closes this weekend so Morning Kickaround is here to get everyone ready for the Final and whatever the Bronze Medal Match is all about. Will Spain’s metronomic style choke out Argentina’s late game magic? Only time will tell, but Robert and Jason will do their best to predict what's going to happen.
We then have a badge explainer for Oklahoma City’s return to the United Soccer League. How can the group known as OKC Soccer brand themselves in a unique way that pleases everyone? Let’s just say they fell a little b...
MLS World Cup Marketing Push, Vancouver Stadium Update + More
It’s Wednesday, Major League Soccer returns on Thursday. The World Cup is almost over.The winds of change are upon us here at Morning Kickaround.
On Monday, we asked what MLS could do to better capitalize on American World Cup Fever. They have since answered that question with what they are calling “the largest coordinated marketing campaign in league history.” What does that mean and will it have the intended effects? Could they have launched this a bit late in the game?
To that end, we also catch up on the headlines surrounding the USA’s t...
New Stadium Renderings, "Fixing" Pay To Pay, Dot The Map + More
It’s a Friday on Morning Kickaround and there’s a lot to discuss.
We open with high ratings for the U.S. Men’s National Team loss to Belgium. Was this a missed opportunity for our national team to further grow the game in this country? Was that stinker of a performance a missed opportunity for soccer in this country?
We then tackle an age-old question in American soccer: How do we fix that pay-to-play problem that American soccer seems to have. Why does youth soccer cost so much and how do we make the ga...
USMNT is OUT of the World Cup, Quarter Finals Set + More
And just like that, it was over. Today is MK’s postmortem of the U.S. Men’s National Team in the World Cup.
The USA went out with a mighty whimper after all the hype leading up to the Round of 16 match against Belgium. Robert Kerr and Jason Davis look back on the defeat and try to avoid the standard American discussion about all the systemic reasons the United States can’t get over the Round of 16 hump. SHould we really be that upset about how this tournament ended up?
We also take a look a...
Balogun's Ban Suspended, USMNT v. Belgium, Palm Beach Stadium Pitch
It’s U.S. Men’s National Team matchday and we… have a bit of a sour taste in our mouths.
Sure, we are happy that Folarin Balogun can play in tonight’s match against Belgium. We just don’t like the optics of FIFA appearing to make up rules to suspend his red card, seemingly at the behest of the current tenant at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Does anyone come across looking good here? How is Belgium taking the news?
More positively, what’s our outlook for this match? It’s clear that Mauricio Pochettino won’t have any qualms...
USMNT Reaches Round of 16, American World Cup Viewership, Dot The Map
Happy 4th of July to all those who celebrate American independence! Morning Kickaround uses its independence to get you into a thrilling weekend of World Cup action.
The United States won a knockout round game on Wednesday over Bosnia and Herzegovina, but it came at a cost. A fine performance was sort of marred by a Folarin Balogun red card in the middle of the second half. The Americans hung on to win the game after Malik Tillman banged home a free kick to set up a rematch of the 2014 round of 16 against Belgium. What will Maurico...
World Cup Knockouts, Lewandowski to Chicago Fire, USL Space Coast + More
Monday is here and so are the World Cup knockout rounds! After Canada’s win yesterday there’s a ton to look forward to.
Off the field, the U.S. Men’s National Team is looking to keep Mauricio Pochettino around after the World Cup. They’ve offered him a contract extension that would keep him here through the 2030 tournament despite popular opinion saying he’s heading back to club football after the tournament ends.Second cycle managers rarely pan out and certainly have not for the USMNT. Can Poch break that cycle?
Also, MLS is adding...
USA Lose But Advance, Coaches Handling Press, and MLS Stadium Updates
Friday is here, but with the World Cup blending all the days together, what difference does it make?
Anyway, the U.S. Men's National Team fell to Turkiye last night on a last second goal. Does it really matter considering they had already won the group and were playing the backups? Nothing may change materially for their World Cup standing, but did we get a negative vibes shift from the defeat?
Also, Mauricio Pochettino had some strange comments after the match as he got a little snippy with the media. However, what he said was...
Best USMNT Performance Since 1930, World Cup Group Stage Finales, + More
Are England and other big sides getting beneficial treatment from referees? Between questionable no-calls, Jude Bellingham remaining on the pitch after covering his mouth, and a possible missed red card against Lionel Messi, there have been a lot of reasons to think there is a slant in favor of big nations at the World Cup.
Today is also the start of the final round of group stage games. The next four days will be loaded with fateful matches and dead rubbers. Is the volume of non-important games a problem with the new tiebreaking procedure of using head-to-head...
USA Wins Group, American Fan Chants, New Oakland Roots Proposal + More!
The U.S. Men’s National Team are group winners with a match to spare, just like we all predicted before the tournament. All that stress about Christian Pulisic’s health, the Australian defense clogging up what was a free-flowing side against Paraguay, and general USMNT pessimism proved ultimately irrelevant in the 2-0 win over the Socceroos.
The guys deliver their thoughts on not only the win, but also the group sing-a-long of John Denver’s Take Me Home, Country Roads after the victory. Is this American chant culture delivering a moment of beauty or is this evidenc...
USMNT World Cup Matchday, Aussie Rivalry, Dot The Map +more
It’s USMNT Matchday! The Socceroos of Australia are in Seattle to do battle with the Americans and there’s apparently beef coming from the Land Down Under. There are so many questions surrounding the match that we don’t know where to begin. Is the Aussie beef legit? Will Christian Pulisic play? What happens if he doesn’t?
We then get into the highlights and lowlights of the tournament so far. We’ve seen great goals, shocking upsets, and even a brewing media war if certain sources are to be believed.
We also break down the p...
USMNT On Fire, World Cup Craziness, and more
Morning Kickaround is here to help get your head around a thrilling first weekend of the World Cup. From the U.S. Men’s National Team and their dream start to Tunisia getting smoked by Sweden, the first weekend seemingly had everything we needed from it. There was surely a lot to like from the USMNT. Folarin Balogun was stellar, Gio Reyna got a much needed goal, and hopefully Christian Pulisic is okay after coming off at halftime.
Elsewhere in the World Cup, Cape Verde, Curacao, Uzbekistan, DR Congo, Haiti, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, Ivory Co...
World Cup Is Here, USMNT Expectations, New Clubs And Dot The Map
The World Cup is here!
After years of waiting and sifting through corruption, late-stage capitalism, and other cringey details, the actual soccer and global unity of the World Cup is upon us. With that in mind, we have our MK Ultra’s reports on the first few groups of the tournament. Today, we dig into the soccer, culinary, political, and cultural backgrounds of the nations playing in groups A, B, and C.
Also, we have to talk about the U.S. Men’s National Team opening their campaign against Paraguay tonight. What do we expect from...
World Cup Grievances, Fever Pitch for USMNT, Women's Calendar Switch + More
World Cup Week is upon us!
The USMNT had their final tune-up match this weekend in Chicago. The 2-1 loss to Germany was filled with both positives and negatives. The atmosphere was festive, Jedi Robinson scored a banger, but they ultimately fell to the Germans.
Also, the USL Super League is abandoning its fall-spring calendar to better align with the NWSL. What does this mean for the league as a whole? What was behind their original calendar to begin with? What does this mean for the USL overall? So many questions.
Finally, Robert...
USL vs. MLS Battlegrounds, Simon Evans, Dot The Map, + Member Bonus Friday
We are at T-minus six days until the World Cup and T-minus seven days until the USMNT kicks off their run against Paraguay. The signs are there that the United States is ramping up for the hoopla. Where does the hype level stand for the MK Ultras and the country and world at large? What about the expectations for the USMNT?
Also, Greenville Triumph opened their new stadium to a sell out crowd and a victory. How does the new venue compare to one of the more talked about renderings in MK history?
Simon Evans t...
World Cup Water Breaks, Floating Watch Parties, Cotton Bowl Plans, + more
Happy Monday! Holy cow there’s only ten days until the World Cup. With that in mind, we have another World Cup heavy show today.
The U.S. Men’s National Team started their pre-tournament friendlies with a 3-2 win over Senegal, complete with a fantastic performance from Christian Pulisic. How do we feel after this match and are we any more confident in Mauricio Pochettino's squad?
Also, with hydration breaks mandatory in this World Cup, will more teams treat them like a “basketball timeout” like Poch did in the Senegal match? Is that even allowed...
World Cup Ticket Price Crash, Big League Plans in Sacramento + more
Happy Friday from Morning Kickaround! We bring you a World Cup heavy show to launch you into the weekend.
World Cup officials in Foxborough are telling people without tickets not to show up to the stadium. Kraft Sports Group CEO Jim Nolan has a blunt message for anyone thinking about coming to the stadium without a ticket.
There’s some soccer under construction news to go in there as well. Sacramento is pushing the sale of expensive luxury suites at their new stadium. What does this say about their ambitions as a club? Is USL Pr...
USMNT Roster Is Official, FIFA Kills FIFA+, Todd Smith Author of "Relegated"
Welcome back from the holiday weekend! Morning Kickaround is here for the final countdown to the World Cup!
We open the show with the USMNT roster. What do we think of this 26 player squad that will take on the world? What about the details behind how the roster was revealed and media “leaking” the roster? Lots to discuss over there.
Also, FIFA quietly moved FIFA+ content over to DAZN. Is there a fear that content that was once free will soon become hidden behind a paywall?
Author Todd Smith then joins the show to di...
World Cup Broadcaster Joins, Stadium News, Dot The Map + More
Friday comes and with it, a ton of soccer to discuss.
We open with some sour news out of the USL Super League. Spokane Zephyr is shutting down after two seasons of action in the winter women’s league. Was it worth it for them to try this project if it shut down after only two seasons? What does this mean for the future of the Super League? Also, the Tampa Bay Sun don’t seem to have the stadium plans they expected to have.
Fox’s Tyler Terens then joins the show on the heels...
Expansion Club Savior, Dotting The Map, World Cup Countdown
Wednesday is here and there’s a lot to get to.
Robert Kerr and Jason Davis open with the most MLS proposal ever: clock stoppages during play. Will this most American of inventions come to the global game? Also, will the USL be able to make any gains because of the World Cup or should they follow MLS and take an extended break during the world’s soccer party?
We then bring on a potential USL expansion club savior in new Sporting Cascades owner Bill Cornog. He’s a private equity guy investing in his local...
Women's Open Cup? Miami Snubbing Fans, College Soccer Changes, and more
It’s another Monday Morning and we are here to talk about Miami and the MLS Media.
Are Messi and his men snubbing their fans as well as the media? Despite their first win at their new stadium, their fans had a few things to say about their lack of connection to the players. They’ve also been a bit evasive of the media. Is this a Miami thing or does this say something about the league and its media relations?
Also, there are discussions happening about a potential women’s tournament featuring every pro team a...
Fast Food Soccer Stadium, Celebrity Player Signs, USL2 Kickoff + More
Morning Kickaround returns after a Wednesday off with a Friday Free-For-All to kickstart the weekend.
The Chicago Fire have a super-sized name for their new stadium and it’s going to make you want some fries. The Fire will play at McDonald’s Park when the new stadium opens and the reactions are a bit mixed.
American soccer continues to be weird as Cristo Fernandez, better known as Dani Rojas in Ted Lasso, is coming to the USL Championship with El Paso Locomotive. How serious is this move?
Also, how are the promotion/rele...
MK Live! FIFA Host City Kits, Rhode Island Review, and more
It’s recovery Monday for the Morning Kickaround crew as they are back from Rhode Island and more or less ready to resume normal operations.
At least as normal as they can be with FIFA introducing unique kits for each host city priced at a cool $375. What’s the point of these besides making money? Are the designs even that great? Who would pay that price for a kit that no team will ever wear?
Next up, Sporting Cascades finally has some forward motion with new ownership. Robert and Jason dig into the project and how...
MK Soccer Matchday Live from Centerville Bank Stadium in Rhode Island
Robert Kerr and Jason Davis are live from Rhode Island FC vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies courtesy of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council to celebrate all things Rhode Island soccer.
Check out the show live Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9:30 AM ET on YouTube where you can join the channel and become an MK Ultra. Perks include access to our community Discord, early access to bonus video, priority commenting on the live show and much more.
https://www.youtube.com/@MorningKickaround
You can now support the show on Ko-Fi!
Get Your MK Ultra Merch!
Follow us on X.
Follow us on Instagram
MK In Rhode Island, HOK Plans Pro/Rel Stadiums, Dot The Map
It’s MK on the road! Robert Kerr and Jason Davis are in Rhode Island as they get ready for tomorrow's MK Soccer Matchday Live show from The Ocean State.
We open with some new structural developments from across the league spectrum. MLS opened their new headquarters in New York City. The league is, of course, very proud of their new location in the heart of Manhattan.Notable stadium designer HOK is also revamping stadium design for the USL’s pro/rel era.
And, since the guys are in Rhode Island, they bring on Matt Entr...
New York Stadiums, Private Equity in MLS Next Pro, and more
It’s a Wednesday where we are working towards maybe dotting the map in the near future with investment money from potentially shady sources… if that makes any sense.
Robert Kerr and Jason Davis open the show with soccer under construction all over the state of New York. Suyre, New York City FC opening their new stadium next year, but Staten Island, Albany, and even Buffalo all have active stadium projects. Where do all these stand?
Eben Novy Williams, deputy editor of Sportico, joins on the show to break down the effects of a private equi...
USL CBA Details, AC Grand Rapids Launches, Cleveland Team Revealed + More
Morning Kickaround is getting off to a strong start this week with some details on the long awaited USL collective bargaining agreement.
The USL Championship and Premier leagues will be getting a minimum salary hike, health insurance, and more benefits in an agreement that will last until 2030. Robert and Jason break it all down.
We also have a badge explainer for Cleveland’s first professional women’s team and those are always a joy to take a look at.
Darius Barnes, the president of AC Grand Rapids, comes on the show to highlight West...
USL Labor agreement, Investment In MLS Next Pro, TST 2026 + More
It's a loaded Friday here on Morning Kickaround. Let's hope we all have the energy to get through it all.
We open with the news we have all been waiting for. The USL and USLPA have come to a tenative agreement on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement for both the USL Championship and the forthcoming USL Premier. The details are a bit light at the moment, but this is quite a welcome development.
Also, MLS Next Pro is the latest league to welcome a private equity firm into their...
Save the Caps, "Backup League" Stadiums, LAFC Protests, and more
Wednesday is here and so are Robert Kerr and Jason Davis for another edition of Morning Kickaround.
We start by joining the latest soccer crusade to save the Vancouver Whitecaps. With rumors of relocation flying around because of their lack of a quality playing surface, the people are flying into action to try and keep the Caps in British Columbia.
Soccer is still being built from the ground up as a couple MLS Next Pro clubs have some stadium news. Also, does it make sense to build shiny new...
Soccer Stadium News, NYPD Says No, Because Football joins + More
Morning Kickaround may or may not be the cure for your case of the Mondays, but we're going to give it our best shot.
We open in the plains of Iowa where we clank the clanger for a professional soccer stadium in Des Moines. The project entering the fun part of asking for public money and working with architects to develop what we really want: stadium renderings. Speaking of renderings, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds have some new ones from their renovations of Highmark Stadium.
Also, New York City has more...
MLS Rookie Coaches, Soccer History Rhymes, Italy in World Cup? + more
It's a Rob and Luke Friday on Morning Kickaround and they have the rubrics out for the rookie MLS coaches.
MLS has a plethora of new coaches on the scene and Robert and Luke break them down and give them all grades for the first quarter of the MLS season.
Tom and Kirk from the An American Game podcast return the show next to shed some light on how American soccer history does not repeat itself, but the rhymes are everywhere. The alphabet soup of leagues we have now...
Columbus To NWSL, USMNT Ticket Sales Problem, 50 Day World Cup Countdown
Welcome to Wednesday on Morning Kickaround, and today's show hits at one of the things holding down American soccer... Capitalism.
Ticket prices for the World Cup continue to be sky high and sales are slower than expected. USMNT matches are even struggle to sell at the moment. Combo that with increasingly shady business practices by FIFA and you get.. a problem that FIFA doesn't care about and won't even try to solve.
Also, how will the World Cup influence youth soccer and is there any hope for the problems...
USL Labor Beef Get Heated, Soccer Under Construction, Dot The Map
Today Morning Kickaround has to deal with an American soccer landscape that is kind of like Rob's hair... all over the place.
The USL Labor beef takes center stage as a club president decided to take to Instagram to defend his club in the ongoing PR battle around the CBA negotiations. Why did he adopt this tactic and was it actually a good idea?
Also, stadium projects throughout the country continue to grow. Geenville, South Carolina is making waves with a call for investment, but so are Omaha, Toledo...
