Soccerish | Episode 8 | Searching for the heart of American soccer on a bus named Woody

Pablo Bayona Sapag is the founder of Club Eleven, a media company dedicated to telling the stories of American soccer—from grassroots clubs to national team stars.In 2025, Club Eleven turned a 1998 school bus named Woody into a rolling newsroom and museum and drove it 9,000 miles across the country, chasing the U.S. Open Cup and collecting stories you won’t find in a press release.Along the way:A tire blowout outside a funeral homeA block party in Brooklyn with Tim Weah and Allen LazardA USL2 final in Vermont with 5,000 fans—half outside the stadiumA jersey handed over with flare burns still freshA Bayern Munich event at Rockefeller CenterAnd a reminder that soccer in the U.S. isn’t a brand—it’s a habitChristina Unkel and Lori Lindsey dig in with Pablo on what’s growing, and what actually matters heading into World Cup year 2026. It’s grassroots over glossy. It’s the messy, funny, stubborn version of U.S. soccer you won’t get from a press release. Plus how Neil Armstrong took an Argentinean soccer club pennant to the moon.Watch. Argue. Believe.Chapters (mm:ss)00:00 Cold open — rubber, debris, and the birth of a soccer bus00:40 Welcome — Christina & Lori introduce Pablo and Club Eleven02:05 What is Club Eleven — from match-day stories to a bus museum05:10 The Open Cup thread — choosing a roadmap for the year06:40 Meeting Christina — the print mag interview in Austin08:20 Background — Peru → U.S., DC United, and starting Club Eleven12:45 MLS, regional fandom, and missing stories15:20 On the road — Nashville oil leak at a funeral home18:50 Tire blowout — New England detour and making Red Bulls on time21:40 Manhattan stop — Bayern pop-up; Icarus Cup to Vermont in a day24:50 Vermont final — 2,500 in, 2,500 on the hill; flare-burn jersey28:40 “America is a soccer country” — Asheville kids and optimism33:10 The crew — five friends, one bus, 9,000 miles35:20 Funding & vision — the “blank check” bus ideas38:40 Naming the bus — why Woody (and the Neil Armstrong pennant)40:10 Tally — 9,000 miles, 11 Open Cup games, 17–18 total stops42:10 Tuesdays in the lot — Open Cup community and first-timers44:10 Best bars — Phoenix Landing and the Premier League list46:10 Wrap — gratitude, next plans, and sign-offWatch & follow• All episodes on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@SoccerishPodcast• Show notes & clips (Substack) → https://www.soccerishpodcast.com/• Shorts playlist → https://www.youtube.com/@SoccerishPodcast/shorts• IG/TikTok/YouTube: @SoccerishPodcastHostsChristina Unkel (CBS/ITV rules analyst; FIFA referee) & Lori Lindsey (CBS/Amazon/Apple analyst; former USWNT).Contact / [email protected] | Red Card Productions Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.