PODCAST · arts
Pitch Pass
by Wonk Eye Media
Talkin’ soccer and life with the people who matter in Major League Soccer. Hosted by Gregory Roche.
Episodes
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D.C. United's Jackson Hopkins: Rene Weiler's Direct Communication Style Is What I Need
It's been a cautious optimism regarding D.C. United's first half of the season. As they head into the World Cup break, the team sits firmly in the hunt for a playoff spot. As they prepare for their last match before the WC break, Roche spoke with homegrown midfielder Jackson Hopkins about the…
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Apple TV's Dax McCarty on D.C. United's Needs
After a productive week D.C. United is trending up. But how much stock can we put in the last two matches after a month of disappointment that proceeded it? To give some perspective, Roche checks in with former MLS great and current Apple TV broadcaster, Dax McCarty. McCarty recently called DCU's...
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Matti Peltola: I've Stepped Up My Game Since Weiler's Arrival
It's been a solid (not spectacular) start to D.C. United's season and one of the standouts through the first two matches has been Matti Peltola. Roche sits down with the DCU midfielder about his strong start, what he attributes it to, Finnish weather, set piece defending, Kurokawa's fitness, and...
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D.C. United 2026 Season Is Here! Yay?
Was Roche thinking of not doing a D.C. United season preview? Yes. But, this is a D.C. United podcast, so here we are. Roche is joined by Jason Anderson of the newly created Green Line Soccer, to discuss what we should be looking for as the Black and Red begin their 2026 season. Can the guys sell...
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Ally Mackay is OUT at D.C. United
Another day, another change in leadership at D.C. United. Ally Mackay is out as Chief Soccer Officer of DCU and with rumors swirling of a new CSO already in place, it's a good time to reset (again) where the club stands as another disappointing season draws to a close. Pablo Maurer joins the pod…
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D.C. United's Summer Cap Situation
With the summer transfer window in MLS opening, what options does D.C. United have with regards to their roster flexibility? Marc Machado knows MLS numbers as well as anyone and he joins Roche to discuss the pivots DCU has made in the last six months, where all the preseason GAM went, how much is...
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Pablo Maurer Let's It Fly!
The Athletic's Pablo Maurer joins Roche to discuss the D.C. United ownership group, whether they are malicious or inept (and which is "better"), how the rest of the club has to manage with this type of owner, and the Audi Field experience. Then, the guys chop it up over career transitioning,...
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Is D.C. United's Academy Still Free?
There's been a lot of conversation around a recent report stating that D.C. United's Academy is no longer free. MLSsoccer.com's Charles Boehm joins Roche to help clarify the situation as well as discuss DCU's transfer plans for the summer, the club's roster profile, and, why Gavin Turner hasn't...
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The Washington Post's Steven Goff On D.C. United: It's a Weird Time
With D.C. United's season slowly going off the rails, this is a good time to see how their off the field year is going. Washington Post journo, Steven Goff, joins the show to discuss the "weird time" the club is going through, the likelihood of on field reinforcements before the end of the season...
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Troy Lesesne on Tactics, Culture, and Expectations
After a solid (but not spectacular) start, D.C. United stumbled badly in their first big test of the season. What went wrong? Can it be corrected? Does this team have the talent to make the playoffs? To get some answers, DCU head coach Troy Lesesne joins Roche to discuss the state of the team…
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David Schnegg: I've Always Wanted To Play In MLS, But It's Not That Easy
Eight years ago, David Schnegg was 19, a full time construction worker, and a part time soccer player in a semi-pro league. Today, he is the starting left back for D.C. United and someone who is being counted on to return the club to glory. He joins Roche to discuss his unusual path to…
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D.C. United-TFC Recap. Plus, Jason Anderson on Troy's Tactics
Roche kicks off the show with a player by player recap of D.C. United's season opening draw against Toronto FC at Buzzard Point. He was in the house for the match and gives his thoughts on the new fan experiences at Audi Field. Then, Pro Soccer Wire's Jason Anderson joins the show to break down…
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It's A D.C. United Season Preview Crossover Event With Soccerwise!
D.C. United's regular season kicks off Saturday against Toronto FC and, to set the stage, it's very special episode of Pitch Pass...a crossover event with the Soccerwise podcast! Roche and David Gass review the Black and Red's offseason, who came, who went, what to expect from the club this year,...
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Who Are The Academy Players At D.C. United's Preseason Camp?
D.C. United is keeping things under wrap this preseason, including what Academy players have joined the first team in Florida. After some digging, we have a rough idea of what two youth players are there. Travis Clark of Top Drawer Soccer joins the show to discuss those players as well as a few...
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Breaking Down D.C. United's Salary Cap Situation
Keeping track of MLS' roster building mechanism is HARD! To help make sense of it all and to get a break down of D.C. United's salary cap situation, Roche brings Marc Machado on the first Pitch Pass of 2025. Marc has made MLS roster building his main focus and gives Roche an idea of DCU's current...
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D.C. United Roster Decisions with Charles Boehm
In a departure from years past, D.C. United announced their end of season roster decision in October rather than November/December. There were some surprises. Charles Boehm joins the show to discuss the surprises, the timing of the roster announcement, and what it says about Ally Mackay's vision....
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D.C. United Offseason Musings Part 1 featuring The Athletic's Pablo Maurer
D.C. United's season has ended with a whimper. So why is there optimism about the club? And is it warranted? The Athletic's Pablo Maurer joins Roche to discuss the general state of the club at the end of another season without a playoff match and the beginning of one of the most important...
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D.C. United CSO Ally Mackay on the Academy and the First Team Outlook
D.C. United recently announced that their Academy is adding a residency component to it's program. What does that entail? How does it impact the first team? Why is it important for the long term health of the club? To get answers, Roche welcomes DCU CSO Ally Mackay to the show to discuss the...
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D.C. United News and Notes 10-8-24
NEW CONCEPT! Roche curates D.C. United news from around the internet and delivers it to you in one place. This week's topics include: -DCU's playoff picture -Kristian Fletcher at Nottingham Forrest -A DCU Academy snapshot Matt Doyle's piece on DCU is here. Pablo Maurer's piece on Benteke is here....
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Russell Canouse Is Back!
Life is good if you are a D.C. United supporter. The team is coming off back to back road wins and finds itself in a playoff spot heading into the fall. But, bigger than that, the club welcomed Russell Canouse back after missing six months due to Ulcerative colitis. Russ joins the show to discuss...
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Evaluating D.C. United's Outgoing Transfer Targets w/Charles Boehm
As the European transfer window closed, there was a number of D.C. United players rumored to be leaving the club. Charles Boehm of MLSsoccer.com joins the show to updates on those players, as well as Ted Ku-DiPietro's extension, if supporter's should be surprised at the international interest for...
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Troy's Tactics w/Jason Anderson
With the summer additions of David Schnegg and Boris Enow, it feels like D.C. United head coach Troy Lesesne has enough of "his guys" to trot out a preferred formation. What is the formation? How does it work in attack? How problematic is it in transition defending? How married to this formation…
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Jacob Murrell On His "Traditional" Path To The Pros, What Sold Him On D.C. United, and How To Pronounce His Surname
Jacob Murrell has taken the traditional American route to becoming a professional...which means he's very unique in the current soccer landscape. The D.C. United rookie joins Roche to talk about his journey from high school to Georgetown to the SuperDraft to DCU professional and how his path help...
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D.C. United In 2024 So Far
Has the D.C. United season been a positive or a negative? Has the team been a pleasant surprise or the same old same old? Have supporters been given a reason for hope or is this another false dawn? The answers depend on your level of fandom and your general way of looking at things. Charles Boehm...
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It's a Pitch Pass Solo Show!
It's the first ever solo show in Pitch Pass history! Roche has some thoughts on D.C. United after two matches (and four points) in the MLS season, the new players, the DPs, the kids and their minutes, Troy and Ally, and more! Follow Pitch Pass on X and Bluesky
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D.C. United Preview with Charles Boehm
D.C. United is back and so is Pitch Pass. Roche is joined by journalist Charles Boehm to discuss the offseason of change around the club. But first, the bad as DCU's preseason trip to Saudi Arabia has caused unease amongst the fanbase (3:06). Then, Charlie gives some additional insight on new...
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D.C. United Post-Mortem with The Athletic's Pablo Maurer
It's not "official" but D.C. United's season has unofficially come to an end without tangible success. The Athletic's Pablo Maurer joins Roche to look back on another lost season for the club, what Wayne Rooney did (and didn't do) for the organization, and where the team goes from here. They also...
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Brendan Hines-Ike: There Needs To Be More Pressure In MLS Matches
D.C. United Defender Brendan Hines-Ike has returned to full fitness after suffering two freak, long term injuries over the last three years. He joins Roche on this episode of Pitch Pass to discuss how his "foot exploded in his boot" and how he got back. He then addresses the team's response to…
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State Of The DCU Academy w/Travis Clark
As MLS season winds down, MLSNext season starts up so it's a good time to check in with the D.C. United Academy with TopDrawerSoccer.com 's Travis Clark. The club's investment in the Academy has been uneven over the years but that seems to be changing with DCU making a real commitment to the…
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Three D.C. United Questions with Pro Soccer Wire's Jason Anderson
D.C. United has reached the home stretch of the MLS season and things are...meh. Pro Soccer Wire's Jason Anderson joins Roche to answer three questions about the club as it makes its push to make the playoffs. 1. Are things better or worse now as opposed to the last 4 years? 2. Can #DCU make the...
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Breaking Through With Ted Ku-DiPietro
One of the pleasant surprises to the start D.C. United's season has been the play of Ted Ku-DiPietro. The DCU Homegrown joins Roche on this edition of Pitch Pass to discuss his season thus far, his "traditional American sports" path to the first team, Wayne Rooney's advice to the young players on...
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Behind The Scenes Of D.C. United's Digital Team with Claudia Pagan
There's not just a different vibe for D.C. United on the field. Off the field, the club has raised their game in a number of areas, especially the digital team. Claudia Pagan has been the face of DCU Digital for the last 4 years and joins Roche to discuss the process of creating content. Apple TV...
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D. C. United Reaches For The Middle Ground
D.C. United's season is underway and the results thus far have been...encouraging? Pro Soccer Wire's Jason Anderson joins Roche to discuss the Black And Red's first two matches and if there is any long term takeaways from them. Among the talking points: -What youngster has the best long term...
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What's The Plan? With D.C. United General Manager Lucy Rushton
It's been an unsatisfying period for D.C. United for both the club and its supporters. But with rumors swirling of multiple additions incoming during the summer transfer window, there is a sense of excitement around the team. Roche spoke with DCU GM Lucy Rushton about potential reinforcements…
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D.C. United Head Coach Chad Ashton on the "Have Fun" Comments, The Chris Seitz Tweets, and...ChadBall???
It has been a tumultuous month for D.C. United following the dismissal of Hernan Losada amid a cloud of controversy and confusion from supporters. New DCU Head Coach Chad Ashton joins Roche to talk about the transition from Losada to him. What's changed, what's stayed the same, and what's ahead....
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The Business Of D.C. United with Danita Johnson
As D.C. United embarks on its second year under the stewardship of head coach Hernan Losada (assisted in the front office by Lucy Rushton and Dave Kasper), off the pitch, the club is going through a similar re-imaging under DCU's President of Business Operations, Danita Johnson. Danita joins…
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New D.C. United Youth Academy Director Patrick Ouckama
D.C. United has a new youth academy director and he joins Roche on this episode of Pitch Pass. Patrick Ouckama plays his hard close to the vest which makes for a fun cat and mouse type conversation. After getting some background on Ouckama, Roche asks about the Pathway2Pro initiative, the recent...
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Griffin Yow Leads A Golden Generation of D.C. United Homegrown Talent
D.C. United homegrown Griffin Yow joins Roche on this episode of Pitch Pass to discuss his "senior year" of high school, the expectations that come with being the first homegrown signing of his generation, his fit in Hernan Losada's plans, and the challenges of the first half of this DCU season....
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Hall Of Famer Bruce Murray On The Accelerator School, The MLS Academy System, And D.C. United
U.S. Soccer Hall Of Famer Bruce Murray joins the show to discuss The Accelerator School, how it differs from traditional schools, soccer clubs, and MLS academies, and his hope that it changes how Americans look at education and soccer (12:50). Then, Roche and Bruce go over the state of the…
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Charles Boehm On D.C. United First Impressions And Potential Culture Change
D.C. United started the Hernan Losada era in...style? Depends on your definition of the word. What isn't up for debate is that DCU got a result against NYCFC in their first MLS regular season of 2021. They did it with, more aggressive tactics and a renewed vigor. Writer Charles Boehm joins Roche…
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The Athletic's Pablo Maurer on the 2012 MLS Eastern Conferecne Semifinals and a 2021 D.C. United Preview
Pitch Pass kicks off its 10th season with one of our favorite guests. The Athletic's Pablo Maurer recently wrote the definitive oral history on the insane 2012 MLS Eastern Conference Semi-Final between D.C. United and the New York Red Bulls. He joins Roche to discuss the oral history and share a...
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Up The Academy with Charles Boehm
#DOOP is all the rage and it's due in large part to the Philadelphia Union Academy. The Union academy is quickly becoming the youth development model in MLS and Charles Boehm has been covering it since its beginnings. Boehm joins Roche for the latest Pitch Pass to discuss the Union model, how it...
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The Athletic's Pablo Maurer On MLS Is Back
Roche checks in with The Athletic's Pablo Maurer for an update on the MLS Is Back Tournament. Has the tournament been good for the league? Is youth finally being served in the League? What teams' performance is indicative of its future? Plus, an update on D.C. United and more. Click here for more...
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Andrew Dykstra On Coaching Youth Soccer During A Pandemic
Former MLS GK Andrew Dykstra now makes his living coaching the next generation of soccer players. In this episode of Pitch Pass, Dykstra discusses the challenges of being a youth coach during a pandemic, which age groups suffer the most from a disruption in training, and which MLS team mines the...
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Frederic Brillant At Home
After scoring the game winning goal against Inter Miami, D.C. United veteran Frederic Brillant, like almost everyone else, has spent the past two months at home. During that time, he's spent time with family, stayed sharp with DCU's tactical Zoom sessions, mentored the younger United players…
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Steven Birnbaum Is The Captain Now
The new season of Pitch Pass is here! First guest of the year is D.C. United captain, Steven Birnbaum. It's his second stint as captain of the Black and Red and he tells Roche what he's learned since his first tenure. Then, Roche and Steve discuss the life changing money to be made in MLS now,...
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MLS Cup Playoffs Preview Part 1
The MLS Cup Playoffs are here! Pitch Pass will spend the next month breaking down the match ups and making BOLD predictions. Roche will be joined throughout the month by former MLS Defender Of The Year, Bobby Boswell, who will be sharing his expert analysis exclusively on Pitch Pass. Sounds…
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D.C. United's Russell Canouse: Renaissance Man
Don't tell Russell Canouse he's had an up and down year. No, seriously, don't. Roche tried and Canouse shut that right down. Hear why he thinks comments about his "form" were overblown, his numerous off the field interests, the long term plan for his life as a realtor, playing right back for D.C....
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Bobby Boswell On The MLS CBA And The Number 32
Good friend of the podcast (and D.C. United legend), Bobby Boswell joins Roche to discuss the upcoming MLS CBA. Boswell has been in the room for the last two rounds of CBA negotiations and offers unique insight on what the players got last time and what they can achieve this time. He also advises...
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Sebastian Salazar Goes Off Board
Roche brought ESPN's Sebastian Salazar on talk D.C. United tactics. He did not want to talk about D.C. United tactics. Instead, Roche and Sebi discussed fan alienation, an owner's obligation to club supporters, long term investment vs. short term capitalization, and the role of minority voices in...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Talkin’ soccer and life with the people who matter in Major League Soccer. Hosted by Gregory Roche.
HOSTED BY
Wonk Eye Media
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How many episodes does Pitch Pass have?
Pitch Pass currently has 186 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Pitch Pass about?
Talkin’ soccer and life with the people who matter in Major League Soccer. Hosted by Gregory Roche.
How often does Pitch Pass release new episodes?
Pitch Pass publishes regularly with 186 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
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Pitch Pass is created and hosted by Wonk Eye Media.
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