Episode 141 – Revolution Redo Review

04/13/21 • 68 min

Defenders of the Banc - The LAFC Podcast

The preseason is over, for LAFC at least, so that must mean it’s time for another episode of “The Most LAFC Podcast on Earth”, Defenders of the Banc! Welcome to Episode 142.

There’s a bit of banter at the beginning of the episode, complete with Filly’s thoughts on Wrestlemania, Scarf heading back into the classroom for the first time in over 13 months, and a shoutout to the LA Tourism Board for helping us catch the match at the Banc. This Day In LAFC History has a ton of LAFC-relevant birthdays, along with a kit that Filly actually doesn’t have in his closet!

Pepsi and the LAFC Foundation are up to some really good things in the community, and Scarf finds out he might be a Pepsi guy after all. LAFC surprises the millions (and millions!) with two new trialists, Mamadou Fall and Julian Gaines, both of whom actually make the 18 this weekend! The Lights get a goal from the Moose while Scarf does several deep dives to find LAFC connections!

The crux of the episode centers around yet another preseason tie, this time a 3-3 draw with the Revs. LAFC finds itself in yet another 2-0 hole, only to dig itself out and salvage a point at home once more. Corey Baird looked solid, the keeper position is still up for grabs, and Eddie Segura scores a goal!

Filly Wonka (you’ll get it) runs down all the ins, outs, do’s, and don’ts about our opening match against Austin FC. When will we hear about tickets? Where do we park? What can we bring inside? Check out this episode for all the details on that, a pretty solid rundown of their roster, and a trip down memory lane of when the USMNT used to qualify for World Cups and Olympic Games!

Enjoy Episode 142, and, in just 4 more sleeps, our first One More Sleep of 2021 will be live on IG AND up on YouTube!

The preseason is over, for LAFC at least, so that must mean it’s time for another episode of “The Most LAFC Podcast on Earth”, Defenders of the Banc! Welcome to Episode 142.

Enjoy Episode 142, and, in just 4 more sleeps, our first One More Sleep of 2021 will be live on IG AND up on YouTube!

Previous Episode

Episode 140 – Back at the Banc for (Pre) Season 4!

Aaaaaaand... we’re back! It may only be for a pre-season tilt against the Revolution, but wow, does it feel good to be back at the Banc! If we’re at the Banc, then it must be time for Episode 140! Season 4 is underway, and we’ve even got some bonus soccer!

On this episode, we catch up with a ton of news and notes from the past 2 weeks. Player news? Oh, we’ve got your player news! Brian Rodriguez, Adama Diomande, Mohamed El-Munir, Phillip Ejimadu, CC Uche, and Jorge Gonzalez all make the cut, and none of them are even on the team!

We also bring you a full recap of the pre-season match against New England. Want something more? OK, how about a recap of the first 30 minutes of the unannounced pre-season match against our new USL affiliate, Las Vegas Lights? We’ve got that, too! And be careful, llamas, because the Moose was loose!

How did the Canadian Glory Machine, Mark-Anthony Kaye, fare against the Cayman Islands? Why was Tomas Romero one of the few bright spots for El Salvador? And how did Jordan Harvey move up a few MLS Leaders lists without even playing in a match? You’ll just have to listen to this episode to find out!

Also on this episode, we cover MLS’s new concussion substitution rule while Scarf attempts to break down the US Open Cup’s 2021 qualification process. (Get your notebooks ready) In unsurprising news, Larry Freedman and John Thorrington make it official. And it wouldn’t be an episode without Filly finding a way to work in his Indiana Hoosiers.

We’re back and in full stride here in 2021. Episode 140 gets the ball rolling on what we hope will finally be the season we bring home MLS Cup. Stay with the Defenders for all your Black and Gold news for season four! See you next week for Episode 141!

Next Episode

Episode 142 - Forza Mo!!

The 2021 season has started, and, in typical LAFC fashion, the boys in Black and Gold open with a win at home! Austin FC kicks off their professional lives with a match at the Banc, and the lads from Texas would leave the match green with envy over the 3 points won by LAFC.

The match started with an incredible tribute to Mo Fascio, both from the club and the 3252. A moment of silence was followed by a moving video tribute to Mo, and the 3252 produced a heartfelt tifo. On the national TV broadcast, Stu Holden and the rest of the broadcast had wonderful things to say in Mo’s memory, and both MLS and Commissioner Don Garber again tweeted about the tributes. Mo, we will continue to honor your memory, your energy and passion, and your mission to unite people through the world’s game.

In a bit of a surprise, the first of many over the course of about 30 hours, LAFC cut ties with oft-starting keeper Kenneth Vermeer, thus finally ending the year-long saga of which goalie will start between the pipes. (Hint: Pablo looked GREAT tonight!) Andy Najar apparently isn’t injured anymore, but he’s also in the nation’s capital, taking the pitch with former LAFC’er Adrien Perez.

More importantly, however, was our chance to socially-distance ourselves at the Banc with 4,400 of our closest friends. Austin FC, or as we affectionately refer to them as, FC Broccoli, begins their life as an MLS franchise by entering the Cathedral of the Black and Gold, Banc of California Stadium, to pick up their first loss in club history.

It didn’t start out well for LAFC. A hamstring issue kept last year’s Golden Boot winner, Diego Rossi, off the pitch, while a miscommunication between Carlos Vela and the coaches led to Vela being subbed in just the 22’. No Vela, no Rossi, and no Rayito? All right, all right, all right! LAFC got to work, and stellar back line play coupled with goals from Corey Baird and Mahala helped the Black and Gold to open the season right for a 2-0 win.

Also on the podcast, our “Wait, What?!” moment makes its triumphant return! What leads Maurice Edu’s birthday shoutout to become a good, old-fashioned “Rants with Filly”? Which player made their LAFC debut, almost four years since being traded away from LAFC? Where was Matthew McConaughey? And which member of the pod had no idea about pager code or the significance of the numbers “143?” You’ll have to listen to Episode 142 to find out!

It’s a win to kick off the season, and another fun episode of “The Most LAFC Podcast on Earth!”