Beyond 90

Our guest on this episode of Beyond 90 is a rookie defender for NWSL side, OL Reign. She recently logged her professional debut, was the subject of a Men in Blazers short feature, was called a trailblazer by fellow trailblazer Billie Jean King and had a #WCW shoutout by Gabrielle Union on Twitter. You might call that a nice week. Beyond 90 is pleased to welcome to the show #99, the first Native American player in the NWSL, Madison Hammond.

Our guest on this episode of Beyond 90 is the man in the net for the first place and playoff-bound Reno 1868 FC. He’s on loan from New Mexico United, but has asserted himself as one of the top keepers in the Western Conference this season. We are pleased to have the #1 for the Group A #1 team, Ben Beaury.

On this episode of Beyond 90, we're joined by the first ever player signed by San Diego Loyal SC, team captain and local boy, Sal Zizzo. We talk about Sal's youth career, his time with the USMNT U20 side, how injuries affected his Bundelsiga tenure with Hannover 96 and how Landon Donovan coaxed him out of an easy retirement life to be the face and the captain for San Diego Loyal. Oh, and we talked cannolis. You better believe we talked about cannolis. Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREE Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

On this episode of Beyond 90, we are joined by Coach Carrie Taylor, formerly of San Diego Loyal, and a currently a Technical Consultant for the Jamaican Women’s National Team. The Loyalist did a great profile on Coach Taylor back in May and we invite you to listen to that to hear her full story. Today, however, we chat about passion and purpose and what led Coach Taylor to make moves to try to serve a greater good during a global pandemic and a societal awakening on racial injustice. The Loyalist profile on Carrie Taylor: https://www.buzzsprout.com/925657/3851216-loyalist-carrie-taylor-v-normal

Sometimes art imitates life, and a creative comes along and conjures up a soccer team that’s so cool, it should be real. And then sometimes life imitates art, and the fans of this creation simply will it into actual existence with their passion. This is Saltair FC, and we were ecstatic to have Andy Muñoz as our guest on this episode of Beyond 90. He is the producer of the RSL Show, but he’s also the founder, president, CEO, and maybe some other titles, too, for the never-defeated Saltair FC, a team that he simply made up. Saltair FC’s story - by way of Andy - is a wonderful mashup of love for the game of soccer, art and creative expression, and some serious Back to the Future-level fan fiction by the ravenous Saltair FC supporters. We highly encourage you to follow this wonderful creation on social media @SaltairFC and pick up their beautiful @IcarusFC kit and other outrageously cool merch at www.saltairfc.com. @saltairfc #trytosink @andymunoz48 #fakefootball #fakefootballclubs #footballfanfiction #RSLShow #RealSaltLake #RealMonarch #IcarusFC This episode has been edited for length.

Heads up - this episode hits briefly on the topics of addiction and sexual abuse. This show’s guest is one of our favorite players to watch in the USL, and he was also one of the coolest to talk to, as well. Sebastián Velásquez is a real one. He’s the creative #10 for the Miami FC, and has lived a full life and career in his 29 years. We talk about his Colombian roots, his youth career in South Carolina and his early trial with Barcelona (yes, that Barcelona). He would go on to thrive in the MLS with Real Salt Lake and has overcome hardship and tragedy to be a star in the USL with Real Monarchs, El Paso Locomotive FC and now with Miami. We hope you enjoy this episode with Sebastián as much as we did recording it. This episode was edited for time.

On this episode, we are joined by midfielder Distel Zola, a veteran player enjoying his first season in America and the USL Championship after building a stellar resume playing in his home country of France. We talk about his childhood academy days in Champigny-sur-Marne and then advancing to the academy for Monaco, one of the biggest clubs in the world, and capping for Congo, the birth country of his parents. Distel tells us how he came to arrive at El Paso and discusses some of the adjustments involved in moving to America, playing during a global pandemic and offers his perspective on the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement. We thoroughly enjoyed this conversation with Distel Zola and wish him all the success in his first campaign in America.

On this episode of Beyond 90, we're joined by Athletic staff writer Jeff Rueter to talk about the revamped USL Championship schedule, the potential health risks involved in return to play, the national anthem being televised in these matches and whether teams are doing enough to support Black Lives Matter and anti-racism. We don't often break it down into specifics, but anthem talk is around 46:00 and Charlotte Independence/Dan DiMicco talk is around the 50:00 mark. But we loved getting to know Jeff and hearing his story, so we invite you to please listen to the entire episode. Thank you for your insights and generosity with your time, Jeff. And subscribe to the Athletic and read his stuff. It's always incredible.

Our guest on this episode is the Director of Public Relations and Communications for the USL Championship, Scott Stewart. Discussing Liverpool winning the league right off the bat was inevitable, as Scott is a massive LFC supporter, but we also talked about his rapid rise in the ranks in pro soccer, the league’s upcoming return to play and took a quick look at the Western Conference heading into the newly re-designed season. This episode was originally recorded, Thursday, June 25th, and has been edited for length. And Lance’s mic went out during the recording, so we had to use the backup audio. Please excuse the quality!

Our guest in this episode is simply one of our favorite human beings, but he's also an outstanding player for New Mexico United in the USL Championship's Western Conference. We speak to David Estrada about his life growing up in Salinas, California, his journey to play collegiate soccer at UCLA, his pro career which began in the MLS with the Seattle Sounders and finds him now on his current assignment in New Mexico. We also learn about experiences that shaped his strong sense of service and community, and talk about the things he's doing currently in Albuquerque to affect positive change. The internet wasn't terribly kind to us in the recording of this episode, so please excuse the sound quality on this one. That said, it didn't in any way dampen the inspiration we felt after speaking with David Estrada during the recording of this episode. We hope you enjoy.

On this episode of Beyond 90, we're joined by the excellent Ema Twumasi, the 11th overall pick in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft by FC Dallas. The Ghanian footballer is currently on loan and splitting time with USL Championship side Austin Bold FC. Ema tells us about his experiences growing up in Ghana, earning a spot in the Right to Dream Academy and making his way to America to continue his path to the pro ranks. We also get to learn about his incredible friendship with fellow Ghanian footballer and FC Dallas player (on loan with SD Loyal), Francis Atuahene, as well as the story behind the Ema Twumasi foundation, which was launched late last year. An outstanding player and a wonderful person to talk to, we hope you enjoy our episode with Ema Twumasi.

Beyond 90 and our sister podcast the Loyalist join forces for a Q&A with USL Players Association Executive Committee Member (and Forward Madison FC player) Connor Tobin (this podcast will be available here, as well as at www.theloyalist.net). Connor tells us about the history of the USLPA, their goals and what they do, and we discuss the current status of the wage negotiations between the USL Championship and the players during the COVID-19 pandemic. After Connor drops, Lance and Jake continue to discuss the issue on their own for the duration of the show. Beyond 90 and the Loyalist #StandWithThePlayers. We encourage you to explore that hashtag online, share your own story about why you value the USL players in your community and why you believe they deserve a fair, livable wage.

Join us for part 2 of our conversation with the wonderful Lebo Moloto from FC Tulsa. We learn all bout his new start with the new-look FC Tulsa, his work startingthe Chebang Community Cup and his busy life as a father. Lebo Moloto Twitter - https://twitter.com/LeboMoloto22 Lebo Moloto Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lebo_moloto90 Chebang Community Cup - https://www.gofundme.com/f/chebang-community-cup-lebo-moloto #LeboMoloto #Beyond90 #USLChampionship #USL #MLS #soccer #football #SouthAfrica #Polokwane #Chebang #ChebangCommunityCup #LindseyWilsonSoccer #DesMoinesMenace #UnitedFC #SeattleSounders #PittsburghRiverhounds #SwopeParkRangers #NashvilleSC #FCTulsa #ForTulsa @83_United @TulsaLunatics

On this episode of Beyond 90, we're joined by Lebo Moloto from FC Tulsa. Lebo's story begins "on the dusty streets of South Africa" and we learn about his upbringing and the sacrifices made by his family to help him get to America to get an education and a chance to play professional football. Lebo is humble, engaging and hilarious. Thanks for joining us for part one of this conversation. Look for part two tomorrow. Lebo Moloto Twitter - https://twitter.com/LeboMoloto22 Lebo Moloto Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lebo_moloto90 Chebang Community Cup - https://www.gofundme.com/f/chebang-community-cup-lebo-moloto

Note: This episode of Beyond 90 deals with the subjects of depression and suicide. If you, or anyone you know, is experiencing suicidal thoughts, you can contact the National Suicide Hotline by phone (1-800-273-8255) or by text (send HOME to 741741). Our guest today on Beyond 90 is Chris Malenab, Assistant Coach for Reno 1868 FC. He’s an accomplished video analyst, an avid runner, and a vocal mental health awareness advocate. And he knows the best ice cream spot in your town. Links: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ American Foundation for Suicide Prevention - https://afsp.org/ National Alliance on Mental Illness - https://www.nami.org/ Brand New Day - https://bndcommitment.com/ Hope Squad - https://hopesquad.com/ Project Semicolon - https://projectsemicolon.com/ #NationalSemicolonDay #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth

In this episode, Beyond 90 takes an easy stroll with the incredibly humble and soft-spoken Garrett McLaughlin from Rio Grande Valley Toros. We learn about Garrett's strength while facing the adversity of a difficult college injury, he shares his experience with the 2020 MLS SuperDraft, and we settle the dramatic Twitter question of whether Garrett's WiFi was really the cause of his eUSL XBox defeat. And we also talk about dogs because dogs are awesome. #USLChampionship #usl #soccer #football #beyond90 #USLPA #MLS #SMUsoccer #SouthernMethodistUniversity #HoustonDynamo #RGVToros #TorosUnidos @USLChampionship @RGVFC @RGVFC_Stampede #🐂 @chingonrecords @enlasangreprod

In our debut episode, we sit down with Phoenx Rising FC forward Santi Moar to chat about life in Spain, coming over to America to play professional football, and his ascending profile as a star in the USL Championship achieved during spells at Bethlehem Steele, New Mexico United, and now with PRFC. Thanks to Santi (and his passionate friends in the background cheering for the on-going eUSL Rocket League!). Find us on social media: twitter.com/byond90 instagram.com/byond90 facebook.com/byond90 www.byond90.com

Season one kicks off this week with our debut episode featuring Phoenix Rising FC foward Santi Moar! Look for this to drop later this week! Twitter/Insta/FB: @byond90

Welcome to Beyond 90, a new podcast that focuses less on the players’ actions on the pitch, and more on the things that drive the players off the pitch. On this show, we’ll look to explore the personalities of the players, the things that are important to them in their lives, what it has taken for them to get to this level and where they want to go. We both have our favorite respective USL teams and these players are elite professional athletes. So sports will naturally be a topic, but it may not always be the sole focus. We hope you join us this season as we get to know the humans that comprise the USL Championship and beyond. In the meantime, you can find on social media - twitter, Instagram and Facebook at the handle @byond90, as well as www.byond90.com. Look for our first player profile soon. Jake and Lance ~~~ That wonderful jam you hear in the back is called "Ace of Spades" by T. Bless & the Professionals.