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sponsored by Dr. David Olivo Family Dentistry
Soccer is a Kick in the Grass Podcast Archive 2022
Previous shows will be uploaded over time into the Podcast Archive sections.
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December 29, 2022 - our year end show
On our special 90 minute year end show, we remembered the king of soccer, Pele, who passed away on December 29 at the age of 82. Joining Andrew, Dick Howard and Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis, the author of "Alive and Kicking, the Incredible but True Story of the Rochester Lancers" (go to rochesterlancersbook.com), to share their memories of Pele were the Chairman of the Board of the original Lancers, Charlie Schiano, and Lancers Wall of Famer Nelson Cupello from Brazil. Charlie and Nelson also gave tribute to original Lancer and longtime local soccer coach Don Lalka, who died on Christmas Day.We also had the managing director & Chief Commercial Officer for Flower City Union, Mark Washo, on to talk about the first season for Union and his late friend, US Soccer Hall of Famer and MLS founding father, Kevin Payne. Finally, we previewed the return of the indoor Rochester Lancers in MASL2 head coach Jake Schindler.- December 19, 2022On the show, host Joe Sirianni, co-host Andrew Battisti and our correspondents Dick Howard and Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis, the author of "Alive and Kicking, the Incredible but True Story of the Rochester Lancers" (go to rochesterlancersbook.com), reviewed and discussed the 2022 Men's World Cup and debated if Lionel Messi is the greatest player of all time and if the final was the best final in World Cup history. We also reported on the schedule for the US and Canada in the upcoming Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
December 12, 2022
On the show, we paid tribute to the late US Soccer journalist Grant Wahl, who passed away in Qatar on December 9 while covering the World Cup. Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis, the author of "Alive and Kicking, the Incredible but True Story of the Rochester Lancers" (go to rochesterlancersbook.com), gave his memories of Grant and the excellent and fearless writer he was.We also focused on the FIFA World Cup with host Joe Sirianni and Andrew Battisti and our correspondents Michael Lewis and Dick Howard discussing the exciting Quarterfinal matches and giving our thoughts and predictions on the semi-finals and who will raise the trophy on Sunday. Michael also gave the latest news on the controversial situation between US Soccer star Gio Reyna and US National team coach Gregg Berhalter.December 5, 2022
Our special guest was the only man to win 2 NASL MVP awards, Rochester Lancers' Wall of Famer and proud Brazilian, Carlos Metidieri, who spoke on his receiving a ring for the 1970 NASL champion Lancers for his birthday over the weekend, Brazil's 4-1 win over South Korea in the World Cup, the US being eliminated and what it was like playing for the US National Team in the early 1970's.
We also focused on the FIFA World Cup with host Joe Sirianni and Andrew Battisti and our correspondents Dick Howard and Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis, the author of "Alive and Kicking, the Incredible but True Story of the Rochester Lancers" (go to rochesterlancersbook.com), discussing the USA's loss to Holland in the round of 16, the favorites making the quarterfinals and the marquee matchups already in place for the Round of 8 and if the distractions related to Cristiano Ronaldo and his potential $200MM move to Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia could hurt Portugal against Switzerland.November 28, 2022
On this show, we focused on the FIFA World Cup with host Joe Sirianni and Andrew Battisti and our correspondents Dick Howard and Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis, the author of "Alive and Kicking, the Incredible but True Story of the Rochester Lancers" (go to rochesterlancersbook.com), discussing the USA's 1-0 win over Iran and their knockout stage match with Holland, Canada being eliminated and the upcoming final group stage matches.November 21, 2022
This week's show was 45 minutes and focused on the FIFA World Cup with host Joe Sirianni and Andrew Battisti and our correspondents Dick Howard and Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis, the author of "Alive and Kicking, the Incredible but True Story of the Rochester Lancers" (go to rochesterlancersbook.com), discussing the first 4 matches of the competition, including the USA's 1-1 draw with Wales, and previewing the important upcoming matches in the next 7 days.Joe and Andrew also reviewed the local college soccer postseason and the IASC Boom's 3rd qualifying round match in the US Open Cup against SC Vistula Garfield that the Boom lost 2-1 on the road.November 14, 2022
Our special guest was the MVP of MLS Cup 2022, former Rochester Rhinos keeper John McCarthy of LAFC, who spoke on the instant classic match and how he feels 9 days hence, his coming on in extra time after the injury to starter Maxine Creapeu, the PK shootout and his making 2 saves to secure the win, winning the Cup and the MVP award and what is next for him in the offseason.Dick Howard and Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis, the author of "Alive and Kicking, the Incredible but True Story of the Rochester Lancers" (go to rochesterlancersbook.com) previewed World Cup groups F with Canada, D featuring defending champion France, H with CR7 and Portugal and B with the US, England, Wales and Iran.Joe and Andrew reviewed the local high school and college playoff matches this past weekend and the IASC Boom's 3rd qualifying round match in the US Open Cup against SC Vistula Garfield.November 7, 2022
Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis, the author of "Alive and Kicking, the Incredible but True Story of the Rochester Lancers" (go to rochesterlancersbook.com) gave his onsite report on the historic MLS Cup final that was won by host LAFC over Philadelphia Union on PK's 3-0 after a 3-3 tie after extra time. Michael also previewed World Cup Group C featuring Argentina, Mexico, Poland and Saudi Arabia and Group F with Spain, Germany, Japan and Costa Rica.Dick Howard previewed World Cup group A with host Qatar, Holland, Ecuador and Senegal and group G with favorites Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland and Cameroon and reviewed the weekend's big matches across Europe.October 31, 2022
Our special guest was the owner of the Rochester Lancers, Soccer Sam Fantauzzo, who spoke on how the team came back from hiatus to compete in the MASL2 this coming year, the venue being TSE in East Rochester and the limited number of tickets available, how the team will develop players for MASL1 and his being selected for a 2022 ICON Honors Award for his notable business success and demonstration of strong leadership.Dick Howard reviewed the Canadian Premiership final where Forge FC beat host Atletico Ottawa 1-0, previewed the UEFA Champions League final group stage matches and discussed the request by Ukraine to FIFA to remove Iran from the upcoming World Cup.Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis, the author of "Alive and Kicking, the Incredible but True Story of the Rochester Lancers" (go to rochesterlancersbook.com) spoke on the MLS semi-finals and the Cup Final on Saturday in Los Angeles between host LAFC and Philadelphia Union, plus he gave his thoughts on the World Cup Draw for the US Women for Australia/New Zealand 2023.October 24, 2022
Our special guest was the new coach of the indoor Rochester Lancers, Jake Schindler, who spoke on how he came to be the manager of the team, his plans for selecting the players for the Lancers, how he plans to prepare the team for the upcoming season and if he will don the jersey and play for the Lancers.The Kick in the Grass team recalled their favorite moments in the career of the immortal Pele, who celebrated his 82nd birthday on October 23.Dick Howard previewed the Canadian Premiership final between Atletico Ottawa and Forge FC, and reviewed the draw for the Canadian women in the 2023 World Cup and the big Premiership and Serie A matches from the past week.Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis, the author of "Alive and Kicking, the Incredible but True Story of the Rochester Lancers" (go to rochesterlancersbook.com) spoke on the MLS playoff results, including NYCFC defeating host Montreal 3-1, previewed the conference finals of Philadelphia Union/NYCFC and LAFC/Austin FC on Sunday and talked about the passing of the NY Red Bulls owner Dietrich Mateschitz.October 17, 2022
Our special guest was the co-owner of the IASC Boom, Nick Mojsovski, who spoke on the team's 3-1 win over Sahara Gunners in the 2023 US Open Cup qualifying round 2, the key players on the team and the potential for a home match on the weekend of November 18-20 in USOC Round 3.Joe and Andrew discussed the return of the indoor Rochester Lancers to the Major Arena Soccer League 2nd division for the upcoming 2022-23 season, when the matches will be played and some potential big news coming out of the league meetings this week. We hope to have a special guest from the Lancers next week.Dick Howard and Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis, the author of "Alive and Kicking, the Incredible but True Story of the Rochester Lancers" (go to rochesterlancersbook.com) spoke on the MLS playoff results, with Michael also previewing the NYCFC/Inter Miami match tonight from Citi Field and remembering Ian Martin, a former member of the Rochester Flash in the early 80''s and a long time coach, who passed away recently.Dick also reviewed the opening leg in the Canadian Premiership semi-finals, the instant classic Liverpool 1-0 win over Manchester City Sunday and the rest of the big European matches in the last week.- October 10, 2022Our two special guests were:
- Lancers Wall of Famer Nelson Cupello, who spoke on being honored recently by MCC, who dedicated a plaque at their soccer stadium to both him and founding Men's Soccer coach Joe Mancarella for over 60 years of service to the program, and SUNY Fredonia, who celebrated Cupello's 1985 and 1986 NCAA D3 Final 4 teams.
- Flower City Union head coach Colton Bly, who reviewed the loss earlier in the day to Michigan in the final match of 2022 and discussed the overall season and the plans for next season.
Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis, the author of "Alive and Kicking, the Incredible but True Story of the Rochester Lancers" (go to rochesterlancersbook.com), and Dick Howard discussed the upcoming MLS playoffs, with Dick also reviewing the big European league matches over the past weekend and previewing the Canadian Premiership playoffs and the next round of the UEFA Champions League.Michael Lewis also spoke on the final NY Red Bulls matches on the MSG network with the broadcast team of Shep Messing and Steve Cangialosi, as all MLS matches will be on AppleTV in 2023, and why NYCFC are playing at Red Bull Arena in the playoffs and not at Citi Field or Yankee Stadium. October 3, 2022
Tonight's show focused on the 2 major stories in soccer over the past 3 days, the tragic incident after an Indonesian soccer match where 125 people were killed and hundreds injured and the landmark report from US Soccer on the abuse and misconduct in the NWSL.Dick Howard talked about the Indonesia tragedy and the repercussions of the situation, plus Dick reviewed Canada's 2-0 loss to Uruguay in their final World Cup tune-up, the Canadian teams in MLS and the Canadian Premiership fighting for playoff positioning, the latest results in the EPL and this week's big Champions League and domestic league fixtures.Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis, the author of "Alive and Kicking, the Incredible but True Story of the Rochester Lancers" (go to rochesterlancersbook.com) spoke in depth about the report on the NWSL from US Soccer and what could happen as a result, as well as the US Men tying Saudi Arabia 0-0 in their last warmup match before Qatar 2022 and Decision Day in MLS on Sunday where the final playoff spots and positions will be decided for all teams, including the NY Red Bulls and defending champions NYCFC.Andrew spoke with host Joe Sirianni at the Italian American Sport Club and discussed the club's 2nd round match in the US Open Cup next Saturday, Lancers Wall of Famer Nelson Cupello being honored twice within 8 days in October and former MCC standout Hadji Berry moving from the USL to play in the Egyptian 1st Division.September 26, 2022
Tonight's show was dedicated to the memory of original Rochester Lancer and a member of the Lancers Wall of Fame, Tito Laurini. Our first special guest was the Chairman of the Board of the original Lancers, Charlie Schiano, who, along with host Joe Sirianni, gave his memories of Tito as a player, coach, family man and a friend.Both his Lancers' teammate Dick Howard and Lancers biographer and Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis, the author of the book "Alive and Kicking, the Incredible but True Story of the Rochester Lancers" (go to rochesterlancersbook.com), remembered Tito as well. Michael and Dick also reviewed the pre-World Cup friendlies taking place last week and this week.Our second special guest was Flower City Union assistant coach Jordan Sullivan, who reviewed the team's tough 1-0 defeat at Chattanooga, previewed the final match of 2022 on Columbus Day against Michigan and how the team is preparing for the contest and also talked about his soccer background growing up in London.Andrew reviewed RNY FC's 4-1 playoff loss to Columbus Crew 2 in MLS Next Pro and looked forward to what is coming next season.September 19, 2022
Our special guest was the Managing Director and Chief Commercial Officer for Flower City Union, Mark Washo, who talked about the team's front loaded schedule and its impact on the attendance this season, what is happening with NISA for next season and the team's upcoming match against host FC Chattanooga on Saturday.Dick Howard gave his thoughts on the funeral of HRM Queen Elizabeth II, the big clubs having trouble in Serie A, the latest matches in the EPL and Canada's Men's National team preparing for the World Cup in 2 months with a friendly against the World Cup hosts Qatar on Friday.Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis, the author of "Alive and Kicking, the Incredible but True Story of the Rochester Lancers" (go to rochesterlancersbook.com), discussed US National team players in England and their reactions to the passing of the Queen and the selection of the US Men's National Team for upcoming friendlies against Japan and Saudi Arabia.Joe and Andrew reviewed RNY FC's 2-2 draw with NYCFC 2 on Sunday that qualified the team for the MLS Next Pro playoffs starting Saturday at Columbus Crew 2.- September 12, 2022Our special guest was the head coach of RNY FC, Bruno Baltazar, who talked the team's critical 1-0 away win against Toronto FC 2 that put the team into 1st place in the division, the up and down streakiness of the team during the season, the quality of play in MLS Next Pro and this Sunday's key match against NYCFC 2 for a playoff berth.Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis, the author of "Alive and Kicking, the Incredible but True Story of the Rochester Lancers" (go to rochesterlancersbook.com), discussed his voting for the Builder's coaching selection for the National Soccer Hall of Fame, the latest news and thoughts on the NY Red Bulls and NYCFC and the possibility of the US hosting the 2023 Club World Cup.Dick Howard gave his thoughts on the passing of HRM Queen Elizabeth II and the subsequent cancellation of many matches across the UK, the sacking of Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel, the dream player matchups in the UEFA Champions League this week and the weekend's key domestic contests, CF Montreal qualifying for the MLS playoffs and Toronto FC's struggles to get into the postseason.Joe and Andrew gave the latest news on Flower City Union, who have just 2 matches left on Sept 24 in Chattanooga and home Oct 10 against Michigan), and congratulated Katie Cappelletti, the UWS GK of the year and 1st team all-star and 2nd team selection Caroline Kopp, both of the Rochester Lady Lancers.
September 5, 2022
On this "Best Of" show, we concluded a two-part series on the founding and early years of the Rochester Lancers, the oldest pro franchise in US Soccer, which started in 1967 and is still going strong in 2022. Lancers Historian Andrew Battisti had the honor of speaking at length with the man without whom there would be no professional soccer in the United States today, the Chairman of the Board of the original Rochester Lancers, Charlie Schiano, a gentleman who should be a part of the US Soccer Hall of Fame.In Part Two, Charlie discussed the 1970 season where the Lancers won the NASL Title, 1971 where the Lancers were the regular season NASL champs and played in the longest 2 matches in pro soccer history and the Lancers competing in the 1972 CONCACAF Champions Cup in Guatemala.You can read about the history of the Rochester Lancers in the new book by our US Soccer correspondent Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis, "Alive and Kicking, the Incredible but True Story of the Rochester Lancers" (go to rochesterlancersbook.com).August 29, 2022
On this "Best Of" show, we began a two-part series on the founding and early years of the Rochester Lancers, the oldest pro franchise in US Soccer, which started in 1967 and is still going strong in 2022. Lancers Historian Andrew Battisti had the honor of speaking at length with the man without whom there would be no professional soccer in the United States today, the Chairman of the Board of the original Rochester Lancers, Charlie Schiano, a gentleman who should be a part of the US Soccer Hall of Fame.In Part One, Charlie discussed how the Lancers started, shared some amazing but true stories about the American Soccer League years from 1967-1969 and detailed the true story of how the Lancers saved US professional soccer in 1970 by moving to the NASL.You can read about the history of the Rochester Lancers in the new book by our US Soccer correspondent Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis, "Alive and Kicking, the Incredible but True Story of the Rochester Lancers" (go to rochesterlancersbook.com).August 22, 2022
We concluded our 3 week celebration of 45th anniversary of the 1977 Rochester Lancers semi-final run in the NASL playoffs with our special guest, hall of fame player and coach Nelson Cupello, who spoke on the most watched matches in Lancers history, the semi-finals against the Cosmos, and told about how he became a member of the Lancers out of college.We also were joined by former NPSL and MASL Lancer, the newest member of Flower City Union, Michael Cunningham, who spoke on how he came to play for Union, the tough 2-0 loss to Syracuse at home on Saturday, the upcoming West Coast road trip against San Diego and LA and his soccer training YouTube channel with over 1 million followers, - click here to visit the site.Dick Howard reviewed Monday's Serie A matches and the big EPL contest between Manchester United and Liverpool, he weekend's key contests across Europe, Toronto FC's 2-1 loss in Miami and the CONCACAF Champions League tie between Pacific FC and Herediano of Costa Rica.Host Joe Sirianni and Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis, the author of "Alive and Kicking, the Incredible but True Story of the Rochester Lancers" (go to rochesterlancersbook.com), also spoke about the Lancers/Cosmos series, the first match in front a record crowd of over 20,00 at Holleder Stadium won by the Cosmos 2-1, and second leg in front of over 77.000 fans at old Giants Stadium, again with the Cosmos. Michael also commented on Leeds United beating Chelsea 3-0, Leeds having 2 US internationals in the 11 and American coach Jesse Marsch.August 15, 2022
We continued our 3 week celebration of 45th anniversary of the 1977 Rochester Lancers semi-final run in the NASL playoffs with our special guest, Rochester native and Lancers forward Craig Reynolds, who spoke on the intense, physical and memorable quarterfinal series between the Lancers and the NASL Champion Toronto Metros-Croatia won by Rochester 2 matches to zero.Dick Howard reviewed Toronto FC's 3-1 win over Portland, the controversial 2-2 draw between Chelsea and Spurs, Manchester United being at the bottom of the EPL table, Liverpool drawing Crystal Palace 1-1, the start of Serie A and the latest from the Canadian Premiership.Host Joe Sirianni and Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis, the author of "Alive and Kicking, the Incredible but True Story of the Rochester Lancers" (go to rochesterlancersbook.com), also spoke extensively on both Lancers' wins over Toronto in the 1977 playoffs and their memories of series, which may have been the best in NASL playoff history, and the tough weekend for the New York City MLS teams.Joe and Andrew Battisti reviewed the latest matches played by Flower City Union and RNY FC and discussed their upcoming contests this week.August 8, 2022
We began our 3 week celebration of 45th anniversary of the 1977 Rochester Lancers semi-final run in the NASL playoffs with our special guest, Lancers defender, NASL veteran and former US International Don Droege, who spoke about the mood of the team before the 1st playoff match in St. Louis, the challenges the Lancers had in winning on the road, the conditions and the result of the contest, a shootout win after a 0-0 draw and what the win meant to the team in preparation for the quarterfinal series against Toronto, which we will review next week.Dick Howard reviewed Toronto FC's big 4-3 win in Nashville and the 1st weekend of matches in the Premiership, plus Dick and Joe previewed the upcoming season in Serie A and La Liga.Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis, the author of "Alive and Kicking, the Incredible but True Story of the Rochester Lancers" (go to rochesterlancersbook.com), also spoke on the Lancers win in the NASL playoffs against St. Louis, which he attended and covered for the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, the MLS All-Star Game against the Mexican All-Stars and the tough results for the NY Red Bulls and NYCFC last week.Host Joe Sirianni and Andrew Battisti talked about the 1977 team and their memories of that season and the upcoming matches for Flower City Union and RNY FC.August 1, 2022
Dick Howard gave his post-tournament report on the Women's Euros including England winning their first major trophy in 56 years, what this means to the nation and women's soccer and if the European Teams can challenge the USA and Canada for the 2023 Women's World Cup.Dick's second segment was a preview of the new English Premier League and Bundesliga seasons, including what teams will challenge for the title and the major player moves that have taken place so far.Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis, the author of "Alive and Kicking, the Incredible but True Story of the Rochester Lancers" (go to rochesterlancersbook.com), spoke on the US Open Cup semi-finals and the demise of the NY Red Bulls, NYCFC's offense sputtering against Montreal and the mayor of New York City allegedly being in favor of a new stadium for NYCFC near Citi Field.Host Joe Sirianni was on from the Italian-American Sport Club and he gave his thoughts on the Women's Euros, plus he and Andrew discussed the next matches for Flower City Union and RNY FC.- July 25, 2022Our special guest was former Rochester Lancer and Flower City Union striker and the new assistant coach of Temple University Men's Soccer, Lukas Fernandes, who spoke on his decision to move from player to coach, what his role will be for Temple soccer and the challenge of recruiting top talent to play college soccer and not go pro.Dick Howard and Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis, the author of "Alive and Kicking, the Incredible but True Story of the Rochester Lancers" (go to rochesterlancersbook.com), reviewed the CONCACAF Women's Tournament final where the US beat Canada 1-0 for a spot in the Olympics. Dick also talked about the Toronto FC winning 4-0 on Saturday thanks to their new Italian international signings, the big crowds for the international friendlies in the US this past weekend, England Community Shield between Man City and Liverpool this Saturday the Women's Euro tournament semi-finals and the Canadian Championship final between Vancouver and Toronto.Michael talked about NYCFC and MLS leading scorer Taty Castellanos being loaned to FC Girona in Spain, who will pick up the scoring slack and the NY Red Bulls big week starting with a 4-3 away win at Austin, the US Open Cup semi-final at Orlando Wednesday and their hosting Barcelona in a friendly on Saturday.Host Joe Sirianni returned to the show and reviewed Flower City Union winning the NISA Independent Cup Northeast 2-0 in extra time over NJ Alliance and RNY FC dropping a tough 2-0 result at home to bottom of the table FC Cincinnati 2.
July 18, 2022
Our special guests were RNY FC assistant coach Gui Ramos, who spoke on the team's big 1-0 away win at NYCFC II, how the team has turned around a slow to start to have 1 loss in their last 10 matches and the big home match against FC Cincinnati 2 on Friday, and new Flower City Union back Noah Cavanaugh, who spoke on coming to play in Rochester in the last week, the loss on Saturday to Chattanooga, the NISA Cup match on Sunday at home and his using social media to further his and his team's brands (www.noahcavanaugh.com).Dick Howard and Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis, the author of "Alive and Kicking, the Incredible but True Story of the Rochester Lancers" (go to rochesterlancersbook.com), previewed the CONCACAF Women's Tournament final between the US and Canada for a spot in the Olympics. Dick also talked about the Women's Euro tournament knockout stage and Toronto FC's new Italian international signings likely playing their first match for the Reds this Saturday.Michael reviewed the Hudson River Derby between host NY Red Bulls and NYCFC, won by the visitors 1-0 and the international club friendlies happening this week in the US.The show also paid tribute to the late Agnes (Aggie) Schiano, the wife of NASL Rochester lancers Chairman of the board, Charlie Schiano, who passed away last week at the age of 86. All of us on the show send our deepest condolences to Charlie and his family.July 11, 2022
Our special guest was the player of the match in the Rochester Lady Lancers 7-0 win over Erie Sunday, Caroline Kopp (2 goals & 2 assists), who spoke on the Lancers historic season (7-1-2) winning a share of the UWS Penn-NY division title, how the team prepared for and executed the game plan to score enough goals to make the playoffs, her first time playing forward, how the team felt after the match and what we can expect next season from the Lancers.
Dick Howard and Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis, the author of "Alive and Kicking, the Incredible but True Story of the Rochester Lancers" (go to rochesterlancersbook.com), spoke on the CONCACAF Women's Tournament, Canada and the USA qualifying for the 2023 Women's World Cup and what the sides must do to win the title and punch their ticket for the 2024 Olympics.
Dick also talked about the Women's Euro tournament taking place in England, the latest from the transfer window, including Paul Pogba returning to Juventus, Everton & Chelsea playing preseason matches in the US this weekend and a totally shocking play that put the Canadian Premiership on the world soccer stage. Michael gave the latest news on the Lances book, the return of Wayne Rooney to MLS as coach of DC United, the fight at the top of the MLS East with NYCFC and the Red Bulls taking points over the weekend and facing each other this Sunday.
Andrew reviewed the latest matches from the local Rochester teams, Flower City Union, RNY FC and ROC City Boom, who lost in the UPSL playoffs round of 32.
June 27, 2022 - Show repeated on July 4
The host of Soccer is a Kick in the Grass and former NASL Rochester Lancers trainer, Joe "Red Card" Sirianni, told the true story of how he became the first trainer in US Pro soccer history to be red carded in a match. The fixture was the Lancers against the host Chicago Sting back in 1977, 45 years before Philadelphia Union's Paul Rushing suffered the same fate in the June 26 match against NYCFC.
Dick Howard and Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis, the author of "Alive and Kicking, the Incredible but True Story of the Rochester Lancers" (go to rochesterlancersbook.com), spoke on the current CONCACAF Men's U-20 tournament and the upcoming CONCACAF W championship that both will decide births in the World Cup and the Olympics. Dick also talked about the Canadian Championship semifinals and the upcoming Women's European Championships.
Michael reviewed the aforementioned Philadelphia/NYCFC match, LAFC beating the visiting NY Red Bulls, LAFC officially signing Giorgio Chiellini and Gareth Bale and the US Women beating Columbia Saturday.
Joe and Andrew reviewed RNY FC tying Columbus 0-0 and getting the PK bonus point, the Lady Lancers going unbeaten in their last 6 matches after a 2-0 win over FC Berlin and Roc City Boom making the final of the UPSL Western NY division against Syracuse FC.June 20, 2022
Our special guests were Rochester Lady Lancers' coach Adam Schwartz, who spoke on the teams 4 match unbeaten streak, their 1-0 win over host Pittsburgh and the two important matches at FC Buffalo Friday and home to FC Berlin on Sunday, and RNY FC defender Ian Garrett, who talked about his soccer background, playing in Finland and Sweden, how the team has improved since the start of the season, standout GK Caique and his PK prowess and the big match against 1st place Columbus on Friday.
Dick Howard and Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis, the author of "Alive and Kicking, the Incredible but True Story of the Rochester Lancers" (go to rochesterlancersbook.com), spoke on the 2026 World Cup host cities selection in the US and Canada.
Dick also talked about the U-20 CONCACAF Men's Tournament, the Canadian Championship semifinals, FC Monza being promoted to Serie A for the first time and the Premiership schedule for this coming season.
Michael previewed the US Open Cup quarterfinals, talked about Ryan Giggs stepping down as Wales manager, the US Women facing Columbia Saturday and NYCFC and NYRB being 1-2 in the MLS East.
Joe and Andrew reviewed Flower City Union's 2-2 draw with Albion San Diego and talked about Roc City Boom winning the UPSL Western NY Division for the 3rd straight year and their 1st playoff match Sunday.
June 13, 2022 - Our 28th Anniversary Show
This was our special 90 minute 28th anniversary show with:- Rochester Lady Lancers superstar Brooke Barbuto, who spoke on her returning to the Lancers from Syracuse, the team's recent success on the field and her being a true "soccer mom" to her daughter.
- The man who saved pro soccer in the US in 1970 by moving the Rochester Lancers from the American Soccer League to the NASL, former Lancers owner Charlie Schiano, who talked about how the team was founded in the mid-60's, the move to the NASL in 1970 and the Lancers being the longest running soccer brand in the US.
- The President of RNY FC and Lancers and Rhinos Hall of Famer, Pat Ercoli, who discussed how he came to Rochester to play for the Lancers, how he was named as coach of the Rhinos and some interesting news about RNY FC.
- The newest member of Flower City Union, GK Russell Robles, who told us how he became a goalkeeper at age 10, how he came to play for Union from Orlando City B and the team's upcoming matches at home this week against LA and San Diego.
Dick Howard talked about Australia qualifying for the World Cup by beating Peru on PK's , the final World Cup qualifier between New Zealand and Costa Rica, the latest results from the UEFA Nations League, Juventus' Giorgio Chiellini coming to play for LAFC, the Canadian Men’s National Team beating Curacao in the CONCACAF Nations League and facing host Honduras tonight and the latest results from the Canadian Championships.Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis, the author of "Alive and Kicking, the Incredible but True Story of the Rochester Lancers" (go to rochesterlancersbook.com), talked about the US Women's National Team naming its roster for the CONCACAF Championships, the US Men's 5-0 win over Grenada and their match with El Salvador on Tuesday, the host cities for the 2026 World Cup being announced on Thursday and NYCFC head coach Ronny Deila leaving after 3 seasons to manage Belgian side Standard Liege.June 6, 2022
Our special guest was Flower City Union's Alex Ainscough, who talked about Union's 2-1 home win over Valley United, the team's 1st trip to the West Coast and meeting Alexi Lalas, his time playing in Europe and this Saturday's match against Michigan.Dick Howard talked about the Canadian Men’s National Team going on strike, Wales qualifying for their first World Cup in 64 years after beating Ukraine 1-0 and going into Group B in the World CUp with the US, England and Iran, the World Cup Asia playoff featuring UAE vs Australia Tuesday in Qatar and the winner facing Peru June 13 and Monday and UEFA Nations League with Germany/England June 7 and England/Italy on June 12.Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis talked about his recent trip to Rochester to promote his book, "Alive and Kicking, the Incredible but True Story of the Rochester Lancers" (go to rochesterlancersbook.com), and discussed the US Men's National Team matches against Morocco, Uruguay and Friday's CONCACAF Nations League match vs Grenada.Joe and Andrew reviewed the Rochester Lady Lancers winning their first match in 3 years - a 2-0 victory over FC Buffalo, RNY FC moving into 4th in the MLS Next Pro East and being named team of the month and Coach Bruno Balthazar being coach of the month and the big USPL Rochester derby between Roc City Boom and the Rochester Lancers Academy June 12.May 23, 2022 - Show repeated on May 30
Our special guest was retiring Rochester Lancers owner Soccer Sam Fantauzzo, who spoke on his reasons for stepping away from soccer, what will happen with the indoor Lancers and his views on where soccer is going in Rochester and in the USA.Dick Howard talked about the end of the seasons in the EPL and Serie A, the UEFA Europa League won by Frankfurt, the UEFA final World Cup qualifiers between Scotland, Ukraine and Wales, Lyon winning the UEFA Women's Champions League and the next round of the Canadian Championships this week.Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis previewed his upcoming trip to Rochester June 1-5 to promote his new book on the NASL Rochester Lancers, "Alive and Kicking, the Incredible but True Story of the Rochester Lancers" (go to rochesterlancersbook.com), and discussed the US Men facing Morocco and Uruguay in World Cup warmup matches in early June and the naming of native Rochestarian Dr. Kathryn Nesbitt as an assistant referee in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.Joe and Andrew reviewed Flower City Union losing to Chattanooga on Saturday and their upcoming matches, RNY FC winning their 3rd straight 3-0 over Philadelphia Union 2, the Lady Lancers kicking off their season Saturday against FC Buffalo, on the road and Roc City Boom and the Rochester Lancers Academy winning 3 of 3 matches last week with their derby match on June 12 approaching.May 16, 2022
Our special guest was Flower City Union striker Arion Sobers-Asseu, who talked about Union's 2-1 home win over Maryland, his scoring the 1st goal for Union (his first pro goal), what the team did to secure the win, his favorite player and team and the upcoming match at home vs. FC Chattanooga on Saturday.Dick Howard talked about the week's final matches in Serie A and the EPL that will decide the champion, the UCL spots and who will be relegated, Giorgio Chiellini maybe coming to MLS, the men's and women's FA Cup Finals and the first matches in the Canadian Championships.Front Row Soccer's (and birthday boy) Michael Lewis reviewed his upcoming trip to Rochester to promote his new book on the NASL Rochester Lancers, "Alive and Kicking, the Incredible but True Story of the Rochester Lancers" (go to rochesterlancersbook.com), NYCFC beating RNY FC in the US Open Cup and the MLS matches from the weekend with the Red Bulls and NYCFC.Joe and Andrew reviewed RNY FC beating Inter Miami 2 on Saturday, the week's matches for Roc City Boom and the Rochester Lancers Academy and the schedule for the Rochester Lady Lancers in the UWS that starts May 28.May 9, 2022
Our special guest was new Flower City Union coach Colton Bly, who spoke on the coaching change that took place last week, the two losses to Cal United and Syracuse, what changes he is making with the team and Saturday's match at home against Maryland.Dick Howard reviewed Everton's critical win over Leicester to pull them off the bottom 3, Liverpool dropping points in the title race and facing Chelsea in the FA Cup Final, the Chelsea Women winning the WSL, the incredible UEFA Champions League semi-finals, the latest news from Serie A and the Canadian teams in MLS.Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis, the author of "Alive and Kicking, the Incredible but True Story of the Rochester Lancers" (go to rochesterlancersbook.com), discussed the Achilles injury suffered by US International Miles Robinson that will keep him out of the World Cup, RNY FC facing MLS Champions NYCFC the US Open Cup on Wednesday, the NY Red Bulls keeping their unbeaten streak alive and also their winless streak at home and Seattle winning the CONCACAF Champions League.Joe and Andrew reviewed RNY FC gaining their 1st win in MLS Next Pro against FC Cincinnati 2, the week's matches for Roc City Boom and the Rochester Lancers Academy and the change to the opening match for the Rochester Lady Lancers to be on Sunday, June 5th at Aquinas.May 2, 2022
Our special guest was Flower City Union defender Jose Sierra who spoke on the team's first NISA win and clean sheet, 0-1 vs host Chattanooga on Saturday, his background in soccer growing up in Columbia and the matches this week against Cal United Wednesday in Batavia and at Syracuse on Sunday,
Dick Howard reviewed Everton's big win over Chelsea on Sunday to keep their hopes of staying in the Premiership alive and Toronto FC's 2-1 loss to FC Cincinnati, plus Dick previewed the UEFA Champions League semi-final 2nd legs this week and the critical league matches upcoming on the weekend.
Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis gave more details on his June visit to Rochester to promote his book on the original Rochester Lancers, Alive and Kicking" available at rochesterlancersbook.com. talked about the CONCACAF Champions League 2nd leg with Seattle home to Pumas, the opening of Nashville SC's new soccer stadium and the Red Bulls remaining unbeaten on the road to start 2022.
Joe and Andrew reviewed the week's matches for Roc City Boom and the Rochester Lancers Academy and announced the opening match for the Rochester Lady Lancers on Sunday, May 15th at Aquinas.
April 25, 2022
Our special guest was our MASL indoor soccer correspondent Greg Suttie who spoke on the many exciting playoff matches and the upcoming Ron Newman Cup finals between Florida and San Diego.
Dick Howard reviewed the week's action in Serie A, the Bundesliga, La Liga and the EPL and previewed the UEFA Champions League semi-final this week and gave his weekly report on the Canadian Premiership.
Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis announced he will be in Rochester at the start of June to promote his book on the original Rochester Lancers, "Alive and Kicking" available at rochesterlancersbook.com. Michael also talked about the upcoming US Open Cup 4th round match between RNY FC and MLS Champions NYCFC and reviewed Sunday's wins from NYCFC and the Red Bulls.Joe and Andrew reviewed the week's matches for the 4 Rochester teams, Flower City Union, RNY FC, Roc City Boom and the Rochester Lancers Academy.
- April 18, 2022Our special guests were:RNY FC and Doncaster Rovers midfielder Ed Williams who spoke on his transition from English football to American soccer, his role with RNY FC, comparing the FA Cup to the US Open Cup that the team will play in vs FC Motown Wednesday and having their first home match in MLS Next Pro Saturday vs NYCFC 2.New Flower City Union defender Ben Watson who talked about his background in soccer growing up in Texas, how he same to play for Union and the team's big matches this week against DC United from MLS in the Cup and hosting Maryland on Saturday.Dick Howard previewed the Canadian Premiership and spoke about Liverpool's quest for a quadruple this season, the latest results from Europe and the big matches this week in the Premiership.Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis spoke about NYCFC being eliminated from the CONCACAF Champions League by Seattle and what chance the Sounders have to take home the trophy against Pumas, NYCFC's big 6-0 win over RSL and the latest news on his Rochester Lancers book "Alive and Kicking" available at rochesterlancersbook.com.
April 4, 2022 - Show replayed on April 11
Our special guest was Flower City Union midfielder Suniel Veerakone who spoke his background in soccer and playing for Duke University, the team's 6-1 loss at Maryland Saturday, their 2nd round US Open Cup match Wednesday at Western Mass and Saturday's home match against the Michigan Stars.
Andrew, Dick Howard and Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis discussed the World Cup Draw and focused on Group B with the US and Group F with Canada. Dick also previewed the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal first leg matches and the critical Manchester City/Liverpool contest on Sunday. Michael gave his thoughts on Hope Solo's recent arrest for drunk driving.
Andrew and Joe talked about RNY FC losing to New England Revolution 2 on Sunday and their first home match this Thursday in the US Open Cup against Lansdowne Bhoys from Yonkers, NY.
March 28, 2022
Our special guest was Flower City Union and Bahamas International Quinto Carey, who spoke on the team's 1-0 loss to Syracuse in their first ever match Saturday, his background in soccer, how he came to be on the Bahamas National Team and his experiences there and this Saturday's match at Maryland.Andrew, Dick Howard and Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis discussed the big CONCACAF World Cup qualifying matches from the past week where Canada qualified for Qatar 2022 and the US is on the brink of making the Cup plus the format and details of the World Cup draw on Friday.Andrew revealed the return of the Rochester Lady Lancers to the UWS and the team supporting the Breast Coalition of Rochester as their chosen charity this season.March 21, 2022
Our special guests were:
The head coach of RNY FC, Bruno Baltazar, who talked about his coming to coach in America from Europe, the style of play he expects to have for the club, the opening match on Friday at St. Louis City 2 and the MLS Next Pro rule change to have PK's after every tied match similar to the NHL tiebreaker.
The "Number 10" for Flower City Union, Giancarlo Canas Jarquin, who spoke on coming to play for the team from the West Coast, his background in soccer and what players he emulates from his favorite team, Barcelona and the preparation the team is doing for the opening match on Saturday against AC Syracuse.
Dick Howard and Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis previewed the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying matches featuring the US at Mexico and hosting Panama in Orlando and Canada traveling to Costa Rica and welcoming Jamaica to BMO Field in Toronto. Dick also previewed the UEFA and Oceania World Cup qualifying matches this week and Michael spoke about the book launch for his latest publication, "Alive and Kicking - The incredible but True Story of the Rochester Lancers", now available on Amazon and through www.rochesterlancersbook.com,.
March 14, 2022
Our special guest was Flower City Union owner Jimmy Paola who spoke on his growing up in Rochester and following the original Lancers, how the team and organization is preparing for their first match on March 26 and the plans for the game day experience for the fans attending at the downtown soccer stadium
Dick Howard spoke on the latest news regarding Chelsea FC, including the troubles off the field related to owner Roman Abramovich and who might be the new owners, the latest results from England and Italy, the upcoming UEFA Champions League round of 16 matches this week and the weekend’s FA Cup quarterfinals.
Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis discussed his new Rochester Lancers book, Alive and Kicking: The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers, now available on Amazon and through www.rochesterlancersbook.com, the local book launch taking place on March 20 online, the quarterfinal 2nd legs in the CONCACAF Champions League and the chance for all 4 semi-finalists to be from MLS, the start of the NWSL Challenge Cup and the Red Bulls losing their home opener 1-0 to FC Cincinnati.Andrew and Joe announced a live meet and greet for Flower City Union on March 24 at the Italian American Sport Club lunch and announced 3 new signings for RNY FC.
March 7, 2022
Our special guest was Flower City Union keeper Steven Ortiz, who spoke on his background in soccer, winning the Sueno MLS keeper competition at age 14, how he will be helping with PR to promote the team in the Rochester area and the preparations the team is making for their first match on March 26.
Andrew, Joe, Dick Howard and Michael Lewis discussed the shocking and tragic scenes in Mexico when a Liga MX match between descended into chaos due to violence in the stands that spilled onto the pitch in the second half.
Dick also talked about Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich selling the team, the latest news on the Canadian MLS teams and the battle for first place in Serie A.
Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis discussed his new Rochester Lancers book, Alive and Kicking: The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers, now available on Amazon (click here to buy the book), US International Weston McKinnie missing the rest of the season with a broken foot, Cindy Parlow Cone being re-elected as president of US Soccer, Charlotte FC drawing a world's best 74,479 in their home opener and the NY Red Bulls being on top of the MLS East.
We also announced a trivia contest starting next Monday where 2 people each week can win a copy of Michael Lewis' book about the Rochester Lancers through the current Lancers website www.rlancers.com.February 28, 2022
Our special guest was Rochester native, former Rochester Lancers player and the newest signing for Flower City Union, Lukas “Free Kick” Fernandes, who spoke on his transition and the differences from college soccer to the Lancers to the USL in Pittsburgh to Flower City Union, how he game to play for Union and the preparations the team is making for their first match on March 26.Dick Howard talked about the Russia/Ukraine war and the impact on soccer, including Russia being banned from any international events and losing the hosting rights to the UEFA Champions League Final, the League Cup final between Liverpool and Chelsea, Christian Eriksen’s return to soccer with Brentford, the Canadian teams progress in the UEFA Champions League and the FA Cup ties this week.Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis discussed his new Rochester Lancers book, Alive and Kicking: The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers, now available on Amazon (click here to buy the book), the signing of 14-year-old Maximo Carrizo by NYCFC, Jesse Marsch going to manage Leeds, the opening matches in MLS and the expected 75,000+ crowd in Charlotte for their home opener against the LA Galaxy this weekend.Joe and Andrew went over the highlights of the RNY FC schedule that starts on March 25 against St. Louis FC 2 in the first ever MLS Next Pro match, plus the US Open Cup 2nd round matches for RNY FC and Flower City Union.February 21, 2022
Our special guest was the Sporting Director of RNY FC, Dr. Lee Tucker, who spoke on his coming from England to lead a new US pro team, the arrival of coach Bruno Baltazar to Rochester and the list of players who will be suiting up for the team this season, which starts in a few weeks.
Dick Howard talked about the Canadian Women doing very well in the first ever Arnold Clark Cup in England, the Canadian teams facing 1-0 deficits in the CONCACAF Champions League, what to expect from the Canadian teams in MLS this season, the upcoming matches in the UEFA Champions League and the surprising results from Serie A and the Premiership.
Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis discussed his new Rochester Lancers book, Alive and Kicking: The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers, now available on Amazon (click here to buy the book), the US Women beating New Zealand in the She Believes Cup thanks to 3 own goals, the US based teams in the CONCACAF Champions League results and what to expect from the New York MLS teams and expansion Charlotte FC.
In addition, Joe and Andrew announced more player signings for Flower City Union that were made over the past week.
February 14, 2022
Our special guest was one of the new signings of Flower City Union, forward Dre Deas, who spoke on his background in soccer growing up in Atlanta, his favorite players and idols, going from college soccer to the pros in Hartford, how he came to play for Union and how the team's first practice went today.Dick Howard talked about Jozy Altidore moving to the New England Revolution from Toronto FC, Chelsea winning the Club World Cup, the latest from Serie A, this week's matches in the UEFA Champions League and ones featuring Canadian teams in the CONCACAF Champions League and the Canadian Women competing in the first ever Arnold Clark Cup.Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis broke the news that his long-awaited book on the Rochester Lancers, Alive and Kicking: The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers, is now available on Amazon (click here to buy the book), and previewed the MLS teams' matches this week in the CONCACAF Champions League and the US Women in the She Believes Cup.Joe and Andrew announced the Flower City Union coaching staff and the possible opponents for Union and RNY FC in the US Open Cup.February 7, 2022
Our special guest was the director of soccer for Flower City Union, Zach Agliata, who spoke about the release of the 2022 schedule, the start times of the matches being discussed, the status of the players and when training camp will start. The first match is Saturday, March 26 against AC Syracuse.Dick Howard talked about Canada winning 3 matches in World Cup qualifying by the same 2-0 score, Senegal winning the African Cup of Nations, the rash of upsets in the FA Cup, Serie A getting tight at the top and the upcoming semi-finals and finals of the Club World Cup.Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis gave his thoughts on the US Men's 3-0 win over Honduras in frigid St. Paul, what the US needs to do to qualify automatically for the World Cup and thoughts on Andrew's commentary about countries taking whatever advantages they can to secure a World Cup berth.January 31, 2022
We remembered the late Luis Dabo, former coach of the NASL Rochester Lancers and the MISL Buffalo Stallions and Kansas City Comets, who passed away on Friday.Dick Howard gave his onsite report of Canada's 2-0 win over the US in World Cup qualifying on Sunday, previewed the El Salvador/Canada match on Wednesday and talked about world soccer news, including Frank Lampard being hired as Everton Manager, the latest transfer news, the AFCON semi-finals and the FA Cup 4th round this weekend.Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis also discussed the USMNT loss to Canada and previewed the US/Honduras match on Wednesday. In a special second segment, Michael talked about the 6 inductees in the US National Soccer Hall of Fame Class of 2022, Clint Dempsey, Hope Solo, Shannon Boxx, Marco Etcheverry, Linda Hamilton and Esse Baharmast.January 24, 2022
Our special guest was Flower City Union defender Andrea Pregoni who spoke on his Italian background, coming to play in the US under his dual citizenship, how he came to play for Union and his expectations for this season.Dick Howard and Front Row Soccer's Michael Lewis previewed this week's World Cup Qualifiers in CONCACAF, including the big Canada vs the US match on Sunday, and spoke about the cold weather conditions, which players will be missing and Thursday's matches (US/El Salvador and Honduras/Canada).Joe gave his review on the NASL documentary Big Time Soccer – The Remarkable Rise and Fall of the NASL that he saw live recently and Andrew and Joe talked abut the MASL honoring former referee Gino D'Ippolito with by naming the annual referee of the year award after him.January 10, 2022
Our special guest was the director of the NASL documentary Big Time Soccer – The Remarkable Rise and Fall of the NASL, Rachel Viollet, who will be in Rochester for a screening of the film on Saturday. Rachel talked about why she made the documentary, the reaction to the showing of the movie in Barcelona, the part Rochester Lancers' Chairman of the Board, Charlie Schiano, played in the movie, the footage from all eras of the NASL in the film and how the younger generation of fans have reacted to the documentary.Dick Howard discussed the signing of Italian and Napoli captain Lorenzo Insigne by Toronto FC and how that is being received in Canada, the big upsets in the FA Cup and the wild matches in Serie A over the weekend.Joe and Andrew reviewed the trade of former WNY Flash star Lynn Williams from the North Carolina Courage to the KC Current and Lancers Wall of Famer Jeremy Ortiz being named player/coach of the Philadelphia Spartans of MASL 3.
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