Urban Pitch Podcast - The Beautiful Game Of Life

The last time we spoke to AmirSaysNothing, he was coming off a tour for his 2021 album "Endless Brightside," and fully coming into his own as one of the top independent artists in the Los Angeles scene. Now, he's preparing for the release of "We Are Who We Say We Are," his debut on the Fat Beats label, which has artists like the El Michaels Affair, Danny Brown & Black Milk, and Masta Ace on their roster. With features from Killer Mike and Project Pat, "We Are Who We Say We Are" is slated to be Amir's biggest release yet, but it's also his most personal, diving into the importance of creating your own narrative and pathway as an artist and human being. He joins the Urban Pitch Podcast to discuss the upcoming release on August 8, the current state of rap, and the ongoing civil war in music: Sales vs. Quality. Timestamps (00:01:41) Amir's growth as an artist since the last time we spoke with him (00:06:40) The state of rap today (00:23:25) Quality vs. sales and the industry mach

Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez has long been outspoken on social media, candidly sharing his reflections on everything from mental health to his overall career in general. But his transparency recently got him into hot water, as his comments on gender roles and norms received plenty of backlash, and led to a fine from the Mexican Football Federation. We discuss his comments, the response, and footballers' responsibilities as role models on the latest episode of the Urban Pitch Podcast! Timestamps (00:20) The infamous Coldplay concert (08:25) Chicharito's comments and the ensuing backlash (36:08) Nike's Total 90 resurgence Cast Hosts: Ramsey Abushahla, Julio Monterroza, & Brigitte Flores Producer: Roy Cho Subscribe to our newsletter for more interviews and latest news on street football, freestyle, and urban culture, read more about soccer culture on our website, and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook.

From playing college soccer to creating viral videos, Adi Azran has long had a love for the beautiful game. He's behind some of the funniest clips on the internet, and we sit down with him to discuss his journey in soccer, the culture of the game in America, and some of his favorite moments both playing and creating content. (01:01) His most viral video and the Messi vs. Ronaldo debate (09:13) Adi's soccer journey playing college soccer and transitioning into making soccer videos (21:10) The summer of soccer 2025 and how it sets us up for next year's World Cup (28:00) American soccer and sports culture (41:57) Favorite soccer moments as a creator (49:30) Goals for the future Cast Hosts: Ramsey Abushahla, Julio Monterroza, & Brigitte Flores Producer: Roy Cho Subscribe to our newsletter for more interviews and latest news on street football, freestyle, and urban culture, read more about soccer culture on our website, and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook.

One of our favorite soccer content creators, El Soccer Guy's journey in the soccer media space started with an accidental viral video. Since then, he's traveled the country watching countless games and documenting his experiences. He joins the latest episode of the Urban Pitch Podcast to discuss the growth of soccer culture in the United States, how things went in the new format Club World Cup, and Mexico's latest Gold Cup triumph. Plus, we got sent our newest Urban Pitch jerseys for the most recent Icarus Cup! (00:34) The Urban Pitch Icarus Cup jerseys (02:15) Leo's background in soccer and how he became "El Soccer Guy" (07:00)Thoughts on the Club World Cup from start to finish (25:07) Mexico's turnaround and Gold Cup victory, and how they compare to the USMNT (42:30) NWSL and the growth of women's sports in the US Cast Hosts: Ramsey Abushahla, Julio Monterroza, & Brigitte Flores Producer: Roy Cho Subscribe to our newsletter for more interviews and latest news on street football, freestyle, and

A homegrown player for Sporting Kansas City, Dániel Sallói has become a fan favorite and mainstay on the KC roster throughout his career. We sit down with the talented winger to discuss his MVP candidate season in 2021, growing into a leadership role, and who the best trash talker on the team is! (01:00) Getting a nice break in the middle of the season and the incredibly busy soccer calendar (04:42) Playing padel and investing into courts in Kansas City (11:02) Becoming a mainstay player with Sporting Kansas City (22:35) Growing up in a soccer family with a pro footballer as a dad (33:31) His vlog from the 2020 MLS is Back tournament and what it was like in the bubble (40:20) Trash talking and the vibe in the locker room (45:44) His playlist and newfound love for Kendrick Lamar Cast Hosts: Ramsey Abushahla, Julio Monterroza, & Brigitte Flores Producer: Roy Cho Subscribe to our newsletter for more interviews and latest news on street football, freestyle, and urban culture, read more about soccer culture on

With the Club World Cup and Gold Cup in full swing, it's set to be another busy summer for soccer in the United States. But are we doing everything we can as a country to capitalize on all of these opportunities to grow the sport? We discuss this and more on the latest episode of the Urban Pitch Podcast! Timestamps (00:30) The summer of soccer and the hype around the Club World Cup (18:18) The Gold Cup and US Soccer's missed opportunities to grow the sport in the country (37:12) Our goals for the summer Cast Hosts: Ramsey Abushahla, Julio Monterroza, & Brigitte Flores Producer: Roy Cho Subscribe to our newsletter for more interviews and latest news on street football, freestyle, and urban culture, read more about soccer culture on our website, and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook.  

Based in Jacksonville, Florida, World Class Football brings a fresh take on soccer storytelling in the country. Brand founder Ricky Canales joins the latest episode of the Urban Pitch Podcast to discuss the latest headlines across the soccer culture-verse, including protests in LA, the not-so-great USMNT vibes, and what CONCACAF World Cup qualifying could look like without the United States, Mexico, or Canada in the mix. Timestamps (01:17) World Class Football's origin story and Ricky's background in the sport (07:20) The situation in Los Angeles: Lots of footy on the pitch, protests in the streets (16:25) USMNT's bad vibes (27:56) Landon Donovan vs. Christian Pulisic (37:46) CONCACAF's World Cup qualifying with the US, Mexico, and Canada already in Cast Hosts: Ramsey Abushahla, Julio Monterroza, & Brigitte Flores Producer: Roy Cho Subscribe to our newsletter for more interviews and latest news on street football, freestyle, and urban culture, read more about soccer culture on our website, and follow us o

It was an incredibly busy weekend in the world of football, and we recap some of the biggest moments with the help of Favian Renkel. One of the top voices when it comes to North American soccer, Renkel has written for sites like SBI Soccer, Upper 90, and Sports Illustrated, and perhaps most importantly he is the newest contributor to the Urban Pitch staff. We get into the LAFC vs. Club America Club World Cup play-in match, Carlos Vela's retirement, and more! Be sure to stay tuned for more stories and podcast episodes with Favian in the future. (00:02:10) The LAFC-Club America FIFA Club World Cup qualifying match (00:14:35) Does MLS have an East Coast bias? (00:23:49) Christian Pulisic's USMNT legacy (00:41:44) Carlos Vela's retirement and the MLS Mount Rushmore (01:02:40) Favian's background in the sport and how he fell in love with the game Cast Hosts: Ramsey Abushahla, Julio Monterroza, & Brigitte Flores Producer: Roy Cho Subscribe to our newsletter for more interviews and latest news on street football

The biggest game of the club season is upon us, so you know we had to predict a winner. Can Julio continue his hot streak? But before we get into that, we discuss the latest El Trafico match, the controversy surrounding Marky Delgado's 2024 MLS Cup ring presentation, and the monumental opportunity that LAFC has to qualify for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Timestamps (01:16) The El Trafico rivalry and how the Galaxy handled Marky Delgado's ring presentation (09:15) The Galaxy's struggles throughout 2025 and the MLS rules restrictions (17:41) LAFC's opportunity to qualify for the 2025 Club World Cup (25:38) Our UCL final predictions (31:04) The new FIFA transfer window for the Club World Cup Cast Hosts: Ramsey Abushahla, Julio Monterroza, & Brigitte Flores Producer: Roy Cho Subscribe to our newsletter for more interviews and latest news on street football, freestyle, and urban culture, read more about soccer culture on our website, and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook.

With the summer rapidly approaching, we've seen a slew of national team kits drop from the world's biggest brands. But whose have been the best: Nike, adidas, or PUMA? We get into it all on the latest episode of the Urban Pitch Podcast! Plus: check out the incredibly dope kits we're rocking from Oakland Soul! Timestamps (00:30) The Oakland Soul kits we're rocking (02:08) Our thoughts on recent kit releases, starting with Nike (15:50) The new slate of adidas kits (21:24) PUMA's recent offerings (24:31) Why these US kits are the best in quite some time (27:30) Barcelona's fantastic run Cast Hosts: Ramsey Abushahla, Julio Monterroza, & Brigitte Flores Producer: Roy Cho Subscribe to our newsletter for more interviews and latest news on street football, freestyle, and urban culture, read more about soccer culture on our website, and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook.

Co-founder of 5ASIDE Media  and WavyFooty, and founder of Vino Vriday and Vino Conversations⁩, Gabriel Guisado has been making big moves in the soccer and culture space in recent years. His most recent Vino Vriday event hit Los Angeles, and we caught up with him while he was in town to discuss the growth of soccer culture in the United States, R&B's different eras, and the ongoing comparisons between New York City and LA. Timestamps (00:01:30) The growth of 5ASIDE Media and starting Vino Vriday (00:08:10) The different iterations of R&B and why the current era is under appreciated (00:21:14) Keeping up with the wild storylines throughout the 2024-25 season (00:42:36) The 5ASIDE movement (00:49:24) NYC vs. LA (00:56:10) Gabe's pre-game playlist Cast Hosts: Ramsey Abushahla, Julio Monterroza, & Brigitte Flores Producer: Roy Cho Subscribe to our newsletter for more interviews and latest news on street football, freestyle, and urban culture, read more about soccer culture on our website, and follow us

As we near the end of the 2024-25 international football season, there's been a hot stove of storylines firing from all corners of the globe. We start things off in the United States, where the Vancouver Whitecaps have continued a surprise dominant campaign by advancing to the finals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup over Inter Miami. In addition to Vancouver's success, we discuss the issues at Inter Miami, who have struggled to win major trophies with their star-studded roster. We then get into the national team setup, where former USMNT manager Bruce Arena made headlines with his comments about current boss Mauricio Pochettino, followed by the UEFA Champions League and Real Madrid's mercurial first season with Kylian Mbappe. (02:17) Vancouver Whitecaps' upset of Inter Miami in the CONCACAF Champions Cup (14:40) Should national team coaches be from the same country they coach? (26:40) The major coaching shuffle heading into the 2025 offseason (30:17) Real Madrid's disappointing 2025 and Lamine Yamal's ascendence

The 2026 World Cup is going to be different. Three host nations and 48 participating teams are perhaps the most notable changes to the tournament's format, but, as purveyors of all things soccer culture, one new addition has piqued our interest the most: a Super Bowl-style halftime show during the final. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has called it a "can't-miss event," and many have speculated as to who is the right artist to perform. Including us. On the latest episode of the Urban Pitch Podcast, we go through our picks to headline the landmark performance, from Drake to Taylor Swift and beyond. In addition, we get into some of our favorite kits from America's lower leagues, a conversation spurred by the new Forward Madison home kits that the club was kind enough to send us! Timestamps (01:15) Forward Madison's fantastic approach to lower league soccer (08:54) Our favorite kits from America's lower leagues (15:07) Potential US Open Cup upsets in the round of 32 (21:35) The lawsuit against the USW

Episode 200 of the Urban Pitch Podcast is here, and it's a special one. We wanted to discuss the evolving soccer culture in the United States, and couldn't think of two better people to do it with than Denise Jones and Eli Lesser! Having both been in the soccer and media spaces for quite some time, both Denise and Eli have a unique insight and voice on all things soccer, and they join us for a fun conversation that covers everything from the 2026 World Cup to the overall experience of the American soccer fan. We hope you enjoy the discussion as much as we did, and here's to 200 more! Timestamps (00:00:30) Celebrating 200 episodes (00:06:30) New trends and the growth of soccer in the US leading up to the 2026 World Cup (00:29:17) The overall fan experience in the US — supporters' groups for clubs vs. the national team (00:37:02) Our favorite US Soccer kits (00:46:40) The USMNT's chances at the 2026 World Cup (01:01:00) What lies in the future of American soccer Cast Hosts: Ramsey Abushahla, Julio Monterroza, &

A fourth-round pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft, Madison Curry quickly went from unheralded prospect to everyday starter for Angel City FC in her rookie season. After signing with the Seattle Reign in free agency ahead of the 2025 season, her journey as a starter continues, having played in every minute of the team's first three games. She's found a new home in Seattle, one where she can flourish in a different playing style that suits her offensive capabilities as a wing back, while also connecting to the beautiful scenery and nature away from the pitch. She joins the Urban Pitch Podcast to discuss how she's settled into her new team and city, how the league has changed in the short time she's been in it, and her experience going from Princeton to the pro ranks. Timestamps (01:41) Signing with Seattle after her rookie season with Angel City FC, and getting settled with her new team (20:28) Going the college route with Princeton and the trend of going pro at a younger age (24:50) Making her return to LA on the oth

The USMNT's recent CONCACAF Nations League crash out once again shows that there's still plenty of work cut out for this "Golden Generation." We break down the loss to Panama in the semis, then get into if the squad needs to go all-out in the Gold Cup. Then, we get into the upcoming Club World Cup and the opening stages of the US Open Cup! (00:33) The USMNT's loss to Panama and the team's disappointment (13:39) Does the USMNT need to go all-out for the Gold Cup (19:16) The upcoming Club World Cup: Are we hyped for it? (39:36) The 2025 US Open Cup Cast Hosts: Ramsey Abushahla, Julio Monterroza, & Brigitte Flores Producer: Roy Cho Subscribe to our newsletter for more interviews and latest news on street football, freestyle, and urban culture, read more about soccer culture on our website, and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook.

As the 2025 NWSL season kicked off last weekend, the action on the pitch was only matched by the hype surrounding the new jersey releases. We go through each team's new jersey and rank them in a tiered list. Where did your team end up? (01:50) Some background behind the 2025 NWSL kits (07:17) Our rankings of each NWSL kit Cast Hosts: Ramsey Abushahla, Julio Monterroza, & Brigitte Flores Producer: Roy Cho Subscribe to our newsletter for more interviews and latest news on street football, freestyle, and urban culture, read more about soccer culture on our website, and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook.

"New year, new me." That's the mantra that 17-year-old Angel City FC forward Casey Phair has going into the 2025 NWSL season. The youngest player on the team, Phair was understandably a bit shy throughout her rookie season, but now with a year of experience under her belt, she's ready to make an impact in year two. She joins the Urban Pitch Podcast to discuss her growth as a player during the offseason, bonding with her fellow young teammates, and learning valuable lessons from veterans like Christen Press and Sydney Leroux. In addition, we chat about her experience on the South Korean national team, and getting to hang out in Los Angeles' Koreatown. Timestamps (01:15) Angel City FC's outlook for 2025 and Casey's growth (12:00) The bond between the young players at Angel City (19:44) Who's on AUX duty in the locker room and general vibes within the team (23:30) The Korean population in LA and her favorite places to hang out in Koreatown (30:50) Going to Korea for national team duty and interacting w

The last time we had Jeremy Ebobisse on the podcast, he was bagging goals for the San Jose Earthquakes. Just over a year later, he's made the trip to Southern California with LAFC, where he's already scored a pivotal goal in the club's 2025 season opener. He re-joins the Urban Pitch Podcast to discuss his move to LA, the vibes in the LAFC locker room, and helping those around him to succeed as much as possible. Timestamps (01:04) Getting adjusted to Los Angeles and thoughts on his new club (15:55) Getting involved in the LA community (21:50) LAFC's 2025 season and the league-wide camaraderie between players (27:10) Being an amateur foodie and trying spots in LA (35:37) Being a mentor in the locker room to younger players (45:07) Who runs AUX in the LAFC locker room and Jeremy's playlist (50:32) The pressure of winning in Los Angeles Cast Hosts: Ramsey Abushahla, Julio Monterroza, & Brigitte Flores Producer: Roy Cho Subscribe to our newsletter for more interviews and latest news on street football, freesty

The 2025 MLS season kicked off over the weekend, which means we got a slew of new kits to parse over. We take a look at some of the best and worst new releases, while also looking ahead at what should be another fantastic season. In addition, we go over the recent USL division 1 application news, and take a look at if the country is ready for another top flight. Could pro/rel finally be coming to the U.S.? Timestamps (01:33) USL's division 1 ambitions and the possibility of pro/rel in the United States (14:34) The start of the MLS season and our thoughts on the best and worst kits Cast Hosts: Ramsey Abushahla, Julio Monterroza, & Brigitte Flores Producer: Roy Cho Subscribe to our newsletter for more interviews and latest news on street football, freestyle, and urban culture, read more about soccer culture on our website, and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook.