{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/675f8ef164b31a6479635833/68e572ec3f1dfe794e8cb59a?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Soccerish | Episode 8 | Searching for the heart of American soccer on a bus named Woody","description":"<p>Pablo Bayona Sapag is the founder of Club Eleven, a media company dedicated to telling the stories of American soccer—from grassroots clubs to national team stars.</p><p>In 2025, Club Eleven turned a 1998 school bus named Woody into a rolling newsroom and museum and drove it 9,000 miles across the country, chasing the U.S. Open Cup and collecting stories you won’t find in a press release.</p><p>Along the way:</p><ul><li>A tire blowout outside a funeral home</li><li>A block party in Brooklyn with Tim Weah and Allen Lazard</li><li>A USL2 final in Vermont with 5,000 fans—half outside the stadium</li><li>A jersey handed over with flare burns still fresh</li><li>A Bayern Munich event at Rockefeller Center</li><li>And a reminder that soccer in the U.S. isn’t a brand—it’s a habit</li></ul><p>Christina Unkel and Lori Lindsey dig in with Pablo on what’s growing, and what actually matters heading into World Cup year 2026. It’s grassroots over glossy. It’s the messy, funny, stubborn version of U.S. soccer you won’t get from a press release. Plus how Neil Armstrong took an Argentinean soccer club pennant to the moon.</p><p>Watch. Argue. Believe.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><h2>Chapters (mm:ss)</h2><p>00:00 Cold open — rubber, debris, and the birth of a soccer bus</p><p>00:40 Welcome — Christina &amp; Lori introduce Pablo and Club Eleven</p><p>02:05 What is Club Eleven — from match-day stories to a bus museum</p><p>05:10 The Open Cup thread — choosing a roadmap for the year</p><p>06:40 Meeting Christina — the print mag interview in Austin</p><p>08:20 Background — Peru → U.S., DC United, and starting Club Eleven</p><p>12:45 MLS, regional fandom, and missing stories</p><p>15:20 On the road — Nashville oil leak at a funeral home</p><p>18:50 Tire blowout — New England detour and making Red Bulls on time</p><p>21:40 Manhattan stop — Bayern pop-up; Icarus Cup to Vermont in a day</p><p>24:50 Vermont final — 2,500 in, 2,500 on the hill; flare-burn jersey</p><p>28:40 “America <em>is</em> a soccer country” — Asheville kids and optimism</p><p>33:10 The crew — five friends, one bus, 9,000 miles</p><p>35:20 Funding &amp; vision — the “blank check” bus ideas</p><p>38:40 Naming the bus — why <strong>Woody</strong> (and the Neil Armstrong pennant)</p><p>40:10 Tally — 9,000 miles, 11 Open Cup games, 17–18 total stops</p><p>42:10 Tuesdays in the lot — Open Cup community and first-timers</p><p>44:10 Best bars — Phoenix Landing and the Premier League list</p><p>46:10 Wrap — gratitude, next plans, and sign-off</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Watch &amp; follow</strong></p><p>• All episodes on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@SoccerishPodcast</p><p>• Show notes &amp; clips (Substack) → https://www.soccerishpodcast.com/</p><p>• Shorts playlist → https://www.youtube.com/@SoccerishPodcast/shorts</p><p>• IG/TikTok/YouTube: @SoccerishPodcast</p><p><strong>Hosts</strong></p><p><strong>Christina Unkel</strong> (CBS/ITV rules analyst; FIFA referee) &amp; <strong>Lori Lindsey</strong> (CBS/Amazon/Apple analyst; former USWNT).</p><p><strong>Contact / bookings</strong></p><p>info@thesoccerpodcastusa.com | Red Card Productions</p>","author_name":"Red Card Productions"}