For the Glory KC - A Sporting KC Podcast

Chad and Sheena Smith
  • 4.3 (28)
  • SOCCER
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

A Kansas City Soccer podcast covering Sporting Kansas City, the KC Current, SKC II and more! Hosted by Chad and Sheena and co-published on KCSoccerJournal.com.

  1. 13H AGO

    A Pretty Good Kansas City Soccer Weekend

    For the Glory KC is back with the 178th episode of the show! Before we get to the podcast, the KC Soccer Journal is having a free event at the Indian Creek Library in Olathe. Tickets are free and you can get them here! Sporting Kansas City showed signs of life this past weekend. After dropping six straight results and falling to a .500 team historically for the first time in years, they surprised everyone and battled back for a draw against the Seattle Sounders. It's a sliver of the progress we've all been waiting for this season after a string of very bad results. There was lots to like but also lots to still improve on in the game. One of the biggest changes was Stefan Cleveland at goalkeeper, a job he'll apparently have for the foreseeable future. Sheena and I weigh in on Cleveland and what was differ and Sheena copes with John Pulskamp heading to the bench. We also talk through the other moments from the game, including other changes, Dejan Joveljic's clutch goal, Shapi Suleymanov's performance and more. We also chime in on the retirements of Kei Kamara and Krisztian Nemeth as well as some good news for former Sporting KC Homegrown, Gianluca Busio. The KC Current did one better and went ahead and won their game over the North Carolina Courage. It was an uneven performance against a team on short rest but there were a lot of 2026 firsts. It was the first time the KC Current didn't allow the first goal. And more importantly, it was their first road win of the season. In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including: SKC II resultsLas Vegas trying to steal the Vancouver Whitecaps (#SaveTheCaps)MLS Next Pro may be relocating and rebranding teamsUSL and the USLPA may have found labor peaceHere is a rundown of sections and start times: Intro & a Free Library KC Soccer Journal event - 0:00Sporting KC - 6:45KC Current - 45:10Digital Crawl - 58:27Upcoming Games SKC II vs. Ventura County, WED, May 6th at 7:00PM CSTSporting KC @ Portland Timbers, SAT, May 9th at 9:30PMKC Current vs. Chicago Stars, SUN, May 10th at 11:30AM (Mother’s Day)SKC II @ Rapids 2, SUN, May 10th at 7:00PMAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled.com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link! Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

    1h 15m
  2. For the Glory KC After Dark IV

    APR 26

    For the Glory KC After Dark IV

    For the Glory KC is back with the 177th episode of the show! And it's an after dark special. Nothing too spicy, though Sheena does some mild cursing, but it's mainly that we recorded in the middle of the night. Sporting Kansas City showed a half of something to build on before the floor fell out from beneath them. After making it to halftime with a 0-0 score against the Chicago Fire, a first for the season in not giving up a first half goal, the second half was off the rails. It started with a penalty call that head coach Rapha Wicky said seemed "harsh." We break down the entire sequence, but we also have videos, gifs and stills if you need to watch it. That moment certainly changed the game. But who is to say it wouldn't have gone badly anyways? Most of the season has. In addition to the spiral, Sheena and I discuss Capita, some post-game quotes from Wicky and Jake Davis, the lineup, tactical choices and much more. The KC Current did nothing to lift KC soccer fan's hearts up with a brutal defeat of their own. They fell 4-0 to the Washington Spirit on Friday night in a game that showed early promise. Kansas City missed some chances, and the Spirit absolutely didn't miss most of theirs. Lorena had a particularly off night and had us wondering if she's hurt, which coach Chris Armas dispelled that rumor. What Armas wasn't able to quell was the calls for his job. With the team already having allowed as many goals as all of last season and having lost more games in far less tries, the outcry from the fans continues to grow. Armas said he isn't spending any energy on it though. We talk about our thoughts on that as well as another rant from me on Ally Sentnor as this team's starting striker. In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including: SKC II winningSheena Remembers to do her Hair TakesUSWNT friendliesNWSL expanding to ColumbusHere is a rundown of sections and start times: Intro & Early Hair Commentary - 0:00Sporting KC - 3:18KC Current (w/ SKC mixed in) - 54:01Digital Crawl - 1:44:43Upcoming Games SKC II vs. Houston Dynamo 2, SUN, April 26th at 1:00PM CTSporting KC vs. Seattle Sounders, SAT, May 2nd at 1:30PM KC Current @ North Carolina Courage, SAT, May 2nd at 5:30PMSKC II vs. Tacoma Defiance, SUN, May 3rd at 7:00PMAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled.com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link! Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

    1h 55m
  3. State of the Club: Sporting Kansas City

    APR 20

    State of the Club: Sporting Kansas City

    For the Glory KC is back with the 176th episode of the show! Sporting Kansas City had what was potentially the lowest moment on the field in club history. At the very least, in recent memory. So, a week after talking about expectations, Sheena and I are trying to align on the state of the team. Fans are rightfully upset with the performances of the week, particularly the showing in the US Open Cup against the Colorado Springs Switchbacks. Fans are calling for Raphel Wicky's job, David Lee's job, Peter Mallouk to (already) sell the team, and for the release or purge of almost every player on the roster. What is rational and what is irrational? We try to break it all down. Plus, we weave through the moments in the USOC game as well as the loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps on Friday night. We knew this season would start slow and have some lows, but I'm not sure anyone thought it would be quite this low. We also talk about quite the remarkable stat when it comes to losing and SKC in recent seasons and where it sits in history.  Outside of the events on the field, there were also a couple notable moments off the field. Cavan Sullivan was apparently inquired about by Lee and Alan Pulido is out at Chivas. The KC Current lifted up the week with their Teal Rising Cup win last weekend over Palmeiras, but that feels like an eternity ago. We briefly relive that game, and I talk about Haley Hopkins ascent up the roster and perhaps into the starting lineup in an NWSL game. In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including: World Cup Fan Fest Lineup, Parking and BusesUSWNT resultsNWSL calendar flip -- Fall to Spring?Javier Mascherano out in MiamiHere is a rundown of sections and start times: Intro & World Cup Trophy - 0:00Sporting KC - 6:30KC Current - 1:08:08Digital Crawl - 1:14:04Upcoming Games KC Current @ Washington Spirit, FRI, April 24th at 7:00PM CSTSporting KC @ Chicago Fire, SAT, April 25th at 7:30PMSKC II vs. Houston Dynamo 2, SUN, April 26th at 7:00PMAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled.com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link! Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

    1h 25m

  4. APR 12

    What Should the Expectations be for Sporting KC?

    For the Glory KC is back with the 175th episode of the show! Sporting Kansas City have climbed to a three-game losing streak after their 3-1 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday night. And that's after being up 1-0 early in the game off of Jacob Bartlett's first career goal. The joy on his face of scoring was quickly replaced with disappointed looks as Sporting were on the back foot for much of the last 15+ minutes of the half before finally conceding. But really, what should Sporting KC and their fans expect from this team? Sheena and I debate all the reasons things may be the way they are. From roster building to youthful inexperience and down to specific players and of course coaching and the front office. We also get into a few other SKC related stories, including Zorhan Bassong's new/old injury, Matt Besler and Cliff Illig being honored (and a Heart and Goal Podcast side conversation), SKC Academy news and the announcement of the "Soccer Capital Summer" watch parties at Sporting Park. Plus, I make the case Sporting KC should go for it with the US Open Cup on Tuesday. The KC Current are on an extended international break, but that just means it's Teal Rising Week. The Current attempted to defend the Teal Rising Cup with a victory over Corinthians to earn a spot in the finals. We also got an injury update on Lorena and Rocky Rodriguez earned another call-up and went ahead and scored a hat trick in the process. In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including: KC Comets playoffs endUSWNT winKansas City World Cup 2026 news and financialsNeymar to FC Cincinnati?CF Montreal has already fired another coachHere is a rundown of sections and start times: Sporting KC - 8:10KC Current - 1:00:40Digital Crawl - 1:03:23Upcoming Games Sporting KC @ Colorado Springs Switchbacks, TUES, April 14 @ 7:00PM CTUSWNT vs. Japan, TUES, April 14 @ 9:00PMUSWNT vs. Japan, FRI, April 17 @ 8:00PMSporting KC @ Vancouver Whitecaps, FRI, April 17 @ 9:30PMSporting KC II vs. Whitecaps 2, SUN, April 19th at 7:00PMAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled.com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link! Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

    1h 17m

  5. APR 5

    Sporting KC Continue to Struggle, but the KC Current Bounce Back

    For the Glory KC is back with the 174th episode of the show! Sporting Kansas City had another down week after coming off the international break. They travelled to the elevation of Salt Lake City, where they consistently struggle, and they did not look good against Real Salt Lake. Sheena and I worked through the moments of the game, the lineup choices and changes, the goals (and that freakin' golazo from Gozo) and what Wicky may need to do as guys get healthy or continue to join the team. We also talked about Capita Capemba officially arriving, Zorhan Bassong's extension and the sudden departure of Mike Burns as Sporting Director. We reflect on his brief time with the team and if it can be deemed a success. The KC Current rescued the KC soccer weekend by looking more like the team we remember from that dominant 2025 season. They got a tiny bit of revenge on NJ/NY Gotham FC after they eliminated them from the playoffs last year. Temwa Chawinga returned and had an instant impact and Croix Bethune moved to a new position and immediately showed her quality. We also talk about the news from the Keeping Current podcast where KC Soccer Journal Editor, Thad Bell, shared some pretty interesting thoughts about Vlatko Andonovski's involvement (or lack thereof) in some recent roster moves. In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including: USMNT losing to PortugalSKC II fall to North Texas SCWorld Cup updates on Turkiye, Italy and ticket pricesHere is a rundown of sections and start times: Sporting KC - 6:02KC Current - 40:31Digital Crawl - 1:07:38Upcoming Games KC Comets vs. St. Louis Ambush, MON, April 6 @ 7:00PM CTKC Comets @ St. Louis Ambush, WED, April 8 @ 7:05PMKC Current vs Corinthians SC, THUR, April 9 @ 8:00PM (Teal Rising Cup - ION)SKC II @ North Texas, FRI, April 10 @ 7:30PMUSWNT vs. Japan, SAT, April 11 @ 4:30PMUSA U-20s vs. Brazil U-20s, SAT, April 11 @ 6:30PM (CPKC Stadium)Sporting KC vs. San Jose Earthquakes, SAT, April 11 @ 7:30PM KC Current in the 3rd place or 1st place Teal Rising Game (depending on results Thursday)As a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled.com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link! Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

    1h 20m

  6. MAR 29

    Is Chris Armas Already on the Hot Seat?

    For the Glory KC is back with the 173rd episode of the show! Before we get to the Kansas City Current and the safety (or lack thereof) of Chris Armas' job, there is a little bit of other KC soccer news to handle. Sporting Kansas City had the week off, but new owner Peter Mallouk kept them in the headlines with a response that he plays to spend "a lot" on the SKC roster. We delve into that. We also have to talk about the rough 5-2 loss the United States Men's National Team experienced against Belgium. Is it a wakeup call or a sign of things to come at the 2026 World Cup? Then we get to the main event of this week's podcast. While Sporting KC were resting, the KC Current had no rest and one of their worst weeks in recent memory. They piled up two more losses, bringing their total to three in four tries. Their third loss came on March 28th this season, when it took until October 18th in 2025. That's almost a seven-month swing! I brought in guest host and regular KC Soccer Journal contributor, Xander Kennedy, to help me break down what the heck is going wrong with the Current. Sure, they are a little banged up and missing back-to-back NWSL MVP in Temwa Chawinga, but the roster is still absolutely loaded with talent. We have to ask, is Chris Armas on the hot seat? We delve into what we know about how the team is performing and try to discern what is coaching versus what is on the players, the NWSL schedule makers, etc. That means we have to analyze the two brutal losses to the Seattle Reign and the Portland Thorns from this past week. Xander and I also try to answer a few extra questions I have about the team: Is Ally Sentnor a bad fit for KC?Is Armas misusing Croix Bethune?In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including: KC Comets come up short on the ShieldSKC II drop another resultDenver Summit are breaking recordsHere is a rundown of sections and start times: Sporting KC - 1:57USMNT/Belgium - 17:03KC Current - 27:16Digital Crawl - 1:35:15Upcoming Games Kosovo vs. Turkiye - TUES, March 31st @ 2:45PM CTUSMNT vs Portugal - TUES, March 31st @ 6:00PM KC Current vs. Gotham - SAT, April 4th @ 3:00PMSporting KC @ Real Salt Lake - SAT, April 4th @ 3:30PMAs a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled.com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link! Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

    1h 45m

  7. MAR 24

    Sporting KC Crash Back Down to Earth

    For the Glory KC is back with the 172nd episode of the show! Sporting Kansas City returned home and right back down to earth after picking up a win last week in Los Angeles. The Colorado Rapids, who lost to Sporting KC in both meetings last year, crushed KC in a 4-1 outcome at Sporting Park. The internet was aflame with John Pulskamp slander, so we get into how much was him and how much was others (after all, there is plenty of blame to go around). We also talked about the lineup changes (and if they were the right ones), the rash of injuries on the team and of course -- the brutal night of officiating from Fotis Bazakos. After the game, Jake Davis pulled me aside in the locker room with a message for the fans, so Sheena and I talk through our thoughts on his words. Outside of the game, Sporting KC had other things going on in the week, including the addition of Brazilian center back Diego Borges as their newest (and David Lee's first) U22 Initiative signing. Plus, there was a spattering of other news around the team, including their games being aired for free over the air on tape delay. To make matters worse, the KC Current also lost this weekend. That's something that only happened three times during the entire 2025 NWSL regular season and it's already happened just two games into the 2026 season. To make matters worse, it was against the Mallory Swanson-less Chicago Stars, who had just gotten shellacked 4-0 the week prior. I break down what I saw from that game. In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including: KC Comets making the playoffs!SKC II win a shootout but then lose the next gameMLS 2026 playoffs and 2027 schedule formats revealedAnd Antoine Griezman and Catarina Macaro are coming to MLS and NWSL respectivelyHere is a rundown of sections and start times: Sporting KC - 10:06KC Current - 1:01:46Digital Crawl - 1:15:09Upcoming Games KC Current @ Seattle Reign - WED, March 25 at 8:00PM CTSKC II vs. St. Louis City 2 - SAT, March 28 at 2:00PMUSMNT vs Belgium - SAT, March 28 at 2:30PMKC Current @ Portland Thorns - SAT, March 28 at 3:00PM As a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled.com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link! Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

    1h 24m

  8. MAR 16

    Sporting KC with their Fastest Win in Four Seasons

    For the Glory KC is back with the 171st episode of the show! Sporting Kansas City did what it took much longer to do in the prior three seasons. They won a game. Sporting KC earned a 2-1 win over the LA Galaxy on the road last night in California. And they did it on the back of their superstar striker Dejan Joveljic and their newest players, Lasse Berg Johnsen. Dejan was the first on the scoreboard, after missing a golden chance to assist Calvin Harris on a goal just minutes earlier. On the game winning goal in the second half, Dejan was also involved. He first found Stephen Afrifa on a nice pace and then had eyes in the back of his head to dummy the ball to Berg Johnsen for the game winner. Lasse was making his debut, cleaned up a lot of the midfield and found a way to score. It was a quality start for a player looked at to be a big addition to the roster. Sheena and I talk through those moments, the 5-2-3 shape the team was in with Shapi Suleymanov at left wingback (!!!) and the other positions changes needed to make that move work. We also talk culture, Rapha Wicky, and the team starting to believe. We also discuss Sporting KC signing Capita Capemba and David Lee's promise to add at least one more player in the transfer window. The KC Current started the 2026 season with something they rarely had to do in 2025; come from behind. They pulled off a 2-1 victory as well, but they needed a comeback to pull it off. It also took a debut goal from Croix Bethune and Ally Sentnor scoring for the first time in KC Current colors. In the Digital Crawl, we hit on a few more topics, including: SKC II with an inauspicious start to the seasonNWSL's 18th team expected this yearHere is a rundown of topics and start times: Sheena's CPKC Experience - 1:11Sporting KC - 13:17KC Current - 52:12Digital Crawl - 1:07:31Upcoming Games Sporting KC vs Colorado Rapids, Saturday, March 21st at 7:30PM CTKC Current @ Chicago Stars, Sunday, March 22nd at 1:00PMSKC II vs. MNUFC2, Sunday, March 22nd at 7:00PM As a special gift to For the Glory KC listeners and KC Soccer Journal readers, Backheeled.com is giving away 30 days of their amazing, independent American soccer coverage for free. If you decide you want to turn that into a paid membership, they'll give you 10 percent off too. Just follow this link! Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.

    1h 12m
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4.3
out of 5
28 Ratings

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A Kansas City Soccer podcast covering Sporting Kansas City, the KC Current, SKC II and more! Hosted by Chad and Sheena and co-published on KCSoccerJournal.com.

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