Founding Futbol Blue Wire

When the US Women's National Team began winning on the international stage, much credit was given to Anson Dorrance's innovative tactical approach. He deployed a 3-4-3 to counter 4-4-2 setups most commonly utilized by other international programs. Leveraging his team's athleticism, Dorrance relied on pressing to create transitional attacking opportunities. With talents like April Heinrichs, Michelle Akers and Carin Jennings-Gabarra ready to take advantage of those chances, the USWNT had enough fire power to win the inaugural FIFA Women's World Cup in 1991.
With all the attention given to the team's attacking prowess, it was easy to overlook the importance of defenders like Linda Hamilton. The 2022 National Soccer Hall of Fame inductee was often given the task of marking and shutting down the oppositions best player. Her intimidating and physical style was important to the success of that 91 World Cup team, allowing that attacking talent to flourish while she solidied the last line of defense. Linda joined the show to share her memories of that team, her career and beyond.
Founding Futbol is a year-long exploration of the critical moments that have led to soccer's emerging popularity in America. Extra Time is an additional weekly episode that shares reactions and reflections from the chapters, and brings additional guests into the fold. 
Visit our website for more information: ⁠FoundingFutbol.com. Email us at kent@foundingfutbol.com
Host: Kent Malmros
Guests: Linda Hamilton
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In 1991, FIFA staged the first ever Women's World Cup in China. The tournament took place in November, featured 12 teams from six (6)confederations and delivered performances for the ages. When the two weeks of play had ended, The US Women's National Team emerged with not only the first Women's World Cup win ever, but America's first World Cup win of any type. Michelle Akers continued her ascension to super stardom with a tournament-high ten (10) goals en route to Golden Shoe honors.
Akers was one of three American scoring threats that, collectively, were dubbed the "triple-edged sword." The other two were team captain April Heinrichs and our guest, Carin Jennings-Gabarra, who scored six (6) goals of her own went on to win Golden Ball honors as the tournament's most outstanding player. Jennings-Gabarra was kind enough to sit down and spend time with us to share her journey to the USWNT, her memories of the epic 1991 season, and what made that team so special. She talks about her now more than 30 years as head coach at the Naval Academy, and why a career in coaching was so important for players in the late 80s and early 90s.
Founding Futbol is a year-long exploration of the critical moments that have led to soccer's emerging popularity in America.
Visit our website for more information: ⁠⁠FoundingFutbol.com
Host: Kent Malmros
Guest: Carin Jennings-Gabarra (Former USWNT Player, Head Coach Women's Soccer US Naval Academy)
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As the latino community grew in America during the 80s and 90s, Spanish-language television stations such as Univisión played a critical role in expanding the coverage of soccer. Broadcasting the World Cup, UEFA Champions League and top-flight European professional leagues such as La Liga and Serie A, Univisión, Telemundo, ESPN, TV Azteca and others built a culture of soccer fandom among not only latinos but also among the broader American soccer-playing public who turned to those networks to find the broadcasts of the game they loved.
That put Spanish-language broadcasters such as Luis Omar Tapia into the spotlight and has, over the last three decades, made him the voice of soccer to so many in America. Tapia is best known as the voice of the UEFA Champions League across the U.S. and Latin America having called the competition for 27 consecutive years. Now with Fox Sports, he spent a decade with Univisión Deportes calling some of the biggest matches and tournaments in soccer for the Spanish-language network, including Major League Soccer, German Bundesliga, U.S. Men’s National Team and Mexico National Team friendlies and more. He has also worked for GolTV, ESPN, TV Azteca and beIN Sports.
Founding Futbol is a year-long exploration of the critical moments that have led to soccer's emerging popularity in America. Extra Time is an additional weekly episode that shares reactions and reflections from the chapters, and brings additional guests into the fold. 
Visit our website for more information: ⁠FoundingFutbol.com. Email us at kent@foundingfutbol.com
Host: Kent Malmros
Guests: Luis Omar Tapia
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In the early 1990s, latino immigration in the United States peaked. As millions moved to the US from Latin America, they brought with them a passion for futbol. At the same time, US Soccer was devising new ways to build and sustain the game in this country. That meant stages the world's largest events, such as the Olympics and World Cup, and proving that fans in this country would fill stadiums to watch the beautiful game. The birth of Major League Soccer brought with it anxiety of failed predecessors, such as the North American Soccer League, and a desire to overcome similar shortcomings. The growing, soccer-crazy latino communities proved as a bedrock of growth for the game throughout those times.
Andrés Martinez came to the United States in the 1980s, from Mexico. Futbol had been part of his upbringing, a part of his identity as real as his name or Mexican roots. But, when he arrived and settled in his new home, he felt as though he had to give up futbol to fit in with his new peers. Then, he watched the sport grow over the subsequent decades, in large part based on the rapid expansion of other latino immigrant populations who brought their passion for the game to America. Even as a boy, Andrés had a thoughtful point of view on the sport he loved, and the two countries that he's called home. A veteran of The New York Times, LA Times and other papers, Martinez shares his personal story and how it reflects that of millions more soccer fans in the US just like him.
Founding Futbol is a year-long exploration of the critical moments that have led to soccer's emerging popularity in America.
Visit our website for more information: ⁠⁠FoundingFutbol.com
Host: Kent Malmros
Guest: Andrés Martinez (Journalist, Sports Historian)
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On November 19, 1989 the US Men's National Team travel to Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago with a chance to qualify for its first World Cup since 1950. In the 32nd minute, Paul Caligiuri scored the game's first goal on a long, dipping, left-footed strike from distance that ultimately became the game winner.
With a one-goal lead, the team needed to remain defensively stout. Paul Krumpe was one of the team's starting defenders, then in the 61st minute John Stollmeyer replaced him to help see out the win. Both joined us for a double episode of Extra Time. Just like that game, Kurmpe starts the episode and Stolly closes it out. They bring amazing and different perspectives on what it was like to participate in that historic game, and even provide insight on that time in US Soccer.
Founding Futbol is a year-long exploration of the critical moments that have led to soccer's emerging popularity in America. Extra Time is an additional weekly episode that shares reactions and reflections from the chapters, and brings additional guests into the fold. 
Visit our website for more information: ⁠FoundingFutbol.com. Email us at kent@foundingfutbol.com
Host: Kent Malmros
Guest: Paul Krumpe and John Stollmeyer
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Paul Caligiuri's iconic 1989 goal that sent the USMNT back to its first World Cup since 1950 is one of the most celebrated moments in the history of American soccer. It's been dubbed the "Shot Heard 'Round the World" and became the central plot point of the CBS sports / Paramount + documentary, "The Billion Dollar Goal." It's impossible to tell the story of soccer's rise in this country without exploring that storied event.
As part of our study of the Caligiuri goal, we explore the context of the USMNT leading up to the World Cup qualifiers, and the team's subsequent performance in the 1990 World Cup in Italy. Brian Bliss joins us to talk about his involvement in the goal -- it began on his throw-in -- and his journey as part of the program.
Founding Futbol is a year-long exploration of the critical moments that have led to soccer's emerging popularity in America.
Visit our website for more information: ⁠⁠FoundingFutbol.com
Host: Kent Malmros
Guest: Brian Bliss (Former USMNT player)
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