
That’s So MLS is the Major League Soccer podcast for the long-suffering fan of the world’s most chaotic league. Hosted by journalist Andrew Bates and ex-casual defender Nick Thornton, TSMLS looks at club soccer from a Canadian perspective, with coverage of games and news from around North America.
Episodes

Thursday Apr 22, 2021
2021 Season Kick Off
Thursday Apr 22, 2021
Thursday Apr 22, 2021
It was an eventful weekend of games in the kick off of the 2021 MLS season and we've got all the results, the drama, the opening of accounts, the messed up subs, the missing subs, and absurd goals. We talk about how fortune favoured the brave in Montreal-Toronto, how dangerous a Galaxy side that can defend will be, and also got our first glimpse of a very serviceable Austin side. Who lost.

Friday Apr 16, 2021
MLS 2021 Predictions
Friday Apr 16, 2021
Friday Apr 16, 2021
It's hard to believe that MLS is already here, despite a historically long break. We preview the teams going into the season and talk about how so many things could change during this season, as we saw last season. We also go through all the CCL action, including some dominance by MLS clubs. And, as ever, we have some NWSL news as well.

Saturday Apr 03, 2021
11 Is Not Enough
Saturday Apr 03, 2021
Saturday Apr 03, 2021
The MLS season is still a couple of weeks away but wow has there all of a sudden been a lot of soccer. We talk the She Believes tournament, Olympic qualifiers, World Cup qualifying, and of course, MLS as well. We go a little in depth into our favourite maligned team and ask "have the Whitecaps really changed?"

Tuesday Feb 23, 2021
Vanney's Got a Plan (with Younes Bouida, Soccer New Brunswick)
Tuesday Feb 23, 2021
Tuesday Feb 23, 2021
The off season continues to churn and we've got a lot of story lines. We talk about Henry to Bournemouth (which is now confirmed to NOT be happening), Miami and Cincinnati making moves, and Greg Vanney's master plan to make LA, and Chicharito, good again. We also get to fill in a bit more of the Canadian youth development story with a chat with Younes Bouida, who heads up Soccer New Brunswick.
After taping, we heard about the awful Jordan Morris injury, we wish him well as he begins another long road of recovery.

Sunday Jan 31, 2021
Club de Foot and Club Development (w/ Mike Ayyash)
Sunday Jan 31, 2021
Sunday Jan 31, 2021
There has been a lot of player movement and club news since we last talked- so we run down all the big transfer news, new coaches, old coaches, rebrands and more. Then we bring in our guest, Mike Ayyash, head coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps Atlantic Canada Development Centre to talk about how youth development has worked in the past and how it might work in the future.

Sunday Jan 10, 2021
2020 Season Wrap Up
Sunday Jan 10, 2021
Sunday Jan 10, 2021
We finally get to put the lid on 2020, so we run through some completely arbitrary awards and recap some of our favourite moments of the season. We also discuss the tensions around a new CBA and what a Vanney move to LA Galaxy will mean- a move that has since been confirmed!

Tuesday Dec 22, 2020
The 2020 MLS Cup Final
Tuesday Dec 22, 2020
Tuesday Dec 22, 2020
And just like that, it was over. The Seattle Sounders were neatly dealt with by Caleb Porter's Columbus Crew in a final no one predicted. We break down the game and what we liked about both teams and where things went wrong for Seattle. And of course because there's no rest for anyone, we dive right back into Champion's League action, including a ridiculous red card, even by MLS standards.

Friday Dec 11, 2020
That Last 15 Minutes Will Really Get Ya
Friday Dec 11, 2020
Friday Dec 11, 2020
Well no one will accuse the conference finals of being boring. We've got a full run down of both games and some probably not surprising final predictions (which we recorded before it was announced that Crew will be without two starting players) We go in depth into the two games and also turn to the CCL where Forge... struggled.

Sunday Dec 06, 2020
Roll On, The Conference Finals
Sunday Dec 06, 2020
Sunday Dec 06, 2020
This week we do an in depth breakdown of all of the games including Orlando's unhinged performance, New England's patient and efficient attack, Columbus' sheer will, Nashville's missed opportunity but great run, Seattle's unlikely hero, Dallas' noble effort, Sporting KC's tired legs, and Minnesota's playoff dreams realized.

Saturday Nov 28, 2020
Shootout at the SKC Corral
Saturday Nov 28, 2020
Saturday Nov 28, 2020
In a wild first round of playoffs, we go through the insane moments you might have missed because of all of the other insane moments. We talk about the Iceman Tim Melia, the unrelenting Sounders, and early exits for a few clubs we thought would show some more fight, as well as our predictions for the next round.

Friday Nov 20, 2020
Playoff Preview and Predictions
Friday Nov 20, 2020
Friday Nov 20, 2020
As North America spirals into Covid chaos, we pick the teams we think will make it through, if anyone makes it through. Only 20% a bummer. Stay safe <3

Monday Nov 16, 2020
Decision Day AKA The Snows of Hurtado island
Monday Nov 16, 2020
Monday Nov 16, 2020
As the playoffs loom, we go over all the Decision Day results and talk about who is in and who is out and why. We offer some helpful advice to the teams that didn't quite make it and dissect the season's first snow game.

Sunday Nov 08, 2020
I Got Them PPG Blues
Sunday Nov 08, 2020
Sunday Nov 08, 2020
This week we look at the important races to playoff spots ahead of Decision Day, with some in depth looks at the dark horse teams, as well some teams we're still quite surprised by, and of course, whether or not the MLS Playoffs will even happen amidst soaring Covid 19 numbers. We also turn some attention to the Colorado Rapids who have quietly emerged as a force to be reckoned with.

Friday Oct 23, 2020
To Shield or Not to Shield
Friday Oct 23, 2020
Friday Oct 23, 2020
This week we dive into the debacle of whether the 2020 Supporter's Shield will be awarded, look at how the playoffs are shaping up, and look at a few familiar names getting on the scoresheet.

Saturday Oct 10, 2020
Speaking of Things That Are Weird and Bad
Saturday Oct 10, 2020
Saturday Oct 10, 2020
This week we look at the two dominant teams emerging in MLS (bet you can't guess who), talk about the sea change at DC, and a really unfortunate incident in USL involving San Diego Loyal and Phoenix Rising.

Friday Oct 02, 2020
Rudy CAN Fail
Friday Oct 02, 2020
Friday Oct 02, 2020
In another busy stretch of games we take a closer look at Montreal's discipline issues, some wild Whitecaps results, the struggles of LAFC, and Seattle's annoyingly good form.

Thursday Sep 17, 2020
From No Footy to Too Many Games
Thursday Sep 17, 2020
Thursday Sep 17, 2020
Since the conclusion of the MLS is Back tournament, the schedule has been very busy so we take you through every single MLS club, some of their recent results, and offer our thoughts about where they are and where they're going. And if that's not enough, we also catch you up on Canadian Premier League. Put the coffee on and put your feet up, there's lots to talk about!

Sunday Aug 23, 2020
Timbers Are Champs
Sunday Aug 23, 2020
Sunday Aug 23, 2020
Despite a Cinderella run, Orlando City SC lost out in the final to Portland Timbers and we have a full break down of what went so right for Portland and what went wrong for Orlando. Then we dive into the first glut of MLS games, which are happening now at breakneck speeds, as well as the re-launch of the Canadian Premier League.

Tuesday Aug 11, 2020
And Then There Were Two
Tuesday Aug 11, 2020
Tuesday Aug 11, 2020
Just like that, MLS is Back is almost done! We run down all the knockout games, and look at a preview of the final between Portland Timbers and Orlando City. We also talk about the return of Canadian Premier League and the rest of an MLS season.

Friday Jul 31, 2020
Dashed Dreams
Friday Jul 31, 2020
Friday Jul 31, 2020
Among a slew of MLS action this week, we turn some of our attention to NWSL where a somewhat unlikely champion was crowned. We break down all the knockout stage games and the major story lines from Chill Socce... I mean MLS Is Back. We talk about Hasal's nervy debut with the Whitecaps, the sleepy Sounders, and a few surprises that truly we could not have predicted.

Sunday Jul 19, 2020
A Thorn In The Side of Courage
Sunday Jul 19, 2020
Sunday Jul 19, 2020
This week we catch you up on the NWSL Challenge Cup, which saw the defending champs easily picked off by a struggling Portland Thorns. We also give you a breakdown of all the big games in MLS is Back, which saw red cards, golazos, and a lot of huffing and puffing. And an Adidas logo.

Saturday Jul 04, 2020
I Hate To Burst Your Bubble
Saturday Jul 04, 2020
Saturday Jul 04, 2020
This week we take a look at the NWSL Challenge Cup, with a breakdown of all the games and some really good soccer. We also look at the still developing Fyre Festival-esque conditions in Orlando, as #MLSisback looks further and further away from being a reality.

Monday Jun 22, 2020
This Might Not Happen
Monday Jun 22, 2020
Monday Jun 22, 2020
Just as MLS is announcing its return, so too are we. We catch up on what's been going on in our lives, talk about some more head scratching changes at the Whitecaps, and the planned (emphasis on "planned") return of NWSL and MLS. As we publish this, Orlando Pride have pulled out of the tournament they are hosting and Florida's Covid-19 infections continue to rise. We also talk about the response by players, teams, and the league to the killing of George Floyd by police and the ongoing work of others to catch up to an ongoing and systemic system of racial violence.

Saturday Apr 11, 2020
Isolation Pals! Talking with Stephen Hart
Saturday Apr 11, 2020
Saturday Apr 11, 2020
While there may not be much soccer action...anywhere, Andrew got Halifax Wanderers head coach Stephen Hart on the line to talk about how the team is doing, what his plans are, some MLS legends, and looking back at different eras of soccer for inspiration.

Sunday Mar 22, 2020
Bigger Than Football
Sunday Mar 22, 2020
Sunday Mar 22, 2020
Nick and Bates return to talk about the suspension of MLS, and most of live sports, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including what teams are doing, what an eventual season would look like, soccer fans drawing strength in community and the challenge of not having the answers. Plus, Bates' FIFA journey and brainstorming what MLS quarantine content we want to see.