Hi friends, it’s Dan here. This is the last time you’ll be hearing from me via OffBallFC, as I’m undertaking an exciting new endeavor, more of which I’ll share below. I wanted to share what a fun ride it’s been helping to build OffBall’s soccer vertical alongside the great Madison Hammond (The Mad Corner isn’t going anywhere!) and the rest of the team. From using shaky plane WiFi to write an emotional tribute to the England team during the World Cup to partnering with Don Julio for a panel with Flo Balogun, Christen Press & Issa Rae, I feel we really hit the ground running with OffBallFC and never looked back.
The OffBall fam with always hold a special place in my heart, and I’ll never be too far away. I’m heading off to continue building my newsletter, SportsVerse, and to work on a few exciting editorial projects after a little vacation. You can follow along on Substack and on Instagram. Thank you for being a part of the journey and for making this all so much fun! I’m sure we’ll see each other soon.
Let’s get into it.
Here’s what the OffBallFC team and I have been watching this week in soccer culture:
The first week of soccer’s new year has come to a close so we had to break out the camera roll to find the best shots from the first few days across Europe’s top leagues.
Get ready to learn Ayyoub Bouaddi, Man City fans. The teenage phenom you’re furiously Googling right now is headed to the Ethiad to be the next star boy in blue, and it only cost them $117 Million.
Flo Balogun To Barcelona!? Flo Balogun to Barcelona!? Apologies for the Paul Revere impression but these rumors are just too good not to spread. The USMNT star is searching for a new home before the Sept. 1 transfer window close and if this comes true we’re buying one of those Kobe kits ASAP.
Pardon the window shopping interruption, but the top women’s kits in the game are dropping straight onto our wish list. Make sure you check ‘em all out before making space in your wardrobe.
If you like the Champions League song but don’t know how it works, no need to worry, there’s a guide for that. Here’s everything you need to know before the draw kicks off later today.
Origin Stories: Taylor Twellman
Welcome back to Origin Stories, an interview series shining a light on OffBallFC’s favorite soccer creators and tastemakers, and their relationship with the beautiful game. Today’s guest is the one -of-one Taylor Twellman, the former USMNT pro and current voice of the MLS on AppleTV. You might know Taylor as the patient explainer of the sport to the hosts of your favorite podcast, as one of the best follows on Soccer Twitter, or as the Lake Tahoe celeb-golf circuit’s top World Cup expert. We caught up with him to hear how it was covering a home World Cup, his outlook on the USMNT’s future and all the new season storylines he’s watching this fall.
OffBall: Tell us your origin story — how did you first fall in love with the beautiful game?
Taylor Twellman: My father played in the NASL and every kid wanted to be and do what dad did. My family had over 7 professional athletes in it, so sports was inevitable for me.
OB: Who were the early players and team(s) you idolized coming up in the sport?
TT: My dad, Alan Shearer, Gerd Müller, Ruud van Nistelrooy.
OB: Did you always know you wanted to work directly in soccer after playing, or did that develop more organically?
TT: I always wanted to be in the front office of a team when I was done playing and didn’t really have any intention of being in the media. That was 16 years ago.
OB: What was it like covering a home World Cup? It looked like you had a lot of fun doing it.
TT: I was 14 years old during the 1994 World Cup, so this one was so cool to be a part of it. I loved arguing with TSA agents about calls, games etc. Tbe World Cup transcended sports.
OB: How do you feel US soccer culture has shifted from before the tournament?
TT: I think the sport transcended into mainstream media for the first time ever and that was so incredible to see and live through. Also, it felt motivating to show you what the sport could be here.
OB: Looking ahead, where does soccer in the US go from here? How does it harness this momentum?
TT: I think more people are curious about soccer here and MLS/USSF just needs to be themselves while also understanding growth is imperative with the attention the sport got this summer.
OB: What post-World Cup storylines are you looking forward to/tracking at the moment, either on or off-field.
TT: Pochettino in his second phase with the National Team, Messi & Inter Miami repeating as MLS Cup champs, new players coming to MLS, and the upcoming new schedule in MLS with the introduction of a new commissioner.
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Heard he’s a terrific golfer.