Which league has the best Best XI of the last 25 years, when do lineups lock prior to kickoff, and more!| Listener Questions
Total Soccer Show: USMNT, Champions League, EPL, and more ...
TSS
4.8 • 3.7K Ratings
🗓️ 17 January 2026
⏱️ 47 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This week, we're debating the best tactical setup for the USMNT: a double-10 system with Brenden Aaronson and Weston McKennie, or a two-striker look featuring Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun? We also settle a big-picture argument about which of Europe’s top four leagues can claim the strongest best XI of the past 25 years, dive into the actual rules around when and how managers can change a starting lineup after it’s been announced, and imagine a time-travel World Cup where teams bring one legend back in their prime. Plus, we finish by designing the ultimate goofy soccer TV show or podcast, starring some of the sport’s most entertaining personalities.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the total Soccer Show. |
| 0:22.3 | It's our latest batch of listener questions. |
| 0:25.0 | And on this episode, we're building a quarter of a century's worth of top European League best 11s. |
| 0:30.6 | We're going back in time to bring back World Cup legends to play today. |
| 0:34.5 | We're asking how set in stone a team sheet is much, much more. My name's Ryan Bailey joining me today. Hello, Taylor Rockwell. How is you? I is good, Ryan, especially because that question you let off with about building the best teams could have taken a lot of time except I went to one league first, built a team and said, yeah, no one's beaten that. So that's pretty much what I did for this one. |
| 0:56.0 | Oh, a quick researcher. We like those around these parts. Yes. Yes. Less so elsewhere, but that one, yes. Indeed. Hi, Joe Larry. How's it going? It's going great. Even better now that I know Taylor just did La Liga and then stopped. Correct. I did all the leagues, although I do have a couple of blank spaces that I don't know about because I wasn't watching soccer in the year 2000. But I am stoked for this episode. We had a lot of fun questions on here, guys. And it's the weekend. Isn't that beautiful? I've got my cinnamon toast crunch. Saturday morning. Life is good. Graham's watching Saturday morning cartoons. Graham Rutherland. Hello, how are you? I'm good. I'm looking |
| 1:28.4 | forward to this Saturday afternoon. We're definitely recorded on Saturday. Also looking forward to |
| 1:32.3 | saying something on this episode that is immediately disproven, as has become my habit over the last |
| 1:36.8 | week, Ramsey, on last week's celestial questions. And then Jabby Alonzo really compounded that |
| 1:41.9 | trend on Monday by saying very clearly on that episode, |
| 1:45.5 | Jabby Alonso is probably safe for now, and he was sacked by the time our episode had even |
| 1:49.9 | come out on Monday. |
| 1:51.9 | That was great. |
| 1:52.9 | That sacking has been an incredible exercise in people doing passive-aggressive things via |
| 1:57.2 | social media. |
| 1:58.5 | Like, starting with Venetius says, I apologize to everyone ever associated with |
| 2:02.3 | Ram Madrid except for the manager. |
| 2:04.3 | And then Chauvielanza didn't he say, like, it's been an honor and a responsibility to |
| 2:08.5 | manage Ram Madrid. |
| 2:09.4 | Not a privilege. |
| 2:10.5 | Like, it's been an honor and a task. |
| 2:12.4 | He's one step shy of chore in all of that. |
... |
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