Back in June, we went to Atlanta to learn about the soccer scene in the city. Tosin had the opportunity to speak to El Johnson (Forty One Mag), Gillian Williams, Bem Joiner, Nene Kisseih, and Kerri-Ann Worthen. The wide ranging conversation touched on Atlanta United, US Soccer's decision to move to Georgia, the talent that has always been involved in the sport, and ruminations on the relationship between Blackness and soccer in America. Join us for this special edition of the Shirtless Plantain Show. Tap in!

“Racismo! Delays! Danger! Duolingo! Shakira! Goat Ankles! Retirements!” That was a brief, yet inexhaustive list of topics Tosin and Deen discussed instead of the football that happened between the best national football team in the world and (sadly) Colombia. Tap in! Join us on Wednesday (7/24/24) at Legends Sports Bar in NYC (6 W. 33rd St, New York, NY 10001) for an SPS Live Show!

Emily readjusts her Olympic expectations, Mitch rants about throwback kits, and Matheus says “I told you so” in this week’s SPS Soccer Edition. Tap in! Join us on Wednesday (7/24/24) at Legends Sports Bar in NYC (6 W. 33rd St, New York, NY 10001) for an SPS Live Show!

So your new European Champions are Spain. Yay! But SPS doesn’t really care about that all that since England has the “stars”. That might make us just as bad as Southgate & the English media. That said, join Tosin, Coach & Deen for the SPS review the final, alongside more philosophical thoughts on what we learned from Euro 2024. Tap in!

The Copa America final is set: Argentina vs Colombia! One team’s semifinal was straightforward, while the other team had to brave the most intense (and arguably the best) football match anyone has watched anywhere this year. Join Tosin & Deen for thoughts on Argentina’s win over Red Bull Scarborough and Colombia’s tense clash with Uruguay. Tap in!

Coach and Tosin talk about England rescuing a comeback win. Ollie Watkins came off the bench to send England to ANOTHER Euro final. Gareth Southgate got his flowers, as did Kobbie Mainoo and Luke Shaw. Netherlands, in particular Ronald Koeman disappointed. Tap in!

Mitch and Emily are joined by The Athletic's Jeff Rueter for a chat about Copa America, the USWNT, and USMNT's Olympic roster. The group also checks in on the NWSL and MLS as the leagues reach the halfway point of their respective seasons. It’s a fantastic episode, folks. Tap in!

The heavyweight clash between the best defense & best offense in the competition happened & Spain came out on top, thanks to a comeback starter by the youngest goal scorer in Euros history. Join the crew for ruminations on France, Spain, and the future. Tap in!

Copa America’s quarterfinals wrapped up over the weekend with Canada, Argentina & Uruguay surviving penalties to advance, while Colombia took advantage of their mismatch to stroll into the semis. Join Tosin, Deen & Gabi for insights & fiery takes from the most brutal of all the summer tournaments. Tap in!

Bukayo Saka. Quite good at this football lark, maybe even the best of the bunch, and maybe saving England’s bacon against the Swiss will finally make it obvious to the masses. Meanwhile, Cody Gakpo inspired the Dutch to a comeback win over Turkey in a barnstormer. Arda Guler might be finished in Euro 2024, but he’s just getting started. Join Tosin & Deen for more quarterfinal action from the Euros. Tap in!

The first semifinal of Euro 2024 is set. Spain vs France. Join Coach and Tosin as they walk you through Spain and Germany’s “final before the final” in which we said goodbye to a legend. There was also Portugal vs France, a match that featured two hamstrung managers: one by Homelando and the other by stubbornness. Tap in!

Turkey & Austria played out an instant classic, while the Dutch went some way to reasserting themselves as a Football ‘Eritage™️ team against Romania to complete the final 8 at the Euros. Join Tosin, Coach & Deen for thoughts on yet another fantastic day of tournament footy. Tap in!

The USMNT crashed out of Copa America 2024. Join Tosin, Mitch, Matheus, Tomi and Gabi for a therapy session on the state of soccer in America. It is a wicked world, if you're a fan of this team. Tap in!

Homelando cried. SPS cried. We crode together. Oh and France & Belgium did what they always do; the only new bit was William Saliba introducing himself to an even larger audience. Join Tosin & Deen for thoughts (and tears) as we got two more quarterfinalists at the Euros. Tap in!

That boy ain’t right, but Gareth Southgate worships at his altar anyway. In more explainable events, Spain systemically dismantled Georgia’s Cinderella story to advance to the quarters. Join the crew for the latest from the round of 16. Tap in!

It’s a vaguely Arsenal-centric episode of the Euros Edition with Ser Granit Xhaka catching yet another body as he led Switzerland past Italy & Kai Havertz proved that Julian Nagelsmann was right to keep the faith. Join the full squad for thoughts on a fine pair of fixtures from the round of 16. Tap in!

Round 2 of the group fixtures at Copa America is complete & the favorites are all rounding into form… if you don’t consider the USMNT one of the favorites. Join Tosin & Deen (with a welcome cameo from the SPS Soccer Edition’s Mitch & Matheus) for insights from all the matches. Tap in!

Groups E & F wrapped up with Georgia’s historic victory over Portugal as the highlight of the final group stage match day. Join Tosin, Deen, and appearing off the bench for the first time this summer, Tomi, for a review of the games and a look ahead at the round of 16 pairings. Tap in!

Groups C & D of the Euros wrapped up today with France simmering, Poland spoiling, Austria shocking, and an insipid one between Denmark & Serbia. However, Coach & Tosin offer you the Full English™️, via a deep dive on the 3 Lions & their legacy of constant disappointment, despite their wealth of talent. Tap in! P.S.: The Dutch need more Vans.

You didn’t think we’d ignore Copa America, did you? Each of the favorites have shown us what to expect, so it’s only right that SPS finally reviewed all the action from the first round of fixtures. Join Tosin, Deen & Mitch for thoughts on the games, the teams & the organization of the tournament itself. It’s the SPS Copa America Edition. Tap in!

Mitch, Matheus, and Emily talk the big NWSL news: Casey Stoney’s shock firing. Gotham’s loss to Washington and Orlando’s demolition of Utah also make the docket. The battle at the top of the Western Conference and the Colorado Rapids’ ‘nine point’ week headlines the MLS chatter. Tap in!

Join Tosin & Deen for the finest of gababool as Italy stole a spot in the last sixteen at the death & Spain wrapped up maximum points despite heavily rotating against Albania. Day 10. Group B. The Euros. Tap in!

Hungary & Scotland brought back memories of ‘Golden Goals’, while Granit Xhaka added another name to his long list of ‘great midfielders I’ve dominated’ as Switzerland made everyone wonder just how good ze Germans actually are. Join Tosin, Coach & Deen for meaty thoughts on the conclusion to Group A of the Euros. Tap in!

SPS Euros Edition - Ridiculous - Episode 455 Own Goal is leading the scoring charts & raising the silly stakes, thanks to Türkiye’s mess in their loss to a smooth Portugal. Meanwhile, Belgium and Czechia put in dominant performances that were either not rewarded with enough goals, or in one case, enough points. Join Deen & Tosin for a review of the final 3 game matchday of the Euros. Tap in! Join Deen & Tosin for thoughts on

We have our first 0-0 draw in Euro 2024, France still only have an own goal to their name and the Dutch are polite. Austria are buying exactly what Ralf Rangnick is selling and Ukraine got a much needed wake-up call against Slovakia, despite Stanislav Lobotka showing out. Coach and Tosin walk through another day of Euro 2024 action. Tap in!

“What is Gareth Southgate? Who is Gareth Southgate? Where is Gareth Southgate? How is Gareth Southgate?” Coach & Deen won’t answer any of those rhetorical questions during their roundup of day 7 of the Euros, but they’ll offer plenty of insight on Spain’s demolition of Italy & the latest Balkan contest at the tournament. Yes, there’s plenty on England v Denmark too. Tap in!

Xherdan Shaqiri gets older but him marking tournaments with a banger doesn’t, Albania made Croatia look their age, & the hosts are the first team to qualify for the next round of the tournament. Join Coach & Deen for day 6 chatter. Tap in!

The SPS Soccer Edition crew breaks down USMNT’s optimism-generating draw with Brazil, the parallels between refs and cops, and all the top games in MLS and NWSL this week, including some cheeky Croix Bethune for MVP chatter. Tap in!

The Portuguese made hard work of Czechia, thanks to a few too many fullbacks & one old dude, while Turkey and Georgia played out the best game of the tournament so far. Join Coach and Deen for ramblings on day 5 of the Euros. Tap in!

Day 3 of the Euros is in the books. Romania put on a show, Belgium’s golden generation is making necks turn green, and the French sort of maybe perhaps kinda performed well? Join Tosin & Coach for thoughts on day 4 and find out what sort of mask they recommend for Kylian. Tap in!

Day 2 of the Euros did not disappoint! Memphis wore a headband but Wout saved the day. Christian Eriksen brought joy and England… went full Southgate. Join Tosin and Coach for thoughts on the second day of Euro 2024. Tap in!

Euro 2024 is here! Join us for a rundown of the opening games of the tournament. Germany, Spain and Italy look very serious, and a generational shift is in progress - led a SIXTEEN (16) year old child! Tap in!

Summertime means tournament time and Euro 2024 is here. So is the SPS Crew. Join us for a freewheeling preview of the tournament; groups, favorites, dark horses and predictions. We also plan to cover every matchday of the tournament. Tap in!

This one’s a touch dated after the USMNT put up a creditable performance against Brazil, but the SPS Soccer Edition crew broke down the implosion against Colombia, discussed Gregg Berhalter’s job security, Copa America expectations, and all the fun and silly events in NWSL last weekend. Tap

The Euros & Copa America are around the corner, but Tosin is still at the club & he brought the esteemed Carl Anka along to the discuss the bad trip that was Manchester United’s 23/24 season. We answered your questions & predicted the future. Chin up, Utd fans… it does get better. Tap in!

Emma Hayes finally made her proper debut as the USWNT manager, and naturally, the Soccer Edition crew have lots of thoughts. Join Mitch, Emily & Matheus for said thoughts, as well as a review of the most thrilling MLS action from the weekend. Tap in!

Another season, another Champions League trophy for Real Madrid. Join Tosin, Coach & Deen for a rambling wrap up of the most unsurprising end to what was an objectively entertaining edition of the alleged greatest competition in club football. Tap in!

Friend of the pod & all round gent, Elliot Ross, joins the SPS crew to preview this year’s Champions League final. There’s lots of love for Marco Reus & Carlo Ancelotti, along with superlatives from elsewhere in what was a relatively entertaining edition of the tournament. Tap in!

Mitch, Matheus & Emily talk about all the great goals and memorable blunders around US soccer this week, with an emphasis on the Orlando Pride & NWSL’s newest sensation: Barbra Banda. Tap in!

Tosin, Coach & Deen join the football community in saying goodbye to arguably the finest midfielder of all time, Toni Kroos. There are also thoughts on the DFB Pokal, FA Cup Final, the Championship Playoff Final, & whatever happened in France & Italy. Tap in!

Finally! Manchester United’s season wraps up with a pretty bow. Two academy graduates & Youth FA Cup winners from two years ago scored and secured the FA Cup against the dominant club in England. Join Tosin and Tomi as they breakdown the big victory and what it might mean for the club going into a long and needed break. Tap in!

Gooners! We pulled out all the stops for you this time: SPS Alumni, the honorable James Benge, joined Gabby, Coach & Deen for a freewheeling review of the 23/24 season (we'll make sure Mitch shows up for next season's treble winning season review). We asked James for his thoughts on everything ranging from his expectations at the beginning of the season to which of our beloved squad might be leaving soon. He also answered a bunch of listener questions, and most importantly, like Arsenal, we had a grand ol' time - results be damned. Tap in!

Emily, Matheus & Mitch are back again to talk USMNT & USWNT rosters & the highlights from around American Soccer. But more importantly, they’re here to remind you that the Summer of Hate has only just begun. Tap in!

Leagues in France, Germany & England all wrapped up this weekend, which begs the question “which league is really the proverbial Farmers’ League?” For an answer & much more, join Tosin & Deen on our customary trip around the top 5 European leagues. Tap in!

…and so it ended, Gooners. Nonetheless, we move. Join Gabby, Mitch & Deen for a review of what was ultimately an anticlimactic end to a fantastic season for the Arsenal. The future remains bright, friends. Tap in!

Manchester United's worst league season since 1989-90 ended with a 2-0 win over Brighton. Join Tosin and Tomi for thoughts on the club's best player this season and where Roberto De Zerbi might end up next. Finally, there's one more game (it's almost over, fam) and it's kind of a big deal: The FA Cup Final. We have thoughts on that game too. Tap in!

As the season wraps up across Europe's big leagues, Tosin and Coach analyze action from the weekend through Wednesday. What is Jude Bellingham missing? Juventus added a little trinket and Inter just might do it again next season. Christian Pulisic gets some love and we also talked… Tottenham. Tap in!

Mitch, Emily & Matheus discuss Canada’s new national men’s football manager, Giroud’s move to MLS, and the highlights from MLS & NWSL’s Rivalry Week (someone also gets very upset about a certain Kevin Cabral). Tap in!

The expanded SPS Footiematic Universe joined forces to review the snoozer that Man Utd & Arsenal gave us on Sunday. Lots of chatter regarding ETH doing something to earn his money for the first time in ages, alongside tons of credit to Arsenal for their propensity to handle these “big” occasions professionally this season. Tap in!

Arsenal vs. Man Utd. A, or perhaps, THE classic Premier League matchup. Join Coach and Tosin as they battle technical difficulties, answer your questions, talk about their favorite and less favorable memories from historic Arsenal vs. Man Utd matchups. They also make predictions and discuss where the match can be won. Tap in!

Join Mitch, Emily and Matheus for another round of MLS and NWSL goodness on the SPS Soccer Edition. There’s some Casey Stoney chatter, along with a compelling argument for Moïse Bombito to be the MLS defender of the year. Tap in!

Dortmund vs Real Madrid? Yup! That’s your Champions League final. Join Coach and Tosin as they break down how Dortmund beat PSG and analyze the chaos that ensued as Real Madrid beat Bayern. Also is Vinícius Júnior the best player in the world? Tap in!

Malice by Palace! Sorry Man Utd fans. Michael Olise had whale of a time against Erik ten Hag's side. Christian Eriksen & Casemiro look like shells of themselves. Tosin & Tomi talked praised the job Oliver Glasner has done with his side, with a shoutout to USMNT's Chris Richards. Chin up, Utd fans… just 3 more games. Tap in!

Salutations all around as the SPS crew says farewell to a ‘streets won’t forget’ legend & gives Real Madrid their props for a fantastic league campaign. On the other hand, Bayern keep trying their hardest to steal Dortmund’s unserious mantle & Man Utd’s unserious manager. It’s the SPS Weekend Review. Tap in!

You can find us all on Twitter Deen - @theplantainshow Coach - @LobRucci Mitch - @mitchpeotter Gabby - @NocturnalGunner

The Champions League semis began this week headlined by the glamor clash between Bayern Munich & Real Madrid, but a semi-forgotten character might have stolen the spotlight in the other matchup between Dortmund & PSG. Join the SPS crew for thoughts on comebacks, Timberlands, unserious managers & dictatorships. Tap in!

Mitch, Emily, and Matheus talk about the best NWSL and MLS games of the week, transfers, the USMNT right back situation, and Messi marketing. Tap in!

This weekend saw a few league title coronations and one big league bottling. Tosin, Coach & Deen covered those bits and tons more, including what it means to be Black in the age of podcasting, in this week's SPS Weekend Review. Tap in!

Coach is joined by Gabby and Mitch to discuss another easy win at the toilet bowl up the road from the Wengerdome. On a day where debates such as Maddison vs Odegaard and Saka vs Kulusevski still existed for people of a certain persuasion, the men in red made sure to leave no stone unturned and no goalkeeper untickled. Tap In!

It’s over for Erik ten Hag… right? Man Utd drew against the 19th place team and the football wasn’t pretty. Tosin, Tomi and Dharma discussed the match, the future and the abuse Marcus Rashford has endured. Chin up, it’s almost over, Utd fans. Tap in!

Back to back wins for Man Utd... sort of? Erik ten Hag's side managed to beat the worst team in the league, Sheffield United, but made a meal of it. Bruno Fernandes did his thing and Man Utd’s 250th academy graduate debuted (an 87 year streak)! Tosin is joined by Dharma (@MindOfDharma) as they try to make sense of the red side of Manchester. Tap in!

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha @chelseafc! Arsenal put on a 5-star performance against the 1.5 billion pound bottlejobs and it felt sensational. Join Gabby, Coach and Deen for a not at all excessive amount of gloating and rejoicing. F*** Chelsea. Tap in!

Join Mitch, Matheus and Emily for another trip around the happenings in American soccer during trade season in the MLS and NWSL, highlighted by Maria Sanchez's trade from Houston to San Diego and the current mess at Seattle Sounders FC. Tap in!

Hope you got some rest and relaxation amidst all the action around Europe last weekend. Tosin, Coach & Deen cover El Cojon... Classico, the FA Cup games, and all the league action your ears can handle. Tap in!

It happened again. Man Utd had one of their lowest lows, collapsing after being up 3-0 against Coventry. They qualified for the FA Cup final but struggled massively. Join Tosin and Tomi for thoughts on the game, the state of the club and praise for the women's team. Tap in!

Back. On. Top! Arsenal returned to winning ways with a 2-0 victory away to Wolves at Molineaux. So that probably means that the title race is still on. We right here! Join Gabby, Coach & Deen for thoughts on the game, but stay for thoughts on Martinelli's future and rants on Arsenal's past. Tap in!

Join 3 of the best humans alive named Coach (live from Munich), Tosin and Deen as they talk about 8 of the best teams in Europe battling for a place in the semifinals of the Champions League. The more things change (Dortmund & Ousmane Dembele’s face), the more they remain the same (Real Madrid & Ousmane Dembele’s face). Tap in!

The Soccer Edition’s back and the gang takes a quick She Believes Cup detour before delving into the NWSL & whether Temwa Chawinga is the most likely MVP winner this season, before wrapping up the happenings in MLS. Tap in!

The lads fought through technical difficulties to give Bayer Leverkusen, Xabi Alonso & Granit Xhaka their flowers as Neverkusen finally became Meisterkusen. And per usual, we covered the rest of what mattered across Europe last weekend. Tap in!

Oof. Maybe Aston Villa with Unai Emery at home before a Champions League semi against Bayern Munich is the TRUE definition of a 'trap game'. Whatever this game was, it wasn't good for the Arsenal, as the lads failed to take advantage of one title race contender's slip by slipping to a 0-2 defeat at The Emirates. Join Gabby & Deen for a not at all cathartic ramble about an extremely damaging result. Tap in!

Tosin and Tomi are back and so are Man Utd’s hijinks. They discussed the 2-2 draw, the FA CUP semifinal and what went wrong (again). Erik ten Hag might not have much longer to go? There’s also praise for Andoni Iraola, Dom Solanke and Justin Kluivert finishing like his father.

Mitch and Matheus round up another weekend of MLS but not before spending time on USWNT’s latest exploits in the She Believes Cup. Tap In!

It’s the SPS Weekend Review with Tosin back in the driver’s seat! Join the OG team for our true return, new beginnings (shoutout Bleav), a trip all over Europe on a derby filled weekend, and hearty helpings of Congolese gabagool. Tap in!

Tosin is joined by Tomi (@CallmeTamilore) to talk about Man Utd’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool. Some players disappointed, some shined, but the Erik ten Hag experience continued. We discussed the future again with a focus on roles and positions that should be addressed in the summer. Chin up, Man Utd fans. The season is almost over.

Instagram: Shirtlessplantainshow YouTube: Shirtless Plantain Show Twitter: @theplantainshow TikTok: @shirtlessplantainshow

Tosin & Tomi are back with their thoughts on yet another frustrating loss for Man Utd away to Chelsea. They also seek some outside perspective on the myriad issues the club is facing from one of SPS’s resident Arsenal trolls: Deen. As leaky as that midfield is, the lads suggest that ‘optimism’ should be Man Utd fan’s choice for the rest of a forgettable season. Tap in!

It's a good time to be a Gooner, ain't it? Coach certainly thinks so. Join Gabby, Coach & Deen for a freewheeling chat about Arsenal's season, the team's trajectory, & the title race. Oh, and we talked a bit about the extremely professional dispatching of Luton Town, with an emphasis on ESR's performance. Tap in!

As you know by now Tosin is back, so he brought Coach along to dissect the mess that was the 1-1 draw with Brentford. Lots of chatter on how INEOS may view Ten Haag's future and if he survives till next season. Tap In!

…and for our 400th episode, a magic trick: TOSIN IS BACK! Join the crew for a fun trip through the top 5 (+1) European leagues, including a special visit to Villa Park. Tap in!

Coach & Deen rejoice as Arsenal finally show the maturity required to avoid the customary loss at The Etihad. Controlled suffering can be a beautiful thing. Tap in.

The USMNT racked up a third consecutive CONCACAF Nations League in commanding fashion, so Mitch, Matheus & Emily went long on the celebrations. Then it was on to the best of NWSL and MLS, with spots of orthopedic suggestions for new Miami residents and Rapids denialism. Tap in!

Mitch, Deen and Matheus wrap up another week of the Messi League. Tap In!

Deen and Coach try and stay on topic in regards to the loss at Nottingham Forrest but end up talking about the future. Tap In!

A crushing home defeat left the Arsenal fellas much to ponder about but also a look at the season on a whole so far. Tap in!

Mitch and Deen return to chat about week 3 of MLS action, along with ruminations on crazy soccer parents, the Portland Thorns' Ed Hardy Party Jersey and Austin FC's pending failure against Violette AC in the CONCACAF Champions League. Tap in! 

The Arsenal crew make sense of the victory over the old enemy while trying (very badly) to remain objective! Tap in!

Coach brings along the legendary tommiedotjpg aka Boney Starks along to dissect the Manchester Derby from the lens of a City fan. Tap In!

We break down the festive footy across the leagues and preview this week's up and coming fixtures! 

RIP to the King of Football, Edson Arantes do Nascimento aka Pelé.

Oh you thought we was done? Have our team of the tournament with some other chatter.Disclaimer: Parts of this episode were very much sarcastic and critical of certain happenings

Lionel Messi you can stop harassing us now, the evil you have done is enough.  Kylian please don't take it out on the rest of us. Tap in!

The guys preview the biggest sports game in the world. Tap in!

So its set, France vs Argentina for the WWF World Title at Summerslam, I mean the World Cup. Morroco you have rocked our world

First Semi final was lit up by you know who. Tap in

Rest in Peace to the great Grant Wahl.The fellas take you through another crazy day of the world cup where history was made!

We take a look at arguably the craziest day of the world cup so far! Tap in

Scams and Coach talk through the rest of the R16 games and some predictions for the quarters. Also should more diaspora kids play for their parents country?

Scams and Coach do a quick round up of the R16 fixtures including winners Brazil and Croatia. Baila y Baila!

Scams and Mitch breakdown the France and England matches. Mbappe might be good at football?

Scams, Coach and Mitch dissect the first knockout games. Tap In!

Coach and Deen dissect the final group games with a special focus on Ghana. Buckle up and boil some eggs!

Scams and Coach try and make sense of whatever Japan, Spain Germany and Costa Rica were doing.

Scams annd Coach answer questions from listeners while dissecting the madness of group C

We spoke to former West Ham and Aston Villa midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker about his football journey.From starting at Wimbledon to ending his career at MK Dons, we talked about it all. West Ham, Aston Villa, England, the MLS and being black in football.Nigel also told us about his World Cup predictions. 

Scams, Coach and Mitch talk through the last round of fixtures!

The usual suspects chop up what was the best day of the World Cup so far also check us out on Instagram and TikTok: shirtlessplantainshow

Scams, Deen and Coach cover day 7 of the world Cup and answer some listener questions

Scams, Deen, Coach and a returning guest Kayle chop up the latest match day with a special focus on France and Argentina.

Scams, Deen and Coach laugh at Ghana... A LOT and fit in some talk about the other days fixtures. Enjoy!

Scams, Deen and Coach talk through a World Cup day to remember as Saudi Arabia stunned Argentina and France looked excellent vs Australia 

Coach, Deen and Mitch talk through a dominant Arsenal win over Chelsea and of course have time to clown their other rivals this weekend! Tuck in

Champions League happened, records were broken, records were unbroken and tears flowed.Europa League, some funny capers in that tournament.We previewed the weekend's football shenanigans in the way we know best. There's lots of great football to be had, grab your popcorn.