Riverhounds Media Relations Director Matt Grubba, born in Sydney, Australia but raised in the U.S., joins John Krysinsky to preview the highly anticipated USMNT vs. Australia World Cup match and shares an incredible inside look at the Hounds' historic USL Championship win in Tulsa.

Full Show Notes:

Joining the show today is longtime Pittsburgh soccer journalist and current Riverhounds Director of Media Relations, Matt Grubba!

John and Matt have shared press boxes since the dawn of the F.N.B. Stadium era. In this episode, they look back at how much the local soccer landscape has exploded before Matt takes us right onto the pitch in Tulsa, describing what it was like on the inside when the Riverhounds hoisted the USL Championship trophy.

Then, they dive deep into Friday's massive USMNT vs. Australia World Cup group stage matchup. As a dual U.S.-Australian citizen, Matt breaks down the Socceroos' shocking 2-0 counter-attacking upset over Turkey, the rise of teenage sensation Nestory Irankunda, and how Australia plans to set a tactical trap for Pochettino's high-flying Americans in Seattle.

A truly historic week across the global and local sporting landscape brings a powerhouse edition of Sounding Off on Soccer!

We kick things off right from the press box in Los Angeles as host John Krysinsky welcomes back legendary sports journalist Mike DeCourcy of The Sporting News. Fresh off covering the U.S. Men’s National Team’s commanding performance, Mike takes us inside the electric atmosphere of the World Cup on home soil. We dive deep into a vintage tactical display the likes of which we’ve never quite seen from the U.S. Men on this stage before. Mike also delivers the latest medical updates on Christian Pulisic’s injury status, breaks down the squad's intensifying preparations for Friday’s massive clash with Australia in Seattle, and even switches gears to give us his perspective as a renowned college basketball writer on the New York Knicks capturing their first NBA title since 1973 behind the chemistry of the "Nova Knicks" and Jalen Brunson's masterpiece.

Then, John shifts the focus back to local soil with a full sweep of the Western Pennsylvania soccer landscape. We break down the absolute tear our area pre-professional teams are on—including the red-hot Pittsburgh Riveters SC nearing a division crown and Steel City FC keeping the defensive standard high.

From there, we unpack the Riverhounds' gritty 1-0 win over Indy Eleven in front of another packed house at F.N.B. Stadium. John pulls from his years of experience as a competitor, coach, and journalist to tackle the social media chatter surrounding the Steel Army heavily booing returning championship goalkeeper Eric Dick, explaining why it was a masterclass in Soccer Gamesmanship 101.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is just weeks away, and Mauricio Pochettino has officially set the roster for the USMNT.

The 26-man squad features massive tactical gambles, headline-grabbing snubs, and a heavy reliance on a select few stars to carry the load on home soil.

On this episode of Sounding Off on Soccer, Pittsburgh Soccer Now Managing Editor John Krysinsky sits down with veteran sports journalist and Pittsburgh's own Mike DeCourcy of The Sporting News.

Instead of a standard Q&A, John puts Mike on the hot seat at the start in a "Buy or Sell" segment, then togehter they look at the final squad, and dive deep into Mike's latest Sporting News column on why this tournament is Gio Reyna's ultimate legacy moment, and much more!