Jubal McDaniel serves as volunteer chaplain for the Tacoma Defiance, a team that plays in the second division of professional soccer in the U.S., the USL-Championship. This year, Jubal enters into his first full season as chaplain. He joins Rev Brad Kenney on the From the Touchline podcast today ahead of the team's home opener to talk a little bit about what makes Tacoma "defiant" and how the team is doing just one game into the season. From the Touchline is a short-feature (usually 10-15 min) podcast with Rev Brad Kenney, Founder and Executive Director of Soccer Chaplains United and Volunteer Chaplain to the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer. Rev Brad and occasional guests touch on various issues around

Sunday, April 18, 2021 — just a year on from the outset of the global pandemic, 12 elite, European football (soccer) clubs announce intentions to break ranks with UEFA and form their own Super League, as founding members. The announcement sent shockwaves throughout the football world and with great calamity and unforeseen ramifications. From media journalists, pundits, ardent supporters and fans, as well as other football clubs — a cry arose. "Foul!" And a deadly spiral leading to ugly fan protests which culminated in the past weekend with the Manchester United fixture against Liverpool postponed due to violence and supporters who stormed the grounds of Old Trafford in a voice against club ownership and this deep, deep sense of betrayal. Today,

As the United Soccer League (USL) starts to ramp up its season this weekend, soccer across North America will finally be in full-swing. The USL manages the lower divisions of professional soccer in the U.S. and Canada and has many teams in smaller cities and markets. USL-Championship is the top tier of soccer below Major League Soccer (MLS). Today, on the From the Touchline podcast, Rev Brad is joined by 5 different USL-C chaplains! Robert Briggs, chaplain of Sacramento Republic; Greg Aydt, chaplain to Memphis 901 FC; Kurt Trempert, chaplain to Colorado Springs Switchbacks; Jubal McDaniel, chaplain to the Tacoma Defiance; and Erick Jiménez, chaplain to El Paso Locomotives FC are all on the podcast. Each chaplain shares a little

As the Major League Soccer (MLS) season gets underway, former defender, Jared Watts (Colorado Rapids and Houston Dynamo) joins the podcast today to talk about own goals. An own goal in soccer can be one of the most devastating things for a player to have to go through in the course of a game — especially with the stakes being high. Today, on the From the Touchline podcast, listen as Jared and I talk about own goals in soccer and in life. Jared is gracious to allow us to break down and analyze his own goal in a Colorado Rapids home game back in 2017, when he turns to pass the ball back to Goalkeeper Tim Howard, but ends up putting

Last week, the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) sprang back into action with the kickoff of the second annual Challenge Cup series. Major League Soccer (MLS) begins league play this weekend with its teams set to kick off across the US. With both leagues preparing to begin their respective seasons with what will, hopefully, be a bit of a return to normalcy for professional soccer in North America. Today, on the From the Touchline podcast, Rev Brad is joined by Ben Dudley, co-chaplain of the Portland Timbers and Christina Garber, chaplain to the Portland Thorns. The three Soccer Chaplains United chaplains talk about the beginning of the season, contrast things with last year, and look ahead to the season in