Protagonist Soccer

After a vigorous round of fan voting, we’re proud to announce the 2025 Protagonist Soccer Club of the Year: Vermont Green.

by Dan Vaughn

It’s the FINAL COUNTDOWN! Earlier, we brought you 25 down to 15 and now we go from number 14 to the number one kit in the Top 25 Tops of 2025 - where nine panelists volunteered to look at 50 shirts from around the US soccer scene, division 2 and below, then ranked them from 50 to 1. We took the average rankings then put them in that order! Here’s that list.

Protagonist Soccer brings you our prestigious Top 25 Tops of 2025 list and this year we’ve done it in style. Seven Kitnerd panelists from across the US Soccer podcasting and writing community weigh in and share their opinions about this year’s most impressive US-based club kits! In Part One, we explain the process, give you a list of notable exclusions, and start the countdown. from number 25 to number 15.

Breaking the Lines’ Zach Lowy sits down with soccer broadcast journalist, Nico Cantor, and shares with us the story of how Nico landed in the soccer spotlight despite not having a prestigious playing career.

by Zach Lowy

Dan offers his perspective on the death of Grant Wahl and the legacy of the best American soccer journalist.

Being a fan in soccer is more than just the drums, the chants, and the smoke. It’s about connecting to a club at a personal level and making it a part of who you are as a person. For Dan “Wheaties” Garrett that club is Livonia City FC of the Midwest Premier League. And though he may be a one person supporter group for now, he’s in it for the long haul.

by Rich Schenck

El Johnson, co-founder of 2cents FC and Forty-One , has been a trailblazer in thinking beyond a single podcast or website. Instead, he’s revolutionized the Black soccer content space through bigger thinking, seeking to build out a space for his work and the work of others to shine. His focus, building a table for himself and plenty of space for company.

by Dan Vaughn

When Shashi Vaswani came to Laredo, Texas, he brought his passion for business and his love for soccer. Now almost 40 years later, he’s built a stadium that is the best in its class and a jewel on the border. PEG Energy Stadium is one of the finest amateur stadiums in the country and the new home of the Laredo Heat.

by Dan Vaughn

Author of multiple soccer books and articles, Stephen Brandt continues his journey through NASL history for Protagonist Soccer. In this set of retrospective articles, we explore the brief history of the Philadelphia Fury and this is part two.

by Stephen Brandt