1 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:08,960 Speaker 1: Welcome to The Away and the only soccer podcast that 2 00:00:09,119 --> 00:00:12,920 Speaker 1: regularly named checks Albert Camu and Tony Morrison. I'm Danielle Alarcon. 3 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:15,400 Speaker 2: I'm John Green. Today we're doing something a little different, 4 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:18,360 Speaker 2: something we haven't done before on this young podcast. We 5 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:23,240 Speaker 2: have guests, not one guest, but two actual guests, a pair, 6 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:25,640 Speaker 2: a duo. Also, if you're on YouTube, you might be 7 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 2: wondering where I am. I'm coming to you from a 8 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:31,760 Speaker 2: bay in Jamaica. Are are you there doing research for 9 00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:35,720 Speaker 2: The Away and the Yeah? Yeah, oh it's work trip. 10 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:38,480 Speaker 2: Thanks for asking one hundred percent of work trip. Both 11 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:40,840 Speaker 2: research for my new novel which is set partly here, 12 00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:45,600 Speaker 2: no joke, and also uh yeah, I mean the Jamaica 13 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:49,440 Speaker 2: national team, Daniel is it's all that anybody can talk 14 00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:49,960 Speaker 2: about here? 15 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 1: Still in the mix? 16 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:52,519 Speaker 2: Are they going to make the World Cup? Are they not? 17 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 1: Yeah? 18 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 2: In the got to beat New Caledonia, but let's get 19 00:00:56,520 --> 00:00:57,680 Speaker 2: to our guests. 20 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 1: Got to find the New Caledonia first, and then played. 21 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:03,920 Speaker 2: That I would beat them. I was stunned on my 22 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 2: research to learn that New Caledonia is in Oceania. I 23 00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:09,360 Speaker 2: mean I would have bet my life on New Caledonia 24 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:10,520 Speaker 2: being off the coast of Spain. 25 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:13,920 Speaker 1: Okay, Miguel and Alex, welcome to the Way End. You're 26 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 1: officially our first ever guests and we're super happy you 27 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:20,280 Speaker 1: could join us. You are, Miguel, I know you. We 28 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 1: played soccer together. Miguel is an excellent player. Alex lovely 29 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 1: to meet you man. So you both are here because 30 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:29,840 Speaker 1: you're starting this really crazy project. And I say crazy 31 00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 1: because it's the print magazine in twenty twenty six and 32 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 1: it's called Golden Goal, And so I wonder if you 33 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:38,360 Speaker 1: could just start by telling us sort of the idea 34 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:41,440 Speaker 1: behind this beautiful project. 35 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:44,840 Speaker 3: Yeah, thank you guys for having us on. We love 36 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 3: the pod. Very excited to be here. Yeah, Golden Goals 37 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:52,760 Speaker 3: a magazine. Really, it's a magazine that we want to 38 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 3: kind of capture the World Cup feel like the World Cup. 39 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:59,080 Speaker 3: We wanted to be fun, exciting, We wanted to cover 40 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 3: countries from all over the world. We have writers from 41 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:08,240 Speaker 3: almost every continent besides Antarctica, and really we want it 42 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 3: to feel like what it feels like to be watching 43 00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 3: the World Cup with people from around the world and 44 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:18,239 Speaker 3: with commentary from around the world. But also we want 45 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 3: to we wanted to make something that feels like it 46 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:24,400 Speaker 3: addressed the moment up it and to feel like a 47 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:27,080 Speaker 3: serious publication but also something you want to hold in 48 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:32,040 Speaker 3: your hands, something beautiful. It's for new fans to find 49 00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:35,160 Speaker 3: and team they want to support, but also seasoned supporters 50 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:38,399 Speaker 3: who just want to hold something beautiful and read good 51 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:40,800 Speaker 3: writing about soccer. So it is a bit ambitious, but 52 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 3: we are really excited to work on it. 53 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:43,920 Speaker 4: Yeah. 54 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:47,680 Speaker 5: I've noticed something in recent World Cups, in particular, especially 55 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 5: the recently politically fraught World Cups, that there's a kind 56 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:55,240 Speaker 5: of like a myopic intensity that defines them. That in 57 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:57,720 Speaker 5: the lead up there's this sort of like manic fixation 58 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 5: on everything that's wrong and messed up with those tournaments, 59 00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:04,959 Speaker 5: and then once they start, that intensity just turns on 60 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:07,400 Speaker 5: a dime and is focused on the games themselves. And 61 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:09,400 Speaker 5: I think what you lose in a lot of that 62 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:12,680 Speaker 5: process is a sense of perspective. And I think that 63 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:16,040 Speaker 5: people get cynical and jaded and worn out or you 64 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:18,080 Speaker 5: just can't deal with any of it, but you also 65 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:21,960 Speaker 5: forget about the beauty of the World Cup itself. And 66 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:26,440 Speaker 5: I feel slightly insane making this comparison, but I think 67 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:28,160 Speaker 5: this is the podcast to do it, but I have 68 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 5: started to talk about the World Cup the way that 69 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:32,600 Speaker 5: Quinn Coompson talks about the South and the end of 70 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 5: Absolum Absolum when he says, no, I don't hate this out. 71 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:38,640 Speaker 2: I don't don't I don't hate the World cuss And 72 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:40,720 Speaker 2: I think, you know, I mean, that is a very 73 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:44,120 Speaker 2: personally moving and meaningful part of that book for me. 74 00:03:44,280 --> 00:03:46,080 Speaker 5: But it is sort of how I feel about it 75 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:48,040 Speaker 5: that I'm like when I talk to people, especially people 76 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 5: who say, oh, I don't watch the World Cup anymore, 77 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:51,960 Speaker 5: you know, I say, well, I don't hate the World Cup, 78 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 5: you know, but I kind. 79 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:56,360 Speaker 4: Of want to figure out why. And this magazine is 80 00:03:57,000 --> 00:03:57,440 Speaker 4: about that. 81 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 1: It's so beautiful. There's a I know, Dan Friedman, a 82 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:04,680 Speaker 1: writer also British guy, plays soccer with him on the 83 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:07,280 Speaker 1: Brow West Side a bunch, and and he didn't watch 84 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:10,880 Speaker 1: the last World Cup, and I just I admire him. 85 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:14,000 Speaker 1: I admire that sort of like the kind of political 86 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:16,480 Speaker 1: consistency of like, no, I can't be part of this. 87 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:19,760 Speaker 1: And also I just know that I'm not able to 88 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:28,080 Speaker 1: deny myself the pleasure, you know, because joy, yeah, exactly, yeah, 89 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:30,680 Speaker 1: even though it's a corrupt form of joy. Because FIFA 90 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:32,200 Speaker 1: is what it is and the world is what it is. 91 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:34,960 Speaker 1: But you know, and maybe that's just like the sort 92 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:39,400 Speaker 1: of like the compromise one makes with oneself, you know. 93 00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:41,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, coming to you from the edge of 94 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 2: Orkabasa Bay, I can tell you that a lot of 95 00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:45,039 Speaker 2: forms of joy are pretty corrupt. 96 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:49,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, for sure, for sure, Miguel and Alice, you want 97 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:50,599 Speaker 1: to talk about like some of the stories, the kinds 98 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 1: of stories you guys are going to feature in the magazine. 99 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:56,159 Speaker 3: Yeah, happy to do that. We have some we have 100 00:04:56,200 --> 00:05:00,240 Speaker 3: really cool writers. We have a big anchor piece we're 101 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:03,080 Speaker 3: doing is eleven writers on eleven players. Some of the 102 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:09,719 Speaker 3: names for that include Juasu, murvem Ray and novelists like 103 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 3: Gabriela Aleman in the Brazilian Ecuadorian writer. And we are 104 00:05:16,520 --> 00:05:19,840 Speaker 3: also having dispatches from different parts of the world from 105 00:05:19,839 --> 00:05:22,440 Speaker 3: writers from all over the world from writing it was Beka, 106 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:30,280 Speaker 3: stan to Iran to Ecuador. But yeah, so we have 107 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:33,080 Speaker 3: a lot of pieces coming in from all over. But 108 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:37,800 Speaker 3: we also have some essays on what makes the World 109 00:05:37,839 --> 00:05:41,240 Speaker 3: Cup so special, including the Panini album. I don't know 110 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:43,839 Speaker 3: if you guys ever put together one of the Panini 111 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 3: albums with the stickers. Yeah, that's for me, like I 112 00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:51,400 Speaker 3: growing up. I think I only did actually did one 113 00:05:51,680 --> 00:05:55,599 Speaker 3: as a kid in two thousand and six, but that 114 00:05:55,839 --> 00:05:57,600 Speaker 3: was it was like a super special part of the 115 00:05:57,600 --> 00:06:01,359 Speaker 3: World Cup for me. The whole experience and and so 116 00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 3: the history of that Panini album and also kind of 117 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:06,680 Speaker 3: just how it resonates with different people in different parts 118 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:09,640 Speaker 3: of the world. That's one of our essays. Alex can 119 00:06:09,640 --> 00:06:11,559 Speaker 3: speak a little more on some of the other stuff 120 00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:12,640 Speaker 3: we have we have planned. 121 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:15,400 Speaker 1: I just want to say parenthetically before you jump in, Alex, 122 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:20,280 Speaker 1: like here in Bogota, like there's a really like intense 123 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:24,680 Speaker 1: Panini sticker trading scene and there's like spots all over 124 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:26,880 Speaker 1: town where people like in the plazas once you know 125 00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:31,359 Speaker 1: what my kid is like desperately waiting to like, you know, 126 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:33,840 Speaker 1: he doesn't care about soccer, but he cares about the Panini, 127 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:37,520 Speaker 1: you know, And they're gonna be like mobs of people 128 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:41,480 Speaker 1: in different plazas around town like trading Panini's right right 129 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:42,680 Speaker 1: up through the end of the World Cup. 130 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:44,839 Speaker 2: And we should define what a Panini is for those 131 00:06:44,839 --> 00:06:48,039 Speaker 2: who don't know, it's these stickers of players, right that 132 00:06:48,480 --> 00:06:50,200 Speaker 2: that you build a sticker album. 133 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:52,839 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, and it's kind of like, uh, like I 134 00:06:52,839 --> 00:06:56,279 Speaker 1: guess the soccer coolent of like trading baseball cards, except 135 00:06:56,560 --> 00:06:59,039 Speaker 1: usually stick them on and put them in the in 136 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:01,760 Speaker 1: the in the album and they'll hold The goal, uh 137 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:03,919 Speaker 1: is obviously to get as much money out of you 138 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:07,760 Speaker 1: as possible, but also to fill the album and then 139 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:10,760 Speaker 1: and then your extra as you trade with friends and 140 00:07:10,760 --> 00:07:13,559 Speaker 1: see what you can get. It's it's really, you know, fun. 141 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:15,360 Speaker 4: I love it, Danielle. 142 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:19,720 Speaker 3: I don't know if this was your experience in putting 143 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:22,600 Speaker 3: together the sticker albums, but I feel like from what 144 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:25,240 Speaker 3: I've heard from family and from what I experienced in six, 145 00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:29,840 Speaker 3: it was always difficult to find they. There would always 146 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:34,119 Speaker 3: be one team, one country that was for some reason 147 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:38,120 Speaker 3: the stickers were scarce impacts and you could barely find them. 148 00:07:38,360 --> 00:07:40,720 Speaker 3: And then six that team happened to be Italy, which 149 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:42,160 Speaker 3: won the World Cup. And I'd heard that in O 150 00:07:42,280 --> 00:07:46,960 Speaker 3: two the team whose stickers were very scarce was Brazil. 151 00:07:47,040 --> 00:07:49,440 Speaker 3: So I don't know if this was your experience with 152 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:52,400 Speaker 3: the Pennie album, but it is a theory that has 153 00:07:52,440 --> 00:07:55,480 Speaker 3: been floating in the Internet that Patini has denied. But 154 00:07:56,200 --> 00:07:57,640 Speaker 3: I think we're going to try to get to the 155 00:07:57,640 --> 00:08:00,800 Speaker 3: bottom of it. I don't know if we will, but yeah, 156 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:01,960 Speaker 3: so getting a piece of. 157 00:08:01,920 --> 00:08:04,200 Speaker 1: That, See, that's the kind of harding reporting I can 158 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:04,720 Speaker 1: get behind. 159 00:08:05,200 --> 00:08:07,560 Speaker 5: Yeah, Alex Oh, yeah, I mean I was just in 160 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:10,280 Speaker 5: the last twelve hours, I think I've edited pieces on 161 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:13,600 Speaker 5: Italian masculinity and the national team from two thousand and 162 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:16,560 Speaker 5: six to the president. I edited one piece about the 163 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:19,000 Speaker 5: rise of Fabrizzio Romano and what it says about the 164 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:22,400 Speaker 5: change in soccer journalism and the sort of rise of 165 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:23,920 Speaker 5: influencer culture. 166 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:24,960 Speaker 4: Within that and many other things. 167 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:27,040 Speaker 5: I'm excited about the title of that, or the working 168 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:28,920 Speaker 5: title I should say that right now, which is you know, 169 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:32,120 Speaker 5: from Aguero to Here we Go, which I think. 170 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:33,200 Speaker 4: I captures a lot about that. 171 00:08:33,280 --> 00:08:36,280 Speaker 5: But one of the things I really liked about this 172 00:08:36,320 --> 00:08:38,439 Speaker 5: project is that Miguel and I will just like text 173 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:40,319 Speaker 5: each other and we'll just be like, we need, you know, 174 00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:42,720 Speaker 5: who's an Iraqi novelist that we know that we can 175 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:45,800 Speaker 5: pull into this, right, Who's someone in Haiti, Right, who's 176 00:08:45,800 --> 00:08:48,520 Speaker 5: someone in Uzbekistan that we can get? And I think 177 00:08:48,559 --> 00:08:50,880 Speaker 5: so much of this project for me has been about 178 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:55,880 Speaker 5: challenging my own assumptions. I'm a political editor at the 179 00:08:55,960 --> 00:08:58,760 Speaker 5: liberal magazine The New Republic, and most of the soccer 180 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:02,400 Speaker 5: writing I do is kind of myopically fixated on Giohnny 181 00:09:02,440 --> 00:09:05,800 Speaker 5: and Fentino and corruption and all these other questions. And 182 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:07,920 Speaker 5: I think that's only a part of the way that 183 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:11,080 Speaker 5: I see soccer, and that is only a minuscule part 184 00:09:11,080 --> 00:09:11,480 Speaker 5: of how. 185 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:12,760 Speaker 4: The rest of the world sees soccer. 186 00:09:12,800 --> 00:09:15,280 Speaker 5: So I think that the way that the thing that 187 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:17,800 Speaker 5: really excites you about this project is just getting to 188 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:22,640 Speaker 5: interact with people that experience it completely differently, and again, 189 00:09:22,840 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 5: especially as an American, you know in New York City 190 00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:28,800 Speaker 5: for this World Cup, who are excited about it, I think, 191 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:32,480 Speaker 5: and not ambivalent or something else. And I think that, 192 00:09:32,559 --> 00:09:36,480 Speaker 5: you know, colliding all those different perspectives into a physical 193 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:38,720 Speaker 5: package is just like, it's really cool. 194 00:09:39,480 --> 00:09:40,959 Speaker 2: What are you going to be watching for at the 195 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:43,320 Speaker 2: World Cup this year? I mean, what are the what 196 00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:45,080 Speaker 2: are the storylines you're looking to follow? 197 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:47,000 Speaker 3: I mean, I think we're going to be focused, like 198 00:09:47,080 --> 00:09:51,880 Speaker 3: everyone else, on the actual soccer for sure. One thing 199 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:54,560 Speaker 3: I mean we noticed from the Club World Cup, which 200 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:58,680 Speaker 3: felt like a staging ground for this World Cup, was 201 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:03,280 Speaker 3: early on just the expense of the ticket pricing I mean, 202 00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:07,000 Speaker 3: Trump's going to be all over this, we'd assume. I 203 00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:09,679 Speaker 3: don't know if you guys saw the celebrations when Chelsea 204 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:12,640 Speaker 3: won the Club World Cup last year, but he was 205 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:14,920 Speaker 3: front and center there and so I think we'll see 206 00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:17,480 Speaker 3: a lot of him at this World Cup. But more 207 00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:21,680 Speaker 3: than that, I think what interests me in particular is 208 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:25,240 Speaker 3: seeing how the immigration situation plays out, who is going 209 00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:26,960 Speaker 3: to be able to attend the World Cup, what the 210 00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:27,960 Speaker 3: atmosphere is going to be. 211 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:28,080 Speaker 5: Like. 212 00:10:28,120 --> 00:10:29,240 Speaker 3: There's been a lot of. 213 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:32,959 Speaker 4: Just debate and. 214 00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:37,719 Speaker 3: Like local kind of like disagreement over funding, how the 215 00:10:38,360 --> 00:10:42,960 Speaker 3: fan fests will be funded, how whether it's the security situation, 216 00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:47,240 Speaker 3: who's putting the bill essentially for the World Cup for 217 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:51,120 Speaker 3: hosting it here in the US, And I think that's 218 00:10:51,160 --> 00:10:54,440 Speaker 3: going to be an ongoing question that, you know, I 219 00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:56,240 Speaker 3: don't know how it will play out in a few months, 220 00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:58,080 Speaker 3: but it's something that we're definitely going to keep our 221 00:10:58,120 --> 00:11:00,440 Speaker 3: eyes out for, along with what's going on in the 222 00:11:00,440 --> 00:11:05,240 Speaker 3: field and what's happening kind of around around it politically. 223 00:11:05,800 --> 00:11:07,600 Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean not to I guess sound like a 224 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:09,640 Speaker 5: philosine after that, But one of the things that interests 225 00:11:09,679 --> 00:11:12,080 Speaker 5: me is in the last few years, especially as soccer 226 00:11:12,120 --> 00:11:14,680 Speaker 5: has gotten more and more tactical. I've sort of been 227 00:11:14,760 --> 00:11:18,720 Speaker 5: drawn to international soccer and it's comparative simplicity. But I 228 00:11:18,760 --> 00:11:21,760 Speaker 5: am curious to see if the sort of set piecification 229 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:24,640 Speaker 5: or the rise of the meat Wall, as my friends 230 00:11:24,640 --> 00:11:28,000 Speaker 5: at the Double Pivot podcast call it, will, will sort 231 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:31,760 Speaker 5: of be drawn into that. I am, obviously, both for 232 00:11:31,920 --> 00:11:36,200 Speaker 5: professional and personal reasons, interested in the ways that the 233 00:11:36,280 --> 00:11:39,080 Speaker 5: President inserts himself into this World Cup. But I think also, 234 00:11:40,080 --> 00:11:43,800 Speaker 5: and I just wrote about this for our newsletter, I'm 235 00:11:43,880 --> 00:11:46,600 Speaker 5: interested in the ways that the World Cup reveals surprising 236 00:11:46,640 --> 00:11:48,440 Speaker 5: things about the world to us. I think that we 237 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:51,800 Speaker 5: can predict that, you know, it will reveal a lot 238 00:11:51,800 --> 00:11:54,680 Speaker 5: of disturbing and troubling things about the way that this 239 00:11:54,760 --> 00:11:58,080 Speaker 5: country is run right now. But for the newsletter I 240 00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:00,360 Speaker 5: just wrote, I wrote about the US Iran game nineteen 241 00:12:00,440 --> 00:12:03,160 Speaker 5: ninety eight World Cup, which Iran won. It's one of 242 00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 5: the bigger upsets and recent World Cup history. But you know, 243 00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:10,760 Speaker 5: in that game, the team was booed by dissident Iranians 244 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:14,080 Speaker 5: Iranian expats in France the entire time they won, you know, 245 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:16,839 Speaker 5: and they wept with joy as they were being sort 246 00:12:16,880 --> 00:12:19,960 Speaker 5: of mercilessly mocked and jeered the entire time. And I 247 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:22,959 Speaker 5: think that, you know, for all of the rightful focus 248 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:28,520 Speaker 5: on the you know, the increasing corruption and greed surrounding 249 00:12:28,559 --> 00:12:31,680 Speaker 5: the World Cup, it still has the capacity to reveal 250 00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:35,680 Speaker 5: unexpected and I think, complicated things about the world around 251 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:39,080 Speaker 5: us that nothing else and sports and maybe culture at 252 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:39,800 Speaker 5: large does. 253 00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:43,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, there was this passage in your in the editor's 254 00:12:43,080 --> 00:12:44,559 Speaker 1: note I really like I'm going to read here. It 255 00:12:44,600 --> 00:12:47,600 Speaker 1: says FIFA and Donald Trump can only alter the World 256 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:49,440 Speaker 1: Cup so much because they only own part of it. 257 00:12:49,559 --> 00:12:51,520 Speaker 1: The rest of it belongs to everyone else. The players, 258 00:12:51,559 --> 00:12:54,680 Speaker 1: of course, but the fans too. There's miraculously still the 259 00:12:54,679 --> 00:12:57,760 Speaker 1: possibility of magic, of transcendence, of floating above the inevitable 260 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:01,480 Speaker 1: scandals and abuses. No other sporting cultural event is as 261 00:13:01,559 --> 00:13:04,960 Speaker 1: laden with as much meaning or baggage. I love that. 262 00:13:05,040 --> 00:13:07,920 Speaker 1: I think that what I like about the project so 263 00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:13,040 Speaker 1: much is is not shying away from all the complicated stuff, 264 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:17,640 Speaker 1: but also not letting the complicated stuff deprive one self 265 00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:20,640 Speaker 1: of access to the joy that the game itself can bring. 266 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:25,520 Speaker 1: I wanted to ask you guys kind of a corollary 267 00:13:25,640 --> 00:13:29,840 Speaker 1: John's question, which is what you definitely not want to 268 00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:33,199 Speaker 1: happen at the World Cup. And this could be like 269 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:36,120 Speaker 1: like I definitely don't want, like you know, France to win, 270 00:13:36,320 --> 00:13:39,880 Speaker 1: or it could be like I definitely don't want Christian 271 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:41,680 Speaker 1: Policicis to get injured, like whatever. 272 00:13:41,880 --> 00:13:46,440 Speaker 3: You know, I definitely want Columbia to do well and 273 00:13:46,520 --> 00:13:49,680 Speaker 3: I want all of our players to stay fit before 274 00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:52,319 Speaker 3: I don't want any injuries. I'm still scarred from the 275 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:58,880 Speaker 3: Falcao injury in twenty fourteen that I think would have 276 00:13:59,400 --> 00:14:01,079 Speaker 3: like I think he would have really helped us against 277 00:14:01,080 --> 00:14:06,559 Speaker 3: Brazil when we left to Brazil to one. I would 278 00:14:06,679 --> 00:14:10,520 Speaker 3: like for Argentina not to win. I think they have 279 00:14:10,640 --> 00:14:14,120 Speaker 3: enough World Cups. They won the last one. But yeah, 280 00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:17,479 Speaker 3: I think, I guess. I think it's hard to be hopeful. 281 00:14:18,040 --> 00:14:22,040 Speaker 3: It's hard to feel hopeful given the political situation sometimes 282 00:14:22,080 --> 00:14:26,040 Speaker 3: about the World Cup. But I just hope it can 283 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:28,280 Speaker 3: be like a fun celebration. I mean, I'm going to 284 00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:30,360 Speaker 3: be here in New York, and I really hope to 285 00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:33,880 Speaker 3: like feel like I'm a part of the tournament, even 286 00:14:33,960 --> 00:14:37,440 Speaker 3: just walking around the city. I hope to be able 287 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:41,440 Speaker 3: to speak with fans and and just like enjoy the tournament. 288 00:14:42,080 --> 00:14:46,280 Speaker 3: And I feel like that feels under threat because of funding, 289 00:14:46,880 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 3: because of the funding issues, the fan fests that are 290 00:14:49,160 --> 00:14:53,200 Speaker 3: being kind of broken up, and because of the political situation. 291 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:56,680 Speaker 3: But I still feel like it's possible and really hope 292 00:14:56,880 --> 00:14:57,800 Speaker 3: feel hopeful for it. 293 00:14:59,320 --> 00:14:59,560 Speaker 4: Yeah. 294 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:02,000 Speaker 5: I mean, Miguel and I actually became friends during the 295 00:15:02,040 --> 00:15:05,320 Speaker 5: twenty eighteen World Cup, I think, but we were working 296 00:15:05,320 --> 00:15:08,160 Speaker 5: together at the New Republic and he had started fairly recently, 297 00:15:08,200 --> 00:15:10,120 Speaker 5: and we just kind of locked ourselves in a room 298 00:15:10,160 --> 00:15:13,600 Speaker 5: at work for a month and to the you know, 299 00:15:13,680 --> 00:15:17,040 Speaker 5: consternation and irritation of some of our colleagues, just yelled 300 00:15:17,480 --> 00:15:19,960 Speaker 5: for six hours a day while we were supposed to 301 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:21,920 Speaker 5: be working. And I think, you know, what I'm hoping 302 00:15:21,960 --> 00:15:24,720 Speaker 5: for is to have interactions like that, right And I 303 00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:27,680 Speaker 5: think one of the things that is alarming about this 304 00:15:27,720 --> 00:15:30,000 Speaker 5: World Cup is that it's been hard to get to 305 00:15:30,080 --> 00:15:32,560 Speaker 5: the last couple and I think this should be one 306 00:15:32,560 --> 00:15:35,080 Speaker 5: that welcomes the rest of the world, and that's not 307 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:38,520 Speaker 5: what's happening right now. And I think my hope is 308 00:15:38,560 --> 00:15:41,360 Speaker 5: that that still does happen. I have a piece going 309 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:45,240 Speaker 5: up in the our most recent print edition, the April 310 00:15:45,240 --> 00:15:47,520 Speaker 5: issue of the New Republic, that is about I think 311 00:15:47,520 --> 00:15:50,160 Speaker 5: one of my concerns, which is just that it's not 312 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:54,200 Speaker 5: just the possibility for geopolitical problems, but just for you know, 313 00:15:54,360 --> 00:15:56,560 Speaker 5: violence and chaos at this World Cup, just if you 314 00:15:56,600 --> 00:15:59,080 Speaker 5: look at you know, Minneapolis and the world around us 315 00:15:59,120 --> 00:16:02,480 Speaker 5: right now, and I think the lack of preparation for that, 316 00:16:02,640 --> 00:16:07,640 Speaker 5: lack of security funding at host cities is really scary 317 00:16:07,880 --> 00:16:10,200 Speaker 5: to me, And so that's sort of front of mine. 318 00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:13,720 Speaker 5: I hope that England doesn't win, mostly because I get 319 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:19,160 Speaker 5: a perverse sense of joy from English media reactions to meltdowns, 320 00:16:20,160 --> 00:16:22,960 Speaker 5: and hope. I think what is most surprising to me, 321 00:16:23,800 --> 00:16:26,160 Speaker 5: as I'd written about this during the last World Cup, 322 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:28,760 Speaker 5: but I had always been ambivalent about the US men's 323 00:16:28,800 --> 00:16:32,520 Speaker 5: team growing up, and I've come to really love them 324 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:34,560 Speaker 5: in a way that surprises me. 325 00:16:35,520 --> 00:16:37,040 Speaker 4: And I hope that they do well. 326 00:16:37,120 --> 00:16:39,120 Speaker 5: And that feels kind of weird to say, because I 327 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:42,080 Speaker 5: think that that kind of grows more politically fraught by 328 00:16:43,160 --> 00:16:46,920 Speaker 5: the week. But I think that even though they seem 329 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:50,000 Speaker 5: to have taken a step back since the last World Cup, 330 00:16:50,120 --> 00:16:54,320 Speaker 5: they're still enormously talented, and I find the ways that 331 00:16:54,400 --> 00:17:00,160 Speaker 5: they have retained the US M and t's core kind 332 00:16:59,960 --> 00:17:06,760 Speaker 5: of brutality and sluggish identity with players of genuine technical 333 00:17:06,960 --> 00:17:10,560 Speaker 5: brilliance to be fascinating, and I just am kind of 334 00:17:10,600 --> 00:17:13,800 Speaker 5: excited to see how they play. The group draws very, 335 00:17:13,880 --> 00:17:15,120 Speaker 5: very kind to them. 336 00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:18,720 Speaker 1: I think it bums me out that love of country 337 00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:24,560 Speaker 1: and patriotism, which is I think can be beautifully expressed at 338 00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:28,920 Speaker 1: a tournament like this, can be sort of appropriated by 339 00:17:29,080 --> 00:17:31,800 Speaker 1: one or the other side of a political debate such 340 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:34,439 Speaker 1: that you would feel ambivalent about like supporting your country, 341 00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:37,000 Speaker 1: you know, Like I think that's a bummer. But we 342 00:17:37,040 --> 00:17:39,280 Speaker 1: only have to look at the like you know what 343 00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:42,679 Speaker 1: happened with the hockey gold medals for women to know 344 00:17:42,720 --> 00:17:43,560 Speaker 1: that that's a reality. 345 00:17:43,680 --> 00:17:46,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, I know. I mean, patriotism can be a cudgel, right, 346 00:17:46,280 --> 00:17:50,639 Speaker 2: And I remember over the years I've written in many 347 00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:53,560 Speaker 2: scripts of YouTube videos when I'm critical of the United 348 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:56,880 Speaker 2: States that I love the United States, and my longtime 349 00:17:56,920 --> 00:18:00,919 Speaker 2: producing partner, who's British and Mexican all always cuts that 350 00:18:00,960 --> 00:18:03,359 Speaker 2: out of my scripts. She's like, that's a weird thing 351 00:18:03,400 --> 00:18:07,119 Speaker 2: to say. It's a weird position to take, and it 352 00:18:07,240 --> 00:18:09,960 Speaker 2: is a weird position to take, especially in twenty twenty six. 353 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:14,119 Speaker 2: And yet I do feel a, yeah, you know, a 354 00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:18,840 Speaker 2: profound connection to the US men's national team. And I've 355 00:18:18,880 --> 00:18:20,680 Speaker 2: watched them since I was a kid, and I've rooted 356 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:23,119 Speaker 2: for them since i was a kid. And you know, 357 00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:26,440 Speaker 2: I've never lived with success anywhere else. I remember when 358 00:18:26,440 --> 00:18:28,840 Speaker 2: I lived in the Netherlands, a Dutch friend of mindset. 359 00:18:28,880 --> 00:18:31,119 Speaker 2: It seems to me that you're sort of incurably American, 360 00:18:31,960 --> 00:18:35,280 Speaker 2: and that feeling of being incurably American is still with me. 361 00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:38,399 Speaker 2: I want to ask you guys about the golden goal 362 00:18:39,119 --> 00:18:42,119 Speaker 2: the name of the magazine. Do you think that FIFA 363 00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:44,919 Speaker 2: should bring back the golden goal rule for knockout games? 364 00:18:45,160 --> 00:18:47,080 Speaker 5: This is funny because I think it's been a long 365 00:18:47,160 --> 00:18:50,480 Speaker 5: time point of that. Maybe that contention in a group 366 00:18:50,560 --> 00:18:53,719 Speaker 5: chat that we have, but I am firmly against the 367 00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:55,960 Speaker 5: golden goal. And the editors note that you read from earlier. 368 00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:58,520 Speaker 5: I was like, Miguel, do we need to have an 369 00:18:58,600 --> 00:19:01,560 Speaker 5: asterisk here where I can make it clear that I 370 00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:05,320 Speaker 5: think that this produced bad soccer. I mean, you love 371 00:19:05,400 --> 00:19:08,440 Speaker 5: when it goes well, but I think I still have memories. 372 00:19:08,520 --> 00:19:11,520 Speaker 5: I'm just old enough to, you know, have clear memories 373 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:15,320 Speaker 5: of sitting through some really turgid extra time where you 374 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:16,680 Speaker 5: know nobody wanted to give it up. 375 00:19:17,400 --> 00:19:17,680 Speaker 4: I think. 376 00:19:18,560 --> 00:19:21,600 Speaker 5: I think the question of soccer rule changes is always 377 00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:25,240 Speaker 5: one where you try to you try to preserve the 378 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:32,080 Speaker 5: possibility for transcendence without making people purposefully play bad. This 379 00:19:32,160 --> 00:19:34,840 Speaker 5: is one of the set piece questions too, And I 380 00:19:35,680 --> 00:19:37,560 Speaker 5: think that the golden goal rule is one of those 381 00:19:37,600 --> 00:19:40,600 Speaker 5: things that seems great on paper but in practice it doesn't. 382 00:19:40,600 --> 00:19:43,040 Speaker 4: But for the sake of marketing this magazine, I. 383 00:19:42,960 --> 00:19:44,800 Speaker 5: Hope that they bring it back for this World Cup. 384 00:19:46,520 --> 00:19:49,560 Speaker 1: As an Arsenal fan, I feel like I'm being targeted 385 00:19:49,560 --> 00:19:50,200 Speaker 1: here with all this. 386 00:19:50,280 --> 00:19:51,440 Speaker 2: Personally attacked here. 387 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:55,479 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I got to say, vitrial. 388 00:19:55,720 --> 00:19:58,640 Speaker 2: If you hate set piece goals in walking pace football, 389 00:19:58,720 --> 00:20:02,360 Speaker 2: might I recommend the third tier of English football and 390 00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:04,960 Speaker 2: where every ball is long and misplaced? 391 00:20:05,920 --> 00:20:08,560 Speaker 1: Oh man, I will say, And just parenthetically again, Alex, 392 00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:11,520 Speaker 1: you were saying you love British soccer meltdowns like I 393 00:20:11,680 --> 00:20:18,359 Speaker 1: have been consuming Tottenham meltdown content in the last twenty 394 00:20:18,359 --> 00:20:24,320 Speaker 1: four hours. It's just been absolutely beautiful and and just 395 00:20:24,400 --> 00:20:27,280 Speaker 1: a joy, just an absolute joy because I'm that petty 396 00:20:27,600 --> 00:20:28,960 Speaker 1: Yes it's. 397 00:20:28,800 --> 00:20:29,760 Speaker 4: A Liverpool fan too. 398 00:20:29,760 --> 00:20:32,679 Speaker 5: It's been rare and you know, my whatever two plus 399 00:20:32,720 --> 00:20:35,520 Speaker 5: decades where I can I can sort of go scoreboard, 400 00:20:35,560 --> 00:20:37,000 Speaker 5: you know, or say, well, at you know, we just 401 00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:38,879 Speaker 5: won the league, so it doesn't really matter to me 402 00:20:38,960 --> 00:20:41,960 Speaker 5: what happens. So I am rooting for Arsenal to win, 403 00:20:42,160 --> 00:20:45,439 Speaker 5: just just to be clear right now. But but I 404 00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:50,680 Speaker 5: think it is also Liverpool's general mediocrity this year has 405 00:20:50,800 --> 00:20:53,159 Speaker 5: just made given me a sense of detachment where I 406 00:20:53,160 --> 00:20:56,520 Speaker 5: can just kind of enjoy everything right now, and maybe 407 00:20:56,560 --> 00:21:00,440 Speaker 5: nothing as much as the crisis at Spurs. 408 00:21:00,240 --> 00:21:02,359 Speaker 1: Because I forget if you were an Arsenal fan or not. 409 00:21:02,480 --> 00:21:04,359 Speaker 1: Did I just decide that you were because I like you. 410 00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:09,000 Speaker 3: I'm a Barcelona fan, but I feel like I've had 411 00:21:09,040 --> 00:21:12,159 Speaker 3: to choose in like a Premier League team just because 412 00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:17,600 Speaker 3: everyone I know in New York it watches DPL and 413 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:22,320 Speaker 3: it's hard to get everyone to watch a Barcelona against 414 00:21:22,520 --> 00:21:26,920 Speaker 3: game at three am on a Saturday. So I've I've 415 00:21:26,920 --> 00:21:31,919 Speaker 3: been supporting Liverpool mostly because I also chose them when 416 00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:35,199 Speaker 3: Luis Diaz had joined, and now they have stabbed me 417 00:21:35,200 --> 00:21:39,480 Speaker 3: in the back and let him go to Byron and 418 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:41,960 Speaker 3: he's doing great, so I'm I'm a little salty about that, 419 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:45,840 Speaker 3: but I'm still I'm going to stand firm with Liverpool. 420 00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:49,399 Speaker 3: But my first team is Barcelona, of course, and I 421 00:21:49,560 --> 00:21:53,520 Speaker 3: know I have a lot of experience with shot and 422 00:21:53,560 --> 00:21:59,720 Speaker 3: fraud because my entire like watching watching soccer in Spain 423 00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:03,760 Speaker 3: is and half watching Barcelona and half watching Madrid hoping 424 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:05,640 Speaker 3: they will lose every single game. 425 00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:11,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly, you guys, Thank you so much. I am 426 00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:13,200 Speaker 1: a big fan of the magazine. I can't wait to 427 00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:14,760 Speaker 1: see it and hold in my hands. I'm gonna be 428 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:18,160 Speaker 1: following you guys. You can find a supports magazine at 429 00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:21,399 Speaker 1: Goldengold dot world and of course we'll put a link 430 00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:24,040 Speaker 1: in the show notes so the folks can get there. 431 00:22:24,119 --> 00:22:27,679 Speaker 1: And yeah, I will enjoy the World Cup and I 432 00:22:27,720 --> 00:22:29,120 Speaker 1: hope all of our dreams come true. 433 00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:30,680 Speaker 4: Thanks guys, thank you so much. 434 00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:49,040 Speaker 1: Thank you awesome. Welcome back to the away End. Okay, 435 00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:50,760 Speaker 1: I want to start with this video that I sent you. 436 00:22:51,760 --> 00:22:55,399 Speaker 1: It isn't super high resolution, John, but for those of 437 00:22:55,440 --> 00:22:57,480 Speaker 1: you who are listening and not watching on YouTube, I'm 438 00:22:57,480 --> 00:22:59,720 Speaker 1: gonna just gonna describe it. I think you already saw it, 439 00:22:59,720 --> 00:23:02,200 Speaker 1: but okay, So in the video, there's three grown men, 440 00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:07,440 Speaker 1: three Japanese internationals. Their names are Hutu Yamaguchi, Hiroshiki Yotoki 441 00:23:07,600 --> 00:23:10,800 Speaker 1: and Yosuki I Deguch. They were in the nationals uniform, 442 00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:16,119 Speaker 1: which is beautiful dark blue uniform of Japan, the Blue Samurai, 443 00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:21,040 Speaker 1: and they're playing against another team. So it's three players 444 00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:23,720 Speaker 1: adults and there's one hundred school children. 445 00:23:23,800 --> 00:23:28,720 Speaker 2: John, Yeah, one hundred Classic thirty thirty thirty ten formation. 446 00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:33,639 Speaker 1: Absolutely. I mean it's right there in the training coaching manual, 447 00:23:33,760 --> 00:23:37,280 Speaker 1: you know. So when you watch this video from a distance, 448 00:23:37,320 --> 00:23:39,240 Speaker 1: it's really kind of beautiful. You see this kind of 449 00:23:40,640 --> 00:23:43,840 Speaker 1: children swarming across the pitch, chasing after these three men, 450 00:23:44,240 --> 00:23:46,840 Speaker 1: this kind of the morphous cloud of red. It's like 451 00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:49,520 Speaker 1: it feels like the surface of a lake in a breeze, 452 00:23:49,560 --> 00:23:53,919 Speaker 1: just kind of these waves of red. But when you 453 00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:56,359 Speaker 1: look closer, you'd realize that these are children moving their 454 00:23:56,400 --> 00:23:59,560 Speaker 1: tiny little legs at like an extraordinary pace. And so 455 00:23:59,600 --> 00:24:03,520 Speaker 1: the image is both soothing and like deeply chaotic, and 456 00:24:03,560 --> 00:24:05,560 Speaker 1: it also reminds you know, if you've played, you know, 457 00:24:05,640 --> 00:24:08,680 Speaker 1: kiddie soccer, or if you coach your kids, you also 458 00:24:09,119 --> 00:24:13,440 Speaker 1: recognize that kind of inescapable child logic of like ball centrism, 459 00:24:13,720 --> 00:24:16,040 Speaker 1: where like the magnetism of the ball is such that 460 00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:18,520 Speaker 1: we all must get as close to it as possible, 461 00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:22,119 Speaker 1: and something that kids learn as they get older that 462 00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:24,440 Speaker 1: the use of space is as important as the use 463 00:24:24,440 --> 00:24:27,199 Speaker 1: of the ball. But that comes later, or you know, 464 00:24:27,320 --> 00:24:28,440 Speaker 1: sometimes it never comes at all. 465 00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:30,000 Speaker 2: Came me. 466 00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:35,720 Speaker 1: Now, all I got is space? Do anything else like 467 00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:40,680 Speaker 1: walk to the area where no one else is and wait. Okay. 468 00:24:40,720 --> 00:24:43,199 Speaker 1: So it takes these three grown men like literally like 469 00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:47,120 Speaker 1: half a minute to score, because the amazing. 470 00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:49,840 Speaker 2: Thing about them scoring is that there are ten goalkeepers. 471 00:24:49,960 --> 00:24:52,720 Speaker 2: There are ten goalies who can use their hands, and 472 00:24:53,119 --> 00:24:55,080 Speaker 2: somehow they still manage to score. 473 00:24:55,800 --> 00:24:59,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, and they also managed to not hurt a child 474 00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:03,200 Speaker 1: like they do these like gentle lofting chips over these 475 00:25:03,359 --> 00:25:07,000 Speaker 1: you know, clouds of little children and and control the 476 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:09,280 Speaker 1: ball well. And then you know, there's a one hundred 477 00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:10,720 Speaker 1: of them, but no one thinks that I should, you know, 478 00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:13,800 Speaker 1: close down the adult and so then the player chips 479 00:25:13,840 --> 00:25:15,960 Speaker 1: it over and uh, you know, it's a it's a 480 00:25:16,080 --> 00:25:18,280 Speaker 1: it's a beautiful header that manages to elude you know, 481 00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:21,840 Speaker 1: the ten goalkeepers as a spectacle. This is obviously from 482 00:25:21,880 --> 00:25:25,679 Speaker 1: a Japanese game show. Uh, and it's it's silly and 483 00:25:25,720 --> 00:25:30,640 Speaker 1: joyful and totally meaningless. I would parenthetically recommend anyone who's 484 00:25:30,640 --> 00:25:34,480 Speaker 1: ever feeling down about anything or uninspired just put in 485 00:25:35,280 --> 00:25:38,520 Speaker 1: best Japanese game show into YouTube or something and just 486 00:25:38,560 --> 00:25:41,240 Speaker 1: give into the surrealism of it. It's really a lovely 487 00:25:41,240 --> 00:25:45,040 Speaker 1: way to spend an afternoon on a rainy day. Anyway, 488 00:25:45,119 --> 00:25:48,480 Speaker 1: I wanted to mention this because I love it. It 489 00:25:48,560 --> 00:25:52,159 Speaker 1: sort of says something about Japan and Japan's culture. It 490 00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:54,240 Speaker 1: has nothing at all to do with Japan's chances of 491 00:25:54,320 --> 00:25:57,320 Speaker 1: this World Cup, but the away end is about joy 492 00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:00,239 Speaker 1: and this is a joyful moment for me. And when 493 00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:02,000 Speaker 1: I started doing the deep dive, I went back to 494 00:26:02,040 --> 00:26:05,000 Speaker 1: this and I remembered this video and looked for it 495 00:26:05,119 --> 00:26:07,800 Speaker 1: and laughed, and you know, just like gave into it 496 00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:12,360 Speaker 1: all all over again. So I love Japan. I loved 497 00:26:12,359 --> 00:26:16,280 Speaker 1: the Japanese team because I love Japan. I was in 498 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:19,600 Speaker 1: Tokyo a couple of years ago and I was amazed 499 00:26:19,600 --> 00:26:21,920 Speaker 1: by it. And I have close Japanese friends. I've played 500 00:26:21,920 --> 00:26:26,040 Speaker 1: over the years with several of them, most recently played 501 00:26:26,440 --> 00:26:29,840 Speaker 1: from Japan and Taku, who used to absolutely embarrass me 502 00:26:30,040 --> 00:26:31,720 Speaker 1: and lots of other people every Sunday. It was so 503 00:26:31,840 --> 00:26:35,920 Speaker 1: good I loved Murakami in my twenties, as I'm sure 504 00:26:35,960 --> 00:26:40,880 Speaker 1: you did. I love the food. The Japanese national team. 505 00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:43,159 Speaker 1: If you have no if you just strictly want like fashion, 506 00:26:43,240 --> 00:26:48,359 Speaker 1: the Japanese national team jerseys are always just absolute bangers. 507 00:26:48,640 --> 00:26:52,199 Speaker 1: But let's talk about the actual football, right. Japan have 508 00:26:52,280 --> 00:26:54,320 Speaker 1: now qualified for eight World Cups in a row, every 509 00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:57,639 Speaker 1: World Cup since ninety eight. They of course co hosted 510 00:26:57,680 --> 00:27:00,760 Speaker 1: the two thousand and two World Cup Month of Football, 511 00:27:00,760 --> 00:27:03,240 Speaker 1: which permanently altered my circadian rhythms. 512 00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:06,199 Speaker 2: Never have I woken up at two am with so 513 00:27:06,320 --> 00:27:06,919 Speaker 2: much joy? 514 00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:11,479 Speaker 1: Yeah? Yeah, the games were like at two, at four 515 00:27:11,520 --> 00:27:12,719 Speaker 1: and like six am. 516 00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:15,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, but I remember it was kind of great because 517 00:27:15,320 --> 00:27:17,280 Speaker 2: at the time I was working at Bookless magazine, and 518 00:27:17,320 --> 00:27:19,560 Speaker 2: so I would just wake up at two and then 519 00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:21,600 Speaker 2: by the time I got ready for work, the last 520 00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:22,840 Speaker 2: game would be wrapping up. 521 00:27:23,240 --> 00:27:24,680 Speaker 1: And when would you sleep at work? 522 00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:26,160 Speaker 2: Oh? Yeah, man, that job. 523 00:27:29,280 --> 00:27:34,240 Speaker 1: There you go. So Japan is today a powerhouse of 524 00:27:34,320 --> 00:27:38,240 Speaker 1: Asian soccer. The Japanese women are powers of global soccer. 525 00:27:38,280 --> 00:27:41,200 Speaker 1: But that's a discussion for another day. And there's a 526 00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:44,480 Speaker 1: bunch of milestones, right. So in twenty eighteen, Japan became 527 00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:46,320 Speaker 1: the first Asian team to beat a South American team 528 00:27:46,320 --> 00:27:48,520 Speaker 1: at a World Cup. It was Columbia in a group 529 00:27:48,560 --> 00:27:55,800 Speaker 1: stage game. They played Belgium in the round sixteen. I 530 00:27:55,840 --> 00:27:59,280 Speaker 1: don't know if you remember that game from twenty eighteen. Yeah, 531 00:27:59,440 --> 00:28:01,920 Speaker 1: incredible game, and I want to mention this game because 532 00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:05,280 Speaker 1: they were winning to nothing. Belgium, you know, was like 533 00:28:05,320 --> 00:28:08,280 Speaker 1: one of the top teams ranked by FIFA at the time. 534 00:28:09,720 --> 00:28:11,800 Speaker 1: They ended up losing three to two, but what was 535 00:28:11,840 --> 00:28:16,560 Speaker 1: remarkable is that they they had a corner kick in 536 00:28:16,600 --> 00:28:19,640 Speaker 1: like the ninety fourth minute and they were tying one 537 00:28:19,640 --> 00:28:22,080 Speaker 1: of the top European teams, like one of the favorites 538 00:28:22,119 --> 00:28:26,679 Speaker 1: to win in a knockout game. And also all the 539 00:28:26,680 --> 00:28:30,040 Speaker 1: Belgian players are giants. They're absolute, you know, gigantic players, 540 00:28:30,560 --> 00:28:34,320 Speaker 1: and so naturally, if you were the coach, you would say, 541 00:28:35,560 --> 00:28:38,560 Speaker 1: short kick, run out the clock, you know, live to 542 00:28:38,640 --> 00:28:42,000 Speaker 1: fight an extra time, right, That's what a normal sort 543 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:47,360 Speaker 1: of tactic would be. Instead, they lost the kick directly 544 00:28:47,440 --> 00:28:51,080 Speaker 1: into the mixer right in the center, which is immediately 545 00:28:51,160 --> 00:28:57,920 Speaker 1: caught by their gigantic goalkeeper, the Belgian goalkeeper, and quick 546 00:28:57,960 --> 00:29:00,840 Speaker 1: fast break and like literally eight second later they're knocked out. 547 00:29:00,840 --> 00:29:05,440 Speaker 1: Of the World Cup in Belgium scores crazy, and then 548 00:29:05,480 --> 00:29:07,520 Speaker 1: of course there were these images that came after of 549 00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:09,760 Speaker 1: the Japanese fans cleaning up the air of the stadium 550 00:29:09,800 --> 00:29:15,600 Speaker 1: like in tears, which is also very beautiful. In twenty 551 00:29:15,760 --> 00:29:20,200 Speaker 1: twenty two, Japan had a legitimate group of death like 552 00:29:20,240 --> 00:29:25,520 Speaker 1: and absolutely like listeners Germany, Spain, Costa Rica, Japan. 553 00:29:25,920 --> 00:29:26,400 Speaker 2: Wow. 554 00:29:26,840 --> 00:29:31,080 Speaker 1: Wow, that is a really like serious group of death Sean, 555 00:29:31,120 --> 00:29:32,760 Speaker 1: do you want to come on for a second, knowing 556 00:29:32,800 --> 00:29:38,360 Speaker 1: nothing as you do about I'm sorry. We actually got 557 00:29:38,400 --> 00:29:41,240 Speaker 1: a letter today saying stop making fun of Sean. 558 00:29:42,400 --> 00:29:42,640 Speaker 2: Yeah. 559 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:45,800 Speaker 1: I feel like I feel like I'm biting you, both 560 00:29:45,800 --> 00:29:46,400 Speaker 1: of us. 561 00:29:46,680 --> 00:29:51,120 Speaker 2: Absolutely, we're just trying to Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, let's 562 00:29:51,160 --> 00:29:53,280 Speaker 2: just leave it. If you can see Sean's beard. I 563 00:29:53,280 --> 00:29:55,120 Speaker 2: think the issue is that a lot of our listeners 564 00:29:55,120 --> 00:29:57,000 Speaker 2: are are audio only, and so they don't get to 565 00:29:57,000 --> 00:29:59,000 Speaker 2: see Sean's beard. Yeah. 566 00:29:59,040 --> 00:30:01,080 Speaker 1: I think I mention that part of the reason that 567 00:30:01,120 --> 00:30:02,880 Speaker 1: I don't like it least because they're also so handsome, 568 00:30:02,920 --> 00:30:05,080 Speaker 1: and here we have like a legitimate Italian. 569 00:30:04,760 --> 00:30:08,000 Speaker 2: Oh so good looking, so good. I was gonna say 570 00:30:08,040 --> 00:30:10,479 Speaker 2: great looking for his age, but actually just great looking 571 00:30:12,120 --> 00:30:13,880 Speaker 2: at any age at any age. 572 00:30:14,080 --> 00:30:18,520 Speaker 1: All right, so sean beautiful fan, Germany, Spain, Costa Rica, Japan. 573 00:30:19,800 --> 00:30:22,240 Speaker 1: Does Japan get out of the group? Only two teams 574 00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:24,080 Speaker 1: can get out of the group. Does Japan get out 575 00:30:24,080 --> 00:30:25,680 Speaker 1: of Germany, Spain, Costa Rica? 576 00:30:26,680 --> 00:30:31,120 Speaker 6: Well, I know that the running idea here is that 577 00:30:31,280 --> 00:30:34,200 Speaker 6: I don't know much or maybe anything at all. But 578 00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:37,040 Speaker 6: I can say that this is something that I know 579 00:30:37,440 --> 00:30:43,040 Speaker 6: because I remember watching these games, and I remember Japan 580 00:30:43,480 --> 00:30:51,280 Speaker 6: surprising everybody by defeating Germany and by defeating Spain. So 581 00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:53,200 Speaker 6: they did they did it. 582 00:30:53,240 --> 00:30:55,040 Speaker 1: They got out, They got out of the group in 583 00:30:55,160 --> 00:30:58,800 Speaker 1: first place. In fact, that is you're not doing a 584 00:30:58,800 --> 00:31:00,920 Speaker 1: good job of being the guy it doesn't know anything. 585 00:31:00,960 --> 00:31:01,920 Speaker 1: I mean, that's incredible. 586 00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:04,560 Speaker 6: From time to time I think I will. It depends 587 00:31:04,560 --> 00:31:06,880 Speaker 6: on the question, right whether or not I will I 588 00:31:06,920 --> 00:31:10,239 Speaker 6: will know something or not. I guess my question is 589 00:31:11,080 --> 00:31:15,600 Speaker 6: they I know they lost to Costa Rica. It was 590 00:31:15,680 --> 00:31:19,760 Speaker 6: that a game that they on paper should have won. Yeah, 591 00:31:19,960 --> 00:31:22,960 Speaker 6: and then then weirdly lost that game, but then beat 592 00:31:23,320 --> 00:31:24,240 Speaker 6: Germany and Spain. 593 00:31:24,360 --> 00:31:27,040 Speaker 1: Right, Yeah, Costca had a good team that year. Costa 594 00:31:27,080 --> 00:31:30,080 Speaker 1: Rica actually that was one of the most surprising groups ever, 595 00:31:30,280 --> 00:31:33,440 Speaker 1: probably because Germany, Spain Japan, Costa Rica. I think everyone 596 00:31:33,440 --> 00:31:36,000 Speaker 1: would have said Spain and Germany get out of the group, 597 00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:40,120 Speaker 1: and in fact it was it was Costa Rica and Japan. 598 00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:44,080 Speaker 1: So it was one wonderful surprise that sport gave us. 599 00:31:45,000 --> 00:31:48,440 Speaker 1: They went on, of course, to lose to Croatia in 600 00:31:48,560 --> 00:31:50,600 Speaker 1: penalty kicks on the round of sixty. 601 00:31:50,760 --> 00:31:55,800 Speaker 2: Very unfortunate, very unfortunate. Yeah, and then Croatia made it 602 00:31:55,840 --> 00:31:56,320 Speaker 2: all the way. 603 00:31:56,720 --> 00:32:00,880 Speaker 1: Croatia didn't make it all the way. You're thinking, twenty eight, 604 00:32:00,960 --> 00:32:01,160 Speaker 1: that's what. 605 00:32:01,800 --> 00:32:04,000 Speaker 2: That's all the that's all the way. That's all the way. Man. 606 00:32:04,200 --> 00:32:06,280 Speaker 1: The Sebomi finals is all the way. You're right, that's fair. 607 00:32:06,320 --> 00:32:08,880 Speaker 1: That's that's pretty much all the way. That's most of 608 00:32:08,920 --> 00:32:12,240 Speaker 1: the way, all right. So in twenty twenty six, Japan 609 00:32:12,480 --> 00:32:15,800 Speaker 1: absolutely rolled through qualifying. They were the first team outside 610 00:32:15,800 --> 00:32:19,280 Speaker 1: of the three hosts to qualify, and the friendlies since 611 00:32:19,320 --> 00:32:21,040 Speaker 1: then have been kind of a mixed bag. So they 612 00:32:21,040 --> 00:32:23,040 Speaker 1: lost the United States, which was a little weird, but 613 00:32:23,120 --> 00:32:27,440 Speaker 1: they also scored their first ever victory against Brazil, coming wow, 614 00:32:27,600 --> 00:32:30,719 Speaker 1: coming back from two down to win. It was one 615 00:32:30,760 --> 00:32:34,600 Speaker 1: of Machelotti's first games. He didn't look happy. They drew 616 00:32:34,680 --> 00:32:37,000 Speaker 1: with Paraguay, but they beat Ghana, so it's kind of 617 00:32:37,040 --> 00:32:39,280 Speaker 1: like up and down. They have a couple further warm 618 00:32:39,360 --> 00:32:43,320 Speaker 1: up games this month later this month against England and Scotland, 619 00:32:43,360 --> 00:32:45,560 Speaker 1: which should sort of give us a little more insight 620 00:32:45,600 --> 00:32:49,200 Speaker 1: into where the team stands. Now, I want to this 621 00:32:49,280 --> 00:32:52,320 Speaker 1: is this stat actually totally blew my mind. So as 622 00:32:52,320 --> 00:32:54,600 Speaker 1: of September twenty twenty five, there are over one hundred 623 00:32:54,600 --> 00:32:58,800 Speaker 1: and fourteen Japanese players active in European leagues in European teams. 624 00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:03,760 Speaker 1: That's a ninety percent increase over the past five years. Wow, 625 00:33:04,720 --> 00:33:07,360 Speaker 1: wow percent growth. It's crazy. So we in the United 626 00:33:07,360 --> 00:33:11,680 Speaker 1: States have like twenty five Yeah, exactly, exactly, So Japan 627 00:33:11,800 --> 00:33:14,080 Speaker 1: is a legit team. I mean, look, some of these 628 00:33:14,080 --> 00:33:18,160 Speaker 1: players you'll recognize. Karu Mintoma from Brighton. Love that player, 629 00:33:18,360 --> 00:33:23,640 Speaker 1: really great, takomimin Amino, late of your parish now at Monaco, Yeah, 630 00:33:23,640 --> 00:33:28,400 Speaker 1: a good player. Yep, Uhar Wataru Endo who currently is 631 00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:29,680 Speaker 1: on Liverpool. 632 00:33:30,280 --> 00:33:33,760 Speaker 2: Great player. I mean yeah, both Endo and Minnemino were 633 00:33:33,760 --> 00:33:36,080 Speaker 2: players you just loved rooting for. 634 00:33:36,760 --> 00:33:40,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely absolutely. So you have a real talent and 635 00:33:43,480 --> 00:33:47,080 Speaker 1: you know they have a group that I think is doable. 636 00:33:47,200 --> 00:33:51,440 Speaker 1: This time, right, So their group is Netherlands, Tunisia and 637 00:33:51,720 --> 00:33:56,120 Speaker 1: UEFA Playoff B, which could be either Ukraine, Sweden, Poland 638 00:33:56,240 --> 00:33:59,920 Speaker 1: or Albania, and I for one am hard pressed to 639 00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:02,600 Speaker 1: pick who would win there. I know I'm going to 640 00:34:02,640 --> 00:34:04,840 Speaker 1: be rooting for Ukraine, but I don't actually know. 641 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:10,520 Speaker 2: Who's the favorite. Sweden and Poland are both also good. 642 00:34:10,560 --> 00:34:13,880 Speaker 2: Albania has good players. That's That's a tough group. So 643 00:34:13,920 --> 00:34:15,960 Speaker 2: who knows who that'll be, but it's probably going to 644 00:34:16,040 --> 00:34:20,000 Speaker 2: be somebody that Japan can can at least draw. You 645 00:34:20,040 --> 00:34:23,480 Speaker 2: think Tunisia is probably beatable. The Netherlands is an interesting 646 00:34:23,560 --> 00:34:25,680 Speaker 2: challenge for Japan, but not an impossible one. 647 00:34:26,440 --> 00:34:30,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm gonna say that. I mean Netherlands. What I 648 00:34:30,400 --> 00:34:32,160 Speaker 1: was taught as the child, Netherlands is the greatest team 649 00:34:32,320 --> 00:34:35,000 Speaker 1: that's never won a World Cup, and I think you 650 00:34:35,040 --> 00:34:38,080 Speaker 1: know we can agree on that they've been in the 651 00:34:38,120 --> 00:34:40,480 Speaker 1: World Cup final twice in seventy eight and twenty ten, 652 00:34:42,080 --> 00:34:49,120 Speaker 1: proud footballing heritage, and yet not imperious and not unbeatable. 653 00:34:50,040 --> 00:34:52,120 Speaker 1: I'm gonna say John that this year Japan is going 654 00:34:52,160 --> 00:34:54,480 Speaker 1: to get out of the group. Kind of does everyone's 655 00:34:54,480 --> 00:34:58,520 Speaker 1: getting out of the group and the round of sixteen 656 00:34:58,600 --> 00:35:00,160 Speaker 1: is no longer the rund of sixteen now the first 657 00:35:00,200 --> 00:35:01,919 Speaker 1: knockout round. Of course, it's the round of thirty two. 658 00:35:02,400 --> 00:35:04,600 Speaker 1: So the question is will they get past the first 659 00:35:04,640 --> 00:35:08,440 Speaker 1: knockout round, because they've never gotten past that despite being 660 00:35:09,040 --> 00:35:12,759 Speaker 1: a team that you know routinely wins Asian Cups, a 661 00:35:12,840 --> 00:35:14,960 Speaker 1: team that has this depth of talent, that they have 662 00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:17,760 Speaker 1: over one hundred players playing in the top leagues in Europe. 663 00:35:18,160 --> 00:35:23,480 Speaker 1: So now will they win the round of thirty two game? 664 00:35:24,080 --> 00:35:27,680 Speaker 1: Let's assume so check this out. The winner of Group 665 00:35:27,840 --> 00:35:31,160 Speaker 1: F gets the runner up of Group C, and the 666 00:35:31,200 --> 00:35:33,040 Speaker 1: winner of Group C gets the runner up of Group F. 667 00:35:33,280 --> 00:35:38,200 Speaker 1: So you're asking John, what's Group C? Brazil, Morocco, Haiti 668 00:35:38,280 --> 00:35:38,920 Speaker 1: and Scotland. 669 00:35:39,040 --> 00:35:42,600 Speaker 2: Oh no, right, Oh, that's a disaster. You're either going 670 00:35:42,680 --> 00:35:44,320 Speaker 2: to give to razila Morocco almost. 671 00:35:44,160 --> 00:35:46,360 Speaker 1: You're going to get almost certainly going to get Brazil 672 00:35:46,360 --> 00:35:49,120 Speaker 1: and Morocco with respect to our Scottish and Haitian friends. 673 00:35:50,760 --> 00:35:53,480 Speaker 1: So the real thing is this, they already beat Brazil 674 00:35:53,560 --> 00:35:57,439 Speaker 1: once in a friendly. It's entirely likely that Japan's gonna 675 00:35:57,440 --> 00:35:59,040 Speaker 1: have to do it again for real in a World 676 00:35:59,080 --> 00:36:02,120 Speaker 1: Cup if they want to break the hoodoo of getting 677 00:36:02,120 --> 00:36:03,399 Speaker 1: past the round of thirty two. 678 00:36:04,360 --> 00:36:09,880 Speaker 2: Imagine the size of the catastrophe if Brazil lost in 679 00:36:09,920 --> 00:36:11,080 Speaker 2: the round of thirty two. 680 00:36:11,640 --> 00:36:16,120 Speaker 1: Oo wow, yeah, I mean no, one. 681 00:36:15,960 --> 00:36:20,440 Speaker 2: Hundred and fifty million people would be oh my god, 682 00:36:20,480 --> 00:36:21,920 Speaker 2: I'd hate to be Carl Ancholotti. 683 00:36:22,040 --> 00:36:25,759 Speaker 1: Then unthinkable, It's unthinkable. I mean, that's like the the 684 00:36:26,320 --> 00:36:27,759 Speaker 1: you know, there are teams that are just happy to 685 00:36:27,760 --> 00:36:29,879 Speaker 1: be there and teams where if they win a game 686 00:36:30,000 --> 00:36:33,400 Speaker 1: or score a goal, that's enough. And then there's the 687 00:36:33,400 --> 00:36:36,520 Speaker 1: pressure that teams like Brazil face, you know, or Morocco 688 00:36:36,760 --> 00:36:38,560 Speaker 1: they were hosting afkon. We talked about this in the 689 00:36:38,560 --> 00:36:41,279 Speaker 1: first episode, and you know, the entire weight of the 690 00:36:41,360 --> 00:36:46,000 Speaker 1: nation is a lot is a lot to take, Yeah, 691 00:36:46,040 --> 00:36:49,520 Speaker 1: which maybe makes them beatable. I don't know, because Japan 692 00:36:49,600 --> 00:36:52,000 Speaker 1: is in that in between phase where they have real talent, 693 00:36:52,400 --> 00:36:56,160 Speaker 1: really good players, and the question is, but no one 694 00:36:56,200 --> 00:36:57,480 Speaker 1: actually thinks they're gonna win anything. 695 00:36:58,239 --> 00:36:59,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, they could win a knock out. 696 00:36:59,680 --> 00:37:03,239 Speaker 1: That yeah, I think I think they could do it. 697 00:37:03,320 --> 00:37:06,360 Speaker 1: I think they could do it. We'll see. So anyway, 698 00:37:06,520 --> 00:37:09,480 Speaker 1: that's that's my take on Japan. I'm really looking forward 699 00:37:09,480 --> 00:37:14,520 Speaker 1: to buying a japan Jersey and enjoying those games. 700 00:37:15,040 --> 00:37:16,719 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's gonna be great. All Right, we're gonna take 701 00:37:16,760 --> 00:37:18,440 Speaker 2: a break and then we'll be back with a story 702 00:37:18,480 --> 00:37:24,680 Speaker 2: from me about football and security funding, riveting. We'll do 703 00:37:24,760 --> 00:37:42,719 Speaker 2: right back, all right, Daniel, We're back with you away 704 00:37:42,760 --> 00:37:46,640 Speaker 2: in and I'm gonna tell you a story about a 705 00:37:46,680 --> 00:37:50,279 Speaker 2: small town New England select board. So if you've never 706 00:37:50,320 --> 00:37:52,680 Speaker 2: lived in New England, there are these town boards that 707 00:37:53,040 --> 00:37:54,920 Speaker 2: can be very powerful. In this case, it's a town 708 00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:57,560 Speaker 2: board of five people who are elected, but they're volunteers 709 00:37:58,239 --> 00:38:01,880 Speaker 2: in a little town called Foxborough, Masachusetts, which happens to 710 00:38:01,920 --> 00:38:05,560 Speaker 2: be home to a very large stadium where I believe 711 00:38:05,600 --> 00:38:07,840 Speaker 2: the New England Patriots play their football games. 712 00:38:08,239 --> 00:38:11,120 Speaker 1: I've heard of it. Yes, it's called Foxborough Stadium, or 713 00:38:11,120 --> 00:38:11,640 Speaker 1: it used to be. 714 00:38:11,719 --> 00:38:14,560 Speaker 2: I believe it's called Foxborough Stadium. Maybe it's got maybe 715 00:38:14,560 --> 00:38:17,879 Speaker 2: it's called Gillette Stadium because it's been papered over by 716 00:38:17,880 --> 00:38:19,960 Speaker 2: some kind of corporation. But in our hearts it will 717 00:38:20,000 --> 00:38:24,240 Speaker 2: always be Foxborough Stadium, got it. Well, the town board 718 00:38:24,400 --> 00:38:26,719 Speaker 2: there has has said, look, it's going to cost us 719 00:38:26,719 --> 00:38:30,279 Speaker 2: about seven point eight million dollars to do security for 720 00:38:30,440 --> 00:38:35,000 Speaker 2: this event that we're hosting I believe seven games of 721 00:38:35,040 --> 00:38:39,760 Speaker 2: the World Cup, and we're gonna need FIFA, which expects 722 00:38:39,800 --> 00:38:42,640 Speaker 2: to make eleven point seven billion with a B dollars 723 00:38:42,760 --> 00:38:45,600 Speaker 2: from the World Cup. We're gonna need FIFA or somebody 724 00:38:45,960 --> 00:38:51,040 Speaker 2: to pay that money. And it's very complicated. There are 725 00:38:51,040 --> 00:38:53,920 Speaker 2: a lot of different parties involved, including the Craft family 726 00:38:53,960 --> 00:38:56,919 Speaker 2: who owns the New England Patriots, and also this group 727 00:38:57,040 --> 00:39:01,359 Speaker 2: Boston Soccer that is a a a separate group from 728 00:39:01,480 --> 00:39:04,759 Speaker 2: FIFA but sort of aligned with FIFA, that's bringing the 729 00:39:04,800 --> 00:39:09,520 Speaker 2: World Cup to Boston, although technically to Foxborough, and they 730 00:39:09,560 --> 00:39:12,080 Speaker 2: cannot seem to come to an agreement on this seven 731 00:39:12,120 --> 00:39:15,440 Speaker 2: point eight million dollars now. They announced Boston Soccer and 732 00:39:15,480 --> 00:39:17,920 Speaker 2: the Craft family announced that they had come to an agreement, 733 00:39:17,920 --> 00:39:21,360 Speaker 2: but the Foxborough select Board immediately responded, you've come to 734 00:39:21,400 --> 00:39:25,040 Speaker 2: an agreement with yourselves, not with us. You have not, 735 00:39:25,160 --> 00:39:27,719 Speaker 2: in fact come to an agreement with us, got it? 736 00:39:28,600 --> 00:39:31,120 Speaker 2: And it is not at all clear if these games 737 00:39:31,160 --> 00:39:34,959 Speaker 2: which are now scheduled for I don't know ninety five 738 00:39:35,040 --> 00:39:38,040 Speaker 2: days from now, are actually going to happen because it's 739 00:39:38,040 --> 00:39:40,279 Speaker 2: the seven point eight million dollar disagreement. 740 00:39:40,840 --> 00:39:44,280 Speaker 1: Seven point eight million dollars when you're gonna make eleven billion. 741 00:39:44,760 --> 00:39:47,440 Speaker 1: Seems like like just you know, fish it out of 742 00:39:47,480 --> 00:39:49,600 Speaker 1: the you know, between the sofa cushions, you know, like 743 00:39:50,840 --> 00:39:53,560 Speaker 1: that's what like FIFA spends on, like SODA's at the offices, 744 00:39:53,640 --> 00:39:55,160 Speaker 1: Like just give them money. 745 00:39:56,280 --> 00:39:58,880 Speaker 2: Right, Yeah, that's how I feel, too, right like, And 746 00:39:58,920 --> 00:40:01,799 Speaker 2: it's not it's forced security, and I'm all like, I 747 00:40:01,840 --> 00:40:03,839 Speaker 2: want this to be a secure World Cup. That's something 748 00:40:03,880 --> 00:40:08,280 Speaker 2: I worry about and so I'm all for it. I 749 00:40:08,440 --> 00:40:10,759 Speaker 2: also feel like it's a solvable problem. But it's one 750 00:40:10,760 --> 00:40:14,600 Speaker 2: of those things where big, powerful institutions think they can 751 00:40:14,600 --> 00:40:17,319 Speaker 2: come up against a little select board and automatically win 752 00:40:17,920 --> 00:40:20,279 Speaker 2: just by throwing around their weight. And I sort of 753 00:40:20,320 --> 00:40:22,560 Speaker 2: love that these New England town councils are like, you 754 00:40:22,560 --> 00:40:26,320 Speaker 2: don't understand, We've been doing this since like seventeen fifty one. 755 00:40:28,680 --> 00:40:31,440 Speaker 1: It's like a it's like a Manhattan co op, you 756 00:40:31,440 --> 00:40:35,560 Speaker 1: know exactly. It won't be believed by the celebrity resident, 757 00:40:35,719 --> 00:40:36,760 Speaker 1: you know, your influencer. 758 00:40:36,880 --> 00:40:40,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, they were not getting a break on rent. 759 00:40:41,160 --> 00:40:44,239 Speaker 1: No no noise after eight pm, sorry, you know, no 760 00:40:44,320 --> 00:40:48,520 Speaker 1: smiling in the elevator, that's the rules. I love it. 761 00:40:48,600 --> 00:40:53,279 Speaker 1: I love it. Yeah, what who's the bad guy here? 762 00:40:53,600 --> 00:40:56,120 Speaker 1: And does it start with an F and in an A. 763 00:40:57,160 --> 00:40:58,560 Speaker 2: I think it starts with an F and NS in 764 00:40:58,560 --> 00:41:00,480 Speaker 2: an A, as it usually does. But all so, like, 765 00:41:00,640 --> 00:41:03,640 Speaker 2: I'm so biased at this point, you know that, Like 766 00:41:03,760 --> 00:41:06,279 Speaker 2: I haven't really looked deeply into the question of who's 767 00:41:06,320 --> 00:41:08,760 Speaker 2: the bad guy. It's just that the bad guys always FIFA, 768 00:41:09,560 --> 00:41:13,640 Speaker 2: so it has to be FIFA. But yeah, there's a 769 00:41:13,680 --> 00:41:16,440 Speaker 2: lot of a lot of a lot of mutual finger 770 00:41:16,480 --> 00:41:21,279 Speaker 2: pointing in this, in this and it's hard. It's hard 771 00:41:21,320 --> 00:41:26,200 Speaker 2: to know, except that it seems to me that it's 772 00:41:26,200 --> 00:41:28,880 Speaker 2: going to be expensive for the town to host the 773 00:41:28,920 --> 00:41:31,160 Speaker 2: fricking World Cup, and it makes sense that they're going 774 00:41:31,200 --> 00:41:32,480 Speaker 2: to need some support to do that. 775 00:41:33,719 --> 00:41:36,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, Okay, I'm gonna look this up because I think 776 00:41:36,440 --> 00:41:41,440 Speaker 1: that the listeners want to know. Okay, So the games 777 00:41:41,600 --> 00:41:44,920 Speaker 1: that are going to be held in Boston slash Foxborough, 778 00:41:45,920 --> 00:41:47,080 Speaker 1: hand versus Scotland. 779 00:41:47,440 --> 00:41:49,160 Speaker 2: Oh god, that's going to be a banger. 780 00:41:49,480 --> 00:41:54,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, Iraq of Bolivia, Yeah, that's gonna be a good one. 781 00:41:54,840 --> 00:41:57,239 Speaker 1: Haitian fans are gonna come. That's gonna be wonderful. 782 00:41:57,960 --> 00:41:58,240 Speaker 2: Okay. 783 00:41:58,280 --> 00:42:01,440 Speaker 1: That then there's the winner the playoff between Iraq, Bolivia 784 00:42:01,480 --> 00:42:07,800 Speaker 1: and Suranon versus Norway, Holland early Holland, our Noda Guards debut. 785 00:42:08,400 --> 00:42:10,680 Speaker 1: All the wonderful players from Bodo Glimpse are just going 786 00:42:10,760 --> 00:42:13,560 Speaker 1: to be there, just you know, playing. Can they play 787 00:42:13,560 --> 00:42:15,440 Speaker 1: in the heat? Are they able to? I don't know, 788 00:42:16,239 --> 00:42:21,960 Speaker 1: who knows? Who knows? Yeah, Norwegians. In June in Boston, 789 00:42:22,440 --> 00:42:27,759 Speaker 1: we'll see h Scotland versus Morocco. That's a great game. Yeah, 790 00:42:28,040 --> 00:42:33,000 Speaker 1: England versus Ghana that's also a great game, a class 791 00:42:33,120 --> 00:42:37,080 Speaker 1: colonial matchup. Yeah. And then this one is going to 792 00:42:37,160 --> 00:42:40,560 Speaker 1: be another banger here Norway versus France. 793 00:42:41,520 --> 00:42:41,800 Speaker 5: Wow. 794 00:42:42,560 --> 00:42:45,239 Speaker 2: I mean those are good games that Boston has if 795 00:42:45,280 --> 00:42:47,080 Speaker 2: I now see, if I were Foxborough would come to 796 00:42:47,120 --> 00:42:49,080 Speaker 2: some kind of agreement just so I could host those games. 797 00:42:49,520 --> 00:42:52,360 Speaker 2: I mean they count Select Kennedy free tickets. 798 00:42:52,719 --> 00:42:55,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, I would, I would probably. You know, you only 799 00:42:55,080 --> 00:42:58,320 Speaker 1: need three votes, FIFA, make. 800 00:42:57,719 --> 00:43:00,759 Speaker 2: It work, FIFA. If there's anything you're good at, it's 801 00:43:00,840 --> 00:43:02,240 Speaker 2: bribing elected officials. 802 00:43:02,800 --> 00:43:08,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, like that's like one of the tenants of the organization. Yeah. 803 00:43:08,680 --> 00:43:10,520 Speaker 1: I hope they come to an agreement. I hope Foxboro 804 00:43:10,600 --> 00:43:12,360 Speaker 1: gets the money it needs. When I read about this, 805 00:43:12,440 --> 00:43:16,840 Speaker 1: I thought, what was remarkable was that the Boston Soccer 806 00:43:17,360 --> 00:43:19,160 Speaker 1: which is kind of what I understood was kind of 807 00:43:19,160 --> 00:43:22,279 Speaker 1: an offshoot of FIFA that was like a nonprofit that 808 00:43:22,360 --> 00:43:25,960 Speaker 1: was created just for this to put on these seven games. 809 00:43:26,200 --> 00:43:29,279 Speaker 1: They basically said, yeah, you'll get your money, you know, 810 00:43:29,480 --> 00:43:32,480 Speaker 1: June first, and the town council was like, oh, hell no, 811 00:43:32,960 --> 00:43:36,799 Speaker 1: we're not going to start ordering the equipment that we 812 00:43:36,880 --> 00:43:41,480 Speaker 1: need to make these games flow safely, like twelve days 813 00:43:41,520 --> 00:43:44,960 Speaker 1: before the tournament starts. That's preposterous. And you know what, 814 00:43:45,080 --> 00:43:47,839 Speaker 1: I think they're right. I think they're absolutely right, and 815 00:43:48,239 --> 00:43:52,439 Speaker 1: I hope they get their money. Yeah, yeah, thank you. John. 816 00:43:52,840 --> 00:43:54,320 Speaker 1: We have a couple of letters before we go. Do 817 00:43:54,320 --> 00:43:55,920 Speaker 1: you want to hear them? I'll read this one for 818 00:43:55,960 --> 00:43:59,400 Speaker 1: you because it's a question just for you, Dear Daniel, 819 00:43:59,719 --> 00:44:02,040 Speaker 1: John and Sean. We would love to hear John's answer 820 00:44:02,080 --> 00:44:04,400 Speaker 1: to the question of which, if any domestic team he supports. 821 00:44:04,719 --> 00:44:07,000 Speaker 1: We know about his support for Wimbledon and Liverpool because 822 00:44:07,000 --> 00:44:10,919 Speaker 1: he won't shut up about fucking Liverpool. But there's nothing 823 00:44:10,960 --> 00:44:13,000 Speaker 1: like going to your hometown team's game. I can honestly 824 00:44:13,000 --> 00:44:15,920 Speaker 1: say my soccer interest sword into soccer obsession during my 825 00:44:16,000 --> 00:44:17,759 Speaker 1: visits the Red bull Areno while I lived in New York, 826 00:44:18,239 --> 00:44:20,840 Speaker 1: joining the crowd and singing for Columbian star Juan Pablank, 827 00:44:21,080 --> 00:44:23,560 Speaker 1: future American star Josie Altadoor and a cast of guys 828 00:44:23,560 --> 00:44:26,759 Speaker 1: like John Wolgek, who they might have just found playing 829 00:44:26,760 --> 00:44:29,560 Speaker 1: pick up on the Opper West Side. Took my consumerist 830 00:44:29,600 --> 00:44:32,319 Speaker 1: interest and turned it into ritual participation in community action, 831 00:44:32,440 --> 00:44:34,520 Speaker 1: a switch which felt like learning to live. 832 00:44:34,800 --> 00:44:34,960 Speaker 2: Man. 833 00:44:35,040 --> 00:44:35,719 Speaker 1: This guy can write. 834 00:44:35,800 --> 00:44:36,000 Speaker 2: Yes. 835 00:44:36,719 --> 00:44:41,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, so, Luke asks, has John been to an Indie 836 00:44:41,320 --> 00:44:43,759 Speaker 1: eleven game? Their next game home game is the US 837 00:44:43,800 --> 00:44:46,400 Speaker 1: Open Cup against Des Moines Menace on the seventeenth, and 838 00:44:46,480 --> 00:44:48,879 Speaker 1: they host Detroit in the League on the twenty first. 839 00:44:48,880 --> 00:44:50,320 Speaker 1: We'd love to hear about that experience. 840 00:44:51,640 --> 00:44:53,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, I have been to several India eleven games. I 841 00:44:53,840 --> 00:44:58,000 Speaker 2: mean the issue with American soccer teams for me, and look, 842 00:44:58,000 --> 00:45:00,120 Speaker 2: this is also an issue with Liverpool Football Club not 843 00:45:00,120 --> 00:45:05,160 Speaker 2: going to pretend otherwise, is that they are franchises. Now 844 00:45:05,440 --> 00:45:08,080 Speaker 2: usl is opening itself up to promotion and relegation, which 845 00:45:08,120 --> 00:45:10,680 Speaker 2: is really exciting, and I think I'll go to more 846 00:45:10,719 --> 00:45:12,919 Speaker 2: Indie eleven games in the future now that that's part 847 00:45:12,960 --> 00:45:15,680 Speaker 2: of the now that there's some real jeopardy. So there's 848 00:45:15,680 --> 00:45:18,879 Speaker 2: some meaningful jeopardy for these very wealthy people who own 849 00:45:18,960 --> 00:45:22,719 Speaker 2: these institutions. But it's hard for me with MLS a 850 00:45:22,719 --> 00:45:26,680 Speaker 2: little bit because they're guaranteed their league spot and they 851 00:45:26,800 --> 00:45:30,920 Speaker 2: paid hundreds of millions of dollars to basically create a monopoly. 852 00:45:32,520 --> 00:45:36,120 Speaker 2: English football's a little different, but still there's a sense 853 00:45:36,160 --> 00:45:42,640 Speaker 2: in which these community assets are the playthings of billionaires. 854 00:45:43,280 --> 00:45:45,960 Speaker 2: I think that what makes it a little different for 855 00:45:46,040 --> 00:45:49,120 Speaker 2: me than most American sports is that one there's the 856 00:45:49,200 --> 00:45:52,360 Speaker 2: jeopardy of relegation. Even a team like Spurs can get relegated, 857 00:45:52,760 --> 00:45:58,640 Speaker 2: as we may find out in May. But secondly, there's 858 00:45:58,719 --> 00:46:01,880 Speaker 2: the fact that they are still treated as community institutions. 859 00:46:02,520 --> 00:46:04,760 Speaker 2: You know, they're not moved around the way the Baltimore 860 00:46:04,800 --> 00:46:07,399 Speaker 2: cults become, the Indianapolis cults become the God only knows 861 00:46:07,440 --> 00:46:12,600 Speaker 2: what's cults, and so I struggle a little bit with that. 862 00:46:12,800 --> 00:46:14,839 Speaker 2: I mean, the reason I love AFC Wimbledon is because 863 00:46:14,840 --> 00:46:18,319 Speaker 2: we're owned by our fans. There is no rich guy 864 00:46:18,520 --> 00:46:22,319 Speaker 2: in charge, you know, it's all the fans who make 865 00:46:22,400 --> 00:46:25,400 Speaker 2: the big decisions, and I think that's really beautiful and 866 00:46:25,440 --> 00:46:27,120 Speaker 2: should be a model for the rest of the world 867 00:46:27,160 --> 00:46:29,080 Speaker 2: and is a model in some parts of Europe, but 868 00:46:29,120 --> 00:46:32,640 Speaker 2: not most, and so it's something I struggle with. But 869 00:46:32,680 --> 00:46:34,880 Speaker 2: I do enjoy the INDI eleven games a lot, and 870 00:46:35,000 --> 00:46:38,960 Speaker 2: I enjoy I think, to Luke's question, that feeling of 871 00:46:39,040 --> 00:46:42,759 Speaker 2: ritual participation in community action is really really powerful. 872 00:46:43,680 --> 00:46:45,719 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, it's the best thing. 873 00:46:45,719 --> 00:46:47,000 Speaker 2: What about you, I mean, do you have a do 874 00:46:47,000 --> 00:46:47,920 Speaker 2: you have a team? 875 00:46:48,680 --> 00:46:52,279 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean I have a well, okay, I'll say 876 00:46:52,280 --> 00:46:55,239 Speaker 1: a couple of things. I spent a lot of time 877 00:46:55,280 --> 00:46:58,560 Speaker 1: read beul Arena when my older son, who loves football, 878 00:46:58,680 --> 00:47:02,480 Speaker 1: was was not you know, it was in middle school, 879 00:47:02,520 --> 00:47:07,919 Speaker 1: in high school. My youngest son, who's turning thirteen later 880 00:47:08,000 --> 00:47:12,279 Speaker 1: this month, doesn't care really about club soccer, only cares 881 00:47:12,280 --> 00:47:15,600 Speaker 1: about the World Cup, and so I could never interest 882 00:47:15,680 --> 00:47:18,880 Speaker 1: him in like taking the train to Harrison, New Jersey 883 00:47:18,880 --> 00:47:22,680 Speaker 1: to watch the Red Bulls games. There's a new USL 884 00:47:22,719 --> 00:47:25,640 Speaker 1: team in New York called Brooklyn FC, which when we 885 00:47:25,640 --> 00:47:28,200 Speaker 1: move back to New York, I'll probably go see a 886 00:47:28,239 --> 00:47:32,000 Speaker 1: couple of those games, see what that's like. But then 887 00:47:32,040 --> 00:47:35,600 Speaker 1: here in BA where we're living now, I just found 888 00:47:35,600 --> 00:47:41,759 Speaker 1: the the Colombian Gooner's Club and the bar that they 889 00:47:41,880 --> 00:47:45,200 Speaker 1: watched the games at and and I went to one 890 00:47:45,239 --> 00:47:48,480 Speaker 1: of the games. I went to the to the Chelsea game. 891 00:47:49,880 --> 00:47:53,520 Speaker 1: Not a classic. Not many Arsenal games are classics these days, 892 00:47:53,560 --> 00:47:56,839 Speaker 1: I will say, but it was beautiful. Man. They one 893 00:47:56,840 --> 00:48:00,279 Speaker 1: of the guys takes out of cornet and plays every 894 00:48:00,280 --> 00:48:03,600 Speaker 1: time Marsenal scores, he plays like a fanfare. There was 895 00:48:03,640 --> 00:48:07,399 Speaker 1: a man literally crying at the end of the game 896 00:48:07,440 --> 00:48:09,719 Speaker 1: because the last few minutes were so tense and ry 897 00:48:09,719 --> 00:48:11,840 Speaker 1: I had to make a couple of really brilliant saves 898 00:48:11,880 --> 00:48:17,880 Speaker 1: to to keep our our slim margin of victory. And 899 00:48:17,920 --> 00:48:19,719 Speaker 1: also this was remarkable to me was that there were 900 00:48:19,719 --> 00:48:23,400 Speaker 1: people there who recognized me as the host of and 901 00:48:23,440 --> 00:48:26,680 Speaker 1: so people kept sending me beers over, which was great. 902 00:48:27,800 --> 00:48:29,600 Speaker 2: That's fun, it is. 903 00:48:29,680 --> 00:48:33,239 Speaker 1: It was really fun. And and so it's great to. 904 00:48:33,160 --> 00:48:35,759 Speaker 2: Be recognized as the host of a radio show, you know, 905 00:48:35,960 --> 00:48:38,359 Speaker 2: like that's when you've really made it, Daniel, Like it's 906 00:48:38,360 --> 00:48:41,520 Speaker 2: you and Ira Glass who are known for being the 907 00:48:41,640 --> 00:48:44,040 Speaker 2: visible hosts of radio shows. 908 00:48:44,520 --> 00:48:47,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's a it's an odd thing. It's an odd thing, 909 00:48:47,920 --> 00:48:50,239 Speaker 1: you know. I I loved it, and I think that 910 00:48:50,640 --> 00:48:55,239 Speaker 1: to answer Luke's question, the switch that Phil feels like 911 00:48:55,320 --> 00:48:59,040 Speaker 1: learning to live. I think you can create that experience 912 00:48:59,440 --> 00:49:02,879 Speaker 1: of like watching the game with friends, watching the game 913 00:49:02,920 --> 00:49:04,920 Speaker 1: with community, watching the game with other fans of the 914 00:49:04,960 --> 00:49:10,359 Speaker 1: same team sort of scratches that same itch as being 915 00:49:10,400 --> 00:49:14,960 Speaker 1: at the stadium. Sometimes it can. I have great memories 916 00:49:14,960 --> 00:49:18,120 Speaker 1: of watching you know, World Cup Finals with friends, you know, 917 00:49:18,160 --> 00:49:21,400 Speaker 1: at our house, at other people's houses, are watching big games, 918 00:49:21,480 --> 00:49:24,440 Speaker 1: even with one, you know. I remember watching the Arsenal 919 00:49:24,440 --> 00:49:28,239 Speaker 1: against the Madrid first leg last year at a bar 920 00:49:28,400 --> 00:49:30,719 Speaker 1: in Manhattan with a with ib, a friend of mine, 921 00:49:31,280 --> 00:49:34,440 Speaker 1: and man, you know, it was like we were good 922 00:49:34,440 --> 00:49:36,440 Speaker 1: friends before that and we're better friends now, you know, 923 00:49:36,560 --> 00:49:39,120 Speaker 1: like we went through that, so I didn't there's something 924 00:49:39,160 --> 00:49:42,760 Speaker 1: about that. But you know, John, if I come position 925 00:49:42,760 --> 00:49:44,759 Speaker 1: you in Annapolis, we'll go to any eleven game. How 926 00:49:44,760 --> 00:49:45,200 Speaker 1: about that? 927 00:49:45,560 --> 00:49:47,000 Speaker 2: I love it. Yeah, you got to come visit me. 928 00:49:47,960 --> 00:49:49,880 Speaker 2: We got a guest room and everything. All right, We're 929 00:49:49,920 --> 00:49:53,240 Speaker 2: gonna read this email from Raoul as well. I suspect 930 00:49:53,280 --> 00:49:57,720 Speaker 2: this Raoul is a friend of ours actually, but he writes, greetings, gentlemen. 931 00:49:58,000 --> 00:49:59,320 Speaker 2: I've been enjoying the pot of great deal, and I 932 00:49:59,320 --> 00:50:01,080 Speaker 2: have noticed a recur theme. Both of you have spoken 933 00:50:01,080 --> 00:50:02,920 Speaker 2: about the role that football has played in your relationship 934 00:50:02,960 --> 00:50:04,880 Speaker 2: with your father's not your mother's, though, and how it 935 00:50:04,880 --> 00:50:06,879 Speaker 2: has influenced your relationship with your own children. I wonder 936 00:50:06,920 --> 00:50:08,560 Speaker 2: if you could expand on the ways that football is 937 00:50:08,600 --> 00:50:11,280 Speaker 2: affected you're parenting. As I write this, I've just returned 938 00:50:11,320 --> 00:50:14,520 Speaker 2: from watching my oldest, my older daughter's final high school 939 00:50:14,520 --> 00:50:16,840 Speaker 2: basketball game. They were eliminating in the quarterfinals of the 940 00:50:16,840 --> 00:50:19,960 Speaker 2: city Championship, playing away at a school in far Rock, 941 00:50:20,040 --> 00:50:22,479 Speaker 2: Away more than twenty miles from the Upper West Side 942 00:50:22,480 --> 00:50:25,239 Speaker 2: but still technically in New York City. Cleo played amazingly well, 943 00:50:25,239 --> 00:50:26,759 Speaker 2: probably your best game of the season. And I don't 944 00:50:26,800 --> 00:50:28,719 Speaker 2: know who is sad or basketball has given her and 945 00:50:28,800 --> 00:50:30,960 Speaker 2: our family so much, and I imagine that football is 946 00:50:31,000 --> 00:50:32,719 Speaker 2: not the same for your family, so, though perhaps not 947 00:50:32,760 --> 00:50:35,120 Speaker 2: in the same way as so, can we talk about 948 00:50:35,120 --> 00:50:35,759 Speaker 2: that a little bit? 949 00:50:36,640 --> 00:50:41,239 Speaker 1: In Yeah, I think that's lovely. I mean, I, you know, 950 00:50:42,400 --> 00:50:46,840 Speaker 1: I really identify with this the kind of sense of 951 00:50:47,160 --> 00:50:54,760 Speaker 1: purpose that high school sports gave me, and the camaraderie 952 00:50:55,200 --> 00:50:59,359 Speaker 1: and the discipline. So I know sort of a lot 953 00:50:59,400 --> 00:51:03,719 Speaker 1: about what role was talking about. And I missed that 954 00:51:03,880 --> 00:51:09,120 Speaker 1: for my kids a little bit. Because Elisel plays chess, 955 00:51:09,360 --> 00:51:10,960 Speaker 1: you know, so there's a team aspect to it, but 956 00:51:10,960 --> 00:51:12,839 Speaker 1: it's very much one on one and that's his his 957 00:51:13,040 --> 00:51:15,600 Speaker 1: you know, sport. To the extent that it is a sport, 958 00:51:15,640 --> 00:51:18,440 Speaker 1: we could debate, but I mean he'll say it is, 959 00:51:18,480 --> 00:51:22,000 Speaker 1: of course. And then the thing he likes to do 960 00:51:22,080 --> 00:51:24,520 Speaker 1: is like rock climbing, which again is very individual, you know. 961 00:51:24,560 --> 00:51:26,640 Speaker 1: So I feel like that the like I wish he 962 00:51:26,719 --> 00:51:28,600 Speaker 1: were in a team because I think being part of 963 00:51:28,640 --> 00:51:31,680 Speaker 1: a team is an important thing. How about you, y'all? 964 00:51:32,880 --> 00:51:36,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, my son is a boxer, and so he loves, 965 00:51:37,440 --> 00:51:42,120 Speaker 2: really loves boxing and watching boxing and the science of 966 00:51:42,160 --> 00:51:46,440 Speaker 2: it and the you know the complexity of movement and 967 00:51:47,120 --> 00:51:51,080 Speaker 2: defense and all that stuff. But again, there's not that 968 00:51:51,160 --> 00:51:53,600 Speaker 2: sense of camaraderie that you have when you're on a team, 969 00:51:54,360 --> 00:51:56,480 Speaker 2: especially a team that spends a lot of time together. 970 00:51:57,160 --> 00:51:58,680 Speaker 2: You know. He has a sense of camaraderie with the 971 00:51:58,680 --> 00:52:00,920 Speaker 2: people he shares the gym with, but it's a little different. 972 00:52:00,960 --> 00:52:04,759 Speaker 1: I think, I think there to hit each other. Yeah, 973 00:52:04,800 --> 00:52:06,920 Speaker 1: I was gonna say that. I think that watching your 974 00:52:07,000 --> 00:52:09,680 Speaker 1: kid play basketball, although of course injuries can always happen, 975 00:52:09,760 --> 00:52:12,799 Speaker 1: is different from watching your child in a ring with 976 00:52:12,840 --> 00:52:14,560 Speaker 1: another person. That wants to punch him in the face. 977 00:52:15,400 --> 00:52:20,320 Speaker 2: Uh is it hard to watch some box? He doesn't 978 00:52:20,360 --> 00:52:24,479 Speaker 2: box much. He's not really allowed to box the way 979 00:52:24,520 --> 00:52:27,160 Speaker 2: that he wishes he were, and indeed the way that 980 00:52:27,200 --> 00:52:29,920 Speaker 2: his coach wishes he were. He's his coach is always like, 981 00:52:31,120 --> 00:52:34,120 Speaker 2: she's always like he's so good, and I was, I'm like, 982 00:52:34,200 --> 00:52:36,120 Speaker 2: I don't. I don't really care how good he is. 983 00:52:36,640 --> 00:52:40,680 Speaker 2: You know, it doesn't really matter. He's not he's not 984 00:52:40,719 --> 00:52:44,240 Speaker 2: going to go pro in this because his dad will 985 00:52:44,680 --> 00:52:47,919 Speaker 2: do everything in his power to prevent that. Right. 986 00:52:48,040 --> 00:52:51,239 Speaker 1: It's like, right before the boxing match, you know, a 987 00:52:51,320 --> 00:52:55,200 Speaker 1: streaker comes on the ring and it's like. 988 00:52:55,160 --> 00:52:55,560 Speaker 2: Who's that. 989 00:52:55,680 --> 00:53:00,600 Speaker 1: Oh, it's you know, the box his dad. He's oh, 990 00:53:00,640 --> 00:53:04,160 Speaker 1: now he's changed himself to the to the to the ring. 991 00:53:04,239 --> 00:53:04,960 Speaker 1: He won't get up. 992 00:53:07,239 --> 00:53:07,479 Speaker 2: Yeah. 993 00:53:07,480 --> 00:53:08,600 Speaker 1: I would do the same thing. 994 00:53:08,560 --> 00:53:11,239 Speaker 2: John, you know, like thank you, you know, thank you. 995 00:53:11,840 --> 00:53:14,399 Speaker 1: Chess is a non contact sport, but any sale takes 996 00:53:14,400 --> 00:53:17,880 Speaker 1: every loss very seriously. There's emotional pain. It's not a 997 00:53:18,160 --> 00:53:18,799 Speaker 1: physical pain. 998 00:53:18,880 --> 00:53:21,400 Speaker 2: It's not physical pain. Yeah. And then my daughter is 999 00:53:21,760 --> 00:53:24,759 Speaker 2: a really good volleyball player, and I do love that 1000 00:53:24,920 --> 00:53:27,440 Speaker 2: for her. I love that she's able to be on 1001 00:53:27,480 --> 00:53:29,840 Speaker 2: a team that they're so encouraging of each other, that 1002 00:53:29,880 --> 00:53:32,000 Speaker 2: they fight for each other, that they love each other. 1003 00:53:32,640 --> 00:53:37,040 Speaker 2: That's all you want from your experience of adolescence, I think, 1004 00:53:37,239 --> 00:53:41,239 Speaker 2: is to have friends who love you with that ferocity 1005 00:53:41,440 --> 00:53:47,000 Speaker 2: that you experience in high school, you know. And I 1006 00:53:47,040 --> 00:53:49,200 Speaker 2: was really lucky to have those friends, even though I 1007 00:53:49,360 --> 00:53:53,640 Speaker 2: wasn't on the soccer team or the basketball team. And 1008 00:53:53,680 --> 00:53:55,960 Speaker 2: I know you feel that way about the folks that 1009 00:53:56,040 --> 00:53:57,239 Speaker 2: were on the soccer team with you. 1010 00:53:57,920 --> 00:54:00,719 Speaker 1: Yeah, for sure, for sure. And you know, you know, 1011 00:54:00,800 --> 00:54:03,160 Speaker 1: if all goes well, thirty years later you can have 1012 00:54:03,200 --> 00:54:04,240 Speaker 1: a podcast together. 1013 00:54:04,360 --> 00:54:07,680 Speaker 2: So yeah, I mean, if you're really lucky, if. 1014 00:54:07,600 --> 00:54:10,800 Speaker 1: You're really lucky. Okay, Roll continues, and I want to 1015 00:54:10,840 --> 00:54:14,200 Speaker 1: read the last bit here. He says, in two episodes, 1016 00:54:14,200 --> 00:54:16,120 Speaker 1: at least you spoke about talent and effort as they 1017 00:54:16,120 --> 00:54:18,440 Speaker 1: relate to success, and I'm curious what you think about 1018 00:54:18,480 --> 00:54:20,840 Speaker 1: what I see as a bit of a contradiction. On 1019 00:54:20,880 --> 00:54:22,640 Speaker 1: the one hand, we as parents often tell our kids 1020 00:54:22,680 --> 00:54:24,760 Speaker 1: that if they just work hard at something, usually school, 1021 00:54:24,800 --> 00:54:27,239 Speaker 1: but it could be art, music, theater, even writing, they 1022 00:54:27,239 --> 00:54:29,400 Speaker 1: will succeed, and the same is often true for sport. 1023 00:54:29,880 --> 00:54:33,040 Speaker 1: There are, however, cruel limitations which when it comes to sport, 1024 00:54:33,200 --> 00:54:35,720 Speaker 1: we usually have no trouble recognizing and explaining to our children. 1025 00:54:35,960 --> 00:54:37,839 Speaker 1: When it comes to school work, I'm reluctant to tell 1026 00:54:37,840 --> 00:54:39,800 Speaker 1: them that hard work may not lead to the results 1027 00:54:39,840 --> 00:54:42,359 Speaker 1: they want. Sometimes people are just talented, and talents are 1028 00:54:42,360 --> 00:54:45,280 Speaker 1: not equally distributed throughout a population. Have you come across 1029 00:54:45,280 --> 00:54:47,760 Speaker 1: this issue in your parenting? And if so, has football 1030 00:54:47,800 --> 00:54:50,279 Speaker 1: provided you any guidance? Keep up the good work, both 1031 00:54:50,320 --> 00:54:52,440 Speaker 1: with the pod and everything else, and Roll says, stop 1032 00:54:52,480 --> 00:54:55,560 Speaker 1: making fun of Sean. I just don't feel like we're 1033 00:54:55,560 --> 00:54:55,759 Speaker 1: making it. 1034 00:54:56,200 --> 00:54:57,200 Speaker 2: We're making fun of Sean. 1035 00:54:57,480 --> 00:54:59,080 Speaker 1: We love Sean. We love Sean. 1036 00:54:59,280 --> 00:55:02,280 Speaker 2: Sean is my fa hey saw no respected, No disrespect 1037 00:55:02,280 --> 00:55:04,719 Speaker 2: to Daniel, but Seawan is my favorite person on the podcast. 1038 00:55:05,280 --> 00:55:10,000 Speaker 1: Absolutely, yeah mine too? Yeah disrespected? John, Yeah, I'm taking it. 1039 00:55:10,000 --> 00:55:12,600 Speaker 2: Well, all right, okay, heard heard? 1040 00:55:13,160 --> 00:55:16,880 Speaker 1: Yes, thank you Rol for your question. And yeah, do 1041 00:55:17,000 --> 00:55:18,920 Speaker 1: do you have any any guidance on that? 1042 00:55:19,560 --> 00:55:21,759 Speaker 2: Yeah? I mean I think a lot of times, the 1043 00:55:21,800 --> 00:55:24,400 Speaker 2: stuff that we're talented at and the stuff that we 1044 00:55:24,440 --> 00:55:27,880 Speaker 2: get positive feedback for are the same stuff. And you know, 1045 00:55:27,960 --> 00:55:29,560 Speaker 2: at least when I was a kid, all I want 1046 00:55:29,760 --> 00:55:31,279 Speaker 2: I don't even know if I'm a good writer. I 1047 00:55:31,320 --> 00:55:32,680 Speaker 2: was just told that I was a good writer when 1048 00:55:32,680 --> 00:55:34,319 Speaker 2: I was in third grade, and as a result, I 1049 00:55:34,360 --> 00:55:36,399 Speaker 2: worked really hard on writing. It's hard to know what 1050 00:55:36,440 --> 00:55:39,960 Speaker 2: the what the line was, you know, was I was 1051 00:55:40,000 --> 00:55:42,040 Speaker 2: I actually talented? Or was I just told that I 1052 00:55:42,080 --> 00:55:43,960 Speaker 2: was talented? And so I worked really hard on it 1053 00:55:44,000 --> 00:55:46,719 Speaker 2: because I wanted the affirmation of adults. I never know 1054 00:55:47,640 --> 00:55:50,560 Speaker 2: where that falls, do you right? 1055 00:55:51,000 --> 00:55:52,759 Speaker 1: Yeah, No, I think that's fair. I mean I think 1056 00:55:52,800 --> 00:55:55,880 Speaker 1: that that it's you know, you can ever do a 1057 00:55:55,880 --> 00:55:58,600 Speaker 1: double blind study with your kids in terms of like 1058 00:55:58,840 --> 00:56:01,640 Speaker 1: different ways to raise them, and you're always sort of 1059 00:56:01,640 --> 00:56:03,200 Speaker 1: trying to figure out the right way to do it, 1060 00:56:03,239 --> 00:56:09,520 Speaker 1: and and you know, the between pushing them and encouraging them. 1061 00:56:09,719 --> 00:56:11,160 Speaker 1: I was just thinking about that, you know, the intense 1062 00:56:11,200 --> 00:56:14,359 Speaker 1: academic pressure that I was raised in, you know, with 1063 00:56:14,680 --> 00:56:20,120 Speaker 1: uh and that caused me grave anxiety. It's so different 1064 00:56:20,600 --> 00:56:23,760 Speaker 1: like what the way I raised my kids, you know. Yeah, 1065 00:56:23,960 --> 00:56:26,400 Speaker 1: but there's no way too, there's no way I have 1066 00:56:26,480 --> 00:56:30,759 Speaker 1: of knowing if I am who I am because I 1067 00:56:30,960 --> 00:56:34,880 Speaker 1: was told that I had to, you know, get perfect grades, 1068 00:56:36,000 --> 00:56:39,239 Speaker 1: and if that sort of learning to deal with that 1069 00:56:39,320 --> 00:56:42,000 Speaker 1: anxiety and that pressure when I was young has helped 1070 00:56:42,040 --> 00:56:45,120 Speaker 1: me in situations as an adult. Having said that, I 1071 00:56:45,120 --> 00:56:47,560 Speaker 1: have a much more lesly fair attitude with my kids 1072 00:56:48,400 --> 00:56:51,560 Speaker 1: or and I find it difficult to implement the kind 1073 00:56:51,600 --> 00:56:54,279 Speaker 1: of pressure that my parents put on me with great 1074 00:56:54,280 --> 00:56:57,360 Speaker 1: intentions and you know, with with you know, decent results 1075 00:56:58,000 --> 00:57:00,640 Speaker 1: on my own children. I just don't see how how 1076 00:57:00,680 --> 00:57:01,120 Speaker 1: to do it. 1077 00:57:01,360 --> 00:57:02,919 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm very much in the same boat. 1078 00:57:02,960 --> 00:57:03,920 Speaker 1: It doesn't feel natural to me. 1079 00:57:04,320 --> 00:57:06,440 Speaker 2: It doesn't feel natural to me, it doesn't feel right 1080 00:57:06,480 --> 00:57:08,920 Speaker 2: to me. And so I'm raising my kids very differently 1081 00:57:08,920 --> 00:57:12,799 Speaker 2: from how I was raised. Probably that said, like, my 1082 00:57:12,920 --> 00:57:17,120 Speaker 2: parents were very supportive of my writing. They just wanted 1083 00:57:17,160 --> 00:57:19,200 Speaker 2: me to take it as seriously as I would take 1084 00:57:19,200 --> 00:57:21,760 Speaker 2: going to med school. You know. They were very supportive 1085 00:57:21,760 --> 00:57:23,240 Speaker 2: of the idea of me being a writer or a 1086 00:57:23,280 --> 00:57:26,360 Speaker 2: creator or whatever. But they wanted me to take it 1087 00:57:26,400 --> 00:57:29,040 Speaker 2: as seriously as as I would, you know, being a 1088 00:57:29,040 --> 00:57:32,760 Speaker 2: warrior or whatever. And I kind of have. And yeah, 1089 00:57:32,800 --> 00:57:37,120 Speaker 2: to your point, it's it's been effective in a lot 1090 00:57:37,160 --> 00:57:39,600 Speaker 2: of ways. But the way that we raise our kids 1091 00:57:39,640 --> 00:57:43,800 Speaker 2: is very much to school is important, you know, But 1092 00:57:44,160 --> 00:57:49,000 Speaker 2: but school is not the only important thing in your life. Yeah, right, 1093 00:57:49,800 --> 00:57:51,960 Speaker 2: I hear you, And you know, and I just want 1094 00:57:52,000 --> 00:57:53,840 Speaker 2: to I just want to take a second, Daniel, if 1095 00:57:53,840 --> 00:57:56,200 Speaker 2: I can to say how disappointed I am in you 1096 00:57:56,240 --> 00:57:57,360 Speaker 2: for not becoming a doctor. 1097 00:57:58,640 --> 00:58:03,080 Speaker 1: It's a huge letdown. Yeah, you know what. The die 1098 00:58:03,200 --> 00:58:07,560 Speaker 1: was cast and we had to dissect the like and like. 1099 00:58:10,080 --> 00:58:10,320 Speaker 2: Pig. 1100 00:58:10,960 --> 00:58:11,160 Speaker 5: Yeh. 1101 00:58:12,120 --> 00:58:14,280 Speaker 2: When we had to dissect that fetal pig, I was like, 1102 00:58:14,360 --> 00:58:16,520 Speaker 2: this is all over for me, Sean. Can you come 1103 00:58:16,560 --> 00:58:18,440 Speaker 2: back on so we can talk quickly about dissecting the 1104 00:58:18,480 --> 00:58:19,640 Speaker 2: fetal pig. Do you remember that. 1105 00:58:20,000 --> 00:58:28,520 Speaker 6: I just got a waft of formaldehyde and uh psychosomatic formaldehyde. 1106 00:58:28,560 --> 00:58:31,560 Speaker 6: That's uh yeah, I may or may not be in 1107 00:58:31,600 --> 00:58:34,960 Speaker 6: my in my office, but yeah, that was uh, that's 1108 00:58:35,080 --> 00:58:37,840 Speaker 6: that too, is why I that's the only reason I 1109 00:58:37,880 --> 00:58:38,880 Speaker 6: did not become a doctor. 1110 00:58:39,560 --> 00:58:47,480 Speaker 2: Yes, otherwise otherwise yeah, yeah, just three people pursuing the 1111 00:58:47,560 --> 00:58:49,880 Speaker 2: creative life for fear of fetal pigs. 1112 00:58:50,040 --> 00:58:53,440 Speaker 1: Exactly, exactly. Now. Just to finish with with Raoul's question, 1113 00:58:53,520 --> 00:58:55,600 Speaker 1: I think that you always I mean, at least I 1114 00:58:55,840 --> 00:58:57,840 Speaker 1: would never tell my kids there's something that they can't do. 1115 00:58:59,320 --> 00:59:01,240 Speaker 1: I think I would always sort of be upfront with 1116 00:59:01,280 --> 00:59:04,520 Speaker 1: my kids about the risks and the challenges and the 1117 00:59:04,880 --> 00:59:08,560 Speaker 1: work that would be required to do. It. But I 1118 00:59:08,600 --> 00:59:11,480 Speaker 1: can't imagine never telling my kids they weren't talented enough 1119 00:59:11,480 --> 00:59:15,560 Speaker 1: to pull something off because people surprise you, and you know, 1120 00:59:15,680 --> 00:59:18,560 Speaker 1: who are you really to say? I have heard many 1121 00:59:18,600 --> 00:59:23,880 Speaker 1: examples of famous, successful writers who have or this, even 1122 00:59:23,880 --> 00:59:25,800 Speaker 1: a guy on my staff at Roan Bulante who was 1123 00:59:25,840 --> 00:59:29,760 Speaker 1: told by a journalism professor that he would never be 1124 00:59:29,800 --> 00:59:30,480 Speaker 1: a journalist. 1125 00:59:30,760 --> 00:59:33,400 Speaker 2: I didn't get into the advanced fiction writing class at 1126 00:59:33,440 --> 00:59:36,600 Speaker 2: Kendon College. There were fifteen applicants for twelve spots and 1127 00:59:36,640 --> 00:59:40,600 Speaker 2: I didn't get in. I remember that, and look, yeah, 1128 00:59:40,600 --> 00:59:45,640 Speaker 2: I know you remembered it. I told everybody, yeah, traumatic 1129 00:59:46,880 --> 00:59:50,439 Speaker 2: and look now, man, yeah you're yeah, God, I still 1130 00:59:50,440 --> 00:59:51,160 Speaker 2: couldn't get in. 1131 00:59:51,560 --> 00:59:53,200 Speaker 1: You're like the abes. 1132 00:59:54,080 --> 00:59:58,600 Speaker 2: Of writers said, I couldn't make it, but I did. 1133 00:59:59,320 --> 01:00:02,480 Speaker 1: He sed it, all right, all right, that's all the 1134 01:00:02,520 --> 01:00:05,480 Speaker 1: time we have for today. On the away end, remember 1135 01:00:05,520 --> 01:00:08,480 Speaker 1: to keep sending us your emails away ndpod at gmail 1136 01:00:08,560 --> 01:00:13,560 Speaker 1: dot com. Sean, thank you, John in Jamaica. Thank you. 1137 01:00:14,480 --> 01:00:16,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, thanks everybody for listening this. 1138 01:00:16,360 --> 01:00:17,200 Speaker 1: We'll see you next week.