1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,200 Speaker 1: I guess what will what's that mango? So you know 2 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:05,360 Speaker 1: I love the World Cup, right, And one of the 3 00:00:05,360 --> 00:00:08,000 Speaker 1: people I always think about when the World Cup starts 4 00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:12,000 Speaker 1: now is Kim Jong Ill, like the Korean dictator? What 5 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:14,920 Speaker 1: what what's you have to do with soccer? Yeah, so 6 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: I'm not sure if you remember this, but in two 7 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:19,919 Speaker 1: thousand ten, North Korea sent this team to the World 8 00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:22,360 Speaker 1: Cup and the coach of the team claimed that when 9 00:00:22,360 --> 00:00:25,280 Speaker 1: the North Korean scored, or if they ever won games, 10 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:27,639 Speaker 1: it was only because he was getting guidance during the 11 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:30,640 Speaker 1: game from Kim Jong Il. The guy's got so many talents. 12 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:33,919 Speaker 1: So how exactly did this work? So it's in it's 13 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:36,479 Speaker 1: an amazing way he did this. The dictator was apparently 14 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:40,760 Speaker 1: sending him telepathic signals through this invisible cell phone technology 15 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:43,760 Speaker 1: that he'd invented I guess one year before, and and 16 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:46,760 Speaker 1: that's what dictators do in their spare time. But before 17 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:49,640 Speaker 1: you laugh at how ludicrous that sounds, you do have 18 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:51,479 Speaker 1: to remember that this is the same man who the 19 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 1: first time he played golf supposedly scored five holes in one. 20 00:00:56,600 --> 00:01:00,280 Speaker 1: I mean, it might sound just like borderline ridiculou list, 21 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:03,720 Speaker 1: but anyway, but it was the North Korean team any good? 22 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:06,680 Speaker 1: I mean, they did get to the World Cup, which is, 23 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:09,319 Speaker 1: you know, a huge heat, but it's hard to compete 24 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:12,400 Speaker 1: against superstar nations and they ended up losing seven zero 25 00:01:12,440 --> 00:01:15,680 Speaker 1: to Portugal. And supposedly when they arrived back in pyong Young, 26 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:18,679 Speaker 1: they were put on a stage and humiliated for six 27 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:22,080 Speaker 1: hours and from these elite government officials and which just 28 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 1: sounds miserable, like it's a no win situation. But that's 29 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:27,360 Speaker 1: actually the first of nine World Cup facts we've got 30 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:51,280 Speaker 1: for you today. So let's dive in. Hey, their podcast listeners, 31 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:53,560 Speaker 1: welcome the part time genius. I'm Will Pearson and as 32 00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 1: always I'm joined by my good friend Mangues Ticket and 33 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:59,840 Speaker 1: sitting behind that soundproof glass, he's cross stitching again, Mango. 34 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:03,520 Speaker 1: He is cross stitching a tribute, this time to pull 35 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:08,640 Speaker 1: the World Cup predicting octopus. He's so good at needle point, 36 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:11,919 Speaker 1: he really is. Well, that's our friend and producer Tristan McNeil. 37 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:14,880 Speaker 1: All right, Mago. It's obviously World Cup season and we're 38 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:18,080 Speaker 1: talking about soccer today. But I'm curious before we dive in, 39 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:21,080 Speaker 1: why do you love the tournament so much? So part 40 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:22,760 Speaker 1: of it is that I grew up in the States 41 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:24,920 Speaker 1: and I only got to visit my relatives in India 42 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:28,080 Speaker 1: every I don't know, three or four years, and it 43 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:29,760 Speaker 1: was always doing the monsoons. But when it was a 44 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:34,239 Speaker 1: World Cup year, it was just so exciting. And I remember, 45 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:36,800 Speaker 1: particularly like when I was in fifth grade, my grandparents 46 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:39,360 Speaker 1: had one of the few color TVs around, and this 47 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:42,600 Speaker 1: was obviously a long time ago, but we'd all stay 48 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:45,120 Speaker 1: up to watch the games live and you play cards, 49 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:48,359 Speaker 1: you chat to just be so much anticipation for these games. 50 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:50,600 Speaker 1: And then my cousins friends would come over and so 51 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:53,399 Speaker 1: we'd all huddle around this tiny TV and just root 52 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:56,440 Speaker 1: for underdogs and and you know, you'd be watching like 53 00:02:56,880 --> 00:02:58,960 Speaker 1: Roger Mila, who was I don't know, like thirty eight 54 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 1: or thirty nine score goals, and you'd be so excited 55 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 1: for him or or you know, you see these colonial 56 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 1: rivalries play out on the pitch, and and it was 57 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 1: just really fun, partially because soccer is so much a 58 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 1: game of upsets, like more upsets happened in soccer than 59 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:15,760 Speaker 1: other sports. But I had this amazing experience in two 60 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:18,200 Speaker 1: thousand and six when I wanted to watch this Ivory 61 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:21,680 Speaker 1: Coast game in Brooklyn, and this was before soccer seemed 62 00:03:21,680 --> 00:03:23,359 Speaker 1: to be that big in New York. I was in 63 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:25,359 Speaker 1: Clinton Hill. I was I was walking to a bar 64 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:27,560 Speaker 1: and they didn't have the game on. And then I 65 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:29,120 Speaker 1: walked to this other bar and they didn't have this 66 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:32,239 Speaker 1: game on, and I was like increasingly irritated that I 67 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:35,080 Speaker 1: couldn't watch this game. And then I walked by this 68 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:38,720 Speaker 1: empty African barbershop and I heard these cheers in the back. 69 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:40,840 Speaker 1: So I just kind of looked in and there was 70 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:43,080 Speaker 1: this guy standing in the back. He kind of just 71 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:45,160 Speaker 1: pointed at me and he said, you want to watch 72 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 1: the game? And I was like nodding, and he pulled 73 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:50,920 Speaker 1: this curtain open and in the back of the barbershop 74 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:53,360 Speaker 1: there was this room full of people just huddled around 75 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 1: this tiny TV. And he motioned me to come in 76 00:03:56,200 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 1: and and so I just watched the game on the floor, 77 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:01,360 Speaker 1: surrounded by people, and it just reminded me of India 78 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:03,520 Speaker 1: and and it was just so wonderful. I love that. 79 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 1: I love that story. That's pretty great. And you know, 80 00:04:07,520 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 1: I obviously love international soccer. I love men's soccer, women's soccer, 81 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:14,520 Speaker 1: but uh, I'm excited that you actually had to research 82 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:18,159 Speaker 1: soccer for this episode, right right, I'm curious what story 83 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 1: you're gonna lead off with. Yeah, you know it actually 84 00:04:20,080 --> 00:04:22,599 Speaker 1: had a lot of fun researching for this this episode, 85 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:24,919 Speaker 1: and I think though that I'm going to stick with 86 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:28,520 Speaker 1: your dictator's team. And this is a story that involves Mussolini. 87 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:31,440 Speaker 1: So I think we both know that FIFA is a 88 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:35,440 Speaker 1: pretty corrupt organization, but it's hard to imagine anything is 89 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:37,800 Speaker 1: brazen as when Italy held the World Cup. This was 90 00:04:37,839 --> 00:04:40,880 Speaker 1: back in nineteen thirty four. Now, according to a book 91 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:44,240 Speaker 1: by the BBC's Chris Hunt, Mussolini started things off by 92 00:04:44,279 --> 00:04:48,120 Speaker 1: making the trophy way more ostentatious, which is not surprising. 93 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:51,279 Speaker 1: That's kind of the dictator's thing to do. He built 94 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 1: his own trophy for the Cup that was six times 95 00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:57,560 Speaker 1: the size, six times the size of the traditional World 96 00:04:57,560 --> 00:05:01,320 Speaker 1: Cup trophy. Then he proceeded it to rig the matches, 97 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:04,480 Speaker 1: at least that's what people think. So there's this rumor 98 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:07,479 Speaker 1: that he hand picked every ref in the tournament, and 99 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:10,320 Speaker 1: when Italy beat Austria in the semifinals, it really showed, 100 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:12,600 Speaker 1: I mean apparently not only were their penalties and bad 101 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:15,560 Speaker 1: calls against Austria that shouldn't have been called. But during 102 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:17,560 Speaker 1: one play in Austrian kicked the ball to go out 103 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:20,400 Speaker 1: of bounds and the ref actually headed the ball back 104 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:25,320 Speaker 1: in and passed it to an Italian player. That's ridiculous, 105 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:27,359 Speaker 1: But I mean, I guess if you're going to the 106 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:29,680 Speaker 1: trouble of creating a trophy that six times that big, 107 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:32,400 Speaker 1: like you might as well ring the tournament. It's true, 108 00:05:32,760 --> 00:05:36,360 Speaker 1: it's true, And like you said, soccer is a game 109 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:38,920 Speaker 1: of upsets, so it's possible that they could have won 110 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:42,200 Speaker 1: on their own. And apparently Mussolini didn't even like soccer, 111 00:05:42,279 --> 00:05:45,240 Speaker 1: and he often described the sport as unmanly, but he 112 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:47,800 Speaker 1: knew that it was important to be seen as victorious 113 00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:51,640 Speaker 1: on this huge world stage. And they're actually academic papers 114 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:53,960 Speaker 1: about this that speculate it would have been hard for 115 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:56,760 Speaker 1: Italy to have gotten those results without at least some 116 00:05:56,839 --> 00:06:00,680 Speaker 1: help from the refs. That's really crazy. So one of 117 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:03,040 Speaker 1: the things I've enjoyed doing is seeing what the World 118 00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:06,560 Speaker 1: Cup teams demand at hotels. And for some reason, this 119 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:08,880 Speaker 1: was leaked in two thousand ten, and some of the 120 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:11,960 Speaker 1: things makes sense, right, Like Portugal wanted the hotel to 121 00:06:11,960 --> 00:06:15,840 Speaker 1: provide these four bodyguards for Cristiano Ronaldo, who's obviously a 122 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:20,080 Speaker 1: massive superstar. Um Algeria wanted Karen's in every room, and 123 00:06:20,080 --> 00:06:23,960 Speaker 1: and Ecuador wanted a daily banana basket delivered to each player. 124 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:27,840 Speaker 1: Has just fun banana basket. I think that should just 125 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:30,840 Speaker 1: be a thing everywhere, right, But perhaps one of the 126 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:34,400 Speaker 1: strangest request was that France had this outright ban on 127 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:36,880 Speaker 1: bar soap for their players. And they demand that the 128 00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:41,119 Speaker 1: hotel only provide liquid soaps. So I honestly get all 129 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:43,800 Speaker 1: of the others, but but why the bar soap thing. 130 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:47,400 Speaker 1: You know, I'm not sure about this entirely. I do 131 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:50,080 Speaker 1: know the French manager is a little cookie, or was 132 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:52,360 Speaker 1: a little cookie, and and at the time he was 133 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:55,440 Speaker 1: really into astrology, so he wouldn't like let Aleo be 134 00:06:55,480 --> 00:06:58,760 Speaker 1: a defender on the team or whatever. But I think 135 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:01,039 Speaker 1: this was just a way to prevent any chance of 136 00:07:01,080 --> 00:07:03,560 Speaker 1: slipping on bar so open in the shower or or 137 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:06,200 Speaker 1: in the bathroom. I don't know. It's kind of crazy, okay, 138 00:07:06,279 --> 00:07:08,640 Speaker 1: I mean, I guess, I guess I can see where 139 00:07:08,640 --> 00:07:10,760 Speaker 1: he's coming from on that. But all right, Well, here's 140 00:07:10,760 --> 00:07:14,200 Speaker 1: a quick one about the World Cup trophy. So for starters, 141 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:16,800 Speaker 1: it's strange that it's called the World Cup when the 142 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:19,840 Speaker 1: trophy isn't really shaped like a cup anymore. But one 143 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:21,320 Speaker 1: of the facts I saw about this, did you know 144 00:07:21,360 --> 00:07:24,440 Speaker 1: that the trophy is actually running out of room? So 145 00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:27,600 Speaker 1: how do you mean? Well, currently there's only space to 146 00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:30,840 Speaker 1: etch in maybe three or four more winning teams onto 147 00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:33,400 Speaker 1: the trophies. So if you look ahead to the twenty 148 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:36,120 Speaker 1: thirty World Cup, they'll either need to extend the trophy 149 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:38,280 Speaker 1: with a bigger basse or they'll just have to make 150 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:42,320 Speaker 1: a new trophy. That's pretty funny. So one thing I've 151 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:44,280 Speaker 1: heard repeated over and over since I was a kid 152 00:07:44,440 --> 00:07:47,720 Speaker 1: was that India made the nine World Cup, but then 153 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:50,760 Speaker 1: they had to withdraw. And I've heard different variations of 154 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:53,720 Speaker 1: the story, right, Like I've heard that the team refused 155 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:55,760 Speaker 1: to play in shoes, or or because they wanted to 156 00:07:55,760 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 1: play barefoot, or like the Indian government refused to buy 157 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:02,280 Speaker 1: them shoes, or they did wear shoes but they couldn't 158 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:04,480 Speaker 1: play in them, and and I was curious if there 159 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 1: was any truth to this. Right, it turns out in 160 00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:10,920 Speaker 1: the Summer Olympics, the Indian national team competed against France 161 00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:12,720 Speaker 1: and it was actually a close game. It was two 162 00:08:12,760 --> 00:08:16,200 Speaker 1: to one, but they did it playing barefoot, which actually 163 00:08:16,240 --> 00:08:19,320 Speaker 1: shocked the world community. But then nine fifty when they 164 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:21,040 Speaker 1: made the World Cup, they actually backed out for a 165 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:24,280 Speaker 1: different reason. So according to historians, while the team might 166 00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:26,520 Speaker 1: have been annoyed that they had to play in soccer shoes, 167 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:28,840 Speaker 1: it had more to do with the fact that the 168 00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:31,320 Speaker 1: World Cup was announced late and they had this super 169 00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:34,640 Speaker 1: short practice schedule, and the fact that the newly independent 170 00:08:34,679 --> 00:08:37,320 Speaker 1: Indian government didn't think that the World Cup was that 171 00:08:37,400 --> 00:08:39,920 Speaker 1: big a tournament, so like they didn't want to fund 172 00:08:39,960 --> 00:08:42,000 Speaker 1: the team to go halfway around the world of Brazil. 173 00:08:42,520 --> 00:08:44,840 Speaker 1: You know, if it had been another Olympics, they would 174 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:47,120 Speaker 1: have happily ponied up for that, but they didn't see 175 00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:49,520 Speaker 1: this as that big a world event. And the strange 176 00:08:49,520 --> 00:08:52,040 Speaker 1: part is that soccer isn't that big an Indian now, 177 00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:55,760 Speaker 1: like everyone is cricket crazy. But if they had sent 178 00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:57,160 Speaker 1: that team to the World Cup, there are a lot 179 00:08:57,200 --> 00:08:59,760 Speaker 1: of historians who think that India would have been more 180 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:01,959 Speaker 1: ested in soccer over the years and and had a 181 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:04,600 Speaker 1: much stronger team today. Yeah, and I mean that makes 182 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:06,920 Speaker 1: sense when you think about the impact of of this 183 00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:10,840 Speaker 1: worldwide tournament. But well, here's a funny little tradition. So 184 00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:13,760 Speaker 1: in the nineteen sixty two World Cup, Chile's team ate 185 00:09:13,880 --> 00:09:17,600 Speaker 1: Swiss cheese before defeating the Swiss. Then they ate spaghetti 186 00:09:17,679 --> 00:09:21,439 Speaker 1: before playing Italy and beat them. Then they drank vodka 187 00:09:21,520 --> 00:09:25,280 Speaker 1: shots to prepare for the USSR match, which they also won. 188 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:28,720 Speaker 1: And then they drank coffee before a brazil match. But 189 00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:33,280 Speaker 1: apparently it was really the wrong stereotypical food to ingest 190 00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:36,920 Speaker 1: because their luck ran out in that game. Unfortunately. I 191 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:39,559 Speaker 1: don't know what Brazilian food you should have eaten to 192 00:09:39,880 --> 00:09:42,960 Speaker 1: make sure you beat the Brazilian team, but the tough one. 193 00:09:43,080 --> 00:09:46,360 Speaker 1: Here's another weird one about superstitions, and this comes from 194 00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:49,840 Speaker 1: an argentinean goldie named Sergio Goccia, and he used to 195 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:52,800 Speaker 1: leave it all out on the field before penalty shootouts. 196 00:09:52,840 --> 00:09:55,120 Speaker 1: And actually I'm going to let him describe it. This 197 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:58,920 Speaker 1: is from an interview with The Guardian, So quote reporter, 198 00:09:59,559 --> 00:10:02,200 Speaker 1: didn't you you used to prepare for shootouts by urinating 199 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:06,080 Speaker 1: on the pitch? You know, by the rules of the 200 00:10:06,120 --> 00:10:08,880 Speaker 1: game until the match finishes, you cannot abandoned the field, 201 00:10:09,080 --> 00:10:11,880 Speaker 1: and if you have any necessary human urges, you have 202 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:14,280 Speaker 1: to go on the field. So That's what happened against 203 00:10:14,360 --> 00:10:17,840 Speaker 1: Yugoslavia in the ninety World Cup quarterfinals. At the end 204 00:10:17,840 --> 00:10:19,320 Speaker 1: of the game, I really had to go, so I 205 00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:21,760 Speaker 1: had no choice, but we won. So then when the 206 00:10:21,760 --> 00:10:24,400 Speaker 1: semifinal against Italy went to penalties, I did it again 207 00:10:24,559 --> 00:10:27,040 Speaker 1: and it worked. So from that moment on, I did 208 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:30,920 Speaker 1: it before every shootout. It was my lucky charm. That 209 00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:33,800 Speaker 1: is so strange, but you know, you do hear about 210 00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:36,840 Speaker 1: so many of these athletes being superstitious, and there's so 211 00:10:36,960 --> 00:10:39,920 Speaker 1: much on the line that you know, it's not surprising 212 00:10:39,960 --> 00:10:42,960 Speaker 1: they developed superstitions, But that one is a little weird. 213 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:44,560 Speaker 1: I don't know that I know many that are weirder 214 00:10:44,559 --> 00:10:46,880 Speaker 1: than that. But all right, we've got two more facts 215 00:10:46,920 --> 00:10:49,040 Speaker 1: before we declare a winner. But before we get to those, 216 00:10:49,120 --> 00:11:06,800 Speaker 1: let's take a quick break. Welcome back to Part time Genius. 217 00:11:06,840 --> 00:11:09,360 Speaker 1: We're talking about the World Cup. So before we get 218 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:12,080 Speaker 1: to our last couple of facts, Mango, I'm curious, are 219 00:11:12,080 --> 00:11:15,640 Speaker 1: you enjoying the tournament this year? Yeah? I am. I 220 00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:19,680 Speaker 1: I love all the upsets, I love following different nations 221 00:11:19,720 --> 00:11:22,120 Speaker 1: and stuff, but I haven't watched as much as i'd 222 00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:24,240 Speaker 1: like because you know, the games are on during the day. 223 00:11:24,840 --> 00:11:26,960 Speaker 1: It's it's funny. As we have watched though, Lizzie has 224 00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:29,080 Speaker 1: had this funny theory about the managers of the teams, 225 00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:31,320 Speaker 1: like she thinks they either all look like they could 226 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:35,719 Speaker 1: be French presidents or disheveled retirees. And it's actually a 227 00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:38,840 Speaker 1: pretty good way to like organize the managers if if 228 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:41,760 Speaker 1: you see them, they neatly fit into those two categories. 229 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:45,440 Speaker 1: It's sometimes they're the most entertaining part of these matches. 230 00:11:45,480 --> 00:11:48,720 Speaker 1: Like I've loved watching the Synegal coach. He was so animated. 231 00:11:48,760 --> 00:11:51,800 Speaker 1: It's it's been pretty entertaining. And I mean he looks 232 00:11:51,840 --> 00:11:54,600 Speaker 1: like he should be a French president. It's a category. 233 00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:58,720 Speaker 1: You're right, it's a good theory. Here, what's your last factor? 234 00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:01,640 Speaker 1: All right, Well, this isn't exact actually a World Cup fact, 235 00:12:01,679 --> 00:12:04,000 Speaker 1: but there's a stadium that I wanted to talk about, 236 00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:07,319 Speaker 1: and it's a Studio Milton Coorea, which is also called 237 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:10,640 Speaker 1: Big Zero or the Big Zero. And what's awesome about 238 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:14,120 Speaker 1: it is that the midfield line is located exactly on 239 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:16,480 Speaker 1: the equator. And so here's what I think is fun 240 00:12:16,520 --> 00:12:19,120 Speaker 1: about that. So when you're playing there, each team is 241 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:23,720 Speaker 1: actually playing for and defending an entire hemisphere. So I 242 00:12:23,720 --> 00:12:26,360 Speaker 1: don't know why I find that so amusing. I mean, 243 00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:28,720 Speaker 1: it feels like that's where the World Cup finals should 244 00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:31,880 Speaker 1: be held every year, you know, if this perfect sense? 245 00:12:32,080 --> 00:12:35,160 Speaker 1: All right, Well, what's your last fact, Mago. Well, if 246 00:12:35,160 --> 00:12:37,319 Speaker 1: you've been watching the World Cup, there's been a little 247 00:12:37,360 --> 00:12:40,080 Speaker 1: speculation about whether Russia should be winning as much as 248 00:12:40,120 --> 00:12:43,079 Speaker 1: they have, and it is actually a good team. I mean, 249 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:45,280 Speaker 1: they came in sort of mediocre, but they've played smart. 250 00:12:45,760 --> 00:12:48,800 Speaker 1: But there are questions about Vladimir Putin and Russian corruption. 251 00:12:49,440 --> 00:12:51,640 Speaker 1: But the Russians are actually responsible for one of the 252 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:54,880 Speaker 1: most honest moments in World Cup history. And there's this 253 00:12:54,920 --> 00:12:58,360 Speaker 1: player named Igornetto. Uh. This was in the nineteen two 254 00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:01,400 Speaker 1: World Cup. His his team was tied up with Uruguay 255 00:13:01,480 --> 00:13:04,000 Speaker 1: and he scored a goal, but it actually went through 256 00:13:04,040 --> 00:13:06,720 Speaker 1: the net on the side of the goal. So Netto 257 00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:08,760 Speaker 1: went to the ref and he urged him not to 258 00:13:08,800 --> 00:13:10,960 Speaker 1: count it because it wouldn't be fair to win that way. 259 00:13:11,040 --> 00:13:13,240 Speaker 1: And and I can't even imagine a player being that 260 00:13:13,400 --> 00:13:16,240 Speaker 1: honest today, you know, I mean, people fake injuries to 261 00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:19,160 Speaker 1: get penalties, people do all these things. But you know, 262 00:13:19,360 --> 00:13:22,560 Speaker 1: he asked for a goal to be retracted, and luckily 263 00:13:22,600 --> 00:13:24,880 Speaker 1: the team scored and won in the nine minute of 264 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:28,960 Speaker 1: the game. But years later he recalled why he did that, 265 00:13:29,040 --> 00:13:31,800 Speaker 1: and he said, quote, we should win without relying on 266 00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:34,560 Speaker 1: the referee's mistakes, and when it was changed, I finally 267 00:13:34,559 --> 00:13:37,640 Speaker 1: felt a sense of relief. Yeah wow, I mean, you know, 268 00:13:37,640 --> 00:13:41,640 Speaker 1: it is so rare in sports to see that level 269 00:13:41,679 --> 00:13:44,520 Speaker 1: of of honesty. So you know, I kind of want 270 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:46,240 Speaker 1: to give you the trophy for that one. And then 271 00:13:46,280 --> 00:13:50,120 Speaker 1: of course, thinking back about the goal, Coachia, you know, uh, 272 00:13:50,360 --> 00:13:52,439 Speaker 1: urinating on the pitch and all of that, like that 273 00:13:52,640 --> 00:13:56,000 Speaker 1: is just so strange. But I gotta be honest, I'm 274 00:13:56,040 --> 00:14:00,880 Speaker 1: super impressed with Lizzie's theory of organizing the managers. I 275 00:14:00,920 --> 00:14:03,880 Speaker 1: feel like she's kind of swooped in and stolen the 276 00:14:03,920 --> 00:14:06,240 Speaker 1: trophy this week. Or are you good with that? Yeah, 277 00:14:06,280 --> 00:14:09,840 Speaker 1: I'm fine with that. All right. Well, thank you guys 278 00:14:09,880 --> 00:14:12,480 Speaker 1: for listening. We'll be back with a full length episode tomorrow.