Soccer 101
All the soccer history and explainers you can handle Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
We take a look at the 12th man of soccer (and try to avoid getting sued by Seattle while we do). What makes for a good atmosphere? When can it feel artificial? Which clubs have the rowdiest crowds? How can teams improve the atmosphere when things start to lag? All that and much much more!
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With the 2025 European Championship kicking off today, we spend some time reviewing the history and evolution of the premier competition for national teams in European women's football. How has the tournament grown over time, who are some of its dominant teams and players, and what is its quality relative to other major tournaments in the women's game? Plus, an extended look at the 2025 iteration, including favorites and dark horse...
We continue to profile the domestic leagues of the countries that have qualified for the 2026 World Cup, and now that Brazil will officially be in North America in 2026, it's time to take a look at their domestic soccer landscape. When did the national league first get established and how has it evolved over time? Why were there once 90+ teams in a single league campaign? What are the strongest clubs most recently? What are the obs...
"Who is that guy sitting next to the manager and why is he showing him stuff on an iPad?" We have answers!
What is an assistant manager, and what do they do? To answer that second one, we look at the different types and some of the most notable examples in soccer history.
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This week, we delve into the exciting and not at all depressing world of... sportswashing! What is it, how long of a history does it have in soccer, how has it grown over time, and why does it seem to work so successfully in the sport we love?
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We continue to profile the domestic leagues of the countries that have qualified for the 2026 World Cup, and this week it's an automatic entrant: Canada! What is the professional league structure in the country, what are the strengths and weaknesses of its domestic top flight, and what role has it played in strengthening the Canada national team? Those questions and many more answered on this week's show!
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This week, we've got a doozy of a tale for you: it involves a racehorse, a cantankerous Knight of the Realm, and a couple of billionaires with a point to prove. Did a legal snafu lead to the Glazer takeover at Manchester United? How did that takeover happen in the first place? Does Sir Alex Ferguson deserve any blame for the purchase that has led to the downfall of The Red Devils.
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Short answer: kinda, but not really.
Longer answer:... you'll have to listen to the episode, but we discuss some of the most famous father-son duos in soccer history, as well as why there aren't as many father-daughter or mother-daughter duos (yet).
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This week, we revisit a topic that we've only touched on briefly in the past: soccer pitches. We get into dimensions and the like, but (inspired by this article from The Athletic), we spend much more time discussing the history of soccer pitches and how their construction and maintenance has evolved over time. From livestock grazing to keep grass length down to moisture meters telling robots when it's time for a watering, we've com...
We're continuing our series profiling the domestic leagues of countries that have qualified for the 2026 World Cup, and this week we're heading to the land of marmite and rugby... to talk about soccer. It's New Zealand! What is the league structure? Which New Zealand clubs play outside the country? What does the future of the New Zealand National League hold? Those questions and many more answered on this week's show!
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With the news this week that MLS will not be making a move to the European calendar after the 2026 World Cup, Graham and Taylor take a look at the situation, past, present and future. Why did the league adopt its current calendar in the first place? What would be the benefits of moving to a European calendar, and what are the potential drawbacks? How much snow is too much snow? All that and more!
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We're continuing our series profiling the domestic leagues of countries that have qualified for the 2026 World Cup, and this week it's one that we knew... basically nothing about prior to researching: The Persian Gulf Pro League, the top domestic league in Iran. Why was the league originally formed in the early 2000s, what are its biggest clubs, what issues have kept the league from developing further, and how has the national team...
This week, we're taking a look at the scourge of the modern game: fixture congestion. Is it indeed a problem exclusive to the modern era? What can teams do to ease the workload? What can happen when a player is ‘red lining’? And the most important question: are we reaching breaking point?
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With Japan officially qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, we wanted to take at domestic football in the country. In so doing, we attempt to answer questions like what is the J.League, how good is the league as a whole, how has it evolved over time, what role has it played in helping to strengthen the national team, and much much more!
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This week, we're taking a look at everyone's favorite (or fourth favorite) confederation: Concacaf. How many countries does it oversee? What exactly does it oversee? Why is Jack Warner's time as head of the confederation so notorious? And what does the future hold in terms of expansion and mergers?
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This week, we're taking at the a league that boasts some high-profile clubs, a lot of youth talent, and some storied teams... and yet still isn't perceived as being particularly strong: Ligue 1. Why isn't the best league in France better than it is? What has been the league's standing historically? What contributes to the lack of growth and international success? Has PSG under Qatari ownership been detrimental to Ligue 1 as a whole...
What do you do when your coach speaks one language, your center back another, and your striker a third? How do clubs handle language barriers between players and staff? Do teams just designate a couple languages that everyone needs to know? Does everyone just have to learn the GM's language? Are there a bunch of translators on the coaching staff? How do teams make this work?
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Graham and Taylor are together again to discuss the best and worst rebrands in club soccer. Why would a club want to rebrand, what are the benefits and drawbacks, who did it right, and who... did the opposite of that.
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It's an episode that guests your hosts confused multiple times... terminology! What exactly is a Sporting Director and is it the same thing as a Director of Football? What is a General Manager? Is that the same thing as a Sporting Director? What do Technical Directors technically direct? Those questions, and more, hopefully answered. Hopefully.
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No flavor aid required for this episode... we're talking cult players! What is a cult hero, how does a player become one, and who are some of our personal favorites.
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