• Leg 1 Breakdowns - Europa and Conference League Semifinals Preview, Part 2
    Apr 28 2025

    This is Part 2 of our preview of the Europa and Conference League semifinals!

    Here, we get into the bread and butter, detailing everything you need to know about tactics, matchups, players, and storylines heading into the 1st legs.

    We touch on Athletic Club's exceptional consistency at both ends of the pitch, Oihan Sancet's rise to stardom, problem areas for Spurs and United against more stable opponents, the reasons behind Betis' midseason turnaround, whether Djurgårdens has any shot to hang with Chelsea, and much, much more.

    Cheers Jani Honkavaara!

    Timecodes:

    0:30 - Athletic Club-Manchester United 19:45 - Tottenham-Bodø/Glimt 33:25 - Fiorentina-Betis 43:10 - Djurgårdens-Chelsea

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    53 mins
  • Start, Bench, Sell - Europa and Conference League Semifinals Preview, Part 1
    Apr 28 2025

    We've got a two-parter today folks!

    That's right, we have so much Europa and Conference League semifinal content, we couldn't contain it in just one episode.

    In Part 1, we play a game of Start, Bench, Loan, or Sell with starters at each position of the semifinal contestant starting 11s. We debate the player's strengths and weaknesses, the roles within their squads, and their value in the transfer market. Then we take stock of what our choices say about each club.

    And don't forget to tune in to Part 2 as well, in which we discuss all the upcoming first legs in detail.

    Cheers!

    Timecodes:

    0:46 - Intro 3:15 - Europa League players 44:50 - Conference League players

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    56 mins
  • The Theater of Europa Dreams, Scandinavian delight, stellar Spaniards, and an English sweep - Europa & Conference League Quarterfinals, 2nd Leg
    Apr 21 2025

    We officially have our 8 semifinalists across our two tournaments, and we had some doozies.

    In the Europa, both Manchester United and Tottenham saved their seasons with victories - United dramatically so, scoring 3 late extra time goals to stun Lyon. Athletic Club moved one step closer to hosting the final in their own building, and the little club that could, Bodø/Glimt, survived a penalty shootout in Rome to advance further than any Norwegian side before them.

    The historic Scandinavian supremacy continued in the Conference, where Djurgarden overcame 10-men Rapid in extra time. Elsewhere, Fiorentina did their normal schtick, squeaking past a wonderful Celje, and Chelsea and Betis advanced with varying degrees of ease.

    We recap all the games and drama, debate the new favorites in each competition, and say goodbye to some of our favorite underdogs - Celje, Jagiellonia, and Legia included.

    All that, plus a surprise cheers to Mr. Postecoglou! Against all the odds, we're still loving Big Ange instead.

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    1 hr and 27 mins
  • Breathtaking Bodo, Lyon-United late drama, 10-man Rangers hold out, and Conference League favorites prevail - Europa & Conference League Quarterfinals, 1st Leg
    Apr 14 2025

    The quarterfinal 1st legs are complete!

    The Europa League exhilarated with a dramatic Lyon-United affair (on AND off the pitch), while Rangers dug deep for a clean sheet despite playing 80 minutes with ten men. Elsewhere, Bodo kicked the day off with a masterful beatdown of visiting Lazio, and Spurs showed some promise in a 1-1 final with Frankfurt. Goalkeepers were the stars of the show - including one for all the wrong reasons...

    In the Conference, the big boys all got wins, though Fiorentina was fortunate against the still-mighty Celje. Chelsea all but sealed a semifinal birth, while Betis continue to establish themselves a true favorite for the title. And lest we forget, Rapid Wien got a massive 1-0 win in Sweden.

    All this and a cheers to Rory McIlroy!

    But seriously, cheers Kjetil Knutsen!

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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Checking in on the field, our updated favorites, and favorite matchups - a Europa and Conference League Quarterfinals preview!
    Apr 7 2025

    Our spring break is over, and the Quarterfinals upon us!

    That's right, we're down to 8 teams apiece in our favorite competitions, and we're doing a check-in on each club ahead of Thursday's 1st legs.

    Who's hot? Who's ice cold? Who do we feel good about (Betis)? Who do we feel bad about (Spurs)? We talk form, players to watch, tactics to watch for, and more - plus some predictions for good measure.

    Cheers Manuel Pellegrini!

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    58 mins
  • Frankfurt and Lyon impress, Plzen and Lugano heartbreak, Bar-Celje-lona, and Fiorentina doing Fiorentina stuff - Europa & Conference League Round of 16, 2nd Leg
    Mar 18 2025

    Our Europa and Conference Quarterfinals are set after the Round of 16 came to a close with a bang.

    We had multiple extra times, some sensational performances from tournament big boys, and of course, one of the games of the year, Lugano v Celje.

    The Slovenian side became the first to represent their country in a UEFA quarterfinal after a madcap game in Switzerland. Meanwhile, Athletic Club, Frankfurt and Lyon all staked their claim as Europa favorites, United and Spurs continue to advance with the bare minimum, Fiorentina once again finds a way, and some cracks appear in Chelsea's armor.

    All that and more on this week's show.

    Cheers Albert Riera!

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    1 hr and 42 mins
  • Dramatic late Roman winners, dominant Bodo, hectic Fiorentina, and Rangers in dreamland - Europa & Conference League Round of 16, 1st Leg
    Mar 10 2025

    An awesome slate of Round of 16 fixtures is halfway done, and we've got all the juicy gossip for you. Well, the juicy match recaps, anyway.

    Join us as we break down all of last week's games and storylines, including late winners for both Rome and Lazio, Rangers' shock in Istanbul, AZ's continued mastery, and Bodo's main character energy in Europa. And over in the Conference, Vitoria and Jagiellonia impress, Celje Cinderellas, and Fiorentina frustrates once again.

    All that and much more.

    Cheers Barry Ferguson!

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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Any Given Bracket: 2011 NBA Draft
    Mar 9 2025

    Our spinoff show Any Given Bracket is back, and with an all new formula.

    Join Maxwell in welcoming Jacob Hill back to the pod, not to talk college, but NBA! We're taking a page out of the Podfather himself Bill Simmons' book and redrafting the class of 2011. It's a strong group highlighted by a number of Hall of Famers, All-Stars, and NBA champions, but also not lacking in the downright bizarre.

    Jacob and Maxwell first discuss the draft order, Fran Fraschilla's expert analysis, and Jan Vesely's girlfriend and jump-shot, before moving on to the redraft, where they attempt to build the best possible 8-man roster from the wide array of available talent.

    Who's the first and second player off the board? How high will 2011 Mr. Irrelevant Isaiah Thomas go? Will the big-man trio of Enes Kanter, Tristan Thompson, and Bismack Biyombo still all go top 7?? (No.)

    All this and more on our 2011 NBA Redraft!

    Cheers!

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    1 hr and 48 mins