Day 9 Podcast: The Political Significance of El Tri
June 23, 2018Gustavo and Alan hail the glory of El Tri, the Mexican National Team, in advance of their showdown with South Korea (which Alan dubs the LA Derby). They reflect on how supporting El Tri makes a powerful political statement in the Age of Trump; and why this might be further accented by Andres Manuel Lopez…
Day 8 Podcast: Cry for Me, Argentina
June 22, 2018Man, what a day for Argentina – as the much-anticipated team of Lionel Messi flames out against Croatia in a 3-0 rout that stunned the world. Alan and Meleiza discuss what the hell happened in that match, plus: France & Peru’s beautiful game; the misadventures of VAR in Denmark vs. Australia; and the potential for…
Day 7 Podcast: Two In, Three Out; How Russia Stole the World Cup
June 21, 2018Three teams advance; and three teams are eliminated. Alan and Meleiza discuss the day’s games – as Portugal & Uruguay secure their places in the Round of 16; Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt see their World Cup hopes fade; and Iran takes on Spain and the world of football in more ways than one. Ian…
Day 6 Podcast: Big Moments, Heartbreaks & World Cup Firsts
June 20, 2018Alan and Meleiza recap this momentous World Cup Day 6: Japan becomes the first Asian team to defeat a South American side in decades; Senegal schools Poland for Africa’s first triumph; and Russia slays Egypt and its beloved king, Mo Salah. Plus: we chastise Mexican fans for homophobic chants; pay tribute to an American legend,…
Day 4 Podcast: From Argentina to Palestine
June 18, 2018It’s the first Sunday of the World Cup – and on today’s podcast we focus on expressions of solidarity with the Palestinian people across the history of soccer. Guest Estee Chandler, from Jewish Voice for Peace, describes the circumstances that led up to the Argentinian national team refusing to play in Israel a few weeks…
Day 2 – June 15, 2018: Shock Endings, Own Goals, and Hat-Tricks, Oh My!
June 16, 2018Today’s exciting group games – Uruguay vs Egypt, Morocco vs Iran, Portugal vs Spain – delivered all the elements of a classic World Cup in the making. Co-hosts Alan Minsky and Meleiza Figueroa break down the state of play – each game’s dramatic moments, expectations for this year’s tournament, and the social and political significance…
Opening Day Podcast: Battle of the Kleptocracies
June 15, 2018On our inaugural podcast of World Cup 2018, Alan Minsky and Ian Masters reflect on the society & politics of the two opening countries, host Russia and Saudi Arabia: beacons of light in these troubled times, if you’re a 1-percenter realizing you have to crush the will of your people in order to hold on…