Soccer 101

The Athletic

5.0 (3)
SOCCER
UPDATED WEEKLY

All the soccer history and explainers you can handle Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

5 DAYS AGO

A tale of two clubs... 81% of the time: domestic football in Uruguay

This week, we're talking about THE dark horse candidate at every World Cup since 2010... it's Uruguay. The four-time world champion has one of the oldest leagues in South America, but how did it come to be, how has it evolved over time, and who are its dominant clubs? Plus, how Diego Godin helped kill a deal that was hurting the national team, why so many of their best players have so few caps for the massively successful clubs of the league, and much much more! WE HAVE A YOUTUBE CHANNEL! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠We're posting all our episodes here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Smash the like and subscribe etc.! JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON! Check out our Patreon, which houses bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, blog posts, videos, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

36 min
20 MAR

What are the best World Cup balls, mascots and anthems?

In an effort to not only be depressing when discussing the World Cup, Graham and Taylor take a look at the lighter side of the tournament, and weigh in on the best balls, mascots and anthems in the tournament's history. Plus, what are sticker albums and why aren't they more common in the US? WE HAVE A YOUTUBE CHANNEL! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠We're posting all our episodes here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Smash the like and subscribe etc.! JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON! Check out our Patreon, which houses bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, blog posts, videos, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

41 min
13 MAR

Kings, ultras, and unrest: Egyptian football explained

This week, Graham and Taylor spend some time trying to scratch the surface of the complicated history of soccer in Egypt: how did the sport rise to prominence, which club has dominated both the country and the continent, the occasionally hostile relationship between government and supporters, and much much more! Plus, how has the Egyptian Premier League, the country's top flight, helped shape Egypt national teams, past and present? WE HAVE A YOUTUBE CHANNEL! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠We're posting all our episodes here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Smash the like and subscribe etc.! JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON! Check out our Patreon, which houses bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, blog posts, videos, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

41 min
6 MAR

An abbreviated history of World Cup disruptions: teams withdrawing, changing hosts and more!

On this week's episode, inspired by the latest chaos surrounding the 2026 World Cup, we take a look at the history of upheaval at the tournament: when have teams withdrawn, what happens when they do, have hosts ever had to drop out, what are the issues facing the upcoming iteration, and much much more! WE HAVE A YOUTUBE CHANNEL! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠We're posting all our episodes here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Smash the like and subscribe etc.! JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON! Check out our Patreon, which houses bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, blog posts, videos, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

35 min
4 MAR

Youth development, colonialism, match fixing, and golden eras: a history of professional football in Belgium

This week, it's the country for whom De Bruyne, Hazard, Lukaku and Courtois have all played... just not in terms of the domestic league: Belgium! We trace the full arc of the top flight in the tiny nation, from the league's founding in 1895 through the golden era of the 1970s and 80s when Anderlecht and Club Brugge were genuine European forces, through the match-fixing scandals and the sprawling corruption investigation that rocked the sport in Belgium in the late 2010s, and into the present day. And along the way, we try to determine just why a country so rich in football talent has ended up with a league better known as a stepping stone than a destination. WE HAVE A YOUTUBE CHANNEL! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠We're posting all our episodes here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Smash the like and subscribe etc.! JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON! Check out our Patreon, which houses bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, blog posts, videos, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

37 min
20 FEB

Wrexham: America's Team, Capitalism's Posterchild, or both?

On this week's show, we spend probably way too much time discussing the Rise of Wrexham (TM). Just kidding. They've probably already got that trademarked. How have they succeeded so fast, so quickly? Can they stay alive in a Premier League world? Can a club be an underdog and a juggernaut, simultaneously? All that, and much much more! WE HAVE A YOUTUBE CHANNEL! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠We're posting all our episodes here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Smash the like and subscribe etc.! JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON! Check out our Patreon, which houses bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, blog posts, videos, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

43 min
13 FEB

American managers in Europe: why haven't there been many and why aren't there more?

In honor of Pellegrino Matarazzo's strong start to life with Real Sociedad, Graham and Taylor spend some time discussing American managers in Europe's top five leagues. How many have their been, who was THE trailblazer, is there a stigma against them (and is it fair), possible candidates for future gigs, and much much more! WE HAVE A YOUTUBE CHANNEL! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠We're posting all our episodes here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Smash the like and subscribe etc.! JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON! Check out our Patreon, which houses bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, blog posts, videos, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

50 min
6 FEB

Small nation, big results: How Croatia became football’s ultimate overachiever

How does a country of under four million people keep churning out World Cup semifinalists and all-time great midfielders? In this episode, we break down the history of Croatian football, from the founding of the HNL in the early 1990s to its modern role as a talent factor, and look at how clubs like Dinamo Zagreb, Hajduk Split, and Rijeka shaped a league built more on development than spending. We’ll explain where the Croatian league fits in Europe, why domestic dominance doesn’t tell the whole story, and how a clear footballing identity, elite coaching, and a relentless export pipeline helped produce global stars. And, of course, why writing them off ahead of the 2026 World Cup would be a familiar mistake. WE HAVE A YOUTUBE CHANNEL! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠We're posting all our episodes here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Smash the like and subscribe etc.! JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON! Check out our Patreon, which houses bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, blog posts, videos, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

39 min

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5

out of 5

3 Ratings

AFC

27/04/2025

Rev meter

Have you done an episode on structure of AFC yet? Heard your thing of NZ and if OFC would fit into AFC. AFC is basically 5 confederation called sub confederation and AU is in AFF sub confederation which is ASEAN Football Federation . ASEAN is Association of Southeast Asian Nations. If you’re putting an acronym in an acronym that can only be good, right??? There has been some money reasons why AU hasn’t termed of to AFF such as players union wanting AU teams to be paid a good wage for a second/third tier team and well we have no money. Believe that has changed. Anyhow, OFC could fit nicely in AFC but would be nice to remove CAFA and WAFF as time zones, AFC goes over too many time zones and games are played at stupid time. Anyway Enjoy your 5 stars, I know I reveled AFC but it’s still a review.