First Touch

Absolutely love this! It has a little bit of everything for everyone - whether you’re a soccer die hard or just want to have a rough idea of what’s going on with each country in the World Cup, this is a must listen!

I really needed an alternative to Alexi Lalas’ podcast and thought this could be it. Sadly, David Gass and Michele Giannone are even worse! When Susanna Fuller is on, the verbal vomit is a little better mediated. Each podcast I feel like I’m being convinced to hate a player, a team, Mexico, or Deschampes.They pile on the losing team or player after the match with a level of condescension that is unmatched except from Stephen A. Smith. They drone on and on and on about a player, coach or player with little analysis and too much hyperbole. Give your criticism and move on. Check out the Give N Go soccer podcast instead. They give their honest critiques without trying their hardest to be a smug talking-head who is trying to give the hottest of hot takes. The contempt they hold for so many players and teams is very off putting. Fuller and Doyle should do a spinoff without Gass and Giannone.

There are three main problems I have with first touch: 1. What’s with the background music during segments? It’s like listening to a podcast while on hold with a mid size bank. 2. To steal from Ted Lasso, “How many podcasts are in this podcast?” There’s the weekly, the dispatch, and the country preview? But they all of their own number…or not. 3. Finally, I could be wrong here, but the country review scripts feel AI generated. But maybe I’m just being overly critical.

What a great way to get ready for the World Cup. This show has the perfect combination of history, culture, and soccer stats to give you a feel for each team.