Any Given Thursday

Maxwell Brown & David Blomquist
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Soccer
  • Updated Semiweekly

On Any Given Thursday, football enthusiasts Maxwell Brown & David Blomquist cover all things Europa League & Europa Conference League. Match-day reactions, club spotlights, untold stories, unique narratives — if it happens on a Thursday, we're talking about it. So from Reykjavík to Roma, Zürich to Zagreb, Bodø to Baku, and everywhere in between, join us as we explore European football beyond the oil clubs.

  1. 20h ago

    Predicting the World Cup's Breakout Stars - the James Rodríguez Award | World Cup Preview #4

    Our 7-day march to opening kick off of the World Cup continues with a deep dive into who might take home the tournaments most coveted prize – the James Rodríguez Award. This special trophy is awarded to the World Cup's most electric young player, but with a catch. First, you must be 22 or younger by the conclusion of the competition. Second, you cannot already be a global star playing for a megaclub (Yamal, Zaire-Emery, Güler). And third, you ideally don't play for one of the biggest international footballing nations (Endrick, Nico Paz). The James Rodriguez winner, much like its namesake, will capture the hearts and minds of soccer fans everywhere and will be launched into stardom. Our mission is to build a starting 11 of contenders who we deem most likely to take home this honor (in addition to a hearty bench). Will your favorite youngster make our roster? Find out on World Cup Preview 4 of 7. 3 more to go! Cheers! Chapters: 01:15 - the premise & close omissions 08:00 - Goalkeeper 10:00 - Centerbacks 14:15 - Fullbacks 16:00 - Midfielders 20:45 - Forwards 26:05 - Bench & honorable mentions 31:15 - Our picks for the James Rodríguez Award

    34 min
  2. An Argentine anti-climax? A Belgian bungling? Who will disappoint? | World Cup Preview #3

    1d ago

    An Argentine anti-climax? A Belgian bungling? Who will disappoint? | World Cup Preview #3

    On the third edition of our World Cup previews, we talk teams that could be headed for disappointment at this year's tournament. Can Argentina keep up with the demands of yet another deep run? Is Belgium's golden generation finally out of gas? Is Mexico good enough to carry the national burden of "el quinto partido?" Has Saudi Arabi lost their luster as a Middle Eastern footballing power? We select a nation from each from 9 tiers of World Cup contention that we developed and explain why we think they could be in for an underwhelming – or downright embarrassing – showing in North America 2026. 4 more previews to go! Cheers! Chapters: 01:50 - the tier system 3:00 - Tier 1: Argentina 05:48 - Tier 2: Germany + Brazil 07:15 - Tier 3: Croatia 8:50 - Tier 4: Belgium 10:10 - Tier 5: Uruguay 10:55 - Tier 6: Mexico 12:20 - Tier 7: Egypt 15:20 - Tier 8: Saudi Arabia 17:20 - Tier 9: what's reasonable to expect?

    23 min
  3. Who Is This Year's Morocco? | World Cup Preview #2

    2d ago

    Who Is This Year's Morocco? | World Cup Preview #2

    On our second World Cup preview episode, we're diving into the BEST OF THE REST to determine who will could be this year's Morocco. We examine the credentials of more established squads like Colombia and Switzerland, some high-flying newcomers like Norway, and some international outsiders like Japan and Austria with distinct and exciting styles of play. Finally, we take a look at some long-shot nations we think are being criminally underrated. You'll have to tune in to find out how foolish our selections are. Cheers! Chapters: 00:00 - the start 02:30 - Colomobia 04:40 - Norway 08:15 - why Belgium wasn't considered 09:20 - Japan 11:55 - Ecuador 14:20 - Austria & Switzerland 18:30 - Sweden & Turkey 21:20 - Longer shots

    30 min
  4. The 7.5 teams that can win the World Cup | World Cup Preview #1

    3d ago

    The 7.5 teams that can win the World Cup | World Cup Preview #1

    We're kicking off our World Cup Preview series by discussing the 7.5 teams we think can actually win the whole thing. We share why each of Argentina, Brazil, England, France, Germany, Portugal, and Spain can hoist the trophy in July, plus one mystery team who may be in with a shout. We also discuss the reasons why each nation won't go the distance, plus place them in tiers within this elite grouping. Tune in for our extensive World Cup 2026 coverage throughout the summer. Let us know if you agree with our assessments, and don't forget to like and subscribe. Cheers! Chapters: 00:00 - the start 3:43 - France 11:21 - Spain 18:11 - Argentina 25:08 - England 31:47 - Brazil 38:20 - Germany 44:05 - Portugal 48:48 - mystery team 52:58 - who's winning?

    54 min
  5. Heroes, Villains, and Eagles | 2025-26 Season In Review

    May 30

    Heroes, Villains, and Eagles | 2025-26 Season In Review

    It's the final show of the 2025-26 season! We're back to wrap up the Europa and Conference League, looking at Aston Villa and Crystal Palace's paths to victory, plus sharing some of the best moments from the league phase and knockouts, and revealing our Team of the Season in both tournaments. Finally, we look at who has qualified for next year's editions, including some powerhouse Italian clubs and surprising English contenders. And don't forget to tune in to our World Cup coverage, beginning June 1. Cheers to Unai Emery, Oliver Glasner, and all the listeners out there! Timecodes: The start, Europa League in review – Europa Team of the Season – Next year's Europa participants – Conference League in review – Conference Team of the Season – Next year's Conference participants –

    47 min
  6. Boom Boom Boom, Mateta's In The Room | Crystal Palace wins Conference League 2026

    May 28

    Boom Boom Boom, Mateta's In The Room | Crystal Palace wins Conference League 2026

    Crystal Palace are your 2026 Conference League champions! The Eagles hoist their very first European trophy in their very first European campaign thanks to a Mateta put-back, beating Rayo Vallecano 1-0. We talk how Palace's pace and off-ball execution were able to snuff out Rayo's build-up and attack, the general chaotic nature of the match, and why Glasner deserves so much credit for his work at the club the past year. We also eulogize Rayo's valiant run to the final and applaud both sets of supporters for an incredible atmosphere in Leipzig. This is exactly the kind of meeting the Conference League was built for! Finally, we consider next steps for each club, with both head coaches departing this summer, as well as a few key players. What does Palace need to do to take the next step in the Europa League next season? And can Rayo maintain their recent success under new management with the current condition of the club? Cheers to Oliver Glasner (and of course, el p**o Rayo)!

    42 min
  7. Crystal Palace v Rayo Vallecano | 2026 Conference League Final Preview

    May 23

    Crystal Palace v Rayo Vallecano | 2026 Conference League Final Preview

    We're back to talk Conference League final! Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano face off in what some are calling the most wholesome final of all time. We talk all about their respective journeys to the final, their very brief European journeys of the past, and what it would mean to capture a first continental trophy. We also revisit some of the more extraordinary off-the-pitch circumstances Rayo has had to overcome to be here, thanks to their diabolical owner. Finally, we give our 3 keys to victory for each side and deliberate on which tactics may be deployed to gain advantages in what is likely to be a matchup with a razor-thin margin. We may even take a brief detour on our beloved Intertoto Cup. Cheers Oliver Glasner and Iñigo Pérez!

    54 min
  8. Eternal Emery | Aston Villa wins Europa League 2026

    May 21

    Eternal Emery | Aston Villa wins Europa League 2026

    It's official – Aston Villa is your 2026 Europa League champion! We recap how Villa triumphed over SC Freiburg for their first European trophy since 1982 (and Emery's 5th!), discussing how they dominated virtually every phase of the game, the phenomenal goals from Tielemans, Buendia, and Rogers, Emery's usual tactical mastery, Emi doing Emi things, and much more. Then we review what went wrong for Freiburg, whose magical run ended with a bitter pill, including why they missed Suzuki, Grifo and Beste's lack of involvement, and Manzambi's lively efforts. Finally, we debate what each side needs to accomplish over the summer to push on to another season of Europe (Villa in the Champions League, Freiburg in the Conference). Can Villa and Emery build on this triumph and strengthen the squad? Can Freiburg replace some of their aging veterans? Major credit to both clubs for a wonderful season, but Villa were the form team throughout the competition and rolled through the knockouts. Thoroughly deserved champions. Big cheers to Unai Emery and the Villains!

    45 min
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About

On Any Given Thursday, football enthusiasts Maxwell Brown & David Blomquist cover all things Europa League & Europa Conference League. Match-day reactions, club spotlights, untold stories, unique narratives — if it happens on a Thursday, we're talking about it. So from Reykjavík to Roma, Zürich to Zagreb, Bodø to Baku, and everywhere in between, join us as we explore European football beyond the oil clubs.

Information

  • Creator
    Maxwell Brown & David Blomquist
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    179
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026
  • Show Website
    Any Given Thursday

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