Dummy: Interviews with smart people about soccer

New editor Dennie Wendt and founding editor George Quraishi discuss the contents, creative process and—incredibly, and at long last—the completion of Howler 15.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andrew Downie is back to discuss his new book, Doctor Socrates, in more depth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Iceland has been one of the best stories in world soccer over the last few years—a tiny nation that is riding a golden generation to its first ever European Championship and then World Cup in the span of just two years. (We published a big feature on Icelandic soccer by Davis Harper that came out in the first half of 2016—so we were either ahead of the hipsters or super duper hipsters, depending on your point of view.) For this episode, George traveled to Iceland to speak with the technical director and president of the Icelandic FA—plus the president and first lady of the country itself. Next week, Andrew Downie will return to discuss his book Doctor Socrates. Pick up a copy here (Howler gets a small cut when you purchase with this link). And then drop any questions or comments you’d like Andrew to address into this form. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amos Barshad last came on Dummy to discuss his story about a spate of soccer murders in Argentina. Now he's back to talk about his story in last week's New York Times Magazine about the Players' Tribune and where it lives in the modern sports journalism ecosystem. What Happens When Athletes Do the Sports Writing? by Amos Barshad Doctor Socrates is the latest Howler Book Club selection—pick up a copy here (Howler gets a small cut when you purchase with this link). Andrew will be back in about a month for a more expansive conversation about the life of Socrates. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We published a big ol’ package on referees in the latest issue of Howler, and in this episode of Dummy, George speaks with one of the writers about his survey of the academic literature and what it tells us about the psychology of people who are brave enough to become referees. Dive in with us (but not too obviously) to learn more about an under-covered and vital facet of the game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andrew Downie’s new book Doctor Socrates tells the story of one of the most interesting players in soccer history. Socrates trained as a physician but chose to become a professional footballer, and he was captain of the wonderful Brazil side that was expected to win the 1982 World Cup but fell to Italy, the eventual champion. He was a heavy drinker, smoker, and philanderer who was nonetheless beloved by fans of Botafogo and then Corinthians because of his incomparable abilities as a playmaker and finisher. He also led a movement called Corinthians Democracy that brought a social and political consciousness into the locker room, putting him at odds with the way business was done in Brazilian soccer and eventually with the dictatorship that ran the country. Doctor Socrates is the latest Howler Book Club selection—pick up a copy here (Howler gets a small cut when you purchase with this link). Andrew will be back in about a month for a more expansive conversation about the life of Socrates. Dummy relies on listener support. If you’d like to support the show with as little as $3 per month, click here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

George and Ryan (host of the Dirty Tackle podcast and an occasional writer for the mag) are in London at a big Nike marketing event, and of the many players present—including Alexis Sanchez, Neymar, Christian Pulisic, and Marcus Rashford—they got two very short interviews with Eden Hazard and Tobin Heath. In this episode, a discussion about how commercial events like this one have come to drive so much of the soccer media, a quick look at the very funny piece Ryan wrote for the latest issue of Howler, and, of course, three minutes each with Hazard and Heath. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, George chats with Robert Andrew Powell, who has been writing about Beckham and Miami for Howler for several years. (Read his profile of Beckham’s business partner, the Bolivian billionaire Marcelo Claure, here.) They discuss the announcement, on Monday, that MLS had accepted the Beckham group’s bid to join the league—outside of the ongoing expansion process. The announcement closely mirrored a similar press conference four years ago: no team name, colors, or locked-down stadium location. What’s new? The addition to the ownership group of the Mas brothers, sons of an iconic Cuban exile who left behind a controversial legacy as one of Miami’s most prominent anti-Castro figures. Read Robert’s latest update for Howler here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Thursday, we hosted a live show with the gentlemen from the Total Soccer Show. Tab Ramos and Alexi Lalas were our special guests, and Brooks Peck of Dirty Tackle made a cameo at the end during the Wikipedia Game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As president of Soccer United Marketing, Kathy Carter has helped US Soccer earn megaprofits in recent years. Now she is running to be president of the federation. Among the topics she discusses in this episode: potential conflicts of interest (MLS owners also own SUM), how she plans to manage the technical staff, solidarity payments and pro/rel, and why she thinks there are suddenly eight candidates when Gulati ran unopposed in the last three elections. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As chief scout for the USMNT under Bruce Arena, Thomas Rongen was responsible for keeping tabs on potential US internationals, including 18-year-old midfielder Jonathan Gonzalez, who chose this week to represent Mexico instead of the US. In this episode of Dummy, Thomas talks about the process for making contact and building relationships with players who have the option to represent multiple countries, which is something he did during the past year but also as head coach of the US U-20 team from 2006 to 2011. He has helped find and recruit players like John Brooks, Bobby Wood, Julian Green, Mix Diskerud, Terrence Boyd, Jerome Kiesewetter, and others—and his thoughts on why Bobby Wood is still a big part of the national team while Julian Green’s career has stalled are especially interesting. A few notes: -If you think you might like to come to our live event we'll be putting on with the Total Soccer Show on Thursday, January 18th (7pm, Jose Pistolas, Philadelphia), drop your email address here: fifa.wtf/philly2018 -Use promo code DUMMYSENTME to get Howler for just $11 per issue (for those in the US, shipping included) here: fifa.wtf/gethowler -Dummy is listener supported, and you can join in with as little as $3 per month at fifa.wtf/supportdummy -If you’d like to send in a question for our "Ask a Dummy" segment, you can do so here: fifa.wtf/askadummy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My scheduled interview fell through, so when my dad stopped by, I made him sit down and answer my questions about how American soccer has changed since he arrived from England in the early 1970s to play college soccer and then in the old NASL. It was a nice reminder that even though we might think we’re in a moment of crisis, things actually seem quite stable and positive to someone who was around back then. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason Davis spends 10 hours a week talking in public about American soccer on his Sirius radio show. Now that the field has been narrowed to eight candidates, he and George discuss what could happen, what’s likely to happen, and what they hope will happen. They also discuss what a Wynalda or Carter presidency would mean for Major League Soccer and more broadly for the future of the game in the US. We released the cover of our new issue today. You can save 15% on a subscription (or a gift) with code GIVEAHOWLER at fifa.wtf/gethowler. Support the show for as little as $3 per month and you can send in questions and comments for the new “Ask a Dummy” segment at the end of each episode. fifa.wtf/supportdummy. Thanks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this month, the International Olympic Committee decided to ban Russian athletes from participating under their national flag at the 2018 Olympic Games and it banned for life Vitaly Mutko, the Russian deputy prime minister who oversaw the country’s massive, state-run Olympic doping program during the 2014 games in Sochi. Mutko also happens to be the head of Russia’s World Cup organizing committee and a FIFA vice president who sits on the FIFA Council and four other FIFA committees, but there is little chance he will lose any of those positions as a result of this scandal. Here to explain why, and give us more insight into the relationship between Russian sports, politics, and international institutions like FIFA and the IOC, is Manuel Veth, editor-in-chief of futbolgrad.com, who just so happens to have a PhD in the study of Soviet sports. Dummy is listener supported. To help us out for as little as $3 per month, visit fifa.wtf/supportdummy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, George went down to the Nike Friendlies outside of Bradenton to watch the U-17 U.S. boys lose to the Netherlands by a score of five to one. More successful was the trio of interviews he conducted with people who run various aspects of the USSF’s scouting and development operation. If you want to better understand the current landscape of how our country goes about turning 12 year-old-boys into players for the senior national team, today’s episode is a great place to start. Guests are Aloys Wijnker (director of boys development academy), Tony Lepore (director of talent identification), and Nico Romeijn (director of coaching education). You can become a monthly supporter of the show here. And beginning next week, we will be launching a new segment called Ask a Dummy in which George fields questions and comments from our monthly supporters. Contribute to the show with your thoughts and questions here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, an uproar by gamers over the new Star Wars video game may have reduced EA Sports’s stock value by $3 billion. The crux of the issue was that in order to unlock certain aspects of the game—characters like Darth Vader, for instance—players would have to spend weeks playing the game or pay thousands of dollars in microtransactions. But microtransactions, also known as “loot boxes,” have been a feature of EA’s FIFA franchise for years, and is credited with boosting the company’s profits by hundreds of millions of dollars. George discusses all of this with Jamin Warren, founder of the excellent video game arts and culture company Kill Screen. You can now support Dummy for as little as $3 per month. Go to fifa.wtf/supportdummy. And thanks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ken Bensinger of Buzzfeed spent last week in a Brooklyn courtroom observing an absolutely BANANAS case against three senior South American soccer executives who are at the center of the huge FIFA trial. There were tears on the stand. Not one but two death threats IN THE COURTROOM. A suicide in Argentina hours after a huge revelation. And a murder that may be linked to testimony. George and Ken also discuss the possibility that Nike and Fox Sports could become involved as the trial continues. Ken’s Twitter is a great place to go for further reading. Support Dummy at fifa.wtf/supportdummy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The US men’s national team drew 1–1 with Portugal on Tuesday in the first of many meaningless friendlies in the team’s near future. George and Travis Clark of Top Drawer Soccer discuss some of the young players who are getting their first chances with the national team, including McKennie, Tyler Adams, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Ethan Horvath, Josh Sargent, and (maybe) Jonathan Gonzalez. Thanks to the 29 people who now support Dummy on a monthly basis! If you’d like to join them in supporting the show, please visit fifa.wtf/supportdummy.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

George speaks with three candidates for U.S. Soccer president—Paul Lapointe, Steve Gans, and Kyle Martino—and dives deep on the answers they supplied to a 13-item questionnaire that we asked all candidates to complete. (We recommend you check that out before listening, but you don’t have to.) Who the Hell Votes in the US Soccer Presidential Election? by Anthony DiCicco Please consider supporting Dummy for less than $1 per episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

UCLA law professor Steven Bank is back to discuss today’s hearing in a Brooklyn courtroom as the NASL seeks an injunction against the U.S. Soccer Federation’s decision to re-classify the league as division three. We learned some new things, including details about Soccer United Marketing’s relationship with both MLS and the USSF as well as where the judge might be leaning in this case. Listeners can now support Dummy with as little as $3 per month. If we reach 50 monthly supporters, a generous listener has pledged $1,000 for the year. Help us reach that goal at fifa.wtf/supportdummy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Qatar recently announced that it will begin to reform the Kafala labor system that keeps migrant workers essentially powerless in the face of abuse. James Dorsey joins the pod to discuss what this means, why it came about, and the role of geopolitics and the World Cup in sparking this change. For the first time, you can now support Dummy directly. Many people have asked us if this is possible (thank you). If you would like to support Dummy for as little as $3 per month, please visit fifa.wtf/supportdummy. (And seriously, thank you.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, two very emotional interviews about the prospect (possibility? probability?) that Anthony Precourt, owner of the Columbus Crew since 2013, will move the team to Austin, Texas. First, George speaks with lifelong Crew supporter Morgan Hughes. Then he discusses the possible relocation with Josh Jackson, a member of MLS to Austin. Enter our annual full kit wanker contest to win a free jersey from SoccerPro.com. Send a picture of yourself wearing the socks, shorts, and shirt of any team. You must be holding a copy of Howler and use the hashtag #fullkithowler. (Here are some of our submissions from last year.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Howler editor George Quraishi is joined by Bobby Warshaw and Cole Grossman (former player for Real Salt Lake and Stabaek) to work through the USMNT’s loss to Trinidad and failure to make the World Cup. They discuss the short- and long-term failings of the US Soccer Federation and how they could be fixed. There is some foul language in this episode. You've been warned. George’s more considered take for Quartz is here. It begins like this: “With one half of the United States on fire and the other under water, I’m trying to avoid the use of words like “catastrophe” and “disaster” to describe what is going on in the realm of American soccer right now. But the United States men’s national team failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1986, and every fan is currently coping with some degree of cognitive and emotional meltdown.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clarence Goodson was a center back for the U.S. men’s national team during two World Cup qualifying cycles. He joins to discuss his compatriots trying to make it to Russia, his career, his work with the MLS players union, and why he built a 5-aside soccer court at his old elementary school. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. Soccer Federation recently demoted the North American Soccer League from division two to division three status, and now the NASL is suing the USSF not only over this designation but over the governing body’s right to designate pro leagues at all. UCLA law professor Steven Bank joins to discuss the suit. Save 15% on your Howler subscription with code PODSUB15 at fifa.wtf/gethowler. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How did a Columbia econ professor become the most powerful American in world soccer? Noah Davis discusses his profile of Sunil Gulati from the new issue of Howler. Then, La Familia is possibly the most hateful and violent ultras group in the world. They have been known to attack fans and even members of their own club, Beitar Jerusalem, and they are proud to call their team Israel’s “most racist.” And in July of last year, 64 members were arrested in a massive sting operation by Israeli police. Sam Patters joins to discuss his feature on La Familia. Please consider supporting the magazine by becoming a subscriber. Right now, save 15% on a subscription with the code PODSUB15 at fifa.wtf/gethowler. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Martin Jacobson became the coach of soccer team at Martin Luther King Jr. High in Manhattan just over 20 years ago, the program was a disaster. So how has he won 15 city-wide championships in that time? Actually, that's the least interesting question you can put to the recovered heroin addict, Hepatitis C survivor, and man who has taken in transformed the lives of hundreds of kids from the U.S., Africa, the Caribbean, and South America. It’s really a remarkable story—and it’s subject of a new documentary film that will be premiering at a festival in New York. More information. The audio from the beginning of the episode is with Keith Rados, owner of Cinco Soccer in Tampa. Subscribe to Howler using code PODSUB15 and you’ll save 15% PLUS we’ll send you a very cool patch featuring the new issue’s cover art. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First up, Mapate Diop discusses his article on Red Bull, PSG, MLS and the phenomenon of soccer as branded content, a simultaneously simple and profound way of viewing modern soccer. Then, Michael Krumholtz on Costa Rica and Vancouver Whitecaps winger Christian Bolaños, who at 33 has enjoyed a late-career resurgence. Costa Rica plays the US tonight in an important World Cup qualifier. Subscribe to Howler with code FIFANATOR15 to save 15% AND get a free Fifanator patch! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, four 10-minute interviews on four stories from whatahowler.com this week: 1. How Target’s switch from NASCAR to soccer sponsorships could help transform the American game (with Amadi Thiam) 2. Why ultras from Bayern Munich and many other Bundesliga clubs have declared “war” on the German football federation (with Travis Timmons) 3. Chelsea and England striker Eni Aluko claims she has been blackballed from international soccer after complaining about treatment by the Three Lions coaching staff (with James Bridget Gordon) 4. Morocco’s bid for the 2026 World Cup may lead to increased scrutiny of the country’s decades-long occupation of Western Sahara (with Aubrey Bloomfield) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Tuesday, Top Drawer Soccer staff writer and Howler contributor announced that he’s leaving the industry altogether. So George called him up to talk about why he got into sportswriting, the forces that are shaping the industry, and why the lack of investment by major outlets is bad for all soccer fans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

George thought that Kevin McCauley’s season preview for SB Nation, titled “How to Enjoy the Premier League without Worrying About the Money,” was the most provocative and enjoyable piece he’s read ahead of the new English season. So he called him up to discuss the ideas in his argument and maybe even become a convert to Kevin’s way of thinking. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the U.S. beat Jamaica to win the Gold Cup trophy, Bobby and George revisit their discussion on fringe USMNT players and who seems likely to make the 2018 World Cup roster. (Hint: Jordan Morris helped his case, Matt Hedges not so much.) Then Brad Friedel joins to discuss the Gold Cup and answer some questions specifically about the goalkeeping position—should Arena settle on a clear starter (and how did that work with Friedel and Kasey Keller?), and what sort of special challenges does a former goalkeeper face when transitioning to become the head coach of a team?  (Warning: There is at least one instance of adult language in this episode when Bobby drops an F bomb to describe Jordan Morris’s speed.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

George Best was one of the game’s greatest players and also one of its most confounding. He had the dribbling skills to rival Leo Messi, a public image that paved the for David Beckham, and an addiction to alcohol that was allowed to go unchecked in the 1960s and ’70s and ultimately led to his early death. This week, George interviews Daniel Gordon, the director of a 30 for 30 documentary that premieres tonight on ESPN at 8:30 pm. Gordon also made the 30 for 30 about the Hillsborough disaster and “The Game of Their Lives,” about the North Korean soccer team at the 1966 World Cup.  Note: There is a bit of offensive language toward the end when George recounts his dad’s own George Best story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the U.S. and Mexico taking B teams into the Gold Cup, we’re thinking that the most interesting way to watch the tournament might be as a way to project next summer’s World Cup fringe roster spots. So today, Bobby, Jeb, and George select the players they think are most likely to make the team, dividing them into three categories: locks, probablies, and maybes. They agree on 20 names, and then each chooses a different set of three players for the final spots. We want to see what you think of our choices, and who your picks would be—let us know by filling out this form: fifa.wtf/2sLJACz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

George and David discuss the Garcia Report. Even though it contained no revelations that will stop the World Cup from taking place in Russia and Qatar, it still revealed plenty of bad behavior by soccer officials, and it provides quite a few clues about FIFA’s immediate future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we released a short parody called “The Soccer Ball Phone” starring Sarah Silverman, Jack Black, Will Arnett, Alexi Lalas, and a few other very funny people. (We’re been promoting it pretty hard, but if you haven’t seen it, or want to ready George’s note about how it came together, go here.) This week on Dummy, George talks to Kovert Creative partner Joe Assad, who wrote and directed the short and also happens to be a new partner in Howler. We often get requests to talk about the behind-the-scenes stuff that goes into running the mag, so if you’re interested about Howler as a business and where it’s headed, this episode is for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

George and Bobby discuss last night’s game between the U.S. national team and Trinidad and try to answer a few questions: -Which players are emerging as Bruce Arena’s automatic picks? -Who should be playing between Altidore, Dempsey, and Wood? -Michael Bradley or Kellyn Acosta? -How will Mexico attack the U.S. back line of Yedlin, Cameron, Brooks, and Villafaña? -Why is Villafaña only getting his first caps now, at the age of 27? Bobby was running out to catch a plane to Mexico City, so they taped a short segment near the end in which they analyze the build-up to the first U.S. goal. This is for Bobby’s podcast “The Play” but you’ll probably enjoy it too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

*If you have Dummy set to autodownload, listen to this version and delete the previous one—we had a few audio issues that have now been corrected. This week, Hartlepool United unveiled a new crest, and the designer of that crest, Mick Watson, joins the pod to discuss what makes for good (and bad) soccer badge design. He also explains the grotesque reason that the club’s mascot is named H’Angus the Monkey (readers of the mag may recall that the man who played H’Angus was elected—and then reelected—mayor of Hartlepool in the 1990s). The excellent Kicking and Screening Film Festival is June 6-9 in Manhattan. Use the code KS2017 to save on tickets at kickingandscreening.com. And thanks to today’s sponsor, soccerpro.com, where you can save 10% on gear with the code HOWLER20. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a pair of matches, the US U-20s currently lead Group E at the world championship in South Korea, and they've already played their two toughest opponents. Today I speak with Brian Dunseth, who called the match for Fox Sports this morning and was himself a prominent member of the US U-20 team back in the day (many, many years ago, as in not quite before the internet but almost). We evaluate the first two games (a 3–3 draw with Ecuador and the 1–0 victory over Senegal; follow those links for highlights), and look ahead to the final group match against Saudi Arabia and a likely knockout-round match-up with New Zealand. We also talk about what we can really learn from players at this age—Josh Sargent, 17, is tied for the tournament's top scorer—and what it means for the team and American soccer than some of our best eligible internationals, like Christian Pulisic, aren't on the squad. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steve Fainaru’s new feature for ESPN on the Syrian national team reveals how the Syrian government has targeted athletes for murder (38 soccer players and counting) and turned Team Syria into a mouthpiece in support of Bashar al-Assad. Steve joins Dummy to discuss the peril faced by players who choose to speak out and boycott the team and FIFA’s cowardly response to the crisis. You can read Steve’s story here. This week’s sponsor is SoccerPro. Save 10% on your order with the code HOWLER19. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last year, Dirty Tackle joined up with whatahowler.com, and now the dudes have their own hilarious podcast. In this episode of Dummy, George and Dirty Tackle impresario Brooks Peck talk about why players in Europe are funnier than those in America, why covering FIFA will never be boring, and how Brooks came to own a pink Palermo jersey. Also: Does Zlatan feel empathy? Is Bastian Schweinsteiger bored? And Gigi Buffon has kind grandpa eyes, don't you think? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is it just me (George), or has Cristiano Ronaldo subtly changed the way he plays? The data, provided by our friend Oliver at OPTA, backs him up: Cristiano’s goals in the Champions League have been coming from closer and closer to the goal over the last few years. I discuss this with Jeb Brovsky, who talks about Ronaldo’s transformation from inverted winger to center forward. We also talk about the first leg of the Monaco-Juventus semifinal and what a Real Madrid-Juventus final could look like (hint: Marcelo vs. Dani Alves). Yes please. Dummy is sponsored by soccerpro.com. Use code HOWLER18 at checkout for free shipping on orders of $50 or more. You'll be helping Howler and patronizing a long-time friend of the mag. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Tuesday, the MLS Players Union made its annual release of league-wide player salary information, which revealed that 28 players make more than a million dollars per year… and none of them play for the league’s best team, FC Dallas. Jeb Brovsky and George sit down to navel-gaze/discuss. Then, Tim Froh joins to talk about his story in the Guardian about the lack of diversity among Major League Soccer head coaches. Froh argues that the uniformity in background fosters a sort of group-think among the men who coach MLS teams, and perhaps an ingrained hesitation to extend opportunities to people who are different. Could this be a clue as to why FC Dallas has been so successful graduating its academy players to the first team? Save 15% on a subscription to Howler with the code ILISTEN. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Goldblatt just got back from Nigeria, where he watched A LOT of soccer, including Lagos’s entry in the Nigerian top flight, Mountain of Fire and Miracles FC. He and George also talk about the Madrid vs. Munich Champions League quarterfinal and disagree about whether we should start using instant replay to officiate soccer matches. And he weighs in on the CANUSAMEX 2026 and offers a more hopeful verdict than either George or Jamil could come up with last week. Next, George interviews Austin da Luz of North Carolina FC about his initiative Playing for Pride. He and a bunch of other professional players have pledged to donate small amounts for each match they play in order to support the Human Rights Campaign’s fight to extend equal rights to LGBQT people. You can support Playing for Pride here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jamil Chade is a sports business journalist for O Estado de Saõ Paulo who is based in Switzerland, where he covers FIFA and the IOC. On this episode he chats with George about the internal politics that make the joint North American WC bid for 2026 likely to succeed, and what the changes it entails mean for FIFA and for the future of the World Cup. Check out The Goalmouth, our five-minute daily morning podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After Minnesota United’s Jeb Brovsky wrote about the shortcomings of statistical analysis for whatahowler.com two weeks ago, our friend Oliver Miller-Farrell emailed George and Bobby to say that while Jeb wasn't wrong, he might have been “stats-abused.” (Oliver works for Opta in New York.) So on today’s episode, Jeb and Oliver join Bobby and George to talk about how we quantify soccer and soccer players and how statistical analysis can benefit teams and fans. This week’s episode is a co-production of Dummy and The Play. Save 15% on a Howler subscription with the code ILISTEN. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

George and Bobby discuss the U.S.’s 6–0 win over Honduras and 1–1 tie with Panama. George gives his ideal starting back four; Bobby disagrees. Is there any way to avoid a dreary game when Bradley and Jones are paired together in the midfield? And how could some of the missing players—specifically Fabian Johnson, Bobby Wood, Sacha Klejstan, Benny Feilhaber, and DeAndre Yedlin—fit into this team? Then Jake Walerius joins to discuss American soccer culture. He says that England’s obsession with its national sport is a way for Brits to grapple with the decline of their nation’s status in the world. Baseball, football, and basketball have similar cultural heft in the United States. But American soccer fans, he argues, are still negotiating over the meaning of our own story. This is the essay Jake wrote on the subject for fansided.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff Maysh wrote one of Howler’s best-loved stories, about the West Ham fan who heckled his way onto the field for his favorite team in a pre-season friendly back in 1994. Now he’s back to discuss his latest story for Howler, about an equally colorful character: Cyril the Swan and the man behind the beak. Cyril may have helped save Swansea City when it was on the brink of dropping out of professional football in the late 1990s, and his antics made him a bonafide celebrity. Then he was arrested. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Like the best players in the world, Ryu Voelkel sees soccer differently than most people. But unlike those players, who often struggle to describe how they do what they do, the genius of Ryu’s vision is evident in his photographs, which have been a staple in Howler since our very first issue. I spoke with him this week for our Dummy podcast and asked him to describe how he captures incredible images time after time. Check out Ryu’s work from the latest issue in this post at whatahowler.com. You can also pick up a copy of the Spring 2017 issue to see it in print. And we currently have two of Ryu’s photos available for purchase in the Howler Art Shop, framed or unframed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week George chats with his friend Karl Taro Greenfeld, a journalist, novelist, and now TV writer (for the show Ray Donovan). They talk about yesterday’s ridiculous Barcelona-PSG match, why Karl loves LigaMX, the ascendancy of Russian hooligans, and the short story Karl wrote in the new issue of Howler. Here is a link to George’s piece for the Washington Post on U.S. Soccer’s new anthem policy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dax McCarty on his career thus far, playing with the US national team, and how he thinks the Chicago Fire can improve. Clint Irwin on almost winning MLS Cup, politics in the locker room, and prepping for the new season. We have a new Howler Book Club selection—check out whatahowler.com to learn more (hint: this one has lots of pictures). Save 15% on a Howler subscription with the code ILISTEN at shop.howlermagazine.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices