Let's Fix Football

James Rushton and Evan Mateer help Gabe Lezra through his brutal struggle session hangover. It was rough, folks, he almost expired on-air (he's dead now RIP). They discuss the USSF's decision to hire lobbyists to argue against equal pay for women to the Democratic presidential candidates, and the incredibly dumb ongoing failure of the the Federation.  They also discuss some of the transfer deadline day news, and break down the absolute lunacy behind Paulo Dybala's life rights contract, which he signed with some sort of Argentine multi-level marketing scam company which now owns... all of his future? It's insane!  And, James walks Gabe and Evan through the catastrophic situation in the English Championship, where multiple teams are sitting on negative points because of financial catastrophe. And, of course, there's some sort of nuts clown criminal trying to buy one of the clubs to do money laundering.   

Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer signed James Rushton in the offseason to be a new host for LFF. We think it's a strong signing, good value overall, and that the fans will have to be pleased with the overall increase in quality on the pitch.  Oh ffs, this week we're back, we're talking WWC, and some intense, real takes about gender discrimination and pay disparity and why investing in the women's game is a smart move (and also, the women's game is awesome in general).  And then of course we're bringing back your favorite characters from last season! We're talking:  Alexi Lalas is on one about VAR! Piers Morgan picking a fight with Megan Rapinoe!Neymar fleeing PSG to an institutional club because of all the crimes!Antoine Griezmann being a fucking weirdo! Like really weird! Enjoy folks!

Let's Fix Football returns as hosts Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer break down this place, the awful place. Some topics: Shoutout to the PSG Fan who destroyed his TV Why the fuck do we watch sports? Jack Graelish being decked mid-game is why And Kepa manages Chelsea now? Gareth Bale     The expectations and responsibilities of fans with respect to foreign players, and the responsibilities of foreign players to fit in The recurring theme in English football where fans have a reputation for being biased against foreign players USWNT Lawsuit Legal and substantive basis.  Our boss Prince MBS of Saudi Arabia wants to own Manchester United! Do it king!

Shout-out to our haters, by the way. Your hate only makes us stronger, including you, guy who sent Gabe a two-page email. We love you.  In all seriousness, thank you to everyone who responded so nicely to our Cristiano Ronaldo episode. We are very proud of the work we did breaking it down for you.  SO, here you go. Here's Episode 1 of your Football Leaks double feature. Gabe and Evan are back to discuss the potential European SuperLeague being spearheaded by Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. There's so much more in this one, folks--everything from FIFA's legal recourses and potential lawsuits, to questions about whether players might have their contracts voided should their teams leave.  And of course, we really are back on our bullshit. Guys, RG and Tancredi fought. They fought publicly. And that's not even the funniest thing that happened this week. Oh yea. 

*TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains discussions about sexual violence that might be painful for survivors of sexual assault and might nnot be appropriate for all audiences.* Hosts Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer speak with their friends Chloe White (an attorney who has worked on sexual violence and women's issues), Jess Houwen (read Jess's fantastic article about the Ronaldo allegations here: https://www.managingmadrid.com/2018/10/17/17977576/irresponsible-responses) and Om Arvind (read Om's meditation on what it feels like to be betrayed by an idol here: https://medium.com/@supersain5/on-ronaldo-mayorga-the-rape-allegations-the-issue-with-idolization-ba6891bda340) about the Cristiano Ronaldo rape allegations.  The crew takes a very deep dive into the allegations, and unpacks why it's important that we believe survivors of sexual assault, what it means when we say that, and how rape culture can pervert our understanding of sexual violence. They discuss how survivors are reacting to the accusations, and why it's so painnful for survivors to have to hear the horrific responses from Ronaldo fans that diminish and degrade woman who have come forward. They discuss why it's crucial to center women, and the victim's pain, in any discussion about sexual violence--rather than immediately labelling the alleged perpetrator a victim, we should strive to make sure the real victim isn't brushed aside (as often happens in sports media). And they discuss why it's appropriate--in fact, crucial, to underline the heroism and courage of the people who have come forward with their stories, and why it is so important to stand up and say enough.  They finish by discussing what it feels like to have your idol, your hero, fall from grace, betray you like this. Is this a way in to discussing these issues with people that might otherwise be unreachable? 

People liked our talk about stats last week so much that we had to do another one. This week: we brought on Jamon Moore of American Soccer Analysis, and one of the minds behind Expected Possession Goals (xPG) to break down the new cutting edge of soccer analysis. Om Arvind joins hosts Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer -- and they break down how analytics can help make the experience of wathcing soccer more fun, and what the new era of analytics means for the casual fan. Jamon walks us through the intricacies of xPG (and some of the other stats he and his colleagues at ASA are working on), and helps explain how it allows fans and pundits to get a deeper understanding of how teams play, and how individuals within the team play. They discuss how xPG can help analysts visualize and quantify the style a team plays--and whether the style they want to play lines up with how they actually play. Then, Gabe, Om and Evan talk about ex-Real Madrid president Ramón Calderón having an extremely normal one, and break down Gabe's article about Real Madrid's nonexistant women's team (and the super regular response to it). 

Gabe Lezra and his Managing Madrid Podcast co-host (and worst account on football twitter-nominee) Om Arvind talk about the Financial Times' article about Juventus' Cristiano Ronaldo gamble (from a financial angle). Juve is banking on a massive increase not just in their own publicity but in Serie A's publicity--but how smart is that gamble? Is the "Cristiano Ronaldo effect" as pronounced as they think? They also talk about the ongoing soccer analytics revolution and the fact that some of the friving forces behind the movement are American. Big shoutout to American Soccer Analysis, and their fantastic article on negative and positive Expected Possession Goals (xPG): https://www.americansocceranalysis.com/home/2018/8/28/expected-possession-goals-part-1 Also, Gabe wrote about the coming revolution back in like 2012 for The Atlantic, so read that, too: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/08/make-way-for-the-soccer-geeks/261634/ AND you know we had to do it! Checkin IN on our main man Registability and football Twitter generally. As always we're #TeamAdam.  It's Evan's 30th birthday so he's having a third-life crisis and jumping out of a plane (with a parachute), so happy birthday buddy.

It's Season 2 let's goooooo.  Petr Cech and Didier Drogba dunked on Registability. Infantino (the guy) went to Washington to meet with the large moist boi i the White House. Infatino (the toy company) hit Gabe up on Twitter.  It has been a very Let's Fix Football summer, so we had to come back and break it all down. Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer are back to break down all of the stupid bullshit going on on line, on the pitch and in your hearts.  There's League of Nations talk. There's Champions League talk. There's MLS, la Liga and EPL talk. And all the dumbass Football Twitter nonsense you could ask for. Coming up this season: that totally normal blend of dumbass jokes about how Sepp Blatter is our dad who beats us and serious lawyertalk about serious things going on in soccer.   Here we go, Season 2, it's happening. 

Hosts Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer are BACK ...and are streamers now I guess? They break down the TERRIBLE news that the Japanese psychic octopus has been killed. But, you know, sequels are never as good... And more. But seriously, it's all about the Wayne Rooney transfer to DC United, and how he might actually be....good? Really? They also recap the World Cup, talking about this French side and their tactics, talk about the weirdest news of the Cup--Salah's relationship to Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov, and more.  Then they get into club transfers...very briefly. Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus, of course, but how will Juve justify the expense of his salary when UEFA comes knocking? 

Hosts Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer are back to break down everything FIFA World Cup--especially all the bad takes and hillarious news.  First, it's Burger King's absurd "did you get pregnant by a footballer? How about a burger" ad campaign. (Real thing, folks). Then they discuss Alexi Lalas' recent self-own, and Landon Donovan's Wells Fargo-sponsored shilling for the Mexican national team. (And shout out to friend of the show David Rudin for the best burn of the week--you'll have to listen to hear it) THEN they have an all-time great reading series from the very famous conservative paper of record--the National Review, folks, and they're here to tell you that, surprise surprise, soccer is bad! And it's socialism, somehow! And football has less referee involvement! Finally: Argentina's collaps, and a World Cup review.

WORLD CUUUUP! WORLD CUP! We hate that we are so excited for the World Cup. We hate it. We're not the people vigorously defending Sepp Blatter online. We're the OTHER guys. We shouldn't be this excited. But WE ARE. WORLD CUP!  And this is the ONLY World Cup preview you'll need. The only one. Hosts Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer go through each group (who will win the Group of Death, Uruguay, Russia, Egypt or Saudi Arabia? Not Saudi Arabia.), each narrative, and each thing to watch. There aren't any other World Cup previews online. Don't Google that. Seriously.  Also: Alexi Lalas and Gary Lineker having extremely regular ones, shoutout to the guy who tweeted @BallondOrder assuming we award the Ballon d'Or (who do you THINK he supports for the award?), and non-soccer people writing about soccer. 

It's a BONUS Let's Fix Football! Gabe Lezra is flying solo in this bonus episode, as he chats with friend of the show Teddy Maglio about the UEFA Champions League final between Gabe's Real Madrid and Teddy's Liverpool FC. They discuss each team's post-final narrative, and how each fanbase shaped their vision of the game to how things played out in the aftermath. And, of course, the obligatory Sergio Ramos discussion. Then: Gabe goes on English radio! And talks about Real Madrid's coaching situation! And how Madrid should hire Pochettino (sorry Evan).  Check out more football banter (and Gabe, this summer!) on LoveSport Radio 558AM in London or online at https://www.lovesportradio.com/radioplayer/

Hosts Evan Mateer and Gabe Lezra talk everything Champions League, as Gabe's Real Madrid were victorious once again (back-to-back-to-back, baby!), including Sergio Ramos's VICIOUS INTENTIONAL MAULING MURDER OF SALAH (and the resulting TOTALLY REGULAR lawsuit and petition), Gareth Bale's all-timer (is it the best ever?) and more. Also on offer: a look into the USMNT's youth revolution. Timothy Weah is bae. That is all.  Finally they dive into how countries use sport as soft power and how FIFA is basically Mac from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia ("you see, I'm playing both sides").

Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer are back to talk about the only story that matters this week: Real Madrid captain and generally hilarious person Sergio Ramos making the much vaunted transition from athlete to Soundcloud rapper. SR4 is the song, and it is generally available on iTunes, Spotify and all your other streaming services.  OK cool bye good show.  Alright fine, they also talk about all the different end of season news, including Chelsea's victory over Manchester United in the FA Cup final (an indictment of Mourinho, his transfer policies, both?), Bayern losing the DFB Pokal final (funny), and Barcelona losing its invincibles season to Levante 5-4 (funnier).  Then it's a conversation about Christian Pulisic, who is apparently being shopped for about GBP 40 million (low!) and Tottenham's potential interest in the American winger, and the transfer market generally.  Mario Balotelli come to MLS! 

Hosts Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer are back to discuss this week's breaking FIFA news about the Club World Cup, why they might sell the rights to that stupid tournament to a group of anonmymous rich people and companies (lol you know who), and what effect that might have on the creation of a European SuperLeague. Also--why on earth would Gianni Infantino (@infantino) only invite seven teams to discuss this proposition? But first: they take on the hilarious takes from FourFourTwo's thread on the most overrated goals ever. Oooooh it's a doozy, folks. Also, anyone who thinks Zlatan scored an overrated goal every is a cop. Nice try, FBI.

Hosts Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer bring on their buddy, data privacy attorney Keir Lamont to discuss Trump's feud with FIFA, and the totally regular people responding to it who are having extremely normal ones. They also dive into those (annoying?) 23andMe World Cup ads--everything from the questions of how to pick a world cup team, their inanity (and the use/misuse of genetic testing), and the very real data privacy concerns in transmitting genetic information to third parties.  They also recap some #SaveTheCrew news, plug some MLS news, and dive into the Champions League final. Liverpool look great at home, but less so on the road; Mo Salah is a legitimate Ballon d'Or candidate. AND they feature the worst take on the show so far (in an epsidoe that quotes Donald Trump and Trump online sycophant Jacob Wohl): some English pundit saying how Ronaldo sucks, actually, and couldn't start on any top EPL side.  The end with a chat about legacy and how to think about this Real Madrid side as they progress to their third consecutive Champions League final. 

Host Gabe Lezra talks with attorney and prolific soccer analyst Miki Turner about all the recent updates in the #SaveTheCrew litigation. They touch on everything from the very recent motions (and cross-motions) from the parties (Precourt Sports Ventures and MLS on one side, the city of Columbus and the state of Ohio on the other), the Art Modell Act (ORC 9.67), and game out some endgames as the litigation continues.  Miki is an attorney in Washington State who writes at SoccerEsq.com; you can follow him on Twitter at @turneresq. We highliy encourage you to follow all of his work on the #SaveTheCrew litigation, as well as other pressing legal matters in US Soccer (including the dreaded NASL anti-trust lawsuit). 

Hosts Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer are joined by their friend Shay Khatiri to discuss the Iranian government's prohibition on women attending matches, and the regime's recent arrest of 35 women and girls for trying to attend the Tehran Derby. They discuss some of the history of the current Iranian regime since the revolution, and focus on how the regime is responding to the current crisis.  They also, of course, take FIFA to task for their tepid response to the arrests, including president Gianni Infantino (twitter handle @Infantino) and his hard-to-defend reaction while he was attending the match. They end the discussion with a conversation on FIFA's role in internal policy-making (hi Jerome Valcke), and how to go about discussing and criticizing governments like Iran's without feeding into the racist, islamophobic agenda that many people in the United States are pushing.  Shay is pursuing an MA at the Johns Hopkins School of International Studies focusing on international policy towards the Iranian regime, and is also a MBA candidate at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.  PLUS: Actual Zlatan ASMR at the end of the show, and why liking your own tweets is a power move. 

Hosts Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer are BACK from their short hiatus to discuss all things Champions League, starting with Barcelona's shock elimination by Roma, coming all the way back from a 4-1 deficit to shock Messi and company....our heart will go ooooooooonnnnn. They also chat the Real Madrid-Juventus match, and especially the Gigi Buffon post-match comment controversy, and Gabe again lashes out at the Catalan media. Lots of people having really regular feelings about this. No overreactions.  ALSO: Zlatan goes on Kimmel, and Sepp Blatter, Sir Alex Ferguson and Buffon all seem to having normal ones.

Hosts Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer check in on friend of the show Registability after Pep Guardiola's Kloppian Champions League nightmare. They break down the funniest Champions League storylines, including Spanish media's Cristiano Ronaldo thirst, before welcoming Managing Madrid's Kiyan Sobhani to talk about his recent article for FourFourTwo on Pep Guardiola's father, Jurgen Klopp. Oh, and there is a LOT of ZLATAN, including a long discussion of some of the absolute worst MLS takes related to our personal savior's debut for the Galaxy. Kiyan's article: https://www.fourfourtwo.com/us/features/how-jurgen-klopp-became-pep-guardiolas-kryptonite   

Eyyyy! Sorry about the extremely late LFF--and this is just a bonus, too. Gabe has been having some personal things go down, so fuck it, we decided to record while I was at the JFK airport bar because I was talking to long-term friend of the show Teddy Maglio (surprise Ted!) and Om Arvind about the Champions League, Liverpool, ManCity and the future of English sides in Europe and the USA. It was a fun-ass show, including numerous times I was interrupted by our server to give me a new beer. Because I'm a regular, normal guy. 

Hosts Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer are back and this week they're talking MLS teams in the CONCACAF Champions League, and why New York and Toronto's victories might be surprising to Liga MX fans (hint, it has to do with the guy who says MLS requires its teams to play bad keepers on purpose). Then it's on to the UEFA Champion's League, and they're all in on Manchester United's hilarious UCL failure, the draw (and pundits reaction to it), and the awesome Greek league where they have totally regular club presidents who do normal things. Finally, they talk about how a bunch of American cities have now given FIFA the middle finger on World Cup hosting because of FIFA's insane legal requirements. RIP Steven Hawking, the legend.

Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer are back to have a heart-to-heart about Spurs Spursing like Spurs and how, somehow, this time hurts more than previous collapses, despite it being all too pretictable. Also Gabe has some choice words for Chiellini, who was absolutely classless in his post-match interview--we'll give you a hint, there's definitely some carefully chose words about rabies.  Then, Gabe lifts Evan's spirits with an amazing story being floated in England (arguably the funniest single story we've covered yet) about Russia potentially poisoning the English national team to make them not win the World Cup. Finally, they break down how every single MLS side absolutely dominated their first leg CONCACAF Champions League match, and Gabe gives a quick #SaveTheCrew update.   

On this week's show Gabe is joined by reigning guest host champ James Rushton of 7500 to Holte to discuss taking revenge on cults, FIFA corruption and its relation to the incredibly stupid Pro/Rel people, Russian ultras taking cocaine into stadiums because it's legal for whatever reason, and calling the cops on twitter. In their actually serious segment they discuss the Crewe Alexandra scandal, and the way fans can deal with their favorite club betraying them in this manner. Then, Evan joins (belatedly) to discuss the way forward after this kind of trauma, and how you as a community can put everything back together again. 

Hosts Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer break down the news from a chaotic week in world football, from Sepp Blatter popping back in to, for whatever reason, weigh in on who should host the 2026 World Cup (spoiler: it's a country with a monarchy and almost unlimited amounts of money that also doesn't have a warrant out for his arrest!), some metal-ass incidents in Spain and Brazil, unhinged Milan fans and more.  Then, it's the TAM GAM show, where they try to dissect the absolutely incomprehensible MLS transfer requirements, and diving in to how they compare to European leagues and other American sports. *wheezing* *panting* .......IT'SSSS Your Let's Fix Football. 

Hosts Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer are joined by reigning LFF guest-appearance champ Ernesto Alvarado to break down the most recent updates in the FIFA corruption trial in Brooklyn, talk about the broader scandal, the new corruption allegations at the IOC, and the logic of anti-corrpution work generally. Ernesto is a practicing Foreign Corrupt Practices attorney based in Paris with the American law firm Hughes, Hubbard and Reed LLP. Evan and Gabe are also joined by journalist Jess Houwen of MLSFemale.com to discuss some MLS news, chat about her thoughts on Real Madrid's smashing of PSG--and, most importantly, to sing the Ballad of Aura and Marco.  Jess, Gabe and Evan finish the show by breaking down USSF's most recent atrocity--the not scam regular website run by "nutritional partner" Thorne, which itself sells regular, normal things and doesn't market supplements to child soccer coaches. 

Hosts Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer are joined by Kevin McCauley of SBNation (and many others) to discuss the NWSL's financial issues and future, the USSF election, and more. It's a really revealing interview where Kevin correctly predicts the way the voting would break down (if not the eventual result).  But first: they talk Tottenham's 1-0 victory in the North London Derby, Eric Lamela punking out Jack Whilshere, and the Huddersfield dude hanging dong on national television.  Come for the interesting discussion about the NWSL and USSF, stay for the dong jokes. 

Wow, has it been a week. Hosts Evan Mateer and Gabe Lezra break down all the drama at the end of the transfer window, focusing in particular on Pep Guardiola's half a BILLION pound spending spree, and some weird MLS topics. (Totally normal relationship between Manchester City and NYCFC).  And...yeah, they have to go all in on Arsenal, because my oh my has it been a week for them. In particular, they chat about Gabe's awesome normal uncle Aubameyang, and, well...it's all Piers Morgan. The widely-loathed Morgan interviewed United States President Donald Trump...and well, they talked about Arsenal.  Oh and Paul Lapointe--totally regular dude with normal opinions about purging journalists from covering USSF.

Hosts Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer are joined by Kevin McCauley of SBNation to discuss his revealing, exacting article about USSF's failures in recruiting talent from marginalized communities. It's a really interesting discussion that touches on everything from the Jonathan Gonzalez saga to USSF's institutional failings in recruiting talent. Also on the docket: USSF's newest scam, a $70 hoola hoop marketed to rich divorced parents who don't understand soccer and the candidate showcases at the USSF forum in Philadelphia. In Europe, the guys move on to Real Madrid's crisis (and why net transfer spend is a dumb AF metric for determining if a team is playing well), why Karim Benzema is actually a total baller and the people who are hating on him are wrong, and, well, Leeds' Nazi Mr. Clean crest. They also briefly discuss an update in the FIFA scandal.  

Hosts Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer shoot some sh*t about finances, superheroes and FIFA with their good friend and media mogul James Rushton of The AC Milan Offside, 7500 to Holte and the Swinging Into Spiderman podcast. It's a rather eclectic show, where the guys touch on everything from superhero tropes, which Batman was the best, Spiderman's representation in movies, and much much more.  There was also some football talk. James helps the guys break down the newest updates in the AC Milan financial saga, including the fact that Silvio Berlusconi might be the least shady person involved. They also discuss the comments from interim USMNT coach Tab Ramos about dual nationals, and Gabe's newest article about identity in football.  They finish up with one of the great riffs on FIFA's Russian doping problem. 

Hosts Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer break down the big USMNT news that Jonathan Gonzalez, the incredibly talented dual-citizen born in California to Mexican parents, chose to play for El Tri over the US Men's National Team. They break down the complicated decision, the pull between your two countries. They also discuss Gabe's "interview" of former USMNT player Alexi Lalas, and their back and forth about whether and how to pitch Gonzalez on staying with the USMNT.  Then they discuss Kyle Martino's unfortunate decision to go back to the USA-Costa Rica match well to attack SUM and Kathy Carter. What's the point of going to this match? Is there a political motive? They finish up discussing FIFA's recent disclosures about their "improved"  board member salary of $250,000/year for 3 meetings--and, most importantly, USSF's decision to hawk diet pills for $50 a pop to unsuspecting coaches.

Hosts Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer discuss the USSF election conflict of interest issues surrounding Eric Wynalda and Kathy Carter, and some of the legal issues involved. How similar is the USSF to a normal corporation, and do they have to abide by the general rules of corporate law?  They have a number of funny examples of badly behaved fans for the week's worst take, and they finish up with a discussion of Financial Fair Play. They conduct a rundown of UEFA's Financial Fair Play regulations effect on differing club revenue models, using five separate teams with different balance sheets as examples. 

Hosts Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer are joined by their friend Ernesto Alvarado to talk about everything from Antoine Greizmann's absurd blackface costume, the FIFA trial, and Gabe's articles on the Columbus Crew.  Gabe and Ernesto start with a long chat about Greizmann and racism, delving into the culture that would allow or even encourage the costume, the incredibly flawed misconception that this constume is some how OK or justified, and they break down some of the myriad shit takes from old white dudes about Greizmann.  Then they're joined by Evan to break down the latest developments in the FIFA scandal coming out of federal court in Brooklyn. Both sides delivered closing arguments earlier in the week and it's really up in the air how it might shake out. Oh, and FIFA is incredibly mobbed up.  They end by chatting about Gabe's new articles on the Columbus crew and some out-there plans to potentially #SaveTheCrew.

In this week's Let's Fix Football hosts Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer break down the absurd USSF presidential election. They break down all the candidates--from the front runners to the absolutely ridiculous--and talk about how to handicap the race. And there's an Alexi Lalas insufferability update, as our ginger-haired moist thumb in a suit has declared himself the voice of the people.  They also chat about Toronto's deserved 2-0 victory over the Sounders, break down Michael Bradley's game, and fantasize about a Liga MX - MLS supercup (it would be awesome, right?).  Finalle, they chat Europe, with some bad takes about England's "resurgence", and check in on Arsenal Fan TV. 

On this week's show, hosts Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer talk about ex-USSF President Sunil Gulati's really good decision to resign, and the incredibly unacceptable way he decided to go about it. Also funny: the absolutely obnoxous Alexi Lalas-related meltdown that followed.  Then--it's Arsenal fan RAAAAGE as they break down the absolutely hilarious "controversy" of Arsenal fans frothing anger at the hosts of BBC Match of the Day following their discussion Arsenal's 3-1 loss against Manchester United. Arsenal fan twitter was so enraged at the MotD coverage that they got every single middle-aged ex-player professional analyst host to have their own Twitter meltdown.  And then it's Balon d'Or discussion time as we have a whole bunch of dumb shit takes about Cristiano Ronaldo's 100% correct and fair 5th BdO. 

Hosts Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer are joined by Scouted Football's Jack Grimse to break down the week in bad takes, including a series of absolute doozies from various Soccer Twitter personalities about Mesut Ozil. They also chat Pep Guardiola's miraculous ability to turn already good teams into good teams, and how some teams know how to spend smart.  They also talk about some truly horrific MLS and American soccer takes, including a Toronto FC personality attacking Columbus fans for their (righteous) fury at Michael Bradley. But the real highlight here is a Sports Illustrated take that is that fun combination between extremely racist and absurdly self-righteous. The final take this week? A breakdown of former USMNT player (and current ESPN analyst) Alexi Lalas's absurd music career, and in particular his most recent contemporary alt-rock album "Shots". Oh yes. 

Hosts Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer run down some bad takes from the week in European football: Arsenal won the North London Derby--so they're really good now! Spurs lost? They're terrible and are in desperate financial shape and will implode soon and also Arsenal are better than Spurs at spending their money because they pay way more for worse players and finish fourth a lot.  Then they dive into the myriad stupid opinions about Expected Goals: for some reason this was the week that a bunch of media personalities decided that they would offer their least interesting, most boring takes on the intro to soccer analytics-level statistic, expected goals. Enjoy the ranting.

It's international break and there's not a ton to talk about--aside from Italy's SHOCKING elimination from the 2018 World Cup at the hands of a Zlatan-less Sweden side. Hosts Evan Mateer and Gabe Lezra briefly touch on the World Cup qualifying news, Italy's incomprehensible decision not to start their best striker in a game they needed to win and some other odds and ends. They also break down some of the new #SaveTheCrew news, including the scam emails with Precourt, SBNation's fascinating breakdown of the Crew's solid financial situation, and their improbable run to the MLS cup semifinals.  THEN it's the main event folks.  Gabe and Evan are on their bullshit once again--and this time they cover everything from some absolutely absurd Pep Guardiola dick sucking, "I told you so takes" regarding Sebastian Giovinco, and good old-fashioned Italian racism. Bad takes go all the way back to 2003 (hey friends, who's better Freddy "the GOAT" Adu or Lionel "total bust" Messi?) and continue into the present day.  Buckle up fam. It's an awesome episode. 

Heyooo! It's your weekly Let's Fix Football. This week hosts Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer run down the week in European football, where almost nothing interesting happened. Will Manchester City win the Double? Maybe? Probably not?   More importantly, they focus on MLS Playoffs, especially touching on the Crew's squeaker against NYCFC and offer some thoughts about the process. Then, they offer their thoughts about the next round, and whether Columbus can continue their cinderella run into the final by beating Toronto FC. #SaveTheCrew fam.  Then? Worst. Video. Take. Ever. Yeah, the second half of the show is just the dudes taking down the worst BBC video ever. Ever. Will Americans ever care about football? This American in England will tell you that probably not!

Hosts Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer run down the week in European football, focusing on Tottenham's huge win over Real Madrid in the Champions League, and what the tie means for both sides. Then they discuss the MLS Playoffs, running down Columbus's huge and improbable cinderella run. They lament the loss of Atlanta in the playoffs but agree that Columbus, and the #SaveTheCrew movement are more important.   Then they interview their friend FCPA Attorney Ernesto Alvarado about recent developments in the FIFA and political universe. In particular, they chat the recent Swiss investigation of PSG president Al Khalaifi, the Catalan referendum and the future of European football, and they end with a quick discussion of the allegations against ex-La Liga president Villar. 

SAVE THE CREW. That's the overall theme of today's Let's Fix Football--though first hosts Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer break down some of the funnier European results of the weekend (hi PSG and United). Then, they talk MLS playoffs, breaking down the format, the various teams and "Decision Day" action (sorry for the scare quotes, but it's kinda silly to call it that, guys).  Bad takes this week are the real focus, with Evan talking Carabao Cup (and how it's totally awesome and definitely not stupid in any way). Then Gabe breaks down the hillarious and horrific anti-Columbus Crew astroturf organization "MLS In Austin" which tweeted some absolutely RIDICULOUS shit. Definitely worth a listen.  Anyways-- #SaveTheCrew folks. It's the right thing to do. 

It's UCL BONAAANZA week! Gabe's Real Madrid host Evan's Tottenham Hotspur in the Bernabeu--the guys break down the exciting draw, while taking particular note of the tactical and systemic questions left by both managers ahead of the next meeting.  They also quickly recap the rest of the European week--interesting!--before heading over to Italy to talk Derbi della Madonnina!  Then they talk USMNT and the impending succession debate. Will Tab Ramos take over? Is Big Sam the saviour? No. Finally, they break down the Crew's potential move to Austin. Is this inevitable? Good business strategy?  AND! Bad takes featuring the entirety of the English and Spanish press and...BIG SAM! 

Hosts Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer break down. That's it. Because the US Men's National Team lost to Trinidad and Tobago and failed to qualify for the World Cup. It's an international break rundown episode, folks.  In all seriousness, the guys break down the various matches that occurred prior to Tuesday night (when they recorded), and talk everything from the US's win against Panama and Pulisic's incredibke match (lol), Argentina's issues, and the rest of the qualifying round generally. They round out the show with some bad takes about the USMNT--and yes, the takes are still terrible even though the side lost.  In a bonus addition, recorded Wednesday 10/11, they reflect on the catastrophic USMNT loss to Trinidad and Tobago and curse the entire USSF staff. 

Hosts Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer run down the week in European football and then interview their friend James Rushton, who runs SBNation's AC Milan and Aston Villa sites, about the intersection of sports and politics.  First, the guys break downt the amazing "Pizzagate" controversy surrounding Cesc Fabregas definitely running a child sex ring with his Arsenal colleagues--and chat actually real English football. After a brief tour around Europe, the guys discuss the situation in Spain and how to move forward. They finish up with two Russia-based bad takes! This week's interview segment features James Rushton, the editor of SB Nation's AC Milan site AC Milan Offside and SB Nation's Aston Villa Blog 7500 to Holte. The guys discuss James' recent article about sports and politics--and how they're really inseperable.  

Hosts Evan Mateer and Gabe Lezra recap the crazy week in European football, talking through the PSG crisis--and the AMAZING report that PSG offered Edison Cavani a cool $1 million to NOT take penalty kicks, Real Madrid's "crisis" in the Spanish league and then the Champions League. They finish up discussing Atlanta United, and how awesome this team has become in MLS. They expand on the Atlanta model and theorize some ways for Atlanta and MLS to expand through the loan process. They chat MLS playoffs and finish with some amaaaaazing bad takes--really top quality work this week. 

Hosts Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer run down the week in European football, talking about PSG's most recent scandal--Neymar and Cavani, oh no!--and talk la Liga and EPL. This week's reading series is an incredible piece of mid-aughts ESPN bullshit, wherein a bunch of dudes try to convince the lone female writer that Sepp Blatter's comments about how female soccer players should wear "tighter shorts" are right, actually. It's really awesome, check it out here: http://www.espn.com/page2/s/bloc/040120.html Then they interview their friend Ernesto Alvarado about the recent FIFA corruption scandal. Ernesto is an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Hughes Hubbard & Reed. As part of the Anti-Corruption and Internal Investigations practice group, Ernesto assists clients with matters involving the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, U.K. Bribery Act, international anti-corruption law and compliance, third-party due diligence, and internal investigations.  In the interview the guys focus on FIFA's organizational structure, discuss how FIFA's corruption scandal permeated many different levels of the organization, and delve into the FCPA and other theories of liability that allowed the United States Department of Justice to investigate and bring charges against the international organization. Then, they discuss the specifics of the investigation and the next steps for FIFA going forward. 

Hosts Gabe Lezra and Evan Mateer are joined by fillmmaker (and Gabe's brother) Nat Lezra and Eleanor Erney to discuss the absolutely unwatchable disaster FIFA propaganda film United Passions.  United Passions is one of the worst movies ever made, released only days before the FIFA corruption scandal (and named after a softcore ) and completely critically panned. The group dives into the plot of the film, breaking down every single element of this fucking unwatchable film--including all the racism, sexism, and general whitewashing.  Normal shows resume Tuesdays!

Oh god, it's this episode. Every nominally MLS-related show has to do at least fucking ONE promotion-relegation episode, and this is that show for us here at Let's Fix Football. Gabe and Evan bring their American shitbag style to this discussion, delving into the European leagues first--is Manchester CIty champion now? And is it time to just award Barcelona the champions league? Will Real Madrid be relegated?--before diving into the horrible morass of MLS promotion-relegation arguments. We won't spoil the discussion for you, but you might be surprised in how the guys come out on the issue. And we have our bad takes of the week! Gabe talks Nike's comical explanation of their horrifically ugly third kits, while Evan takes on an article that argues that MLS teams should be named after birds of prey (yeah, every team should be the Eagles or some shit). 

JEEEEEESUS CHRIST It's international break week and it's time to talk about FIFA. Well, them and the garbage fire USMNT. But really FIFA, the comic book villain-level corrupt organization that controls this game. Fuck them. Evan rants about Bruce Arena and the disaster that the US team has become since 2010, Gabe fumes about FIFA, and they both laugh their asses off at Barcelona's shit transfer window, Antonio Conte's fucked up phone, and one of the shittiest takes int he history off footbal commentary. 

With irreverent humor and no fucking class, hosts Gabe Lezra (of the Managing Madrid podcast) and Evan Mateer break down all the major news events in the European soccer world each week (well, they record Tuesday nights....most of the time) and do their fucking best to get into MLS--because if these fuckheads can't get into it then it's in trouble. They end the show by demolishing some of the worst soccer takes of the week (though Gabe goes classic in this episode).   Their staged reading series features soccer takes from the likes of the inimitable Ann Coulter, Richard Epstein, and writers from some of Europe's most respected sports outlets, including bastions of journalistic integrity The News of the World, MARCA, AS, the Sun...and others! We hope you enjoy the show--it's going to be a long, strange, fucked up ride.