Beer and Footy: Recent Episodes
Kyle
Grimsby are bringing the magic back to the FA Cup and lifelong James explains what it was like to be in the crowd waving an inflatable haddock.
A discussion on how to beat France turns into a discussion of Who can beat France? Not a curse, not a virus, not the destiny of Messi or the ghost of Maradona can deny this French team, who have been so good at winning even when being outplayed.
Says Benoit "Football is a simple game and in the end the French always win. We used to say that about the Germans but now it is true of the French. We don't need to play well to win, we believe we can win and we do, no matter which players are on the field."
Joe broke down exactly how to beat Brazil for his Croatia team and gives his first hand perspectives on how to beat the would be champions in the Final.
What's it like being a Morocco fan these days? with Nabil and reaction from Benoit, a fan of Les Bleus who says no matter what happens between France and Morocco, there will always be a hug and a high five between these two brothers.
What's it like to be a Morocco fan right now? with Nabil and How do we score against this impregnable defense? with Benoit
It's Big Brother France v Little Brother Morocco, but brothers often have the worst fights! https://open.substack.com/pub/kylewest/p/semi-final-preview-france-v-morocco?r=1gxmuf&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Brazil fan Robert and Croatia fan Joe analyze each other's teams and break down the key battles that will decide this World Cup QuarterFinal.
Just like the Giroud and Maguire battle could decide the QuarterFinal on Saturday, so Benoit, the tall handsome striker who scores with style and James, the scowling hard man at the back, screaming "Get a Grip!" decide who wins this whole thing!
The battle between Giroud and Maguire will be one of the key ones to watch in the QuarterFinal and this episode brings together two players who remind me of those two; James, the big center back, brave in the air and always scowling at anyone who shirks a tackle yelling "Get a Grip" and Benoit, the tall, handsome striker who holds the ball up with style and makes scoring goals look easy.
We break down the teams player by player and find there is nothing to choose between the two teams on the surface and only fate, destiny or the whim of The Football Gods can decide this encounter.
Argentina have the fans with the loudest voices and they are the 12th man, no matter where they are in the world and what they are doing. This passion drives the players onward and gives them a closer bond to their team than any other. They also have the clearest purpose of any team: win it for Leo. With respect to the Dutch, they are in the way of destiny, a semi final with Brazil, a Sud Americano SupperClassico Grudge Match of All Time. One that Argentines know they can win.
The 5 time champions are number 5 on my list of contenders. Too low? Lifelong Brazilian fan Robert joins me to talk through the roster of this team and how they might overcome a dependence on Neymar. This squad has a great goalkeeper and a solid backline with young talents Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo emerging at Real Madrid this season and they have played very well without Neymar at times recently. Can they afford to drop him to the bench? Is that the way forward to World Cup Number 6?
Coming in at #4 on the contenders chart are De Nederlands.
1- Argentina
2 - France
3 - England
4 - Netherlands
Joined by lifelong fan Robin to talk through this team and how they shape up. There is an exciting generation of talent out of the Ajax Academy that could gel around the excellent Frenkie De Jong and are inspired by coaching legend Louis Van Gaal. They also have three of the world's top center backs, anchored by the immense Virgil Van Dijk. If they get goals from Memphis it's hard to see them conceding many and the draw could not have been kinder.
This Argentina team is young and fast and they are desperate to win it for Messi, they should be considered one of the favorites, yet the experts aren't talking about them. Which is just how their fans like it.
England made the finals of the Euro and the semi finals of World Cup four years ago, this generation has more attacking talent than English fans are used to. We talk to a lifetime England fan about his hopes for this generation and a Scotland fan chimes in with his memories of Euro 96 and the Gazza goal that should never have been.
How does it feel to be a World Champion? We ask a lifelong fan of "Les Bleus" about how it feels to be top of the world and full of confidence going into a World Cup. Curse of the holders? Not to fear, this is a team hungry for more Glory and with a new generation of talent pushing hard for their places.
Benoit remembers World Cup 98 and the reason he thinks that team has a lot of similarity to Canada's current generation and predicts a World Cup for Canada in '26!
Plus the three words guaranteed to make a Frenchman angry.
A chat with John DeBenedictis, Executive Director of the NSCAC, about the coaching and recruiting and inspiration of John Herdman, the coach who achieved Canada's unprecedented World Cup Qualifying achievements and became the first coach ever to take a Men's and Women's Team to the World Cup. Herdman recruited several key players from other national programs and coached them to play decisive and fearless, beating long standing rivals to top their World Cup Qualifying Group and Qualify for World Cup 2022. John remembers the late Tony Waiters and thinks his achievement in "85 might have been ever more difficult. We try and answer the question is John Herdman a Coaching Genius or did he just happen to take over when an incredible burst of Canadian talent emerged ?