Rebecca and Brendan recap a stunning day at the World Cup as two quarterfinal matches end in penalties: Underdog Croatia took out star-studded Brazil and Brendan’s beloved Netherlands fell to Lionel Messi’s unrelenting Argentina. Plus, power couple Abby Wambach and Glennon Doyle join the podcast to share the emotional roller coaster of newfound soccer fandom (Glennon) and give an expert’s take on penalty kicks (Abby).

Note: Hours after recording this episode, we learned that soccer journalist Grant Wahl passed away while reporting on the World Cup in Qatar. We will have more to say about Grant as a writer and as a person in tomorrow’s episode.

Brendan and Rebecca go around the grounds on the latest Round of 16 results: Why are World Cup Cinderellas so rare? Are Brazil’s goal celebrations just too much? And is there anything more badass than a Panenka to win a penalty shootout? Then, they preview all four quarterfinal matches, and Rebecca has an unexpected change of heart about her beloved England side.

A 3-0 victory over Senegal wasn’t enough for Rebecca, who has some quibbles for England’s manager, Gareth Southgate. Plus, Brendan and Rebecca recap all of the day’s action, delighting in Harry Kane finally scoring a goal and marveling at the magic of France’s Kylian Mbappé. And Brett Goldstein, who plays Roy Kent on ‘Ted Lasso,’ joins the pod to share his favorite thing about watching England (Jordan Pickford’s attitude) and to propose a creative way for England to handle Mbappé in the squad’s quarterfinal matchup (lasagna, anyone?).

Minutes after the U.S.’s heartbreaking loss to the Netherlands, Brendan and Rebecca talk through where The Guys went wrong: an uncharacteristic flub from Tyler Adams, questionable lineup decisions from Gregg Berhalter, and above all else … youth. And after this “naive but brave” performance, Brendan and Rebecca can’t help but be hopeful for 2024 and 2026. Then they briefly look ahead to England–Senegal and take a detour into the startling way that most Brits butter their toast.

Brendan and Rebecca put a bow on the group stage of this entertaining, bizarre, and totally unpredictable World Cup. Then basketball legend (and footy superfan) Steve Nash joins them to discuss his global World Cup allegiances (Canada, England, Wales, AND the U.S.), his thoughts on why Gio Reyna is on the bench, and to make some knockout-round predictions. Steve shares Rebecca’s affliction with the “Southgate flu” and comes together with Brendan despite their Spurs–Arsenal rivalry. Finally, Brendan and Rebecca talk out X-factors and nerves for Saturday’s pivotal USA–Netherlands showdown.

Brendan and Rebecca break down some stunning results no one could have predicted, as Morocco and Japan win their respective groups and Germany and Belgium are both eliminated. Then, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr joins to share how he became a soccer superfan later in life (thanks, Mo Salah), explain why he shows soccer videos to his NBA team, and go on the record about an iconic moment with Michael Jordan at the 1998 NBA Finals. Brendan and Rebecca wrap up with some bits and bobs on the Ghana-Uruguay beef and Christian Pulisic’s injury, then tip their caps to Stéphanie Frappart, who made history today as the first woman to referee a men’s World Cup match.

A joyous Brendan and Rebecca breathe sighs of relief as the U.S. and England both advance to the knockout rounds. Brendan complains about not sitting down for an hour and a half, while Rebecca complains about which players rested the final 30 minutes in a 3-0 win. They cover Christian Pulisic’s thrilling goal (and painful injury) and the harrowing final minutes of the U.S.–Iran match, and attempt to answer an important question: Is England actually any good? Then, “Dutch in 60” takes on a whole new meaning as the pair preview this weekend’s U.S.–Netherlands and England–Senegal games.

Coming off an action-packed weekend, Brendan and Rebecca recap the tournament’s biggest headlines: Has Belgium wasted a golden generation of talent? Will Germany somehow win it all despite opening with a loss and a draw? Is Lionel Messi actually coming to MLS? And ... is it cool to blow the final whistle right before a corner? Then, they touch on rising Iran–U.S. tensions before offering up a viewers’ guide to the pivotal “feast of footy” happening this week, as just two (!) teams have been eliminated from contention thus far.

In the aftermath of a stunning USA–England result, Rebecca has a serious case of the Southgate flu and Brendan is disappointed by the USMNT’s failure to emerge victorious. They discuss Southgate’s baffling personnel decisions, Tyler Adams’s star turn, and a surprisingly great performance from ... Harry Maguire? Then, Rebecca and Brendan give their optimist’s and pessimist’s takes on both teams’ chances to advance from the group stage, and recap other big headlines from the tournament.

Brendan and Rebecca team up for a special episode before the whistle to preview what could become the most watched soccer game in U.S. history: the impending USA–England showdown on Black Friday. ‘Ted Lasso’ co-creator Jason Sudeikis joins the show to discuss his time living in England, his nerves about Friday’s match, and to give a bold prediction on the final result. Plus, a lightning-round recap of Saudi Arabia’s wild upset of Argentina and all the Cristiano Ronaldo drama.