Football Friends with Ben & Stef

The boys speak to Melbourne Victory's Harrison Sawyer and South Melbourne's Sebastian Pasquali as part of their Australia Cup final preview podcast.

They also discuss this week's key talking points, including Adam Taggart's shock exit from Vietnam, the Olyroos and more. 

Ben and Stef are back for a blockbuster episode of football friends - as Avondale FC star Blake Carpenter to discuss his side’s NPL Victoria Grand Final win, discuss the divide between the A-League and NPL and to bury the hatchet with Stef after his comments on the Suited & Booted podcast 
Elsewhere on the ep:

• Reacting to the incredible ticket sales for the Australia Cup final 
• Ben gives his verdict on his Sydney FC teammate Akol Akon’s impending move to Sydney FC 
• Bruno Fornaroli revealed he had to turn down a move to the Australian Championship due to a registration quirk - what’s the boys take? 
• A-League expansion: which clubs would the boys want to see come into the league?

🗣️ Stefan Mauk is joined by his former Fagiano Okayama teammate and current PSV midfielder Kodai Sano to explore the differences between Japanese and Australian football development.Sano reveals the demanding training environment that shaped him in Japan, including practising almost every day throughout high school, and explains the mentality driving so many Japanese players to succeed across Europe.The PSV midfielder also reflects on his journey from Fagiano Okayama to NEC Nijmegen, why he chose Champions League football with PSV and the surreal experience of hearing the famous anthem before making his competition debut.00:00 – Introduction and scoring his first PSV goal00:40 – Growing up playing football in Japan03:12 – Japan’s demanding high-school football system07:12 – Choosing the high-school pathway09:14 – Adapting to professional football at Fagiano Okayama11:49 – How Sano became such a versatile player14:06 – Developing the ambition to play in Europe15:16 – Adapting to life at NEC Nijmegen18:10 – Why Japanese players are thriving in Europe21:20 – The mentality behind Japan’s success21:58 – Why Sano chose PSV23:11 – His surreal Champions League debut24:08 – Asian Cup ambitions and facing Australia

Ben Garuccio and Stefan Mauk debate whether players would really choose the NPL lifestyle over accepting an opportunity to play in the A-League.They also discuss Stef’s dramatic 90th-minute winner for Nam Định, Sydney FC’s Australia Cup semi-final defeat to Melbourne Victory and Macarthur’s major recruitment drive.Plus, the growing investment in the Australian Championship, Sydney Olympic’s ambitious rebuild and Ben reveals the brutal sledge that convinced him to finally shave his head.00:26 – Stef’s dramatic 90th-minute winner02:53 – Sydney FC’s Australia Cup semi-final defeat06:24 – Melbourne Victory’s latest signings08:40 – Macarthur’s major recruitment drive11:25 – Why Australians struggle after moving overseas14:48 – Could Adelaide City become an A-League club?16:55 – Sydney Olympic’s Australian Championship rebuild20:04 – Would NPL players reject an A-League contract?25:32 – Ben reveals his new look27:58 – Australian Championship’s penalty shootout rule

FOOTBALL FRIENDS WITH BEN & STEF: SPECIAL EDITION 🗣️Ben Garuccio and Stefan Mauk are joined by Australian forward Mo Toure for a special edition of Football Friends.Toure discusses his impressive goalscoring form for Norwich City, the work behind his improved finishing and the influence of manager Philippe Clement.He also reflects on representing Australia at the World Cup, addresses recent transfer interest and explains why he remains happy at Norwich as the club targets a place in the Championship play-offs.

Episode II of this season's Football Friends with Ben & Stef is headlined by a discussion around the Young Socceroos' Asian Cup elimination.

Both Ben Garuccio and Stefan Mauk came through Australia's national youth teams and they dissect the result and also whether the fallout has been on point.

There's chat around the A-Leagues' ref crisis, Socceroos match payments, both boys' current action on the park and their reaction to some of the online comments they received last week.

Stay tuned to more from the boys, including exclusive interviews as bonus episodes.

Football Friends with Ben and Stef is BACK for another season, this time in conjunction with Football360 - and with a special guest to boot to kick us off.The boys are joined by Socceroos and new Hanoi FC striker Adam Taggart to discuss his surprise move away from Perth Glory and lift the lid on why so many Aussie players are making the switch to Vietnam. Also on the episode:

• The boys catch up on their off-season and how Ben is feeling ahead of another A-League season
• Stefan's experience of playing against his former side Adelaide United in Asia
• Stef lifting silverware
• Recapping an amazing few months for Australian football on the whole with so many Aussie making big transfers

Sydney FC defender Ben Garuccio and Cong An Ha Noi midfielder Stefan Mauk discuss the biggest topics in Australian football this week in the season finale of Football Friends, brought to you by Football360. On this episode:- Ben reacts to Sydney FC’s Grand Final heartbreak against Auckland FC and reveals what the atmosphere was REALLY like in New Zealand- Why Auckland FC have become the blueprint for the rest of the A-League- The A-League’s biggest winners, disappointments and breakout stars from the 2025/26 season- The Socceroos squad drama: The brutal reality of being cut before a World Cup- Stefan reveals the toughest squad omission of his career- What the future REALLY looks like for the A-League amid salary cap and financial uncertaintyPlus much more!

Ben Garuccio and Stefan Mauk have enjoyed massive weeks, with Ben scoring the winning penalty for Sydney FC against Newcastle, while Stef won silverware in Vietnam. On this week's Football Friends Podcast, brought to you by Football360, the boys reflect on the weekend, break down where both semis were won and look ahead to the A-League Grand Final.

Ben reflects on his extraordinary season, which almost never happened after Western United's disaster, and the boys talk about some of the current hot topics, including Arthur Diles' departure at Victory and Heidelberg's omission from Asian competition.

In this week’s episode of Football Friends with Ben and Stef, the boys dive into one of the biggest talking points in Australian football… money, after plenty of fan comments last week about Stef's prediction of an A-League 'exodus'. They preview the third week of the A-League finals series, chat about Riley McGree and the latest Socceroos World Cup squad discussion, share their experiences playing at under 17 level, and break down the reality of football salaries in Australia.