In a weekend of massive derbies, none is bigger than the clash between Simeone's Atleti and Zizou's Real which could well decide the fate of the La Liga title race. Watching from the passenger seat are Barcelona whose improvement under Koeman continued with a stunning come from behind win that gave them a chance at winning what could be a famous trophy. Elsewhere, Manchester United fight to keep Man City's hands off the Premier League trophy for a few more weeks, but, first, we reflect on the brilliance that has led City to this point. 

We also praise Timo Werner's stellar work at Anfield, discuss Der Klassiker, and wonder if Tigres might awake from their slumber too late to chase down the trophies their talent indicates they could win. Solari's America, Pogba's impact and the soaring confidence of Leipzig are also topics of discussion on a loaded pod.

Table of Contents

00:00:00 Man City's Brilliance

00:11:44 What if Pogba Leaves United?

00:28:43 Chelsea, Werner Flash Cutting Edge

00:40:40 Do Players Really Care About UCL Football

00:44:41 Madrid Derby Perfectly Poised

00:58:46 Koeman Proves Value

01:15:29 Tigres Sleep-Walking to Liguilla

01:24:03 America Building to Crescendo

01:38:58 Der Klassiker + RB Leipzig's Open Door

Get in touch on Twitter @statsideabroad. You can also subscribe on YouTube! (Stateside Abroad Football and Stateside Abroad Football Podcast)

To support the show, visit anchor.fm/statesideabroad/support

To follow and interact on your favorite platform, visit linktr.ee/statesideabroad

Music From the Show:

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Clocks by Smith The Mister https://smiththemister.bandcamp.com 

Smith The Mister https://bit.ly/Smith-The-Mister-YT 

Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/al-clocks

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/6MT6-JzUw1w

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On a weekend which had the potential to shift the La Liga title race, it was Real Madrid who fumbled the bag by dropping points to Real Sociedad on Monday after Atleti & Barca had held serve on the days before. We discuss how Koeman got his tactics just right and how Atleti may now be ready to cruise home after seeing Real miss a massive chance.

We also discuss Monterrey & Tijuana’s intriguing draw that showed both Rayados & Xolos are legit contenders to win the Liguilla, praise RB Leipzig after a heroic come from behind win kept them in the title race and wonder what the fascination with moving your best players further from the goal is. Plus, we discuss Thomas Tuchel running his mouth in regards to Tammy Abraham’s emotions and dive into AC Milan’s win over Roma and impending Europa League tie against Man United.

Apologies for any audio issues with today’s show. There was a slight error with audio levels—hopefully the remastering of the file has largely eliminated them—but we’re really sorry if the quality is affected. Friday’s show should be back to the normal standard. Hope you enjoy anyways!

Table of Contents

00:00:00 Barcelona & Atleti Hold Serve, Real Drop Points

00:23:25 Monterrey & Tijuana are the Real Deal

00:39:31 RB Leipzig Resuce Win, Keep Title Dreams Alive

00:52:56 Schalke in Disarray

01:02:22 Chelsea-Man United Snoozer

01:20:13 Tuchel’s Comments on Tammy

01:35:15 Pioli’s Patience with AC Milan

01:48:00 Zlatan in the Headlines

01:55:23 Europa League Last 16 Draw

Get in touch on Twitter @statsideabroad. You can also subscribe on YouTube! (Stateside Abroad Football and Stateside Abroad Football Podcast)

To support the show, visit anchor.fm/statesideabroad/support

To follow and interact on your favorite platform, visit linktr.ee/statesideabroad

Music From the Show:

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Clocks by Smith The Mister https://smiththemister.bandcamp.com

Smith The Mister https://bit.ly/Smith-The-Mister-YT

Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/al-clocks

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/6MT6-JzUw1w

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Flamengo are champions of Brazil but not without another dose of late drama from title rivals Inter who nearly snatched the crown with the final kick of the season. We discuss the beauty of the Brasilerao’s final day and why it means critics of Brazilian football need to abandon their tired narrative. We also talk European nights as Chelsea & Real Madrid survived for narrow victories while Milan struggled their way into the last sixteen of the Europa League. 

In addition to all that, we discuss a high powered attack trying to combat Mexico’s sternest defense when Monterrey meets Tijuana before giving out NBA style awards for some of Europe’s top performers this season including Scott Parker, Ruben Dias, Nicolo Barella, Wout Weghorst, Franck Kessie, Daichi Kamada, and many more. 

If you enjoyed the show, leave a like/review as it really helps the show out and subscribe so you never miss another one.

Table of Contents

00:00:00 Chelsea-Atleti + PL Weekend

00:15:50 Real Madrid-Atalanta + La Liga Weekend

00:26:29 Man United Europa League Favs?

00:35:49 AC Milan Survive & Advance

00:44:15 Flamengo are Champions

01:02:27 Liga MX Weekend Preview

01:11:40 European 3/4 Season Awards

Get in touch on Twitter @statsideabroad. You can also subscribe on YouTube! (Stateside Abroad Football and Stateside Abroad Football Podcast)

To support the show, visit anchor.fm/statesideabroad/support

To follow and interact on your favorite platform, visit linktr.ee/statesideabroad

Music From the Show:

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Clocks by Smith The Mister https://smiththemister.bandcamp.com 

Smith The Mister https://bit.ly/Smith-The-Mister-YT 

Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/al-clocks

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/6MT6-JzUw1w

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Inter Milan took a big step towards winning the Scuedtto with a win over rivals Milan, but the desire the team's key players like Lukaku and Barelli show suggests that the team's mentality is perfect to see out the task. We wonder about the roots of this team's insatiable hunger for success and look over the uncertain future of Milan after their latest bump in the road. 

We also discuss Flamengo's potentially title-winning victory over Internacional at the Maracana and wonder if Sao Paulo can spoil the impending party on the final day of the league season. Later, we talk about the European race unfolding in England, Spain, Italy, and France, preview the upcoming Champions League ties featuring Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Man City, and Atletico Madrid, discuss Thomas Tuchel's substitution of Callum Hudson-Odoi, and check in on Liga MX which continues to wind an unconventional road towards what promises to be a wild finish. 

Table of Contents

00:00:00 Inter's Big Win + Lukaku's Hunger for Success

00:09:07 AC Milan's Next Step

00:21:24 Flamengo's Title Romp Reaches Final Stage

00:34:09 England's Messy Race for Europe

00:42:44 Tuchel Subs Hudson-Odoi On + Off 

01:05:31 Frankfurt + Wolfsburg Tighten Grasp on Top 4

01:20:14 Big UCL Night Ahead for Atleti + Real as Title Race Closes

01:33:30 PSG Struggle but Ligue In Improving

01:48:13 Liga MX Contenders Emerging

Get in touch on Twitter @statsideabroad. You can also subscribe on YouTube! (Stateside Abroad Football and Stateside Abroad Football Podcast)

To support the show, visit anchor.fm/statesideabroad/support

To follow and interact on your favorite platform, visit linktr.ee/statesideabroad

Music From the Show:

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Clocks by Smith The Mister https://smiththemister.bandcamp.com 

Smith The Mister https://bit.ly/Smith-The-Mister-YT 

Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/al-clocks

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/6MT6-JzUw1w

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Kylian Mbappe was the star of the week and, as such, the show. His brilliance has Barça on their knees and inspired Erling Haaland to take his game to a different level in a moment of need for Borussia Dortmund. We discuss all of those Champions League stories plus the relative impotence of Juventus in the big moment as well as a Manchester City side that are anything but. 

We also discuss the weekend ahead with a particular focus on Inter Milan's massive derby match agains Milan and Internacional's potential title decider at the Maracana with Flamengo. We preview both matches and wonder who will take control of the tempo in the biggest Brazilian clash for some time. We also discuss Cruz Azul's rapid progression under Juan Reynoso and discuss a variety of managerial positions around the globe that could come open in the next few months including Barcelona, Lyon, RB Leipzig, Crystal Palace, Santos, Napoli and many others. 

Table of Contents

00:00:00 Mbappe + Brilliant PSG Romp

00:14:26 Where Do Barca Go Next?

00:20:29 Man City Go Clear

00:30:38 Haaland, Dortmund Show Mettle

00:35:30 Juventus Fall Flat

00:43:05 Cruz Azul Show Strides Against Tigres

00:51:16 Decisive Milan Derby

00:57:19 Internacional, Flamengo Clash for Brazilian Title

01:06:03 Managerial Openings, Candidates + Possibilities

Get in touch on Twitter @statsideabroad. You can also subscribe on YouTube! (Stateside Abroad Football and Stateside Abroad Football Podcast)

To support the show, visit anchor.fm/statesideabroad/support

To follow and interact on your favorite platform, visit linktr.ee/statesideabroad

Music From the Show:

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Clocks by Smith The Mister https://smiththemister.bandcamp.com 

Smith The Mister https://bit.ly/Smith-The-Mister-YT 

Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/al-clocks

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/6MT6-JzUw1w

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Bayern Munich (predictably) swooped for a bargain deal on one of their competition's key players. We discuss how Bayern may have mishandled their signing of Dayot Upamecano but praise the Bavarians' business over the years and point to it as a (somewhat unachievable) model for other sides in Europe to aim for. We also discuss the mountainous odds that a club like Leipzig faces to realistically become Bayern's equal in the decades to come for a variety of factors. 

Later, we discuss how expectations can ruin a marriage--both in actuality--but, more specifically, in football management. We view the weight of expectations in three cases, all in the city of London, via monsieurs Tuchel, Mourinho, and Arteta. We also discuss Leon's goal of winning the CONCACAF Champions League and wonder about the contenders for the Champions and Europa League while previewing this week's fixtures including Leipzig-Liverpool, Barca-PSG, and Ajax-Lille. 

Table of Contents

00:00:00 Upamecano Signs for Bayern

00:34:16 Champions League Round of 16 Preview

01:04:13 Europa League Round of 32 Preview

01:14:57 Are Mourinho, Arteta, Tuchel Sackings Inevitable?

01:48:48 Does Conte Give Inter Edge?

01:52:00 Are Leon Putting Too Many Eggs in CL Basket?

02:00:10 Brasilerao Title Decider Looms

Get in touch on Twitter @statsideabroad. You can also subscribe on YouTube! (Stateside Abroad Football and Stateside Abroad Football Podcast)

To support the show, visit anchor.fm/statesideabroad/support

To follow and interact on your favorite platform, visit linktr.ee/statesideabroad

Music From the Show:

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Clocks by Smith The Mister https://smiththemister.bandcamp.com 

Smith The Mister https://bit.ly/Smith-The-Mister-YT 

Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/al-clocks

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/6MT6-JzUw1w

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Things are not always as they seem. Football players and managers have private lives and they're none of our business. And yet, those private lives will impact their on-field performance which is something people should consider before having a go at them. We start the show by discussing this seemingly obvious truth that's been forgotten by the detractors of Jurgen Klopp and numerous others. Later, we turn the page and explore a variety of stories that are slowly emerging from the most crowded football calendar ever. We wonder whether Pep's City can win a quadruple, suggest that Italian football is back, and try to gauge just how many managers in the Brasilerao will be sacked after another week full of dropped points. 

We also discuss Thomas Tuchel's progress on finding his best team, wonder whether Spurs might be nearly out of gas, analyze the impact of Neymar's injury for PSG, and review the CONCACAF Champions League Round of 16 draw. We also preview UFC 258 in this loaded show; subscribe and share if you enjoyed!

Table of Contents

00:00:00 Don't Speak On What You Don't Know

00:17:15 Can Man City Win the Quadruple?

00:31:00 Premier League Roundup: Spurs, Brighton, Arsenal-Leeds

00:51:21 Brasilerao Favorites Show Weakness

01:06:15 UFC 258 Preview: Barber Returns, Usman is a Bad Mofo

01:20:28 Chivas Bounce Back, Acevedo Needs Help at Santos

01:26:31 Winners & Losers of CONCACAF CL Draw

01:30:28 Tigres Show Capabilities, Bayern Show Reliability

01:36:21 Leipzig Have a Chance to Catch Bayern?

01:40:38 Italian Football is Back

01:44:32 River Plate Focused on League?

01:46:40 Real Madrid Still Chasing Atleti

01:50:13 Sevilla Desire Stops Koeman's Barca

01:53:48 Could Neymar's Injury Cost PSG Ligue Un?Get in touch on Twitter @statsideabroad. You can also subscribe on YouTube! (Stateside Abroad Football and Stateside Abroad Football Podcast)

To support the show, visit anchor.fm/statesideabroad/support

To follow and interact on your favorite platform, visit linktr.ee/statesideabroad

Music From the Show:

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Clocks by Smith The Mister https://smiththemister.bandcamp.com 

Smith The Mister https://bit.ly/Smith-The-Mister-YT 

Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/al-clocks

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/6MT6-JzUw1w

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A number of key injuries had Milan reeling for the first time this season in the early parts of the new calendar year, but the Rossoneri have their stars back and look ready for a stretch run that could finally see the side claim the Scudetto once again. We evaluate the prospects of Pioli's men as well as their rivals for the title Inter and Juve before taking a similar look at races all across Europe including City grabbing control of the race for the Premier League Title and each of the French challengers showcasing their full potential. 

We also discuss the UFC's crowded heavyweight division after another contender entered the mix in the form of Alexander Volkov, preview the Club World Cup final between Tigres and Bayern, and discuss the restructured format of the CONCACAF Champions League. As if all that weren't enough, we track the progress of Club America and Cruz Azul under their new managers, ponder whether Barca might be La Liga favorites had they kept Luis Suarez, and wonder whether Santos would sack Cuca if the team fail to qualify for next season's Copa Libertadores. 

Somehow, the name Phil Foden wasn't mentioned once on this show but rest assured the boy is a genius and we will discuss his exploits at the top of Friday's show. Subscribe so you don't miss that and a preview of a loaded weekend ahead on Friday!

Table of Contents

00:00:00 Milan, Inter, Juve Chase Scudetto

00:19:36 Volkov, Sandhagen Deliver Ridiculous KOs

00:27:30 What is "Good Enough" for Ole at Man United?

00:33:13 Pep, City Flex Muscle

00:41:15 What Happens if Liverpool Miss Top 4?

00:45:56 Other PL Notes: Fulham, Arsenal + Chelsea

01:05:23 Sevilla, Atleti Pressuring Barca & Madrid

01:16:00 Cruz Azul + Club America Finding Footing

01:24:49 Ligue Un Title Race Maintains Parity

01:33:03 How Does Quick Turnaround Affect Brazilian Sides?

01:40:36 German UCL Race Taking Shape

01:43:38 Schalke Face Nearly Certain Relegation

01:48:06 Club World Cup Final Preview

01:53:34 New CONCACAF Champions League Format Explained

Get in touch on Twitter @statsideabroad. You can also subscribe on YouTube! (Stateside Abroad Football and Stateside Abroad Football Podcast)

To support the show, visit anchor.fm/statesideabroad/support

To follow and interact on your favorite platform, visit linktr.ee/statesideabroad

Music From the Show:

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Clocks by Smith The Mister https://smiththemister.bandcamp.com 

Smith The Mister https://bit.ly/Smith-The-Mister-YT 

Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/al-clocks

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/6MT6-JzUw1w

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Barcelona are undoubtedly a team in transition, but their recent form suggests that maybe the players (and Koeman) are learning a lot about their character sooner than they expected. We discuss what Barca's future looks like including evaluating the future of Messi, Depay, Aguero, and other free agents linked with the Catalan side. Plus, we discuss how the culture of panic is hurting football and why clubs need to learn to block out the media when making decisions and evaluating their results. 

We also discuss what Klopp needs to change ahead of a massive game against Man City, evaluate the French title race ahead of Le Classique, check in on Inter & Flamengo in Brazil and wonder whether Milan could fold under the pressure of the Scudetto stretch run. Plus, thoughts on the Champions League potentially adding more English teams. 

Check out Through the Wire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DDxvdv9YT8

Table of Contents

00:00:00 Champions League Expansion/Format Change

00:13:44 Barcelona's Future

00:35:10 "Panic" Culture & Arsenal's Growing Pains

00:44:44 Brighton Beat Liverpool

00:56:28 EPL Notes: Lingard's Debut + Chelsea's Derby Win

01:02:19 Are Haaland, Sancho Invested?

01:05:21 Club World Cup Semifinal Preview

01:12:23 Ligue Un Notes: Lille's Depth + Le Classique

01:21:01 Upcoming Free Agents

01:43:27 Liga MX Notes: La Maquina's Chance + Vucetich on the Ropes

01:54:40 Can AC Milan Hang on for 18 Weeks?

02:01:53 Brasilerao Notes: Flamengo Close Gap

Get in touch on Twitter @statsideabroad. You can also subscribe on YouTube! (Stateside Abroad Football and Stateside Abroad Football Podcast)

To support the show, visit anchor.fm/statesideabroad/support

To follow and interact on your favorite platform, visit linktr.ee/statesideabroad

Music From the Show:

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Clocks by Smith The Mister https://smiththemister.bandcamp.com

Smith The Mister https://bit.ly/Smith-The-Mister-YT

Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/al-clocks

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/6MT6-JzUw1w

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Marseille suspended, then sacked manager Andre Villas-Boas after he bizarrely asked to be allowed to resign during a press conference ahead of his team's match against Lens. We discuss where the club and AVB went wrong and wonder how badly this could hurt the future prospects of both parties as well as new Marseille signing Olivier Ntcham.

Get in touch on Twitter @statsideabroad. You can also subscribe on YouTube! (Stateside Abroad Football and Stateside Abroad Football Podcast)

To support the show, visit anchor.fm/statesideabroad/support

To follow and interact on your favorite platform, visit linktr.ee/statesideabroad

Music From the Show:

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Clocks by Smith The Mister https://smiththemister.bandcamp.com

Smith The Mister https://bit.ly/Smith-The-Mister-YT

Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/al-clocks

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/6MT6-JzUw1w

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