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Episode 271: Coping with International Breaks..
0 Playsin 7 hours
Southampton – We talk about the mehtods we have used to stay sane in these harrowing times known as international breaks..
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Transcript
00:00:07
Zak
Thank you.
Introduction to The Daily Southampton
00:00:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome back to the Daily Southampton, part of the Global Sports Podcast Network. My name is Greg Elliott and as always today joined by my wonderful friend, and magnificent co-host, Zach and Gofinch. Hey there mate.
00:00:28
Zak
I'm good, mate. i was a bit unwell Friday, which was less than ideal, but I've kind of bounced back a little bit over the weekend, which has been really nice. and Getting prepped for next Saturday.
00:00:39
Zak
i don't know I know that a lot of the other podcasts and bits and pieces have done episodes on the South Coast derby, so I don't want to like listen to either of them and rip them off. So I've decided that I'm going to have a look at doing our own version.
00:00:52
Zak
But top of that, Greg, I've ordered books. like i've I've ordered books.
00:00:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
you You're like a kid at Christmas.
00:00:55
Zak
I'm going treat this... Literally, like...
00:00:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
You've got, I've got these coffee books coming.
00:00:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
in It's going to be amazing. I'm going to use my history degree.
00:01:01
Zak
I was...
00:01:03
Zak
I was...
00:01:04
Zak
Weirdly, both published in 2004. But it was very funny, like, telling my wife and her, they're kidding like, oh, you're such a nerd. I'm like, even in the football thing that I do. And
Filling the Void: Sports During the International Break
00:01:14
Zak
other than that...
00:01:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
the i Look, that's it. We've got a whole week of building to arguably the most exciting fixture of the season. And I thought today that instead we would just talk about the explicit void in our life this week as we've got an international break.
00:01:23
Zak
Hmm.
00:01:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because, I mean, look, there's England played.
00:01:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah. i I literally chose the women's rugby instead.
00:01:38
Zak
You watch the rugby, right?
00:01:42
Zak
Yeah.
00:01:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was a better watch. It was more enjoyable.
00:01:44
Zak
so So you text me...
00:01:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, I can't even tell you how many sports I've had to watch to fill the void in my life from football this week because I've had F1, women's rugby, I've watched some of the international football, I've watched some the women's super league, I've watched the F1.
00:01:51
Zak
and
00:02:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, it's been... It's It's still not the same.
00:02:04
Zak
but yeah
00:02:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
I've been watching all of the American football. Man, Red Zone on a Sunday.
00:02:06
Zak
Yeah.
00:02:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Who doesn't love it? But... It's not the same.
00:02:10
Zak
it's it's It's not.
The Uninspiring Nature of International Football
00:02:11
Zak
like I'm glad you didn't watch the England game, mate, because you can take and you could put any manager in charge of England. You can change the squad up. It's just boring. like ive I understand it's usually because we dominate possession, but like I think I can't remember what time it was. think it was before halftime. was like five shots the entirety of the game, 45 minutes. like You sat there.
00:02:32
Zak
And I think you said that somebody in the, so there you sent me a thing that in the second half, someone was doing like, doing like their shopping or something during the whole of the second half.
00:02:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
she was She was genuinely shopping for kettles. That's not even like exciting shopping. That's like the most boring shopping you could think of. And if that doesn't perfectly sum it up, I blame Pep Guardiola, mate. It's all his fault. You've ruined football. every Every international team tries to play that sort of Pep domination-heavy style which kills the game and takes all of the interest out of it. So...
00:03:03
Zak
Just so boring.
00:03:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know, because, and and not well, because that, you know, that sort of style requires heavy drilling and like chemistry and international teams don't have that because, you know, they play in the weeks that nobody cares about for like four or five times a year.
00:03:16
Zak
They're on rival teams.
00:03:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it just, yeah, it really takes all of the fun out of football.
00:03:23
Zak
he was It was a slightly weaker team.
00:03:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then, I mean, even if you, even if you're not playing that style of football, you can only play what's put in front of you. And with all the greatest respect, I mean, Andorra is not a nation renowned for their footballing prowess. Let's put it that way. like It's not the headline game that anyone's interested in, is it?
00:03:41
Zak
I think that's the problem, right? Because on top of that, it's not that it's a World Cup qualifier. It's an actual international game that means something. And like we're going to have a tough group.
00:03:54
Zak
and like you know We recently lost to Senegal and two calls the new man in charge. But somehow it's just like you're watching it and you're like, it's fun, it's nice watch it, good play. And like admittedly, a bit of a depleted team. I say, well,
00:04:06
Zak
theoretically. And I don't know what it is, like the hope that keeps me going back to watch them and hope to see something exciting. And I think sometimes it's just like the name draw and you're like, oh, there's some new you know new blood in the team and this or the other. Then you sit and watch it you're like, and I'll tell you what, mate, it does produce very good nap potential, right?
00:04:23
Zak
Like my wife was having a nap at the time and i could I could feel the second half.
00:04:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
but
00:04:27
Zak
And I was thinking about back to one of the games in the Euros last year. When we were like waiting to go see Taylor Swift at the hotel, we'd like been busy and out for the day. And it was probably one of the best naps I've ever had in my life.
00:04:40
Zak
it's just just sort But that's the sad part part about it, right? Like the entertainment, a value of it is kind of
Southampton's Past and World Cup Qualifications
00:04:46
Zak
quashed. And I know that we've talked about this with, you know, Southampton before with like, you look back at what the, the kind of Puel days where it wasn't the most exciting thing to watch. And they literally got rid of him because of that reason.
00:05:00
Zak
don't know, would you rather lose... Like, we had the worst of both worlds last year because we we had the tick and sack of football and we would lose, like, 5-0.
00:05:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
every day yeah bad uh it's just look i just have no in like you can call me a fair weather fan if you want but unless it's tournament international football it just has zero ability to hold my interest because it just feels meaningless because you you know you say we've got a tough qualifying track for the World Cup.
00:05:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
I strongly disagree. We've got Serbia in our group and that's really the only group.
00:05:32
Zak
i mean the next I mean the next game, mate. That's kind of it.
00:05:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
But that's it, right? Like the rest of our group, Latvia and Andorra, like that, if if England don't qualify for the World Cup off of the back of that group, it's a travesty.
00:05:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like it would be national disgrace, right?
00:05:49
Zak
It would be getting knocked out to Iceland.
00:05:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like
00:05:51
Zak
Oh, wait, that never happened, right?
00:05:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:05:53
Zak
Yeah, oh, hang on. Yeah, no, I get you.
00:05:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
But i it's just... It just feels so pointless. like and it And it feels like that's half of where what the reason the games aren't entertaining. Because you and you know we we comment on the motivation of players and take the mick a lot on this podcast of like, well, if you pay me £50,000 a week, I've motivated myself to do anything. But also, if you've got a... like Unsettle yourself and travel away from your normal squad to, yeah, have the honour of wearing the England shirt and play for England, but to play against Andorra.
00:06:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, I don't I think I'd struggle to get myself motivated even on 100 grand a week. Like...
00:06:36
Zak
but I think that's the difference, right? Like the smaller fan bases, like, you know, like the San Marino fans and like Wales going over to Kazakhstan and stuff like that. It feels more, it's like about the journey than the destination, right?
00:06:46
Zak
The game is part of a wider ah ah wider fan culture.
00:06:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:06:50
Zak
And like England fans have that too, don't get me wrong. but But yeah, I kind of agree with you that like it is exciting. It's hard to get excited about England v. Andorra, but then arguably it's hard to get excited about England v. Spain because you're worried that Spain are going to beat us.
00:07:03
Zak
So it's rocking a hard place, mate, in my opinion.
00:07:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think like f no I no, I'd rather watch England versus Spain. It doesn't matter if we get beat. At least it's more and competitive, enjoyable fixture.
00:07:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
It just feels so pointless and a waste of everyone's time just as you start building momentum into the season of the proper football that everyone cares about. That traipses the internationals away to...
00:07:25
Zak
it Well, you can't have it before the start, mate, because now you've got the Club World Cup, then at some point they've all got to take time off, and then you've got all of their pre-season tours of like Singapore and like you know other places.
00:07:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's ridiculous.
00:07:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, fuck.
00:07:37
Zak
So where do you fit all of this football in, mate, this international football everyone clearly cares about?
00:07:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Here's a crazy thought, mate. Maybe you don't fit all of that football in. Just throwing that one out there. Maybe there's such a thing as too much.
00:07:52
Zak
Oh, no, that's not okay, mate. That's not okay. You love the Club World Cup. You know, you watched every minute of it, if I remember rightly.
00:07:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't think I watched a single minute of it. I genuinely don't. I think I actively avoided. And so someone who watches as much sport as humanly possible, I actively avoided every single minute of it. the In fact, I think I watched 15 seconds of it and it was on a Facebook short when Donald Trump awkwardly shuffled his way into the trophy list.
00:08:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, that's it.
00:08:19
Zak
Like, the problem of got, Greg, is that I know for a fact I watched some of it, but I genuinely can't remember anything I watched. Like, I'm saying, like, I think I watched PSG play.
00:08:32
Zak
I wanted to watch it at a red spielts at, like, 1 the morning, so didn't.
00:08:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah right point in case right like just
00:08:36
Zak
And then... you're right. That's how important it is that, like, a couple months later, can't remember what happened.
00:08:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
bin it off just do away with all of these nonsense fixtures get rid of international breaks let's just get back to the real football please yeah mate that's it I've got nothing else
00:08:53
Zak
Interesting. It'll be interesting to see what people's opinions are on that, mate. I'm not going to lie.
00:08:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
And damn you Pep Guardiola for ruining football for all of us.
00:09:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right. strong
00:09:01
Zak
Well, regardless of your opinions on international football, mate, I want to talk about it when we're back for the break after a couple of WSL results, if you if you fancy it.
00:09:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
All right, mate. Yeah. All right. Yeah, let's do it. Let's have a break and a message from our partners at Bionique and then hear what you've talk about.
00:09:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
all right, mate, and we
Women's Football: Progress and Excitement
00:09:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
are back. Look, let's let start with some more exciting football than internationals. that's ah Let's talk about the WSL and WSL2 and our opening weekend. I watched a few bits of it, but you've got some interesting results to point out, right?
00:10:09
Zak
Yeah, so obviously, Sates won 4-0 against SIP switch, which was lovely. And I had attendance of 3,896, which is apparently like, I think the highest opening attendance ever or something like that.
00:10:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Nice.
00:10:20
Zak
which which I saw was pretty good.
00:10:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's good effort.
00:10:22
Zak
Yeah, it was decent. But the other the other exciting result when I was flicking through was that the the Portsmouth women lost two mills to Durham, which I'm trying to rack by back my head around about Durham as a place.
00:10:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank
00:10:36
Zak
And all I know is adds a university. And that's it. Either way, they beat Portsmouth 2-0. So, you know, what what more can you hope going into a South Coast Army weekend?
00:10:47
Zak
with the women's team making sure they win 4-0 and Portsmouth making sure they lose. So know that, you know.
00:10:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mate, exciting times for the women's team this year. I think they're really pushing on. Looks like they've made quite a lot signings.
00:10:56
Zak
Yeah?
00:10:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
They've got a new captain. mean, the funny thing is, I think you'll remember a couple of seasons ago, I did a tour of Staplewood with my sister and in the middle of that tour, we accidentally crashed the photo shoot of a new Saint sign-in for the women.
00:11:06
Zak
You did.
00:11:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
And we weren't supposed to know who that was. They were trying to keep us away from her and they were like, oh maybe just don't tweet that
00:11:24
Zak
Was this the same tour where Nathan Teller showed you where the printer was?
00:11:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
and uh yeah that is exactly the same tour yeah a brilliant and uh but that uh that player was our is our new captain uh she she was announced captain last week uh primus and yeah i mean look what uh what a fantastic start to the season a decisive victory over it's which and
00:11:29
Zak
Yeah. Okay, good.
00:11:37
Zak
Nice.
00:11:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think that they're really pushing on to be up and around it this year. And they've got like a new ah new format in the WSL and the 2, which I'm not going to claim to be any level of expert on.
00:11:54
Zak
Yeah.
00:11:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
But think it should be really exciting.
00:11:59
Zak
It's going to be... don't know. Obviously, you don't pay much attention to games and game news, but part of the reason I think they delayed FM25 is that... Well, for starters, they're switching the match engine to Unity. So if you you ever planned on playing it on your potato laptop, mate, I'm afraid that's kind of dead in the water now.
00:12:17
Zak
So that's exciting. But part of it is also like the the inclusion of the women's leagues and stuff, just to maybe...
00:12:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
yes
00:12:23
Zak
open it up to, like, a new generation of of people that want to play it. You know, it leads that, you know, as as as your daughter grows up, like, she can, you know, she has a She has a mind, Greg, that's quite similar to the, what I would call the smart corner of your brain.
00:12:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:12:36
Zak
I say corner, that's that's not fair. 50% of your brain that is incredibly intelligent alongside the 50% that is like a Sith. Now the 50% that's extremely, extremely intelligent works wonders with code, numbers, and probably management simulation game.
00:12:52
Zak
The 50% that's a Sith would result in, if you ever played Football Manager, you never getting anything done ever. However...
00:12:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, that would be my life.
00:12:58
Zak
What I mean is that your daughter grows up, I can see her playing that.
00:13:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
You're
00:13:02
Zak
And they now having like the accent.
00:13:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
hundred percent
00:13:04
Zak
Yeah. so So that's pretty cool.
00:13:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
100%. Well, look, she big news on that front. that This week, she's decided she's going to try out for the girls' football team at school. So there's excitement in the household.
00:13:11
Zak
Nice.
00:13:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
She wants to be a goalkeeper, a goalkeeper in the making. So...
00:13:18
Zak
There go. Happy days.
00:13:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
A whole new fresh kettle of away games for me, I'm sure. So...
00:13:22
Zak
um'm I'm sure that would be fun, mate.
00:13:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:13:24
Zak
But obviously, talked a bit about WSL, the results that we met with that we care about. um um yeah you so What we're talking about today, we're like figure' trying to figure out what we're going to do. And we said we' we're probably covering some, like, internationals towards the end of the week.
00:13:36
Zak
But what Greg didn't say I couldn't do was cover all of the internationals where roundabout Saints are. and So not actual current playing Saints, but maybe Saints that have left.
00:13:46
Zak
So to be...
00:13:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, like I think we'll do an episode later in the week on our seven players who are out on international duty and catch up on how they've gone. But but as always...
00:13:56
Zak
So so i I've covered the peripherals, which means that I am part of the problem that I complain about with Saints fans being obsessed with old Saints, right? To be clear, I know I'm a bit of a hypocrite when it comes to this, but also like we don't have enough international Saints, in my opinion, anymore to be able to talk about it nonstop.
Former Southampton Players: Performances and Careers
00:14:15
Zak
So I wanted to to cover a couple of games, Greg. And I'll have a look at den the Denmark versus Scotland. And none of our new signings are part of the Danish team. However, former captain, ah Pierre, current captain of the Danish team, Pierre-Emile Hoiberg, is a play for them.
00:14:31
Zak
And top of that, Greg, Albert Grombeck also came on for them in the 61st minute. Now, did you get a chance to read his interview about his Saints loan spell?
00:14:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
I saw pieces of it. It wasn't wasn't the most flattering.
00:14:43
Zak
Yeah.
00:14:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
up
00:14:46
Zak
No, but like ah I kind of get that though right?
00:14:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's all that.
00:14:49
Zak
Because he came in and then he was kind of... I don't know what it was sold to him, right? to To come into a team in that kind of position that probably was down at that point.
00:15:00
Zak
Probably thought he would get lot game time.
00:15:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
And.
00:15:02
Zak
Didn't. played sporadically, picked up an injury, and then was kind of like in limbo because he was no longer part of his old club fans really at that time. he was The current club he was at, basically, you though even we said we didn't know where he went. I think it was only towards the end of the season we actually found out it was injury.
00:15:18
Zak
And I think that was due to like Alfie House or like George, Julie, Reece Julian asking that question and because somebody asked it, right?
00:15:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
and
00:15:23
Zak
Like everybody else kind of like went, oh yeah, we forgot about him. And so I kind of ah kind of feel bad. And like I kind had to say like, yeah, I had to like, luckily I had some people around me to drag me out of that and like that's where I kind of I guess the the responsibility part of my brain kicks in where I feel bad about like dragging players and I'm sat there and I can think of one player directly Greg where we've mugged him off constantly as in Mr Diaz who I really hope has a good season of like Derby for for everybody's sake
00:15:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, look, I think that we were pretty clear that it's not necessarily a reflection of him as a player, it definitely didn't fit or work out here, right?
00:16:03
Zak
die No, you're right. It's not. like Again, Greg, this is just me maybe worrying too much, but that's the story of my life. But either way, the other thing to note is that Chamuk Adams started for Scotland and didn't score. Because some things just never change.
00:16:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's it, mate. That's... sir Yeah?
00:16:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Beautiful.
00:16:24
Zak
So that was fun.
00:16:25
Zak
And then Croatia beat the Faroe Islands 1-0 with former Saint Jaleta Carr, you know, that famous former Saint Jaleta Carr that's famous for that red card after seeing red and pushing that guy over from the back.
00:16:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah?
00:16:38
Zak
I don't even remember who that was. I don't remember what game it was, but that is the legacy that he leads. um And And now I feel even worse.
00:16:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
It takes the Faroe Islands off a map. Like...
00:16:47
Zak
It's fine. So so that that is that that is my one-stop shop. Austria versus Cyprus, where Austria won 1-0. And former Saint Kevin Danso came on for a sub-appearance, which is mad because I forget that he's like a starter for Tottenham now, right?
00:17:00
Zak
Like that is that is a weird conversation we've never really had about him.
00:17:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:17:04
Zak
ever, like struggled to break into our team, be played ever, occasionally being played out of position, went back after another successful loan spell, did really well. Talk of us buying him back at one point, now plays for Tottenham.
00:17:18
Zak
What weird like career.
00:17:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's a whole bigger conversation, mate, is that football's down to chemistry and it's you know it's not one... You can't just have decent player fits in and plays well all the time.
00:17:25
Zak
yeah
00:17:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
like If it was that simple... we'd all have the answers, right? It wouldn't be an enjoyable game, but the fact that, you know, some players suit different systems, some players need time to grow, some players need to go through the negative experiences to come out with the positive ones. Some players will never get that positive experience. it's just, is Tottenham really a step up from Saints? That's a question in itself, mate.
00:17:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know?
00:17:52
Zak
I mean, it depends if you want to play football, right? like the fact this kind Again, we've been through this before.
00:17:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:18:00
Zak
I think we talked about the end of the season. The fact that they're going to be playing like European football with where they came is crazy. The fact that they sacked Ange Postacoglu after Daniel Levy coming out and being like, yeah, it's all down to him and the guys.
00:18:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah.
00:18:13
Zak
And then a week later being like, but you're fired though. And now Daniel Levy leaving. And then like everything else in between.
00:18:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
yes
00:18:20
Zak
Man, you kind of forget, outside the Southampton lens, like how crazy other clubs have been and how weird it's been.
00:18:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:18:27
Zak
Weird last season's been for like multiple clubs, right?
00:18:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it's fascinating. And look, I mean, who knows what's going to happen with Spurs this season because especially now with that you know happening in the background, it's going to go one of
Tottenham Hotspur's Uncertain Future
00:18:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
two ways, all right? And one of them's great and one of them's not.
00:18:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
So it's...
00:18:46
Zak
it it's one of those things where it's like, careful what you wish for. And that sometimes can be your dreams come true, or sometimes it can't be. I guess that's just life.
00:18:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:18:54
Zak
I'm basically saying there are outcomes to a situation, but I think most people hope that it goes one way.
00:18:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:19:00
Zak
But I guess the pessimist in me, the eternal pessimist in me, mate, just thinks that they're like, yeah, we're so glad he's gone. And then their business collapses. And then when their business side collapses, the player side collapses too.
00:19:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, that's very possible. Like he, he, he, he took over that club in a place where it was not as financially successful as it is now and turned it into the club with the, you know, the turnover that it's got through all of those alternative means with the new stadium and all of the shows and stuff that they do there. And I mean, it's, yeah, I mean, is interesting.
00:19:32
Zak
It's a bit like the other day, though, where I talked about that, like, as fans, it's difficult because you you want to just care about the football inside. Like, if I wanted to be a business person that sat in front of it, I would just sit with Bloomberg on all day, watching stocks and shares go up, because you can get that excited about that. That's what traders do.
00:19:50
Zak
But I think it's like, I don't know, as you said before, like, I think that the way that modern day football is, you've kind of got to pay attention to both. Because if not, all of a sudden your club could become a Morecambe or a Bury overnight.
00:19:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, 100%. 100%. send
00:20:02
Zak
It's bad. And it's upsetting that it's like that.
00:20:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's you know it gets less and less likely that without the financial and business success that you get the football success because you know you can't play the players you can't pay the players that you want to sign the wages they want. You can't keep the players. You can't buy those players in. Yeah.
00:20:22
Zak
Or if you've got the financial success, but you don't have the money-making ability, like say a Newcastle, it doesn't matter. You're not going to be able to buy the players you want. It's just a weird system.
00:20:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then you you know you could have the financial success and spend the money you want and then end up like Man United. So it's yeah it's not a there's no clear formula, but one thing's for sure, if don't make money, you end up going in a you know direction that nobody wants.
00:20:44
Zak
oh
00:20:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah that feels like a nice breaking point first. And have a break and hear a message from our partners at Zencastr. Here at the Global Sports Podcast Network, we spent a lot of time selecting our delivery platform, and Zencaster came out the clear winner.
00:20:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
With 4K video recording from your phone and AI editing that automatically removes all those ums and ahs, it's super easy to start podcast. It sounds great and is delivered efficiently. If you're ready to tell your story, check out the link in the show description and learn more about Zencaster.
00:21:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
right, mate, we are back.
00:21:15
Zak
I've only got two things to... Two real other points to talk about. Feel free to to jump in with your own stuff. I'm sure, you as you said, you've had a busy weekend. One of the other results that struck by was Armenia-Portugal.
00:21:28
Zak
So, Portugal won 5-0. Mati Fernandes was not in that team, which, again, was cited
Football Success and Management
00:21:34
Zak
as a reason. He wants to try and break into that World Cup team. So... I guess he's ah to have to do really well at West Ham, considering how they're doing.
00:21:40
Zak
And like again, shades of Ward-Prowse, but bear in mind, Matty Fernandes is much younger and, in my opinion, has far more... don't want to be mean, but like has more of a way to break into that team.
00:21:51
Zak
However, Portugal are also a very, very strong side.
00:21:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:21:54
Zak
But the reason I bring up this specifically is our supposed centre-forward that never quite made it through the door, Spurzian, was also part of that team that lost...
00:22:07
Zak
in Armenia, to Portugal. And I just kind of like, it's so weird how so much of the drama that's happened over the summer has like, I'm just starting to recognise more and more names. but like Hence the reason I've sat and gone through these match reports of like various weird international fixtures that, don't know, a year ago, Greg, I probably wouldn't have read about this stuff.
00:22:28
Zak
So, and then obviously for some even more exciting football, Greg, that's a lie. Yoshida played in a 1-0 draw with LA Galaxy and Houston Dynamo in the MLS.
00:22:39
Zak
You love the MLS, right?
00:22:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't dislike the MLS.
00:22:44
Zak
The only thing you've ever said is you want that you want to bring in that old penalty, right?
00:22:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's fine.
00:22:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, great.
00:22:50
Zak
it's just It's just a result I came across, that's all.
00:22:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
so Something they still do in the MLS, I'm not entirely sure in what context or at one point, is they do goalkeeper battles. Have you ever seen that?
00:23:01
Zak
No? What's this?
00:23:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, mate, they are genuinely insane.
00:23:03
Zak
Genuinely, what?
00:23:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think it's in like their pre-season, in their... their version of like the NFL Combine. But basically, they have boxes and the goals are closer to each other and the aim is 1v1 with the goalie and they've got to try and get it in the goal versus the other goalie. It's absolutely insane and it deserves to be a sport in its own right.
00:23:26
Zak
like
00:23:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's...
00:23:27
Zak
That's nuts. <unk>s next This has opened up a whole avenue of me falling into a rabbit hole, mate. I look forward to going down that rabbit hole.
00:23:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
They're genuinely insane.
00:23:39
Zak
Well, now I'm really glad I brought up... Now I'm so glad I brought Yashida just to talk about that.
00:23:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, like, look,
00:23:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
i said Look, for all of the problems and things that people point out that they don't like that Americans bring to football, they also bring some things that are innovative and fun. And if we want to have old school dribble penalties like you see in the Ballers League or in the old school MLS or goalie wars at halftime for like bonus point, like on their flat level of stupidity, I love it.
00:24:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
like bring it on yeah who doesn't want to see ah Gavin Pizzunu versus like Asmir Begovic in goalie walls like at half time honestly
00:24:25
Zak
oh, it's just never going to end. They're never going to not be allowed to play, mate. You wait until like 50 years from now and everyone's got their cybernetic enhancements and all that. that out before me I've fallen into a part of the personality that I have that is usually on show here, which is the weird cyberpunk nerdy stuff. But the last thing I wanted talk about, Greg, was some good old-fashioned football in the National League where unfortunately EC lost one deal to Tamworth where there were red cards on both sides of the pitch, right?
00:24:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Imagine getting beaten by town that's only famous for Spudman.
00:24:53
Zak
And
00:24:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like...
00:25:00
Zak
I mean, you're not wrong. But yeah, when you when you got two red cards, and obviously, I don't know what happened UC's previous game.
00:25:10
Zak
Obviously, they for anyone that wasn't aware, they had quite a serious head collision. And luckily, UC player was all right.
00:25:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Both players are okay.
00:25:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, both players are all good.
00:25:18
Zak
Yeah, and the other player was I think the other player was fine and up unconscious in the game, right?
00:25:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
You got called off Yeah, it got called off in the 97th minute. I haven't seen any clarification as to whether they're going to let the results stand at one or but if they're going to make them replay it.
00:25:29
Zak
Yeah, I think they're still
Risks in Sports: Eastwood's Incident and Athlete Respect
00:25:31
Zak
waiting. I don't know if it's been properly clarified now, but I kind of feel like making them play the game entirely over when it was... that Depends how much stoppage time that was, right?
00:25:39
Zak
Because if 97th minute is the last like couple of seconds of stoppage time...
00:25:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, there was it was it was like last-ditch breath of the game. like I think there was eight minutes added on. So, yeah. Yeah.
00:25:49
Zak
guess we'll see. Either way, it's like is part of the the game where like sort of you text me quite early on and is is you forget like with athletes and stuff how how mad that kind of... How physical the game can be, right? It's one of the... it's one of the Again, coming from sort of the nerdy community, it's one of the things that was always bothered me.
00:26:06
Zak
Same with like people that insult... people that play football and footballers in general and like try to make there be like a scale of what's like ah ah a sport with risk and what's not be like oh you know they're pansies in comparison it's like rugby players being oh they're pansies in comparison to like American footballers, right? Because American footballers have all these armor on and stuff. And you're like, well, completely different game. They get to sprint in this and other. The same with footballers. like Arguably, there's barely any protective equipment.
00:26:32
Zak
yeah yeah You can knock heads like that.
00:26:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:26:34
Zak
You look at the kind of cases in the past with the guy, Bath City, that was a really bad one, where like the guy went into the like the the concrete concourse and and how much of an effect it can have, right?
00:26:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:26:45
Zak
ah ah i just I just feel like, why is there like competition for... I don't know if it' that's more of a societal question than a sports podcast, mate. But it's is's like weird to me that there's like competition. that You're like, nah, can we just accept that like you know any sort of physical activity like that can be dangerous and always comes with an inherent level of risk.
00:27:05
Zak
But no one ever really wants to see people get hurt.
00:27:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:27:07
Zak
And unfortunately, it's going to be part and parcel of it.
00:27:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, what's really crazy, mate, is that Scunthorpe was the team that Eastwood were playing and that get match got abandoned and and, you know, there hasn't been an announcement yet. I just looked. but But they also had to abandon their game on Saturday as another one of their players got injured in a different way.
00:27:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
They got struck also in the head.
00:27:24
Zak
i I saw that.
00:27:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
So... they
00:27:25
Zak
i didn't get I didn't get a chance to... I saw they'd been suspended. I didn't get a chance to like look into why. That's that's crazy to have like two games. that Yeah, this this is what I mean. As much as like it's a sport and stuff, it's still dangerous.
00:27:38
Zak
I don't know really what my point is.
00:27:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. I mean, I think. Yeah.
00:27:41
Zak
I think it's just that i think that anyone who does any level of athletic stuff like that should have a little bit more respect for... like you know for for the fact that these people do are prone to being hurt.
00:27:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, look. yeah is a risk It is a risk. It is a contact sport. And even without that, we've seen over the years players going down with no contact and you know having issues with their heart and God knows what else.
00:28:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
So it it it's the risk they take.
00:28:03
Zak
Ah, yeah, that's... Yeah, no.
00:28:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah ah it's It's just unfortunately part of sport. And yeah, I have all the utmost respect for anyone that goes out and does it, even if they do get paid a silly amount money to do so.
00:28:16
Zak
yeah
00:28:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's still still still a risk, right? You you never know what's going to happen.
00:28:18
Zak
No, we wouldn't be obsessed with it if we didn't spend we wouldn't spend all our time talking about it, right? like ah so That's the thing, if we didn't if we didn't love sport as much as we do.
00:28:26
Zak
And yeah again, without the athletes, you don't have it.
00:28:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:28:30
Zak
So, and I always find it weird when people like, just seem to want to like, be like, well, it's not as hard as blank.
00:28:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
nice
00:28:36
Zak
I'm like, yeah, you're right. Like, it's also not as hard as being like a deep sea Marine diver or like a spaceman. Like all of those things, all of those things are infinitely harder. I don't understand.
00:28:47
Zak
I guess that's just, that's just the way, the way that life is. And as you can tell, Greg, I can't apologize for the level of tangents that this episode has got mainly due to me.
00:28:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Wait, look, I...
00:28:59
Zak
and
00:29:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Wait, this is what we love about these waffle episodes, but look, that is...
00:29:02
Zak
It's the it's the chi it' the chill, right? It's the chill before the build-up.
00:29:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's it. It's...
00:29:07
Zak
It's going to get there. Everyone knows.
00:29:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's that And that's... That's what we're heading into the rest of this week. We've got lots of content planned. We're going to be looking at our squad and we're going to be building up to the biggest game in the season next weekend. and but This is the the chilled out waffling episode before all of the sort of hard work comes in.
00:29:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
But look, this is all we've got time for today. But when we come back tomorrow, we're going be back with some some proper proper stuff about the team. And I'm excited for that too, mate.
00:29:37
Zak
This is the one for me and Greg.
00:29:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's it.
00:29:41
Zak
We appreciate all of you.
00:29:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
That is...
00:29:44
Zak
it Always. like without without Again, without without the listeners, we would just be two blokes waffling. But that also doesn't mean that occasion yeah we just actually have bad errors, mate.
00:29:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
We all...
00:29:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
but Well, that is all we've got time for today. Thank you very much, Zach, for joining me. Thank you, everyone, for listening.
00:30:01
Zak
Thank you, mate.
00:30:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like I say, we will be back tomorrow with some more. Until then, let us know what you have done to get yourself through this tough time of the international break and how you've managed to survive with...
00:30:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
with the limited football we've had, let us know. We're on all the socials. We're on X, we're on Facebook, we're on Blue Sky, we're on TikTok, we're on YouTube, we're on Twitter. That's the same thing as X.
00:30:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
We're on all of them. Let us know.
00:30:29
Zak
Instagram. That's the missing.
00:30:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, that one too.
00:30:31
Zak
you. Wonderful.
00:30:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
definitely know how to use that.
00:30:34
Zak
but
00:30:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm down with the kids. It's fine. Like say, we'll be back tomorrow. But until then, have a wonderful day everyone. We'll see you then.
00:30:56
Zak
like you