After the Whistle with Brendan Hunt and Rebecca Lowe

In the aftermath of Spain’s World Cup win, Brendan and Rebecca marvel at the squad’s total dominance and wonder what went so wrong for England. Then, they get into the controversy between the Spanish players and coach Jorge Vilda, why you still can’t buy Mary Earps’s jersey, and the utter absurdity of the postgame trophy presentation. ‘Men in Blazers’ co-founder Roger Bennett joins the show to hel...

It’s a listener mailbag! Brendan and Rebecca take questions on who should be the USWNT’s next coach, their picks for goal of the tournament, male coaches in the women’s game, netball basics, the new power centers of women’s soccer, and the secret to Lindsey Horan’s swishy ponytail. Then they look ahead to the World Cup final, and Rebecca offers up her take on whether Lauren James should start for...

Brendan and Rebecca dive deep into the Lionesses’ cheeky, spectacular semifinal win over Australia and shed a tear for Sam Kerr, who finally got her World Cup moment in front of a boisterous home crowd. Then the pair take a look at England’s ensuing showdown with Spain. ‘After the Whistle With Brendan Hunt and Rebecca Lowe’ is presented by State Farm®

Brendan and Rebecca recap the exhilarating finish that sealed Spain’s trip to the World Cup final — and sing the praises of the team’s breakout star, 19-year-old Salma Paralluelo. Then, Brendan pens a love letter to Australia as he and Rebecca look ahead to the other semifinal matchup. Plus: a reflection on how this World Cup is contributing to a sea change for women’s sports. ‘After the Whistle w...

Brendan and Rebecca catch up on the Lionesses’s cheeky quarterfinal win, the Matildas’ epic penalty-shootout victory, and the England-Australia matchup that awaits. Then, former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern joins Brendan in person in Auckland to talk about bringing the World Cup Down Under, and to explain the intense Australia-New Zealand sporting rivalry. ‘After the Whistle with Bren...

Brendan watches his World Cup winner prediction come crashing down in Auckland as Japan falls to Sweden in a stunner. But Sweden’s victory doesn’t make the U.S.’s loss any easier to bear for him or guest Mia Hamm. The legendary soccer player joins to discuss the remarkably entertaining gameplay of this World Cup — and what really went wrong for the USWNT. Plus: Brendan and Rebecca reflect on that...

The Round of 16 has concluded, and Rebecca’s cheeky Lionesses have squeaked through to the quarterfinals — but not without major controversy. And after having had a few days to properly process the USWNT’s loss, Brendan and Rebecca muse over Alex Morgan’s performance, the pain and promise of penalty kicks, and why Vlatko Andonovski should be fired immediately. Football-soccer power couple JJ and K...

Immediately after the final whistle of USA-Sweden, Brendan and Rebecca reunite across the international date line to debrief about the devastating defeat. Brendan sets the scene at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, where a dramatic penalty shoot-out sealed the worst World Cup finish in USWNT history. U.S. soccer royalty Michelle Akers joins the pod to help process the loss — and to possibly settle th...

No bloomin’ Germany?! Brendan and Rebecca recap the major upsets that concluded the group stage, then offer up their new predictions for the knockout rounds. And with the pivotal USA-Sweden showdown just days away, the pair give their takes on what the U.S. will need to change in order to avoid an untimely elimination. Plus: Brendan makes the trip Down Under and gives his first impressions of Aust...

Still reeling from the stunning USWNT result, Brendan and Rebecca wonder how everything went so very wrong — and discuss the team’s controversial celebration at the end of the match. Two-time World Cup winner Brandi Chastain joins to diagnose the U.S.’s numerous issues and to give her unfiltered take on coach Vlatko Andonovski. Plus: Australia’s epic group winner, an update on Rebecca’s cheeky Lio...

In the aftermath of the USWNT’s 1-1 draw with the Netherlands, Brendan and Rebecca lament some confounding lineup decisions and extol the heroics of captain Lindsey Horan. Jill Ellis, who coached the U.S. to its 2015 and 2019 World Cup trophies, joins to give her take on the team’s performance and what she’d change ahead of a pivotal matchup with Portugal. Plus, still in search of a new USWNT nick...

This World Cup is well underway, and not everything has gone quite as predicted. Brendan and Rebecca recap the most unexpected moments of the tournament so far, including (of course) England’s 1-0 squeaker over Haiti. Plus, The Athletic’s Meg Linehan joins from New Zealand to give an insider’s take on the USWNT’s performance vs. Vietnam and their chances to three-peat as champions. ‘After the Whis...

A win is a win … right? Brendan and Rebecca break down a clunky and frustrating opening performance from the USWNT — as well as some curious roster decisions. World Cup legend Julie Foudy joins to offer perspective on why the match was closer than anyone expected. Plus: the magic of Sophia Smith, Alex Morgan’s crushing missed penalty, and an update on the “dark-horse race” happening in Group B. ‘A...

Brendan and Rebecca are back to preview everything you need to know before the Women’s World Cup kicks off on July 20. They share hopes and dreams for their beloved USWNT and England Lionesses, pick dark horses and make winner predictions, and mull some new nickname options for the U.S. And with 32 teams in the tournament for the first time ever, Brendan and Rebecca offer up a primer on every squa...

They’re back! Join Brendan Hunt, who plays Coach Beard on ‘Ted Lasso,’ and Rebecca Lowe, host of NBC Sports’ Premier League coverage, as they team up again to celebrate the 2023 Women’s World Cup. They’ll talk about all the superstars, the drama … and, of course, the Team USA women, who are hoping to secure their third World Cup win in a row. Plus, Brendan and Rebecca will have a few special guest...

If ever a match lived up to the hype, today’s match was it. Immediately after the whistle, Brendan and Rebecca relive the most incredible World Cup final of all time: 80 minutes of Argentine dominance, two Kylian Mbappé goals in two minutes, a nail-biting extra-time period with goals on each side, and a penalty shoot-out to decide the winner. And how else could it end but with Lionel Messi lifting...

From a ninth-minute equalizer to Croatian swim caps, today’s third-place match had it all. Brendan and Rebecca briefly recap the day before jumping into listener questions, including: What rules would they change for the next World Cup? Which USMNT player’s stock went up the most? And how does one choose a Premier League team to follow? After that, they look ahead to tomorrow’s Argentina–France sh...

Brendan and Rebecca react to the end of a historic Cinderella run as Morocco falls to France 2-0. Then they briefly preview an unpredictable France–Argentina final and wonder: Will the Messi–Mbappé showdown bring complete chaos, or a nil-nil draw? Later, with Rebecca back across the pond, the two talk through how this strange midwinter World Cup could have a massive ripple effect on the Premier Le...

Brendan and Rebecca react to Argentina’s decisive win over Croatia and revel in Lionel Messi making the World Cup final, which just feels so right. Then, they break down the major controversy swirling around Gio Reyna and the USMNT, as coach Gregg Berhalter airs out the team’s dirty laundry just days after its elimination. Plus, Seth Meyers joins to talk about his love for the Dutch (not in 60 sec...

A despondent Rebecca podcasts through the pain of England’s 2-1 loss to France in the quarterfinals. She and Brendan dissect how it all went wrong, from Gareth Southgate’s questionable game management to Harry Kane’s crushing missed penalty and a “joke” of a referee. They then celebrate Morocco becoming the first African team ever to make the World Cup semifinals (and wonder why Cristiano Ronaldo...

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...

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 (Jo...

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–Se...

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 th...