Campfire Football

Sam Chappell, the Founder of Denver Soccer Society, installed two 5-a-side turf fields in the heart of downtown Denver. Here is his story and how we was inspired to plant a seed for soccer culture to grow and to bring folks together. Inspirational for all football lovers.

I previewed these 5 big clashes in Ep. #86 so why not recap them. Ajax vs PSV Eindhoven Inter Milan vs Juventus Marseilles vs Paris Saint-Germain Barcelona vs Real Madrid Manchester United vs Liverpool And I close out with my awards of the weekend.

This Sunday is packed with 5 massive rivalries across Europe. El Clasico, Le Clasique, Il Derby D'Italia, De Topper, and the unnamed Manchester United vs Liverpool fixture. So much is expected in each of these games that we are sure to emerge from this weekend with a flood of storylines, narratives...hopefully unforgettable games and goals.

FC Sheriff just beat Real Madrid 2-1 in the Bernabeu in their first ever Champions League campaign. It is a football fairytale story. The club from Transnistria, an autonomous region of Moldova, and are owned by The Sheriff Company which was founded by ex KGB servicemen. It is an incredible story of geopolitics, economics, sport, war, and media.

Debate and discussion on this topic continues to grow, which is a good thing. FIFA trialling a match with no headers can make the blood of purists boil and the Lee Dixons of the world to say, "Game's Gone." Let's get into some of the data and I'll provide my point of view as a coach, player, and lover of the game on how we can educate safety instead of banning headers full stop...

The Champions League with full stadiums is back, hopefully for good. We were treated to a feast of fantastic football this week. Fans and spectators contributed so much as we get to enjoy some interesting stories and narratives that will only build as the fall rolls on.

Sometimes things are just meant to be. This past weekend we witnessed plenty of moments that felt destined to happen. CR7, Haaland, Edouard, Zlatan, Mourinho... It was a good time.

CR7 sets another record. The groups of UEFA World Cup Qualifying are getting interesting. The USA trip and stumble in their campaign. But another Covid Crisis occurs and CONMEMBOL is in disarray after unprecedented scenes in Brazil cut the Argentina game short after 6:30 minutes played. So where is all this going?

I start out by going over some of the talking points from Premier League games this weekend. Liverpool vs Chelsea, Man Utd vs Wolves. Roma and Milan's new recruits are flying in the Seria A. Own goal of the weekend from Villareal. And I close out with my experience watching the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. A true spectacle that deserves more attention and hype.

I am back from a 2 week break recharged for the new season. In this episode, I start with an update on my Masters Degree, the boys I coach winning a tournament, everybody sleeping on the Colorado Rapids, and big news from the football world as usual. I also went on the Football Misfits Podcast so some takes from that conversation make up the middle of this installment of Campfire Football.

Ida Sports is a company founded by Ben Sandhu and Laura Youngson who have broken ground to make the first football boot designed specifically for women and girls. Their story is moving, inspiring, and fascinating on so many levels. Brilliant entrepreneurs with a plan to change the world.

The United States Men delivered the Gold Cup trophy with a C team, beating everyone they had to face and building a strong dynamic. The Women crashed out as tournament favorites as that end of era feeling sets in. What is the future for these two programs? Here's my take.

The group stages of the Olympics for the men and women are wrapped up with some tasty affairs coming. The Gold Cup has reached the semifinal stage after a thrilling round in the 1/4s.

The Gold Cup can't be ignored. So let's talk about that for a bit and make some predictions for the knockout rounds. In addition, the Olympics have begun. The Men's U-23 tournament and the Women's major honor. By the way, the USWNT lost 3-0. So let's get into that.

The Euros have ended. Messi won the Copa America with Argentina too. But the return of fans in Europe made for a Football Fiesta like we have not experienced in a few years. The end was fitting. Bravo Italia! Worthy winners. Here, I break down the final and close with my tribute track to this amazing tournament we all witnessed.

My beloved France are out. It's not quite the same debacle is 2002 or 2010, but it still doesn't look good. So who is to blame for France? Why did they lose? And in a match that had everything, what were the moments that will stick with us? Ronnie, Christian, Cayo, Eric, and Vas from the Soccer Subs Podcast join me to break it down.

Well that was fun. What a round of 16. The surprises were endless. The storylines were deep and the emotions ran incredibly high. On top of that, we got goals, extra time, red cards, penalties, upsets, and a dull game or two. But overall, Thank you Football!

The final round of Group Stage games were completed with a flurry of bangers and crazy matches. High quality long range goals are always fun and a sign that big game players are stepping up for the moment. Good time for that as the knockout round approaches and those match ups are set. Also, quick shout out to Copa America and how things are panning out in Brazil, as the group stage ends this week...

Apparently England are shite. So are Germany. Ronaldo scores goals, Morata doesn't. Hungary are hungry while France flounder. Everybody's got a story. But is it what we really want to hear? 6 games to cover but the problem is what people with the loudest mics are saying. Some audio clips as supplement.

Some teams just wilt at these tournaments. They don't play well from the start despite all the promise from their squad or qualification campaign. But during these second round of games, a lot of teams blow opportunities to go into the next round by putting in limp performances. Other teams step up and show that they belong because they rise to the occasion.

Group F, the Group of Death, finally kicked off. We've waited for this for quite some time. As the 1st set of group stage matches ends, we can look back at the past week of the football bonanza.

Oh Yeah. We want more! After a Goal of the Tournament contender yesterday, we may have seen the eventual winner of that award. Slovakia impressed against a limp and abject Poland. Sweden almost pulled off the ultimate Smash 'N Grab by frustrating Spain to the first 0-0 draw of the tournament.

After a slightly cagey first few games, the nerves seem gone and the shackles are off. We witnessed 9 goals in 3 games including a 5 goal thriller and the goal of the tournament so far. In Brazil, the Copa America has begun. So this is a Bonfire Football month.

Christian Eriksen is alive and well from what we now know. Phew! That was awful to watch. But there is something for us to learn about Cardiac Arrest and how you can possibly save a life in such a moment. We all witnessed something terrifying. Let's all be grateful. Oh and there was football being played amidst all of this. I'll cover that too, obviously.

It's time! The Euros begin in 1 hour from time of recording. Here I just go through each group and give my picks for the two teams who will advance from each group. I'm not getting into the wildcards just yet. But follow me this month, as I hope to bring you daily musings on this beautiful competition. Let the games begin!