Campfire Football

That lull between the end of the season and the beginning of summer football is over. It's only about a week long anyway. The Euro 21s Final and CONCACAF Nations League Final were both played and offered a quick glimpse into what we are in for now that Post Covid Football begins.

Claire (EPL Wrecked) and I talk about the Europa League and Champions League Finals. She is a Manchester United fan and I am a Chelsea fan so we react to our two teams and their performances in these pivotal games.

The European season is just about done. What a year it has been. As we look back on some of the things that happened over the last year, we can also be positive and optimistic for the future of football.

One final weekend in the European Leagues. One final opportunity for drama. What a season and year it has been. So many story lines pop up and the tension going into this last game week is palpable. It's for all the marbles now.

The Talentprojekt model was conceived in 2010 with the intention of bringing young American soccer talents with high potential to Germany to develop within its unequivocally world-class youth development system. The program set out to prove that American athletes with a high soccer IQ and a high level skill set, an adaptable character and willingness to work hard and learn, could close the gap on...

Fergie said it. It's that time of the year where you're squirming in your seat due to the tension and squeaking the chair with your bum. The pressure is sure to produce some gems in the coming weeks. Some champions were crowned and some races got even more intense.

This weekend we may see many teams across Europe become Champions of their respective leagues. In addition, the finals of all the Domestic Cup Competitions, the Europa League, and the Champions League are set.

I took the weekend off from watching much football, recording any episodes, or participating in social media. And of course, a cascade of events tumbled through.

With 4 or 5 matches to go, there are quite a few leagues with a lot of places to fight for. Titles, Champions League Spots, and Relegation are all still very much in the balance in Turkey, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, and England. Every weekend is going to have a new twist. What a feast for the neutral.

WOW! Crazy Week in Football. First, I cover the WSL title decider between Chelsea and Manchester City. Then I cover the Super League which Died On Arrival. Florentino went from Mago de Oz to Loco Abuelo in 24 hours to make my Monday episode sound paranoid. But no matter because this power grab woke up the football world and brought us together like never before.

The European Super League has put football in a state of rage. I understand, but I don't think it's helpful. Florentino Perez, Real Madrid President and ESL Mastermind, came out and said all the quiet stuff out loud in a calm and candid manner. If you listen to what he said, you will fully understand the reasons for the creation of this competition. Then you can look for solutions. But don...

I was going to talk about Hansi Flick, Jose Mourinho, PSG Feminine, Messi, MLS week 1, and NWSL Challenge Cup. But then an asteroid crashed into the top ranks of the football world. The plans for the European Super League were finally made public. I don't like it either, but I'm optimistic and believe fans have the power to fight back. Jesse Suarez Castro joins me to provide some hope.

The Wednesday Champions League games, the Thursday Europa League games, and my predictions for the semi finals. Plus I touch on a few extra talking points from the week.

That is not a typo. It's wordplay. Enjoy my football news limerick with all kinds of alliteration. Then I get into Tuesday's Champions League matches - Chelsea/Porto and PSG/Bayern - and spend a few minutes looking back at the Women's Internationals in preparation for this summer's Olympic Games.

April and May is the business end of the season. Titles, cups, silverware are being won. The battles for European places are heating up as are the relegation dog fights. The narratives are building as teams enter the final push.

Why do we call it the International Break? It's not a break at all. Football was being played at its compact best. Some shock results across the different qualifiers but the big story here is the USA Men's National Team failing to qualify for the Olympics, Again.

The WSL just signed a big TV rights deal. A line of football boots designed for women is out. The NWSL has a club arriving backed by huge investors, Hollywood stars and venture capitalists, a sign of massive expansion in the women's game. Yet every time a story about this growth appears, there are a lot of haters. Get Out The Way or get your surfboards out, because the Women's Football Tid...

Football Index was a Gambling Website that masqueraded as an investment platform pulling off a Ponzi Scheme. Well it's slightly more complicated than that but a lot of people lost a lot of money. So WHAT THE BUCK HAPPENED?

Brendan Griffiths is an aspiring professional footballer and the host of In The Eleven Podcast where he tells his ongoing story and pathway towards his goal of signing a pro contract. He is a gifted young man with a great mindset and an eloquent way of expressing himself. Check out his show on your choice of media. Enjoy

The Champions League and Europa League Round of 16 is over. And it closed with a flourish of goals, red cards, upsets, and just utter madness. Slavia Prague surprised Rangers and Dinamo Zagreb's Mislav Orsic announced himself with a killer hat trick against Spurs. I also review the picks I made and who my favorites are for each tie in the 1/4 final of each competition.

Messi and CR7 were labeled as "finished" after their Champions League exits, yet both put on performances of immense quality and showed their worth. Fran Kirby had her hands on all 6 goals for Chelsea's Women to win the Conti Cup. Big Rom and Lautaro keep getting it done for Inter. Lamela Rabona. 6 Series Karim Benz.

A match takes place and everybody has an opinion. Some are lazy, impatient and simply knee-jerk reactions. They hold no water. The midweek games gave us so many football talking points so let's give some props but also call out some silly narratives.

A recap of the weekend games form March 6th and 7th. Rangers seal their title, Spurs have a wanted hashtag, Liverpool are in an unthinkable situation, Der Klasiker Strikers Show up, this Messi guy is still quite good, Atletico Madrid are stuttering, and the Women's Super League Title charge is heating up.

My good friends Ben and Jesse join the show to talk about the Goalkeeper, the 11th player (though they are #1). The position has changed and the demands on their skillset has evolved. As coaches, we talk about the way Goalkeepers should be utilized in training, but more importantly, viewed within the team. LOVE YOUR GK!

The Football Dynasties across the major European leagues are at risk. The status quo might come back soon enough and this may all be a Post Covid Dream. But Football Regimes are being toppled and the landscape is changing for the coming decade.