The Failed Footballer

Argentina's path to the semi-final: Algeria, Austria, Jordan, Cabo Verde, Egypt, Switzerland. We're not one for conspiracies but there's too many coincidences to ignore. OlanTekkers unpacks the calls that weren't given, but should have been, and the the ones that were - but shouldn't. Penalties not given, goals disallowed, red cards not given - it's been a shocking display of refereeing all tourna...

FIFA corruption, the game of the tournament so far and Ronaldo finally bows out of the World Cup without his much-desired win. OlanTekkers is joined by Sydney FC goalkeeper Harrison Devenish-Meares to talk all the big World Cup stories, the shocking round of 16 results and how you go from NPL to the A-League. This week Donald Trump called Gianni Infantino asking to have USA forward Folarin Balogun...

The boys fought hard. Souttar and Herrington, despite missing pens, can hold their heads high. So the Aussies crash out on penalties and Egypt go through. At least it's new territory for us - out in the round of 32 instead of the round of 16. Their stock is rising and a big summer move looks likely.  We're not done with the World Cup though at the Failed Footballer! New episodes will still be...

OlanTekkers and Nick Stav look ahead to the round of 16 with Australia, Egypt, Argentina and Cabo Verde still to play. Will the Socceroos make history and beat Egypt? Will Mo Salah play? If he does, who's going to stop him? Who starts for the Socceroos and who plays where? Plus, our Aussie stars like Bos, Irunkunda and Herrington are attracting serious interest from top clubs like Barcelona and Pr...

Shades of the disgrace of Gijón (yeah we had to Google it too) when Austria played Algeria on the weekend. Both teams knew a draw would send them through, but Riyad Mahrez obviously forgot. It looked like he'd scored the winner in the 93rd minute and Austria were going out - but then they equalised. Scenes, but was it all too convenient? With Ned Hall, ABC sports football commentator, we br...

A 0-0 against Paraguay, and The Socceroos are through.  Australia are officially into the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup, which on paper, is huge. But after watching that game...I’ve got questions.  Yes, we got the job done. Yes, Popovic made tactical adjustments after the USA game. And defensively, you can’t argue - the Socceroos looked a lot more solid, a lot more co...

Win or draw, and the Socceroos finish 2nd in the group. They'll then face Belgium, who'll likely finish 2nd in Group G. Lose, and Australia will come up against Germany in the first knockout round. Who would you rather play? To preview the game, analyse who should start for the Socceroos and plot out their most likely route to the final, OlanTekkers is joined by Nick Stav, football presenter, NPL...

What does the route to the final look like for the Socceroos, and why does it feel like some teams have it so much easier than others?  With Liam Stapleton, breakfast radio host as half of Ben and Liam and content creator, we break down the state of Groups D and G, where it’s still all to play for heading into the final game, with Belgium continuing to underperform and New Zealand still...

In what world do you change a winning formula? Tony Popovich…you’ve got some explaining to do (as does the ref). But it’s not over yet... OlanTekkers breaks down what went wrong – from Popovich benching in-form players like Irankunda and Metcalfe, to a defensive setup that had us stuck in our own 18 yard box for 45 minutes. We get into how the US exposed us out wide, why w...

The Socceroos are pulling massive TV audience numbers…the World Cup’s already claimed its first manager…and somehow, our Socceroos young guns might be the fastest players on the planet.  This episode, I catch up with Socceroos 2022 World Cup Qualifying hero, Andrew Redmayne - the goalkeeper who famously used his “jelly legs” technique in a penalty shootout that...

The Socceroos World Cup win over Türkiye in their opening round match is one of the biggest wins in Australian soccer history. This new generation of young players is looking like the real deal.  Türkiye dominated the game with 72% possession, twice as many shots on target and endless pressure. They rattled the post and Patrick Beach had a blinder to keep the Socceroos in it. But at...

The World Cup has officially kicked off, and I’m doing what I do best: pretending I’m qualified to talk about it. First up, I'm saying it how I see it...Ronaldo is finished. I know that may upset a few people, but look - someone had to say it. Portugal are better off if he doesn't play, let alone start. In the opening game there were three red cards - were they all soft? Did VAR get it...

This episode of The Failed Footballer  is what happens when World Cup fever, actual fever and a touch of delusion all collide at once. I chat to Adam Peacock, the voice of Stan Sport’s football coverage and one of the most trusted voices in Aussie football, and he immediately starts dropping wild World Cup predictions. England to win, a surprise pick for player of the tournament and how...

I failed as a footballer - my words, not yours. But that doesn't stop me from having an opinion...or a podcast. In this first episode of  The Failed Footballer , I OlanTekkers kick off the World Cup with a mix of chaos, confidence and conviction. Before a ball is kicked in Canada, Mexico and the US, I lay out my predictions - who's going to win it, who's going to bag the most goals and which...

He failed as a footballer, but luckily you don't need to have made it to have an opinion. OlanTekkers knows football, and with some expert guests he takes you through the biggest stories, the best goals and all the results from this year's World Cup. This is your front‑row seat to all the action from Canada, Mexico and the US, as we follow Australia (and England) through the group stage and beyond...