Fútbol with Grant Wahl

Latest Episodes:

Chris Jones Interview; Chris Wittyngham on Soccer News Mar 22, 2021

Show notes

Grant has a fun talk about soccer and other things with Chris Jones (at 26:18), the two-time National Magazine Award-winning writer who also covers the sport for ESPN. They discuss Jones playing soccer and coaching his sons, his favorite soccer stories from over the years, whether his beloved Canadian men's national team can finally make a World Cup again, his transition from magazine writing to screenwriting and his viral Friday Twitter story threads about everything from Ricky Williams to Carrot Top.

Before that, Grant breaks down the soccer weekend with Chris Wittyngham, including the U.S. men's Olympic team getting six points in its first two group games, this week's senior USMNT games and whether UEFA should do anything to seed the Champions League quarterfinal draw.

This episode of Fútbol with Grant Wahl is brought to you by Fanatiz. Frustrated that you can't get games from Spain's La Liga on your cable or satellite system? Sign up to stream Fanatiz. On Fanatiz, you can watch all the action in La Liga and other international leagues and tournaments live and on-demand from your mobile phone, tablet or directly on your TV with the Fanatiz app. Fanatiz features channels you know, like BeIN Sports in English and Spanish, GolTV and many more. And it costs only $7.99 a month.

If you’d like to try Fanatiz for yourself, you can get a free week-long trial by going to fntz.co/Grant-FZ.

Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqIhXWUw0H4

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ESPN's Sarah Spain, A Chicago Red Stars Owner Mar 18, 2021

Show notes

Grant has a fun interview with ESPN"s Sarah Spain, who recently became a member of the ownership group of the NWSL's Chicago Red Stars. Spain explains why she took the leap, how it came about and why public figures investing in NWSL teams has become so popular lately.

If you’d like to try Fanatiz for yourself, you can get a free week-long trial by going to fntz.co/Grant-FZ.

Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqIhXWUw0H4

Get full access to Fútbol with Grant Wahl at grantwahl.substack.com/subscribe

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US Men's Olympic Coach Jason Kreis; Chris Wittyngham on Soccer News Mar 15, 2021

Show notes

Grant interviews Jason Kreis (at 21:41), the head coach of the U.S. Under-23 men's national team, which opens the Olympics qualifying tournament against Costa Rica this Thursday at 5 pm ET on FS1 and TUDN. Kreis explains how he put together his U.S. team, what he hopes its identity will be and what this opportunity means for him as a coach.

Before that, Grant and Chris Wittyngham break down Arsenal's memorable 2-1 win over Spurs in the North London Derby and the significance of Olympic qualifying as the U.S. men attempt to qualify for the first time since 2008.

If you’d like to try Fanatiz for yourself, you can get a free week-long trial by going to fntz.co/Grant-FZ.

Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqIhXWUw0H4

Get full access to Fútbol with Grant Wahl at grantwahl.substack.com/subscribe

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An Interview With Ian Joy Mar 11, 2021

Show notes

Grant has a wide-ranging interview with Ian Joy, who has followed his 14-year pro playing career with a meteoric rise in media from BeIN Sports to Fox Sports to his jobs these days in the NYC area with CBS Sports HQ and with the YES Network broadcasting NYCFC and his new general talk show Joy to the World. Joy details his journey in the game, including several years playing in Hamburg for Hamburg and St. Pauli; his years playing in MLS; his bouts with depression and the recovery he's gone through; and how he became a studio host in addition to an analyst.

If you’d like to try Fanatiz for yourself, you can get a free week-long trial by going to fntz.co/Grant-FZ.

Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqIhXWUw0H4

Get full access to Fútbol with Grant Wahl at grantwahl.substack.com/subscribe

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US's Shannon McCarthy on Her Kazakhstan Champions League Adventure; Chris Wittyngham on Soccer News Mar 08, 2021

Show notes

Grant makes a call to Kazakhstan and connects with Shannon McCarthy (at 26:34), a former University of Miami player who's currently playing with five other Americans for BIIK-Kazygurt in the Round of 16 of the women's UEFA Champions League. The U.S. is the best women's soccer country in the world, which explains why the U.S. is one of the top exporters of women's pro soccer talent to places far and wide. McCarthy tells the story of how she arrived in Kazakhstan, what the soccer is like and what she's experiencing there with her American compatriots.

Before that, Grant breaks down the soccer weekend with Chris Wittyngham, including the 1-1 tie in the Madrid Derbi, Bayern Munich's overpowering 4-2 victory against Dortmund in Der Klassiker, Man United's 2-0 victory at Man City to end City's 21-game winning streak, Liverpool's continuing freefall and whether Jürgen Klopp might really be in trouble, Daryl Dike's thunderstrike goal for Barnsley and whether Sacramento might now be out of the picture for MLS with the sudden departure of billionaire primary investor Ron Burkle.

If you’d like to try Fanatiz for yourself, you can get a free week-long trial by going to fntz.co/Grant-FZ.

Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqIhXWUw0H4

Get full access to Fútbol with Grant Wahl at grantwahl.substack.com/subscribe

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Shep Messing on Pelé, Chinaglia, Beckenbauer and the NY Cosmos Mar 04, 2021

Show notes

Grant has a fascinating interview with Shep Messing, who currently broadcasts the New York Red Bulls for MSG Network, about being the goalkeeper on the legendary New York Cosmos that included Pelé, Franz Beckenbauer, Giorgio Chinaglia, Carlos Alberto and some of the greatest moments in American soccer history. Messing explains what it was like to play for those teams and plenty about his soccer history, including the 1972 Munich Olympics, the indoor champion New York Arrows and his thoughts on missing the World Cup era of the USMNT.

If you’d like to try Fanatiz for yourself, you can get a free week-long trial by going to fntz.co/Grant-FZ.

Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqIhXWUw0H4

Get full access to Fútbol with Grant Wahl at grantwahl.substack.com/subscribe

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Kevin Williams on FC Barcelona Turmoil; Chris Wittyngham on Soccer News Mar 01, 2021

Show notes

Grant has an in-depth interview about everything going on at FC Barcelona (at 26:57) with Kevin Williams, who by day is the music and visual arts editor at the Chicago Tribune but who has also become an expert over the years on Barça on his Twitter feed. Williams, a Barça member, explains why he thinks Lionel Messi will leave after the season, how Barça got itself in massive debt, how the March 7 club elections will impact the institution, why he loves watching Barcelona's women's team, and whether he thinks Xavi will come back to lead the men's team as its manager.

Before that, Grant has a column on U.S. Soccer's Athlete Council voting to remove member Seth Jahn after his remarks at Saturday's AGM minimizing Black American slavery and dismissing police brutality of Black Americans. Then Grant breaks down the soccer news with Chris Wittyngham, including Tyler Adams' big central midfield performance in Leipzig's win over Gladbach, which team (Man City or Bayern Munich) they think should be the favorite to win Champions League, which team is most likely to completely a Champions League Round of 16 upset (Porto, Chelsea or Atalanta) and why on earth Zlatan Ibrahimovic decided to go after LeBron James for not sticking to sports.

If you’d like to try Fanatiz for yourself, you can get a free week-long trial by going to fntz.co/Grant-FZ.

Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqIhXWUw0H4

Get full access to Fútbol with Grant Wahl at grantwahl.substack.com/subscribe

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SiriusXM FC's Jason Davis Feb 25, 2021

Show notes

Grant has a fun interview with Jason Davis, the host of a daily American soccer show on SiriusXM FC and co-host of The Best Soccer Show with Jared DuBois. Grant and Jason discuss the current American media landscape, which topics resonate most with American soccer fans and whether soccer will ever be a regular topic on mainstream U.S. TV sports debate shows.

If you’d like to try Fanatiz for yourself, you can get a free week-long trial by going to fntz.co/Grant-FZ.

Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqIhXWUw0H4

Get full access to Fútbol with Grant Wahl at grantwahl.substack.com/subscribe

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

BONUS EPISODE: USWNT and Portland's Crystal Dunn Feb 23, 2021

Show notes

In a special bonus episode of the podcast, Grant interviews USWNT and Portland star Crystal Dunn, who Grant thinks has become the USWNT's best player in 2021. They discuss the first two games of the SheBelieves Cup ahead of Wednesday's finale vs Argentina; what she's hoping to achieve in 2021 on and off the field; whether she can be a candidate for world player of the year as an outside back (with the national team); and her process of finding her authentic voice publicly.

If you’d like to try Fanatiz for yourself, you can get a free week-long trial by going to fntz.co/Grant-FZ.

Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqIhXWUw0H4

Get full access to Fútbol with Grant Wahl at grantwahl.substack.com/subscribe

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

ESPN's Wright Thompson; Chris Wittyngham on Soccer News Feb 22, 2021

Show notes

Grant interviews his friend Wright Thompson (at 32:04), a senior writer at ESPN and the author of the recent New York Times Best-Seller Pappyland: A Story Of Family, Fine Bourbon and the Things That Last. They discuss his book, his interest in Kentucky and his approach to writing, including an anthology's worth of Thompson's phenomenal soccer writing over the years. Those include stories by Thompson on Luis Suárez and Uruguayan soccer, Brazilian protests ahead of World Cup 2014, the culture of Italian football, Paul Pogba, the Boca Juniors-River Plate rivalry and the death of Fiorentina captain Davide Astori.

Before that, Grant and Chris Wittyngham break down a busy soccer weekend, including: the USWNT's 2-0 win over Brazil; Inter's big 3-0 victory over Milan; whether we have concerns about Christian Pulisic at Chelsea under Thomas Tuchel; Liverpool's nosedive; Man City's breathtaking run; whether Messi will stay or leave Barcelona; and Bayern Munich and Atlético Madrid dropping more points in Germany and Spain.

If you’d like to try Fanatiz for yourself, you can get a free week-long trial by going to fntz.co/Grant-FZ.

Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqIhXWUw0H4

Get full access to Fútbol with Grant Wahl at grantwahl.substack.com/subscribe

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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