A limited-series podcast focusing on the intersection of money, politics, and soccer during the European Championships and Copa América.
Weekly on Thursdays.
The summer of soccer is over. On Sunday, Spain and Argentina both triumphed after late scores lifting the European Championship and Copa América trophies, respectively. Argentina’s victory over Colombia was marred by off-field controversy, however. As kickoff approached, Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium was overwhelmed by fans: Some had fake tickets, others forced their way in, while hundreds, perhaps thousands, of fans with legitimate tickets never made it in to the stadium, even after kickoff was delayed for over an hour. The ugly scenes in Miami raise serious questions about the United States’s readiness to host the 2026 World Cup. In the sixth and final episode of Owned Goals, hosts Alex Shephard, Miguel Salazar, and Ben Makuch discuss the chaos at the Copa, the upcoming World Cup, and their takeaways from two tournaments that were exciting and frustrating in equal measure.
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12 Jul 2024
France Exits Left
On Sunday, France witnessed one of the most surprising political events in years: In the second round of parliamentary elections, the New Popular Front, a left-wing coalition, staved off the French far right, which was poised to grab power for the first time since World War II. France’s soccer team was less fortunate—they were felled by Spain in an entertaining game two days later. But the team should hold their heads high: Their players spoke out repeatedly about the dangers of electing a fascist party and may well have played a crucial role in keeping Marine Le Pen out of power at least for now. In the fifth episode of Owned Goals, hosts Alex Shephard, Miguel Salazar, and Ben Makuch discuss the pivotal elections in France and the United Kingdom, the perceived stylistic differences between the Euros and Copa América, and make their picks for the finals of each. And in a bonus segment, Miguel talks to historian and podcaster Brenda Elsey about the Copa America, race and politics in South America, and efforts to privatize soccer in the Americas.
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5 Jul 2024
Who’s in Worse Shape: Joe Biden or the USMNT?
The 2024 Copa América was supposed to be a coming-out party for the United States Men’s National Soccer Team. Team USA had boasted a strong performance at the 2022 World Cup—and was gearing up to host the sport’s biggest tournament in 2026. Instead, it crashed out of the tournament in the group stage, losing 1-0 to Uruguay on home soil. In the fourth episode of Owned Goals, hosts Alex Shephard, Miguel Salazar, and Ben Makuch discuss the team's messy, tepid performance at the Copa as a metaphor for Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance, and talk about where things go from here. They also discuss elections in France and the U.K., a very weird attempted coup in Bolivia, and the highlights of the Euros and Copa América as we head toward the semifinals.
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28 Jun 2024
Ukrainian Hope and Pain at Euro 2024
In the lead-up to Euro 2024, both pundits and the tournament’s organizers expected the ongoing war in Ukraine, which has been stuck in a bloody stalemate for over a year, to be at the center of the conversation. Public support for Ukraine in is on the wane in Europe—far-right parties are ascendent in many countries, and several are pro-Russia, or at least skeptical that the European Union and its member countries should continue providing military and humanitarian aid. And yet, the war in Ukraine has barely factored into coverage of the tournament. Now that Ukraine has crashed out of the competition—winning a respectable 4 points but finishing fourth in its group on goal difference—it’s unlikely that Russia’s invasion will receive any further coverage or factor in at all. In this episode, we discuss why that is—and what it says about support in the west for Ukraine. We also recap the big moments in the Copa América, discuss the Biden campaign’s efforts to use soccer to appeal to young men and Latino voters, and complain about the worst pundit in world sports.
21 Jun 2024
Banana Politics at the Copa América
On Friday, the Copa América soccer tournament kicked off in Atlanta, with Argentina defeating a spirited Canadian team 2-0. This year marks the second time the United States has hosted the tournament. The first fell during another pivotal election year: 2016. Ordinarily a South American tradition, the 2024 games represent, in a way, a celebration of unity in the Western Hemisphere. But they're also occurring in a political moment when Donald Trump is promising to deport millions of people from the United States and Joe Biden is boasting about shutting down the border.
On the second episode of Owned Goals, hosts Alex Shephard, Miguel Salazar, and Ben Makuch recap the first week of Euro 2024 and discuss U.S. immigration policy, the recent Chiquita judgment, and the political situation in Brazil and Argentina in the context of Copa América.
14 Jun 2024
Euro 2024 Preview
Euro 2024, Europe’s quadrennial soccer tournament, begins on Friday in Germany in a climate of profound political uncertainty. The far right made massive gains in the European Parliament elections on June 9. In the coming weeks, France and England will both hold elections that could dramatically change each nation’s respective future. On the first episode of Owned Goals, a limited series exploring politics, economics, and soccer in this summer’s two biggest tournaments—the Euros and their American equivalent, Copa America—hosts Alex Shephard, Miguel Salazar, and Ben Makuch preview Euro 2024 and discuss the turbulent political situation surrounding it.
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