The Away End with Daniel Alarcón and John Green
The Away End with Daniel Alarcón and John Green
Two novelists, Daniel Alarcón and John Green, friends since they were teenagers, tackle questions big and small around the World Cup and international football more generally. The only soccer podcast that regularly name checks Toni Morrison, The Away End is about much more than sport: it's about politics, literature and culture, with an eye toward those moments and spaces where our collective love…Social links:
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Episode 20: Pochettino's Folly, Spain Deep Dive and Sweet Sweet Music
On Episode 20 of The Away End podcast, Daniel is recovering from a whirlwind weekend that included watching vignettes of the UEFA Champions League final between PSG and Arsenal on his phone's screen as he was being called to make an important speech. A discussion about the USMNT's win over Senegal …
47:36
Episode 19: Super-Sized Listener Mailbag Edition
After Daniel takes a victory lap for his (Arsenal's) finish atop the Premiere League and talks about sharing the joy with his son Eliseo, albeit for different reasons, John, Daniel, and Sean read and discuss several listener questions. Plus a most excellent listener story about being an American in…
54:10
Episode 18: The Sadness of A One-Sided Rivalry, Brazil Deep Dive and Becoming a Football Legend in Just Three Months
On Episode 18 of The Away End, Daniel’s story about watching the Arsenal v. West Ham game and the aftermath leads John to zero in on a major problem with human behavior. In his Brazil deep dive, Daniel introduces us to jogo bonito (The Beautiful Game), talks about his hero Ronaldinho and wonders if…
43:19
Episode 17: Seeking Beauty with Author Simon Kuper
Author of the new book, World Cup Fever: A Soccer Journey in Nine Tournaments, Simon Kuper joins The Away End for a discussion about football and the complexity of national identity, the globalization of style at the top of the game and the lower quality of football that expansion of the World Cup …
48:37
Episode 16: TV for Chickens for Humans, Haiti Deep Dive, and Daniel's Honduran Fixer
On Episode 16 of The Away End, John has returned from England with something on his heart. After letting it out, he deep dives into the Haitian National Team. And Daniel tells the story of Jorge, his Honduran fixer who created an unexpected, impenetrable forcefield around him that revealed its real…
40:11
Episode 15: Failure is an Option, South Korea Deep Dive, and John Takes a Magical Bus Ride
On Episode 15 of The Away End, Daniel begins with a call to action regarding the current, Kafkaesque reality of being a football fan and wishing to attend a World Cup game. Then Daniel's deep dive into the South Korean National Team brings back memories of a long-lost friend, "Hyun" and the crushin…
53:25
Episode 14: The Tragedy of Poorly-Timed Injuries, the Corrosive Influence of Sports Gambling, and a Very Special Guest
On Episode 14 of The Away End, John and Daniel start with a discussion about the heartbreaking injury of the great Liverpool player, Hugo Ekitike and the implications it has on the World Cup, along with several other poorly-timed injuries, less than two months out from kickoff. Then, Daniel and Joh…
1:01:00
Episode 13: Daniel Goes to an Arsenal Game, Germany Deep Dive and a Messy Messi Interview
On Episode 13 of The Away End, Daniel sets the tone with a story of his recent trip to London to see Arsenal play Bournemouth, and the ensuing disappointment and heckling he experienced as a result of his team's loss. John covers this week's deep dive into Germany and explains why he thinks they ma…
58:05
Episode 12: The World Cup Stage is Set, Bosnia and Herzegovina Deep Dive, and an Ode to Ali Al-Hamadi
On Episode 12 of The Away End, John and Daniel unpack the wins and losses of the final World Cup playoff games and begin to look ahead, now that the 48 World Cup teams are set. Daniel does a deep dive into the Bosnia and Herzegovina National team, and John highlights Ali Al-Hamadi, a star player on…
47:58
Episode 11: AFCON Insanity, England Deep Dive, and Daniel Plays an Epic Football Game at a Peruvian Prison
On Episode 11, Daniel and John dissect the latest in the saga of the AFCON Final aftermath between Senegal and Morocco, John does a deep dive into the English National team, and Daniel recounts the story of when he played an epic football game at a Peruvian prison known as Castro Castro. Finally, D…
50:07