How the World Cup quarterfinals could create a blockbuster scenario

No, no, no, not cash. They really don't.

They probably get to semi-final now to set that.

I'm going to get loads of Swiss abuse. Oh, I don't think that Swiss people do send abuse.

“I think they just always just sat on that fence just being so nice.”

There is considerable historical precedent to agree with your point. I'm Brendan Hogg. And I'm Rebecca Lowe, and this is after the whistle from Apple News. Yet another unbelievable comeback at this World Cup will get in the How Argentina came back late against Egypt.

And why is Messi so bad at penalty kicks? Plus, we're going to get into France, Morocco and Spain, Belgium, which could set up a blazingly good semi-final. And Norwegian stars won America's hearts and how the most awkward moment of the World Cup now revolves around Christian Policic.

That part will definitely include adult language. This podcast is brought to you by Verizon, an official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2026. No one gets you closer to the FIFA World Cup than Verizon. Hello, Rebecca.

Hello, my friend. Have a lovely year, number one. Well, my secretion. Clark and metabolism is confused by the day off. Oh, I know.

I know. And mine's even further confused because I've just flown from LA to Boston. So now it's all of a sudden the night time. I don't quite understand. And nothing's happened today.

It's very weird.

“But at least I've been relatively busy because I think if I just been in the hotel,”

I'd have been a little depressed, which is a precursor to the rehab facility. I will be entering in on July 20. Yep. Yep. And nothing.

I'll be like, hey, you're back every four years. I can't see very well because I believe I'm blinded by the shininess of your shirt. Oh, you mean this new shirt that I happen to be just so I don't. So this sparkly number 10 Fox Sports World Cup show, which has got let me see. Oh, I can't.

I haven't got the spinal flexibility to show you. And I'm just not going to twist. So the loan back is from the stylist department at Fox because we are done now with our studio shows. We are now officially out on the road.

Which means there are lots of goodbye.

So lots of amazing people.

And the stylist department have done an incredible job with all of us. And it's a big old department. And the ladies Alexis specifically who works in their shout-out Alexis made. Because I said the other day to them or the other week. You know, oh, you know, because like this little did you play?

I was like, no, I didn't play. And that also you don't have a shirt or a number. I was like, no, because Latin and here in Alexis also. So they made me a shirt. And then they've got a shirt as well.

So they've all got low 10. They've all got the shirts with mind. The only one that's been dazzled. So just shout out to him. We've moved on to the final chapter of this World Cup.

So I won't see a lot of them again for a while.

“So yeah, that's what I'm throwing on today.”

I just got here. I just landed in Boston a couple of hours ago. What's the hat today? I feel like you have such good wardrobe choices. I have a new hat.

It is a hat for the El Paso locomotive. For Christo. Given to me by Christo Fernandez, when I saw him in Mexico City. And like, yes, don't mind if I do. He also gave me a Mexico shirt for the second time in our relationship.

Still have never worn the first.

Don't know why he thought that second one was going to get anything but dust. But still, what a lovely man. And I will rock the El Paso, especially once he gets into some games. So here we are. Rebecca.

Now since last we spoke to all the people. They were just one last pair of games. We had Columbia. Yeah. And Switzerland, Neil Mill.

Our first Neil Mill. And I believe 28 games. 23 games. So like that. The Swiss edging it on penalty kicks.

But before that, we had a bit of controversy. And a bit of incredible play as well. We'll see how those balance out in the scales here. Between Argentina and Egypt. As Argentina came back from two nothing down with like 11 minutes left.

Two win. Three to two. And the story is best I can tell it's as simple as that. Oh, yeah. I think it is very straightforward, isn't it?

I think Egypt is a fine with it. Absolutely. Taking it on the chin. Yeah. I think the stuff as echo absolutely.

No problem at all. Yeah. That's one started out with one little to Egypt after 15 minutes. And that was obviously shock number one of the afternoon. And then they got a penalty.

Shock number two. Argentina got a penalty. Little messy. But he had it saved. Four of his eight World Cup penalties have been saved or missed.

So half. Think he's the only player to ever miss two penalties at a single World Cup finals. And it's like that normally. You normally save a stat like that for someone who's a little bit rubbish. But this is for the greatest of all times.

So that was crazy. Didn't you think? Yeah. And also like, hey, buddy, you're doing so much right now. Better take a break.

Maybe take a break on the old pk's. You got a few good pk takers around you like. You know, you don't got to do everything, pal.

If he has to step up to win the game.

You know, in the 93rd minute with a pk.

“Like, won't even he be fraught with terror.”

Knowing that he's the guy with some regular. Yeah. And I know half half of his World Cup penalties. That's crazy. So then he missed that.

So then they went. They thought they went to net up. Didn't they? True, Mr. Zico. But it was waived off because of a foul in the build up.

Correct? Yeah, it was indeed. You know, I've had some people who especially are newer to this. Writing me like, wait a minute. The rest can just pull everything back and like, yeah.

Yeah. Yeah.

This is the highest profile example of that I can think of by far.

But it is, it is not unprecedented. And yeah, I mean, the foul itself seemed to replay. Like, well, I mean, he did step on his foot. It's not, it's not enough in call. You know, it's not a totally wrong call.

But like, yikes. I, I'm not exactly. Well, we'll get to go. It was because it was so far away. I can both understand and not understand.

Egypt's agree with us. Yeah, it was terribly chaired with far away. Yes. Yeah.

“I think it was, it was at the complete other end of the field.”

Which is why a lot of people are like, well, you know, by the time we got the other end, Argentina should have been in a better position. They should have been able to get their act together. But I mean, sort of two things with that. One, I think it's, I think people are more agreed with this situation because the goal is so good.

Because the run and the goal was so good. So people like, oh, what are we doing? We're, you know, we're stopping great bits of football take all the way back. But like you said, it was a foul. I mean, it absolutely was a foul.

It's just because it was so far away from where the goal went in. And people like, oh, it must be the next phase of play. It was absolutely not the next phase of play. Literally, if that foul had, it was, it was part of the entire move, wasn't it? It was, it just was. It was the start of the possession.

And yeah, they, they matriculated the ball down the field. Proverbally, right away. So like, I'm just not that upset about this call. And especially because soon enough, Mr. Zico writes things, you know, in the old fashioned way and gets it up to two nothing anyway.

Yeah, and 67 minutes, two now. Now I'm like, Hang on a second. U.S. men's national team have gone home. Now little mess is going home. Oh, well, club suddenly got rubbish.

And then he was like, no, it hasn't. And you know, the one thing I have to bring up here, which, you know, I know I mentioned them a lot, but I'm with them a lot. And they're so full of interesting stories. There's a course both that anti-airy played with messy and trained with messy day and day out.

And they both said, at two kneel down, they both saw something change in his body language on the field. And it reminded them of when they used to train with him and they said this on the show afterwards. Teary said, something would switch in his eyes when he went from being chill, not bothered about something to meaning business. It would, his eyes would actually change.

And he said, they, they both saw it on the field at two kneel down. And then, Chris, you're a mirror, got them back in on 79. Right, so yeah, you're right, 11 minutes. They were two nail art with 11 minutes to go. Christian Romero scored just on side, scored to get in what two one. And then we're messy, scored the equalizer, Brendan.

I was sitting there with the Lexi. And we watched the celebration. It was very, it was very un-messive, the celebration. He slightly lost control of himself. Do you remember celebrating?

He went absolutely nuts. Flailing is the best word.

“Like in the air, a little bit out of control, which told you everything you need to know about everything.”

Everything about this game, this world cup, how much he wants it. And then, of course, they want it in soft-ish on it. It was insane. And particularly the guilt that he, you know, or responsibility, let's say. He must have felt being too nothing down.

Him having missed the penalty, you know, him being the guy who lied down for so much. And so yeah, it was him getting, you know, not just equalizing the game, but also like getting off the personal snide, so to speak. So Egypt are now absolutely furious. You know, they're, it's, it's got to, like, official, you know, F.A. channels now.

They're upset with these, with that call in particular. And like, I just, I, I don't particularly have sympathy for it. And like real quick, like, I mean, knowledge, like, yeah, I know it. I'm just, I'm a guy who was like, but that, like, shouldn't have got that red card. But, but that was, yeah, that didn't affect that game.

Like, I bought that was wrong for, like, affecting the next game.

And here's the thing, um, to, uh, to the, uh, Egyptian, uh, F.A.

And, uh, and thank you for all their time here at gracing this tournament. They were, they were fun to watch all. But, um, you were up to nothing with, with, with 12 minutes left. Um, you got to go on your chin. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Kind of on you guys. Um, what I thought was interesting, and they didn't behave brilliantly at the end. I mean, Mo Salah had to kind of pull them away from, from the referees.

It's been a little bit too much of that for my liking. And, um, two much like behaving a little like kids actually at times during this tournament. Having said that, I did think that the way that Argentina's, now, Argentina, of course, have had two scares now. They've had Cape Verde, and now they've had Egypt.

So, I feel like the tears that I saw, not just on Messi's face, not just on Emmy Martinez.

Was it just a kind of a relief, double relief? Like, had one relief. And now they've had another huge dose of relief after coming from behind. Or is it something more? I don't know.

There were a lot of emotions at this World Cup random.

“But postgame scenes of that game in particular with the most emotional, I think I've seen.”

For sure. Argentina have never done this. You know, for all their greatness and all their achievements, they've never come from behind to win a World Cup game where they were even losing at half time by any reason. No, that is true.

I actually said that at half time of the game. So you are correct.

And they've never had a two goal come back in the second half of World Cup game.

Like, even on the scale of Argentina achievement, this was unprecedented. So having the celebration to be the same is not out of order. Yeah. No, that's true. And of course, the story that Lionel Messi's father's not well as well.

There was some reports that he was going to go home. I'm not sure if he did actually end up going home, which was made away through the group stage. I just, you know, fingers crossed open brave things, okay, in that situation as well. But we do want Messi to keep going. We do want Messi in the next round.

So even though I love myself an undog, I do prefer Argentina to go further than Egypt. So I was happy with the result. Yeah. And, you know, how I love my Jezinho watch. And Messi maintained the Jezinho watch.

She could still pull a Jezinho score in every round of a World Cup. No, that's 70. Oh. All right. We'll take a break.

And we'll come back. And we'll talk about these juicy juicy quarter finals. All right, mate. Brendan, the FIFA World Cup is now underway and it's already going too fast. It's too much.

It's too much going on. How do we find purchase anywhere?

We always we could get as close as possible to these amazing games.

And no one gets you closer than Verizon. In fact, Verizon gave away tickets to the FIFA World Cup for customers, coast to coast. And some lucky customers are even getting pitch side access. Meaning they'll watch a portion of the gameplay up close from the field. If you're not a Verizon customer, it's not too late to switch.

In your AT&T team, mobile, Xfinity, or Spectrum Bill for a better deal. Must provide very recent post-pacons. You might be able to build on any of the past redeemable days. No time conditions for restrictions. Nice.

No one gets you closer to the FIFA World Cup than Verizon. Rebecca, the quarter finals are upon us. And for those who are just joining us, those juicy juicy quarter finals. One, we start tomorrow with the one that Rebecca is attending. In Boston, that being France versus Morocco, a rematch of the semi-final from the previous World Cup.

Juicy. The next day, we will have Spain versus Belgium. The last game, they'll be played here in Los Angeles. Spain, who have not let in a single goal, this entire World Cup. And then Belgium, who are just a mystery package. We don't know what they are yet. They're bad. They're bad. They're good who knows.

And then after that, we have England versus Norway, which is really England versus Holland. I think we know. I agree there. And then Argentina versus the Swiss. The Swiss. The Swiss.

Is anyone in the world rooting for Switzerland? No, no, no. They really don't. I really have to seriously think into my research pack head to think of it even a three-place. Isn't that that's bad? No, you're being silly. You got you got you got Chaka. You got him below.

You got Regas has been around forever. You're right, okay. But they don't like anything after though. They're not rushing to this stadium. They don't come for me Swiss fans. Yeah, they don't do anything.

They don't always have a quality turn to you either.

They don't offend anyone. They'll probably get to semi-final now said that. I'm going to get loads of Swiss abuse. I don't think that Swiss people do send abuse.

“I think they just always just sat on that fence just being so much.”

There is considerable historical precedent to agree with your point. But we will talk more about Argentina Switzerland. Okay, I'll be attending and England Norway at our next pod. Because we are going to record again. But between now and then we've got Spain Belgium and France Morocco.

Do Morocco, in your opinion, have any better chance than they did four years ago? Yeah, I think they do. I think they're better. It's interesting, you know, and I've arrived at here and right in the middle of Boston. I haven't seen a France shirt. Yeah, I mean bear in mind.

I didn't go out for car or the hotel, went in the hotel. And I've now left the hotel to come to this hotel to record this. I haven't been out loads. But the snapshots of driving through in the back of the car, and then also just being outside.

I've seen loads of Morocco shirts, but haven't seen a single France one yet. Interesting. I think they have a better chance. Yes. I just don't understand how anyone's going to stop the front three, though.

Do you? I mean, they can only stop themselves, really, you know? But there's no signs of that. Exactly. Like, I just don't.

“The only thing that can stop them is, do they have a bad day?”

I mean, it's going to be really hard for any team to have eight great days.

Like, France, they've only given up two goals. Those are back in the group's age.

“They've given up nothing here in the Naga'd Sages.”

And Bapé is a killer. You know? And then if he's not firing, then you again. They'll hold the rest of their front three. They are just so fucking good.

I think that's the point, isn't it? It doesn't matter if Mapé doesn't have a good game. One of the games during this World Cup he didn't score in. And then Bapé got a hat strike. So it's like, well, who wants to have a good day?

Because him, early saying Bapé, and not all going to have a bad day on the same day. I just don't think it's possible, actually, in actual life. They're the most possible. As long as one of them has a good day,

they're all match winners by themselves. So one of them, and if three of them are having a good day, then you're absolutely up, you know, what Creek. You really are, because they just won't be able to defend them. So I want to think Morocco have a really good chance.

At the moment, there is zero, because it's not even like. There's been a time during this World Cup random, where we said to each other, I mean, they kind of got away with that one. Oh, that was a bad hard for even a bad 20 minutes.

They would be the first half against was it cynical,

where the whole conversation about arrogance and confidence, and whether or not they're being arrogant. They just weren't yet warmed up. They just weren't bothering yet. They didn't have to bother.

They are so self confident. And as you would be, if you're in that team, although there is a couple of players in there, Luca Dean being one, who I look at, going, "Oh, no, this is a bit mean." But I'm like, "I have a little bit like me."

Great. Well played. It's a good player, but well played. If you look around the dressing room going like... Yeah, it's a bit like, "Can I play?"

He plays for Everton. Oh, I think he's used to villain now.

“I think he's used to villain, to be fair to him.”

Yeah, but he's a very Everton player. So I think you're right. But yeah, so I just think that they have very few flaws. I'm not sure we've seen any flaws. The keepers had to do a couple of things here and there.

But not a lot. My manuals have been very quiet. It hasn't had to really do much, has he not really. So it's not like any signs are showing, but they could have a bad day.

However, the US men's national team were showing us no signs. But they would have a bad day. I'm not comparing them before. Yeah, no, no. I think it compared on time.

I think that's totally... I'm just saying that, in football, you can be following a pattern and then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, that pattern ends.

So, of course, Miracle have a good chance, and they're a really good team, but I can't see it. When Miracle went down against the Netherlands,

when Kakbo scored in second half there,

which, fun fact, it was my last moment of joy this month. And it seemed like, okay, well, now the dam is broken, and here comes the Netherlands. And, you know, sorry, Miracle,

“you're not as good as you were four years ago.”

Thanks for having me dream. But then they just kept on going. They kept on going. And then they draw it in at a time, and then they win it on pk's in the end.

So, do they have that level of heroic grit and determination in them? And by the way, they're not going to have Cibari for this game. It has been confirmed.

So, they can have the big, even deeper yet, and their chances are much worse without him. So, if they can reach back into the, into the, yeah, the straight up gritty, determined heroism that they had against Holland,

then. Have you seen the stadium, Brendan? The New York Patriots? The New York Patriots don't play there. It's a matter of fact.

New York Patriots exist only in your beautiful, English sport combining mind. I'm not very funny though. Don't be good though, wouldn't they? The New York Patriots.

If we combine the New York Giants and the New York Jets and the New England Patriots, you get a good team there. You get a team. Yeah. I mean, I can, I can tell you which team

is going to be contributing the most to that. And the word New York is not in their name. Catch me on Sunday night football. [laughter] That's all.

Then, our other matchup. [laughter] The, it was supposed to be useful. So hang on. Are you going? Or did you decide to bend off your tickets?

To this game. Because I'm flying to Kansas City that night.

And I, I never confirmed confirmed tickets.

I was told I would have tickets. But now it's like, all right. Let's, I'm going to watch the game do the pod and get on a plane. Okay.

Okay. I think that's fair. I think that's fair. Yeah. If I'd gone, my heart wouldn't be in it.

Like, you know, I'm not someone, well, this is not entirely true. I'm not someone as much as I used to be. Who's like, oh, you beat my team? Fuck you forever. Like, I am still that way from childhood.

So San Francisco 49ers. I'm watching Commanders. I have no sympathy for you no matter what happens to you. You know, whatever accidents may befall the team at any time. Like, oh, to man.

But I am not currently like, you know, fuck Belgium. You know, it would kind of be hard to be anyway, given the circumstances. But Belgium, like, we just don't know what they are. I truly believe this. I don't know what they are.

I mean, the comeback against Senegal was even more impressive than Argentina's comeback against Egypt.

Yeah.

“Because I think it was lifestyle wasn't it?”

Tougher opponent and later. And then they come in and they just destroy the, you know, the home, the home country. So maybe they are hitting their stride. But maybe the Spanish defense is about to, you know, put them in their place. I won't a little bit more from Spain.

For sure. You know what I mean? Like, it well done the defense. Well done, Noxinegaal. But here's my question.

Haslaminegaal come to the party yet? No. I mean, he had one goal early on, right? And that's been it. That's it.

That's it. And I want to see more of him. He's looking dangerous. But he's not exactly sharp shooting. No, no.

So I would like to see maybe this will be the game.

Maybe this will be the game because like you say,

I don't know what to make a bell to buy the. The Senegal game was. Interesting because that come back. I think it was five four five or six minutes. They had left on the clock to make the at two nil down.

That come back to win three two. Then they go into the flow balligan storm. And it turns into being their siege mentality after the red card was overturned or suspended. Then they go into what they did for one like you say to the home nation. Those things come back win a home nation knockout and being the center of an agree.

Events.

“I think can make a team bond like they weren't three weeks ago.”

Because groups age, they were just much much much. Absolutely no headlines. No one talked about them. They were a little bit under the radar because we've all written them off anyway. Because everybody we feel like everyone is so old.

So we've written them off. You know what I mean? But now it that we're starting to write them back in. A little bit. Lukaku is flipping egg is he's one of those players that even though he's hardly played much football.

And even though he doesn't particularly look in great shape. When you see him stand on the sideline next to the fourth official of the sign. If you remember of the opposite team, you're half a God say. Don't we got to deal with this guy? Now this guy.

He's coming out like exactly. That's exactly it. Let alone. Tired legs on 65 minutes and Jeremy Doke comes on. Yeah.

If he starts on the bench again like he did last time out against USA. So they're at later. They're a funny old team because the kettle r I out front is not even a. He's not a very good goal score. If you look at him in a at a lantern and say our last season two or three goals.

Like not many. Then he goes and gets to against USA doesn't even kind of like. He's doesn't even really look like a striker. But so they're very weird. You're absolutely right.

I have no idea. I think on balance. I would go that they're going to lose against Spain. Mainly because of Spain's defense. But I would like more from Spain, please.

I would like a little bit more from a medium out. Although his baby brother might be my favorite thing about this. Well, did you see how cute his baby brother was? Oh my lord. And then number three.

We don't know what to do about Belgium. So it's quite difficult once a call in somewhere. It's anything could happen in that game. Yeah. We didn't talk about this as much as we maybe could have after the USA.

Belgium game. But like really Garcia's starting lineup was. Unbelievable. Ballsy. Like there's one thing to not have Kevin Brenna out there.

Who we know is going to have trouble going 90.

But to not even have Delco out there was incredible.

You know, in retrospect. And that was because of the way he had sized up the US. But also why I wish we talked about a little bit was like we maybe didn't give it enough credit for being one of the things that had the US so disjointed early on. Like because there's no way they didn't plan for Delco. There's no way they didn't plan for Delco.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's a good shout. Because when the, sorry, when the team news drops.

I was like, what? Doco's on the bench. You brought us on the bench. Now, yes, they both came off in the previous game. Because they weren't particularly good.

But they're still combed a burner and Jeremy Doco. And so we actually changed our rundown. We were in a break. And I said, because we've got to talk about this right now. I said to Delco.

If you're in the US dressing room, you're looking at that going. Okay. We'll take that now. Yeah. Okay.

Well, we know that on 60 or 65, you're going to send on the cavalry. Yeah. So, we're going to get to 65 and be getting control this game and great. And he was like, Terros, he knows that team really well. And he was a bit like, huh.

That's a little confusing, a little surprising. So it was bullsey, right? And it bloody works. And maybe he'll do the same thing again.

“And it's because I think the game has changed so much.”

Brendan, the finishes. They don't even call them subs today. They call them finishes. So if you have a couple of finishes on your bench. Who can come in and do a bit like a Lucarca in a Doco.

Could set you into the World Cup final. Then that might also get into your the opposition's head as well. Knowing, oh, God, they're coming. They're coming at some point. We've got to try and get ahead by then.

So yeah, you're right. I think that was probably a contributory for sure. So does Garcia have something else up his sleeve. And then also our Spain able to kick it up a gear. You know, or do they not need to?

I mean, if I recall correctly, when they last won the World Cup in 2010, every knockout game they played and they ended one mill. And they didn't they to mine that at all. They didn't want a bit. I mind it.

Brendan, I don't want them in the World Cup like right now.

France are way more exciting and fun to watch. Okay. So are a number of other teams. So let's see a little bit more please, Spain on Friday. We'll talk more about now right England and Argentina,

which is in the next pod. But Rebecca, can we just talk about the way that these are lining up. If you just look at the favorites of these four quarter finals, we are looking at a semi final round of France, Spain and England, Argentina.

Are you fucking kidding? Who had those? Did you have all four of those? Yeah, did! And I tried to be too cute.

I always made Portugal and the one time I don't, they fuck me.

You were hitstory. I feel like your predictions are very hitstory. I think you had equity. Did you have equity or again?

“Yeah, because I think something, because I think well,”

thought that because of the location, this will come. Something crazy is going to happen. Because when the World Cup is somewhere weird, crazy things happen. But so if it's down to those four, then there's only one crazy thing left that can happen.

Well, you actually switched to them. You might get switched to them though. I mean, if one of the, one of the, underdogs, yes, there's a crazy thing. But I think those four, there's one thing.

Crazy thing that's winning for the first time in 60 years. Brendan, can I just real quick say? And I know we're going to do another pod. But when I'm down in Miami, but like, how have I never seen England play a woke up ever?

I've never seen England play at a European Championship. You're a European Championship either. Are you going, but you're going to Miami? Sure am. Wow.

That's going to be fucking great. How about Norway? Good Lord. All right. So those are the quarters.

And we'll get into these last two quarters when next we speak. So let's go to break and come back with maybe just bits. I know I've got a bulb. Oh, okay. We'll do bits and bounce.

We'll do bits and bounce. Right back on after the whistle. This female world cup Verizon is turning dreams into reality. They're giving away free tickets and pitch side access. Some lucky fans are getting the chance of a lifetime

to watch the action up close on the field during gameplay. All for just being a customer. If you're not with Verizon yet, now's the time to make the switch. This female world cup 2026.

No one gets you closer than Verizon. Okay. Welcome back to After the whistle on Apple news. Bit some bulbs time. I've got to you.

Got one. So I'll go first. With. Is there a world? I love it already.

I was thinking about this. Penalty shootouts, right? Penalty shootout. Just remind me again why a golden gold doesn't work well.

“Because I think the penalty shootouts don't give you validity for a winner.”

They don't tell you the best team won and I know in football the best team doesn't always win.

But a golden goal. It's like first score. First of all, it makes extra time great. It does because everyone's absolutely delirious and stressed out and just going for it. And so it's like the most stressful thing ever for both teams.

And it swings from like excitement. We're going to win to. Oh, no, we're going to lose. It's just brilliant. And penalties, would you think they're a lottery or not?

I personally don't think they're a lottery. But they aren't really an evaluation of where of how good a football team you are. I love them if I'm not in them. Of course, don't have your own. But I still think a golden.

Can we go, is there a world in which we could take you? We could get it back. I hate to break it to you. No, because you are looking at the past with rose colored glasses. They found by the time.

What was it? Euro 2000 was the last big tournament to end on a golden goal. And treasure gate scored for France. Yeah. That what golden goal was doing because golden goal for those just joining us was not introduced until

Euro 96, I believe. Yeah. We'll look that up. And that tournament was one I'm golden gold by Oliver Beerhoff. But they found that what was happening was that teams were just playing supercagey and

afraid to make a mistake. And it just wasn't leading to good football. I mean, let's think of the last World Cup final. Rebecca, like, to have a equalizing goal in extra time is fucking unbelievable.

Like, I think the drama of extra time that you're right is incredible.

So give me, give me proper half hour of it one way or another. And then our PK is the right move. Well, I mean, you know, do you want me to just watch 22 guys get cramp? No. No, I know.

And I don't have an alternative answer because I've thought long and hard. I actually spend far too much of my life thinking about how we can end football matches. Like, I'm going to come up with the answer. But I still don't think penalties is right. But the golden goal, fine, I get it.

Although they actually brought it into English football for a while in the Cup competitions.

“I think you remember a league Cup maybe or another Cup.”

In fact, I think my husband actually scored a golden goal to end a Cup tie. He did. He scored his golden goal. So flattered he'll be that you think maybe he scored a golden goal. He did. He did score a golden goal. But like that.

And I remember seeing some games and loving it. But then maybe it can go both ways.

So anyway, that's my one bit. Like, I just, I'm still on the path. I've just trying to find a better way to end a game. Sure, sure, sure. What is your effect?

“You know, when your life is divided into the quadranial weight and satisfaction and disappointment of”

World Cups, there are tiny rituals that keep repeating themselves. The World Cup comes along. And one that's happening now is as more and more teams are eliminated. You see more and more commercials from athletes who are no longer in the tournament.

And they're always awkward.

You know, they're just going to keep coming because more teams will lose. And you'll keep seeing these commercials with players who you know lost. And you wonder, product, should I really be taking your recommendation based on your choice of talent? But the most awkward of them all is a commercial that was already awkward. And now it's even more awkward.

And that is it might only be regional because it's a Wells Fargo bank commercial. So for those not in California, I apologize, but I'll try to describe it to you. There's some people at a game, you know, a set of a game and you're like, "Oh, how am I going to pay for this?" And you know, we young women in the front row fold up her Wells Fargo card and it's like active cash or something. It's like I'm going to use active cash.

That's the way to do it. And I was like, "Oh, I don't know. But then a voice from up the stairs in the aisle goes, "That is the right call." Or something like that. And everyone turns around.

Christian Policic.

And there he is, you know, holding one of these cards.

And there's a little back and forth about it. And again, Christian Policic, I hate to pile up a guy who's not having a great week. But we know he doesn't like being on camera. Why do we know that? Because every time he's on camera, he says so.

And in this shot, he does not look like he wants to be on camera. But here's the most awkward part. He's holding up the card and she's holding up the card. And the end of the commercial is these two shots where she looks back at her shoulder over Christian Policic. We slow zoom on her face.

Then we cut the Christian Policic looking at her holding up the card. We slow zoom on his face.

“And I believe the point of this commercial is to try to tell us that if you use the Wells Fargo Act of Cash Card,”

you and Christian Policic are going to fuck. Because there's nothing else happening in these commercials except this. I mean, these fucking slow clips like he did fucking rivalry. Like, what are you trying to do Wells Fargo? And now that he's out of the dorm and having had the tournament he had, it looks even worse.

And I predict risk business for Bank of America. Cleated rivalry, maybe. Brendan, I did not think that story was ending there. I'm kidding. I'm glad to be reading.

What am I favorite so far? Of the guy I ask you one other question about Christian Policic. Which is actually serious questions, so let's be serious now. Since we recorded, I hadn't seen his postmatch interview, which is doing the rounds. How's your injury?

And he said, well, I seem to spray my ankle. But it's okay because now I get some time to wrestle, be okay. And wow, wow, wow. That was not gone down well with the Westminster National Team fans. Talk to me about your reaction when you saw that.

“I think people are hammering him for really what is just a choice of words.”

Yeah. I think he was interpreting the question as like, are you going to miss time, you know, phrase him along and he was saying, he was basically saying, no, like, I'll be okay. It's not, it's not a, it's not a ACL or whatever. So I'm not going to miss time going forward.

I'm not as keen to jump on, you know, the Sidney LaRue bandwagon of hammering him for it. Though her tweet was very funny. Yeah. Yeah, that was quite a funny question. Which was, you've been resting on the old cop.

But like, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. That's quite brave, yeah, for sure. Okay, my final bit of Bob is about Erlin Harland, the man who has taken over the world.

I think the other day, when he scored against Brazil, he picked up some amazing amount of followers.

Like in the millions during that game on his Instagram. I mean, if the whole, the whole follower thing is, it's got a little bit insane. This world cup, isn't it? But the thing that I'd like the most about him is that there is a young girl. Have you seen this?

There is a young girl. Young American girl somewhere across the stage who looks like Erlin Harland. And the poor girl has net, although she's, she's, she's, she's, she's, she's loving it. She is now playing on it big time. So now she's like doing the Erlin, Erlin, Erlin, Erlin, Erlin Harland hairstyle.

And she's basically this young girl who probably knew nothing about football before this world cup has gotten herself a whole new side gig of Erlin Harland hairstyles and Erlin Harland memes and all the things. He is taking over this world cup. He is becoming that next generational star. And I am so happy for him as well because I remember during the 2020 World Cup

and all of his mates, like all of his man city mates, were all off packing their bags and going to the world cup and he was stuck at home in England. And it was like he still worked his backside off. He still did everything right for this moment now, for this moment to be on top of the world.

As much as I want to dislike him for the personal and intentional pain

“he has caused me as a man, as a city player. He's hilarious.”

He's fucking hilarious and he's just got these badass moments in like him and Gabrielle's battles are like so fun to watch because they're so chippy but they both also clearly love it.

And that kind of wins you over.

But also like the default setting now for any big goalie score in the World Cup

“and rightly so as to completely fucking bonkers run the flag, maybe kick it, scream like crazy.”

Everyone's doing Marco Tardelli still to this day. What an influential player. But he just kicks the ball in and like doop doop doop doop. He just deserves along like nothing has happened at all and it's like that's way more badass than anything else he could have done. Yeah, and then the head of the score against Brazil where they're taking the video online they're showing you that they're calling it the laziest of the World Cup ever. It's not lazy.

He's just doing what he does. He's just wandering around and then then then he switches on when he needs to score the goal and he's just like yeah. And he's so brilliant. I love him so much. So early Holland cheers to you. That's it. It's in my friend. After the whistle, we'll be back on Friday after these next two quarter final games.

Yeah, in the meantime, we are on socials everywhere. Look for acts after the whistle. On Instagram and you can watch video episodes of the show on Apple Podcasts and on YouTube. Huge thank you to everyone who was listening and even going so far as to watch.

That's amazing. And we love you. This is after the whistle from Apple News.

Goodbye. It is amazing actually now that we're on camera and in vision.

“Do you remember those days of after the whistle one and two? And it's just audio.”

And now here we are. I get to see you and everything. Well, we could see each other but the people They couldn't. They couldn't. They couldn't. And like they miss this. Right? They missed the dazzling going on.