Show notes
In this World Cup Special episode of Tottenham – Home and Away, Graeme is joined by returning guest Ben McFadyean — host of the Borussia Dortmund Fan Club London Podcast Ben was on for the Champions League preview in January prior to the meeting of Spurs and Dortmund, and he also did a really insigntful episode with us on Sebastian Kehl who was linked with Spurs. Ben is a dedicated Bundesliga writer who is a regular contributor for titles including Four Four Two, World Soccer Magazine, The Late Tackle, Flashscore and Ruhr Nachrichten. You can get access to his Podcast here - McFadyean.Podbean.com Graeme and Ben discuss how the tournament has shifted from pre-tournament noise around politics, ticket prices, travel costs and commercialisation, back towards the football itself.We look at the fan experience across the USA, Canada and Mexico, including the Scotland fans taking over Boston, the rise of World Cup fan culture online, the strange kick-off times, and why this tournament still feels distant and heavily Americanised compared with previous World Cups.On the pitch, we discuss England under Thomas Tuchel, the draw with Ghana, the importance of beating Panama, Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane, squad depth and whether England can grow into the tournament. We also cover Scotland’s likely exit, Germany’s defeat to Ecuador, France’s strength, Messi and Argentina, Brazil under Carlo Ancelotti, Portugal’s Ronaldo dilemma, Cape Verde’s brilliant underdog story, and the Netherlands, Sweden, Japan and Norway as possible dark horses.There is also a bigger conversation about what FIFA is doing to the game: hydration breaks, adverts, halftime shows, ticket prices, American stadium culture, VAR, refereeing, and whether the tournament has started to feel too far removed from traditional football.Please like and subscribe for more World Cup specials from a Spurs perspective.Come on England — and come on you Spurs.Source: episode transcript Timestamps