The Away End with Daniel Alarcón and John Green

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 Spain while Spain was winning the World Cup! If you're enjoying the show, please rate and review wherever you listen, tell your friends about The Away End, and email us at awayendpod@gmail.com [awayendpod@gmail.com].  See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

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 Brazil has recovered from the 7-1 loss to Germany in the semi-finals of the 2014 World Cup. Plus, John continues to construct the legend of “everyone’s favorite third-tier English soccer team”, AFC Wimbledon.  If you're enjoying the show, please rate and review wherever you listen, tell your friends about The Away End, and email us at awayendpod@gmail.com [awayendpod@gmail.com].  See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

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 could bring. They talk about the intellectual pursuit of the game and the counterpoint that expanding the tournament will lead to an evolution of the game where new countries with national football identities can test themselves against the best in the world. They also explore the collective delusion of winning, the fragility of confidence, the hotel concierge mentality of FIFA and how to enjoy the World Cup in spite of it all.  See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

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 power during a walk to the stadium for the final of the Honduran League in the most violent country in Latin America at the time.  Featuring Daniel and Jorge on backup vocals - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAmSrU5cHZE [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAmSrU5cHZE]  If you're enjoying the show, please rate and review wherever you listen, tell your friends about The Away End, and email us at awayendpod@gmail.com [awayendpod@gmail.com].  See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

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 crushing return of a symbolic gesture in a brown paper bag. John is fresh off his return from Sierra Leone and shares a lovely story about soccer and social connection at Kissy Psychiatric Hospital and a hopeful story that took place on the six-hour bus ride from Kono to Freetown. Plus, a wonderful listener mailbag segment!  If you're enjoying the show, please rate and review wherever you listen, tell your friends about The Away End, and email us at awayendpod@gmail.com [awayendpod@gmail.com].  See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.