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 of soccer reveals something unexpected about who we are.
Episodes
Episode 21: World Cup Brackets, Predictions, and an Enigmatic, Beautiful Man
On Episode 21 of The Away End podcast, the road to the long-awaited bracket reveal has come to an end! But first, Daniel and John have a disagreement over what John facetiously dubbed, “one of the greatest moments in World Cup history” that Daniel surmises began with a schoolyard promise between Dibu and El Loco. They discuss some of their most anticipated matches, and listener questio
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 leads to a discussion about Mauricio Pochettino's questionable approach of dismissing players like Di
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 whe
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. Pl
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
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
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 a
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 John give their perspective on gambling and the dilution of the shared experience of sport and the probl
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 may not make it too far in the tournament. Then Daniel shares a story about the time he interviewed Lio
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 the Iraqi team and former member of AFC Wimbledon. If you're enjoying the show, please rate and revi
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, Daniel and John read a couple emails from the listener mailbag. If you're enjoying The Away End, we'd
Episode 10: World Cup Playoffs, France Deep Dive, and the AFC Wimbledon Origin Story
On Episode 10, John and Daniel break down the World Cup Playoffs and discuss which teams have the best chance to advance. Daniel does a deep dive into the French National Team, and John regales us with the origin story of AFC Wimbledon, a team close to his heart. Plus, John and Daniel read listener emails, one of which comes with a special song! If you're enjoying the show, please rate and review
Episode 9: Iran, Netherlands Deep Dive, and the Story of Carlos Caszely and the Phantom Team
On Episode 9, Daniel and John break down the latest news with Iran's national team, Daniel points and laughs gleefully at the misery of Arsenal’s crosstown rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, John does a deep dive into the Netherlands, and Daniel tells the powerful story of Chilean legend Carlos Caszely, whose greatest achievement may have come off the pitch, and the infamous 1973 match against the&n
Episode 8: Creators of Golden Goal Magazine join The Away End, Daniel talks Japan, and Storytime with John
On Episode 8 of The Away End, we have our first guests! Miguel Salazar and Alex Shephard are the creators and founders of a new print magazine about football called Golden Goal, and they join John and Daniel to talk about their new journalistic venture and how it ties into the World Cup. Daniel takes a look at Japan's national team and asks: what is it about this team that sparks joy? And John reg
Episode 7: John and Daniel's Hierarchy of Loyalties, a USMNT Deep Dive, and the Allure of Purple Sneakers
John's back! We're less than 100 days out from kick off in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and on today's episode, John and Daniel start things off by breaking down their hierarchy of loyalties with the teams in this year's World Cup. Then, John leads the way on a deep dive of the USMNT. Could this finally be their year? And Daniel tells a story about how he ended up with some sweet purple
Episode 6: Listener Mailbag!
Daniel and producer Sean go through the listener mailbag while John is away this week. We'd love to hear from you. Email us at awayendpod@gmail.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Episode 5: The White Wolves of Uzbekistan and The Wild Story of Carlos Kaiser
On Episode 5, we have a hot take alert! Daniel poses the question: should there be term limits for national team coaches? Daniel and John dive into the White Wolves of Uzbekistan, the team's history in past World Cups, and how they might fare in this year's group stage. Finally, John tells the insane but true story of Brazilian con artist and former footballer, Carlos Kaiser. Plus, Daniel and John
Episode 4: James Rodriguez, Cote D'Ivoire, and The Self-Destructive Intensity of Fandom
On the 4th episode of The Away End, Daniel and John kick things off discussing Colombian star James Rodríguez and the curse of effortless talent. John dives into one of this year's potential sleeper teams who could create some intrigue, the Elephants of Cote D'Ivoire. And Daniel tells a story about what he watched unfold on the streets of Buenos Aires when the perceived invincibility o
Episode 3: Uruguay, Potential World Cup Boycott, and The 1994 Caribbean Cup
On the third episode of The Away End, Daniel and John highlight Uruguay and their coach, Marcelo “El Loco” Bielsa while exploring Uruguay's chances of advancing to the knockout round and beyond. They also discuss the possibility of a World Cup boycott, and John recounts the unbelievable events of the 1994 Caribbean Cup match between Barbados and Grenada.See omnystudio.com/listener for
Episode 2: The Power of Hope, AFCON Aftermath, and the Story of Jimmy Glass
John and Daniel are back with the second episode of The Away End. They dive into the aftermath of the AFCON Final and its repercussions for the World Cup and talk about the importance of hope, both in life and football. John also regales us with the extraordinary story of Jimmy Glass and Carlisle United.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Episode 1: The 2026 World Cup Draw
On the premiere episode of The Away End, Daniel and John reminisce on over 30 years of friendship, discuss some of their favorite World Cup memories, and dissect the 2026 World Cup Draw. Will the USMNT get out of the Group Stage? Which of the World Cup debutantes will do the best? Which team is poised to break through in a surprising way? Start your tournament journey here, as Daniel and
Introducing: The Away End with Daniel Alarcón and John Green
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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