The WORLD CUP is here! Patty & Brian Give Their Take • #45

The greatest time of every four years is here: the World Cup in Qatar kicked off Sunday with a 1-nil win for Ecuador over the hosts—the first time the home nation loses in the tournament opener.The tournament is full of storylines. And it’s not without its controversy.Patty and Brian discuss the U.S. Baby Eagles, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s final Cup, FIFA’s corruption and Qatar’s human rights abuses, and give their take on the group stage and which nations can make a run at the final.Related links:* Brian goes into World Cup hibernation, signing off with his essay about suffering, sports fandom, and Lionel Messi* Follow some of our favorite coverage of the World Cup over at The Athletic, The Ringer, The New York Times, Guardian Football, and Men in Blazers* WATE put together a list of places to watch the tournament in Knoxville. Follow The American Outlaws for updates on where they’re watching our Baby Eagles.* Patty is serving as marketing director for The Wolves, a play about high school girls soccer running from Dec. 2-18 at The Old City PACA (which, by the way, will air World Cup games on the biggest screen in the city). Get your tickets and listen in as he speaks with director Grechen Wingerter in an upcoming episodeFollow KSP on Twitter and Instagram and shoot us your predictions and hot takes on the world’s biggest tournament! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knoxsoccerpodcast.substack.com