Podcast – Page 2 – BRITISH SOCCER {DIVA}

Soccerdiva Soundbite…Arsenal’s First Game…

A sad start to the new football season for Arsenal Football Club.

How the mighty have fallen. How the once great club has regressed. Eight years going on nine without a trophy. Losing to Aston Villa at home on the opening day of the season. That hasn’t happened in 20 years.

No transfers. No fresh blood. Just the same old story for Arsenal fans to eat. Well the Gooner nation is full from the club’s nonsense. They won’t be fed the PR lines for one more game. They don’t want to hear the lies any longer. They don’t want to be shined.

Football. Soccer. Call it what you want. It’s just like being down the pub with your mates.

The One with Neymar to Barcelona…

La Liga Lounge returns with a Brazilian blend, dedicating the entire show to one man…Neymar!

The most talked about transfer in football over the last two seasons is finally done. Neymar joins Barcelona from Santos and we look at how this deal could work out.

Will Neymar complement Messi or will he try to compete with him? Can these two superstars co-exist? Or are there too many cooks in the Camp Nou kitchen?

Neymar is also slight and doesn’t carry too much weight. Can he bulk up and also change his style of football to adapt playing in Europe? Will he be a huge success like Ronaldinho or will he end up a high-profile flop? Remember Keirrison?

We dissect this subject like a frog and are also joined by Brazil legend and 1970’s World Cup winner and captain Carlos Alberto. The scorer of the greatest goal ever seen in the World Cup doesn’t hold back when talking about Brazil’s current football starlet.

Sit back. Relax. Grab a chair in the lounge. It’s happy hour. It’s a special. It’s “The One with Neymar to Barcelona.”

The One With the Quarter Finals…

La Liga Lounge returns with a Champions League special after this week’s first leg matches in the quarter-finals.

As the competition reaches its business end, Sophie and Ben discuss Barcelona’s depleted defence (who will partner Piqué?), Messi’s mini-absence, disagree on Víctor Valdés and question whether the Catalans have a mental issue late in games.

The Lounge bar staff also talk Madrid and how it’s all coming together for Mourinho, Casillas vs Diego López, the strikers and how this could be their year. We also chat Cristiano Ronaldo, look at his amazing stats and those of Messi, remember Ronaldinho, weigh up Neymar and big up Málaga, probably the story of this Champions League campaign. Will we see them back next year?

And the show wouldn’t be complete without predictions, some banter, fun, info, insight and interaction. From Sophie in LA and Ben in Barcelona, to you the world: This is La Liga Lounge…The One with the Champions League Quarters. Join us! It’s always happy hour here.

Verbal Memo | Robin van Persie & more…

In my weekly memo to fellow football fans there’s a fair bit of passion. Some folks have irked me.

Firstly, Luis Suarez got the football universe all riled up because of his handball in the F.A. Cup against wee Mansfield Town. Suarez certainly had lots of darts thrown at him after his unsportsmanlike action, but are the referees just as guilty as Liverpool’s bad boy?

Robin van Persie is having another phenomenal season. He is a world class player who has elevated Manchester United to impressive heights. The delicious Dutchman has been prolific since joining the Red Devils in the summer. Can Robin van Persie play in any team in the world right now? And should someone at Arsenal pay with their blood for selling him?

Finally, Rio Ferdinand declared he would like to be the first black James Bond. Rio is definitely suave enough to be a special agent for the British government. What if footballer’s were movie genres? From comedy, to musicals, we cast the lot!

Grab a brew and enjoy this week’s verbal memo. Connect with me @soccerdiva if you want to rant about anything. I’m here for you.

Verbal Memo | Robin van Persie & more

Verbal Memo | Frank Lampard & more…

In this week’s memo to fellow football fans, we talk Frank Lampard and Chelsea. Does Frank Lampard deserve more respect? It’s rare for me to praise Chelsea Football Club. It’s almost as rare as one of those space comet things.

We do have to recognize Chelsea’s battering of Aston Villa this weekend. Eight nil is an impressive score regardless of the opponent. And the young players emerging in the Chelsea team are exceptionally exciting. Eden Hazard can dazzle, Juan Mata is a total magician and David Luiz has found himself in the midfield position. Rafa Benitez is making progress and Fernando Torres might be finding his confidence again.

We also chat Jose Mourinho, Manchester United and Real Madrid. Is Jose Mourinho the right man to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson? Things are very wobbly at Real Madrid right now. Sixteen points behind rivals Barcelona and a manager at odds with the President, the fans and the media. Should Manchester United replace a long-term great like Sir Alex Ferguson with someone like Jose Mourinho who only stays at clubs he manages short-term?

Join in the banter and make your football voice heard. If you agree or disagree with any of the football dialogue, socialize with us on Twitter @soccerdiva. Football, soccer, call it what you want. It’s just like being down the pub with your mates.

Weekly Verbal Memo

The One with Tito & the Champions League Draw…

La Liga Lounge returns for a little chilled, relaxed and at times, passionate football talk. Despite the looming winter break in Spain, the Lounge bar staff are putting in some overtime to bring you enlightening and groundbreaking opinions!

In this week’s episode, we chat Tito Vilanova and his illness, how Barcelona will cope without their coach, a mouth-watering meeting between Real Madrid and Manchester United in the Champions League, Mourinho’s must-win match, Malaga and Valencia, Atletico, Falcao’s future and much more.

We also give a shout-out to our global listeners and look ahead to many more months of fantastic football in Spain throughout 2013. So join us for our laid-back look at the game in Spain. Let’s Liga Lounge!

The One with the Ballon d’Or…

Sophie and Ben’s laid-back look at the game in Spain has been very laid-back of late, but they return to discuss Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and the fight for the Ballon d’Or. How would Ronaldo cope if he lost out to Messi again? What would it mean if Messi won for a fourth time at the age of 25?

The Lounge staff continue the Messi dialogue and chat about his pursuit of Gerd Muller’s single season scoring record. How would Barcelona cope if he were injured? And it wouldn’t be a fulfilling show without a little Mourinho at Madrid and the possible destination for both he and his great rival Pep Guardiola next season.

There’s also some weekend picks and much, much more. Join us in the Lounge for our laid-back look at the game in Spain.

Soccerdiva Soundbite…Christie Rampone

Footballer. Mother. Captain fantastic. A legend in the making. The ultimate leader. The USWNT has performed heroics in many games and Christie Rampone has experienced the highs and lows having been part of this team for many years.

Rampone has won at every single level. An Olympic gold medalist and World Cup Winner, Christie is a true inspiration and one of the best captain’s the USWNT has seen. It was wonderful to spend a few minutes with her during training camp and tomorrow she and her team have the opportunity to redeem the loss to Japan in last summer’s World Cup.

Prepare for more drama. This is the USWNT!

A Conversation With…Derek Rae

A Conversation With Derek Rae is pure football poetry. One of football’s finest voices, Derek always paints a beautiful picture through his commentary. Do you know anyone who can marry the famous poet Robert Burns with football?

From Team GB and the Olympics to all things Premier League including Luis Suarez, John Terry, Robin van Persie, Andre Villas Boas, Brendan Rodgers, Manchester City, mid-level clubs and beyond, Derek discusses it all with an honest perspective. There’s even time to talk a wee bit of Rangers!

Football, soccer, call it what you want, it’s just like being down the pub with your mates.

A Conversation With…Stretty News

After losing their title on goal difference to their fiercest rivals, Manchester United are looking to bounce back this coming season. Desperate to regain what they believe to be their rightful place at the mountain top of English football, United fans are hoping for more success after having nothing new and shiny to place in the already abundant trophy cabinet.

Stretty News is one of the fastest growing Manchester United blogs anywhere in the world. In a Conversation With Dale O’ Donnell we dissect all things Red Devils. From the Glazers to Sir Alex Ferguson, the rivalry with Manchester City, Wayne Rooney, Kagawa and beyond, we cover the latest news that is happening at Old Trafford.

Dale is a leading voice for a new generation of Manchester United fans and he holds no punches when giving his opinion. Check out Dale’s work at www.strettynews.com and follow him on Twitter @StrettyNews.

Football, soccer, call it what you want. It’s just like being down the pub with your mates.