The People’s Game Radio Show for Monday June 28, 2010

Pablo and Alan review today’s matches and preview tomorrow’s – and take a long view of the Mexican national team in the wake of their exit from the 2010 world stage. Then Fatima Marquez, a Portuguese national in Southern California describes the excitement felt by Portuguese ex-pats during the world cup on the eve of the Iberian showdown. Jose Perez, a Paraguyuan living in Los Angeles, relates the passion of Paraguay as they prepare for Japan. Then in our featured interview, we discuss the unique culture of Dutch football with David Winner, author of Brilliant Orange: the neurotic genius of Dutch soccer.

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The People’s Game Radio Show for Sunday June 27, 2010
Mexico and England exit – Argentina and Germany advance. We ask Gustavo Arellano what defeat for El Tri means for Greater Mexico. Then the BBC’s Paul Mason reports from the gloom that has descended on England. Peter Alegi, author of African Soccerscapes, joins us from South Africa with his reflections on the tournament, both on and off the field. Southern California futbolista Andrew Terranova argues that American leftists should root against Team USA.

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The People’s Game Radio interview with Paul Mason on England’s Ouster
Yes, the score should’ve been 2-2. Yes, the game would’ve been different then. But nothing can change the fact that England never put in a quality performance in South Africa. So, what next for the national side from the land that invented the game we love?

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The People’s Game Radio interview with Futbolista Andrew Terranova
Southern California Futbolista Andrew Terranova addresses whether leftists in the USA should support the national soccer team.

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The People’s Game Interview with Peter Alegi
The author of African Soccerscapes speaks with Alan from South Africa and provides his reflections on the tournament so far.

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The People’s Game Radio Show for Saturday June 26, 2010
The people’s sports journalist, Dave Zirin, joins us in today’s feature interview; for a discussion of how sports, and soccer in particular, can serve social justice. But first an extended discussion with Nick Green, perhaps the American journalist closest to Team USA. The Yankees are out of the World Cup and while it was a thrilling run, there are many questions that need to be asked about Team USA: why the early goals? why did Ricardo Clark start? why did Finley? why no Buddle when he and Donovan are such a magic pair in the MSL? where’s Gooch? what future for Coach Bradley? We’ll tackle all those and more in our discussion with Nick. In our final segment, we’re joined by The People’s Game’s Uruguayan correspondent, Lazar Treschan, to review La Celeste’s victory over South Korea and consider just how far they might go.

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The People’s Game interview with Dave Zirin
America’s leading radical sports journalist, Dave Zirin, discusses the political subtexts of the 2010 World Cup and Team USA.

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The People’s Game interview today with Lazar Treschan
We speak with Uruguayan Lazar Treschan following La Celeste’s victory over South Korea

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The People’s Game Radio Show for Friday June 25, 2010

The entire People’s Game team joins in the roundtable as we preview the biggest game in the history of USA men’s soccer – funny how that’s happened three times in the past two weeks. Nick, Jennifer, Alan, Fernando, and Pablo assess the prospects for the resilient Yanks as they face Ghana, the last hope for the home continent. Then Spaniard Tony Presido addresses why Spain still seems stuck in second gear. Radio Korea’s David Choi tells of the thousands of Red Devils who will pack into a square in central Los Angeles for a public screening of South Korea v Uruguay. Then John James in the Ivory Coast explains what went wrong and right for the Elephants who exited the tournament on a winning note vs North Korea. In our featured interview, Jenna Pel of the website All White Kit talks about the WPS, America’s women’s professional league, which is in mid-season now. Finally, we put out a call for global football revolution – let’s build a movement of billions to demand (and achieve!) a two week international holiday during the first two weeks of the 2014 World Cup!!!

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The People’s Game Radio show for Thursday June 24, 2010

Italy, the defending champions, get knocked out of the tournament by Slovakia. Japan scores a historic victory over Denmark. Counterpunch’s Harry Browne joins Alan to discuss the tournament – and whether soccer, which not long ago was understood as a source of working class solidarity, can be reclaimed by the people from the forces of global capital that rule the sport today. Then Alan turns to the great analyst of contemporary Italy, Alexander Stille, to find out whether the pathetic performance of the Azzurri is related to culture of corruption that reigns in Berlusconi’s Italia.

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