Send us a Text Message. Alex and Liam conclude their review of the 23-24 @LaLiga2 season with a look at the sides who will no longer be with us for the forthcoming campaign after their relegation, as well as all those who flirted with disaster before eventually securing their Segunda status for another year. Speak Spanish or want to practise your l…

Sunday brings yet another final for Argentina, so on Friday evening Sam, English Dan, Andrés, Chris and Santi got together to review the quarter- and semifinals of the 2024 Copa América (for all the teams) and preview the final. Listeners' questions include the possibility of England meeting Argentina in the Finalissima and how hefty Marcelo Bielsa…

Send us a Text Message. Alex and Liam return to to discuss the teams who finished between fifth and twelfth in the table. Speak Spanish or want to practise your listening skills? Give our new project a listen! Liam and Alex, in Spanish talking about the highlight and low of the week ' check it out on this link and subscribe to the show https://www.…

The Copa América group stage is over, so this week Sam, English Dan, Andrés and Chris review them – first in detail from Argentina's point of view and then more generally with a look at how the other sides got on, as well as previewing the knockout stage. Are Brazil going to get better? Why did the USA and Mexico disappoint? And who's the red-hot s…

Send us a Text Message. Alex and Liam begin their review of the 23-24 season with the four sides who spent most of the campaign striving to occupy one of the top two spots in the division - @CDLeganes, @realvalladolid, @SDEibar and @RCDEspanyol. Speak Spanish or want to practise your listening skills? Give our new project a listen! Liam and Alex, i…

Send us a Text Message. Liam is joined by @nickbellofbpl to discuss the two play off finals, which ended with @MalagaCF and @CordobaCFofi clinching promotion to Segunda for the 24-25 season. Speak Spanish or want to practise your listening skills? Give our new project a listen! Liam and Alex, in Spanish talking about the highlight and low of the we…

Send us a Text Message. Liam is joined by special guest @robbopalmer, the voice of Spanish football for more than 20 years on Sky Sports, to discuss the second leg of the play off final between @RCDEspanyol and @RealOviedo. Speak Spanish or want to practise your listening skills? Give our new project a listen! Liam and Alex, in Spanish talking abou…

This week Sam, English Dan, Andrés and Chris give you a quick review of the main talking points from the last round of Liga Profesional action before the break for the Copa América and then get stuck into the main order of the day: previewing Argentina's attempt to defend their title, which kicks off when they take on Canada on Thursday evening.…

Send us a Text Message. Two teams remain, just one can be promoted, RCD Espanyol, 4th placed finishers in the league this season taking on Real Oviedo who finished 6th over two legs. Winner takes all. On this week’s show we Liam and Alex review the first leg with special audio from the ground recorded by friend of the show José Busto. Speak Spanish…

Send us a Text Message. Alex and Liam bring you all of the reaction to the play off semi final results and of course preview the final which takes place over two legs over the next two weekends. It’s been a rollercoaster week as the two big Asturian sides, Real Oviedo and Real Sporting faced off against SD Eibar and RCD Espanyol for a place in the …

Send us a Text Message. @GuiricastPod stalwart Nick Bell joins Liam to relive the drama of @MalagaCF's thrilling success in the @Primera_RFEF play offs, as well as reviewing the other semi finals and looking ahead to the finals. Speak Spanish or want to practise your listening skills? Give our new project a listen! Liam and Alex, in Spanish talking…

This week Sam, Santi and Andrés review last weekend's Liga Profesional games, which saw a last-gasp win for leaders Racing over bottom-of-the-table Riestra. We also look (again) at Independiente's managerial situation, which took an amusing (to non-Independiente fans) turn after we discussed it two weeks ago, and talk a bit about the national team …

Send us a Text Message. In this midweek special, Alex and Liam preview the upcoming La Liga Hypermotion play offs, in which Eibar take on Real Oviedo, and Espanyol lock horns with Real Sporting de Gijon. Speak Spanish or want to practise your listening skills? Give our new project a listen! Liam and Alex, in Spanish talking about the highlight and …

Send us a Text Message. Alex and Liam cover all of the key games on the final MD of the season with the championship, the final automatic promotion spot, the final two play off spots, the order of those play off teams and the final relegation spot set to be decided, the latter in a relegation head to head - a final day that was sure to bring pleasu…

This week Sam, English Dan and Chris welcome special guest Benjy Nurick, who's in town researching a book about how porteños do football. We look back on last weekend's Liga Profesional matches, including some liquid football (albeit against not the best opposition) from Racing, and review almost all of the last full week of Copa Libertadores and C…

Send us a Text Message. Segunda still has one game to play, but Primera Federacion is on to the play off stage of the season. Deportivo La Coruna and CD Castellon were crowned champions of their group and promoted automatically a few weeks ago. A further two will join them in Segunda next season of the 8 in the play offs - (2 from Malaga CF, Barcel…

Send us a Text Message. Match day 41, the penultimate match day of the regular season in Segunda and at the start of it, still not one single issue was resolved - nobody automatically promoted, play off places still up for grabs all the way down to 11th position, nobody mathematically relegated and only 3 teams safe - there were, at the start of th…

This week Sam, Andrés and (for one half only) Santi discuss the second round of Liga Profesional matches, which saw an awful lot of draws. We talk about River Plate's Copa Argentina elimination (and ongoing lack of direction) under Martín Demichelis, Carlos Tevez's departure from Independiente and Argentina's preliminary Copa América squad, among m…

Send us a Text Message. All eyes were on the top end of the table, but it was down the bottom this weekend where we saw most of the drama with one team getting a last minute stay of execution, another staying alive for one more week at least and plucky Amorebieta just refusing to lie down. Up the top, Valladolid slipped up, Racing Santander are so …

This week Sam, English Dan, Andrés and Santi look back on an opening weekend of Liga Profesional action that saw Racing throw away two points in a goalfest, River Plate cruise to victory and plenty more besides. We also have a Copa Libertadores update and a short rant about the state of football journalism these days.…

Send us a Text Message. The twists and turns continue and with three games to go we have one team with one foot in LaLiga (Real Valladolid), two who look destined to depart (FC Andorra and Villarreal B), can welcome two teams (CD Castellon and Granada CF) who are returning to the league for next season, a celebrate another who are staying up agains…

On Sunday César Luis Menotti, who managed Argentina to their first World Cup win and oversaw the creation of the structure around the country's national teams to this day, died at the age of 85. Sam, English Dan and Chris discuss his importance to Argentine football. We also review the semis and final of the Copa de la Liga and preview the 2024 lea…

Send us a Text Message. With 4 games or the season to go, pretty much anyone apart from Tenerife are able to be in a different division next season, however we welcome again Almeria after their relegation & CD Castellón who were confirmed as champions of group 2 of Primera Federación this weekend. All that plus 4 become 3 at the top, the queue leng…

Send us a Text Message. Some crazy results across the top, middle and bottom of the table in MD37, meaning the league is closer than ever. Leganés lose their lead at the top, shocks in Asturias, a hail inspired comeback in el Plantío, winners down the bottom, and have Elche and Espanyol knocked each other out of the top two race? Liam and Alex revi…

This week Sam, English Dan and Chris look back over last weekend's Copa de la Liga quarterfinals and forward to Sunday and Tuesday's semifinals as the first 'half' of the Argentine season nears an end.By Sam Kelly

Send us a Text Message. There is a log jam at the top and bottom of Segunda for those all important promotion, play-off and relegation issues. Alex and Liam review the weekend's action and talk about what it means at the top and bottom of the table, including another 0-0 for Lega, Espanyol falling back from the top two race, relegated teams continu…

This week Sam, English Dan and Chris review an entertaining end to Group B in the Copa de la Liga and a really thrilling climax to Group A. They also look ahead to this weekend's quarterfinals, which include a superclásico between Group A winners River Plate and Group B fourth-placers Boca Juniors on Sunday.…

Send us a Text Message. Liam was on his travels to see the backlash against Pezzolano in José Zorrilla as Real Valladolid took on Eldense, before making the trip to El Plantío for the sold out meeting of Burgos and Racing Santander. Throw a top of the table clash into the mix, and it was another cracker of a weekend in Segunda. Speak Spanish or wan…

The Copa de la Liga group stage ends this weeke— well, in the first half of next week, actually, and Sam, English Dan, Santi and Chris are here to run down which teams need which results to make it into the quarterfinals, with only runaway Group B winners Godoy Cruz already knowing which position they'll finish in. We also look at the first couple …

Send us a Text Message. The league was lively already, but in MD34 it really heated up - just 8 to go - teams down the bottom winning left right and centre in the fight for survival and as competitive as ever at the top. Speak Spanish or want to practise your listening skills? Give our new project a listen! Liam and Alex, in Spanish talking about t…

Send us a Text Message. Drama in El Molinón as Racing move into automatic promotion contention, points dropped at the top, a coachless Andorra win, two coaches out and two more in and the 9 game season begins. Speak Spanish or want to practise your listening skills? Give our new project a listen! Liam and Alex, in Spanish talking about the highligh…

This week Sam, English Dan, Andrés and Santi look back on Argentina's two comfortable friendly wins over El Salvador and Costa Rica in the United States, which included Alejandro Garnacho's first start – a performance Sam has some thoughts about. There have been a bunch of Copa Argentina games since we last recorded, and listeners' questions includ…

Send us a Text Message. MD32 has seen another manager bite the dust, an incredible 'remontada', a 'Jesus'esque rising from the dead , and we ring the bell for the final ten games of the season run in with only two teams in the division who realistically, not mathematically, have nothing to play for at this point. Speak Spanish or want to practise y…

This week's pod was delayed by two days due to rain, so Sam, English Dan, Andrés, Chris and Santi met up on Friday evening to talk about last weekend's Copa de la Liga matches – including a win for River Plate, defeat for Independiente and not much else of real note – and to have a look at Argentina's squad for their friendlies against El Salvador …

Send us a Text Message. MD31 saw two new coaches face off in a head to head, the leaders lay down a marker, the chasers pick up wins too and the teams down the bottom stay in a state of flux ahead of the Monday night relegation six pointer. Speak Spanish or want to practise your listening skills? Give our new project a listen! Liam and Alex, in Spa…

This week Sam, English Dan, Chris, Andrés and Santi look back on a Copa de la Liga weekend that saw an awful lot of draws, including one between Independiente and River Plate that gives us a chance to discuss both managers' 2024s so far. Wednesday evening saw River claim another (minor) trophy, and we also discuss national team news, including new …

Send us a Text Message. Ten teams at the top separated by six points (before the Monday night game) was the gift that MD30 has given us, as well as the gift that Real Zaragoza fans have been waiting for for weeks. Speak Spanish or want to practise your listening skills? Give our new project a listen! Liam and Alex, in Spanish talking about the high…

This week Sam, Dan and Andrés round up the last couple of rounds of Copa de la Liga action, which saw Godoy Cruz lose for the first time (domestically) this year, leaving River Plate – who ended a run of four straight draws by beating Independiente Rivadavia on Wednesday – as the last unbeaten side in the competition. Boca Juniors aren't much good,…

Send us a Text Message. In the third of our bonus episodes which focus on some of the people behind the stories in La Liga Hypermotion, Liam chats with Leganés owner and Blue Crow CEO Jeff Luhnow about: - his decision to switch his focus from baseball to football - the story of the purchase of Leganés - baseball v football analytics - the rationale…

Send us a Text Message. A statement win at the top, a plucky win down the bottom, an old new coach in the dugout snow storms and plenty more throughout MD29, the MD that marked the beginning of the final third of the season in Segunda - the final countdown. Speak Spanish or want to practise your listening skills? Give our new project a listen! Liam…

This week's episode follows one that we recorded last week and that, due to a combination of tiredness and busyness, Sam never uploaded. You'll be able to hear it if you head over to patreon.com/handofpod. Here, though, Sam, Chris and Andrés review last weekend's clásicos, which saw a draw between River and Boca, away wins in Rosario and Avellaneda…

Send us a Text Message. MD28 was full of action as Espanyol left it late, Racing Santander came from behind on their birthday to beat leaders Leganes, Valladolid beat Oviedo convincingly, Elche went about their business quietly and Liam made the trip to Elda to see Eldense take on Racing club de Ferrol. Speak Spanish or want to practise your listen…

Send us a Text Message. In another first for the show, SD Amorebieta midfielder Ryan Edwards gives us an insight into life as a football across his fascinating career that has taken him across three continents, from England to Australia, South Korea, and of course Spain. A promotion, a cup final and international call ups. Speak Spanish or want to …

Send us a Text Message. In MD27 we had a South Madrid Derbi, a goal fest in Oviedo, flared tempers in Elche and teams with ten men faring quite well indeed. Finally, Alex's prediction last week of an imminent sacking came true as Levante fired Javi Calleja. Speak Spanish or want to practise your listening skills? Give our new project a listen! Liam…

This week we look at two rounds of Copa de la Liga action that saw Racing score eight and concede only one, River have a good game and a bad one, and Vélez Sarsfield win late on not once but twice. And Javier Mascherano's quest for a third Olympic gold medal is still alive, because Argentina Under-23s have qualified for the football tournament at P…

Send us a Text Message. In a Spanish Segunda Show first, AD Alcorcon coach Mehdi Nafti speaks to Liam about how things are going at the South Madrid club, Sunday's Derbu against Leganes, his future, Tunisia, AFCON, Birmingham City, difficult times at Levante and much much more. Speak Spanish or want to practise your listening skills? Give our new p…

Send us a Text Message. Zero away goals in Segunda (at the time of recording) this MD, an Asturian Derbi, the bottom side won, but so did three strugglers ahead of them, Alex smells a sacking as there are a number of coaches on the exit ramp, brilliant Burgos and plenty of post game fun for the leaders Leganes. For a review of all the MD26 action, …

This week Sam, Dan and Andrés discuss a long 'weekend' of Copa de la Liga action that saw two thrashings, one fine turnaround and not an awful lot more excitement. There's also chat about Franco Mastantuono, who on Wednesday broke Javier Saviola's record as River Plate's youngest ever goalscorer, and an update on how the Olympic qualifying competit…

Send us a Text Message. En este episodio especial del podcast, el primer que se ha hecho (casi) todo en español, Alex introduce la entrevista que Liam hizo el domingo con Jon García, el central del Racing Club de Ferrol, en las puertas de A Malata, y luego Liam refleja sobre la experiencia. Speak Spanish or want to practise your listening skills? G…

Send us a Text Message. During MD25, Liam made the trip to north west Spain to visit Racing Club de Ferrol as they took on Eibar in A Malata. In a Spanish Segunda show first, he interviewed Ferrol centre back Jon Garcia post match. In an action packed show we also discuss the transfer deadline day business, controversy in the RCDE stadium, Elche qu…