Why Is China Bad at Soccer?

Jacob grabs Chris Branch, senior writer at The Athletic and author of The Pulse, to talk about the World Cup as geopolitics. They cover Trump's red-card intervention and the Balogun controversy, England-Argentina and the ghost of the Falklands, why sports and politics were never actually separate, and why China and India can barely qualify while Cape Verde runs wild. Plus: whether soccer ever truly takes hold in America, and why it might take a billionaire treating the sport like a Carnegie library to make it happen.

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Timestamps:

(00:00) - Welcome and Guest Intro

(01:41) - In-Person Catch-Up

(02:40) - Meet Chris Branch

(03:28) - Why This World Cup Hit Different

(05:09) - Sports Writing Meets Politics

(07:11) - Fan Culture and National Rivalries

(10:24) - FIFA Corruption and New Fans

(14:03) - Picking a Premier League Team

(15:16) - Can Soccer Catch On in America