Hot Takes LIVE | The Time to win the Cup is Now!; Barroso out? Dean out? Franco the key?; The Hamburgler is Coming. | E402

About this episode

The episode discusses the current state of a soccer club and their aspirations for the 2026 Championship.

Matt Shableman is joined by Alan, the Pole with the Goal, the Sax in the Section, Królikowski, special guest Nick Poteres of Glass House Soccer and Matt's very own groomsman and guiding light, Eray, to talk about a soccer club that is not playing competitive soccer right now. But that doesn't stop the guys from dreaming up a scheme to grab a Championship in 2026. Maybe Ted Lasso was onto something when he told us, "It's the hope that will kill ya," but I'm writing this and am on team cup in '26! This month, we asked you all to vote on if Barroso should go-so, if Franco's new ACL will be as good as his last ACL, and which Fire superstar will win when Brian Gutiérrez and Mexico take on Mbekezeli Mbokazi and South Africa at the World Cup. John, host of The Bonfire, isn't given the chance to defend himself or the quality of folk hero Johnny Dean in the wake of the Fire's growing stature. Sorry John. The Golden Arches are finally coming to Chicago (strictly in terms of stadium naming rights), something that the World Cup could never do. Recorded LIVE on May 27, 2026.

People in this episode

Host: Matt Shableman

Guests: Alan, Królikowski, Nick Poteres, Eray

Topics covered

• soccer
• championship
• World Cup
• team dynamics
• player performance

Keywords

• soccer club
• Barroso
• Franco
• Brian Gutiérrez
• World Cup
• Chicago
• Championship

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Glass House Soccer, The Bonfire

Places: Chicago

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