The Second Captains Podcast

England will wake up on Sunday morning with a hangover and a place in the semi-finals of the World Cup.The once maligned Jude Bellingham again rescued this English team before becoming embroiled in a bizarre post-match back and forth with his manager via the medium of ITV.We chat to Lars about the view from Oslo (well, Dallas) and discuss TV cable interference, and the hooking of Rice and Haaland.

Welcome to our World Cup taster show which this week finds us in Atlanta as Ken expertly reports live from the stadium moments after Argentina overcome Egypt in one of the games of the tournament. To listen to all our World Cup programming throughout the week, join the Second Captains World Service. There’s no contracts, no hidden fees and shows can be listened to on all good podcast apps, on Spotify or through our website. It’s independent, commercial-free and member-led with feature interviews, breaking news, Ken’s Football Show, The Politics Podcast, and lots of added extras. You’ll also be supporting the development of our longer-form work, such as our international series’ ‘Where Is George Gibney?’ and Stakeknife.

The hurling season needed two big semi-finals, and this weekend was redemptive. Galway provided the shock, Clare came within minutes of joining them, and the fifth meeting of Cork and Limerick will not materialise after all. Jamie Wall and Joe Canning talk the Cork hype train, the mental scars from last year, Galway’s third-quarter masterclass, and Limerick’s resilience and composure down the stretch.Plus there’s Ned Stark wisdom, manifestation and Cork's shocking second half stats.Click the player at the top of the page to play the show. Monday’s shows are free to all. To listen to all our World Cup programming throughout the rest of the week, join the Second Captains World Service. There’s no contracts, no hidden fees and shows can be listened to on all good podcast apps, on Spotify or through our website. It’s independent, commercial-free and member-led with feature interviews, breaking news, Ken’s Football Show, The Politics Podcast, and lots of added extras. You’ll also be supporting the development of our longer-form work, such as our international series’  ‘Where Is George Gibney?’ and Stakeknife.

England survived weather delays, altitude, the home fans, a red card, a penalty and their own history to overcome Mexico 3-2 at the Azteca and go through to a World Cup QF against Norway.It will be Norway's first ever World Cup QF with Haaland bossing the Brazil defence, scoring two goals and cementing his status as one of the greats.We chat to Ken in NYC and Lars in Dallas about an epic night of football and Trump lobbying FIFA to lift the USMNT striker Folarin Balogun’s ban for a red card.Plus there's Neymar's tears, angry Shearer and Taylor's type.Click the player at the top of the page to play the show. Monday’s shows are free to all. To listen to all our World Cup programming throughout the rest of the week, join the Second Captains World Service. There’s no contracts, no hidden fees and shows can be listened to on all good podcast apps, on Spotify or through our website. It’s independent, commercial-free and member-led with feature interviews, breaking news, Ken’s Football Show, The Politics Podcast, and lots of added extras. You’ll also be supporting the development of our longer-form work, such as our international series’  ‘Where Is George Gibney?’ and Stakeknife.

Welcome to our World Cup taster show which includes slow moving Americans, German ghosts and Ken on the range. Tonight we cover Spain Austria and Ronaldo's latest/last shot at winning the World Cup. Ken and Branno are in NYC and will be covering Pico V Messi and Vini V Haaland.To listen to all our World Cup programming throughout the week, join the Second Captains World Service. There’s no contracts, no hidden fees and shows can be listened to on all good podcast apps, on Spotify or through our website. It’s independent, commercial-free and member-led with feature interviews, breaking news, Ken’s Football Show, The Politics Podcast, and lots of added extras. You’ll also be supporting the development of our longer-form work, such as our international series’ ‘Where Is George Gibney?’ and Stakeknife.

The All-Ireland football quarter-finals did not disappoint, and we have two tasty semi-finals to look forward to - Kerry against Dublin, which a small number of people might have predicted, and Mayo against Louth, which absolutely no-one would have predicted.Paul Flynn and Dara Ó Cinnéide are the best in the business, and they have much to discuss - red cards, penalties, Kobe's one shot at the title, how far can this new-look Dublin team go, and should Tyrone have started Darren McCurry?Plus there’s sad celebrations, old man Ronaldo and the impetuosity of youth.

England are into the knock-out stages of the World Cup where they will face DR Congo. It took them just over an hour to score the first of two goals against Panama and previous Tuchel-Boosters are beginning to have doubts. Ciarán chats to James Horncastle.It's 2030 and Ken is in a stadium shouting into a microphone about the preposterous situation of the 45 year old Ronaldo lining out in a World Cup Group Stage game for Portugal - that, it seems, is the future we have to look forward to.For now Ken and Branno were in Miami/Bogotá to see Portugal and Colombia both advance to the latter stages.

Ken is having a ball at this World Cup having watched Messi's record breaking feats, Mo's moment in little Egypt, Haaland go berserker and of course the highlight so far, being proved right about insipid England.Ken and Branno were also in Miami to see Scotland’s dreams crushed by a Vini Jr-inspired Brazil and tonight we set them loose in the city of vice!To listen to all our World Cup programming throughout the week, join the Second Captains World Service. There’s no contracts, no hidden fees and shows can be listened to on all good podcast apps, on Spotify or through our website. It’s independent, commercial-free and member-led with feature interviews, breaking news, Ken’s Football Show, The Politics Podcast, and lots of added extras. You’ll also be supporting the development of our longer-form work, such as our international series’ ‘Where Is George Gibney?’ and Stakeknife.

Armagh and Donegal are out before the quarter-final stages of the All-Ireland senior football championship, just as everyone predicted. We have Dara Ó Cinnéide and Paul Flynn, past players from the two big winners this weekend, and there’s plenty to sink their teeth into - what’s gone wrong with Donegal, what’s driving Dublin, Kerry’s trampling of Armagh, Monaghan’s scoring rate, Mayo madness and why teams need to have more than one style of play.  Plus there’s Geaney's "easy" finish, Oisin McConville’s Wicklow on the march, Cape Verde live on the BBC, and Ken and Branno on the streets of New York.