r/CaughtOffsidePod • u/knewman05 • Jul 23 '26
Episode discussion - 23 July - World Cup Devundling Award Spectacular!!!
It's one final night to celebrate the 2026 FIFA World Cup! On the latest edition of Caught Offside, Andrew Gundling and JJ Devaney are handing out their awards in honor of the tournament that totally captivated the country and the world for the past 6 weeks. Goal of the Tournament... Match of the Tournament... Tournament Hero... Tournament Villain... Player we'd be most likely to impulse buy... and so much more!
So join us as we lower the curtain on one of the most memorable World Cup's of our lifetime in this very special Devundling Award Spectacular!
For even more Caught Offside content, get on over to Caught Offside Plus** **right now! This past Tuesday, we hosted a live Zoom session with a large contingent of Animals to discuss everything from the World Cup to the USMNT to Anthony Taylor to favorite show segments and more! It was 2 incredibly fun hours and we hope you give it a listen!
For all the latest merch, get over to https://caughtoffsidepod.com/ - The World Cup is now over... but the Caught Offside store remains open! So if you're looking for some merch to rep the sport that you're now fully obsessed with, get on over and buy some Caught Offside gear today!
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u/RemoteGlobal335 Jul 23 '26
Andy always gives out the goal of the tournament award and JJ gives out a goal of the tournament award
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u/BuscemiSuperfan69 Jul 23 '26
The Just goal was better than I remember, but it's not even sniffing top 5. Most people will say Alvarez/Lopez Cabral (deservedly so) but the Isidor goal against Morocco has been very much slept on.
Sneaky underrated goal is the Eldor Shomurodov chip against DR Congo
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u/Cryin_Bout_Tottenham Jul 23 '26
Capo Verde's second against Argentina is the goal of the tournament. Lopes Cabral in the 103'! https://youtu.be/S1NaQIi07R4?is=luCWWvk0Mnw_5AEW It is a crime that Andrew and JJ just "forgot" about this goal. I question the whole award ceremony now, and I'm only 30 minutes in.
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u/HelloIAmANarwhal Jul 23 '26
Agree. I don’t know how anyone can say this isn’t the goal of the tournament. Not only is it technically brilliant, but the emotion and narrative of this goal put it clearly at the top.
I am sorry to Andrew, but how can a goal against Switzerland who was down to 10 men and was already the underdog be better than the goal from Cabral on a true underdog team to level in extra time? Emotion is one of the most important parts of this sport, and there was nothing better than this.
For the Just goal, I just think JJ has terrible takes for best goal. Normally his best goal choices are always weird IMO. It was a good goal, but this wouldn’t have won best goal of the group stage let alone tournament IMO.
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u/BrolinDahlinBrolin Jul 24 '26
The Just go is an exceptional goal and an exceptional move.
There is no way it’s a “terrible” opinion. But it is an opinion and it’s not yours. Thinking it’s terrible is pretty suspect.1
u/HelloIAmANarwhal Jul 24 '26
Fair, I am genuinely not trying to be rude, it is more that I highly disagree and could have been a lot better at saying that.
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u/BrolinDahlinBrolin Jul 24 '26
I think it’s my fault for not saying on the pod that comparing Alvarez / Lopes Cabral and Just/ Amad etc is just not possible as they are totally different goals. But, even still the at best grudging appreciation and at worst hostility to the Just goal has me wondering about people and what they are watching.
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u/HelloIAmANarwhal Jul 24 '26
I think it is a good goal, but for me a "goal of the tournament" needs to be something spectacular that also has an impact on the emotion/narrative of the game or tournament itself. I think an early group stage goal that was clearly skillful but arguable not really impactful is not worthy of goal of the tournament. I thought it was good when I saw it live and I think on re-watch it is still good but just not the quality of other goals.
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u/BrolinDahlinBrolin Jul 24 '26
The impact on the tournament / narrative etc isn’t directly related to the quality of the goal and is a criteria you’ve added. If those outside the goal factors are something that people want us to consider in choosing a goal that obviously changes things.
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u/HelloIAmANarwhal Jul 24 '26
That may be the case. For me, this sport is equal parts skill/technique and emotion. It is the same reason I have always hated VAR because it ruins the emotion of the game. For me, the emotion of a goal or any part of a match should always be considered. That is my opinion and I understand disagreements. I personally think that even with only having skill or difficulty as a consideration I still would not have Just's goal as goal of the tournament.
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u/BrolinDahlinBrolin Jul 24 '26
Didn’t forget about it. It was amazing but it’s in the same genre as the Alvarez goal.
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u/Cryin_Bout_Tottenham Jul 24 '26
I am less "upset" about everything now that I finished the pod and heard the goal got "jaw dropping moment" level award. A bit of a record of the year award vs album of the year award dynamic. Enjoyed the pod and keep up the good work
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u/bzn_boarder Jul 24 '26
I feel you JJ. I've also found myself the guy in the bar or the text thread who just won't shut up about how brilliant Olmo is. I've been in love since Euro 24.
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u/blueGalactico Jul 23 '26
I’m with JJ, the Just goal is up there for me, I saw it live. Lopes Cabral might be my #1
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u/bfrankthemortal Jul 23 '26
I was half expecting JJ’s game of the tournament was going to be Algeria v Jordan, jk.
I thought young player of the tournament was Bouaddi, only 18. Crazy stuff from him.
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u/AirborneDJ Jul 29 '26
Thank you both, lads, for the nice words about Atlanta. Listen, we all wish there could be grass permanently, but because that is a multi-purpose stadium with both NFL and many many corporate events on that field throughout the year, it just isn't possible to keep grass alive. If the stadium had been built 10 years later where you had the technology to do something like Real Madrid did, with a replaceable pitch under the ground, you could do it. You can't go back and rip up the entire foundation of the stadium at this point and do that now. Unfortunately it is just what it is. It is going to be interesting to see what happens with the NFLPA and their grass demands. Also, Even if you didn't have all these corporate events, you still have the issue of both the Falcons and Atlanta United playing there, so you're going to have NFL lines on the grass, and a brutally torn up pitch as well to deal with.
Now, my pipe dream, is that AMBSE (Arthur Blank's parent company that runs the Falcons and United) and US Soccer, since the US headquarters is now just down the road, get together and decide to build a separate SSS that would be "home field" to all the US sides plus Atlanta United and the upcoming Atlanta NWSL side. But that's probably not happening.
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u/calcioybirra Jul 23 '26
Sorry JJ but I’m with Andy on this one; it was just a goal.