Rabona Boys

The Rabona Boys are back and waste no time talking about Man United bringing down the high-flying Arsenal with a 3-1 win at Old Trafford. Conversation then turns to Chelsea's surprising decision to sack Thomas Tuchel. Chelsea don't seem to have changed much under new ownership, but our hosts discuss possible replacements and grimly foreshadow Chelsea's next manager appointment. Vyn Skully and Nik Solo turn their attention to the Champion's League and Liverpool's demolition at the hands of Napoli, as well as the barnstormer between PSG & Juventus, and end the episode with official Premier League predictions.

There is an exciting 3-way battle for the Bundesliga title, and it's already March! Borussia Dortmund and Union Berlin are stuck in a vicious fight with Bayern for the hardest-fought Bundesliga in the last few decades. Our hosts give their thoughts on Seattle Sounders' high-level draw with LAFC. The Sounders were impressive, but couldn't finish against a potent LAFC side. Where can the Sounders improve to continue their early momentum?

We asked and you answered. This week's episode discusses both some Europe talk but also the beginning of the 2023 MLS season and how our Seattle Sounders are doing after 3 weeks! After a strong start and bumpy first away game, what do we make of the Seattle Sounders upcoming league campaign?

Manchester United went to Anfield and held 7 goals against. SEVEN GOALS. That's a touchdown. The Red Devils suffered their worst defeat in 90 years at the home of their worst enemy, Manchester United fans are humbled, and the rest of the league is spared from the Return of Manchester United. Join in as our hosts discuss the most incredible result in recent PL history, one that will be sang about for decades to come.

In today's episode, our hosts discuss the potential sale and takeover of Manchester United. Pursued by none other than Qatar, owners of PSG, their group has submitted an official bid. Vyn Skully an Nik Solo discuss the bid, the potential ramifications, and the increased commodization of Football in general. Our hosts have a passionate conversation bout the role a football club plays in its local environment, and the merits of letting a club grow naturally.

Welcome back to the Rabona Boys Podcast! In today's episode, our hosts review the most important PL game of the year, the first matchup between Arsenal and Manchester City. Arsenal have been crushing the league for most of the season, but were looking to bounce back from a 4 game rut in the run up to the City game. Despite dominating possesion (+60%), City surprised Arsenal and made the most of their limited chances. Join in as our resident Arsenal fan, Nik Solo, reacts to his team's performance and goes through all 5 stages of grief in 20 minutes!

In continuation from last weeks' episode, the Rabona Boys continue to address the effect billionaires are having on the game. Manchester City have been hit with over 100 charges from the Premier League for financial violations ranging between 2008 and 2017, compiled over a four-year period. If you're a fan of Rap or the American Mafia, then you'll recognize this style of prosecution, and that City are about to get hit with the Prem's version of the R.I.C.O. Our hosts recognize that the timing of this indictment is more than a little odd, but its importance cannot be understated. Our beloved sport has already become the plaything of plutocrats and nation-states, but this may be the last chance that 'pure' football may have to protect itself from the relentless, all-consuming, inevitable machine that is billionaire wealth. 

The Rabona Boys are back with a bangerof an episode! Vyn Skully and Nik Solo kick off with Joao Cancelo vs. Pep Guardiola and the impact of ego in a Pep team. Chelsea and Todd Boehly are buying everything in sight and keep resetting the market so player prices become inaccessible to regular clubs. Our hosts then get into an intense discussion about Brighton, Moises Caicedo, and small teams getting picked apart whenever they build a good team without a lot of money. Finally, the guys discuss Jorginho to Arsenal and how uncomfortable it is for Arsenal to buy yet another Chelsea player thrown to the scrap pile. Come join in as the Rabona Boys spit straight facts into the abyss of modern football.

The Rabona Boys are back with another one! Vyn Skully & Nik Solo start out the episode giving due reverence to Pele, the Original GOAT, the King of Football.  our hosts then turn their attention to a wild weekend of football that had a string of wild results. Liverpool lost 0-3 to Brighton Munich, Arsenal are still top of the league, and Barcelona crush Real Madrid in the best game of the weekend and the best Clasico in a long time. In our hosts' opinion, football seems to be getting it's shine back. Some of these games are starting to feel like an actual event, and we may even be seeing a slow return of the number 10. All that and more in Episode 52!

Welcome to the start of Season 3 of the Rabona Boys podcast. Your hosts have been feeling out the podcast space for the last two years so it's only natural that they evolve in their third year in the game. Vyn Skully and Nik Solo enter the new year with their clubs in the exact same position (and situations) as before the World Cup. Liverpool bought their 16th attacker in Cody Gakpo but Arsenal have retained their dominant form even without Gabriel Jesus. Join in as Nik & Vyn start the new year with a bang

The Rabona Boys are back with another episode! Arsenal beat Manchester United in a match that could have come from 2004 and Nik Solo, our resident Gooner, is on Cloud Nine. Nik celebrates his team's amazing form and our hosts discuss the result of a three-year rebuild of Arsenal by Mikel Arteta. Nketiah, Odegaard, Rashford & Saka all get their flowers from this thrilling match, and Vyn Skully finally realizes what Zinchenko brings to the team. The Rabona Boys finally discuss the 'Plusvalenza' scandal currently rocking Italian football, and as ever, the infinitely shady Juventus is in the middle of it all. It's probably no big deal, it's not like Juventus has ever been demoted from Serie A for shady practices before, right? ..Right?

The debate is over. Put away your CR7's, your Zidane's, your Ronaldo's & Ronaldinho's. Lionel Messi and Argentina have won the World Cup after one of the greatest football games in history. He now stands with Pele and Maradona in contention for the outright greatest player in history. Join in as Nik Solo and Vyn Skully recap the greatest game from one of the best tournaments our hosts have ever seen.

The boys spend the morning watching a disappointing performance from team USA as they are finally eliminated by the Dutch in the round of 16. Tune in as Nik Solo and Vyn Skully make their predictions on how the round of 16 will play out and debrief the big stories of the group stage. It's about to get exciting people!

The Group stages of the World Cup have been entertaining and full of upsets! Brazil & France have started to flex their muscles in the group stage, but Argentina, Germany & Belgium have all dropped games and it's looking like a few traditional powers might not make it out of their groups! Meanwhile, the USA went toe-to-toe with England and looked the much better team. If the USA had a striker, they'd be top of their group right now. (Maybe if Gio Reyna played more than 5 minutes...) Upsets, tactical battles, and champagne football galore, the World Cup feels like it's finally here!

It's World Cup time! The Rabona Boys are back with a quick recap of the first two days of the World Cup. Hosts Qatar looks like they will be thoroughly outmatched despite their years-long plan to make their national team look competitive. England demolished Iran in a show of force that will certainly send a message to the rest of the tourney. Elsewhere, the USA let a golden opportunity slip through their fingers and fumbled a hard-fought win in the 82nd minute to allow Wales a painful equalizer. This episode drops the same day as England vs USA so of course our hosts Vyn Skully & Nik Solo had to give their predicitons. There have been some incredible results and controversial decisions in this tourney already, and the Rabona Boys have caught World Cup Fever!

The Rabona Boys are back with our last non-World Cup episode! Cristiano Ronaldo has dropped a bombshell interview criticizing Manchester United from top to bottom. Arsenal enter the World Cup break at the top of the league, and someone beat Manchester City! Our hosts were unable to help themselves and ended the episode by discussing Brazil & the USMNT at the World Cup.

The Rabona Boys are back with a vengeance! Arsenal continue their run at the top of the table by defeating hated rivals Chelsea at The Bridge, possibly cementing their status as a true contender for the Premier League title. Over in Merseyside, our hosts speak on the positives they have seen from Liverpool's play and debate the rise of Darwin Nunez.  Vyn Skully addresses the shocking news that Liverpool's owners have put the club up for sale and keeps it real with who the next owners will likely be.

In this week's episode, the Rabona Boys focus on Italy! Our hosts marvel over Brahim Diaz and the rest of the gems over at AC Milan. Conversation turns to Serie A in general, how much younger the league has gotten, and how wide open its title races are since the fall of Juventus. The Rabona Boys put their eyes on Bin Saud - uh, I mean, Newcastle FC, and discuss their exponential rise. The fact that Eddie Howe has Newcastle players fighting tooth and nail and has led his team to a current 4th place standing can only mean positive things for the Geordie club once they splash their newfound Saudi cash. The boys think Howe has shown a lot of humility and dedication on his journey to Newcastle, and discuss what lessons Steven Gerrard can learn from his journey.

The Rabona Boys are back again to talk about that hotly contested Liverpool-Manchester City derby last weekend and its surprising result. Nik Solo & Vyn Skully review El Clasico and talk about the emergence of Fede Valverde in a team full of superstars. FInally, our hosts react to the Seattle Sounders mising the playoffs for the first time in their MLS history and give an end-of-season review to their hometown team.

If at first you don't succeed, dust yourself off and try again.  In a masterclass of tactical adjustment, attack patterns and end-to-end football, Mikel Arteta's energetic Arsenal faced Liverpool with the confidence of youth, proceeded to outmatch their opponents in an incredible match and validated their slow but steady rise in status over the last few years. Nik Solo has been waiting for this moment for a while, and in this episode of the Rabona Boys podcast, he takes full advantage of the spotlight and breaks down how Arsenal were finally able to defeat their biggest bogey team. Our hosts give their honest opinions on the controversial moments within the match, and Vyn Skully is forced to realize the dawn of a new age.