Skip to content
PMTPMT DB

Takes

Loss
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

I'm boycotting the 2022 World Cup in Qatar unless the US makes it

I'm boycotting the World Cup. I'm boycotting the World Cup unless the U.S. makes it, in which case I might still boycott it. I think it's actually beneath the United States to play in a World Cup in stadiums that were built by little slaves.

OpinionSoccerHotSarcastic
The US did make the 2022 World Cup, and PFT (along with the rest of the sports world) definitely watched and covered it.
Void
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Cristiano Ronaldo is not a top three Ronaldo

It's time that we have an honest conversation about Ronaldo. I don't even think he's a top three Ronaldo. You've got Ronaldo, you've got Ronaldinho, who is named Ronaldo... Fat Ronaldo. He's number six overall Ronaldo.

The ranking of players by name is subjective, though most soccer experts would place Cristiano Ronaldo in the top three players of all time, regardless of name.
Win
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Federico Chiesa is going to be one of the best players in the entire world

Chiesa is going to be one of the best players in the entire world. I'm just putting an eyeball stamp on it. I said that last week. Then he had that awesome goal. Chiesa, Chiesa, Chiesa.

Chiesa was one of the breakout stars of Euro 2020 (won by Italy) and became a highly-valued player at Juventus, though injuries slowed his ascent somewhat.
Void
Big CatBig Cat

Calling off the Denmark vs. Finland match after Christian Eriksen's collapse was the right move.

They called the game off, which was probably the right thing to do... then Christian Eriksen gets on a zoom call... tells them, I want you guys to play the game. Then they went out there and played.

This is a moral and procedural opinion on sports management during a crisis.
Win
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Football is 'coming home' for England in the Euros

All I'm saying about the Euros, it's coming home. Yeah, it's coming home. Something just very special about pasty white English fans ripping off their shirts... Football's coming home. And then they're going to lose in tragic fashion.

England reached the final but lost to Italy on penalties—exactly the 'tragic fashion' PFT noted.
Void
Big CatBig Cat

Messi is better than Ronaldo because he is better at cheating on his taxes

Messi is probably got like a billion... He's better at shooting us, he got away with cheating on taxes for longer than Ronaldo did. Rinaldo you bitch. Messy has one, two, three, four, five, six golden boots. Count the booties.

While messy did have a high-profile tax case, using it as the metric for football greatness is entirely satirical.
Win
Big CatBig Cat

Lionel Messi will eventually play in Major League Soccer

Why doesn't Messi go to MLS? ... He's like 33. Oh, you're right about that time. He would fucking wreck the MLS. They should just give Messi an MLS team. ... I hope he does eventually come to the MLS. I'm sure that he will in like seven years once he's totally washed up.

Lionel Messi signed with Inter Miami CF in MLS in 2023.
Push
Big CatBig Cat

Christian Pulisic stunk in his Chelsea debut and might not be ready for the bright lights

I watched the whole game. He stunk. Is he not ready for the bright lights? They came in... he came in and it was 1-0, and then Manchester United scored three goals... I'm just going to say, as someone who was ready to declare this the biggest moment in USA soccer history, yeesh.

Pulisic's debut was statistically poor, though judging his career on one substitute appearance is the joke. He eventually became a solid player for Chelsea, winning the Champions League.
Win
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Rose Lavelle will be the next USWNT superstar for the next eight years

Here's my hot take about Rose [Lavelle]. She's going to be the next superstar for the women's national team for the next, like, eight years... I'm saying that she's the next Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe.

Rose Lavelle remained a key starter and face of the USWNT through the 2023 World Cup and 2024 Olympics.
Win
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The USWNT vs France matchup is essentially the World Cup Final

But this is, I'm going to call it, this is the World Cup on Friday [France versus U.S.]. Whoever wins this match [wins it all].

The US beat France 2-1 and then went on to win the World Cup, confirming that the winner of this match was the tournament's favorite.
Win
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The United States is on its longest World Cup unbeaten streak since the Reagan administration

This is the longest World Cup unbeaten streak that we're on right now since the Reagan administration. It's been over four years since the United States has lost a World Cup game.

Fact ClaimSoccerMediumSarcastic
The US last lost a WC game in July 2014 to Belgium. Since they didn't qualify in 2018, they remained 'unbeaten' by default for over four years. It is factually true but contextually absurd.
Loss
Big CatBig Cat

Lionel Messi is dead

Messi's dead. Messi is dead. Dunzo. Listen, it's a team sport. Go back to Argentina, Messi. Okay? It's a team sport. Argentina stinks. Messi's great. Yeah.

Messi went on to win the Copa America in 2021 and the World Cup in 2022, proving he was very much not 'dead'.
Push
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the future of American soccer at age 34

Zlatan is going to save soccer in America. He is. He's the future of American soccer. He's 34. And he's the future.

Hot TakeSoccerHotSarcastic
Zlatan was a huge success in MLS but clearly not the long-term future given his age; he returned to Europe shortly after.
Win
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Sweden is my World Cup team for 2018

I think Sweden is my World Cup team. Dude, I'm Swedish. I would know. I'm like one 16th... I got all the shitty parts of being Swedish.

PFT did support Sweden during the 2018 tournament where they reached the quarterfinals.
Void
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

LeBron James should play for the US Men's Soccer team

LeBron actually should play for us. If you were to take the best NFL athletes... could the Chiefs qualify for the World Cup under the instruction of Andy Reid?

LeBron James never played professional soccer; this is a classic sports hypothetical.
Win
Big CatBig Cat

Bruce Arena and the US Soccer front office need to be fired immediately

I'm going to say Bruce Arena. That guy's been around forever. Get the fuck out of here, man. ... GM, clean house.

Bruce Arena resigned three days after this episode aired (Oct 13, 2017).
Push
Big CatBig Cat

Panama might beat the US Men's National Team on Friday

It would be funny if Panama, if just... God forbid. Panama wins on Friday. God forbid the U.S. men's team didn't make it into the Yogo Benito Championships next year in Russia.

PredictionSoccerHotSarcastic
The US actually beat Panama 4-0 on Friday, Oct 6, 2017. However, the larger prediction about them missing the World Cup came true when they lost to Trinidad & Tobago a few days later.
Loss
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The US Men's National Team should barely qualify for the World Cup so they have to play an extra elimination game against New Zealand

I hope that they barely qualify and that they have to play an extra elimination game. I am really looking forward to that extra elimination game. [I] just want to see them play New Zealand so I can do an accent.

OpinionSoccerMediumSarcastic
The USMNT famously failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup entirely after losing to Trinidad and Tobago, so they never even made it to the inter-confederation play-off against Australia/New Zealand.
Win
Big CatBig Cat

It would be hilarious if the US Men's Soccer team failed to qualify for the World Cup

It would be hilarious if the US didn't make the World Cup. It would be very, very funny. It would be so fucking funny. We could make jokes all summer long and be like, when does the US play?

The US lost to Trinidad and Tobago and failed to qualify, leading to exactly the jokes Big Cat predicted.
Loss
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The Sounders and Timbers only play each other in MLS

I feel like the Sounders and Timbers only play each other. I'm convinced that MLS was like, hey, you guys in the Pacific Northwest, you tend to enjoy your scarves and your soccer. Just play each other all the time. We'll pretend like it's an MLS game, but it's not real.

The teams play other teams in the league, even though their rivalry is the most highlighted.
Void
Big CatBig Cat

Celebrating a tie in soccer is un-American and makes me want to puke

The amount of celebration over a tie makes me want to puke... Very un-American. We play to win the game. That's why we've won every war we've ever been in. That's America.

In sports culture, celebrating ties is often seen as negative, though strategically in soccer it is often necessary. The claim about winning every war is factually debated but fits the character.
Loss
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Christian Pulisic will make soccer the biggest sport in America

This guy, he is going to make soccer the biggest sport in America. This is the guy. It actually already happened with Freddy Adu, and then John Harkes, and then DeMarcus Beasley, but it's happening again before our eyes.

PredictionSoccerHotSarcastic
While Pulisic became the most successful American male player ever (winning a Champions League), soccer has not overtaken football, basketball, or baseball in US popularity.
Loss
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Morton Andersen is the best soccer player of all time

Morton Andersen, best soccer player of all time. [Because Ronaldo's goals are only worth one point].

Morton Andersen was an American football kicker, not a soccer player.
Loss
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Cristiano Ronaldo's goals are easy and anyone could do them

I could fucking do that. Left footed. He's a finisher. Who isn't? We all finish.

The claim that 'anyone' could score at Ronaldo's rate is obviously false.
Void
Big CatBig Cat

Soccer needs scandals like the Kardashians or star players fighting fans to blow up in America

I really do think, though, that soccer, if soccer wants to blow up in America, they need to start just doing the things that are classic American sports. Someone needs to date a Kardashian. Someone needs to maybe tweet a picture of their penis by accident. Go into the stands and fight a guy.

Soccer has grown in popularity via other means (Messi arrival, access to European leagues), but the 'celebrity drama' factor Big Cat mentions remains a huge driver for the other major US sports.
Void
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The German soccer team's aggression always comes too late in major matches

And once again, the German subs were a little bit too late. A little too late. And I noticed that their aggression didn't come until a little bit later, too. Usually the Germans are a little bit more aggressive early on.

This is a satirical historical reference framed as sports analysis.
Win
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

You can't fart during a soccer game because it's a 'beautiful' and 'classy' game

I don't want, I mean, that's, you can't fart during a soccer game. Everyone knows that. ... It's a beautiful game. ... We, you don't do that shit. It's a classy game.

OpinionSoccerMediumSarcastic
A player in Sweden actually received a red card for 'unsportsmanlike conduct' after farting.
Loss
Big CatBig Cat

The summer of 2016 is when soccer officially catches on in the US, especially if they can get a 'big tie' against Brazil

This is the summer it catches on. You watch. Some people have called it the summer of soccer. I think so. If they could get a big tie against like a Brazil or something, that's the launching point for soccer being the biggest sport in America.

Soccer has grown but did not become the 'biggest sport in America' in 2016, nor did the US win the Copa America.
Loss
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The 2015-16 Leicester City team is taking steroids

I think that Leicester City is all taking steroids. There were a 5,001 long shot before the league year started. And now they're probably going to win the English premiership. And the only way that's possible... they're taking steroids, all of them.

There has never been any evidence or official finding that the 2016 Leicester City team used performance-enhancing drugs.
Win
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Leicester City converted a penalty in the 93rd minute to salvage their Cinderella story

The Cinderella story, Leicester, they were losing today, and they were playing with 10 men, and then they got a penalty called in the 93rd minute, and they converted to salvage a point.

Leicester City drew West Ham 2-2 with a Leonardo Ulloa penalty in the 95th minute.

Search

Search takes, episodes, and speakers