In Part 1, Lee and Paul are joined by Nathan Joyes, a South American football expert and the host of the Copa Club Podcast to talk about some sensational stories from the CONMEBOL nations this season. Why do Chile’s new champions Coquimbo Unido have a pirate theme? Which strategic decision helped Mirassol rise from the sixth tier to the brink of the Copa Libertadores? Is there something in the water in Argentina, where underdogs are sweeping up the trophies? And which other South American country deserves a special mention?

In Part 2, the focus moves to elsewhere in the southern hemisphere: Oceania. Lee attended the soft launch event for the OFC Pro League, the continent’s first-ever professional competition, and has some interesting nuggets to share. Where and when will the OFC Pro League get under way? How will the tournament benefit the Tahiti and Fiji national teams. Is Christchurch United’s rebrand as South Island United a good or bad decision? And would South Melbourne theoretically be able to represent Oceania at the Club World Cup?

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Podcast: https://linktr.ee/thecopaclub

Substack: https://thecopaclub.substack.com

Chapters

00:00 – Intro

01:48 – Chile’s pirate champions

08:53 – Brazil’s meteoric risers

18:47 – Argentina’s year of the underdog

21:03 – Bolivian identity fraud

25:09 – Sweepers On Tour

26:11 – OFC Pro League recap

28:02 – OFCPL: Launches & logistics

33:27 – OFCPL: Coaches & CEOs

37:15 – OFCPL: Rebrands & reserves

40:29 – OFCPL: Non-OFC neighbours

45:16 – On The Spot

Coquimbo Unido's treasured title, Mirassol's organic rise & the OFC Pro League soft launch