Why This World Cup Will Be Unlike Any Other

👋 Welcome..

..to The Tap-Inn. Where you can tap in to the world of soccer with me, your first-gen Irish Tap-Inn bartender, Joe.

When I’m not serving cold suds in my NY Taphouse and telling incredulous regulars that last call means last call, I’m talking about soccer. Talking about a lot, of soccer.

I’m not speaking in spreadsheets and PhD-level tactics though. I’m speaking in layman’s terms, like a regular Joe. A couple minutes at The Tap-Inn will have you sounding like a pro - all without swallowing a coach’s laptop.

But first things first - what the heck is a tap-in?

⚽ The ‘tap-in’

It's the most simple goal you can score. 

It’s one yard out. 

It's nothing fancy, no extra fluff. 

There’s nada between player, ball, and net. 

It’s plainly unmissable.

Just like this newsletter… 🤨

Now let's tap into soccer with The Tap-Inn and some simple explainers that are as easy to understand as a tap-in is to score. 

Yes, we know the bar's name works on so many levels. Yes, I am very happy about it.

🥃 This Week’s Pour: Why This World Cup Will Be Different

252 days to go until the U.S., Canada, and Mexico host the biggest World Cup in history.

Here’s what makes this edition different:

• 48 teams, not 32 → Expect underdogs, upsets, and chaos.

• Games in NFL stadiums → Imagine Messi at MetLife or Ronaldo in Dallas. These aren’t soccer temples — they’re coliseums.

• Three countries, one party → First time ever. A cross-border tournament with fan zones across North America.

• U.S. team isn’t just showing up → This squad wants to win (dare we believe?).

• Sponsorships, content, chaos → It’ll be the TikTok-iest, celeb-endorsed, drone-cam-covered tournament ever. But fear not - I will be with you every step of the way to serve only the content that really matters.

📺 This Week in Soccer

🔵 Champions League Drama

Galatasaray 1-0 Liverpool

A tough week for the Premier League leaders. $500m spent on new players in the summer and the reds still aren’t clicking. A 16th-minute penalty from Victor Osimhen was enough to give the Turkish league champions the 3 points.

🏴‍☠️ What’s an International Break?

After this weekend’s Premier League matches, the league pauses for an international break until October 18th. That means clubs release their players to represent their national teams in qualifiers and friendlies for a few days.

🐺 Underdog: Jamie Vardy

Age 23 → Working in a prosthetics factory.

Age 27 → Premier League Rookie.

Age 29 → Premier League Champion.

Jamie Vardy is living proof it’s never too late — in soccer or in life. Pour one out for the late bloomers.

Side note: His wife, Rebecca is one half of the Wagatha Christie scandal. No idea what that is? Grab a beer and tuck into the NYT’s great deep dive here.

❓ Pub Quiz

Who is the most capped USMNT player of all time?

(Answer at the end.)

🌍 World Cup Tracker: USMNT Check-In

Christian Pulisic: Captain America is in red-hot form for his club AC Milan, registering 6 goals and 2 assists in just 7 games so far this season including the winner against Napoli in Serie A last Sunday. Get him wrapped in cotton wool asap.

Weston McKennie: Juventus’ midfield engine started for Juventus and played the full 90 minutes for the first time this season in a 2-2 draw against Villareal on Wednesday. More of this please.

Ricardo Pepi: The 22-year-old could prove to be the USMNT’s surprise weapon at the World Cup next year. A recent thigh injury will put a pause on his 2 goals in 5 league games, however.

🧠 Quickfire

On This Day:

Zlatan Ibrahimović was born, October 3rd 1981. Never short on confidence. Once refused a trial at Arsenal FC because, “Zlatan doesn’t do auditions.”

Flashback:

The last World Cup on U.S. soil? 1994. Still the most attended World Cup ever. Brazil won it. Can they do it again?

Sound like a pro:

A handball foul is any part of the arm from the bottom of the armpit to the fingertip. Yes, it’s that annoying. Referee’s still can’t agree what it means.

✅ Pub Quiz Answer

Cobi Jones — 164 caps for the U.S. Men’s National Team.

👋 Until Next Time…

Thanks for stopping by The Tap Inn.

If you enjoyed this, forward it to that friend who knows nothing about soccer and help spread the good word.

I’ll be behind the bar every week, Monday and Friday, serving up soccer. 

— Joe