The Couch

19/06/2024

A Copa América unlike any other kicks off tomorrow! Get yourself in the mood by reading one last group preview. Group D includes two bona fide contenders in Brazil and Colombia, with two football-proud nations trying to roll back the years in Costa Rica and Paraguay:

Vinicius has thrived at the club level, to the point of being a frontrunner for this year's Ballon d'Or race. Can he take the next step and help lead Brazil back to glory? BrazilFIFA Rank: 5thLast Copa América performance: Runners-up (2021) The Skinny If there's one team that needs no introduction,...

19/06/2024

Two days remain until kickoff at the Copa América, and we're continuing our countdown with a look at Group C. Christian Pulisic and the U.S. have been waiting to make a statment on the global stage; is this the tournament to do it? They'll be expected to progress from a group with two clearly overmatched teams, but do come up against one of the best sides in this tournament:

Christian Pulisic is the poster child for American soccer's 'golden generation,' which is desperate to announce themselves on a global stage. Can Captain America take the U.S. to new heights in men's soccer? United StatesFIFA Rank: 11thLast Copa América performance: 4th place (2016) The Skinny Ever...

18/06/2024

Mexico have had a disappointing last several years, but have the chance to reset in a tournament they're practically co-hosting. Can Santi Giménez lead El Tri through Group B, the trickiest group in this year's Copa América?

Feyenoord's Santi Giménez has been one of the few bright spots for Mexico in a rough several years for the football-mad nation. Can the young forward help El Tri overachieve in this tournament as de facto hosts? MexicoFIFA Rank: 14thLast Copa América performance: Quarterfinals (2016) The Skinny Th...

18/06/2024

The Euros may have just gotten underway, but it's already time for another tournament! The supersized Copa América kicks off this week, and yep, you better believe we've got group previews for that too, beginning with Group A and an auspicious star and tournament favorite:

Argentina are the reigning world champions, reigning Copa America champions, ranked number 1 in the world, and if that wasn't enough, still employ the services of perhaps the greatest to ever play the game. Can they be stopped this summer? ArgentinaFIFA Rank: 1stLast Copa América performance: Champ...

15/06/2024

Daniel Woodiwiss continues rolling through Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time! Hear his rapidfire thoughts on #'s 390-381, which feature artists that every genre of 'obnoxious white guy' has excitedly played for you in their car:

Back in September of 2020, Rolling Stone did something rather audacious and released out to the world a ranking of, in their estimation, the Top 500 albums ever made. By any musician, any band, anywhere. It's a mammoth undertaking, of course, and one that is never going to be without controversy, di...

14/06/2024

Today's the day! Euro 2024 kicks off in Munich, and as such, we have one last group preview for you: Group F, which features the 2016 champs, the tournament's biggest underdog, and two teams that could be a whole lot better than their ranking suggests.

Cristiano Ronaldo isn't the face of Portugal any more-- or at least not the only face. An army of talent, led by Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes, around the talismanic striker promises potential for Portugal to return to the throne TurkeyFIFA Rank: 40thQualified as: Group D winners The Skinny...

12/06/2024

We're just two days away from the Euro Cup now, and as we etch closer to kickoff, we preview the penultimate group, Group E. Kevin De Bruyne and his wickedly talented Belgium squad should be on cruise control in a group that also includes three Eastern European underdogs in Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine:

He's one of the best and most accomplished midfielders in the world, but Kevin De Bruyne hasn't tasted much success in his lengthy Belgium career; could this be his "last dance" moment for the Red Devils? BelgiumFIFA Rank: 3rdQualified as: Group F winner The Skinny If you've been an international fo...

12/06/2024

Less than a week now until kickoff of the 2024 Euros, and Daniel Woodiwiss continues our countdown with a primer on the "Group of Death." Kylian Mbappé's France and Virgil van Dijk's Netherlands will fight tooth and nail for group supremacy, but will also have to hold off deceptively good Austria and Poland teams:

Kylian Mbappé is the present and future of football, but for all he's accomplished at his young age, he has yet to make an impact at the Euros. Can he lead France back to European glory after a 24-year absence? PolandFIFA Rank: 28thQualified as: Group E 3rd place, defeated Estonia and Wales in play...

10/06/2024

It's Euro Cup week!! Which means it's time for England fans to begin talking themselves into why this year it's their year. Daniel Woodiwiss previews the Three Lions' Group C, which sees them joined by upstarts Denmark and Serbia, and heavy underdogs Slovenia:

England's optimism in their men's team may be at an all-time high, and golden boy/Ballon d'Or candidate/newly-crowned Champions League winner Jude Bellingham is a big reason why SloveniaFIFA Rank: 57thQualified as: Group H runner-up The Skinny Longtime members of Yugoslavia, Slovenia's competitive r...

10/06/2024

Our Euro Cup countdown continues with a look at a top-heavy Group B, which includes reigning champions Italy, reigning Nations League winners Spain, a Croatia team that's reached 3 major tournament semifinals in the last 6 years, and the ultimate underdogs Albania:

If reigning champions Italy are going to repeat, they will need reigning tournament MVP Gianluigi Donnaruma to be a brick wall between the sticks, amidst a tough group SpainFIFA Rank: 8thQualified as: Group A winners The Skinny With 3 titles, and laying claim to being the only repeat champion (2008....

10/06/2024

"Gyllenhaal proved a gamely host, willing to tap into goofy and showman sides of himself we don't often see. . . But, for one last time at the end of a season in which this has been the mantra: this was just an okay episode, and I can't help but feel like there was a great episode in there that better writing could have uncovered."

Saturday Night Live has closed out Season 49, and Daniel Woodiwiss has one last scorecard for the show's finale, helmed by the star of Road House and the inspiration for "All Too Well":

Two weeks ago, Saturday Night Live wrapped up Season 49 with a season finale featuring a big-name actor who has hosted twice before, and a young up-and-coming pop star making her show debut. That it's taken me two weeks to tie a bow on this SNL season is not, as you might expect or hope, a result of...

07/06/2024

We are just one week away from kickoff in the 2024 Euro Cup! Daniel starts the countdown with the first of 6 group previews. Group A features hosts and longtime titans Germany, with a trio of 'high floor, low-ceiling' opponents:

Hosts Germany are hoping to usher in a bright new era, and who better to turn to, than their young star and reigning Bundesliga Player of the Year Florian Wirtz? GermanyFIFA Rank: 16thQualified as: Hosts The Skinny It's a joke almost as old as the sport itself: "Football is a game in which 11 men pl...

06/06/2024

With the club season officially in the books, and attention about to turn to international football, Daniel Woodiwiss looks back at each of his 5 crazy preseason predictions to analyze how they aged over the course of the Premier League season:

19/05/2024

Who will win the 2023-24 Premier League title?? Is Daniel in the United States right now?! What IS Beyoncé's weakest album, anyhow???

All these questions (no, seriously) and more answered in Daniel Woodiwiss's final Premier League Predictions of the season:

Well friends, it's finally here. This time tomorrow, another Premier League season will be in the books, a new champions will be crowned, three teams will wave goodbye to the league, and Liverpool will wish a farewell to a larger-than-life manager.I write this from Liverpool, where tomorrow for both...

15/05/2024

"You'd be excused if you (like me) thought this show would be perhaps the best yet, given the comedic genius of Maya Rudolph and how the SNL alum could probably run the program at this point if she wanted to. Unfortunately, it didn't pan out that way, and instead went another route that so often seems to be an SNL trend: over-reliance on the comedic giftst and talent of the host to the point of very lazy writing, yielding a sadly underperforming episode."

Daniel Woodiwiss has the scorecard for Season 49's penultimate episode of Saturday Night Live, hosted by an SNL legend:

https://thecouchblog.wixsite.com/thecouch/single-post/snl-scorecard-maya-rudolph---vampire-weekend

11/05/2024

Is this title race going to the very last weekend? Is there any late twist in the title, Top 4 or relegation races? Is Manchester United just a finished club for good?!?!

All these questions (and more!) answered in Daniel Woodiwiss' latest Premier League Predictions:

Welcome back to the weekly predictions, Premier League fans! The end is near. In fact, this is the last predictions piece I will write from the United States before I embark on my maiden voyage to Liverpool's season finale. The European competitions wrapped up their semifinal stages this week, and t...

06/05/2024

"The exciting choice of 'Dua double duty' proved to not be an effective barrier against the 'loss of momentum' claims, or at least a foolproof one. The host herself proved more than capable of holding her own in sketch comedy acting, and provided a great set as musical guest. But, while host and cast provided plenty of funny moments, this episode stalled out on poor writing much more than any episode in the last month-plus, resulting in a perfectly fine but unsatisfying show."

Daniel Woodiwiss has the scorecard for the latest episode of Saturday Night Live, starring the new Queen of Pop:

It’s May, which means much like the academic year and the club football season, Season 49 of Saturday Night Live is nearing its end. After a phenomenal three-episode run in April, the show took two weeks off before kicking off the three-episode stretch this month to close out the season last night...

04/05/2024

Will either Arsenal or Manchester City stumble in the title race as we come down the stretch? Can either Liverpool or Tottenham give it one last good go? Do any of the teams ranked 3rd-6th have any interest in winning??!?

All these questions (and more!) answered in Daniel Woodiwiss' latest Premier League Predictions:

Welcome back to the weekly predictions, Premier League fans! This week, which saw the semifinal stages of all European competitions kick off, has flown by, much as the season itself has. Indeed, we are in May, which means, somehow, the end is near.And I hate to say it, but I;m beginning to think the...

27/04/2024

Can Tottenham ruin their rival's title dreams, or will Arsenal deal a blow to Spurs' Champions League hopes? Is Chelsea capable of not being a huge disappointment? Will Liverpool ever win another match again?!?!

All these questions (and more!) answered in Daniel Woodiwiss' latest Premier League Predictions:

Welcome back to the weekly predictions, Premier League fans! We draw ever nearer to the end of the season, and as such, the matches are tumbling together rapidly. Case in point: today is the only day this week that has not featured Premier League action. And yet, we get back to it tomorrow morning,....