Welcome to the Total Soccer Show and an episode in which we're kicking off awards season

by dishing out awards across a host of categories for the 2022 World Cup.

My name's Ryan Bailey joining me to dish out gongs that hopefully no goalkeepers will hold near their groins. Taylor Rockwell, hello.

Hello, I enjoyed that. Amy Martinez refuses to take things seriously, be it his actual play on the field, penalty shootouts, or winning justified silverware, I guess goldware in this case. I love me, Sammi Martinez. I really do. Goldware should be the term for silverware that's gold. You're quite right, Taylor. There we go. We're coining things last minute here on the Total Soccer show. There we go. World's expanding as we speak. Joining us, Taylor, a man. Looking forward to seeing World Cup winner Julian McAllister in the league

up at Cholten Athletic on Wednesday.

Graham Rutherford, hello. I mean, who isn't looking forward to seeing him? Julian McAllister? Is that the brother of Alexis McAllister, I take it? Yeah, I've done one name there, haven't I? It's Alexis McAllister. I was confused. I was confused. Was his dad Julian? I've forgotten.

Julian Alvarez, maybe.

And Alexis McCalliser.

Anyway, yes, I can confused. I was confused. Was his dad, Julian. I've forgotten.

Julian Alvarez, maybe. And Alexis McAllister. Anyway, yes, I can't quite believe. It's been a long month, Graham, okay? It's been a long month. It has indeed. And I can't quite believe that we are heading at speed into the busy winter schedule. Does the Bundes League at least have like a break? They normally have a break over this time. So are their players getting a little bit longer, but no such luck for players in the UK or in Spain. Actually, I believe they're getting back to things pretty quickly as well. Bunders League has just taken the rest of the year off. They're just going to drink every session. Sure. That's what they all agree. Just give Byron the goldware and be done with it. Well, all their players are breaking a leg's on ski trips, so they've decided to take a little break instead. I can't understand why that is allowed in a professional athlete's contract. Yeah, go skiing in your break, yeah. You'd think it'd be right it there with the motorcycle clause that so many players have now of you cannot ride a motorcycle, you cannot go skiing. I think both of those are fair. I'm sure that many as you say Taylor do have motorcycle clauses but yeah this is an extremely dangerous sport you can do on this massive slope go and do that cool just add the

biathlon in let's get some let's get some rifle shooting in there while you're skiing what

could possibly go wrong Roman grico wrestling yes? Yes, please do. Yes. Okay.

Rounding out our pack, a man who would have a clean sweep if we awarded trophies for TSS hosts.

Hi, Joe Lowry. Oh, hi, Ryan Bailey. I think that was a compliment at me and a shot at everyone else,

including yourself. I'm not really sure how this is going to go, but I am happy to be here. I still can't believe the game that we saw yesterday was a real soccer game that actually happened. And so I'm just going to pretend that the reality of the returning club season is not real until I finally figure out whether or not we're living in a simulation. Yeah. It doesn't feel real. I mean, I looked out the window this morning, and it's Christmas. Who knew? I didn't know that. Is Scotland a... I know the Times Zone is different. Is it a week ahead? No, this still counts as Christmas, Ryan Bailey. Let's see. There's commercial Christmas. Have you checked out already? Commercial Christmas? Yes. I like that. That was a Richard Madeley reference, I believe.

Yeah, it was. Yeah. Very good. Very good. Joe, you get that one? Joe and I just sit in here, stone face. He's saying British things, that's all. Don't worry. 0.1% of our listeners will appreciate that reference, Graham. I'm still kind of wondering.

Graham, what was it that you looked outside and saw that made you realize it was Christmas?

Twinkly lights and drunk people.

But I guess that could just be Scotland any day of the week at any time of the year, I guess.

Do you put special toppings on your pizza kebabs at Christmas time? You do get like deep fried pigs and blankets. I saw I'm going out for a night out on Wednesday and one of my pals

sent me a picture of like loaded fries with pigs and blankets in them, which I am going to buy.

So expect a review over Christmas time of those fries.

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