# America 2026 is go: Gavin Cooney, Malachy Clerkin and Paul Howard review the first games

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/america-2026-a-world-cup-podcast-7773210/america-2026-is-go-gavin-cooney-malachy-clerkin-and-paul-howard-review-the-first-games
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/america-2026-a-world-cup-podcast-7773210/america-2026-is-go-gavin-cooney-malachy-clerkin-and-paul-howard-review-the-first-games.md
Podcast: [America 2026: A World Cup podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/america-2026-a-world-cup-podcast-7773210)
Published: 2026-06-12T14:28:37+00:00
Episode link: https://shows.acast.com/irish-times-sport/episodes/opening-games
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/69ab015a6ffdcd8188961ba6/e/6a2bf3580592e8254576f2c7/media.mp3
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/america-2026-a-world-cup-podcast-7773210/episodes/america-2026-is-go-gavin-cooney-malachy-clerkin-and-paul-howard-review-the-first-games
Duration seconds: 2407

## Resource

America 2026 roared into life in the stadium formerly known as the Azteca in Mexico City last night, with a match that was a much better occasion than it was a game. Elsewhere, early risers will have enjoyed much schadenfreude as the Czechs slumped to an opening-round loss to South Korea in Guadalajara.  Malachy Clerkin and the fresh face of Gavin Cooney join Paul Howard in studio to chat about the opening games, their watch strategies, and how much of a role these new-fangled "hydration breaks" might play in who takes home the trophy.  Plus, we explore 2026 Derangement Syndrome, where even in our wildest World Cup fantasies, we still cannot imagine the Republic of Ireland as anything other than a gloriously middling team in this tournament. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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## Transcript

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