Welcome to From the Stands, a podcast where we dive deep into the world of soccer, and not just what happens on the pitch. Join host Mariana Bermudez as she introduces her first ever podcast and narrates the role the sport has played in her life.

Mariana Bermudez: ¡Hola a todos! Welcome to the first episode of my newest project, From the Stands, a podcast where we dive deep into the world of soccer, and not just what happens on the pitch. I’m your host, Mariana Bermudez, and I am very excited to get started. While this podcast will focus on international soccer, or as I say: fútbol internacional, every now and then I will sprinkle some of my own moments with the sport and why, now more than ever, you should follow it as well!

In this episode, I’ll talk about my thought process in making this podcast happen and discuss the question: Why soccer? I’ll talk about my passion for the sport and the interesting story that has led me to it.

So purchase your game ticket, pick the best seat and enjoy the match, as everything happens… from the stands!

[From the Stands - Theme Music]

Now, a little bit about me. As I said, I’m Mariana Bermudez, a second-year at Northwestern studying journalism and creative writing, and I am originally from Washington, D.C. Those who are very close to me know that I am a soccer yapper. I love to talk about all things soccer, from games to soccer players… to even controversies, but I also love going deeper into these topics, such as touching on issues that go beyond what happens during a soccer game or on the pitch.

Since I love to do all these things, one day, the idea just came to me and I asked myself, “If you love to talk about all of these things, why don’t you start your own podcast?” To my luck, this idea struck my mind when the previous school year was almost over, so I decided to give myself some time and really plan this out during the summer. And now we’re here!

But enough intros, let’s get into the good stuff!

[Sound effect: a fast whoosh followed by a hitting soccer ball]

Why soccer, you may ask?

I think if someone would have asked me this ten years ago, I would have not known what they were talking about. There is one thing I would like to make clear here, and that is that I do not do sports! I don’t. I just don’t.

I never liked playing sports, I was never good at them. I would actually be afraid when I was in physical education class and it was time to be placed in teams. I remember one time I was given the role of goalkeeper in the seventh grade, and I was terrified! Very terrified. Luckily, I survived.

I always tell people that while I don’t do sports, I do discuss them. Why? I grew up with a soccer-loving dad.

He’s one of the biggest soccer fans I’ve ever met. He played soccer when he still lived in El Salvador. I’ve been fortunate enough to hear about his many adventures. From recounting dramatic penalties he took to serious injuries he had, soccer has played an important role in his life.

One of my favorite memories is finding out he had cut out a newspaper image of former French soccer player Zinedine Zidane, who during my dad’s teenage years played in Real Madrid, his ultimate favorite team, and had it stuck on his bedroom wall for years.

Did the paint chip? Yes.

Did he care? The way the image looked on the wall was much more important to him.

As my dad shared all of this with me, I began to be more conscious about how soccer worked during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Some of the moments that sparked my interest were seeing Brazil lose 7-1 against Germany, in Brazil, and seeing Messi lose the World Cup final… against Germany. I was intrigued by how such a sport brought people together. People who watched from the stands and people who watched from the comfort of their homes.

As I learned more about the game, players, nations and leagues, I began to get comfortable talking about soccer with my dad. I was 11 years old, to be exact.

[Sound effect: stadium crowd applauding]

My whole life, I was raised watching international soccer, not U.S. soccer, and that kind of gave me a chance to become knowledgeable about soccer played all around the world, from Central and South America to Europe. I didn’t become as knowledgeable about U.S. soccer until now, which is surprising considering it has been living in my backyard this whole time.

But I love international soccer. I love being able to switch between leagues and nations in my conversations with my dad. We go from talking about LaLiga in Spain to the South American Copa Libertadores competition, where Boca Juniors, my dad’s favorite Argentine team, has always stood out.

Except this year… but that’s a whole different story!

At some point, as I got older, he realized how much I knew about soccer and just asked me, “Since when do you know all this stuff?” Ever since then, it’s one of my favorite things to share with him, and little by little I have been sharing it with others.

Then, as I began to think about college, I knew I wanted to write and become a journalist, but it had never occurred to me to become a sports journalist. To be frank, I didn’t know a degree, or at least a concentration, in sports journalism was actually a thing. It was only a matter of time before I figured it out. I thought, "Ok…so the people my dad watches on TV, you know, the journalists sitting behind tables and with their own talk shows, most likely studied some form of sports journalism. Ok, got it!"

I wanted to be that. Maybe not necessarily a television star, although we never know, but just someone who people could trust to bring them the latest news related to soccer. Related to any sport, frankly. To share my interests and go from just speaking about it with my dad, during his free times off work, to speaking about it with the whole world. Or, at least a considerate group of audience, but you get the point!

All in all, my dad doesn’t know I have embarked on this project. Maybe I’ll tell him, maybe I won’t. Maybe I’ll tell him once I’m on my tenth episode. Whether I do or not, I hope he knows what I’ve shared with him is more than just the perspective of two fans, but the intergenerational passion for a sport as simple, and yet as complex, as soccer.

This episode is dedicated to him.

And this brings me to the conclusion of the first episode of From the Stands. We did it, you guys! I’ll catch you next time, when we discuss the impact Spanish broadcast has had in recent soccer tournaments. Thank you so much for listening!

[From the Stands - Theme Music]