First Things First - England beats Croatia, Portugal & DR Congo draw, Pulisic calf concerns, Tyler Adams joins, BUD List

Episode Date: June 18, 2026

(0:00) Portugal draws with DR Congo, Will the Bengals make it back to the Super Bowl?  (26:38) Best performances from Match Day 1, Will Pulisic’s calf be a concern?  (43:35) LeBron eyeing a return to the Lakers (47:33) Tyler Adams joins (01:02:41) BUD List (01:21:25) Who will host the next NBA Champion parade?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The excitement of the FIFA World Cup is now streaming live on Fox One, the official English streaming platform to catch every unforgettable moment. Fox One brings the action straight to your screen so you never miss a goal. Download Fox One and experience the FIFA World Cup live. Netosk! Bettina Defending, in goes the cross. Two and Zavis. That's a lovely pass.

Space for Conseil South. Good opportunity. Run out! It was his first chance today. It was a fraction behind him. Bruno Fernandez, that's a lovely path. One of the favorite drops points in the opening match. Martinez with things to think about.

It's finished here. Out swinging corner. Got knocked sideways. Again, Motors was late to get there. There is a penalty. Feeling is this is the most difficult of the game. For example, Bellingham, that was indellled by the creation defense. And Jude Belling and running everybody picks it up.

A pub in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Prepare accordingly. Call the extra bartender. All the extra bar tenders, I'm being. The English are coming. Live from New York, it's the show that has been really smitten with some of the soccer commentary vernacular and is going to start to sprinkle it into first things first deal. Like what?

Class. Yeah. So if you give me a good take, a class take. Oh, what a lovely take. Some stuff like that. Also, it's the, I'm not going to say. Cheeky dust. Cheeky's good.

I like that one. Cheeky's. I haven't really heard cheeky a lot on the broadcast. It's one of Ian Dark's favorites, but yeah. Oh, he's a class broadcast. It doesn't. Quality!

Quality from Kane! First hour of things for us today. USA, Australia on Friday, midfielder, Tyler Adams joins the show. That'll be great. Yeah, we're going to talk a little bit of it. I'm glad he's,

imagine if it's a little bit of it. It's a live shot from the parade. Like Tyler, get locked in. Meanwhile, the most motivational segment in all of sports, the Bud List. I haven't even seen who's on the Bud List today. Oh, no, Wembe. Is he on the Bud List? You never know.

Okay. He needs a pick-me-up after that. That's just a point in. And finally, the parade is happening. Well, it hasn't started, but the fans are gathering. As is most of our staff, Hubgaves a lot of the staff off today. They deserve it. Oh, so they're going?

They're at the parade. You know who's also at the parade creating content for our YouTube page, Danny Parkins? Did you see what Gianna did to Danny? Brutal. Brutal. Up on our YouTube page, Danny Parkins' wrong next takes. It's an hour and a half. Yeah, I think it's broad.

I think it's advertised as an hour of Danny Parking's not wrong about the next. Wow. Maybe he shouldn't go to the place. No, he's there with, with, I hope our guy. He's in disguise. Fox security. Spence usually protecting Tom Brady. What if he comes back?

He comes all the way around. This is his first real because he just moved to the city. No. He's all die hard. But Bulls fan? Yeah, not bulls. From the 90s? All right, we start in Houston.

Portugal and D.R. Congo, draw 1-1. After watching all the stars score multiple goals, Ronaldo puts up a dud. No goals, no shots on goal. After the game, Tierra, Tierra Henri broke it down. Take a listen. The team needs to score, not you need to score. And I will explain now and go more into details of what Latangelo explained here.

So obviously we're going to say here, Portugal being on the ball, Conceau is going to receive the ball. Chrysler and Ronaldo has been in that situation multiple times. If you make that run here, you make the defender take a decision to crash the six hairbox. But because he wants to score, he goes into the path of Bruno Fernandez. If he goes into that six air box, you've been in that situation, actually. you would have had to follow him, and then he would have been a tapping for Brenda Fernandez.

But because he wants to score, he goes into the path of the backpass, you see both players, and it's easier for you to defend. I saw that, too. I'm glad that he broke that down. Rinaldo, meanwhile, said it wasn't the start we wanted, but this is far from over, head up and focus on the next game. Nick, do you think Portugal has a Rinaldo problem? Certainly.

And first, I do want to say, I thought Tieri-on-Rie there was brilliant. Yeah. I thought that was spectacular television analysis and no matter your level of soccer expertise, you understood. Spectacular? What? Class! Class broadcasting for Monry, quality. I just thought it was great.

And it was, because I knew watching the game that obviously Christiana Ronaldo had not played well. But in watching that play, it didn't immediately jump. out to me, oh, if he goes there, it opens it up for his teammate. And then as soon as he showed it, I was like, oh, obviously. But this is why it's not, so let's just go right to, if we could, dust, my Portugal graphic. These are attack, they have great defenders as well, but these are either midfielders or wings attacking players that they have available to them.

They're, you know, some of these guys didn't even play. play yesterday, it's obviously not nearly all of them start. It is the deepest and best Portuguese team ever. And if you look, I mean, they play for, three of them play for PSG, the best team in the world. They're playing for Chelsea, Milan, Mann, you. They're all playing for the top clubs. So they have plenty of options. And at this point, and there is no shame in this brew, you could argue that any or all of those guys give you more versatility or ability than 41-year-old,

42-year-old, soon-to- Cristiano Ronaldo. And I understand that he wants to be at the head of the snake for the best Portuguese team ever. But he doesn't need to be. If this team wins,

even if he's in a ancillary role, he gets so much credit for being kind of the godfather of this Portuguese team because of what he's meant to the country, because of what he has meant to the sport. And I know yesterday we used a lot of the LeBron comps with Messi taking over that game for a moment. I'll use a different LeBron comp as far as the role LeBron took on when Luca and A.R.

We're healthy. Even if I think I might be better than some of these guys, which I don't know Ronaldo still is, what's best for the team is for me to sit back. And all of us know that if the Lakers had gone on some crazy run, if everyone had been healthy, it would have been an amazing piece of Braun's resume. It seems like there is pressure on the manager because of who Ronaldo is and the immense kind of ego that one of the greatest players in the history of the sport has that is right now hurting the team. I do think. I do think, And look, he's obviously in the goat conversation. But when you bring that up, those that don't think he's the goat point to him not having a World Cup championship.

If he does take a lesser role, let's say he comes off the bench, whatever, and they were to win it. I don't think they're going to win it, but let's say they were to win it. It wouldn't help him in that goat conversation to the degree that he may want it to. But it would help. It would help, but you know what I'm saying? Like it'd be like a LeBron championship now as the third option helps, but it's not like you led the team to a fifth chance. You see what I'm saying?

Yes, but I don't think he can lead them. I think for them to win it, he has to have that other way. I agree. I'm just saying in his mind, that's probably why he's like, man, I want to lead us. And he still clearly seems to think he's the guy. You mentioned the head coach Martinez. He's, I don't want to say scared of Rinaldo, but he clearly is not ready, willing to bitch him. And maybe with good reason, because there were signs with St. Rinaldo and the crowd.

Like, I mean, it's not a stretch to say, like, could he even do that without some repercussions happening to him? It's Vasco da Gama, Ferdinand Magellan, Cristiano Ronaldo, is most famous people in the history of Portugal. So there is a massive pressure. I understand surrounding it. It is unique because of his stature, not just in the sports history, but in the country's history. In a weird way, you'd have an easier time

benching him on his club team. I know the salty team would. But if he were on a major club team, but it's just, right. And so the, it is, it is, so I do think there's huge pressure there. But this is this country's best chance ever to win a chance,

to win this tournament. Let me say this quickly. The midfield, and maybe there, maybe Ronaldo has something to do with it. Maybe is there a deference to him when he's out there? I don't know because they're obviously different positions. But I didn't think their midfield was that strong yesterday either. And I know it's deep and it's their best ever and all that. But I didn't think they progressed the ball that well.

Not that he didn't help because he wasn't very active. But you know what I mean? I don't think they gave him a ton of chances either. So he was a huge problem, but I didn't think their team as a whole played that well either. So this was the latest Rinaldo Dudd. This has been happening for a long time. So for a while,

he was the most prolific score with Portugal ever. 143 goals is the most in international soccer history. The last 10, so it's five world, Cup games, five euros, zero goals. So I think it's fair to say that, A, he's, you know, pressing, let's say. We saw in the friendly, he had some just duds. He missed a head. The head ball doesn't count as a shot, right?

Josh? It does. He kind of missed it. I don't even know if it would qualify. But that used to be his strength, like flying up in the air, heading the ball in. And he missed that. I'm like, man, that's just raw athletic is. that you don't have.

You're 41 years old. He's the oldest non-goly to ever start a World Cup game. So it's a little bit, we talk about this for LeBron too, just because you've been still capable. You're the oldest guy to ever start a World Cup. The fact they were like, you've got to put the ball in. Like, man, everyone else is retired. All the other guys you're talking about is retired.

I'm the oldest guy. A couple things. One is while you are, you know, becoming somewhat enamored with the broadcast. vernacular with class and quality. Maybe go header instead of headball. But sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. But more to the point, I do, and you nailed this yesterday.

You wanted us to do more of this yesterday than we actually did. How much pressure did Messi's performance put on Rinaldo? Oh, yeah. And not just that. Obviously, they won the World Cup. up four years ago. But it did, and I feel like this is what Tierra was alluding to.

I don't want to put words in his mouth, but was one of the reasons Ronaldo seemed so eager to be the one to score rather than just be, have Portugal score because 15 hours prior and Messi had a hat trick. Yeah, and everybody's scoring. Well, that is... All the big names are scoring.

I know. So that to me is less relevant. Because that's where I don't think Cristiano Ronaldo measures himself against Harry Kane or Mbapay or Erling Holland for two reasons. One is, to your point, the age piece. And the other one is, you know, those guys, you're great players. You're not in the goat conversation. And so, so Messi is his rival and Messi also has the excuse for lack of better term of super old guy. So, you know, he's the super, the other guy, his gear,

I mean, I understand Christianos three years older than Messi, but still, it's like the super old guy had a hat trick. I want to get on the board too, and I think that, I think that hurt Portugal. Yes. Well, let me ask you why. So a few things. One, Wayne Rooney said yesterday, I think he's on broadcast in England, that Rinaldo would be, quote, raging, but in a good way,

because he's so locked in on watching. watching the full World Cups and he wanted to compete with Messi. Question for you, Bru. Can we show the headline, Dust from the BBC? No, that's the different. That's a different one. The team is going on out you. Rinaldo struggles as rival Sparkle.

This was about the team being scared, the manager to that was scared. If you were the manager, I'm saying you, Chris Brousard, would you actually, he's a, he's not just, it's not like LeBron in the last. Lakers. It's like LeBron in America. You know what I mean? It's not to...

LeBron and the Olympics, I guess. Yeah, but not he... It's hard for us to rap, right. Because the Stodgers is not a count. Right, and they don't play every, all the time. Like, would you actually, would you, so the quote was like, he's scared to take him off. He's scared.

I would straight up. I would talk to him and maybe honestly talk to the higher ups, whoever's above him, the coach, I mean, who's above him, because. I just feel like Ronaldo is so powerful there. I don't know. But don't you think he's so powerful that you really, that could really be ramifications if you convince you. I think, and listen.

What I would, the way I would handle it quickly, Nixon, I would take him out. I would start him again for the next game, but take him out in the first half relatively. That was the other piece of this. If we're cooking without him, then it looks like, okay, we understand you're not playing him as much.

That's the other piece of this that was that we should have mentioned before 15 minutes in. A bunch of guys, you know, they had, they used all their subs yesterday. He's one of the only attacking players that played all 90. So like it wouldn't even take any amount at all. I mean, Messi got taken out in the three cold game. It wouldn't have been insulting if at the 78th minute they took him out. That happens to great players all the time. Bettina came out 83rd minute.

Right, but he said. Do it earlier. No, sure. But I'm saying he, but the manager said, do your guys point, we needed goals, why would I take out one of the best goal scorer ever? At the same time, that makes sense. Like, I get that. Does it make sense?

But I don't know that he still is that. I just don't know. Dax has been, we're going to talk to Dax about this later. Dax has been all over this, that he thought this could be a problem for them. Yeah. Dax pretty clearly, I don't want to speak for Dax either, pretty clearly thinks Portugal might be better off without him for this. tournament.

Yeah. I mean, no, look, I get it. But sometimes I also, we've said several times on this show. Legendary guys. Yeah, exactly. Like, oh, here comes Tiger Woods at the Masters. He's never been legendary in this tournament. I don't know if that's, you know, small sample size, bad luck, but he hasn't been.

Quick shout out to Congo, first points in World Cup history. They had the Ebola outbreak. So they were training in a bubble. We all know about the bubble in Belgium for about 20 days. So good for them. Oh, it was unbelievable. And they're for their fans and the whole thing. And they got a real shot now making the knockout round.

Portugal plays Uzbekistan Tuesday in Houston. We're going to head over to American football, where Joe Burrow is feeling very optimistic about the talent he has around him this year, comparing the Bengals team to his historic 2019 LSU squad. Take a listen. Put pressure on guys. I love it. I thrive in it.

we'll find out who else does. I want everybody talking about the Bengals. I want everybody talking about what I'm saying in my press conferences. Watch what I said before 2019 season at LSU. You know, I feel very similarly about this team. You know, I'm so excited to get started and get moving. And I wish we would ramp this ride into training camp so we can continue to improve.

Because I feel like, you know, there's so much greatness that we're, going to be able to achieve. Am I a Joe Burrow guy? Holy cow. Class statistic from Josh here. Team scoring defense. 2019 LSU. They were 32nd in FBS,

the second worst by a national champion this century. 2021 Bengals, when they went to the Super Bowl, third worst by a Super Bowl team in the last 10 years. Just class from Josh. So he can do it himself. have to rely on the defense. Could you see Burrow getting back to the Super Bowl? Absolutely not.

And I am, I, I, I really like Joe Burrow. You guys know for years back, I used to be one of the only people that said, hey, you should have him ranked ahead of Josh Allen as far as what they've accomplished, whatever. And I don't think he's falling off as a player. Little injury concerns more than, maybe more than a little, but I think healthy Joe Burrow is a great, great quarterback. But I am stunned.

at how much attention the Cincinnati Bengals get on shows like ours. I'm stunned. I understand five years ago they won one game against Kansas City, and I'm very happy for them that they did that. But it has been four years since they have played in a playoff game. Here is the list of teams that have not made the playoffs. When you say it like that, it's absurd. Four years.

Here is the list of teams that have missed the playoffs each of the last three years. It's teams that if we try to put in the show, Hubs gives us a funny look. Yeah. The Giants a little bit once they got Harbaugh, the Jets with Aaron Rogers. Number one pick Raiders, nobody cares. St. Scott, Tyler Shelt. Right. And so it is, and Cincinnati, 14 out of 18 teams make the playoffs in the NFL.

The Bengals have gone 0 for 3 the last three years. I do like their defensive line additions. I do think that should help them. But do I, I don't think they are, they wouldn't be one of the first 10 teams I listed to win this year's Super Bowl. And they have not been anywhere close in the last three seasons that have been played.

It is surprising to me how much staying power that one win against the Chiefs has had. It's not all the one win against the Chiefs. What else is? He's one of the greatest quarterbacks in the league. Based on raw number. Throwing the ball. No, I understand.

But it is, but there are. He's been hurt about, I mean, that was a funny graphic, but I think, Burrough, look, they're not my pick in the AMC. Yeah,

but the last. They're 19 and 16 with him. Because the defense is horrible. Yeah. The last, first of all, it's a big if he's even going to be healthy. I mean, that's not a, this is not, like, the last three years, he's missed 16 games.

Yeah. All right. So, but the last full year he was healthy, which was two years ago, the offense was one of the best in the league. Average 28 points a game. Had they had a good defense or even a decent defense, they would have been a playoff team and maybe done something. So, again, they're not like, I wouldn't say they're one of the top three or so teams. I would pick in the AFC, but do I think they could be dangerous

and could get to a super? I don't write them off, is what I'm saying, because you mentioned the additions. I mean, Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen, Boyet, Maffe, like, they got, they added two Super Bowl defenders because they got your guy Brian Cook from the Chiefs and Maffa and then Caldarduk.

Like, they, I think they added some good things to their defense. And what Burroughs, yeah, yeah. But they added three defensive linemen. What Burrow is saying and comparing them to LSU is if the defense is just decent and they should be decent with these additions, we're going to light it up offensively. And remember, they're playing a third place schedule. Again, they're not going to be my pick, but I'm not writing them off either. I think with a healthy Burrough, they're going to score points.

And then if their defense is middle of the pack, they got to be considered having a shot at getting back there. I just want to be clear on what I was saying, because you seem stunned by KW. I'm not doubting how excellent Joe Burrow is. Yeah. But I am, I am, again, I wasn't doing national TV when the Saints went 7 and 9 every year. But nobody was doubting in that,

and they had won a Super Bowl. They didn't just made a Super Bowl. They had won a Super Bowl. I don't know if the Drew Breeze Saints were, as front line in that period. Now, they had a nice, you know, renaissance near the end of his career. I believe in Joe Burrow. There is, I don't believe in the coach particularly much.

I certainly don't believe in ownership. I don't think they had a spectacular offseason. I do like Dexter Lawrence, but they didn't sign him in free agency. They traded away the 12th pick to get him. They lost Ray Hendrickson. And the 32nd ranked defense in college is, Right. But they gave up a ton of,

when they played good teams, Texas, Alabama, they gave up a ton of points. They just outscored. Right. They also, as good as we think the T. Higgins and Jamar Chase are, that LSU offense was one of the greatest offenses in the history of college football.

I just, I think they have an average offensive line. I think they have an average running game. I think they would kill to have an average defense. I think they probably don't have an average head coach. They have an awesome quarterback. quarterback, an A plus wide receiver 1 and an A wide receiver 2, which is what they've had for the last three years when they've been mediocre.

And I know Joe Burrow's been hurt. But again, when Joe Burrow has played, they are 19 and 16, the last three years. That is. But a lot of that, too, he played hurt. Like that first year, three years ago when he came back and they were, I can't even remember his backup's name. They were just as good with his, yeah, with Brownie. I mean, so.

they were nine and eight two years ago and then last year six wins but he play half to season. I just I don't but it's a fascinating story where it feels like if they can just that that Joe Burrow has when healthy

held up his end of the bargain. I will be excellent and the offense will score points. Now if the defense can do anything I will be great and if I don't get random injuries Did he have an appendicitis too?

Like stuff that feels almost unfair. The appendicitis was a long time ago. He didn't miss time with it. This year, this past year, no. I mean, he got hurt getting tackled by a defensive player. Like, that's a football injury. He broke his foot. But I just want to, my only pushback is if one of the reasons the offense has been so excellent,

he is excellent and it is where they have put all their resources so I don't what though I'm not a huge I don't really believe agree with the idea add the defense has let him down the team has been built to accentuate the passing game he is they have dedicated all their resources and money this year they added five defensive players so and they lost him and I get it and so I just the idea behind the angles is we're going to have such a good offense that it will be able to carry us to contention. That has not been the case. And I just, I don't, I don't think they are at all similar to arguably the greatest college football team ever.

I got Joe Burrow. I think they, probably the second best team at best in the AFC North. Total defense. 31st, 381 yards a game. 30th in points. Not good. Open up against the butts. USA opens up game two in one day, four hours, and 33 minutes.

Taking a look at Christian Polisic. We don't know if he's a go. He trained away from the team yesterday as well. So we'll find out against Australia. One day, four hours, and 33 minutes. The 2006 Chevrolet Equinox awarded the most dependable compact SUV in the U.S. by J.D. Power is designed for your everyday. And with available all-wheel drive, you can handle your to-do list with total confidence.

Start your build at Chevrolet.ca. Details at jdpower.com. Welcome back to first things first. Raul Jimenez scored the second goal for Mexico. Mexico, South Korea from Guadalajara. Both teams won their first game could win the group today. So the winner of, yeah, to your point of this game, if there is a winner, Mexico wins the group if South Africa.

in the other game in the group, draws or wins. And Korea wins the group if Chechia draws or wins, assuming they obviously Mexico or South Korea win their game. And either one of them, KW, had become the first team to officially advance with a win today. If they win, they officially advance to the night out. Welcome back to the show, Harry Kane, just class. England defeats Croatia behind two goals from Kane, Jude Bellingham and Marcus Dr. Rast.

One and a half. Why? Because the penalty kick that first of all, he missed. First of all, he did not miss it. It was part of his strategy. It was, I mean, I think it was a bad call? I didn't love the VAR on that. Rules or rules.

This can have an argument about it. He had studied this goalkeeper and saw that he comes off the line early. He had also done it pre, he had done it earlier this year. Did he, did he, okay, well, in part of it, I mean, the kick also got blocked. Like, I just, I didn't love it. I said one and a half. I know that's not the real stats. I hope you didn't bet the other.

I'm taking a break. I'm betting the World Cup. Quality game from Kane. Multiple goals this tournament. Messy Balligan and Bob A. Holland. Harry Kane added to the list, Hurwitz. Who's impressed you the most through match day one? Everybody's on to their second game decks.

You can go with a player, a team, a concept. Teams. Teams. If I was going impressed with tears, Argentina, bam, right at the top of the list. England, France, the second halves that they played right underneath them, but at least they gave us a little bit of hope that they are going to be fantastic in these next games and the U.S. men's national team right underneath them. But Argentina, I look at their continuity and maybe we overlooked that going into this tournament. Ten of their players that featured in their first game against Algeria, were on that 2022 winning side. Nine of them featured in the final. That type of continuity shouldn't be overlooked because you could look at, they're all four years older, but also the way that they play, the continuity that they have in the attack, the way that they defer to Messi's greatness,

which was on full display, is something that I don't think many teams in this tournament are going to be able to equal. And it's not just all the attacking stuff that Messi does. It's not just his brilliance in the final third. It's Argentina's ability to suffer together. There were moments against Algeria where they were in their compact, defensive block, making fouls when they need to.

It's the gamesmanship aspect of it from Argentina that I think is so impressive. That's something cultural, something that they've learned throughout the years. And that is why Argentina, their performance was so impressive. France and England, first halves, really poor. And this is why I think... You thought England's first half was really poor. I thought it was really poor from a defensive standpoint. Defensively, they were really loose.

Even Harry Kane talked about it. This is why management is so important and why Didier Deshaun for France and why Thomas Tuchel for England, it's so important to have a manager that will be able to not just challenge big players at halftime, but also tactically change things. Harry Kane talked about this after the game.

He said, the manager came in at halftime and said, why are we playing scared? They dropped way too deep when they had a lead, which was why they allowed Croatia back into the game. The second goal Croatia scored was a beautiful bit of football, a beautiful bit of soccer, but England was too passive. Tuchel said, why are we playing scared?

What's the worst that can happen? We lose the first game, we go, we'll win the next two. And then you saw England the quality they had in the second half. And then with Deshaun, it was actually a tactical adjustment to move Michael Olise as a number 10, Dembele out wide, that actually opened up their attack. So now we can talk about how brilliant Killian Mbapé was. And so those three teams, they were the favorites going into the tournament. They still look like favorites.

in the U.S. men's national team. Time to see if we can get another consistent performance from them tomorrow. Individually, I would go with Messi. I mean, just at his age to get the hat trick and all that. And he's going to, he'll probably be the first at least to break the World Cup goal record. Now, we'll see if Mbabe catches him. But he's going to own that record pretty soon. I would go with England as a team.

Like I just think Croatia being, you know, 14th in the world, That's a good team they beat. They had lost nine straight games, the top 15 teams. So that was an impressive win. I totally agree with you. The first half, pedestrian. I mean, it was, you know, they weren't terrible, but I thought they should have been in the lead, obviously.

And then second half, I just thought the way they attacked was really strong. And they looked like almost a different team. So England, to me, kind of put the world on us. We know they were a contender anyway, but I thought they put everybody on notice. that hey, we're here, and then belling them and some other players look good. So I would go with England as a team

and messy obviously. Their depth, Rashford, Saka, off the bench. Massive difference. Out wide, taking players on. One got an assist, one got a goal. Really important in the tournament. Yeah, I didn't like it. You loved it?

Nope, didn't love it. So listen, I don't think I'm not probably the most patriotic guy in the world, But it's America's 250 year anniversary. We're hosting the World Cup. We have a lot of non-Americans attempting to, you know, kind of take over a sport we invented basketball. So I found myself before the tournament. Like, I got to find some teams to root against.

And England was at the top of the list. And you know, one of the, you know, in the brave new world of, you know, prediction markets and things like that, you don't you can bet on think who you're going to win you can also bet on who's not going to win got you and i'm like england in the world cup not for yesterday's game but for the thing as a whole and so i watched yesterday's game and i got a little nervous i was going to say i got to tell you i don't know i watched it and i was like well Croatia hasn't lost a match in you know the regular 90 minutes of the World Cup in the previous

two tournaments. I understand they're an older team. I understand they're not as good as the team they were four years ago, certainly eight years ago. But England just scored it will. And while, again, I didn't love the penalty retake.

They didn't need it. And Harry Kane did look like the guy that you said he was. So, was I a little anxious watching that game about England's chances of actually winning this tournament for the first time in what it would be 60 years since 1966 I was. I agree with you guys. I think that Argentina overall and messy overall, but I do want to, before we move on KW and maybe this is where

you were going to go, I do think the best half of football that's been played in this tournament so far was France's second half. I think that if we were, like, what is the highest peak any team has gotten to for a sustained period, I thought that second half by France was stunning.

Not stunning in that it was shocking, but, like, just really... Yeah, dominant the way it was. And you have to take into account who they played. Senegal is a very good team. Well, that's what I was going to say. And that's also one of the reasons

the England performance made me a little anxious. It's one of the reasons also. I'm not as worried about Brazil. as others because I think Morocco is a really good team. There is an element of who are you playing and what has to be taken. And so they weren't playing Carousel right. Oh wow. Sorry.

Curacao. Look, Carousal didn't play great. Yeah, actually. 38 minutes. Hey, they were tied for 38 minutes. It wasn't for hydration break. That German second half was pretty good. We have seen.

Curisau was like my underdog pick. Again, it was, I a little heart. Yeah, it was root for the underdog tiny country. There have been other underdog stories, right? So Cape Verde, obviously, tied with Spain. We saw D.R. Congo yesterday. Are any of the teams that are, like, real underdogs that put up valiant performances to draws with these powerhouses? Are any of these teams real contenders in your mind?

No. They're not. No. Just nice stories. Well, hold on. Can I tweak the question? Sure. None of them are real contenders.

Not to win the whole thing. No. No. No, I don't think, like, basically, is going to win everything. Maybe get to the knockdowns. But to, like, make more noise, like a, like a March Mad is a Lago. I think, right now, D.R. Congo's got a very good shot at getting to the knockout round.

And in that knockout round, like, you can win a game. Yeah, 100%. It's not at all off the board that they're in the final 16. Two things can be true. The DR. Portugal was very poor yesterday. Everyone. Yeah.

Not just Rinaldo. Right. But Congo was brilliant. The way they defended. how compact they were the way that they looked to hit on the counterattack, which, by the way, Wissa, the guy who scored the header, had a chance really late in the game where he took a touch in on a goal and a Portuguese guy close-lined him.

Could have probably been sent off. I mean, you're looking at Congo almost stealing three points from Portugal. I think they've definitely got a chance. And I think that was one of the things, and we'll talk Ronaldo later, that obviously Ronald was older, he's not the athlete he once was. But the players, again, I'm not going to lie to the audience. That's the first match of DR Congo I've ever watched. But just from the TV, it's like, oh, those guys are bigger and stronger than a lot of the teams that we're seeing throughout the rest of the tournament.

He couldn't get a physical advantage. Right, he didn't have a physical advantage in that game. Let's head out to Seattle, where USA is taking on Australia. This is Christian Polisic on Monday. The last two days, he's been training away from the team for an update. Here's Jenny Taft. He is participating in a modified training session today. You can actually see behind me, and I know the players are here now,

but he is on the pitch. He does have a sleeve on that calf. Now, he's been working with the medical staff. This is the most we've seen him on the pitch in action this week. Now, he is day to day, but right now a good sign he's moving well. Okay, your worry meter is kind of a segment we invented. Was that two and a half? You moved it up to three.

Did Jenny's report move you this way or that way? It's saying at three, but I do want to say something. here. Christian Ballistic has to play and he has to play great. This is the biggest month of his entire life. And this is not the Janus calf strain. Oh, I like that type of calf. He got kicked in the calf twice.

He got kicked. You think it's more of a bruise. Well, I mean, no, I'm not. I mean, I bruise, I think underplays it. My point is, I think in the sports we regularly cover we hear calf strain and we're like, oh, I mean, I'm not. Oh, man, soft tissue injury, Achilles, this. This was more of an injury in the traditional sense that, like, something happened to him. This is what he has an opportunity here to become the face of American soccer

for the rest of his life to, like, you know, like to what the team in 94, that was, how long ago was 94, 32 years ago. And still, Alexi's at the desk with Zlatan and Tieri-R-A-R-A-Rey. Like, this is what's in front of him. And I just, it is not fathomable to me that he's going to allow it to prevent him from playing against Australia. And especially given how the U.S. looked in the first game. Respectfully disagree.

Tell, okay. If this was the World Cup final, then I think your point would be, extremely valid. There would be zero question that if Christian Pulisic was at 80%, he was going to start that game, he was going to play that game, give it everything that he had. It is a second group stage game against an Australian national team who will be highly motivated, highly physical, and also very compact defensively. And so if Christian Pulisic is not 100% healthy, you do not take the risks to put him on the field or else if it means, if there's even a 3% chance. It could jeopardize his entire tournament. Then I think that would be foolish from

Pochitino. I think that would be short-sighted from Pochitino. You have to take the longer-term view. But losing this game jeopardizes the tournament. Not because you won't make it out of the group, but because of the knock, the difference between winning the group and not. It's the World Cup. And that we have been very, very, he's been very cautious about making sure he's ready for this tournament, not playing in the run-up. games and those things. It's the World Cup on home soil coming off what we're calling the second greatest game in U.S. Men's National Team history. You've got it. But it's also game too. I mean, and I'm with Dax. Like, I don't know what the injury is. I mean, you describe it more like a

bruise. They haven't really gone into detail about the specifics of it. And modified training brew means to me that like we really have to be careful with what we're dealing with here. Yeah, so I'm like if it's a bruise, sure, that's pain. He's paying through. But if it's a strain, right, then you have to be careful. I know Australia won't be easy. But like Dak said, it's going to be physical. I mean, we know what that friendly was like.

And I don't know that there's not a lot of love lost between these two teams. Yeah, we have the video of the last friends where he got hurt in that. He did. He got subbed out after 30 minutes. Right. Because Australia knows everyone that plays the U.S. men's national team knows. Christian Pulisic is their best player. He is their most dynamic player.

And if we are physical with him, if we throw him off his game, then we can absolutely, we can absolutely. I'd rather give him a weak out of grass tax. Are we scared to play Christian Polisic against Australia? Not if he's 100% healthy. If he is not fully fit, if he's not healthy. If we weren't playing Australia, I would have the same opinion. Yeah, I would.

I would have the exact same opinion because U.S. soccer, they know exactly what's going on with Christian Polisik. He knows what's going on with himself. World Cup final, he's going to play. But if it's the second group stage game, you cannot put him on the field, if it could potentially mean you jeopardize his health for the rest of the tournament. Because let's say, for instance, Australia gets a result, or somehow they win the group in the U.S. finished second. You would still rather have Christian Pulisic at 100% fitness against a better team in the knockout rounds rather than risk it now. And then you potentially win the group, and yet it still lingers further on in the term.

something amazing also happened during the segment that I know you're new to the show. Nick basically had Brew's opinion. And Brew had a more cautious, like, analytical, like here's. Freaky Friday. Bruce like, I'm old. He usually starts like, I'm old school. It's the world. It's the World Cup.

Can you walk? This suit up. Again, if it was the final, yeah. Play, man, if you're ready to go. And get, it's like top. I also want to add one thing to your vernacular because I was jealous of your sobbing conversation. One that you're really going to like.

Squeaky bum time. No, that's going to be a miss for me. No, you got to use that one. You got to use that one. Google it, see what it means. I think you're going to like it. I was going to say, I'm not going to it. I'm at work.

Coming up next is LeBron staying in L.A. And we're, of course, counting down to today's games. We've got Bosnia, Herzegovina, in Switzerland. 3 p.m. today on Fox, 4 hours, 12 minutes, and 48 seconds from L.A. More first things first. Do we think for Switzerland and Bosnia, their best players are going to play? I'd imagine. They're hurt.

Did we ever get an update on the Swiss flag? Yeah, what I said is correct. Are we sure? Yes. It is a different aspect ratio. This spring, Denham gets a softer, lighter update. Introducing Old Navy's drapey denim wide leg, a new fit that moves with you.

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training camp completion fame that the focus right now is making a deal with the Lakers. Is this the right move for LeBrupp? I don't feel like there any I feel like his options are limited. You know, I mean, Cleveland doesn't have money. I won't write off some of these other teams until these signs with the Lakers or whoever,

but Golden State doesn't have money. The teams with Cap Room aren't contenders. You know, why would he go? there. And it's just hard to, now it's hard to make trades with the aprons and things like that. So I don't think he has many options. And I think for the Lakers, it's going to be, I feel like it's going to be tough for them to make a deal without kind of knowing what they're going to do with the money, if he were to leave money on the table. Do they just give him what he's worth, which is, you know, close to max or whatever, or do they try to get him to accept lesser money, which I think he would

if they're going to be able to, okay, with the money you don't take, we're getting so and so and so and so and so and so. So I think it's going to be hard to figure all that out. Maybe this will drag out until they can do some other things with free agency. But I just don't think there are a ton of options. He showed last year he can play with Luca and Austin, play a different role and still be incredibly effective help the team regardless if they get

LeBron they still need a center that can run the pick and roll with Luca and finish at the rim. They need athleticism on the outside with some shooting I think they can be a kind of like they were this year a strong playoff team but not

that top tier in the West with San Antonio O'KC and so listen if if if LeBron's team is not going to be a top-level contender, then just me as a basketball fan and LeBron fan, I am not that interested in him not playing for a championship and being a third option. That sounds not fun. And again, right move

for LeBron. So much of staying in L.A. I think has to do with his daughter, his wife, his family. So if that takes priorities, God bless him. He's obviously earned it. But just for me, as somebody that loves watching him play and loves the sport, I am surprisingly coming around to, I think, I'm rooting for the Warriors option. Love it. Because if he's not going to win a championship, that at least is more fun. Yes. Seeing him.

It would be a fun story. And I think the Warriors, if he did it, would also add another old guy. I don't know if they would try to add, whether it's. it's Anthony Davis or Kauai. Anthony Davis. I mean, Anthony. That would be interesting. And again, I don't know if in the modern NBA of depth and athleticism and, you know, youth, that probably is better on paper than it is on the court.

But in that setting, LeBron is the guy kind of controlling the offense. Well, that would be interesting because, I mean, you could obviously put him in the Draymond role and he'd be better than Draymond. but you got Draymond near. So he could fit in how every needs to. In that situation. I love that. I just like that more than drop. Yeah, Drayman has kind of been the point.

Tyler Adams standing by. Wow. Legend. And we're counting down to USA, Australia one day in four hours. We'll talk to Tyler about that game. Right up to the break. Live from Europe. It's a show that didn't return their.

gift yesterday. I know you wanted me to. I tried on the France polo. You look really nice in it. It's so tight. I actually like it though. Yeah. It showed off your guns. Yeah. And it feels French. Guns show. Yeah. It feels nice.

Mine fit nicely too. It fit well. I put it on there. All right. Great. Thank you. Brew as Spain. Wilds as France. I have Brazil because those are all our secondary teams. Find the U.S. men's national team. We should wear them on the show. Yeah. Yeah.

Second hour, first thing, we got Tyler Adams standing by. Today, Rinaldo scored. I bought Tyler a U.S. one, but he didn't need it. Harry has a flying the year. That would have been nice, though. Does Portugal need to make a move? Send Rinaldo to the bench. Meanwhile, parade today in New York City.

What are the chances we have a parade next year as well? John. I love former Knicks getting in on it. John Starks. He's like, I missed a bunch of shots in the finals, in the finals or did I? Oh, yeah, I just love this. It is cool. All right, joining us now

ahead of USA Australia on Friday, one of the few Knicks fans who is not at the parade. It's USA midfielder, Tyler Adams. Tyler, congratulations on the Knicks. Are you a little bummed out that you're not at the parade? I'm disappointed.

I can't lie to you guys, but I think we got something bigger of our own to chase over here. All right. Tyler, before we look forward, Let's look back for at least a minute. Flo Balgan, Balgan, pardon me. I think for a lot of, you know, the casual fans,

that was his coming out party. I think for those of us that have been kind of covering the team in the lead-up to the World Cup, we had an idea of what he could do. I'm curious for a teammate and someone who's been with him for some time, if that was a surprise at all to you, and if you could tell the audience,

that was the first time they saw him play, what level of player you really think he can be and is already? Yeah, I feel like flow is just scratching the surface of what he can really do. I think you saw in this past season with Monaco, he was one of the goal-leaning scores in League 1. He had an unbelievable season, scored huge goals for them, and was consistently doing that. And I think the hardest thing for a striker to do is consistently score goals. So, yeah, I think he's able to take his game to another level.

And I think, like you said, this is probably the coming out party now in the World Cup. Tyler, you know the history of team USA and the World Cup and all that. And people generally don't expect us to win it or, you know, be in contention to really win the whole thing. But I think with the first game, you guys were so impressive in beating Paraguay 4 to 1 that people, it really put people on notice. Like, wow, like maybe this could be our best team ever and they could really go further than we expected. Do you guys feel that? from, you know, American, American soccer fans.

And if so, whether you do or not, how does that affect you guys kind of moving forward, your mentality? Yeah, I think we've played a lot of games on home soil. But if I'm being honest with you, walking out for that first game in L.A. And seeing the support that we had, that was the first for me.

And I've made a bunch of caps for the national team now. But seeing that support and seeing that fans have this belief that we can do something special, it gives us that extra motivation. We really want to change the way that people look at the game in the U.S.

The U.S. has never been credited as producing top top players. And now you can see after that first performance that we believe in ourselves, we believed in this process, even when we've had results not go our way, we've never stopped having that unbelievable support of one another and just competing every single day. So we had a friendly against Australia's a rough game.

There's some great quotes after. after the game flying around. We expect this game on Friday to be a little rougher than usual. You're on a yellow. Does your style of play change at all? No, anyone that knows me knows my style of play doesn't change. For me, it's going to be a combative game. If you see the friendly that we played, it was a physical game,

but that's what we expect. It's going to be a completely different game than the first one. But we need to go out and compete, have each other's and that's ultimately what brings us together. So I actually want to stay on the yellow card piece because I'm genuinely curious about this. I appreciate and respect that you're saying going into the game, your style won't change at all.

Within a game, if you pick up a card, how much does for you personally? I'm sure it's different for different guys. Does that stick in your mind? Because it's one thing for accumulation, all right, you have to miss a match. At least the team can prepare for that. It's another thing, obviously, entirely where if you get a second yellow and you got to play down a man.

So how does someone with your style getting a yellow card impact them the rest of that game while they're on the field? No. At that point, it really impacts it because tactically, to leave your team at a disadvantage for however many minutes you leave them, if you get picked up a red card, it becomes a lot more difficult. And I don't think my teammates would be thanking me for how much they have to run if they're playing down a man. So I'll try to stay on the field the best I can. Polic, obviously, day to day with the calf injury. We disagree on the set. Nick thinks you got to play as the World Cup. I think you got to be careful.

You don't want to risk him getting hurt going forward after Australia. How does your mentality as a team change if he plays versus if he doesn't play? Yeah, Christian's a key piece of this team. What he brings to the table is such a unique skill set. You know, there's not many one-v-one players at his level in the world. So what he brings our team is obviously super important. But that being said, I think with the result of the first game and obviously, you know, where we're at right now, we have so many guys that can play an important role. So if he's not ready, he's not ready.

If he is great, he's going to be able to make a huge impact for us. But the thinking has to be, you know, the rest of the tournament as well. You know, we need to keep ourselves alive. Go game by game, of course, but we can't put pressure on him, obviously, to play if he's not ready. Leading up to the World Cup, one of our storylines on the show was who's going to make the roster. And some guys were just set, and there were some guys on the fence. And I was just banging the drum that I thought Gio needed to be on the roster, that I thought he was just an electric player.

So it was a bit of a win for me when he gets on and scores one of the best goals in the World Cup so far. I know you're close with Gio. How happy were you to see them go in, obviously, as a teammate, but also as a friend? Yeah, no, I was so excited for him. You know, me and Gio, being two kids from New York, like, we just share a special bond, so to speak. You know, I grew up watching, you know, him come through the ranks and knew he was always capable of playing an important role. And now, I think after a season where he didn't get a lot of playing time at his club, respectively, he's coming to the national team and he always finds the way to make an impact.

So for me, that goal meant a lot. I know he's going to be an important player for the rest of the tournament. And he's one of those players that can change a game on its head. So you saw that in the last game. Put Chitino known for being pretty intense. And, you know, he's the highest profile manager U.S. National team has ever had. Obviously, it's one game, but the first game, very good early returns.

What was his message in the locker room immediately? following that game to you guys? That the goal is to take a game by game. You know, we need to respect every single opponent going into every single match. We continue to try and change the culture in America of what this game means to the people. And by putting in performances like that with the effort, with the commitment to one another, with the respect to one another, then we're going to be able to do that. But we have to obviously take it game by game, but this has to be the mentality going into every single game.

Tyler, how much are you guys watching and paying attention to the other games? Like, we as fans are watching. I mean, it's just been some phenomenal performances by the big names, you know. So you guys, if you're watching, do you have to walk a fine line between being a fan of, wow, Harry Kane, look at that header and, you know, Mboppe with the great long goal? Like, do you have to be kind of put the first? fanning you down and just be like, okay, that was fine. That was okay. We can take care of that. How do you walk that line? Great question. No, one of the best parts about this tournament is that we have

so much downtime, obviously, when we're not playing or trading. So we're watching every single game. And, you know, we have so many teammates from our clubs that are playing games, and I'm supporting every single one of them. Do you know what I mean? I want to see them succeed. And if I have the opportunity to play against, then obviously they're not my teammates anymore. They're a competitor. But it's the most enjoyable part of this tournament, to be honest with you, is being able to to sit with your team and watch the teams and prepare for the teams that you have, you could potentially play. So, you know, to watch France put on a show or watch Spain and have them draw or whatever the circumstances may be. So many players played well. Your teammates played well

against Paraguay. You know, Chris Richards completed every pass. McKinney had a bunch of highlights. Is there anybody that you feel like deserves more credit? Like, you know what? It was such a good game, their performance is actually flying under the radar. Oh, there's, there's a lot of guys that are so important to the team. I think Alex Freeman and Malik Tillman, both of them, obviously it being, you know, their first World Cups, Alex Freeman being such a young player who just made a big move abroad, didn't get to play so much the second half of the season, but to be able to step in, you see how important he is to our team athletically with the ball, all these kinds of things.

And Malik Tillman, he creates so many chances for us. He's such an important player. He's a guy that plays at the highest level in Champions League and in the Bundesliga. So both those players have been key for us. Tyler, when we were getting ready for the World Cup, or to discuss the World Cup to cover it, one of the things that we discussed a lot was the anxiety that guys in your position must have in their final few club matches before the World Cup.

Like, don't let me get hurt. Just in the weeks or months of, leading up to it. It was December, right, when you suffered a somewhat significant knee injury. I am, I'm curious, now that, you know, obviously you're totally fine. It wasn't as bad as it could have been. I think it's maybe okay to ask about. In the moment when that happened before you got your diagnosis, how quickly did the World Cup come up in your head? Like, geez, I better not, this better not be worse than I think. Like, was that on your mind then? Because it's such a unique spot because it's only every four years and because of the opportunity that is in front of you

guys. Yeah, no, to be honest with you, it wasn't on my mind because it was one of those things as a player that I knew exactly what I had injured before, like anyone gave me a diagnosis before I had any scans, like a typical, the ball hits the end of your toe, you twist your knee, you have an MCL injury, you're back in eight weeks. Do you know what I mean? Like I figured it in my head, that's what was, of course, it can always be worse. It could be better, but it was exactly what I had envisioned. That being said, it does still creep into your mind a little bit. As hard as it is to not think about it, the World Cup is the end goal at the end of the day. Like, you're playing a season, you're starting the season already thinking about the World Cup and what could potentially be. But you can't really

let your mind drift because that being said, you know, we had so much to achieve in Bormouth this year and obviously big goals of trying to qualify for Europe for the first time, break a point tally record, all these things. And if you let it kind of consume you, then it affects your play there. So, yeah, sometimes it's a double-edged sword. But, yeah, at the end of the day, I was able to get fit and obviously play a role here. All right, Tyler, quickly before you go, I do have a confession to make. I have asked you a few questions, one off the air and one right there,

to really try to build a relationship with you because we just met, because I'm about to ask you a favor. Is it for Legos? It's not for Legos. just relax k w i'm actually gonna relax guys i'm actually gonna be doing i'm gonna be doing the show of favor hold on i asked you i congratulated you on bournemouth's you know great season tried to let you know i knew the you know what happened you in december because now we're friends i'm gonna ask a favor you're asking for money james cordon oh yes this is good he's a you know

he's not he doesn't even share lineage with imbap it's a french guy and an englishman and all of a sudden Mbapap is playing a flute because Corden asked him to. Yeah. So I'm just curious. We kind of have a thing on this show, Kevin Wilde's doorstep of destiny. If you score, do you think you could pantomime opening a door

and jumping through it and then do your celebration? That's right. It's from the Patriots. Yeah. You know, it's like, I, I don't, I'm, or. Or I have a combo platter pitch. The Jalen Brunton thing? The Jalen Brunton three thing.

The Jalen Brunton three thing. Jaylen Brunton 3 and it's like, oh. But what we inspired. Can you do that if you score? We can make that happen. Let's go, Brunton. The Brunton, the Brunton thing. Yes, absolutely.

Okay, that's better than the doorstep. Good job. I should have workshopped it. Brunson, it's great. New York. Brunson is great. And speak. And tell Gio too, because he's a New York guy.

He might have an opportunity. That's true. Okay, that's a good idea. I got you guys. Speaking of that, Tyler, the Knicks parade is today. You are a. Knicks fan or are you? Because there's a lot of phonies out there.

I want you to tell us, prove to us you're a real diehard Knicks fan. You were doing the Brunson celebration. Here we go. We're going to do the Brunson celebration, but I was wearing Carmelso's to school every day. You know, my brother's a huge Knicks fan as well. We live through the Linsanity. There are Mari Stademeyer days, all the good days.

So, you know, now I think we deserve this one. All right, there you go. We hope to see the Brunson against Australia. We got to call it on the Broad. All right, USA Australia, good luck for the whole tournament. See you in the final in New Jersey. New Jersey. That would be great.

That would be fantastic. Thank you, Tyler. All right, Tyler. Great job, man. Thank you. You got it, guys. Have a good with it. And we are counting down.

Ooh, this is beautiful Seattle. I've got to get out to Seattle. Have you been to Seattle? I've never been there. I used to go there when the Sonics were in the league. It was great. Go to that market. It's go efficient.

I've seen that. It is a beautiful city. It seems to get up there. Quite far away. Yeah, it's a ride. We're counting down to Chechia, South Africa. 37 minutes and 45 seconds. Loser of this game could be the first team eliminated. Chechia, if they lose, they are out if Mexico winter draws tonight.

And South Africa, if they lose, they are. out if Korea wins or drones tonight. It's in Atlanta coming up at noon. It's time now, of course, for the most motivational segment, all of sports, the Bud List. Also at time to actually read some viewer mail. I love it. We get mail from all over the world now that we're doing World Cup shows.

Yeah, of course. We go into the mailbox and here's today's letter. I did have an envelope, but I took it out earlier. Dear Wilds, love the show and would like to participate. Sure. based on Brew's latest social media post, I want to put crumble cookies and Mississippi mud pie under duress as it looks like Brew has stepped his dessert game up.

Cheers, Dawn Senior. This is what you posted with the great Rob Parker, and at first things first, I don't know what that is. It looks wonderful. It was a butter cake with ice cream on it, surrounded by strawberries. And did you and Rob enjoy that? I told him. I'm trying to be better. I'm trying to slim down.

And I said, no dessert. We don't want any dessert. They said, it's already on the way. They blessed this. They said, it's already on the way. They brought this out. I said, you know what, I'm going to put it in a box and take it home, give it to somebody, whatever. So I said, let me just take a bite. Rob had left. He went to the Yanis.

He left. Now you're there with a takeout. I said, I'm just going to try it. I mean, why not? It would be rude. I don't know if I've ever had. butter cake. But I'm a half it again. That was delicious. I ate like three quarters of it, probably four-fifths of it. I mean, I felt, I went, I felt so bad I went home and worked out.

I went home and got on the elliptical. And it was tough because I felt like I had a ball of lead in my stuff. The diet can wait. Yeah, yeah, the diet can wait. I had to do something, though, after that. I felt so bad. But anyway, here we go. All right. It's your first Bud List, Dax? Second. Second. Second. Okay. I challenge for no. though. Yes, that's right. That's right. All right.

Here we go. Number three. Janice. We're going to go basketball first. Now, your owner, Jimmy Haslin, or Buck's owner, said that you are going, there's going to be a decision made on you before the draft. He said that a month ago. And now the draft is coming up next week.

And so the thought is you're going to be betrayed before Tuesday's NBA draft. And if not, there. then maybe you sign this four-year, $275 million extension. Not a bad consolation prize if you aren't traded. But you have said that you would sign an extension with Miami or Boston. Now, Miami, I'm not high on you going there. Yeah, you'll be better than your Bucks team, but I don't think you'd be much better. And I don't think you'd be a contender there.

Boston obviously makes a ton of sense if you play there with Jason Tatum. But I think you should open up your list. Just give, you know, some other teams, some incentive to work hard on creating three or four team deals to get you. Put Minnesota on your list. Put Houston on your list. Golden State. Oh. Now it's hard for these teams to get you.

I'm just saying give them a little incentive. Maybe they work something out. Put Oklahoma City on your list. Love it. If I'm Milwaukee, I wouldn't mind Jalen Williams. No, not at all. So put them on your list too, because we want you to win. The bottom line is this, Yonah.

Yonis, wherever you go, you are going to have major pressure on you. They're already talking in Miami. Every time we get a free agent, we deliver titles. LeBron and, yeah, LeBron went there with Wade and Bosch, though. And we got Shaq and, yeah, he had Duane Wade. you're not going to have that with all due respect to bam all right out of bayou and

Norm and all that stuff all right so look you here's the thing wherever you go is going to be pressure so in addition of being traded apparently get yourself in the greatest health you can because that's the thing

why some people may not even want to trade for you yonish you're 31 years old you'll be 32 in December played 13 seasons the last three times the bucks were in the playoffs. They played 16 games total, those three years. You miss eight of them. Last year, you missed more than half of the season.

So wherever you go, the team and the city and the fans are going to think you're going to bring a championship. Whether that's fair or not, they're going to think that. So you have to be healthy to do that. Yonis, I believe in you. All right, at number two, I'm going to take it to the pitch. All right, soccer. All right, Christian Polisic and, of course, our man Baligan we were talking about earlier.

So here's the deal. And you heard Tyler Adams say it, Policic, if you're not fully healthy, if there's a chance you go out there against Australia and injure yourself and then the rest of your tournament, you're out or it's in jeopardy, I think you have to make the decision to trust your teammates to be able to get it,

done without you. So you can be, there'll be an extra week off. And by then you should be good to go if you're day to day with that calf injury. So I would just say be smart with this. I know obviously you want to go out there and play it's the World Cup. But be smart. And remember, it's a long tournament, particularly with the way you guys look in the first game. And then Balagan, somebody's going to have to step up.

Obviously, you become the number one scoring threat for us if Polisic is out. that's great, but it also means you're going to get more attention from the defense. Things won't be as open as they are when Policic is out there. Look, so far, we see all these big names around the world putting up great, you know, scoring numbers, getting, you know, two goals and three goals and things like that. Right now you're with that group. We think game one was kind of your world coming out party. You can continue that with or,

without Polisic, but without him, you're definitely going to have to step up. This is your opportunity. I'm providing extra motivation for you. Excellent. So, Balagan, I believe in you. All right, number one. All right, Cristiano, Ronaldo. We know this.

I mean, look, I think you have to realize that at 41 years old, there is no shame in struggling. with Father time. I mean, you have been, you're in the goat discussion. You have been obviously one of the greatest players ever. And obviously the knock on you is that you haven't won the World Cup. So I do get it. Not only you wanting to win, but you wanting to be as, as, let's, I'm going to keep it real.

Yeah. As most great superstars do, they want to be the reason we win. All right. So I get that. But I do think you have to understand that you are already so legendary that even if you don't start or play 90 minutes in the World Cup games, that does not ding your resume or your legacy one bit. You got to look at what's best for the team. You know yourself as well as anyone. And I know you're saying that, you know, talking like you're the same guy.

but you know, you know, because we know that you're not that guy. And so I'm just saying make the right decision, put your team first, and if it means you taking a step back, then be willing to do it. Your coach is not going to do it. He's afraid of you, all right? You would have to be the one to go to him like a recent champion. Josh Hart last year went to the coach in the playoffs and said, take me out, coach. I love Josh Hart, but I don't know if that's.

He's not a legend like you. No, but LeBron said he was the one that suggested he take on the third banana roll. LeBron, yes, and LeBron is definitely your caliber of athletes. So, look. Can I say so? I don't know. You tell me if I'm wrong, just to stay here. LeBron from St. Vincent St. Mary's could do it all.

So he's like, you know what? I can play this role. I can play that role. I can play this role. I don't think Rinaldo has. that versatility. Correct. He's like, man, I can only score goals.

And he's also not as good as LeBron still at this age. Like, LeBron is still at this age better than. Sorry, we didn't. Did you want to do that? But I, look. Oh, yeah, you got to believe in them. Yeah, sorry. I think, I believe in your legend.

You don't believe in the ego? You know, the ego's strong. Put the eagle aside. Yeah. Look, do the right thing. I'm pulling for you to do the right. I think. All right.

I may be pro Ronaldo. Can I stay on the Portugal team? Yes, yes. Let's stay at a worse. I want to hear you a few. Cristiano Ronaldo. That was actually my original Buddlet's take. And he is getting a lot of heat because he is a superstar, rightfully so, for his

performance in the first game. I want to put the heat on Portugal's midfield. I want to have an honest conversation about that performance yesterday, which was not good enough from everyone involved with the Portuguese national team. I thought you said it well about Ronaldo. But Portugal, you're midfield. I said you were the best midfield in the tournament. I still believe that. But as the best midfield in the tournament, you have to actually help your team create chances. You have to be more dynamic than you were yesterday. They have a bunch of wonderful technicians, technically proficient players who are elite, world class, best midfielers

in the world. But can I tell you guys what the most overrated statistic in soccer is. Possession. Yes, but when it comes to, wait, wait, wait, when it comes to individual player stat, pass completion percentage. You mentioned Chris Richards earlier. Perfect. Didn't miss a pass.

What is the danger of those passes? Are you passing it sideways? Are you passing it backwards? I could come on the field. If no one pressured you, you could pass it to me, have a 100% pass. I got to tell you, Dax, I think kind of across all sports, completion percentage. I disagree. One of the more overrated.

Well, I'm not getting into that. One of the more over a rate. I'm not anything about that. In soccer, certainly. So you have Vitina, you have Joao Nevis, you have Bruno Fernandez. I do not care if your pass completion percentage is in the 90s. If it's at 99, how dangerous are your passes? Get your attacking players more involved.

Provide more danger. If you lose a couple more passes and it goes down, I don't care. You are some of the best midfielers in the world. The pressure is on you to create more. chances and this comes to my 1B coach of Portugal, Roberto Martinez. You set the team up wrong from the beginning. Sometimes your best players do not make your best, most effective team. You need to have more players on the field from the start who are going to take risks. Conce Sao came on in the second half. He was brilliant. He created more danger, created more chances. And you know what

you have to do, Roberto? You have to have a heart to heart with Cristiano Ronaldo. Who is coaching the team. Is it you or is it him? This is a legacy defining moment for Roberto Martinez. You had Belgium's golden generation. You didn't win anything with them. Now you have Portugal's golden generation. Make the right decision. Cristiano,

if he will have the humility to say, you know what, maybe on Better Surf coming off the bench. Great. Make the hard decision. The pressure's on you and your team just as as much as it is on Ronaldo. I like that. Great take. Excellent take. Well, it's 1134 on Thursday a.m., which means we're a little bit early for the sports media ombudsman,

but it's never too early for the sports media. Thanks, KW. So one time first things first guest and friend of the show and personal friend of all of us, Dax, you would be friends with him if you met him. Vinnie Goodwill stepped in a bit this week with, I think a poor turn of phrase when he was trying to make a point of, hey, does the fact that eight different teams have won the championship in the last eight years diminish what winning a championship means if more than a quarter of the league has done it? And while I'm sure he might want exactly what he called it back, I think the overall point is one a lot of people have been bouncing around in their head to a degree,

which is if all the stars have a title, what does that mean less than in the 90s when three stars got a title? Akeem, Jordan, and Duncan. You know, the, and it got me thinking a point that I've made before, but I really want to zero in on, which is NBA media needs to adjust to our new reality, which is over the last, I don't know, 80 years, as the league has added teams and added depth and added talent,

the maximum available championships by era, seems to be diminishing. 50s and 60s, best guy, Bill Russell, he got eight. John Havlicek, who was his teammate played in the 60s and Bill Russell got 11. Pardon me, I misspoke. Got eight in a row, got eight in a row, but got 11 total. The Havlicek, who was his teammate and then played in the 70s, got eight himself.

The best player, in my opinion, of the 80s, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, played 70s in the 80s, got six. the best player of everyone's opinion in the 90s. Michael Jordan, he got six as well. Duncan and Kobe in the 90s into the 2000s, got five. Shack and LeBron and Steph in the 2010-in-20s, each have four, which is to say, I don't think it is realistic that any of these guys are going to. Forget challenging Michael's 6. I don't know how many people are going to challenge Kobe's 5 or LeBron and Steph's 4.

I do wonder is for the next kind of rung is a race to two and where in the modern era of basketball, legendary status is bestowed at three. Because if Yokic has won and Janus has won and Brunson and Tatum, those guys have one, it is not birds got three, but magic's got five and now Jordan's got six and Kobe's got five and LeBron's got four. I don't. think that's happening. And I think that because of the new CBA, because there's so much more talent, because you're pulling from a true worldwide pool, it's just harder now to get multiple championships. And so I just think people need to adjust their mind frame on what is realistic. I disagree. I disagree. I mean, this is not the first time we've had parity in the NBA.

In the 70s we had, I believe, nine teams won championships, or eight or nine teams won championships. And no one had gone back to back in 20 years. When the Lakers went back to back in 87 and 88, that was the first time in 20 years. So at the parade, like today with the Knicks, when Pat Riley guaranteed, we're going to win it next year too. Everybody was like, oh, my gosh, here we go. They did win it next year the next year to repeat. So to me, this is just going to make whoever repeats is going to be better for it. Counting down to Switzerland versus Bosnia-Herzegovania from L.A.

Switzerland tied with guitar. 26 shots, only one goal of Bosnia and Herzegovina, unbeaten in nine straight games. Last six draws, though. The unbeaten status is a little funky, but first, here's James Gordon. This is okay. Maybe this could be a new celebration. First game against synagogue. If you thought there is, score your first.

First goal, bang, top corner, you run here, here. Here. Yeah, I will do it for you. Right. Right. Gen ballet, pose it in, and back, mate, head, Tomko, goal! Oh my. That's it.

That's it. That's it. It's going to be huge. It's going to make the world happen. How we do? How we do? How we do? And then this happened.

Well, they picked another good angle again. Oh, brilliant. The flutes, the preparation. There I noticed. And that, of course, is by request of James Corden, his midnight show is a must watch for World Cup fans. Surprisingly remembered, I mean, the mayhem of a World Cup match. I'll tell you what, James Corden must have a lot of port.

Don't forget it. That's it. Guys, Rio, you were actually the first person to text me. I mean, my phone went nuts. Yeah, I bet. As soon as it happened, you just sent a text that just said, flute! You know, I was going crazy in my phone.

house running around going mad and the first thing i was thinking i can't believe he's done it you know i'm a part of the show so i'm actually a part of this i've told all mates it was my idea it's my idea i consider me having played in a world cup now because of this i consider that i consider that a cap did did you ever think that one of the highlights of your life would be watching another grown man pretend to play the flute welcome back to first things first julian cany on action uh today Both Mexico and South Korea won their openers. This is Mexico's 11th home World Cup match, but first in Guadalajara,

nine hours, 15 minutes, and 17 seconds on Fox. If they win, whoever wins this game advances, and the winner of that game could lock up the group today. All right now, Knicks Parade is underway, ending their 53-year title drought. The league, however, I love McCale's old school Camcorder. Camcorder.

The league is on a repeat champion drought. Last eight champions, we've had no repeats. Bro, in your mind, who's going to have a parade next year? The team that the Knicks just beat, the San Antonio Spurs. I've said it before. Like, no team's going to improve as much as them. Because they're three best players, Wembe, Stefan Castle, and Dylan Harper are 22, 21, and 20 years old.

They're all going to get much better. Obviously, from a physical standpoint, I think their games will matured. There's a reason we say people that age aren't even in their prime, you know. But also, I think this experience in the finals, while I guess technically it would have been better if they had won the championship and all that. Yeah. But I don't even think technically. I just think it would have been better.

But maybe, like for Wimbunyamit, for example, had he won the championship this year, he could have said in his mind, you know what, it was tough. They were physical with me. I didn't have a low post game, whatever. I'm going to work on that. But if he won it, he wouldn't have the desperation to work on it that he's going to have now. Like now, if he don't work on his low post game and his strengths, something's wrong. And so I think the desperation could fuel him to win more in the future. So I definitely can buy the idea that the Spurs chances of winning the title next year are greater right now than if they had just won the title.

You understand what I mean? Because it's hard. I'm not even saying that. I know that's what I hear you. No, I do. I think there is an element of because it is hard to repeat, because guys can get complacent, because the. because there is sometimes that little disease of me stuff that. Particularly with young guys.

Right, that for next year, their chances go up because they have this pain. I do buy that to a degree. My, and again, this is not even in pencil. These aren't even our picks. This is just kicking it around. Dry erase marker. I believe, and again, not only I'm not reporting this, I'm just listening to what everybody else is listening to on it, and I'm making a guess.

I believe the Celtics are going to get Yannis. And because of that, they would be my pick. I think he would force a somewhat of a stylistic shift that I think would be good for them. I think Tatum is go. We already saw enough. To me, I saw enough from Tatum that, okay, I don't think he's going to have long-term negative effects from the Achilles.

And I think that that would put the Celtics in the best. best position in the east, in part because I do think it's so hard to repeat for the Knicks or for anybody. I mean, what I am stunned by KW is that Vegas thinks there are four and only four contenders, that Spurs, Thunder, Knicks, Celtics, and after that the next best odds, the nuggets are about the same odds you get on the U.S. winning the World Cup. And so, like, they are, you know, when we talk about way out on Houston. Right. Is that different than tech previous years?

Absolutely. And the wolves, the darlings of the off season last year? The wolves. No, the darlings of the off season, I think last year, oddly, were the magic. But everybody thought what did the wolves do in a huge? I just thought, though, I thought that maybe two years ago. The aunt was going to take the jump and that ant was. I mean, I don't, maybe I'm misremembering.

I don't, but I don't think so. But the point, like, when we talk about, like, the NFL odds, it's like, yes, right now the Rams are a big favorite, but there are 10 teams relatively closely packed together after the Rams. That is not the case right now with the NBA odds. And it also speaks to the fact that they don't think there's going to, you know, the cabs and the Pacers and the Rockets and the Timberwolves are like 30 to 1.000. or worse.

And the nuggets are sitting at like 28 to 1. So that is, they think it's really a four-team race. And I think part of that, for me, is I think Janus is going to go to Boston. And that would make them. That would be, if he goes to Boston, they would certainly be phenomenal. Interesting what happens to the parody conversation. If the Celtics win and have gone to three finals and won two in the last six years, will we just sort of have to?

Well, the Celtics are the only team on that list. to be in the finals twice. They're the only team in this eight-year run that's won a championship and been to a finals. Yeah, the heat have two Ls. Right, the heat have been to two finals but they haven't won the title.

Yeah.