PTI - Concerned About Team USA After Loss?

Episode Date: June 26, 2026

Michael Wilbon and Frank Isola discuss the latest in the World Cup, the Mets, and Serena Williams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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So, whether you're snacking, sharing, or just treating yourself, nothing else is Reese's. Pardon the interruption, but I'm Mike Wilbon. The Nats have blown three-st-stranded three-stranded. straight games in the ninth, because they don't have a bullpen like we do. I'm Frank Isola. Put me in, coach.

I'm ready. All right. My arm's good. Okay. No rotator cuff issues. I've only thrown 50 pitches this year. They keep taking me out after one batter. We don't want you to have Tommy John.

You know, kind of protect you. Actually, you're not a pitcher if you don't have Tommy John these days, right? Not legit. Welcome to PTI. Tony is showing a callous day. disregard for his responsibilities. So here to pick up his slack is our great friend from the starting lineup on Sirius XM, Mr. Frank Isola.

We get Friday, welcome. Let's start with the United States men losing to Turkey A 3-2 at the World Cup on the final shot of the game. A nutmeg of Christian Polisic in the corner led to a sequence of events that culminated in Turkey's game winner in extra time. The U.S. rested several starters after already clenching the group. So head coach Mauricio Pocetino expressed confusion and annoyance.

As to why anyone would be concerned, Frank, are you? Well, number one, we're in the media. We're supposed to be annoying. That's what you do when you ask questions. Exactly. We are annoying. But concerned, no, for a number of reasons. First of all, most of the starting lineup was sitting down, right?

either because of yellow cards accumulated. You don't want to get two. You'd be suspended for the round of 32. But most importantly, you mentioned what happened at the end of game with Christian Polisic, but he hadn't played since the first half against Paraguay. He then comes on last night in the second half, and I thought he was really good attacking down that left side.

The final 25 minutes or so? And you know what? There was that one play, the left-footed shot that he took where he just slipped a little bit, and that was a beautiful bending shot. So he looks good. He definitely has a bounce to his. step. So because of that, and I know defensively will be better, Chris Richards and, you know,

Tim Ream, Jedi Robinson, those are all guys that have played at a high level. They'll be starting the next game. And here's the other thing, Mike. The draw is set up really nicely for the U.S. You know, the Netherlands is playing Morocco in a round of 32. Both of those teams are good enough to reach a final. The U.S. is playing Bosnia-Herzegovina, which is a good team. I'm not trying to tell you that they're not. And then we could potentially play Egypt. in the round of 16. So things are setting up nicely. And for me, what I take away from that last night,

our guys on a yellow card are available, and Christian Polisic looks like he's back. Well, Polisic was the most important development to me last night. I don't know that I was expecting to see that kind of bounce and that burst on a couple of runs he had right away, as soon as he got in the game. I think the most important part of that is he must feel he's okay, right? I mean, you would expect him maybe to be tentative

having now played since, what, June 11? but what bothered me about it was Turkey seemed to play with a spirit on the road that I would expect the U.S. team to match and then squash. That didn't happen. And the score that late in that way, and they had nothing at stake. They're going home. They're playing for pride. Okay, but I mean nothing in terms of the standings, nothing in terms of World Cup.

They're going home. And for them to have to still play with that sort of energy, throughout that game, Frank. I'm like, okay, I'm looking, and yes, I'm looking for something. You're looking for signs. Whether momentum matters or not, there's some sports, I believe, you and I both are covered in the baseball to believe there really is no momentum, right? But I don't know.

You know more about international football than I do. Do you think momentum can be an issue? You know what? I don't think it's going to be. I think getting those players rest, making sure that nobody was going to be suspended for the next match was important. But Turkey, they're one of the better. teams in that group. So they're flying home thinking, we should be going to the next round.

The big thing now will be, can Polisic play 90 minutes? He's definitely going to start the next game. One thing about Bosnia, they need to win a playoff game at Wales. They trailed in that game, won in penalty kicks. Then they had to beat Italy trailed in that game, won in penalty kicks. That is a big physical, tough team. They will not be easy. It will not be easy. All right, this afternoon's huge showdown between France and Norway for first place in their group. Didn't seem like such a big deal to Norway's coach. He rested 10 players from the jump, including Star Stryker, Erling Holland.

His rationale was that he'd take the tougher opponent in the knockout round as long as his players were well rested. The result? Usman Dembelli, who's terrific, had a hat trick for France in the first 31 minutes as France won 4-1. Mike, your reaction

to Norway's decision here. I think my first reaction was to France. Like if Dembele, who seemed to be in some sort of a lump. Yeah. Right? Earlier for about a 10 or 11 game stretch, if you got Dembele playing like this and you've got

Mbape playing like he's already playing, it just seems, is France the most talented team in your opinion? Not it. Okay. And if guys are playing at this level to this form, all right, but I understand Norway's decision was much like the U.S. decision, like Port Chino's decision. We need to go with our best group out there in their best form. I'm wondering this, and so I'm going to come to you for this again,

if Norway is playing the Ivory Coast, and if France, which has a 99% chance of this, playing Sweden, I mean, was Norway, is that big a risk? Are those two teams so different, the Ivory Coast and Sweden, or does it make no difference what they were doing by resting in? I think the biggest disappointment is for the people in New England that spent a lot of money and you wanted to see two of the best players in the world. Killing Mbapé, and you wanted to see Erlen Holland, who to watch in person, I've got a chance to do that. It's amazing because he's an absolute – LeBron in his prime when he was the most dominant player in the NBA, that's Erlenhollandah.

Physically, he's just so much more dominant. But you did get to see Mbapé, who played most of the game, and then Dembelli, who's the Ball and Door winner, best, you know, the player of the year in FIFA. He was outstanding, three goals like we mentioned in the first 31 minutes. What's interesting now is you mention those groupings. Right now, if both Norway and France were to win, there's a chance you get France, Germany on July 4th, and then we could get Norway, Brazil on July 5th. The only reason I'm skipping a couple of matches ahead, because I got tickets for July 4th and July 5th. So I'm hoping I get to see French, Germany, Norway, Brazil. And it's the same question that is going to come.

Second guessing doesn't happen only the next day. Yeah. Second guessing follows you around. I mean, if Norway or the United States looks somehow sluggish or less than moving ahead, then it becomes, oh, wait a minute, if you had really played seriously, more seriously in the previous game, the worthless result in group might you have been in better steadness? Yeah, I just feel, again, I feel bad for the fans up there because you have Holland didn't play and then you even have Martin Odegarde, who's a terrific player that plays for Arsenal. These players don't come over very often. France look good. Good.

Really good. I don't know what it. It's going to take a lot to beat them. It's going to have to get really lucky to beat them. Let's move to something, you know, more domestic. The Mets dumping manager Carlos Mendoza after the team suffered a four-game sweep at home at the hands of the Cubs. The Mets have the second highest payroll in baseball yet are in last place in the NL East. Owner Steve Cohen said during spring training,

then making the playoffs was the base. baseline goal for his team. But the Mets are currently nine and a half out of third, the third, and final wild card spot. Frank, has managing been the issue with these Mets? It's everything. It's pitching. It's feeling the other night. That's what I thought.

The infield had six errors. I watched the double header. Six. I didn't watch the double header. And you know that baseball. I looked like Little League. It was terrible. And you know baseball is all about numbers.

So I'll just give you a couple of quick ones. Okay. $370 million. That's the payroll. Well, 34 and 47 is the record. Someone's going to take the fall. Now, Mendoza was handpicked by David Stearns, the president of baseball operations. Can you fire the previous manager?

Yes. So that's two managers for Stearns? But this was his guy. Okay. And remember, they went through a 12-game losing streak in April. And do you realize over their past few games between June 18th and the 24th, which includes games against the Cubs, they gave up 50 runs? I mean, that payroll, and you mentioned,

And the owner wants to make the playoffs, which, let's be honest, Mike, it's not that difficult to do in baseball. Yeah, but, okay, so let's get to the players for a second. Because you've got a lineup that when they're supposed to be out there. Yeah. Includes Lindo, Soto, Bichette, Vantos, Alvarez, Marcus Simeon. All right, so you've got this lineup that you pay $370 million for. So only the manager. So suppose that they don't play any better over whoever the interim is that they decide to bring in,

that Stearns decides he's going to handpick now. I mean, the Mets are in a tough situation. By the way, there's always something. First, it's a great start and a terrible finish, then a terrible start and a rush to finish better. What is... Mike, I grew up a Mets fan. Believe me, we've lived through it.

And it's, you know, you mentioned about, you know, the manager. Remember, the Phillies had a managerial change. They turn theirs around. And Don Manny has changed around. With 81 games left, that's how. Have to see. And come on, you cannot give up on a team. Now, maybe they gave up on the manager, but we've seen this before where a team in July and August can go on a run.

And it's only about just getting in to the tournament. It is. You don't have to win the division anymore. You don't? So the men's going to turn this around? Yes or no, Mr. Matt. Just a flat no. It didn't take you any time to answer that.

A 12-game losing streak in April. You know they hadn't done that since 1962 and they're an expansion team? The hapless Mets? Terrible. Terrible. Bad mess teams. Terrible. We're going to take a break now, but coming up,

the American League's top vote getter in All-Star voting might surprise you. Does baseball need to fix fan voting? And what's the word for Serena's single draw at Wimbledon? Did you know Serena's back? Yeah. This spring, denim gets a softer, lighter update. Introducing Old Navy's drapey denim wide leg,

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It's blank that Ernie Clement is the highest all-star vote getter in the American League. It's reflective. Frank, the American League has been a no-show so far this season. I mean, so last night, I'm stressing over whether the Cubs have righted the ship enough to get back in wild car contention they have. And I decided to just look at the standings, league-wide standings. And I was stunned to find that the Chicago White Sox are in third place overall in the American League.

So it doesn't matter who the all-star leading vote-getter is. The America League essentially has no all-stars, right? If the White Sox, and by the way, I really, I'm not taking a backhand slap at them. It's a back-hand slap at the front-hand slap at the American League. If the White Sox is the third, how many all-stars can you have? Yeah. And who can go crazy and get really worked up over who the leading all-star voter is. Yeah.

All right. So my word is fantastic with F-A-N being what the game is about. It's for the fans. The fans want to see Ernie Clement in the game. Get him in the game. What's interesting is he has 3.2 million votes. You know the leading boat getter is in the National League? Shahi Otani.

So there is a little bit difference there. But this is a great story. First time All-Star. He's 30 years old. He was once released by the A's that was back in 2023, signed a minor league deal with Toronto. And let's also remember, Toronto made the World Series. It did.

So you should benefit from that. There's going to be a lot of Toronto Blue Jays. in that All-Star game. And right, least, I get it. What are they? 39 and 42. Yeah. So they're a sub-500 team, but they made the World Series.

So for me, it's a little bit of reward for what happened last year. So it's fine if he's going to be the starting second basement. It is fine. Where's Aaron Judge? Aaron Judge is hurt right now anyway. He's hurt. He's not going to be there. It is fine, but there's still a big circle, a big red circle around the American League standings.

I don't ever remember a time where there were just three teams. I know. in this position this late into the summer. We're halfway through the season. What's next? Serena Williams' draw at Wimbledon is blank. It is irrelevant, Frank. Whoa.

It doesn't matter. I know she's playing like the 53rd ranked player. It doesn't matter. Serena Williams, look, we've been knowing all along playing doubles, right, that she was going to wind up making her objective being in singles again. Yep. No, she got the final wildcard spot at Wimbledon, which to me is just good judgment to put Serena back in anytime you can. But, Frank, we know women's tennis is about being 16 and 17 and 18 and 19 years old.

And you get people, by the time, Cocoa Golf was 19, she was a superstar. I know. They win. They may not win long term, but they win. And so Serena at 44, old enough to be the mother of like half the women in the, field. I think Serena can come back and be Serena like at some point. Yeah. Later on in the fall, maybe she'll go through that silly season and then come back in the spring and be Serena, damn Williams. Right now it's irrelevant. Yeah. All right. My word is TV

friendly because this reminds me a little bit of Serena's last time at the U.S. Open. They want to get her to that first weekend. At the U.S. Open, it's always Labor Day weekend. With the fourth night at Wilmington, they want to get her at least to the third. Do you? Well, hang on. second. She's playing, like you mentioned, 53rd ranked, that's Maya Joint, who, by the way, born in Michigan, just like Serena. Then if she would have win that, chances are she'll play Alexandra Iala, right? Third round, though, Egos Fiante. But that's Serena's surface. You know, the points are quick. It's serving volley. She's fit. You're making a persuasive case. Do you expect Serena Williams to get out of the second round, not having played singles competition in years?

I got her. She won't get out of the third round. I think she's going to win the first two rounds. That would be great. It was set up for her to do that. That would be great. Just like the U.S. is set up for them to get to the quarter-files of the World Cup.

All right, we got one more word. Bonus fill in. What's the word? Saturday's match between Algeria and Austria is blank. All right, so I need to let you take over most of this. But I'm going to get into, my word is tankish. Because there's disincentive to win, all right? Because if you do this,

that you're going to get Spain. You're going to get Spain in the next round. And so this harkens back to a time when there was some more tanking, it seems to me. 1982 World Cup, Germany and Austria, West Germany back then, orchestrated a 1-0 West Germany win at the expense of Austria. That's right. So now you get the winner equals getting Spain. when if you lose by one goal or less,

you get Egypt or Switzerland. What do you want? Egypt or Switzerland or I think number three ranked Spain, even though Spain, despite that four-n-north-winning of the night, Spain's not been all that great so far. But they did look great. How about you with the history lesson? I think they call that the disgrace of Guillaume

when that happened back in 1982. My word is Pamplonian, because we know in Pamplona, Spain, you have the running of the Bulls, that takes place in Spain. This is running from Spain because you do not want to play them because they'll be a tough matchup. But you're right, Mike.

I mean, Austria is in a position now. If they win or they draw, they'll finish second. Or draw. They get Spain. Okay. I mean, and that is a difficult one. But what's Austria going to do? Put the ball in their own net and lose one, nothing.

Maybe. Maybe. That would be real, that would be more than tanking. This is what you get when you have tournament play on the final day. We saw it with, you know, Norway and France. You know, everyone could manipulate things just a little bit, but if they did

that, FIFA would be ticked off and I think there would be some big fines if they laid down like that. Fines come later. Suppose you would have advanced. You want to run from Spain. Yeah, you're right. A lot easier to draw. Enough wordplay. Let's take one last break but still to come.

Marina Maybreed does something super rare in WNBA history. And should the thunder or pistons be more pleased with this afternoon's trade. You knew they were going to get rid of all these role players that they had. Look, we're all good. You wouldn't have to discuss something.

I like more teams. 48 is too many. Yeah. It's too many. And I get it. You want to be more inclusive of the world as more countries play better and better and better football. Yeah. The 2006 Chevrolet Equinox awarded the most dependable compact SUV in the U.S.

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Activia contains over one billion probiotics per serving to survive and reach the gut alive. When it comes to gut health, Activia is the number one family doctor-recommended probiotic yogurt brand. Choose Activia. Feel good from the inside out. Visit Activia.comia for more details. Time to get happy, people. Happy 34th birthday, Rudy Gobert. The Timberwolf Center suddenly finds himself like Gulliver, Ramona Lilliputians. The team traded away Big Men, Julius Randall and Nas Reid this week, adding La Mello ball. You know, Mello's tall for a guard in 6-7-ish, but the Timberwolves have size to fill up front. Gobert's a four-time defensive player of the year and finished fourth in the voting to Victor Wimbabon Yama, won unanimously. this past season, leading Rudy to say, quote, not the first time I get disrespected,

probably not the last, close quote. He did a great job on Joker in the playoffs. I often admit how there are no great nicknames anymore, but the stifle tower, Frank, is one of them. Yeah, you're absolutely right. I think the criticism sometimes of Gobert, whether it's from ex-players, current players, media, fans, I think sometimes it's a little over the top. And now, you know what, if you look at the NBA, everyone's trying to get bigger.

And like you mentioned, he did a good job on Yolkitch in the class. They ain't got no front line right now in Minnesota. Happy anniversary, Lloyd McClendon. On this day, 25 years ago, the then Pirates manager got furious and then got ejected. Over two calls at first base that didn't go Pittsburgh's way, on his way off the field, he picked up first base and took it with him, eventually throwing it down the clubhouse stairs. Well, Clinton got a standing O. The Pirates went on to win the game 7-6, and the players mounted the.

the base on their clubhouse wall. I've always liked Lloyd because he played for my cubbies, and also once homered in five straight at bats for his Gary and Anna team in the 1971 Little League World Series. You know, we don't get those kind of arguments anymore from the managers because of video replay. We don't, you know, Lou Pinella, Billy Martin, a guy from up the road, Earl Weaver, remember that? They were kind of unnecessary.

Those guys were characters. Happy trails to last night's game for the sparks. LA got blowed out by Toronto as Tempo Guard Marina Mabry scored an WNBA record tying 53 points. That equals the mark previously set by Liz Cambage in 2018 and Asia Wilson in 2023. Mabry hit nine threes for the second time in a week, also tying a single game record that five other players have also achieved. Maybrey has scored 30 or more points only seven times in her eight-year career. But three of those have come in her last 14 games. Tempo coach Sandy Brondello kept Mabry in the game late to set the record,

but she missed two threes and asked out. She was 17 of 28, 10 of 12 from the free throw. I remember two, 40-minute games in the WMBA. That's right. They're short. One error in the 1982 World Cup, disgrace of he home. It was Algeria who lost out, not Austria. Austria lost one.

Nothing was still advanced on gold differential over Algeria. My bad. We're running out of show quickly. Big finish for 6th3-3-Aid Mark Williams, staying with the Sun's 3-year's 38-mill good fit. I think that's a good fit and a good deal. The CFL said Brandon Soresby-Camp play for this season. Your thoughts?

Running out of options. The Pistons landed Thunder Guard, Isaiah and Joe for two-second rounders. Significant? Yeah, the Pistons, you guys, that could chew from the outside. I like that move. The Pirates are above 500 at the 81 game mark for the first time since 2015. Are you impressed? Yes, especially in that division.

Last one. The Sox beat Cam Schlittler last night in the first of four at. Ben Way, big deal? He didn't give up an run run. And when he pitched against them last October in the game that actually mattered, he shut down the Red Sox. This is the ESPN bias and anti, you know, pro Red Sock anti-Yanke stuff. They're going to be started.

We're out of time. Thanks for watching. I'm Frank Isolaola. I'm Mike Wilburne. Have a great weekend, knuckleheads. Hey, y'all's Kelly Clarkson with Wayfair. Ever order furniture online and wonder what if? Like, what if it doesn't hold up?

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