Scuffed | USMNT, World Cup, Yanks Abroad, futbol in America - #642: Roster talk, Gio contributes, Tyler balling out

Episode Date: November 3, 2025

Sanjay Sujanthakumar joins Vince and Belz for the Monday Review. Sanjay rushes to Gio's defense. And we discuss who's gonna get the magic phone call with all these injuries piled up.Clip Notes for $5 patrons and up will be out soon. Skip the ads! Subscribe to Scuffed on Patreon and get all episodes ad-free, plus any bonus episodes. Patrons at $5 a month or more also get access to Clip Notes, a video of key moments on the field we discuss on the show, plus all patrons get access to our private Discord server, live call-in shows, and the full catalog of historic recaps we've made: https://www.patreon.com/scuffedAlso, check out Boots on the Ground, our USWNT-focused spinoff podcast headed up by Tara and Vince. They are cooking over there, you can listen here: https://boots-on-the-ground.simplecast.comAnd check out our MERCH, baby. We have better stuff than you might think: https://www.scuffedhq.com/store Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to the SCuff podcast where we talk about U.S. soccer. Hey, everybody, it's the Monday Review with Sanjay joining us. Got Vince here, Sanjay. How are you, Sanjay? I'm good. It's great to be back. Exciting week. We got roster announcements from U-17 World Cup as well for all this that goes. So I'm pumped to be here, guys.

Vince, how goes it? Let's go on great, brother. Let me tell you something. Last night, Sunday, 515. team p.m. Lynn Family Stadium here in Louisville, Kentucky. Your racing Louisville

football team secured the playoffs for the first time in club history. You know what I'm saying? I was there in person. We played Bay FC 1-1-0. We needed to win us. Win a year-end. Well, really it was a we controlled our own destiny. We had to

match North Carolina Courage's result. They had Gotham at home. I thought I thought no way, Gotham, we're going to just outright beat. I mean, courage, we're going to just outright beat Gotham. They got up like two nil early in the match. So then I'm sweating bullets. I'm like, we got to win.

We don't win. I mean, we don't score until, what, like the 50th minute, something like that. We were dominating the whole game, by the way. But anyway, yeah. Some of a woe-so action. We are in the playoffs for the first time. This is my favorite soccer team, Adam Bells. Well, well, actually, the national teams are my favorite soccer team.

but, you know, they kind of function as work. It doesn't necessarily take away my enjoyment from them, but, like, you know, I can watch racing and not have to worry about talking about them, you know, type of thing. But, yeah, in the playoffs, first time ever. We're going to D.C., playing the Washington Spirit. And the courage helped us because they be Gotham. So not only are we in the playoffs, we're in seventh place.

We get to avoid the history-making Kansas City Current. I don't know if you, how much I've been keeping up with the NWSA. Kansas City Current have barely been blemished this season, one of the all-time great teams in American soccer history. So we get to avoid them and instead go to Washington, D.C., and play the spirit who last time we were there, we were unlucky to leave there with a draw. So really, I want any other team except the current.

We're getting them. I'm hype. You know what I'm saying? How many times do you get to see history made in? person. Not very often. Last time I did was at that Trump rally two days before January 6th, which I was covering, covering not participating for anybody who's confused about that.

But that felt like history. Anyway, yeah, congrats. Is Kansas City Current still coached by that all-time great coach in America? soccer history of Lacko Andanovsky? That's right. Okay, man. Some respect on his name. Yeah, bro, he's cooking.

He's cooking. Also, before we get off of this, Bev Yanez, okay? Our gaffer. First American woman coach to make the NWSL playoffs in 12 years. Okay? First person ever to make the NWSL playoffs

as a player and coach. You know, we can move on now. Okay. All right. So we got, we got, We got some good action to talk about. And then like Sanjay said, the roster's probably coming out, what, Thursday, Friday. And we're not going to talk about it much.

But, yeah, U-17s play Burkina Faso on Wednesday morning. So we get to see, you know, if the future really is bright. Actually, this won't decide whether the future is bright, but it'll be something we can talk about and look at. Kevin Sullivan, Matisse Albert, lots of other talented kids. Speaking of U-17s, you know, I talked about racing. I didn't talk about Lucity, who left the playoffs and, who left the playoffs with the whimper. You know, we won the, we won the player shield.

I think they called it the player shield in USL. You know, won the league, had home field advantage throughout the playoffs. we lost in the first round of Detroit City FC. I bring this up because Kobe Hernandez-Fauster was on the field. For Detroit. For Detroit, okay. He didn't start. He came on in like the 58th minute or something like that.

You play midfield or do you play fullback? I think he was playing full-back. Okay. Man. Yeah, it is. I had a lot of hope in that player. Haven't been right about everything. All right.

No key. Back in the 11 for Augsburg, this was a little bit in doubt because he had a rough one last weekend. If you may remember, they lost 6-0. He was at least partially at fault for all three of the first three goals. But he came back after the cup match in which he didn't play in the middle of the week. And Augsberg actually put up a good fight against Dortmund at home. Only conceded four shots on the night. The goal was from Garasi. and that's the only one where you could, well, that's the only time you could really even in bad faith argue that Banks was at fault.

Yeah. It was kind of a bang, bang, accidental play, like a weird mix-up where the central centerback, Banks was playing right centerback. The central centerback steps in front of a ball played to Garasi in the air, and he heads it right off the chest of his teammate right in front of him,

and it ricochets favorably to Garaci heading towards sort of the right side of the box. And Banks was, you know, so Banks is on the opposite side. He recognizes it and sprints over to try to close it down. He just doesn't quite get there in time. Garassi slots at home off a little deflection off the keeper's hands. So that is, you know, maybe Banks could have made a just totally superhuman play to stop that goal, but I don't think anybody blames him for it. And, you know, outside of that, he was very solid.

I mean, he did allow, I'm taking the negative stuff first, but he did allow Julian Brant to shoot from 20 yards or so when he probably could have closed him down a little bit more. But other than that, very solid. He rambled a little bit up that right side. He was pretty good in duels. I think he's going to get called up. and I mean, I hope he is.

And I think there's a decent change. He's going to keep improving the rest of this season. Yeah, he should get called up. And I like to see him get on the pitch, too, at this point. I mean, there's just little, you know, playing on the right side of that back three. There's just little technical things that you see, even in a relatively uneventful game that gets you excited. Yeah, like what? And like the 17th minute, he gets out of a tight space with a really good.

subtle directional touch with his right foot to then set up a pass um and the right after half time a few minutes after half time he throads a very good pass to fell hour um cuts out the dormant right wing back and um creates a good situation for proxberg um a few minutes after that he does a bunch of like coiff turns on the right side you know to just buy himself a little bit of time that's a composure that is not a given at all in our pool. And then, yeah, like you said later in the game, he's pushing higher, wider, kind of going rover, and towards the end, he had an overlap and a right-footed shot, went right at COBEL, but soon after that, he had another diagonal with his right foot.

So this is all really encouraging stuff that if someone of any age was doing, we'd be thrilled, never mind the fact that he's as young as he is. Yeah, almost everything you just mentioned is going to be in the clip note. video, which, you know, let me just put in a plug for that. If you want to, do you want to actually see all this for yourself without clicking through 300

grainy YouTube videos? I think you do. I think you do. Join the Patreon at the $5 level or higher, and you will get clip notes, a bespoke video, including most of the key moments on the field for our boys this past weekend. Usually more than we actually discuss on the pod.

I mean, a lot more. I mean, come on. Yeah. Yeah. we'd have a two-hour pot if I had to discuss all those clips usually a 12 to 15 minute video but you know as someone who used to be in the struggle you know we come through these YouTube videos maybe re-watch the games whatever just just for the hope of a little morsel a morsel of goodness of involvement from one of our boys you know what I'm saying and you can cut out the middleman you can cut out all that time that you would take going through these YouTube videos or watching the games I would still recommend watching whatever games

games you can't watch, but you could only watch so many games within a weekend, right? And so for those other ones that you miss, we got clip notes, baby. Yeah. What if the morsels were all in one place? Hmm. Hmm. You eating good. That's a feast.

You put a whole bunch of morsels together. And also joining the Patreon also skips you the ads and supports our work. We're gearing up for the big push to World Cup 2026, and we would love for you to join us. Just real quick for your move. off nokey though i was i was just combing through augsburg game logs to see what's going on here like as far as like i don't know you know they played three centerbacks um and he moved from left last weekend to right this weekend i'm trying to see if there's a injury or anything looks like uh looks like no so so just um you know this is real playing time he's getting they're just finding spots for him

yeah the final spots for him uh the guy he replaced actually I think he's captain the club a few times, last name, Yachich for Augsberg, usually plays as their right side of center back. So he put him on the bench this week. We will see what's going on going forward. But like we said, a much improved defensive performance from Augsberg this week. Yeah, they were really unlucky to not get a resigning this game. Like, that was brutal luck on that goal. With Nogi positionally, I'm interested to see if, you know,

we've only seen the U.S. running the back three with and without the ball if the opponent's also doing that, right, so far with Potch. So obviously he's thought in nicely with that. But even if it's the kind of Miles Robinson role against Ecuador, I'm interested to see if he can do that because he looks that comfortable in wide areas, you know, defending wider and then tucking in possession. But either way, I hope we get to see him. Augsburg was unlucky to not get a result, but they're nasty in possession, man. It looks like a bunch of me in Sunday League out there trying to possess against a bunch of 25-year-olds. It's not good. And like every time they try to play it up the middle, there's some poor touch or some misplaced pass.

Soccer's a hard game, but they're not quite up to it when it comes to moving the ball up to field. Let's move up to Hamburg, where Gladbach visited St. Pauli over the weekend. Scali started at right wingback, and Gio got a 15-minute cameo, which we will be discussing in Gladbach's first Bundesliga win of the season. I don't have anything to say about Scali. All I had was Joe Scali performance from Joe Scali, average show. I mean, it is notable, right, that you can play damn near any position. along the back line in whatever system.

But yeah, you nearly scored as well. I guess we can mention that. Got him behind. Shored off that speed. But yeah, overall it was, you know, Joe Skelly. There's some morsels in there, though. Nice little turn along the touchline. To play somebody, I mean, not in, but, you know, one of those, one of those

into outruns, you get in the channel a little bit, maybe a striker that really can't do anything with it. But, you know, progressing the ball. One time. One time. The running behind was nice for the almost goal. I had a pretty hefty fella tracking him. It was interesting for St. Polly.

St. Polly got some beefy dudes, man. But, yeah, that's it. We can move on to GEO. Just hope. I'll say I hope he's on the roster this week. I hope he's in there. You hope Scali is? Yes.

Yeah, I mean, look, Freeman's. been out for a few weeks, right? And Jedi's definitely out. So are we going to call him Harrile again? Like, what are we doing here? Is Tolkien out of the project? That's a good question. That's another possibility, I guess.

But with Scali, no doubt, in terms of soccer and his experience that he should be there, we'll see how much the alleged off-field stuff, if anything, whatever there is to that. is a factor, and that's a good segue into his teammate. I mean, to be clear, Tolkien is out of the project. I mean, what are we talking about? I know we got some J-Mah partials in this call right now, but I mean... Not that much of a partial. I mean, like...

He's out of me. Am I, I partial to him over Nathan Haryl? I'll be that. No, I'll say that. Yeah. Yeah, for sure, for sure. So, yeah, Gio made a real contribution to a good. goal in this game, which is, I think, the first time that's happened this season, even if it

doesn't show on the score sheet. Got a pass to his chest along the touchline near midfield, brought it down, coolly. This is kind of a difficult moment, I think, to handle. Obviously, the game was already decided it was 3-0, but takes it down with his chest and then volleys it into the channel for a teammate, puts him basically an on goal. That shot is saved, but spins up and gets bad at home by a teammate. So Gio created the chance. He also did misplace a pass in his defensive third where he, you know, he's mostly playing it safe in this game.

But in this case, he tries to, he tries to, he's like, you know, he's got the easy pass out to the center back to his left. He tries to, he tries to trick the defender and play it like diagonally on the ground out to a winger or a wingbacker. something. I don't know what. And it gets, it gets deflected. And then there's like sort of not even a chance that comes from it, but like they do get possession in Gladbach's defensive third. So people will, people will and are pointing this out as a ding on him. And it is. But I think, you know, the fact that he helped create a chance, the fact he's on the field, I'm not giving up

hope. And I think you look at the roster. I mean, we'll get into it later. But you look at the roster, if he and Scali didn't, you know, crash into Pocitino with a golf cart or whatever they're accused of doing, if Pocitino can find it in his heart to bring him in, and he may not want to. He makes sense. He makes sense for this upcoming camp, given all the injuries and the way we've been playing. It might be possible.

that we can really mark some people off the list if they're not caught into this one. Because, I mean, it does seem like Pott's going to have to do a little bit efficient, right? Yeah. With the, I mean, they're piling up the injuries. Yeah. So, yeah.

I just think. It's a clear signal about Gio if he's not on this roster. And going back to his performance in this game, but it's also worth noting the state of the game, right? Like, they were clearly going to win the game. By the end of it, the weather was bad. so I'm not like knocking him for a lack of adventurousness. It would always be nice to see him try and sprint in certain situations.

But yeah, with the ball of the game was what it was by the time he got in. I guess what I'm pointing out about his mistake is that it was an example of adventurousness. He could have made the simple pass out to the centerback. He was trying to, he was trying to like influence the game by doing something a little extra. It didn't quite come off. But I'm less, as you might imagine, I'm less disappointed. pointed in that than maybe your average fan yeah well you know what before we since we're here and i heard you and chuck talk about it on the pod on friday bells but the comments man i i do just

want to say i'm disappointed and uh and how we handled that question how he handled that situation right there um because yeah yeah me too hey i mean i've talked about this multiple times a multiple different things. I am a by all means limit unforced errors kind of guy. You know, when you talk about adventurousness, I have none in my personal life.

I play it very safe, extremely safe. You know, my wife comments that she's bored by it sometimes. Just my lack of spontaneity. Adventure, like, hey, I'm going to do the, I'm going to live with the green grass grows and watch

my corn pop up in rows. And every night be tucked in close to you. You know what I'm saying? And I can do that 365 days a year for 50 more years and I'll be content. So you see where the rub is right there because it's just like, bro, you could have no commented. You could have deflected. You could have did anything except what you did. And what he did tells me something.

You know, it does. It does. Now, is it the biggest deal in the world? Maybe not. but just to anybody who didn't listen to the Thursday show or wasn't following the headlines last week basically he said he doesn't have any regrets it doesn't have much regret about the way things were played out at the 2022 World Cup he said it was it was made out to be all his fault and his families and it wasn't that was like the big quote that i think that's what you're we got

we got to read what he said carefully i'll do then a second but Vince go ahead well go ahead and read it you got it up the article says asks if he do things differently if he had that chance again, ran until the AP. Maybe in certain ways, but I'm not just going to sort of sit here and take all the blame for something that was made out to be completely my fault, which I believe it wasn't, and also my families too. At the end of the day, I was just upset that, you know, I wasn't really playing. I was playing at Dortmund. I thought that I wanted to play at the World Cup, and ultimately in the end, I didn't do that, and that's really what it stem from. I guess the frustration, the disappointment was just wanting to play and help my country. It's so far removed now and

so far in the past. I don't even really want to talk. about it anymore. Okay, so let me tell you what I didn't hear in that quote he just said. I didn't hear this man take any responsibility for his actions. Number one. Okay. Number two, I hear him, I hear him trying to deflect blame from his self and his family for what went on. Now, I mean, I understand Greg, of course, through the first, through the first shot, so to speak.

You know, the Chatham House Rules incident, you know, we all know that. Maybe he shouldn't have been talking at the Levi Jeans symposium or whatever the hell he was at. You know, I understood. But at the end of the day, what happened between you and your family was you and your family's fault.

You know, you all did those things. And for your first words to be, I'm not going to sit up here and take all the blame. I mean, you don't have to take all the blame. You could have no comment it. You could have whatever. But the fact that you feel the need to deflect and do all that. So who does the blame, Guantio?

You know what I'm saying? But so the fact that he felt the need to do that, it tells me that maybe he hasn't learned what I would hope he would have learned from that situation. I think the way I look at is you can say I wish I would have handled it differently without taking all the blame yourself, you know? I wish I would have handled it differently is something, I mean, almost anybody can say about any situation they've been in. And certainly you could say it about this if you're geo. And he decided not to say that. He did publicly apologize, right, after the World Cup.

Did he? I don't know. I don't remember an Instagram post, but. I don't remember an apology. If there was an apology, it got lost in a lot of other stuff that was said after the World Cup. But anyway, what's your thinking, Sanjay? You're over there shaking your head, rubbing the, rubbing the bridge of your nose. Is this going on YouTube?

Let me qualify what I'm about to say by saying, like, I'm not trying to be a contrarian here, and I don't think necessarily that he is the best teammate ever, the best guy ever. Like, that's not what I'm suggesting. And his behavior at the World Cup was obviously unacceptable. But I also think there is a, I'm not going to point fingers in anyone in particular because it's so many people. It's definitely the majority of fans and people in the media to my beloved colleagues. There's a lot of people ready and willing to crucify this guy because it's something that happened a long time ago when he was 19. He still a teenager, right?

Yeah. And obviously it was bad, but he's not the first and the last person ever. conduct themselves terribly at a, you know, like this isn't a totally unheard of thing. It was very disappointing for the U.S. It was inexcusable, but, um, especially when the rest of the team is fully bought in. That being said, um, when you just look at the reaction to this, I think that, that first quote that I read out, when he referenced his family, that's clearly, he's pointing to the whole saga, right, the drama in, in its entirety. He's not just talking about his behavior at the World Cup. That's obviously his fault. But all, everything that happened, it's

it's definitely not completely his fault. And it does feel like the reaction to it has been as if it was completely his fault. Now, he's not going to throw his family under the bus. I put way more blame on his family than him or Greg for any of this. His family, that's psycho behavior. It's inexcusable. You know, we've talked about that more than enough. But I'm not surprised by that part, right? You're not going to throw your family under the bus in an interview like that. but yeah towards the end of the answer too he also says it's so far removed now and so far in the past I don't even really I don't want to talk about it um and his teammates said that too when they were asked about it you know post world cop after he got back in the squad so um yeah like he should be

in this squad you know as as you continue to try to build up players for that pocket winger position given you know talking about polisic out tillman out and Dejas out way of may not necessarily play there, but, you know, another attacking player gone. So this is the situation where it definitely would make sense to bring him back. And Luna hasn't played in weeks. McGlynn's gone. So he should be in the squad. And if he's not, I mean, ultimately, this comes down to this, like, you know, roster calculus of bringing in the right guys and trying to squeeze the most you can out of team chemistry versus having the necessary talent to go far in a tournament.

And Mauritio Pacino is getting paid a lot of money to take this team to at least a quarter. quarter finals, hopefully the semifinals, we'll see what the draw is like next month. And if the team falls short, decisions like this are frankly ridiculous. If you're just going to turn your back on someone like this because the pool is very limited, it is what it is. So, yeah, you're getting paid a lot of money. You've coached Messy, Namor, and Mbap, and you've been in the crucible of European club soccer. If you can't deal with – and look, if he comes back in and he's still the same person

or close to it, he can kick rocks. Like, he doesn't have to come back then in March or, God forbid, if you were to accident type of way at the World Cup, then you can easily just send him home. You don't have to worry about, you know, being family friends with him and all that. But I think the reaction is ridiculous. I think there's an element of geo-draignment syndrome in the fans and the media. And like this is one of the most sound of players ever. It might be a shelf of his former self, but that's still good enough to make an impact for the U.S. in the final third, which we all know they're going to find themselves in a situation in the World Cup where they need that impact.

And I only see him and McGlynn is capable of doing things on their own with the ball. No one else can do that no matter what you want to tell yourself. about the other players and how great they might be as people. Mm-hmm. Okay. You talk about some geo derangement central. First of all, it's not got nothing to do with geo. This is how he's,

it's how he's acting. Okay. So number one, Bells, you said it yourself. He'd be acting like a bitch, okay? I didn't say that. I did not say that.

You did, you did say he acted like a little bitch in that situation. Now, you might not, you might not have said the word, bitch. Okay, but you implied it. Okay.

And what I'm sitting here saying, as a man who's been through this before, okay, who's been around high-level athletes who was once a, you know, semi-high-level athlete myself, you know what I'm saying? I know the situation. I've been through in a similar situation to Geo, and I did not understand the consequences of my actions and how I could have moved forward from those actions

in a more productive way that would have helped myself and my team until I was like 28 years old. So I fully understand where he's coming from. but I also was not in a high performance, high performance environment at 22 years old. And so what I'm saying is when you have goals, you have dreams. You know what I'm saying? It would behoove you to not use the experiences from the past to learn from and to better yourself going forward. And what I'm saying is these quotes, I'm not sure that he has learned from now.

Am I here saying that he shouldn't be in the team? No, not necessarily. Am I saying that these quotes are going to rep proxed the wrong way? Not really. Who knows how he functions within the team environment? I'm not saying he's a bad teammate. But what I'm saying is these quotes here, they kind of tell me that maybe he hasn't done necessary work to get past that situation and understand.

I think that's fair. I think that's fair. I mean, that's how I see it too. but I think Sanjay's point that like look Potch has coached every big personality and almost like many of the big personalities in global football if he can't handle

if he can't get something out of Gio Raina for this World Cup and look I'm not talking about you Vince I think I'm not talking about you but I think there are certain there are certain fans who just don't know ball and they don't understand why Gio is good

like they see they see he's not playing they see he's not he doesn't run that fast and they're like you know where's where's the tyler adams counterpressing ferocity and like that's it for them and and like he he he is a special talent even when he is not you know even when he's a shell of his former self and um so i think i think that's i think for that's for me that's what it comes down to if if potch is if this golf cart incident i'm using that as a euphemism for whatever happened in march is so bad that he can't even bring geo in and we're going to need all the talent we can get look christian roll down is a great guy just to pick one guy christian roaldon's a great guy and that's wonderful but like we got we're in like a knockout game

against a good nation you want you want to put we got 30 minutes to score a goal you'd rather put Christian Roll-on out there than Gio Raina? You're out of your mind. You are out of your mind if you think like that about soccer. And I don't care how, I don't care if he's only plays 15 minutes a game for the rest of the season. The other thing, so that's my one point. The other point I want to make is, and this is a little, just bear with me, Geo is a child of a post-literate generation that word, look, words don't even matter anymore. Like, There's too many words. There's words.

When, when, when, when, when, when, when, when, when, when, when, when, when, when, when, when, when, with a, with a, with a, with a, with, with, words. Words mattered. Because it was, it was hard. Now, you, now, you, now, I mean, five years ago, there were too many words. Now, AI is generally. I mean, like, words don't even matter. He's just saying words. Who knows what he, I mean, it's, it's, it's like, who cares what people say.

The only language geo speaks that, that, that is intelligible to me, when it comes. when it comes down to it is the language of chance creation but to that point about sorry bills go that's it that's it to that point about words that i like i want to stress that people interpreted this they read they probably read this pretty quickly and we're quick to bash him like he's clearly referring to everything that happened not just how he behaved like he's not I did not interpret this as him trying to absolve himself at all. Like, he was explaining what was going through his mind, but he didn't say, that's why it was okay for me to throw a tantrum like a kid.

That's not what he said. When he mentioned, like, his family too, he's referring to just the whole thing. And that for sure is not just his fault. And Vince, going back to your point about your situation to him, let me finish this, right? Right here, right here, right here. You've talked on this podcast before very appropriately. and and it's very helpful for people understand about the social media aspect that modern athletes have deal with now, right? I think you're talking about it in the context of your brother.

I love some about it, geo specifically in the context of my brother, but yeah. Okay, there you go. So, like, he, again, is living in a foreign country where he kind of had to become a man during the pandemic on his own. And then, you know, he gets, goes back to that country after the World Cup. and he has to like absorb everything that's happening through his his own and you had talking heads here you know jack shit about soccer calling for him to never be a part of the national team again so yeah all together it was a very traumatic experience and through different ways for him and his family and um yeah like for him to just say just put it out there like it wasn't just about me being the devil like i don't think that's i yeah maybe he should have just said no comment and just punded this fine but you know sooner or later he was going to have to address it and I don't think this should be nearly as big a deal. He should have just said I should have been a better teammate. I should have handled it differently at the beginning.

The rest of it was, you know, the rest of it was really unfortunate. But, and I don't take all the, you could even say I don't take all the blame for the whole thing. But just say I wish I would have handled it differently. That's all I'm asking for. Brother, that's part of being a professional athlete, though. You know, you're talking about the, how Gio handled the response to what went down and all that. I mean, you signed up for this, isn't it? You know what I'm saying?

I mean, it just... Yeah. All right, we've been on this for a while. I mean, I just think Bell's, what he said, I think, was closer to that than other people thought it was. Like, he said, and maybe we've got to hear the whole interview transcript, but he said, you know, maybe in certain ways. So, like, he clearly knows something's there. Maybe in certain ways. Yeah.

I mean, I don't know. I think he's missing, I think he's missing the mark there. But, again, like I said, I don't think words, I don't think words really matter to him or to his peers. It's all just talk. I don't really care. I don't really care that much. I think he's too good to leave at home. Last thing I'll say about this,

when you interview someone and then publish an article, there's stuff that hits the floor, right? Like not every single word that is said between the two. Oh, you think he got jobed by the 18? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I'm not saying you got a job. Not saying you got a job, but like all these little words, like, make a big difference

in a statement like this. I mean, we got to trust them to at least handle it with, you know. I'm not casting any doubt on that. Associated Press, man. I mean, you know what I'm saying? I mean, it's not like they're God or anything, but I think they, you know, they should, that we should at least hope that they.

Accurately conveyed what the sentiment that he was trying to get across. I'm not suggesting they didn't. All I'm saying is like every single word on this topic, like it makes a difference. Like, again, him referring to his family changed the whole meaning of what he said. People do love to hate GEO.

They love to point a spedometer at him. You know, it's all, It's all kind of together. It's all kind of together. I don't hate Gio. I know you don't. I just, I mean, I'm calling it how I see it. And like I said, I've, I, I, I sympathize, but I understand where Gio's coming from. You know, when I was, I would, I would have the same feelings that he has right now.

But what I'm saying is, you know, when my brother would go through similar situations, I had to, you know, go use my experience to help him through those situations so he could move forward. And if we hadn't moved, and if we hadn't have gone through him in that way, then maybe, you know, he doesn't get to where he got, which was him maximizing his potential. I just want to see Gio maximize his potential. That's all. I think it's too much. I don't think he's going to maximize his potential, his potential being what he was at 18. 19. I don't see his hamstrings

supporting that ambition. But I think... And this is before we even get to that. I mean, it could be next week and the thigh problem then popped up again. No, you're right. You're right. But, um... But, Bell, that max potential was insanely high

at that point in his career. Without a doubt. Like fall of 2020, like when he's starting for dormant at 8. I don't know. I don't hold out hope. I don't hold that much hope that that is going to be, that those dreams are going to be realized for the fan base.

But I do still think. think he is uh yeah i've said it like seven times already he's he's he's too good he can receive turn turn with the ball pick a pass in a way that no one else can period full stop yeah i think that's a good way to put it all right let's move on to uh somebody who is definitely going to be at the world cup no doubt about it Tyler adams uh he came off injured in the three one lost to man city let's start with that is it a serious injury i don't think think so. We got a tweet here from a Bournemouth reporter who said he talked to him after the game

and it was just a need-to-knee thing. I haven't checked this morning actually if there's any news. I can check that real quick. All right, well, fingers crossed. But I mean, none of the goals in this game was on him. He scored. Kind of buried the lead there. He scored. Volleyed a fluffed Donorama punch on a corner kick just like fell right fell right in front of him and he just sidewinder volleyed it in from about two yards out his first ever premier league goal and his first ever goal in english soccer and i'm just i have two things after watching him and i watched a bunch of

his performance against nottingham forest um went back and watched some of that he is playing extremely well in the highest speed, highest quality league in the world. And he makes a huge impact, especially, and I guess you'd call it the counterpress, his ball hawking that just triggers that menace of a Bournemouth attack. And it's a straight up menace, that attack. They got Clivert and this Couty, is it Crupi? Crupy. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Coopee fella from France. and he's only 19 and and then Semenio and I mean they just buzzing all over the place Tyler Tyler's buzzing all over the place he forces a turnover and then they're off and then they score I mean it's just I mean it's like that that's their recipe and um he's a huge he's a huge part of it that said is that the role is that the role he's going to play for the for the U.S. men's national team is that how it's going to work do we have that kind of attack do we have that kind of buzzing around front three um i mean maybe i mean not if if geos on the not if geos on the field but um so i think we probably need more than more from him

in possession than what he is asked to give for bornmouth and i'm not sure he can give that but I mean he's he's he's sharp he's playing at such a high like such a high velocity and making such a huge impact I think we should all be glad about that there's some there's some nuance there and like how his role translates but really pleased yeah zero zero doubt he's the building block in the midfield right at this point in the cycle this close to the World Cup if there wasn't zero doubt I'd say so I'd say so because I think there was always that hypothetical of Johnny realizing his potential, the national team translating his form. But that, we're two camps out.

We just can't build around that. Love Testament. I'm sure we'll talk about him later on. But I think Tyler, whatever the system is in front of that back for, I think that's a security blanket. And he can, I always think he gets, like, he's so good defensively that I think people judge him that much more critically. with the ball. Like, he can play a forward pass and in the occasional diagonal. It's not non-existent, right?

But, yeah, obviously someone else in that midfield next time needs to be really facilitating and being the guy to play through. But yeah, I just want to flag. I'm sure this will be in the club notes, but around the 53rd minute. He played a pass forward, and I forget who was playing it too, but the guy couldn't control it. City won the ball, but then Tyler won it right back. And suddenly Bournemouth are flying.

And it's just, you know, stuff like that. Yeah, no matter who the opponent is for the U.S., in my opinion, you cannot leave him out of the team. And it's especially true with the way Weston's role is looking for club and country, but she'll get to. But yeah. Well, another moment was that goal that was called back in like the first, I don't know, first two minutes of the game where he just like, he just mugged somebody in midfield, pokes it away. And then it goes out to it goes out to somebody. I forget who. And then it gets played across the middle for Crupi.

And he bundles it home. I mean, it's the entire chances generated by Tyler against, you know, against Manchester City. He's just bullying them in the middle of the field. And he's doing the same thing against Nottingham, fourth board. Boy, what's his name? Gibbs White. Gibbs White was so mad. He was so mad in that game.

Tyler was just so in his head. Like, you know, being. kind of nasty, leaving a foot in, slapping him on the back of the head, getting away with it, you know, all that kind of stuff. So, yeah, I think it's great that Tyler is playing the way he's playing. Also, real quick, on the national team performances, I feel like the Gold Cup didn't do it for a lot of people with Tyler, but he was spent during that tournament. He said as much after, right?

Like, he was pretty tired, and he soldiered on to play for that tournament. So, yeah, Vince, what are you thinking? I mean, you know, it's the same things we always talk about with Tyler. I mean, it's just, this is why I'm hard on the errors. You know, you talk about the, what, the Mexico, the Mexico one, the Panama. The defensive positional errors. Defensive positional errors. Just because, well, well, first of all, you know, he's not given us much in position.

he's not he's not giving us much and most of his value is going to be derived from defense and with that we're not pressing and counterpressing in the way that that born if is you know and so we lose a lot of that utility um from his defensive ability and without that plus not getting much on the ball plus um like a positional error here there It frustrates me. And, you know, I don't disagree with you, Sanjay. He's going to be on the pitch. Deserves to be on the pitch.

Probably needs to be on the pitch. But, you know, I mean, there's a reason why he's kind of only succeeded at, you know, Leip against Jesse Marsh, leads under Jesse Marsh, and then Bormiff. I don't forgot Bro's name. But in this high-press system, you know, When Jesse Marsh got fired and Leipzig moved to a more possession-based system like Tyler was out of there and out of favor pretty quickly. You know, and even under Greg and early days under Potch, you know, we see that he is a kind of a limited factor when it comes to Bill Nott or whatever. But Pott just seemed to solve that problem without like taking Tyler out of the out of the pitch or whatever.

You know, we don't have problems. getting up the field or anything like that. And that's before Sergenio, right? Right, right. And we haven't really had Sergenio. Yeah, without a doubt. And that's before Sergenio. So, you know, I mean, I'm just saying all this stuff.

But yeah, he's going to be on the pitch. He deserves to be on pitch, like I said. It's just I'm just always going to have my eye wandering a little bit. That's all. The limitations are what they are. but I think if you if you stick with three centerbacks with him without the ball,

I think his defense can almost become, you know, you can turn his defense into more offense if he has more freedom to press. And then, yeah, even, like you just said, with that back line being more comfortable in possession, I mean, look at this upcoming window, right?

If you have Sergenio, Nochi on the right side, Chris, and then Tim Riem on left side, and Orfston, who's Arfston, maybe we can talk about Arsson later, he's low-key, a tidy player. It's growing on me. That's a pretty good foundation for bulk progression.

And then you have another guy like Testman in there. I don't think Tyler's holding you back too much. I hope not. Yeah, yeah. I mean, that's fair point. And, you know, we talked about last one, though, just our lack of business handling in the back line. So, you know, we're going to need that, man,

to be, like, when Miles Robinson or whoever gets done on the right side, Tyler Adams flying in to eliminate the danger we're going to need that because it seems like we're going to be putting at least one maybe two centerbacks out there that I'm going to be well really three we're going to be putting three out there that are capable of giving us shaky

moments you know what I'm saying so we're going to need that security we're not immune yeah and Bell's to your point about whether the U.S. can replicate that you know stylistic aspect of Bournemouth I think with Ballo in the mix now and then once Christian gets back, you're definitely cooking there. Even if Brenda gets minutes in this window, he's definitely more suited to that

running gun kind of game, right, when they're spacing behind. I think Ballot changes so much about the way this team plays. It's so noticeable. So I think it'll help with Tyler. Also, you know, just to sort of segue to the next thing, Ballo, you know, speaking of Ballo, peppy hasn't started a game since mid-September. And some of that's been injury related, but it sounds like Goose Teal is going to, you know, the word on the street is he's going to start on Tuesday against Olympiacos in Champions League.

So now Pepe is basically sitting behind Teal, who's not even been a striker up to this point in his career. So I just think Ballo's position grows stronger by the day, even when he doesn't score, even when he misses a chance or whatever. He had a good, he actually had a really nice shot assist in Monaco's loss to Paris FC. Set up a really good chance for Minamino, I think. Or no, it was for Akliush. And Akliush had like, you know, basically a penalty kick arriving on a little square ball from Ballo and it was saved. But let's take a break. Come back and take another break. Come back.

We'll talk about Brenda, maybe a little bit about Tesman and Wes. And then we'll get into Arston. I know what you mean. He's got some tidiness. And we'll be back in a minute. All right, we're back. Let's talk about, let's talk about Brenda first. I don't have anything to say.

So it's going to be, this is, this is for you, Sanjay. Kind of like Gascali. I just had, you know, a Brenda performance. Okay. Tough, tough day for leads. But, no, I mean, he does, you know, there's, there's flickers of what he can do in the final third. still. Like you drew a dangerous, a free kick in a very dangerous spot in the 20th minute.

She had a really good composure right after halftime, setting up longstaff for a good chance in the box. But then, you know, occasionally you get the, him getting just shrugged off the ball in the 47th minute. Yeah, it happens occasionally. Yeah. Yeah, he just got ran over a few minutes after halftime on a challenge. He was trying to put him to tackle.

and he just got wrecked. And then, yeah, I mean, later, about an hour into the game, he came inside from the right wing, got on the ball a bit more, but didn't do it a whole lot. Yeah, tough day for leads. But, you know, again, part of what's the saying about ability being the best, or availability being the best ability or something like, like, bro's going to be in camp and he's going to get,

he's set to get some real minutes. So let's see what he can do. You look at it against Australia. So I'm looking forward to seeing him get more chances. Hey man, he's really a machine when it comes to the minutes, intensity, et cetera, et cetera. Yeah, you know, we got to study that man. There's something going on. Rusty Aronson, somebody needs to talk to him, you know.

Yeah, let's table the discussion of how many minutes he's going to get just for until we get to the roster. I think there's some question there. But anything on Testman? He got yanked after Leon got went down to 10 men. This is a tactical. It was just unlucky. I think he was the one who played the pass out, right? That led to the red card.

Like he maybe could have put, I think it was him, right, Vince? Like he maybe could have put more juice on that pass, but the guy should also probably come to the ball. So it's kind of harsh to, knock him for that and yeah she gets yanked is what it is he didn't look thrilled about it coming off but it's how it goes sometimes and eauventus got another another win and this is another start for west he's he's this time he was playing um right back right or right wing back um um yeah kind of but inverting a lot okay and inverting a ton to where you would uh because because first of all he's

pressing in the front he's in the front three. Yeah. In possession, he's coming in field a lot. He was in field a lot more than he was like on the touchline. I thought it was closer to like what he does for the U.S. in a way. Yeah. Yeah. And you know what?

We haven't talked a lot about Wes over the past month and a half or whatever. It's kind of like ho-hum. He wasn't playing now all of a sudden he's playing. Imagine that type of thing. But he's been playing extremely well. Yeah, I said this. I did say this on Thursday. He was, he was really cooking, or I mean on Friday, he was really cooking in the middle of the week. Like every slit combination, Juventus was putting together he was in the middle of. I mean, like, like eye-popping stuff, one-touch passing combinations that he was keying.

So yeah, I agree. I agree. And he's always been a smart player, but maybe you see him tactically getting even more well. acclimated to this, you know, to his time in and around the half spaces. I flagged in the 66 minute. Like, he does really well to find a kind of, like a receiver finding the dead spot in his own defense. He finds a dead spot in the back line. And he can't receive the ball, but then they form a triangle.

The ball is played to someone else who can get the ball to him. And then he receives the ball and plays a great pass to Vlovich, who probably should have been an assist, honestly. And then, yeah, he went to the right side, switch out a little later on, and then, and then briefly at CenterMed before being subbed off. So we can talk more about his role with the U.S. and maybe if we like to see him deeper or more later on. But we talk about the roster. Yeah, what a soccer player who needs to be on the pitch one way or another. Yeah.

He's so good. He's so good. And it's like we just, like, because Doug has been, you know, Doug's been waxing poetic anytime he's on the show, right? About West and McKinney. He's a big West guy, yeah. Yeah, and maybe people are just writing them off as being a West Homer or whatever. No, like, Wes is back.

Y'all need to be tuning in and watch Wes every week because, like, he's, bro, he is a cooking, you know? And, like, Sanjay just talked about that chance he said up Havlovich. I mean, beautiful, you know what I'm saying? Little, little space within the, like, defensive line. receives the ball turns, a little Vlovich is like slightly in front of him

by like three feet. So a little pass across the penalty area that he has to put a little English on to get up to it. With his weak foot. With his weak foot too.

Yeah, with his left foot. And yeah, just set him up so nicely. I mean, Vlaavits just lays on the ground like, damn. You know what I'm saying?

I got to hold this. I miss that chance. Because, you know, he does get on west from time to time. if he misses him or whatever. But, yeah, Wes is involved in their combination for, like, the first goal. He plays, I don't know who do this, the attacker, the black dude. Oh, Openda?

It's Opanda. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was going to say, it's not Jonathan Day. Plays him in, I think he takes a shot, and then it gets deflected or whatever, and then it pops over to the left side where somebody tucks it. and then also like just to talk more about his role like you know he's he's free out there you know and so there's one there's one piece of possession where he he finds he finds a little space like in his in his own half receives the ball pass it to someone else moves like advances

to find another pocket of space to receive the ball in now as uve is moving into their attack in he receives the ball. He plays a pass for a penda that is cut out. But then, and he's on the left side of the field, but his pressing responsibility is the right side of the field. This man gets over to the right side so smoothly and seamlessly, like with, like in about five seconds, it has to cover almost the entire width of the pitch

and is in his position to be in that first line of defensive pressure, almost immediately. You know, I mean, it's West doing his West thing where he's covering ground. but, you know, I don't know. It's just watching what, you know what, I do know. You know, I talked about this on a solo pod before, but if y'all seen the great speech by Jimmy Valvano as he's staring, he did it at the SPs,

former National Championship winning college basketball coach, NC State, be one of the best college basketball teams of all time in Houston. if you haven't seen the speech, I mean, maybe look it up. But this man, he's dying. Okay, he's staring cancer right in the eye. He gets up and delivers, I mean, you want to talk about somebody that's him. One of the great speeches of all time. Of somebody, you know, looking at the fragility of the human condition that's feeling it, right in the eye.

Okay, but anyway, so there's a quote in here that I always think about when it comes to West. he says jimmy says if you laugh you think and you cry that's a full day that's a heck of a day you do that seven days a week you're going to have something special and every time you watch weston especially when he's feeling good especially when he has the confidence of the manager and he gets a run of games you know what i'm saying you're going to see something that makes you laugh you're going to see something that makes you think and and you know he's going to misplace a pass here and there and so he's going to make you cry as well but yeah man just what a football

yeah it's like the thing about a misplaced pass because you will see that from Wes is unless you are just a godlike global footballing talent like Leon O'Messie or you know

there's a few up in that category you take risks you're going to misplace passes that's part of the game you know yeah and if you want people to not take any risks and just keep passing it backwards until we're like until we're getting pressed in the over by the corner flag then um you know i think you're wrong so i think so i think uh i think it's okay to misplace a pass every now i'm there's even a moment to the to the make you think part um there's a there's a moment in the second half where he's in the box he finds some space to receive a cutback and first time lines up like he's going to shoot it,

but he slides it out to his left. You know, puts the goalkeeper and the defender on the floor. You know, they were thinking about blocking the shot and the goalkeeper thinking about saving the shot or whatever. I mean, the receiver of the pass is like too far away from like. So he's like within the goal frame, but then the dude he's passing it to is like outside the frame of goal. So like maybe he should have shot it?

Yeah, and Wes has been. like he's an overpasser now. He does not shoot the ball. There was also another moment when he's like clear on like the left side of the box where he doesn't shoot as well. He opts to pass. But I would love to see him shoot a little bit more. But yeah, man, just so much culture, elegance that, you know, we had to fight.

We had to fight hard to get the U.S. soccer population to appreciate. But yeah, every week he's just, he just shows it off, man. Yeah. And there were people saying like four months ago that he might not be on the World Cup roster, which this is another are you out of your mind kind of thing. Like, do you really think, no offense to Aidan Morris or Christian Roldon or even Tanner Testman, who I love who I have come around on as we've been. He's best of the love. I've come around on. We, and. But, but, you. you really think those guys are better than Weston McKinney when we get when the chips are down at World Cup 2026. No way. No way.

Wes McKinney's going to be there. Got to be there. Max Arstyn. Another guy who's going to be there is Max Arstyn. Yes. Go ahead, Sanjay. I'm going to disagree with you. Banger of a goal.

I'll gladly put my hand up when I'm wrong about a player, a coach's assessment of the player's talent. Technical player, athletic player, maybe you just needed some confidence. which he got with enough reps. And I am a Red Bullsomer. Like, I was disappointed Tolkin didn't get fair chance. And I still think that he didn't really get a fair chance with any coach with the U.S. But it doesn't matter anymore because Max Sarvson is going to be the number two left back, the World Cup.

Yeah, good soccer player. Assuming Jedi can get healthy. Yes. And even if, and obviously we want Jedi out there starting and playing as many minutes as he can, maybe not every single minute like the last World Cup, playing through injury. the end of it but um arson is like a value add with the ball especially if you're playing against the team that's you know content to sit back in my opinion um he's a value add over damn near any fullback in in this pool yeah well do or die in the hell is real rivalry

of Columbus uh let's real quick Sanjay when you say damn near every fullback i mean who are who are the exclusions yeah i mean it's just sergenio In my opinion, like, if you just want ball retention and, like, combining and all that, even Christian, say, on a recent interview with Roger Bennett, like, he was asked about someone who surprised him, and he was quick to mention Max. I think guys are, you know, everyone's kind of realizing this dude can play soccer. Defensively, this is why we need Jedi, absolutely, back. Still questions about that, but less of liability than before, maybe.

and yeah he's got he's not again he's not like an 18 year old like he's he's what 24 so it's not like he's going to get to some crazy heights in his career but he's a good player we'll take it and you know i got to i got to talk to him after that uh match at columbus during the mix zone i feel like he was offered up and nobody was walking over to my boy i was like bro i was like bro let me let me go talk to him so first of all i walked up to him and i was like max what's up bro. And he laughed. And I knew I was in there. But, you know, I asked him a few questions. I was just like, the first thing I was like, I was like, man, what's the difference between playing,

you know, fullback and a back four and wing back, which, you know, he played for the first time in Columbus? I was like, you looked a little different out there today. And he was, he laughed. He was like, hopefully in a good way, you know what I'm saying? He was like, well, yeah, feels more comfortable. Feels more comfortable. Then I also asked him, like, what he does. or what how is he able to when he does plan him back for is he able to switch like how was he learning his new role

you know what I'm saying and he said yeah he's just he's in the lab he's watching ball but also he feels like every camp that goes and that comes and goes he's able to retain more information more information so he's just growing in that role

but yeah it was an enjoyable fellow to talk to Yeah, he's a chill guy And he's a good example too For all the kids out there And the soccer parents Of how far your career can go

If you were able to use both feet As well as he does It's very impressive Yeah Well, he had a great game last night Which we should talk about a little bit He scored the opening goal for Columbus A bit of a mistake from Elvis Powell

And Diego Rossi Poked it over to him And then he rounds the keeper and then roofs it, just smashes it in. Really nice goal. That sort of set the tone for the night. Then there was a red card for Cincinnati. I think it was Kubo who got sent off on a dog so. And Columbus ran rampant.

Arstyn got an assist on a really well-placed, fizzed low ball across from the left. I think that was on the fourth goal. But maybe the highlight of the game for me from him, was his almost glasso where it's a corner kick and it sprays out to him. And he takes a touch over the guy, the defender in front of him, kind of juggles it over him, and then hits it, just thrashes it with the outside of his boot. And it just misses. I mean, Apple, the Apple company doesn't have enough money to have a camera behind the,

to pay for a camera behind the goal, I guess. So we don't get to see like the really nice angle of how close it is. to the post because reasons, but you could tell it was really close to the post. And, I mean, if he had put that in, it would have been something special. So I didn't realize he had that kind of nastiness in his bag. He's a winger by trade, right? We should remind people. Yeah.

I mean, another thing that stood out from this game, I mean, just hard to watch Darlingtonagby play and wonder, you know, what if it. Does he want to play another eight months? You know? What a player. He's been a joy to watch his whole career. Yeah. Yeah.

All right. Let's go through the roster and see. So who was called up in October, who is not going to be here in November? That would be centerback Cameron Carter Vickers, who's out for a while for Celtic. And then Jedi, almost certain not to be called. called up. He hasn't played for Fulham yet since the last camp. And so that's the defenders. And then Malik Tillman, very likely not to be back. I mean, he may play this weekend. I think that's possible, but I'd be surprised if he was called up.

And then among the forwards, I think Christian Pulisick and Tim We are both very likely out for the next camp. So who gets added? That's the question. Real quick, before we forget, because you mentioned Carter Vickers, Austin Trustee did get the start in the old firm and Celtic got a dramatic late whim, but, you know, someone who never really got a chance under any coach, and I don't really expect him to factor in. I guess it's possible he gets caught up. I don't really, I don't particularly rate him, but it's possible.

Sorry, I cut you off about roster stuff. No, that's okay. I mean, so it's good that you mentioned trustee. I think it's, I think Noki probably, I mean, I hope he gets the call. We talked about this already. It would make a lot of sense to get him in and get him some minutes against Paraguay and Uruguay. Who's going to be the left back for Jedi? I guess we talked about this too.

You guys think it's going to be Scali? I would think so. Maybe he wants to get a look at Christopher Lund Hansen, who I did check out. once again this week because there's so many people out. You know, I just, I was like, well, Chris Lund, you're up. You know, he's still, still starting for Cone. They'd be Hamburger, uh, be Hamburger 4-1. You know, it was 2-1 up until the hamburger got some red cards late in the match.

But, uh, you did, well, first of all, did y'all know Christopher Lund is like the 14th fastest player in the Bundesliga? I did not. He is. I think 14 is the, is the, correct number. But, you know, if you pull up Bundesliga top speed chart, Bundesliga.com or whatever, he'll be on the,

you don't have to scroll down too far, you know. So maybe he takes a flyer on him. I'm not saying he has been, he has not been playing great necessarily. But there's a, there's probably a player in there at some point, if he can clean up his technique. But so at this point, we're scraping the bottom of the barrel.

Caleb Wally isn't really playing. I mean, it's either Joe Scala or Christopher Lanhamson. Or talking. It's going to be great. Belsa, I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't necessarily a second left back. I'm curious to see what he does about Freeman and Luna, right, guys who were eliminated relatively early and will not have played a game for a few weeks by the Paraguay game if they're back in camp. If Freeman's back, you could conceivably.

see just Freeman Dest and Arvston but I hope Scally would be in there for Freeman or in addition to Freeman regardless.

I guess I don't really care that much. If it's just those three, it's fine. But, you know, look for a potch surprise at wingback and hopefully he brings

in banks at centerback. Adams is for sure going to be there. Yeah. I mean, assuming this injury is as minor as the Bormouth reporter thought it was. Eunice Musa didn't play in a loss over the weekend for Atalanta. They got Champions League coming up here. Yeah, it's not looking good.

But I hope. I thought he looked good in the middle of the week last week, just for his like 15 minutes on the field or whatever it was. This is another one of those things. Because of his talent alone, you got to try and give him a chance to make the World Cup of squad instead of insert, you know, whoever from, you know, whether it's MLS guys or even beyond the MLS guys, like he's better than most players at that position. And I hope it's a situation where you bring him in to try and build him up, right?

There's, you want guys playing and inform and then you call him up, but I think there's also exceptions where a guy maybe needs a confidence boost or, you know, to be back in the environment for a bit to kind of turn things around. Yeah, maybe. So, you know, even if he's back as like a nominal wide player, which we don't love, it's a wingback kind of thing, whatever it is, like, you just want to see him back. But get it if he's not.

Also on this list. So Alex Sandeos has heard too. Yeah. He's, oh, I didn't realize that. So maybe there's a spot for units. I mean, because, you know, we're running out of. You know, call Corey Barrett up here in a second. You know, I mean, it gets to a point, you know.

Yeah, and this is, okay, so I agree with Isanjay that Musa is talented enough. He needs to get a chance. But this, I think this brings me to the sort of what the wingers are under Pachitino lately is more, is less like. The narrow. Yeah, exactly. So Wes played as a nominal winger both of the last two games, right? Started and was at least when you look at the lineup on Fomob, he's a right wing. So this I think, and Tillman was the starter against Ecuador on the other side.

So this is part of why I think in a vacuum outside of the lemons and the vibes and whatever, Gio does make sense in that position. That is why I came in hot today, yeah. And there's really no, I mean, what you'd rather, you know, I guess Brenda. Yep. You're going to play Brenda over Gio. I may probably start him over Gio if Gio can't go more than like 45 minutes or whatever. But it does seem like a good opportunity for Gio.

It probably works okay for Eunice too. I mean, as far as winger role. work for Eunice? I mean, Eunice is definitely not a half-space guy. He's not a pocket guy. West is that kind of baller, where you can kind of throw him anywhere and he'll make an impact.

Eunice definitely is not, but, you know, even in that Australia game, like, West has come pretty deep, right? And if your instructions to Eunice are, come deep and support ball progression, I guess you can make it work. Yeah. And you have the wing backs providing the width,

and then you're, you know, it's basically a midfield. It's basically a midfield role. Yeah, you need it. You know what? Now that you have really taught through this, Sanjay, because I was like, I was kind of iffy on the Eunice thing, but it's like, yeah, we need them out there instead of James Sands, man.

Let's go ahead. It's going to cut the malarkey. Cut the malarkey is a good way to summarize my message for this whole podcast. Time to cut the malarkey, everybody. And I think the forwards kind of pick themselves at this point, right? Ballo, Haji, you assume he's going to bring Pappy back? Yeah. After Pat didn't play it all last time.

I would guess it'll be Pappy. I think that's it. Thanks everybody for listening. We appreciate you. We'll see you.