Scuffed | USMNT, World Cup, Yanks Abroad, futbol in America - #654: USMNT annual review, 2025

Episode Date: December 18, 2025

The JPEG That Changed Everything, the True Blue Tussle Award, Dad of the Year, and much more. If you want the full version, including NT Goal of the Year, Club Goal of the Year, Breakout Player of the Year, Player of the Year, to name a few, join the Patreon.Also, the form to fill out if our Germany/Netherlands trip is somewhere in your realm of possibility: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfI4Cp1VpS2eCphsNjf6QHdaRDq86Tf-FeUhJ2tQ0RzkbxQhw/viewform 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, when we talk about U.S. soccer. This is the fifth annual review for us of the U.S. men's national team, not a Monday review, but an annual one. A year ago, we were simmering on the Copa America disaster, hoping that Pocetino would take the job seriously. There was more frustration to come, but 12 months later, it's a whole new world. World Cup is on the doorstep. We shine in Champions League every Tuesday. Potch has demonstrated his passion for this job. It's all roses.

Greg and Vince are here with me. Greg, how you doing? I'm flying. I think it's hilarious because I think we've, Vince mentioned this before, I think we did just come totally full circle because 12 months ago we were flying high too after our first away Concaf win

in a long time beating Jamaica. We were like, we crushed them at home and Potch had solved it. Like we were playing fluid attacking football. That's true. That's true. And then we had the dip, but now we're right back there. And we're back to where we need to be.

We've got World Cup opponents. Yeah. It was roses. Then it was Dandelions. Now it's roses again. Vince, how are you doing? I'm doing great. I'm doing great, man.

Happy to be here. Happy to do another annual review, you know, the scuffies. Time-honored tradition at this point. You know, in the year of our lower 2025. That's right. With all that being said, though, I did doing a brief review of the year's events. You know, look, we, so Pach took us on a very scenic route from being okay back to being okay, you know, but it doesn't really matter. You know, like next year, 26, we all know what's going on then.

We all know the opponents we have in the lead up to the World Cup and the opponents we will be playing at the World Cup. So I guess it does matter because we obviously we played Turkey, Australia and Perecadaguay this year. So we made use of what would otherwise be a throwaway year. But as far as, you know, qualifying, which gave us the birth of Airborne 69, you know, the World Cup 2022, which further helped help canonize Airborne 69, as well as the birth of, you know, a ton of different things. You know, this isn't that, this isn't that. But there's still a ton to get into. Yeah. I think Potch managed to give us a good narrative line in the absence of qualifying,

with some of his choices and then some of the outcomes that we landed on. But it kept, it kept both angry people angry and optimistic people now can remain optimistic. Yeah, well, I think the March Nations League crisis was a crisis. I mean, maybe it was just all some variants and whatever, but it was a dark time after we lost those two games. And it just felt like what are we even doing this for? What are we living for here? And I don't think you have to be like some narrative merchant to come up with this sense that Pocci He has done a cultural reset.

He has hit reset on the team, and that is the theme of the year. I think obviously he may end up bringing the exact same players to the World Cup that screwed everything up in March. But he's certainly put them all through the ringer in one way or another. So I think there's – I think there – I think it's – there's not a lot of, like, fire and ice in the year, you know, like really exciting stuff, but interesting year, in my opinion. Should we go to the first award?

Let's do it. Best commentator. This is like UCLA in the 1970s. 2023, it was Maraosuma. 2024 Maraosuma. You guys may disagree with me, but I'm going to say it's Marauma again. And I want you to, as evidence,

I want you to listen to his reaction to Pulisic's game winner just on Monday, just on Monday. Comes off the bench, scores the equalizer and the game winner. Here you go. Ancura, who has a ball and allarga for Chris Pulisic that parted from the detritro. And then serve Ruben Loftuchick.

Lofturichick all right. Let's see him in area. Let's come in area that Samu Krozzo. Go! Go! I don't know to do it to be a

result under the curva Merrily Paul Ezek the first dupe of the

year of Milan, three for the Milan three to be Milan three more for the yeah see

yeah Chris Paul Ezek there where arrived the assist of Samuel Ritchie

come on Chris I don't know how you compete with that honestly I actually run to

the UVA YouTube page to try to find some corollary for Wes's goal, which was fantastic earlier this week. It's not even close, not even in the same ballpark. Did he bless himself during that celebration? He goes a lot of places in those. If you turn on the auto-translate on the closed captioning,

there's a point where he, it's not part of the clip, but it happens a little later where they're showing like the fifth replay of the, where he says, I want to think about this. I don't want to think about the darkness in the world.

I don't want to think about the nightmares that hover around me. I mean, it's crazy. He's feeling it. And on many, many different levels. You got to give it to him, man. He's a legend. Okay.

Well, and he owes, again, he owes some of this to Christian Pulcicicic. Like, he wouldn't be able to do this if he wasn't doing what he does. So, like, we are bringing, Pulisik is bringing this out of him. Yeah.

It's his muse. All right. So, best commentator, Maro Suma, no big surprise there. Staying in Northern Italy, the Weston McKinney Award,

given to a player who's counted out of a project, but works his way back in, proves himself once again. Wes has won the eponymous award twice already, 2023 and

2024. 2025. Any nominations from you guys? I'm going to toss Tim Riem out. And that's because I personally sort of was mentally counting him out of the national team picture. He is aging. He was already aged at the end of last cycle. And as far as I know, his aging has continued. His performances at Charlotte haven't been anything particularly special. and he had that absolutely disastrous first encounter with Pocitino

when Pachitino became the coach documented on video of the awkward handshake room entry. It was so bad that I was like, that's it. That guy is done for a manager who really puts a lot into vibes. There's no coming back from that. And here Tim Riem is. He's basically played almost every minute for Pachino, worn the armband a ton.

You get tons of sideline shots So when Riem isn't in the match, they're like conversing. They're putting their heads together. I mean, Tim Rie may as well be credited as player manager at this point. Yeah. Yeah, for someone that cares as much about the touching and feeling as Maricio Pachino does, to survive that first touch. You know, when I talk about the soccer pitch, you know what I'm saying,

the shaking of hands, something that I would think the shaking of hands might, Pre-date civilization. You know, like Pots really leads into the primal in that way. And Tim lost there. But to be able to fight and get back, get a spot, et cetera, to the point to where I don't think I can imagine a USM&T backline without Tim Riem in it right now. As it stands right now. As it stands right now. Don't come from me.

But, yeah, that's a huge comeback. I would also like to nominate one Brendan Arrington. nicely done I'm not Brendano's biggest fan I'm not even a fan to be completely honest he's an okay football player

and his play style just isn't one that I tend to rate however however despite all the naysayers last Monday review you talked about Rico Pepey having haters and I was like who the haters this is a man who legitimately has haters you know what I'm saying and you know I'm saying

And, you know, I could be counted as one of them. One of the running bits on this show is the fact that there is a corporate lobby that holds the powers that be at U.S. soccer under their thumb with money or whatever, blackmail, et cetera. But he has his haters. A lot of haters believed that when Leeds went back up to the Premier League, that he would find himself out of it. a job. He would find himself out of a job. And no, sir, that's not the case. Brendo has started,

I don't know what the number is. Most of leads, like probably a good three quarters of leads matches so far this season. I know he's been on the bench for the last two games, I think, but then he came on, I think, last match, was it Liverpool? And we're passing Liverpool around, ladies and gentlemen, by the way. I don't know if y'all noticed this. But anyway, the, he's come back he's a he's a western McKinney this year and it wasn't necessarily that he was

out of favor from Daniel Farca from all indications it seems that Daniel Farca raced the player but in the minds of many U.S. men's national team fan you know he was out he was we keep counting him out

and here he is coming back when he gets a shot under potch when he gets on the pitch um I'm not going to say you always make something happen But I'm thinking about that Australia Match was it, Australia? Where he came on and did a couple good things. Then he, was that an assist he had?

He scored a goal. What was that? I think you might have had an assist. He looked bright. No, no, no. It was that shot. It was saved. It was like the best chance we had in the match.

The interplay between him and Liddle. Yeah, right, right, right, right. Him and Luna, making something happen. So, you know, I'm putting the match. in there. I'm putting them in there because you can't kill him. You can't kill Brennan-Ares at the same way. You can't kill Wesley McKinney at this point. That's a good shout. That's a really good shout. I have another one.

Giorana. Oh, brilliant. He's never even left our mind, so I didn't even consider him. Yes, but that's true. But there are, you know, we have one listener at least who said, anytime we start talking about

Giorana, this was in the late summer, early fall. Anytime we start talking about Giorina, he has to turn it off because it's so ridiculous. that we bring him up. And there are many people have said there is no chance he will make it to the World Cup, that he shouldn't even be considered until he's playing a lot more and demonstrating his health. And I have to admit, I was even swayed a little bit by this. I lost the faith a little bit.

But guess what, Pachitino calls him up despite all of this. and he comes into camp, he scores a goal, he's probably the best player on the field against Paraguay, and now it looks like he's probably going to be on the World Cup roster, health dependent. So there's another nomination. I think Wes is also, like, he's in the picture too, so who we going with?

Vince, you choose. You know, I mean, I'm going, I think I'm going Brendan Arison, just to switch it up a little bit. Because the main reason why I'm not going to go West here is because at this point, the narrative is starting to insist upon itself. Okay. Weston was not out of the project this year for Juventus. Right.

Even before the season started, I think I counted. Weston has started like 10 out of the 12 matches for Igor Tudor after he took over midway through last season. So he's coming to this season. He's on the final year of his contract. he's not playing. I mean, you put two and two together. You know what I'm saying? They don't got a deal.

They're not playing the man. We waited four or five matches. Guess what? He's back where he always had been. You know, this wasn't a, he didn't lose his parking spot. You know, he wasn't, there were no real reports

that he was out of favor for two or anything like that. So, like I said, it's starting to insist upon itself a little bit where everybody's like, Oh, Wes always out of the project. Now, this time, this time he was just a countered on to be a Juvenis football player. And as it always happens, he finds his way starting and starting lineup. You know, it's a big difference between not playing and being out of the project altogether.

Losing your parking spot. Yeah. Versus, you know what I'm saying? There's a big difference. It's a big difference there. So, um, fair enough. I'm going, Brenda. I'm going, Brindo.

because I think he was truly countered out. I think even some of his biggest fans were like, I don't know if he's going to be playing in the Premier League this year. And here we are. Not just the doubts for the Premier League. Like his inclusion in the national team, where he wasn't included in a few camps, he went to the Gold Cup,

didn't play a ton, was very clearly like in that tournament at least, a role player, sort of a reserve. So it did feel like maybe even for Pachitino, Brendan wasn't a big part of the plan. And now it seems like he's sort of at least back to where he was going into the 2022 World Cup, which would be a guy ready to jump onto the field, but probably not starting.

Yeah. Okay. Put it out on the wire services. Brendan Aronson wins the Westman McKinney Award. I got an award here, the True Blue Tustle Award. And I'm going to go quick with it. It's for a player who's dedicated to the brouhaha, will not back down, but is also earnest about it. This player would come charging in and burrow his way into the middle of the pack every time.

No questions asked, looking fully aggrieved and fully pure of heart. I think everybody knows who I'm talking about. The true blue tussle award goes to Sebastian Burhalter. Yep. and you know his true blue tussle even led to the I forgot if it was him or Greg Burrhalter

being compared to Martin Luther King I remember this me doing this in the we reviewed this we reviewed the Saudi Arabia match and I think Tyler was getting into a little scuffle or something

and you know Sebastian Berhalter being a good ally said to get behind me get behind me Tyler Adams. I'm going to take care of this for you. You know what I'm saying? Because I am the one who has the fair skin tone

that garners respect and attention. And this retro world that we live in. But anyway, anyway, shout out to Sebastian Burhawd always willing to use his powers for good. And once again, I mean, when you think about it, living up to the freedom fighter name, stepping in for Alex Freeman when he gets into a tussle.

You know, the whole tussle starts against Paraguay. Sebastian Burrhalter is ready to go. And so, yeah, I'll take it. I'll take it. And you know what? And you know, it's another thing. Usually, usually, you see a man as handsome as Sebastian Burrhalter. You see that chisel jaw line.

You know, I sat next to the man directly next to him, you know, 90 degrees away. You know, it was a table with four sides and he was, he was next to me. You instantly, you instantly don't want to like him. You know, you think, ah, it's a pretty boy, blah, blah, blah. That's the son of the coach. you know, nepotism, you know, people love that word, etc., etc. But then when you show your true blue tussle,

when you start to get, when you start to, when you start to volunteer yourself to be in the middle of the brouhaha each and every time, you know what I'm saying? And, and it's not just, it's not just chirping and then running behind somebody,

running behind, I don't know. No, he's on the front line. Miles Robinson. No, he's on the front line. You know, he will, he will, you could be six, six, and he will stand up to your belly button, fully, face fully erect. You know what I'm saying?

Like, there's no shame in his game. He will not, he will not, um, drop his eyes, you know, and, you know, when you get into it with Sebastian Burrhalter, you're in the cage with him, you know? That's a type of thing. Yeah, that's a type of mentality that he has. And it's a type of thing that's endearing to everybody. Yeah.

And to the point to where it makes you forget about all these other things, how handsome he is, and his family affiliation, et cetera, et cetera. So that's a great award. Yeah, well said, Vince. All right, that's a decent stopping point. We have much more to cover. And if you are a patron of the podcast, I have three messages for you. One, the rest of the episode is right in front of you. Two, happy holidays.

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You can find all the details at that link, but we're planning a trip to see Tillman, Raina, Dest, and Pepe play in the west part of Germany and in Holland, which is not too far away. We'll land in Amsterdam for a while. This will be our third annual scuffed junket to Europe with former Howler and athletic soccer editor, George Qureshi, should be a total blast. If there's even a chance you can join us, fill out the form,

and we'll get back to you. And thanks for listening. We'll see you.