Scuffed | USMNT, World Cup, Yanks Abroad, futbol in America - #680: Balo's finest goal of the season, Big Pat hurt

Episode Date: April 6, 2026

Vince and Belz get back to the regular routine of the Monday Review after a relatively quiet weekend. 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 We talk about U.S. soccer. Hey, everybody, it's the Monday review. We now have the March window in the rearview mirror. And now it's just people going to stay healthy. People are going to run a forum. Got two months left, just under two months left of the season. And we have news on the injury front.

Well, first of all, Vince, how you doing? Well, I'm doing all right, Adam Bells. And, you know, there was, I think, my coworker alerted me to, like, a tweet or something. It was some type of social media post. I think it was after Thanksgiving. And he's like, me at work for the rest of the year. And it's just a madden picture of the play quarterback kneel. You know what I'm saying?

And this is what I need these boys to do for the rest of the season. Just go ahead, kneel it out. You know what I'm saying? What's done is done. Essentially, for me, your season is. it's through right now. Let's go ahead and let's go ahead. Stop.

Stop. Stop, brother. Kneel that thing out. I don't care who you are. Christian Polisic. I don't need you to get back in form or whatever. Rest your quadriceps. What your quadricep.

What's the thing? I was going to say pubic, but what? Pelvic. Pelvic. Pelvic. Pursitis. His burst of sacks. Rest those bursts sacks.

Yeah, man, that's all I need. And maybe just, Serge, Sirge, you continue to do your thing. You don't need it out. Go ahead and make that comeback when we're at Idahoan at the game and then need it out directly after. Yeah, yeah. You know what I'm saying?

But give us a ferocious performance that day. That day, that day only. But yeah, man, that's where we're at. Also, I, my family's been gone for the, whole weekend. I've been by myself since Saturday. It's a Saturday morning. They're in Gatlinburg. Living it up. Spring break in Gatlinburg, baby.

That's right, brother. Yeah. I'm feeling good. They get back tomorrow. But yeah, nice silent house. Did they go to Dollywood? I think they might be going today. They might be going today. I know they've done some animal excursions. I saw a picture of my kid with a big snake around her neck. feeding some goats and whatnot.

I mean, I've never been to Gatlinburg, like Gatlinburg proper. I've been, like, in the mountains to, like, a cabin or something. Or, like, my friend's wedding. But I've never actually been to Pigeon Forge slash Gatlinburg, the touristy stuff. Right. Yeah, I've been to Dollywood, but I don't understand the region at all. And it's only like two hours from where I live, you know. Yeah.

But I don't know. I don't really have a feel for how that all works. So one guy who is already hurt, it seems, and maybe it's a serious hurt injury. It's Big Pat. Came down trying to settle a ball, landed on his ankle, non-contact injury, and he came off towards the end of the first half for Darby County,

who I believe beat Stoke 2 to 0 today. But, you know, the chatter out there is, It's not good. It's not good when you come off the field with a non-contact injury. He was stretched off. Yeah. While having great amount of anguish on his face. Dang.

Without reports. So. That sucks. To have the only guy who did anything positive in the entire second half of that Portugal game. Yeah. Go off with the... likely an Achilles injury.

It's not looking, I mean, who knows? We'll see what happens when the physios take a look, but he, it's not, you got to imagine there's a decent chance that's not good, and he might miss the World Cup. Man, you know, you always got to keep your radars up for when, you know, these MLS to Europe transfers,

which I guess won't be a thing after the, that sprint season that they have or whatever. I forgot what they're calling it a, officially. They got some type of cute nickname for it. But after the little half season they do to get on the European calendar, this won't be a thing anymore. But these MLS to Europe transfers where the player ends up playing like 365 days consecutively of competitive club soccer. You know, always, always gets my antennas up, man, because that's just not, can't be healthy for anybody. No.

Also, you know, you get so used to the slow pace of an MLS game. that you have to go play. You have to play continuously. Not just continuously on your own calendar, but you have to go play at a higher rate of speed. Man, this is why we ain't got the call back for soccer wise, man. It's because it... They seem like they got plenty going on over there.

They're doing fine. They don't need to hold up there end of the bargain. The weight leg, man. So that's the big news of the morning. Ramang, Hurt, does create some possibilities for other strikers, and we should talk about them. PSV just won the Air Divisi again, third time in a row. Peppy had nothing to do with it, really. I mean, he had stuff to do with it earlier in the season, but he came on as an 86-minute

sub in this game, a 4-3 win to clinch the title for PSV. Of course, Serge from his sickbed will also get a winner-sum-est-one. medal. So, congrats to them and Ernie Stewart. We see you guys in a couple weeks. Right. Haji, back on the field for Coventry immediately after the international break. So we were doing them, I guess, doing them a solid letting him stay there. But he was on the field over the weekend, played like a half hour against Darby County. And then he's going to, he's in the squad for today. Lots of games today. Some championship games. Syriah.

Yeah, but Syria, you know, showing respect for Easter Sunday. Is that what it is? Yeah. Oh, okay. Okay. They still do schedule games on Easter Sunday.

Like, they don't avoid it completely, but they do their best. To keep to stay in the Vatican's good graces, you know? Yeah, yeah, I understand. So, like, Pool of Six playing today, Juventus kicks off. They just kicked off like a half hour ago. We're recording in the middle of it.

You got a Western McKinney goal. Okay. I knew. I just knew. I had a feeling, bro. I was like he's about to bless us. He is risen. Weston McKinney scored in the 17th minute, assist from Francisco Constanceau. Man, shout out big Constanceau, by the way. I miss him. I just wanted to... Yeah, where is he now? Where is he now? I don't know.

Okay, so Wes is already on the board. I wish we, is, is the, is the video on YouTube already? I mean, I got it. I got it. X. Yeah, so it's just, basically it's a, I don't know what happened. It's a Uvei breakaway. Wes has a ball, middle of the pitch.

He gets it out to Conce Sal, um, who's streaking down the right wing with his left foot, you know, just simple pass out there. Then he just continues his run, basically, and nobody picks him up. And so Conce Sal just, plays a nice little cutback to Weston running onto it in the box. Nobody's closing him down whatsoever. And he just strokes it with his right foot into the left corner of the goal, essentially. I mean, it's like one of the, you know, they're going to come for me.

Just a classic soccer goal. Classic soccer goal. One of the easiest opportunities that you'll probably see. Looks easy, doesn't it? Now, of course, something that somebody can mess up. You know, don't cover me. Advanced statistics and everybody, but you know what I'm saying. I do.

You know what I'm saying. Well, you'll just have to check out the goal yourself, but good on Wes scoring for YuVe today. A goal that was not, that was actually something to write home about, something special, was Balligan's goal over the weekend. So we should talk about that. They beat Marseille 2 to 1. Kind of a shootout, lots of chances for both sides in this game. but Ballos comes on I think it was a set piece for Marseille. Yes.

And it gets cleared to midfield kind of haphazardly by a Monaco player. And then the Marseille player tries to one time clear it himself and then just like just sort of shanks it into his own half. Ballo runs onto it, beats the, beats the center back to it. And then just races past him, makes him look, makes him look. slow and then gathers himself and chips the goalkeeper from 20 yards out left like to the goalkeeper's left just absolute perfection on the chip I mean draws a perfect arc over the goalkeeper nestles in the side netting at the far post uh this is the nicest goal he's scored all season and uh for sure and

love to see it really that's all yeah good stuff bro i mean you gave him you gave balo the one thing you don't want to get that man you know you gave him basically a pass you you threw him my outlet essentially the marseille man threw my through my outlet right and you know at that point balo's going to do what balo does um chip was very nice the uh marseilles was kind of like beat it was you know it's a game between monaco marseilles two of the big clubs in France it was a chippy affair it was a chippy affair they were beating they were beating on flow

quite a bit you know just good back and forth good on good play at one point he was jocelyn for position for like a ball played into him got called for a foul or something like that and then another defender from Marseille

comes over and like pushes him down and like stands over him you know flow kind of told him a little something about itself, you know, but it was good to see it was good to see Flo get the last laugh, man. Yeah.

Some good stuff. But he's, I mean, I don't lost count now, but I think at this point he's probably matched his, you know, somebody gave us a correction on my, wrongs pronunciation, and now I'm in my head. But anyway, I'm just going to continue to say wrongs.

The, uh, his non-penity goal tally. I think he's matched it at this point. And, you know, I will say this, though. He, the, who was that, Belgium game was a little tough for him just because of the fact that their centerbacks really did not commit and made sure that they maintained a bracketing position on flow for, like, the entire match or the entire time he was out there.

But also, he did have a couple balls into his feet that you would hope he would do better off. You know, as far as just holding it up. and giving us some relief there. So, you know, it's a give and take. Also, I do believe you put, you get flow those same positions that Christian was getting.

You know, maybe we get a little bit more out of that. Yeah. You know, I mean, at, at some point, we're going to have to, like, sit back and counterattack, you know, when the actual FIFA World Cup starts and we get into one of these knockout matches or whatever.

And I just want to see Flo unleashed against one of these one of these big nations you know as soon as we get the ball going other way big boot out from you know whoever tantestan Tim Ream

whoever the hell and Flo just running on to him and causing complete havoc man I can't wait because you know you know Christian's going to join him with alacrity he'll be there

he'll be there so and you know Flo almost had a very nice assistance in this match as well a little chipped cross from the left wing into Accluush, I think.

Aclius, you tried to, like, side volley it and kind of got it wrong. But... Accleu is a fun player to watch. He's always doing something. Okay, so that's Ballo. It looks like maybe if Pat is actually really badly hurt, then it's just Ballo, right? peppy and it's the decision becomes a lot easier um yeah yeah which i mean that was that was kind of my thinking going into the before haji was injured or whatever and you know big pat did do some

things you know the the dunk attempt uh that was you know almost an assist or whatever yeah could have been an assist in the belgium game and then that nice move along the inline in the in the Portugal game, you know, he gave me something to think about. But, you know, injury is a cool, cool mistress in it. That's right. Is Sergeant giving you anything to think about with his game winner for Toronto? Finally gets on the board there. Dude missed a sitter early in the game and, you know, had a shot blocked off his foot in the second half that he, that was a pretty good chance.

and then his team's down to zero, red cards on both sides. They come back, equalize on a just hilarious Zach Stephan own goal. And then, oh, man, hold on. Did you see it? Hold on. How happy you brought this up, because I didn't mean to talk about this on the show. It's like all Josh needed was a game against Zach Stephan to bring the juice back. Bro, I had completely, I forgot about this and between the time that it happened.

and now, man, what a soccer player, bro. What a soccer, what a gift. What a gift of the game of soccer, Zach Stephan is. What was that a, it was a passback? He thought it was a passback. Maybe it was. He tries to receive it on the volley with his left foot, and it just goes right in, right into the goal.

Like, with the trademark, Zach Stephan casualness, you know what I'm saying? Like, I'm just a ball of like that. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? When he gets that look at his eye, man, it's time to run for the hills. Right. Right. It's like, Zach, you are ass, bro.

Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, lock in, bro. Lock in. You're not like that. You're trying to just stick his foot out. You know what I mean? Yeah. You know what I'm saying?

Like, I don't know. It's almost as if, like, it was like me trying to do it or something. Like, oh, come on, bro. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, it's a good idea. But you need to, you need, like, another. their thousand hours. Right.

Nobody around him. Like, you know, just that I wish everyone could have the same amount of confidence in themselves as Zach Steffin has in his self. But like, you know, he had plenty of time to bring his, like, body over. He could have chested the ball down. You know what I'm saying? So I guess we're saying that he couldn't touch the ball with his hands, right? I think that is a little unclear.

Okay. But even if he did think, even if he was thinking that, he had plenty of time to just get his body in front of the ball. Yeah. But instead, he was like, let me show you, let me give you all the techers right here, you know what I'm saying? He wanted to show off his techers. Zach Stephan in gold, baby.

Y'all don't even know. Y'all don't even know, you know what I'm saying? I don't fell out of the good grace of the national team and all the different type of stuff, but just to let y'all know I'm still here. And he let, he let everyone know the Zach Stephan is in fact still here, man. He let me know, you know, he had kind of gotten out of my frame of, you know, just kind of paying attention to him, but he announced his presence. He announced his presence. And despite all the other funny through lines that we try to create and follow with regards to the

U.S. men's national team on this podcast and the things that I've successfully made happen, you know what I'm saying? But I think Zach Steffen is funnier than all of them because he doesn't intend to be funny, man. So that's always the best, the best comedy. He is funny, man. He is. It's, uh. It's not a good scene when he starts to get super casual. But anyway, Josh Sargent winner. Yeah, he scored on a winner. I scored a winner on a header, on a corner kick,

just a strong sort of textbook header down to the far post. So, I mean, good to see that he's showing that he can score goals. I mean, the first one, the sitter was like a sitter. It was a blocked shot that he was the first to get to, so good on him for that. but he could have put it anywhere in the goal and it goes in and he just he hits it to the side. I mean, the goal was open. The goalkeeper was on the ground. So anyway, Sergeant maybe has a lifeline now for a World Cup roster spot if Big Pat is badly hurt, which it seems like he is.

He needs another injury. Right. I'm just saying the door is a jar. Probably does need another injury, though. Fair, fair. He probably needs two injuries. Two more? I think Posh might be cheeky Brian White. Yeah, I guess that could be.

Let's take a little break and then come back and talk. We got Tillman to talk about, I mean, there's actually not that much to say about Tillman, but he's in the notes here. R.S.L, San Jose. We'll be back in a second. All right, we're back. So next thing we got to cover is Malik Tillman scored a goal and a 6-3 win for Bayer Leverkusen. Unfortunately, he didn't come on until the 86th minute and got his goal in stoppage time. And it was all brought to you by Poku, that left winger, beats two guys,

looked a little bit like Big Pat coming up that end line and slipped it back for what Big Pat did against Portugal. You know? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. It was a little bit, it was a little bit more than what Big Pat did. Just push it, a little pushes it back to Tillman. Tillman meets it up with the side foot and just hammers it in. Yeah.

Yeah. You probably were reacting to my face, but I was thinking to myself, it had nothing to do with you liking Poku to Big Pat. I was just thinking to myself, what if we see zero American starts in this, on this European trip? I mean, I was going through my head. I'm like, we can count on, you know who we can count on? You know who you can count on? That's right, brother.

Yeah. That's right. And Raina did get on the field this weekend. I didn't, I didn't take the time to check in on that, but. He almost, he could have had an assist. Okay. Could have had an assist from the left side of the box, just a little square pass across the box that a bunch of a bunch of Gladbachataka

attacker ran on to, kind of met it with his left foot, drew a nice save down to the goalkeeper's right, I want to say. Okay. But yeah, it was a good chance. It was a good chance. All right. Well, that's good. So he didn't do much for the U.S. in the last window, but maybe he'll pick it back up

with club. He's getting more minutes than he was getting, you know what I'm saying? More than zero. Yeah. we're off to a good start. He doesn't need to knee it out. He's one of those ones. Anybody else who doesn't need to knee it out?

Josh Sargent, he doesn't. He needs to play for a speed. Diego Luna. Speaking of which, speaking of which, Ray Al Salt Lake, giving us a lot to talk about these days. So Luna scores with his left foot against sporting KC. receives it between the lines, dribbles at the top of the box, shifts onto his left foot, and then wrong foot's pull scamp,

down to the corner, the near corner. You're saying this is bad goalkeeping? I'm on Bulls camp, bro. At first I thought it bounced more times than it did when I watched it the first time. A solid two bounces. I would like for you to get over there. If I was sporting KC fan. It wasn't hit with Venom, that's for sure.

Yeah. However Gozo's was, Oh, yeah. Dude, Gozo's goal, that was a delight. Yeah. He gets a cut back just outside the box on the right side and kind of flips it up with his first touch and steps right. I mean, like he met every, like he met every iota of this,

flips it up and just steps into it, follies it. We don't, it's, you know, it's the Apple TV MLS tax where you never get the, you never get the, You never get the angle from behind the shooter. You never did. But the HD is crisp, though. What? I said, but the HD is crisp.

Yeah, it's crisp HD, but never, they will never give you a straight-on angle of a shot at the far post. So we don't know exactly how much out in action there was on it, but it looked like quite a bit. Gorgeous, gorgeous hit. And then a friend of the pod of Marcus Schreve, thinks he should be in the World Cup roster ahead of Brennan Aronson. Look, I'm not going to call it here or there.

I've watched quite a bit as Xavier Gozo. And, yeah, I mean, look, there's a dirt of Wingers. So if he is included, I'd be like, okay. And I'm not here to say he's ass and none like that. Nothing like that. That everybody's getting fooled by the goals. None of that nature. I'm excited about the man.

I think he's a good soccer player right now. Is he better than Brendan Aronson? I don't know. Like, he's not, it's not cheat code level in MLS quite yet. I guess that's what I would say. But it does seem like I, it does seem like he's getting better and better every week. You know, like, he's increasingly going crazy and crazier each week. So maybe.

By the time, by the time we get to that World Cup. selection time, you know, while he's running for averts or everybody else kneeling it out, maybe. Maybe. I think it's more, it's less clear cut than probably most people would think it is. Because, like, what are you going to get from Brenda? You're going to get somebody who harasses people against the ball. We know what we're going to get.

It's not that much. Could we get it? Could we get something extra out of Gozo? Like, could we get, could he come into the World Cup and play like D'Andre Yedlin in 2014, where he has no idea what the occasion is? But he was, and as a result, he was pretty effective. I remember when Yedlund would come on as a sub, I would be like, dude, this guy is good. Like, he'd just be running up and down that wing, going past people.

It's one of the things I remember as well, even though I was a casual at that time. but as a college student I had plenty of time to lock into the World Cup Yedlin stuck out in that in that tournament for us he did he did for especially for a man that doesn't know what the hell he's looking at maybe that was me too I don't know I so I mean there's just a little bit of that you lack fear because you lack knowledge and maybe that helps you I mean look

as far as replacing the man who made that move on the inline against Portugal with somebody who could potentially make that move on the in line against a soccer team. Maybe Zavirgozo fits right in there. Yeah, it's not happening. It's not happening.

I'd probably not happening. I'd probably say definitely not. But, you know, Aloko, man, he can pull a rabbit out the hat, brother. Yeah, well, let's see who else? Yeah, I guess Sergeant Gozo See a little Like a tiny pinprick of light at the end of the tunnel

Maybe I just wouldn't I just wouldn't be mad at it You know, if it did happen Now maybe Yeah, maybe it's Brennan Ersson I mean at this point Potscher's shown he don't rate Brennan Erson So

You know Whether your feelings about Brennan Erison As a player are positive Negative whatever. I don't think it's crazy to say if you want Gozo on a squad, like, hey, bring him over Ben and Erison.

Because at this point, Benin Arison to Potsches is Corey Barrett. You know what I'm saying? So, you know, it, somebody got to be left off. And, yeah, we're probably going to, the person whose spot can be taken is the person who barely plays for the man.

Right. But maybe you want to say, you want throw G.R. Raina in there, based on this last window, I don't know. I don't know, whatever, but I do think I'm not mad at it, man. I'm not mad at it. It'd be hard to be mad at anything outside of the top 12 or 13, I feel like. Basically.

I mean, I wouldn't be mad if Austin Trustee comes to the World Cup. I wouldn't be mad if he doesn't. I would be mad if I would be a little mad if Gio Raina doesn't make the World Cup roster. even despite his invisibility act this past window. Yeah. I understand where you're coming from. Thank you. Thank you, brother.

On the subject of MLS youths putting in good performances, Nico Shakiris got a brace for San Jose. Who did they beat? San Diego. Beat San Diego. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. They ran them out the gym. I was supposed to be a good game.

Yeah. What, Dua got a red card? Yeah, and they also passed it backwards into a two-on-one for Shakurus to end up with it going at the near post. Got a defender on his right shoulder, and he just roofs it, smashes it past the goalkeeper. This is a really nice finish. And then they give him the, and then they give him the penalty on the next one. So two goals for him. Bruce Arena and the quakes are 5.0 and 1.

That's five wins, no losses, and a draw. Bro, he's really him. They've only conceded one goal all season. Bruce's really that guy, bro. And, you know, I had to think about the fact that I said we needed more Bruce's on the pod when I remembered the fact that, you know, he left his last job in MLS under dubious circumstances. Yeah. A cloud of

A cloud of Quasi scandal Yeah so I mean Not that I'd take it back But yeah you know Whatever whatever I reserve the right To potentially take that back

Upon more information coming out But I just like He's that damn guy bro As far as like Soccer coaches in America You know You get this new up and coming Um

Just Mikey Varis or whatever Bruce just puts him down over his knee, gives him pat on the butt. You know what I'm saying? Bruce been around, like. Mikey's all into like, like, meditation and, you know, player-centered practice planning and all that stuff. And Bruce comes in, he's like, what, let me get, let me dust off my old lacrosse books, you know. And then he just wins.

It just smacks people, bro. Like, the rev job, like he took over for, what was that, Casey Keller? No, that wasn't Casey. Kelly was the other dude, right? Brad Friedel. Brad Friedel. They look like. But it takes over Brad Friedel and instantly they're good.

Takes over the quakes, long known as just a ass MLS franchise and at least for as long as I've been around. Boom. They're winning. No problem. It's like this man don't even. I know, I know. It's funny because he says like he says kind of.

of what he, whatever he wants to say in interviews to. Yeah. Like one of the, I forget if it was in Sanjay's interview for us or if it was in another one. Somebody asked him, what's different about this year? And his answers, we got rid of a bunch of guys. Oh, yeah, that was Sanjay's interview. That was Sanchez. Yeah.

And then he like, he's like, you know, none of them was a bad person or anything, but, you know, basically addition by subtraction. And that's exactly what he said to. Yeah. It's like, you know, his MLS tries to get more. cosmopolitan, whatever you, you know, we're shifting to the European calendar by they try to kind of... Yeah.

I mean, I don't want to say, I was going to say, remove themselves from everything that kind of made American soccer, American soccer. I don't want to go that far. I don't think that's the case necessarily. But, you know, trying to be on that global scale or whatever, they could potentially have them reach being what their goal, their said goal of being one of the top soccer leagues the world or whatever. As a nation submitting to multilateral process.

Right, right, right, right. Right. Like finally bending the knee kind of thing. But even as all that happens, that we scour the globe for all these prospects or whatever, people that can raise a level of MLS and on the coaching side and the playing side of like or whatever, Bruce Arena.

He's like, let me see those Duke Blue Devils and the Indiana Hoosiers. You know, let me get... Have you coached in the ACC brothers? You know what I'm saying? I have. I have. So let me give you...

Yeah, man. It's amazing to me. Just like, yeah. This is totally speculative, but... Whenever, when I think about his effect on a locker room, it makes me think of Ulysses Grant. And I don't know if I've said this on the podcast before, but the... One of the most interesting things about... his biography for me, the Ron Churnow one,

is how he comes in, he would come in, you know, he was basically an alcoholic, totally disgraced, selling firewood on the streets of St. Louis when the Civil War started. And he volunteered, and because he was already a officer, you know, he got like a place of some authority, and he would show up at his first camp, like took the train to Southern Illinois, Illinois, where the Union soldiers were mustering.

And apparently every time he showed up in a camp, he just immediately brought, like, calm and order and espreedecore. Like, the men loved him because he wasn't, he wasn't like a fancy general, you know, he was a real, he was a real man. And he just, he just had this knack for, like, getting everybody sort of on the same page and getting things to sort of start to run smoothly. everywhere he went. And I do wonder if there's some parallels there between Bruce and Elyssie. Yeah, bro, because when you hear Bruce talk about it,

it's like, I'm not doing nothing. Right. This isn't that complicated. That's how he looks at it, right? And I would assume Grant was the same thing. Yeah. Get out of you.

Jesse Marsh with complicated wardrobe. You know, just just. Complicated wardrobe. Just simplify it, fellas, you know? Yeah. Yeah.

Anyway, 5'0 and 1, behind only L-AFC in the West. At Letty lost 2-1 to Barcelona. Obid Vargas started. Johnny missed it with a muscle, some kind of muscle strain. And there's some, I don't know if these are reputable sources

or whatever. but some people out of Madrid reporting that basically Johnny's camp and Johnny are like upset with Potch or kind of upset with Potch in the conditions of I don't know training for the U.S. Mids National Team

because they're very intense or something and it kind of insinuated that maybe I don't know he was forced to do something he didn't want to do I don't know I'll just wah wah this is the thing don't quote me on this

I just read it on Elon Musk's internet. Yeah. X everything up. I mean, he did get recalled. He did not play over the weekend. If he's, you know, if he's a little too worried about working too hard in camp, then, you know, maybe that's the answer to Pocneeds from him. You can't do it out for Diego Simeone.

He what? You can't need it out for Diego Simeone. No, you can't. That's not a possibility. It's not possible. He did a promising window, too. A promising, you know, opening half against Belgium. Controversial to some, I've heard, but I thought so too.

Well, you and I are biased by watching the games, you know? All right, I think this is going to be kind of a short Monday review, but I think that's it for the day. A few things coming up. Well, Vince and I are going to Germany a week from Friday, and we'll record some stuff from there, including with the head of Baruchia-Munch and Gladbach's International Academy. I'm going to interview him.

They're kind of like the thing where they sort of, I don't know if this is the right word, but franchise out the Gladbach name to different academies around the world. Got something cooking with Anise Mersey, who is the head of 703 Warriors, which is a free grassroots soccer program in the D.C. area. I want to get into the science of accessible youth soccer. The science of quality accessible youth soccer, which he is sort of deep in. And then a couple authors of USMNT books.

Probably going to be on the pod soon. So lots coming up. If you want to skip the ads, join the Patreon. Link is in the show notes. We'll see you.