Scuffed | USMNT, World Cup, Yanks Abroad, futbol in America - #711: Spain wins, USMNT starts new chapter

Episode Date: July 20, 2026

Some exploration of what Spain's triumph means, who the US should emulate, rumination on by far the most-attended World Cup ever, Balogun to Klutch Sports, and a rundown of what's coming for the USMNT. Vince, Sanjay and Belz on the mics. Skip the ads! Subscribe to Scuffed on Patreon and get all episodes ad-free, plus 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: https://www.patreon.com/scuffedCheck out our store, where you can get Scuffed hats and sweatshirts and other stuff: scuffedpodcast.com/storeAlso, 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.scuffedpodcast.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. Hey, everybody, we are on to the next chapter in American Soccer, the 2026 World Cup, has come to an end. Spain, beat Argentina 1 to 0 yesterday. How are you all doing? Vince, how are you? For one last time for Adam Bell's

Sanjay Susan after Kumar, let me go and hit that. One last time for the people. Oh, eh, oh, away, oh, let's go. We're the champion. That's right. That's right. If you watch the closing ceremony, you got to see my boy, I shall speed perform his hit that's taken over this podcast at the very least.

Champions taken over amongst the youth of America if my kids are any indication. You know what I'm saying? That refrain that's rung in my head from the very moment I heard the song for the first time. Because this is the World Cup. put your flags up in the air put your hands up in the air that's right brother your voice is pretty good

do you sing once in fun time um no you know I was in your dad is a famous semi-famous musician I mean come on semi-famous me I mean yes

he is a musician my mom can actually sing you know so I picked up a little bit I can sing like in harmony I can carry a tune you know type of thing jeans, yeah. Similar to Adam Bells.

You know, you put me on a, I'm not a soloist. You have me, you got me doing all different types of things, different types of octaves, whatever, I'm not carrying that. But anyway, World Cup, it came, it went, and it was a good time. It delivered. Did it ever, yeah. Speed was moving like Michael Jackson, too.

I, like, forgot he was performing. I forgot he was, that was even happening. And then I was like, you know, I was there, but that was, like, it was a halftime show. material, but it happened and it was a sight to see. Yeah, choreography, all that. Yeah, man. Speed did it big, man.

He was feeling himself, yeah. And whether or not this was like a plan or not, because like the way he did it, like, it probably was like FIFA sanctioned from the very beginning, but it was like he released that himself and like two days later, you know, FIFA's like in his DMs and like, oh, you want to make this an official song, which, you know, it's probably all the ruse. but yeah look at that that that's the real american anthem for this american world cup i show speed um who you know i talked about my kids knowing uh lemine yamall um he's the reason why you know the biggest probably biggest soccer influencer in the in the nation from Cincinnati Ohio

you know what I'm saying right down the street for me right now yeah modern American dream What would a... That's right, brother. What a time? He's like a household name. It's so ridiculous. You get you a camera, get you a mic. That's crazy.

You give 110% energy the whole time. Yeah, but he's a soccer guy. We'll take him. We'll take all hell we can get. Okay, so yeah, congratulations to I shall speed for many things that he's accomplished over the last few years. Spain, a bunch of B plus athletes just dominated the field at the World Cup. I mean, what, 20 shots to zero, 15 minutes into stoppage time against Argentina, a team that took down all comers. It's interesting to me that, you know, a World Cup just full of drama, drama every, almost every day for the first 25 days, just won by a team that sucks the drama out of the game completely.

It's a final, right? But they did it against everybody, you know? Yeah. Did you see the way that when it dawned on the France players, like 80 minutes in, like we're just not going to be able to do it today? Like we can't do it. We can't get it done. And just seeing them their faces fall.

It was great. Same thing happened to Argentina. Exactly. Exactly. It felt inevitable, right? Yeah. Yeah. Because that's the thing.

Like, Sanjay, you talked about, you know, it being a final as far as like the game being a little cagey or whatever. but it wasn't just like both teams filling each other out or whatever like Argentina was unable to do any feeling brother yeah you know Spain they couldn't get their hands out of their pockets they can Spain carried all the proceedings and you know it's Argentina team as I don't know as much as they kind of seem like a team of destiny because of the way of the Pee Bay and their gritty resolve that they showed to get to the final or whatever, scoring all these late goals or whatever, whatever, whatever.

They just very clearly, to me, weren't that good of a team in this World Cup. Like, it was always, for me, it just always seemed like they would just read, they would butt their head up against a brick wall, a brick wall at some point. Brick wall probably should have been England. Yeah. If Thomas Tuchel doesn't just completely turtle show. up for absolutely no reason. You know, I mean, you don't have to turtle shell against a team that start Nico Gonzalez

at left wing. You know what I'm saying? Like, if you have followed the exploits of Western McKinney in the same way that I have, you saw Nico Gonzalez at Juventus and you know that he put up similar stats to Timway when he, Timway is one season at Juventus. You know what I'm saying? He's kind of that level of player, bro, in his sense. It's like, you know, you don't need to show them that much difference, deference, as you did.

And if I was an English, English man, I'd be very, I'd be sick. I was talking to my family after I got back last night and we were all, like, my English family was visiting. And we agree this was their shot to get to a final, maybe even steal the game yesterday. One thing on that real quick, because I think it's just good to analyze in terms of, how games like that go. Argentina, sorry, England could have hedged.

I tweeted this. This is a Monday morning quarterbacking. I tweeted this soon after they took the lead. Like, they could have put Rashford on and had an out ball, had a transition threat, going at two centerbacks on yellow cards. But instead they just made all these defensive changes.

And after Argentina equalized, they were cooked, right? So I think in those situations, people are going to blame the English mentality, but coaches can do more. and should do more there to be, you know, proactive. Yeah, it just brings it back to my point. It's like you saw the cracks in Argentina.

And England just got scared. Because Argentina wasn't going to put them to the sword unless England let them put them to the sword and kind of pack them in in a way because you're, you know, you just submit and turtle up into a defensive posture just by default based on the subs you made. So, but anyway. best team won, right?

The best team won. This is not to downplay Argentina completely, because obviously they got to the World Cup final. But, yeah, you know, Nico Gonzalez is on the pitch. Another player who we should be pretty familiar with, if you follow the exploits of Americans. Nico Tagliafico on that pitch. But he was awesome.

He was awesome in the World Cup. I mean, it's like they just play better for their, national team than they do for their clubs. Mr. Ra Rarigo DePaul, who MLS watchers tell me he's washed. He gets done up by MLS midfielders every week. That's what they tell me. I do

not watch. But on that pitch, you know, it was just one of those things where it's going to, they were just going to reach a breaking point. You can only you can only rah-rah sisk him behind you know, white supremacies.

Only so much. They didn't cover themselves in glory at the final whistle either. Obviously, everybody knows that. Lots of sore losering going on out there from Argentina. Completely classless. And ignoring the media after, that's... Those people to wait in such a long line getting there and then waiting hours after the game to talk to them.

That's ridiculous. But we did get an AI video of Lemieux Mall giving Lino Messia a bath, which is really wonderful stuff, you know. Yeah. You know, that does bring up the point. Like, the after game stuff is like whatever. I mean, you saw the fight with Paredes, though. Leandro Paredes, I mean, he's like a good player.

But he came on to the pitch yesterday at halftime to do nothing but, like, kick people, which was crazy. Like, he was wilding the entire time he was on the, feel like I want to say like two kind of crazy foul within the first 10 minutes of him being on the pitch they looked a little bit better for like two minutes but then it also just remained the case that they still don't have any with you know they game was just screaming out for an hell d maria man well one of my favorite players yeah from this past era yeah they needed a spark they don't really have pace anyway yeah it's something yeah and once again just you need somebody If you're going to have people out on that touchline,

you need somebody that can just hold it down that can just be a presence on the ball, you know, stand on it, hold court. You know, it can just hold court. Give me a Luca Baccio, man. Give me a Luca Baccio on the wink. Stand on it.

Dude, it's a combination. Beat somebody. You know, somebody that can just, that a defender is not just going to be like, oh, he got the ball. I don't really respect him. I'm going to crowd him out immediately. You know, like, I'm on you.

Like, why don't write somebody? dare you to try and like beat me to the inline for pace or like do a one two by me whatever you you can't because as soon as i get close to you you're just um you're shaking because you know you're not that good that type of thing um yeah because if you remember that final from 22 before messy really turned up before imbapé really turned up it was the an hell d maria show um before france really turned up at all in in that game you know he was going crazy uh so you know not not the not the best game, but an incredible tournament, without a doubt, for the game here. Shout out to New Jersey, East Rutherford, the Meadowlands now on the map of World Cup final hosts.

Football Heritage. Yeah. Yeah, it was just... We don't shout out. We don't shout out New Jersey enough on this podcast. We need to do it more. We really don't. A lot of slander.

Maybe we get the lieutenant governor on. But really just incredible to witness the way Spain control the game and control the pitch so harmoniously on an occasion like that. It's clearly, we'll talk about the identities of national teams in a bit here. But they've clearly figured it out, right, in terms of individual and collective development. I think we all thought the, you know, Tiki Taka, Barsa, Pett, Argoniz, like, the Bosca era, was just kind of like going to come and, not come and go, but we thought that was, you know, peak, and that's when they'd rule the world and things are cyclical. But their players are fantastic and their understanding is really incredible to watch in person.

Like, they're playing another sport. It's a completely different sport than what our national team is playing. And it might stay that way for... That doesn't mean we can't beat them on a given day. We've shown we can. 2009. But, yeah, they're a different level. Yeah, it's a different category of thing that they're doing than what we're doing.

And yeah, we're talking 50 years, you know, 50 years is what's going to take for us to get to that level, I think. It was a common Fox talking point. that Spain doesn't have a team or Spain doesn't have a star, the team is the star kind of thing. And I just want to say, like, you know, Lemine did probably have, for his standards, an unremarkable tournament.

Absolutely for his standards, an unremarkable tournament. But that's the type of thing you say when a midfielder is a star of your team, specifically a defensive midfielder. You know, the team's a star. But you watch Rodry play ball, man. Dude.

Come on. man. Dude is incredible. Rodri. Rodri Mehdi. Yeah. He handles everything so easily and is in position to handle everything, including Odomendi's ridiculous complaint at the end of the game that they were, that it was him and Laporte talking about the refs before the game that resulted in Argentina's lost. Yeah, Roderie, unbelievable. Lameen is the biggest star in the World Cup outside of Messi and Ronaldo. So yeah, it's kind of silly to say that a team without a star. Yeah, he did,

LeMine had, by his standards, an unremarkable tournament. He's still deeply influential, making the difference in lots of different ways for Spain throughout the tournament. So, yeah. I mean, even the stuff he just does casually, like when he got that. kind of long ball and he just drug it along with them along the right touchline before it without having a break stride and even like picked up speed as he was you know corral on this ball to get busy out there on the right way you know it's just one more thing on their dominance because we're talking about you know their midfield and and their star forward and it's not that's not to say they're not part of this defensive effort but one goal in eight games and seven shutouts

I'm not mistaken. Damn. It's unreal. Yeah, that's some Sandy Kofax type numbers there. I just want to mention one other thing about Spain. 15 of their players on this 26th player roster play for three clubs. Barcelona, Athletico Madrid, and Athletic Bilbao. And I think that's an advantage to, a lot at, obviously a lot at Barcelona.

Only one from Real Madrid is Kukorea. who is just what a what a complicated man he is just like the paradox of his ridiculous looking hair and his absolute ruthlessness on the field you know his hair's like flopping around

it looks so silly but he is so serious yeah about winning soccer games bro i remember when he was at ibar because like he was in ibar i want to say maybe like that 2018 season after I first really started locking in when I was watching like every soccer game available on television you know what I'm saying uh yeah so I've kind of been just following his career from there

and uh yeah he's a he's a dog bro yeah he's a dog that's the thing he's like he looks like he's not a dog but he's a dog yeah I can't get that I see it's like the cat meme it's literally a cat meme that's what he is online can't get out of my head Yeah, it's funny When you see Pal Q Barsi, you see his face? You know, I was at a birthday party yesterday watching this World Cup game, one of my daughter's softball teammates.

And we were planning on leaving at three, but then, you know, a lot of the birthday stuff hadn't happened. I didn't want to rip her away, so I was preparing to pull it up on phone. I was going to watch it. But then they were like, oh, we're going to turn the game on the living room, you know, come inside, whatever. So watch it there.

and with like a whole bunch of soccer illiterate people I guess but when Palkyubar there were like two or three things that stuck with me Palki Barsi coming up on the screen everybody was like oh he's a baby that was one when they heard the last name McAllister as referenced for an Argentina player that got a remark for the people as well yeah that was funny But I also had to explain off-sides to them as well for that last called off Torres goal. Yeah. It was a close one.

Just real quick, because we kind of brushed by the Argentina class list thing, you know, they skipped out on the press. And I didn't make this connection until you said it. They skipped out on the press. And then I think I saw on social media the front page of like an Argentine newspaper. and they were basically like these boys showed so much class and resolve on the pitch there. They really showed the way, like, you know, they were talking up the,

I mean, in their opinion, Argentina and their football team showed the most class on the pitch. And it's, you know, it's kind of crazy when you say, I assume from that newspaper, somebody was there to cover that World Cup final and they got spurned and this is still the headline you put out. You know what I'm saying? That's the kind of cult we're dealing with when you refer to

Argentina soccer. You know what I'm saying that just... I don't know we're talking about the same one but I saw something, some newspaper framed it as like showing the range of their emotions or something. You know and it's like that's one way to put it. Yeah. But

yeah, it's on it. It's funny because like there's obviously this people wanted to see as he win, he won. And now there's still reverence for him. Like, it was so sad seeing him cry after the game. I think I touched any fan of this sport, but also just like the animosity at this point towards their team

and their culture, their fans. Real quick, right. This is Argentine newspaper. It's probably pronounced Claritin. As never before, the Argentine team displayed both on and off the field, a range of values that are rare these days. From the pitch and beyond, they gave several lessons and showed the face of a country that we would like to see away from the football pitch, a team that was polite and respectful,

despite a few unfortunate isolated incidents in the last match. That didn't speak ill of its rivals or try to justify its own mistakes by blaming others. How do we create that kind of cult mentality? It's tough to compete against. Let's talk about, while we're talking about, you know, these other countries, I want to get into the footballing identity of teams. There's been so much discourse about what we can learn from going back to, you know, Spain, 2010, and then Germany won. A lot of people were like, wait a second, you know, Germany, we can maybe emulate them much better than we can do with Spain. And then now more recently with France producing these incredible forwards and, you know, superstars and amazing athletes too.

I've heard like, oh, yeah, you know, if our best athletes played, we could be something like France. And then, um, see, I think, see, I think what's, one thing that's interesting about this final is that it undercuts the what if our best athletes played soccer thing, you know. Um, it does. Everything else that undercuts it, of course. It does. So I just said along with everything else that undercuts. Yeah, everything undercuts.

But like, but like you got, uh, in this game, I think pretty clear. I mean, you could argue about two, two goals decisions in the semifinal, which I think is totally fair. But you have the best team very clearly in Spain and arguably the second best team in Argentina. and no athletes really except for nobody nobody who pops off the screen as an athlete except Leonel Messi and who is now 39 and Laminia Mall. And I guess I'm curious where you're going to go with it,

like who we should emulate and how we should emulate them. But I think Spain gives us a vision that is more about football than it is about anything else. You know, and do we want to, do we have the capacity to emulate Spain? Do we have the patience? I don't know. Yeah, I just, well, first off, they're not like, you know, they don't pop out, they don't stand out as athletes maybe in the way we think about them, but there's the baseline level of athleticism is still high, right, for all those guys

in the pitch. I don't want to, yeah. I don't want to lose sight of that. And then, too, no, I mean, I wasn't really going with a particular country to, to try and model ourselves off of. We're kind of, you know, figuring this thing out as we, as we, what's saying, like, you're, we're doing this on the fly, right? We're building it as we, as we go.

I think if we had more, I've talked about this before, it's more about socioeconomics for me and culture than it is, you know, the biggest, strongest, fastest guys. If we had a bigger pool of athletes playing out, I do think we'd be better off. Sure. thinking about France, I read a lot about how they have a diverse group of players in terms of like their, you know, their backgrounds and their footballing influences as they grew up. And their team is kind of like just putting that together. Right. But I do think there's a big contrast between that and the way Spain came, not necessarily in like a homogenous way, but you know what I mean? They have a distinct identity in terms of the kind of player they want and how they want to play together. And that's, That makes you think about it. Because for the longest time, I've been thinking, yeah, everyone talks about like a game model that we should have and a style of play collectively and a certain type of player we should want

to develop. But I thought our diversity was our strength. And, you know, we can get players from all different parts of the country, all different backgrounds, different football upbringings and put them together at a certain point and make a great team out of it. But watching what Spain just did, you know, it makes you wonder. Like, just how dominant they were against a team like France, regardless of talent and athleticism, that makes you think.

I mean, it does, like, of those 15 who play for the three clubs, I think nine of them play for Barcelona. So that is just to back up your point. It's a sort of unity, ideological unity, and development unity there that I don't think we can't replicate, really. You know, it's not possible for. Russ. I mean, but what?

They have, they have three starters yesterday that play for Barcelona. You know what I'm saying? Like, I mean, it's not just Barcelona.

Key players. Key players have come off to that's like, Fair on Torres. Go ahead. Right, right. Fair, fair.

But, you know, I can't, I don't want to necessarily give the, the credit to that necessarily. I mean, it's a factor.

It's a factor, of course. But, you know, it's like, they it's a little bit more than that it is it is it's also a little bit of luck like um do they win this tournament without laminia mall i don't think so i don't think they i think they're i don't think they would lack something important without him yeah so there's like a little bit of luck there just like you know have perhaps having a generational talent yeah you do need a superstar right

all those teams I named do have arguably other than maybe Germany 2014 all these other top teams that we think of have a absolute top tier superstar yeah and just even even one more thing on Yamal despite his despite not scoring any goals in this tournament which I think we all know is not necessarily the metric that we should be looking at but just to see him go face to face with Jeremy Doku and without breaking a sweat better him

I'm like that isn't that was insane that was insane to watch those two go at each other and yamol I mean I think everybody agrees right yamall came out on the better end of that that's uh that's a superstar right there you know somebody who can just

face somebody like jeremy doku down and just say no I'm better than you also I do want to I do want to point out the fact you know talk about athleticism with regards to Spain or whatever and just the same point I make with regards to Tanner Testament. By the way, Tannenessman played more minutes at Leon by a significant margin than Nico Tagliophico did at Leon this season. Just to kind of highlight what was on the pitch for Argentina. But, you know, when you got Rodry, Rodry standing 6'3, Fabian Ruiz, 62, like, you know, some large fellow, they got some beef out there on that pitch, brother.

Like Laporte, no-ho also. It's like they were able to keep up while the game kind of transitioned. And you would have thought that maybe all this like go-go-go-go-pacing powerball would have left them behind. But no. Yeah. You know, they like, you know what? Just give us our biggest lads. I mean, you know, Bousquet's not a small lad either.

But, you know, we're going to turn them into footballers, man. And we're going to be able to control the game because everybody on the pitch is just going to be able to use a basketball turn, you know, kind of pass dribbleshoot, received in any space situation turn and just find another pass. calmly. Such like an assured ball security that allows everyone to move. They make it look easy. They make really difficult stuff

look easy and boring, you know, possess, you know, winning the ball off the other team and then just possessing it

every time, not giving it back. It gets kind of boring. It's incredibly difficult to do. They make it look easy. As far as we're concerned, the Americans. I've been, I don't know, I've been thinking a lot about the situation. I was unplugged this whole past week. I was on vacation.

In the Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Nice. Beautiful. Beautiful place. But it, it, number, well, I guess I got a few thoughts. I got a few thoughts. Number one, as the, as the dust has settled, the World Cup is now over. Our flags are not in the air. Hands are not in the air anymore as it stands on. on Monday, July 20th. My disappointment with this team is increasing.

Because, it, I've seen a lot of people say, hey, we just had a bad day. And yes, we had a bad day. But Sanjay, I've been thinking about your point that we had on the post-mortem episode, is that none of our performances against teams of this caliber can lead me to believe that this is just an isolated, that this is just an isolated bad day.

Like, hey, if we roll the ball out again on a different day with less government interference or whatever the hell you want to say, that it would have went better. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, we've played, we have no taxidermied deer antler heads on the wall for this generation. None.

Zero. We've played a lot of teens, bro. We don't play. like we got one signature performance that was England in the 2020 World Cup a nil-nil draw that's it

so it's like when you see this match and you see how we got busted it's just like yes I'm probably inclined to say that it was just a bad day and that maybe the game should have been like a two-nill or whatever a solid two-nil where we got thoroughly embarrassed though

like similar to the final in a way almost for Argentina. But for Argentina, they can draw off, hey, we won this last World Cup, we've beaten a ton of teams, we won the Copa America, etc.

For us, it's like, I have nothing to go back to to support this was a bad day. Let me just wash it away and just wash my hands of this game and move forward. Like, no.

We have not proven that we can really beat one of these. We have not proven that we can beat one of these teams. And in Seattle, with the biggest partisan, U.S. partisan crowd that you are ever going to have

until maybe the next World Cup, it's not going to happen in the Nation's League. It's not going to happen in Copa America. If we get it, it's not going to happen in a Gold Cup. I don't think. It's not going to happen at the next World Cup either because it's the next World Cup going to be in Spain. Right, right, right. I'm talking about, you know,

we get a U.S. one in 20, 38 or whatever okay yeah um yeah we have all these advantages whatever and we come in and we lay that egg yeah it's like you know i've i've kind of went through this whole little cycle between 2022 and now just kind of i mean not excusing stuff away but it's like i'm just worried about the world cup i don't care i don't care about any drama that's happened i don't care about christian politics giving down the gold cup I don't care about anything. Give me anything. Put it in front of me.

Boom. I am, I'm on to the World Cup, like Bill Belichick or whatever. On the Cincinnati. Right. Now this World Cup has happened. And in the biggest game that this generation has had,

this team has had, we pee-ped and poo-pooed on ourselves. And I just, there's just no way to sugar-coated or anything for me. It's pathetic. I actually... That's how I was feeling, yeah, like you said,

I made that point on the post-mortem, but the more that I thought about it, the highs of this World Cup, and what this team was capable of, maybe it's extrapolating, but I've actually gotten more optimistic in hindsight about what the team did this summer and what is possible in the future. That being said, there's real pressure now.

Everyone talks about pressure, home world cup, pressure on Christian, these guys, you know, the current players talk about how they put enough pressure on themselves. But now the window is closing. That's what the cycle is, right? it's like, can they keep their window open through the summer 2030? And can enough kids help this quote unquote golden generation realize their potential because, yeah, it clearly has not been realized. Like they're talking, you know, after the tournament ended and we guys are posting online

about this being like the start. It's like, no, we're probably closer to the end for this generation. And the clock is ticking. So, yeah. Yeah. So let's talk about the World Cup itself a little bit. It was the biggest World Cup ever by a long shot. 6.8 million fans attended the, what was it, 104 matches.

The previous record was 3.6 million. So it's nearly double. And that was set in 1994, also in the USA. So when we talk about a 2038 World Cup in America, I don't think it's that crazy that FIFA will want to bring it back as quick as they can. It's just everything else pales in comparison in terms of making money, which is pretty important to FIFA. Average attendance at the games was 65,490, 99% capacity.

That compares to 68,991 and 1994, so it's second place. should also add real quick it's not just about them wanting to make a buck like technically in accordance with the way they rotate where the World Cup is it is like feasible because the next one is Europe and South America

because they're sprinkling in some South American games for the 100th anniversary of the tournament and then 2034 is Saudi that's Asia so yeah Europe South America and Africa right with Morocco and then 2034 Saudi.

So it would be natural for it to come back to our shores. By the way, it's crazy. England hasn't had one since 1966. We talk about countries that can host a 64 team World Cup because I think we're going to get that pretty soon. He has the infrastructure. Obviously, we do. Most countries may need to combine,

but I think it's nuts that the country that an end of the game hasn't had it that long. I'm not weeping for them, but... I'm not weeping for them, either. I don't... I'm not weeping for them losing to Argentina either. I was full on pulling for the boys from Rikers Island. But, uh, but yeah, Trump said he wants it back immediately while he's around.

Uh, he said, I think it's a great idea, but based on the numbers, we will be requesting it again immediately. And I said, take out the shock. You could announce us and maybe then for the next one, another and even another. But we have to do this again and we have to do it while I'm around. You hear that, Johnny? You said that in an interview with... with ox shout out jenny taft

this was after he got lost on the podium and uh had to be shepherded out of the now this was pretty I think I think it's before yeah but yeah he had his he knew what he was doing there post game um

part of trying to trying to try to get in there on that picture yeah that's that's a cherry on top of our brutal Americanization of this sport over the course of the last five weeks uh everyone's talked

about the hydration breaks, quote unquote hydration. But, you know, we got, we talked about speed. We didn't really talk about the halftime show. There's championship rings, too. So all in all, despite all that, still the best tournament ever. I think a lot of people agree with that. Hey, man, nothing wrong with a championship ring? Not a wrong with championship ring.

The hydration breaks made me upset. That is the main reason why I had to turn the game to Telemundo. Like, look like a soccer match, like the hydration breaks itself. Okay. But a soccer match stopping and then a commercial starting in the middle of a half, that that triggered me in ways that, you know, I don't get triggered often. I was like, I can't have, banging the table. I can't have this, bro.

I can't have this. So Telemundo I went. you know, I mean, it was, it was a little silly as far as, like, you know, hydration breaks and a Mercedes-Benz. Like, what are we doing? But it is what's wrong with the championship ring? What's wrong with a halftime show? What's wrong with our show speed? I mean, the halftime show is too long.

That's too long. It's like, against the rules. Did you all watch the kids were, the kids at the birthday party, I was that was hitting the piñata. I had to go outside for the halftime show. I didn't get to see it. Yeah, I had to hit, I had to go manage the grill or something. I mean, there's something going on during halftime that I didn't, I didn't watch it. You can't really get the noise in the press box, which is one of the annoying things about these NFL stadiums.

So I can really hear the music. I heard a lot of bad feedback on Beaver. But, yeah, I mean, it was obviously, you know, bits and pieces of a lot of big artists. So I just think it was too long. Any, do you want to go any more into who we can learn from and how we can learn from them? Because I do think that's interesting. Well, just real quick, before you go, Sanjay. I do want to say that, I mean, we hit on this in the post-mortem a little bit, but it's just, it's very obvious that, man, we can't, we can't just go into another World Cup relying on 12 players, bro.

12, 13 players. It's just like, bro, it's untenable, bro. We are not getting past around a 16. Well, that's what I mean. In terms of the ceiling for the team, like you need pretty much all of this year's team to stay at their level or close, right? Right.

This current core. And then you need four to five to six kids to come in and give this a real boost, which I do think is possible. And that's just based on who we know of right now, who's on the radar right now. We'll have a whole episode dedicated to that soon for you all about, you know, prospects and whatnot. But I think it's feasible for the next one.

You do look at Spain and they had somebody emerge, make his first team debut for Barcelona at Centerback in 2024, Pao Kubarsi. This man was born in 2007. That's a big difference to have a Powell Kubarsi kind of emerge between the two World Cubs. I don't think we're getting that. Maybe Noki can... We just need people that we can put on the pitch, bro, in a real game. And we didn't have that really in... In 2022, or at least...

Greg did rotate. Like, you know, we played three strikers. Let me think. We put Gio Raina in finally in the second half in the Netherlands, but, like... really, I mean, outside of that, you know, he wasn't comfortable. I mean, we're still not comfortable. I'm not saying this should happen. Not comfortable putting Brendan Harrison on the pitch.

You know, we somehow lost Tim Wea due to right-odomit dominance, mumbo-jum, and everything that transpired as a result of that. You know, it's like, we kind of thought coming into this World Cup, like, hey, we got 11 dudes. And then we also got three, four, five dudes. It's like, you know, that we could put on Johnny injury hurt and Johnny, you know, just continuing to Cardoso, his way through things hurts. Big Pat injury hurt, it seems. I think he probably would have got used in this World Cup. Yeah.

But we just cannot go. Like, once again, Belgium playing against us in the situation that I just described earlier that was primed in theory for a U.S. national team win. And they said, you know what? we're going to slap four or five changes on you all. Because we really don't even respect you like that. They didn't respect us. Yeah.

Like I said on the postmortem, like even when you have the guys, though, it doesn't guarantee anything far from it. There's a lot of, we're in a tier of countries that, there's a bunch of countries that are borderline, like having the amount of guys. But even then, they need a lot to go their way. They need to get lucky on the day to upset, you know, one of these elite teams. I mean, obviously, but I'm just saying. and like just don't expect us to go past around a 16 if we were lying on 11, 12, 13.

You're just saying check this first box first. Yeah, right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Now, I feel you. And the thing is you go into the World Cup thinking, like, well, we have 13 or 14 guys, but the World Cup winnows it down, managers get careful about who they play, and then they settle on 11 or 12 guys. It seems, oh, that's what's happened in the last two World Cups.

We missed Eunice Musa, I think. Could have used him. Could have used Tim Way on the right, like Vince said. But, Bels, going back to what you were getting at in terms of identity, I thought a lot about, when I was writing that player development piece for The Guardian, and one of the people I talked to was Pablo Master Ronnie. He said something that struck me. He said, you know, in 2002, Bruce Arena, like, the team knew their identity.

They were athletes first, and they knew that the technical side of the U.S. would get better over time. but they knew what their strengths were, and they played to that. And now, you know, we were obviously still trying to figure out what we're supposed to be, and we're looking across the pond, seeing, you know, what we can learn, or if we should really try to mirror one of those countries. But it's just like a tough spot to be in. This is all kind of like a circle, right, when you sketch out how you want to develop players and what you're aiming for, right?

Because you need to do that. It's like, well, what's, what's, what's the thing? the end goal here. Spain, Spain doing this is daunting. Same way I said in last episode, like just not having the cultural advantage that other countries have is daunting. Spain proving

their dominance in this way. Like you, I mean, you said 50 years, right? Like, who knows? You can't even put a time a time frame on it. No. But, but yeah, I mean, I definitely think there's something to be said for the athleticism side of our identity.

Pressing, I think, is something that we got out of this summer that maybe is getting lost in, you know, the disappointment of how it ended. Right. I guess partly because when you think about us pressing against any of the teams in the summer finals, you're like, nope, that's not happening. Yeah, but Belgium also, I mean, they beat that by going long, right? and then they won the game on defensive mistakes. So there was just like a softness to us, too,

that is not in agreement with what? The identity of the U.S. has always been meant to be. So we do need to, so what, Potch told a Spanish radio station he'll make a decision on his future this week, this week starting today? We're hoping to know this week. This is a good segue, right? Because Shrundel has been hired as the Olympic coach,

we learned that there was input from, from Potch and his staff, you know, U.S. soccer leadership spoke to reporters the day after the Atlanta semifinal. There were some people down there and we got some coats out of there. So, yeah, like, I was just thinking about Chironville recently and it's like, you know, sure, he's adaptable, he's adaptable, he's versatile, but if someone like that was the coach, you know, more defensive, counter-attacking oriented, does that play better to the strengths of what the pool is going to be when you look at some of the forwards coming up? and yeah I mean

we do need to like Tran be able to do that we gotta have a plan for pop one yeah yeah you talk about uh

ballo leading the line players like Gozo and Albert uh Tillman maybe in like a free 10 role and two solid defenders in front of I mean this is going to come down to the back four and like identifying a centerback or two right That's probably what a lot hinges on.

But I think things are set up well in terms of the squad for that kind of game. Okay. The bigger picture of stuff about identity still. Now we've got to go back to qualifying, right? And now we've got to go back to qualifying, right? And now I've got to conga-calf. So there's that contrast with how the World Cup is going to go. Okay.

But yeah, speaking of... I guess I just don't have a really strong opinion about Potch. Like, if he really wants to stay and believes in it, believes in the project. I guess. I guess I'm okay with it. But if he leaves, I'm not, I don't mind, you know. I've come around to reading more about not just the U.S.,

but a lot of teams and post-mortems, I've come around to what you said about the coach, not mattering all that much. I think it was an enchilade quote that was like, someone who said they can make you 10% better or 30% worse. Like a bad coach can make you that much worse off. So, I mean, England got that 30% discount from old Thomas. I mean, they kind of stayed the same, to be honest, but they kind of are what we thought they were.

Speaking of Angelotti, man, we need Brazil to come back. We need Brazil to re-emerge as a soccer power. We're missing real fast. It's been a minute. The world is. Yeah. I mean, you know, this type of something you can only get with soccer, man. Have you all seen there's like a Catholic versus Protestant argument?

Yeah, they're talking about how like in the 2000s, in the late 90s, early 2000s, they were all womanizers who smoked and drank and they would win the World Cup. And now they're all, now they're all straight-edge Protestants. Get out of the round of 60. I thought this was like a joke at first. I thought it was like meme level, but then no, there's like real. No, it's a serious like national identity thing. People really believe it, but I do think, I've seen people make good points on both sides

as far as like this is BS or this might have legs. But you know, I mean, I don't know. There might be something to it, man. It might be something to it. I mean, when you think of, I mean, when you even apply it to our team, you know, I'm saying. With a team for the Catholics be bothered by the Balagan news, you know, it makes you wonder. It makes you wonder, you know. Yeah, speaking of Balagian. Who's the, who's the, before we move on, though, who's the poster child for Neo-Pentecostalism

on the Brazilian national team? Is Vinny Protestant? Or? I have no idea. He plays like a Catholic. I got to say. I think it's, it's like the young dudes. It's the young dudes. It's, old dude that was at Leon. Oh, Andrick's Protestant. It's like, Indrik, it's old dude at Chelsea. I don't forget their names. That's how

irrelevant to Salasau is nowadays. But it's like the young kids mostly. And then I think even Namar has a bit of that Pentecostalism now or something. Oh, really? butted up with Bolsonaro or something. You know, I've been

I've been diving into some stuff that's above my pre-grade. Some rabbit holes. Yeah, let me stop talking about it. No, man, this is right in my pay grade, so let's just keep going. I'm just kidding. I was really bummed about Brazil and after the U.S. got bounced, or I told myself, you know, when the U.S. gets bounced and I come home, I want to go to Newark and soak in a game with the Brazilian or Portuguese crowd,

cheering on their national team. There's nothing like it. I watched the Euro final. the Ironbound District of Newark in 2016 when Portugal upset France. And that was the most fun I've ever had watching a soccer game. I may have said this before on this podcast. But yeah, both those teams, I mean, Portugal, I think they'll be all right. Brazil.

I don't know what's going on. So it sounds like Namar, Allison, Tiago Silva are Protestants. Protestants, okay. Wow, I did not know that about Namar. But, yeah, I don't know. I know, it's an interesting thing. Because, like, those, that 98-2002 era where they were just, everybody on their team was amazing. Yeah, bro, you're not going to be as freewheeling if you're worried about premarital sex.

When you really think, when you really think about it, bro, think about all the, think about all the missions you went on in the pursuit of premarital sex. Like, all the bad decisions. a lot of failure and working through failure and growth going yeah a lot of development in that you're not going to try stuff in the same way on a soccer pitch bro yeah like you know it i can see like like like that's why i haven't just dismissed the whole thing out of hand it's because when you when you kind of like game it out from like first principles and take it to like to what i think are its logical endpoints you it's like uh it does it does make a little sense

It does make a little sense. I don't know. I don't know, man. Yeah, no. I mean, the thing is, Catholicism and Protestantism have the same rules about sex. You know, it's just that in Catholicism, it's everything's, what, a little more optional? You just kind of. I guess, I mean, here in Louisville, which is a pretty Catholic town, all I know is that, you know, in, well, I guess it is a pretty big difference.

Like me going to a Southern Baptist church or whatever, I mean, there's no alcohol to be found within. a thousand yards five blocks yeah yeah yeah i mean whereas you know you go to catholic picnics you know everybody's having a good time i don't necessarily uh equate for my experience i don't necessarily equate catholicism with you know all types of debauchery but just just a little bit of drinking a little bit of drinking but you know i don't know because being a straight-edge protestant like you could see where maybe it would get to the point where, like, you know, doing a ribona as a sin. You know, you don't want to show up your

opponent. Right. Right. And if you're that straight edge, then. I wasn't even really aware of this perception until this Brazilian discord. Like, I'm, I'm Catholic. I'm from New Jersey. You grew up around a lot of Irish and Italian people. Shout out. So, no, I know plenty of Protestant people, but wasn't really aware of this. But the Brazilian stuff reminds me of, this was an anecdote from a while ago about when Pato, Gatei Simalan, and supposedly

Rinaldo, Phenomeno said to him, you have to decide, come with me, and he showed him a Playboy magazine or go in Kakah's group. And Kakai is Protestant,

apparently, and more devout. So. Which is funny because of Kakah, I mean, what a player. Two good examples that may be everything we just talked about us. It's nonsense.

That's the thing about soccer, bro. It invites to BS, man. Yeah. But anyway. So Brazil, Brazil, let's hope that they come back. In terms of men who carry themselves in an exemplary way and represent the country in a phenomenal way. And smell great. Mr. Falarin Balagan has signed with Clutch Sports.

I don't know what that means. What is that? He's a real American now, brother. It means he's a real American now. Yeah, he posted a picture with Bronn, with Rich Paul, and with Jay-Z the other day in New York. He's been doing the rounds, media rounds, and, you know, on the scene, as visible as ever. and I love this. Yeah, that's sick.

I was telling, shout to Rahim and Golryomovich, y'all may know him is that. So I'm the final. I said to him, talking about Ballin, I said to him, you know,

it's great to see him being embraced the way he is for a long time. I honestly wondered if, like a dual national player, someone who was raised abroad could be like the face of this team.

And granted, uh, someone said something, about the difference with the German accent versus his accent, but her Dutch accent. But no, I mean, Flo is really, he's the man. And it's great to see him get this attention and love from the American public. It's deserved. And he's obviously going to be there.

The window is not closing for him in the next World Cup. We hopefully can get a couple more at least out of him. He's going to be around for a while. So, yeah, this, Belles, you ask what this means, I think it's actually going to be a pretty big deal, brother. Like, clutch sports,

clutch sports is who be long-arm in the NBA, you know, with different deals. I mean, everybody's talking about the Gary Trent deal. If you've, basically clutch sports and their network of influence through representing all different types of players in the NBA have an influence such to where they can.

can get an average player a deal that would befit a above average player, you know, kind of thing. And not only that, but it's, you know, it's Rich Paul, who's LeBron's agent. It's LeBron who can't be fully, I guess he's tangentially related to Clutch legally as it, as it is now, but technically it's kind of, it's kind of like LeBron's agent. It's born out of his excellence, right? Right, right. Him and his team that he's uplifted.

It's really cool to see this happen, yeah. And so I just, but with this partnership, I guess I can just kind of see flow being kind of lifted up and placed on the pedestal, along with the performance in this World Cup, where I think he, I mean, I think he truly did capture the nation with this play and being the main man. I mean, you score the goals, you know, you kind of,

chick stayed the long ball kind of thing, Dude, I mean, it's for sure, true. Yeah, like people, people, he's, he's the face, he might be the face of the program now. I mean, he's the first soccer player to directly sign with clutch. Right. Oh, really? Yeah, so I think he's just going to be, he's going to be lifted up and exalted in a way that, I don't know how they're going to do it.

It remains to be seen, but, but just, I guess when it happens, remember this conversation. Because, like, this is a big deal, bro. And I've heard, you know, Tom Bogart say that, that, that, The move is, is, uh, expect the move this summer for his big move of his, second big move of his career. Monaco has been a great step, but, but it sounds like he could be on the move for a big price tag. Great.

You love to see it. Love to see it, man. It's just, uh, you know, Bells, I don't know if you remember his first league start that he had this season, uh, for Monaco, but I remember myself just being like extremely struck by the performance. I think he didn't start in the first match because, you know, they were still doing the Mika Beirth thing. Obviously, he came on, got bought by Monaco and had that great, like, second half of

2024 or whatever, or 2025. Yeah, and then Beareth fell off. And so he started the first match. And then the second match, Flo started, I want to say. And he didn't score or assist, but the performance just struck me in such a way. I was like, oh, like, he's here. Like, he's leveled up. the strength he's exhibiting in his holdup play and all the different type of stuff.

It was just like you could tell that some of the, you know, he just came into the season more refined and ready to go. And from that moment on, like, of course he had dry spells throughout the season with Monaco. But the performances were mostly like always there. And of course he was doing his thing as Champions League. He was continually, he was doing his age old tradition of battering PSG. whenever he plays him or whatever. And then, you know, caught fire towards the end of that season to bring his goal tally up to, I think 19 in all competitions and four assists

or whatever for Monaco. So, yeah. And then to cap it off with the World Cup and then cap it off after that, after the World Cup with sign up with Clutch Sports. Like, we're looking at the next U.S. soccer superstar here, Flo Bologna, I think. and I think I think it's going to take a weight off Christian

Policic's shoulders I think I mean with Clutch bro like Clutch I don't think Clutch is going to is going to let Christian Policicic be the face of the U.S. Mids National Team any more like that like such is their media apparatus and I don't know if I don't know if

Pooley's represented by it but the you know the Moskin group can't do the same thing No no no Christians represented by Mosterman No it went out to the team Now it's the team, but... Oh, right, right, because of... Now, Christians are represented by

the... I forget the name of the agency, but it's Rob Moore and his son Matt Moore. Yeah, Rob Moore. No disrespect, but y'all not clutch. Well, I mean, in soccer, the team is top dog here. They have been for a long time, but this is a big catch for clutch

to... In the soccer space. Rich Paul, by the way, is engaged to Adel. This means nothing to the Adam Bills. I know who they'll is. I just don't, I'm not impressed. I'm just not that impressed. I'm just not that impressed.

Bro, look, this is, what I'm telling you, Adam Bills is. I get it. I believe you. Yeah. We hoped for popular culture and in pregmentation by this U.S. Mids National team and, you know, clutches. Did you just say impregmentation? Flo,

Balligan is embryo in the, in the, you know, in a clutch his belly right now, brother. They're going to birth a superstar. That's what I'm telling you. That's what I'm telling you. Yeah, I understand. Okay. Vince, Weston is represented by the team, by the way.

Right, right. I mean, look, I have no disrespect to the team either, which, you know, for anybody doesn't know, look up to why they had to change their name. But no disrespect to them. No disrespect to them. but I think I think clutches are totally different Oh they had to change the name because of um

Ah okay Keep it moving Allegedly Uh Matisse Albert and Marvin Dills played over the weekend We're not going to dwell on it But Albert started in a Dortmund friendly against Oberhausen Oberhausen

Oberhausen In their preseason I don't look I hate to be this guy because I feel like I was up against these guys six years ago who were like never impressed by any young player because they were tired

they were still smarting from the Freddie to do debacle they were still feeling that and then a new player would come along and they'd say oh Wesen McKinney he's only started two games for Shaka why would we bring him into a national team camp and I was always like man you're an idiot if you don't think Weston McKinney should be

in the national team camp but now I'm turning into that guy and I'm like Matisse Albert show me something yeah show me something at the first team level I mean we've talked about this guy a lot same with Kevin Sullivan show me something Powell

Pavon's a team too first superstar right there what did you say Kevin's the T yeah now I'm just thinking about who's rep by who I think Matisse is I have to say they've done a great job with him by the way I mean

Kevin's been very visible during this whole It's been extremely visible. It's time to start doing it on the field against grown men. Paul Gubarsi, Gubarsi got his first team debut at Barcelona when he was 17, two years ago. He just won a World Cup. I'm not going to sit around here and talk about Matisse Albert and Kevin Sullivan

until I'm blue in the face when they're doing nothing. We got to get them. Hope Adam Bells. Well, they need to do something. They will stand. I'm excited for the MLS prospects episode. Cabin's going to play a ton. I mean, he was already playing a lot before the break,

but now Philly's got a new coach in there who's going to play the kids. Hopefully more than Cabin. We're hoping for a few more prospects in addition to Cabin and Frankie Westfield. Albert, yeah, I don't know. I mean, he could break through this summer. Is he going to? I mean, based on everything I've heard, It seems like Dortmund rate him highly.

Yes. And you could say that him getting a start here in this match against Oberhausen is a continuance of this rating. And that it's all good news going forward. I mean, I'm kind of expecting if it's, I'm kind of expecting a Matisseauper breakthrough this season. But I'm on the bell's thing where it's like, you know, just go ahead and do it first. You know, and then we will, we'll get up. hype. We'll get hype from there. Like as soon as you do it, brother. Like, we're ready.

I'm ready. I'm ready. No doubt about it. And, you know, Marvin Dills, like you say, got some minutes and I think he scored as well. You know, we kind of went through the same thing last preseason with Marvin Dills. I don't think Frankfurt is coming back to Louisville this year. It hasn't been announced. Well, you know, they're in preseason right now. They would have been announced if they were coming back to Louis. So they're not. But I was here last season. Marvin Dill was getting plenty of playing time. He played against Aston Vela, played against, well, I think he started against Louisville City.

But, you know. But the thing is they need to give us big, from my point of view, they need to give us big things to get hyped about. Because you look at, we've had players who played first team minutes, scored goals, did stuff. Look at Brendan Aronson. He starts almost every game in the Premier League this last season. does our coach trust him enough to put him in a game at the World Cup? The answer is no. No.

Not really. And his little brother was, you know, he was scoring goals. I mean, what, did he ever score for Frankfurt? I don't know if he did, but he did for Utrecht. And it's like he was doing stuff, but, man, we need. Yeah, it's another thing to really, like, kick on and establish yourself, right? Yeah. It's a whole other.

Yeah, that's the thing. We need big things out of Matisse and California. haven. Yeah. And, uh... Gozo? I mean, Gozo, Mehdi, Ten of Testament. Gozo and, uh, in case, for those you're wondering at home, Gozo and Albert are both

represented by CAA Stellar. So we got some, some diversity here. Okay. So, uh, we got, we should have four friendlies in this gigantic FIFA window, September, October. Yes. Uh, uh, uh, uh, expected to be in the U.S., according to Steve Goff. Because of Nations League, European teams won't be available,

but hopefully get some good South American opposition then. So yeah, let's look ahead a bit. We got these friendlies in this first combined window, haven't had this, right? And then Nations League quarterfinals in November. So a few games then, and if the U.S. advances, we were back to the Nations League. It's going to be funny. It's in L.A.

Is it? Yeah, in March. So it's just funny, you know, there was Nations League in 2025. That was there, the infamous one that we all know about that. And then, you know, obviously we're back in L.A. a lot this summer. So we're back to L.A. in March of 27, Nations League, semifinals and hopefully final. and then Gold Cup next summer, 2007. World Cup qualifying begins late in that combined window,

in that September, October, 2027 window. It starts then towards the end of that window, and continues into the following window, November, 27, and then March 2028. So that's, the U.S. will be the best team in a group of four. It's a round-robin format. The top two teams advance to the final round. Right, so in total you have 24 teams then split into six groups.

The U.S. will be the best team in one of those six groups. So assuming they advance, barring a catastrophe, the final round is another group of four, and the top two teams will qualify for the World Cup. If you come in third place, you're not necessarily cooked. The top two third place teams will do a home-and-home for a spot in the inter-continental playoff. Again, hopefully the U.S. is not in that situation. but yeah what's weird about that final round is that it starts with two games and this according to the athletic it starts with two games in June 2028 but it does not resume until September October of 29 so that's quite a gap and plenty of time for panic if those two games don't don't go well but but in between then you obviously have I mean that's a massive summer

with we hope we expect Copa and the Olympics and we give you our thoughts on how players should be allocated there in the post-mortem but again priority is about getting fresh blood in the senior team the the real bowlers who can help the senior team so yeah it's obviously and again unfortunately because of conga-calf obligations it's going to be tough to get the kind of friendly opponents that we've seen recently that we've been spoiled with. I mean, you're talking about really in the lead-up to the next World Cup and those few windows right before the next World Cup. If the U.S. qualifies smoothly, that's when you'll be able to schedule the way we have,

you know, prior to this World Cup. But... Maybe get some pretty cope of games, maybe. Yeah, yeah. Hopefully, hopefully a few friendlies then. But, I mean, I don't even know. Because Look, we got to put somebody in the Continental Costco

presented by Allstate brother. Well, there's qualifying then. There's World Cup qualifying. So it's, yeah, it's. So does it seem like potentially, does it seem like we could potentially get Mexico in the final stage group?

Or no? For qualifying? Yeah. Let me play. I don't think so. Let me pull it up. Let me pull up that piece. It seems like we're at least going to have one decent team in the final.

I mean, one of Mexico or Canada, maybe. Like one group is going to have two of those teams, right? Well, no, because it's three groups. It's three groups in the final stage? Yeah. Ah, okay. Yeah, it's three groups of four. In the final?

12 teams total. Yeah. We go 24 to 12. Six of those teams qualify for the World Cup automatically. And then the third place teams. And then there's, yeah, that intercontinental playoff pathway for. Yeah. And then imagine if we get it to 64, brother, I mean, it's going to kill qualified.

I mean, I would like to, if it gets to that, I would like to see qualifying folded into some of those regional stuff. Like make that a more direct way to qualify. But again, it's all about money and inventory of games, and it's hard to take games away. It's hard to take anything away once you give it, you know. Yeah. It's space. And we can never play, basically never play European teams because they always have

Nations League or qualifying or European Championship qualifying. So that's too bad. It's tough. It's like that's never going to get fixed. So we're not going to get chances to familiarize ourselves with the Belgians of the world. This, this fall window is going to be interesting, though, right? Because you still will hopefully get a few good teams. And it's like kind of weird to have a window this long that's not a tournament.

You know what I mean? It's, uh, so we'll hopefully get some good teams. experimentation, but also see some of the regulars. I'd definitely like to see Chris back, Chris, who's been endorsed by Tim Ream to be the next captain, kind of. Freeman, Tillman, beyond that, I'd rather see a lot of experimentation. That's what you're going to say? Well, I was going to say, do y'all remember?

Well, not do y'all remember, but I will tell you who endorsed Chris Richards to be captive first before Tim Ream said it was me, like a year and a half. half ago. Really? And I got I got some, I got some mean tweets, brother. Like, Vince, you an episode. Look at me now. All right. Now, now, maybe you don't value the opinion of Tim Riem,

which at this point, you know, I mean, okay. But, uh, yeah, man, it is what it is. Here we are. Another club season about to start. Look, all I'm looking for, I'm looking for death pieces, bro.

All right. Clip notes are going to reflect this as the European season starts off. You know, get ready for a heavy, get ready to learn MLS, brother. Get ready to learn. I mean, if you're a faithful watch your clip notes, you've already learned some Tant Testament. But I don't know. Brian Reynolds. Is this a move official?

I think so. Bring him in. Yeah, yeah. So who's he played for now? A R league on team? Ren, I believe. Okay, get ready to learn some Brian Reynolds, ladies and gentlemen. I'll check it on a little bit over there.

Yeah, okay, here we go. There we go. Shout out to Pfock. I think I said it's end there where he can. Yeah, so get ready to learn some Brian Reynolds. Noah Kau Banks. We will be monitoring its progress. We'll be back for you.

Montreal is not forget Montreal. Montreal? Come on, man. People forgot about Montreal. One other little piece of news, I guess Lacio, interested in Eunice Musa. Yep. He has the passports, so it's easy for him to get to whatever team. The rumors with him are, I don't want to say like inflated, but you know what I mean?

It's different. Like when you have a British passport and you're linked to Premier League clubs, it's different than we're an American guy. But Eunice definitely has the quality. We need him back and reintegrated with his team soon. Yeah, it's funny. Like, we're past the 2026 World Cup, and we're back in the summer where everything feels possible again

with transfers and the future and whatnot. It's crazy. Man, speak for yourself. Everything does not seem possible. Yeah, let's see. What are you talking about? I've been dealt a pretty heavy dose of reality. It's the magic of the transfer window.

What do you mean? man we're going to have to start whipping button taking names before I really start dreaming again brother it's the magic of MLS. We'll talk about the MLS kids soon MLS is back in earnest on Wednesday night Roger Mimetti and many other players will be in action Rodry Mamedi yeah but yeah I'm actually in all seriousness

the more that I think about this I didn't really think about it too much this calendar like we got a long it's a nice calendar yeah we got to a long period in the fall, then competitive games, competitive games. Then because Nations League is next March, you'd assume they'd send the best possible team to Gold Cup next summer too, right? Like, we'll Concordia to have max next summer. We got to do it. Yeah. I'm not, I'm not settling for anything less. Yeah. I mean, I would settle for sending the Olympic guys to the Gold Cup. I'm a, where sick goes like that. I'd love to see prospects in abundance, but,

but no, I mean, because they're not running up against each other, you'll get a lot of a team action. And then, Vince, to your point about, I'm looking at the international match calendar for 2028. Yeah, it's a tight window to play two final round World Cup qualifying games. And then you have the turnaround for Cope America. It's probably, they haven't confirmed dates yet, but it'll be earlier because they don't want it to conflict with the Olympics, I think, if it's here. So there might not be time for many friendlies, but point being, you'll have the full group together for a long time for 2028, between World Cup qualifying and then hopefully a deep run in Copa America. That's going to feel pretty long. Hey, man, what happens if we don't get this Copa America, man?

We've been talking about it like it's just. No, we're going to get it. Okay. We do have to bring our best players to the Gold Cup because there's just not enough meaningful action in the future for us to skip it. We don't give these dudes plenty of rest. Yeah, forget it.

Forget about all that. No more rest. Like six, seven years, bro. These dudes have gotten a lot of rest, bro. You're saying next summer or both summers? Obviously next summer. Every single tournament we're in. Every single tournament, brother.

2029, too. That's what Flo Obelika signed up for when he signed the clutch boards, by the way. You know what I'm saying? They're not going for that, bro. Anytime you can be in America playing some ball, you better get your ass over to America and play some ball, brother. Yeah, exactly. No more pilgrimages. You're talking, hey, come on now.

I mean, you can go on a pilgrimage. You can go on a pilgrimage. We're talking about religion enough on today's episode. but, no, I mean, then you're, all right, so if what you guys are saying is going to happen, has this ever happened before where you have three summers in a row leading up to the World Cup where you have the best group? I don't think that's happened. We usually JV it at some point for a Gold Cup. Yeah, we love JV in it. We love acting like we're something we're not.

JV it at the Gold Cup and get knocked out of the round of 16 every single mother fucking World Cup. Like, who do we think we are? Come on. No, for real, though, bro. It's time. Aging pool. Aging pool. Kids coming up.

No? Not even 2029. We're not, we're not relenting. I mean, we got to find some kids who can play. That's for sure. But it's time to get back to business, brother. Back to business. And the business is playing.

I mean, like, like, we're all Jimenez. You know, and all these other Mexican dudes would love a, we'd probably, I don't know if they would love a break. But all I know is every time I turn Mexico on, them boys are playing for Mexico. You know, whether it's Gold Cup, where he's dunking on us in the final, you know, whether it's Nations League, whatever, if them boys can be there, they are there.

And, I mean, I'm not saying that they big bro to us, anything aspirational or whatever. I still think, I mean, they still haven't beat, like, our first choice team. So, to be clear, I'm not showing a lot of deference to Mexico, but you know, you know, what that has gotten them. That has gotten Mexico in a pot one position

if they can maintain it for the next World Cup. Okay? So, and, maybe going to 64 will save us. Like, if they go to 64, we'll be pot one in perpetuity.

Yeah, miss me with the, I'm not a pot one fiend the way you are. I'm a pot one fiend, brother. Because, because look, if we come in second in our group like Japan did and have to play Brazil,

do we want that? Yeah, I mean, maybe not in the knockout rounds, but I want a real test in the group. I were seeing the way this team wilted against Belgium. I would, and obviously they conveniently rotated against Turkey. So I want to get hit in the mouth earlier in the World Cup, taste that level, and be ready for what's next. But then what? We get hitting the mouth and then we got to play, like second place teams play. Brazil, they played Argentina.

It was a whole thing that Jordan wrote out in the Discord. But I know, you know, finish in the second place puts you in a very perilous position in this World Cup as it is currently structured. Yeah, as it is currently structured. I'm assuming it's going to be 64 next time. And like, you know, whoever you're around the 32 team is, then I don't know. Yeah, if it's 64 next time, then I'm just blowing hot air, obviously. Yeah. Yeah, let's get out of here.

Let's get, let's get going. bro, what are we doing, man? I mean, 48 was fun. It made it, like... 48 was our hate. Cape Verde wouldn't have been, as our, as today's sponsor,

I Show Speed would say, Cape Verde. Belgium. Qtar. They, um, Cotia. So Cape Verre would have been, you know, African Qualifies a little weird,

but Cape Verre probably would have got in and 32 team. Okay. All right. Like they had been building towards this, bro. They had been putting up good performances, AFCON, et cetera, et cetera. I just know if anybody's asking for a break for any of these tournaments

after what we saw. Come on, man. Against Belgium. That's grounds for like a forever break for you. You don't get breaks. I'm sorry. I mean, it does kind of suck. Like soccer's already starting.

Like, Like we said, Dorton's already playing friendlies. All the club teams are playing friendlies already. There is no break, really, from global soccer. But that's the life you chose. And that's the thing. I spent these past six years, like, on the other side, like, yeah, it's nice for them to get a break. Because, like, I mean, like, I couldn't imagine.

Like, you literally can't imagine if you only pay attention to American sports. Like, what the calendar is for a professional soccer player that is an international. But look, man, don't ask for what this country can do for you. Yeah, enough asking about that. What can you do for your country? Hey, if you want to skip all the ads, join the Patreon. The link is in the show notes. You get the clip notes videos, which you need to, like, I'm preparing my mind and my body and my heart, my spirit for clip notes.

and you should be too. Oh, so by the way, I was taking my time getting the Belgian ones out. Look for those this week. I think I saw Wameek. Big shout out to Wamek, by the way. We hung out of Seattle. Ask for them in the Patreon comments

this week, this week. Okay, okay. And thanks to everybody for listening. Thank you, Sanjay. Thank you, Vince. We'll see it.